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Mythical Creatures - Idris the Dragon "Not very long ago, in the top-left hand corner of Wales, there was a railway. It wasn't a very long railway or a very important railway, but it was called The Merioneth and LLantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited, and it was all there was. And in a shed, in a siding . . . lived the Locomotive of the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited . . . a very long name for a little engine so his friends just called him Ivor." Oliver Postgate wrote these words 50 years ago. His friend and collegue, Peter Firmin, drew Ivor the Engine from Oliver's story - and so one of Britain's favourite children's characters was born. Helping Us To Help SPANAAll of our Ivor the Engine collection is raising funds for Peter Firmin's favourite charity, Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA). The charity supports people in developing countries by helping them look after their working animals. Fans of Ivor will remember Bluebell the Donkey, who spends her time ambling in the Welsh fields. Simon Pope, Communications Director at SPANA, is keen to point out that not all donkeys have it so easy: "In many countries, working animals can suffer terrible cruelty, not because their owners don't care but because they don't know any better. And yet, without their animals, families could starve," he explains, "The funds raised by Ivor and Idris will go towards veterinary treatment for working animals overseas and will fund education projects to teach better animal care". 50th Birthday First Day CoverOur cover features Idris the Dragon from Ivor the Engine, looking very dramatic (the picture above can't do him justice, he is gold blocked so the actual covers are shiny!). Each cover bears a full set of Mythical Creatures stamps issued by Royal Mail on 16th June 2009, postmarked on the issue date in Bala Merioneth, Wales with an official Ivor the Engine postmark. We were delighted to star Idris on our Mythical Creatures cover as, after all, you can't get more mythical than a dragon! Signed EditionsA limited number were genuinely signed by the creator of Ivor the Engine and Idris the Dragon, artist Peter Firmin. This makes them essentially artist signed prints as well as first day covers. It was Peter who, together with the late Oliver Postgate, created Smallfilms, an appropriately-named company based in a disused cowshed at Peter's home in Canterbury. Together they went on to produce some of the most charming and best-loved children's TV characters ever, including Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog, The Clangers and "The most important, the most beautiful, the most magical saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world", Bagpus! It was Peter Firmin who did the artwork and built all of the models for their programmes and we were delighted to work with him to celebrate Ivor's 50th birthday. Idris the DragonIdris the Dragon is a small, red heraldic dragon who sang in the choir for a time (as did Ivor). Idris was a poor orphan - his egg was found by Jones the Steam, who placed it in Ivor's firebox, where it hatched and out popped Idris who turned out to be an enchanting soprano! As well as singing with the choir, he once proved very useful by cooking fish and chips for everyone using his fiery breath!
The Ivor the Engine 50th CollectionWe have 6 stunning options in our Ivor the Engine 50th birthday collection. Click on any picture above to find out more - or just hoover your mouse over any picture for a quick description. Quick Facts: Mythical Creatures is a First-day Cover Issue date (2009-06-16): 16 June 2009 Here are the options for this design. To buy any of the choices below, just enter the quantity you want and click the 'Add to Cart' button to place it in your Shopping Cart. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. You will be able to change the items in your Shopping Cart later. But please watch out, some options may be sold out already!
Buckingham Covers Limited, registered in England No. 03877048 is part of Internet Stamps Group Limited, registered in England No. 03497867. Registered office for both: Warren House, Shearway Rd, Folkestone, Kent CT19 4BF, UK. |
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