Centenary of the Salvation Army Movement 18.2.1983

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways. This lovely FDC was given to me by Pia from Finland. The stamps portray the logo and the motto on the first stamp and the different phases of operations that the RNLI is normally involved in.

The RNLI was founded on 4 March 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, with Royal Patronage from King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland. It was given the prefix "Royal" and its current name in 1854 by Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland. It has official charity status in both the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The RNLI operates 444 lifeboats (332 are on station, 112 are in the relief fleet), from 236 lifeboat stations around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The RNLI's lifeboats rescued an average of 22 people a day in 2011. RNLI lifeboats launched 8,321 times in 2012, rescuing 7,912 people. The RNLI's lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 140,000 lives since 1824. RNLI lifeguards placed on selected beaches around England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands attended to 14,519 incidents in 2011.  

60th Anniversary of RAF

Pia from Finland gave me this really wonderful First Day Cover dated 28.2.1978 commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of the Royal Air Force.
The Isle of Man First Day Cover shown here with a set of 4 special 60th Anniversary of RAF stamps showing RAF Short type 184 seaplane flying over HMS Ben-My Chree in 1915. Then we have the Bristol Scott(1915) and HMS Vindex. The Boulton Paul Defiant over the Douglas Bay in 1941. And the 13p stamp with the Sepecat Jaguar of the RAF over Ramsey in 1977.

TT Races CAPEX’87 Miniature Sheet

Colorano FDC’s of the Republic of Palau and the Isle of Man

Some back-ground information on these two groups of islands will not be out of place.

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles (3,200 km) south of Tokyo. Having emerged from United Nations trusteeship (administered by the United States) in 1994, it is one of the world's youngest and smallest sovereign states. In English, the name is sometimes spelled Belau in accordance with the native pronunciation. It was formerly also spelled Pelew.

The Isle of Man or Mann is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. A Lieutenant Governor represents the Crown. The island is not part of the United Kingdom but foreign relations, defence, and ultimate good governance of the Isle of Man are the responsibility of the government of the United Kingdom.

Inhabited for millennia, the island gradually became a Celtic-Norse community as the Norse settled there, starting about AD 850. This has left a legacy ranging from the Tynwald parliament to many local place names. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of England and Scotland, the Manx came under the feudal over-lordship of the English Crown. The lordship revested into the British Crown in 1764 but the island never became part of the United Kingdom and retained its status as an internally self-governing jurisdiction.

The Isle of Man is not a part of the European Union, but has a limited relationship concerning the free movement of goods.

And all this – thanks to my dear friend Hemant.