Updated 30th November 2009  

Giving a Display to your local club -

                  - An Afternoon Philatelic Seminar on  Thursday 21st January 2010

Too many collectors can be timid when showing off some of their treasures to an audience, and even fight shy of presenting a display to their local club. Often the excuses are “ No one will be interested in what I collect” and “I cannot stand up and speak in front of my club”. However, if you enjoy your collection why should not others enjoy it too? There is much good material which is hardly ever seen, and the enjoyment of it is worth sharing.  

The National is running a seminar in late January which will address these issues and more. The seminar is to be presented by husband and wife team Susan and Chris Oliver. 

Susan Oliver has given displays to Societies all over the British Isles and has been active in the world of Stamps and Postal History for some time. Her husband Christopher is, currently, President of the National Philatelic Society and also takes an active role in the hobby. 

They will try to offer encouragement to collectors who would like to learn how to present their display, by giving some tips and advice which will, hopefully, instil confidence and reassurance where needed. There will be time for discussion and questions. 

The venue is the Phoenix Centre, Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DL, the time will be Thursday, 21^st January 2010, starting at 2pm.  This event has been organised through the British Postal Museum and Archive in the adjoining Phoenix Centre, where Royal Mail are kindly providing a meeting room.

The National Philatelic Society Library will be open to all attendees from 11am and until 6.30 pm on the day of the Seminar.

 There will be a charge of £5 (£3 for members of the National Philatelic Society). Places are limited and the deadline for applications is Thursday 14^th January 2010. Please click here for a programme and booking form.

November 2009

• Downstream Access Mail - Further examples of the logos and operator numbers of private operators from David P James.
  
  
• Sorry we don't need any architects today....Newly arrived in Cyprus in 1936, Arthur Hubert Stanley Megaw CBE ("Peter") corresponded with his parents in Belfast and his future wife in Athens. The correspondence has survived and some of the covers, most of which bear Cyprus Circular Publicity Cachets, are described and illustrated here by David Alford, with specialist commentary on the postal rates by Robin Davis.
  
  
• Kamerun-French Equatorial Africa Border Survey Commissions of 1911-1913 and the Aftermath - Following the 'Agadir Crisis' of 1911, France and Germany agreed to the transfer of French territory to the Germany colony of Kamerun in recognition of France's claims to the establishment of a Protectorate over Morocco. As explained here by John Yeomans, the services of a survey team was required to establish the new boundary, and here he looks at three surveying covers from members of that team.
  
  
• Checklist of Articles in the British Philatelic Press January - June 2009.
   
  
• Recent Displays - comprehensive reports on the presentations given and material shown at recent meetings of the National PS. 

"Hong Kong 1937-1952" - Ron Rakusen displayed on 12 September and his coverage of the pre-war King George VI issues, the effects of the Japanese invasion on postal services, the resultant internee mail and the re-establishment of postal services in 1945 are all covered in Michael Round's report.

Country Meeting at Leamington Spa - Chris Oliver describes the various displays that were given by members at the second country meeting of 2009.

"King Cakobau and all that" - Although pre-viewed in the August 2009 issue of Stamp Lover, Michael Goodman still finds plenty to describe as regards David Alford's display of Fiji which he gave to the Society on 10 October.

• New Issues  - A look back at some of the 150th Anniversaries that have been commemorated during 2009 with an occasional comparison with the relevant centenary issues of 1959:
  
  
  • The first Bahamas postage stamp - the Colony's one penny stamp Interinsular stamp was released on 10 June 1859.
    
    
  • The (first) Return to Pitcairn in 1859 - even though the centenary was commemorated ninety-eight years ago!
    
    
  • Unification of the Principalities 1859 - When the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia each voted to have Alexandru Cuza as their ruler after centuries of Ottoman rule, they effectively created the modern state of Romania, an anniversary marked with a 2.40L stamp and a souvenir sheet on 24 January 2009.
    
    
  • King "Bomba"  - Sicily belatedly introduced postage stamps bearing the portrait of King Ferdinand II just as the movement for the unification of Italy was about to bring his kingdom to an end. One of the stamps and the unusual canceller used, appeared on the commemorative stamp issued by Italy on 18 June.
    
    
  • Queensland 1859-2009 - Two stamps from Australia marking the 150th anniversary of the sunshine state as a separate colony which up to then had been part of New South Wales.
     
  • Luxembourg Railways - Three appropriate stamps from Luxembourg mark the opening of the first lines on the Grand Duchy in October and November 1859. 
    
    
• Bibliography of Philatelic Pseudonyms - Many of us have come across philatelic pseudonyms over the years and enjoyed the fruits of their pens. But who were they? The fifth and concluding part  of Brian J Birch's new listing reaches extends begins with Pharé and ends with Yul Brynner.
  
  

• PLUS -  Regular Features - 
  

  • Book Reviews

  • Letters to the Editor, The President's Piece, National PS News and other Philatelic News. 
    

  • Stamp Fairs Listing -  December 2009, January & February 2010.
    
    

New Editor for “STAMP LOVER”

The council of the National Philatelic Society has appointed Michael L. Goodman as the new editor of its bi-monthly magazine The Stamp Lover. The appointment to the honorary post became effective in January, in time to see the February edition to press, and Mr. Goodman also joins the National’s Council. 

Michael L. Goodman, 61, has been a member of the National for more than 20 years and   attends its monthly Saturday meetings regularly. In recent years he has reviewed and reported for the Stamp Lover the diverse displays which take place at these meetings. His main collecting interests are USA and Great Britain from early to modern and he is a packet secretary of the American Stamp Club of Great Britain. He is also hon. secretary of Twickenham and District, his local philatelic society, which this year celebrates its 60^th birthday.

 Mr. Goodman is a journalist by profession, working freelance as a writer on personal finance and business matters. His work appears regularly in The Weekly Telegraph, the overseas edition of the Daily Telegraph, and in Estate Agency News, the trade paper for residential estate agents. 

He said,” I am honoured to be following in the footsteps of our distinguished former editors and in particular that great philatelic writer Fred Melville, who founded Stamp Lover a century ago and whose articles on philately are written in a style that is still easy to read despite the passage of time. I also wish to thank the former editor David Alford and his team who successfully re-launched a re-designed magazine last year. With the London 2010 Festival of Stamps coming up, it’s going to be an exciting and busy time for the National and for the Stamp Lover.”

                                                                                                                                                                                 January 2009

Annual Competitions, December 2008 

In terms of quality as well as quality, the 2008 annual competition was one of the best in recent years. There were 16 entries altogether and every class attracted more than one entry.

The winner of the Traditional Philately class was Michael R Thompson, with The Crown Colony of Ceylon. In Joint Second Places were John Davis with Canada - The War Tax Stamps and Terry Harrison with St. Vincent - The Perkins Bacon Printings..  

The History of Archery won Michael R Thompson first place in the Thematic class, with David Hunter taking second place with Women of Achievement.

Ron Rakusen took first place in the Social/Open Philately Class with Detained in Hong Kong while Michael R Thompson came second with his entry Lundy - North Devon.

This year there were three entries in the In the Aerophilatelic Class, with first place going to David Alford for Fiji - External Airmail and second to Michael R Thompson for Airmails of Chile.

Rolvenden - Kent gave Michael R Thompson first place in In the Postal History Class, with second place going to David potter for his entry, Jubilee of the Uniform Penny Post at the Guildhall.

This year’s judges were Christine Earle and Sheila Foster, here seen taking a well earned rest

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“STAMP LOVER” Celebrates 100 years of enthusiasm

“The keynote of the STAMP LOVER will be enthusiasm” wrote Fred Melville founder of the Junior Philatelic Society in the very first edition of the journal in June 1908.  A century later, the Junior’s successor, the National Philatelic Society, celebrates the centenary of the Stamp Lover with a bumper edition. 

The special 100-page issue features a re-design, with full colour illustrations and articles which reflect the diversity of philatelic interests and which also review the development of philately during the past century.

The issue is prefaced with an extract from the very first issue, including the editorial where Fred Melville expresses his views about enthusiasm for stamps, stamp collecting and the Junior Philatelic Society. That enthusiasm has been reflected ever since in the pages of subsequent issues of the Stamp Lover. 

Articles by expert contributors not only mark the Centenary but also inform and educate on philatelic issues today. As will be seen below, subjects include research, social philately, aerophilately, Machins, thematics, postal stationery and computers in philately. There is also a look back to 1908 and the issues current then, as well as a philatelic history of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition.   

Click here For full details of the contents of this special issue.

Accordingly, the British Philatelic Trust, has provided financial support for which we are grateful, to enable local philatelic societies in the UK to receive copies. This will allow their members to benefit from the research provided by our contributors.   

Copies of the Centenary issue may also be obtained from the Hon Secretary at National Philatelic Society, c/o The British Postal Museum & Archive, Freeling House, Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DL, for £3 each) including postage. Cheques should be payable to National Philatelic Society.