Page 5 - link magazine

Celebrate a birthday with

the Royal Mail

This year the Royal Mail celebrates a very special anniversary - it's 150 years since the postage stamp was introduced. Since then, the system
has been adopted all over the world. To celebrate the birthday and the opening of the Royal Mail sorting office dedicated to West Swindon
in MarchThe Post Office in association with The Link magazine is running a competition to test your knowledge of the postal service.

Stamps make brilliant Gifts Enter our great

Competition
If you're stuck for a novel gift idea - something 'First Day Covers: a decorative envelope
that would be equally appreciated by friends with a complete special issue of stamps and The Royal Mail is offering 20 beautifully
or business clients at home and abroad -then pictorial first-day-of-issue postmark. illustrated Stamp Yearbooks to Link readers
the Royal Mail could well have the answer. .Special Stamp Yearbooks: Published as prizes in a simple competition. The
Postage stamps were a British invention, annually, these luxurious books cover all the books give a complete background to the
introduced by Rowland Hill for the 'penny year's special stamps issue in words and subjects chosen for Special Issue and
post,' when he reformed the mails in 1840. At pictures, contained in an attractive sup case. describes how the stamps are designed
that time, the Royal Mail was already 250 and produced. The books include a
years old - it was first made available by The Penny Black complete set of stamps for 1988 to be
Charles I in 1635. mounted on the appropriate pages.
Today British stamps are sent all over the
world, admired ambassadors for our culture All you have to do is answer the following
and a consistent contributor to British exports. questions:
Eight times a year, Royal Mail stamps 1. What special anniversary is the Post
produce a special issue on a particular theme. Office celebrating this year?
Each issue is awork of art, brilliant, colourful 2. Who introduced the Penny Post?
and superbly printed. 3. When did the Royal Mail start?
The beauty and prestige of British stamps, 4. Who was King at the time?
and the various formats in which they are 5. Who's head appears on the original
presented, make them particularly welcome Penny Black?
as gifts. 6. When was the Queen's Award for
Among the options are: The Penny Black Miniature Sheet, to be Industry launched?
*Presentation packs: containing a complete released on 3 May, is the third in a series of Send your answers, along with your name
special issue in colourful and informative miniature sheets in aid of the Stamp World and address to Royal Mail Stamps
packs. London 90 exhibition. Designed by Sedley Competition, The Link Magazine, 13 Castle
'Prestige Stamp Books: booklets published Place Design Ltd., the sheet features a 20p Dore, Swindon SN5 8PQ.
on an occasional basis, usually to Penny Black definitive stamp in a decorative The first 20 entries drawn from the editor's
commemorate an anniversary, often produced border showing the original Victorian Penny hat will win a Yearbook.
in collaboration with a national company or Black and the 1913 seahorses design. It will The closing date is 30 April.
organisation. be available at all post offices at £1.

The Queen's Awards Stamps - on sale from 10 April

Every year on the Queen's birthday, 21 April, stamps, which are themselves produced with 25 year's of the scheme's existence, covering
the winner's of the Queen's Award for Export the latest technology. the whole spectrum of industrial and business
and Technological Achievement are The awards were first launched in 1965 activity.
announced in recognition of exceptional and since 1975, two separate awards have With this special issue of stamps on the
performance. been granted, the Queen's Award for Export Queen's Awards, the Royal Mail is cementing
This year sees the Silver Jubilee of these Achievement and the Award to Industry for the vital role it plays in speeding
prestigious Awards, and the occasion is being export or Technological Achievement. More communications for British business both on
marked by the release of a special set of than 2,500 awards have been made in the first the home front and abroad.