The new season is now well under way. We have already had our first away match. Gwen Dennis and your secretary visited our friends at Bridgend and had a lovely evening, marked both by the welcome and the refreshments. Dennis showed his display of Freddy Ryman designs from Gibraltar, including some material acquired since he entertained us in Newport. Did you know that Freddy designed some first day covers from GB issues ? Gwen showed a selection of Greek issues. My own display was in two parts : postcards with matching postmarks from all of the currently open post offices in the Faroe Islands and postcards and postmarks from Bratislava, including some acquired from a German dealer at the recent London postcard fair.

The home season started with the usual new acquisitions, with most of the 18 members present showing something. The star item for the evening was Ken Wilmott’s letter from the Stamp Magazine telling him he had won £500 in a competition. Congratulations !

Next on the agenda was Specialist Societies. This was a chance to find out more about what other collect. Included were Perfins (GB and US), Gibraltar, British Decimals, UN, Lundy, Raflet, Music, British Aerophilatelic, Malaya, Ships on Stamps, Scandinavia, Faroes, Czeslaw Slania and Czechoslovak. Gwen also showed the information and postcards that from the Friends of the National Postal Museum get and Ron showed the newsletters from the Nantes Philatelic Society (twinned with Cardiff).

For the bring, buy and sell members were pleased to rifle through Roy Hollis’ extensive stock. Roy trades as Cover Love from 2 Woodlands Close, St Arvans, Chepstow NP6 6EF (telephone 01291 621930). Other bargains were to be had as members exchanged their own material for cash.

I know that 3 or 4 members have shown an interest in the proposed judging seminar (see the previous newsletter). I wrote to the Federation secretary a few weeks ago to give numbers. The seminar is now probably going to be in June 1999. The seminar will help if you want to judge at the club or other competitions, if you want to improve your chances of winning competitions or if you are just interested in knowing more about it. There will be no obligation to go on a list of judges.

Alistair Mackinnon and your secretary attended the Federation AGM. Neil Prior had been informed during the day that his father had passed away so he was not present. Our sincerest sympathies to Neil. Also Brian Cripps, the president, was ill and unable to attend.

The Convention for 1999 is to be held on 1 May at the usual venue in Port Talbot. More details later but about 12 dealers have confirmed. On another very sad note, Sheila Hart (who we met last at the summer fair in Barry) died during the summer. Better news is the Reg Sumbler has recovered, although Reg and Margaret have now sold up their extensive world-wide stock. For those attending, Tesco’s superstore is close to the venue and the parking problems during its construction have now disappeared.

The Autumn Day in 1999 will be at Cardiff to celebrate their centenary. Volunteers are needed to run a Newport table. Due to personal commitments, I was not able to go to Swansea this year but understand that there were many bargains to be had. Please remember that not only is this an enjoyable days but there are REAL bargains from other collectors so it is good for the pocket as well. Make a note in your diaries now : the Cardiff fair will be the last Saturday in September 1999. More details later.

Success for South Wales club members this year : Colin Lewis (gold at Stampex) ; Rolf Scharning (large silver in Norway) ; and John Beechey (large silver in India followed by a large vermeil in Prague). Congratulations all round.

There will be a Federation entry for the Brighton and Hove Congress : this comprises two displays from Rolf Scharning and one from Neil Prior.

The Federation committee is almost unchanged : Brian Cripps (president) ; Neil Prior (secretary) ; Eiron Morgan (Chairman) ; Shirley Baker (vice-chairman) ; newcomer Colin Lewis (replacing Eric Needs as treasurer) ; and Buster Shimmen (auditor).

There was some debate at the AGM about DVLC and BP, neither of which had paid their subscriptions for last year. Both clubs are still in and on the exchange circuit, at least for the near future.

Personal and business activities have meant that I have missed the Cardiff fairs. I understand the John Symes will soon stop running these but that they will continue. Chris Doble’s fairs in Cardiff continue in Friday’s. Remaining dates for 1998 are : 6 November and 4 December. All fairs are at the Central Hotel (next to Cardiff Central station).

Not a fair, but a club dealer evening : British Rail Cardiff will have Mark Grimsley as a guest dealer on 9 November. The club meets at Bethel Baptist Church, Penlline Road, Cardiff at 6 pm. All are invited (telephone Martin Taylor 01222 752270).

The now annual Barry fair should not be missed. I do not yet have the dates but the next should be June 1999.

It is a while since I produced a library list, so here goes...

Stanley Gibbon Book of Stamps

SG Stamps of the World A-J 1992/3

SG Stamps of the World K-Z 1992/3

SG Commonwealth 1989

Postal History of Swansea

SG Europe and Colonies 1969

Bridger and Kay 5 reigns 1971

SG Elizabethan 1981

Robson Lowe Specialised Canada

Billig’s GB & Empire parts I and II

SG specialised GB QE II to 1971

SG GB Concise 1988

SG Part 4 Benelux 1979

SG Part 6 France 1979

Michel Germany 1973

Guide to USA 1988

Russian Catalogue 1980

Biligs Australia parts 1, 2 and 3

Themescene parts 1 to 4

QE II 1988 GB Decimal Definitives

Collect Post Office cards 1982

Collect Benham covers 1993

ABPS News (from 1993)

Societies Directory (from ABPS)

Specialist societies directory (from ABPS)

The Stamp Atlas

Introducing Postal History

Guidelines for Thematics

Watermark detector (Morley Bright)

Fluorescent Lamp

All are available from our librarian Gwen Hussey. We are also looking to spend some money on new books this year. Suggestions welcomed.

After the club’s AGM, the new committee spent a long evening discussing the competition rules. From this season, the prizes will be as follows :

General philately - Len Ewings Rosebowl

Thematic - May Pegler trophy

GB stamps only- F & J Brace trophy

Postal History - Phillip James cup

Best overall 8 sheet entry - Heidenheim medal

For the observant among you, the postal history class is a new one. It includes aerophilately and GB postal history.

We have tried to make it fairer for the 8 sheet entries by having a special prize. Please note that it is possible to win two prizes with an 8 sheet entry.

All entries will be 8 or 16 sheets. To go forward to the Federation, entries must be of 16 sheets (8 sheets for juniors). Marking will be according to the current Federation rules. Entrants will be given a certificate indicating the standard achieved (gold - over 85% ; silver - over 70% ; bronze - over 50% ; participation - 50% or less). The committee will appoint two judges two weeks before the competition night.

Advice sheets based on the Federation handbook are available.

I hope that this encourages more to enter the competitions.

Always on the look-out for additions to my collection, a recent trip to Tallinn allowed me to improved my collection of modern (post-USSR) Estonia but only by a visit to the philatelic counter at the post office on the way back to the airport. My usually infallible nose failed to track down a stamp shop.

The Heidenheim philatelic weekend took place on 16-18 October and I could not attend. I sent three displays by post with our best wishes. The 12 sheet displays covered Freddy Ryman (from Dennis Martin - an extract from his Bridgend display) ; Summer Isles (from Roy Bentley) ; and the second Severn Crossing (from Anne’s local collection). An email from Dierk Lisdorf confirmed that all got there in time for the stamp fair. Gwen Hussey and Dennis Martin went to the previous fair and had a great time. Heidenheim club invites members from all of its friendship clubs : Sisak in Croatia ; Dobeln in Saxony ; St Polten in Austria, St Gilles in Brussels ; Clichy in Paris ; and Newport.

If you think our new exchange box organiser (Alistair Mackinnon) has a hard time trying to get 20 books from you every six months, spare a thought for Mr Oakley of the Hale Philatelic society. A few facts may startle you : he circulated 88 packets last year with a total value of £110,000 ! ! !

At the foot of this newsletter you will now find an email address as well as a telephone number. I have asked for numbers from other clubs and will pass this information on to those of you with computers. More and more societies are providing this as a way of communicating with the other members. Also you will find many dealers, especially auction houses, advertising through the Internet. This is probably the way to the future but it does not mean the end of snail mail (letters !).

Two items purchased at the end of the Federation AGM.......

Special postmarks from Gwent for the cat stamps set issued on 17 January 1995, not on my list of Newport and Gwent postmarks before are for

Catbrook, Chepstow

and Catsash, Newport

John Perry

Honorary Secretary

Tel : 01633 881068

Email : jperry7211@aol.com