My Grandfather (my dad's father) was a massive stamp collector. He didn’t just collect them, though, he actually designed two of them!  They were two stamps for the Malaysian state of Sarawak, see image

Stamp collecting was a lifelong passion for him. During the Second World War, he was too old to fight, and since he worked in advertising, an industry that was essentially banned during the war, he had to find other work. He ended up getting a job at a factory in Willesden, London, for a company that eventually became Marconi

While there, he ran the factory's "suggestion scheme," which is a whole other story for another day! Back in those days, large factories weren't just places of work; they had thriving sports facilities and social clubs. There were camera clubs, model-making groups, and, of course, a stamp collecting club. My grandfather ran the stamp club, which was a brilliant way for him to bolster his own collection

When my grandfather passed away, his massive collection was halved, split between my father and his brother. Later on, my father decided to break up certain parts of his half to pass down. That’s how I ended up with the Canadian and USA stamps, for example

When my father’s own time on earth was coming to an end, he made the decision to put the rest of the collection up for auction. It was a bittersweet moment, but it meant the collection went to someone who would truly love and appreciate it, just as he and his father had

Conclusion

Looking back, those stamps were so much more than just bits of paper; they were a timeline of my family's history, tracking my grandfather's creativity through the war and passing down through the generations. While the main collection has moved on to a new custodian, the stories and the stamps I still hold onto, remain a cherished link to both my father and grandfather