Greetings to you all. Hopefully you have managed to benefit from the best summer for many years. Garden crops have been good and Somerset C.C.C. may yet escape relegation to the second division.
Sadly since we last met I have learned of the deaths of Derek Brook and Alan Wall both of Weston-super-Mare. Although unable to attend recent meetings both had contributed to the Group before illness prevented them from doing so.
Nine of us made our way to Kington St Michael to be guests of the Midland P.H.Group. I have run out of adjectives to describe Alan Holyoake’s display of Registered Mail through the ages and commentary on same. Unbelievable. We all received a coloured brochure which featured the display. . A lovely souvenir of a memorable day.
Combe St. Nicholas, Nr Chard, Somerset has become incognito as seen by these two postmarks supplied by Ken Smith.
One Day Meeting. Hornsbury Mill , Chard, Sunday 24th March 2013
Nineteen members and friends gathered at the above venue to be warmly welcomed by Chairman Tony Osmond. There was a special welcome for Robin Cassell attending for the first time.
Apologies were received from Dennis Wynn, David and Mary Eastman, Andrew and Carol Dibble, John Harding, Mike Tombs and Nigel Borlase Hendry.
Tony proffered congratulations to Bill and Claire Pipe on the news of the pending arrival of a baby in June. We know now of course that they were blessed with a little boy, George. Extra domestic duties means that Bill has had to relinquish his editorial duties, so please will someone consider taking on the editorship of our biennial journal.
Speakers of the day were Nick Bridgwater and Bill Pipe. First up was Nick with a continuation of his study of Mulreadies. Mulreadies were unpopular from the word go and were subjected to much lampooning in the form of pictures and propaganda. Nick with his usual enthusiasm showed examples by Fore’s. Thackeray, Southgate, John & Richard Doyle, Ackerman, Jacob Bell and Hume. We saw too Anti Graham envelopes by Punch. Some of the propaganda envelopes were on Ocean Penny Post, Empire Penny Post, Antislavery and Intemperance, Anti Sunday Labour and General Observance of the Lord's Day. Nick explained that, considering how unpopular Mulreadies were to start with, their influence on advertising was felt until relatively modern times. For example, they were used by Spanish Book Importers and Exporters (1870), the 1940 Stamp Centenary, Plymouth Philatelic Auctions Letter Sheet (1959) and Roland Hill Centenary (1979). After we had feasted our eyes on this amazing array applause was prolonged.
Bill Pipe's "Perfins of British Railway Companies" after a super lunch was equally amazing. What an array of collecting talent we have within our group. One of the most enthusiastic collectors of railway material showed pertins on the actual stationery of the Caledonian, Cambrian and Furniss Railways. G.W.R. was the most prolific user of perfins and the earliest starting in 1957 and we saw a 2d Blue perfinned and usages too in the Channel Is. and Ireland. After the 1948 Nationlisation the Railway Executive Western Region used R.E.W.G. Bill also displayed a very rare mint block of 6 with L.S.W.R. of the London South West Railway. Over many years Bill had meticulously collected such rarities as S.R. from the 1923 Railway Groupings Act, Northern Region pertins after 1948 and The London Passenger Transport Board from the same era L.T. The British Transport Docks Board B.T./D. Perhaps the most informative of all was the Railway Passengers Assurance Co. R.P.A/Co. established 1849 which stated on a 1907 cover bearing its periin that £5,300.000 had been paid out in claims. This display too received a much deserved ovation.
Between these two remarkable showings 80% of those attending indicated that they wished to present one board displays and they did so as follows. As always a descriptions of these are very much abbreviated.
Bill Pipe A Dorset miscellany.
Roger Martin Multiple frankings of Royal mail.
Graham Warren Recent Ilminster acquisitions.
Peter Basterfield Destination Mail from Bath.
Allen Cotton Windmill, a 1950’s Glastonbury sub oflice.
Ken Gane The 1/2d Wheel Tax
John Millener Early Taunton Postal History
Janet Jones Genteel Culture pursuits in Taunton
Graham Mark Undercover mail of the 2nd World War
Brian Purcell New Bristol acquisitions
John Forbes-Nixon West Cormtry Penny Blacks
Mike Jones West Country card and covers
Apologies to anyone I have omitted because this list does not constitute 80% of those attending.
At notice board time where once again those giant biscuits were much appreciated it was announced that Bill's silent auction turned over £109.50 with £10.95 going to the Groups coffers. Tony thanked Bill for his kind efforts with both auction and joumal. He also extended thanks to Roger and Dave for the supplementary lighting, Barbara for organising the lunch requirements and the Wells and Taunton clubs for the generous loan of display boards