Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

PRESIDENT'S NIGHT

Gilbert & Ellice Islands followed by Zanzibar

Derek Wiltshire

New President, Derek Wiltshire welcomed a large turnout to a new season of society meetings.

Derek opened his display with his Gilbert & Ellice collection. Starting with the their first stamps, the 1911 overprints of Fiji definitive stamps, Derek showed their issues including colonial omnibus issues for the Silver Jubilee of King George V, King George VI Coronation and Silver Wedding and, of course, the 1946 War Victory issue. He also displayed the various, now pictorial, definitive issues dating from 1939. With the splitting of the Gilbert & Ellice Islands to form Kiribati and Tuvalu (respectively) Derek showed many of the more modern issues which covered a range of themes including local shipping, aircraft, transport and culture. Also displayed were large "minisheets" most of which related to UK Royal events.

Before his second round Derek commented that he hadn't really planned on showing Zanzibar but as he'd read it in the national magazines he thought he'd better do it anyway! On this occasion he showed stamps dating from Independence, in 1963, through the revolution (early 1964), which at that time was the bloodiest ever in Africa, to amalgamation with Tanganyika (to form Tanzania) in 1968. He concluded his display with a series of postcards showing Zanzibar from the late 19th Century to the present day including several which featured Blantyre's Dr David Livingstone.

In proposing a hearty vote of thanks, Immediate Past President Terry Woods commented on the range and quality of the Derek's material. He also remarked on the amount of research Derek must have put in, in preparing such an excellent display.

Our next meeting, on Friday 16th September, will have LPS member David Matthews showing "Crimea", to which all are, of course, most welcome.