The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of a number of main islands as well a few smaller islets. It is situated in the English Channel and although Guernsey is geographically much closer to France than the UK, it is loyal to the British crown.
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands and is the closest of the islands to England. Sark lies nearly 8 miles east off Guernsey and it is most famous for its enchanting and relaxed pace of life. Herm is a popular retreat for Guernsey locals and visitors alike. Most visit Belvoir Bay or Shell Beach, famous for the tiny shells washed up by the Gulf Stream. Jethou is a small island covering approximately 44 acres immediately south of Herm. It is thought that it was once connected to Herm by a strip of land that was washed away during a storm in AD709. Jethou is a part of the Bailiwick but is not open to the public. It is leased by the States of Guernsey from the Crown. Brecqhou is a privately owned island just off Sark and Lihou is a small island located on the west coast of Guernsey. A conservation area it is owned by the States of Guernsey and can be accessed via a causeway that is exposed during low tides.
Today the Bailiwick of Guernsey is self-governing, has its own stamps and currency and enjoys the same level of independence it has had since first becoming associated with England in 1066, when William II of Normandy defeated King Harold and the Duchy of Normandy and England became one. Prior to this the Channel Islands had been part of the Duchy since the mid tenth century
A favourable tax climate means that finance is now one of the Islands main industries and many offshore banks, fund managers and insurance companies have a presence on the Island. The more traditional industries of flower growing, fishing and dairy farming also still play an important part in Island life, contributing both to the varied economy and to the island's character.
Although letters from Guernsey have been recorded since the fifteenth century, a post office was not established in the Bailiwick until 1794 and then only as a war measure. A regular postal link between Great Britain and the islands was inaugurated on 13 February with the cutter 'Earl of Chesterfield' sailing from Weymouth and Mrs Anne Watson was appointed the first postmistress of Guernsey in the same year.
In 1840, the uniform penny post was introduced; using the famous penny black stamp and Guernsey's only post office was in the Arcade, St Peter Port.
In 1851, Anthony Trollop, the famous novelist who was then postal surveyor, visited Guernsey. He was concerned with finding a method to post a letter without the need to visit a post office. As a result the first post boxes in Great Britain were erected as an experiment in the Channel Isles in 1852. One of these original boxes still stands in Union Street in St Peter Port and it remains in daily use.
During the German Occupation, there was a great shortage of British stamps. This necessitated the printing of stamps locally, thus since 1941 stamps have been printed within the islands. However it wasn't until 1969 when the States of Guernsey took over the running of postal services from HM Government that Guernsey began to design and produce its own stamps.
In March 1984, Guernsey Post Office proudly opened its first purpose built headquarters at Guelles Road, St Peter Port. 2001 marked the year of commercialisation when the Guernsey Post Office became Guernsey Post Ltd, a constitutional change which enabled the new company to operate far more flexibly in response to the challenges of working in the modern market place; and in 2002 Guernsey Post, having outgrown the original building, moved a few hundred yards to its current base - Envoy House.
The beautiful Bailiwick of Guernsey continually provides inspiration for creating memorable and collectable stamp issues and many aspects of the unique lifestyle of Channel Islanders have been captured within our stamp issues.
For example, as a tiny island of just 24 square miles the sea has always been a dominant factor in island life. Many aspects of this have been commemorated over the years with subjects such as the Channel Islands diverse marine life, through to its worldwide trading links and the sports of yachting and powerboating. The Island's many naval links have also been remembered and shipwrecks within the Island's waters form an especially interesting topic.
The issue of conservation is increasingly important within the islands and the natural world provides a fabulous subject for exciting stamp issues. The unique flora and fauna of the islands appears on many stamp issues, whilst birds are always a popular topic for collecting.
Of course we couldn't possibly depict Island life accurately without considering the agricultural and horticultural industries which have, in the past, been mainstays of the Bailiwick's economy. Many aspects of these subjects have been recorded on stamps including the Guernsey Bull, Golden Guernsey Goats and Guernsey Calves along with the ever popular Flower Definitives delightfully captured by world renowned horticulturalist Raymond Evison OBE.
Guernsey Post has issued its own stamps since 1969 and during this time we have produced many unusual and innovative designs.
A recent favourite has been the introduction of Guernsey Post's very own heroine in the form of 'Penny the Postie.' A unique combination of a beautifully illustrated children's book featuring a very special souvenir sheet of 'Penny the Postie' stamps as a reminder of Penny's amazing adventures! 'Penny and the Pirates' was the first in the series, followed by 'Penny and the Dragon' which was issued in 2011.
We work with a range of artists and designers and are delighted to continually produce an interesting and varied annual stamp programme which incorporates an assortment of creative styles, bringing an additional dimension to each issue.
Our 2012 stamp programme is no exception and we have some fabulous issues planned such as the Centenary of the Titanic and the 200th Anniversary of Charles Dickens. Royalists and collectors alike will love the products created to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee and Prince William's 30th birthday. Plus we pay homage to the Islands' abundance of natural beauty with the stunning Alderney Invertebrates: Tigermoths and Ermines issue
For more information on our 2012 programme please click here.
