Royal Mail launches stamps to celebrate The Vicar of Dibley

Royal Mail has launched a set of special stamps to celebrate award-winning sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.

The main set of eight stamps includes images of famous scenes from the series, while a further four stamps show a Dibley Parish Council meeting.

The sitcom, which ran for three series on the BBC from November 1994 to January 2007, won numerous awards.

Paul Mayhew-Archer, who co-wrote the programme alongside Richard Curtis, said it was “very exciting news and an amazing honour”.

The series was set in the fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley, which was assigned a female vicar played by Dawn French.

Airing eight months after the first 32 British women were ordained as Church of England vicars, it was created and co-written by Richard Curtis, alongside Mr Mayhew-Archer.

The series is among the most successful British programmes, receiving multiple British Comedy Awards, an International Emmy and was a multiple British Academy Television Awards nominee.

Mr Mayhew-Archer said: “It’s an amazing honour and just a shame so few of the cast are still here to enjoy it.

“Seeing the beautiful stamps brought back such happy memories.

“They are special stamps in memory of characters with very special needs.”

For more than 50 years Royal Mail said its Special Stamp programme had commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life.

David Gold, director of external affairs and policy, said: “The superb writing and the warmth and idiosyncrasies of its characters made The Vicar of Dibley one of the most loved TV comedies of all time.

“We celebrate the series with new stamps revisiting some of the show’s classic moments.”

The stamps are now available to pre-order.