Meeting Reports

18th October 2013 - Members Displays

Three members put on displays during this meeting. Spence Coaker began with a display of "bits from a box, not written up", which was a miscellany of postal items, postcards, first day covers and many airmail examples, mainly of a military nature.Of particular interest was his story about the X-Craft mini submarines which played a significant part in the D-Day landings; the tracking of the Tirpitz and action in Singapore. He closed with a display of the GB Submarine issue.

Pauline Luscombe then showed examples of the many issues of the Forces Air Letters from inception in 1945 until their withdrawal in 2010, which included an example of the very last one. Many issues were shown, the red ink varieties, then the UPU dictated blue ink versions, with many different printings, sizes, styles and formats being displayed.

After the break, John displayed some frames of German stamps overprinted for use in Berlin. Starting with pneumatic post, an overview of the system in Berlin of some 90 stations and 400kms of tubes, with 8 million items a year using the system in 1939. He showed some poscards from Germany to Surinam with labels used by the postard collectors club in 1911. A first flight cover was on display, with photographs of the Dornier X it was flown on form Berlin to South America. The story of its interrupted flight, leaving on 11 November 1930 but not arriving until the following June due to a fire destroying one of the plane's wings in the Canary Islands during a stop-over, was told. Some POW mail was shown. Also an airlifted cover marking the 100th day of the Berlin Blockade on 8 October 1948 was displayed.

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15th November 2013 - Visitor, Chris Wheeler

Stamp Designer - David Gentleman
and
Stamps of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - Part One

In the first part of the meeting, Chris displayed mint examples of all the stamps designed by David Gentleman that had been used for Great Britain as well as the four issues for Nauru. Examples of Gentleman's working sketches and many unadopted designs were also discussed.

After the break, Chris put up thirty eight pages of stamps which showed pictures of places from the three local counties, and of people represented on stamps with surnames starting with "A" to "F".
Suggestions from the audience for unrepresented people were made for inclusion in future displays.

Members looking at the David Gentleman Display

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17th January 2014 - Visitor, Chris Wheeler

Stamps of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - Part Two
and
George Lambert and The Australian Light Horse Brigades in World War I

Chris put up sixty six frames of stamps which showed pictures of places from the three local counties, and of people represented on stamps with surnames starting with "F" to "Z". Suggestions from the audience for unrepresented people from the November display were included.

After the break Chris displayed 54 sheets covering three aspects of the Australian Light Horse Brigades' actions in the Middle East conflicts during the First World War. Starting with George Lambert , who had been appointed Australian War Artist, an Australian stamp featuring one of his paintings, and some postcards of other work were shown. This was followed by many sheets depicting people, places and events commemorated on stamps of the places where the Australian Light Horse had been in action, such as Anzac Cove, Alexandria, Aleppo, Damascus, Gallipoli and Jerusalem. Finally mint stamps, and a whole range of postal items from the 2013 joint issue from Australia and Israel commemorating the Battle of Beersheba were displayed.

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16th May - Visitor, Chris Wheeler

Anti-aircraft on Stamps and Cards,
C9 Downstream Access Mail, and
The European Broadcasting Union and the Eurovision Contests

Chris started the meeting with a display of 52 sheets on the subject of anti-aircraft, starting from the 1870-71 Siege of Paris and right through to the present day. Stamps, covers, miniature sheets, postal stationery, censors, together with some labels and cigarette cards illustrating the theme were included in the display.

Title page for the Anti-aircraft Display

A 24 page display of the Condition 9 Mail, Downstream Access, was shown next. All 48 covers in the display were collected from mail delivered to his home in the three months prior to the meeting, not a penny paid for them!! Of the 50 or so DSA providers, ten were represented with all kinds of variations in indicia and name.

First page of the Downstream Access Display

After the break, a 60 page display of stamps and postcards featuring the European Broadcasting Union, with the Contests it broadcasts were shown. These covered the Eurovision Song Contest, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the Junior Eurovision Chess Contest, the Eurovision Dance Contest, the European Bird Contest of 2002, and the annual New Year's Day Concert from Vienna.

Title page for the European Broadcasting Union Display

 

Chris Wheeler 19 May 2014

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20th June - Visitor, John Garrett
"Aspects of Bournemouth" (Postcards)

John began his talk on his well written-up display by explaining that he wanted to "show a lot, talk a little". His first cards were of the Bournemouth Crest. The first Bournemouth postcard was sent in 1897, his earliest was 1899 of Russell Coates' house now a museum and gallery. He showed a pictorial card of the Grand Hotel from 1902, and this was followed by many examples of early views of the developing town, the west cliff and pier, which was opened by the Mayor of London in 1880.

Several postcards from 1907 were shown including the first visit of the Home Fleet, with the battleship HMS Dreadnought, roller skating on the pier at the time of its extension, and the opening of the first section of Undercliff Drive by Lady Meyrick. Many cards showing various aspects of the centenary of Bournemouth were displayed: the two week air show, the regatta, the children's festival in Meyrick Park, the firemen displaying, the postmen's band. Then on to the recruiting march, early transport including the horse drawn ladies only outings, the early Royal Blue coaches, the tram crash, development of the railway, and the magnificent Bournmouth station with the largest unsupported span in Europe, resting on 18 ton girders.

Finally lots of views of old Bournemouth, nostalgia to the fore! some novelty cards and perhaps the only existing card of the Duke of Gloucester opening the Winter Gardens on 19 March 1929 (posted on 2 April 1929).

The display closed with several frames of cards on West Moors, Three Legged Cross and Verwood, and the various railways that served these towns.

John with his certificate and "thank you" from the Club

Chris Wheeler 20 June 2014

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17th October - Visitor:- Chris Wheeler
Salisbury Stations, Horizon Labels and Kew Gardens

Chris began his talk displaying 30 sheets of postcards, stamps, covers, a timetable and pair of matching halves of tickets from Dublin to Salisbury in 1929. The postcards featured Salisbury Stations from around the world, beginning with Salisbury Wiltshire, external and internal views, early trains and the Boat Train Disaster of 1 July 1906. Salisbury Station Rhodesia; Salisbury Station and Round House in North Carolina; Salisbury Point and Salisbury Beach Stations, Masachusetts; New Union Station in Salisbury Maryland; Salisbury Satation Adelaide, Australia; and finally a 2012 postcard of Salisbury Station, Queensland, Australia.

The second topic was a display of Horizon Labels from 2003 to 2014, featuring examples of different indicators from the English and Welsh series. Many examples of errors and mis-use were also shown. Due to its unusual nature this display led to a lot of discussion!

After the break, Chris put up 50 sheets on the subject of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, featuring stamps, postcards and covers which illustrated the many buildings, outdoor areas, and the people and Societies associated with Kew Gardens. This display concluded with his 8 page Entry for the Somerset & District Philatelic Federation, held in Poole in September.

Chris Wheeler 19 October 2014

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21st November - Visitor, Chris Wheeler
"London Station Termini to 1899" and Paddington Bear (Postcards),
and "Fire Services in Europe"

Chris began his display with a map showing the location of all the main line London Termini which had been opened around the City from the start of the Railway era up to 1899. Varying numbers of postcards illustrating the structure, trains and life at each of these stations was displayed with 75 pages of postcards in all.

A tongue-in-cheek display of a frame of postcards featuring Paddington Bear followed.

After the break stamps, covers and postcards from countries all over Europe were displayed showing various aspects of the Fire Services. Topics included the Services in action; their Commemorations, Conferences and Anniversaries; Fire Fighting on land, at sea and from the air; Fire Prevention; Fire Engines and Appliances and stationery bearing slogans and meter marks from the Fire Services and Companies supplying the Fire Services.

President, John Duckworth, gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the club.

Members looking at the Display

Chris Wheeler 22 November 2014

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19th December - Members displays, Club Farewell

Following an address by the Chairman, some excellent displays were given by Members at this, the last meeting of the Club.

Pauline displayed several frames tracing the History of OHMS Envelopes and Post Office Licences
Brian displayed Early Advertising Covers from USA
Jeff exhibited a range of unusual postcards featuring the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, the first passenger railway
Spence provided modern Hong Kong, from 1997 to 2012
John's first display was the History of Pneumatic Post in Europe
John's second display was a comprehensive overview of Bournemouth's Centenary Celebration in 1910

A photograph was taken of eight of the nine remaining members of the club, who attended this final meeting.

Farewell!!