Do You Have a Favourite Post(wo)man?

Postcard sent by John (the UK). It reproduces a stamp issued by Royal Mail in 2014, and featuring the famous Postman Pat (and his black and white cat, of course).

#AtoZChallenge | Collateral Effects

Trying to keep this short (really!)... Some collaterals effects of the #AtoZChallenge, and learnings, in alphabetical order:

E is for English

As a non-native English speaker, I discovered some words thanks to the challenge. Not only in A few drops of Ink, that dedicated the #AtoZChallenge to words, but in a lot of blogs. Even in my own! Eatery (suggested by Phillip), Obverse, Quail (by Bryon), and Xangô (by Heleen) are words I did not know before.

F is for Fun

This was my biggest expectation when I decided to take the challenge. And I achieved more fun that expected.

I is for Inspiration

• It seems that I inspired Phillip to take part in the challenge (he said I tried to convince him), which resulted in a series of posts about mail art, interesting as his always are.
• I am glad that postcards inspired also other posts in the challenge, like: P is for Play; Going Postal; Arti is thinking of rooting through her boxes of postcards and writing a post about... Any other?

(This U-post was not inspired by postcards, but you will find an original and funny display of mailboxes !)

• The postcards gave John an idea that he explained in another comment: I feel like starting a postcard collection from all the places I visit now. Wish my mind had thought of that earlier, but thanks for planting the seed in there now. (I asked him for royalties - inspiration is not free!... No answer so far). 
• Claire wrote on her reflections post: Eva at Mail Adventures has inspired me to start sending out postcards again. And there were some comments like this: I'm looking at these stamps and wondering why I stopped sending mail. Or this: I've actually been feeling inspired from your blog to start sending (and hopefully receiving) postcards more. I like to think that maybe someone else has sent a postcard after reading one of the posts... Let me know!

Postcard sent by Phillip (the USA)
Manipulated digital print

P is for Postcards 

• Before. I wrote in the theme reveal post that I had not any idea for some letters (E, Q, X, Y, Z)... And some friends sent postcards for those. I added most of them to the posts, resulting in some strange combinations like Quail & Quidditch, for instance, or Yeast &Yarn.
• During. Some postcards arrived in April made me modify the posts, without the senders being aware. Also I received two free postcards from a Canadian penfriend after she read the E-post.
• After. Some readers ask me for my address in order to send a postcard. Do you think they will arrive? If I get 26, I can start another challenge... (Update: One of the Some promised postcards have arrived! Hooray!)

Back of a postcard sent by John (the UK)
Do you know Postman Pat?

R is for Readers

The number of visits to this blog, and comments, have increased during April. I am going to miss that! But, this month, I have enjoyed discovering new blogs, and I guess I will continue reading some of them. So, I hope that some people who arrived to Mail Adventures thanks to the #AtoZChallenge will continue to enjoy my posts about, not only received postcards, but all postal things.

S is for Surprise

I wrote here that I learn a lot through postcards and post in general. Also through blogging, I must say. And the biggest surprise has been to discover that so many people thinks that nobody is writing postcards (or letters) any more. Lost art, they say. Well... now you know you were wrong!

T is for Thanks

To everyone who has been here, and especially those who have taken the time to left comments. Also to people who wrote so many interesting posts that I am still enjoying.

Z is for ZIP code

Don't forget it when you send your next postcard. For instance... why not today?

British TV Children Characters on Stamps

Today's topic for Sunday Stamps II is cartoons or children's drawings. This is one of my favourite themes... So it has been hard no to show one hundred stamps in this post!

These were issued by Royal Mail on January 2014 to celebrate 12 much-loved children characters on TV. Each decade since the 1950s is represented in this issue. 

Have you noticed that each character breaks out of the border? Most of them are/were not very famous in my country. But Postman Pat and his cat Jess have appeared more than once on this blog. 

Ivor the Engine worked in top left-hand corner of Wales from 1959; Andy Pandy was first screened in 1950; Mr Benn appeared in 1971.

I have received four of them. I would not mind to receive the rest, but I am not sure if they are still available. The rest of the characters are: 

-Dougal - The Magic Roundabout

-Windy Miller - Camberwick Green

-Great Uncle Bulgaria - The Wombles

-Bagpuss

-Paddington Bear
-Bob the Builder
-Peppa Pig
-Shaun the Sheep

More information about these stamps.

Pieter Post

Pieter Post

Pieter Post Pieter Post met z'n poes verdient de kost

in z'n rode wagen

zon of regen vlagen

brieven pakjes brengt hij door het land

Pieter Post Pieter Post met z'n poes verdient de kost 

Vogels in de bomen 

zien hem fluitend komen 

Pieter is als vriend steeds bij de hand

Ieder kent 

Z'n mooie rode kar 

als z'n klanten zwaaien naar hem en lachen 

Wie weet 

brengt hij jou ook wat 

Hoor je klop: de post!

Kijk gauw op de mat

Pieter Post Pieter Post met z'n poes verdient de kost 

Vogels in de bomen 

zien hem fluitend komen 

Pieter is als vriend steeds bij de hand

Dutch version of Postman Pat.
Thank you, Heleen!

Pat Postman

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).
It's a postcard, nothing special about it except for the fact it made me extremely happy. I wanted to share that for some strange reason she found it when I had just reminded the Pat Postman song...
Also published here.

Postman Pat and His Black and White Cat

Postman Pat

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat and his black and white cat. 

 Early in the morning, 

 When the day is dawning, 

 He picks up all the post bags in his van. 

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat and his black and white cat. 

 All the birds are singing and the day is just begining, 

 Pat feels he's a really happy man. 

 Everybody knows his bright red van, 

 All his friends will smile as he waves to greet them. 

 Maybe, you can never be sure, there'll be knock (knock knock) 

 ring, (ring ring) 

 Letters through your door! he he! 

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat 

 Postman Pat and his black and white cat. 

 All the birds are singing, and the day is just beginning, 

 Pat feels he's a really happy man. 

 Pat feels he's a really happy man. 

 (slowly) Pat feels he's a really happy man.