COVER N.41 - France

Postmark: First Day Postmark: Fête du Timbre 2021,  21 Venarey Les Laumes 25SEP21
Posted on the 25th September; received on the 4th October
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La Fête du Timbre, the Stamp Festival. Under this epigraph, every year, since 1937, a series of philatelic events take place in a multitude of French cities, with a view not only to provide an occasion for all who  share the passion for stamps to meet, exchange knowledge and exhibit their collections, but also to try and infect others with the benign virus.
The event, initially called la Journée du timbre – The Day of the Stamp – was first organised by the Fédération des Sociétés Philatéliques Françaises in 1937.
Since 1944, La Poste issues on the occasion of  La Fête du Timbre a stamp or a set of stamps to commemorate the event. More recently the stamps have been subject to a theme running for several years. This is the case of this year’s theme –  l’Automobile et le cinema (Cars and movies) – that is now on its fourth iteration, a series that began in 2018, with “l’Automobile et le Sport” (Rally cars), and was continued through 2019 with “l’automobile de style” (Stylish cars) and 2020 with “L’automobile et les vacances” (Hollidays’ cars).
The 2021 emission, issued on 25SEP2021, the day of La Fête du Timbre, comprised  a single 1,08€ stamp (Lettre verte 20 g - France) showcasing a Citröen Mehari and a souvenir sheet, with a 2,16 € stamp (Lettre verte 100 g – France) with an image of one of the most iconic of all French automobiles: the Citröen 2CV.
This was the stamp that was used on the great cover I received from France on the 4th October. Thank you so much jean Pierre.

Given this year’s theme, the Bloc Feuillet was conceived as an homage to French Cinema and  two of its most illustrious comedians: Louis de Funès and Bourvil.  As such, other than the  blue 2CV, driven by Bourvil in the movie “Le Corniaud”, that is the subject of the stamp itself, the souvenir sheet contains a pen and ink drawing of a scene of  the movie, shot in the “Place Sainte Geneviève” in Paris , featuring the front of a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, driven by Louis de Funès, which, in the movie, collides with the back of the 2CV, this accident being central to the film’s plot.
I have no recollection of ever watching this film, but it is quite  possible that I did watch it, since I saw a lot of de Funès movies in the late 60’s early 70’s.
Besides the First Day cancellation mark issued at Venarey Les Laumes, the cover also contains two other stamp marks, one in red, reading Circuit Postal Automobile “Deuche Sédélocienne” and the other, in black, identifying the circuit the cover was on – CP 1 Venarey-Semur-Saulieu.
After some investigation on the internet, I came to the conclusion that the “Deuche Sédélocienne” is a 2CV (and also all things Citröen)  enthusiast club that associated itself with La fête du Timbre, promoting the transportation of philatelic letters such as my cover on a circuit passing through the three aforementioned localities on the 25th September.