· Recent Postmark Roundup

The cancel above dated 16^th April 2010 is from Peterborough with PE4 at the base but just PMC at the top of the cancel, which I assume a stands for Peterborough Mail Centre. It was on a postcard and is clearly a hand cancellation. Makes a change from a biro fiend!

The following are just a few of the recent Inkjet postmarks that I have received in my mail. The first three are obviously the Christmas 2009 version but they have a few differences. The first from Birmingham, below left, seems to be a regular version, but it is interesting to note that there were two versions from London South, one with Royal Mail and then London South on two lines after the date line and the other with the date first and then London South on one line. In the third example the typeface for the date and places portion is also larger.

The fourth mark is advertising free cash withdrawals at Post Offices and the last above was to mark Easter ‘Put the Happy into Easter. Send a card with love April 2^nd.
 

Soaking off stamps Part 3
A tip from Australia
A stamp trader in Australia gives the following tips to those bulk soakers amongst us. Firstly, separate non-self adhesive from adhesives. Fill a container with very warm almost hot water and add a small squirt of detergent. Then put the stamps in the water, preferably, all face up and leave them for half an hour or longer. Empty the water and add fresh hot water. The stamps can now be separated with thumb and but some practice is called for to perfect the technique.

Soaking off security Machins
In the April edition of Stamp Magazine Ken Southall wrote a piece about soaking off Security Machins. I include a précis of the main points of the article.

• Soak off a handful in a small amount of white spirit and leave for 4 or 5 minutes submerged in the fluid.
• Pick out each stamp and use spade ended tweezers to separate then from the backing, but care will be needed around the slits.
• Lay the stamp face down on clean paper and holding one end with a finger, scrape using a new razor blade across half of the stamp at a very low angle. This will leave the gum on the paper.
• Repeat after turning the stamp around. Ensure no gum or white spirit is showing and then place the stamp face up on fresh paper to dry off.
• They may stay sticky in which means some gum has been left on the perforations and a tiny amount of French chalk on the back is required.

Ed.: This may be an effective way of soaking off but I would suggest for small amounts, just a few for your collection as I feel bulk soaking would just take too long.

Post and Go
The following list gives the identifying numbers for the first wave of Post and Go Machines which went live in October and November 2008 in place order.

004904		London Street, Basingstoke	Basingstoke
011704		Bridge Street, Belfast	Belfast
013201		Pinfold Street, Birmingham	Birmingham
020511		Broadmead, Bristol	Bristol
018937		West Street, Chichester	Chichester
013207		Victoria Street, Derby	Derby
007311		Priory Place, Doncaster	Doncaster
014937		West Street, Fareham	Fareham
012311		Victoria Street, Grimsby	Grimsby
085923		High Street, Guildford	Guildford
002458		Old Town Hastings	Hastings
009323		Albion Street, Leeds	Leeds
005008		High Street Clapham Common	London
024003		Ludgate Circus, London	London
005946		High Street, Maidenhead	Maidenhead
012941		Bank Street, Maidstone	Maidstone
002939		Market Place, Reading	Reading
021329		Kepple Street, South Shields	South Shields
005343		Fawcett Street, Sunderland	Sunderland
010242		Darwall Street, Walsall	Walsall