Letter from a dear mail friend

It has been a long time since I posted here. Most of my online time nowadays is captured by instagram.
Today I heard sad news: a dear mail pal, a mail friend to many people, has passed away last weekend. We so much will miss him!
And I realized I never had posted this piece of mail here, of which both John and I, and many (snail)mail lovers with us, thought it is an amazing and funny coincidence.
John started to blog in the early years. As blogger might be more accessible than instagram, I copy my instagram post from 2019 to this blog:

John brought a lot of humour, wisdom, thoughtfulness, post-related postcards (and in my case also cute critters on postcards and stamps) and mail art, into many mailboxes. He will be dearly missed, not only by his dear family who he loved so much, but also by me and many mail friends.
Thank you for all joyful mail you sent to me and to so many people.
May you rest in peace, dear John.

Postcards for the weekend: Happiness

This Postcards for the Weekend's theme is 'Happiness'!

One of the things that make me happy is nice mail. And it always is good to see the postman being happy by delivering mail, too:



Also this smurf is very happy, only he cannot bring the edges of his mouth upwards because he has to play the posthorn:



Nice mail brings happiness, both to the sender and receiver:





Happiness is for everyone, for the young and for the old.

Dutch illustrator Fiep Westendorp drew people of all ages, but she became most famous by her children's illustrations. This one of a child and cat, warmly packed against the cold, sharing happiness in the winter snow:



Finnish illustrator Inge Löök is famous for her illustrations of two very happy old ladies. Here the cheerful ladies are enjoying a nice day in the spring sun, with a drink and a play:



Enjoy more happy postcards at and via Maria's Postcards for the Weekend!

In: from the United Kingdom - of Mail and more Peter Rabbit

To do something 'post haste' means to do something quickly, I learned from John who sent this pretty postcard. Which gives a clue where this phrase comes from: the mail coach travelled faster than any other vehicle.



On the back of the postcard a matching illustration, and an other postage stamp from the Beatrix Potter stamps serie, showing Squirrel Nutkin:



Sent three weeks before the postcard above, but arriving a week later than the previous one, is the following postcard, showing the Port Sunlight Post Office. It has been built in 1891 and is part of the model village, built by Lord Lever / Lever Brothers to accommodate workers in their soap factory.



Jemima Puddle-Duck, also created by Beatrix Potter, more than a century ago, is the character on the stamp on the back of this card:



Inbetween the arrival of both cards, John as well as the Royal Mail and Dutch PostNL surprised me with a nice envelope (well, here I'm showing the two stamps only):



'Surprised' because the size of this envelope was far below the minimum sizes Royal Mail and PostNL prescribe, nevertheless the mail carriers did pick up and deliver the tiny envelope without complaining!



Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom

Some time ago John sent me a great postcard, showing a postman in former days. And now I like to share you this new old photo of another postman in uniform. The text on the back learns that this is William Gates, pictured circa 1897. The 'good conduct' stripes on the breast of the jacket were awarded by the Post Office to individuals of long and good service.
John adds that until fairly recently uniforms were obligatory for postmen. Nowadays his current postman can only be distinguished by the fact he has a Royal Mail bag.

Also on the back side of the card a pretty stamp, showing one of the characters designed by famous Peter Rabbit illustrator Beatrix Potter.



Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom

One day before the Sunday Stamps was themed 'spineless invertebrates' I happened to receive this postcard from John. Being an insect postcard and not an insect postage stamp, I waited until now to post it here.

For the UK insect stamps which I showed on the Sunday Stamps blog post I am grateful to John.
Also on this postcard John has added interesting and beautiful stamps.

There isn't much "ict" on stamps yet, while many of us work almost daily with one or another form of information communication technoilogy. So the stamp on bottom, which shows the evolution from ancient hieroglyphics via a books library to IT is a very actual one!



Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom / Morocco

Eva has sent me a lot of great mail. Alas I haven't sufficient time to post all interesting postcards that I would have loved to share with you, but every now and then I (try to) do.

This card has been reproduced from a stamp issued by Royal Mail in August 2009. The mailbox / post box is an 'Elizabeth II Type A Wall Box', the description on the back side says. With Eva I am wondering what Type B would be. Anyhow, I love to see mailboxes and this card is a great additioin to my postal postcards collection.

She sent the card from Morocco, so the combination of the card, sender, addressee and stamps includes not only the UK and the continent, but even two continents!



Thank you very much, moltes gràcies, Eva!

In: from the United Kingdom

Mail related cards and stamps always make my day. This maximum card showing mail transport (and see also the fine postmark and illustration on the stamp!) was sent by John from the UK, and definitely did do so.



An other day this envelope arrived, with even more postal things: a Pillar box,



And more pillar boxes:



And even pillar boxes on the stamps!



And finally (chronologically seen not finally, as I received it two months before the mail showed above) I'd like to share you this happy mailbox postcard:



Great 'food for postal lovers', isn't it?!

Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom

Ontvangen van John, deze ansichtkaart die werd uitgegeven ter gelegenheid van de 200e verjaardag van de eerste postkoets in Engeland in 1784. Op deze kaart uit 1984 werd de rit op 1 en 2 augustus nog eens dunnetjes overgedaan.

Received from John, this postcard which was issued to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first mail coach run in 1784. This Post Office coach is being used in the re-enactment of the original run on 1/2 August 1984. The coach is pulled by Norwich Union Greys.



En kijk wat een toepasselijke postzegels! Ik ben er blij mee. En wat toevallig, de postzegel met de brievenbus met vogels maakt deel uit van een serie uit 1983, die afgelopen december verscheen op de website van Violet Sky.

And look at these suitable stamps! I am happy with all of them. The pillar box with birds stamp is part of a serie, issued in 1983, which happens to have been published recently by Violet Sky.

Thank you very much, John!

In: Royal Mail stamp

Eva blogde onlangs over de Engelse Koninklijke Post. Alweer wat langer geleden ontving ik van Eva een kaart met ook de koningin op de postzegel. Op het eerste gezicht lijkt die postzegel saai, maar als je het van verschillende kanten bekijkt...
Een fascinerend ontwerp.



Recently Eva posted a blog about the Royal Mail.
A long time ago Eva sent me a postcard, showing the Queen on the stamp, too.
At first sight this stamp looks 'common'. But when you watch it from various sides, it appears to be a fascinating design!