Channel Islands Specialists’ Society

75th Anniversary Year

Journal Articles

Journal Indexes

Awards

Many congratulations to Roger Harris for awards received for his recent publications. Pioneer Aviation in the Channel Islands (Volumes 1 and 2) were awarded the CISS Joan Flood Memorial Silver Platter, as well as the American Airmail Society’s George D Kingdom Literature Award, a plaque with a mounted “gold” medal.  Delivered by the Hotel’s Care won a Vermeil Award in the 18th New Zealand National Philatelic Exhibition in Christchurch. This is an international bi-annual competitive exhibition.

Truly international recognition for his enthusiastic authorship! If you would like to purchase copies of any of these books, please see ww.ciss.uk/publications/ for details. You can also email books@ciss.uk. Details on the back inside cover.

Report of the Meeting in the Solent Region May 2024

Seventeen members and guests attended the meeting on 18 May. As at London meetings, we started with coffee or tea, giving members a chance to catch up with each other. The meeting started with a 50+ lot auction with keen bidding on many lots. David Winnie, our Chairman, started the displays with three frames of Occupation PAID rubber handstamps. Alan Whittaker showed original material, copies from the IRCC archives, and material in his own collection that confirmed a British Red Cross Bureau and representative were located in Lisbon, Portugal, for the duration of the war.  After a break for an excellent lunch, John Triggs, who came over from Guernsey to join us, gave a presentation on the Postage Dues of Guernsey. Gerald Marriner showed Mail into the Islands from all over the world. Nick Stuart followed with a display on Forwarding Agents mail, and Roger Harris showed a small selection of postcards dropped and recovered from the 1954 drift experiment. Our President, David Laurillard, showed postcards from WW1 on Island troops. Bryan Elliston closed the displays with an excellent five frames on the Red Cross Civilian Message Scheme forms to and from Guernsey.

All members agreed the day had been a success and would like to see these meetings continue. Any members living in the South would be most welcome to join us. Our Chairman closed the meeting by stating that London meetings attract similar numbers and suggested that other regional meetings around the country should be considered.

The 2025 Chandlers Ford Solent Regional Meeting has been arranged for 17 May 2025.

75th Anniversary Celebrations 2025

As part of our Anniversary Celebrations, the CISS has been invited to provide a full presentation to the Royal Philatelic Society London on 9 February 2025. Please add this important date to your diaries.

CISS Member Profile – Gerald Marriner

When and why did you start collecting C.I. stamps/postal history?

I started collecting C.I. stamps in 1969 when the Islands gained postal independence. I wanted to collect a “new” country from SG No.1.

When did you join the CISS? What/Who introduced you to the CISS?

I joined the CISS way back in 1971. Many collectors joined the Society at this time when there was no internet or website. I would have joined after seeing a Society advert in one of the stamp magazines.

What benefit have you got from your membership of the CISS?

There are many benefits in joining: the enjoyment of meeting like-minded people and making many friendships over the years; the enjoyment of both day and weekend meetings; and the chance of acquiring new material through the Society packets, Society auctions and, in years gone by, dealers tables at Society meetings.

What aspect of C.I. stamps/postal history do you collect?

I joined the Society as a stamp collector. However, I was soon converted to collecting postal history. Aspects I collect are: German Occupation of the Channel Islands; C.I. postage due markings; C.I. destination mail; and Jersey hotel postcards and ephemera.

Do you have a favourite item or group of items in your C.I. collection?

I have several favourite covers in my Occupation collection, especially covers which tell a story – either relating to the sender or the addressee. For example, the Harris correspondence concerning a honeymoon couple stranded in Guernsey during the Occupation. Their honeymoon lasted 5 years!

Do you collect other non-C.I. stamps/postal history?

Yes. I collect postal history of three other areas: Belgian Congo, Andorra, and the 1982 Falklands Conflict. This is another field where you can acquire interesting correspondences.

What has the hobby of philately meant to you?

This has been a life-long interest. Since my retirement, it has become a full-time passion/enjoyment. The hobby helps me to relax, although taking on Society Committee positions has had its stressful moments!I enjoy going to auctions in London. I have even attended auctions in Belgium where auctioneering is carried out in French, which has proved an interesting challenge for me. Finding an unusual new cover for my collection is always rewarding. I enjoy giving presentations to local and other specialist societies and now also giving talks via ‘Zoom’.

Letter to the Editor

The following query has been received from Jerry Tomes of St John, Jersey:

I have recently acquired a rather fragile leaflet from Guernsey in respect of the illustration on the next page.

My query refers to the article by Ron Brown in September 2011 (Volume 30 No. 3) regarding the Thomas Cook & Son P.O. Box 506 in Lisbon who operated a mail forwarding scheme for mail between the UK and enemy occupied territories.

Ron states that “Originally, the leaflet containing instructions on how to use the service did not refer to the Channel Islands but set out a list of countries covered by the scheme. This leaflet was printed in December 1940…”. (169/12/40. J.R.P.)

My leaflet was clearly printed in July 1940 (130/7/40. J.R.P.) and does refer to the Channel Islands.

 The question is “Why would the Channel Islands have been omitted from Ron’s later version of the leaflet?”

Kind regards

Jerry Tomes

Replies to editor@ciss.uk, if you can help or comment, please.

Key Dates for 2025

9 January 2025          Anniversary Display to the Royal Philatelic Society London

11-13 April 2025       Society Weekend, Guernsey

7-11 May 2025           EuroPhilex, NEC, Birmingham

5 July 2025                 MIDPEX, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre

Forthcoming Meetings 2024

6 July 2024                 Annual General Meeting, Room Auction and Members’ Displays.

14 September 2024   Members’ Meeting – Theme “Stamps used on Channel Islands’ Mail”.

30 November 2024   Members’ Meeting. Letters W, X, Y, and/or Z

All meetings start at 11.00am at the Royal Philatelic Society London, 15 Abchurch Lane London, EC4N 7BW.

News of Members

We welcome the following new members:

  • Bernard Lowry, Market Drayton, Shropshire
  • Lee Quinn, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire
  • Tony Ward, Cockerham, Lancashire
  • Malcolm Ashton, Friston, Suffolk
  • Richard Cornick, St Saviour, Jersey
  • The Priaulx Library, Guernsey
  • Paul Ferbrache, Guernsey

We regret to announce the death of Graham Boxall of Jersey.

Secretary’s Clipboard

Can I start my Clipboard report by congratulating Nick Martin on producing his first Les Iles Normandes? It must have been a hard task following on from David Gurney, but well done on your first edition as Editor.

Sadly, as you would have been aware, we had to cancel the Member’s Weekend meeting at Salisbury. However, the ‘Team’ was able to put on a Member’s Meeting at the RPSL on Saturday 20 April, where, as well as viewing some excellent members’ displays, Nick Stuart was able to run the Spring postal/room auction which saw 725 lots go under the hammer. A big thank you must go to Nick and Gerald Marriner, who put the whole auction together, and Mark Bailey, who, along with yours truly, did the leg work. I am pleased to report that proceedings are advancing satisfactorily with the 2025 Member’s Weekend meeting at the Peninsula Hotel, Guernsey.

By the time you receive your copy of the journal the Annual General Meeting will be fast approaching. Current committee members have indicated that they are prepared to stand for re-election for a further 12 months, but if any member of the CISS wishes to stand for any of the committee positions please notify me by the 29 June at the latest, along with the names of a proposer and seconder. All the necessary documents for the AGM will be available on the Society website (www.ciss.uk), together with the necessary login details for those members wishing to join the AGM via Zoom, closer to the date.

Editorial

Well! How time flies. Here we are already on my second issue; many thanks to those of you who helped me get the previous issue off the rails.

I don’t intend to take up so much of your space this time, but I inevitably need to cover the perennial editorial demand for more copy. The Channel Islands offer a wide range of topics to collect and learn about, and I would like to make sure that we cover as wide a range as possible in every issue and are not reliant on calling on regular contributors at the Ninth Hour. So please put pen to paper. We need both long and short items, maybe a question or comment or a new discovery or purchase, please.

Plans for our 75th Anniversary next year are well in hand, starting off with our society display at the Royal. We will be showing a very varied 54 frames of material. Much work is being done behind the scenes by our Officers to plan this meeting, and as well as our Society Weekend in April 2025. Several new celebratory publications are also in hand. So, there is much to look forward to in Channel Islands philately in 2025.

Summer is traditionally regarded by some collectors as a short sabbatical from philately. Not in this place! Whatever your chosen activity over the next few months, I wish you happy reading and an enjoyable summer.