TAVISTOCK Guides' Christmas post has printed new yellow stamps to mark the centenary of the worldwide movement.

It was 100 years ago that Lord Baden Powell and his sister Agnes started a youth movement for girls that became the Girl Guides.

Although the blue stamps purchased in previous years can still be used, the celebratory yellow stamps, price 20p, are available from Lake Pharmacy, Spar Stores in Ford Street, Superdrug, Pillars Newsagents, Mainly Stationery, Stannary Surgery, Tavistock Launderette and Cards for Good Causes in the United Reformed Church.

Girl guiding in Tavistock has operated a Christmas postal service in the town for more than 20 years, delivering more than 7,000 cards to local addresses each year.

Local Brownies and Guides offer to deliver cards carrying the special stamps, and special blue post-boxes are located at the venues selling the stamps and in Guide meeting halls.

The last posting date is 5pm on Friday, December 18. The cards will be sorted and delivered that weekend. The delivery area only includes roads within the town of Tavistock and the village of Whitchurch.

For safety reasons Guides are unable to deliver in outlying areas or surrounding villages, although the Brownies in Bere Alston run their own scheme for their peninsula.

Customers are asked to ensure envelopes are correctly and clearly addressed as delivering cards without addresses or to numbers that do not exist is difficult!

The Guides hope the service will be used by more people than ever this year and appreciate the local support. For further information contact Kate Harding on 01822 613661, or for more details of the Bere peninsula service contact Yvonne Hicks on 01822 840003.