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to think old passports were black, not blue

149 replies

chomalungma · 22/02/2020 10:22

I have my old passport from the late 80s.

It is definitely black.

Yet the Government keeps talking about the old blue passports

What colour do you think old passports were?

OP posts:
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opticaldelusion · 22/02/2020 10:23

Very dark blue.

drivingtofrance · 22/02/2020 10:24

Darkest blue.

I have mine somewhere.

chomalungma · 22/02/2020 10:25

www.smh.com.au/world/europe/is-this-old-passport-black-or-blue-the-answer-explains-brexit-20180418-p4zaem.html

There is a debate out there.

OP posts:
Chemenger · 22/02/2020 10:25

My old one is definitely black, I’ve wondered about this too. We have my grandfather’s passport from the 30’s, I must check what colour that is, I’m fairly sure it’s black.

Stressedout10 · 22/02/2020 10:25

They were dark navy blue not black

saraclara · 22/02/2020 10:27

I have mine from the 80s in front of me now (was showing it to someone last night). It's dark navy blue. I don't know how anyone can see it as black.

EBearhug · 22/02/2020 10:28

I think my father's from the '50s was black. My first adult one from the late '80s was a dark navy.

StCharlotte · 22/02/2020 10:28

They were that dark navy blue that is so close to black that I can't wear it next to my face.

HTH Wink

InsideNo · 22/02/2020 10:29

I remember my parents’ passports as black with a sticker on the front with their names. I’ve always had a burgundy passport.

chomalungma · 22/02/2020 10:29

A reliable source

The Daily Mail

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5207445/Brexiteers-New-blue-British-passport-wrong-colour.html

"Mock-ups of the new passports show it to be blue, but many keen-eyed observers are pointing out that the pre-1988 passports were very dark blue, almost black"

So it looks like the new passports might be the wrong shade of blue.

he Home Office has said the passports 'may not immediately look like the old passport people remember because these became darker as they got older.'

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Ponoka7 · 22/02/2020 10:31

I have my Mother's passport and my Grandfather's, both deceased some time ago. Both are dark Navy.

TheMaskedTulip · 22/02/2020 10:33

@saraclara Colourblind people can see them as black. Such as myself. Please don’t be so dismissive.

Ponoka7 · 22/02/2020 10:34

Of course they are the wrong shade of blue, but what was important was that contacts and friends of the present government, got the contract.

It doesn't matter that they are a French firm and British firms were bypassed to manufacture them. We might have stood a chance of getting the colour right.

chomalungma · 22/02/2020 10:35

I don't know how anyone can see it as black

People who can see it as black can see it as black.

Because people can see colours differently.

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PhoneLock · 22/02/2020 10:36

There's a pile of my husband's cancelled ones on his desk. They all look black to me. It must be a very, very, very dark blue.

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 22/02/2020 10:38

I always thought they were black 🧐

recrudescence · 22/02/2020 10:38

I remember my parents’ passports as black with a sticker on the front with their names

There weren’t stickers as such but cut outs top and bottom with the name and passport number written on the surface beneath. Very classy.

PhoneLock · 22/02/2020 10:38

Colourblind people can see them as black. Such as myself. Please don’t be so dismissive.

My colour vision has been checked and I'm not colour blind. They look black to me too.

AriadnesFilament · 22/02/2020 10:38

I don’t care.

What i think is more ‘interesting’ is that they’re made in Poland...

sunshinesupermum · 22/02/2020 10:39

Checked mine - it is a very dark blue that could be mistaken for black in some lights I suppose. Meanwhile I'm personally delighted that my red European passport is still valid for another six years yay!

NearlyGranny · 22/02/2020 10:41

It is indeed a very dark blue. I can go back to my very first one from 1976 and everything after, but no further.

Sometimes the only way to tell blue from black is to put the object against something you know for certain in one colour or the other, when it will become clear.

UK passports for mere mortals have not been black for over 40 years, if they ever were.

chomalungma · 22/02/2020 10:41

If I saw this, then I would say at first glance that they were black.

Blue wouldn't jump out at me at first glance. Unless it was a very very very very very dark blue.

to think old passports were black, not blue
OP posts:
PhoneLock · 22/02/2020 10:42

Actually, I've just moved them into the sun and I have to concede, they are an extremely dark blue... verging on black.

EL8888 · 22/02/2020 10:42

They were very dark blue. My Mum has some of her old passports

NearlyGranny · 22/02/2020 10:42

And my new Irish passport will be EU burgundy, like my still fairly new UK one. Hurrah for the EU channel at continental airports!

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