KINGSTON AND DISTRICT PHILATELIC SOCIETY
IN OUR NEW, VERY COMFORTABLE, HOME IN CLAYGATE!
CLAYGATE DAY CENTRE, ELM ROAD, CLAYGATE KT10 0EH
OUR NEXT MEETINGS
THURS. 2 FEBRUARY “STAMPS & POSTAL HISTORY OF NEPAL” – MICHAEL FURFIE
FRIDAY 17 FEBRUARY PRESIDENT’S DISPLAY.
OUR NEXT ZOOM MEETINGS WILL BE ON:
TUES. 14 FEBRUARY 7.30 - 9PM. KEITH BURTON - "VIADUCTS" [MAINLY POSTCARDS]
TUES. 14 MARCH 7.30 - 9PM. ITEMS OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS
TUES. 11 APRIL 7.30 - 9PM MAURICE BUXTON - "DECIMALISATION & THE POST OFFICE",
TUES. 9 MAY 7.30 - 9PM. ITEMS OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS
TUES. 13 JUNE 7.30 - 9PM. PHILLIP LONGBOTTOM - "MAIL BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND GB"
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We are a "Philatelic Society" or "Stamp Club" for collectors of postage stamps, postal history, thematic philately, aerophilately, postcards and ephemera: in Kingston-upon-Thames, Claygate, East & West Molesey, Esher, Ham, Hersham, Surbiton, and Thames Ditton.
Our last two seasons were constrained by Covid Regulations. This season we are committed to face to face meetings (twice a month) at which Members, guests and visitors may display material, physically inspect it, and share and discuss their philatelic interests.
These face to face meetings will be supplemented by a series of "Zoom" meetings to which a number of guest speakers will be invited.
WHO WE ARE AND OUR WEB-SITE
From September we plan to revert our traditional schedule of two meetings a month in the New Hall at Surbiton Library: on the first Thursday and the third Friday of each month commencing at 8 pm.
In addition we are planning to continue with less frequent but regular on-line meetings using "Zoom".
We hope to announce details of the programme within the next two weeks.
THIS DEVELOPING WEB-SITE CURRENTLY HAS 15 PAGES.
From the top Menu
* This page: an outline of the Society and what we offer Members, Guests and Visitors
* Our future programme (currently under review)
* Useful links
* Annual Competition
* Stamp Collecting (a miscellany)
* Events (that may be of interest)
* Philately (articles and snippets from the 1880's and up to the present )
* Details on membership of our society
From the button at the right of the menu ("MORE"):
* A brief history of our Society
* Extracts from Fiction which features stamp collectors, and stamp collecting.
* Some historical tit-bits about stamps from around the world
* Philatelic Journals
* Notes on our meetings in the 2018/19 Season
* Some famous people who collect (or collected) stamps.
* Kid's Stuff; for the smaller and bigger kids who collect stamps
OUR ACTIVITIES
Exploration, Research, Discussion, Enjoyment, Companionship.
"I conceive of a stamp being a fragment of history, a word in the annals of human experience, a picture of an ideal fresh from the human heart. The design impressed upon it signifies what the nation may be at the moment."
(Harold LeClair Ickes; United States Secretary of the Interior, 1937-1946)
REGULAR MEETINGS
Guest Speakers
Members Evenings
Annual Competition
A regular journal
Visits
WE MEET TWICE A MONTH IN CLAYGATE DAY CENTRE (KT10 0EH)
From 8 pm until 10 pm on the first Thursday and the third Friday of each month.
AUCTIONS
Our next auction will be held in Claygate on 17 March.
PACKET EXCHANGES
Between Local Members.
Material from our own Members and from Members of other societies.
We have now restarted the circulation of packets, with Members takin appropriate measures to transfer these safely.
16 packets are currently in circulation.
If you wish to join one of the circulation lists please contact our secretary : e mail brian.sole@btinternet.com
OUR MEETING ON JANUARY 20TH
Five members and one guest attended.
Two members displayed.
Russell Hill:- Boating in his younger years, water-skiing and bob-sleighing were hobbies that Russell had tried and we saw photographs and medals to exemplify this. Through his connection to Butlins, he had also played snooker and darts, viewed boxing and had seen some of the cartoons produced to publicise Butlins. We saw postcards of these activities. Billy Butlin was president of the cartoonist society for a number of years and Russell is also an accomplished cartoonist which we were also allowed to view.
Brian Sole:- Brian is a follower of the Royal Family and has collected philatelic items relating to royalty from Queen Victoria to King Charles lll on the stamps of Jersey and of Great Britain. He also displayed some labels issued by G.B. for the Coronations of King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth ll. Brian finished his display with covers featuring every monarch of England from King William l to King George Vl.
NOVEMBER 8TH: OUR FIRST ZOOM MEETING OF THE SEASON.
The first Zoom meeting since lockdown was organised to involve country members, members who find attending meetings difficult, friends and guests who are interested in all aspects of philately.
It is hoped that future meetings will alternate between a visiting presenter and members displays on a theme.
Those who joined this meeting were treated to a series of fascinating exhibits from Michael Pitt-Payne including items from the from Willie Reginald Bray "the Man who posted himself" and some historical letters where an ordinary cover hid a deeply interesting letter.
Roger Holden showed us a series of stamps from Gibraltar, with crucially, original postcards that matched the designs.
Chris Oliver also showed some censored covers from South Africa where often the markings indicated a hidden story.
Full details will be available in the next Club Newsletter.
GRAHAM WESTON
On Thursday, 3rd November Derek Weston was our first guest speaker of the season with a display on “Cinderella issues, including Poster Stamps”
Derek started by displaying an absolute cornucopia of exhibits from a “Mulready” advertisement for leeches in 1870’s, 1937 Coronation labels used in the USA in 1989; and Festival of Britain mementoes.
Derek then turned to Coleman of Norwich; including poster stamps, National Coupons that were issued with Coleman’s mustard and menu from the paquebot “Amboise” advertised Coleman’s mustard. Captain Scott took the mustard to the Antarctic on his first journey in 1901.
Members will be able to read a full summary of the display in our next Newsletter.
CINDERELLAS' AND FORGERIES
Members’ Evening Friday 21 October
Brian Sole started the displays with British Philatelic Exhibition souvenir sheets; Poster Stamps; Seaside postal slogans; Festival of Britain Cards and Postman’s cards. He indicated the depth a Cinderella material which was available.
Russell Hill gave the next display which also showed that Cinderella items covered a wide range of philately, although his first pages showed a forged 1d black adjacent genuine 1d stamps both black and red. Next came some “stamps” and labels from the postal strike of 1971;
Novelty postcards, including panel cards, wooden cards (which had been through the mail), cards which illuminated when put to the light, Pontin’s (not Butlins) spoof cards and much more.
Chris Oliver displayed forgeries of early Swiss stamps from
The National P.S. Forgeries Collection. These included
Stamps of some Cantons:- Geneva, Zurich, Basel beside
those of unified Switzerland.
FRIDAY 17 JUNE
Our last meeting of the season on the topic of "Holiday Destinations"
LONDON 2022 INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITION
Finally, after postponement last year due to the Covid 19 restrictions we were able to attend this spectacular exhibition.
Three of our members exhibited and all were awarded high marks:
Brian Sole "Go by Cycle" was awarded a Large Vermeuil in the Thematic Class
Stan Challis "Irish Registered Mail 1841-1922" was awarded a Large Vermeuil in the Postal History Class
Peter Wood "The Road to Independence: Ireland from the Act of Union to the Irish Free State" was awarded a Vermueil in the Open Class.
We have been privileged to see elements of these exhibits at our Club meetings over the last three years, but it was nice to see them laid out in full at London 2022.
A very impressive contribution from a small club!
FRIDAY 20 MAY: NIGEL GOODING
The Phillipines under Spanish Occupation
A SIMPLY STUNNING DISPLAY AND EXPOSITION OF THE EARLIEST STAMPS FROM THE PHILLIPINES
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FROM THE VERY FIRST ISSUE
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WHICH ATTRACTED OUR LARGEST GATHERING OF THE SEASON
THE PRESIDENT'S EVENING
Thursday 7 April "The Faroe Islands"
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18 ISLANDS
Susan gave a scintillating display of material from her "beloved Faroe Islands"; complete with little details of the problems of travel between islands in ensuring lunch, and, on other occasions, seasickeness.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF POSTMARKS
With the Islands using Danish stamps until 1975 Susan explained how most material has to be recognized by the postmarks - easier on covers but not for individual stamps.
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"238"
Apart from recognizing the names of the post offices - such as Torshavn (the main town) - The Faroes had a unique numerical cancellation: 238 in a triple circle; and Susan showed some fine examples.
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SHIPS, WAR, AND THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Over the two halves of this superb presentation Susan displayed a wealth of material: ship letters (including from "Ruth" one of the local steamers), letters to and from India, the USA and of course Scotland; censored wartime mail, and one envelope which was found to contain some pressed flowers from The Faroes!
THURSDAY 3 MARCH: OUR AGM, AND ONE SHEET COMPETITION
Details of the meeting will be published in our Newsletter
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Chris Oliver
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Russell Hill
WINNER!
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Roger Niven
3 FEBRUARY: POSTCARDS
The subject was postcards and we were entertained by a wide variety of fascinating displays.
Some pictures will be added to this web-site next week but to wet your appetite we saw postcards of old Claygate; historical and amusing bicycling; South African regional pictures; the Faroe Islands; and early French cards.
In addition Brian Livingstone treated us to a hard copy of his fascinating research into why King Edward VIII and King George VI are portrayed on some Commonwealth stamps sporting medals that should not have been worn!
A very entertaining evening was the view of those attending! More details to follow.
21 JANUARY: AIR MAILS AND CINDERELLA'S
A larger gathering although still with some apologies for absence due to non-Covid seasonal illness.
FABULOUS CINDERELLA'S
Brian Sole displayed some stunning Cinderlla's from The National Trust, The National Postal Museum and other British providers. Many of which were of a design and print standard that made some of the official GB issues look a little tame.
RARE AIR MAIL COVERS
Russell Hill lacked relevant material from his own collection so he brought a creative approach born of our experiences on "Zoom". He showed a series of images of rare covers taken from the Internet and in addition to the interest of the covers themselves we were invited to estimate the asking prices - with some hilarious results.
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