Great British Comedians featured on new stamps by Royal Mail

 

 

Date of Issue – 1 April 2015

Royal Mail celebrated the April Fool’s Day with a launch of a set of stamps to mark the contribution to the world of entertainment and comedy by some of the nation’s most cherished performers across the decades since the 1950s. The issue consists of ten items that were released on the 1^st of April.

Comedian Ronnie Corbett with The Two Ronnies stamp, which features in Royal Mail’s Comedy Greats stamp series. Photograph: Des Willie/Royal Mail/PA

The UK has long boasted a broad range of comic talents. From stand-ups and double acts to satirists and surrealists, stalwarts of stage and radio to stars of film and television, the nation has produced countless heroes of humour. Representing the best in British comedy, the stamps feature ten individuals, duos and groups who have brought wit and laughter to millions.

The set of stamps focuses on performers who emerged from the tradition of stand-up and sketch show artists, rather than those more widely regarded as comic actors.

The stamp issue features some of the influential founders of modern British comedy Norman Wisdom (whose centenary falls in 2015) influenced a new generation of physical comedians such as Lee Evans, who has directly paid tribute to Wisdom.

Morecambe and Wise and the Two Ronnies represent the continuity of a variety style of comedy reaching back to the 1940s, of huge popularity on TV in the 1970s and still reaching a wide audience in the 1980s, and which have influenced all double acts since.

In contrast, another double act, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are featured representing the Cambridge Footlights generation that dominated the early 1960s comedy scene, and their partnership in particular reinvented the sketch show format. Their ground-breaking TV series, ‘Not Only But Also’ premiered in 1965 and hence this year marks its 50th anniversary.

Spike Milligan is included as his anarchic influence is especially great from the 1950′s Goon Show and in particular his pioneering ‘Q’ TV series from the late 1960s, that was influential to Monty Python.

The Python team in turn represents a scatological approach that revolutionized comedy in the 1970s and in turn influenced later generations of comics in the UK as well as the USA. Python also paved the way for the alternative comedy boom of the 1980s which is represented by French and Saunders, the most successful British female double act or team of all time.

Lenny Henry is included as he represents how 1970s stand-up comedy could fuse with an alternative comedy influence to create a distinctive style that continues to provide inspiration to new generations of performers.

Billy Connolly’s and Victoria Wood’s reputations put them in a distinctive class of their own as stand-out performers and writers. Connolly regularly tops polls to find the greatest stand-up comedian of all time and Wood has won more television BAFTAs than anyone else in BAFTA history. She has also been a key influence on most female performers since the late 1970s.

Read More

Exclusive Exhibition on the Indian National Flag

‘Indian National Flag’ was born in its present form on 22^nd July 1947".

The National Flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of India. The flag was subsequently retained as that of the Republic of India. In India, the term "tricolour" almost always refers to the Indian national flag. The flag is based on the Swaraj flag, a flag of the Indian National Congress designed by Pingali Venkayya.

The flag, by law, is to be made of khadi, a special type of hand-spun cloth of cotton or silk made popular by Mahatma Gandhi. The manufacturing process and specifications for the flag are laid out by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The right to manufacture the flag is held by the Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission, who allocate it to the regional groups.

Exhibition on the Indian National Flag,

14th to 20th August 2014,  Kolkata

 

For the first time in India, the Kolkata Regional Centre of the ICCR, Govt of India  is hosting a unique exhibition from 14 - 20 August 2014 on the Indian National Flag in commemoration of the 68^th anniversary of its adoption. The exhibition curated by Mr. Sekhar Chakrabarti features a rich collection of the National Flag symbol on myriad objects sourced from a plethora of expected and unexpected sources that are pieced together to reconstruct the history and the evolution of the National Flag. The exhibits will bring alive the process by which the ‘Indian National Flag’ was born in its present form on 22^nd July 1947".

 

 

Philatelic Tributes to  Great Singer - Mukesh

Today is Birth anniversary of India’s great playback singer of Hindi Films , Mukesh. This special Post is a tribute to him whose songs have special place in the heart of all music lovers !! 

A beautiful song by Mukesh to share with all……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVeDXzv7AQU

Mukesh Chand Mathur  22 July 1923 – 27 August 1976), better known as Mukesh, was an Indian playback singer of Hindi movies. He, alongside Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, and Kishore Kumar, left such an impact on the Hindi film industry that they are still remembered to date. Amongst the numerous nominations and awards he won, his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from film Rajnigandha (1973) won him the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. Mukesh is also popular as being the voice of legendary actor Raj Kapoor.

Read More

PHILAKOREA 2014 - World Stamp Exhibition

 

On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the Postal Service of Korea, PHILAKOREA 2014 World Stamp Exhibition, a global festival of postage stamps is held for six days from August 7 to August 12, 2014 in Hall A, COEX, Seoul, under the patronage of the FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie). PHILAKOREA World Stamp Exhibition is the fourth exhibition held in Korea, which, starting from 1984 marked the centenary of the Korean Postal Service, and followed again in 1994 and 2002.

Around 500 stamp exhibits submitted by no less than 67 countries are on display and approximately 100 stamp sales booths are opened. Also being showcased at the exhibition are invited stamp exhibits and a public relations booth for the postal business. There is also a masterpiece pavilion and a Future Stamp pavilion where visitors can enjoy the unique display of philatelic culture from around the world.

PHILAKOREA 2014 commemorative stamps capture eight “flavors of Korea” which are imbued with the taste of their ancestors. Minhwa, folk paintings drawn by the general public express the simple beauty of everyday life in a colorful and straightforward style. Birds and flowers depicted in gentle colors are a delight to the eye. While most traditional Korean masks are made of gourds or paper, Hahoe masks are wooden.

Hahoe masks show a refined and elaborate beauty embodying a uniquely Korean humor and sentiment. Hanbok, the traditional Korean clothes, also known as Clothes of Wind, encompasses beauty in its lines and sides and flows in gentle curves. Kkachi Durumagi, a colorful children’s overcoat introduced in the stamp is made using delightful colors, expressing hope for longevity and wealth. The scientifically created Korean alphabet, Hangeul is beautiful in shape.

The roundish contours of the Gungche script on the stamp are considered the most beautiful Korean writing style due to its delicate form. (an excerpt from a novel Okyeondyunghoewon from the Joseon Dynasty). Onggi, a porous and permeable pottery, called the breathing pottery are used as storage containers suitable for soy sauce, salt, Kimchi, and many other products.

These pots with a round “belly” are evocative of the generosity and richness of a mother. The clear resounding sound of the Gayageum made by its twelve silk strings is celestial in tone. The stamp introduces this representative string instrument of Korea, the Gayageum, in particular, the Gayageum of prince regent Heungseon. Baekja, a white porcelain, shows a simple, yet immaculate beauty. The rounded White Porcelain Moon Jar, created during the Joseon Dynasty, is reminiscent of a full moon and is listed as National Treasure number 1437. Lastly, lifting eaves of elegantly curved tiled roofs shows a refined architectural beauty and a taste for the arts of their ancestors.

Stamp on 'Bend It Like Beckham' a film by Gurinder Chadha

Royal Mail issued stamp on 'Bend It Like Beckham' - 13th May 2014. Indian-origin filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's award-winning film about a British Sikh family, 'Bend It Like Beckham', has been selected by Royal Mail, UK as one of the films with a stamp issued in its honour in the 'Great British Film Stamp Set'. The 2002 comedy-drama is about an Indian girl who breaks traditional barriers to play football for UK won rave reviews across the globe.

Great British Film Stamp Set

The new stamps from Royal Mail  feature six classic British films that have enjoyed global success in the post-war era.The Mint Stamps feature iconic movie stills from six classic British films:Matter of Life and Death (1946)Lawrence of Arabia (1962)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Chariots of Fire (1981)Secrets & Lies (1996)Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

New Special Cover

The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Hyderabad will be releasing a Special Cover with its MY Stamp through the Department of Post, Philatelic Bureau, Hyderabad G.P.O. on 1 July 2014 on the occasion of the commencement of the Centenary Batch of the Foundation Course for Agricultural Research Service (FOCARS100).

- Ravi Viswanathan : email : viswanathanravi@naarm.ernet.in

 

Read More

Indian Cinema honoured on Brazilian stamps..

 

I published news yesterday  about postage stamps issued by Brazil in honour of 100 years  Indian Cinema. I received mail from some Readers that these stamps are personalized stamps and not the regular issue. I tried to  check the facts  and received details about the issue from distinguished philatelist, Mr Prashant Pandya who thoroughly searched the facts. The details show that this is a regular issue and not the personalized one. About denomination there is mention of 'PORTE CARTA COMMERCIAL' on the stamp which means Postage / Business Letter so it must be for Business Letter Postage rate. In many countries they do not mention postage value but they mention class of mail on stamps. A reply from Brazil Post about this issue is also awaited. My thanks to Mr Pandya for checking out the facts.  I hope this will definitely clear the doubts of many readers.

Brazilian Post and Telegraph Corporation launched a set of two postage stamps commemorating 100 years of Indian Cinema - 15th May 2014. ‘Indian Cinema One hundred years show’ (Mostra 100 Anos Cinema Indiano) was oragnised by Ananda Jyothi and Carina Bini at the National Postal Museum, Brasilia-DF from 5th to 18th May 2014. The show featured a selection of 13 Indian feature films. During this show Brazilian Post and Telegraph Corporation launched a set of two postage stamps on 15th May 2014 commemorating 100 years of Indian Cinema in Brasília-DF.

 

Courtesy : Prashant Pandya

ODIPEX-2014 , Bhubaneshwar

A meeting was held at the office of the CPMG on 20.05.2014 with 21 philatelists presided over by the DPS, Bhubanswar regarding holding of a State level Philatelic Exhibition in Odisha this year. In the meeting it has been decided to hold the exhibition in the name "ODIPEX-2014" during 22-24, August, 2014 at Bhubaneswar. The venue will be decided later and a notification in this respect will be issued by the Postal Department shortly. In this exhibition special attention will be given to the young philatelists. Philatelists of Odisha are requested to keep ready their exhibits and encourage the young philatelists to take part in the forthcoming exhibition.

Courtesy : Ajit Kumar Dash

Read More

Great British Films on stamps….

 

Date of Issue : 13 May 2014

Royal Mail  launched its Great British Film Special Stamp issue to celebrate six key British movies produced since the Second World War. Accompanying the set is a four-stamp Miniature Sheet focusing on the work of the GPO Film Unit, which produced ground-breaking documentaries, animations and information films for the General Post Office in the 1930s and 1940s. The stamps feature following famous films.

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) - part fantasy and part romance, A Matter of life and Death stars David Niven in one of his greatest roles. The film tells the story of an RAF pilot who should have died but is caught between two worlds – the real and the after life.

Created by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, it was technologically very innovative, filmed in both black and white and colour, and was selected as the first Royal Command Film in 1946, attended by the King and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. It regularly appears in the top 20 lists of greatest British films of all time. The stamp shows Niven and Kim Hunter.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - starring the late Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia won seven Academy Awards (Oscars), four BAFTAs and five Golden Globes.

The film is regarded as director David Lean’s masterpiece and features an impressively powerful performance by O’Toole, which made him an international star. The film has a global following and was selected as the best epic movie ever by the American Film Institute. Peter O’Toole agreed to appear on the stamp shortly before his death last year.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - categorised as science fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey has multiple interpretations and has won generations of fans. It is frequently listed in polls of the top ten greatest movies of all time. American director Stanley Kubrick was a committed anglophile. He moved to the UK in the early 1960s and went on to make all of his films in the UK using British studios. The screenplay co-writer was British author Sir Arthur C Clarke.

Chariots of Fire (1981) – directed by Hugh Hudson, this is the multiple Oscar and BAFTA winning story of two athletes who competed in the 1924 Olympics. It is regarded as one of the greatest sports films of all time, and highly rated by critics and in the top 20 greatest British Films, as polled by film experts at the British Film Institute.

Nigel Havers, who played Lord Andrew Lindsay in the film said: “Making Chariots of Fire was fantastic fun. The training was quite tough but it was definitely worth it in the end. It was great to be part of such an iconic film and the essence of the film has been captured with the image used. I will make sure I use the stamp on every letter I send in future!”

Secrets & Lies (1996) – directed by Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies won two BAFTAs and the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where Brenda Blethyn also won the Best Actor award for her brilliant performance. The critically acclaimed drama is Leigh’s most commercially successful film and its performances are regarded as among the best in any film in recent years. The stamp shows Blethyn and co-star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) – directed by Gurinder Chadha, the film topped the UK box office on release. It made stars out of its lead actors Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra, and was an international smash hit, winning a host of awards including best film at the British Comedy Awards. The movie was the first western made film to be shown on North Korean TV, and a stage version is in production.

The immortal Night Mail (1936) film is marked with a stamp for the first time, WH Auden’s verse and Benjamin Britten’s music immortalised the story of the nightly journey of the “postal special” from Euston to Glasgow. Directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, Night Mail helped lay the tracks for innumerable day-in-the-life “story documentaries”.

A Colour Box (1935), New Zealander Len Lye’s delirious animated short was created by painting bright, abstract shapes directly onto celluloid. The paint was then combed and textured so that it appeared to “dance” along with the musical soundtrack. It is regarded as one of the most significant films in the history of animation.

Love on the Wing (1938) was the breakthrough film of the Scottish animator Norman McLaren. A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, McLaren had begun by scratching images onto celluloid; by the time of Love on the Wing, his hand-drawn animation overlaid complex coloured backgrounds. The film’s images, which include a man who sprouts wings, a giant floating eye, two pairs of lips, a flying bone, a skull, a horse and an axe, suggest the influence of the London International Surrealist Exhibition of 1936. McLaren spent the majority of his post-war career working at the National Film Board of Canada. 2014 marks the centenary of McLaren’s birth.

Spare Time (1939) made for the New York World Fair of 1939, Spare Time directed by Humphrey Jennings offers up a picture of after-work Britain. It shows how people in Sheffield, Manchester and Pontypridd fit an incredible panoply of musical, sporting and leisure enthusiasms around the rhythms of the steel, cotton and coal industries. British director Lindsay Anderson described Jennings as “the only true poet of the English cinema”.

Read More