October 2019 slogan and other postmarks

This post will record Slogan Postmarks and other postmark news for October 2019.  It will be updated frequently so please look here when you get a new one: we may already have had a report, and that will save you scanning and emailing yours.


The first slogan for October is a carry over from September. The National Poetry Day slogan sent by JE.  From Manchester Mail Centre on 28/09/2019 this is believed to be running until 2 October so I'll repeat it in a new post for October.

National Poetry
Day 2019
3rd October

UPDATE 1 October
Thanks to RW for the other layout, from Gatwick Mail Centre on 27-09-2019

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UPDATE 5 October
On the Gruffalo new issue thread some have bemoaned the fact that the (far more deserving) 50th Anniversary of Monty Python's Flying Circus has not been marked by stamps - well it has been marked by a postmark slogan.  Thanks to JE and MB for sending examples.  Here we have a poor example from the iLSM at Edinburgh Mail Centre and a much better example from the IMP at Preston (Lancashire and South Lakes) both dated 3 October 2019

50 Years of

Monty Python's

Flying Circus

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Update 11 October:

We've seen examples of two new slogans, one on Stampboards and the other sent by RW.

The RIBA-Stirling Prize 2019 has been awarded to Goldsmith Street, Norwich. Awarded annually to 'the UK's best new building' this year it is for mass housing development for Norwich City Council. This one is from Medway Mail Centre probably on 8 October as it was on Stampboards on 9th, but I hope to have one from Norwich soon.

Congratulations

Goldsmith Street

Winner of the RIBA

Stirling Prize 2019

 

[Update]  And, as promised, one from Norwich Mail Centre dated 09-10-2019

Update 18 December.

A late notification from GF is this Goldsmith Street slogan from Northern Ireland Mail Centre 09/10/92019.  Nothing remarkable about it except that the Royal Mail logo section is in Welsh, and this was posted within and to an address in Northern Ireland.  Normally the Welsh language would only be applied on mail addressed to Wales!  Unusually this is the first one we've been sent in this format.

  

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It doesn't look as if Goldsmith Street will get much more than its five minutes of fame with the slogan, as RW has sent a scan of another one with Norwich connections, marking the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the Postcode.  This very clear example is from Croydon Mail Centre dated 10 October.

The Postcode

is 60!

1959-2019

Thanks to KC for supplying the Postcode slogan in the other layout, this time from South East Anglia Mail Centre, also on 10/10/2019.

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Update 19 October: Yet another October slogan, this time for the renamed Booker Prize for fiction.  As some book critics have written, this year it is all about the judges' inability to stick to the rules, an inability which must have caught Royal Mail on the hop as they picked two joint winners, thus requiring Royal Mail to fit two names into their five-line slogan, as shown below. (And if mail centres could only maintain their equipment we might be able to read the slogans every time!)  Thanks to IB for this example from Greenford/Windsor Mail centre 16/10/2019.

Congratulations
Margaret Atwood &
Bernardine Evaristo
Winners of the 2019
Booker Prize

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UPDATE 30 October:
With the number of new slogans in October it has been a while since the default slogan has appeared, so thanks to BM for sending this example from Gatwick Mail Centre 22/10/2019 of

Royal Mail

supporting youth

mental health with

ACTION FOR CHILDREN

This is the one we will see most often outside other campaigns.  Last Posting Dates and Post Early Christmas slogans should appear before we realise how close it is.  Look out also for any uses of Universal machines during the Christmas period, industrial action by CWU members permitting.

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UPDATE 1 November:
The final slogan for October gets November off to a flying start with the first slogan actually used on 31 October.

Thanks to BM we can kick off November with the annual campaign in aid of men's health, specifically prostate and testicular cancer and mental health - MOVEMBER!  I think the campaign has a new slogan this year, as it is on their website and is replicated in the slogan.  Our first example is from North & West Yorkshire on 31/10/2019

WHATEVER

YOU GROW

WILL SAVE A BRO

SIGN UP NOW

MOVEMBER.COM

Other examples and all new slogans will appear in the November Slogans post.

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Operational Slogan - Meter date correction.

Once upon a time it wasn't necessary to show where a 'date correction' for meter mail was applied because the post-town was on the meter, although they usually did if it was a Universal machine-applied mark.

Now, when modern meters don't indicate the place of posting, neither do the corrections!

The attached was on a letter posted near Shrewsbury, so this might have been applied at Chester, or maybe at Shrewsbury depending on where the meter pouch was opened.

 

THE CORRECT DATE OF POSTING / 27 SEP 2019 / ROYAL MAIL

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If you have any new slogans or any other interesting new postmarks, please send them by email for recording here.

Slogan Postmarks for May and June 2016

It was my intention to publicise Royal Mail's operational slogan postmarks in monthly batches, but there has been nothing since the 23rd April St George's Day - nothing for The Queen's birthday (thus preventing any FDCs of the new stamps), and nothing to congratulate Leicester City FC on their success this year.  

And now we are nearly at the end of May and I can report the first new slogan, in use at both iSLM and IMP mail centres.

HAY FESTIVAL

imagine the world

was in use on 25 May (2nd class mail Peterborough MC) and 26 May (1st class mail at Norwich MC):

Also in use at Gatwick MC, but the example I've seen wasn't clear enough to scan.  I'll be pleased to show other examples.

UPDATE: here's the other format from North and West Yorkshire with the Welsh version of 'delivered by', used on 25th May, 1st class.  (Thanks, SW).
UPDATE 2:  Although Bristol Old Vic was in use before the end of May (see below), South Midlands MC had Hay on 31 May (1st class).

UPDATE 19 July 2016
Hay Festival continued in use at Peterborough Mail Centre until at least 02-06-2016.


UPDATE  2 June 2016

BRISTOL OLD VIC 250 - thanks to Richard R, and Dominic who couldn't read his examples!

This marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Bristol Old Vic theatre in 1766.  The lower part of the slogan reads 'Est 1766'.  It's interesting that the slogan makes it so hard to read, as the logo on the BOV website is reproduced in colour on white, as well as white on colour.

A nice clear example from Plymouth and Cornwall MC on 28 May, but the examples from North and West Yorkshire (on a Star Wars MS stamp), and that from Greenford/Windsor MC both on 1 June are more difficult to read.

Few countries in the world don't have some sort of postcode, and I reported almost exactly two years ago that the Republic of Ireland would be introducing the Eircode in the spring of last year.  Well... these things take time and none of my customers has provided an Eircode, but Dominic also sent these two slogans which suggest that it may have been introduced already or will be very soon - the official website says they were launched in July 2015.

So here are the reminders from Cork and Dublin:

UPDATE 13 June.  Thanks to DP for sending examples of both versions of the 2016 Father's Day slogans, one from Bristol Mail Centre, one from Jubilee, both dated 11 June 

Week-commencing 20 June Royal Mail announced a slogan to welcome Asrtronaut Tim Peake back to earth.  (Details here.) 

UPDATE 19 July
Belatedly I've been given a copy of the final slogan for June which was, I imagine in widespread use, but little reported.   Armed Forces Day / 25 June 2016 was in use at Peterborough MC on 2nd class mail on 23-06-2016.  I suppose it was also in use on 24 June on 1st class mail.

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Postcodes coming to the Republic of Ireland

The last country in Europe to adopt postal coding will see implementation of the Eircode in the spring of 2015.

Coming late to the party, Eircode will identify every address in the Republic of Ireland with a unique code in the format 

ANN (a routing code) ANAA (the unique identifier).  

Eircode is also the name of the business that will issue and maintain Eircodes.  In late 2013, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources awarded the “Postcode Management Licence Holder” (PMLH) contract to Capita Business Support Services Ireland (supported by BearingPoint and Autoaddress).  The PMLH contract will be fulfilled by the Capita-owned business, Eircode.

According to the company website

Eircodes will help the public, businesses and public bodies to locate every individual address in the State. Eircodes will bring many benefits to the daily lives of people, householders and businesses.  Currently, around 35% of addresses - mainly in rural areas - do not have a unique name or number in their address.  With Eircodes, delivery of services and goods will be much easier and quicker to these addresses.

An Eircode will identify an individual address – rural or urban - and help show exactly where it is located, unlike other countries, where postcodes define clusters or groups of addresses.  It is much more than just a postcode.  It is a smart location code for all Irish addresses.

Eircodes will allow the quicker delivery of services to households and allow business to develop and improve their offerings to customers.
Eircodes will link easily with online maps, satnavs and smartphone maps.  When you enter an Eircode for an address into such systems, you will be able to find its location and the route to get there. 

 See more here. 

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New slogan postmark marks 40 years of postcodes

In November 2009 we reported that Royal Mail were celebrating 50 Years of Postcodes with a series of national ink-jet slogans and the re-use at Norwich of a handful of pictorial slogan postmarks that had been used over the years.

Now, 5 years on, Royal Mail has introduced a new postcode to mark 40 Years of Postcodes.  So what is the explanation? 

Dathlu deugain mlwyddiant y cod post

Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the postcode

It's not a blunder!  The 2009 campaign marked the first steps in the process when the first postcodes were introduced in what was then the NOR area, back in 1959.  The process of initial allocation of postcodes to all UK addresses took 15 years and finished when Norwich and Norfolk codes were changed to the NR format in 1974.

So far we've only seen the Welsh version of the new slogan, used on 10 April.  More information when we get it!

UPDATE 10.00: Thanks to John Gray for providing the English language version, also from Wales, this time without the 'Delivered by' portion.  I've adjusted this to enhance the image.

UPDATE 10.45
I have been told by Royal Mail that this postmark was used 10-12 April only.  This usually means 'for delivery on' those dates, which would mean 9-11.  We'll see what dates other reports bring, to shed light on this.

UPDATE 23 MAY
Intelligent Letter Sorting Machines produce the slogan in this form.

 

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Development of the Postcode - BPMA Blog

An interesting series of blog posts from Postal Heritage, the British Postal Museum and Archive here - http://postalheritage.wordpress.com/tag/postcode/

"The significance of the postcode and its origins in the post-1945 era are considered followed by some archival examples tracing different aspects of its design along its journey from a specialised engineering concept to a universally recognised geographical referencing tool."

Remember, blog entries (currently 3 on that thread) are read from the lowest, with the most recent at the top.

Postcode Anniversary postmark update

Update on the Postcode Anniversary slogans which Royal Mail said would be applied at mail centres from 6-12 October and at Norwich from 5-18 October.

I spent the last week on the Welsh borders and postcards posted in the Shrewsbury area received the ink-jet postmark as late as Friday 23 October and the old-style machine slogan at least as late as Tuesday 20 October (no images available).

Late usage from the Norwich area:
CFC 1 using Pass On with inverted date die on 12 October.
CFC 1 still using Pass On on 26 October.
CFC 2 still using Get the most on 23 October.
CFC 3 still using Code it Keep it (pigeon) on 30 October (zero not visible on any copies).
CFC 4 still using Sealed & Postcoded on 23 October.
CFC 6 still using Help us push on 19 October.

CFC5 not seen after due date. Non-CFC usage shown in the previous gallery has been seen only once, on a department store Mailshot. It might have been used only for that mailing.

Gatwick Mail Centre IMP using the ink-jet slogan on 24 October (with Croydon w/l 'overprint').
South East Anglia IMP using the ink-jet slogan on 24 October.


And Preston IMP using the ink-jet on 23 October - thanks Dave!

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We've seen no postcode slogans with November dates from Norwich, and other slogans have been used in at least some IMP machines, but of course we will publish any other reports here.

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United Kingdom Postcodes are 50 years old 2 - the postmarks used - Pass On Your Postcode

Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletin announced that letter cancelling machinery would have a commemorative postmark for a few days.

INK-JET SLOGAN POSTMARKS
An ink-jet slogan marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of postcodes at Norwich on 8 October 1959 will be used 6-12 October at mail centres applying ink-jet postmarks. A bilingual version is intended for use at mail centres processing mail posted in Wales.

In addition, metal slogan dies are expected to be used at Norwich Mail Centre, 5-18 October. Eight dies are being sent to Norwich
a - Code It Keep It/Prevent Crime;
b - Get The Most From Your Post/Code It;
c - Help Us Push Postcodes;
d - Pass On Your Postcode;
e - Prevent Crime/Postcode Valuables;
f - Remember to Use The Postcode;
g - Be Properly Addressed/Postcode it; and
h - Sealed & Postcoded Correctly Addressed/Mechanisation/Will Do The Rest.

Six of these eight dies are expected to be used in the three CFCs (Culler Facer Cancellers) dependent on operational requirements.

This announcement is for information only. Collectors are reminded that Royal Mail no longer offers a reposting service for slogan postmarks.

Update
The slogan dies were supplied to Norwich from the British Postal Museum and Archive - it may well be that some of them were never actually used at Norwich in their first use. The Postmark Bulletin indicated that 8 dies were to be sent to Norwich which has three CFCs, each with two cancellers, so we wondered which would be used. Fortunately I've been supplied with incoming local mail from a local business and can report. Even more fortunately Norwich sorting office seems to have found some more ink - usually the postmarks are too indistinct even to read the date or placename!

CFC die 1- Get The Most From Your Post/Code It


CFC die 1 - Pass On Your Postcode


CFC die 2 - Get The Most From Your Post/Code It


CFC die 2 - Pass On Your Postcode


CFC die 3 - Code It Keep It/Prevent Crime


CFC die 4 - Sealed & Postcoded Correctly Addressed Mechanisation Will Do The Rest


CFC die 5 - Prevent Crime Postcode Valuables (all examples seen are shifted to the right)


CFC die 6 - Help Us Push Postcodes


Another die was used in the older machine - Remember to Use The Postcode



Example of IMP (ink-jet) slogan used at Worcester


Example of bilingual IMP slogan used at Shrewsbury


Example of ordinary slogan used at Shrewsbury*

* Almost all mail posted in the Shrewsbury area receives two machine postmarks, one the old style and one the IMP (ink-jet). Getting these is quite unusual!

Finally a copy of a much earlier slogan. Thanks to Stafford, Simon, Barry & Richard for information or examples of postmarks.

United Kingdom Postcodes are 50 years old.

Yes, postcodes in their present form came were introduced in the UK 50 years ago this week.
This is what Royal Mail's Press Release - issued in the last few days of 2008 - had to say about this milestone:


50 years on - 1.7 million postcodes continue to deliver across the UK -
30/12/2008

We all have one and undoubtedly take it for granted, but 50 years on since it 
was first introduced, the postcode is still an invaluable tool for Royal Mail 
and many other industries.

In 1959 the first postcodes were introduced in Norwich with the first half of 
the postcode NOR representing the city name, and the last three characters each 
individual street. During the 1960s postcodes were rolled out to all addresses 
across the UK.

The use of the postcode has developed and it is now much more than a delivery 
tool for Royal Mail, forming the backbone of many services such as online 
shopping and satellite navigation systems.

The very first steps toward the modern day postcode were taken in 1857 when, 
faced with London’s ever-burgeoning population, Sir Rowland Hill, inventor of 
the postage stamp, introduced a scheme to accelerate mail delivery. This divided 
the capital into 10 separate postal districts - N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW, EC 
and WC. The public were then asked to add these district letters to the bottom 
of addresses.

There are now in excess of 1.7 million postcodes across the UK, covering 27 
million addresses. Postcoded letters can be read by Royal Mail’s machinery and 
sorted 20 times faster than by hand. However millions of people still forget to 
put the postcode on letters and cards with almost 20% of non-business letters, 
cards and packets not bearing a full or accurate postcode.

Giles Finnemore, Head of Marketing at Royal Mail’s Address Management team, 
said: "Although the postcode is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2009 it’s still 
as important today as it ever was to help Royal Mail sort and deliver mail 
quickly and efficiently. Our postcode system now lies at the heart of many forms 
of modern technology, such satnav systems, online mapping and route planners and 
of course online shopping."

Did you know?
• Royal Mail’s online postcode checker gets around 4.5 million hits per month - 
equivalent to 55 million checks per year

• Santa Claus has his own special postcode - SAN TA1 - and gets 750,000 letters 
every year to his North Pole address

• Some famous addresses have their own postcode - Albert Square in Eastenders 
(E20), Coronation Street (M10) and Ambridge, home to the Archers (AM1)

So how did they decide to mark the anniversary - special miniature sheet? Smilers Sheet? No, all was deadly quiet until last Friday when a small entry in their Postmark Bulletin announced that letter cancelling machinery would have a commemorative postmark for a few days.

INK-JET SLOGAN POSTMARKS
An ink-jet slogan marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of postcodes at Norwich on 8 October 1959 will be used 6-12 October at mail centres applying ink-jet postmarks. A bilingual version is intended for use at mail centres processing mail posted in Wales.

In addition, metal slogan dies are expected to be used at Norwich Mail Centre, 5-18 October. Eight dies are being sent to Norwich
- Code It Keep It/Prevent Crime;
- Get The Most From Your Post/Code It;
- Help Us Push Postcodes;
- Pass On Your Postcode;
- Prevent Crime/Postcode Valuables;
- Remember to Use The Postcode;
- Be Properly Addressed/Postcode it; and
- Sealed & Postcoded Correctly Addressed/Mechanisation/Will Do The Rest.

Six of these eight dies are expected to be used in the three CFCs (Culler Facer Cancellers); dependent on operational requirements.

This announcement is for information only. Collectors are reminded that Royal Mail no longer offers a reposting service for slogan postmarks. An article on the 50th anniversary of postcodes is published in the October issue of the British Philatelic Bulletin.

Look out for all 8 - and the more widespread ink-jet slogans from the IMP machines, including the bi-lingual ones from Wales. Send us your images to show here, please!

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UPDATE
Images of all the postmarks so far seen are in a new message here.