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

"Rural postman in summer uniform delivering mail", year unknown, from the National Postal Museum collection (then located at King Edward Street). See the happy face of the boy while receiving his mail! As happy as I was, and still am, by receiving this great postcard from John.
Today it is like tropical weather, here in our usually 'cold frogland', with over 30 degrees Celsius. So this 'summer uniform' seems even too hot to wear today!

John added these beautiful stamps:



Thank you very much, John!

Sunday Stamps: Paintings

This Sunday Stamps theme is 'Paintings'.

Dutch Post issued stamps of paintings by Vincent van Gogh several times. Last year - 2015 - PostNL issued four stamp sheets containing ten stamps for national mail, themed:
- Landscapes
- Portraits
- Peasant Life
- City and Village.

Three of these were easy available in post agencies, the 'portraits' stamp sheet was sold out immediately. But fortunately we could order this one via the internet, be it that it only was available in a four stamp sheet folder.
I've used the portrait stamps already, but the front side of this folder is a matching one, too. It shows one of the portraits, namely Vincent van Gogh's postman, Joseph Roulin. Van Gogh has painted more than one portraits of Mr. Roulin. The version shown here you can see in real in the pretty Kröller-Müller Museum.



Besides the four national stamp sheets, PostNL issued also a folder containing four stamp sheets for international mail, containing five stamps each. These were available as a four-in-one-folder package and via the internet only, and fortunately I could order these.
The themes were:
- Flowers
- Self-portraits
- Still lifes
- Interiors

The first mentioned two stamp sheets I've sent to Eva, and the other two I just scanned to show you for today's Sunday Stamps:

the Still lifes:



And the Interiors:



See more interesting paintings on stamps at and via today's Sunday Stamps.

In: from Switzerland and Spain

Here's an other postman: the 'Basler Standesläufer'. The statue, probably made around the year 1500, is located in the courtyard of the City Hall of the Swiss city of Basel.
The story about this messenger, courier, is rather sad. This figure pictured is generally associated with the Basel messenger, who, during the Battle of Saint Jakob an der Birs on the 26th of August 1444, delivered the terrible news to the Council of Basel about the approach of the dreaded Armagnacs.
After delivering the courier is said to have collapsed and died of exhaustion...
By the way, a similar thing happened about 2000 years before this occasion.



Sent from Spain by Eva. Thank you very much, Eva!

In: from the United Kingdom

"Postman with a pony and trap in Northern Ireland, 1938, Photographer unknown", the text on the back side of this card says. The card was issued by the British Postal Museum & Archive.
Also on the back, these stamps, among them one showing the former politician, once youngest Prime Minister in the UK, William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806).

Thank you very much, John!

In: from Morocco / Spain

Mooie post op Sint Joris' dag, 23 april. Ik voel me vereerd!
In Catalonië geven mensen elkaar op deze dag - La Díada de Sant Jordi genaamd - boeken en rozen.

Beautiful mail on Saint George's day, the 23rd of April. I feel honoured!
In Catalonia people give each other roses and books on Saint George's / Sant Jordi's day.



Heel erg bedankt, 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!

Sunday stamps: professions

This Sunday Viridian choose 'Professions and trades' as theme for Sunday Stamps.

The Brazilian post has issued beautiful stamps on professions in 2005 and 2006. Here you see the manicure (manicurist), sapateiro (shoemaker) and costureira (tailor).



In our country there's a nation wide 'flea market' on King's Day in April. On this day everyone can sell his/her old stuff, and of course buy, too, all for small amounts. Last April I was looking for something else, when I suddenly found an old stamp collection book. With many empty pages, and I bought it to use it to have my own stamps organized. But I also was happy to find some old stamps in some of the pages. Among them this one from former West Germany. It has been issued in 1971 to pay attention to safety measures (you can see seven others from this serie here). And the profession shown is an important one. Thanks to construction workers we have warm houses, roads etcetera. While their hard work isn't that easy nor safe.



Also in this old album I found this stamp from Indonesia. I'm not exactly sure what kind of fabric she is making, but I think we humans can't live without the beautiful products made by fabric / textile workers.



And an other old stamp has been issued in Romania. Concerning Post, one of the most important workers for us snail mail lovers :-)



Last month the Dutch post issued a so-called 'postset', containing three postcards and a special issued stamp sheet called 'beroepen en ambachten', which means 'professions and trades'. How coincidental!
The stamp sheet shows a beautiful compilation of illustrations of professions: a blacksmith, postman, hairdresser (barber) and wooden shoe maker. The illustrations have been created by Rien Poortvliet (1932-1995). He was famous for the general public for his beautiful illustrations of animals (among them horses), old Dutch sceneries and 'drawn stories', for instance about gnomes. However, there was dispute whether his creations were 'art' or not. He finally found recognition as an artist when a museum of his works was opened, in 1992.

Sunday stamps: Christmas or Holiday stamps

Het thema van deze zondag op Sunday Stamps is 'Christmas or holidays' postzegels, al noemen we dat in Nederland Kerst- en Nieuwjaars-zegels en heten de 'onze' decemberzegels en geen vakantiezegels.

This Sunday's Sunday Stamps theme is 'Christmas or holiday stamps'. Which I would translate into Dutch as 'Christmas and New Year's stamps (as we call the postcards sent for this holiday 'Kerst- en Nieuwjaarskaarten', Christmas and New Year's cards). The Dutch stamps issued for Christmas cards usually are called 'decemberzegels' (December stamps).



Sinds 1987 brengt het Nederlandse postbedrijf (tegenwoordig: PostNL) decemberzegels uit, die goedkoper zijn dan gangbare zegels (ehm, dit jaar met € 0,55 alweer duurder dan de prijs van een gewone postzegel van nog geen vijf maanden geleden, terwijl de decemberzegel vorig jaar nog € 0,40 kostte).
Het leuke is dat er ieder jaar weer nieuwe ontwerpen zijn. Zo was er deze in 2001, met Europese kerst- en nieuwjaarstradities. De klok en druiven linksboven, bijvoorbeeld, horen bij oud-en-nieuw in Spanje, waar bij iedere klokslag van middernacht een druif gegeten wordt.
Hierboven de kerstzegels van dit jaar (hier enkele van vorig jaar). Ontworpen door de bekende illustrator Sieb Posthuma.

Since 1987 the Dutch mail company issues 'December stamps', in sheets of 20 stamps.
They are issued in November, and every year created by other designers, with various themes. For instance here you see the stamp sheet of 2001, showing European Christmas and New Year's traditions. For instance the stamp top left depicts the Spanish tradition to eat a grape every stroke of the clock at New Year's Eve.
The stamp sheet you see above is the 2013 sheet (here you can see some of the 2012 sheet). It was designed by the Dutch illustrator Sieb Posthuma.



Hierboven de ronde 'Forever' kerstpostzegel uit de Verenigde Staten. En hieronder drie prachtige kruissteekjes-ontwerpen van de Canadese post, zie ook hier.

Above the round 'Forever' Christmas stamp from the USA. And below you can see fine cross stitch designs by the Canadian Post, you can find them also here.



Een van de geborduurde onderwerpen is de posthoorn! Àls ik ooit eens tijd heb voor borduren, dan wordt dit natuurlijk de eerste om na te maken.

This one reminds of the post horn. Whenever I would have time to embroider, this will be the first one to make in real :-)



En een ander hoogtepunt in de kerstvakantie is Oud-en-Nieuw. Onderstaande nieuwjaarspostzegel uit Engeland heeft het als thema. De vuurwerk postzegel is verbonden met een postzegel van het Chinese Nieuwjaar, in dit geval die van de Chinese gemeenschap in Belfast. Zie voor meer postzegels uit deze serie deze website.

And an other highlight of the December month is of course New Year's Eve. Below you can see the firework stamp which I received from the United Kingdom, which is connected by the celebration of the Chinese New Year by, in this stamp, the Chinese community in Belfast. See for more information and more stamps from this serie this website.



Ook uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk komen onderstaande postzegels. De linker, met Bob Cratchit en Tiny Tim, is een uit een serie van vijf, uitgegeven ter gelegenheid van de 150e verjaardag van de publicatie van Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. Het complete vel is te zien op deze website, en de illustratie is er duidelijk een van Quentin Blake.
De rechter postzegel is van de hand van de jonge kunstenares Molly Robson.

The following stamps also are from the U.K. The one on the left shows Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim and is one from a serie of five stamps, issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' publication. The complete stamp sheet is shown on this website. The illustration obviously has been made by Quentin Blake.
The stamp on the right has been designed by the young artist Molly Robson.



Deze postzegels zaten vastgeplakt aan onderstaande kaart, die ik ontving van Scriptor. Een officiële kerstkaart, de oorspronkelijke kaart werd in 1888 door de mensen van het hoofdpostkantoor in Londen gestuurd naar hun collega's in het Paddington District Office.

I am thanking Scriptor very much for these stamps, as well as for the postcard these stamps were sticked to. The card shows the official Christmas card, sent in 1888 by the officers of the General Post Office in London to their colleagues at Paddington District Office.



Thank you very much, Postmuse, Wilma, Carolyn and John, for adding gorgeous stamps to your beautiful mail for me!

Out: to Spain

Soms zijn op postcrossing behoorlijk negatieve reakties te lezen over dat de ontvangen objecten geen 'postcards' zouden zijn. Voor mij als slakkenpostliefhebber maar moeilijk te begrijpen, deze discussies. Want hoewel ook ik een voorkeur heb voor '10x15 cm enkele kaarten zonder envelop', ontvang ik alle post met open armen. Ook bij mij kwamen wel eens 'gewone foto's' in de bus, maar wie ben ik om zulke foto's af te wijzen? Mensen hebben per slot van rekening moeite gedaan, voor míj!
Persoonlijk beschouw ik alles wat 'n beetje stevig papier is, met een postzegel erop, en wat door de post zelf is afgeleverd (dus als 'post' goedgekeurd), als een 'postcard' (al stuur ikzelf via postcrossing alleen 'echte' kaarten, zo goed mogelijk aansluitend bij de wensen van de ontvanger).
Voor Nederlanders is er verder nog de verwarring over wat het Engelse woord 'postcard' betekent. Want de letterlijke vertaling 'postkaarten' bestaat niet in 't Nederlands, en 'kaarten' zijn hier zowel dubbelgevouwen kaarten / wenskaarten, als ansichtkaarten / prentbriefkaarten.

Bovenstaande zou ik nooit via Postcrossing versturen. Maar ik vermoed dat de ontvanger in kwestie (die ik toevallig wèl van Postcrossing ken) er best wel eens blij mee zou kunnen zijn!

De linker postzegel komt van het postzegelvel ter ere van de 54e Bosatlas.



Sometimes I read rather negative reactions, in which postcrossers complain that the received objects aren't 'postcards'. For me as a snail mail lover these negativism is hard to understand. Although also I prefer '10x15 cms unfolded postcards without envelopes', I welcome every type of post. Also selfmade photographs arrived into my mailbox, but who am I to reject these photos? Fact is that people have done effort, for me!
Personally I think all things as a 'postcard' when it has been made from sturdy paper / cardboard, stamped and delivered by the mailman (so 'approved' by the mail company - however concerning myself: via postcrossing I'm only sending 'real' cards, trying to match as much as possible to the receiver's wishes).
Moreover, for the Dutch there's the confusion about what the English word 'postcard' means. There is no literally translation, and 'cards' in the Netherlands mean both 'kaarten' / 'wenskaarten' (folded or unfolded wishing cards) and 'kaarten' / 'anscihtkaarten' / 'prentbriefkaarten', which are single, unfolded cards showing some picture in front.

Well, I wouldn't ever dare to send the above via Postcrossing. But I guess the specific receiver (who I happen to know from Postcrossing) might be happy to receive this one!

The stamp on the left is from a stamp sheet, issued because of the 54th edition of the 'Bosatlas' (the first edition was published in 1877).

Out: to Belarus

Verzonden op 9 mei naar de Postschip bar in Minsk (ook bekend als Postschip café), deze dappere postbode in de sneeuw (gefotografeerd door Edward Roussou in 1986). Nadat ik een maand eerder deze Postsmurf had gestuurd. Maar ik vrees dat beiden nog altijd onderweg zijn?!?

Sent on 9th of May to the Postal Ship Bar in Minsk (also known as Postal Ship Cafe), this brave postman in the snow (pictured by Edward Roussou in 1986). A month after sending this Post Smurf (the card, not the smurf :-) ).
But I'm afraid both postmen have lost their way in the post.