The ATMs in GUERNSEY. 2016, the Post & Go issues

The GG01 kiosk at SPRING STAMPEX 2016. The new Bailiwick Life Post & Go stamps

One year after being introduced at Spring Stampex 2015 (see article, also published in VARIABLE 36), the GG01 philatelic kiosk, of Guernsey Post, was again installed at the London’s spring stamp fair.
During 2015, this machine was in operation at four philatelic events, for fifteen days in total. Three philatelic exhibitions in the UK and one in Essen, Germany.

At Spring Stampex 2016, the kiosk was installed on the Royal Mail 'Post & Go Services' stand, next to the Jersey Post and Royal Gibraltar Post Office machines (More information).

After one year of issuing stamps with the 'Guernsey flag' and 'Union flag' definitive designs, Guernsey Post launched the first 'Post & Go' pictorial series with six different designs. In February 2016, the kiosk ended the deadline established by Royal Mail, the developer and promoter of the 'Post & Go' project. During this period, the machine would issue stamps with the UK 'Union flag' design from one of its two printers.
So at Spring Stampex 2016, the GG01 kiosk, which also offered the Spanish language option in the main menu, issued stamps with the 'Guernsey flag' definitive design and the special imprint '500 Years of Postal History' from one of the printers, and the new 'Bailiwick Life' thematic series, with no special impression, from the other.

Following in the footsteps of Jersey Post, the first 'Post & Go' thematic set of Guernsey Post, 'Bailiwick Life', features six animals associated with the Bailiwick of Guernsey. A really nice series designed by Andrew Robinson.
The rolls of thermal labels, with the six consecutive designs, were manufactured by Walsall Security Printing, using digital printing, and with a nice glossy finish on the design area.

The new series could be obtained, from February 17th 2016, in the GG01 philatelic kiosk, temporarily installed at London Spring Stampex 2016, and permanently in the GG02 kiosk installed at Envoy House, the headquarters of Guernsey Post in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey (see article and VARIABLE 38). In this last case, with the imprint 'Envoy House' (see images below).

The philatelic service also sells six-values sets or 'Collectors strips' with the 'Guernsey flag' design and the Spring Stampex special text, plus the new 'Bailiwick Life' series, all issued with the internal usage printer B002.

First day receipts of the six-value set or 'Collectors Strip' programmed in the kiosk, and the set of six designs with the first value for domestic mail or 'Local Letter Strip', issued by the kiosks installed at Spring Stampex 2016 and Envoy House, respectively.

The stamps bought in the London postal kiosk were billed with a 20% surcharge on the face value, because of the VAT on sales made by Guernsey Post in the UK.

The six animals featured in this first thematic series are the puffin (Fratercula arctica), the Atlantic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), two of the islands regular visitors, the blonde hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), an unusual species native to Alderney, the now extinct Guernsey golden donkey (also featured on the presentation packs), the Guernsey cow, and the Guernsey golden goat.

Kiosk GG01 Spring Stampex 2016 - London		Kiosk GG02 Envoy House - Guernsey

For the new 'Bailiwick Life' series, Guernsey Post released presentation packs (right image), and pictorial first day of issue covers.

Guernsey Post celebrates the Queen's 90th birthday

	Possibly unknown to most of us, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her birthday twice each year. The Queen was born on April 21st 1926. However, the official birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June, with a special event - the Trooping the Colour. It is a ceremony of military origin performed by the regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies, in Horse Guards Parade, next to St. James's Park, London. In 2016, Trooping the Colour was held on Saturday June 11th and had special significance, as the huge military parade celebrated the Queen's 90th birthday. Guernsey Post decided to join this celebration by issuing a set of commemorative stamps, and programming a special temporary text at the GG02 'Post & Go' kiosk installed at Envoy House. From June 6th to 30th, the stamps issued with the 'Guernsey flag' definitive design included the special imprint HM The Queen 90th Birthday

The Guernsey Post 'Post&Go' kiosks - September 2016

Following its participation in the World Stamp Show - NY2016 (see article, also published in VARIABLE 41), the GG01 philatelic kiosk of Guernsey Post was again installed at the London Autumn Stampex 2016, together with the Royal Mail, Jersey Post and the Royal Gibraltar Post Office equipment (More information).

During 2016, this machine was only used at three international philatelic events, and had been in operation for 16 days, in total.

During the four days of Stampex, the GG01 kiosk issued stamps with the 'Guernsey flag' definitive design and the special imprint

The Battle of the
Somme 1916-2016

in one of the printers, and the reprint of the 'Bailiwick Life' series (see below), with no special impression, in the other roll.
The first block of code at the bottom of all the stamps issued by the kiosks at this philatelic event is B9GB16 GG01-, followed by the session and stamp number.

The philatelic service also sold six-values sets or 'Collectors strips' with the 'Guernsey flag' design and the same special impression, but issued by the internal usage printer B002.

The original 'Bailiwick life' rolls of labels were manufactured with a glossy surface finish, causing jamming problems in the printers installed in the kiosks. To solve this problem, the manufacturer -Walsall Security Printers Ltd.- re-printed the series with the same design, but without the surface coating. The right image shows the difference between both editions, under a bright light, the glossy original at the left, and the dull reprint at the right.

Coinciding with the Autumn Stampex 2016 opening date, Guernsey Post also decided to schedule a special temporary imprint at the GG02 kiosk installed at Envoy House, Saint Peter Port, Guernsey. In this case, the imprint commemorates the anniversary of another major battle, the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. It was available for a month, from September 14th to October 14th.

950 years ago, on October 14th 1066, the troops of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold II, were defeated by the army of the Duke of Normandy, William I the Conqueror. After Harold's defeat, England remained politically united to the duchy of Normandy, in the north of France.
In the tenth century, Guernsey was part of Normandy, so it was on the winning side at the Battle of Hastings.
In its nearly 70 metres length, the famous Bayeux Tapestry or Embroidery (image below, section) depicts, with precision, the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England, and culminating in the Battle.

Kiosk GG01 Autumn Stampex 2016 - London		Kiosk GG02 Envoy House - Guernsey

First day receipts of the six-value set or 'Collectors Strip' programmed in the kiosks, issued by the kiosks installed at Autumn Stampex 2016 and Envoy House, respectively.

As can be seen, all the stamps bought in the London postal kiosk were billed with a 20% surcharge on the face value, because of the VAT on sales made by Guernsey Post in the UK.

Guernsey Post wishes you a 'Bouan Noué'!

For the second year, Guernsey Post decided to include a Christmas greeting message on the stamps issued by the GG02 kiosk at Envoy House, the headquarters of the postal company, in Saint Peter Port.

Great decision, in 2016 the special text under the permanent identifier was 'Bouan Noué', Merry Christmas in Guernésiais or Guernsey French language. This is a very threatened variety of Norman language, spoken fluently by only about 200 island native speakers.

This special seasonal imprint was available from December 1st to 23rd 2016, on all the stamps issued with the 'Guernsey flag' definitive design only.