This is the third annual set of novelty stamps for Special Occasions.
      
      'Customised' stamps are not new, and have been issued in Canada
      (self-adhesive attachments) and Netherlands (scratch-card messages) in
      recent years. But this may be the first time that users have been
      encouraged to write on stamps with a pen! Collectors of 'properly used'
      stamps, may consider that these have only been properly used if
      they have pen-marks in addition to postal markings.
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| Yes / No / Maybe | Oops / Sorry / Will try harder  | 
            "I did it!" / "You did it!" / "We did it!" | 
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| Gold star / See me / Playtime | I (love) U / XXXX / S.W.A.L.K. | Angel / Poppet / Little terror | 
The stamps have been designed by UNA, with captions by Sara Wiegand and Mike Exon.
The stamps are also available for personalisation, and a collectors sheet has been produced as shown here. We haven't yet seen this sheet but believe that this is the final design. Collectors of CATS will be interested in the stamp at bottom left, and there is a DOG in column 2 and column 4!
    Technical details: .
      
      The stamps are printed in lithography by The House of Questa, perf 14.5 x
      14, with PVA gum, in se-tenant blocks of 6 (2x3) in sheets of 60 (2 panes
      of 30). 
      The Personalised sheets are also printed by Questa.
      
      All images except FDCs are taken from Royal Mail's 
          Philatelic Bulletin and Postmark Bulletin, and are
        Copyright 2003 by Royal Mail. 
    
Special postmarks available for the Day of Issue are shown here:
        
        
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|  Ref FD303  Bureau Official Postmark  | 
               Ref FD304  Official Postmark, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton  | 
               Ref M8308  Angel Street, Worcester  | 
               Ref M8309  Occasions, Birmingham  | 
               Ref N8314  Gretna Green, Carlisle  | 
            
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|  Ref W8338  Tickenham, Clevedon  | 
               Ref L8300  Quin-Centenary Anniversary Nostradamus (1503-1566), World's End Place, London SW10  | 
               Ref L8340  Maybe... May Street, London W14  | 
               Ref N8344  I did it! Jump, Barnsley, S Yorkshire  | 
               Ref L8345  XXXX, Loversall, Doncaster  | 
            
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|  Ref L8341  Occasions, Donkey lane, Enfield, Middlesex  | 
               Ref E8249  Lover, Salisbury  | 
               Ref S8346  Gold Star!, Star, Gelnrothes, Fife  | 
               Ref E8348  Sorry... Flowerdown, Winchester  | 
               Ref W8352  Angel. Angel Bank, Bitterley, Ludlow  | 
            
  
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               <<<<  Ref E8250 The True Lovers Knot, Blandford Forum Public House/Inn  | 
               ![]()  | 
               <<<<  Ref E8360 Stamps for Special Occasions, 'Just Married', Sandwich, Kent  | 
            
This page updated 6 February 2003 [7.2.05]
          
          
          Any questions? please 
            email us.
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| 14 January Birds of Prey | 21 January Flowers Greetings Stamps Smilers Sheet | 4 February - Occasions/Greetings stamps and Smilers sheet | 25 February Medical Science - DNA & Genome | 4 March Hello SA booklet & Wales 1st reprint | 
| 25 March Fun Fruit & Vegetables | 27 March New definitives, SA airmail booklets of 40gr stamps | 29 April Extreme Endeavours | 6 May 34p definitives | 20 May Wilding II miniature sheet | 
| 28 May Wales 2nd class, 1st class gold reprints | 2 June - 50th Anniversary of the Coronation | 17 June Prince William of Wales | 1 July High Value Definitive reprints | 15 July British Journey - Scotland | 
| 29 July Cartoons Smilers Sheet | 12 August Pub Signs - Europa | 18 September Transports of Delight - toys | 30 September Christmas Robin Smilers Sheet | 7 October 250th Anniv. of British Museum | 
| 13 October Reprints of Country Stamps | 4 November Christmas: Ice Sculptures | 18 December England World Cup - Rugby Winners | 
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