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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-03-02, Page 29Most people would, be— surprised to learn that the story of airmail goes back nearly 100 yearn , long before the days of aeroplanes. The first official British airmail service was *inaugurated; •60 years ago, when a series of .:flightswas made • between. Londono and Winsdor as part of the celebrations marking L y -•„ o the coronation of King George , V, but. long' before that date unofficial ,;attempt's. had been • made to carry mail loy air. 4 M[.::.P9.`?i.erm.Tn.+4•�. .r• 'f'6gF.'•t'mii�+=?k•'.� •3'.S^4T_ - ... - _ Iri May 1807, • for example, • Admiral Cochrane; the Earl of • Dundonald,' transmitted messages from the British lines • to the French during the Peninsular campaign by means of kites. 0 Carrier pigeons have been used since time immemorial and it was by means of "pigeongrarns." that Rothschild is said, to have, learned the outcome ' of the -Battle. of Waterloo •.threee days before the news broke in London, thus enabling him_ to 'buy shaes on the .London• stpck market. e and take a tremendous profit when t ey rocketed hue after the victory was officially announced. ' C The Montgolfier Brothers made their first balloon ascent in November 1782 aril the, ballooning craze swiftly spread over Europe. In September 1784 Vincent Lunardi made the first.: ascent in England and dropped three' letters: over the side. One of these was found Pear the milestone on. Northaw Common near London and posted back to Lunardi by the finder. The' text of .this letter - Britain's first •".aerogramme" -is reproduced in L'unardii's nietroirs. -Iteca b ixie customary for balloonists, 'to tins ons drop n :"'letters 'and) ri of u , examples •of this .:uiofficilc airmail have baeti recorded. . • ' , L • The first attempt in_Britaiy■.1 {t carry i� ail by balloon on•, a large. • scale was made on • October 6, e 1870, . barely, a fortnight after a balloon post was organised from Paris .during. the Franco-Prussian War. On, this occasion an unmanned balloon was launched from London's- Crystal Palace during a fireworks display and subsequently 'recovered at Acrise Farm near Folkestone,- Kent. The postcards' +contained in the mailbag were postmarked Blythe. Ex itnples • of these Crystal Palace cards are very rare and.are highly prized' as forerunners of .British airmail» ' ; . %To'' celebrate the o ti , e coronation of; Icing Edward V'Il in August • 1902 special p.os•tc ids Yportaraying_ ithe.king and ueen•D A . were. . r d • a tc ed 4h � b• k +ion from Beckenham in Kant. Later that. year cards were flown by .balloon °from Manchester to - publicise a Lifeboat Saturday. These souvenir postcards are now 'eagerly sought after .by herophilatelists Flights by „heavier-than-air The World's first official machines took place in the airmail flight was made in India Edwardian period but were in February 1911 in connection' poorly publicised and left little with the United Provinces in theway of distinctive Industrial and Agricultural souvenirs. The first. Aviation •nd Exhibiti�Ori at Alfahabad and a Meeting took place at Blackpool s 'cial postmark sh • in August 1910 when Claude- mo • o showing a noplane was used on• souvenir Grahame -White carried m "des t,ail.. patches by . aeroplane from y •, .., •Tlie'fl his 'wer+� o. a isesl Lytham .H 11 to•S i e; by a qk,r s date. Captain (late • Sir) -Walter An'Air Meeting at Lanark the Wyndharri who tater, that year, following'. week was •,m'arked_:b • Y 'was'responsible.f d ,... r .tile . several._ • •.ietre a t 'A .eR N^a 2 mail' � was ' l� �trd . •L'7i ion ��{C�n d s 4-i•' fl i iii• t S. � "',� • cancelled. by a Between' -September 9 •a 15 ' and . postmark inscribed LANARK 'there were 1e -flights and, 926 GRAND STAND. This postmark A pounds• ;bf: correspondence was was normally used for carried. Various souvenir telegraphic purposes but postcards and envelopes, and postcards bearing it are regarded distinctive "Aerial Post as among the, greatest of BritishiYs d. aviation rarities. Althoughcancellatioitemswerefrom theproduce1911., A flying exhibition was flights are not scarce, they are of staged by Grahame-White,atenormous interest to collectors ' Southport in June 1911 as ari since they represent tiro of the Coronation festivities and beginning of official airmail in various attractive labels were Britain. produced. You as home owner are now eligi to SOF * m, coot 'aedo$d or third 'mortgage lean from $Z 00 if l 1 ,000 alt-Iredacod monthly payments. ':Find out -.how a ow c aw 1 } 1Asti Boma r�r aaa"can. Y'al1' bills, give y'oa. additional::cash-�.jt requi ed. "at VW, [imi0. time reduce year ,rrienthlypayments by 'as' ,nwch• kt '.bal , .' }�(W S • w thin 24 hoe' ou ca ttcall to 10Pn todA for helpful, courteous service. Prompt lnvestment 'Corp.,: Ltd., 'too• Bay St.,, Toronto.';,' Call collect, 3§6 -PAC. eveaf ngs 431.11146, The 1972 summary of fishing regulations has just been, released by the department of lands and forests with a few minor changes to improve both appearance and clarity. ,Two changes in open seasons are of special interest toiorthern anglers. The first, is .the opening date for yellow pickerel (which -includes blue pickerel and sauger), in divisions ,13, 14, 15 and northwards This date is usually May 15, but since May 15 falls ori Monday this year, the yellow'pickerel' season will open two days earlier on Saturday, May 13. The one exception 'is in division 16 (Georgian Bay),•where the season will open on May 16. . This is the• final year of a 10 - year program which .featured closure periods' for yellow pickerel between April 1 and May •15•during_even,numbered years. Special attention is directed to the tater opening date on the Georgian Bay portion 'of the map contained • in the summary. The second .amendment concerns division 22 and represents an .attempt • by -the Ontario and Minnesota governments to safeguard .the, lake trout fishery in their border vvattes. According to•the regulations, the open season ford lake trout in division 2.2 shall be as follows: "(a) January 1st to the last day of February; and (b) May • 15th, except:when May 15th falls on a Sunday or Monday, then the Saturday next pred,eding May 15th to the last Sunday iii September." In other words, ”the lake trout season in 1972.(for division 22) is open from January 1 to February 29 and from May 13 to September „ 24 (all dates inclusive). This split -season ,enables the_ department to protect the lake trout during two critical periods, March, April- and part of May _when they are especially Phone 524-8171... vulnerable to the angler, and during the fall spawning period. 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