The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 5

When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, to commemorate the occasion a new set of stamps needed to be made. A collection of stamps based on a portrait done of the Queen by the photographer Dorothy Wilding, was used until 1967 and were commonly known as the Wilding issues. In 1967, the Machin issues were introduced, and have remained the same set of stamps that we use today.

Regional Stamps

From 1958, various regional stamps were used in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, Scotland and Wales, that are only sold at post offices in their respective countries. However many of these regional stamps are still valid for use throughout the UK.

Commemorative Stamps

Up until the late 1950’s there were very few commemorative stamps in Britain, however more recently it has become common for commemorative stamps made for various events related to the present Royal Family. The Royal Postal Office have even issued various memorial stamps after the deaths of Princess Diana in 1998 and The Queen Mother in 2002.

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The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 4

There was only one stamp set issued for Edward VII in 1936 before he abdicated. George VI’s coronation was celebrated by an omnibus issue of stamps from every colony in the empire, featuring a profile of the new king on a solid colour background. World War II affected the way stamps were printed as in 1937 they used less ink, resulting in lighter shaded stamps.

Three years later, in 1940, the Postal Office celebrated the century year of the postal stamp with a commemorative set consisting of six stamps with Victoria and George VI side by side. Other commemorative stamp sets of the decade depicted the end of World War II and the return of peace, the Silver Jubilee of George VI and the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London.

The start of the 1950’s saw a new series of high value stamps to mark the changes in currency, with the new Queen Elizabeth II succeeding her father in 1952. The succession of a new monarch marked a change in the production of stamps, thus a new set of stamps needed to be made.

Whether you are sending your parcel within the UK, or internationally, RAND Logistics can help you with competitive rates on all parcels delivered from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland and even further afield.

The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 3

The perforation of stamps during the Victorian age was often a subject of experimentation. Cutting stamps from imperforated sheets using scissors was time consuming and costly, so many different methods of perforation were used as a ways of saving time and money. Trials with the Archer Roulette and then with surface printing in 1855 were undergone, then tests were made with perforation, which quickly became one of the most popular methods and is still commonly used today.

pennylilacEmbossed postage stamps were also used, in a variety of octagonal designs. The age of the Penny Red came to an end in 1880 along with the start of the new surface printed stamps. The Penny Lilac was issued subsequently in 1881 and lasted until the end of Victoria’s reign in 1901. The Penny Lilac was also the first stamp issued that was valid as both a postal stamp and a revenue stamp; used to collect taxes or fees on documents.

In 1883 and 1884, the postal service experimented with fugitive inks that faded quickly and washed out to prevent the stamps being reused, but these were short lived and not liked by the public. Because the reign of Victoria was coming to an end, a new set of stamps needed to be issued.

For all your package and parcel needs, use RAND Logistics for a safe, reliable service. At RAND we offer an excellent service from parcels from Ghana to Greece and everywhere in between.

 

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 5

It’s the last day of our Winter Olympics blog posts and as we come to the end of the downhill slope we take a look at how Great Britain is getting on in the games. Great Britain isn’t famous for their successes in the Winter Games, although they have set a target of three medals this year. Here’s what’s happened so far for team GB and a brief look at their history in the games.

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Great Britain won the first ever medal on snow in this year’s winter games with a bronze medal victory for Jenny Jones in the women’s slopestyle. Since then GB have struggled to add to their medal tally but finally managing to win a medal on snow is a positive achievement. Elsewhere team GB are putting a lot of their hopes on the curling teams who have tasted success in the past, most notably in 2002.

The most medals Great Britain have ever won in a winter games is four medals, way back in 1924. Their total accumulation of medals in the history of the winter games currently stands at 22 with 9 gold medals.

As we come to the end of posts surrounding the Winter Olympics, remember that RAND Logistics provide a collection and delivery service internationally. So if you need to ship a parcel abroad make sure you come to RAND for your free quote.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 4

On the penultimate day of our Winter Olympics coverage we have a look at how the leading team in the games, Germany, are fairing. They’ve managed to assemble nine medals in the games so far with six of them being gold. We also take a look back at Germany’s history in the games. RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to Germany, so you can easily get your parcels to Berlin or Munich with our unrivalled service.

Germany has been involved in 18 of the 20 Winter Olympic Games that have been hosted as they were not invited to either event that came after each World War. However, Germany did host the event just three years before World War 2. They had also been selected to host the games in 1940. Overall, Germany has won 360 medals at the Winter Olympics.

At this current point in the 2014 games, Germany has been extremely successful in their chosen events. Yesterday we saw Eric Frenzel win gold in the Nordic combined event, whilst they also came out on top in the double luge. However, day 4 saw the Germans lose out 7-6 in their curling match against Great Britain.

Keep up-to-date with the leading countries here at RAND during the winter games. Why not have a look at our range of services or contact us for a detailed summary of the logistics services we have to offer.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 3

On our third day of focusing on the Winter Olympics in Sochi we’re looking it the most decorated team so far at the games, the Norwegians. With twelve medals to their name, Norway currently have the biggest tally of medals but sit in second place on the medals table behind Germany who have five gold medals.

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Norway have seen success in the Cross-Country Ski, the Biathlon and the 10k Sprint amongst other events, showing they have what it takes in the snow-based events.  Their success in cross-country skiing is unparalleled across the globe with a total of 96 medals acquired in the event since the winter games came into existence.

You can also expect to see Norway competing this week in the speed skating, with a total of 80 medals to their name in the history of the games. Notable gold medals that they have won at this year’s games include Marit Bjorgen’s gold in the cross-country, her fourth Olympic gold in a glittering career.

RAND Logistics will keep you up-to-date this week with some of the notable countries competing in the Winter Olympics, whilst we can also direct you to our unrivalled logistics services. We provide international parcel delivery to Norway so if you need to send a gift to Scandinavia, make the most of RAND Logistics services today.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 2

It’s our second day of Winter Olympics coverage and we’re taking a look at how the highly-rated Canadians are doing so far in the event.

Canada is often plagued with some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet with regular snowfall throughout the year. This gives many Canadians the perfect opportunity to master their skills on the snowy mountain slopes.

Canada is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, especially for those living in the UK. Situated north of the U.S, Canada is famous for its incredible mountain ranges, Niagara Falls and their highly skilled hockey and lacrosse teams.

RAND Logistics offer an international parcel delivery service to Canada as we are aware of the number of people born in the UK currently residing in Canada.

Freestyle skiing has been Canada’s most successful sport this Winter Olympics as they have acquired six medals in the event so far.  With a total of nine medals in the games overall at this point in time, you can expect Canada to be fighting with Russia for top spot come the end of the games.

RAND Logistics offer our pick-up and delivery service all over the world, so get in touch with us today if you want to send a parcel internationally or take a look at our range of services.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 1

The Winter Olympics is well underway over in Sochi and we’ll be using this week to focus on the history of the games and some of the significant aspects of the event. Remember that RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to Russia, so make sure that you make the most of our services if you plan on sending something to Russia in the future.

The Winter Olympics has a much shorter history than the Olympic Games, with the first games being held at the start of the 20th century. The Olympic Games that followed the First World War introduced a number of winter Olympic events such as figure skating after the 1916 winter Olympics were cancelled as a result of the war.

From 1964 onwards, the Winter Olympics became an increasingly popular spectacle with many events introduced for the first time. Increased broadcasting provided money for the games and soon enough the games reached a similar popularity to that of the Olympic Games itself.

Interestingly, the first ever boycott of the Winter Olympics was from Taiwan after the IOC ordered them to change their name and national anthem.

If you’re following the Winter Olympics this week, be sure to check back here to learn more about the games, whilst you can also learn more about our logistics services here at RAND.

Customisable Stamps and Gifts

As well as the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year Festival having its own original set of postage stamps, nowadays you can even personally design your own stamps on various postage sites, and the creativity is endless.

Personalising a custom stamp on a parcel to China or elsewhere in the world could be your way of marking your business, or a cute way of making your envelope seem a little more personal, when sending gifts to a relative. If you are an emerging new business, a personalised postage stamp would be an excellent way to establish yourself as a reliable seller.

Modern day technologies allow customisation on a variety of levels, and postage stamps are just one of the many examples of these. Because of modern printing technologies, there are ways of customising everything from key chains to mugs to t-shirts, and giving a friend or relative a customised gift, no matter how small, makes a great, personal gift that they can cherish.

For all your delivery needs between the UK and international destinations, contact RAND Logistics today, or fill in our Quick Quote form for an instant quotation. It is simple and easy!

Chinese New Year Celebrations – Day 2

As the Chinese begin the week long celebrations to welcome the Lunar New Year, we have a look at some of the specially designed, limited edition stamps created across the world to honour the start of the Chinese New Year. These can come in a variety of designs, but often have something to do with the Zodiac animal of that year. As this year is the year of the horse, many of the New Lunar Year stamps will feature the design of a horse.

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Singapore’s Design for Year of the Horse 2014

Some stamps are available only as collector’s items, whereas others can actually be used as real stamps. Sheets of specially designed Lunar New Year stamps will sometimes come on a printed background that has the phrase ‘Happy New Year’ written in both English and Chinese written across the top, or down the side. Sheets will also typically have a design printed on the background of fireworks, or a traditional Chinese dragon.

Why not use your recently acquired Lunar Festival stamps to send a parcel to China or send a package to a friend or relative living overseas? With RAND Logistics, we can ensure that your package gets to its intended recipient quickly and safely.