CHAIRMAN David Trathen warmly welcomed over 20 members (two of whom were first-timers) to the club’s opening meeting of the season at the new venue in Parmin Close. All those present expressed approval of the new surroundings. The brief of eight sheets in five minutes produced an array of subjects as follows: stamps of Namibia and Australia, military mail of New Zealand, American presidents, inflation in Zimbabwe, West African postal stationery, mail to unusual destinations, modern postal history, official mail of North Borneo, post-Soviet Union break-up stamps and cachets used on F.D.Cs after the 1971 postal strike.

September’s second meeting saw five committee members entertain: Tony Osmond, The practical use of postage udes; Evan Williams, pictorial aerogrammes of the world; John Dickson, Bleriot’s crossing the English Channel 100 years ago, illustrated on stamps and postcards; Barbara Osmond, Russian picture postcards and matching postmarks; Dave Trathen, covers and stamps of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

On October 19, Malcolm Watts visits with a display and narration entitled Wiltshire Moonraker.