1999 - 2003
In 1999 POC sold commemorative envelopes but owing to an oversight a special postmark was not prepared. In the summer of that year POC introduced a mechanical date stamp for use at events where it had a temporary office. There were two date stamps, one reading “A” and other “B” used in the POC office located in the complex of Court No.1.
Only stamps paying for the Special Delivery service were allowed to be cancelled with one of the special event “A” or “B” date stamps.
Stamps on a Special Delivery envelope cancelled with the “A” date stamp.
On request the date stamps were allowed to be applied as a cachet.
The “B” date stamp
To receive the special post marks applied in the LSHC in the Mount Pleasant office needed to be stamped with at least first class postage.
It would appear that as this cover was stamped with postage rate for Europe and not the normal First Class postage and was inadvertently passed to the ordinary sorting department where it received the normal machine cancellation.
Monday, 10th July 2000
The Ladies’ double final, won by the Williams sisters, had to be carried over from a rain soaked Sunday. Not many postmarks exist for this day.
This postmark promoting the first Championships of the new millennium was limited to one day, the 19th June 2001.
Royal Mail allowed applicants to sponsor post marks of their own design but it needed to include a specified date. Sponsors were often dealers in first day covers and chose dates to link with new stamp issues.
It was sponsored by a Mr Peter Payne, a dealer in illustrated covers. The design included a lady’s bonnet of yesteryear. The date chosen for the postmark was the date of issue of a set of four stamps picturing “Fabulous Hats”
Rain caused the men’s final to be held over to the third Monday, 9th July 2001. Not since 1922 had it become necessary to postpone the beginning of the men’s final to the third Monday.
There are few postmarks dated this third Monday.
After having received both the “A” and “B” date stamps as cachets at the ground the cover was meant to be forwarded to the LSHC, Mount Pleasant office to have the stamps cancelled with the commemorative post mark. Inadvertently it was dealt with in the London South office where the stamps were cancelled with the ordinary machine canceller. It was returned to the sender (whose address is shown on the back) as the addressee’s “forwarding order expired”.
The postmark marked the 125th anniversary of the first Championship held in 1877. It was limited to one date only, Tuesday, 16th July 2002.
The postmark was sponsored by Mr Peter Payne, a dealer in illustrated covers.
To receive the commemorative postmark the postage on addressed covers should bear at least First Class postage. It would appear that this cover with only a Second Class stamp inadvertently enjoyed the special postmark.
New Malden post office, S.W. London, sponsored the commemorative postmark applied at the LSHC.
Stamps cancelled Friday, 28th June with both the “A” and “B” date stamps.
Only stamps paying for the Special Delivery service were allowed to be cancelled with the event “A” or “B” date stamps. Here, perhaps improperly, the postal clerk was persuaded to use both the “A” and “B” event cancellers to cancel the stamps.
2003 was to be the last year that the event date stamps were used at Wimbledon.
By November 2002 Post Office Counters Ltd had been replaced by Post Office Ltd., part of Royal Mail Group. New Malden post office, S.W. London, sponsored the commemorative postmark applied at the LSHC.
The post office had been located in the No.1 Court complex since 1998.
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