Past Events 2001

October 3rd 2001

Two members from the Hemel Hempstead philatelic Society came to show us some fine material including The History of the Post Office with Post cards, posters, and many other related items shown by Roger Dymond. Bernie Makin displayed her collection of Canal wildlife mainly stamps but social items included pressed leaves, photographs and press cuttings of the Grand union Canal.

November 7th 2001

A visit from the Rickmansworth Philatelic Society.
First to display was Paul de Vall with a varied and complex history of the Postal system of Cyprus from the 1878 Russian Turkish war through to the British Occupation in 1924 and on to modern stamps of the Island. Included in the collection were refugee charity stamps, revenues of Turkey and stamps of the B P O in Cyprus, The conflicts within the Island made for a most interesting display of postal material.

Next came John Hargrave with a complete collection of the Ryuku Islands which are a strip of 55 Islands which run from Southern Japan to Formosa, Stamps were produced after the occupation by America after World War II. Early stamps were sold only to residents of the Ryuku islands and included in the collection were items of Forces Mail. After the break John continued with a display entitled A dynasty in decline, A collection of letters stamps and postcards involving the Austro Hungarian Kingdoms Starting with the first stamps of Austria in 1850 and including the countries of Bosnia, Italy, Rumania, Turkey, Serbia and of course Austria and Hungary.

December 5th 2001

Seven members displayed their postcard collections, Subject matter varied from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean to Aden and the Channel Islands but the main subject of the evening was old post cards of Leighton Buzzard, The majority centered around the market cross, One other item of local interest shown by Peter Noad featured the story of Emily Pankhurst and her daughter who lodged for a while in the village of Stewkley.