Further to our previous announcement of 18 November, regarding the withdrawal of our Covid-19 handstamp / cachet, CILP has decided to extend its life due to the spread of the Omicron mutation.
The virus war continues and CILP considers the use of the handstamp / cachet to be an appropriate response to help raise public awareness to protect our respective communities and ourselves.
This decision will be reviewed in April 2022.
Postmaster
CILP
CILP Online Catalogue Part 2
As this eventful year is nearing its end and no new stamps are due for release in 2021, we have finally published our free to access Online Stamp Catalogue Part 2. This part covers all stamp issues for 2021 and will be updated annually.
Please note: this Part 2 catalogue and also Part 1 2010-20, is covered by a Creative Commons licence that allows personal use only . Commercial uses require specific licence permissions from CILP.
Current and historic stamps issues still in stock are available from our philatelic agent Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
CILP
(See Update 30 November 2021)
Alongside the issue of CILP Emergency Mail Service stamp issued on 23 April 2020, a new hand applied cachet came into use on all mail using CILP services.
The design featured a stylised Covid-19 ‘Virus’ which has become so familiar in various designs on all media formats.
The CILP has decided to withdraw the handstamp with effect from 30 November, 2021. It has been in constant use on all mail despatched from the CILP and on all orders purchased from our philatelic agent.
Collectors who have not obtained an example of this design are encouraged to do so before the end of November, by purchasing any CILP stamps form Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Forward United!
The Forward Together! stamp (originally scheduled for release 11 October, 2021) has been renamed and issue rescheduled. The stamp, which shows the flags of all the UK home nations alongside the Union flag, will be re-scheduled for issue on 25th January, 2022. It is now entitled, Forward United!
Missed an Issue?
We still have good stocks of all 2021 and most older stamp issues available for purchase from our agent Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
CILP
"The Great Tide" Stamps to be Exhibited
During the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK in June 2021, the CILP donated a set of our 2013 "Great Tide" 60th Anniversary stamps to the Watersnood Museum in the Netherlands.
"The Great Tide" 60th Anniversary Set (2013)
The Dutch experience of January 31, 1953, mirrored that of Canvey Island where 58 residents died in the freezing weather and flooding of that terrible night. Over 300 souls perished in the Netherlands. The collective experience of the East of England and Netherlands is reflected in one image in the stamp set, showing the sea breaching the coastal defences on the Dutch coast.
Due to the pandemic, the Watersnood Museum was closed until the 6th June, 2021. The CILP have received communication from the museum acknowledging receipt of the stamps, and confirmation that they will be used in a future exhibition at the Watersnood Museum.
If you missed this stamp issue it is still available from our philatelic agent, Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
CILP
Forward Together!
The release of the Forward Together! stamp (scheduled 11 October, 2021) has been postponed. The stamp, which shows the flags of all the UK home nations alongside the Union flag, will be re-scheduled for issue at a later date in 2021.
Missed an Issue?
We still have good stocks of all 2021 and most older stamp issues available for purchase from our agent Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
CILP
Forward Together!
Following Brexit, the battle is now on to Save the Union. The Forward Together! stamp is due for release on 11 October, 2021. It shows the flags of all the UK home nations alongside the Union flag with the legend "Forward Together!" (Image will be published on stamp release).
Missed an Issue?
We still have good stocks of all 2021 and most older stamp issues available for purchase from our agent Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
CILP
Empire Windrush: 22 June 2021
A new stamp commemorating the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, Essex, UK in 1948, was issued on 22 June 2021. The Empire Windrush marked the start of the post-war immigration boom which was to change British society. Windrush carried 492 black migrants who were coming to a country promising prosperity and employment.
A variant was also be released that was a result of a simple commercial printer's error (same error as Earth Day stamp issued earlier in the year), but were too good to scrap. The information line at the bottom of the stamp has been omitted on 11 sheets. These will be used as normal alongside the 'correct' design.
No first day covers or cards issued for this stamp.
Available from our agent, Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK.
Salute Frontline Workers: 31 May 2021
May 31st saw the release of our 'Express' Salute to Frontline Workers stamp. This honours all workers who have helped us all over the last fourteen months, and continue to work during the Covid-19 pandemic. The stamp features multiple awards and medals which so many people deserve.
No first day covers or postcards issued for this stamp.
Stamps will be available to collectors from our usual agent at Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK, and periodically on eBay UK.
Postmaster
CILP
International Nurses Day: 12 May 2021
May 12th saw the release of a new 'Express' rate stamp celebrating nurses worldwide on their annual international day. This celebration is even more poignant this year with the current Covid-19 pandemic. The stamp features Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole.
Mary was a black contemporary of Florence and arguably of greater influence on establishing and promoting professional nursing in the UK. She has gone unsung for too many years and this stamp is a small attempt to redress the historical balance.
No first day covers or postcards issued for this stamp.
Stamps will be available to collectors from our usual agent at Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK, and periodically on eBay UK.
Postmaster
CILP
Endangered Fauna & Flora - Orchids: 03 May 2021
The second series in our Endangered Fauna and Flora theme is a set of four rare orchids found in a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Canvey Island. Our first F&F series was released on 21 August 2017 and illustrated endangered insects also found at our local SSSI.
This issue includes the Common Spotted Orchid (Letter rate), Bee Orchid (Large Letter rate), Pyramid Orchid (Express rate), and the Southern Marsh Orchid (Packet rate).
No first day covers or postcards have been produced for this issue.
Stamps will be available to collectors as four stamp block sets from our usual agent at Alpha Thematics on Ebid UK, and periodically on eBay UK.
Postmaster
CILP
The lucky recipient of this outgoing mail from the Canvey Island Local Post Office will receive our three latest stamps on their cover!
The cover bears the CILP 10th Anniversary triangle stamp (15 April), the Fight Covid-19 stamp (19 April), and Earth Day stamp (22 April). Postmarked with standard cds and 'Virus' cachet.
Postmaster
CILP
Despite production delays and pandemic restrictions, Canvey Island Local Post (CILP) are pleased to announce our stamp schedule for 2021.
Technical and production details will be published in our online catalogue as soon as possible, as well as an updated online Collector's Checklist.
CILP 10th Anniversary: 15 April 2021
This is our first triangular stamp, and it celebrates ten years in operation as a local post as of November 2020. We have produced 700 of the little beauties as we are proud of hitting our 10th year! It was planned to release this in November last year, but better late than never!
Fight Covid-19: 19 April 2021
This issue was also delayed from March 2021 due to unforeseen pandemic issues. It is intended as more of a public information poster stamp rather than a fixed postal rate for local mail. It will be used alongside other CILP stamps until exhausted.
Earth Day - 'Restore Our Earth': 22 April 2021
Slowing climate change and reversing environmental degradation is the theme for this year's Earth Day. Our stylised stamp is optimistic in the outcome but calls on everyone to 'do their bit'.
Endangered Fauna & Flora - Orchids: 03 May 2021
The second series in our Endangered Fauna and Flora theme is a set of four rare orchids found in a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Canvey Island. Our first series released on 21 August 2017 illustrated endangered insects also found at our local SSSI. (Images to follow on release).
International Nurses Day: 12 May 2021
Celebrating nurses worldwide on their annual international day. Features Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, a black contemporary of Florence and of equal or greater influence on nursing who has gone unsung for too many years. (Image to follow on release).
Salute Frontline Workers: 31 May 2021
Honouring all frontline workers wherever or whatever they do to keep society, communities, and families, warm, fed, connected, clean, safe, and healthy. They know who they are - thank you! (Image to follow on release).
Empire Windrush: 22 June 2021
Commemorating the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, Essex, UK in 1948. It marked the start of the post-war immigration boom which was to change British society. Windrush carried 492 black migrants who were coming to a country promising prosperity and employment.
Their influence and contribution have been overlooked far too long and this is an effort to redress the historical balance. This design is a period photo of the stern of the ship docked at Tilbury with passengers crowding the rails waving at the camera. (Image to follow on release).
A variant will also be released that was a result of a simple commercial printer's error (same contract as Earth Day stamp above), but were too good to scrap. The information line at the bottom of the stamp has been omitted on 11 sheets. These will be used as normal alongside the 'correct' design.
Forward Together! : 11 October 2021
Following Brexit the battle is now on to Save the Union, even if most people in the UK have not yet realised it or do not care. This stamp shows the flags of all the home nations alongside the Union flag with the legend "Forward Together!" (Image to follow on stamp release).
Postmaster
CILP
Express bicycle mail carried by the Canvey Island Local Post from 12 April, 2021, will now bear an additional and distinctive rectangular bordered cachet. An example of mail bearing the new cachet is shown below and this is also the first recorded use of the cachet.
Postmaster
CILP
We are going to Virtual Stampex! Are you?
Just sign-up with your email address and indicate your interests in the drop-down menu, and that is it!
This is the first ever 72 hour virtual international stamp show. Bringing together internationally recognised, dealers, auction houses, societies and specialists from all over the globe, this event will allow you and fellow philatelists from around the world to come together to buy, sell, learn, explore, network, showcase and enjoy a philatelic experience all from the comfort of your own home.
Whether you are new to the hobby or a seasoned philatelist, you’re sure to find something new and exciting at the show – welcome to the philatelic revolution.
It later occurred to me that apart from first day covers and philatelic items posted to collectors, plus post despatched containing stamp orders from our agent Alpha Thematics (carried by CILP and bearing our stamps), there was no evidence of mail actually carried by the CILP in the public domain!
To remedy this evidence gap, I will regularly publish examples of mail carried by us on a separate page; Examples of Mail Carried.
In fact hundreds of items have left the CILP Post Office Mailroom over the years, being 'walked' or 'bicycled' to a number of local Royal Mail Post Offices, or delivered by us direct to recipients living on the Island. This I believe establishes our bona fides of being an active local private post by definition.
Keep well, keep safe!
Postmaster
We have had a Collector's Checklist available online for sometime, enabling new and existing collectors to check their Canvey Post stamps. But this has the limitation of not being illustrated, and short of searching our website archives for images of our stamps, there was no way to tie in checklist with a particular stamp issue unless you already had it in your collection.
Now there is a new resource that solves the problem, a fully illustrated Online Stamp Catalogue covering the entire stamp output of the Canvey Island Local Post, from its first stamp in November 2010, to our latest stamp issued in April 2020!
Despite being web optimised the size of the current catalogue file may take a couple of minutes to load due to the number of images. Future stamps will be catalogued in a separate catalogue part on a new page.
The catalogue also uses new stamp reference numbers which are shorter and easier to remember! They are similar to the basic Stanley Gibbons catalogues. My original references, which include a CLP prefix and the date of release, will be retained solely as production identifiers rather than collector references.
The current online catalogue only covers stamp issues but we are preparing a comprehensive physical catalogue for publication in 2022. This will include first day covers, commemorative covers, postal stationery, Heritage Postcards, first day issue postcards, maxi cards and anything else postal or philatelic issued by the CILP.
I was surprised how much material there is to classify for this next project, but over ten years many designs have been produced and a lot of post has left this office!
Keep safe, keep well...
Postmaster
CILP
It seems such a long time since we released our first stamp on 26 November, 2010. A simple 1 inch square Dutch Cottage landmark from 1618. As our Collector Checklist now testifies, we have come a long way since then!
But our tenth anniversary came and went without any celebration, mainly due to real life getting in the way of hobby time. However, to make amends for this gross omission, the CILP will be releasing a celebratory stamp in March.
Once production details are finalised sometime in the next few weeks, the CILP will also be announcing its stamp programme for 2021! The programme is larger than in previous years and this is largely due to the fact that we only released one stamp issue in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Keep safe, keep well!
Postmaster
CILP
Alongside the issue of CILP Emergency Mail Service stamp on 23 April 2020, a new hand applied cachet came into use on all mail using CILP services. It will be used until trusted sources declare the emergency over and we all have had a vaccine shot!
The design is a stylised Covid-19 ‘Virus’ which has become
so familiar in many forms to us on television, news programmes, health notices
and social media. It measures
The production of the handstamp was a rough and ready
process to get it prepared in time for simultaneous release with our Emergency
Mail Service stamp. It was hand carved from a champagne cork and, I believe,
conveys the right impression (pun intended) in these dire circumstances.
Although I have produced clean sharp cachets using digital
means in the past, I prefer the manual application and involvement of producing
handstamps that have a nostalgic ‘authentic’ look to them. It’s all part of the
fun of running a local post!