"Dutch Colonial Maritime Mail" , John Jackson FRPSL, 6 December 2024
The display was organised in three parts according to the shipping companies involved.
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland ("Netherlands Steamship Company") or SMN,  operated from 1870 until 1970. Mail was cancelled using special cachets which recorded the ships' names. The company carried passengers and advertised cruises. The Suez route was used except during the Great War, Using radio, ships were able to communicate with each other and a telegram mail service was introduced. The shipping was also interrupted during the Second World War.
Koninklijke Paketuaart Maatschappij (K P M Royal Packaging) was an internal shipping company in the Dutch East Indies which also operated some international services. Mail cachets were also applied indicating the ships used,
Rotterdam Lloyd Shipping completed the trio of operators, and the mail was similarly cancelled for subsequent identification.
The display was illustrated with examples of mail, photographs and post cards of the ships and some comparison with airmail.

"Money Stamps", Richard Capon, 15 November 2024
The Society Chairman, Richard Capon, opened his "Entertainment" afternoon with an explanation as to the reason for bringing a slide projector in addition to a small display. Because his interest in displaying the usage of  stamps as money is a particularly difficult and expensive challenge, he decided to illustrate some of the more important material using photographs. In particular, the collection of Giles Blançon, a French doctor,  has been photographed for viewing prior to advertising a  sale, The necessity to use stamps for money has arisen many times, but most frequently during times of economic turbulence, when monetary coinage has become unavailable. Coinage metal was required for military use or was depleted due to hoarding.
The first examples were from the American Civil War, when stamps were encapsulated in round containers with mica windows. Adverisements were also seen on these coin replacements. In France during the 1920s, tin plate discs with stamps were used as coins. In Russia stamps were printed for mounting on card as coins. Although acceptable for postage, the collapsed postal service meant limited postal usage. Revenue stamps on cards were traded at 250 roubles and many larger cities and towns had their own issues.
In part 2 the scope was widened to show examples from many other countries, including Madagascar, Rhodesia, Morocco, India, Ceylon, Sudan, Serbia and Greece.     

"Jamaica" , Paul Farrimond, 1 November 2024
This very comprehensive display covered the period from the introduction of stamps to the end of the reign of King George VI in two parts with two reigns in each part. The boards were set up with stamps in the upper gallery and postal history in the lower gallery - an interesting innovation.
For the period from 1858 to 1860, Jamaica used GB stamps and thelr A01 cancellation marks showed that they were used in Jamaica. Only 1d, 4d, 6d and 1/- stamps were sold. Jamaica stamps were issued in 1860, printed by De La Rue, with the Victoria portrait copied from the design in use for fiscal stamps. All the varieties of colour and paper were included in the display. The Llandovery Falls and Arms issue of 1900 replaced Victoria's portrait on the stamps. Remarkably, only a single King Edward VII stamp was issued, in 1911 after his death.
An interesting postal history philatelic cover showed stamps from the three issues of that period. Revenue stamps authorised for postage were also shown.
The King George V ssues depicted the head initially, but subsequently showed pictorial views. These  were updated for the King George VI issues. Self Government was celebrated in 1945 and the display terminated with the 1951 University College of the British West Indies issue.  

"GB : Edward VII and George V", Ian Shaw, 18 October 2024
Ian Shaw has made a detailed study of every stamp issued for postage in Great Britain during the period 1901-36 of the two kings' reigns. For the definitive stamp issues, examples of nearly all of the recorded variants were shown. These variants were colours, perforations and papers. Both water marks and types of paper were discussed.
Commemorative stamps were issued for The British Empire Exhibition (1924 and 25), The Postal Union Congress (1929) and The Silver Jubilee (1935). A few examples of printers' trials and proofs were shown and a short section of postal history was included.

"Something From 1900-1920", Members, 4 October 2024
Members contributed small displays at the meeting with titles as follows:
" Austria -the End of the Emperors". "Jamaica Railways" ," The Boer War"
" GB Fiscal Stamps of K Edward VII and Stamps from Light Railways of Scotland",.
"Hong Kong Military Mail", " A Map of the Magasin du Nord Stores in Denmark, Published in Berlin"
" Stamps and Stamp Proofs of Uruguay"," Australia : Military Mail in World War 1."  and
" New Zealand, Military Mail  in World War 1 "

"Nauru", Tony Smith, 13 September 2024
The small Pacific island was under German control in the 19th century with phosphate export as the principal source of income. The Australian Navy took possession at the time of the Great War.
From 1916 to 1923, Great Britain King George V overprinted stamps were used in Nauru. Firstly, the population was small, no more than a couple of thousand and they lived on a tiny  island. Therefore, there was not a big demand for an ‘internal’ postal system, and this was taken care of by the ½d green and 1d. red overprinted stamps. The higher value stamps and "Seahorses stamps" would have been required for telegrams, overseas parcels and, eventually, for airmail.
Representative samples of all of the overprinted stamps were shown and many errors were seen. In particular, the letter "R" of Nauru frequently appeared more like the letter "P". Even King George V noticed that errors were compounding as the dies became worn. Although the "Seahorses" issues were sourced from three different printing companies, they generally had better overprints, A few items of postal history were shown, but with only one post office and only one date stamp canceller, the varieties were mainly philateiic.

"British Antarctic Territory", Alan Squires, 2 August 2024
The display was in two parts. The first part was a documented photographic record of the Scott and Shackleton expeditions. Both explorers enlisted skilled photographers and the quality of their pictures is still regarded as remarkable. It is especially commendable since photography was relatively new and cameras were bulky instruments. Exposure times were lengthy using silver bromide coated glass plates and the weather conditions were extremely adverse. Some original post cards were shown, together with modern reproductions of  post cards and the plate photographs. The photographers were Frank Hurley on the Scott expedition of 1901-2 and Herbert Ponting on the Shackleton expedition of 1907.
In the second part of the evening, a complete mint collection of British Antarctic Territory stamps was shown. The issues date from 1963.  Prior to that, Falkland Island Dependencies stamps were available, but South Georgia and South Shetland did not join with the remaining islands and bases to form  the Territrory. The stamps showed a variety of themes including the expeditions, Antarctic shipping, marine life and land wild life. Particular mention must go to Andrew Robinson and Jennifer Toombs for stamp design excellence. (D.H.)

"Something Pre 1900": Members, 12 July 2024,
Members contributed small displays at the meeting with titles as follows:
"Postal History of Newark and Bingham", "Tax Levied on Hats, Gloves, Hire of Horses, Carriages and Paper"
" Stamps of Prussia "," Canadian Provinces and the Dominion"
" Letters Sent by Rail with Additional Railway Labels" "Australia Pre Stamps and Pre-paid Postage"
" GB: A Penny Reds Reconstructed Sheet" ," Hong Kong Stamps - a Detailed Study of QV Issues"
"Indian Army Letters and East India Company Military Mail." and " Denmark, Private Post"

"Something from Pacific/ Australasia": Members, 12 July 2024,
Members contributed small displays at the meeting with titles as follows:
"Modern New Zealand Commemorative Stamps",: "Illustrated Postal Stationery from Australia",
" Australia, Definitives King George VI.", "Cook Islands: Easter and Christmas Religious Art Issues,
"Old maps of the Pacific","Unauthorised Usage of GB Second Class Stamps in Pacific Islands and New Zealand,"
"Nauru censored covers", "New Zealand Air Mail in the 1930s and Internal Airmail",
"Australia - New Zealand and New Zealand International Airmail", 
"Pitcairn Islands, Wild Life and Thematic Issues", :" Airmails from Jamaica and Australia.",
" New Zealand- ¼d Trading Reward Stamps iIsued by the Postal Authority",
" Operation Grappel: The H- Bomb Trials Based on Christmas Island." and
"Australia Music Tax lLbels Used on Records, Piano Rolls and Sheet Music".

Brazil" Janet Nelson FRPSL and Nick Nelson FRPSL, 3 May 2024
Brazil issued its first stamps in 1843, "The large bullseyes". As many of these stamps were used to seal the papers and were torn upon opening the letters, perfect examples are rare. The next issues were smaller, but also have been assigned nicknames by philatelists. Emperor Pedro II stamps followed, but when he was deposed, the country became a republic, with a change of name to "Brasil" in 1919.  Air mail stamps appeared in 1927, initially produced by overprinting fiscal stampsThe first tourist issue was in 1937 depicting the Iguazo Waterfalls and Nick recalled their visit to see the scene. There was an early celebration of the Penny Black Centennial in 1938.
In Part 2, the commemorative stamp theme was continued, In 1943, the "Bullseyes" Centennial issue coincided with the currency change from reis to cruzeiros, the stamps reflecting the currency inflation over the period.  The massive project of the building of a new capital city, Brasilia was described and illustrated. Building commenced in 1956 and the capital city was opened in 1960. More recent commemorative issues were shown and the display was completed with a board showing private air line stamps and GB stamps cancelled C81-83 issued in Brazil. (D.H.)

President's Evening, "New Zealand":  Andrew Dove MBE FRPSL,  5 April 2024
The first part of the display was a very detailed report of the first commemorative stamp issues. The Christchurch Exhibition of 1906 was followed in 1913 with the Auckland International Exhibition. After the Victory issue of 1919, the Dunedin Exhibition was featured in 1925. In 1940, a major issue commemorated the Centenary of British Sovereignty. Six years later, a set celebrated Peace. The stamps were widely praised and numerous varieties were on show. The second part of the evening was devoted to the preparation for action at the commencement of World War 2 and some of the consequences of war action, as revealed by the postal system. Correspondence to and from  internees, prisoners of war and soldiers completed the presentation. (D.H.)

"Jamaica": Steve Jarvis FRPSL, 15 March 2024
Steve introduced his display ‘Jamaica’ which centred around postal history from the 18th and 19th centuries. Inland letters could be sent unpaid or paid until 1872, after which unpaid letters were charged double. As well as Packet letters sent by ships under government contract, letters were sent to Britain by arrangement with individual ships’ captains (ship letters). Prior to 1839, most packet letters were not prepaid due to the difficulty of calculating the GB rate to apply for delivery in Britain. After the Napoleonic war, there was a higher probability of successful mail delivery and the introduction of Royal Mail Steamship Packet in 1842 cemented the reliability of the mail service. Prepayment of overseas mail became compulsory in 1858, using GB stamps. And in 1860, Jamaica stamps were introduced. In part 2, letters to the United States, Canada and India were featured and some postal stationery items were seen. For some newspaper wrappings, the tariff of ½d was paid by bisecting a 1d stamp. Some undelivered mail was also shown.   

 "GB: The Elizabethan Era", Douglas Harvey 2nd February 2024
Commemorative stamps issues supporting the head of Queen Elizabeth reached a conclusion in 2023 and it was fitting that the Society should have held a display and discussion covering the many issues from Royal Mail during the Queen's reign. In the first part, the development of commemorative stamps focused on stamp designers and technology to show how changes were implemented over many years. In the second part, with the Post Millennium issues, several new concepts were introduced and these made possible the rapid response to recognizing the gold medal successes of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A further widening of interest in subject matter was seen in the more recent issues and the associated discussion proved to be more controversial. This was the last meeting held at The Nottingham Squash Rackets Club as the Society has moved its meetings to a new venue. (D.H.)                     

"Philatelic Elephants", Michael Siverns FRPSL, 2nd September 2022
Elephants are thought to have evolved from mammoths, as illustrated by Royal Mail in March 2006, but there is a local interest in the Trent gravel workings, where mammoth bones were discovered in the 1950s and featured on a mail meter mark. Both African and Indian elephants feature on many stamps and it is the Indian elephant that is seen in Asian  symbolic  heraldry. The first philatelic credit must go to the Mulready stationery covers of 1840. The  elephant is seen as a symbol of  the strength of the British Empire in Asia. The dependency on elephants is illustrated by the Cambodia 1954 "postal transport" stamps which feature a postman riding an elephant. Some fictional elephants in literature have been illustrated on stamps. Jules Verne's 'Five weeks in a Balloon' (France, 2005)  Rudyard Kipling's 'The Elephant's Child' (GB, 2001)  are examples. There are stamps of Jumbo Jets (Colombia 1976) and Shackleton's Arrival at Elephant Island (GB 2016). Traditionally the victims of ivory hunters, the animals are finally getting the protection they deserve with the help of the World  WildlLife Fund. Many WWF Stamp issues have appeared from countries where the only living elephants are in the zoos. And remember the Post Code, because 'an elephant never forgets'. (D.H.)

"British West Indies", Ian Jakes, 20th May 2022
Ian's extensive display was in three parts, starting with Jamaican stamps and miniature sheets from 1962 and including overprinted stamps with varieties. Other countries followed suit, including St. Vincent and Tobago with provisional stamps, surcharges, patriotic and Red Cross labels. Whole sheets of stamps were also shown, along with patriotic labels, Jamaican war Tax issues with overprint varieties, Bermuda Christmas charity labels, Red Cross covers and censored mail. An impressive and varied collection. (S.P.)

The Boxer Rebellion", Mick Briton, 6th May 2022
Mick gave a short history of the Boxer Rebellion, which was an anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising by the Chinese militia, the 'Yihequan', around the turn of the 19th century. The first part of the display was devoted to the Chinese expeditionary Forces, 1900-23, with Hong Kong stamps and postal stationery overprinted CEF. The Edwardian overprinted issue on covers had different Field Post Office postmarks, numbered 1 - 15. Also shown were embossed cards, maps, picture postcards and photos of military ships and Italian troops.
The second half largely showed the part Germany played in this battle and included all but one of the Field Post Office numbered postmarks, together with picture post cards, identity labels and postal stationery. Also shown were British railway administration stamps.  (S.P.)

"Money and Stamps", Richard Capon, 18 February 2022. (President's Evening).
In some countries, during turbulent times, shortages of coins have occurred when stamps have been available. Inversely, stamps have been unavailable for purchase at times.
During the American Civil War, cash was hoarded, leading to a shortage of coins. In 1862  John Gault of Boston patented "Encased Postage". Stamps were placed in metal frames with mica windows to be used as small change. The frames included company advertising.  Subsequently, some of these stamps were removed from the frames and used for postage. Although used legally, poor condition due to damage was inevitable. Other stamp images were printed  on to Treasury paper  to become "Postal Currency". The Scott catalogue recognises many such examples.
"Currency Stamps" were issued in Russia between 1915 and 1917  with values up to 30 kopeks. Although they were primarily intended as subsidiary coinage, a few were used for postage, as recorded in the SG catalogue. The stamps have the same designs as the 1913 issue but are printed on card, without gum and they have a back inscription to confirm that their values are on par with the normal silver or copper coinage.  Further currency stamp issues are recorded in the SG catalogue for Ukraine in 1918 and South Russia (Don and Crimea) in  1919. In total, some 30 countries have resorted to stamp money in times of strife.
To complete the display, a selection of other items was shown, including fiscal stamps authorised for postal usage,  post office savings stamps and commemorative stamps featuring monetary designs. Some of the designs trace the history of coinage whilst others record the changes in coin production methods. Numismorphic stamps are produced to look like coins and can even use precious metals. (D.H./R.C.)

"Cyprus: Its History and Stamps", Ken Flint, 4 February 2022
Cypriot history started in the Stone Age, but the discovery of copper gave the country its name and in Greek times, the cult of Aphrodite arose on the island. The Roman invasion led to 500 years of relatively peaceful occupation and Paphos has  remarkable mosaics which were preserved by earthquakes. In 45 AD. Paul converted  Paphos to Christianity and the Byzantine  churches and their art work is particularly well represented on stamps, covers and maxi cards. In the 11th Century, Cyprus  became bound up with the Crusaders  – King Richard I rescued his fiancée Berengaria and married her on Cyprus and a number  of crusader castles were  built – again, well represented on stamps. Cyprus eventually came under the Ottoman Empire which allowed the church to continue its presence on the island, but by 1853, with the agreement of Turkey, Britain took over and continued to administer the colony. Independence in 1960 also gave rise to the US and UK retaining Sovereign Bases on the island.
The second half of the display covered the turmoil since independence: driven loyalties divided between Greece and Turkey.  Fighting, civil unrest and interventions from Turkey led to the UN becoming involved as a peace keeping force – a six month mandate in 1964 which is still in place today, In 1974 Turkey invaded the island in order to facilitate a cease fire after an attempted coup by Greek Cypriots and the resultant partition has been in place ever since. Ken’s material from the second half included mail from UN soldiers, particularly from Canada, as well as internal mail showing how the Turkish administered area developed its own postal issues and postal service, eventually replacing Greek names for villages with Turkish ones. (Banbury PS)

"Morocco  Agencies", Tony Tailor, 21 January 2022
Morocco agencies was a system of post offices operated by the United Kingdom in Morocco The first office was established in Tangier in 1857; mail was simply bagged there and forwarded to Gibraltar just across the water, where it received the standard ‘A26 postmark, The stamps were overprinted ’Morocco Agencies’ beginning 1898, initially at the offices of the Gibraltar Chronicle’ and then later in London, yielding several variations in the appearance of the overprint. The display contained some fine material, including locals, perfin perforation flaws, hotel cachets etc.(S.P.)

"Mail through the Mont Cenis Tunnel and ‘Cross Channel Rail Mail", Steve Ellis, 3 December 2021.
The Mont Cenis Tunnel has an interesting history as regards mail transport. It is a rail tunnel from Modane, France to Bardoneccia, Italy, the first great Alpine tunnel to be completed. Opened in 1871, the tunnel runs 13.7 km (8.5 miles) under the Fréjus Pass. Mont Cenis was the first long distance rock tunnel driven from two headings with no intervening shafts and, as such, remains a landmark engineering achievement. The second part of the talk concerned the ways that mail crossed the Channel by Rail Mail. The first display had an eclectic range of material with picture post cards, rail mail and marks, covers etc. The second half was mostly postal history.(S.P.)

"World Wildlife Fund First Day Covers", Brian Clayton, FRPSL, 19 Nov 2021.
This was the official Collection of the World Wildlife Fund first day covers and the accompanying certificate of Authenticity was also shown. Each cover, with beautiful wildlife illustrations, had a descriptive sheet displayed alongside.(S.P.)

"Burma", Mike Siverns, FRPSL, 19 November 2021.
The first section of this display was devoted to a thematic collection of animals on Burmese stamps. This was followed by philatelic material from the Japanese Occupations and included the overprinted, Burma 1937 stamps on and off cover and showing flaws that occurred in this issue. There were also examples of service stamps, postal stationery cards and further overprinted issues.(S.P.)

"Dutch East Indies", John Jackson FRPSL, 5 November 2021
The display covered the period from pre-stamp to the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Setting up mail services in this huge country was difficult, especially for international mail. Until 1920 mail was written on flimsy paper to save postage costs. The inks used were acidic and destroyed the paper making letters of this period, rare. In 1878 the P&O service to India was extended to Hong Kong and the Dutch mailboat from Sumatra connected to the P&O service at Singapore. Communications improved as agencies were set up, including an important British link with Straits Settlements Malaya, which continued until 1920. The Dutch had their own mail service after the Suez Canal opened and airmail communication commenced in 1924 with PanAm international flights and KLM internal flights. The Second World War caused serious interruption to the mail services. In 1939 the air service terminated at Naples but subsequently with the Mediterranean route unavailable, a "Horseshoe" route was established via Durban, South Africa. German residents, who were interned in camps in India, made use of Red Cross services, often via Switzerland or undercover mail; but the wives and children of Nazi sympathizers typically spent the war in hotels in Japan. Communication difficulties continued into the immediate post-war period as the country moved towards independence. (D.H./R.C.)

"Czechoslovak Forces in France and Britain in WW2"; Les Pearcy, 22 October 2021
Nearly 4000 Czechoslovakians forming an army and airmen, had moved to France at the outbreak of the war in 1939. Anxious to make their presence known to the free world, they produced a variety of publications and some propaganda. This included leaflets, illustrated postcards, original art with stamps, music concerts, newspapers, and patriotic labels. When France was occupied by Germany, the force moved to Cheshire and subsequently to Leamington Spa. The bravery of these men, especially airmen serving in the RAF, is acknowledged. Many censored letters were shown and these revealed a great deal about the determination of the force. After the war, Czechoslovakia issued commemorative stamps, showing these forces, for the 50th anniversary of the war. President Richard Capon thanked the speaker and applauded the excellence of his presentation.(D.H.)

"Zoom Meetings": In August 2020 with venues closed due to the pandemic, the Society initiated a series of video conferencing meetings using the "Zoom" program for communication. Reports of these meetings are shown below. Some of the slides shown in the presentations may be viewed in the Zoom section of this web site.

"South Atlantic Islands: St Helena"; Alan Squires, 8 April 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
The display opened with a short history and a postcard tour of St Helena, with colour photographs taken in the early part of the last century. The island had two prison camps and censored mail to prisoners of the Boer war and the First World War was sent to the island. Local postal deliveries using motor cycles commenced in 1965, as seen on  a commemorative cover. The 1967 stamp issue illustrated immigration to the island resulting from the Great Fire of London (1666), but the population census of the time put the number of immigrants into question. A lively discussion and vote of thanks to Alan was chaired by President Brian Clayton, who acknowledged this as the last display of his current presidency. (D.H.)       

"Revenues"; Ed Hitchings, 25 March 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
Philatelists tend to ignore revenue stamps, but Ed Hitchings is a keen collector. Revenue stamps from Great Britain, United States, New Zealand and Argentina were shown.They covered values from ¼ US cent. to a million pounds. Adhesive stamps to show that tax had been paid appeared on a wide variety of commodities and were used for diverse purposes, illustrating the extraordinary range of collectible items. Licences were also displayed in a wide-ranging form. Most of these are now seen as amusing, reflecting the changes in modern society, but many licences are still required and some are for very specialised situations. President Brian Clayton led a lively discussion and gave the vote of thanks. (D.H.)

"Patriotic Covers from the Confederate States of America"; John Walker FRPSL, 11 March 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
Patriotic covers from the Confederate Southern States sent during the American Civil War, 1861 to 1865, were shown by John H. Walker. It was a brutal conflict during which some 630,000 Americans lost their lives, yet it stirred up intense patriotic fervour on both the Union and Confederacy sides. This fervour manifested itself in an array of envelopes with their patriotic imagery and slogans, or at times ridiculing the opposing side Covers from the South are far from plentiful as a result of the limited printing facilities available, with only about 100 covers known of even the most common designs. President Brian Clayton congratulated John Walker for showing such attractive yet extremely rare material, which had been brought to life by the stories behind the covers. (RPSL)

"Labuan Pictorial Stamps 1894-1906" ; Jon Higgins FRPSL, 25 February 2021. (Zoom Meeting)
While remaining a Crown Colony, the administration of Labuan was by the British North Borneo Company, which issued pictorial stamps, some of which were surcharged or overprinted. For such a small island, the collection of stamps was impressive. Some of the stamps were not actually issued, and the postal authority had identified examples of these on letters.The administration reverted to Colonial Office control in 1906 and Labuan was incorporated with Straits Settlements. President Brian Clayton thanked Jon for the excellent presentation. (D.H.)

 "Ships of the Falklands"; Dave Mountfort, 11 February 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
The presentation commenced with the development of shipping routes to the Falklands  and a review of the mail ships that visited the islands over many years. With no Falklands airport, airmail was shipped via Montevideo. Visiting ships and vessels based at Stanley were included, together with related philatelic items. In more modern times, cruise ships and Antarctic research ships have visited the islands and an airport was constructed after the liberation. President Brian Clayton thanked Dave for an excellent presentation. (D.H.)

"Internees and Prisoners of War in New Zealand"; Andrew Dove MBE FRPSL,
28 January 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
Although New Zealand was rarely directly threatened during either World War, the security of the nation was a high priority for the Government. In both wars, a mixture of local residents judged to be a danger, German residents of the Pacific Islands were interned as Prisoners of War. This meant that they had to be afforded the privileges specified in The Hague and Geneva Conventions and, in particular, the facility to communicate with family and friends overseas. This required special arrangements to be put in place as normal mail routes were closed by the Wars. Overall, the internees seem to have been well treated compared to PoWs in other parts of the world.The first part covered the First World War and contained sections on the camps where the internees were held as well as the people caught up in the net. Some special Postal Stationery was produced for the camps and the different printings were described. There was also extensive coverage of the censorship arrangements and postal markings applied to the correspondence. The Second World War was covered in similar detail although there were fewer internees and they were kept on Somes Island until their move to Pahiatua. Again, the postal marks and censorship arrangements were covered in detail. There was also an account of the treatment of conscientious objectors and of families who accompanied the internees from the Pacific Islands. (Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand)

"Belgian Congo Miscellany": Gerald Mariner FRPSL, 14 January 2021 (Zoom Meeting)
The event was in three parts. Stamps from the Belgian Congo issued between 1910 and 1934 comprised the first part. Many design proofs were shown, together with some printer's publicity specimens. Then a detailed look at censured covers sent between Belgium and The Congo during the Second World War was the theme for the second section. This included returned mail, undercover mail sent via Lisbon and red cross communication message forms. The third section concerned the separation and postal isolation of Katanga from The Republic of Congo, following the independence from Belgium in 1960. Letters were also censored in this period although some mail was forwarded to Belgium and refugees in Katanga received concessionary postage. President Brian Clayton thanked Gerald for an excellent presentation. (D.H.)

"Homage to Zealandia";  Brian Clayton FRPSL, 10 December 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
Zealandia is the representative figurehead of New Zealand, analogous to Marianne of France and Britannia of Great Britain. The figurehead was first featured on the New Zealand 1901 penny red stamp, which continued in circulation until 1923, when the less popular map issue replaced Zealandia. In a light-hearted way, Brian reviewed the many flaws and overprints, including issues for Pacific islands, which had disfigured the elegant figure on the stamp. Then, in 1931, Zealandia re-appeared on an issue of stamps which were used both for postage and revenue. Although the design was acceptable, the printing colours caused confusion and some of these stamps were overprinted with the unchanged stamp value, an unusual occurrence in philately. Mike Siverns thanked President Brian and members congratulated him on recently being accepted into fellowship of the Royal Philatelic Society. (D.H.).   

 "The Cachets of Tristan da Cunha", Alan Squires, 26 November 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
The collection of postal history from 1908 to 1952, revolves around the numerous cachets that were struck on mail from the island during those 44 years.The handstamps for these cachets were supplied over the years by people interested in the island, and were mainly used by the clergy who volunteered to serve the island community. There was no official source for providing the cachets and the stamps, if available, were from GB or South Africa, Ship visits were infrequent and the islanders traded by barter rather than money. Alan Squires set the scene with examples of twelve different cachets, some of which are very rare, Some attempts to produce collectible material by philatelists were also recorded. The island was evacuated due to volcanic action in 1961. Resettlement followed the 1962 survey and a conventional postal system was established. The display provoked a lively discussion and President Brian Clayton thanked the speaker for an excellent presentation. (D.H./ S.G.)      

"Perkins Bacon"; Chris Tennant, 12 November 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
The Perkins Bacon company was a printer of books, bank notes and postage stamps, most notable for printing the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, in 1840. In this presentation, Chris Tennant explored some of the revenue-generating printing activities of the company. These included playing cards and a large collection of revenue stamps of many varieties and purposes. The quality of printing is to be admired, especially as it was Jacob Perkins who invented the soft steel plates for engraving that were hardened for printing. This was a colourful and unusual display of interesting items which was also enjoyed by several visitors to the Society. (D.H.).

"Marianne"; Richard Capon, 22 October 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
This symbolic representation of France originated in the Revolution. It was originally adopted in stamp design for fiscal stamps. After the liberation, in 1945, Edmund Dulac designed a definitive stamp featuring Marianne and this started a long series of definitive stamps with this theme. For catalogue purposes, the designer's surname follows Marianne and the most famous issue is Marianne de Gandon. Although definitive stamps can be less attractive than commemoratives, Richard included many delightful illustrated covers in the display and gave an insight into the designers' competitions which were used to prepare for the Marianne issues. The display was ideal for a Zoom presentation and provided a most enjoyable evening of viewing. (D.H.)

"The United States Bicentennial":Douglas Harvey, 8 October 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
The display centred on the issues from the U.S. Postal Authority from 1971. After the Declaration of Independence in 1776 the War of Independence continued until the surrender in 1781. The art work of John Trumbull and others was transferred to stamps to provide the documentation. The talk highlighted the reasons for seeking independence and the ensuing struggle. (D.H.)

"The History of the Penny Black": Mike Siverns FRPSL, 24 September 2020
In 1635, Charles I set up a letter office in England and Scotland to transport documents between London and Edinburgh. This was the only postal service until 1680, when William Dockwra set up a collection and delivery in the London area. In the 18th century, the growth of turnpike roads permitted better connections.and postal services followed, but with conflicting and expensive charges for delivery. The 1840 reform act reduced the postal charge to 1d per ounce with no mileage surcharge. Of greater importance was the introduction of pre-paid postage in the form of adhesive stamps. President Brian Clayton thanked Mike and introduced a discussion on the relative costs of postal deliveries. (D.H.)

"Penny Universal Used in Antarctica": Brian Clayton, 10 September 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
For  the  Antarctic Expeditions in the early 1900's, overprinted penny stamps of Colonial New Zealand were made available for franked correspondence to New Zealand. The 1908 Shackleton expedition overprint was "King Edward VII Land" in two vertical lines. The stamps were used on board the expedition ship Nimrod and at the Cape Royds base in Mc Murdo Sound. Due to adverse weather conditions, Shackleton landed in Victoria Land rather than the intended destination. The 1911 Scott expedition used stamps of The Dominion of New Zealand overprinted "Victoria Land". They were used at the Cape Evans base on Mc Murdo sound and on the Terra Nova. Members thanked President Brian Clayton for his display.

"Three Engravers": Douglas Harvey. 20 August 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
The display centred on three engravers with the initials "N", "P" and "S". Presented in chronological order, Jules Piel came first. The French engraver was most noted for the Christmas Red Cross issues. After his retirement in 1958, Pierre Gandon engraved the later stamps. Czeslaw Slania is regarded as the greatest stamp engraver of all time. Born in Poland, most of his working life was spent in Sweden and he engraved over 1000 stamps. He has been suceeded by Piotr Naszarkowski, who also migrated from Poland to Sweden. President Brian Clayton thanked the speaker.   

 "Crete"; Richard Capon, 13 August 2020 (Zoom Meeting)
This event included an introduction to using the video software, followed by a prepared display. Stamps of Crete were shown, commencing with the provisional government issues of 1900. From 1908, these were overprinted "Greece". Issues from Austrian Post Offices from 1903 to 1914, which were also used in the Turkish Empire, were sold in French currency, as were the issues from French Post Offices in 1902-3. Finally, Italian Post Office issues were shown with overprinted Italian stamps. President Brian Clayton thanked Richard and endorsed the decision to hold video conferencing meetings during this period, when the normal meeting venue cannot be used.

Society Meetings held at The Society of Artists, Nottingham:

"New Zealand", Andrew Dove FRPSL, 6 March 2020
The first part of the display concerned New Zealand military history from 1843 to 1918. The civil uprisings between 1843 and 1872 concerned land disputes between Maori and settlers due to the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi. More postal documentation related to the 1854 Crimean War, but New Zealand was isolated until 1876, when a cable connection was made. The Boer War followed and New Zealand was the second largest contributor to the Empire forces. Shortly after the First World War started, New Zealand was asked to occupy Samoa, and overprinted stamps appeared. The Expeditionary Force secured the Suez Canal and in 1915 the disastrous invasion of Turkey at Gallipoli followed. After the coffee break, the second part of the display featured modern New Zealand and included the efforts of New Zealand Post to popularise the country. Finally, the numerous entrepreneurial private postal activities in the country formed a wide variety of interesting philatelic items, including some fascinating documentation. President Bill Whitaker thanked Andrew and made a brief comparison with his own interest in Australian philately. (D.H.)

Members' Evening:"Animal, Vegetable or Mineral", 21 February 2020
Eleven short displays were contributed, which commenced with stamps showing animals from the South Atlantic Islands and birds from Scandinavia. Photographs of animals in Ethiopia and Antarctica and more stamp illustrations of animals in the Arctic and Belgian Congo followed. Thematic stamps also illustrated elephants and animals for the Chinese New Year. Australia featured with minerals and plants. Finally, revenue stamps and taxation documents relating to the subject provided an interesting contrast to the pictorial displays. The entertainment value was enhanced with members recalling their personal experiences, with some documentation. President Bill Whitaker thanked the participants. (D.H.)

Ladies' Evening, 7 February 2020"A Moment with Mickey": Maddie Tennant. Maddie presented a fascinating historical account of the lifetime work of Walt Disney and, subsequently, Disney Studios. The story commenced with Mickey Mouse in 1928, as hand drawn pictures, which were assembled into frames for animation. The more lengthy productions followed, commencing with "Snow White" in 1937. Combined animation and real life was next and, after Disney died, computer graphics produced the highly successful "Toy Story". The talk was illustrated with beautiful philatelic sheets and stamps, mostly originating from Commonwealth West Indies countries. It was significant that nearly every film was accompanied by a pictorial stamp issue.
"Cinderella Miscellany": Sandra Poole. A wide variety of items was shown, commencing with a display of splendid Danish Kiosk telegrams, together with telegraph stamps. Local British and Foreign issues, followed by revenue stamps, poster stamps, air mail labels, Christmas Charity mail and Boy Scout mail. The items illustrated the scope of Cinderella collecting, which has recently gained in popularity amongst philatelists.
President Bill Whitaker thanked the ladies for providing an evening of excellent entertainment. (D.H.)

President's Evening, 17 January 2020
Our President, Bill Whitaker, has become an octogenarian and he invited members of the Society to this celebration. A collector since the Silver Wedding issues of 1948, he has specialised in Australia. The first part of the display showed his collecting interests, ranging from censored war-time mail, through undelivered and mis-sent mail to old maps on stamps and incorrect postal usage. In part 2, a thematic look at the development of Australia through philately included natural scenery and wild life. The celebration included a splendid buffet. Vice president Brian Clayton and Hon President Allen Wood gave the Society's thanks to Bill for the presentation and Chris and Maddie Tennant for help with the buffet. (D.H.)

Members' Evening: "Something from the 1940's", 3 January 2020
Ten members presented items from the 1940's. The non-philatelic displays ranged from personal items, wartime letters, official Christmas cards and family heirlooms, to licenses and taxation documents and labels. Stamps from Australia, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands were on show. An interesting coincidence was the display of items from the Channel Islands, including stamps, undercover mail and covers from occupied Guernsey and Jersey, taxation stamps from the islands and taxation permits from the Isle of Man. President Bill Whitaker thanked the members for bringing a selection of interesting items. (D.H.).

"An Evening Abroad": Frank Broad FRPSL and Jenny Broad, 6 December 2019
In 1918, part of the defeated Austro-Hungarian Empire was re-organised to form Yugoslavia. Hastily produced overprints of Hungarian stamps were issued in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina, whilst Serbia already had stamps available. The port of Fiume was under Italian administration, and quickly replaced the overprinted Hungarian stamps with new designs. Fiume was incorporated into Italy in 1924. The other states introduced their own stamp issues using printers in the region and elsewhere. This gave rise to a large selection of colour and printing varieties. To meet the demands of collectors, forged overprints of the Hungarian stamps were made. National stamps for Yugoslavia were finally issued in 1921, bringing an end to the issues from the individual states. In the display, a detailed analysis of the overprints and early issues was presented, with examples from all of the states and identification of the printers used. The forged overprints were also displayed. The collection was assembled by Frank and Jenny Broad over a period of time and is now amost complete. Douglas Harvey thanked Frank for presenting and explaining the display. (D.H.)

Competition Evening, 15 November 2019
Bill Whitaker repeated his success of last year by winning both the Traditional and Thematic competitions. The Traditional entry was the Kangaroo and Map issue of Australia and the Thematic entry was entitled 'Australia at Leisure'. Chris Tennant also repeated his Open Class win with 'Great Western Railway, Letter Stamps'. Mike Siverns won the Postal History Class with 'North West Frontier'. The other competition entries were from Mick Inger (Traditional- 'Norway Numerals' and Thematic- 'The Zeppelin Story'), Mike Siverns (Traditional,' Belgian Congo') and Richard Capon (Thematic- 'European Orchids'). Richard was also awarded the Novice Cup as this was his first main competition entry. Non competitive displays were also contributed by David Shipstone, Bryan and Minou Button and Chris Tennant. The meeting was chaired by President Bill Whitaker who also presented the trophies. Allen Wood and Alan Squires judged the event. (D.H.)

"Across the Middle East by Air and Land (1918-1930): Laurence Kimpton, 1st November 2019.
After the end of the First World War. Iraq was under British occupation, but the postal service was unsatisfactory. The RAF commenced aerial post flights in 1918 providing a connection between Baghdad and Cairo. By 1921, postal communication between Iraq and Britain took 17 days using air mail services. A competitive service using overland transport commenced in 1923. Initially cars were used, but later a weekly bus service was established. To distinguish between the two services, envelopes had additional labels indicating either Air Mail or Overland. The RAF service was replaced by Imperial Airways in 1926, but Nairn Eastern Transport continued the bus service into the 1930's. The introductory talk and display by Laurence Kimpton gave a full account of the development and included some splendid photographs of the aircraft used, together with superb postal documentation. Mike Siverns gave the thanks of the Society for another excellent presentation. (D.H.)

"Anything but Stamps": Mike Siverns, 20th October 2019.
This was a presentation of the work of Fred Spurgin, the renowned postcard designer. The first part consisted of a Power Point display with a biography. Born in 1882 of Latvian parents who emigrated to London, Izydor Spungin changed his name to Fred Spurgin to be more anglicised. After studying art, he produced many hundreds of colourful drawings and postcards depicting the humour of the times. Less humorous were the patriotic pictures produced during the First World War. Fred married Lily Rothman (daughter of Louis Rothman – the founder of the famous cigarette company) in 1925, but sadly she died in a railway accident when still quite young. Fred Spurgin died in 1968. The speaker then revealed an excellent display of the actual postcards, many of which were produced over 100 years ago and yet were still in pristine condition. Douglas Harvey thanked the speaker and applauded the excellence of the Power Point Presentation which introduced this highly entertaining tribute to a most fascinating postcard artist. (D.H.)

"Indian States": Alec Jeffreys, 27th September 2019.
The philately of the Feudatory Indian States has been regarded as obscure and confusing, but it is an area of growing interest, particularly within India itself. The display opened with stamps of Jaipur, many of which have the "Sun God Chariot" logo. These were introduced in 1904, printed in Jaipur, using a primitive form of lithography, by Durbar Press. Complete sheets of 12 stamps were shown, together with some varieties. Stamps printed by Perkins Bacon were also issued in 1904. Commemorative stamps were introduced in 1931 with a splendid issue for the Investiture of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and there was a further issue in 1947 for his Silver Jubilee. In Part 2, stamps of five other states were shown: Bundi, Soruth, Narwangar, Bhopal and Orchha. Bhopal, unusually, had a female head of state, Nawab Shah Jahan Began, whose name appears on the stamps without a portrait. Richard Capon thanked Alec for bringing a splendid display and commented on the rarity of the material shown. (D.H.)

Visit to Alfreton Philatelic Society, 20th September 2019.
Ten members of the Nottinghamshire Society joined 11 members of the Alfreton Society for the Annual Visit. In Part 1, In Part 1, the subjects were: Old Maps on Stamps; Military India Letters, 1830-60; GB Millennium Issues; Australia KGVI.; and Old Nottingham Bus Photographs. After coffee and cakes, the Part 2 subjects were: Hungarian stamps overprinted for Baranya and Fiume; HMS Protector Ice Patrol Ship; Almanac Tax (and other obscure taxation); and Hyderabad. Alfreton Chairman, Philip Fearnley, thanked the speakers and issued an invitation for another visit in 2020. (D.H.)

Visit from Grantham Philatelic Society, 6th September 2019.
We welcomed four visitors from Grantham and two presented displays. In part 1, Jennifer Wolvers showed stamps of Lebanon. The country used overprinted French stamps from 1920 until the independent republic was formed in 1943. The collection was remarkable for its completeness showing the issues up to 1953. The cedar tree is a national symbol of Lebanon and it featured on many stamps. The display included several covers and postcards, together with a few issues from free French forces in Levant in the Second World War.
In part 2, Wojciech Kierstan presented some philatelic aspects of Czechoslovakia in a fascinating display. The country was formed after the First World War and the first stamp issue was delivered by scouts. After reviewing the early issues, a section of Travelling Post Office routes was shown. The Czech forces in Britain during WWII used special postmark cancellations from their post office. Finally, reference was made to the more recent annual award for the "best Czech Republic stamp". Recess printing is still used for the Czech Republic stamps and some splendid covers were displayed. David Shipstone thanked the speakers. (D.H.).

"Canary Islands and Greenland": David Brown, 2nd August 2019.
Postal services from the Canaries commenced in 1762, at a time when Spain was at war with England. Although a post office opened in 1780, the mail service was insignificant. Spanish stamps were used from 1854, but very little usage was reported. When Air Mail was introduced, the service became more important, until it was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, which commenced in 1936  After the service by Lineas Aereas Postales was cut off, a service using Lufthansa was arranged and stamps were overprinted with a surcharge and text including "Canarias" for this service. War tax was also charged, and a set of attractive pictorial stamps was produced.
Greenland was featured in the second part of the presentation. Initially the coastal settlements were formed by a Danish trading company and 28 post offices were established. Parcel stamps appeared between 1905 and 1937, and the full mail service was established in 1938. At the end of the Second World War, the USA supplied an issue of stamps. More recently, the Christmas issues have supported children's charities.
Chris Tennant thanked David for the excellent display and congratulated him on producing a display of the Canary Islands, a most obscure branch of philately. (D.H.).    

"Modern Canada": Douglas Harvey, 5th July 2019.
The first part of the display, covering the period from 1952 to 1999, was arranged chronologically beginning with a poor coronation issue, for which no photo of the Queen's crown had been available; in 1954, a new set was produced. 1959 saw the first major error, on a joint issue with the USA celebrating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, in which the central part of the stamp was inverted. An extensive range of issues followed, including those depicting the Canadian provinces, art and flag stamps celebrating Canada Day and finally the hologram stamp showing the year change from 1999 to 2000. The second part was arranged according to themes, with issues from 2000 to 2018, including Lighthouses (with error of a keeper's house on wrong side); Heritage sites (with a photograph error in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta); Sport (with an error of a misspelt bobsleigher's name); Royalty, and Chinese New Year. Both parts were further enhanced with miniature sheets and covers. Brian Clayton chaired the meeting and thanked the speaker. (S.P.)

"Maritime Mail and Ocean Penny Post": David Duncan Turner, 7th June 2019.
Illustrated postal stationery originated with the Mulready covers in 1840, and some similar Mulready Caricature covers without prepaid postage were produced shortly afterwards. In 1846, Elihu Burritt began a campaign to reduce the cost of overseas mail. The suggested tariff for British Empire mail was 1d for transmission to the port, 1d for shipping and 1d for delivery. Charles Gilpin and James Valentine supported this proposal by producing propaganda stationery bearing the slogan "The world awaits Great Britain's greatest gift". Less attractive stationery was later produced by The League of Brotherhood. It took until 1898 before the Ocean Penny Post became a reality as it then became possible to send a letter to India using just a 1d stamp. David Turner has assembled a remarkable collection of material relating to this development and has published an impressive book showing the contents of his collection. President Bill Whitaker applauded the research and thanked David for displaying part of his unusual collection at this interesting meeting. (D.H.)

Visit from Alfreton PS, 17th May 2019.
Six visitors brought displays .Brian Flude showed the pre-decimal high value GB Castles.definitives and identified the different printings by Waterlow & Sons, De La Rue and Bradbury Wilkinson. The display included a special presentation edition of the September 1955 issue printed by Waterlow & Sons and signed by the designer, Lynton Lamb. Brian's display was complemented by another, entitled 'These Will be just a Pound, Please'. He showed £1 (20/-) stamps from various countries and an old £1 note.
John Hales was next with a thematic collection featuring lifeboat stamp issues from the British Isles. It also included RNLI covers, revenue stamps and a photo of the founder of the Institution.
Ron Harrison's collection was one of special cancellations and meter marks relating to chess and chess tournaments. Some items of note were a rare Bradford 'chessboard' postmark and a meter mark of Grace Mary Chess, whose only known connection to the game was her surname!
Philip Fearnley presented a comprehensive display of Prussian material from Allenstein, Memel, Marienwerder, Klaipeda, and Upper Silesia. This included overprints on Germania and other German stamps, French stamps overprinted Memel, and different plebiscite issues.
Jim Ward showed Mulready sheets and envelopes with 1d blacks,1d reds and 2d blues. He identified and explained the different plates, including the special ones, and the first rejected die.
Harvey Whysall's collection of over 40 Smilers sheets, first issued by the Post Office to coincide with Stamp Show 2000, held at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in May of that year, brought the evening's entertainment to a colourful finale.
President Bill Whitaker congratulated the speakers on the variety of their displays and the high quality of the material shown. (S.P.)

The 25th Phoenix Trophy Meeting, 3rd May 2019
The highlight was a series of displays by previous winners, including section winners and a special display by Frank Walton, FRPSL, RDP. The special display was in three parts: (i) GB Wildings (ii) Railway Parcel Labels and (iii) Air Mail from Sierra Leone. Our Hon. Secretary contributed a fine display of Danish Postal Stationery. The displays were of very high quality and all were presented with excellent documentation. There was a wealth of interesting items on view, in a poorly lit room. Sadly, the presenters were not able to introduce their displays, with the exception of Frank Walton, who was allowed to speak for 5 minutes. This was because the "pub quiz" dominated the early part of the evening and the quiz was followed by a buffet serving of cheese sandwiches and chips. (D.H.)

"Falkland Island Dependencies: Stamps and Whaling Mail": Robert McMillan, 5th April 2019
The first part of the display consisted of the Falkland Island Dependencies stamp issues. Initially, Falkland Islands stamps were overprinted for use in the dependencies and some mail pieces from Operation Tabarin in 1945 were included. In 1963 the title 'British Antarctic Territory' replaced 'Falkland Island Dependencies' and many attractive pictorial stamps were issued. A sheet of 1d stamps which included a caption error was particularly interesting, as were the mail bag labels, used for dispatch to Stanley. Whaling Mail was the subject of part 2. Primarily a Norwegian activity, the display followed the development from 1911 through to 1964, when whale conservation was introduced. Many of the commercial covers had passed through the established whaling stations in the territory for delivery to Norway via South Africa. Photographs of the industry were also on display, together with invoices and legal documents. (D.H.)

President's Evening "Penny Universal / Dominion of New Zealand": Brian Clayton, 15 March 2019
The iconic penny red New Zealand stamp was introduced on 1 January 1901 marking the introduction of ‘universal penny postage’. The last issue as the definitive stamp was in June 1926. Initially superbly printed by Waterlow in London, it has an intricate design and was produced by recess printing from engraved plates. The London printings may be identified as having a dot above the left corner of the value tablet. Later plates were soon supplied by Waterlow and others, for printing in New Zealand resulting in many variations of shades of carmine, paper, watermarks and perforations. Some additional errors were reported, but only those which were reproduced in multiple printings are catalogued. Plate wear became apparent with time and the printing quality of some issues declined. In 1909 the design was altered to include 'Dominion of' in the country title giving rise to a new series of papers and flaws using Plates 12 and 13. These plates had consistent differences and were used to produce the stamps from 1909 to 1918, thereafter only plate 12 was used for the remaining issues to 1926. Stamps were printed for use from sheets, booklets and vending (slot) machines. The 1913 Auckland Exhibition required an overprint, as did official stamps. Overprinted stamps were also in use for the Pacific islands and adopted by two Antarctic expeditions. The display was notable for the detail and completeness of the contents, much of which included substantial blocks of the issued stamps and a range of rarities. Many examples of these penny stamps on covers and picture postcards, and in the Scott and Shackleton Expeditions, gave a delightful insight into the postal history of the time. Vice President, Bill Whitaker, thanked Brian for the presentation, which included over 2000 stamps, and applauded the excellence of the content. (D.H./,B.C.)

"British North Borneo: Planes, Trains and Stamps": Jon Higgins, 1 March 2019
The presentation commenced with a thematic display showing the development of air mail services for North Borneo and Sarawak. Initially, there was no air strip for landing in Borneo, so air mail was carried by sea to Singapore before being transferred to aircraft. RAF Flying boats later carried mail to Singapore for transfer to Europe by Dutch KLM airways. In 1931, Imperial Airways extended their flights beyond India and provided air mail services, Covers were shown which specified the requested air route. Part 2 concerned the Borneo railways, which operated from 1881. Initially built using metre gauge, the hostile terrain and tropical climate made railway operation difficult, but it became important as rubber plantations were sited near to the railways, The condition of the system was poor at the time of the Japanese invasion during World War II, and worse at time of the 1945 liberation. Recently, the system has been rebuilt and commemorative stamps have been issued to record the achievement. Some additional stamps completed the display. These included the 1895 Sarawak issue, seen as complete sheets, which were reprinted by Perkins Bacon when the De La Rue printed stamps were nearly exhausted, but the reprints were not issued. President Brian Clayton thanked the speaker and congratulated him on the excellence of the material shown. (D.H.)

"Hong Kong": Mick Britton, 15 February 2019
The presentation was in two parts. The stamp issues from the time of Queen Victoria to the end of the reign of King George VI occupied the first part. The collection was remarkable for completeness and included some rare fiscal stamps used for postage, together with the many surcharge overprints, which illustrated the complexity of the postal system. In particular, the higher face value stamps were important for shipping requirements. An interesting discovery of plate errors was reported. Japanese stamps were used during the World War II occupation and there was a shortage of stamps immediately after the liberation. In part 2, the display moved to postal history, with a wealth of correspondence centred around the military administration of the colony. During the First World War, some prisoners of war were held in the colony, whilst most were sent to Japan. They were able to communicate using letters. When the Canadian army entered the colony in 1941, the Japanese invasion was imminent and the army surrendered. In 1945, there was a strong military presence of army, navy and air force, with their associated military post offices.The display concluded with some delightful inter-war Christmas cards and a few censored letters. Hon. President Allen Wood chaired the meeting and commented on the high quality of the philatelic material in expressing our thanks. (D.H.)

"Germany: First Reich to Third Reich": David Shipstone, 1 February 2019
The first part of the display centred on Hamburg during the First Reich. This was the era of the Holy Roman Empire, which was dissolved in the Napoleonic Wars in 1806. Several pre-stamp letters from Hamburg to Bordeaux concerning French wine were shown, the earliest of which was dated 1740. The Second Reich lasted from the Unification of Germany in 1871 to the 1918 defeat in the First World War. This was a period of technological advance, as illustrated by a splendid postcard showing Hamburg by day and night. Hamburg local postage stamps were introduced in 1859 and the demand by collectors has been largely satisfied by forgers. During the First World War, forged 10 pf and 15 pf Germania stamps were produced in England for use by British Intelligence agents in Germany. Forged postmarks were also seen on the hyper-inflation issues from 1923, when stamp face values in the thousand-million marks (milliards) appeared. The Third Reich was established by the Nazis in 1933 and this ended the period referred to as the Weimar Republic. Mike Siverns thanked David for this splendid presentation. (D.H.)

"Postal use of the Penny Black", Nigel Sudborough, 18 January 2019
Commencing with the history of the co-existence of pre-paid Mulready postal stationery and the adhesive Penny Black stamp in 1840, the speaker showed that the stamp quickly became the more popular choice. As the un-hardened steel dies for producing the stamps became worn, replacement and repaired printing plates were introduced. Their products can be identified by examination of minor printing flaws on the stamps. The original cancellation, a Maltese Cross in red ink, was replaced with a black ink marking because some stamps were being reused. When identified as reused, double the postage was imposed on the receiver. Other surcharges or markings were for under paid postage, above authorised weight and undelivered mail, which had to be redirected. In the London area, some designated shops received outgoing mail and applied their TP cancel marks to the covers. The stamps were used extensively throughout Great Britain and Ireland, with some usage in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, although penny black covers originating from Wales are comparatively rare. In the north of Scotland, the stocks lasted well beyond February 1841, when the penny red stamp came into general use. Mail from overseas was handled through the Central London Post Office, where penny stamps were applied before delivery. President Brian Clayton thanked Nigel for giving a most interesting presentation. (D.H.)

Members' Evening, Letters B,E,R, (any or all), 4 January 2019
President Brian Clayton chose to use the initials of Richard Evelyn Byrd to display items relating to the Antarctic Expedition of 1939. Byrd had intended to use a "Snow Cruiser" vehicle to travel to the south pole, but the vehicle failed and this invalidated the pre-prepared philatelic material. Other display contributions from members included: British first day and commemorative covers, balloons, bankruptcy stamps, entertainment excise stamps, the Railex parcel post, receipt stamps, exhibition postcards, Hungarian stamps overprinted overprinted 'Baranya', (a region in southern Hungary) and British Antarctic bases. Once again, the displays showed that there are wide-ranging interests within the Society. (D.H.)

"Belgium, Block by Block": Bryan and Minou Button, 7 December 2018
From 1924, special commemorative miniature sheets were sold at exhibitions or by subscription through Philatelic Bureaux in Belgium. They are classified in the COB catalogue with Bloc numbers. Although most were valid for postage, the purpose was clearly to provide philatelic souvenirs and to raise funds for charity. Of particular interest were the issues during the Second World War to support the Winter Relief Fund and the reconstruction of Orval Abbey. Particularly unusual, as well as showing the country name (België- Belgique) available in the usual  both orders of precedence, were the “handkerchief” blocks with the stamps perforate as well as imperforate for the French precedence block. Bryan and Minou Button have assembled a collection of nearly 200 of these, with some unusually rare items and the collection is remarkable for completeness. In the post war era the bloc issues have continued with improved illustrations and wider charity support. There has also been an attempt to provide illustrations which have been directed towards promoting philately amongst youthful collectors. The documentation accompanying the blocs completed a most fascinating display. President Brian Clayton added the Society's appreciation in thanking the speakers. (D.H./ B.L.B.)

Competition Evening, 16 November 2018
Bill Whitaker pulled off a hat trick by winning three classes: Traditional, Postal History and Thematic. All of his entries were from his collection of Australia. His Traditional Class entry of 'Stamps of King George VI' was judged to be the best presentation of the competition. The other two entries from Bill were entitled 'Civil Censorship in Australian Dependencies during WWII' and 'Australian Transport'. Chris Tennant won the Open Class with 'Cypher Stamps'. The other competition entries were from Dennis Boot (Thematic- 'Perfins' and Postal History- 'Scottish Additional ½d'), Mike Siverns (Postal history-'North West Frontier'), Mick Inger (Thematic- 'The Zeppelin Story') and Andrew Pearson (Traditional-'Stamps of Grenada'). Andrew was also awarded the Novice Cup as this was his first main competition entry. Non competitive displays were also contributed by David Shipstone, Douglas Harvey and Alan Squires. The meeting was chaired by Bryan Button who also presented the certificates and trophies. Allen Wood was the principal judge for the event. (D.H.).  

"Where My Caravan Rested (Part 2)": Mick Inger, 2 November 2018
Mick and Barbara Inger spent their holidays between 2004 and 2011 on a project to tour Britain using the roads nearest to the coast. The first part of the tour was presented to the Society on January 12th 2012, when Mick showed his postcard album of the eastern route from Land's End to John O'Groats.  This illustrated talk, therefore, covered the western side of the island from John O'Groats to Lands End. With nearly 500 postcards and 40 maps on display, the details of the tour were presented to an appreciative audience. Initially, in Scotland, the journey involved difficult roads and ferries, as the tourists visited remote communities. Then into England, to complete the first part of the presentation at Liverpool. In the second part, the tour continued with a trip round Wales, and over the Severn Bridge into the West Country, Finally, the delightful scenery of Devon and Cornwall was enjoyed en route to Land's End. President Brian Clayton thanked Mick and commented that the postcards showed unusually fine weather, which is not always encountered by British tourists. (D.H.)

"St. Helena": Alan Squires, 19 October 2018
St.Helena is one of three remote volcanic islands in the South Pacific under British administration. Known for the captivity of Napoleon, it was used as a penitentiary prison in the Boer War. Alan squires introduced the display with postcards showing island views, which included the interesting situation of Jamestown, the island capital. Letters sent to Boer War prisoners on St.Helena followed. The definitive stamps during the reign of King George V and King George VI were shown, some on covers, and some with post marks of doubtful authenticity. More modern stamps featured in part 2, with some fine first day covers and some paquebot cancellations. President Brian Clayton thanked Alan for producing another fine-quality presentation. (D.H.)

Visit to Leicester Philatelic Society, 9 October 2018
Our President, Brian Clayton took the first half of the evening with displays of GB Prestige Booklets and covers from HMS Endurance. Douglas Harvey then displayed commemorative covers of Austria after World War 2. Finally, Allen Wood showed part of the collection of the late Bill Tuck, with particular reference to the handwritten typescript in the album sheets. Leicester President, Sir Alec Jeffreys, thanked the speakers. (D.H.)

Collection Pages and Recent Acquisitions: Members, 28 September 2018
Many interesting items from their collections were displayed by the members. In Part 1, these included: 'Hungary, postal stationery for use in Croatia'; 'Stroma Island Locals'; 'Early GB Victorian mail of exceptional interest'; 'Ships visiting Tristan da Cunha'; 'Newspaper tax stamps and pre-paid wrappers' and 'Modern GB commemoratives'. In Part 2 the displays were: 'A letter from a Mount Everest Expedition in 1933'; 'France NVI stamps'; 'German States: Hannover'; 'Iran (Persia) stamps' and 'Sporting and Leisure Activities on Australian stamps'. Vice-president Bill Whitaker chaired the meeting and thanked the participants. (D.H.)

Visit to Alfreton Philatelic Society, 21 September 2018
Nine members of the Society joined with 12 members of the Alfreton Society for a joint meeting. The Part 1 displays were: (1) Germany, Miniature Sheets (Mick Inger); (2) The Archived Collection of the late Derrick Avery (Allen Wood); (3) Our connection with Japan (Minou Button); (4) The Birds Paintings of André Buzin adopted for Belgian Stamps (Bryan Button). After refreshments, provided by the Alfreton Society, the Part 2 displays were: (5) East Essex Scouts Post: from Blackwater to Heybridge (Sandra Poole); (6) Newspaper Tax (Chris Tennant); (7) Heritage Railways Letter Post (Douglas Harvey); and (8) The German State of Bavaria (David Shipstone). Alfreton chairman, Philip Fearnley, thanked the speakers and presented the Society with a certificate. Our thanks for the hospitality were expressed by Allen Wood. (D.H.)

"Falkland Islands: Internal and External Airmail": Dave Mountford, 7 September 2018
The Falkland islanders were reluctant to welcome aircraft, despite the rough nature of the islands' terrain and it was a medical emergency that changed their opinions. The small aircraft that delivered the first airmails to the island settlements were shown on commemorative stamps. In 1982, the aircraft were destroyed by the Argentine invaders, but after the conflict, air services resumed and are now of prime importance in the islands. A few Cinderella labels for air freight and parcels were produced, otherwise, air mail was not surcharged above regular mail prices. External air mail presented a far greater problem to the Falklands. In 1928 an airmail service was introduced, which involved shipping the mail to Montevideo, followed by air transport to Europe or North America. Zeppelin airships serviced South America in the 1930's. In 1971 an agreement with Argentina eliminated the need to send the post via Uruguay, but the 1982 war brought further difficulties. Finally, the difficulties were resolved after with the new Mount Pleasant Military Airfield became available. President Brian Clayton thanked Dave Mountfort for a splendid display of original documentation and commemorative philately.(D.H.)

"Austria": Douglas Harvey, 3 August 2018
When Austria began issuing stamps in1850, Francis Joseph was the Emperor of a huge country comprising eight modern countries. Austrian stamps cancelled in Prague, Ljubljana, Trieste and other cities were seen. After the first World War, a much smaller Austria struggled with inflation and joined with Germany in 1938. After the defeat in the Second World War. Austria was initially zoned before achieving its present status. This turbulent history is documented in the philately of the country, which is particularly noted for the quality of the design and printing of the stamps. This was the main theme of Part 2, which highlighted the work of the principal designer, Albert Pilch and the engraver, Rudolf Toth, with many examples of their team work shown in illustrated covers from 1960. Allen Wood thanked the speaker and applauded the intricate and painstaking work of the stamp engravers. (D.H.)

"The Life and Times of King George VI": Daphne McMillan, 6 July 2018
The life of Albert, Duke of York, who became King George VI, was presented in a Gold Medal winning Social Philately Display by Daphne McMillan, The introduction biography included the family tree from Victoria through Edward VII and George V. The brothers, Prince Albert and Prince Edward, were educated together at The Royal Naval College, Osborne and after military service, in 1923, Albert married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Many fascinating letters and documents were on display to give a more personal touch to the established history. The royal visits to Canada and France were documented, together with information on the planning of royal events. When Edward abdicated the throne, the coronation in 1937 was "same date - different king". Dulac's own signature was on the familiar stamp. In part 2, the Second War period was followed by the Victory and Festival of Britain philatelic issues, which had additional documentation. Finally, the display had the announcements of the funeral in 1952, when the throne passed to Albert's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, our Queen. President Brian Clayton expressed our thanks on behalf of the Society.(D.H.)

"Tell and Show": Members, 8 June 2018
As with all members' evenings, a variety of philatelic material was on display; but on this occasion, members were asked to explain their exhibits in addition to their displays. Some members recalled the unusual items or bargains that they had obtained from the vast quantity of items that they had looked through in dealers' stocks. This included items from the South Atlantic Islands, Hungary, Portugal and Great Britain. Although British Post Office mistakes are rare, particularly in Victorian times, cancellation errors and forged stamps were discovered; whilst the introduction of phosphor printing techniques produced some unusual GB varieties. Rare postings from Australian sources and Burma stationery trials were items of exceptional interest, whilst amusement was provided from a San Marino adventure. President Brian Clayton thanked the contributors. (D.H.)

"The Amazing Life of Sir Hubert Wilkins": Alan Godfrey, 18 May 2018
George Hubert Wilkins was born in Australia in 1888 and left his studies in Electrical Engineering for a more adventurous life in Europe and America. Many of his adventures reflect the pioneering nature of the times: the polar and world exploration expeditions involved aircraft, airships and submarines, all with the backgound setting of the early 20th Century. The display included photographs, many originating from Wilkins' interest in photography, philatelic items, and some of the advertising propaganda to promote the Polar Expeditions. The failed attempt to cross under the North Pole in a submarine was the pinnacle of his adventures. Alan Godfrey's research and documentation was outstanding and this gave us an evening which was both informative and very entertaining. President Brian Clayton chaired the meeting and gave the vote of thanks. (D.H.)

"Scouting on Stamps": Rowland Tatton, 6 April 2018
The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides organisations have inspired numerous stamp issues. Rowland Tatton, who has had a long association with the Scout Movement, has assembled a thematic collection of stamps and memorabilia. Many of the issues relate to International Jamborees, which have been held in many countries and have been attended by delegates from organisations throughout the world. In the display, some of the stamps depicted portraits of the founder, Lord Baden-Powell, whilst others showed scouting activities. Several of the covers on display illustrated events where special stamps were not available. In part 2, local post activities formed part of the display. The Christmas Scout Post was initiated after a Parliamentary Bill in November 1981, in which specific rules for allowing charities to deliver local Christmas Cards were published. The Scouts responded and Local Christmas Post Services continued with many issues of delivery labels, some of which were displayed on covers. Vice President Brian Clayton chaired the meeting and gave the vote of thanks. (D.H..,S.P.)

"Revenues": Ed Hitchings, 16 March 2018
The first part of the evening consisted of nine separate displays, which were as follows. (1) Documents signed by a prime minister; (2) Letters from the pre-stamp era, dating from the 16th century; (3) Foreign driving licences and stamps; (4) First World War petrol coupons; (5) London landmarks featured on labels; (6) Foreign Bill Stamps on documents; (7) USA Revenues including state stock transfer duty stamps; (8) Retail reward stamps with their issued cards and (9) Some suggestions for new collectors of Cinderella items, which included scratch cards, gift cards and loyalty cards. In Part 2, the emphasis was on stamp forgeries and collections of forged stamps. The first five frames showed a wide variety of stamps relating to world countries. Some were obvious forgeries, including miniature American toy stamps and their envelopes, The remaining frames were devoted to United States Local Issues. These were introduced by private delivery companies when U.S. Mail was unable to handle the mail demand. Collectors' catalogues and albums appeared and to meet the increased demand for collectors with empty albums, huge numbers of forged stamps were produced. Some of the stamps were in the 'bogus' category, as they purported to be issued from non-existent companies. President Allen Wood thanked Ed for bringing us another entertaining evening with many rarities outside the usual concept of philately. (D.H.)

"Scandinavian Definitives": Mick Inger, 16 February 2018
Mick Inger gave a comprehensive display of the definitive stamps issued by the principal Scandinavian countries. The first part comprised Denmark and Norway. Both countries, being monarchies, produced royal portraits, but most of the stamps were designed around numerals rather than portraits. The Norwegian Post Horn issue of 1873 is still the subject of a current design, making it the longest serving stamp design. The display highlighted the colour and perforation variations for many issues, together with all the overprints. In the second part, stamps of Sweden and Finland were shown, with similar attention to the varieties. The early issues from Finland are rare, but as the country achieved independence from Russia, more stamps were issued. Finland does not have a monarchy and had some pictorial stamps which were on issue for several years; hence these are regarded as definitives. President Allen Wood thanked Mick for the display (D.H.).

"Jersey": Andrew Pearson and "Mishmash": Sandra Poole, 2 February 2018
Andrew Pearson's display was a beautifully mounted collection of Jersey's stamps and miniature sheets. It began with the World War II occupation stamps of 1941 and 1943 and continued up to the 1996 Christmas issue. Andrew pointed out the different sets, picking out his favourites and those he didn't like. The last board showed postage dues and finished with a GB stamp, a 1902 King Edward VII £1 value, used in Guernsey. Alan Squires gave a vote of thanks and commented on how beautiful the Jersey issues were.
Sandra Poole's contribution to the evening was a mishmash of old displays, with some extra items added. The first three boards were devoted to the theme of mosaic art, a form which could be traced back to the 8th century BC. This display, with stamps , photos, covers and postcards, showed its development from the 4th century BC to the modern era. The next items shown were bus and other tickets, some with adverts on the back including one for the Beeston Domestic Burners, the last London tram tickets and those of the special Festival of Britain bus service. It continued with a series of postal slogans. Next on the programme were old banknotes, including one from the German inflationary period denominated 20,000,000,000 marks. Before the war this would have been worth a thousand million pounds and in 1923 it was not even enough to cover a tram fare! These were followed by a section on philatelic items- stamps, postal stationery, covers, censor marks,etc- all in different shades of purple, the speaker's favourite colour. Journals, old and recent, from other societies and the first copies of our own Society Newsletter under three different editors completed the display .Brian Clayton thanked Sandra for putting together these fascinating items. (S.P.)

President's Evening: Allen Wood, 19 January 2018
Allen chose to display a variety of items, commencing with old photographs of bus and trolleybus transport in the Nottingham area. An unusual display followed, of Nigerian stamps used in the British Mandate Territory of Cameroons. A few of the stamps had overprints. An interesting collection of first flight covers of Air Ethiopia was complimented with photographs of the country which had been obtained by a soldier in 1941. In part 2, the main display was stamps of Libya, with several rare miniature sheets. The display was completed with a collection of the stamps of Lesotho at the time of independence. Vice President Brian Clayton thanked Allen for the display. (D.H)

Members' Evening: "Not a Stamp in Sight", 5 January 2018
Twelve members revealed interests outside the hobby of stamp collecting. In the first part, the themes were: ephemera from the reign of King George VI, which a included Festival of Britain programme; an amazing display of badges; family history as revealed from roots in Australia; glass bead making at home; lace making and ornamental bobbins; the Society web site; and postal covers from or to Australia without stamps. In part two coloured illustrated old postcards were followed by commercial vehicle and unusual driving licenses; rocket mail which had never left the ground and Antarctic letters and photographs. The President showed his delight with the interesting response in thanking the members. (D.H.).

Members' Evening: Asia and Australasia, 1 December 2017
Another presentation of interesting and varied items from the Society members comprised items from or connected with the two continents. In part 1, the displays were India- Boer War Prisoners; Australian Civilian Interrupted Mail (mail to Japanese occupied Asia in WWII); Iraq; Australia and Malaysia; Copyright Labels on Australian Gramophone Records; and Victorian Era Mail to Australia and India. In part 2, the displays were: Russian Exploration of the Arctic; Pages from an old Belgian Stamp Album featuring Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Asia; Australian Year Books and Covers; Modern Japan; and the 1989 issues from Australia and New Zealand. (D.H.).

Visit from Leicester Philatelic Society, 3 November 2017
Four members of Leicester PS presented displays. Michael Berry opened with mail and views from Walvis Bay, a small town in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). The importance of air mail was evident in this country due to the desert conditions and lack of communications. Peter Brooks followed with a detailed study of the Leeward Islands stamps. The constituent islands have also had their own stamps since 1903 and covers bearing mixed stamps and mixed currency were shown, together with some recognised printing flaws on the stamps.
In part 2, Vince Patel showed some most unusual aspects of GB stamps. A few consumer products have had offers of a philatelic nature. These usually consisted of a reward of Royal Mail postage stamps to be redeemed on proof of purchases. The display showed both the offers and the rewards in a complete form. Finally, John Jackson displayed a large number of auction catalogues which were produced to sell the collections of the late Arthur Hind and Maurice Burrus. Both had huge important collections which were sold by auction. The Burrus collection necessitated 70 auction catalogues. Ironically, the unique 1c British Guiana stamp was catalogued but not sold. President Allen Wood expressed the thanks of the Society members for this excellent meeting. (D.H.)

GB Used in Malta: Martin Lloyd, 20 October 2017.
The first local post in Malta and Gozo was established in 1858 and mail was carried without charge. From 1860, a ½d Malta stamp was required. For overseas mail, GB stamps were used and from 1857 these were cancelled with an 'M'. Subsequently, in 1859, the 'A25' cancel mark was applied.
Martin Lloyd showed a remarkable display of these stamps, many of which were on covers. The principal destinations were Italian ports. With the penny reds (1858 - 79) most plate numbers were used in Malta and in addition, International Postal Stationery was available. When the surface printed issues were introduced, most values were available in Malta, the exception being the 2/6d. When Maltese stamps became acceptable for international mail, GB stamps cancelled 'Malta' continued to appear occasionally, but only for 'paquebot' usage. Dennis Boot thanked the speaker for displaying many rare items. (D.H.)

Members' Evening: New Acquisitions and Recently Mounted, 22 September 2017.
Whilst most of the members are now consolidating their collections, a few recent stamp issues were shown. In part one, the display items included Canada (1946-1980) and (2016-17), elephants on stamps, biro cancelled GB, local post forgeries of Denmark and USA, hat tax, Nottingham horse drawn trams, covers from the Crimea War, maps on stamps and miscellaneous items from Australia, Mexico, South America and North Korea. The part two displays included the classic GB £2 Machin error, more elephants, recent Europa covers and a study of the development of phosphor bands in GB commemorative issues up to 1966. Brian Clayton chaired this interesting meeting. (D.H.)

Society Visit to Alfreton Philatelic Society, 15 September 2017
Ten members of the Nottinghamshire Society went to Pentrich Village Hall and eight members displayed items. A minute's silence in memory of the late Ron Stammers preceded the displays. The items on show were: German States pre-stamp correspondence; postcards of lace making in Belgium; April Fish cards from France; miniature sheets from France; trade plate licence tax discs for motor vehicles; East Essex Scout Christmas stamps; miscellaneous USA philatelic items and part of the collection of the late Derrick Avery. The interval refreshments complemented a successful and enjoyable meeting. (D.H.)  

"European Potpourri": Tony Sibley, 1 September 2017.
The principal theme of the latest 'Potpourri' from Tony Sibley was European postal disruption and difficulties. The first board of the display related to the 1982 Falklands Conflict. A collection of postal history items relating to the separation of Ireland from the UK. followed, with examples of IRA intervention and disruption, culminating in the outcome of the 1916 uprising. Then with the Second World War came a collection of letters addressed to some of the famous German war criminals, and a reference to the youth and women movements in Nazi Germany.
In Part 2, the display concentrated on the disruption of mail services in Europe during the Second World War, with examples from several countries. Suspended mail, detained mail, undelivered mail, censored mail and mail passing through undercover agencies all illustrated the difficulties which were experienced at the time. Some correspondence had been identified as originating from collaborators and some involved war time internees. The final part showed the plight of the Channel Islanders. President Allen Wood thanked Tony for another fascinating display. (D.H.)

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