1951
 

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 Headlines - Korean War continues.... Treaty of Paris establishes European Coal and Steel Community....  

Royal Events

3 May - George VI opens Festival of Britain from steps of St.Pauls. The Festival is held 100 years after the Great Exhibition and is a demonstration of national recovery.

15 August - Princess Anne born.

September - confirmation that George is suffering from a malignant growth.

23 September - George has an operation to remove his left lung.

October election - Winston Churchill is returned as Prime Minister at the age of 76.

7 October - Princess Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh leave for Canadian and US tour for 35 days. Canada issues Royal Visit stamp, 26 October.

Philatelic Events

Definitives : Commemoratives : Booklets : Coils : Airmail : Postage Dues : Postmarks

4 / 19 April - major debates in House of Commons concerning Post Office service charge increases.

3 May - many postal events - low value definitives; high value stamps; commemoratives for the Festival; stamp booklet; air letter; pre-paid envelope, letter card; postcard....

1 June - Change of postage rates for printed papers

1 July - Change of postage rates for parcels

Definitives -

3 May - Definitive issue of ½d, 1d, 1½d, 2d, 2½d 'colour change'

3 May - Hi-value issue of 2s6d, 5s, 10s, £1 'Festival'. Note - these stamps were issued as high value definitives, they became known as the 'Festival' high values simply because they were issued on the same date as the opening of the Festival of Britain.

10 May - the assistant Postmaster-general, Mr Charles Hobson, announced in the House of Commons that; "....Stocks of the five low denomination stamps of the old design will be pulped; the high value denominations will remain on sale until they are exhausted."

11 May 1951 - in the House of Commons, Mr. W. R. A. Hudson; "asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that as the recently-issued 2½d postage stamp so closely resembles the colour of the previously-issued 1d. stamp confusion has resulted, cheating of the revenue has been made possible and the closer scrutiny required by Post Office servants has involved loss of time and extra labour; and whether he will consider withdrawing this issue and replacing it with an issue of more distinctive colour.

Mr. Ness Edwards replied; "As explained in the Press notice which I issued on 9th May, the recent changes in the colours of the postage stamps were made in order to conform with the Universal Postal Convention and all practicable steps have been taken to reduce the possibility of confusion to a minimum. Difficulties will disappear as stocks of red penny stamps in the hands of the public are used up."

[Very similar questions / replies are again raised on 30 May, 27 June and 21 November].

Commemoratives -

3 May - 'Festival of Britain' set

Booklets -

3 May - 1/-(series 6D); 1/-(series 6E) booklets issued

May - 2/6 (series 7); 5/- (series 8) booklets issued

13 June - the Postmaster-General was asked about the amount of paper required for the reintroduction of inter leaves for advertisement purposes in books of stamps and the estimated revenue.

Mr. Ness Edwards replied; "Forty-five tons annually: the estimated net revenue is of the order of £25,000 annually."

Hansard House of Commons Debate, 13 June 1951, vol 488 c181.

Coils -

May - first ½d, 1d, 1½d, 2d and 2½d colour change coils issued

May - first ½d, 1d, 2d and 2½d coils with sideways watermark issued

14 September - first 1½d pale green with sideways watermark in coils issued

Airmail -

16 January - British European Airways issued 3 stamps for their Air Letter Services, (a rubber stamp used previously). 6d for letters up to 2oz, 11d up to 4oz, and 1/4 up to 1lb.

6d shown on first day of use, (flown on to Glasgow). 11d stamp was blue and black; 1/4 stamp was orange and black.

12 March - start of British European Airways night airmail service between Manchester and Belfast and Dublin - special cachet applied to covers.    

Right, loading mail for the Manchester -Dublin-Belfast Airmail service, 1951, (picture from the British Philatelic Bulletin, April, 1988.

 

4 main variations for covers - 1. Manchester -Belfast, backstamped Belfast 13 Mar; 2. Belfast-Manchester with 'Airways Terminus Manchester' cachet for 13 Mar; 3. Manchester-Dublin with Dublin backstamp; 4. Dublin-Manchester with 'Airways Terminus Manchester' cachet for 13 Mar.


1 2 3 4

30 March - Forces Air Letters to POWs in Korea accepted without charge. Had to be marked "Prisoner of War Service".

3 May - air letters with Festival symbol on sale at 6d.

3 May - new pre-stamped 2½d carmine envelope - and new pre-stamped 2½d carmine letter card - and new 2d buff postcard

3 May - in the House of Commons written questions/answers, Mr. Ronald Russell M.P. asked about the average time needed for letters to be sent by air mail and by surface mail between London and each of the capital cities of Europe in 1939 and in 1951.

Mr. Ness Edwards, the Postmaster-General, set out the following information:

Air Mail
("All up" unless otherwise stated)
1939 1951
Frequency of despatch Approximate transmission time* Frequency of despatch Approximate transmission time*
Amsterdam
(Mails for the Hague are forwarded from Amsterdam)
4 daily 5–10 hours 4 daily  4–5 hours
Ankara 2 daily 2–2½ days 5 weekly 1½ days
Athens 1 daily 1 day 11 weekly 14–15 hours
Belgrade 2 daily 1 day 5 weekly 14–15 hours†
Berlin 2 daily 8–10 hours 3 daily 8–10 hours
Berne 3 daily 8–12 hours 3 daily 12 hours
Brussels 4 daily 5–10 hours 3 daily 4½–5 hours
Budapest 2 daily 1 day 1 daily 12–20 hours†
Bucharest 2 daily 1½–2 days 1 daily 1½–2 days†
Copenhagen 2 daily 12 hours 2 daily  7–9 hours
Gibraltar 3 weekly 1½–2 days‡ 1 daily 12 hours
Helsinki 2 daily 14–18 hours 2 daily 14–17 hours†
Lisbon 1 daily 1day‡ 5 weekly 7½–9 hours
Madrid 1 daily 1 day‡ 1 daily 10 hours
Malta 1 daily 1½ days‡ 1 daily 14 hours
Moscow 1 daily  1–2 days 1 daily 1–1½ days†
Oslo 2 daily 8–12 hours 13 weekly 8–15 hours
Paris 3 daily 4–6 hours 5 daily  4–5 hours
Prague 1 daily 16–18 hours 1 daily 8 hours
Reykjavik No service by air 4 weekly 10–40 hours†‡
Rome 3 daily 12–36 hours 12 weekly 9–12 hours
Sofia 1 daily 1–2 days 1 daily 1½–2½ days†
Tirana 1 daily  2½ days 1 daily 2½ days†
Vienna 3 daily 10–18 hours 2 daily 9 hours
Warsaw 2 daily ½–1 day 1 daily ½–1½days†‡

* Between latest time of posting advertised at London Chief Office to connect with relative service and the approximate time of arrival of the mail at the distant transport terminal.
† Mails to these cities are forwarded on some or all occasions via other countries.
‡ Surcharged air mail services.

Hansard, House of Commons Debate 3 May 1951, vol 487

17 October - start of twice weekly Calcutta to London service by Air India International. Saturday service : Calcutta - Bombay - Cairo - London. Tuesday service : Calcutta - Bombay - Cairo - Geneva - London.

3 November - BOAC London to Nairobi service includes Malta.

7 November - BOAC service starts London - Tripoli - Kano - Brazzaville - Livingstone - Johannesburg. Arriving 8 November - mail back-stamped 9 November. Return service started 10 November, arriving 12 November.

Postage Due  

 

6 June - 1d violet blue postage due stamp issued

14 August - 4d blue postage due stamp issued

18 September - ½d yellow-orange postage due stamp issued

6 December - 1/- ochre postage due stamp issued

Other -

29 May to 1 June - 33rd Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, Felixstowe. Pictorial covers in different colours. Special postmark issued >

2 August - the Postmaster-General was asked about the arrangements for approving slogans for use with postal franking machines; and in what circumstances is approval withheld; and if he would publish a list of slogans for use in postal franking machines submitted to him during the past 12 months for which approval has been withheld; and the reasons why.

Mr. Hobson replied; "Slogans of a controversial character are not accepted for inclusion in the impressions of postal franking machines because they are liable to be interpreted by members of the public as associating the Post Office with the slogan. The companies supplying the machines implement the policy in consultation with my Department. The following are the slogans which have been rejected by the Post Office during the past 12 months; 'Under free enterprise British Cement is the cheapest in the world.' / 'Join the Conservative Party.' / 'Vote Conservative.' / 'Taunton Conservative Party, Parade Rooms, Taunton.' / 'Just one more heave.' / 'Free enterprise gives everyone a chance and a choice.' "

Hansard, House of Commons Debate, 2 August 1951 vol 491 cc271-2.

21 November - The assistant postmaster-general refused to produce stamps for Scotland. [Hansard 21 November]

Postmarks -

Postmark oddity - 15 June with 1951 inserted upside down

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.

October 1950 to April 1951 - 'G.A.T.T. Conference' - see 1950
                 

* 16 to 23 January - 'Are you on the voters lists? - Check Now.' First year for the use of this slogan.
                 

* 19 January to 30 April - 'British Industries Fair 30 April - 11 May 1951 London & Birmingham'. Block.

                 
* 1 to 28 February - 'Blood Donors Are Still Urgently Needed'. Block.
                 
* 2 to 30 April - 'Festival of Britain May 3 - Sept 30' and festival symbol. Block.
                 
30 April to 10 May - 'British Industries Fair. B'ham'. Fair open until 11 May. Used on ordinary mail. Double circle steel handstamp.
                 
30 April to 10 May - 'Brit. Industries Fair. Birmingham (number)'. Single circle, steel handstamps numbered 1, 2 and 3. Mostly used on registered mail.
                 

30 April to 10 May - 'Registered B.I.F. Birmingham'. Used on registered mail. Rubber oval handstamp struck in violet.
4 May to 30 September - 'Festival of Britain (town die) + festival symbol. Festival started on 3 May. Machine cancel used at London SE District Office on ordinary Festival mail.

4 May to 30 September - 'Festival of Britain B.O. London S.E.1. 1951'. Several handstamps used at the Festival BO on registered mail (and on ordinary mail, probably on envelopes handed over at the counter), and one similar handstamp used at London SE District Office for cancelling packets and stamps missed by the machine. Special design steel handstamp.
4 May to 30 September - 'London S.E.1 Festival of Britain B.O. Parcel Post'. Rubber handstamp used at the Festival BO on parcels.

4 May to 30 September - 'Festival of Britain -B.O.- London S.E.1.'. TIM machine issued parcel labels, values 9d to 1/10 in 1d steps.
                 
19 to 22 May - 'Wimbledon S.W.19 All England L.T.C.'. Davis Cup Championship. Single circle steel handstamp.
                 
21 to 25 May - 'Chelsea Flower Show SW3'. Skeleton handstamp.
22 to 24 May - 'Edinburgh CS'. Church of Scotland Assembly. Skeleton handstamp.

29 May to 1 June - '33rd Philatelic Congress of Gt Britain Felixstowe'. Special design steel handstamp.
18 to 22 June - 'Registered Royal Highland Show Aberdeen'. Oval steel handstamp.

25 June to 4 July - 'Wimbledon.S.W.19 All England L.T.C.'. Lawn Tennis Championships. Single circle steel handstamp.
2 to 6 July - 'Royal Show Cambridge'. Three skeleton handstamps used with codes A, B and C.

4 and 5 July - 'Henley Regatta'. Known 4 July cancelling stamps, but 5 July on registration label, with stamps cancelled by 'Mobile Post Office' postmark. Single circle steel handstamp.
8 to 13 August - 'Edinburgh B A A S'. British Association for the Advancement of Science. On 8 Aug the 8 was inverted. Skeleton handstamp.

11 to 15 September - 'International Air Transport Association 7th AGM London'. special design steel handstamp.
10 to 16 September - Farnborough SBAC Hts Ex'. Farnborough Air Display, SBAC = Society of British Aircraft Constructors. Skelton handstamp.

10 to 16 September - 'SBAC Ex Farnborough Hants'. Skeleton handstamp.
10 to 16 September - 'SBAC Ex Farnborough Hts'. Skeleton handstamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* 1 to 30 November - 'Civil Defence Join Now'. Block.
                 
* 30 November to 20 December - 'Post Early For Christmas' with holly. Block.
                 
1951 - 'Earl's Court Exhibition B.O. S.W.5. Single circle steel handstamp.
                 
1951 - 'Registered Earl's Ct. Exhibition B.O. S.W.5'. Rubber oval handstamp. More than one handstamp used, one has '1' below 'registered'.
                 
1951 - 'Olympia. West Kensington. W.14'. Several handstamps used, with and without stop after Kensington. Single circle steel handstamp.
                 
1951 - 'Registered Olympia, B.O. W.14'. Several handstamps used.
                 
1951 - 'Athletic Ground.Richmond Surrey'. Single circle steel handstamp. 
                 
1951 - 'Glasgow Kelvin Hall'. Single circle steel handstamp.
                 

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Contact : Malcolm Sanders kg6gb@hotmail.com