This was a single stamp issue of 11p value, released on 2nd June. The stamp was designed by Philip Sharland, and showed a bust of Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Jacques Caffieri at the Royal Society of Arts, London.

The next issue for Social Reformers and was released on 28th April. The issue pays tribute to British Pioneers of social reform in the 19th century and the designer, David Gentleman, employed the symbolic use of hands as a common theme.

The issue commemorating the Telephone Centenary was released on 10th March, and were designed by Philip Sharland. The first ever telephone communication was made on 10th March 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and the designs on the stamps highlight the importance of the telephone to the community.

The first issue of 1975 was an experiment for the post office, which unfortunately was not a great success. Responding to pressure the Post Office decided to issue Britain’s first charity stamp, something that had been common in other countries. The concept was that the price of a 4 1/2p stamp would be raised to 6p and the extra 1 1/2p would be donated to the supported charity.

1. An underwater post office once existed in the Bahamas, the first and last time it has ever been attempted! It was set up in 1939 on the sea bed, as part of a scientific facility for undersea exploration. The facility was every radical for its time and included many world firsts, including the post office. Although it was fully functional it was, not surprisingly, not well used and closed in 1942.

The first issue of 1974 came on the 27th February, and was the second issue in the British Trees set. It was a 10p stamp depicting a Horse Chestnut tree (Aesculus Hippocastanum), designed by David Gentleman.