GBPS Programme 2015-2016
Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington N1 0QH (
map)
2:15pmSupermarket Philately
Jean Alexander FRPSL
St Benedict's Catholic High School, Kinwarton Road, Alcester B49 6PX (
map) (
Meeting Notes)
Featuring a stamp fair with around 20 dealers and the Midland Philatelic Federation Autumn Convention and Competitions. Other Specialist Societies attending include the Midland (GB) Postal History Society and the Scandinavia PS.
11amMembers' Displays
Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY (
map)
11amPre-Adhesive Mail
Colin Narbeth FRPSL
2:15pmThe Franking Privilege
Chrissie Baker
Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, 399-401 Strand, London WC2R 0LT (
map)
11amJoint meeting with Channel Islands Specialists' Society
(
details)
This meeting has been arranged with Gerald Marriner from the Channel Islands Specialists' Society (CISS). Displays will be presented jointly by members of each society.
Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY (
map)
1pmMembers' Displays
Stanley Gibbons, 399 Strand, London WC2R 0LX (
map)
6pmEvening Reception and Standing Displays by GBPS members
Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY (
map)
11amRoyalty and the Mails at Windsor
(
details)
Philip Lindley FRPSL
Philip says: Windsor is a relatively small town which does
not lie directly on any of the original major post routes
out of London. However, it has a Castle which, unlike
others built by William the Conqueror as an outer
defensive ring round London, has stood the test of
time and become one of the Monarch’s primary
residences over long periods of history, from Norman
times up to the present day.
As such, it has a substantial Court following; a
significant church connection (St George’s and the
Knights of the Garter); a major military presence
(garrison town for over 300 years with a daily guard
established in 1660), and Eton College. The town also
has a number of influential residents attracted by the
Royal presence.
The display reviews how these factors have
generated considerable attention from the postal
authorities, and influenced the number of postmarks
issued and the development of postal services for the
town, which are out of all proportion to its size. It
covers the period from the restoration of the Monarchy
in 1660, with examples of correspondence associated
with Royalty over 250 years from Queen Anne to
Queen Elizabeth II.
2:15pmSociety Competitions: Lee, Willcocks, Jones, Macpherson and Overseas awards
(
details)
Followed by display of Competition entries and judges' critique (
entry details)

Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington N1 0QH (
map)
2:15pmSpoon Cancellations of Great Britain & Ireland
(
details)
Graham Booth FRPSL
Graham says: Spoon cancels, along with sideways
duplex cancels, were the first duplex cancels
anywhere in the world. They were part of an
experiment to speed up the mail by eliminating the
process of using an obliterator on the obverse of a
letter and a datestamp on the reverse. It determined
the design of cancellers in England, Wales and Ireland
for the next 25 years and was probably the first
large-scale industrial work-study ever conducted.
Twenty-eight towns in England, one in Wales and
thirty-two towns in Ireland were involved. The common
factor is an overlap between the obliterator with its
town office number and the datestamp, from which the
resemblance to a spoon is derived.
The main experiment ran between 1853 and 1859.
Most English spoons were re-cut so that there are 137
different varieties. Some towns such as Cheltenham
have only a single type; others such as Manchester
have more than 30. Similarly big towns generally
employed a large number of codes, smaller towns
very few. A total of 90 Irish spoons were issued but
only 82 are recorded used. Dublin spoons have a
completely different history to provincial spoons. The
experiment started later than in England, but finished
at the same time so that Irish spoons are less
common than English spoons and through poor
cleaning often have inferior impressions. As a
consequence Arundel’s information on Irish spoons
contains many errors.

Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, 399-401 Strand, London WC2R 0LT (
map)
11amEdward VII - First Day to Funeral
(
details)
David Milsted FRPSL
David says: The display covers early postal use of the first
four 1902 issues, progressing into covers and stamps
used throughout the Empire. Overprinted
Departmental issues are included. The second half of
the display features both the Coronation and Funeral
of the King with added ephemera.
2:15pmIreland - The British Connection
(
details)
John Sussex RDP FRPSL
John says: The display shows, mainly by means of postal history from
the seventeen century to 1922, how the mails were
handle in Ireland. Up to January 1798 Irish mails were
controlled in Dublin by the Irish Parliament; after this,
control was transferred to London, and the Postmaster
General and the Post Office had charge of the mails
up to 1922. A range of covers showing
the pre-1840 marks are followed by 1d Blacks, 2d Blues,
and Mulreadys. The development of the Post Office
throughout the 19th century, Rail and Military mail are
also covered and the display ends with George V
overprinted stamps on cover.

Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY (
map)
Stephen Weir
Stephen says: The display covers the Commemorative Issues of King
George V and King George VI. It covers the basic
stamps, watermark varieties (where applicable), control
stamps/cylinders, booklet panes & First Day of Issue
items including some more unusual items. The main
part of the display looks at the constant varieties of
the stamps—particularly the 1929 PUC issue and the
commemoratives of King George VI, which will go
beyond the Specialised Catalogue. I also show my
copy of the ever-popular 1935 Silver Jubilee Prussian
Blue. The display shows that on a modest budget
you can build a worthwhile wide-ranging collection.
(Yes, even including the Prussian Blue!)
John Roe
John says This potted history of GB flight covers has
the scene set with postcards of early British aviators,
British aviation meetings prior to the First World War,
followed by the Coronation Post of 1911, early RAF
airmail after the War, then airmail through Africa to
Tanganyika and the Cape, survey flights of Alan
Cobham and foreign flights to and from the UK. The
second half begins with covers flown by pioneers or
by Imperial Airways to and across India, then
Experimental England to Australia airmails.
Transatlantic airmails are followed by UK internal
airmails, one frame of assorted Far East covers, with
two frames of Crash Covers to finish.

Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY (
map)
11amThe President's Display: The First Low Value Surface Printed Postage Stamps
(
details)
Bob Galland FRPSL
Bob says: the decision to replace embossing by surface printing for postage
stamps was made in January 1855. Embossed stamps
were cumbersome to produce and unsuited for
perforating.
There were two main reasons why surface
printing (letterpress) was chosen over the line-engraved
process. Firstly, De La Rue claimed that their special
fugitive inks would reduce the risk of cancellations
being removed from used stamps and hence being
re-used. The second reason relates to problems
experienced in perforating line-engraved stamps. These
difficulties were largely due to the fact that paper was
dampened for line-engraved printing. Following
damping variation in degrees of shrinking resulted in
difficulty in perforating the sheets. De La Rue did not
need to dampen the paper before surface printing.
Stamps were designed, engraved and printed by
Thomas De La Rue and Company. The Board of the
Inland Revenue instructed and supervised De La Rue
and paid Jean Ferdinand Joubert de la Ferté 100
guineas for engraving the Queen’s head used for
surface printed stamps. The engraving was based on
a drawing by Henry Corbould.
Essays, proofs, colour trials, specimen stamps and
issued stamps show the evolution of low value stamps
(2½d–2s) from No Corner Letters until the introduction
of the Provisional and Temporary Unified stamps on
Crown watermarked paper. Of particular importance are
colour trials and essays associated with the 6d stamp
with Large White Corner Letters, essays associated with
changing from Large White to Large Coloured Corner
Letters and colour trials for the Provisional Issue which
marked the end of this series of stamps.
2:15pmTravelling Post Offices of Great Britain
(
details)
Clive Jones
Clive says: the display gives an extensive display of all regions of Great
Britain, mainly focussing on the period before the First
World War; indeed, virtually all the material is in
the first 100 years of the TPO period of operation, i.e.
1838–1938. Many early ‘missent’ items include interesting usages and many rare or
unique examples. The display includes smaller
feeder branches of the network, in addition to the main
trunk routes. Appropriate post cards and photographs
are included to enhance the display.

Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, 399-401 Strand, London WC2R 0LT (
map)
11amThe President's Guest: The Castle Issues of Great Britain 1952-1999
(
details)
Peter Shaw
Peter says: the first session covers the Wilding Castle
high values, issued between 1955 and 1969. During this
period there were three different printers: Waterlow, De
La Rue and Bradbury Wilkinson. Each had their own
way of preparing the printing plates and this is covered
in detail. There were various
changes in the watermark and paper, brought about for
political and technical reasons. The presentation
includes the recent discovery of the imperforate 2s 6d
value printed in black and the reason for the printing.
The second lay down covers the Decimal Castle high
values issued from 1988 to 1999. The stamps were
initially printed by Harrison, who had never printed
stamps by recess before. There were problems with
security which led to technical changes in the design
which led to further problems for Harrison. Eventually
the contract was transferred to Enschede who despite
their initial confidence managed to issue stamps with
errors on all values.
2:15pmAGM (followed by Members' displays)
