Post by richardk on May 5, 2024 11:59:53 GMT
Morning all ,, I am not a spammer!... but a collector of postmarks from a small island in the Indian Ocean called Mauritius which was a French colony and subsequently a British one until Independence in 1968
I started collecting stamps as a child as it was then a popular (if slightly uncool) hobby for children in the days before video games and the internet
I remember my parents allowing me to attend a local stamp club with an elderly gentleman who picked me up from home and chain smoked while driving all the way to the club held in a church hall in a nearby town. I remember his fingers were stained yellow with nicotine and that he had a very impressive collection of British Commonwealth including Mauritius and I was attracted to the seated Britannia imperforate stamps he displayed. The club also arranged bi weekly boxes of approvals which were passed on between the club members which was like a never-ending game of pass the parcel!
When I discovered that certain of these stamps could be bought for a few pounds I was hooked and started trying to assemble as many Queen Victoria and Edward 8th issues as I could afford on my £1 weekly pocket money.
In due course I discovered that in the late 1800's the Island had a railway with Post Offices in various towns and settlements along the route and that each Office had been allocated different barred numeral obliterators to stamp the mail and that as there were 50plus offices it was a good challenge to try and collect a postmark from each office.
Although I have never been a serious collector and have ignored stamps for many years I have occasionally picked up examples and hence now possess an almost complete collection of these individual postmarks.
I have requested to join the forum as I now wish to share my collection with others who may be interested ( member...."blaamand") and in the hope that I might discover the chances of finding the 5 missing numbers to finally complete the collection !
I started collecting stamps as a child as it was then a popular (if slightly uncool) hobby for children in the days before video games and the internet
I remember my parents allowing me to attend a local stamp club with an elderly gentleman who picked me up from home and chain smoked while driving all the way to the club held in a church hall in a nearby town. I remember his fingers were stained yellow with nicotine and that he had a very impressive collection of British Commonwealth including Mauritius and I was attracted to the seated Britannia imperforate stamps he displayed. The club also arranged bi weekly boxes of approvals which were passed on between the club members which was like a never-ending game of pass the parcel!
When I discovered that certain of these stamps could be bought for a few pounds I was hooked and started trying to assemble as many Queen Victoria and Edward 8th issues as I could afford on my £1 weekly pocket money.
In due course I discovered that in the late 1800's the Island had a railway with Post Offices in various towns and settlements along the route and that each Office had been allocated different barred numeral obliterators to stamp the mail and that as there were 50plus offices it was a good challenge to try and collect a postmark from each office.
Although I have never been a serious collector and have ignored stamps for many years I have occasionally picked up examples and hence now possess an almost complete collection of these individual postmarks.
I have requested to join the forum as I now wish to share my collection with others who may be interested ( member...."blaamand") and in the hope that I might discover the chances of finding the 5 missing numbers to finally complete the collection !
......to ....TSF......
......Ludovico
