News

Chance to put stamp on key life events

FOLLOWING in the footsteps of a host of celebrities and public figures, Royal Mail is getting in on the selfie craze with a set of new stamps, allowing people to mark key life events with a range of eight new designs to go alongside your latest snap.

If you are bored of looking at Queen Elizabeth for the umpteenth time as you post or open a letter, you can now post your own

mugshot as a momento.

Once the preserve of the under thirties on social media, the selfie has entered into the public consciousness in the past 18 months, with Hollywood stars marking Oscar night, Queen Elizabeth being snapped by quick-thinking Jack Surgenor in Belfast, and the much lambasted selfie involving the leaders of Denmark, Britain and the US at Nelson Mandela's funeral.

Complementing its existing basic range launched last year, the selfie photo will be placed next to a stamp design marking the event to form the "selfie smiler."

Among the occasions you can mark with a selfie under the Royal Mail range now include stamps for weddings, birthdays, new babies and even one to Mum and Dad.

Costing £10.20 for a pack of ten first class, the stamps are available to download using the 'Smilers App' using an iPhone, iPad or Android, or by going to the Royal Mail website.

However, any "offensive, obscene, indecent or defamatory" submissions for photos - as well as images carrying political or religious messages - will be refused, the company has said.