SUMMARY OF THE MEETING OF THE SOMERSET & DORSET POSTAL HISTORY GROUP AT HORNSBURY MILL, CHARD ON SUNDAY 9th October 2016
BILL WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGISE FOR THE LATE APPEARANCE OF THIS REPORT
Our Chairman, Bill Pipe welcomed 19 members. Apologies were received from Keith Brown, John Harding, Jan and Mike Jones, Brian Purcell, David & Mary Eastman and Nigel Bourlass-Hendry
The usual notices concerning lunch & speakers were read out
At our March 12th 2017 meeting, Bill Pipe will show his Dorchester postal history and Allen Cotton will show some of his outstanding collection of GB Postal Stationery.
Bill Pipe then showed his collection of the postal history of the Isle of Purbeck and what now makes up the local government Purbeck District area. Bill showed an alphabetical display, starting with the smaller villages and settlements starting with Affpuddle and ending with Wool. Some of the more interesting items included items from the “Lost village” of Tyneham; an area taken over by the War Office in 1939 which is still under the control of the Ministry of Defence. From here, bill showed single and double ring cancels and parcel post labels. Penny Black covers, Mulready Envelopes and Wrappers were much in evidence, as were pre-stamp and later items including registered, express and other forms of mail. The second part of the display showed the postal history of Wareham and Swanage from pre-stamp to the late 1950’s. Members were given ample time to view the display and soon afterwards, Roger Martin showed us his Portishead collection which included a rare Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead railway cover, parcel post labels, penny posts, postcards and a selection of the radio mail from Portishead Radio signal station. Roger finished off by showing the postal history of tomorrow; a lovely selection of up to date office mail from Portishead and surrounds.
On completion of lunch, the members displayed.
First up was Graham Warren who showed some pretty nice recent acquisitions including a complaint of an over-charge of postage in 1854 from Taunton; an Ilminster skeleton, a cover of 1777 from Langport, a 1d black cover; undated circle cancels and a carte de visite of Ilminster, Ca.1900.
John Forbes-Nixon showed a wonderful selection of railway items including the scarce 131/S.T numeral cancel, railway letters and some nice station items which are clearly in the wrong collection!!!!! Never one to disappoint, John engaged his audience to the full.
Allen Cotton displayed some of his postal stationery collection including many advertising rings from various companies including W.H Smith & Son, The Philatelic Quarterly and other companies with values to the 1/-
Graham Mark showed more of his civil censorship with this display’s emphasis being on the granting of export licences to the philatelic and stamp trades
Clare Scott displayed a portion of her Death display with emphasis on disease and disinfection; showing a letter from a consumption sufferer from Weymouth dated 1834 and other items of mail concerning Small Pox and other nasty diseases.
John Scott showed a wonderful selection of pictorial notepaper from various Dorset locations-much of which was postally used- and much of which was promptly sold to eager buyers.
After tea & cookies, thanks were given by Bill to all members & particularly to those who make the meetings as enjoyable & well run as they are. Our next meeting will be on the 12th March 2017 at Hornsbury Mill, Chard. Our October meeting date is the 12th October 2017
Bill Pipe will show Dorchester postal history including mail from the Prisoner of War camps. Allen Cotton will also entertain us with his display of GB postal stationery.
Bill Pipe.
27th November 2016