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Summer 2008 Newsletter

MALTA, CHRISTMAS 2007 ISSUE

Leslie Sutton

The Malta 2007 stamps were produced as a joint venture with the Philatelic and Numismic Bureau of the Vatican City. The Vatican stamps featured the same imagery as Malta's. A copy of 'The Nativity', painted by Maltese artist Giuseppe Gali (1846-1930), which is in the Saint Andrews Church, Luqa, is shown complete on the 15 cents value, and segments of it on the 9 cents and 27 cents values. The stamps were printed by Printex Ltd of Qormi (Malta) on paper bearing the multiple Maltese Cross watermark. Perforation 14.28 x 14.28 (comb). The set was released on 28 November 2007.

SPEEDY DELIVERY

Derrick Avery

We tend to complain about the postal service, but how about this for speedy delivery. My father’s day card was postmarked in Southampton at 2.14 pm on 13.06.08 and cancelled in the Nottingham Sorting Office 00.17am on 14.06.08 and was delivered to me at 10.30 am on that day.

The International Service is not too bad either. My daughter posted her card at Squamish, which is about an hour’s run north of Vancouver, on 12.06.08 and I received it on 16.06.08. Recently on Central News, one of their roving reporters was somewhere in Nottinghamshire trying to locate a STREET ROAD. He was way out, because it is in New York according to the enclosed postmark!

SINGAPORE POSTAL MUSEUM

Sandra Poole

Left: Hong Kong QEII red pillar box donated by HK Post Right: Stamp vending machine used during the after the hand over to China in 1997. The collection colonial period and a stamp booklet vending

plate is in English and Chinese machine introduced in 1973

Left:Metal portable posting box c. 1970. This was used in Right: In 1971 the Postal Services designed and locally

Post Offices for local greeting cards when volume was high. manufactured mew posting boxes. Double apertures.

UNUSUAL POST OFFICES

David Butterworth

I was interested to read of our Editor's visit to San Francisco recently. I went through precisely the same process about eight years ago, likewise ending up in the distinctly gloomy basement at Macey's. Having introduced myself to the lady Postmaster (I was still 'in the trade' then), I commented upon the complete absence of any bandit screen, and that such could not normally apply in England. Her reply, in slightly amused tone, was "Wow! You don't think that someone's going to pull a gun on ou, do you?" And that was the U.S.A!

I'm afraid the wholesale axing of all but so-called 'strategic' post offices is by no means confined to our shores; in such 'civilized' countries as Denmark, Holland and Germany, they have all gone, and no-one is the better for it. In, for example, a typical German village as Meensen (near Goettingen), the postlady (in that case) would take in a bag of incoming mail first thing, and then spend the rest of the morning attending her little post office - a front room of her house approached through rows of delicious looking vegetables. Slack moments would be used to sort the mail, and some villagers would call by for theirs if they were passing. After lunch, she would be on her bike single-handedly delivering all that was left, finally returning to prepare the outward batch for pick-up at the end of the day. She stamped all her own mail - "Meensen" of course, not "Mittel-Deutschland" or whatever. She took pride in her work, her office, and the village name. I cannot believe this was a wasteful or inefficient m.o., and everyone was happy - except the little men with calculators somewhere up there!

Many surviving post offices in substantial and proud towns are reduced to little more than receiving stations for awkward items, and I append a photograph of the main post office in the delightful town of Bolsward in North Holland, by kind permission of the equally delightful Postmaster.

Postscript: I was interested to read your item in the Winter 2008 issue of the Newsletter, regarding the posting of items across the P.O. counter. After four years out of it, I have been dug up to run Oxton P.O. during an interregnum - which I have agreed to in the cause of saving it from possible permanent closure. I am perfectly happy to process items with proper stamps on them. The beauty of it is that we have a classic letter date stamp, double-ring, and of course I keep it in perfect condition. I should be more than happy to process any items from yourself and any other society members, should you find yourself in that neck of the woods. The opening hours are at present 9.00 - 2.00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (with I'm afraid occasional alterations - though items can nevertheless be left.)

SO WHAT NEXT

Sandra Poole

Following Switzerland’s stamps made of wood and embroidery, Portugal has now produced a stamp made of cork!

Made from Norwegian spruce, issued 2004 Embroidered stamp

Swiss post also produced the world's first stamp to smell of chocolate. So again, what's next?

THE ROAD TO PENURY IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS

George Kirkham

I am not an avid bidder to Postal Auctions. I have not, I must admit, been disappointed with the material I have purchased. No, my problem lies in another direction. Let us suppose, for the sake of argument, I made a bid in September; it can be November by the time the end result is known.

Therein lies the rub. In the Building Trade, July, August and September are the busy months so, consequently, a tiny bit of spare dosh is available. Come November, however, things are very different. I know I am not the only one to have woken up in the middle of the night, sat bolt upright in bed and shouted: “I have bid how much?” By the time my poor old ticker has calmed down again, I have made a good many resolutions, among them never to bid again- but you do. I thought I would share these thoughts with you in the hope that they may have some therapeutic value. (I know the feeling. Not many moons ago, I bid in a Danish Postal Auction for several local post covers that don’t come cheap at the best of times, added to which the buyer’s premium was higher than normal. As my bids were not much more than the estimates, I was not expecting to be successful. I got them all!

Editorial Comments: George’s story also reminded me of an elderly stamp collecting friend who used to regularly overspend at stamp fairs. He felt so guilty on the way home, that he hid some of his purchases in the coal cellar before greeting his wife. I often wondered what would have happened if she had stoked up the fire before he was able to retrieve them!

Eric Croft has sent me a copy of our 1999 stamp auction catalogue, on the back of which was written “Having read the article below, it has been unanimously decided that this form of underhanded dealing would be most welcome at our auctions! "

A stamp collector hired a stripper to distract rival bidders at a Copenhagen auction. He bought a £3,000 stamp for £300 because other collectors were too busy watching his companion to bid.' (S.P.)

‘A PHILATELIST’S PSALM’ by E. Berkley. Submitted by S.SPEAK

Stamp Collecting is my hobby, I shall not be bored.

It maketh me to do research in far places;

It causeth me to correspond with odd people;

It keepeth me alert;

It leadeth me into areas of understanding for curiosity’s sake.

Yea, though I live through a Winter of inclement weather,

I will fear no boredom, for my stamps are with me:

Their beauty and their history they intrigue me;

They provideth me a means of escaping from the tensions of my responsibilities:

They filleth my house with books:

My cash runneth lower,

Surely interest and knowledge shall follow me all the days of my life,

And I will be listed in the ranks of the philatelists forever.

THE ROYAL PHILATELIC SOCIETY, LONDON

Sandra Poole

I recently attended a meeting held by the Cinderella Stamp Club in conjunction with the Belgian Study Circle at the Royal Philatelic Society in London. Whilst there, I had the opportunity to see one library room, because coffee and tea were served there before and after the meeting- very civilised! I also had a quick look at the museum housed in the basement- old post office scales and stamp boxes particularly attracted my attention. Even more interesting and more prominently displayed on the way upstairs, was the printing press used by Sperati to produce his ‘alternative stamps’!

I have wanted to know more about the Royal Society for a long time, so have taken a few notes from their website for the benefit of other members who may also be interested, but do not have access to the internet The Royal Philatelic Society, London is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was established in 1869 and was then known as the Philatelic Society, London. The ‘Royal’ was added courtesy of King Edward V11 in 1906. “10 years earlier…his son, HRH The Duke of York became President of the Society, an office he continued to hold until his accession to the throne as HM King George V in 1910. Thereafter, His Majesty continued to act as its patron and in 1924 granted the Society permission to use the Royal Arms on its stationery and publications”. The royal philatelic tradition continues and a selection from the Queen’s collection is displayed at the society’s opening meeting each season.

The Society purchased its present headquarters at 41 Devonshire Place in 1925. It comprises a large meeting room, members’ and council rooms, a library, a museum and self-contained accommodation for the staff. Meetings are held from September to June, normally on alternate Thursdays There are two types of meeting, the first starting at 5pm is formal: one or more papers are read, these being accompanied by displays given by individual members. The second, taking place from 1pm –5pm, consists of a display of stamps, postal history etc by one or more members, with or without a written paper. There are also regional meetings.

The library is currently housed in five locations on three floors and houses several thousand philatelic works. The Society has published its own journal, ‘The London Philatelist’, since January 1892. Since 1873, it has also published major books on specialised philatelic subjects at the rate of one or two a year.

The Expert Committee has been operating for nearly 100 years and will give an opinion on the genuineness or otherwise of stamps and covers submitted to them and issue a certificate accordingly. As part of its own reference material, the committee maintains a comprehensive collection of forgeries and fakes.

I had always believed that you had to be ‘invited’, to become a member of the Society; this is not so. You do have to be proposed and seconded either by members of the Society or by two ‘responsible persons…. who can give a similar assurance’. Reassuringly, it is not necessary to be an advanced philatelist either. Of course, ‘Fellows’ (our latest being Allen Wood) have to be designated and this is a real honour. It is beyond the remit of this article to mention Society Medals, publications for sale, programme of meetings, library details, their guides to Philatelic Research and Looking after your collection, etc etc. I do recommend, however, if you have plenty of time to spare, visit their excellent website: www.rpsl.org.uk It is most informative.

HUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: George Kirkham

This particular Huston Trophy meeting was held at Derby. As usual, it was well organised with a fair attended by many dealers. The press was also represented by a smart young man of about 20 years old. He obviously didn’t know the front wheels from the handlebars so far as philately was concerned, but nevertheless managed to ask a few pertinent questions. A small group containing Chris Tennant and Ken Benham were talking to this chap and trying to educate him a little bit. Ken produced a lovely strip of, I think, 7 penny blacks. A visiting stall holder produced a matching strip of 2d blues. The reporter looked at first one, then the other and wondered aloud- ‘Why is one at one penny and the other at twopence?’ Before we could answer, he said- ‘I know; it is first and second class postage.’ I don’t know about my face, but I can assure you that Chris’ and Ken’s were a complete study.

COMMUNITY POST OFFICE

Up The pock-marked lane,

harassed by nettles and bombarded

by the odd petulant butterfly

they come singly, spaced out

Mondays usually. Our pensioners.

A hardy (but dwindling) band

homing in on the kitchen table

just cleared of cornflakes

and the smudges of marmalade

where the cash awaits a second

opinion. Not quite trusting

the nimble fingers

of the young Post Mistress.

Rheumy eyes follow each crisp note

slapped on the table

Silently mouthing the mounting value

A wordless nod. A snap of the handbag

Money vanishes

like a startled rabbit

Some coins reluctantly

returned for a second class stamp

(these are careful Border folk)

before relaxing into

first class gossip.

or a weather forecast.

or a pill by pill

commentary leaving

no bowel unturned.

Ping of the bell

Another customer thresholds

so time to go, ritual completed

See you next Monday. Same time

probably”

Certainly.

You can bet your last

first class stamp

on that.

(Poem written by Peter Hinchcliffe, former postmaster of the aforementioned Hutton ‘Post Office’.)

DISCLAIMER: Whilst every care is taken during the production of this newsletter, neither the editor nor the Society officials can accept any liability for views, opinions or unintentional publication errors which may occur.

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