Stalwarts to the rescue...

ON THURSDAY, November 14, members of the Loughborough & District

Philatelic Society were due to have a visit from Mr. Paul Woodness, the secretary of the Solihull Philatelic Society.

Unfortunately, he had to abandon his journey after being on the road for an hour, due to the extensive flooding and rod congestion.

The L&DPS secretary was faced with a problem. However, after only two telephone calls, two of the society’s stalwarts agreed to present half and evenings display each.

David Gabe was one of the stalwarts. His display was on “Captain Cook”. Some members may have remembered that he gave a display of this famous explorer, in 2013.

However, David had increased his thematic collection with new material and write-up. David said that James Cook was born on 27th October 1728, the son of a Scots farmhand, in Marton-in-Cleveland, now part of South Middlesbrough. Family moved to Great Ayton in 1755.

Picture postcards were displayed showing a typical cottage to the one Cook was born in. and one of his home in Great Ayton. He came an apprentice to a North Sea Coal Merchant in Whitby. Joined the navy in 1755 where he emerged as an able seaman and cartographer.

One of his first assignments was to be sent out to Canada. Here he mapped the entrance of the St. Lawrence River, during the Seven Years War (1756-63). And surveyed Newfoundland.

In 1768 the Admiralty commissioned Lieutenant Cook, (as he was then), to observe the “Transit of Venus” in Tahiti. This is where the planet’s orbit crosses the sun. He was also given secret instructions to find a landmass in the southern hemisphere.

He departed Plymouth on August 25th, 1768 in the HM Bark Endeavour. He arrived in Tahiti, via the Cape Horn, in 1769. He then set sail for New Zealand. Then onto Tasmania, (previously Van Damien’s Land, but never claimed by the Dutch), and then North and landed at what is now known as Botany Bay, because of naturalist discoveries there and one of his companions was a botanist, Joseph Banks, who also founded Kew Gardens. Botany Bay was the site for the First Fleets port of call in 1778.

He then continued north to the Great Barrier Reef, surveying and mapping the coastline all the way. Returning to England in 1771. In 1772, he returned to New Zealand and the Antarctic, this time in command of the HMS Resolution.

He circumnavigated the entire coast of New Zealand, naming the water between the North and South islands, the Cook Strait. The map is still used today.

On his return voyage he visited numerous Pacific islands, Fiji, Easter Island and a group of small islands he named the Cook Islands. He returned to England in 1775.

It wasn’t long before he was off again on his 3rd voyage. This time to seek a Northeast or Northwest passage above the North American continent, to link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Again, he was in command of the HMS Resolution. He sailed south around Cape Horn, once more visiting New Zealand, the into the Pacific to Tahiti, then north to the Christmas Islands and eventually visiting Hawai’i where he was well received.

He then sailed to the west coast of north America, along the coast of Alaska and into the Artic. However, after extensive searching he failed to find such a passage, so he sailed south again to Hawai’i.

Unfortunately, the natives this time were hostile and attacked Cook and his men. Cook being murdered on the shore.

The command eventually went to Captain John Gore, who returned to England on October 7th, 1780.

During his commentary, David displayed stamps, post cards, covers and maps to illustrate, all the events that happened at that time, with just the right amount of writing-up.

It was really a wonderful pictorial and philatelic display.

Garth Taylor was the second stalwart of the evening. His display was entirely different, but of no surprise to members.

His display title was “The 2nd Airmail issues, routes and rates, of the Czech Air Mail Service”. (Garth being an authority on Czech airmails, Czech Forces abroad and the town of Bruno.

His first sheet displayed an airmail First Day Cover dated 11th June 1922, then one dated 1st November 1922, showing the routes taken. Also, on display, was a block of 10 air stamps, issued in 1930, showing the Smolik S19 biplane. However, these were overprinted “Gilbert” and had variations of the overprint, plus a block of four on cover. (rare).

His next items on display were covers from various towns in Czechoslovakia, being flown using local routes, e.g. Prague to Brno (Bruno), dated 1927. Some of these showed a variation in the Registered rates, depending on the contents.

Each on carried a Registered label, plus an Airmail label and a cover of 1928, with an Express label. It wasn’t long before air routes extended throughout Europe and the rest of the World. Evidence was shown with covers being flown to Belgium, Denmark, France and Costa Rica, Latvia and the Netherlands, with the most common routes having pre-printed labels.

An interesting cover sent to Japan was displayed with two different calendar dates being used, the Georgian and Julian. Also displayed were some First Flight covers (Prague to Berlin in 1927 and Prague to Warsaw.

Other items included covers with remarks stamped across them, (“Posted in the wrong box”, “Under paid” and “Uberpruft” (Examined), used on covers during WWI). It was here that Garth ended his display with covers from WWI prisoner of war camps.

In his vote-of-thanks, the President, Chas Ford, thanked both members for providing such a varied, interesting and entertaining displays. Also, for providing them in such short notice,

He especially thanked Garth, who had to come to the meeting via Shepshed as the road from Hathern to Loughborough was flooded.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, November 28, when Mike Fulford will present Cyprus. RFT