Childhood fun stamped in the memory

Philatelists will be able to add playful images to their collections with Hongkong Post's issue next month featuring winning entries from a design competition.

The set, called 'Children Stamps - My Favourite Toys and Games', depicts activities including hopscotch, bubble-blowing and chess.

The four stamps in the set have denominations between $1.40 and $5. Belinda Chan Hoi-yan, Liu Chap-yin, Tsoi Ka-lai and April Yuen Nga-pui designed them.

The children, aged from 9 to 11, were the grand prize winners of last year's Children's Stamp Design Competition, which attracted more than 5,600 entries.

Belinda, a 10-year-old who designed the chess stamp, said: 'If you look at my work closely, you will find that the facial expressions of the two boys featured in my drawing represent two different personalities - complacency and modesty.'

Hopscotch stamp designer Chap-yin, nine, said he learned the game from his mother.