Canvey Island Local Post are proud to announce the issue of our United Kingdom Armed Forces Day 2023 commemorative stamp, on 24th June.
After more than a year since our last stamp issue in February 2022, the CILP has produced seven new stamp issues for 2023 and early 2024. Images of our new stamps will be published after their respective issue dates.
Stamp print runs have been reduced by half for issues this year, as production costs have increased beyond which the CILP can operate as a self-financing organisation. Collector's are advised to obtain their stamps as soon as issued to avoid disappointment.
King
Charles III Coronation (6 May 2023)
The
first scheduled CILP stamp release for 2023 is for HM King Charles III’s
Coronation Day on 6 May. This features a photo portrait of the new king seated
in uniform. The stamp measures 39 x 42 mm and 200 have been printed on 20 sheets.
Unlike
many other countries, the United Kingdom (UK) does not have a long tradition of
formally celebrating its armed forces with a special day. However, as a
consequence of the Iraq and Afghanistan actions, it is now firmly an official
commemoration in many communities in the UK.
To
mark this year’s Armed Forces Day on 24 June, the CILP is releasing a stamp
featuring a drawing of a British soldier advancing uphill. This is taken from a WWII pamphlet circulated on
Canvey Island c1943 to raise funds for the war effort.
National
Health Service 75th Anniversary (6 July 2023)
Using stocks of our previously issued 70th NHS Anniversary stamp from 2018 (CP034), we are issuing a limited run of only 34 hand overprinted stamps to mark the NHS 75th Anniversary. It is likely these stamps will only be used for local Island mail due to their limited number.
Aviators
Series: No.1 (27 September 2023)
Initial issue of an open stamp series featuring famous international
aviators. The first stamp is dedicated to Geoffrey R. de Havilland and a DH 108
“Swallow” tail-less jet, which broke up in the air over the Thames Estuary near
Canvey Island, killing the famous test pilot on 27 September 1946.
The stamp shows a period photo of the aircraft and an inset
portrait of the pilot Geoffrey Raoul de Havilland OBE, the son of the famous
aircraft designer and manufacturer.
Aviation History Series: No.1 (1
November 2023)
Initial issue of an open stamp series concentrating on aircraft
and local aviation history that occurred on, over, and around Canvey Island and
the Thames Estuary.
This stamp shows the British United Air Ferries Bristol
Superfreighter “Valiant” from 1966, operating from Southend Airport, twelve
miles from Canvey Island. These aircraft were a common sight flying over Canvey Island to Europe prior to the Channel Tunnel and Ro-Ro ship car ferries.
Aviation
History Series: No.2 (1 December 2023)
The second
stamp in the series also features an aircraft from the British Air Ferries fleet
c1972. A total of 21 aircraft were converted to Carvair configuration by Air
Traders (Engineering) Ltd.
The four engine ATL-98 Carvair transported motorists to Europe until it became uneconomic due to their limited payload. This aircraft is named “Fat Albert” and once operated from Southend Airport. Often seen flying over Canvey Island until 1979. An ATL-98 Carvair (registration G-ASDC) featured in the 1964 James Bond movie “Goldfinger.”
Aviators
Series: No.2 (5
January 2024)
The famous
pre-WWII aviator and long-distance record setter Amy Johnson CBE is the subject
of the second stamp in this series. The stamp shows an Oxford Airspeed AS.10
and an inset portrait of Amy in leather flying helmet.
Johnson was
ferrying the aircraft to an airfield in Kent in January 1941. Due to extremely
poor weather, she flew off course and failed to reach her destination. The
exact reason for her crash is unknown but it is assumed she was forced to bail-out
over the Thames Estuary when her aircraft ran out of fuel. Her body was never recovered.
Collect
CILP Stamps
Obtain new and past issues via our agent Alpha Philatelics on Ebid UK.
Postmaster
To celebrate and commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the Canvey Island Local Post is proud to announce the release of two stamps sharing the same design.
The design features a contemporary photo portrait of HM The Queen, who accession to the throne was on 6 February, 1952, and the official Platinum Jubilee (70 years) logo.
For Cycle Express mail a horizontal large format stamp (catalogue no. CP056) will be issued, and for standard foot mail, a smaller stamp (CP057) will be released bearing the same design.
Both stamps will be used until exhausted from stock. Collector's can obtain copies from our normal philatelic agent, Alpha Thematic 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
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
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| Chapman Lighthouse & Yacht Stamp 29 April 2015 |
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| Limited Edition: First Day Cover 29 April 2015 |