GBPS Programme 2013-2014

The following members of the Postal Stationery Society -- many of them also members of the GBPS, of course -- will be showing 4 frames (64 sheets) of material for each display.

First session 11.00am
Alan Huggins - The Early Development of Postal Stationery 1838 to 1880
Keith Hanman - Sierra Leone
Sam Barkley - The Irish Question

Second session 12.00 noon
Iain Stevenson - Aspects of Canada
Colin Breddy - GB Thinking Outside the Box
Colin Baker - GB Stationery Used Abroad

Third Session 2.00pm
George King - Irish Postcards
John Barker - Reply Paid Stationery
Peter O'Keeffe -- Penny Red Foreign Postcards

Fourth Session 2.45pm
Vicky Archard - East Africa, Over 100 Years of Change
Mike Smith - King Edward VII Orange River Colony

Fifth Session 3.30pm
Neil Sargent - Ottoman Empire 1914 Round Stamp
Michael Lockton - Great Britain Private Lettercards

Sixth Session 4.15pm
Maurice Buxton - King George VI Stamped to Order
Edward Caesley - Letters Received by Stamp Dealers
Alan Huggins - Mistakes in the Production of Postal Stationery

One request was to see the Private Telegraphs material in the Collection. This will form the second 'laydown' of the display. As the subject is really quite complicated, there will be a hand-out on this part of the display, and I thought that it might be useful to have this available in advance so that I don't have to speak for very long and so that members attending can get their heads round what is being shown! (And have longer to view the material.) This handout can be found in the GBPS Newsletter 345.

The first part of the display is rather more straightforward, and will cover line-engraved, some surface printed and a bit of King George V -- but there will be surprises, which I don't intend to anticipate!

Michael Sefi
Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection

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

The display will look at the various ways in which the British Post Office charged fees above normal postage on letters that it regarded as being posted "late". Initially this was mail handed over at the dispatching office after the usual latest posting time but went on to include fees on letters posted in special boxes at railway stations, on travelling post offices and at some ports.

Particular emphasis will be placed on showing the range of special hand-stamps and postmarks used to identify such mail, especially in London but also in various larger offices throughout the country, on how late posted registered, insured and express mail was handled, and on some of the higher or more unusual fees connected with services such as the Continental Night Mail and the Liverpool "Floating Receiving House".

Due to illness, Mike Osborne is unfortunately not able to give his scheduled display. However, a number of members have stepped into the breach with a selection of Wilding material:

Bob Galland
Wilding Postal History (4 frames, including mechanisation material)

Maurice Buxton
More Wilding Postal History (4 frames, including regionals)

Allan Jones
Wilding Commemoratives (4 frames, particularly errors and varieties)

Ian Harvey
Wilding Booklets (12 frames)