Description: This vintage philatelic item is a commemorative local souvenir sheet issued for St Mary's, the largest island within the Isles of Scilly archipelago off the coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The presentation features a full-bleed black and white background illustration showing the famous Blackpool Tower rising above the sandy promenade and seaside buildings. Embedded in the lower center is a single, rectangular, perforated postage stamp carrying a face value of £2. The stamp showcases a full-color vintage photograph capturing two iconic Coronation Street television characters, Lucille Hewitt and Elsie Tanner, smiling as they participate in traditional beach donkey rides. The upper portion of the stamp displays a dark blue banner with the text "ST MARY'S" and "ISLES OF SCILLY", while the bottom border reads "35th ANNIVERSARY" above a formal "CORONATION ST." street sign graphic.
Circa: 1995
Condition: Mint Sheet
Notes:
This issue belongs to the fantasy local-post tradition produced for collectors rather than normal postal necessity. Its appeal lies in the meeting of British television nostalgia, seaside imagery, and the small-island Cinderella format that made these later commemorative sheets distinctive within thematic collecting.
The stamp captures a historical, nostalgic moment from a special 1961 summer episode where characters from the fictional town of Weatherfield traveled to the actual resort town of Blackpool for a holiday. This specific storyline helped cement the cultural tradition of beachside donkey riding in the public consciousness of post-war Britain.