THURSDAY 7 APRIL: THE PRESIDENT'S DISPLAY

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This year Susan Oliver (our President) departed from showing her beloved Faeroe Islands and displayed part of her extensive collection of North Yorkshire postal history. The first half concentrated on the town and port of Whitby, with a view of the resort of Scarborough in the second part. Susan lived in a hamlet near Helmsley, Yorkshire during her formative years where she developed a liking for its philately. The Gilling & Pickering rail line went through the hamlet until closure to passengers in 1953 and total closure in 1964.

We were shown several straight-line cancellations of Whitby; a double ring Paid mark of 1792; a photocopy of a rare ship letter and a progression of 875 Duplex cancellations of the town.

18th century cancellations of Scarborough were varied:- SCARBO / ROUGH in 1765; in 1773 SCAR / BOROUGH; SCARBOROUGH on one line in 1801; several versions of milage marks being included; We also viewed a a parcel label of 1893; a Mulready envelope of 1940, another photocopy of a rare ship letter, and two items from overseas – San Remo, Italy (1905) & Seychelles (1969). Susan hopes to acquire the two ship letters if and when they appear on the market.

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THURSDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2023 – A Zoom display by Keith Burton F.R.P.S.L.

We welcomed Keith who is better known as the editor of ABPS News.

Keith explained that his display was mainly postcards although two stamps were included. Only viaducts had been included, no bridges or aqueducts, as a viaduct incorporated a multiplicity of arches and carried either a railway or a road.  

We commenced with Ravenshaw, north of Manchester where Keith had grown up. Now cleaned up and looking tranquil. The next was the Sankey viaduct which carries the Liverpool – Manchester line over the river Wye is now known as Monsal Dale viaduct. Then to Wales to view the Barmouth viaduct which, in 1864, had a lifting bridge but by 1900 had a swing bridge to allow ships to pass. Porthkerry Park Viaduct in Barry was built in 1890’s.

Wimereaux, Pas-de-Calais was erected in 1887 to carry the train from Calais to Boulogne but soon afterward took the Paris to Calais mail. Also in France, the majestic triple tier Viaduc de Chaumont, St. Roch serving the Paris to Basel line and 600m long. This includes a walkway tier The Grand Viaduc de la Donniere must be the longest viaduct in the world. Next was Morez Viaduct in the Jura built 1865 -1912 as a fiat of engineering comprising not just one span but six. In Germany the largest brick-built viaduct at Goltzschabruhe, Saxony is four tiers in height built 1856-61 containing 26 million bricks and appears on a stamp. We then viewed the Uppermill viaduct on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and concluded with the Ribblehead Viaduct.

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THURSDAY. 2 February:  “STAMPS AND POSTAL HISTORY OF NEPAL" BY MICHAEL FURFIE

Michael began with an explanation of the topographical and political history of the country, which had been reclusive until the end of the great war.

Michael aided his display by distributed a map showing the main settlements and routes between them and a page showing the depiction of the various postmarks which would be otherwise indecipherable to those other than our displayer and his cohorts who collect the philately of Nepal.

Postage stamps were printed on a rough, locally produced paper made from an acid free shrub. These stamps of 1881 would have only been used internally.

More stamps, depicting Shiva, were produced in Britain by Perkins, Bacon from 1907 to 1935. Cancellation was by a series of horizontal bars with a central figure within an oval. Prime minister Chandra Shumsher visited Britain in 1908 and a U.K. Residence was established in Kathmandu, after W.W.ll., with a branch of the Indian Post Office therein.

1936/37 saw the Indo-Nepalese postal treaty resulting in new higher value stamps being issued, printed in India, with unusual rates appearing in 1960’s. King Mahindra was crowned in 1956, when a commemorative stamp was issued. Nepal joined the United Nations in 1956 and the U.P.U. in 1959. The U.P.U. demanded that a Western alphabet be used for the value and name of the country on its stamps and with dates using the Western calendar

We are used to seeing displays of postage dues from Michael, but he had certainly used his analytical mind to show us an exceptionally good display of Nepal. A country not often displayed. All members that attended were full of praise of this evening meeting.