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Newsletter
November 2006 Editor: Michael Round BATTLING
ON.
I never cease to be amazed at those friends and colleagues who work so
tirelessly for our Society, managing their lives efficiently, and triumphing
over pressures of work, social/family commitments, and problems (or, as we have
to say these days, “challenges”) with health. I
take my hat off to them (you) all. I
started the last WDPS Newsletter with apologies for its very late appearance,
and I’m even more sorry to have to do the same again this time.
I am all too aware that in failing to provide a regular Newsletter I am
letting down my subscription-paying colleagues, and hasten to update you with
Society news and views. Even then,
what follows will almost certainly be a corporate effort – the pressures,
commitments and challenges that have kept me from getting on with the Newsletter
have also prevented me from attending all but one or two meetings this season,
so for up-to-the-minute news I have to rely (as always) on contributions from
other members. My thanks to them
all. CHRISTMAS
PARTY WITH RAFFLE.
This, our traditional pre-Christmas meeting, takes place on December
19th, usual venue and time.
Tony Clarke is masterminding the Raffle part of the proceedings, and
urgently appeals for donations of prizes. He
is currently unable to get to meetings himself, and asks that ideally they be
handed to one or other of the Society officials.
Alternatively, they may be brought in on the day itself.
Many thanks in advance. MEETINGS.
Already past by the time you read this, November 21st
featured two Society events. One, the Joint Auction at Wallington, always used to clash
with one of our meetings but avoided that this season by taking place in the
afternoon, at The Guide Hut, Wallington Green.
We hope you all received its catalogue by post.
More than 20 members from the four societies attended, so the afternoon
timing was clearly a good idea. However,
Wimbledon did not fill its allocation of lots for sale.
Please remember the auction when disposing of unwanted material.
That same evening, Alex Johnson gave the WDPS display, on Classic Stamps.
Members were thrilled to see a very fine selection of penny blacks and
first issues from countries such as Barbados and Van Diemen’s Land.
Guest speaker for our December 5th meeting is David
Rennie, retired auctioneer (who many of us may have seen in action) and now
book-and-catalogue reviewer for the stamp-trade magazine, Philatelic Exporter.
David will be showing stamps and covers from the KGVI period, which we
are all (ha-ha!) far too young to remember, but which is endlessly fascinating
and in many collectors’ view both philatelically and artistically a deeply
satisfying field of study. We
usher in the New Year, only one day late, on January 2nd 2007,
with the traditional Bring and Buy and sale of Save-The-Children covers: these
latter seem to get cherry-picked at source these days (our first sight of the
best of them is all too often at a stamp-fair dealer’s stand, at enhanced
prices) and the quantity may have dwindled, since correspondents from
philatelically interesting territories, however remote, now seem to write fewer
letters and send more and more e-mails (very thoughtless of them).
Nevertheless, there is still much to browse through, and many finds to be
made: proceeds – as always - all go to one of the best of good causes.
(See also later.) SURREY
FEDERATION MEETINGS.
Twice a year, these take place at a local — or reasonably local —
stamp fair. The latest was at
Weybridge on November 4th: many dealers had tables, among them our
own indefatigable Barbara Priddy and Ray Downing, who manned a Save-the-Children
table (space kindly donated by the organisers) giving those covers another
chance to be snapped up, and giving all visitors an extra reason to attend.
Some collectors come from far afield purely to view these covers, and
takings this time were very satisfactorily up on previous occasions.
We’ll keep you posted on forthcoming dates and venues. NEWS OF MEMBERS. Since the last Newsletter, we were deeply saddened to learn
of the deaths of three members, Cyril Brocking, Ben Ferguson and Geoff Moulton.
They are much missed. We
have also lost Jim Dobbie, who has moved to sheltered accommodation near his
family in Chester, Bill Featherstone and Mike Brown, who have moved away.
Messrs N Kallonas, N Kent and M J Rogers have also fallen by the
wayside. Rather belatedly we must
also mention the death of ex-member Gerald Davis, FRPSL, who was a member for
many years being an officer and a very good friend of the Society and who
designed the frames which support our displays.
OUR
WEBSITE.
Thanks to our Webmaster, Andy Donaldson, we now have not only a page
accessed from the ABPS website, but also our own site, at www.wdps.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk.
At present this has only our basic information, so if you can add
anything to entice new members, please send it to Andy at adonaldson@stamp.demon.co.uk. AUCTION
SECRETARY WANTED! Our
Auction Secretary, Mike Warwick, will shortly be retiring and would like to be
able to hand over at the end of the 2006/7 season. During this season, he would like to be able to show his
successor the ropes to ensure a smooth transition. If you feel you can help the Society with this job we would
be very glad to hear from you. ENVOI.
Thanks to all members for their forbearance during the long wait between
Newsletters. I really hope to
oblige more frequently in future! Michael Round
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