This was held at 41, Devonshire Place, London, W.1. on Saturday, October 27th, 1956. Our President was in the chair and extended a warm welcome to 24 members and three visitors. The Hon. Secretary announced that membership had reached 168 and took the opportunity to emphasise the need for more contributions to the 'Notes and Oueries' section of the bulletin. The Hon. Secretary-Sales Circuit followed and explained in detail the workings of the Circuit and announced that the first three envelopes had been circulated the previous week. The meeting was then devoted to members' displays, many of which included items upon which information was sought. The following members contributed:- Mr A. E. Beach: British Guiana, steamer markings including an interesting 'Esquibo Steamer' cancellation, also an unusual Tobago cover, which is illustrated on page 9. Mr B. B. Benwell: Barbados: 'Sea horses' issues, a fine study of the plate flaws and varieties. Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown: Bermuda, an 'Ireland Isle' cover dated FE 4 1842 (no postage payable). The President: A Barbados fake. Mr G. W. Groves: Barbados and Dominica, in the latter varieties found in the 1879 issue including the malformed 'CE" of ' PENCE ' in the 4d. blue ; the provisional surcharges in used blocks. Mr B. E. Johnson: Grenada, a selection of the 'POSTAGE' overprints including the inverts and other overprints. Mr W. Jones: unusual items of Jamaica. Mr F. Nabarro: Dominica - an outstanding selection of pre-adhesive material showing most types of the hand-struck markings including the first type dated May 1778 (one of two known). Mrs. M. W. Taylor: Grenada - a variety of interesting items. Mr J. Turner: Bahamas - cancellations and a 4d. CC, p. 121 on cover. .After tea, time was devoted to discussion of queries. Mr L. E. Britnor gave interesting information on the data summarised as the result of his researches and from answers obtained from members on the types of Barbados 'barred' obliterators. The President remarked that this was good co-operative work and felt sure that members would look forward to reading the result of .the final check in a future issue of the bulletin. Several members asked for information as to when Specimen stamps ceased to be issued. The answer was given by Mr E. V. Toeg; he stated none had been issued since October, 1946. The success of the meeting can best be summed up by the comments of one member: "The meeting, has been most enjoyable and seemed to me to be even better than the previous ones we have had."
As was announced in our July, 1956 bulletin this will take place at 41, Devonshire Place, London, W.1. on Saturday, April 6th at 2.30 p.m. This will be followed by a Dinner at Lords Tavern, St. John's Wood Road, N.W.1. (7 for 7.30 p.m.) The principal guests will be Mr. Cyril C. Harmer (Director - H. R. Harmer Ltd) and Mr. G. Leslie Newman (Company Archivist - Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.) Tickets will be 16/- each (excluding wine but including gratuities). Applications for tickets accompanied by the appropriate remittance should reach the Hon. Secretary not later than March 30th.
Our Circle has again been invited to provide an exhibit which on this occasion will comprise three frames and the pages will cover Dominica, St. Vincent and Tobago. It is hoped that many more members will attend as a result of the later date arranged. For the benefit of those unable to go, full details of the exhibit and of any individual displays by members will appear in our April Bulletin.
on 19th September, 1956
Our Hon. Secretary accompanied by Miss Rose Titford, Mr. L. A. Courtney and Mr. J. C. W. Price gave a varied display to a most attentive audience. Selected pages were shown of Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Nevis & St. Christopher. An interesting feature was Mr. Price's detailed study of War Tax overprints. The pages of Bermuda and some of Jamaica were kindly loaned by our member. Mr. A. A. Hershman who was unable to attend.
on 3rd December, 1956
No less than twelve members of the Circle attended this meeting, six of whom contributed displays from their respective collections. The President of the City of London Philatelic Society - Mr. E. W. Bishop, F.R.P.S.L. - in welcoming the B.W.I. Study Circle, invited Mr. P. T. Saunders, its Founder and. Hon. Secretary/Treasurer, to introduce his members. The first display was an exceptionally fine study of the Q.V. 4d. of Jamaica from the Pine through to the MCA watermark loaned by the Circle's President - Mr. G. W. Collett, R.D.P., F.R.P.S.L. and was presented by Mr. Saunders on his behalf. It was interesting to observe that the plate for this value was in use for 52 years. Mr. A. E. Beach followed with some pages from his well known collection of Tobago with pre-adhesive covers, G. B. used in Tobago and the settings of the provisional surcharges in mint blocks - a remarkably fine study. Mrs. M.W. Taylor's exhibit of Grenada was shown by her son Mr. Robin Taylor. This commenced with a copy of the 'Grenada Gazette' of March 30th 1765 and was followed by Ship Letters and the Carriacou strikes-Carriacou being one of the smaller islands of the Grenadines; G.B. stamps used in Grenada; die proofs and many varieties of cancellation. Mr. W. H. H. Crow showed a variety of interesting items of Jamaica comprising the settings of the 2½d. on 4d. provisional; the 'SER.ET' error; the 'bow' variety on the K.G.V. ½d.; train post office marks; air mail covers and examples of the temporary rubber date stamps of Q.V. Mr. J. J. Turner presented a splendid selection of the first issues of St. Vincent comprising all the rarities in pairs and strips; covers, the 1880 and 1881 surcharges and a magnificent well-centred copy of the 5/- rose of 1880. Mr. E. Shields Forshaw showed rare and interesting markings of British Guiana some of which were the only ones so far recorded. The exhibit was outstanding for its presentation. The final display by Major F. S. J. Norris covered four phases of Bermuda philately comprising rare pre-adhesive markings; prisoner-of-war covers with four examples of two of the four varieties; postal stationery including the rare 'one penny' on ½d. and 1d. adhesives of 1880 (of which only 87 examples were surcharged in 1893) unused and used; a study of the Ship type stamps showing plate flaws and retouches. In proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the Circle and those who had exhibited, Mr. Francis Granville made brief comments on each display and paid tribute to the enormous amount of industry and research that had been undertaken in collecting such a wealth of material. Mr. Stuart A. Robertson, who seconded, said it was obvious that the members had a wide knowledge of the stamps of their choice and that each exhibit had an interest all of its own.