Herm Island Postal Arrangements

It has recently come to my notice from a visit to Herm Island and via our Committee Member, John Triggs, that things have changed at Herm Island from a postal perspective. In the first place, there is now no officially paid Sub-Postmaster in situ although the Herm Gift Shop does run a counter and still has the original self-inking datestamp. This, seemingly, can be used by invitation only, evidenced by the lady at the counter being prepared to cancel the postage stamp on a postcard I sent to myself by favour.

It appears, however, that ordinarily, the mail is collected uncancelled at the Gift Shop, placed in a mail bag which is then taken by the last Trident Ferry of the day for passage to St. Peter Port where it is collected from the boat and transferred to the La Vranque sorting office. It is here that all uncancelled mail is franked but with the La Vranque datestamp being used.

The upshot of all this is that, unlike Alderney and Sark which remain as Sub-Post Offices in their own right, the new 34mm datestamp recently issued in Guernsey to the Head Post Office and Sub-Post Offices will not be available to Herm. How long the old Self Inking datestamp will be available for use is open to question.

David Winnie