New Issue: River Thames Sailing Barge Set!

Today, 20 November 2025, we release a new multiple definitive stamp set to celebrate the contribution Thames sailing barges made to the development of trade in London and the south-east of England along the Thames Estuary. 

The AI assisted design, the first use of the tool by CILP, reflects early British Edwardian stamp designs and feature a stylized Thames barge. Printed as a strip on the sheet, the stamps cover the four classes of service available.

River Thames Sailing Barge Set (CP075/78)

Thames sailing barges were a commercial boat once common on the River Thames. The flat-bottomed barges had a shallow draught that was ideal for the Thames Estuary, and its surrounding shallow waters and tributaries. Their heyday was at the beginning of the 20th century when over 2000 barges were registered. For two hundred years barge design remained virtually unchanged until the 1860s, when a series of barge races were started and barge designs improved to compete.

A First Day Cover (FDC27) and a FDI Postcard (FDP19) has also been issued. Please note the River Thames Sailing Barge stamps will only be available as two se-tenant pairs of stamps (Standard/Express and Priority/Official) and not as a strip.

All our available stamps and covers can be obtained from Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK. 

Postmaster

CILP 15th Anniversary Issues!

Today is our 15th Anniversary! To mark the event we are issuing a celebratory stamp, a First Day Cover, Maxi Card, and Commemorative Cover. As usual these are all limited editions and modern local post collectors are encouraged to order their copies without delay.

Our new stamp (CP074) is a multicoloured celebration featuring a montage of CILP stamps on a stamp and our motto, ‘By Hand & Bicycle’.

 

CP074

A First Day Cover bearing a se-tenant pair of stamps (FDC26), and a Maxi Card with two stamps affixed (FDP18) have been released to accompany this issue. A limited edition Anniversary Commemorative Cover (CPC8) bearing stamps from CILP’s 10th and 15th Anniversaries, has also been released featuring two CP041 triangular stamps, and a single CP074 stamp.

As a bonus to all our supporters we are offering an across the board discount of 15% for 30 days on all CILP listings from Alpha Thematics. 

For modern local post collectors who just wish to have a representative selection of CILP stamps for their collection, we are also offering a packet of 15 different stamps at a generously discounted price, plus shipping!

All our available stamps and covers are available from Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.

Join our celebration! Thank you for your support over the past fifteen years!

Postmaster

 

It's Almost Our Anniversary!

Reminder: Just three days to go until our official 15th Anniversary and next stamp issue! Along with our celebratory stamp, we will be issuing FDCs and Maxi Cards, plus we will be offering some discounted deals on Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK!

Time for Collecting!

 As October's nights draw-in quicker each evening as we enter the Autumn (Fall) in the Northern Hemisphere, it's time to dust-off stamp collections and stock books, including Local Posts and Cinderella stamps!

Off course, CILP stamps should be represented in your collection, so visit our philatelic agent Alpha Thematics, and grab yourself an issue or two. 

Our next stamp issue will be on 10 November 2025, marking our 15th anniversary and I hope you will join us in celebrating our birthday. We also plan to offer some discounted special deals to collectors to mark the event.

Postmaster