• Who was the 2,000th member of the NPS? - Brian Birch examines the career of Charles James Phillips, one-time owner of Stanley Gibbons, who joined the then Junior Philatelic Society in 1912 and received the membership number 2000.

• How the NPS celebrated its Centenary in 1999 - and other photographs from the recent past.

• Mail to and from the rich and eminent, some musings - Michael L. Goodman writes about some 19th century celebrity mail in his collection. .

• Non-PC Philately, Taiwan style - Michael Round  examines Taiwan Stamps marking an Asian Conference on “ Mental Retardation” .

• Meeting reports - Lynn postal  history and the Lynn to Hunstanton Railway presented by Mike Kentzer FRPSL to the Online Meeting on Monday, 11 August 2025. The display not only showed postal history of Kings Lynn but also the now-closed railway which also served Sandringham. The report includes many illustrations from the display of stamps, covers, postcards and even a railway timetable.  Also, selected illustrations from the “Peace” display by Grace Davies FRPSL to the September London meeting of September. A more detailed report will appear in the December issue.

• Newsmix - ABBA tops music stamp poll. Royal Mail celebrates Monty Python and Stamp Magazine ceases publication. In his column, the Editor discusses the 150^th anniversary of the postcard.

• Book Reviews – Detailed reviews are a feature of the magazine. Included in this issue are issue are Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise Catalogue 2025, A Study of the Constant Flaws with other observations on the Commemorative Issues  of King George VI, 1946-1951 by Mike Stratford, Censorship in World War I by the Armeé français d’Orient by Peter Gassman, and SG Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue – Central Africa 3rd ed, 2025.

• Regular Features include

• The President's Piece
• Editor's column
  
• National PS News
• Letters to the Editor
   
• Stamp Fairs Listing -  late September,October & November 2025.

MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL PHILATELIC SOCIETY RECEIVE SIX ISSUES OF "STAMP LOVER " A YEAR.

New President for the National

At the 125th Annual General Meeting of the National Philatelic Society, held at 15 Abchurch Lane, London on Saturday 12 July 2025. the Society was pleased to elect Michael L Goodman as its new President. Michael is currently editor of Stamp Lover and succeeds Peter Mellor who took office in 2022.

 As the Society's new President, Michael Goodman (left) makes a presentation to his
predecessor at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

Readers have voted for their favourite feature article publishedReaders have voted for their favourite feature article published  in Stamp Lover during 2024 and Mchael L Goodman was the winner with "It all started over a shop in Clapham", a history of the National Philatelic Society published in the December 2024 issue of Stamp Lover. The runners up were David P. Williams with "Combining a passion for Steam and Stamps" (published April 2024) and "Mobile Marks used in the Channel Islands" by Nicholas Stuart (published in December 2024).

As is now the custom, the traditional writing set was presented to Michael Goodman at the end of the Annual General Meeting on 12 July 2025.

 
London & Provincial Stamp Club

As  from 1 September 2023, members of the London & Provincial Stamp Club (L &P) have been welcomed to the National philatelic Society (NPS). As a result the NPS has  gained 79 new members. A further 25 L & P members were already members of the NPS. This transfer followed a vote by L & P members after the Club found itself unable to find new officers.

NPS President, Peter Mellor comments  “ As always, I am delighted to welcome new members, but in the case  of those from the L & P, I appreciate that it is always a sad moment when any club or society – philatelic or otherwise – feels that circumstances  mean it has to close its doors. Nevertheless I hope and believe that the National can add to these members’ enjoyment of the hobby in the way that the L &P did and certainly we will be the better and stronger as a result of this influx of new blood. Indeed it is good to know that Andrew Horn of the L & P is already becoming a valued member of our Packet Team., while Julia Toddhas been co-opted onto the NPS Council”.. 

The London & Provincial Stamp Club’s origins go back to 1946. In November of that year, 18 members of an international philatelic body called the International Stamp Collectors’ Association (ISCA) met together at a church hall in Paddington and agreed to form a London club.  The first meeting was held on 25th November 1946, with Robson Lowe, the eminent philatelist, as the guest speaker. His subject was "organised Philately".This small group prospered and attracted more members until in 1950 – upon the demise of the ISCA – it renamed itself and became the London & Provincial Stamp Club.

The club always had as its motto “The Friendly Club for the Average Collector”.  It welcomed all collectors, and set out to create a friendly atmosphere, foster their interests and carry out meetings in a happy and informal manner. As the name implies, the L & P drew members from across the country and for many years held Saturday bourses and auctions at the Victory Services Club.                                                      October 2023