GBPS Programme 2020-2021

If we have returned to some form of normality by the New Year our Competitions day (Saturday 23 January 2021) can proceed as the usual face-to-face meeting at the Royal.

However, irrespective of this we will be holding a virtual Competitions day and judging "virtual exhibits". To this end we are asking that all members wishing to submit one or more entries for the competition do so ahead of time in the form of scanned images. These will be put onto the GBPS website (in the "Display Archive", members only section) so they can be viewed by all members as well as the judges.

A virtual meeting (similar to the recent Zoom based display meetings we have been running) has been arranged where the judges can provide the usual feedback on the exhibits, award marks and announce the winners in each class. This will be on Saturday 30 January 2021.

As it happens, this ties in quite nicely with the once every three years "Overseas Members Awards" where we normally accept scanned/photocopied entries from overseas members. We would encourage all overseas members, especially any who have recently joined us from the GBCC and/or those who have never entered a GBPS competition before, to submit an entry - but only scanned entries on this occasion, not photocopies please.

In summary, a virtual Competitions meeting will take place on the 30 January and, if possible, a physical Competitions Day meeting on the 23 January. Please note that the virtual meeting will in effect be a duplication of the physical meeting if it is able to go ahead. Therefore, all entries MUST be submitted as scans.

So, how do you submit a virtual exhibit for the competitions?

- Once your exhibit is completed scan each page in JPG format at 300dpi.
- Save the images using your name as the file name with a suffix of the page number in the order they should be exhibited in your "virtual frame". So, for example, "JoeBloggs1.jpg" for the first page of your exhibit ending with "JoeBloggs16.jpg" for the final page.
- Complete your competition entry form in the normal way (this can be found under Society Information, Competitions from the home page), scan it, and send this via email to the Competition Organiser, Robin Cassell, via competitions@gbps.org.uk and also to the Website Manager, Maurice Buxton, via website@gbps.org.uk (Note. Please do not send your exhibit scans with this email).
- The exhibit scans will be too large for everyone to email them directly to Robin & Maurice so please send to them both via a file transfer service, the free WeTransfer service being ideal for this purpose. See www.wetransfer.com for details.

Robin will acknowledge receipt of your entry and in due course it will appear on the GBPS website, courtesy of Maurice, ready for judging.

Please note:

- All entries (both the entry form and the scans) must be submitted to Robin & Maurice by Saturday 9 January 2021 to enable them to be checked and added to the GBPS website in time for judging prior to the Competition day meeting.
- All normal competition rules remain as stated on the GBPS website for each class aside from the "virtual" aspects laid out here.
- All competition entries will be made available to members to view, via the GBPS website. Submission of an entry therefore implies acceptance.

There will naturally be some Covid-related rules for the meeting and lunch in the Candlemaker pub – see this page for details.

Our final meeting of the season will be the Stanley Gibbons Summer Philatelic Gathering from 6:00pm-8:00pm at their premises, 399 Strand, London WC2R 0LX. They are good hosts, providing a variety of food and drink as well as generous discounts on their stock on the night.

An invitation from Stanley Gibbons to the event was included in the May/June mailing. Please remember to RSVP (to S.G. not the GBPS) in good time so they know how many people they are catering for.

Members are invited to bring up to two frames (of 12 sheets per frame in 3 rows of 4 sheets) of material to show during the evening. Please dig out something to bring along, as it is a highlight of the evening to see a mix of material from as many members as possible. As usual, if bringing a display it helps if you can let us know ahead of time so we can get a head start on a running order and determine the number of laydowns we will need so please email or phone our Meeting Manager, Steve Teuma, via meetings@gbps.org.uk or 01394 246224.