OCTOBER  & DECEMBER 2011

October 2011    

• What the BPMA can do for you - A look at what the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) ac offer the philatelist.
  
  

• Europa Stamps 2011 Forests - This year's Europa stamps hade forests as a theme. This article gives details of the issues and looks at the different was in which the theme has been interpreted.
   

• Thematic Philately - why not give it a go? - Christine Earle explains about Thematic Philately and how to go about taking up this popular form of collecting.
  
  

• My Father's Error Collection, up for sale. The late Dr David E G Irvine was a member of the National Philatelic Society and a distinguish collector of "errors on stamps". His collection is being sold by auction on 9 November and here, his son, Andrew Irvine describes his late father's approach and contribution to the hobby.
  
  

• More Machin Manifestations - At first glance the British stamps on today's letters all look the same but within them are hidden security and other codes. Michael Goodman explains more as he brings his previous article on the subject (October 2010 Stamp Lover ) up to date.
  
  

• New Issues - 

  • The Round Kiwi - The three latest Round Kiwi stamps from New Zealand, together with details of their predecessors.

  • New Zealand Health Stamps 2011 featuring the Kiwi and two other flightless birds.

  • Malta Buses - End of an Era - All change in Malta has been marked by some colourful stamps showing the characterful and now-replaced buses in their old liveries.

  • Piloting and Casement stamps from Bermuda. 
    
    

• Recent Displays - Reports on the displays given at recent meetings - the Members' Displays given on the afternoon of the AGM (9 July 2011) and "Things you Didn't know about the National" - the display and talk on the Society's Archives given by Ted Halliday on 12 August.
  
  

• Book Reviews - This popular feature this month embraces the latest Gibbons Catalogues - Part 17 (China) and Part 9 (Portugal & Spain), Postal History from St Kitts, Italian Forces in Libya and Postmarks from British Guiana.
  
   PLUS -  Other Regular Features - 

  • The President's Piece, National PS News

  • Letters to the Editor, 

  • Stamp Fairs Listing - October, November and December 2011 

December 2011

• Two pre-stamp Italian Covers - Keith Tranmer gives us a glimpse of life in the early nineteenth century - the first cover dates from 1809 and the Napoleonic Occupation of Italy and concerns a search for one Conscript Fusilier Baudac and the other daters from 1832 and recalls a rather uncomfortable journey from Gmund to Brescia. 
  
  

• My father's stamps, a major Chinese find -  Following on from "My Father's Error Collection" (October 2011, Stamp Lover), Andrew Irvine was delighted to find that this included the "35th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution" set issued by China in 1953 in the version that was withdrawn from sale before issue because it contained additional characters meaning "Soviet".
   

• They've changed the colour of our stamps" - Great Britain 1951 - It is sixty years since the colours of the British low value stamps were changed. With help from the British Postal Museum & Archive, Peter Mellor explains the background to the changes and how the Post Office felt obliged to justify the moves.
  
  

• The More the Rail, the Faster the Mail". A report in this years Stuart Rossiter Lecture that was given by Colin Tabeart APR FRPSL on 4 November 2011.
  
  

• More Machin Manifestations, and some corrections - Ever more complex, Michael Goodman looks at this year's Arnold Machin label, various Birds Collectors Strips and ads some corrections to his previous articles.
  
  

• Checklist of Articles in the British Philatelic Press - our twice yearly listing covers the period January - June 2011.
  
  

• New Issues - 

  • CHOGM -  The stamp from Australia marking the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in October 2011, continuing the practice of marking these Meetings in the way that began with the first CHOGM in Singapore in 1971.  

  • Copenhagen Central Station - four stamps from Denmark marking the centenary of the present station.

  • Frozen Planet - Issues from South Georgia and British Antarctic Territory complimenting the series currently on British Television. 

  • King James Bible - the Cayman Islands have taken the 400th Anniversary of the "Authorised Version" as the theme for this year's Christmas. Stamps. 

  • Counting in Kiwis - Stamp Lover keeps up to date with New Zealand's non-denominational "kiwi stamps"
    
    

• Recent Displays - Reports on the displays given at recent meetings - Postal Mechanisation given by Ray Downing on Saturday 10 September, Colin Searle's "The History of Malta through Stamps" on 8 October 2011 and "The Dodecanese Islands" given by Paul Woodness on 12 November.. .
  
  

• Book Reviews - This popular feature this month embraces a history of the RHS Halls long associated with the philately and the National Philatelic Society  the latest Gibbons Catalogues - Part 17 (Germany), GB Specialised Volume 3 (QEII pre-decimal) and  Bangladesh, Burma, Pakistan & Sri Lanka - together with a look at Ethiopia, Romania and Mail Routes to Ireland pre 1850.
  
   PLUS -  Other Regular Features - 

  • The President's Piece, National PS News

  • Letters to the Editor

  • Additions to the Library 

  • Stamp Fairs Listing - December 2011, January and February 2012.

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