THE limited edition Tees Transporter Bridge Royal Mail stamp issued on Thursday 5th March has proven to be a huge hit on its first day on sale.
The Transporter stamp has attracted attention from around the world, with the launch covered by several national broadcasters and newspapers. The limited edition stamp’s release has also proven popular online, with thousands visiting the Tees Transporter Bridge’s official @teestransporter Twitter account and Facebook pages. Hundreds have retweeted and shared the news of the stamp’s release, including celebrated Middlesbrough artist Mackenzie Thorpe, author Harry Pearson and ‘Voice of the Boro’ Ali Brownlee.
With Teessiders rushing to snap up the limited edition stamps, some Post Offices in the area have already sold out and are looking to order more stock. The Tees Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre is also awaiting delivery of the sought-after collectors’ items.
The new stamp has also attracted new visitors to the iconic landmark, currently undergoing extensive renovation as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Tees Transporter Bridge Visitor Experience Project. Among the visitors was John Cook from Shipley near Bradford, who travelled to the Transporter Bridge especially to mark the occasion of the launch.
The retired civil servant, amongst the first to send for the ‘Bridges’ Collection’s First Day Cover from High Clarence Post Office, said “I picked the Transporter Bridge out of the two bridges [Transporter and Humber] which feature that have historic connections to Yorkshire. I have been collecting First Day Covers for some forty years and try to visit one of the featured locations on the day of the stamp’s release”.
Whilst at the Teesside landmark, John also visited the ‘Bridging the World’ Exhibition currently on show at the Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre, recalling another visit to a famous bridge with a Middlesbrough connection: “I also climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2006 on a round the world trip, it was one of the first things I did when I arrive”.
The Tees Transporter Bridge’s Tosh Warwick said “The popularity of the stamp has already led to a heightened interest in the Bridge, reflecting the passion and pride felt towards our landmark structure. We look forward to receiving the Transporter stamps and expect these will prove very popular with visitors purchasing postcards and merchandise from the Transporter Bridge Shop”.
- ‘Bridging the World’, an exhibition Cleveland Bridge and Dorman Long’s most famous bridges using Teesside Archives’ Collections, is open at the Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre until April.
- The Tees Transporter Bridge is currently closed for ongoing enhancement work as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Tees Transporter Bridge Visitor Experience Project. Throughout the closure a replacement bus service has been in operation between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence – a timetable can be found on the Bridge’s dedicated website teestransporterbridge.com.