Showing posts with label philatelic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philatelic. Show all posts

21 April 2024

The British Library: Cyber Attack

This week I was checking links in our Philatelic Resources, Societies and Clubs links at the bottom of our webpage. 

Sadly, the Ship Stamp Club has closed. But more worrying is that The British Library, which was hit by a cyber attack in November 2023, is still suffering major system disruption. As a result our link to their informative Philately section is not working and directs visitors to a temporary page.

The British Library link has been retained in our list in the hope that their systems will be back online at some point this year. It is a timely reminder to us all to take sensible precautions with our login and security details at all times, even when we are engaged with our philatelic interests.


The British Library states; 

"We're continuing to experience a major technology outage as a result of a cyber-attack. The outage is still affecting our website, online systems and services, as well as some onsite services, however our buildings are still open as usual.

We anticipate restoring more services over the coming months, but disruption to certain services is expected to persist for longer...

We have...[published a paper] about the attack. Its goal is to share our understanding of what happened and to help others learn from our experience.

In November the attackers released some of our data onto the dark web including some personal user information. We've contacted our users to alert them to this incident and to offer advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on how to protect themselves, including updating their passwords on other systems.

Because our systems are still unavailable, you can't change the password for our services. However, if you use the same password for non-British Library services, we recommend that you change it as a precaution.

The NCSC offers advice on staying secure online, including how to create a strong password, as well as specific guidance for individuals who may have been impacted by a data breach.

Analysing the data is likely to take several months. Should we find specific information has been compromised, we will alert anyone affected as soon as we can. We are continuing to collaborate with the Metropolitan Police and professional cybersecurity advisors, and are receiving support from the NCSC...

We're really sorry for the ongoing disruption to our systems and services and we'll provide further updates when we can. Thank you for bearing with us during this ongoing investigation."


Be careful out there...

Postmaster

23 October 2017

Famous Public Houses Stamp Set

Canvey Island Local Post (CILP) released it's Famous Public Houses stamp issue on the 23rd October, 2017. It is a four horizontal stamp set featuring Canvey Island 'pubs' that have played a defining role in community life for many decades and in one case, centuries.

The 'pubs' featured in a stylised pencil sketch style are; the Haystack, the Admiral Jellicoe, the King Canute (prior to the 1953 flood known as the Red Cow), and the Lobster Smack. The latter was used by Charles Dickens as the Ship Inn in his 1861 novel Great Expectations. All the other pubs have their own stories and history, both good and bad. 

 CLP231017-4
© 2017 CILP

With the imminent demolition and re-development of the Admiral Jellicoe and the closure of the King Canute (formerly Red Cow), it is poignant and timely that the CILP should release this long planned stamp set now.

CLPFDC12
© 2017 CILP

Unfortunately, it was necessary to omit equally famous or well known pubs and drinking clubs from this issue, such as the old Oysterfleet, the Canvey Club (featured on a vinyl LP cover by R&B band Dr Feelgood), and younger establishments such as the Windjammer of the 1980s, and the Silver Jubilee from 1977. We hope to include these in a future stamp issue.

A total of 45 sets and six First Day Covers have been produced. Stamps and covers (subject to availability) available from Alpha Thematics on eBid UK

4 September 2017

Empire Flying-Boat Airmail 'Seaplane' Stamp

Canvey Island Local Post (CILP) released 4th September, 2017. It is CILP's first Air Mail stamp and is in response to increasing interest from overseas in CILP stamps and First Day Covers.

 CLP040917S
Seaplane Priority Air Mail Stamp
© 2017 CILP

The design features the Imperial Airways 'Empire' Flying-Boat, "Calypso", with piggy-back S-20 mail carrier Seaplane from an original vintage postcard c.1938. It is a horizontal gummed and perforated non-value indicated (NVI) stamp, bearing the legends 'Priority' in English and French and the traditional 'A' for airmail.


The original postcard image was a generic illustration used on the front of a multi-view fold-out postcard, on which  seaside towns had their name printed on the top with a short message for tourists. The original postcard has the message, "Flying High with Views of Canvey Island".


CLPFDC11
© 2017 CILP
   
The stamp will be affixed to all overseas mail for twelve months from issue (subject to stock availability). A total of 150 stamps and four First Day Covers have been produced. Stamps and covers (subject to availability) available from Alpha Thematics on eBid UK

23 August 2017

Endangered Fauna & Flora: Insects

The Endangered Fauna & Flora: Insects issue was released on 21 August, 2017. It is the first in a  proposed series of fauna and flora stamp subjects, all relating to rare species found at a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Canvey Island.

The Insects issue is a se-tenant stamp strip showing (left to right), the Brown Carder Bee (photo: Steven Falk); Shrill Carder Bee (photo: Ivar Leidus); Emerald Damselfly (photo: Charles J. Sharp); and the Five-banded Weevil Wasp (photo: BWARS).



© 2017 CILP




 © 2017 CILP


Stamps and covers (subject to availability) available from Alpha Thematics on eBid UK.

Postmaster
C.I.L.P.

21 June 2015

B-17 "Heavenly Body II" Flying Fortress Issue



B-17 "Heavenly Body II" Stamp

The CILP is pleased to announce the release of a single stamp design on 19 June, 2015, entitled “Heavenly Body II”.

It is a direct tribute to the aircrews of two B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 379th Bomb Group, 8th USAAF which collided in mid-air approaching Canvey Island whilst returning from a mission to destroy V-1 sites in France on 19 June, 1944. Indirectly it honours all USAAF aircrews operating from England during WWII.

© 2015 CILP
The stamp issue is named after the nickname of one of the aircraft, B-17 42-97942. The other B-17 involved was the un-named 44-6133. Eleven men died in the incident and seven survived, some of whom came ashore on Canvey Island.

The stamp features a B-17 on an airfield in England, showing the 1st Division, 8th USAAF yellow triangle tail marking. The 379th was an element of the 1st Division but the aircraft in the image is actually from another 1st Division element, the 525th Bomb Group.

The CILP has produced a limited edition 270 horizontal stamps measuring 59x20mm. All stamps are perforated and gummed.


First Day Cover and FDI Postcard

An associated limited edition of 12 First Day Covers has also been produced. Each cover bears a pair of stamps with hand-struck FDI cancel.  The cover measures 162x114mm and features the 8th USAAF patch and has a detailed card insert describing the incident.

© 2015 CILP

Six 'First Day Issue' postcards were also produced using the Dutch Cottage Heritage Postcard #1. They bear a single stamp on the reverse with a hand-struck FDI cancellation.


Buy Canvey Local Post Stamps

Early purchase of this issue is recommended as it is anticipated it will be popular with aircraft and military collectors in addition to Cinderella fans, especially the FDCs and FDI postcards.
Collectors may obtain this and previous issues (subject to availability) from Alpha Thematics at http://alpha-thematics.ebid.net (under menu section ‘Cinderella’)