Publicity

bngisc

Stamp Issue celebrating The 10th Anniversary of The Bahamas National Geographic Information Systems (BNGIS) Centre

Stamp Issue celebrating The 10th Anniversary of The Bahamas National Geographic Information Systems (BNGIS) Centre.

Beginning from the left is the Honorable Kenred Dorsett M.P. Minister of the Ministry of The Environment with responsibility for the BNGIS Centre. In the middle is Ms. Carolann Albury, Director of the BNGIS Centre and to the right is the Rt. Honorable Perry G. Christie Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Commonwealth of The Bahamas accepting an official copy of the stamps

Tristan da Cunha - Presentation at the Vatican City

On Wednesday 26th March 2014, Taya Pobjoy Managing Director of Pobjoy Mint Ltd, John Smith, CEO, and other members of the family, together with 50,000 pilgrims attended a public audience with His Holiness Pope Francis I at the Vatican City. 
With so many in attendance, it was exceptionally difficult to speak directly with His Holiness, but Taya managed to present a coin commemorating his election as Pontiff issued on behalf of the Central Bank of the Seychelles directly to His Holiness, and this is covered in a separate coin press release, including photographs of the presentation.
John Smith was not quite so lucky but as can be seen from the attached photograph, he was able to present to one of His Holiness’ Aides, a framed sheet of Tristan da Cunha Christmas stamps which depict St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, St. Peter’s Basilica and a central label with an image of His Holiness.
John Smith said, that ‘whilst disappointed that he was unable to personally hand the frame to His Holiness, it can be seen that his ADC passed the framed stamps to Pope Francis as he continued his procession amongst those of us near to the Papal Throne, and it is a great honour for one of the smallest and most remote communities in the world which has had a dedicated, if tiny Catholic population, to be able to present such an interesting sheet to the Pontiff.’
Stocks of this sheet, together with a similar sheet depicting St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Canterbury Cathedral and the Archbishop of Canterbury are still available and the full story of the issue may be reviewed on www.pobjoystamps.com or the Tristan da Cunha Post Office website.

BAT announces new stamp agents

Pobjoy Mint Ltd and Creative Direction (Worldwide) Limited successful in tender for British Antarctic Territory philatelic contract
The Commissioner of The British Antarctic Territory would like to thank all agencies that submitted their tenders for the recently advertised BAT philatelic contract.
After careful consideration we are pleased to announce that Pobjoy Mint and Creative Direction have been selected to act as BAT’s new agents from 24th March 2014.  Pobjoy Mint and Creative Direction are already producing the stamps for many other UK Territories, and we are looking forward to working alongside both these companies.
Pobjoy Mint has been associated with the production and international marketing of BAT commemorative coins since 2008, whilst Tim Underwood of Creative Direction first became involved in the production of BAT stamps in the 1980s.  Philatelic receipts account for more than half the Territory’s annual revenue, funds which are re-invested in the Territory to support environmental, science and heritage projects.

Baroness Thatcher

Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

STAMPS FOR THE MEMORY

To mark the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands War the Institute held an event on
Friday 9 March 2007 in the Duke of Wellington Hall,that had an emphasis on the
grand strategic level and the build up and legacy of the conflict. The themes that
were covered included intelligence, diplomacy, the challenges of Task Force
deployment, Whitehall planning and the decision making process.

The event was an opportune moment to publicise the new Falkland Stamp Issues
(see overleaf). Many notable personalities attended the event, in particular senior
figures and statesmen involved in Operation Corporate. Pictured with the issues are
(from left to right):

1. Captain Michael Clapp CB, Commodore of Amphibious Warfare, 1981-1983.
2. Sir John Ure KCMG LVO, Assistant under Secretary of Sate (Americas), The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1981-1983, and Field Marshal The Lord
Bramall of Bushfield KG, GCB, OBE, MC, JP, who served as Chief of the General
Staff, 1979-1982, and Chief of the Defence Staff, 1982-1985.
3. Sir John "Sandy" Woodward GBE, KCB, Rear Admiral who commanded the
South Atlantic Task Groups in the Falklands War.
4. Sir John Knott KCB, former UK Secretary of State for Defence, 1981-1981,
pictured at RUSI beside a bust of Lord Nelson.

All images by Peter Jennings FRPSL, FRGS

Victoria Cross Framed Tribute
A pair of Victoria Cross First Day Covers issued by the Falkland Islands and signed by
Sara Jones (wife of Colonel 'H' Jones) and Freda McKay (mother of Sergeant Ian McKay)
have been framed with an Isle of Man Victoria Cross coin as part of a limited edition of 7
framed sets. None have been offered for sale commercially but one has been presented by
Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd and Pobjoy Mint Ltd to the Falklands Veterans'
Foundation for auction.

Pobjoy Mint Stand at London 2010 Stamp Exhibition

RAF Club Launch

70th Anniversary of RAF Search and Rescue Presentation

Ascension Island Fly Navy Stamp Launch

South Georgia Fly Navy Stamp Launch

Frank Wild stamps launched in South Georgia

Isle of Man Post Office Celebrate 40th Anniversary

Habitat Restoration

South Georgia Heritage Trust
In 2007, the Trustees of the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT), a small UK-based charity established in 2005, decided to tackle the rodent problem on South Georgia by attempting to eradicate rats and mice from the island, using techniques tried and tested elsewhere, and set about raising the £7.5 million required to carry out the project.  It has been estimated that the successful completion of the project could bring some 100 million seabirds back to the island.
The Project Director, Professor Tony Martin, was appointed by SGHT in 2009 to take charge of what would be the largest rodent eradication project ever undertaken anywhere in the world – some seven times larger than any previous project of this kind.  Tony Martin immediately set about the complex logistical planning and the acquisition of the equipment (including initially two, and later three, helicopters) required to address this challenging task.

Habitat Restoration for South Georgia
South Georgia has one important feature that makes eradication on such a scale possible. The island is split into discrete areas by wide glaciers. These natural barriers ensure that rodents cannot penetrate land that has been cleared, allowing the project to be completed over a number of years. But climate change had been causing the glaciers to retreat, creating the risk of opening the whole island to invasion by rats.  The opportunity to restore the island to its original status as the home of one of the greatest concentrations of seabirds in the world was time limited, and urgent action was required.
  
Thanks to a small number of extremely generous donors, and the support of the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), by 2011 SGHT was ready to undertake the first trial phase of fieldwork covering some 12,500 hectares. Four discrete areas of the island were baited using cereal pellets laced with toxin, an irresistible nibble for rats and mice. The bait was specially customised to withstand the South Georgia weather so that the rodents would have access to it for as long as necessary. The bait was spread by Bolkow-105 helicopters with an underslung bucket, creating a swathe of bait and ‘painting’ the areas where rodents might be present.

All signs indicate that the trial phase of the operation was successful. In the two years that have followed no rat sign has been discovered in the cleared areas, despite extensive monitoring by GSGSSI. In the absence of rats, the breeding success of vulnerable species such as pintail ducks has increased. Ducklings are once again a common sight around King Edward Cove; a positive indication that the baiting work had succeeded.

Following a major fundraising campaign by SGHT to raise the £3 million required, the second and largest phase fieldwork was undertaken from February to May 2013, in some of the most remote and challenging terrain to the north-west of the island. The goal was to bait some 58,000 hectares, an area over five times the size of the trial phase. A team of 25 specialists from around the world was assembled and led once again by Project Director Tony Martin. The aptly named ‘Team Rat’ travelled from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia in February 2013 on the British Antarctic Survey logistics vessel the RRS Ernest Shackleton. The ship also brought with it three helicopters, 200 tonnes of bait, 700 drums of helicopter fuel, 8 tonnes of food and three 20 foot container-loads of equipment. The helicopters flew the supplies from the ship to depots at 14 different sites along South Georgia’s coastline before the team disembarked in late February and, in early March 2013, began the second year of baiting work.

Despite encountering severe weather conditions which stopped the helicopters from flying for days on end, on the 18th of May the last pellet fell on South Georgia’s Paryadin Peninsula and Phase 2 was complete. Against the odds, and after almost five months of fieldwork, all the areas planned for 2013 had been baited and the team could go home.

With two successful seasons under its belt, SGHT is confident that it will be possible to raise the further £3 million needed to complete the final phase of work in 2015. With one third of the infested area remaining to be cleared (around 30,000 hectares), the aim of this third phase is to complete the job. If SGHT is successful, the island will once again become the safe haven for wildlife that it was when Captain Cook discovered it back in 1775.

The Trust is very grateful for the support received from the GSGSSI and from all of those who have given donations large and small to the project.