Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, England

Next is a lovely train card (which whenever I look at, I think it is somewhere in Germany, dont know why)

Damems on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is the smallest standard gauge station in the UK.

Locomotive 43924, a '4F Class' from 1920, was the first in the UK to be restored to working order, after rescue from a scrapyard.

Well done! Who would put this into a scrapyard? Tsk tsk tsk!! 

Number of lovely stamps of course, and i just figured out that by trying to remove the address I had also ruined that last stamp but Im not gonna be waiting to go home and rescan it, cos then this update will surely not happen...

Ill start with the non-queen stamp (not sure if Ill pinpoint the right Queen ones).

The top right stamp is from a set of 5 Christmas stamps issued in 1983. It is so lovely and I never would have guessed it is a Christmas one!

The stamp below it was issued one year earlier, and is from a set of four commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Death of Charles Darwin.

That ruined one is also from 1982, from a set of 5 stamps representing British Mariners. This one shows Lord Nelson (and it is 24p, face value).

As for the Queen - I gave up on here... I really cannot distinguish among all those shades of purple and blue and brown... I wish they would start putting the year on the stamps, would make things so easier.

Severn Valley Railway, England

A lovely train card sent by dear Anu.

The West Country Class No. 34027 `Taw Valley` was built in Brighton in 1945 and here it can be seen crossing the magnificent Victoria Bridge over the River Severn in the UK.

Anu always uses fantastic stamps! First we have two of the Theater stamps (built during the Shakespearean era) issued in 1995 in a set of 5 - here we have the Hope from 1613 and the Globe from 1614 (the rebuilt version, after being destroyed in a fire in 1613).
The train stamp is from a set of five British Pub Signs, issued in 1995 - this stamp shows 'The Station' by Andrew Davidson. And last of course, you have her Majesty, the Queen.

Thanks a lot lot Anu!

Manchester, England

A card from Sissel from 2014...well from almost the end of it :)

Really unintentionally, I post this Manchester card today on the date that late Ian Curtis was born (Joy Division's singer). And how it is relevant you may wonder? Well, he was born right here, in Manchester! Talk about coincidences....

Well, the back of the card says: The impressive city skyline of Manchester is made up of a variety of buildings, from the historic cathedral to the modern Arndale Centre and the contemporary Urbis.

Oh, I could talk about the referendum too, but I don't really feel like getting into politics :)

Two Christmas stamps. The one on the left was issued in 2014 in a set of 7 stamps, while the other one is from  2013 from a set of also 7 stamps (the thing here is that some of these images are repetitive, but each stamp is with a different value or intended for 1st or 2nd class mail and things like that.

Thanks a lot to Sissel for this card :)

Sheffield, England

a great view of the Town Hall and Peace Gardens in Sheffield, from my Spanish postcard fairy ^_^

Sheffield's superb Town Hall is a Grade 1 listed building which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1897. Its 64 m. high tower is topped with a bronze figure of Vulcan, God of Fire. In front are the Peace Gardens which complement perfectly the old building, whilst also providing a striking and contemporary focal point to the city centre.

the sender of the card was writing it while having the same view in front of him...the only difference - the grass was actually crowded, it wasn't just the few people you can actually see here on the card :)

one of those inevitable people on stamps....though this is a nice one, unlike those usual definitives. Issued in 2013 in a set of 6 stamps, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Is it just my impression or the sender has overpaid here? Well, pardon my ignorance, but I have no idea what the current rate is....but this just seems kinda way too much for a postcard....

well either way big hug to the sender :)

St. Pancras International, England

one more card for today and it is another train-related one...and the view is just stunning! One of the most gorgeous train station cards I have ever seen or received!

I am so thankful to Mary for choosing to send me this one for the Choose a Country RR! It is just soo so gorgeous!
It shows the St. Pancras Station, which was originally built in Victorian times and opened in 1868. It escaped demolition in the 1960's and has been redeveloped into the Eurostar-London Terminals (Re-opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 6 November 2007)

a number of Queen stamps that I wont bother getting into, and a lovely one showing Tyne Bridge issued in 2012, as part of that stunning (and way too expensive) A-Z issue.

that would be all for today. Short but sweet (I hope :))

Stay well!

Portobello bicycle, England

a lovely bicycle card for my collection thanks to dear Anu

Portobello Road is really an actual street in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London, England, which on Saturdays is the home to Portobello Road Market, one of London's notable street markets, known for its second-hand clothes and antiques.

Whether the bike ended on purpose next to the actual street sign of the Portobello Road, or if some girl was wandering around the market on a beautiful Saturday morning and left her bike here....cant tell, but surely it makes a beautiful card....and well, yeah, it does look like a girl's bike to me :)

Anu always tries her best with the stamps too! apart from the regular queen stamps, here we have two other great ones...on the right, you can see Andy Murray....ok, cant say he is on my favourite list of tennis players, but the stamp is just great, and as long as it comes to tennis, I love all stamps, even if i dont like the player maybe :)  Royal Mail commemorated all the GB gold medal winners in the Olympics with respective stamps and Andy Murray was the one winning the gold in the men's singles' tennis...it was a rather surprising maybe turn of events, since he got to beat Roger Federer...but i could say that Andy was in good shape this past year, and probably it's gonna be the one he'll remember the most.
the stamp next to Andy shows Lord Fisher and HMS Dreadnought, a stamp issued in a set of 5 Sailing traditions stamps in 1982.

I must say that Royal Mail never ceases to make my jaw drop with the fantastic stamps it's issuing...i wish i was rich enough to buy them all, mint stamps and FDC's...what a collection that would be!!


thank you dear Anu!!

Stonehenge, England

believe it or not it was this year that I received my first two Stonehenge postcards...being so popular I dont know how it had slipped from my collection until now...

the first Stonehenge card was sent by dear JP and as the back of the card says Stonehenge is one of the most important megalithic monuments in Europe believed to have been built for religious and astronomical purposes between 3000 BC and 1500 BC.

It is indeed a fascinating monument and it is also an addition to my UNESCO whs collection. And speaking of such monuments....did you know that Macedonia also has one? It is called Kokino and is situated in the north-eastern part of the country and has been put on the list of NASA's ancient megalithic observatories, along places such as Stonehenge and Angkor Wat.....so we are pretty proud of it....we are just still waiting for it to be officially declared as a UNESCO whs...I know some of you already have a postcard of it...if you dont and you'd want to...just let me know...ill try to obtain the Kokino stamps too ;-))

JP used three stamps on the card...the two definitives are something you are familiar with, but the third one is something i rarely get to see and really like it...it is from a set of 10 stamps commemorating the Diamond Wedding Anniversary (1947-2007)

I got this other Stonehenge card in the favourites tag....the colours are just amazing and the moon gives a special effect to the image...though i do wonder if it is real or a bit photoshopped...either way, the card is just AWESOME!

Longstone Lighthouse, England

an official card I received in 2009

GB-89633

It is a great lighthouse card, coming with an interesting story as well. The lady you can see at the top left is known as Grace Darling, and the story goes that her father was a lighthouse-keeper near Bamburgh. In 1838 Grace rowed out in a great storm and rescued five shipwrecked seamen.
She had unfortunately died very young, at the age of 26, four years after her heroic actions.

the stamp is from a set of 8 definitives issued in 2009

Bath, England

A UNESCO card received in the Surprise me RR...one of my favourites!

The building on the card looks pretty impressive....this is the Royal Crescent in Bath, which is a residential road of 30 houses. It was built by John Wood the Younger in 1767-75. Each house is the same at the front but differing at the rear, as each purchaser bought a length of the facade and got their own architect to build the house to their own specifications.
Number 1 Royal Crescent is a museum while numbers 15 and 16 are a hotel.

In front of the Royal Crescent is a Ha-ha, a trench on which the inner side of which is vertical and faced with stone, with the outer face sloped and turfed, making the trench, in effect, a sunken fence or retaining wall. The ha-ha is designed not to interrupt the view from Royal Victoria Park, and to be invisible until seen from close by. It is not known whether it was contemporary with the building of the Royal Crescent, however it is known that when it was first built it was deeper than it is at present.

A very interesting place I must say and im glad to have a postcard from there....though I had to check several images to know Ive gotten it right what ha-ha actually is.

The stamp is a Christmas one from a set of 7 issued in 2010

Isle of Wight, England

Another official card I received not so long ago...to knock on wood, but ever since i had put the trains on my wishlist, a number of really considerate people had chosen exactly that for me! Thank you!

GB-163219

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway, passing through 5½ miles of unspoiled countryside from Smallbrook Junction to Wootton station, through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot. At Smallbrook Junction, the steam railway connects with the Island Line.

is owned and operated by the Isle of Wight Railway Co. Ltd. and run largely by volunteers. Services are operated on most days from June to September, together with Sundays in April, May, and October and public holidays. The railway is popular with tourists, attracting people to its original steam locomotive and railway cafe.

The railway has several steam locomotives and a small series of diesel shunters, four of which have had notable careers on the island.

Apart from the standard definitives with the Queen, here is one very lovely stamp, issued in 2007 in a set of 6 Grand Prix stamps, with this one featuring Stirling Moss, 1957 Vanwall 2.5L.
As for the Queen Elizabeth definitives, they come from this year's mini sheet of 12 stamps.

Wimbledon 2010

Note: This is gonna be a longish, as the title says, Wimbledon related post...boring to many of you, I know...more of the Nadal rambling, which I know you are fed up with...but now that the Tournament has ended, and having the most appropriate card in my hands, this post cries to be written....the regular updates will come back from tomorrow on.
Well, I received this card back in February, and saying I was delighted doesnt really describe my reaction when I found it in the mailbox...those who have directly or indirectly been following me during tennis tournaments all year round, could get at least an idea how I felt :) Of course, I was so over-excited, I wanted to post it right away, but then this little voice inside me said: No no no Ana, not now...Wimbledon will happen in a few months, so it will be smarter if you save the card till then and use it to commemorate the event...good that I do listen to it sometimes.

I was in big doubts about when should I post the card...before Wimbledon starts...during...after...eventually decided to go for 'after' and make a summary of all the events and happenings and the outcome....and oh what a perfect outcome we had :D Rafael Nadal, lifting the trophy....Rafael Nadal walking out with 2000 ATP points and firming even more his 1st position...Rafael Nadal shutting the evil mouths of many...but Ill get to the last issue later
This year's Wimbledon has produced loads of surprises and memorable moments, and can you believe it, it didnt rain even once!
The most memorable event would definitely be the epic match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut...the match which lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes....stretching out over 3 days...where on the second day they played for around 8 hours straight...so crazy and so unbelievable, record breaker in many aspects...It was sometime during the 6th hour of that second day when I tuned it...and in total disbelief watched what was happening on Court 18...a match of the very first round...yeah, exactly...in general, a match on Court 18 surely wouldnt catch my attention...but this one did...a match of a kind you dont even see in the final battles...with two men barely standing on their feet, Isner especially...they were winning their serves, but couldnt possibly run after balls...and thats how it went, one game after another, both clinching to their serves...everyone wondering if this was ever gonna end...honestly, it was so crazy and unique, i wasnt sure if I wanted it to end...you dont really get to witness something like this every day...well, it eventually did end...the third day, where Mahut eventually couldnt hold his serve, and it was understandable that Isner was gonna use the opportunity and put an end to this drama/nightmare or however you wanna call it...uhmm...pity...not coz it ended, but coz I actually wanted Mahut to win...he was so more down to earth and so kinder, he is so less known...it seemed as if he would appreciate this win much more than Isner...but there you go
At the end of it all, a ceremony was held, where prizes were given to both of them...am not sure what exactly, and I know that Mahut got a consolation prize, trip to the Maldives..honestly, I dont think that when losing a match like this, there could be a consolation...it is not the kind of a normal match you lose...it is THE match...the one everyone would talk about tomorrow, next month, next year, after 50 years...the match whose 5th set lasted longer than the previous longest match...even Mohamed Lahyani was given a prize for being the chair umpire throughout the entire match...speaking of him, I cant recall I saw him afterwards...but he definitely is my favourite chair umpire..I so much wished he would be in charge of some of the Nadal matches, esp. after those French guys turned out to be sort of biased and unfair and bringing some really unjustified judgments...well, later about it

Another thing which would make this Wimbledon remembered is coz her Majesty, the Queen decided to turn up, at the match of Murray against Nieminen...good for Andy, he won...I wonder, if the Queen showed up at Murray's match against Nadal, would that have helped him somehow or no...

Then come the early calls for danger...from no one else but Federer who faced being kicked out by Falla at the very very first round...Federer playing 5 sets at Wimbledon's earliest stages was incomprehensible to many (to me as well to be honest) but it was the reality...not that I didnt enjoy it :)

I knew I shouldnt laugh at it, coz eventually Nadal found himself into 5 setters as well against Haase and Petzchner, but I have to say I liked both guys and how they played so they are like one of my Wimbledon findings..both matches with some controversy...once Nadal is given an official warning due to the fact he received coaching from uncle Tony...then, Nadal seeks for medical treatment...eventually he is called a liar...as if he set it up on purpose in order to get some time..funny how when other players never were called liars for such a thing, esp. Soderling, whom I got to dislike even more after this. Not to mention how Soderling asked for a medical time out right when Rafa was about to serve for a set...no one was available, but instead Pascal telling them to continue with the game, they had to wait..which was totally unfair and against the rules...but I never heard anyone speaking of Soderling as a liar or a deceitful player which is what he actually was...and please keep the French umpires away in the future

Some small summary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fq8EuOlkIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0c-CCRsk54
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiQAQoGFWZc
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_reports/2010-06-24/201006241277372113616.html
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-06-26/201006261277585066729.html
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-06-26/201006261277584555733.html

you be the judge what was justified and what not

Another thing that must be noted for this year's Wimbledon was Federer being kicked out...in the QUARTER-FINALS! Wow! I could have just gone out and celebrate! The so much called God of Wimbledon was out! Berdych had the honour to do so! Yup, I disliked Roger before, but like Soderling, now he even made a firmer position on my dislike list...he may be a great player but is such a sore and terrible loser...just now I realized how self-centered he is...and how cynical....one of the reasons why I love Nadal is coz he is the total opposite...but Federer got the nerve to say, after he lost, that he sees Del Potro as the favourite, just unfortunately he is not playing, and that Nadal and Djokovic have been playing awfully! Oh please, for the love of God, can you hear what you are saying?! You, who have not won a title for months, got the nerve to say Nadal and Novak are playing a lousy game?? Not even once given the credit to them nor to Berdych who played amazingly?? All of a sudden Roger has pains and his back is killing him and oh boy we should feel sorry for him and thats why he lost, otherwise he would have beaten everyone in straight sets 6:0 each...yada yada yada...it was the same in 2008 when he lost to Nadal in the finals...oh well, the light was pretty bad and I couldnt see...yeah yeah...Nadal was playing in the same light and he got to beat you...why dont you just for once admit that someone played better than you and you played an awful game..Nadal always says it...sometimes I hate it how modest Nadal is and how much he appreciates and publicly praises Federer, coz Federer obviously doesnt deserve it....anyways, Fed, I hope you and Mirka are having a blast of a holiday since you so cynically stated you wont be watching the finals..yeah, it is painful I know...
Thumbs up for Berdych though and for the game quality he had produced, which was still not enough to beat Nadal...I just dont know why was Novak so absent-minded when Berdych and he played

And even though Im not much into women's tennis, I must point out one name here, Tsvetlana Pironkova...a young Bulgarian who shocked many..82nd on the WTA, but reached the semis and on top of that, kicked out Venus...I dont like the Williams sisters, and I was so pleased to see one of them being outplayed by someone who is rather unknown to the tennis world

And I musnt forget one very important moment...the journalists at wimbledon.org....I havent seen so many biased, unprofessional and cynical reports at one place...totally underestimating the great plays of Nadal, while lifting his opponents in the sky...they all made it as if Nadal deserved to win nothing, as if he won due to being lucky, as if he only struggled to win, even going to extents and criticize his English..as if thats the cruical matter when playing tennis...but when they were to describe Murray, oh boy, Andy produced such an outstanding, tremendous game! The cherry on top was the last article about Zvonareva...
The initial title was something like, Zvonareva's dream turns into a nightmare, but they got to change it eventually
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-07-03/201007031278171346992.html

I was appalled when I read it..instead of giving her the praise she deserved for reaching the finals, i get to read this...I think that the management at wimbledon.org should take a look into the matter and who is working for them...and this is not just my subjective opinion...this is an opinion by many who found the articles throughout the tournament, absolutely biased and even cynical...many of the comments were even deleted eventually...mine were never published...could only presume why, and you could only guess what my messages contained...but I hope that next year and at the upcoming tournaments, I wont have to read crap and gibberish like this...this is one of the reason why I could never work as a sports commentator...I would never be able to be subjective and I would always cheer for someone...but at least I have the decency to admit it...

Ok, to finally close this....Wimbledon came and went...leaving many new great and not so great memories, but for sure, on the overall, it was an exciting one!
Thank you Nadal for bringing another day of joy and for shutting the mouths to the many evil guys and gals who underestimated you and who so much wanted to see you lose...you are my number one, and will always remains so!

PS. Dont you think he is adorable when arguing with Pascal? :P
PPS. Big hug to Zarah and Beatriz, my two dear Partners-in-Crime when it comes to Nadal :)
PPS. I warned you it was gonna be a longish post...so no complaints will be admitted ;-)

Scarborough, England

A card from Scarborough.

It is situated on the North Sea Coast of North Yorkshire in England and the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast as well.
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. Well, you can see the South Bay here.
You can also see the Peasholm Park (situated in the North Bay)
The Spa complex (top right corner) is home to the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, the last remaining seaside orchestra in the UK. The orchestra gives ten concerts every week during the summer months.
The Lighthouse you can see, is said to have become popular in the 19th century, both nationally and internationally.

Two definitives from a set of 10 issued in 2009, with a new security print.

Hadrian's Wall, England

And another UNESCO related card....coming from Sean, who can always offer you a good, interesting, and often educational read about something at one of his blogs, here or here

Another reason why i love this card is coz it has a map as well :)
I dont think the text on the front is readable, so ill type it here, since it gives some historic facts and figures and i think its interesting to read:

AD.122-130: Building of the wall
AD.158-184: Reoccupation of the wall
AD.197: Large scale damage to the Wall
              End of Wall Period I
AD. 296: Second successful attack on the Wall
              End of Wall Period II
AD. 300: Rebuilding of the Wall by Constantius Chlorus
AD.367: Third successful attack on the Wall
              End of Wall Period III
AD.369: Rebuilding by Count Theodosius. Forts of Wall became fortified villages
End of Fourth Century
Wall ceased to be occupied.

The map is showing th route of Hadrian's Wall stretching from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend. This 84 mile length of the wall is now very popular with walkers at The Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail.

a universal worldwide stamp postcard...with the inevitable Queen of course..

England

The back of the card says: Baroque, 1620-1800. Style in the Age of Magnificence.
My guess is that its supposed to promote some exhibition related to the Baroque style.

What really is on the card, i cant tell for sure...reminds me of one of those hanging chandeliers....which now that i mentioned it, reminds me of one of the episodes of "Only Fools and Horses". Well, if you live outside Europe, i dont know if you had watched it...but here it has been really popular, esp when i was a kid...now they are doing re-runs, and its still fun to watch. But there was this particular episode when Rodney, Del Boy and Grandad were trying to fix one of those chandeliers....ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....boy, had i laughed the first time i watched it...let me see if i can find it on you tube....yyyaaaay, there it is!!!






poor Grandad :))

Anyway...the main point of this postcard was actually the stamp along with the postmark, since this card is posted in anUNDERGROUND post box....as you can read from the cancellation :)
Here are some details about it...and i thought it would be really cool to have one specially postmarked, so i signed up for it...and im glad i did...brought me a story for the postcard and a lovely cancellation :)
As for the stamp...it dates from June 2009...a really new issue...belongs to a set of 6 stamps which represent Mythical creatures, and here in particular, the Pixies...now i know how the band Pixies got their name actually :)

Shropshire County, England

A very interesting map card....with very interesting details...i just hope you can manage to read them...well, zoom the card and it should be easier and more readable :)

It shows Shropshire also known as Salop or just Shrops, which is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties. It borders Wales and for a long time was considered to be a part of it and is known in the Welsh poetry as "Paradise of Powys".

You have probably noticed that many counties in Britain end in 'shire'. Well, this is the original term for "county", which as a word was introduced at the Norman Conquest.
Btw, did you know that Charles Darwin originated from Shropshire? :)

the stamp...well i think you should be familiar with it...ever since i started penpalling back in 1993, this is the stamp i had seen most often on my mail...its from a set of Machin definitives, issued in February 2009 colour, light grey.

The Needles, England

A very interesting place i must say...

The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight close to Alum Bay. A lighthouse has has stood at the western end of the formation since 1859.
The formation takes its name from the former fourth needle-shaped pillar called Lot's Wife that used to stand in its midst until it collapsed in a storm in 1764. The remaining rocks are all short and squat and not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck.
The Needles pointed shape is a result of their unusual geology.

Sheffield, England

I love the bright tone of this postcard

It shows the Edgar Allen Building, at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire - England

The University of Sheffield's magnificent turreted Edgar Allen Building, viewed from Weston Park. Designed by the architect Mitchell Gibbs, it was opened by the Prince of Wales (later King George v) in 1909. The cost was some £10,000, generously paid for by the local steelmaker Edgar Allen.

heh, and i actually initially thought it may be somehow related to Edgar Allan Poe....

Ventnor - Isle of Wight, England

I got this card from one of my former pen-friends, Monique van Galen from the Netherlands...when she went on a trip to England...

the pictures on the card show:

- top left: The Beach Looking East
- top right: The Cascade
- lower left: Childrens Island and Esplanade
- lower right: The Beach Looking West

I really dont know if there is any important significance whether the beach looks east or west....

ok, if i ever get a postcard of Ventnor with a single-view of the places above mentioned, ill try to get into some more detail...for now, this is enough...

Wickham, England

A card showing a vineyard in Wickham, Hapmshire....England of course...


I can say that i got this card as a thank-you-card from Serena, to whom i had sent an official card and she wanted to send me one back....but if we take in account the concept of postcrossing, thats not how it should work, even though there is no prohibition about it....so of course, i sent her another card....coz thats what i find fair and square....
There have been number of issues and of course, different attitudes towards the sending thank-you-cards on the account of a received official one....and of course, different minds dont think alike....and i could write an endless post about it, and my own way of seeing things....but you'll just think im a grumpy old lady :)

Southampton, England

An interesting card here, as a result of the "Your hometown begins with S" RR.....first one comes from Southampton.

What you can see on the card is called The Bargate.

It is a building in the city centre of Southampton. Constructed in Norman times as part of the fortified walled city, the Bargate was the main point of entry and exit to and from the north. Since Southampton is on the south coast this made the Bargate the main gateway to the city.

It represents one of the finest 13th century gates in the country. After a raid by the French in 1338, the gate was completed to its present form. Dilapidations since then have been mostly due to removing stone for other buildings. (as it is said on the card).