Croydon (Croham Valley)
Surrey, England

Operated by the Croham Valley Joint Ranger/Venture Unit. The area served has varied over the years - by 1991 it covered Central Croydon & Addiscombe and points south of there to Purley, Sanderstead & New Addington, in 1992 this increased to include South Norwood, Woodside & Thornton Heath. By 1999 the area was back to the 1991 boundaries plus a further southern extension to Old Coulsden, Caterham & Oxted. See the maps. Usually dated by single line handstamp. With the restructuing of Scout age-groups in 2002 the V S U was closed and the postal operation taken over by the newly formed Explorer Scouts, still in co-operation with the local Ranger Guides.

Croham Valley V S U was, and the Croham Valley Explorer Scouts still are, within the Scout County of Surrey.

1982 (December 1st)

Type 1, 25x38m, designed by Emma Dungey (Ranger guide) and printed by Lithprint, Amber Hill, Boston on sheets of 36 (6 rows of 6) self-adhesive labels on an imperforate backing sheet. A first day cover was produced on a locally designed envelope.

1983

No service

1984 (December 1st) - 1985

Types 2 and 3, 25x38m. Type 2 is type 1 overprinted XMAS 1984 in blue. Type 3 is a reprint of type 1 with a darker blue and brown inks. A first day cover with both stamps was produced on a locally designed envelope in 1984 and a souvenir cover with both stamps in 1985.

1986 (December 1st) - 1988

Type 4, 28x40m, designed by J. Mitchell and printed by Lithprint, Amber Hill, Boston on sheets of 36 (6 rows of 6) self-adhesive labels on an imperforate backing sheet. A first day cover was produced on a locally designed envelope in 1986 and a souvenir cover in 1988.

1989 - 1991

Type 5, 28x40m, designed by J. Mitchell and printed by Lithprint, Amber Hill, Boston on sheets of ? (? rows of ?) self-adhesive labels on an imperforate backing sheet. A first day cover was produced on a locally designed envelope in 1989 and a souvenir cover on a plain envelope in 1990.

1992 (December 1st) - 1997

Nestlé generic issues were used. Souvenir covers (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) were produced in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.

1998 (December 1st) - 1999

Types 6 to 17 , 62x32mm or 32x62mm, designed by ? and printed by ? on printed on A4 sheets of Rank Xerox TCP labels (sheets of 24 comprising 8 rows of 3) on an imperforate backing sheet. Each sheet contained three sets of six designs (in varying order) as illustrated and one set of the bottom six. The fourth design down from the top left also varied slightly by having the value at the bottom instead of the top.
Sheet layout is thus as follows :-
.6...7...8
.9..10..11
.7...8...6
10..11...9
.8...6...7
11...9..10
12..13..14
15..16..17
A pair of first day covers (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced carrying eleven of the twelve designs between them (one with 6 vertical, the other with 5 horizontal designs). A souvenir cover (again using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced in 1999 carrying three of the 1998 stamps and one of the earlier Nestlé issue.

1999 (December 31st)

A souvenir cover with a bisected 1998/9 stamp was issued (using Royal Mail Millennium Timekeeper envelopes) to commemmorate the end of the millennium (arguably a year early!).

2000 (December 1st)

Types 18 to 20, 38x21mm, designed and ink-jet printed by A. Florence onto sheets of 65 (13 rows of 5) self-adhesive labels. The bottom row was printed inverted giving rise to 5 tete-beche pairs per sheet. A first day cover (using Royal Mail Spirit and Faith issue envelopes) was produced. About 20 sheets of the wreath design and 90 each of the other two produced.

2001 (December 1st) - 2002

Types 21 to 24, 30x30mm, designed by ? and printed onto rolls of self-adhesive labels, backing paper line rouletted about 7 between each pair of stamps. Priced at 13p or 8 for £1. A first day cover (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced. Stocks ran low in 2002 necessitating an emergency printing (see below). A souvenir cover (again using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced in 2002.

2002 (December 1st)

Type 25, 38x21mm, designed and ink-jet printed by A. Florence onto sheets of 65 (13 rows of 5) self-adhesive labels - design as for the 2000 issue with revised text (as Croham Valley no longer a joint Ranger/Venture unit owing to Scout Association restructuring) and the bottom row of stamps now printed the right way up. About 20 sheets printed. A first day cover (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced with the new stamp and one of the 2001 issue.

2003 (December 1st)

Types 26 to 28, 38x21mm, designed and ink-jet printed by A. Florence onto sheets of 65 (13 rows of 5) self-adhesive labels. A first day cover (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced.

2004 (December 1st)

Types 29 to 35, in order to use up old stocks types 21-24 and 26-28 were uprated to 15p by means of a small handstamp.

Types 36 to 46, 38x21mm, designed and ink-jet printed onto sheets of 65 (13 rows of 5) self-adhesive labels - some values on Avery L7651 Laser Speciality Labels, others on unmarked sheets.

A first day cover (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced carrying all 18 stamps.

2005 (December 1st)

Types 47 to 52, 38x21mm, designed and ink-jet printed by ? onto sheets of 65 (13 rows of 5) plain self-adhesive labels. A first day cover (using Royal Mail Christmas issue envelopes) was produced.

Cancellations

Types P1 to P3 - used on ordinary mail and FDCs, blue in 1995 and 2004/5, red or black in 2002, black otherwise.

Types P4 to P6 - used on ordinary mail and FDCs, blue in 1995 and 2005, red or black in 2002, black otherwise.

Types C1 to C2 - used on FDCs most years.

Statistics

Year	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
Start	None	Dec 1	None	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1
Printed	None	9,900	None	5,000	0	10,000	0	0	10,000	0
Carried	None	4,500	None	2,000	2,500	3,000	2,000	1,500	2,000	2,300
Year	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Start	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1
Printed	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	13,000
Carried	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	8,000
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Start	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	Dec 1	None	.	.	.	.
Printed	.	.	.	.	.	None	.	.	.	.
Carried	.	.	6,500	.	.	None	.	.	.	.