Chairman's Message - March 2022 - Trevor Cornford FRGS
First, Welcome to a New Year and progress of sorts to more events for our hobby. Since
my last notes we have had good news and sad news. The good news for me was hobby
meetings starting up for Philatelic Society and Postcard clubs locally, and I hope for you
wherever you are. Also a big auction of Polar items from Scott’s carpenter, even if not so
much postal history, saw some lovely ephemera not often available – and an enjoyable 2
days away to view.
Sad news as you read on pages 6 and 7 the belated news of Peter Wordie whose death
was very quietly recorded by the family. He was a grand custodian of marvellous, mainly
Antarctic and Falkland Dependencies mail items. Many with great pedigrees he bought in
assiduously from auctions as far back as the 1950s and others received from his father Sir
James Wordie, a member of Shackleton’s Endurance voyage!
I illustrate the front of an Air Letter sent from the Falkland Islands to Dr. J. M. Wordie. Sadly most of the text is missing. The reverse part-typed message is all about Bases as far as can be deduced from mentions like Hope Bay but only a small handwritten edge clue if anyone recognises it.
I also had a lunch with Gerry Pearce our President who helped me acquire a very good item for my Scott Exhibit. Also a visit to the James Caird Society AGM at Dulwich, to meet The Honourable Alexandra Shackleton, President, (Shackleton’s granddaughter and a Residential Weekend visitor to Cambridge a few years ago), and a number of my collector and business friends. (In case you did not know, I am a founder member, now as far back as 1994 – how time flies.) It is worth a look at: www.jamescairdsociety.com
This leads me nicely on to big personal news - I was elected in December as a Member of the RPSL. Having known Lesley Marley as a splendid Exhibitor and Displayer with her pelagic stories at PPHSGB events it is gratifying to see her personal honour of a show at the Royal on 4th November 2021 (See Page 5). It is a great reflection on our Society to have such a member!
I hope you all made the best of slightly more flexible meeting options at Christmas and New Year as I did, and enjoyed the London International. In advance, I thank all our Committee and ex Officio helpers for continued brilliant work in keeping the Society active. The full AGM reports will be in our next issue.
Later this year we shall have the 30th Anniversary of the first Residential Meeting in Cambridge at the end of October and in December the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the PPHSGB.
Don’t forget to send articles or short notes space fillers to John. He would particularly like to see scans or photos of covers returned from South Georgia and all Antarctic Bases from 2019 to date.
my last notes we have had good news and sad news. The good news for me was hobby
meetings starting up for Philatelic Society and Postcard clubs locally, and I hope for you
wherever you are. Also a big auction of Polar items from Scott’s carpenter, even if not so
much postal history, saw some lovely ephemera not often available – and an enjoyable 2
days away to view.
Sad news as you read on pages 6 and 7 the belated news of Peter Wordie whose death
was very quietly recorded by the family. He was a grand custodian of marvellous, mainly
Antarctic and Falkland Dependencies mail items. Many with great pedigrees he bought in
assiduously from auctions as far back as the 1950s and others received from his father Sir
James Wordie, a member of Shackleton’s Endurance voyage!
I illustrate the front of an Air Letter sent from the Falkland Islands to Dr. J. M. Wordie. Sadly most of the text is missing. The reverse part-typed message is all about Bases as far as can be deduced from mentions like Hope Bay but only a small handwritten edge clue if anyone recognises it.
I also had a lunch with Gerry Pearce our President who helped me acquire a very good item for my Scott Exhibit. Also a visit to the James Caird Society AGM at Dulwich, to meet The Honourable Alexandra Shackleton, President, (Shackleton’s granddaughter and a Residential Weekend visitor to Cambridge a few years ago), and a number of my collector and business friends. (In case you did not know, I am a founder member, now as far back as 1994 – how time flies.) It is worth a look at: www.jamescairdsociety.com
This leads me nicely on to big personal news - I was elected in December as a Member of the RPSL. Having known Lesley Marley as a splendid Exhibitor and Displayer with her pelagic stories at PPHSGB events it is gratifying to see her personal honour of a show at the Royal on 4th November 2021 (See Page 5). It is a great reflection on our Society to have such a member!
I hope you all made the best of slightly more flexible meeting options at Christmas and New Year as I did, and enjoyed the London International. In advance, I thank all our Committee and ex Officio helpers for continued brilliant work in keeping the Society active. The full AGM reports will be in our next issue.
Later this year we shall have the 30th Anniversary of the first Residential Meeting in Cambridge at the end of October and in December the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the PPHSGB.
Don’t forget to send articles or short notes space fillers to John. He would particularly like to see scans or photos of covers returned from South Georgia and all Antarctic Bases from 2019 to date.