|
|
This page - Royal Events : Philatelic Events
Headlines - Australian Citizenship comes into being.... Clothes rationing ends in UK.... Gas industry nationalised.... Southern Ireland leaves Commonwealth and becomes Eire.... NATO formed.... Council of Europe founded by Treaty of London.... US withdraws from South Korea.... Dock strike in the UK.... Beginning of Apartheid.... Birth of the People's Republic of China.
January / February - Convalescence at Sandringham. 12 March - George has an operation in a converted room at Buckingham Palace, (right lumbar sympathectomy).
Definitives : Commemoratives : Airmail : Postmarks : Other 1 May - Change in postage rates for overseas general and commercial printed papers and samples 1 October - a further change in postage rates for overseas general and commercial printed papers and samples 16 June - further Post Office note, (since 3 February 1948) that colour changes are needed for the lower value definitives to return to the UPU Universal colour scheme. A problem is noted that the UK now has two overseas rates - 2½d for the British Commonwealth, Egypt and USA - 3d for the rest of the world. The UPU scheme only stated one colour for overseas mail, (blue). 21 July - colour experiments carried out for the 2½d, 3d and 4d stamps in shades of blue. Colour trials for other lower values are requested from Harrison and Sons. 11 August - proposal that 3d and 4d stamps with new colours would be issued on 6 May, 1950 - the first day of the London International Stamp Exhibition. Other values with colour changes to be issued in July 1950. Experiments with shades continue. 8 to 10 September - Rushton Philatelic Society Exhibition held at Clasketgate School, Lincoln. Labels issued. 18 September - Sir Stafford Cripps, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the devaluation of the pound. Postage rates come under review following this announcement and the proposals of 11 August are further delayed. 10 October - 'Universal Postal Union' set
Airmail - 7 April - change to air letter sheets. 14 May - Aquila Airways start Southampton / Madeira airmail service. 6 August - Icelandic Airways start Renfrew / Reykjavik air mail service, (backstamped 7 August). 27 August - Air Ceylon starts weekly service : London to Singapore, via Rome, Cairo, Karachi, Bombay and Columbo. 17 October - helicopter night service starts on six month contract between Peterborough and Norwich by BEA. 1 November - new Airway Letter services by BEA between Manchester, Liverpool, Douglas and Belfast. Normal post rate + air fee : 5d up to 2 ounces, 9d up to 4 ounces, 1/2 up to 1lb. December - first Stratocruiser flight by BOAC from London to New York 22 December - first arrival of weekly El Al service from Tel Aviv, via Rome.
Other - Last horse drawn mail van used in London. 24 to 27 May - 31st Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, Manchester. Special postmark issued, see below.
Postmarks - All entries, except *, are taken from Special Event Postmarks of the United Kingdom by George R. Pearson. Published by the British Postmark Society, 1991 who give kind permission for reproduction.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
