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In 1949, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary
of the first French postage stamp, a group of British philatelists set up a pioneering specialist philatelic society devoted to the study of
the stamps of France and the then French Empire. From small beginnings,
the France and Colonies Philatelic Society now unites nearly 400 collectors in Britain and overseas in the many and varied delights of the stamps and postal history of la Francophonie.
The Society provides an extensive programme of meetings in several locations, holds an annual Philatelic Weekend, publishes a well regarded and authoritative Journal and series of monographs, and operates two thriving exchange packets and an Auction. It is a friendly and informal group to which new members are always made most welcome.
Contact
The Society is affiliated to the ABPS, and its affairs are managed by a Committee comprising
President, Officers and Committee members, elected annually.
The main officers are as follows, and the full Committee can be seen by clicking here.
General Secretary: P R A Kelly, Malmsy House, Church Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PG -
Membership Secretary: R G Gethin, 5 Meriden Close, Bromley, Kent BR1 2UF -
President: A J Lawrence -
Treasurer: C J Hitchen -
Journal Editor: M S Tyler -
Auction Secretary: M L Bister -
For new membership enquiries contact the Membership Secretary in the first instance.
2007 and 2008 Annual Subscription Rates
United Kingdom: £13.00Click here to access an application form.
Europe £17.00
Rest of World £20.00
Then print this out and send it to the Membership Secretary as requested.
The Society's Journal is published in March, June, September and December.
Journal
The price is included in members' subscriptions.
The Journal contains articles of interest to both the general and specialist collector, and covers all aspects of French philately.
It also gives details of the Society's activities, book reviews, lists of articles published in the French philatelic magazines, and philatelic news items.
Annual Philatelic Weekend
The Philatelic Weekend is becoming increasingly popular, and normally includes the Society Competitions.
It provides the opportunity for members to display and view collections in a relaxed and cordial atmosphere.
The most recent event took place at the Charlecote Pheasant Hotel, Charlecote, near Stratford-upon-Avon, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March 2007.
It is intended that the next one will be at the same venue from 7 to 9 March 2008.
Click here for the latest details.
Meetings
London meetings have normally been held at 6.30pm on Wednesdays (usually the last one in the month) at the Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, London WC1; although two take place at 3.00pm on Saturdays during Philatex, at the Royal Horticultural Halls, Greycoat Street, Westminster, London SW1. At the 2006 AGM it was decided that as an experiment meetings at the Calthorpe Arms would (after the first one in September) also take place on Saturdays, starting at 11.00am.
Northern Group meetings are held in Leeds on Saturdays (with an occasional one elsewhere in the region).
Southern Group meetings are held in Worthing, also on Saturdays.
The new Wessex Group meetings take place near Salisbury, also on Saturdays.
And an even newer Scottish Group has recently had its first meetings on Saturdays in Linlithgow.
Full details of all these can be found by clicking here.
Auctions
Two or three auctions are held each year.One is a room auction held in May, to which postal bids are also invited.
The other auction(s), held as appropriate at 3 or 6 monthly intervals, is/are usually postal only.
Library
The Society's library encompasses a wide range of French philately, with more titles added each year.A full list of titles available is distributed to members from time to time, and the list is updated periodically in the Journal.
Items are loaned to members by post, but owing to insurance requirements this service is available to UK residents only.
However, photocopies of a limited number of pages from magazines or books can now be made available at cost to all members. The Librarian's address is given in all issues of the Journal.
The latest Library List (2004) is now available from this link.
Club Packets
Club packets are circulated to UK members who request them.
There are two circuits, one for France and one for the French Colonies.
Members wishing either to purchase items from the circulated books, or to offer material for sale, should contact the relevant Secretary:
FRANCE: Bob Wood
COLONIES: John West
The secretaries' addresses are available from the quarterly Journal that is delivered regularly to all paid up members.
Magazine Circuit
The Society subscribes to two French philatelic magazines, L'Echo de la Timbrologie and Timbres magazine.Circuits are organised for those who wish to read them, and copies are sent through the post for a moderate annual fee (at present £4 per title).
Each magazine received has then to be sent on within a few days to the next member on the list.
Members who are interested in joining either circulation list should contact the Organiser:
David Pashby
whose address is given in the quarterly Journal delivered to all paid up members.
Register of Interests
A register has been compiled of members' collecting interests.Inclusion is voluntary, and the register is updated each year.
The purpose is to enable members to contact each other on topics of mutual interest, for information and assistance.
A copy of the current register is made available to all members at the beginning of each year.
Competitions
Trophies have traditionally been awarded annually in four categories:The Levett Trophy for philately
The Alvey Cup for postal history
The Filmer Shield for adhesives and their usages
The Jubilee Salver for miscellaneous entries
Each entry consists of 12 sheets.
However, these categories are being reorganised for the 2008 Annual Weekend, when it is intended that the trophies will be awarded for ordinary displays at the Weekend.
A copy of the full rules (before reorganisation) may be accessed here.
Publications
Publications are produced from time to time in the form of specialised studies or handbooks.
The titles currently available are listed here.
Back numbers of the Journal are also available. Contact the
:
J P Maybury, 18 Courtneys, Wheldrake, York YO19 6BR.