GBPS Programme 2020-2021

Followed by display of Competition entries and judges' critique (entry details)

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.

Ray says: "This display is all about Victorian stamps. Or maybe postal history. Or perhaps bits of both. Whatever your verdict on that, this display is wide-ranging, beginning with 'mixed frankings' on covers from the 1840s through to the beginning of the KEVII period and the first mixed-reign frankings.

Throughout, the focus is firmly fixed on transition from one issue or type of stamp to its successors. So you will see 1d Blacks used with 1d Reds and 1d Pink postal stationery uprated with various adhesives. Technical developments like perforation spawned examples of perforated stamps used with imperforate stamps. The introduction of adhesive embossed and surface printed stamps in the late 1840s and 1850s widened the range of stamps in circulation and created conditions for some surprisingly rare and unusual frankings. Progressive changes to the check letters on the surface printed stamps, and colour changes, led to a range of mixed frankings, some of the rarest of which will be on display.

Also covered will be the major change from line-engraving to surface printing for the lower value stamps, and also the raft of technical and administrative developments in the early 1880s, all illustrated with stamps of different types and origins used together on the same cover. High-value stamps used with Jubilee and other stamps will be displayed, and the show will conclude with examples of mixed-reign frankings, many of them surprisingly scarce.

The display will start with a PowerPoint introduction and commentary, supported with something in the region of 160 sheets of real live covers."

This is a call to dig out from your collections your covers with mixed/unusual frankings and bring them along to show to members. 1-2 frames (of up to 16 sheets per frame) are ideal. Do you have mixed reign frankings, unusual combinations, mixed pre-decimal & decimal frankings?

Please bring something along to show. As always, advance notice of what you plan to bring (type of material and quantity) is useful to our Meeting Manager, Steve Teuma to help speed up planning the running order on the day, so please email him via meetings@gbps.org.uk or ring on 01394 246224 with brief details.

John says "The display will feature the display 'A Jubilee Reminiscence' telling the story of the 1890 GB Penny Postage Jubilee. The collection has achieved several Large Gold Medals and was awarded 'Best in Class' at the Stockholmia International Exhibition last year.

The events, which included major exhibitions at the Guildhall and South Kensington Museum, were important for the introduction of Great Britain's first commemorative postal stationery. The celebrations also led to the first International Philatelic Exhibition as well as the first decorative handstamps in GB.

The collection features a wide selection of different types of material including stamps and postal stationery, essays, proofs and ephemera, so, there should be something of interest for all."

Steve Harrison is one of GB's leading philatelists as both a collector and contributor to organised philately. Amongst his various interests he has a specialised collection of GB registered mail. As an organiser, he is the current Chairman of the Midlands Philatelic Federation, a Council member of the Royal Philatelic Society and Vice Chairman of ABPS amongst others. In the latter role, he has served on the organising Committee of the ABPS Congress for some years. He already had a good collection of related material to Congress but, in 2019, he acquired the substantial collection of Colin Searle. This subject brings together both aspects of Steve's personal involvement in philately. As a result, Steve will now be giving the presentation on 20th June.

The Philatelic Congress of Great Britain was first established in 1909 in Manchester and has been held every year (some War years excepting) since. In many years, the signing of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists has also taken place at Congress. It took place first in 1921 at Harrogate, so 2021 will see the 100th Anniversary of the RDP ceremony. Alan Huggins and Chris Harman, Past Presidents of the GBPS, have both become RDPs over the years.

Congress has been remarkable in different ways, both for the range of philatelic material that has been issued over the years but, also for the way it has impacted philately in the UK. Steve will tell the story of the evolution of both aspects in his display which must be the most comprehensive that exists outside of institutions with many unique pieces.