The meeting was off to a sombre start as the Chairman had to report the passing in August of Edmund Hall (ESC 239), for many years the backbone of the Circle as QC Editor, Webmaster, Auctioneer and for many years general guide and respected friend, eventually honoured as a Life Member. His funeral was well attended by members, and also of the Forces Postal History Society, and the Chairman asked for a minute’s silence in his memory, coupled with our sincere condolences to Edmund’s wife Ann and daughters Katharine and Judy. A full appreciation was prepared for the September QC.

Edmund will be sorely missed.

Admin was quickly dealt with – mention was made of the current auction, including several items from the collection of our late Chairman Peter Andrews and the full Egypt collection of our late Danish member Erik Menne Larsen. The new Editor spoke of his mixed feelings at needing to produce a tribute issue to his great friend as his first solo QC, and made the usual – but no less important for that – appeal for more material so that future issues can continue to be as entertaining and thought-provoking. To take a little weight off the Secretary’s shoulders, Jon Aitchison (ESC 661) gallantly agreed to take over the role of Meetings Secretary: any volunteer speakers should contact him direct.

Members were very much heartened to welcome three Egyptian visitors – Ahmad Nabil and Nael Hamdy from Cairo and Adel Hanna from Canada – all of whom were delighted to sign up as full members after having been introduced to the Circle via our Facebook page. All three are established collectors, and all of them young men … a promise for the future.
The “ten sheets” aspect of the meeting was highlighted by some of the wonderful lots from the Auction kindly made available by the family of Peter Andrews. There was much discussion and much competition in looking at the lots: and the bids started to flow.

Individual members then displayed as follows: Peter Grech, French maritime mail and an explant ion of the various lines used; Paul Green, a miscellany of recent acquisitions; Richard Wheatley, Avis de Reception usage down the years, and an appeal for Simon Arzt material for the book he is writing; Jon Aitchison, the Suez Canal and the panoply of different Paquebot markings used; John Sears, Thomas Cook & Co, and the company’s stationery and postal markings; Tony Schmidt, a staggering display of Interpostal essays and archival material highlighted by IPs with the Franca cancel; John Clarke, an Edmund Hall-inspired display of commemoratives used as definitives on cover or card; and Vahe Varjabedian on how Farouk’s face disappeared only slowly from postal stationery after his overthrow.