When Dave Howlett set out from St. Peter Port on the morning of 20 May 1972, the boat in which he would row single-handed to Shanklin on the Isle of Wight contained a quantity of individually numbered fundraising covers. The Guernsey stamp on these was cancelled with the date of embarkation and the UK stamp on each cover was to be cancelled with the date of arrival, 21 May. It seems very unlikely that either cancellation was actually applied on the date it bore, but they were right for the voyage itself.
When Dave attempted the journey in reverse in June 1973, he sank off Alderney. His covers, already bearing a 5 June cancellation on each UK stamp, were rescued for cancellation in Guernsey on 6 June. (Figure 1 below) Once again, it is very unlikely that the cancellations were applied on the actual dates. However, a lot of money was raised for the R.N.L.I. The 1972 and 1973 covers sometimes float to the surface on eBay, albeit no longer for charitable purposes.
Does it matter that these well-travelled pieces of postal and fundraising history bear postmarks that were not applied on the actual days in question, and that they were not postally used? It certainly excites me to think of them in those two boats, with more than a hint of the sweat from Dave’s tenacious brow.
In setting out to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of Dave’s “oaresome” adventures, in a philatelic fundraising way, something physical like rowing was never an option. But because, in 2022 at least, the relevant overnight Condor sailing from St. Peter Port to Portsmouth would effectively follow in his oar strokes, an apt celebration could be devised, albeit without the UK cancellation. Guernsey Post were, as ever, very helpful and a box of individually numbered covers was collected from La Vrangue on the morning of 20 May 2022. These were carried from Guernsey R.N.L.I. at White Rock, via Portsmouth to Shanklin, with journey’s end being the Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat (ILB) Station nearby. (Figures 2 and 3).
The 2023 celebration could not benefit from sea travel, but the covers were received for cancellation in Alderney, again courtesy of wonderful Guernsey Post. In fact, starting out from the ILB station the previous morning, they flew with me from Southampton to Braye, Alderney, journey’s end being officially the R.N.L.I. Station, and on the reverse journey to Southampton.
In total, and by various means, over £1,000 was shared between the three lifeboat crews of Sandown and Shanklin, Alderney and Guernsey. Pieces of 70s philatelic fundraising history were celebrated, and new collectables were generated, the latter having their own travel stories to tell. Purists may scoff at the postmark dates and the absence of actual postal usage but let them scoff. Saving lives at sea is a serious business, and 200 years of the R.N.L.I. has doubtless spawned yet more philatelic fundraisers whose journeys have been unconventional. Dave Howlett 50 Celebration covers are still available, with the proceeds still being distributed among the three lifeboat crews.
