Guernsey’s 2022 stamps begin with a Lunar New Year celebration. Australian artist Chrissy Lau makes a return for the Year of the Tiger.  Lau designed both the 2021 and 2022 Lunar New year stamps for Christmas Island and Guernsey. The tigers are a nice way to start 2022, not that I’m biased about cats.

Guernsey is a modest issuer of stamps and FDCs. What they offer is a perfect showcase for the islands natural beauty and history.  Local artist Wendy Bramall’s EUROPA 2021 set was the best of last year. She captured Guernsey’s natural appeal through her Endangered Local Species stamps. 

Wildlife stamps presentation pack cover

Beautiful cover isn’t it? Not sure if Bramall returns this year, but I’m hoping she does.  Anyway, onwards to 2022. As always, drop a comment below and tell us which ones are your favourites. 

Cheers,
Catpaw

January

Year of the Tiger 

6 stamps, FDC, cancel, souvenir sheet, presentation pack, numbered uncut sheets (limited to a run of 200),  sheets of 10, gold replica souvenir sheet (limited run of 200 sheets).
Gold replica souvenir sheets are 24 carat gold foil encased in an acrylic display stand. Sheets are numbered & issued with a certificate of authenticity.

• 50p Stretching Tiger
• 70p stamp: Coin Tiger
• 73p stamp: Longevity Tiger
• £1 stamp: Lantern Dreams
• £1.15 stamp: Tiger mum with cub
• £1.20 stamp: Hongbao Tigers

 Designer: Chrissy Lau Chrissy Lau | Artist Illustrator | Portfolio

It was easy to spot Lau’s art. She has created a number of stamps for Guernsey Post, including the last two Lunar New Years –  Year of the Rat and Year of the Ox.  She also created the 2021 Australia/Christmas Island Year of the Ox set. 

Release date: January 5, 2022

Heart of the Forest
Stamp 1 of 4

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

There will be 4 stamps in this series:

• Stamp one: Chestnut tree and blue bird; issue date 9 February 2022
• Stamp two: Forest and butterfly issue date 4 April 2022
• Stamp three: Leaves and beetles; issue date 24 August 2022
• Stamp four: Flowers and butterfly, and souvenir sheet featuring the set; issue date 2 November 2022

The [Love Paper] campaign highlights how the paper industry depends on sustainable forest management to provide a reliable supply of wood fibre, the key raw material for paper products. It advocates that sustainable forest management plays an important role in conserving biodiversity and eco systems. Heart of the Forest, part one of the 2022 quartet series (guernseystamps.com)

Designer: Gail Armstrong
Gail Armstrong is an interesting illustrator. Her specialty is creating 3D paper sculptures. She created the 2021 UN World Toilet Day stamps, using the same paper sculptures styling. Previous Guernsey design: 2009 500 Anniv of Coronation of Henry VIII.

Release date: January 26, 2022

February

Clematis Gold: C. Samaritan Jo

1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, presentation pack

Designer: Gillian Barlow
Barlow designed the 2021 Clematis Sarah Elizabeth stamp

Release date: February 9, 2022

 Post & Go: Bailiwick Cuisine

6 stamps, FDC, cancel, presentation pack
digital printing with 6 coours

• GY Letter: Guernsey Bean Jar
• GY Large: Guernsey Gâche
• UK Letter: Guernsey Biscuits
• UK Large: Local Lobster and Shrimps
• EUR Letter: Guernsey Gâche Méléé
• ROW Letter: Local Chancre Crab

Traditional Guernsey food – 10 delicious dishes to try | Heather on her travels

Designer: Mark Totty

Release date: February 17, 2022

April

Heart of the Forest 
Stamp 2 of 4

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Offset Lithography

Forest and butterfly

Designer: Gail Armstrong

Release date: April 4, 2022

The Voice – Vouaïe project  (Guernsey Patois)

Guernsey Patois – A Language Apart | guernseydonkey.com Includes audio examples.

The Voice – Vouaïe project is an anthropological, social heritage, fine art documentary project.  The aim of the project is to bring awareness and create a social, historical and documentary archival record of Guernésiais speakers. Guernsey has an ancient language with a long and distinctive history. Guernésiais, is the name of the Guernsey language; which derives from the ancient Normans.

Today, the number of the original native speakers in Guernsey is in fast decline.  It is estimated that in 2019 there are possibly fewer than 200 fluent speakers of the language and these are mainly aged over 80.  I feel it’s imperative to capture this critical changing situation, as an important part of Guernsey’s social heritage and for the future legacy of the Island. Furthermore, communicating this social issue to the International community. In doing so, I have captured a part of social history, which can be so fleeting. 
aaronyeandle.com/voice — Aaron Yeandle

Photographer: Aaron Yeandle aaronyeandle.com/voice — Aaron Yeandle

Release date: April 4, 2022

 May

40th Anniversary of the Falklands War

6 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10, presentation pack, prestige pack

• HMS Ardent (F184) 
• The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire
• Falklands Memorial Bench
• Memorial plaque and tree found in Le Foulon Cemetery in Guernsey
• HMS Ardent’s ship’s bell

Release date: May 21, 2022

 Europa 2022: Stories and Myths (Guernsey Witches)

6 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 6 sheets of 10 (available in Europa & non-Europa markings), presentation pack,  2 maxi cards, 2 postcards, 2 FD cancel postcards

 Guernsey Witches 
This set doesn’t deal with a specific story. It is a nod to a larger set of tales about Guernsey’s long association with witches throughout it’s history. 

Both black and white witches were said to practice in Guernsey, with white witches using their craft solely for the benefit of other people.  Black witches however were said to practice ritual witchcraft, holding assemblies and covens to summon demons and devils.

Many of the old house and cottages in the west of the island have a strange piece of granite extruding from the chimney; these are known as “witches seats” and are a place for these night-time flyers to stop and rest.

It is believed that over one hundred people were found guilty  of witchcraft in Guernsey in the 16th and 17th centuries.  the last witch trial in Guernsey took place in January 1914 when local women, Aimee Lake was charged with witchcraft.
Europa: Stories and Myths (Guernsey Witches) (guernseystamps.com)

On This Day in Guernsey has a brief writeup on the last witch trial which offers a bit of insight into the event Guernsey’s last witch trial takes place – On this day in Guernsey (history.gg)  and the ever reliable Guernsey Donkey has a write up on witches seats. 

Designer: Keith Robinson

 Release date: May 21, 2022

June

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Post and Go Overprint

1 stamp

Limited release

Release date: June 3 to July 1, 2022

SEPAC 2022 – Local Drinks

4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards, 4 postcards, 4 sheets of 10
lithography

Seagull Mischief
Instead of focusing on a single local drink, Guernsey decided to highlight seagulls enjoying local Guernsey’s food and drinks  

• 52p – An opportunistic seagull has stolen a slice of Guernsey Gâche to share with his partner in crime.
• 79p – Always looking for an easy meal, this seagull has stolen a mackerel from an unsuspecting Guernsey fisherman.
• £1.10 – This audacious seagull takes a sip from a sunbather’s drink can. This stamp bears the SEPAC logo and the colours of the can are similar to that of a locally produced beverage. This stamp is the official SEPAC entry
• £1.35 – Cooling down with ice-cream provided by a generous human!

Designer/artist: James Colmer
This is Guernsey artist Colmer’s first stamps.

Release date: June 22, 2022

August

Ebenezer Le Page

6 stamps
details coming

The six stamps follow the life of Gerald Basil Edwards’ fictional Ebenezer Le Page . Published 1981, the book traces the life and times of Ebenezer from his birth in the late 19th century to his death in 1960. 

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, by G B Edwards is considered one of the best pieces of literature written about Guernsey. It was originally entitled Sarnia Cherie, and its current title was its sub-title…

Although he never married and only left the island once – to visit Jersey – the tale of Ebenezer’s life in the Vale is a deep and engaging one, that chronicles the many changes that the island want through during his lifetime, including, of course, the German Occupation during the Second World War. Several real people pop up within the narrative.

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page – The Sarnian

Designer: 

Release date: August 24, 2022

Heart of the Forest 
Stamp 3 of 4

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Offset Lithography

oak leaf and beetles

Designer: Gail Armstrong

Release date: August 24, 2022

November

Heart of the Forest 
Stamp 4 of 4

1 stamp, souvenir sheet with all 4 stamps, presentation pack, sheet of 10, 2 FDCs, cancel
offset lithography

This issue completes the 4-stamp set. It’s capped with the full souvenir sheet each stamp when pieced together forms a heart. Guernsey Post also released a canvas print of Gail Armstrong’s work.

Designer: Gail Armstrong

Release date: November 2, 2022

Christmas – Guernsey Panto 2022: Sleeping Beauty

7 stamps, FDC, cancel, prestige booklet, 7 sheets of 10

Sleeping Beauty runs from Dec 17 to 31, 2022, at Sleeping Beauty ‐ GADOC | Guernsey Arts

If you are unfamiliar with this unique form of theatre, you can learn more about it here: A History of Panto — Imagine Theatre. Katie Shilton’s article breaks down the history of panto in an entertaining way. 

Designer: Nick Watton
Watton also designed Alderney’s Robin Hood Panto stamps. The Devon based artist has designed stamps and FDCs for Jersey, Royal Mail, Alderney, Guernsey and Gibraltar. His passion for the “wilder parts of the United Kingdom” shine through in many of his stamps. 

Release date: November 16, 2022

See last year’s Guernsey stamps 

Donate & subscribe

Enjoying the content? Consider donating or signing up for a subscription.

Your contribution will help defray the costs of hosting the site and the time taken to research articles. Interested in sponsoring this page? Drop me a line contact @ bittergrounds.com

OR

Check out the Patreon tiers & perks:   Become a Patron!

• Instant Coffee $2 a month
• Espresso Shot $5 month
• Espresso & Stamps $10 per month
• Deluxe Mocha & Box of Stamps tier – $25 per month.