Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

Society Visit

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Philatelic Society

The Lanarkshire Philatelic Society was delighted to welcome three members of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Philatelic Society to give their displays on Friday (14^th March). There was a wonderful variety of material!

Tony Walker presented a fascinating glimpse of Royal Navy Postal History with stamps, covers, cachets and postcards sent by King George V from the various ships he served on during his naval career. Letters regarding forthcoming Fleet Reviews were shown as well as Naval Signals sent by the King. Then material sent from ‘Ships Lost at Sea’ during the First World War followed by letters sent from people who were subsequently killed in naval battles. This Display ended with a show of different postmarks from Admiralty Mail Offices. 

Jean Wood has a wonderful collection of King George VI stamps issued by Canada. This collection started from stamps issued when the king succeeded to the throne in 1936. The display continued with special stamps issued for the king’s coronation in 1937, and continued with stamps and postmarks commemorating various Royal Visits, the War Effort, Peace, the Centenary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell, and the marriage of Princess Elizabeth. There was also the first issue of the ‘Bi-lingual’ stamps – when both the words ‘Postage’ and the French ‘Postes’ appeared on the stamp – continued on all issues thereafter.

After the break members were treated to a ‘Thematic’ display. Mike Gibson is an avid collector of all stamps, postcards, postmarks, cachets concerning ‘Railways’ and has a huge collection of which he showed a small, but most interesting part. He had chosen material in alphabetical form so beginning with a cover commemorating the trains arriving at Aberdeen using the West and East Coast lines. He continued through the Flying Scotsman; the Ffestiniog Railway; the Glasgow Underground; the Jersey Railway; the Orient Express; Rocket; The Royal Scot & the Yorkshire Dales Railway etc – and also showed a postcard bearing the poem ‘The Hell-Bound Train!

Tony Walker gave the final display of the evening – showing the complex way in which the ordinary British stamp is finally produced! He began with the choosing of the design – in a competition – and then explained how the colours were decided and a trial printing made. When this is accepted, then booklets and coils for machines are also produced. Thereafter, the larger stamps – for the higher values – must also go through a similar procedure before finally appearing on our envelopes or parcels!

Ken Norris, in proposing the Vote of Thanks, said how pleased the members were that the visitors had taken the time to come north to give their displays to the Club and all had much enjoyed the wonderful variety of material displayed through the evening.

Our next meeting in St Andrews Parish Church Hall, Avon Street, Hamilton, is on Friday, 28^th March, 2008 at 7:30pm when Elsie Miller will display material on the ‘New Testament’. 

Anyone with an interest in stamps, postal history, postcards etc will be very welcome to attend.