Bromley and Beckenham Philatelic Society (Club/Society)
Beckenham Public Halls,
4 Bromley Road, Beckenham
BR3 5JE
tel: 020 8778 7001
LOCATION MAP
|
|
|
Our new season began on September 8th 2004, when Derek Mauri showed us part of his USA collection.This included classic issues from 1847 to the 1920s, Airmails, Civil War postal history and letters from both the Confederate and the Union sides. The final few pages were of recent issues including the Millennium issues in the form of the "Decades" Miniature Sheets.
On the 22nd September, Mike Farrant gave us a splendid history and display of German East Africa during the first World War period. This included much local information concerning shortages of stamps, paper; the problems of the British Blockade which meant mail had to be routed via Mozambique;the "Konigsburg"story, "Smuggled" mail and much else.
On October 6th Dr. Jean Alaxander, FRPSL put up a magnificent display of "Waterfalls". This included sections not only about the geology and geography of waterfalls, but also other related topics such as Tourism, hydro-electric power, waterfalls in art and literature, including for example Sherlock Holmes.and much else. The whole collection included not only stamps, and related proofs and specimens, but also covers, postmarks, postcard and pictorial postal stationery from such coutries as Argentina, New South Wales and later Australia.
On the 27th October members were presented with displays of Australian International Airmails to 1942, and the Horseshoe Route 1941/2 by husband and wife team Mike and Dee Pullan
Mike covers the early flights, the development of Imperial Airways, KLM, Australian National Airways and others. He encompasses the development of routes, the introduction of the Empire Letter Scheme, the MacRobertson Air Race, and the effect of the war.
Dee has an extensive display of the development of the Horseshoe Route, the wartime vicissitudes that affected the service from Australia to all areas of the world. Some mail took over 100 days to reach its destination, some never did, and “suicide alley” had a hand in some of these.
Members from Edenbridge Philatelic Society came on the 17th November Rita Wiffen showed a miscellany of “Philatelic Terms A-Z”, mainly, but not exclusively, with GB material, including stamps and covers, postal stationery and other items. Items of note included a Mulready from 1840, a letter from Don Bradman (part of the Cricket Thematic), Tonga Tin-can Mail, a Western Telegraph Co “Weekend Telegraph” used in 1918, and the more recent 24p Postal Forgery used on a cover.
Derek Hamilton-Smith then showed a wide variety of “Airmail” material including the First Official UK Airmail London to Windsor in 1911, other early flights, GWR and Provincial Airways covers, Scottish Islands services, Lundy, Canada 1920s,30s material with Semi-Official Airmail stamps.
Then followed a valuable selection of early German airmails including Zeppelin Flights, DO-X material, Olympics, Russian and South American Routes, also USA “Los Angeles” items. Other displays included a collection of early picture postcards showing Aircraft, especially the Heracles class; and an extensive range of Ship Letters and other maritime markings from the pre-stamp period onwards.
The Auction on November 24th was very successful with a good attendance, and most lots selling.
To round off the year on December 8th, members competed for the Oliver Nugent Cup by entertaining their fellow members with displays relating to the Letter "S". This is a fun evening, and among the displays were Shell (the oil company), Shilling Stamps of GB, Surcharges on Rhodesian mail, Ships and Sailors, the South Atlantic. More unusual were personalised stamps from "Susie in Suomi (Finland) for her Sixtieth Brithday, and an entry illustrating "Slugs & Snails" and Sugar & Spice " for the Little Boys & Little Girls rhymes. However the winner, judged by five members volunteered from the audience, was Mr Ernie Burkin who showed about 300 different stamps from countries, themes or subjects relating to the letter "S".
On the 12the January 2005, the President put up a tremendous display of British India, Ceylon, Pakistan and many countries around the Indian Ocean which were influenced by or under the control of the Indian Post Office before Independence.
On the 26th January, nine members competed in the President's Competition. In a close run contest the winner was Mr J Burtonshaw with "1957 World Scout Jamboree," followed in the runner-up spot by Mr D Hubbard with the stamps of Labuan overprinted for use in the Straits Settlements in 1906-9.
On February 16th the President of the Kent Federation of Philatelic Societies, Don Brookfield gave a highly entertaining and extensive display of the Life and Times of King George the Sixth, with letters, photos, stamps, cards, covers, programmes etc.
On the 23rd February, Tony Bosworth, on a return visit, showed us his extensive collection of material relating to the "1936 Olympic Games". held in Berlin.
The winners of the Competitions held on the 9th March were: -
Stanley Gibbons Salver (for stamps) Peter Newman for "Leipzig Trade Fair"
Gilman-Davis Cup (for postal history) Mike Dobbs for "Spilsby 1d Post Period"
Jubilee Cup (for aerophilately) Grahame Boutle for "Proving Flights to Australia"
Thematic Cup. Grahame Boutle for "Development of Postal Transport"
The winner of the Tom David Rose Bowl for best overall entry was Mike Dobbs.
The Grand Auction took place on 23rd March, when over 40 members were present, and a high proportion of the lots was sold.
On 27th April Mr Tom Butlin, representing Croydon PS gave us 2 displays.Firstly Sierra Leone, which included large blocks and sheets, studies of various overprinted issues with numerous errors, Highlights included the largest known block of 30 of the 1876 ½d, Inverted Surcharges of the 1893 “Half Penny” provisional, the only known copy of the 1897 2½d on 3d Revenue with the BARS OMITTED (SG55d).
For the second half, Mr Butlin showed Honduras, one of the original “banana” republics. Commencing with complete sheets of the first two stamps, a résumé of the N F Seebeck issues and the circumstance of their issue. He continued with later overprinted items, including numerous errors, forgeries, Colour Trials, many Air post items including the 1929 Garay issues, plus later items including the various issues of the Pan-American Union miniature sheets of 1940, 1945 and 1951.
On May 11 our own members brought 10 Sheets from their own collections. These included items from singapore, Palestine, West Germany, North Borneo, as well as Postcards with a "Nautical Flavour," Coins, Symbolic Shells, especially the Conch, "Oilies" advertising covers and cards, and much else.
On the 25th May ,the AGM will take place, when Mr Grahame Boutle will be installed as the President for 2005/6 season.
On June 8th members brought GB Covers. The earliest item shown was 1591, but there was plenty of variety from QV for postmarks, GV including high values, also some items personally addressed to King Geroge Vth from such as King Haakon (of Norway) and King Gustav (of Sweden); GVI included WWII Undelivered to a POW, Postage Dues,, Airmails, also modern Churchill.
On July 13 our own Programme Secretary entertained us with 4 different displays, including Germany during the 3rd Reich, the 1930 triangular flight to South america and the USA by the Graf Zeppelin, Austria during the period leading up to the Anschluss in 1938, and finally Luxembourg under occupation during World War II.
On August 10th members were asked to bring items "You've Never Seen These Before." 11 members did so, and these included Octupus, Bahamas, Triastan Da Cunha Postcards, France, Airline Publicity cards, GVI covers, Postcards of Istambul etc.
.
| |  |
