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Julia Lee  |  Aug 07, 2013  |  0 comments

The British Auto Legends issue on August 13 celebrates some of the most stylish motor vehicles ever manufactured in Britain, and some of the most hard-working.

Timed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Henry Royce (the co-founder of Rolls-Royce) and the centenary of Aston Martin, the issue highlights two very different kinds of legendary cars: the ‘thoroughbreds’ ofthe 1960s and 1970s on a set of sixsheet stamps, and the ‘workhorses’ ofthe public services on a four-stamp miniature sheet.

The images for the sheet stamps were shot in a studio by renowned car photographer James Mann, using specialist lighting to capture the classic lines of the vehicles.

Julia Lee  |  Jul 10, 2013  |  0 comments

Royal Mail will release a Butterflies set of 10 stamps on July 11, with delicate and detailed illustrations by Richard Lewington depicting these beautiful creatures to stunning effect.

The 10 species chosen are a mix of the endangered and the common, but three-quarters of species are in decline in the UK.

The Big Butterfly Count, an annual nationwide survey, takes place from July 20–August 1, just after the issue comes out.

Julia Lee  |  Jun 03, 2013  |  0 comments

Royal Mail issued a Royal Portraits set of six stamps on May 30 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the 1st class value reproduces a detail of a portrait which it commissioned specially.

The painting by Nicky Philipps is a full-length study showing the Queen in her Order of the Garter robes.

This is the first time Royal Mail has commissioned a painted portrait of the Queen.

Julia Lee  |  May 08, 2013  |  0 comments

Royal Mail is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Football Association and the 140th anniversary of the Scottish Football Association with its Football Heroes miniature sheet, issued on May 9.

Eleven 1st class stamps portrayindividual British footballers who stood out in their generation, not least in representing their respective countries.

The designs form a composite image, and the miniature sheet places them all together in a team line-up.

Julia Lee  |  Apr 11, 2013  |  0 comments

Royal Mail is issuing a set of ten 1st class stamps on April 16 celebrating some of Britain’s most remarkable individuals, on the 100th or 150th anniversary of their birth.

The Great Britons honoured include an actor and actress, a national and a local politician, a football manager, a composer, a photographer, a writer, a broadcaster and an archaeologist.

Only two have featured previously on British stamps, Vivien Leigh in the 1985 British Film Year and 1996 Centenary of Cinema sets, and Peter Cushing in the 2008 Carry On & Hammer Films set.

Julia Lee  |  Mar 13, 2013  |  0 comments

Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science-fiction television series, marks its 50th birthday this year, and Royal Mail is issuing stamps on March 26, four days before an Easter special is broadcast.

A set of 11 sheet stamps illustrates all the actors who have played the Doctor over the years, each with the backdrop used in the title sequence in his period.

The earliest two are in black and white, as broadcast.

Julia Lee  |  Feb 13, 2013  |  0 comments

Scenes from each of Jane Austen’s six published novels feature on a set of stamps marking the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride & Prejudice.

Released on February 21, the stamps use illustrations by Angela Barrett which were commissioned especially for the issue.

The set was designed by Webb & Webb and printed in lithography by Cartor.

Julia Lee  |  Dec 12, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail’s first stamp issue of2013 celebrates the 150th anniversary of the world’s oldest underground railway.

Issued on January 9, the London Underground issue comprises six separate stamps charting the history of the network, and a miniature sheet of four wide-format stamps focusing on the design heritage of its promotional posters.

The sheet stamps all feature a timeline across the lower quarter of the design, giving the date of the image and using the livery colour of the relevant Underground line.

Julia Lee  |  Nov 05, 2012  |  0 comments

The artist behind world-famous children’s book The Gruffalo has illustrated this year’s Christmas stamps, issued on November 6.

Design agency Webb & Webb was commissioned by Royal Mail to devise the issue, and suggested Axel Scheffler as the illustrator.

In his distinctive style, he drew a range of seasonal, secular scenes including Father Christmas and various animals.

Julia Lee  |  Oct 11, 2012  |  0 comments

The Space Science set, issued on October 16, celebrates the United Kingdom’s contribution to studying the solar system with six eye-catching images captured by satellites.

The issue is claimed to mark the 50th anniversary of Ariel 1, the first British satellite, which was launched on April 26, 1962.

However, all the chosen imageswere captured by later satellites and probes operated wholly or partly by the European Space Agency, in which the UK is a major player.

Julia Lee  |  Oct 01, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail issued a Gold Medal Winner miniature sheet to celebrate each British success in the Paralympic Games in London.

Each sheet comprised two self-adhesive 1st class stamps of the same design, showing the medallists either in action during their event or on the podium.

As with the Olympic Games six-stamp sheets (October issue, page 20), base sheets designed by True North and pre-printed by Cartor were overprinted with images and inscriptions by six different regional printers, whose identities had not been released as we went to press.

Julia Lee  |  Oct 01, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail issued its final stamps commemorating the Olympic and Paralympic Games on September 27 in the shape of a four-stamp miniature sheet entitled Memories of London 2012.

In the same format as the Welcome to the Olympics and Welcome to the Paralympics sheets of July and August, it features photographs from both events, with the logos of Team GB and ParalympicsGB and a quote from Lord Coe, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, in the border.

The sheet was designed by The Chase and printed by Walsall in lithography.

Julia Lee  |  Sep 18, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail issued a total of 29 next-day miniature sheets from August 1-12, to celebrate every gold medal won by British competitors at the London 2012 Olympics.

Each sheet comprised six 1st class stamps of the same design, featuring a photograph of the athlete or team in the process of winning their event, celebrating immediately afterwards or receivingtheir medals.

The images and inscriptions were overprinted onto pre-printed base sheets by six different printers, based in London, Swindon, Attleborough, Solihull, Preston and Edinburgh, and were available from 500 main post offices by noon the following day.

Julia Lee  |  Aug 17, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail is issuing a miniature sheet of four stamps to coincide with the opening of the Paralympic Games on August 29.

The Welcome to the London 2012 Paralympic Games miniature sheet is similar in style to the Welcome to the Olympic Games sheet issued in July (August issue, page 22), featuring aquartet of sports merged with images of the city’s landmarks.

It will make Royal Mail the first postal administration of a host country to issue stamps to celebrate the start of the Paralympics.

Julia Lee  |  Jul 11, 2012  |  0 comments

Royal Mail is celebrating the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27 by issuing a miniature sheet of four stamps.

Entitled ‘Welcome to the London 2012 Olympic Games’, it features a quartet of Olympic sports merging into a quartet of London landmarks.

The stamps were designed by Hat-Trick, from photographs of unidentified athletes by Andy Hooper and of landmarks by Paul Grundy.

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