Exclusive - Uncooked Valentines

Available only from Cool Cards, a wonderfully snarky range of Uncooked Valentine's Cards:

View these, and more, at Cool Cards

WW1 - 12 million letters a week

World War One: How did 12 million letters a week reach soldiers?

A remarkable and humbling account:

During World War One up to 12 million letters a week were delivered to soldiers, many on the front line. The wartime post was a remarkable operation, writes ex-postman and former Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

When a soldier on the Western Front wrote to a London newspaper in 1915 saying he was lonely and would appreciate receiving some mail the response was immediate.

The newspaper published his name and regiment and within weeks he'd received 3,000 letters, 98 large parcels and three mailbags full of smaller packages.

Had that soldier had the time to respond to every letter he could have done. Wherever he was fighting, his reply would have been delivered back to Britain within a day or two of posting.

How the General Post Office (GPO) maintained such an efficient postal service to soldiers and sailors during World War One is a story of remarkable ingenuity and amazing courage.

The imperative was clear from the start. Ever since the establishment of the Penny Post in 1840, the ability to communicate by letter reliably and cheaply had become a public expectation.

For fighting soldiers it was essential to morale and the British Army knew that. It considered delivering letters to the front as important as delivering rations and ammunition.

The Boer War of 1899 had established an expectation among soldiers that they would be able to stay in touch with those at home but the logistics of doing so in WW1 provided a challenge on an unprecedented scale.

The GPO was already a huge operation before war broke out in 1914. It employed over 250,000 people and had a revenue of £32m, making it the biggest economic enterprise in Britain and the largest single employer of labour in the world, according to the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA).

But at its peak during the war it was dealing with an extra 12 million letters and a million parcels being sent to soldiers each week.

Continues at BBC News

Mailman Battles Angry Cat

First dogs, now cats. What next?

 

It's like we've always said:

"Do not meddle
in the affairs of
CATS
For they are subtle
And will piss on
your computer"

Cat card image from our Lettered greeting card range

 

Jesus & Mo supported by Nick Clegg

You'll recall our recent post concerning the death threats made against Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, for posting this innocuous Jesus & Mo image?

The free speech petition in support of Maajid would appear to have made some impact with the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg:

"I very much recognise and respect that the visual depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is regarded as deeply offensive and distressing to you and many other Muslims in the UK and beyond. But I recognise too that there are also Muslims, including devout ones, who take a different view.

However, the Liberal Democrats are a party of respect, tolerance and individual liberty. We fundamentally believe in freedom of expression in an open, liberal and free society and therefore strongly defend Maajid’s right to express his views. Maajid was commenting on a recent BBC programme which covered this issue and wanted to make the point that as a Muslim he did not regard depiction of the Prophet Muhammad as being offensive.

It is my understanding that Maajid has made it clear that he therefore tweeted in order to contribute to a live debate rather than out of any intention to deliberately offend, and that his tweet reflects his genuinely and sincerely held religious views. I hope that those who take a different view would respect his right and sincerity in doing so. I’m sure it goes without saying that the death threats and threats of violence Maajid has received are totally unacceptable, and I’m sure you will join me in whole-heartedly condemning them."

The Jesus & Mo author also had this to say:

Jesus & Mo spark death threats

Hey, how ya doin?

Hope that greeting doesn't offend you... because it seems to have offended some and they're not happy. Not happy as in death-threat not happy.

You know the Jesus & Mo cartoon strip which has been around since 2005? And you know our Jesus & Mo cards? Well Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Killburn, posted an innocuous 'Jesus and Mo' cartoon on his Twitter timeline and stated that he, as a Muslim, was not offended by the content.

His tweet followed a BBC Big Questions programme in which the cartoons were discussed and Maajid Nawaz was included as a studio guest. The cartoon depicts Jesus and Mo saying 'Hey' and 'How ya doin'" to each other.

"On January 12th, Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat PPC for Hampstead and Killburn, posted an innocuous 'Jesus and Mo' cartoon on his Twitter timeline and stated that he, as a Muslim, was not offended by the content. This followed a BBC Big Questions programme in which the cartoons were discussed and Maajid Nawaz was included as a studio guest. The cartoon depicts Jesus and Mo saying 'Hey' and 'How ya doin'" to each other.

Islamists and political opponents have now mounted a campaign against Maajid Nawaz, resulting in numerous threats to his life. We note that this, rather than being based on legitimate concerns of Muslims, is a political campaign spear-headed by a group of Islamist reactionaries with a track record of promoting extremism. They are seeeking to use Muslim communities in order to whip up hatred against a liberal and secular Muslim. We are concerned that this campaign will also be used by anti-Muslim extremists as evidence of Muslim intolerance and incompatibility with liberal values which could, in turn, fuel anti-Muslim bigotry.

We note with concern that this attempt to silence Maajid Nawaz is fuelled by Liberal Democrats party member Mohammed Shafiq. Freedom of expression is essential to the functioning of a liberal democracy, and a core value of the Liberal Democratic party. The agitation of a party member against a designated Prospective Parliamentary Candidate is antithetical to these core values."

This is clearly a matter of freedom of speech and has to be challenged. Please petition Nick Clegg and give full support to LibDem PPC Maajid Nawaz and take disciplinary action against party member Mohammed Shafiq by signing this Change.org petition organised by Chris Moos.

Watch the BBC Big Questions programme on YouTube "Should human rights always outweigh religious rights?" - skip to around the 53 minute mark for the relevant piece.

Read more at the National Secular Society

Please sign the petition 

Bob Mankoff selects his favourite New Yorker cartoons

New for 2014. We hope soon to have a range of The New Yorker greeting cards, but in the meantime please enjoy these gems as chosen by Bob Mankoff, the The New Yorkers cartoon editor.

Don't go away. There's more.

More of Bobs favourite cartoons here

A TED Talk: Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of a New Yorker cartoon

And from TedEd: Inside a cartoonist’s world - Liza Donnelly

Stamps - 60 years of children’s TV

Some of the most popular shows from over 60 years of children’s television are celebrated with 12 much-loved characters featured on a new set of Special Stamps

Characters in the issue are Andy Pandy, Ivor the Engine, Dougal - from The Magic Roundabout, Windy Miller - from Camberwick Green, Mr Benn, Great Uncle Bulgaria - from The Wombles, Bagpuss, Paddington Bear, Postman Pat, Bob the Builder, Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep

Each decade since the 1950s is represented in this stamp issue

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of Bagpuss appearing on television

Stamps are designed so each character ‘breaks out’ of the border


 

ANDY PANDY


“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer 1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes were recorded.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------

IVOR THE ENGINE

Developed for ITV by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, Ivor the Engine told the story of small steam train working on a remote line in the “top left-hand corner of Wales”. Narrated by Postgate, in his best Under Milk Wood voice, the show used charmingly rudimentary techniques to animate illustrations of Ivor and driver Jones the Steam. While Ivor would perambulate along the rails making a pleasing “pssh-te-cuff” sound, Vernon Elliott, a classical bassoonist, provided the accompanying music.
A total of 32 episodes were made between 1959 and 1964, and a further 40 were commissioned in colour by the BBC in 1975.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT

In the early 1960s, French animator Serge Danot created an innovative stop-motion series, Le Manège Enchanté. British animator Ivor Wood joined Danot to work on the original episodes. Set in a magical park, it featured a dog named Pollux and his friends. Pollus was Wood’s invention, First broadcast in 1964, the unique programme soon caught the attention of TV executives in the UK.

BBC Head of Children’s Programming Doreen Stephens was charmed by the feel of the series, but felt the script needed changes. Eric Thompson, who was brought in to redub it, wrote and narrated entirely new stories around the visual elements. The Magic Roundabout debuted on British TV in 1965, with Pollux renamed Dougal, and was an immediate hit.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAMBERWICK GREEN

Created by Gordon Murray, Camberwick Green featured stories about the folk of a picturesque rural village in the county of Trumptonshire. Thirteen 15-minute episodes were filmed in colour and narrated by the Play School presenter Brian Cant.
First broadcast in 1966, each episode began with a rhyme: “Here is a box, a musical box, wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a secret inside. Can you guess what is in it today?” The featured character – perhaps Windy Miller, Dr Mopp or Mrs Honeyman – would then be revealed. Accompanying songs were composed by classical guitarist Freddie Phillips.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MR BENN

It all began in Festing Road, Putney, where author and illustrator David McKee lived. He used the street as the inspiration for Festive Road, the home of Mr Benn. First published in book form in the late 1960s, Mr Benn the TV series followed in 1971.
Each episode saw our hero visit a fancy-dress shop where, “as if by magic”, the shopkeeper would appear. Dressed in his chosen costume, Mr Benn would leave the changing room and end up in an unusual location – a knight’s armour, for example, led to an encounter with a dragon, while a caveman outfit took him to the Stone Age and a spaceman costume took him to outer space.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

THE WOMBLES

Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968, the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish. They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria.
‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike Batt, had many hits.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAGPUSS
Another unique creation from Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, Bagpuss was a pink, striped, “saggy old cloth cat” who first appeared in 1974.
The series was set in a lost-and-found shop where Bagpuss would come to life on delivery of a discarded, broken item from young girl Emily. He and his friends – including six mice, banjo-playing toad Gabriel, rag doll Madeleine and woodpecker bookend Professor Yaffle – would then weave songs and stories around the object while it was repaired. With the restored item placed in the shop window for its owner to collect, Bagpuss would give a contented yawn and settle back down to sleep.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpufBAGPUSS

BAGPUSS

Another unique creation from Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, Bagpuss was a pink, striped, “saggy old cloth cat” who first appeared in 1974.
The series was set in a lost-and-found shop where Bagpuss would come to life on delivery of a discarded, broken item from young girl Emily. He and his friends – including six mice, banjo-playing toad Gabriel, rag doll Madeleine and woodpecker bookend Professor Yaffle – would then weave songs and stories around the object while it was repaired. With the restored item placed in the shop window for its owner to collect, Bagpuss would give a contented yawn and settle back down to sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PADDINGTON BEAR

A Bear Called Paddington, written by Michael Bond, was first published in 1958. In 1975, the TV series directed by Ivor Wood and narrated by Michael Hordern was a mix of Paddington as stop-motion puppet animation and 2D illustration for all the other characters and backgrounds.
In the first episode, Mr and Mrs Brown meet the marmalade-loving bear from Darkest Peru and take him home, naming him after the London railway station where he was found. Paddington is the classic innocent abroad, a kind bear, well-meaning and polite, who is unaware of the obstacles and imminent catastrophes so evident to everyone else – but things always turn out fine for Paddington in the end.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSTMAN PAT

Postman Pat is the longest running animated series on the BBC and everyone knows the words to the theme tune. In each stop-frame episode, Pat makes his deliveries in the idyllic village of Greendale. Whilst he often gets distracted by the locals including farmer Alf Thompson, handyman Ted Glen, postmistress Mrs Goggins and various sheep, with his trusty sidekick Jess the Black and White Cat, Pat always makes his delivery. Pat encourages sense of community spirit, bringing out the good neighbour in all of us. You can always count on Postman Pat!
Ivor Wood collaborated with writer John Cunliffe to bring his Postman Pat stories to our screens in 1981. Originally narrated by Ken Barrie, Lewis MacLeod more recently took over as the voice of Pat. Pat’s famous red postal van was joined by a fleet of new vehicles in 2008 when his route was extended to include the bustling town of Pencaster.

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOB THE BUILDER

Can he fix it? Yes, he can! Making his debut in 1998, Bob the Builder was the brainchild of former Muppets designer Keith Chapman. As the world’s favourite builder, Bob’s ability to take on any project promotes a can-do attitude of positivity and the benefits of working together, as sung in his chart-topping theme tune. Bob is ably assisted by his ‘Can-Do Crew’ of Scoop, Muck, Dizzy, Roley and Lofty, as well as his business partner Wendy.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PEPPA PIG

Peppa is a lovable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and, most of all, jumping in muddy puddles. After Lily Snowden-Fine and Cecily Bloom, Harley Bird was the third person to provide Peppa’s vocals, and in 2011 she won Best Performer at the BAFTA Children’s Awards. The show sees its 10-year anniversary in 2014 and Peppa will be wearing her golden boots to celebrate.

 

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHAUN THE SHEEP

First appearing in Nick Park’s Oscar-winning 1995 Wallace and Gromit film A Close Shave, Shaun the Sheep graduated to his own TV series in 2007. Shaun is a sheep who doesn’t follow the flock – in fact, he leads them into all sorts of scrapes and scraps, turning peace at Mossybottom Farm into mayhem in the meadow. Shaun and his pals run rings around their poor sheepdog Bitzer, as he does his best to stop the Farmer from finding out what’s going on behind his back. A Shaun the Sheep movie is currently in production.

 

The stamps are available from 7th January online and from 10,000 Post Offices throughout the UK

Via: Royal Mail

THE WOMBLES
Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968, the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish. They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria.
‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike Batt, had many hits.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf

THE WOMBLES
Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968, the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish. They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria.
‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike Batt, had many hits.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf

ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer 1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes were recorded.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf

ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer 1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes were recorded.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf

ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer 1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes were recorded.
- See more at: http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf

Postie Hero - R. Ramachandra Rao

Postie hero R. Ramachandra Rao, we salute you!

"In an ample demonstration of the fact that love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries, Mr. Rao has been making all out efforts to reach out to the poor and the needy in his small way.

postman Ramachandra Rao (in blue coat) at Gandhinagar post office in Vijayawada

"After office hours, Mr. Rao made good use of his free time on Friday evening by going around the areas of Old Government General Hospital, Old Bus Stand, Railway Station, Eluru Locks and cinema halls and pavements that attract a large number of the homeless.

“Of the 80 needy women identified, at least 15 of them were pregnant,” he said adding that he gave them coupons and asked them to gather at the post office the next morning.

 "On Saturday morning, people in the vicinity of the Gandhinagar Post Office witnessed distribution of bed sheets, bread and fruits to street urchins and the homeless by officials of the Department of Posts.

"Contrary to the perception that such programmes are sponsored by a government department or an NGO, this distribution was sponsored by the postman of the Gandhinagar Post Office R. Ramachandra Rao.

Continues at The Hindu

74 year old Postman Gran

 Anna Petukhova, we salute you!

"Anna Petukhov is probably the most unusual postman in the Kaluga region. She alone serves 11 villages – its plot extends for tens of kilometers. Parcels, letters, pensions, receipts and even products 73-year-old employee of the post office “Torbeevo” Maloyaroslavetsky district brings on his small jeep. For most customers, it is the only link with the outside world. ”We are also enters winter, spring and autumn mud – autobench ambulance and do not pass, the authorities do not drive. Only one I can get.”

"Anna became a postman in 1995, came as retired. ”Oh, how I tried to persuade as requested. Consent. Yes, I myself can not idle, I’ll former milkmaid. If I do not work, then go crazy, get to Bushmanovku.” (Psychiatric Regional Hospital in the town of Kaluga region Bushmanovka.) Please mail allocated pensioner bike but ride it was only possible in the summer, while the roads are dry, and stole it quickly. Then Petukhov own money bought a scooter – “ditched his grandson.” And two years ago the Moscow-law bought her ATV, 190 thousand rubles laid out as a pretty penny. ”He brought it as I waved her hands at once: no, I will not ride on such a dear, still smash. And in general, people laughed at me – that old uchudili, say. But then, what to do, began to learn to ride. Padala, jumped on potholes. From bruises did not come! And now I am the master, where it is necessary to give Gazkom where necessary – quieter meal. On such a machine never stuck it like a dog – jumping, jumping out of any hole. Though the case, and I stuck. Ushuruhalas, wheels can not see. But then a second as included, jumped out, pulled on the field, covered in mud. Came to the nearest village, screaming, “Nadia, come out, to wash me!"

 "A human ridicule Anna feared nothing. Very shy at first, cursed children: “At least you bought a quad bike black and then the red for three kilometers to see, ashamed,” wore sunglasses to on the road do not know. But then when I realized how her customers are happy to see, even on a bike, though a red jalopy, calmed down. After all, for some of her visits – a matter of life. ”Here I Kiryukhina village – there is one Grandma Olga Egorovna, lives at home with stool goes, based on her. Products She brings summer cottager, neighbor. A winter? If I do not come, then it has no pension, no bread will not. “ - And who of us doplyuhaetsya the regional center for the pension? - The conversation comes pensioner Maria Vasilyeva. She stopped at the house postwoman to treat her cat dry food Barsika. Village not only to Anna Alexandrovna with all reverence for Barsika universal respect also applies. – Or take a receipt for the light. Annie brings them to us, and how to pay? Well it is again necessary to go somewhere. So we give her money, she goes for paying our light. It is not required, but where to go? We very much regret it. Know how much she pay extra for delivery receipts?18 rubles! That’s so important for people who help the elderly. Whoever came up with this abuse, I used it all the face broke his stick.

“On the petrol does not give”This Anufrievna Maria came up with a couple of months ago to write a letter to the governor – to mark the selfless work of the village postman Petukhova. The letter was signed six retirees from the village Slyadneva. As a result, Anna Alexandrovna awarded.Presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation from the governor for his long and dedicated work, double blanket sheep and seven pieces of roses. ”At the petrol was not given! – Lamenting owner certificates. – And I only need a week to 20 liters. Neither form breech I do not have any bags to put down the newspaper. Vaughn gave backpack grandson-in-law gave a quad bike and a mini-sink for him Russian family friend help “.

"In backpack fuchsia Anna adds newspapers – “Lechebnik”, “News”, registered letters, receipts. Outputs from the garage ATV: “Before, in my youth, I was a horse, but this is much more convenient transportation. Feed is not necessary, less fuss. Summer I have it all without goryushko and freezes in the winter, it is necessary to pull zavodilovku – well, that’s his shoelace on the belly, dergalka. I already know when you want to pump up the wheel when the seat should Sima and wiring to connect to it to charge. And after work, I always wash it in the garage so dirty set – never, God forbid. care for him, as the child. “ Safety Anna also observes.Most importantly – do not stop along the way, no matter what happens. ”Often, people ran out into the road, hands rastopyrivat:” Stop! Annie, Carpool “I do not brake, even his own, though a stranger. With me money.” Most biker postman afraid robbery.Therefore, when it receives a pension, trying everything at once and razvezti no more to worry: “Then take me, and there will be nothing.” Before work Anna does not have breakfast, so as not seasick. Hungry leaves from the yard – and forward to the evening “ride through the mud.” On particularly dangerous sections of it like a cowboy, stands up in the saddle, and another at the entrance to the village of zooms – food, they say, dear, welcome. On the deserted streets signal is heard and who can perfectly – comes out.Rimma Sidorova, albeit with difficulty walking on ailing legs, but still she gets to the road – take a newspaper, talk, ask what’s new on the “mainland.” There is no electricity in the morning, the TV does not work, bored. ”Write to our postman gave medal war veteran – says Rima G.. – Then it will be an increase in pay.” Anna looks away in embarrassment: “Oh, come on, what are you.” Then clearly declares: “By law, – 460 rubles. Firewood and free.” Generally, Anna Petukhov proud of his work. And for those who forget about the importance of her work, is not shy to remind you: “Here is gone – howl.” But no one is offended. Cover-then nothing. So it is. Howl.Previously, on a site that caters to Anna, worked four postman. Now she was alone. And the post office “Torbeevo” small staff: Petukhov and her boss. ”If I resign, then close the mail. And I resign only if finally get old or if the ATV will not walk I can not walk. Everybody knows. So wish me health, and he, ATVs – to no damage.”

 “Kaka such love?”
- Previously we had large villages. In Slyadneva was 140 houses, there were dancing, the club was, and now 20 permanent residents will not be typed. So I have yet, of course, not so much. In Mitinke one pensioner in Lopatin – five in Mokrische – two in Lower Hills – three. One grandmother left in Russia, no grandfathers. ”Women tenacious – explains it odnofamilitsa Hope Petukhov, to which Anna went right into the house. – Although all unfortunates.” Postwoman agree – no happy women in Russia: “There is nothing good I’d ever seen. Starving after the war, lived-experienced anyhow. She got married – sorry for him, he took pity on me, okay? But the man turned out to be unlucky, cruel. Died okay. second husband drank all of the house passed. I gave him money to go to his mother went to Siberia, and he got to Moscow, all there to walk around and go back. itself with it came a train ticket bought, planted – and all cross. Solo raised three children, two girls and now live. Here they all right, so I’m glad. “ About love women refuse to talk. ”Kaka such love? – Hope Nikitichna sighs, too, by the way, the former postwoman. – We seen her? Affection We have not heard, all matrix peremat. It’s in your cities there … Well asked! It remains something of two meters to the cemetery. ”

 "Thinking women, however, report that now, perhaps, the best time of their lives. Children Attached, husbands and in-laws at the churchyard, and they are their own mistresses in their deserted villages. ”Good live alone – explains Anna Petukhov. – Nobody commands, one should not be afraid. Vehicles, its bathhouse, vegetable and potatoes. Nobody now not hungry. I have a pension 7000 but almost the same salary. What’s wrong? Tea with Never sand, cutlets do what they like! There are problems, but all – thank God. I was even afraid of fire because there is nobody to take my place … Oh, close the door, he immediately fired oven!. “ In the hut hot carpet in the house, the portraits on the walls and old children’s toys in the closet. Two friends-postwoman sit on the bed and laughing as a young man. All of them nicely: yes pension, cats, newspapers with a television program. They neither of whom are now independent and finally understood what freedom is. Want to – sit on a red quad bike and will be borne by all Russian pits, ditches on, over the abyss fly wherever he wants. Still medal Alexandrovna – and generally fine."

Source: Zarsas by Imroz Alam

Factoid - Thank you cards

It's never too early to be thinking about the swag you hope to receive next Christmas.

If you hope for better swag than this years swag, think on and thank on.

Fact. There's a direct correlation between the quality of your 'thank you' messages for the swag you received this Christmas and the quality of the swag you'll receive next Christmas.

thank you so much for
my lovely gift and
for not cheaping out
on me like some other
people i know.

inside: thank you

I thank you.

Cool Cards - Thank you cards

Birthday card takes 13 days to be delivered

We wonder what Roy Mayall would have to say about this.

"Pat Yates turned 70 on December 9 so her friend, Ella Kimber, posted a birthday card in Sileby five days before. But when nothing came through the letterbox, Pat began to worry. She told the Echo: “My friend in Sileby posts me a birthday card every year.
“When nothing turned up I thought she wasn’t very well and that’s why she hadn’t posted anything. “But when I spoke to her she told me she had actually sent one.
“13 days is a very long time. She can’t walk very well but even she could have walked here by then!

“The post isn’t very good at all at the moment. Our old post man has finished, I think they might be struggling because we keep getting the wrong post.”

Royal Mail spokesperson Morag Turnbull said: “While we always aim to provide a next day service on first class mail and a three day service for second class, at this time of year Royal Mail deals with a huge increase in volumes of letters, cards and parcels with the Leicester area dealing with an expected 1.2m items on its busiest day this week.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of the time it has taken for this item to be delivered. The workload of our people doubles at this time of year and we work very hard to ensure we deliver every item of mail during the Christmas period.

“Our published figures show that nationally in Christmas 2012 54.3 per cent of first class mail arrived the next working day and 93.2 per cent of second class mail arrived within three days. This is in line with our advice to post a day earlier.”

"13 days" An apology but no explanation. 
"we keep getting the wrong post" No apology, no explanation.

Well done Royal Mail.

Source:  Loughborough Echo

"Yes, a card makes Christmas complete"

In 1968 Terry Gilliam was asked to create a piece for a show called "Do not adjust your set" to be broadcast on Christmas day on their special show entitled "Do not adjust your stocking".

In search of inspiration, Gilliam visited the Tate Gallery:

"I went down to the Tate and they’ve got a huge collection of Victorian Christmas cards so I went through the collection and photocopied things and started moving them around. So the style just developed out of that rather than any planning being involved. I never analysed the stuff, I just did it the quickest, easiest way. And I could use images I really loved.

 

Continues at Open Culture

Posties left out in the cold at Xmas

Roy Mayall tells us how it is for posties this Christmas. The season of goodwill it's not... It's quite a sad story.

"All the goodwill I used to have has gone. I no longer feel any loyalty towards the company I work for. Years of being sidelined and ignored, of a failure to consult over the most fundamental aspects of my working life, has left me feeling estranged. I used to love my work. These days it's "just a job": something I do because I have to, not because it gives my life any meaning any more.

 Continues at The Guardian - Comment is Free 


Roy Mayall is a pseudonym for a postal worker who has been in the job for about five years and works in a delivery office somewhere in the south-east of England. He writes a blog at roymayall.wordpress.com

Ladybird Books - How Britain Got the Reading Bug

Our Ladybird book cards have proved to be hugely popular with classic images brought bang up to date with contemporary and snarky messages. BBC Four are broadcasting a Timeshift documentary on Sunday 22.12.13 devoted to exploring the story of Ladybird books.

Watch a clip from the documentary here.

"To millions of people, Ladybird books were as much a part of childhood as battery-powered torches and warm school milk. These now iconic pocket-sized books once informed us on such diverse subjects as how magnets work, what to look for in winter and how to make decorations out of old eggshells. But they also helped to teach many of us to read via a unique literacy scheme known as 'key words'. Ladybird books were also a visual treat - some of the best-known contemporary illustrators were recruited to provide images which today provide a perfect snapshot of the lost world of Ladybirdland: a place that is forever the gloriously ordinary, orderly 1950s."

Ladybird books were also featured on the Woman's Hour programme on BBC Radio 4 today and will feature in the Radio 4 Today programme on the 21.12.13.

 

The above cards and many more great designs at Cool Cards - Ladybird Book Cards

Color blind Cards - Search for a Verse competition

"The only thing that should be separated by colour is laundry" 

Aspiring greeting card verse writers, heads up! Color blind Cards are running a greeting card verse writing competition.

Cool Cards have stocked Color blind Cards for some time and we expect to receive some great new designs in 2014!

"Writers should contribute two greeting card verses of no more than 70 words each on any two of the following topics.
Congratulations on your wedding
Happy Valentines Day
Mother on your birthday
To my Son
To my friend
To my Father

Closing date for entries is Jan 31st

"The UK’s leading multicultural greeting card and gift brand have teamed up with Words of Colour, to engage with the UK’s most talented writers, poets and speakers in a search for versing for the award winning Color blind Cards greeting cards which encapsulates the experiences and cultural nuances of our community.

Color blind Cards was launched in 2007 following founder Jessica Huie’s search for a card for her daughter, and the recognition of the lack of ethnic diversity in the high-street.

With the brand set to debut in major supermarkets in 2014, Color blind Cards are keen to find three writers who they can team with to create beautiful greeting cards for sale in the UK & USA. The opportunity will give winning writers an exciting commercial opportunity to have their work published and showcased to the world.

Winners will be celebrated at an exciting Color blind Cards London event in March 2014, promoting the growing visibility of diversity in the British high-street.

Terms & Conditions:

Writers should contribute two greeting card verses of no more than 70 words each on any two of the following topics.
Congratulations on your wedding
Happy Valentines Day
Mother on your birthday
To my Son
To my friend
To my Father

Entries should be emailed to info@wordsofcolour.co.uk

Please put ‘Color blind Cards competition’ in the subject line and enclose your full name, address and a contact telephone number.

Postal entries can be sent to: Color blind Cards competition, c/o Words of Colour Productions, Unit 2.3, 14 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SB

Closing date for entries is Jan 31st

Winning submitted verses may be used commercially and published on Color blind Cards greeting cards with no fee payable.

Exclusive versing created after the close of the competition for Color blind Cards, will be subject to commercial terms and paid for in advance by the brand.

Color blind Cards
Color blind Cards at Cool Cards

Design: A million first steps

The British Library have released a million - a million! - images onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. So what are you waiting for get 'shopping..!

Wait, there's more...

"We have released over a million images onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. These images were taken from the pages of 17th, 18th and 19th century books digitised by Microsoft who then generously gifted the scanned images to us, allowing us to release them back into the Public Domain. The images themselves cover a startling mix of subjects: There are maps, geological diagrams, beautiful illustrations, comical satire, illuminated and decorative letters, colourful illustrations, landscapes, wall-paintings and so much more that even we are not aware of.

Which brings me to the point of this release. We are looking for new, inventive ways to navigate, find and display these 'unseen illustrations'. The images were plucked from the pages as part of the 'Mechanical Curator', a creation of the British Library Labs project. Each image is individually addressible, online, and Flickr provies an API to access it and the image's associated description.

We may know which book, volume and page an image was drawn from, but we know nothing about a given image. Consider the image below. The title of the work may suggest the thematic subject matter of any illustrations in the book, but it doesn't suggest how colourful and arresting these images are.

"Historia de las Indias de Nueva-España y islas de Tierra Firme..." (1867)

"Next steps

We plan to launch a crowdsourcing application at the beginning of next year, to help describe what the images portray. Our intention is to use this data to train automated classifiers that will run against the whole of the content. The data from this will be as openly licensed as is sensible (given the nature of crowdsourcing) and the code, as always, will be under an open licence.

continues...

The British Library - A million first steps
The British Library - Flickr Photostream

"Historia de las Indias de Nueva-España y islas de Tierra Firme..." (1867) - See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digital-scholarship/2013/12/a-million-first-steps.html#sthash.BjmXoMww.dpuf

We have released over a million images onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. These images were taken from the pages of 17th, 18th and 19th century books digitised by Microsoft who then generously gifted the scanned images to us, allowing us to release them back into the Public Domain. The images themselves cover a startling mix of subjects: There are maps, geological diagrams, beautiful illustrations, comical satire, illuminated and decorative letters, colourful illustrations, landscapes, wall-paintings and so much more that even we are not aware of.
Which brings me to the point of this release. We are looking for new, inventive ways to navigate, find and display these 'unseen illustrations'. The images were plucked from the pages as part of the 'Mechanical Curator', a creation of the British Library Labs project. Each image is individually addressible, online, and Flickr provies an API to access it and the image's associated description.
We may know which book, volume and page an image was drawn from, but we know nothing about a given image. Consider the image below. The title of the work may suggest the thematic subject matter of any illustrations in the book, but it doesn't suggest how colourful and arresting these images are.
- See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digital-scholarship/2013/12/a-million-first-steps.html#sthash.wuZN0HQ2.dpuf