THE SOMERSET & DORSET POSTAL HISTORY GROUP
AN ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING HELD AT HORNSBURY MILL, CHARD ON SUNDAY 1st MARCH 2020 [PRE-LOCKDOWN]
After welcome coffee and homemade cookies [they really are the best!!], the Secretary welcomed all those thirteen members who attended and took apologies from Keith Wright, Barbara Osmond, Mike & Jan Jones, Nigel Borlaise-Hendy, Mike Tombs and Keith Brown.
In recognition of the passing of our member Dave Rollason on the 17th December 2019, the membership stood in silence in his memory; after which, Allen Cotton, the treasurer, gave a short financial statement to the meeting.
On conclusion, the secretary invited Nick Bridgwater to show his display of “Back of the Book Bristol” postal history. We were not at all disappointed with what we saw; which included numerous different styles and formats of postage due and instructional markings including scarcer items from Bristol Station and those with and without the 134 numeral designation of Bristol. There were a few “A” marks from Bristol sub-offices, but these are quite scarce items. Nick showed a vast array of marks including Closed Against Inspection; Not Called For; Closed Contrary to Regulations; Found at Bristol Without Contents; Posted Out Of Course; Missent; Misdirected; Not Fishponds; Not Long Ashton and Of The Nature Of A Letter etc., etc., etc.
After lunch, Bill invited his-self to show recently acquired Railway Letter Stamp covers ranging in date from 1892 to 1952. The nice thing about these was that they were all commercially used items-not a Ewen cover in sight!!
John Forbes-Nixon brought along some India Letters with the pseudo-manuscript hand stamps for 1/10d and 8d applied at Liverpool and London ship letter offices. He also showed a Royal Marines receipt for “Discharge Monies” of 1879 when it was decided that one pint too many DOES get you into trouble!! The nicest thing there [secretaries views only] was, I thought, the 6d on 6d stamp applied to an illustrated envelope showing [depending upon which way up you held the cover] and angry lady or a very placid lady. John followed this by showing a letter from a prisoner in York Castle and examples of the Peter Williamson private post which he ran in Aberdeen from 1773 to 1793.
Allen Cotton showed us some recent acquisitions including a straight-line BRIDGEWATER [with the “E”], some Taunton Penny Post items; an example of the double ring cancel of the seasonal postmark of Dunster Beach and the two versions of the World Refugee Year slogans which it may appear that Her Majesty is being offensive if a particular part of the slogan is struck lose to her image!!
Graham Mark brought along examples of the “Hancock” dated cancels of Wiveliscombe; a Free Franking abuse entire and a returned letter originating in Wiveliscombe, addressed to Card and sent to the returned letter office, London and then all the way back to Wiveliscombe-and all for 4d in the 4d post period.
The Secretary thanked all those who displayed and all those who had made the meeting and day possible.
The next meeting will be on Sunday 18th of October at the Hornsbury Mill, Chard
Bill Pipe
Secretary