United Kingdom – England

Postcard from England's smallest city, Wells, in Somerset. With a population of 10,000, it is a city by virtue of its cathedral, and was designated a city in 1205. Pictured is the Vicar's Close, claimed to be the oldest purely residential street with its original buildings all surviving intact in Europe. They were built to house cathedral priests, with the first building of the Close connected by walkway to the Cathedral itself. Records indicate that construction of all buildings in the Close was completed by 1412.

Royal Mail stamp from the 2013 home countries series showing an oak tree for England. Now I just need the one from Scotland to round out the set.

United Kingdom III

Postcard from the English coastal city of Plymouth showing Smeaton's Tower, a lighthouse that once stood 20 kilometres out to sea to warn ships of dangerous rocks. It was built in 1759 then later dismantled and rebuilt in Plymouth in 1882 as a memorial to its designer, John Smeaton, a celebrated civil engineer.

Usual British Machin Queen's head stamps.

United Kingdom – Wales

Postcard showing an early twentieth century view of the high street of Prestatyn in northern Wales. After the arrival of railways in the nineteenth century, "Sunny Prestatyn" became famous for its beach, clean water and seaside promenade. Thanks to Ceri who was visiting her hometown.

Literally the day after learning of the existence of definitives for each of the United Kingdom's constituent countries from a Northern Irish postcard, I received a postcard from Wales with a Welsh definitive! Curiously, it features a daffodil rather than a leek. I guess they needed to make soup on photo day.

United Kingdom – Northern Ireland

Multiview of great Belfast pubs: The Crown Liquor Saloon; White's Tavern; The Duke of York; Robinson's; The Botanic Inn; Fibber Magee; Bittles Bar; McHuge's Bar; Hatfield House; Morning Star and The Crown Liquor Saloon (again -- I guess they ran out of great pubs).

There's a whole wiki page about craic, or "crack" as some prefer. I'll let you discover the delights of craic on your own, here, but rest assured, there is indeed substantive craic to be had in great Belfast pubs.

Although Northern Ireland uses the United Kingdom's Royal Mail, in researching this stamp I learned that there are definitive stamps issued for all four constituent countries of the Kingdom. In a certain way, it makes four more countries to collect. Only 119 left for me in that case! Seen here is the Northern Ireland definitive featuring lace doilies. 

Thanks to David and Cormac who were on holiday.

United Kingdom II

Postcard celebrating Somerset dialect. Somerset and other West Country dialects do not derive from a corrupted form of modern English, but reflect the historical origins of the English language and its historical pronunciation. Interestingly, "pirate speech" of Ooh arr, me 'earties! is in large part derived from West Country dialects, possibly due to the region's seafaring tradition, or also possibly because of the many West Country natives who starred as pirates in productions of The Pirates of Penzance and in Disney movies like Treasure Island and Blackbeard the Pirate. 

Machin Queen's Head first class domestic rate stamps.

United Kingdom

Postcard in honour of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrating 60 years of her reign, having been crowned on this day in 1952.

I received this postcard, her official Coronation portrait, a copy of which also hung in my high school foyer.

Traditional Queen's Head stamp featuring a rare, for Britain, and rather lovely hand cancellation mark.