1320. 🇬🇧 Excellent Christmas Set To Be Issued By Royal Mail.

🇬🇧 Royal Mail will issue a splendid set of 7 self-adhesive stamps and 1 gummed miniature sheet on 1 November 2018 for use on Christmas mail. The issue works on several levels. The wonderful illustrations by Andrew Davidson give the feeling of Christmases a few decades ago (though the clothing depicted is very much that of 2018) when there was a kinder, gentler Britain, the streets were free of motor cars and families shared their Christmas preparations - men carried the Christmas tree home over their shoulders, brothers walked to the post box to mail their Christmas cards, old ladies and their cocker spaniels posted their cards in 1930s suburbs, choir boys in full costumes ran to catch the last mail of the day and it snowed across the kingdom in time for Christmas Day. Ahhhh......

  I like the issue too because of its postal history subject with the depiction of post boxes from every reign from that of Queen Victoria onwards. I particularly like the 2nd Class stamps which feature an Edward VII post box because I have one such post box just about 50 yards away from where I live.

  The issue was lithographed by International Security Printers and is perforated 14.5 x 15. There will be two booklets of self-adhesive stamps - 12 x 1st Class and 12 x 2nd class.

  An excellent issue - I can't wait to start writing my Christmas cards! Rating:- *****.

  See also Blog 1306.

 🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia issued a set of 3 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 22 October 2018 to commemorate the Installation of the Sultan of Kedah, Salahuddin Sultan. Rating:- ****.

  🇰🇪 The Postal Corporation of Kenya issued a single stamp and an accompanying miniature sheet on 9 October 2018 (World Post Day) to commemorate the Birth Centenary of the former South African President and statesman, Nelson Mandela. The designs are the same as those issued by other member states of the Pan-African Postal Union (see Blogs 1264 ).

1319. 🇨🇦 Underwhelming Armistice Commemoration By Canada Post.

  🇨🇦 Canada Post will issue a single self-adhesive stamp sold in booklets of 10 plus a gummed miniature sheet containing 5 identical stamps to commemorate the Centenary of the Armistice that ended the First World War on 24 October 2018. The designs by Burke and Burke and Jillian Ditner feature the overused motif of a dove of peace which so many stamp designers have used in the past. This uninspiring design seems to reflect the general attitude of Canada Post to commemorating those of its people who died or were injured in the service of the country especially in comparison with the wonderful series of issues we have seen released over the past 5 years from Royal Mail, Australia Post and New Zealand Post. To an outsider, Canada really seems to have lost its way in recent years - how awful it was recently to see on the news queues of Canadians lining up to be present at the first sale of marijuana to the public which the present government in Canada has now legalised. Little wonder that Canada Post has commemorated the sacrifices of the First World War in such an underwhelming way Rating:- **.

  Canada Post will then issue a set of 3 self-adhesive stamps issued either in booklets of 10 or 6 on 2 November 2018 for use on Christmas mail. The rather inconsequential designs feature items of woolly clothing and are products of the work of Paprika studios. A gummed miniature sheet containing all 3 stamps will also be released. Rating:- *.

  🇲🇾 The release of new definitives is underway from Pos Malaysia. There are new designs for some values as well as new values. Rating:- ****.

1318. 🇲🇹 Dogs In Malta.

  🇲🇹 MaltaPost will issue a sheetlet of 16 different stamps on 23 October 2018 depicting various breeds of Dogs. The designs are reproductions of artwork by the Maltese artist, Andrew Micallef, and the stamps have been lithographed by Printex Ltd and perforated 14. Of course I give this issue a Rating of ***** and have to feature the Labrador at the head of this piece!

  🇮🇪 The postal service of Ireland, An Post, issued 2 stamps on 18 October 2018 on the subject of 'Popular Democracy'. The stamps, designed by Oonagh Young from illustrations by Ger Garland, depict Éamon de Valera who took part in the Easter rebellion of 1916 and eventually became the Irish prime minister and President and Hannah-Sheehy Skeffington who co-founded the Irish Women's Franchise League in 1908. The issue was lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. Rating:- ***.