New stamps on Light Houses..

 

Date of Issue : 13 September 2012

Iceland Post issued  a set of two stamps on 13 September featuring Lighthouses.

The Engey lighthouse

A lantern was installed in Engey Island in 1870 and lighted when postal vessels were expected. The Reykjavík Harbour Fund was in charge of the installment and maintenance. In 1902 a small lighthouse was built in Engey, replacing the lantern. In 1937 a concrete lighthouse was erected in the island and was fitted with a 500 mm lens and gaslight equipment. It was powered with electricity in 1963. The lighthouse is a quadrilateral 5,5 m high tower with a 3,5 m high Swedish lantern. Originally the lighthouse was white with a vertical red stripe in the middle of the wall but was later painted yellow.

The Kálfshamar lighthouse

In 1913 a lighthouse was built at Kálfshamarsnes in the northwest of Iceland. It consisted of a Norwegian lantern of cast iron on a concrete plate. A new lighthouse was built at Kálfshamarsnes in 1940. It was taken into use in 1942 and fitted with a 500 mm lens and gaslight equipment. In 1973 it was powered with electricity. The Kálfshamar lighthouse is a concrete quadrilateral tower 16,3 m high on a low foundation. The tower walls have inlaid vertical stripes with a crucifix moulded in the surface over the entrance. The walls are plated with light quartz and the inlaid stripes with obsidian.

Other recent stamps from Iceland…

On 3rd May 2012 Iceland Post issued following stamps .

150th Anniversary of  Akureyri

 

Date of Issue : 3 May 2012

Akureyri is Iceland's fourth most populous municipality.Akureyri lost its township prerogatives 1836, but regained them in 1862. Farmers in Eyjafjörður established organizations to strengthen their position against the Danish merchants. They founded the KEA cooperative which played a substantial role in the growth of the town of Akureyri, supporting a number of industrial companies in the town, many of which specialized in processing agricultural products.

The Akureyri Park

The Akureyri Park is run by the town as a botanical garden and a nature park. The latter was formally opened to the public in 1912 while the botanic garden opened in 1957. The Park Society was founded in 1909 with Sigridur Sæmundsdóttir as its first president. Margrethe Schiöth contributed to the growth and development of the park for more than thirty years. The Akureyri Embellishment Society promoted the acquisition of a remarkable and unusual botanical collection owned by Jón Rögnvaldsson, a pioneer in the cultivation of plants in Iceland. Now the park contains nearly 7000 foreign species and most of the Icelandic flora.

The Hallargarður park in Reykjavík

The Hallargarður park in Reykjavík, constructed in 1953-4, was designed by Jón H. Björnsson, Iceland´s first trained landscape architect. The park is influenced by American modernism, with curves and constantly changing vistas. It was completed in summer 1954. In 1986 the park was altered and the pond and fountain replaced by shrubs and flowerbeds. There is a monument in the park of the entrepreneur Thor Jensen and his wife, Thorbjorg Jensen. In the uppermost part of the park there is a sculpture “A boy and a girl” by Ásmundur Sveinsson.

Scouting in Iceland 100th Anniversary

Date of Issue : 3 May 2012

Ingvar Ólafsson founded the first scouting patrol in Iceland in 1911 and the first scout meeting was held on July 16th of that year. Ingvar had been introduced to the scouting idea in Denmark, where he lived for a while. In 1912 the first Boy Scout district became a reality and was named Skátafélag Íslands (Iceland Scout Association), later changed into Reykjavik Scout Association led by Sigurjón Pétursson of Álafoss.

The first girl scout association was founded in July 1922 with Jakobína Magnúsdóttir as the first group leader. Gertrud Fridriksson, the first group leader of the scouts in Husavik, played a crucial part in the establishment of the association. The Girl Scout Association was founded 23rd March 1939 with a membership of 459. In 1944 the two national associations merged into the current Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association.

 

 The London Olympic Games

Day of Issue: 3 May 2012

Memories of London 2012…

 

Date of Issue : 27 September 2012

Royal Mail will issue its final set of stamps marking the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games when it issues the four-stamp set Memories of London 2012 on September 27.

The special stamp issue will highlight the role of the 70,000 Games Makers in making the London 2012 Games such a great success.

· The Games Maker stamp features a group of volunteers, in their distinctive purple and red uniforms, with the iconic London 2012 stadium in the background.

· The Paralympic Games will feature on two stamps with images from the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and Paralympics GB Procession into the stadium.

· The final stamp will feature a scene from the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The set will be the first to feature the much-praised Games Makers – an army of volunteers who are credited with helping make London 2012 one of the most successful Games ever.More than 70,000 people volunteered to help the millions of visitors who flocked to London during the summer.

Now the Games Makers are commemorated on a stamp featuring an image of a group of volunteers, in their distinctive purple and red uniforms, with the famous London 2012 Olympic stadium in the background.

Other memories featured on the stamps include the spectacular fireworks display during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and a First Class stamp shows the Paralympics GB team entering the stadium to conclude the procession of the participating athletes The final stamp shows a scene from the Olympic Closing Ceremony, in which athletes and officials of all the countries formed a human version of the Union Flag in the Olympic Stadium. 

The stamps are printed within a miniature sheet, the border of which features a quote from Lord Coe, reflecting on the success of both Games.

My Recent Cover from Singapore…..

This beautiful cover and lovely stamps featuring cute Pandas were sent to me by my friend Edmund Ong from Singapore. Thanks Edmund for these nice stamps stamps . These are just wonderful !!

    

 Pandas are the most adorable creatures . They are one of the cutest animals found on earth. That’s why a variety of stuffed toys are made for little ones  to give their cute  appearance !!

Pandas are   carnivores, however their diet consists of 99% bamboo. Bamboo is not very nutritious, making them lazy as balls. They even avoid steeply sloping hills to limit energy expenditures. They limit social interactions and will kill humans out of irritation.

My recent card and Covers…

 

Guernsey

London Olympic Games 2012

 

Pre stamped Picture Post card from Samsung !!

Latvia

Friedrich Zander  Latvian: Frīdrihs Canders; was a pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. He designed the first liquid-fuelled rocket to be launched in the Soviet Union, GIRD-X, and made many important theoretical contributions to the road to space.

Zander was born in Riga, Russian Empire, into a Baltic German family.He graduated with his engineering degree in 1914, moved to Moscow in 1915.Zander lodged a patent in Moscow for a winged rocket that he believed would be suitable for interplanetary flight, and in October gave a lecture to the Moscow Institute on the possibility of reaching Mars by rocket. Read More…

EN Limanski, Riga - Latvia

Poland

200. ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF JÓZEF IGNACY KRASZEWSKI

Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (28 July 1812 – 19 March 1887) was a Polish writer, historian and journalist who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews . He is best known for his epic series on the history of Poland, comprising twenty-nine novels in seventy-nine parts.As a novelist writing about Polish history, Kraszewski is generally regarded as second only to Henryk Sienkiewicz. Read More…

 

Andrzej Bek, Nowy Sacz – Poland

Sport for Peace – Paralympic Games 2012

 

Date of Issue : 17 August 2012

The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The Paralympics first started in 1948 when Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England for Second World War veterans that had spinal injuries. The competition took place between sports clubs and other hospitals on the same day as the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games.

The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and involved 400 athletes from 23 countries. Originally, only wheelchair athletes were invited to compete. Since that time, the Paralympic Games have grown dramatically. Athletes competing at the Games are divided into the following disability groups: visual impairments, amputees, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and Les Autres - athletes with physical disabilities that are not included in the categories mentioned above.

The 2012 Paralympic Games will take place between 29 August and 9 September. They will be the biggest Paralympic Games ever, featuring 4,200 athletes from 160 countries who will compete in 20 sports.

To commemorate the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games, the United Nations Postal Administration will issue stamps on 17 August 2012 featuring six paralympic sports. Three souvenir sheets will also be released on the same day.

Sport is a universal language that can be a powerful tool in promoting peace, tolerance and understanding by bringing people together across boundaries, cultures and religions. The 2012 Paralympic Games in London will continue its tradition of promoting the Olympic spirit by featuring exceptional athletes with amazing talents that continue to inspire people around the world.

Team GB – Gold Olympics Stamps 2012

Royal Mail has issued next day stamps for the first time and have painted the Post-boxes gold to celebrate each win for Team GB at the London Olympics 2012.The final tally is 29 Gold Medal Wins for Team GB in Cycling, Rowing, Shooting, Sailing, Tennis, Taekwando, Athletics, Triathlon, Equestrian, Canoeing and Boxing.

The Stamps are getting so popular day by day , that they are all sold out at the Royal mail Post offices in the early working hours; one can seen the young and old waiting in queue's to have a complete set in their collection.

The most popular stamp being ‘The Women's Boxing Gold’ medal stamp - of Nicola Adams which is hard to find in the post office.Good initiative by the Royal Mail Post to boost Philately & felicitate the Olympians, but the face value of the stamps is high and with the price rise early this year makes it a tough buy for all to get the best.

Note: there are more Olympics stamps GB released over the year and a special minisheet on the Opening ceremony day.What a great gift and appreciation to the Olympians to have a Stamp each for a Golden Victory!!

- Julian Fernandes - email : julian.destiny@gmail.com

Most Memorable Gold Medal Wins at London Games…

Michael Phelps Becomes Greatest Olympian

Michael Phelps marks the end of his Olympic career with the trophy awarded to him as the most decorated Olympian.

With 22 medals and 18 gold medals, USA swimming legend Michael Phelps becomes not only the greatest swimmer of all time, but the best Olympian to ever grace the Games.

 

Usain Bolt Sweeps 100 and 200 For Second Consecutive Olympics

He came, he saw and  he conquered.

The 2012 London Games saw Jamaican Usain Bolt confirm himself as a legend—taking gold medals in three different events, the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100-meter races.The same trio of events he won at the Beijing Olympics four years previous.

Oscar Pistorius: The Bionic Man Inspires

 

 

While many of the athletes on best olympians’ list are gold, silver or bronze medal winners, sometimes it’s not the medal that makes a champion. That’s definitely the case for double amputee South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius.

The runner was born without fibulas so his legs were amputated from below the knee before he was one. But that didn’t stop him from becoming an athlete.

Pistorius’ competitive career came after he was outfitted with a pair carbon fiber blades, which allowed him to race. Not content with racing against the disabled, Pistorius successfully lobbied the International Olympic Committee to allow him to compete with non-disabled athletes, making him the first to do so in Olympic history.

Oscar ran valiantly in several events, including the 4x400m relay, but walked away empty-handed. Still, given the odds stacked against him from birth, coming as far as he has is its own reward.

If you can’t find inspiration in that, then your soul is probably dark and disturbed. Oscar shall, and has, overcome.

 

2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony…

 

 

Rhythmic Gymnastics

The greatest sport event LONDON Olympics 2012 is going to conclude today…Let’s watch the grand closing ceremony of this biggest sport event !!

 

The Closing Ceremony celebrates the achievements of athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and includes a Handover from one Host City to the next. In 2012, London will hand over to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Closing Ceremony also features the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, signalling the end of the Games.

The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be titled ‘A Symphony of British Music’, to celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years. The worldwide broadcast of the Ceremony will start at 9pm and feature more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs.

March of the athletes

The flagbearers of the participating delegations enter the Stadium in single file, closely followed by the athletes. At the Closing Ceremony, athletes march together, not by nationality. This is a tradition that began at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games and is a way of bringing the athletes of the world together as 'one nation'.

Flags and speeches

Three national flags are hoisted on flagpoles one at a time, while the corresponding national anthems are played: the flag of Greece to honour the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the flag of the Host Nation (UK), and the flag of the country hosting the next Summer Olympic Games (Brazil). The Mayor of the Host City joins the President of the IOC on the rostrum and gives him back the flag. The President of the IOC then symbolically presents this to the Mayor of the next Host City of the Olympic Games, before making a speech declaring the Games closed.

Extinguishing of the Flame

The Olympic Flame, which has been burning in the Cauldron since the opening of the Games, is then extinguished – a poignant and moving moment for all those involved in the Games and the audience at large.

The Olympic Cauldron will be extinguished to signal the end of the Games. It will be lit again in Sochi, Russia during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

London Olympics 2012…

 

Cards issued by India Post for London 2012

View : LONDON OLYMPIC issues by India Post

: Shrikant Parikh, Ahmedabad

Ukraine

Slovenia

China

Greece

Philippines

View :  More stamps on London Olympics

My Recent Covers

AFMC, Pune

FDC with Place cancellation of AFMC Pune  Post Office

 

Thanks to Dr Anjali Dutta, Pune

Philatelic news from London Olympics 2012…

 

Gold Medal heroes on stamps

 

Australia

Tom Slingsby becomes first individual medalist to feature on 2012 Australian Gold Medallist stamp

After winning Australia's first individual gold medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games, sailing superstar and five time world champion, Tom Slingsby, will become Australia's first individual gold medalist to feature on a 2012 Australian Gold Medalist Stamp.

Stamps featuring an image of Slingsby from the gold medal dais in London will be available in participating Australia Post retail outlets from Thursday, 9 August while stocks last.

Australia Post is producing stamps for every Australian gold medalist from the London 2012 Olympic Games, and they are expected to be available in metropolitan Australia Post outlets within 48 hours of each gold medal presentation.

 

 

Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Team features on first 2012 Australian Gold Medallist Stamp

After their gold medal-winning performance in the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay on Saturday 28 July, Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger will be the first Australian athletes to feature on the Australian Gold Medallist Stamps for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Some best designed  Stamps on London Olympics 2012

 

Most beautiful stamp issued for LONDON 2012 !!

Slovakia

During these Olympic Games, 10,500 athletes from 204 countries are struggling for 302 collections of medals in 26 Olympic sports.

The first Paralympic Games for physically handicapped sportsmen, mostly British soldiers - disabled people from WWII, were held on 29th July1948. It took place on the same day as the Opening Ceremony of the XIV Olympic Games. The Paralympic Games are coming back to its cradle with a wide-ranging schedule for more than 4,000 contestants from 166 countries who are participating in 21 disciplines.

Besides the traditional Olympic disciplines (light athletics, swimming, weightlifting, fencing, equestrian disciplines, cycling, rowing, yachting) or games (football, volleyball, basketball, rugby, tennis, table tennis),an extremely popular game of boccia or goalball has also been introduced.. It was devised after WWII as a ball game for visually impaired soldiers. It is played in silence and players try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponent's goal. The players do not see the ball; they only hear it. But after the goal, the applause is a legitimate doping!

Costa Rica

Portugal

Date of Issue : 19 June 2012

 

From our Readers…..

Stamps on ‘WORLD HERITAGE’

- Pradip Kumar Malik

HIGH COAST (SWEDEN)

The High Coast is located on the west shore of the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The area covers 142,500 ha including a marine component of 80,000 ha, which includes a number of offshore islands. UNESCO designated High Coast as World Heritage property in 2000 for being an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth’s history.

Sweden 2005

Se-tenant set of four stamps, with views of the High Coast. In the lower selvedge, stamps are inscribed in Swedish "Världsarvet Höga Kusten" (World Heritage High Coast). The stamps are from a booklet pane of eight stamps, and are perforated on three sides.

The irregular topography of the region - a series of lakes, inlets and flat hills rising to 350 m - has been largely shaped by the combined processes of glaciations, glacial retreat and the emergence of new land from the sea. Since the last retreat of the ice from the High Coast 9,600 years ago, the uplift has been in the order of 285 m which is the highest known 'rebound'.

The High Coast site affords outstanding opportunities for the understanding of the important processes that formed the glaciated and land uplift areas of the Earth's surface. The site is one of the places in the world that is experiencing isostatic uplift as a result of deglaciation. Isostatic rebound is well-illustrated and the distinctiveness of the site is the extent of the total isostatic uplift which, at 294m, exceeds others.

Mr Pradeep Kumar Malik may be contacted at email : mallikphila@gmail.com