A philatelic stampede for a piece of Angus maritime history has brought a boost for the men of the RNLI.
Stamp collectors across the globe rushed to secure a special commemorative cover produced to mark the bicentenary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Arbroath, and the success of the release brought a weekend windfall for the town’s lifeboat station.
The covers were produced by Arbroath and District Stamp and Postcard Club, which on Saturday enlisted a special figure to hand over the £260 cheque.
John Boath, the last principal keeper on the Bell Rock, was accompanied by club members David Torrie, Bill Cargill and Brian Cargill at the event.
“The Bell Rock commemorative covers have been purchased by stamp collectors, lighthouse aficionados and people keen to have a souvenir of the 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse from all over the world,” said Brian.
“The great news for the local area is that many of those who ordered covers mentioned that they are hoping to make the journey to Arbroath to join in with the Year of the Light.”
A limited number of covers are still available featuring the Royal Mail post-box stamp and label.
“However, the covers signed by John Boath and the covers featuring the Bell Rock Lighthouse stamp are completely sold out,” continued Brian, who is a member of the Year of the Light Steering Committee, which is supported by Angus Council’s local community planning team.