Items by: Richard Flemming

Twenty members and three guests attended the CISS 2020 Annual Competitions Day at the new Royal Philatelic Society building in Abchurch Lane. Alan Moorcroft, Competition Secretary, was delighted with the sixteen entries received across a range of competition classes, which were being judged by Graham Winters.

Whilst Graham and Alan were busy with sorting the competition entries out, the room auction was taking place, with some sixty-nine lots going under the hammer. In all total realized was £950, with 55% of the lots selling at or above their reserve. Following lunch, Graham provided members with an in-depth critique of competition entries, looking at strengths and weakness of each entry. This was then followed by four non-competitive displays provided by Olaf Beckeen, Gerald Marriner, Steve Wells and Simon Burke.

Saturday, 8th February 2020 is the C.I.S.S. Annual Competition Day commencing at 11 am. Venue is the Royal Philatelic Society (NOTE NEW VENUE), 15 Abchurch Lane, London, EC4N 7BW. Details of competition classes can be found on page 5 of the December 2019 edition of Les Iles Normandes.

Leo Mayr was presented with the Joan Flood silver salver for his monograph title ‘waists getting waspish’ by CISS President, Gerald Marriner, at the members meeting held at the Union Jack Club on Saturday, 14th December, along with David Winnie, CISS Chairman.

Copies of Leo’s monograph are available from books@ciss.uk

Channel Islands Specialists’ Society Chairman, David Winnie, provided the Salisbury and District Philatelic Society with an insightful display titled “The Small Channel Islands” on Wednesday, 20th November . Photographs and a write-up of his display, as provided by the Salisbury society, can be viewed on their website at salisburyphilately.org.uk and click on ‘Rolling News’.

Our President, Gerald Marriner FRPSL, has been awarded the prestigious ABPS Congress Medal (2019). This award is presented to just one person each year in recognition of dedication and voluntary service to British philately at national level. Former holders of this award in the CISS are Brian Sole FRPSL (2002) and Phil Kenton FRPSL (2012).

Richard Flemming

Seventeen members attended the CISS Members Meeting held on Saturday, 21st September 2019 at the Union Jack Club, London. As per tradition, the meeting commenced with room auction of seventy lots. Although slow to start with, bidding soon picked up and only a few items remained unsold, some sold items selling well above reserve.

Members’ displays were provided by: David Winnie, Nick Stuart, Richard Flemming, Brian Sole, Mark Bailey, Jon Aitchison, Alan Whittaker and Robert Corden.

For more information on members’ displays please see the forthcoming December issue of Les Iles Normandes.

Richard Flemming

Three Channel Islands Specialists’ Society members have been providing the main philatelic press with articles relating to the 50th anniversary of Channel Islands Postal Independence. Brian Sole provided the October edition of Stamp Magazine with an 11- page article that provided a significant overview of fifty years of Channel Islands stamp issues. Gerald Marriner provided the October edition of Gibbons Stamp Monthly with an article titled “Celebrating 50 years of postal independence” that provides “a definitive guide to the definitive issues of Guernsey”. Finally, Richard Flemming provided Stamp Collector with two articles, the first being “Fifty Years of Postal Independence”, looking at the 1969 issues of Jersey and Guernsey, with the second article focusing on the postal history of Jersey’s explanatory charge marks.

Richard Flemming

No change at the top Following the AGM held on Saturday, 13th July 2019 the Executive and Full Committee memberships remains the same for the next twelve months, with David Winnie remaining at Chairman. Please see September 2019 Les Iles Normandes for other committee members and their positions within the committees.

David Winnie, Gerald Marriner and Richard Flemming attended MIDPEX 2019 on Saturday, 6th July offering advice and books for sale. It is hoped that we have attracted two new members to the Society and several books were sold too.