Postman dressed as Postal runner to be star attraction at Stampex Pune 2009 Stampex Pune 2009 - a national stamps fair is back in the city - this time,promising three special attractions to visitors. The International Collectors' Society of Rare Items (ICSRI) that organises the event has arranged for a postman to enact the role of a postal runner who used to run from village to village distributing letters in the olden days. We are releasing a special first-day cover and cancellation on Mahatma Gandhi as part of inauguration of the exhibition on Friday. The postal runner will take this cover and cancellation from Sonal hall,Kothrud,the venue of the exhibition to Deccan Gymkhana post office, said SR Bhat,president of the Collectors'Society. The runner will be a postman from Deccan post office dressed up as postal runner with a stick and lantern in hand,he said. Bhat said the use of stamps is reducing,so are the collectors and philatelists. It is the need of the hour of boost the postal department. The postal runner will remind people about how the department evolved over decades. It will be and acknowledgement of the department's efforts and promotion of philately,he said. In another attraction,a book detailing postal stationery of British India will be released on the occasion. "The book will primarily help collectors of British stationery in India and abroad. This is the only book published in last 20 years that gives details about almost every postal stationery used at that time. It can also be used as a ready reckoner by research students," said Pratisad Neurgaonkar,who has authored the book with assistance of four others. Neurgaonkar,who is also secretary of the Collectors' Society,hopes the book will encourage collectors to concentrate on British-era postal stationery. There are umpteen persons who collect stamps,information about which is easily available. However,limited details about British Indian postal stationery was available till now through two books last published in 1970s. With comprehensive information about this stationery being available from this book,I hope more collectors start looking at this stationery more seriously, he said. PG Bhargave,member,advisory committee of the Society who assisted Neurgaonkar with the book said it gives comprehensive information about at least 150 kind of postal stationery like stamps,postcards,inland letters,force letters (used by military troops on expeditions) used in British India between 1856 and 1947. It is also includes current pricing of each item according to international market. While this is the second edition of the book,the earlier one released in January only mentioned sketchy details of the items. Yet,it was sold out within a month, he said. The book will be available for Rs 500 with him and will be distributed via Stamps of India'in Delhi and Stamps inc in England,where there are collectors of British Indian postal stationery. Eminent philatelist Dhirubhai Mehta,who will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Society,will release the book. The two-day exhibition will also include an auction of stamps on Friday at 6 pm.
