American desinger for Queens' 80th Birthday Cover

News Released: April 18, 2006
American designer for Queen’s 80th Birthday Cover

(PRLEAP.COM) Mandy Searles of Massachusetts, USA,has designed a first day cover for HM Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday Royal Mail stamp issue. The limited edition cover and its special postmark is being issued by Britain’s secret little post office at Bletchley Park Eight years ago 25-year-old Mandy set up one of the world’s most popular web sites on Queen Elizabeth and her family. She is also a talented graphic designer and has used those skills to provide the backdrop for the new stamps. As Mandy put it “It has been a joy to work with Bletchley Park in creating this first day cover. I thank them for giving me this chance to further express my admiration for the Queen, who is my inspiration for so many things in life”.

The double-sided cover design complements the stamp images showing Her Majesty at different stages of her life. The stamps will be cancelled for their first day of issue with a unique ER postmark. Only 1000 are planned for the issue. The hand prepared cover comes complete with a special greeting card insert and will be individually numbered. It is only available direct from Chapman and Mitchell Covers at Bletchley Park Post Office, The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB, UK. Tel: 01908 631797. Cover can be previewed in British Royalty section of cover gallery at the web site http://www.bletchleycovers.com/. Price £12.50 ($20 US) plus £1.50 ($2.50 US) post and packing.

EndsNote to Editors:Bletchley Park Post Office is based at Bletchley Park famous for the wartime enigma code breakers. It has been issuing first day covers since 1995 and uses the income to support its work at the park and with other charities. Web address www.bletchleycovers.com

Mandy Searles can be contacted through http://www.mandysroyalty.org/ a web site dedicated to the British Royal family.

A subject she has been fascinated by from an early age.Media contact:
Terry Mitchell. Tel: +44 (0) 1604 781440Email; terry@ltmp.co.uk