Sunday Stamps 'Q4' - Ecuador, Japan

I thought i would have to resort to stamps showing foreign queens this week until I found this stamp from Ecuador.

It depicts the Third Ecuadorian games held in the capital of Quito in 1975.

I had to cheat somewhat again by showing a Japanese national park containing the letter 'Q' on my second stamp.

Sado-Yahiko Quasi-National Park

To see other 'Q' related stamps just visit the links at Sunday-stamps-q.

How many of you remember the Japanese stamp appearing under 'J'  in an earlier A-Z round, I wonder?

Sunday Stamps 'P4' - Belgian Congo, Benin, Greece

A flower, one of my favourite birds and a philanthropist feature on my stamps this week.

Belgian Congo - 1952

This is 'Protea lemaire'.

My next stamp is from Benin - the bird has the Latin name 'Pyrrhula pyrrhula' but I'm sure that you will recognise it. A pair visit our garden every year in May when the apple blossom appears.

Benin - 30 July1977

I had problems with reading Greek characters in the name of this man, but tracked him down eventually.

Greece - 5 November 1975

Georgios Rizaris founded a religious organisation in the newly formed Greek state that would educate priests. Today it stands in the Calandri suburb of Athens.

For other 'P' related stamps just cross over to Sunday-stamps-p and follow the links.

Sunday Stamps 'O4' USA, Great Britain

We had an athletic meeting from Stockholm on TV yesterday. This reminded me of the one time holder of six world records from the USA.

Owens name has become iconic as a result of his exploits in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

The stamp comes from the Celebrate the Century series for the 1930s.

From Great Britain I have chosen an Ox-Eye Daisy from 1967.

As a boy in the 1940s I used to walk and fish in the River Chater in the village of Ketton in Rutland. In those days I could follow otter hounds as they went hunting along the river. I'm pleased to say that they never found any.

To say 'O' to other stamps please visit Sunday-stamps-o. 

Sunday Stamps N4 Denmark, Germany

My stamps on Danish navigation show different eras, but nothing from the time of issue.

Denmark - 24 September 1970

From Germany (West Germany) I found a stamp supposedly concerning protection of nature.

(West) Germany - 5 June 1973

'Umweltschutz luft' however translates as environmental  protection of the air.

(West) Germany - 13 May 1976

This rather splendid EUROPA stamp depicts a newspaper boy.

For more 'N' related stamps follow the links at https://seeitonapostcard.blogspot.com/2019/05/sunday-stamps-n.html

Sunday Stamps M4 Norway, South Africa, Switzerland

As it was my birthday yesterday I guess it is appropriate to start this week with a mushroom,

Switzerland - 6 March 2014

That long Latin name is for 'The Old Man of the Woods.'

From Norway I've selected another Latin name - 'Mustela erminea' - for a mammal.

Norway - 20 February 1989

We see these stoats occasionally near the local woods.

To maintain the 'M' theme I have to resort to yet another Latin name of a South African bird that is on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species - 'Morus capensis' - The Cape Gannet.

South Africa - 20 November 1974

For other 'M' related stamps just visit the links at Sunday-stamps-m.

Sunday Stamps L4 USA

Three from America this week starting with the arrival of Lafayette.

USA - 13 June 1952

Lafayette became a friend of George Washington and fought in many battles of the American Revolutionary War from Brandywine to the Siege of Yorktown before he returned to France and took part in the French Revolution.

Statue of Liberty - 9 April 1954

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the United States. Its framework was built by Gustave Eiffel; the completed statue was dedicated in 1868.

10 September1998 

The first issue of Life Magazine in 1936 had Fort Peck on its cover. This stamp is from the Celebrating the Century series covering the 1930s.

The stamp shows the structure of Fort Peck Dam in Montana.

[For years I have referred to the US Stamp Gallery site for information on my American stamps - now unfortunately my computers warn me that this site is not secure]

For more 'L' related stamps please visit Sunday-stamps-l.

Sunday Stamps K4 - Great Britain

When I was at school in the 1950s if you misbehaved a master or a prefect could issue you 'copies'. These had to be completed in your best writing on blue paper which had to be obtained from your House Master - in my case that meant having to collect the paper from the head table at lunch time.

I have always remembered one of the lines to be copied -

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."

It was some years later that I found out that this was the opening line of a poem by -

Great Britain

This was issued in on 28 July 1971 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his death.

Great Britain - 13 September 1972

I guess we all have heard of Marconi and his roll in the development of the radio. I did not know that it was George Kemp, a Welshman, who played an essential part in the first experiments in sending messages -- Something-in-the-air.

Great Britain - 16 January 1980

I used to see the kingfishers on the River Chater in Rutland when I was boy but unfortunately I can't remember when I last saw one on the Tees - now my much bigger local river.

There is a white water centre on the Tees by the Tees Barrage. Kayaks use it too.To see the connection to 'K' stamps please visit Sunday-stamps-k.