Monopoly - how easy is it to buy commemorative stamps?

I was unable to visit my lovely little sub post office for the Monopoly stamps on day of issue, because I was away on a short break. The stamps were issued on 16th October 2025. 

Monopoly stamp with dice

On the 17th, I visited two different post offices. One was in a convenience store but had its own counters. They only had a presentation pack; something I did not want, but luckily did not have long to queue! The other post office was inside a WHS TG Jones, again with its own counters. There was a small queue but when I reached the counter, the clerk said that he did not have the commemorative stamps at his counter, and that I should go wait at the closed travel money counter and await a colleague. I was served after a few more minutes. They had sold some of the Monopoly stamps already so bought a strip of 5 stamps (just in case my lovely sub post office didn't have any left by the time I was able to visit later in the month).  

A Monopoly stamp with dice

On the 18th, a Saturday, I had time before my bus left to go and visit another post office. This one was in its own building, likely to have been a Crown main post office. They thought that the Monopoly stamps were due out later in the month, and had not been brought out of the back for sale. The sheets were dished out between two counters, and I came away with another set of stamps. 

My little sub post office did still have Monopoly stamps when I visited earlier this week, so I even bought more Monopoly stamps, just one more set! They've already had the Christmas stamps in. I mentioned I'd seen the 2nd class and 2nd class large designs for the digital stamp mailings (shown up on the Royal Mail Wholesale website). I'm not convinced that this year's Christmas stamps are a well-designed issue. Perhaps not as good as the selection of Christmas stamps below.

A selection of Christmas stamps

 

Royal Mail, and, Post Office.

My beloved Royal Mail has increased postage rates for international mail this month, the second time this year. At this rate, it'll spell doom for UK-based Postcrossers. It is £3.40 to send a postcard to France. What can I get for that? £3.20 for a J2O in a village pub, £3.00 for half a pint of cider from another pub, a dozen free range eggs, large, £3.25 from a supermarket. £3.40 postcard covers up to 100g letters up to C5 envelope size, not too thick. I think the heaviest letters I have written have been around the 30g mark. There used to be lower weight limits, and Christmas cards would take a letter over the 20g "cheap" limit. 

Hay-on-Wye postbox with topper. Paralympic Gold - Josie Pearson 

Royal Mail are also vandalising postboxes, to make them accept parcels. It appears Royal Mail doesn't give a XXXX about the post office, nor the community. The first postbox conversion I saw was outside a small village post office. And if conversion is outside a post office, according to a comment on Norvic's blog, RM want the PO to install lighting for the solar panels, so the box can be used in the dark when the PO is closed.

Postbox being converted. Wrapped in plastic ahead of an adapted door to be installed.

I know RM is a business, one wanting to cream off profits for its shareholders, but there was a time the postie was a valued asset in the community, especially in rural areas. The regular postie would get to know the people on the round, and maybe wold be the first to pick up on something wrong, such as the milk not taken in, lights left on, ... at the home of someone living on their own. Now, the postie works to a stricter schedule, no time for a quick minute chat. 

As for the Post Office, they've had their problems - Horizon (reached p183 of The Great Post Office Scandal by Nick Wallis); the franchising out of the remaining direct-run PO (interrupting receiving commemorative stamps such as Ducks, and not receiving this month's new postage rate leaflets); and then there's some counter workers with little clue (one Postcrosser was erroneously told that it would cost £4.50 to send a postcard to the US because of tariffs). 

I do want to support this vital community service. The PO has lost services - I remember buying Premium Bonds with bonus money for doing well in my school exams umm, I'm not saying how many years ago! Could also do National Savings & Investments at the PO counter too. I'm lucky the one I go to is run by lovely people. They also have a great selection of cards, and I have bought a few to start letters in. If only it was bigger, and with a tea room! I do like writing letters in cafes and pubs... 

The Stamp of Innocence

 

Having been looking around a hardware store for various bits and bobs, I went to the garage next door for refreshments. I grabbed a drink, and when I got to the till, I noticed a book, The Stamp of Innocence about the local subpostmaster, one of the many hundreds prosecuted by the Post Office caught up in the Horizon Scandal. I still have not finished The Great Post Office Scandal by Nick Wallis. Some fiction books I can devour within a day. Non-fiction takes me longer to read, with me savouring almost every word. I'm on page 96, not even a fifth of the way through the book. Maybe when I finish, I will start The Stamp of Innocence; the inspirational story of Noel and Sian Thomas. 

Bah humbug

Oh what deep joy: Royal Mail raised postage rates this month. On the domestic front, the rates aren't too bad, with 2nd class up 2p to 87p, and 1st class up 5p to £1.70. However, it is on the international rates we are being stung/stunned. To send even a mere postcard overseas costs over £3. International economy for outside "Europe" goes to £3.10, and airmail goes to £3.20. I think my Postcrossing days are more or less over and this is such a pity as the project will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Postage rates around the world have gone up, and with the cost of living crisis, may even be out of reach for the many - even though the joys of receiving a Postcrossing postcard from strangers around the world, or a letter from a penpal can bring joy and is good for mental health. I shall still continue to write letters, to penfriends internationally as well as within the UK. 

I bought the book about The Great Post Office Scandal, and am still making my way through it. Shocking so far... I know some people have trouble with arithmetic, but the errors in the Horizon system seems to make 1+1=3, and 1-1=2. So far, a good read. I haven't finished watching the docudrama Alan Bates vs The Post Office.

Well, yesterday wasn’t a quite so happy St. David’s Day. Royal Mail had chosen that date to announce postage rate rises to come into force on the 2nd April 2024. Knew in advance that the details were coming then. The rise is not just a penny here and there. Both 1st and 2nd class goes up 10p apiece.

International standard is up 30p. International economy up 20p. First + second still adds up to the first international economy/surface mail rate and can be used for post outside Europe. Some postcrossers have been using this economy rate and haven’t noticed longer delivery times. 

I haven’t watched the BBC Panorama programme on Royal Mail, about deliveries, lack of them coming daily for some, letters coming bundled up once or twice a week, or less frequently. I must be lucky my regular postie makes it to me mostly daily. He is a great postie, and would have been the only person some people saw during the pandemic. I don’t live that remotely, but I can imagine living up a country lane, neighbours out of sight, a postie delivering mail and making sure I’m OK. A regular postie is a wonderful thing; almost a community service, a Postman Pat!, a community “warden” of sorts. 

I managed to speak to my postie this week. He had so many parcels to deliver first, before doing the letters. I’ve noticed he can deliver about 1100-1130 if he doesn’t have much in the way of parcels to do first, otherwise anytime after 12 to about 1pm. 

Royal Mail have said that most don’t spend more than £7 a year on stamped mail. I think some of my relatives are among those who don’t even spend that much… as they prefer to wish Happy Birthday to relatives on Facebook whether or not the birthday person is on Facebook. “Happy Birthday to my great-grandson who is 11” and even those relatives who live nearby don’t even get a physical card. Christmas cards are all e-cards and I can’t stand these. An in-law prefers to phone and chat for a while instead of a card (the cards don’t say much, no words of news/encouragement/stories). 

I also haven’t finished watching the Horizon Post Office scandal docu-drama. Llandudno is up near me!

A to Z of Snail Mail, part 2

 N is for Notecards, notelets for nice correspondence.

O is for Outgoing mail, missives sent on their way. Once they arrive, they'll need an object to open the envelope(s)

P is for Postbox, fed with Postcrossing Postcards with nice Postage stamps on perhaps bought from a Post Office, the missives written in pen or even pencil allowed. Paper, penpals, penfriends, post, postie perhaps a Postman Pat...

Q is for Quarto sized paper for writing quality missives to penfriends, written in Quink ink with a quill while having a quiet moment, before wrapping it up and standing in the queue at a post office counter (because you want to use the new issue of stamps out that day).

R is for Replies to letters, and for Royal Mail as I'm in the UK! 

S is for Stamps for postage making stationery not stationary. 

T is for Tape, decorative or otherwise. I use tape to help seal up letters.

U is for Universal Postal Union (UPU), and for those in the US, there's the USPS. 

V is for Valentine's cards, as some are sent in friendship.

W is for Wax seals

X is for letters sealed with a kiss. XXX

Y is for Yours in Friendship, as a way of signing off a letter. Yours, Your Friend.....

Z is for Zip code, without one, letters to the US wouldn't get there! 

Thoughts on Stamps, postage stamps.

I am a member of a few penpalling groups and sites. Some opinions on a few topics are a little disappointing. Take the indication of payment to convey letters: the postage stamp. Postage is not cheap in some countries, so some people think it is OK to use insufficient postage but use at least one stamp especially on post going to another country as the foreign country's postal service may not charge the recipient to receive underpaid letters. One USPS forever stamp is not enough postage for a letter/postcard from the USA to the UK. 

However, a few others go even more extreme and use already postally used postage stamps for postage. Postally used stamps (cancelled or unmarked) are not valid to use again for postage. There is a woman in Northern Ireland who used Mr Men & Little Miss stamps already postmarked with Mr Tickle's arm from the special first day of issue cancellation mark and claimed it was brand new, on letters at least a year later.

Here's a postmarked potato, but she claims the mark is from a misplaced sticker. She, and other stamp re-users/thieves/fraudsters gives this hobby a bad name.

It is not just commemorative stamps, but also the ordinary 1st and 2nd class stamps. A couple who were selling used stamps on ebay for re-use were jailed earlier this year. It might not seem like stealing - the price of a genuine valid postage stamp may cost less than a packet of peanuts, but it is still theft and it is not fair on the postal services or those who use genuinely valid postage stamps for postage. 



On another spectrum, many postal authorities produce not only definitive (ordinary) stamps, they also produce commemorative (special issue) stamps and these are equally postally valid. Unfortunately, the majority of smaller post offices in the United Kingdom do not sell the commemorative stamps other than the Christmas 1st and 2nd class (and also large) stamps. The larger post offices should, at least on day of issue, have the special issue stamps although they may be a delay at the counter if they are still in the safe. Also. the special issue stamps can be bought from the postal service's website.

One opinion I came across was, "If they are special stamps, why use them on letters?" BECAUSE THEY ARE POSTAGE STAMPS, is what I wanted to reply. The postage rate is still the same for definitive (ordinary) stamps as it is for commemorative (special) stamps. This person goes on to say that she keeps the special stamps well away from the stamps she uses for penpal letters.


The stamps commemorative, remember or celebrate various themes. Why deny a penpal who is a Harry Potter or a Marvel fan of the joys of seeing these conveying letters to them?

Not into modern culture? Try history, monarchs and the royal family are common on many countries' postage stamps. There are many stamps depicting Queen Elizabeth II. The UK has had issues celebrating her significant birthdays and anniversaries of her accession.

Then, there are celebrations of places around the country. Here, I have R for Roman Baths, for a two-part issue, A to Z of The United Kingdom. I think I have visited 12 out of the 26 places depicted.


Stamps add to the whole penpalling experience. I enjoy going to the post office. I miss my retired sub-postmaster who almost always had a smile on his face and a story to tell. While waiting in the queue, there is chance for conversation with others. Stamps are about connecting with people.

Stamps round-up.

Late July, saw the celebration of Beatrix Potter on Royal Mail stamps. This is a miniature sheet. There were also 6 other stamps for this issue, 2 x 1st class, 2 x £1.33 and 2 x £1.52.

These stamps are nice for use on letters to penfriends with children. Maybe they would like the stories of Peter Rabbit and friends, as they've been translated into many languages. We here have a set of the stories in the Welsh language. 

I do not actually remember many of the stories or even all the characters.

In August, the issue celebrating Landscape Gardens was released. 2016 marks the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown's birth. There are 8 stamps in this issue, 2 each for 2nd class, 1st class, £1.05 and £1.33

I have been to Alnwick castle but didn't have time to look around the extensive gardens. Maybe will get the chance someday.

Earlier this month, the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London was marked. A series of cartoons was released on the stamps, 6 in all, 2 each for 1st class, £1.05 and £1.52

I used to live in London and on the way to university, would pass Monument (OK, underground), where there is a column commemorating the Great Fire.

On the 15th September, Royal Mail issued stamps celebrating the works of Agatha Christie. However, many crown post offices were actually shut due to industrial action. I did manage to get some stamps from a small sub-post office. However, I was a little slow getting there as buses conspired against me so I didn't get as many as I wanted. I tried another post office branch in a convenience store to find that they do not get them. The manager was unaware of the special stamps and doesn't know if they'll have Christmas ones when they are released.

Here are just some of the stamps I managed to buy. I also bought some more today from my local crown post office as I needed to pick up more airmail labels (I couldn't find my secret stash). There are 2 other stamps but I didn't bother getting them as they are the £1.52 ones. I was actually surprised this post office still had some of the previous issues of stamps (Fire and Gardens) as quite often, they are sent back if not sold before the next issue

This issue has a bit of magic. There is microtext, illusions  (e.g. the skull is quite apparent!) and also thermochromatic ink (visible with heat or under ultraviolet light)

I put the stamp on my tablet which was warm so I could photograph the magic. 

I have not actually read any of the Agatha Christie books but have seen some of the TV and film adaptations with some Miss Marple and Poirot actors/actresses better than others.

OK, not stamps but money that could be used to buy stamps. The Bank of England issued new £5 notes this week - these are plastic and smaller than the paper notes. They feel different and will take a bit of getting used to. This isn't the first plastic fiver I've had. I have one somewhere from Northern Bank (operating in Northern Ireland). 

Ordeal by post office

I have been on an adventure to buy the latest issue of stamps due out today. My first stop was a post office in the city, inside a stationer's (because I wasn't sure I'd be able to find a nice little post office since the one I visited in April closed due to retirement and pending relocation).  It was a busy morning there with over a dozen people in the queue for two counters (a third position was closed), to send parcels, letters, to check a passport application and to exchange Sterling for Euros. I watched the screen showing adverts for Post Office and Royal Mail services - travel money, insurance, broadband, yet no sign of stamps old or new. Fifteen minutes of queuing, I finally get to a counter. I ask for the new issue of stamps that came out today to be told Pink Floyd was due out next month and there is no issue of stamps today. I spoke again to say it was the World War I stamps. Their reply was no, they had sent them back yesterday because they were recalled and withdrawn. I left unimpressed and unhappy. So, I jumped on a bus to a little town with a little post office inside a card shop, stood in a little queue but the atmosphere was already better. The post office staff sounded cheerful with their customers. My turn came and the lovely sub-postmistress said that it was the presentation packs that were recalled and she still had the stamp issue to sell. She let me buy a few miniature sheets and I also bought some of the first class stamps. I didn't bother with the £1.52. She said that she will have the Pink Floyd stamps in so I shall go and visit her next month.

Afterwards, I went for a little walk and found some post boxes to photograph!
It is a pity I didn't have a letter finished to feed this one with. I only feed a few post boxes around my town. I have a choice of 2 if it is raining (both in supermarkets), or if weather is OK, then either in the centre of town (two boxes next to each other, the left one doesn't get fed as much) or one at the shop round the corner from where I live (and is of this style).




This one is outside the old post office in Menai Bridge and is near the new post office. I wonder which side gets the most post. 
I passed other post boxes today but I didn't really notice them. I only noticed 8 but I know there are more than that on the route I took. 

Notecards, stamps, a post office closure

Last month, one of the little post offices I visited closed for good, due to retirement. The town will have a new post office but in the Spar. Anyway, the little post office had a closing down sale and I bought some blank cards. I don't use many cards as they are too heavy for international use (well, for the 20g rate) but I can use them for domestic mail. I love this one:

A Great Auk drawn with character. I have a correspondent who likes bird-watching so perhaps this card could be used for her.

The pen, by the way, is a Jinhao and when I showed it to a friend, he wanted one. It is surprisingly comfortable to write with, writing smoothly across the page.

I have a huge pile of post to reply to, but it is all welcome. I was even surprised today by a letter via SendSomething answering the Five Questions I had put up on my profile there.

This was the nice little post office in Beaumaris I went to. Opposite (and behind me taking the photo) is a nice little cafe I could happily sit in all day writing letters. However, I do not live on the Isle of Anglesey and so a trip there is an occasional treat now. Maybe I could still go there after I buy the new issue of stamps from elsewhere. 

I doubt the retired sub-postmaster and sub-postmistress will be reading this but if they do, I hope you enjoy your retirement and new home. I'm sure you won't miss all the paperwork and book keeping weekly.

The last issue of stamps were a bit on the silly side of things. The limbs fold over the edge of the postcard or envelope. However, the stamp issue is in a miniature sheet with two stamps of each value - 1st class, £1.05 (airmail postcard, 10g Worldwide/20g Europe airmail letter), and £1.33 (20g Worldwide airmail letter). There was quite a discussion over on the Norvic Philatelics blog - I wonder how many of this issue will actually be used postally. I have a few sheets so I can use some. However, as a sort of stamp collector, I'm unsure if they'll have much philatelic value. Self-adhesive stamps aren't the easiest of stickers to soak off paper, although there are ways...

forum has kept me busy

 A different post box I posted a letter in on a nice afternoon.

 Some incoming post. I love the Tom and Jerry stamp. One of these letters has answers to my Five Questions, for this month's challenge.

 Some outgoing post, including a birthday card for my mother.

 Post received from a penpal in the US. I love the stamps she used. .

 Look at all those stamps on that one envelope! Wow! I just love getting letters!

 I love the flower stamps from Germany  but I also like the other stamp too.

 I found the town the sender of this letter lives in, in my atlas. My knowledge of US geography is poor to say the least!

Well, congratulations to the Queen in becoming the longest reigning monarch. Royal Mail issued a miniature sheet and I was able to get my hands on one!

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.

Post offices and prints

Last week, a new issue of stamps was released. I went to buy these from a little sub post office a few miles out of town. I spoke to the elderly gentleman behind the counter and was told he was retiring next month, but I will be able to buy the next issue of stamps from him. The post office is closing and moving across the road to a convenience store (Spar I think), but I doubt that they will be able to supply all my postal needs. Today, I came to another little post office where I bought the Paralympic stamps, thinking I could see if I will be able to get my postal needs in April from there, but no, that post office is also closing next month and will be relocated into Spar. The post office in the town I live in does not order enough stamps for my needs. So, where can I try next? Maybe the branch in a WHS in the nearby university town would be able to sell me the amount of stamps I need. If that fails, I guess I could resort to ringing up Royal Mail and placing my order direct (the postage would be cheaper than the bus fare to my lovely sub post office).

Today, I heard on the radio about an exhibition on at the Tate: Salt prints, photographs taken between 1840-1860. This has me thinking about another photographic format - digital images. Will our descendants be able to open and see all these images in full glory in 170 years time? Possibly the majority of salt prints created in the 19th century may well have been lost, but those remaining are "visible" but maybe the software and technology for today's digital photos, stored on hard drives or other media, may not be available for future generations.

Thinking then of correspondence, will our descendants be visiting a museum containing emails written by famous people? Many museums have letters in already, but there may be a generation now unable to read them because they are unfamiliar with cursive handwriting. I love the flow of "handwriting" as opposed to block letters written in ballpoint, in fact, usually I find the former easier to read (although it may take me a while to get used to a particular writing style). 

Llandudno Head Post Office

At the weekend, I went out shopping in a little Victorian coastal town of Llandudno on the North Wales coast.

I didn't have any letters ready to post (it had been a quiet mail week), but I thought I would take a picture of this postbox I saw. It has seen better days though.

It stands in front of the main post office in the town, quite an impressive building. It was opened in 1904, and had Grade II listed status.

This is the plaque commemorating the architect.