Seashore

 

1991: Nature Conservation in the Bailiwick (Design Wendy Bramall)

The shingle bank at L'Eree is just over a quarter of a mile long and the best surviving example of a shingle bank on Guernsey. Its bank is occasionally breached at the time of the spring tides and floods the Marais behind.

The shore side of the shingle bank - the stamps depict the birds most likely to be seen as one crunches over the banking. Oyster-catchers, Turnstones, Dunlin, Curlew and lastly Ringed Plover with two chicks. Of course you can't contain the scampering turnstones so they pop up in more than one stamp.

Here we see some of the plants which grow on Shingle Banks. Sea Campion and sea radish with a gull flying overhead (probably about to pinch whatever one is eating on the seashore); Yellow horned poppy; Hare's foot clover and fennel and stonechats are popping up again; more Hare's foot clover, fennel and slender oat which is found nowhere else in the Channel Islands and lastly - Sea kale.

The Shingle Bank is designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest and sits between other sites with similar designations. Nearly the whole of this area becomes exposed at low tide and it has been described by marine biologists as one of the best sites for the study of sea-shore flora and fauna in the British Isles.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is Se-tenant or selvedge - See It On A Postcard

 

Ukraine

1918: Definitive

Symbol of the Ukrainian Republic, seen on our screens today and of course on stamps.

Allegory of Ukraine

These were issued in yet another turbulent period of Ukraine's history. The collapse of the Russian monarchy and the resulting civil war with multiple governments vying for control in Ukraine.

 

Fast forward to the 21st Century and the Europa Postman Van series. Here we see a scene from 1953 with a postman and his Moskvich 400. The modern postal van is a MAZ5440 built in Minsk, Belarus. These stamps are from a booklet which included a map

 

 

Look on it and weep for a mere year later than this issue Russia had invaded Crimea and wished for more.

2015: Kyiv's Transport (Design Victor Zinchenko)

Kyiv's funicular which connects the upper historic town to the lower commercial neighborhood, ride up a steep hill in 3 minutes.

2017: Fire Transport (Design Valery Rukdenko)

I've wondered about this stamp of a fire tank but now because of the war I know about the mud season in Ukraine when the snow melts then this vehicle makes a whole lot more sense.  Both these stamps were on a Postcrossing card sent many years ago from Marina who played the mandolin.  She told me she lived in the south of Ukraine in a town I had never heard of called Melitopol but sadly we all know that name now. God bless you Marina wherever you are.

Booklet Cover

 

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

Wildlife

 

1980: Animals (Design P Magnusson Engraver J Larriviere)

Spring has arrived here but not I think where the Arctic Fox roams

1991: Elephants

Too hot for the Arctic fox in Africa. It is said that the only thing elephants are frightened of is mice

 

1992: Threatened Species Series 1 Part 1 (Design Betina Ogden)

No worries they won't come across these mice in Africa although the Dunnart is actually a marsupial but happens to be the same size of a mouse.

1989: Nature II (Design - S Morken

No ermine in Africa either, although as it is spring this one is not wearing its winter coat.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Wildlife of any size- walk on the wild-side at See It On A Postcard.

Transportation

1994: 25th Aniversaary of Post Office Independence (Design - Alan Copp)

Today I am travelling but staying in one place - easy to do with mail, stamps and maps

 

1988: Europa: Transport and Communication (Design Chris Abbott)

The bicycle is a must on the island of Sark or even a horse and carriage for motor cars are not allowed on the island although two feet would be good too as the island is only 3 miles long..

1989: Great Western Railway and the Channel Islands (Design Charles Jaques)

These stamps were issued for the centenary of GWR's maritime service, initially between South Wales and Ireland and latterly a major operator to the Channel Islands from Weymouth.

Some lovely watercolours from Charles Jaques (1921-2008), a keen sailor.  Glad I'm not sailing on the passenger steamer St Julien (29p) in that sea swell. She had an interesting career crossing the channel for the first time in 1925 and in 1939 carried troops to St Nazaire, converted to a hospital ship and crossed the channel twice as part of the Dunkirk evacuation. Returned to hospital duties in northern waters until 1943, thereafter in the Mediterranean and finally was part of the fleet involved with the invasion of France.  

The 37p stamp shows the Weymouth Harbour tramway and a little tank engine. The Harbour Line ran through the streets of Weymouth but was last used for a British Railways timetabled train in 1987 and the last special train ran in 1999. The line was eventually dismantled in 2020-21 despite local opposition.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Transportation - travel to  See It On A Postcard