Stamps and seal

Recently, I received a lovely letter sealed with....

 a dragon serpenty thing.

 I like these stamps from the Netherlands.

I've not seen a non-machineable surcharge stamp before

Postage paid envelope

I don't see many envelopes with postage pre-paid. I did like one I received earlier this summer from Australia.

A new penpal discussion forum

There is a new forum up called A World of Snail Mail over here. It is very new so there is not much happening but give it time, I hope there will be a thriving community of epistologists discussing the virtues (and other issues) of snailmail.

New stamps

Yesterday, the love of my life treated me to lunch at a nice bistro on the Isle of Anglesey. Afterwards, I popped to the post office to chance my luck for the new stamps. The post office is just a small branch in a little town. Yes, they had some of the miniature sheets. I also mentioned to the postmistress that the person I used to buy stamps from had retired and he could not find the Penny Black miniature sheet in Gwynedd. She still had some left so I bought  couple more sheets of that too (I had ordered and received some from Royal Mail). 

As I put the stamps safely away, the next customers came in asking for the new miniature sheet! This is the first time I've heard other people asking for the special issue stamps..

I posted this at the beginning of the month. A little heavier than my "usual" letters, it required the next postage rate up. I spent a little time pondering which stamps to use for postage and settled on these two with the selvedge.

Happy Monday

Post arrived early today, just one letter. I haven't opened it yet, as I'm waiting for my cup of tea to brew. I also can't drink tea while it is boiling hot.

Those Doll stamps look good, but they do take a lot of room up on the envelope.

While on large sized stamps, Royal Mail have issued some large stamps recently. This issue marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta - Foundation of Liberty. The stamp I used here has a section of the Bill of Rights, 1689.  

Most of the special / commemorative issues Royal Mail produce are on the large size, bigger than the Machin stamps, however, the stamps issued for the 175th anniversary of the Penny Black and Twopenny Blue, are small. I did however have to order online from Royal Mail for these stamps issued in a miniature sheet. The post office I now buy the commemorative stamps hadn't been sent any of this issue.
Norvic Philatelics blog asks: Are modern British commemorative stamps 'generally available' ? For the Penny Black commemoration - NO, but for the other issues, I no longer have trouble.

Poor postbox

Royal Mail in their wisdom, have decided to put plasticky plaques on postboxes depicting a stamp associated with that location. 

 This one features Llandudno Pier (from a miniature sheet for the Piers, Proms and Pavilions issue marking seaside architecture). This postbox is on the land side end of the pier.

 It looks a bit shoddily attached, reminding me of ill-fitting blouses with the gaps between the buttons gaping.

The postbox is to the left of the blue building. The pier stretches far to the right.

Some pics

One of my homemade seals. Upside down on the envelope... 

 I had gotten bored(!) one evening and made lots of envelopes.

A letter for me arrived wrapped in this paper. I do like my cups of tea, and flowers.

A very kind correspondent sent some used stamps for my son. I like the value given for the letter (opinion!)