|PIC1|Lichfield Cathedral is putting on special tours and musical performances to celebrate the launch of the Royal Mail's new 'Cathedral' stamp series on Tuesday.

The cathedral takes pride of place on the 1st class stamp in the 10-stamp series featuring the UK's best loved cathedrals.

The Lichfield Cathedral stamp is one of six designed by Howard Brown in black and white, and featuring the stunning interiors of the cathedrals. They are accompanied by a four-stamp St Paul's Cathedral miniature sheet in celebration of the tercentenary of the completion of St Paul's.

In celebration of the new stamps, Lichfield Cathedral is inviting visitors to join in one of its special 'Stamp Celebration Tours' from Wednesday 14 May through to Saturday 24 May.

The 45-minute tours are being offered free of charge to the public, with the exception of the roof tours, and will be led by expert cathedral guides. The tours include a look at the cathedral's 'Hacket Silver' collection and library, not usually open to the public.

Other tours will show off the cathedral's statues, carvings and stained glass windows.

Sue Brown, Operations Officer at Lichfield Cathedral said of the tours:
"We are really pleased to be able to offer such a wide selection of visitor tours and we welcome people of all ages to come and discover more about the Cathedral.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to see some aspects of the Cathedral, which are not usually open to the public and with the addition of uplifting music, the Stamp Celebration period will be an unforgettable time for any visitor."

Other cathedrals included in the stamp series are Westminster Cathedral in London, Belfast Cathedral in Northern Ireland, and St Magnus Cathedral in the Orkney Islands.

Westminster Cathedral is represented in the form of the 72p stamp. Fr Christopher Tuckwell, Administrator of Westminster Cathedral said it was a "tremendous honour" for Westminster Cathedral to be featured in the Royal Mail series.

"Westminster Cathedral is the principal Roman Catholic Cathedral of England and Wales, and a sign of the Church's presence at the centre of our national life.

"The 72p stamp shows the magnificent nave of Westminster Cathedral (the widest of any cathedral in England), with a commanding view of the high altar. I hope that this stamp makes more people aware of the splendour of one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture and Byzantine art in the world."

Lichfield Cathedral's Stamp Celebration includes free live music from 12pm - 12.30pm, performed by cathedral musicians and guests.

On Tuesday, the cathedral choir will perform a free evening concert of popular choral classics.



Roof and Treasure tours at Lichfield Cathedral must be booked in advance. There will be no tours on Sunday 18 May or Tuesday 20 May. For more details of the Lichfield Cathedral tour times or to make a booking contact Sue Brown on 01543 306240.