COLLECTORS of all ages attended the region’s biggest stamp fair held at the weekend.

Schoolchildren and more mature collectors joined dealers from around the country at the North-East of England Philatelic Association Stamp Fair and Convention held at Bowburn Community Centre, near Durham.

Mike Lewis, from organisers Northern Stamps and Postcard Fairs, said: “It was an excellent day, we had a lot of stamp collectors and a lot of children coming in with their parents, which was heartening to see.

“We get a lot of people in their 50s who have found their old stamp album from their childhood and want to take up a hobby now they’re older.

“We cater for all levels, from those who will spend an awful lot of money on rare stamps to those who add to their collections for just pennies”.

Among the star attractions was a Penny Black sent from West Yorkshire to Guisborough attached to legal correspondence.

Mr Lewis said: “Penny Blacks are less rare than you might expect, 70 million of them were produced although not all survived.

“A used Penny Black will sell from between £20 up to £250 depending on its condition and attractiveness, but they obviously still have a mystique about them”.