PHILATELISTS

Beginning of an era

At the Scarborough Philatelic Society’s October meeting Chris Phillips gave an excellent talk on how he started an all-junior stamp club.

Chris’ introduction to the world of philately was in 1948 when his father bought him the stamps for the third anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Isles, only available in the Channel Isles and eight main Post Offices in the rest of the UK. His organising capabilities also began that year, when he started the Newlands Road Olympic Games as an annual event. Several other such ventures planted the seed to encourage three boys to ask him to start a stamp club for everyone in the street. That was in April 1953 when Chris was 14 years old.

Originally the club was called the Newlands Road Stamp Club, but not long afterwards it became the Newlands Road Philatelic Society. From these humble beginnings the club grew; funds were raised by subscriptions and auction sales.

The first annual competition was judged by a neighbour who also donated four half-crowns to the top four winners. After a couple of years members of the Tunbridge Wells Society started coming to give talks to help members enter national competitions.

The biggest fundraiser was the regular First Day Cover Service club members started with the Boy Scouts issue in August 1957. They printed their own covers and Chris cycled 200 miles from Tunbridge Wells (in three days) to post about 80 covers at the Jubilee Scouts Jamboree in Sutton Coldfield where a unique cancellation was applied at the special Post Office there. These were sold at 2/4 each. They now sell for £40 or more in auction! The following year they did the same for the British Empire Games in Cardiff. Aided by a free mention in Stanley Gibbons Monthly Stamp Magazine, they sold nearly all 1,000 covers; Chris took to Cardiff Post Office (by train - too far to cycle).

The club became so successful that it had questions asked in the House of Commons on its behalf, it had its own stall in the annual Tunbridge Wells Hobbies Exhibition, and had many famous philatelic speakers visit to give talks and displays over its 17 years of life. It was, and still is, the only all-junior stamp club ever to have been allowed to join the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain.

Chris eventually became a teacher, and in each school he was a maths teacher he started successful stamp clubs.

Truly a man of inspiration and endeavour, we are fortunate to have Chris as a member of Scarborough Philatelic Society.

The next meeting will be competition night. Visitors are welcome to join us at Scarborough Library on Tuesday November 1 at 7pm.