Meet the Team
...we're a small company so you'll get to know us all!
The Experts
Tony Buckingham Managing Director, Buckingham Covers
With over 30 years experience, Tony is recognised worldwide as a leading authority on first day and commemorative covers. He was the first winner of the prestigious Rowland Hill Award for his contribution to philately. Together with Cath, Tony founded and ran Benham (the UK’s largest cover publisher) until he sold the company in 1997. He edited Collect FDC for nearly 20 years and has served on the Philatelic Trade Society Council. He is a regular contributor to Stamp Magazine, Gibbons Stamp Monthly and other leading collectables publications. He has also written two murder stories (all he needs is a good editor!). Outside work, he enjoys cricket, jazz, cooking and wine. More
Richard Kennedy Managing Director, Folkestone Stamp Shop
Richard has been working in the stamp trade since 1983 when he was given his first job at the Folkestone Stamp Shop. 24 years later, he is now the Managing Director of the stamp side of Internet Stamps but somehow, still seems to make the tea! Richard was very fortunate to have worked with Brian Uden at the Folkestone Stamp Shop, which was originally owned by Benham until it was sold off in 1991 at which time Richard and Brian continued under their own steam until 1999 when Tony enticed them into joining his new venture, Internet Stamps. Richard has lived in the Folkestone area all his life and along with his partner Amanda enjoy the benefits of life by the sea. Richard is happy to offer any philatelic help or advice and can be contacted on 01303 279358.
Brian Austin Buying and Editor of Cover Collector
Brian deals with the older British First Day Covers at Internet Stamps. He started in stamps in the summer of 1985 and has been with us since 2002, so he’s been in the trade for 22 years. Brian deals with the selling of the older issues via our various magazines, specialist lists, eBay and your wants lists. He also deals with the buying and valuation side and is always available for any advice you require on an area of cover collecting. You may be thinking about starting to collect or there may be a cover you may be after or have even found. We can't show our entire stock but if there is something you are particularly after Brian may know where there is one! He is happily married with two smallish children (Ella and Ben) and lives in Folkestone. His interests away from covers include 'The' Arsenal, Children's Taxi Driver, his allotment (don’t mention the slugs) and Music (he's happiest spending his summer sitting in a field listening to a Zimbabwean guitar band!).
Brian Uden Stamp Shop Manager
It was over 25 years ago, in the early days of Benham, that Tony Buckingham first approached Brian to offer him the job of managing the Folkestone Stamp Shop. Brian had previously worked for Benham at the Hythe shop and was dealing in his own right for many years prior to that. Brian’s knowledge makes him a key member of the team and he is probably one of the best valuers and buyers any company could have. Brian has now cut back his hours (well, he is 70! and a Grandad to George!) but still runs the shop, opening Friday, Saturday and Mondays, calling in the office twice a week, going up to London once a month etc etc!
The Team
If you ring Buckingham Covers or Internet Stamps on 01303 278137, any of these stars might take your call.
Ellie Hopkins Sales Director
Ellie is Sales Director of Buckingham Covers. She is responsible for our websites and online marketing, press releases, cover clubs, customer service, HR and training. She is also the first point of contact for charities and wholesale customers and helps to follow up Tony’s ideas. Working closely with Tony requires a huge amount of energy (supplied by eating far too much sugar) and excellent concentration skills as projects get bigger and more complicated by the moment! Ellie has an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and, before being lured into the world of covers, was a Researcher at Saxton Bampfylde Hever, the headhunters, in Westminster, London. Outside work, she teaches aerobics, jogs, has a horse called Cassie and loves spending time with her husband, Tom, her beautiful baby daughter, Caitlin and her big, black cat, Rolo.
Tracey Spratley Production Manager
Tracey is Production Manager for Buckingham Covers. She coordinates the production of all new covers, which means never being far away from a deadline! She really enjoys working with Tony and loves to see the covers develop from the ideas stage into finished products. Before joining Internet Stamps in 2001, she worked for Benham and prior to this was a pupil at the local girls’ grammar school. Tracey lives in Hythe with her husband Sean. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, shopping, rollerblading, socialising and shopping. Oh, did we mention, she likes shopping?
Dawn Caird Production Assistant
Dawn works with Tracey in the production of covers. She has being doing homework, sticking covers etc, for us for a few years and she joined the team in February 2007 after Tracey asked her very nicely. Previously she worked for an insurance broker for 20 years and decided she needed a change. Educated in Dubai and Kent (!), she lives on the Romney Marsh with her husband Mark, two sons and one mad dog called Dylan. Her favourite hobby is gardening if Dylan lets her in it.
Emma Whyte Clubs Manager
Before she had her daughter in 2003, Emma ran the production of all the new issue covers. Nowadays, she has her work cut out trying to keep control of the Buckingham Clubs! Emma had worked in a Fruit & Veg shop as a Saturday girl for years and, when she finished her A-Levels, she applied for a job at Benham, not realising that she'd been serving Tony and Cath their tomatoes and apples for years! She says "Tony obviously thought I wasn‚t bad at bagging up potatoes because he gave me the job as packing assistant in the post room" (that was 10 years ago - she’s come a long way since then!). Outside work, Emma lives with her husband and their two little girls, Bethany and Holly. She loves being a mum, and enjoys paper crafting, reading & writing when she has the time. Her biggest ambition is to have a book published one day. Emma is Tracey's big sister!
Gina Chantler Customer Care and Administrator, Folkestone Stamp Shop
Professional Member, the Institute of Customer Service
Gina started with Internet Stamps in July 2000, having previously worked for Benham. She joined at the request of Richard and now has an active role in the day-to-day running of the stamp side of the business, dealing with everything from customer accounts to making up orders. She has recently started attending the occasional stamp show where she has enjoyed meeting some of the customers that she has previously dealt with by phone. Gina is Richard’s right hand man (well, woman) and he says he couldn’t do without her. His desk strangely tidys itself when he’s not there. Gina has 2.4 children (James and Kirsty) and a husband, Gary. They have celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary this year! When not doing household duties, she likes walking, dancing classes meeting with friends for nights in or out but, most of all, SHOPPING!
Sarah Bush Customer Service and Flexi-Pay
Professional Member, the Institute of Customer Service
Sarah is one of our Customer Service team, who looks after you. She processes your orders through the post and online, answers your phone calls and emails and puts your orders together. Sarah also manages our Flexi-pay service, which allows you to pay in interest-free installments. She moved to Buckingham Covers after 8 years at Benham, during which time she spent 5 years in Customer Care, 18 months in Production and spells doing telephone sales and Back Stock Sales. Sarah lives in Folkestone with her partner Ian (another ex-Benham employee) but there are no children (unless you count Ian!) Interests are varied - as diverse as pub quizzes, amateur dramatics, choral (and occasional karaoke) singing and family history. Sarah also enjoys the usual pursuits of reading, films (she's a big James Bond fan) and music. Tastes vary but she's happy either clubbing or listening to African drums in a field. She’s also recently re-discovered Dr. Who and describes herself as a “born-again fan”.
Sue Knox Customer Service Team and Waiting Lists
Professional Member, the Institute of Customer Service
Sue is a member of the Institute of Customer Service, the professional body for customer service and has been working here since June 2005 having spent many years in customer service. Sue is one of our Customer Service team, who looks after you. She processes your orders through the post and online, answers your phone calls and emails and puts your orders together. Sue also manages our waiting lists. Outside work, Sue enjoys socialising, pub quizzes, shopping, swimming and has a tortoise called Speedy! suzannek@internetstamps.co.uk
Jules Parsons Customer Service Team & eBay
Jules is one of our Customer Service team, who looks after you. She processes your orders through the post and online, answers your phone calls and emails and puts orders together. Jules also manages all our eBay administration. Jules joined Buckingham Covers' Customer Service team in April 2006 after following what could best be described as a convoluted career path. After leaving school she attended Art School and was set to do a degree in Art & English Language until she decided she was fed up with being a poor student! From there she moved from Graphic Design to movie work to her last position as a manager in Royal Mail. Her interests include writing, films, animal welfare campaigning, painting and spending as much time as she can in the countryside - although she doesn't get round to doing much of any of them these days as she spends every Saturday working as a volunteer Tiger keeper at a wildlife park nearby!
Martin McKenzie Sales & Marketing Project Manager
Martin has worked here since June 2007. He supports Ellie in the marketing and promoting of our covers, including working with our website affiliates. He also helps the Customer Care team. Martin is on a placement year from the University of Brighton where he studies Business and Law. He is back living in Maidstone with his parents and older brother since returning from university. Martin loves all things football, whether watching, playing or just generally talking about it. He would like to return to the USA next summer to do Camp America as he spent 12 weeks during the summer of 2006 working in Oregon and travelling round other parts. He also has an ambition to run the London Marathon, hopefully in 2008.
Brian Williams eBay Business Developer
Brian accepted early retirement from the civil service after 38 years and enjoyed a wonderful year out. His interest in collecting First Day Covers led him to taking a part time role here at Internetstamps, developing sales on eBay. During his five day " weekend" Brian enjoys his garden, following the fortunes of Chelsea Football Club, holidays to France, and enjoying family time with his wife, two daughters, and their partners.
Behind the Scenes
These are people you probably won’t get the chance to talk to, as they don’t answer the phone – but none of us could manage without them!
Cath Buckingham Design Director
Cath Buckingham is one of the world’s leading cover designers and winner of 8 Royal Mail awards for cover design and 3 Fasson Awards for design and printing. Cath designs all Buckingham Covers, including the envelope, the postmarks (jargon buster pop-up) and all our Cinderella stamps (jargon buster pop-up). Cath does all her own picture research, working with top artists to source the best illustrations for each cover. Outside work, Cath enjoys horse-riding, going to the gym and making delicious cakes (the first two counteract the last!). She has two noisy cats, sings in a choir and loves spending time with her family (Tony, Ellie and Tom). More
Peter Rawles IT Director
Peter grew up in the South East and, despite various forays into other parts of the country, notably University where, unfortunately, he found rowing to be more fun than study, then working for Dunlop as a trainee engineer, he found the allure of the Wealden woodlands too attractive and returned here after a 6 month trip abroad. He ‘does’ the IT and is currently the man to blame if something goes wrong on the computer side of things. Among other companies, he has worked for BAA where, hopefully, some of his software correctly informs passengers the times of their flights, and CMG, where he worked on projects for British Gas and the MoD. When he’s not replacing old bugs in the computer system with new and different ones, he enjoys playing golf and walking through those woods with his wife Janet, their three boys (now at an age when they don’t really want to come with him) and fellow ramblers.
Janet Ewins Finance Director
Janet is Queen of our Books and keeps everyone in order (and we mean everyone). She has had the good (or bad) fortune to be involved with Tony Buckingham for much of her life. He taught her at primary school for 2 years (where Tony says she was a fantastic runner, netball player and star of the school play). She joined Benham after leaving school and stayed there for 19 years before rejoining Tony again in 2000 here at Internet Stamps. Janet lives locally with her husband, Martin and has three boys, Jack, Charlie and Harry. She would love to have hobbies of her own but for now enjoys supporting her children with their football and other activities, Gina is her twin sister!
Vi Arnold Despatch
Vi works in the Post Room and is kept extremely busy all day, checking orders and dealing with specific postal requests. She previously worked for a book publishing company for 34 years until retirement as an invoice and order clerk plus postal dept duties. Vi is married with one son and grandson and for many years enjoyed Ballroom & Latin dancing with her husband. She enjoys working here as everyone gets on well together and it is a friendly company to work for.
Nikki Wright Design Team Leader
Nikki Wright is our design team leader. She has worked with Internet Stamps for five years now and plays a key role in putting together all our magazines, especially Cover Collector, Stamp Collector and Cover Lover. She also designs many of our advertisements and readers' offers. Previously, she worked for a publishing company in Maidstone called Pantek Arts. Nikki lives in Walderslade with fiance, Ben. She has a dog called Ellie, and her newest addition to the family her daughter Jazmin. She loves to collect Piglet (from Winnie the Pooh) memorabilia. She also enjoys bowling as she has her own purple glittery ball.
Clair Palmer Designer
Clair studied a Fine Art Degree at Kent Institute of Art and Design in Canterbury graduating in 1999, moving straight into the design and print industry where she has remained. Clair has been involved in reprographics for some major magazines before becoming a designer/picture editor for Saga Holidays and then a researcher for a picture library based in Maidstone. Clair joined Buckingham Covers in October 2006. Her roles for the company include working on all our publications as well as reader offers and adverts, more recently Clair has started to design covers and postmarks including some of the recent James Bond covers. Clair lives in River, near Dover with new husband Andy and her two cats Lily and Oscar. She is a keen painter and photographer, recently gaining an A* in GCSE Photography at college. Clair also tries to keep fit by reguarly attending the gym and by swimming. She also enjoys cycling and walking. Clair is also a big Spurs Fan.
Isobel Fraser Underhill Designer
Born in Ottawa Canada, Isobel has lived in England since 1985 where she grew up in Surrey. In 1993 she started at the boarding school Christ’s Hospital where she did her GCSE’s and A-Levels. In 2002 she moved to Kent to be closer to her family. She graduated with a BA Hons in Visual Design and Advertising from the Universty of Kent in 2005. Having graduated she got a job at a printers in Ashford where she worked until she made the move to Buckingham Covers in 2006. Here she designs a lot of our Rail Club covers and postmarks amongst other new issue covers, and also helps with the publications. Recently she has started to work on the web design of some our new specialist sites. Outside of work she enjoys reading anything about ancient Rome, sketching, visiting museums, supporting Arsenal and enjoying anything Formula 1, and is currently attempting to take up golf (we all have a cross to bear).