Wednesday, 3 December 2025

Running out of material

Sadly I'm afraid I will not be posting as regularly in the future.  This blog started in January 2012 so has been running for a while now.  There are over 1400 posts, two a week, mostly on philatelic matters - though I have been diverted recently by matters associated with stagecoaches and turnpike roads.  I'm not sure if these officially count as 'philatelic' even though stagecoaches carried parcels as well as people before the Post Office parcel service started in August 1883, and turnpike roads were the enabler to John Palmer's post office mail coach innovations in 1784.

Future posts will be more sporadic, occurring as I find material.  There may be bursts of activity as I (re-)discover material in my attic that I have not yet posted about !

 

 

Sunday, 30 November 2025

Waterrow climax rubber cancel, 1933.

The postcard below has an example of the "WATERROW / TAUNTON / SOMERSET" climax rubber cancel dated September 1933.  The cancel was previously recorded used in 1931 so this is currently the latest known example.


 

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Wambrook climax rubber cancels, 1911 & 1922

Wambrook had three different climax rubber cancels; below are examples of the first (from 1911) and the third (from 1922).  A second cancel is known used in 1915, similar to the first but with smaller lettering for "CHARD".


 

Sunday, 23 November 2025

Previously unrecorded "PITMINSTER / TAUNTON" Climax Rubber cancel, 1910

The "PITMINSTER / TAUNTON" climax rubber cancel was issued in February 1902.  It was previously unrecorded in use - and I'm not sure if the postcard below  from September 1910 counts as postal use as there is no postage stamp or address.


 

Wednesday, 19 November 2025

New Burtle climax rubber cancel, 1911

The next few posts will cover some Climax Rubber cancels from Somerset that I've recently acquired. 

The postcard below has a previously unrecorded "BURTLE / BRIDGWATER" climax rubber cancel dated 11th October 1911.  Another "BURTLE / BRIDGWATER" cancel is known used in 1915 but the "B U R T L E" is widely spaced.


 

Sunday, 16 November 2025

Parcel Post Label for Bourton (Dorset) under Bath

Bourton in Dorset was under Bath until 1908.   The Parcel Post Label below is from 1902, paying 3d for a parcel up to 1 lb plus 2d for registration up to £5.


 

Wednesday, 12 November 2025

New York ship letter to London, reposted from Frome to London, 1842

The Ship Letter below was sent from New York to London in 1842, with a London "SHIP -LETTER" mark.  It was then reposted from Frome to London about a week later.

The author was not a very good sailor:

"the day was beautifully fine, but at night a storm commenced, and again I was very sick, the vessel rolled terribly and I was obliged to lie in my berth or outside hold myself in the noise of the wind and the halloing of the sailors made it appear more terrific than it really was for I believe there was a very great danger but I determined  I would not lie in my berth again as I did at Plymouth"

Sunday, 9 November 2025

Bristol Packet Cancels part 7 (the last !)

And finally, coming to the last sets of variants of the Bristol Packet Cancels, "BRISTOL / BATH AND TAUNTON" with codes at the bottom preceded with a "W".

The next one is "BATH AND  TAUNTON / BRISTOL" with the code at the bottom, followed by some for the "BRISTOL MAIL CENTRE" without a code.

There are also packet cancels for "FOREIGN SECTION / BRISTOL BATH TAUNTON" and "KEYNSHAM DELIVERY / OFFICE / PRIORITY SERVICES". 


 And I think we'll all be glad that that's the lot !  Why were there so many ??

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

½d Postage Due for Return to Sender, 1924

The front below was sent from West Bromwich to 'Stone & Tinson, Crews Hole, Bristol' on 3rd September 1924 but Stone & Tinson had moved (or ceased trading), so the mail was marked as undelivered, return to sender, receiving a red ½d postage due cachet for the return postage back to the sender.


 

Sunday, 2 November 2025

Bristol Packet Cancels part 6

Getting close to the end (!), we now move to "Bristol / Bath Taunton", code at the top, with upper and lower case letters.

Next we go back to uppercase lettering with "BRISTOL / BATH AND TAUNTON" with codes at the top.

 
And finally "BRISTOL / BATH AND TAUNTON" with the code at the bottom.