Secretary

Looking back at my SECRETARY’S CLIPBOARD of twelve months ago I stated that the Covid-19 pandemic is still here and unlikely to go away anytime soon. How true those words were. Even your Hon. Secretary is currently testing positive for Covid-19. I hope you all had a pleasant Christmas, and that 2022 so far has not been too bad for you.

The Member’s meeting of the 4th of December went ahead as planned with our Chairman, David Winnie, and myself, providing the two main displays that were Zoomed out to other members. Sadly, only nine members turned up at the Royal for the meeting, and fifteen joined us via Zoom. Still, the feedback on the two displays was positive and further large displays, shown via Zoom, will probably feature in future Members’ meetings.

By the time you read this the Member’s Competition Day would have been and gone, and thank you to all those members, new and old, who entered the competitions. I am aware that our new Competitions Secretary, Nick Martin, has been busy getting the entries sent off to the judge.

The next big event is the Member’s Weekend at the Three Swans, Market Harborough from the 22nd – 24th April 2022. You should have received your booking form with the December edition of Les Iles Normandes. If you do not have a copy, please contact Gerald Marriner.

Proposed forthcoming meetings:

22nd – 24th April 2022 Member’s Weekend Meeting, Market Harborough

9th July 2022 Annual General Meeting & room auction/displays

24th September 2022 Member’s Meeting – Topic to be decided

Currently, all meetings are held at the Royal Philatelic Society London, 15 Abchurch Lane, London, EC4N 7BW commencing at 11.00am. Tea and coffee is available from 10.30 in the Member’s Lounge.

Further information can be viewed on our website: www.ciss.uk

On Saturday, 24th July 2021, after a gap of seventeen months, fifteen members and two guests attended the first Member’s meeting following easing of Covid restrictions at the Royal Philatelic Society London.

The formal meeting started with our usual room auction, which consisted of 68 lots. In all, two-thirds of the lots were sold with the best item, a 1941 letter from Von Schmettow, Commander of the German forces in the Channel Islands, selling for £110 from a starting price of £30. The auction was then followed by members’ displays, with the theme being “The Smaller Channel Islands” or “Any recent acquisitions”. Ten members provided displays. Due to limited space only brief details of each display will be given. David Laurillard provided three frames titled “Views of the Channel Islands” including Herm, Jethou and Brechou. Mark Bailey showed further examples from his George Campbell collection, including a neat item from Newfoundland to Jersey. Steve Wells provided eight sheets of new acquisitions, including an item from Herm to Austria bearing Herm ‘stamps’ and a 5d Guernsey ‘regional’. Nick Stuart provided three sheets of Alderney, including a 3-barred 965 ‘numeral’ handstamp alongside an ALDERNEY/A/OC 1/90 double-circle datestamp. Gerald Marriner also provided us with recent acquisitions, which included a scarce civilian feldpost 1942 cover from Jersey addressed to Clermont Ferrand in Vichy France with INADMIS cachet and a handwritten pink label stating ‘Zone not occupied’ with boxed ‘RETOUR / A L’ENVOYEUR’ handstamp beside, returned to Jersey. Richard Flemming then showed items of mail to and from the occupation forces based on Alderney 1940 – 1945, including a registered letter from the 4th Battery mixed-flak unit bearing Feldpost No. 46048. Alan Whittaker followed with some interesting ‘recent acquisitions’ including an early Red Cross Message Form to Sark signed by Bradshaw and an envelope bearing a previously unseen, BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY LISBON handstamp. David Gurney provided four sheets including an attractive hand painted 1933 illustrated envelope to Texas enclosing a 1931 card of Sark Tourist details signed by the Dame of Sark, both shown on these pages. A similar scarce hand painted Sark cover is in the next CISS postal auction shortly.

Following lunch David Winnie provided a comprehensive 88-sheet display of Alderney from 1847 – 2006 including the rare ALDERNEY undated double arc and, maybe the even rarer, ALDERNEY ‘skeleton’ datestamp on postcard also shown in slightly reduced format on this page.

Finally, Jon Aitchison provided a ten frame colourful display of Herm material including artwork, proofs, rejected designs and postally used examples of the Herm 1954 Flora and Fauna triangular stamps, but how many collectors actually have the Perkins Bacon Co. envelopes they came in?

What with all the trials and tribulations of the Covid-19 pandemic and all the restrictions imposed on societies, it was so good to see so many members at our first face-to-face meeting at the Royal Philatelic Society London on Saturday, 24^th July. Please see the photo on the “News” page of the society’s website (www.ciss.uk). Thank you to all those members who brought material for us to view. A write-up of the day is printed in this edition. The next event will be the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September (see below) and I look forward to meeting you there. Further details about the AGM will be posted on the society website early in September (see website details above) and the Minutes of the 2020 AGM can be found in the March 2021 edition of Les Iles Normandes. Looking further afield, the 2022 Member’s Weekend will go ahead from Friday, 22^nd April to Sunday, 24^th April at the Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough. Further information will be available with the December edition of Les Iles Normandes.

Can you help our Society as we are looking for a Competition Secretary to manage our Annual Competitions Day? If you are interested, then please contact me at secrerary@ciss.uk and I will forward the job specification.

Forthcoming meetings for 2021

25^th September 2021   AGM and room auction/displays

4^th December 2021    Members Meeting. Theme: Letters Q, R and /or S

Forthcoming meetings for early 2022

5^th February 2022 Annual Competitions and room auction/displays

22^nd April – 24^th April 2022 Members Weekend Meeting at the Three Swans, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Unless stated otherwise, all Members’ Meetings are held at the Royal Philatelic Society London, 15 Abchurch Lane, London, EC4N 7BW and start at 10.30am with tea and coffee, with the formal Member’s Meeting programme commencing at 11.00am, commencing with a room auction.

Please note that these dates may be subject to cancellation if the Covid-19 pandemic situation changes. Please view the www.ciss.uk site for updates.