lions and fish

 My apologies ... 

I should have written 'commemorating' or 'celebrating' historical events

swans, again

A cygnet from the Abbotsbury Swannery.  This time presented as a postcard, not a stamp

Some royal curves...

We have our own Stratford swans.  Many of these are descendants of of a pair of mute swans gifted by Queen Elizabeth in 1973, but the origins go back to 1918.

swans

1993 

illustrations by David Gentleman

Mute swans from Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, which has an interesting - and ancient - history!

narcissists?

some spring narcissi from Canada, Germany and China

a diving duck from Poland called a netta rufina

and a nightingale, who may have the most beautiful and varied song

jemima

 

a duck for the letter J

imps of darkness

 

Marine Iguanas

stamp designed by David Gentleman, these marine iguanas were described by Darwin when he first came across them in 1835, as "hideous looking" and "clumsy" and called them "imps of darkness".  they are the only species of lizard to forage in the sea, living on seaweed and algae.

guides

 well behaved

I don't know my dog breeds, but I think this is some kind of retriever?  maybe golden? or a lab?

not so well behaved

from 1952, the ubiquitous Canada Goose

not a dinosaur

This stamp was included in a 2013 series of stamps on dinosaurs and illustrated by John Sibbick.   But, as a pterosaur, the dimorpodon are  related to dinosaurs

but are, in fact, one of the earliest reptiles (and invertebrates) to fly. The first British one was discovered by Mary Anning in Dorset in 1828.

happy christmas day

 

I don't think I have ever seen an image of Joseph holding the baby Jesus. They look like such a happy family here, and the baby looks like a real baby (not an almost toddler in a manger with his arms flailing).  No one knows how Jesus referred to Joseph, but here he looks on as a proud papa.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE

phq

squirrel stamps on PHQ cards

These are great ways to collect stamps, for their large format.

PHQ stands for Postal Headquarters and have been around since 1973. 

The above red squirrel is from 1977, designed by Patrick Oxenham

below, from 2016, the Beatrix Potter charming squirrel nutkin

day 23 of NaBloPoMo

black and white with scenery

some black and white Holstein cows ignoring the tulips, with a canal in the foreground

a black and white Spitz dog (Fino) and his companion, a brown Spaniel (Tiny) with some mountains and a lake in the background painted in 1791

some black faced sheep in Ireland with mountains and possibly water in the sky.

some landscapes with animals for Thursday Postcard Hunt

NaBloPoMo 

in the wild

 I have never seen a hedgehog in the wild, but I think they are adorable creatures

I have, however, seen countless raccoons in the wild.  I'm not sure I would consider them 'adorable'

some illustrated animals for Thursday Postcard Hunt

summer fun

 I am more of  a hibernator in summer than winter.  heat (and humidity) and I are not best buds.

Maybe a road trip would be in order (is that van air conditioned?) 

This series is from prolific illustrator and designer Gavin Ryan.

I'm not sure this poor soul in Blackpool is having fun at the seaside.  I did not find these saucy postcards funny when I first came across them.  Apparently they were created as a reaction to prudish Victorians (I may have have been a prude.  Or just 14). They seem even more inappropriate now. The people were always fat.  I'm not sure why I even have this one - it may have been part of a 'lot'.  

One thing that will get me moving in summer is checking out flowers.  This is the Victorian era Halifax Public Gardens,  located at the appropriately named Spring Garden Road and Summer Street.  There are free historical tours several times a day throughout summer.

How about a bit of canoeing and fishing.  Although you can fish all year round, I always think of it as a summer thing (I don't fish, except when I was younger and at a cottage, or camping) Maybe these guys are looking for bass, pike, musky or carp.

Or a round or two of golf. This is Royal Troon Scotland which last held The Open in 2016.  This year, it will be at Portrush in Northern Ireland (July 13 - 20)

Or, a spot of tennis. Though this is hardly a casual match.  This year being held from June 30 to July 13, (ending just in time for golf)

pillar boxes

Although I don't have the actual stamps, I do have this set of 2002 PHQ cards - which I think I prefer

and, I was pleased to discover, after getting them, that the engraver was Czeslaw Slania (1921-2005)

Note: the colour changed from green to red in 1874 and the blue box was for airmail.

 

maybe Joy can enlighten us if she has seen any new pillar boxes with the CRIII cypher? 

 

seats

Mr Woodhouse sinks into an floral patterned chair

Inside the Hermitage though, admittedly, the furniture is shown on the souvenir sheet rather than the stamp itself.

medals

 

Crosses and medals awarded during WWII    Army (10,386 times), Navy (4,524 times) and Air Force (20,354 times)

 

small animals

 red fox and red squirrel

an exasperated mama cat

 

 

 

those eyes...

industrial revolution

 1732 - 1792

Showing Arkwright's spinning machine and drawings.  Patented in 1769, this machine was too large to be used by hand and was powered by water.  It propelled the introduction of the modern factory system.

to slay or not to slay

April 23rd is St George's Day.  I couldn't find a stamp featuring that particular saint, but I do have a rather miserable looking St Augustine holding a model church

maybe he was wishing he had a dragon to slay

like this colourful creature, a Year of the Dragon stamp from Hong Kong

colours

uniforms were much more colourful and elaborate in days of yore
 

There was a time I was deeply into Gilbert & Sullivan.  I could probably still sing along to most of their songs.

some uniforms for Sunday Stamps