Timbres Passion is the large philatelic event, held every two years in France, dedicated to the promotion of youth philately - a difficult challenge for European philatelic associations and institutions.

Following on the great Timbres Passion 2014 in Poitiers (see article, also published in VARIABLE 33), the new Timbres Passion was held from October 21st to 23rd 2016 at the Salle de l'Arsenal, in Toul. This is a city of 16,000 inhabitants located in north-east France, in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. The event was organized by l'Amicale philatélique de Toul, with the collaboration of the Ville de Toul, the groupement philatélique régional Lorrain and the Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques (FFAP).

More information on the previous shows - Timbres Passion 2007 in Dole, also published in VARIABLE 7, Timbres Passion 2010 in Villeneuve-sur-Lot (VARIABLE 19), Timbres Passion 2012 in Belfort (VARIABLE 27) and Timbres Passion 2014 in Poitiers (VARIABLE 33).

With a clear focus on youth collecting, Timbres Passion 2016 brought together the national youth championship or Challenge Pasteur, the Léonard de Vinci award for open-class collections, the Reflets de Progrès competition, and the so-called Jeux du Timbre, a lively philatelic quiz, played by various teams of two young collectors each representing their regions. Various philatelic lectures and exhibitions, as well as competitions, for adults, were also held during this event. Among them, Théma-France X, a thematic philately championship, and the second national polar philately championship. As usual, the main national philatelic associations attended the show with stands, as well as various dealers and the philatelic services of Germany, Luxembourg and Monaco plus, of course, La Poste. Among the activities organized for visitors, the 'Magic Circus' & 'Le Grand Manège', with models, posters and showcases on the circus and the funfair already presented in other philatelic events, regional stands (winemakers, glass making, roses), & flight simulators, etc.

(Photos courtesy of l’Amicale philatélique de Toul)

At La Poste's temporary post office, visitors could buy the usual postal and philatelic products, and in particular the Toul stamp and the new vignette LISA, as well as obtaining the various special pictorial postmarks associated with this event. Next to the stand, La Poste installed two IER LISA 2 postal kiosks issuing the commemorative vignettes.

The Toul stamp is a design by Claude Andréotto (right image, during a signing session, at Timbres Passion) dedicated to the cathedral Saint-Étienne. The diptych includes a commemorative vignette with no postal value featuring the cloister of the Collégiale Saint-Gengoult.

The vignette LISA is another creation by Geneviève Marot, also author of the design for the Marcophilex in Jurançon, issued a week earlier (see article, also published in VARIABLE 43). The composition features various elements related to the city and the Toul district.

From left to right, the 'Toul' rose, presented a few months earlier, is a variety with pink fuchsia petals. Next, the Côtes de Toul vineyards, with the Chapelle Saint-Martin de Bruley in the background. On the right, the river yacht harbour.

As for the other issues, the rolls of thermal self-adhesive labels were supplied by Phil@poste. The total production for this design was 30,000 labels.

According to the postage rate program in the two IER LISA 2 kiosks, it was possible to obtain stamps, at the exhibition, with up to 28 different texts or indicators (14 shipment types + 14 franking complements), as well as stamps with just the face value (right stamp).
Inland economic mail - EC    ECOPLI	Inland priority mail - LV    LETTRE VERTE
Inland priority mail (J+1) LP    LETTRE PRIORITAIRE	International priority mail IP    LETTRE PRIORITAIRE INTERNATIONALE

Both machines were not connected to the postal network, and so they did not allow the printing of 'LETTRE SUIVIE' stamps for domestic or international mail. However, collectors could obtain them by placing orders at the local post office.

Inland / Domestic tracked mail - LV    LETTRE SUIVIE	Bar code label associated to the left stamp