Follow the Band

2001: Centenary of School Orchestras (Design - A Booth)

Leading out with a tuba and a drum major

1982: Centenary Salvation Army (Design - Theo Dimson)

followed by a tambourine.  The stamp shows an urban street scene of the 1880s.

1997: 175th Anniversary Cologne Carnival (Design - Harry Scheuner)

Cologne Carnival is one of Europe's biggest and costumes are essential often with wigs and makeup.  Music is as an integral part with lots of  carnival bands and singalongs. It is described as being six crazy days.

1978: Fairytales (Design - Günter Jacki)

 But whatever you do be careful who you follow as the Pied Piper of Hamelin plays his mesmerising tune.

Pan Pipes in York

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - anniversaries - See It On A Postcard

Father of Microbiology

1924-26: Pasteur (Design and Engraving Georges-Henri Prud'homme)

Considered the father of microbiology Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) is remembered for the many breakthroughs in the prevention of disease such as the pasteurisation of milk and of course the development of the rabies vaccine.  If that was not enough his great legacy today is the Pasteur Institute of which he remained its head until his death.  One of the microbiologists he sent out in the world  

2013 Joint Issue: Birth of Alexandre Yersin (Design - Yves Beaujard)

was Alexandre Yersin who discovered the bacillus responsible for the bubonic plague and later identified and vaccinated against the disease which was named after him - Yersina pestis.  He set up the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute in Vietnam which specialised in the study of animal disease.  The stamp shows his house on the Lam Vien Plateau in the Central Highlands (today a museum) and the land where he grew rubber trees (which funded his work) when he wasn't running an expedition off into the jungle.  A Swiss by birth but naturalised French he spent most of his life in Vietnam so all three countries have celebrated this genius on their stamps.  Ever intellectually restless he packed enough in a lifetime for three and I can't resist plugging Patrick Deville's novel Plague and Cholera - a wonderful introduction to his life and times. 

1971: Famous Belgians (Design - Luc De Decker)

Another of the Pasteurians was the immunologist and microbiologist Dr Jules Bordet (1870-1961).  After working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris he left to found the Pasteur Institute in Brussels. Later winning the Nobel Prize for his discoveries on immunity and the role of antibodies A bacterial genus would be named after him  - Bordetella pertussis, the cause of whooping cough.

Sunday Stamps II theme this week - Father figures - See It On A Postcard.
   

Celebrations

2020: End of the Second World Wat

The centre of the FDC cover shows member's of the women's royal army corp celebrating while driving through Trafalgar Square on Victory Europe (VE) Day in May 1945.

This photo shows a serviceman returning home to Oreston in South Devon from his air base in Lincolnshire.  A group of nurses celebrate VE day in Liverpool.

Some evacuees return home to London after a stay in Leicester and the crowds celebrate in London's Piccadilly.  Lots of people headed into London to celebrate and it is estimated that 50,000 people packed into Piccadilly Circus.   The original images on these stamps would have been black and white but have been colourised by Royston Leonard, each photo can take him between 2 and 20 hours work.

Soldiers and sailors leave a demobilisation centre and a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service proposes a toast during celebrations in Glasgow.

Troops march along London's Oxford Street and lastly Allied prisoners of war at Aomori Camp near Yokohama cheer their rescuers.  Although the war was over in Europe Japan did not surrender until August 1945 and the celebrations were more muted.

The London WC (western central) postmark (above) covers the London areas seen on the stamps.  Royal Mail chose a SW1 postmark which is where Government buildings and Buckingham Palace is located.

Street Party

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Celebrations - See It On A Postcard  

Summer on the Allotment

2005: At Our Summer Houses (Design - Inga-Karin Eriksson)

The gardening tools are out (as well as the tulips) so time to start digging

2005: At the Allotment (Design - Inga-Karin Eriksson)

Look at those perfect rows of vegetables.  Time to take a break and enjoying a coffee.

The fruits of labour and a full basket to be both used and shared. Then we come to high summer and the garden hose brought into action.   I love a lavender walkway.

It seems to understate their description as garden sheds for they are more like tiny house so perhaps I'll use the term garden house.  In Sweden they are Kolonilotter which translates as 'colony of lots' or simply allotments. Some, as you can see, are more elaborate than others and are often close to the city so two stamps show high rises in the background.  Wherever they are I imagine they are little plots of heaven for the lucky owners (like all allotments there are long waiting lists for a plot). Don't you just want to walk through the little gate below.
  

Stamp booklet cover - Allotments

Sunday Stamps II this week is "Your Choice" so I have  a  celebration of Summer in Sweden - more choices at See It On A Postcard   

Life in the Slow Lane

2009: Mythical Creatures

Mail Adventures asks which one stamp explains your life in the recent weeks or months.  Well it might be this one as things have certainly slowed down to a snails pace and any adventure available is only taking place in my head.  See that unruly hair?  Nothing compared to my lockdown hair. Despite hairdresser warnings I may snap any time and head for the scissors.