The set of four stamps that Royal Mail has produced for the Centenary of the Girl Guides have now been issued, but for some crazy idea, they are only being sold in a miniature sheet.  Therefore if you want to send a first class stamp which shows the Rainbow section, you are left with the 56p, 81p and 90p stamps.

Despairing dealer stops stocking GB new issues.  This is the heading of an article written in the January 2010 issue of Stamp Collecting.  Well known dealer Robert Murray (who sold the late David Jefferies collection), has given up stocking Great Britain's new issues, saying Royal Mail has pushed the number and price of them up to the point where it is no longer viable for him to trade in them.  He said "Having seen that the 2010's programme is continuance in style and pricing of the last few years.  Murray believes that, as each year's stamp programme is bigger, with higher prices, more customers drop out of the market, persuading Royal Mail to increase its output further.  He also suggests that more people are selling GB new issue collections, so that prices for such material are falling.  Murray revealed he made a "last-gasp attempt to reason with Royal Mail", at a meeting in July, but 'not only were they not willing to change, they didn't understand'.

I have now completed my article on the Mount Edgcumbe 1936 cancels which should be published in our Bulletin within the near future.  My thanks go to those who responded to my request for information, Jan Cosyns of Belgium, Randall Frank of the USA Giovanni Cucchiani of Italy, Hallvard Slettebø of Norway, and Peter Duck.  It is good to note that some members may read my notes, as all the various Scout Stamp magazines that I offered free last year were acquired by our members, with parcels going to Ireland, Norway, Belgium and the U.K.

Available for sale by private treaty last November in Australia by Status International Auctions is the post- card shown.  It was priced at AUS$ 11000 (approx. rate in January £6600) but a similar one was sold by Healey & Wise auction for £2750 in June 2008, but not in such good condition, Details published by Status, are as follows. "1915 SCOUT POST in German and Austrian occupied Russian Poland: 1915 Fieldpost card from a member of the Polish Legion in the Austro-Hungarian army with unit cachet at left and with KUK Feldpostamt 11/7.VI.15 cds, sent to Lodz and delivered by the local Polish Scout Post with "POCZTA SKAUTOWA / - L" red postmark (="scout post unit IV").  Superb condition and perfect clear strike.  This is the first Scout postmark from Poland and one of the earliest scout postmarks from anywhere in the world.  Only several (sic) examples are recorded and this is the best condition of them all - a card with a less clear strike sold privately in Germany about 15 years ago for DM 20,000.  An amazing opportunity to obtain the rarest Polish Scout item".

The sub-committee of our Euro-Scout at Chelmsford have now met five times (with four more meetings planned) and all is gradually falling into place.  Applications for frames are starting to arrive, and nearer the time we shall want some volunteers from members to help with the frames, as well as manning the SGSC stand, etc.

This month I have to give away a long run of our SGSC Bulletins from 1976-2008.  This is virtually complete but is heavy.  It weighs approximately 6650 grams which makes the postage and packing in the UK at £11.74 by Standard Parcels..  Payment would have to be by cheque.  If living overseas and interested, please email for quote for the postage, but PayPal charges would be extra at cost which is approximately 4%.  They would be packed in two parcels as the maximum weight by Printed Paper is 5 kilos, except for Canada which is 2 kilos.  If they are not wanted as a lot, I could parcel up as individual years.