Tents

1959: Living in Tunisia (Design- Yahia Turki)

Time to pitch ones tent and in the Tunisian stamp the tent is on the outskirts of the city of Kairouoan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The painter is Yahia Turki (1903-1969)  a modernist artist who has been called the 'father of Tunisian painting' and whose artistic life Tunisia celebrated in 2003 issuing a stamp for his birth date.  Apart from the camel the site seems deserted

2007: Europa - 100th Anniversary of Scouting (Design - Matjaž Učakar)

but there is a full camp here with this happy group enjoying life together around a scout camp fire.

1983: 75th Anniversary of the Scout Movement

Tents and fire also make an appearance on this Spanish stamp. I rather like the Scout flag and scarf forming a 75.

And this looks the perfect spot to set up camp.

1978: 50th Anniversary of Girl Guides (Design - TF Johannesen)

Or here under a full moon.

not to forget the numerous guiding songs to be sung around a fire and that does look like a very fancy fire indeed in the photo.  No way are you going to be able to swing a billy can over that

2007: Europa - 100th Anniversary of Scouting

although one may be able to lash something together. I notice from the postmark the stamp above has travelled from Haute-Savoir region of France, another great place for outdoor adventure.

1974: Rural America (Design - John Falter)

But for a large gathering of people you need a really big tent. The stamp celebrates the centenary of Chautauqua, a movement that brought together entertainment and education for the people, a section of which travelled around the country. The artist, John Falter, remembered as a boy going to the Chautauqua with his mother when it came to his home town of Falls City, Nebraska. He incorporated part of his Falls City home and the nearby water tower in the background of the stamp.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week of the Letter T - for Tents and Tunisia - pitch up at See It On A Postcard

Cycling Work and Play

Looks a pleasant place to relax and check ones map while travelling through the Åland Islands.  

1991: Tourism (Designer: Anni Wikberg)

Featuring a tandem the stamp is from the Norden series whose common theme in 1991 was Tourism and was also the first time Åland (together with the Faroes and Greenland) had joined the other Nordic Countries in issuing Norden stamps showing Scandinavian culture across the region (the first issues started in 1956).

If our cyclists are on holiday they will want to send postcards and in Slovenia they might be delivered like this

2013: Europa Postal Vehicles

on a Krpan mail bicycle, which is named after the Slovenian folk hero Martin Krpan who had superhuman strength in the stories told by Fran Levstik.  It was especially developed for mail delivery by Pošta Slovenije and is made with a reinforced aluminium frame.  First going into production in 2001 it has a low centre of gravity for stability and can carry quite a lot for the maximum permitted weight is 200kg (the bike weight is 25kg) also a trailer can be attached.

2013: Europa Postal Vehicles

Here is postal vehicle that comes with an integrated cart.  The Nihola electrical transport bicycle is made in Copenhagen by the company that started out building family bikes that could carry two small children and groceries.  The stamp was issued as a commemorative sheet and also as self-adhesive stamps  

2021: Europa 'Visit'

Staying with the enthusiastic cycling country of Denmark here is one of their famous Christiania Bikes with Pierrot and Harlequin in charge.  These three wheelers seem to be able to do everything and one of the light weight models even comes with an integrated parasol.  The Christiania site shows all the ways their three wheeler can be used here in addition to transporting small children  

The first Christiania Bikes 1984

Krpan Bikes 

Nihola Bikes

Christiania Bikes 

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Cycles: bi, tri, motor - see more pedal power over here 

Steaming Ahead

I was spoilt for choice for this week's theme of ships as not only was last month's GB stamps issue on the Merchant Navy but I was surprised to discover I had more ship stamps than I thought. In the end I decided on a set of stamps from the Irish Sea.  In the early 19th Century sailing connections were mainly confined to the summer months and come wintertime were poor and unreliable. The expanding population of the Isle of Man demanded something more permanent and as a result the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was formed and runs to this day.

Their first ship in 1830 with its spacious cabin accommodation  was Mona's Isle I (7p) and remained in service until 1851.  Next is the 8p stamp and Douglas I (built in 1858), which was then the fastest ship afloat and had the unusual distinction of serving on both sides of the American Civil War; under the name 'Margaret and Jessie' for the Confederates and then captured and sold to the Federal Navy where she became the USS Gettysburg.  The 11½p shows Mona's Queen II which was involved in dramatic action in World War I, as the stamp shows.  In February 1917 on passage from Le Havre to Southampton the crew spotted a U-Boat surfaced. In spite of a torpedo attack the captain decided to ram, and succeeded in smashing its hull with a paddle-wheel.  Mona's Queen returned to conventional duties after the war and served as the last paddle-steamer in the company's fleet until 1929.  The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is fond of certain ship names so a later Mona's Queen saw equally dramatic action in World War II.

This takes us to the bottom line of stamps and the 12p value King Orry III built in 1913 and the first with geared turbines driving twin screws. During the First World War she was used as an armed boarding vessel and was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet.  Between wars she returned to the Company but resumed war duty in 1939 and was sunk at the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940.
13p stamp is the Ben-my-Chree IV (Manx for woman of my heart) a twin-screw turbine steamer. Launched in 1927 she served as troop transport during the Second World War and rescued 4,045 troops from the beaches at Dunkirk. On D Day she was part of the invasion fleet to Normandy. After the war she remained in service until 1965. 
Lastly the 15p value is the Lady of Man II which at the time of the FDC in 1980 was the latest ship to join the fleet.  Today their latest ship, bought in 2009, is a wave-piercing high-speed catamaran, the Manannan which looks suitably futuristic however I always have a soft spot for paddle steamers.

The stamps were designed by the Manx artist John Hobson Nicholson (1911-1988) who also designed Manx banknotes.. 

As I have mentioned twin screws twice in the descriptions above I thought this would be a great opportunity to show an unusual stamp I received from Slovenia.  Because it was stuck on the envelope on its side at first I thought it was a cork screw, wine being foremost in my mind,  but the right way up 

it celebrates the patenting of the screw propeller by Josef Ressel Twin screws have two propellers, one on either side of the keel, that usually revolve in opposite directions.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps theme - Ships