The Wild Coasts special stamp issue, released on July 22, celebrates the surprising and beautiful diversity of marine life found in British coastal waters.
Nowhere in the UK is more than 70 miles from the coast,andthe British Isles provide unique or ideal habitats for a multitude of species.
A set of 10 counter-sheet stamps showcases a wide variety of wildlife, from mammals, fish and birds to crustaceans, molluscs, anemones and coral.
A set of six stamps and a miniature sheet to be issued on February 15 will feature one of Britain’s most recognisable historic landmarks, Windsor Castle.
Founded by William the Conqueror in around 1080, Windsor is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world.
Originally it was simply part of a chain of fortifications established around London following the Norman Conquest, but King Henry I began to turn it into a royal palace as early as the early 12th century, and it remains an important royal residence today.
The Royal Mail issue for this year’s Europa theme, which is children’s books, honours one of Britain’s most popular pieces of literature for the young and young at heart, the Winnie-the-Pooh series by A A Milne.
Released on October 12, it comprises a total of 10 stamp designs, all reproducing E H Shepard’s original illustrations for Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), Now We Are Six (1927) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928).
The six sheet stamps show Pooh with one of his animal friends, while the four stamps in the miniature sheet focus on his relationship with Christopher Robin.
Royal Mail’s Working Horses special issue, to be released on February 4, salutes the contribution horses make to working life in the UK, from ceremonial functions to police work.
Besides the estimated 900,000 privately-owned horses in the UK, another 88,000 are owned and worked by professionals.
Royal Mail thinks of this set of six as a sequel to the Working Dogs issue of 2008, which it says was very popular.
Workshops wound by wind and water
The Windmills & Watermills set, to be issued on June 20, will salute an endearing and important part of Britain’s industrial archaeology, the mechanisms which harnessed natural energy in the days before steam, coal and petrol engines, and cheap electricity.
Water power, harnessed by a waterwheel in fast-flowing water, was initially used for grinding grain and fulling cloth, and later for driving processing machinery in metal and textile factories.
Wind power, harnessed by sails mounted high in the air flow, was primarily used for grinding corn, especially in areas where flowing water was less easily available.
Royal Mail’s latest franchising deal with the American publishers Marvel Comics has produced a set of 17 stamps devoted to the X-Men, issued on February 16.
