red letter day

By Catherine Jones on Apr 19, 07 02:16 PM

Liverpool's 800th birthday stamps were unveiled at the Town Hall today.
But you can't use them to send letters or parcels from Liverpool to anywhere else in the world.

Because they have been produced by the Isle of Man Post Office to mark both the city's 800th birthday and the links between Liverpool and the Isle of Man.
The stamps include all the city's iconic buildings, plus figures like VC winner Noel Chavasse and anti-slavery campaigner William Roscoe and symbols of the links between Merseyside and Man such as the Steam Packet and Euromanx airline.
A lot of the images were suggested by Echo readers, and three - John, Paul and Janet - were at the launch in the Town Hall at lunchtime.
Apart from being involved in the stamps, it also gave them the chance to visit two of the city's landmarks which they had never done - inside the glorious Town Hall, and on the top of the Liver Building, close up to the Liver Birds and giant clock faces.
As a journalist you get the chance to do lots of things that members of the public don't. Last month I scaled the gantries and ladders behind the scenes at St George's Hall and actually climbed on to the roof. And last week I had the chance to walk on the Minton tiled floor at the hall.
When you see the pleasure on people's faces when they get these opportunities, it reminds you what a privilege it is.
Anyway, the stamps.
Pamela Crowe, chairman of the Isle of Man Post Office, turned out to have lots of links with the subjects on the stamps including Noel Chavasse (her uncle was his stretcher bearer in the First World War trenches).
She also remembered the Merseybeat scene of the early 60s and revealed that while the Beatles were all very well, it was Ian and the Zodiacs that she had the hots for.
Apparently the band (fetchingly pictured on the internet in cardies and train driver hats) were vocalist and bass player Charlie Flynn, lead guitarist Pete Wallace, guitarist and singer Ian Edwards and drummer Geoff Bamford.
They disbanded in 1967, but they still have a big fan in the Isle of Man!
Ian and the Zodiacs aren't featured on the Liverpool stamps, but plently of others are.
And although you can't use them to send mail (unless you visit Man of course) you still buy them as mementoes of Liverpool's birthday year by visiting the Isle of Man Post Office website.
The Royal Mint has already inexplicably turned down a request for a special Liverpool £2 coin next year.
The gauntlet has now been thrown down to the Royal Mail to come up with a set of Liverpool stamps for 2008 when the city is the UK's representative as EUROPEAN Capital of Culture.