Chairman's Message - December 2022 - Trevor Cornford FRGS

It seems lately as if a Covid lockdown never happened, the number of recent events past present and future going on. Sadly it did happen and many suffered for it. After a summer family wedding in the heat – remember that? – I enjoyed meeting members at local shows, visitors to London, and viewing the catalogues including the massive Peter Cranwell sale in Australia. Truly a lifetime collection, the majority in Shackleton cards, concentrated on the Nimrod expedition. Some realisations might make you blink for ‘just a postcard’! See Page 97.

Later in autumn I enjoyed a presentation of a new book on the ladies left behind after Scott and his companions died returning from the South Pole, a visit to see Oates memorabilia of his life, and a couple of scarce postcards I bought. (Figure 1: Shackleton MW GF-2, and posted September 1904, Cleobury Mortimer, in the Midlands? Discovery reached Portsmouth in
September).

On the eve of her late Majesty’s funeral, a London book fair was still going ahead so thinking outside the box I stayed on the outer post codes and bussed in with little trouble, and even had an improved Sunday train service home due to the extra demand of attendees to see it live.

I will be off to Liberec shortly, so back to packing – my short exhibit has gone ahead via the Royal and the UK Commissioner. Finally, An event I am very happy about is the 1 year anniversary of my great niece this July past. A bit too early for induction into collecting – more like demolition of toys, paper even dinner!

Hopefully you can all find some happy events to brighten the coming winter months – by the time you read this the major Polar Salon and stamp Exhibition will have occurred in Liberec, Czech Republic as previewed in the June Polar Post. We will bring you full reports and pictures to invigorate the March 2023 edition. There is also the annual Amundsen Memorial Lectures at the end of November in Oslo.

I wish you all the best for the Christmas season.