Nanny Ogg from the UK

Gytha Ogg (usually called Nanny Ogg) is a character, a witch to be precise, from Terry Pratchett's series: Discworld.  The 1st class stamp featuring Nanny Ogg forms part of an issue called "Magical Realms", released on March 8, 2011. The stamps feature characters from Magical Adventures including Harry Potter, Discworld, Narnia and Arthurian Legend.   

An image from We Will Rock You appears on the 1st class stamp on the far right.  British stage musicals have in fact been celebrated with eight commemorative stamps issued on February 24 last by the Royal Mail.

Thanks Dean for your nice mail! :)

The Humber Bridge in the UK

The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, is a single-span suspension bridge, the 5th-largest of its type in the world.  It spans the Humber, the estuary formed by the rivers Trent and Ouse, between Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and Hessle on the North bank.  The toll charge of £2.70 for cars and of £1.20 for motorcycles is a matter of dispute.  However, it should be conceded that the Humber Bridge is an architectural chef-d'oeuvre.

Thanks Nigel for the magical postcard and for the stamps too.  These WWF ones illustrate the Siberian tiger and the Polar bear.

Centenary of Powered Flight in Hong Kong

On March 18, 1911, the Belgian flying pioneer Charles Van Der Born launched the first powered flight in hong Kong at Sha Tin, the New Territotries in a Farman biplane, indicating the beginning of Hong Kong's aviation history.  The stamp on the right captures the lift-off of the Farman biplane, witnessed by people watching from tidal flats and the one on the left represents a replica of the Farman biplane on display at the Passenger Terminal of the Hong Kong International Airport.

Special thanks to Trudy for this wonderful FDC!  (=

The First Malaysian Submarine

Thanks to Khor for this very nice cover sent from the City of Ipoh on March 7 last.  The envelope features the First Malaysian Submarine stamps released on September 3, 2009.

In 2002, the Royal Malaysian Navy ordered two Scorpène class submarines.  The first of the two submarines, named KD Tunku Abdul Rahman after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, arrived at a Port Klang naval base on September 3, 2009 after a 54-day voyage from France.  The second submarine has not been delivered yet due to defects and problems.

Isabey Mosque in Turkey

The Isabey Mosque (İsabey Camii in Turkish) was built in 1734-1735, by the architect Şamlı Dımışklıoğlu Ali, and is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art remaining from the Anatolian beyliks, small Turkish Muslim emirates or principalities set up at the end of the 11th century and during the second half of the 13th century.

Thank you very much David for this souvenir from Turkey. :) The 110 kuruş stamp pictures the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) and the 25 kuruş one features the lily (Zambaklar in Turkish).

Lido di Jesolo in Italy

Lido di Jesolo is the beach area of the commune of Jesolo in the province of Venice, Italy.  The place's economy depends mostly on tourism due to its 15km-long beach.

Thanks Ivan for this postcard sent on March 18, 2011.  He used stamps on the first Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010 and on the Battle of Calatafimi which was fought on May 15, 1860.

AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 Champion from Malaysia

Malaysia won the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, which was held from 1 to 29 December 2010, after defeating Indonesia on goal aggregate.  In the first leg of the final, Malaysia defeated the visitors by 3 goals to 0 and in the second leg lost by 2 goals to 1, but due to the 3 goals advantage in the 1st leg played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia won the Cup.  It was the first time after 14 years that Malaysia won this Cup.  To celebrate this victory, POS Malaysia released 2 stamps.  The first one features the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 trophy and the second one depicts the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 medal.
 

Khor also affixed Malaysian birds definitive stamps on the back of the envelope:

20sen - Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)

30sen - Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)

Thank you very much Khor for this nice FDC!  -_-

Stamp Festival 2011 in France

La Poste issued stamps and a miniature sheet for Stamp Festival (Fête du Timbre) 2011. The first stamp issued is one repeating the design of the very famous Marianne de Beaujeard. On the left side of the stamp is written “Let’s protect the Earth” and a hand planting a plant is portrayed. In France, the Stamp Festival is held every year since 1938. Since December 1944, La Poste has been issuing postage stamps on this occasion. In 2010, the theme chosen for the traditional Stamp Festival was water; the theme of this year is devoted to the Earth.

Thank you very much Eric for this wonderful cover sent from Lyon.  It took 18 days to reach its destination.

100 Years of Aviation in Singapore

Singapore Post issued a set of 5 postage stamps on March 16, 2011 to mark the centenary of aviation.  Singapore saw its first aircraft on 16 March 1911, and since then, the aviation industry in Singapore has established itself as global and vibrant aviation hub.

This fantastic cover was sent on the First Day of Issue from Changi Airport.  The stamp portrays the world-famous Airbus A-380 which can carry a maximum of 853 passengers.  It should be noted that Singapore Airlines has 11 A-380s in its fleet.  Thank you very much Terence! (=

Aerogram from Singapore

Thanks Terence for this nice aerogram showcasing the cultural diversity of Singapore with Malay, Chinese, Indians and Muslims forming the population.

Festivals in India

Thank you Shinjini for this nice cover franked with 3 stamps featuring 3 diiferent religious festivls in India:

- Durga Puja (দুর্গা পূজা), which celebrates worship for the Hindu goddess Durga
- Dashera, which is the state-festival of the state of Karnataka.
- Divali, also known as Diwali or Deepavali, is the festival of lights.

The last two stamps depict The Silent Valley in the state of Kerala, South India and the International Year of Biodiversity which took place worldwide in 2010.

Year of the Rabbit Greetings from Indonesia

POS Indonesia marked the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit by releasing a set of 3 stamps and a miniature sheet on January 25, 2011.  The stamps comprise the words 'Year of the Rabbit' in 3 languages: Indonesian (Tahun Kenlinci), English and Chinese (兔年).  Irene also kindly enclosed the mint set of stamps and the souvenir sheet. :)

The number 2562 means that the Chinese New Year in the Year 2562 coincides with the date of February 3, 2011.  People born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be quiet, shy and tolerant.  Thanks a lot Irene!  =) 

Scarborough in the UK

Scarborough is a town on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, England.  With a population of about 50,000, it is the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast.  The most striking feature of the town's geography is a high rocky promontory pointing eastward into the North Sea. The promontory supports the 11th century ruins of Scarborough Castle and separates the sea front into a North Bay and a South Bay.  This postcard shows the Cliff Bridge.

Nigel affixed a stamp featuring the famous science-fiction TV show 'Thunderbirds'.  Thanks Nigel for your lovely card...  ><   

Shi Tao's Paintings from China

The 6 portrait stamps each show 6 different works of the Chinese landscape painter and poet Shi Tao (石涛).  Shi Tao is one of the most famous individualist painters of the early Qing dynasty. The art he created was revolutionary in its transgressions of the rigidly codified techniques and styles that dictated what was considered beautiful.  Imitation was valued over innovation, and although Shi Tao was clearly influenced by his predecessors, his art breaks with theirs in several new and fascinating ways.

The 1.50元 stamp depicts the Chinese Sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis - 中华鲟) which is thought to have lived at the same time as dinosaurs, dating back to a period 140 million years ago.  Because of that, it is sometimes referred to as a living fossil.  It is alrgely dispersed over the main streams of the Yangtze River and the coastal regions of Qiantang River, Minjiang River and Pearl River.

The last stamp forms part of a set of 4 issued in 1995 on Hong Kong.

South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis/ 2004-19)

 Mount Yandang (雁荡山/ 2002-19)

Qiuci Grotto Murals (2008-16)

Thank you so much Jiayi for your splendid cover and stamps!  :D

Year of the Rabbit in Taiwan

This wonderful cover was sent from Hsinchu City (新竹市) on February 13th, 2011.  James kindly affixed Year of the rabbit stamps and miniature sheet on the cover.  The designs find inspiration in modern art styles, such as action painting and pop art.  The motif rabbits are depicted using black silhouettes that are adorned with orange and purple paint splatters, which create lively compositions.

The backgrounds, which are yellow with random red splatters, cleverly make use of traditional Chinese ink-wash effects.  The bright colors symbolise joy and convey high expectations about the Year of the Rabbit.  Thank you very much James!  -_- 

50th Anniversary of the 'Fondation pour le Cheval' in Switzerland

The 'Fondation pour le Cheval' (Foundation for the Horse) is a retirement home for horses, ponies and donkeys, which is located on 3 sites: le Roselet, Maison Rouge aux Bois and le Jeanbrenain.  Founded in 1958 by Hans Schwarz, le Roselet is the first home to have emerged.  The 2 se-tenant stamps, issued in 2008, feature the sunset and the jura track enjoyed by the numerous horses of this Foundation.

The last stamp was released in 1980 to mark the centenary of the Swiss Institute of Meteorology.  Thank you very much Vural for this nice cover!

Pets from Indonesia

I received this nice cover from Malang, Indonesia, on February 4th last.  It was franked with 6 different stamps.  The 2 on the far left depicting animals kept as pets in Indonesia:  the cat and the rabbit, were released in 1999.

The other four stamps feature Indonesia sea-turtles.  Thank you Irene!  ^^'

Registered Cover from Chile

Thank you Pablo for this awesome registered cover sent from Antofagasta on January 11 last.  The two $250 se-tenant stamps portraying the Antarctic Exploration were issued on January 29, 2008 to mark the third International Polar Year (2007-2008).  They form part of a sheet of 6 different stamps and only 30,000 such sheets were printed.

The $280 stamp was issued on November 25, 2008 to celebrate the 30 years of Teletón.  The major Chilean television networks hold an annual telethon called Teletón to raise funds to help children with developmental disabilities.  The telethon is an event of national unity and is proportionately the most widely watched telethon in the world.

The 4 "small-size" stamps ($50 & $100) picture Chilean Traditional Characters.  From right to left:
- Lustrabotas, or shoe-cleaners
- Heladero, or ice-cream man
- Organillero, or organ grinder

Roberto Sepulveda brillantly designed the Cuasimodo and La Vendimia (The Vintage) festivals on the $10 and $200 stamps.  On the Sunday after Easter, parish priests in colonial times went forth to take the Holy Sacraments to the elderly and infirm who could not get to church on Easter Sunday.  They were guarded by cowboys who protected them from bandits; they were also given food and drink to wash away the road dust.  Cuasimodo has nothing to do with the Quasimodo of fiction, nor is it the name of a saint or a holy person, but it is attributed to the latin used in Catholic ceremonies.

The Vintage Festival is a traditional festival including the benediction of the grape juice as well as the traditional stomping of grapes, wine and degustation of food and numerous artistic presentations.

Again, thank you  very much Pablo for your cover, my first one from your country which is my 25th country/territory...   (;

Oil Drilling & Lunar New Year in Canada

Thank you very much Glenn for giving me the opportunity to write about the prairies of Canada which, even though they are endless fields of wheat, barley, canola and hay, also harbour in some areas, every 1000 feet, those massive pumpjacks.

The postcard was sent from Calgary, Alberta, home of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth: The Calgary Stampede, an annual rodeo exhibition and festival held every July.  Glenn also interestingly used the Year of the Rabbit souvenir sheet issued by Canada Post in 2011.   -_-

Year of the Rabbit in Hong Kong

The Lunar New Year is the most important Chinese festivity which follows a 12-year Chinese Zodiac cycle.  In traditional Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a symbol of agility and acuity.  People born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be gentle, kind and quick-witted.

Thank you Trudy for this FDC featuring the 12th Lunar New Year special stamp issued , on the 22nd of January 2011, in the 3rd series by Hongkong Post.

Magic Winter in France

Daniel sent me this wonderful postcard picturing the magic of winter.  It was posted from Mende, the capital of the Lozère department on February 4th, 2011 and reached P/Louis 10 days later.

Daniel also chose a splendid stamp to frank his postcard; it porteays the Green Hairsteak (Callophrys rubi), known as Thêcla de la ronce in French.  Thank you very much Daniel! (:

New Machine Cancellation in Port-Louis

I was really surprised to receive this envelope with this machine cancellation applied on the stamp, which is quite rare in Mauritius.  The cover was sent from Port Louis Centre Post Office on February 10, 2011.

The slogan postmark reads:
Mauritius Post offers international express mail service - EMS

Mount McKinley & Edna St. Vincent Millay in the USA

Mount McKinley in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America and the US, with a summit elevation of 6,194 metres above sea level.  It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) wan an American lyrical poet, playwright and feminist.  She was the third woman to receive the Pullitzer Prize for  Poetry, and was known for her activism and many love affairs.  Thank you Matthew for those nice stamps, with a cancellation of the US Embassy Brussels.

Filey & Lavender in Great Britain

Filey is a small town in North Yorkshire, England.  It is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast.  Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort. 

A special thanks to Nigel for this superb postcard of Filey, with a delicious Lavender Bread recipe.  Lavender was a familiar culinary herb to the Romans, who built a signal station near Filey to watch fro Saxon invaders.  To the Victorians, who made Filey a holiday resort, lavender was a perfume.  Today, lavender is valued or both purposes.  By the way, the Winnie-the-Pooh stamp is simply awesome!  ><

Qingming Festival in China

Qingming Festival (清明节), Pure Brightness Festival in English, is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice, usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar.  The name of this festival denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime and tend to the graves of departed ones.

This set of 3 stamps featured on this envelope illustrates this traditional festival.  The last stamp (50分) portrays construction on Hainan Island.  Thank you very much Hai Huang!  -_-