Rainbow Creek and the Thomson Bridge

THE PHILATELIC REGISTER is owned, published and edited by Ian Lasok-Smith

Contact Address: 6 Hough Green, Chester, CH4 8JG.  Email: [email protected]

ThePhilatelicRegister.com has replaced the montly issue of The Philatelic Register. The change in format has been dictated by the need to have a format that is more sustainable with regards the time required to keep it updated. As was The Philatelic Register, this evolving resource is FREE, users just need to register (only name and email address required) on the site to gain full access to article content.  All articles may be downloaded and printed or saved to PC. The site has been constructed on a WordPress platform and as such  has afforded much more versatility and new opportunites compared with original format.

I hope that as it evolves this new format will make it easier to fulfill the “Mission Statement” that encompasses the inspiration behind the original idea.

REGISTRATION:  The registration process on this site has default email verification, this cannot be bypassed.  Please check your spam folder if not received. If not in spam folder please advise me on  [email protected] using the email address you used at registration. I will then manually validate your account ASAP.  Please allow at least 48 hours for manual registration before contacting again.

(you may see reference to your profile at times when logging in or out. This has no effective relevance as the only details that those registering are able to enter are their name and email address. I have intentionally kept personal details to the practical minimum)

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If it so happens that you do receive an “Access Denied” message you will need to wait 30 minutes or so before attempting to log in again.

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There will be an option to post comments on selected postings. It is hoped that by requiring registration it will discourage the leaving of inappropriate comments and mitigate the need for moderation of posts prior to publication. This would delay the publication and potentially devalue the facility if a posting would benefit from an early response (at times the facility to moderate comments may be activated if it is likely I will not be able to monitor for a while). As administrator I reserve the right to remove any post without need to give reason. Those deemed to be “abusing” the facility will have their registration revoked.

The most important purpose of the site is to provide a varied and expanding repository of knowledge and in doing so also try to recognise and preserve the work of many dedicated philatelists over the years. There will be regular postings but not at any specified times. The most recent postings appearing in “Latest Postings” in the sidebar.

The content of the site will be fully searchable using the search engine on the site.

Ian Lasok-Smith.  Owner, Publisher and Editor “The Philatelic Register”

Philatelic Traders Society (Gold Membership)

The First Underground Railway

From the outset on the London underground railway system (the first line, the Metropolitan, opening in 1863) mail was carried by arrangement with the Post Office who had a specially developed “mail van”.

In a short article publshed in Stamp Collecting Weekly January 4th (to commemorate the centenary of the start of the service)  W. G. Stitt  Dibden provides some details and offers up the idea of another specialist area of collecting.

The article can be downloaded from the link below

The First Underground Railway

Table Water Duty Stamps

In order to help finance the war effort (1914-18) the government looked for ways in which revenue could be raised. In 1916 a tax on table water was introduced. As the extracts  from Hansard below illustrate concerns over the benefit of the tax when weighed against effects were frequently raised in Parliament

TABLE WATER DUTY.

HC Deb 07 June 1921 vol 142 cc1691-2

Colonel Sir A. HOLBROOK  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was received during the year ended 31st March, 1921, from the table water duty; and does the revenue compensate for the loss of Income Tax from the trade consequent on the reduction in the volume of business transacted?

Mr. YOUNG  The revenue derived from the table water duty in the year ended 31st March, 1921, was £1, 196,000. As regards the second part of the question I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Central Edinburgh on the 12th April last.

( with reference to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £1,196,000 in March 1921 has a value of £48,464783 in March 2024)

TABLE WATER DUTY.

HC Deb 21 March 1923 vol 161 cc2606-7W   Mr COOPER RAWSON asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that upwards of 600 firms engaged in the manufacture of mineral water have been compelled to close down owing to the existing table water duties, and that in consequence thousands of men engaged in this and allied industries have been rendered unemployed; and will he, in view of the comparatively insignificant revenue derived from this source, consider the desirability of remitting the existing taxes?

In an article published in the 22nd May 1980 issue of Stamp Collecting Weekly  J. H. Chandler provides a more detailed account of the Stamps produced to facilitate colection of the Table Water Duty.

The article can be downloaded from the link below.

Table Water Duty Stamps