Let's Talk Loneliness

Let's Talk Loneliness

A postmark for The New Normal...

South Carolina Morning, 1955

...And a couple of Edward Hopper on paintings which reflects also the New Normal, with all those "Stay-at-Home" activities and times.

New York Interior, 1921

Postcards sent by Bryon (the USA).

Las bicicletas son para el verano*

Zeus, a Spanish bike from 1979

Same day last week, I got two postcards featuring bikes, from the USA and the Netherlands. Plus a letter from the UK about a kid learning how to ride a bike.

The Zeus postcard was written on 22 April, postmarked on 23 April, and arrived two months later: on 22 June. Do you think it came by bike?

Nijntie/Miffy, by Dick Bruna

-----

*This is the title of a famous play by Fernando Fernán Gómez. Las bicicletas son para el verano means 'Bicycles Are for the Summer'

Sunday Stamps | Pennies

Sunday Stamps is today about Anniversaries.

2020 marks the 180th anniversary of the Penny Black. The stamp knows as Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public stamp system. It was issued in May 1840, and features a profile of Queen Victoria.

Reproductions of the Penny Black, Twopenny Blue and Penny Red were meant to be part of the big London 2020 stamps shows. The fair was cancelled, but the stamps were issued anyway.

This is the whole sheet:

Image taken from Linn's 

Love

Big postcard sent by Micu (Hungary).

Playing around with Circus Lettering

Letters sent to Imma (PC), Phillip (the USA) and Laura (the UK).

Stamps Joy

Sending

It is a pleasure to see where the trip of your letters started, isn't it?

This letter was the unexpected prize of a giveaway I took part in through Twitter. If you are on that platform and you like stamps, Philatelovely is an interesting account to follow.

Arrived!

And a second one from John:

Reptiles

"Why shouldn't a woman run a reptile house? Women
 are at work in my country, and the rest of the world,
in all types of work and professions." 

Joan Beauchamp Procter  (1897-1931) was a zoologist. This postcard designed by Rachel Ignotofsky highlights her top achievements: "Discovered a new species, the peninsula dragon lizard" ; "Considered an expert in herpetology"; "Designed the most advanced reptile house of its time".

It was sent by Phillip (the USA). It arrived on a big mail day, i.e. along with no less than eight pieces of mail. Among them, another postcard featuring a reptile. I love these little coincidences in the mail box.

 

Märchen, by Suzan Visser

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Open with a Smile

Sticker on the back of an envelope from the UK :)

Sunday Stamps | Dad's Army

Dad's Army is a BBC television situation comedy about the antics of a British Home Guard unit during the Second World War in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on the BBC from 1968 to 1977.

Royal Mail marked the 50th anniversary of this enduring and hugely popular sitcom with a set of eight Special Stamps.

This is a Sunday Stamps post. You can go there to see other Father Figures on stamps.

First Day of Summer!

Fiep Westendorp, 1991
From: Jip en Janneke,
written by Annie M. G. Schmidt

Postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands)... last year!

Mail By Air (II)

Imperial Airways' Handley Page HP.42E airliners first entered into service in 1931. G-AAXF Helena is depicted flying over the pyramids in Egypt, on the Cairo-Gaza-Karachi sector, in 1933. During their eight years of service, the HP.42s carried an exceptional amount of mail.

I wrote a post about the Mail By Air Post & Go labels on 26 April. I never thought it would work as a sort of wishlist. But it did. A thoughtful penfriend took the trouble to order this very stamp for me and used it on his latest letter.   

How lucky am I?

When the World Is Upside Down

This stamp was designed by María Campo Barrio. She won the 1st prize in the junior category of the VI stamp design contest Disello.

It inspired me to draw this envelope to Phillip (USA).

But I wasn't the only one...  Another girl wears the same sport shoes on this envelope sent by Imma (PC):

I like that their styles are so different!

Durham

When this postcard was sent, almost a month ago, everybody was talking about Durham in the UK news...

The Difficult Novel

Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce, during which the events of his novel Ulysses (which is set on 16 June 1904) are relived. It is observed annually on 16 June in Dublin and around the world.

Last year I sent this postcard, and it arrived just in time.

By Tom Gauld

Have you read the difficult novel? (I haven't. Yet?)

Universities

John Slezer's engraving of 1693 shows what was then known as the University of Glasgow's New College, which was built in the 1630s on the same site as the medieval college, and used until the university moved to the west end of the city in 1870.

Gargoyles & Grotesques Carvings from All Souls,
University College & New College
Oxford, the UK

Magdalen College, Oxford, the UK

My school resembles more to the illustration below :)
Finally, this crazy school year finishes tomorrow!

Illustration by Mila Marquis

Postcards sent by John (UK), Tasha (UK) and Heleen (the Netherlands).

Sunday Stamps | Celebrations

This stamp intrigued me because, contrary to most Chinese stamps I get, the year is not visible. I have found (here) that it is a self-adhesive stamp issued in 2013, and designed by Yue Xin. The title of the stamp is Brilliant.

The site indicates these are "Special-use stamps for greeting cards". I got it on the back of a Postcrossing card (along with others).

I thought it could fit in today's Sunday Stamps theme: Celebrations.

Delicious Postcards

Another Curious Feast postcards sent by Bryon...

Songs by Fats Waller, 2015
by Naz Şahin Özcan

I have got this postcard from China through the Postcrossing site. It reads: "A bite from China. Greetings from a country with delicacies." 

The sender uploaded a different picture to the Postcrossing page. It adds some information... But I still have no idea which food the postcard features!

For more delicious things, see inside this coffee shop sent by Heleen (the Netherlands)...

... Which you can drink in this delicate china sent by Laura (the UK)!

Be More Tom

Have you heard about the uplifting story of Captain Tom? 

Captain Sir Thomas Moore, aka Captain Tom, is a former British Army officer.

On 6 April 2020, at the age of 99, he began to walk laps of his garden in aid of NHS Charities Together, with the goal of raising £1,000 by his hundredth birthday. 

On the morning of his hundredth birthday the total raised by his walk passed £30 million, and by the time the campaign closed at the end of that day had increased to over £32.79 million. 

On his 100th birthday, he received over 150,000 cards, and was appointed as honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College. His knighthood was announced on 19 May, and conferred the next day. It was also marked with a special postmark.

(Source: Wikipedia)

This is a charity postcard: 100% of the proceeds from this postcard will go towards the NHS Charities Together cause supported by Captain Tom. I am glad a friend send it to me.  

Avocado

Honestly, I don't remember what pushed me to draw an avocado holding a beer* on this envelope sent to Bryon (the USA).

*Design by Alex Solis

Envelopes

Sent by Julia (Russia), Laura (the UK) and Julia (the USA).

One Stamp: Responses

Last Monday, I asked the readers of the blog to tell me which stamp (only one!) summarises their life on the last weeks/months. I put the same question on Twitter.

I did not expect to receive so many responses. I like the fact that each choice highlights different aspects of life during this period. All together, they make a good summary.

Laura McInerney / @miss_mcinerney)

Graham - Livin' La Vida Lockdown / @GB_Stamp

Handwritten Letter / @letterappsoc

"I like the doomed one but this one perhaps..."

Hoy te recomiendo / @cazajuguetes

"Thinking of so many people I can't meet."

Scott Thomson / @positivelypost

"There's been a lot going on in my head!"

FinnBadger

Postimuseo

"This one from 2000 called Digital communication describes clearly the state of our museum in recent weeks when we have taken a real digital leap!"

Keräily info / @mj_pou

violet s / See it on a postcard 

"(...) explain how your life has been these last few weeks. It has certainly been up and down (mostly down). Seek comfort where you can."

Joy / The Postal Picture

"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."

Postcrossing / @Postcrossing

"A bit late, but we would probably pick this one — the cancellation looks a bit like a mask."