In 1966, a unique and exciting children’s drawing competition was held, which led to the creation of the first ever UK issued Christmas stamps. This competition was open to young artists aged 15 and under, providing a wonderful opportunity for children to showcase their creativity and artistic talents. The response was overwhelming, with around 5,000 imaginative and colourful designs submitted. These designs were carefully evaluated by a panel of acclaimed and experienced stamp designers, who had the challenging task of selecting a victor! After much deliberation, the winning images were chosen: ‘King of the Orient’ by Tasveer Shemza and ‘Snowman’ by James Berry. Tasveer was raised in an artistic atmosphere, with both parents teaching the subject, James was rather less focused, listing his interests as wrestling and Batman alongside drawing, he wasn't the artist we wanted but he was the artist we needed. These designs were then sent to Her Majesty The Queen for her approval before being made available to the general public.
The project was repeated in 1981 featuring a variety of designs, all of which are displayed on the first day cover below.
2017 also witnessed a burst of creativity from Arwen Wilson and Ted Lewis-Clark, lets hope we don't have to wait too many more Christmases before we see our next!