Stroud and District Philatelic Society: Chairman's Choice

THE first meeting of the New Year was the traditional ‘Chairman’s Choice’ where our chairman John Armitage showed many aspects of his British Commonwealth collecting interests.

This included mint stamps from Gibraltar, St Helena, Pitcairn Island and The Falklands.

He showed a cover from Great Britain that made its way to The Falkland in the middle of the Second World War.

On Wednesday, January 20, the Society held an afternoon meeting at Painswick Church Hall.

The attendees included members from both the Gloucester and Cheltenham based societies.

Two Stroud members, Peter Adam and Trevor Radway presented displays on early French postmarks, and the postal history of Painswick respectively.

Peter explained that in the late 18th century there were about 600 post offices in France.

The first postal markings were straight line hand stamps bearing the name of the post town.

Later a number was added.

The French revolution resulted in the adoption of a revolutionary calendar consisting of twelve months of thirty days each.

These were divided into three weeks of ten days.

The years were numbered starting at one.

France reverted to the Gregorian calendar after twelve years because the it become too complicated.

Trevor Radway showed many interesting items from Painswick’s postal history.

The oldest being a photocopy of a 1659 Cromwellion letter from the town to London.

A letter complaining to the post office because one of the two Sunday collections of mail was dropped, caused smiles from the audience.

On the very morning of the meeting the town's outreach post office service, which operated two days a week, resumed after an accident just after Christmas.

The society meets every first and third Wednesday of the month at St Joseph’s Catholic Church Hall, Oldends Lane, Stonehouse.

For further details contact John Armitage 01453 835198.