East Essex District
Essex, England

Operated by East Essex District. Issues to be used throughout the East Essex Scout District where stocks ran out or for Units with no stamps of their own, and also for mail posted at the sorting office.

The East Essex District lies within the Scout County of Essex.

The East Essex District HQ is at Prances Scout Training Centre and Camp Site in Totham Road, Wickham Bishops. From 1990 it has been used as the District Sorting Office and Distribution Centre with no particular delivery areas of it own to be serviced. (From 1982 -1989 Beacon Hill HQ was used). Members of the various District teams and othe leaders make deliveries to areas temporarily not covered by local Scout units.

Following the success in Beacon Hill in 1981, the East Essex Scout Post was formed in 1982, a co-operative effort involving the Beacon Hill, Blackwater (land), Blackwater (sea), Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Tiptree & 3rd Witham Scout Groups, all issuing their own stamps. Silver End Scouts ran a delivery service but did not issue stamps. The charges were set at 5p within a Group's own area and 10p for post exchanged to another Group. Mail was also passed to three out-of-district Scout Groups - Braintree, Shenfield & Wivenhoe. It is possible to find used covers from any of these posts with markings from more than one Group as they passed from hand to hand.

In 1983 they were joined by Rivenhall Air, Silver End, Terling & 1st Witham Scout Groups. Only small quantities of mail were passed out of the District & by 1984 this had almost completely dried up, by 1985 it had become a District-only operation. From 1987 Kelvedon Scouts became known as Kelvedon & Feering Scouts.

In 1989 a post commenced in Boreham (Chelmsford Scout District) and mail was exchanged on a regular basis. In 1991 Coggeshall (Halstead & Colne Valley Scout District) also started exchanging mail. In 1992 Heybridge (Maldon & Dengie District) also joined in. In 1994 Black Notley (Braintree District) & Colchester (Colchester District) also commenced operation.

1989 (December 2nd) - 1994

Types 1 & 2, 30x30mm, designed by M J Southall (ADC activities) & printed electrostatically by East Essex District in sheets of 24 (6 rows of 4), line rouletted about 6. Some imperforate copies were also issued. No FDCs in 1989 but First Day of Service covers were produced in subsequent years on plain envelopes.

1991 (November 30th)

Types 3 & 4, 30x45mm, designed by M J Southall (ADC activities) & printed electrostatically by East Essex District in sheets of 36 (6 rows of 6), line rouletted about 6. Special first day Christmas Cards were produced on folded plain green card (back & inside unprinted) to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the East Essex District.

1991 Booklet covers

Booklet 1 containing 12 type 3 black on blue stamps. Actual colour black on blue/green.

Booklet 2 containing 12 type 4 black on yellow stamps. Actual colour black on light yellow.

Cancellations

Type P1 - used as cachet or postmark on ordinary mail between 1990 and 1994.

Type P2 - used as transit mark on the back of envelopes between 1992 and 1994.

Type P3 - used on souvenir covers in 1990.

Type P4 - used on first day cards in 1991.

Type P5 - used as cachet or postmark on ordinary mail between 1992 and 1994.

Type P6 - used on souvenir covers in 1992.

Statistics

Year	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
Start	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	Dec 2	Dec 1
Printed	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	4,000 each	0
Year	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Start	Nov 30	Nov 29	Nov 28	Nov 25	?	?	?	?	?	?
Printed	1,800 each	0	0	0	?	?	?	?	?	?

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