thought I'd say hello and I decided to read a website or two tonight..    as always, one of my favourites is http://www.norphil.co.uk/    do have a look if you are interested in GB..   such uptodate information. and a really good read browsing around the pages..   well done Ian.. and thanks for making it so current.

you might also find it quite interesing to read about Royal Mail new issues, new issues and more new issues. from his site.

I am spending lots on flying these days, more than on stamps .. maybe I should just go back to collecting GB    .. or maybe not 

Next trip.. Singapore Tokyo on the first A380 commercial flight between those two cities.. watch this space for more details...  and if anyone has a bright idea for a First Flight cover design please share it with me.. If I use it you get a free flight cover from the flight..if I travel of course. My email as always  cddstamps@gmail.com   

 best wishes  enjoy your stamps....Michael

Hi everyone,  first, how wonderful to see so many people in the IPDA Chat room this morning.. sorry I could not stay longer.  and next..as some of you know I am back in Seoul. I uploaded my pictures from the A380 inaugural  - Singapore London.   Here is one picture I quite like.

If you want to place a reserve order - no commitment other than you get on the list please email me at cddstamps@gmail.com

cabin crew signed covers ( 23 signatures) - 7 covers available

Pilot signed covers ( all 4 pilots)  2 covers available

Captain signed cover  - I cover available

unsigned covers - exept by me if you wish (I think I have about 40 as did a limited print of 60 covers in total)

Covers singed by British High Commissioner to Singapore ( 2 covers)

 Enjoy your stamps... Best wishes.. Michael

Hello, final post from UK. I fly to Hong Kong later this morning. Three things for you:    

1) I found a stamp dealer in Gloucster the other day  as I wanted to buy a GB catalogue so I could do some stamp sorting and cataloguing when I get back to Seoul - using the kiloware I am taking back with me. I found this M/S in a box of loose stamps ... but I cannot find it listed in the SG Concise. I couldn't have looked hard enough. Anyone know the SG cat Number please.

2) if this shows.. here is a 1 minute video from onbard the flight from Singapore to London and for a fleeting moment you can see me and the flight covers. Proof of being flown

 
3) today / Sunday depending where you are in the world, there will be a marathon chat with fellows collectors from around the world members and hosted by the directors of the Internet Philatecic Deaalers Association Inc  ( IPDA).  I am going to be joining in from Hong Kong  - they have excellent free wireless network there - well they did last time I was there - I hope you can join us    -  have a look at the IPDA website http://www.ipdaonline.org and click on CHAT.  Hope to see you.

Enjoy your stamps.. Best wishes.. Michael

Hello, just a quick hello.  one of the guys on the Singapore London A380 flight sent through some pictures. This is the checkin area at Changi..   plenty of room  

as for stamps.. I finally picked up a large box of kiloware I bought some 6 plus months ago and had delivered to my aaddress here in UK..  bought from UK.. saved postage to Australia. So I will have stamps to work with when I get back to Seoul next week. And one, exciting to me anyway, piece of news.. I got my apartment in Seoul.. address is 

Ujangsan l'PARK

Apartment 119 - 1401

# 1159 Hwagok-dong, Ganseo-gu,

Seoul, Korea 157 015.

want to send me a postcard???  so I have welcoming mail on arrival next week

enjoy your stamps.. Michael

  

Hello, yes I am writing from London after arriving here yesterday afternoon on the the first commercial flight of an A380 into Heathrow. and Yes it was with Singapore Airlines again on SQ 308.  you can read some detail from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7303562.stm and I will be writing more later.   I wrote a piece on the plan and will post it in three parts I think over the coming days.



As for my cddstamps first flight covers:  I got three of my first flight covers signed by all 4 pilots. and some 8 covers signed by all 23 cabin crew.  The covers are with Royal Mail for postal cancellation. I wont see them until I next get back to Australia, which will be April 10th, so please be patient. I'll show as soon as I can and put up prices then when I see final quality and product but you will be very pleased I think.

Two pictures here.. one of the banner in the Changi departure lounge and another of me ( dark v neck) and  fellow collector, Mark Wright (hat), who also produced some beautiful covers for the flight and who I will write about in coming articles, enjoying a glass of champagne, with another aviation enthusiast.

Best wishes from a rather cold London, although good news is that  the sun is shining   as it should be, on us all  ............     Michael

Hello everyone..    today I did get some time to do some siteseeing and my first stop was the small but interesting Seoul Postal Museum.    I saw these..  not the best of pictures for you but hopefully interesting all the same.

Interesting history to see and some of the exhibits had English translations so my few minutes there was well worth the time to find the place.  

I went to a local street market shoping area and found a small antique type store that amongst mant other things sold some stamps, along with many other old books, postcards and miscellaneous objects of all shapes and sizes.  I bought two, of what I can only describe as junior stamp cards..   flowers on stamps is best description.  I don't have access to a scanner but will try to photograph tomorrow and show you.    I will give these away to the first two emails to cddstamps@gmail.com  to whoever wants them.  Something from Korea for your collection.

enjoy your stamps.. 

best wishes... Michael.

but tomorrow is Saturday and I am treating myself by going on an expedition to see the Seoul Postal Museum. Hope to have something to show you.

Today had a meeting in Bussan.. an hours flight from Seoul.. Took some pictures on return flight to Seoul..      hope you enjoy this...  awesome site as this sort of view went on for quite a while

Best wisahes..  enjoy your stamps..in my absence :-)    Michael

Hello everyone,  Yes I am back in Soeul, sorry no time to write at the end of the weekend while in Sydney.  

And not much I can show you to be honest. My laptop has a virus. Fortunately the hotel here is really good and has arranged to get it cleaned for me. I have Nortons telling me no virus yet I can see all the pop ups and pretty nasty messages.   So using office machine and copying a pictue from my web site.   Stamps and postmark yet to be applied of course.

One week to go... because this time next week I will be arriving in Singapore for the first A380 flight from Singapore to London.  And yes I have made some first flight covers.  Am hoping I get them from Singapore Post ok, and maybe some signed by the flight crew. Prices to be determined but if you want to reserve one or all three of the designs I made ( limited edition again of 20 each) , please let me know.

Best wishes... Enjoy your stamps..  Michael

Hello everyone. I am back in Sydney for two days and been catching up on some stamp mail and postings.  I found this MS in my mail box.  You will recall I wrote about the Royalty and Heritage  issue some weeks back. This is the MS from the issue. I rather like these. Your thoughts?

I had a look at the Royal Mail web site to see what they wrote about the stamps. Nothing too exciting but this text taken from their description of the Presentation pack ...

..."The two Houses were constantly at war even though both families descended from the Plantagenet King Edward III.  Bettany Hughes provides an overview of the period, Kate Stephens brings the dramas to life with her use of contemporary illustrations and weapons expert Mike Loades is a mine of information about the weaponry used during the time..."

Anyone esle get a smile from the wording about Mike Loades?, are they having fun I wonder or just couldn't see the double pun..      weaponry.. Loades..  mine of..    well it amused my sense of the use of the English language.

Will be back in Seoul Monday night. Will try to write again before leaving.

Best wishes.........   enjoy your stamps        ............  Michael

  Hi.. I have to say all the following is copied and with full acknowledgement to Ian Billings at http://www.norphil.co.uk/2008/02c-greetings_booklet.htm..  apart from the fact he has a great web site is a great guy I just hope he is ok with me doing this as did not ask his permission first...    ok so am strectched for time and wanted to show you this as I think it is an interesting booklet...and if my UK fan club is reading, please get me a copy before we have lunch on 19th :-)   Ian.. hope you are ok with me plugging your site... Apology if not  

Greetings retail stamp booklet - 28 February 2008

As part of the promotion of Smilers stamps and to increase the use of pictorial stamps, Royal Mail will issue a booklet containing the 6 most popular greetings stamps previously issued in two separate booklets in  2005 and 2006.

The booklets will carry an advert for the smiler service and will be distributed through all Post Offices and the retail network.

Royal Mail do not regard this as a new issue, so there will not be an official first day cover or First Day of Issue postmarks. But the stamps are very different. The basic and most obvious difference is that the earlier stamps had conventional perforations all round, but the latest booklet has stamps with an elliptical elongated perforation on the long side, similar to the Machin definitives.

In some ways it is unfortunate that the perforations are different, because there is still scope in these stamps for philatelic study. Note also that the edge-strip is inverted compared to the previous booklets.

Best wishes...Michael,  from another snowing day in Seoul  

Helo everyone, just a few words..  been another good but long day..  Thought I'd show you the Australia Post new issue ( March 3rd issue) of "Gorgeous Australia." 

I have to admit I have never seen any of these places...  I should see some of Australia one day I guess.  

Nice stamps... what do you think? 

Best wishes.. from Seoul..   Michael