Some of the UK’s favourite garden birds will appear on new Post & Go pictorial stamps available from 17 September in 30 Post Office® branches across the UK and Tallents House.

The Garden Birds Post & Go stamps are the first in the Birds of Britain series of pictorial stamps issued by Post & Go terminals, a self service facility which allows customers to weigh their letters and packets, and pay for and print postage labels.

Initially the Garden Birds Post & Go stamps will be available from Post & Go terminals in 30 branches –as wells as at Autumn Stampex  – with the second set in the Birds of Britain series being available from all Post & Go terminals from next year.

The first Post & Go machine was installed at The Galleries Post Office in Bristol in 2007; since then over 170 terminals have been installed in around 100 branches.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail Stamps spokesperson, said: “Birds have long been one of the most popular thematic subjects and for this first set of pictorial Post & Go Stamps we wanted to celebrate the beauty and variety of the UK’s birdlife, starting with the birds that are frequently seen in gardens.

“To assist our selection, we referred to the results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch to choose six of the most commonly seen birds, which best reflect the wide range of species gracing both rural and city skies.”

Kate Stephens was commissioned to produce the designs which were illustrated by wildlife artist Robert Gillmor.

Location of Post & Go machines selling Garden Birds pictorial stamps  :-

Location	Code	No. machines	Address
East of England
Stevenage		1	22-23 Westgate, Stevenage, SG1 1QR
Cambridge		1	9-11 St Andrew Street, Cambridge, CB2 3AA
Southend-on-Sea		2	199-201 High Street, Southend-On-Sea, SS1 1LL
Colchester		2	68-70 North Hill, Colchester, CO1 1PX
Castle Mall, Norwich		2	84-85 Castle Meadow Walk, Castle Mall, Norwich, NR1 3DD
Milton Keynes		2	17-19 Crown Walk, Milton Keynes, MK9 3AH
Luton		2	The Arndale Centre, 42-44 Smith Lane, Luton, LU1 2LP
London
Stampex		2	-Temp-
Old St		2	205 Old Street, London, EC1V 9QN
Trafalgar Sq		4	24-28 William IV Street, London, WC2N 4DL
Croydon		3	10 High Street, Croydon, CR9 1HT
City of London		2	12 Eastcheap, London, EC3M 1AJ
Baker St		2	111 Baker Street, London, W1U 6SG
Paddington Quay		2	Unit 6, West End Quay, 4 Praed Street, London, W2 1JE
Midlands
Nottingham		2	Queen Street, Nottingham, NG1 2BN
Walsall		1	Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1AA
Birmingham		2	1 Pinfold Street, Birmingham, B2 4AA
North
Durham		2	33 Silver Street, Durham, DH1 3RE
York		2	22 Lendal, York, YO1 8DA
Grimsby		2	67-71 Victoria Street, Grimsby, DN31 1AA
Harrogate		2	11 Cambridge Road, Harrogate, HG1 1AA
Corn Exchange, Liverpool		1	India Building, ‘Water Street, Liverpool, L2 0RR
Northern Ireland
Belfast		2	12 – 16 Bridge Street, Belfast  BT1 1LT
Scotland
Glasgow		3	47 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5QX
Edinburgh		2	8-10 St James Centre, Edinburgh, EH1 3SR
South West
Portsmouth		1	Slindon Street, Portsmouth, PO1 1AB
Truro		3	High Cross, Truro, TR1 2AP
Plymouth		2	5 St Andrews Cross, St Andrews Cross, Plymouth, PL1 1AB
The Galleries, Bristol		2	Castle Gallery, Broadmead, Bristol  BS1 3XX
Exeter		3	28 Bedford Street, Exeter, EX1 1GJ
Wales
Cardiff		2	45-46 Queens Arcade, Queen Street, Cardiff, CF10 2BY

SOURCE: Aawaz Communications on behalf of Royal Mail

The Post Office have confirmed that White Horizon Postage Labels are no longer available for Post Offices to order nationwide  and that all branches are using up old white label stock before using the new Gold Machin labels. It is likely, therefore, that all branches will be using white labels by the end of the year. So which branch will be the last? Watch this space..

There is no end to some peoples ingenuity in ‘Manufacturing’ covers that should not actually exist. Here is a cover that appeared on Ebay , with the vendor suggesting someone actually producing it on the first day in Camden Town – but only Special Delivery items were processed on the first day ,suggesting the item has been backdated.

As part of the London 2010 exibition the Post Office has provided counter facilities – using the Gold Machin Labels!

This item and similar can be purchased here:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170483626262

As part of the festival of stamps taking place from tomorrow, Royal Mail have provided Post Office facilities which include a Post Office counter facility.

As well as the counter there is a Post and Go machine with labels specially configured with a ’2010′ codes:-

An Office in Oxfordshire has been mis-supplied with ‘Welsh gold’ labels..

Further to earlier reports, I now have examples of Gold Horizon Machin Labels, issued in Kent in the BR5 postcode area, in error. Additionally, these are of the ‘Horizon Online’ type with narrorower lettering (see below)- of which there are only about 750 Post Offices currently upgraded.

It has been reported today that a distribution of the Gold Machin Horizon Labels has taken place outside of Wales!-to some Branches in Kent – Further details to follow- in the meanwhile-check with your local PO to get some before they are withdrawn..

It has now been confirmed that the First Day of use of the Gold Horizon Labels in Wales was yesterday, April 20th 2010.

 Some branches having received their stock yesterday and all others in Wales receiving it  today.

Shown below is a FDC produced yesterday ‘machined’ (sic) into an inch of its life by the Cardiff FCT.

Please contact me if you would like to purchase a similar cover.

As suggested  in this months Stamp Magazine, It is now understood that the De La Rue printed ‘Gold Machin’ postage labels, previously trialed at ‘Camden Town High Street Crown Office’ will shortly return to use at Post Office Counters ~ This time, initially at least, the distribution of the labels will be restricted to Post Offices in Wales.
This means the overprint that will appear on the labels will be bilingual, giving rise to new varients – as there is currently two styles of overprint in use – one from the original Horizon-enabled Post Offices and the other thinner printing style of Branches that have been upgraded to ‘Horizon Online’. A further complication is that some Branches in Wales produce a ‘English’ overprint.
Additionally, unlike the Camden trial, their use will not be restricted to ‘Special Delivery’ mail and all classes of mail that currently receives a Postage Label will be eligible for a new ‘gold’ label.
UPDATED ~The distribution of the labels will commence from April 19th 2010 , giving a potential First Day of Issue of around the 20th-21st April – but no official First Day facilities will be offered by Royal Mail or the Post Office – but please contact me if you would like to buy any covers.  The labels are from a different print run than that used as Camden Town, but it remains to be see if there are any visual differences!

The distribution will be phased, meaning that branches will receive labels on different dates – there is no instruction to use them over the existing white labels so they will appear randomly.  Watch this space!