Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be able, once again, to visit the Philatelic Bureau in Bridgetown. I always consider myself fortunate as living in the U.K. it’s quite a distance to travel and I know when I get there, the team are always very busy, so carving out time to see me is always appreciated.

On this occasion I had emailed ahead to let them know I was coming, and also to order some stamps which they were busy preparing when I arrived.

In this instance I had a friend who wanted some cancelled stamps to complete their Barbados used stamp album and the staff were only too happy to help.

I asked, as always, about new issues on the horizon as the last issue ‘Gullies of Barbados‘ was a year earlier in April 2024, and whilst I know the issuing policy is always modest, I always know that there are new ideas in the pipeline. On this occasion, however, I was told that there were some ideas but nothing concrete as the decisions for these matters were now being take at a more senior level and as well all know, the best way to delay any project is to add in more layers of bureaucracy.

Nonetheless, it was a great visit where I picked up not only the stamps for my friend, but also some more stock for me and this website and several first day covers.

We talked about the possibility of establishing a permanent philatelic record as it transpires that the Bureau do not hold a complete record of every stamp issues in Barbados, nor do they have a complete collection First Day Covers. I’ve agreed to help them try and create such an archive so if there are any Barbados collectors out there who are interested in helping, just get in touch with me.

We topped the visit off with the now obligatory photograph of me (in typical tourist garb as the heat was getting to me) and the ever so professional staff, Angela Griffith-Jordan, Diana D. Beckles and Gozell Nurse.

I look forward to future news of new issues and to come back to the Bureau sometime in the future.