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Gander at the Goose
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Next Meeting

The next meeting will be the:

Study Group Weekend: Faringdon 9th-11th March. Residential, or you can attend as a day visitor

A meeting is a great way to meet fellow members of the Study Group, ask questions about your collection and view other displays of Falkland Islands material. You don't have to show anything yourself! Why not take the plunge and attend a meeting? Details on the events page
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FIPSG Membership
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Membership of the Study Group is just £20 per year for UK, £25 for Europe, £37.50 or $55 for rest of the world.

To see the benefits of membership click here:
FIPSG Membership


Join Online and Pay with Paypal!

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Stefan Heijtz 2012 Auction Available for Viewing

The popular auction run by Stefan Heijtz for 2012 (3rd April) is available for viewing at:
http://www.novastamps.com/stefan/F.I.auction/AUCTION.CATALOGUE.html 
 
There are 692 lots on a wide range of Falklands and Anarctic material including many interesting new items.
 
As usual, the auction will be able to be viewed in person at the Study Group Weekend 9-11 March at Faringdon. 
 
Yet another reason to attend the weekend, where of course there will also be the Study Group live auction, where the catalogue will be included with the next Upland Goose. So there will be many opportunities in the near future to lighten your wallets and purses!

An Interesting New Falklands Book

For some good background reading a new book "From Diddle Dee to Wire Gates - a Dictionary of Falklands Vocabulary" is published this month. If you are interested in a copy, it should be available from the secretary of the Falkland Islands Association, Colin Wright at honesecfia@msn.com after 24th January.

Below with thanks to Penguin News www.penguin-news.com a review of the book is shown.

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Falkland Philately Blog

Adding to the information on Falklands philately on the Internet, Study Group member Eugene Denson in the US has started a Falklands Philately blog.

His focus is on registration labels and there is a wealth of fascinating material with requests for further information and debate. There are also illustrations of labels and covers. It is recommended viewing.

For more go to:  http://falklandstamps.blogspot.com/ 


Spink Auction includes Falkland Items

The next Spink Winter Collectors Series sale on 25th and 26th January covers some 40 odd Falkland items, including several Formula Registered Envelopes from the collection of Ronnie Spafford. Details in the link below:

http://www.spink.com/asp/search.asp?st=U

Twenty Thousand Hits and Rising!


Thank you to all visitors to this site, as we have recently passed the 20,000 hit mark on the site (you can see on the counter above). This represents the ongoing popularity of Falkland Islands philately and we hope you continue to find news and other items of interest on the website.

Eastern Meeting Addendum

At the Eastern Meeting held on the 11th September 2011, as previously reported, Tony Lovelock presented a recently purchased cover, which is probably one of the rarest of all Falkland Island covers.  We have now obtained a scan of this cover and I thought that it may be of interest to those members who were not at the meeting. 
 

Parcel_Cancellation.jpg

Addressed by H Schlottfeldt.   Sent registered to Brandenburg.  Backstamped Prenzlau 16.8.97.

 

Routed:  Port Stanley,  Kosmos steamer “Memphis” 13.7.97,  Tilbury Dock 14.8.97

 

Only known example of this cancellation on cover

  

The cover was produced and posted by Hugo Schlottfeldt, bears a manuscript 5 in the top right hand corner, indicating that there were, at minimum, another four of same produced at the same time, and all most certainly for the same recipient.  This cover was previously owned by Henry Heyburn who having  framed it, hung on a wall in house in Hawaii, where it has remained for the last 27 years.

 

 Although obviously a philatelic cover, it is probably the only example of all the low values of the Queen Victoria definitives available at that time, to have been cancelled with the ‘Undulating Parcel Cancellation’ (PSO.2.). The cancellation stamp is now retained in the Stanley Post Office archives. See two photos below of the canceller taken in 2009, still in pretty decent condition.

 
This may be the only occasion most members will have of actually seeing what is a unique cover. Thanks to Tony for displaying it at Galleywood.

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Happy Christmas to all Website Readers

A very Happy Christmas to all readers of this website, whether Study Group members or occasional browsers of Falkland Islands collecting news. The FIPSG Committee look forward to meeting with many of you during 2012.

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NEW! More Items from Stefan Heijtz Website
 
Thanks once more to Stefan Heijtz for allowing us to link to some superb reference material for Falklands collectors. Additional items, with links, are shown below. Altogether, we have a wealth of reference items to browse and download for future use.
 
Forgeries and Fakes of Stamps, Surcharges and Postmarks:
This 22 page display was shown at one of the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group weekends. It contains examples of many different types of forgeries, with genuine examples showed next to the forgeries. A useful reference.
A PDF of the entire display can be downloaded
HERE  (size 6MB)
 
Fiscal use of Stamps:
This 55 page display was shown at one of the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group weekends. It shows many examples of Fiscal use of stamps, on and off documents, and other non-postal use of stamps and postal markings. A PDF of the entire display can be downloaded HERE 
(size 5 MB).
 
South Georgia Glass Plates from the 1920's-30's:
This 57 page display shows photographs taken by Theodor Andersson, mostly of Grytviken but also of some of the other whaling stations, and it shows interesting views of how life was in those days.
A PDF of the entire display can be downloaded HERE 
(size 12 MB).
 
OTHER FALKLAND ISLANDS COLLECTIONS AND DISPLAYS
 
The Falkland Islands National Stamp Collection:
This collection now resides in the Falkland Islands Museum in Stanley. This display was shown at the handover ceremony at Falkland House in London, and it includes background details, and photos of the ten first pages of the collection.
A PDF of the entire display can be downloaded HERE
 (size 5 MB).
 
Spinkex 2007 - The Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group display at Spink, London:
This 43 frame (688 page) display was a joint effort by a large number of Study Group members, and it is the largest display of Falkland Islands stamps and Postal History ever shown. This record of the entire display was taken by camera, so therefore the quality is not always the highest.
A PDF of the entire display can be downloaded HERE 
(size 13 MB).

UPDATED! Stefan Heijtz Collections Available for viewing on the Web
 
Stefan Heijtz now has a superb set of pdfs of his past and current collection available for viewing and downloading on the web. This is a major asset for collectors to help them in their future mounting and displaying of their own collections and for research purposes. The summary is as follows (links are available below to go directly to the relevant part of the collection)
 
Stamps, Proofs and Varieties 1878-1937: This enormous 313 page collection was formed over more than 25 years, and it contained examples of virtually every stamp and variety, as well as examples of most proofs, known from the Falkland Islands. Although now broken down, at least one example of every stamp and printing has been transferred to the Reference collection.
 
PDFs of the entire original collection can be downloaded as follows (click on these links below):
 
Queen Victoria 93 pages (size 6 MB),
King Edward VII 27 pages (size 2 MB),
King George V 1912-20 + 1921-28 68 pages (size 5 MB),
War Stamps 65 pages (size 5 MB),
Whale&Penguins + 1933 Centenary + 1935 Silver Jubilee 60 pages (size 5 MB).
 
Postmarks 1869-1937: This large 121 page collection showed many examples of every postmark used in the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, including most varieties. Although now broken down, at least one example of every postmark and postmark variety has been transferred to the Reference collection (see below).
 
PDFs of the entire original collection can be downloaded as follows:
Postmarks Stanley 47 pages (size 4 MB),
Cork Obliterators 41 pages (size 3 MB),
Other Postmarks (Ship cancellations, Fox Bay, New Island, South Georgia, South Shetlands) 33 pages (size 3 MB).
 
Postal Rates 1840-1937: a131 page exhibit that was shown at one of the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group weekends is now available to download as a pdf file. It is the most comprehensive display of the postal rates from this period ever assembled and can be downloaded from:
Postal Rates
 
Postal History: Finally,
most of the huge collection of Falkland Islands and Dependencies Postal History 1827-1937, which was formed over more than 25 years, has been broken down and sold off. This is not available currently for viewing, as a book of this collection is planned and will be published in due course.
 
To access all the pdfs of the Falkland Islands collection in future (plus other country collections, to award winning standards, which are of interest to any philatelist) bookmark:
http://www.novastamps.com/stefan/Sidor/AboutMe.html


Date for the Diary - Spink Auction

The Spink Winter Collector's Sale on 26th January 2012 will include Falkland Islands Formula Registered Envelopes from the collection of Major Ronnie Spafford. Details of the auction will appear on
www.spink.com in due course.

Falkland Islands Journal

Many members may not be aware of the Falkland Islands Journal, which provides a wealth of background information on the Islands and Islanders, including articles by Study Group members. Just to give you a flavour, the contents for the 2011 edition are:

Frank Mitchell - an Appreciation

Dictionary of Falklands Biography: Further Up-dates
by D.Tatham

Two Notable Fossil Finds in East Falkland: A ‘Starfish' and a Large Trilobite
by A. Rushton and P. Stone

J.G.Gibbs : Director of Falkland Islands Agricultural Department 1940-46
by S. Palmer

The Falkland Islands Company's Aborted Project of Sheep Ranching in Patagonia.
by F. Coronato

The Human Impact on a Remote Island: the Example of South Georgia
by P. Armstrong

Sir Roger Goldsworthy and the Ashanti War
by W Featherstone

Gentoo
by M. Barton

The Falkland Islands National Stamp Collection
by S. Heijtz

A most Unusual Peal Card
by E. Walsh

James Foran's Correspondence; Letters from London, Buenos Aires and Stanley
by E. Walsh

The Battle
by K. Lellman

The Smith Family: Shepherds, Travellers, Pioneers and much more
by F. Madelin

The 1880 Dublin Mansion House Fund and the Falkland Islands Collection
by E. Walsh

The Alastair Cameron History Prizes, 2010
San Carlos
by C. Ford

Betty Josephine Biggs-the first Forty Years
by G. Igao

Being 10,11 &12 years old in 1982 at San Carlos
by L.Henry

Simply the Best; my Grandad
by C. Middleton

Estancia in 1982
by R.Ojeda

Christian Andreasen by T.Tyrell

My Gran-So Far! Joan Eliza Middleton by M. Middleton

Stanley Golf Club and Golfing in the Falkland Islands
by J. Salmon

Governor's Cup Darts Competition
by K. Smith

Falkland Islands Defence Force
by J. McPhee

Stevelly Bay
by T. McGhie

History of New Island
By J. and R. Chater


The Old Wooden Model Boat By M. Hansen

The Old Quarry Stone Hut
by Goose Green School

Further Additions to the Bibliography of the Falkland Islands by M. Stammers


Book Review: ‘When they sailed the world: Egeria and the Millidge family ships' by Eric Lawson

by M. Stammers

Book Review: ‘The voyages of the Penelope' by Roberto Herrscher

by J.H. McAdam

A Cumulative Index to Volume 9 of the Falkland Islands Journal
by T.G. Reid Jr

Details of how to order the 2011 Journal and back issues can be found at http://www.falklandislandsjournal.org


New Falkland Islands Post Office Postcards

The Falkland Islands Post Office has commissioned the production of four new postcards which will shortly go on sale in the Islands.

The postcards, which are based on photographs taken by Nick Bonner and printed by Smith & Watts Print, depict a collection of Gentoo Penguins with a single Upland Goose looking on; a single King Penguin; an Elephant Seal Pup, and a view of Christchurch Cathedral reflecting into the sea.

The set of postcards, which are not pre-stamped, will be available at £1.40p per set.

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Falkland Islands - Gentoo Penguins, Predators and Prey - 16th November 2011

Penguins, Predators and Prey
is a series of stamp issues featuring, in turn, each of the familiar Falkland penguins, together with some of their respective predators and prey.
 

27p   Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua papua coming ashore
The Northern Gentoo is among the most terrestrial of all the penguins. In the Falklands, for most of their adult lives, they commute daily between their traditional, colonial homes ashore and the ocean from which they get their food.


70p 
 Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx underwater
The Leopard Seal is a large, bold and muscular shallow-water hunter, second only to the orca among the southern oceans’ top predators. It feeds on a wide variety of creatures ranging from krill to other seals. They are dark grey on the back and light grey underneath and have a whitish throat dotted with the black spots which give rise to their common name.  Females are generally slightly larger than the males. The overall length of this seal is 2.4-3.5 m (7.9-11.7 ft) and weight is from 200 to 591 kg (440-1302 lbs). 

95p   Gonatus Squid Gonatus antarcticus
The squid Gonatus antarcticus is one of only two species of the family Gonatidae that live in the southern oceans, although numerous other  species of the same family inhabit open oceanic waters of the northern hemisphere. This squid has circum-antarctic distribution, and lives in the water column from the surface down to a depth of 1300m. It reaches a mantle length of 47 cm and has a lifespan of just two years. 

 £1.15   Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua papua performing “mutual” displayNorthern Gentoos breed in colonies which may be situated up to a mile from the sea. During the summer these “penguin cities” are noisy and full of activity.  Courtship generally begins, in early spring, with both visual and auditory displays.

Technical details:
Artist: Tony Chater
Printer: BDT International
Process: Stochastic Lithography
Perforation:  14 per 2cms
Stamp size:   30.56 x 38mm
Sheet Layout: 50 (2 x 25)
Release date: 16th November 2011

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Upcoming Auctions

The 17th November (11am) Grosvenor sale with many Falklands lots is now available to see online at:
 http://www.grosvenorauctions.com/dyn_pages/single_current_sale_detail.php?id=111

Before then, on 10th November, Robin Murchie is holding his 100th sale with the usual strong emphasis on Falklands. Please contact Robin for details and a catalogue (use the comments form below if you wish us to contact him for you).

Putting South Georgia on the Map

If you are interested in Duncan Carse and his work on mapping South Georgia in the 1950's, a new book "Putting South Georgia on the Map" has been published in Australia by Alec Trendall. Before completing his thesis Alec accepted an invitation from Duncan Carse to join the South Georgia Survey of 1951-52 as its geologist. On New Year’s Day 1952 he fell unroped some 50 metres down a crevasse, and was shipped back to Britain with a severe knee injury. Luckily, this had recovered enough for him to rejoin Carse on South Georgia for the 1953-54 season.

Further details can be obtained from:

http://www.alectrendall.com.au/index.html

FIPSG Auction Results for October 2011

Thanks to Auction Manager Mike Roberts for providing both the results of the October auction and the list of unsold lots so quickly. If you are interested in the Unsolds, please contact Mike as soon as possible, details are in the auction catalogue.

FIPSG AUCTIONS OCTOBER 2011 RESULTS
LOT NO.SOLDLOT NO.SOLDLOT NO.SOLDLOT NO.SOLDLOT NO.SOLDLOT NO.SOLD
  
1220512010655159652082028310
2755251072016012021113028412
313053810816161202122628638
41605481091401621002151028710
590551311085163902161428924
730561211165164952202829513
86571111250165852218529619
1095582411365166022213
1113591511448168022315
12862131163216916022434
141063501173017011022611
15156422118201714222716
16176522119421723222820
17468151221017312022932
1826911124951753823122
201173220125461771223224
218741501261301781023346
221075300127601791423455
2467634129201802623522
25127822130171815023734
261579601311501836023822
27408032132321843623920
28128185133161851324124
29108270134141866024350
323083851361101873224422
3355842013722188852455
34408512139130189222465
3520862614155190222475
3632897014255191242485
3726908014332193342495
3834912214432194462538
39209470145201952225518
4089546146321961226110
41249610149221975526216
45249746152381982027310
46129881533820012027644
475510020155852013227734
481510320156702022827824
491010428157852031328118
501210575158322065528250

UNSOLD LOTS - FIPSG AUCTION OCTOBER 2011
LOT NOAVAILABLE ATLOT NOAVAILABLE ATLOT NOAVAILABLE ATLOT NOAVAILABLE ATLOT NOAVAILABLE AT
6100 922 17610 2516 27920
912 9324 18210 2526 2807
1310 998 19224 2548 28510
195 10116 19980 25620 288110
2312 10240 2048 25740 29055
3015 1157 2058 2588 29119
3115 12016 2078 2595 29250
4212 1215 2098 2608 29320
4380 1238 2108 26340 29411
4432 12815 2138 2648
608 1358 2148 2657
618 13824 2175 2667
668 14012 2188 2675
678 14716 2198 2687
708 14820 22522 26924
715 15018 23012 27016
725 15118 2368 27110
7720 1548 2408 2726
8732 16728 2428 27410
8812 17424 2506 27512

New South Georgia Issue - Frank Wild - 25th November 2011

John Robert Francis Wild C.B.E. known as Frank, was one of the most outstanding Polar explorers of the ‘Heroic Age'. He undertook five Antarctic expeditions under the leadership of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Sir Douglas Mawson and was the only man to experience six gruelling winters in Antarctica. Frank Wild is one of only two people to be awarded a four bar Polar medal and each pair of stamps in this issue represent the expeditions for which he was awarded a bar.

With the death in 1922 of Shackleton, his beloved leader and friend, and his decision to emigrate to South Africa, the reputation of this extraordinary man was largely forgotten.

Frank Wild was born in Skelton, Yorkshire in 1873, the second born of 13 children. His father, Benjamin, a school teacher, hoped he would follow in his footsteps but from the age of 4 Wild recalled his yearning to go to sea. At the age of 16 he joined the Merchant Navy where he remained for the next nine years, often working on "lime juicers for maximum work for minimum food and wages." His capacity for hard, honest work in the harshest of conditions paved the way for his acceptance into the Royal Navy shortly followed by being selected from 3,000 naval recruits to join Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery expedition of 1901 (2 x 60p).

During a sledging foray in 1902, a young seaman, George Vince, slipped and disappeared over an ice cliff into the sea never to be seen again. Three more of the party nearly met the same fate when Wild, who had hammered nails into the soles of his boots, managed to halt their passage. It was typical of his quick thinking and exceptional capacity to stay calm at all times.

In 1909 Wild joined the Nimrod expedition (2 x 70p) and was chosen to join Shackleton on the attempt on the South Pole. Beating all records they got within only ninety-seven miles of the Pole when forced to turn back. On the return journey, some seven hundred miles of appalling exhaustion and hunger, Wild and Shackleton's relationship was cemented. "S[hackleton] privately forced upon me his one breakfast biscuit, and would have given me another tonight had I allowed him. I do not suppose that anyone else in the world can thoroughly realise how much generosity and sympathy was shown by this; I do, and by God I shall never forget. Thousands of pounds would not have bought that one biscuit."

In spite of Scott's pressing invitations to join him on what was to be his fateful Terra Nova expedition, Wild joined the Australian, Mawson on the Aurora ( 2 x 95p) and took charge of the Western party of seven men, surviving for a year on an ice shelf, named the Shackleton Ice Shelf.

In 1914 he joined Shackleton's Endurance expedition (2 x £1.15p) in an attempt to cross the Antarctic continent via the South Pole. Eventually the Endurance was crushed and sank in the Weddell Sea and Wild displayed outstanding fortitude and leadership when Shackleton entrusted him with the 21 men stranded on Elephant Island.

On his return, Wild was commissioned Lieutenant in R.N.V.R. and sent to Archangel to supervise the arrival of war materials. In 1918 he was released by the Admiralty to take part in an expedition under Shackleton to Spitsbergen, ostensibly to prospect for minerals but quasi-officially to establish a British presence in the area.

After the war, Wild with his great friend Dr James McIlroy, departed for Nyasaland to try their hand at farming, a venture that showed potential until Shackleton asked them to return to England and join him on the Quest and a foray back into the ice. Wild did not hesitate.

Tragically, Shackleton suddenly died of a heart attack on board and Wild assumed command of the ship. The following year, in 1923, with his new wife Vera Altman, Wild emigrated to South Africa to farm cotton. The farming venture failed, as did his marriage and to compound his difficulties South Africa was caught up in the grip of the Great Depression. Wild moved from job to job, often struggling to make ends meet. The privations he had endured during his expeditions took a toll on his health, yet he maintained the same calm and sagacity that had seem him through his years as an explorer.

In 1931 he married Trixie Rowbotham with whom he spent eight happy years. While working as a store-keeper on a mine in the town of Klerksdorp he suddenly died of pneumonia.

Sadly no-one knew where he was buried or what had happened to his remains; he was forgotten in life and in death, that is until now. After a seven year search his ashes were found in Johannesburg, by his biographer Angie Butler. With the permission of his descendants and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, in November 2011, Frank Wild is to make his final journey. His ashes will be interred alongside Shackleton's grave and he will finally be re-united with his beloved ‘Boss' in the whaler's cemetery in Grytviken, South Georgia.


Text by Angie Butler, author of ‘The Quest for Frank Wild'.
Technical Details
Designer Andrew Robinson
Printer BDT International
Process Stochastic lithography
Perforation 14 per 2cms
Stamp size 28.45 x 42.58mm
Sheet Layout 10 (5 se-tenant pairs)
Release date 25 November, 2011

SG_Wild.jpg

New South Georgia Issue - Shallow Marine Life - 1st January 2012

Shadowed beneath South Georgia's rugged mountains and glacial valleys lay a rich and colourful seascape of plants and animals. This shallow marine environment has received surprisingly little attention since it was first studied during the Discovery Expeditions in 1925. As South Georgia is situated just south of the Polar Front, where warmer waters from the north meet colder Antarctic water from the south, the region is home to a unique assemblage of South Atlantic and Antarctic animals.

In November 2010 the Shallow Marine Surveys Group (SMSG) undertook a dive survey of the shallow bays of the north coast of South Georgia to investigate the shallow marine biodiversity and provide a baseline for future climate change monitoring. As part of this work photographs were taken of most of the species encountered. A selection of these images has been beautifully transformed into watercolour by Leigh-Anne Wolfaardt for reproduction as stamps.

The first stamp features the predatory ten-legged sea spider (Decolopoda australis), which is unusual in having 10 legs rather than the more typical 8, and is shown here feeding on sponges, anemones and bryozoans.

The pink cushion seastar, Odontaster validus, features on the second stamp. This brightly coloured and conspicuous member of the benthic community is found throughout the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic oceans.

The third stamp features the white tipped nudibranch, Flabellina falklandica, which as its name suggest, also occurs in the Falkland Islands and throughout southern South America.

The branching sea cucumber (Heterocucumis steineni), which is featured on the fourth stamp, is common to rock wall habitats. Its highly branched feeding tree can be seen erupting from dense, colourful assemblages of colonial sea-squirts and sponges.

The iconic giant Antarctic isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus (fifth stamp) is a typical Antarctic species, which demonstrates the so-called "gigantism" characteristic of many cold-water species, growing up to 20 cm in length and 70 g in weight.

Finally the sixth stamp features the South Georgia top shell Margarella tropidophoroides, which is found only in South Georgia waters. Such endemic species are often found on isolated islands such as South Georgia.

The first day cover will contain the six stamps removed from the border.

Technical Details

Artist: Leigh-Anne Wolfaardt
Printer: BDT International
Process: Stochastic lithography
Perforation: 14 per 2cms
Stamp size: 36 x 36mm
Sheet Layout: 6 x 70p stamps
Release date: 1 January, 2012

SG_Shallow.jpg

Gildersome 2011 - by Mark Burton

The Study Group's Northern Area meeting took place at St Peters Church Hall Gildersome on Saturday 24th September with 17 members present. As in previous years members congregated from 1.30 with the meeting proper starting at 2. There were one or two new faces, although those of our Secretary Morva White and Robin Murchie, attending the Northern meeting for the first time did have a familiarity and it was nice to see them.

Morva said a few words to promote the Faringdon weekend and Mike Roberts, who organises the event asked us all to stand in a minutes silence to remember the late Frank Mitchell. There were no further formalities after that and we got off to a flying start with Wilf Vevers being first up to display.

am always impressed by Wilf's displays but this was particularly interesting showing mail from the various sailings of vessels during the Kosmos contract with various postcards with obliterator cancellations showing a number of different destinations and postage rates. Wilf followed this up with various interesting items from the British Grahamland Expedition of1934.

Next up was Morva White who showed items relating to Prince Phillip's voyage to the Falklands and South Georgia in 1956, followed by Kim Stuckey with an impressive display of War Stamps showing examples of the five different printings , varieties and multiples. Harold Hamer then showed items from the period of the Falklands War 1982 with various signed covers and items in particular relating to Port Howard. We then had a viewing break.

Mike Roberts was next showing items relating to Naval Party 475 otherwise known as Operation Tabarin with covers from the various expedition members and supporting photographs. Mike, just back from a holiday in the Western Isles also showed a photograph of the remains of a whaling station on the Isle of Harris .

The redoubtable John Shaw was next up with a display of inward mail including two particularly interesting covers one to Johnsons Harbour and the other to the Wireless Station. Mark Burton showed various Fox Bay, Deception Island and used War Stamps and we had a viewing break followed by afternoon tea.

The afternoon tea was excellent, as usual, thanks to Mrs Alison Roberts for that and when we got back into the room after tea I was just reflecting on how good the tea was when Nigel Kaye brought me back from my thoughts with the words :

"I have a bit of a thing about Christmas cards, as some of you may realise"

Nigel had put up a display of KGVI and QEII postal history including number of covers with the Christmas card enclosures, very, very interesting. There were also inward covers from Brunei , Ceylon and Malaya, censored covers and Tabarin items.

Robin Murchie then showed combinations covers - stamps from different sets used on the same cover and Dave Mountfort medical related items including covers to our late members Doctor Nigel Lehmann and Dr Bruce Marsden both of whom served in the Islands.

Mike Roberts brought the meeting to a close at 5.10 and Kim Stuckey proposed a vote of thanks to Mike and Alison for organising the event. We had had another really good meeting.

Birds in Gibbons Stamp Monthly
An added incentive to buy the November issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly is an article by our Chairman, Hugh Osborne, on the Birds definitives set. See the promotion below.

gibbons1.jpg

Help with Research
A number of research topics are requiring help to collate listings of items. The topic leaders would like to thank Study Group members for their help to date, but any non-members are also welcome to help with the listings. If you have something of interest, you can use the comments form at the bottom of the page to establish contact.

1) South Georgia Provisional Issues - including the "Paid At" handstamps in 1911, bisect covers and the 1928 Provisional surcharge

2) Mail sent by Cindy Buxton and Annie Price from St Andrew's Bay, South Georgia

3) Mail bearing the postmark SG21 (overlaps with 2 above)

4) Hunting Aerosurvey covers sent in the two seasons, 1955-1957.

FIPSG - Eastern Meeting - September 11, 2011

Despite the earlier pessimistic forecasts of the BBC, September 11th’s weather was fine and all those intrepid members of FIPSG who made the journey to Galleywood reported excellent journeys.  Members gathered from noon onwards and the meeting was preceded by lunch and the usual informal discussions and exchanges of information and philatelic items. 

This year we were extremely please to welcome Mr W. H. (Tommy) Thompson who had been the Colonial Secretary in the Falklands 1963-1969.  During his period in this office he was deeply involved in the design and administration of Falkland Island stamps.

 

Malcolm Barton opened the meeting with a welcome and an introduction to ‘Tommy Thompson’.  In recognition of our guest, the formal meeting, which commenced at 1pm, began with displays of 1960s items by Malcolm and Kim Stuckey. 

 

Malcolm presented items relating to the 1968 Flowers Definitive Issue, literature associated with Tommy’s tenure and a stamp from Monserrat on which Tommy appeared with Princess Anne.  (Tommy was governor of Monserrat from 1971 to 1974.)  Kim followed on with displays of the 1963 Red Cross and the1968 Human Rights issues.  He also showed a letter Tommy had written to Australia thanking them for a contribution to the local swimming pool.  Items relating to the design of the 1969 FIGAS issue which Tommy had sketched out in his Falkland office were also included.

 

Tommy was then invited to give a short talk about his time in the Falklands which proved to be very interesting a highly amusing.   He admitted that, when it was suggested he apply for the position in the Falklands, he had to dash to the local Kenya library to look-up where the Falkland Islands were located.  Luckily his then secretary had a neighbour who was a Falkland Islander and arrangements were made for a briefing meeting.  Unfortunately the only photographs available were of the Stanley May Ball so his  preview of ‘Island Life’ was somewhat limited.

 

When he eventually arrived in the Falklands he found a well run government machine but his overriding memories of the place were its people.  Members were entertained by a story Tommy told to illustrate the community life of the islands. ‘ Preparing to send out one of the FIGAS planes, a brief radio conversation was held with a lady on New Island to ascertain local weather conditions.  The main business over, the lady was asked whether she required any shopping from West Store. She replied that she need a new bra. Asked about cup size her reply was “Don’t worry about that, Tony at the store knows my size” !!!!!’

 

Tommy also showed illustrations of sketches he had made for the 1969 FIGAS and Bishop Sterling issues.  These were remarkably similar to the final stamps.

 

Following on from Tommy’s entertaining stories, Hugh Osborne continued with the 1960s theme showing commercially used covers of the 1964 Battle of the Falklands issue (Tommy mentioned that these stamps sold out on the Islands on the first day) as well as FIGAS and Bishop Sterling covers.  Hugh also presented some Royal Mail Line shipping ephemera that had recently come come into his possession, including menus, tickets and passenger lists.

  

Tony Lovelock then re-presented some of his Victorian “rubbish” including his recently purchased cover from Hawaii, which mounted stamps of each of lower values of the Victorian era. His original display only contained a photograph of this item, but now we were able to view the ‘Real Thing’.   Tony continued with a comprehensive review of philatelic items relating to the 1982 Falklands War with a detailed explanation of the history of the Argentine inverted cancellation mark and posted dated covers. Monograph ??

  

Wilf Vevers was next to present with an excellent display of postcards and covers from the “Kosmos Years”  Wilf explained that he was attempting to obtain covers carried by every ship that had visited the Falklands during this period.

  

At about 2.45pm a short break was made for refreshments (cream teas etc) and then Geoff Miller showed a letter he had obtained which detailed the reasons behind the introduction of the ‘Red Frank’ in place of the ‘Black Frank’.   Alastair Kennedy followed with an exhibit of covers from Britain to both the Falkland Islands and the Dependencies.

  

John Gray continued the afternoon with a presentation in memory of Frank Mitchell including a cover from an engineer on the German cruiser SMS Dresden.  The afternoon concluded with display by Ray Rabbetts of the first airmail letter to the Falklands dated 1911 (carried by aircraft for the first 11 miles in Britain) and a series of 1979-1998 bromides of certain QE2 issues.

  

Hugh Osborne gave a vote of thanks to Tommy Thompson and the meeting organisers and the meeting closed at 4.15pm.

  

Next year we hope to arrange an all day meeting so for those interested in attending please watch this space for details

  

Terry Wiffen


Early Sight of Grosvenor Auction Date - includes Falkland Islands

Their November 17th British Empire & Foreign Countries auction will include a strong section of Falkland Islands including the earliest known letter addressed to the islands and the earliest known item of local mail, as well as one of the most attractive of the popular ‘Black Frank' covers.


Upland Goose Index 1970-2011

Kim Stuckey has completed the first draft of the Upland Goose Index, which takes forward the 1995 Silver Jubilee index to the Summer 2011 issue of Upland Goose.

This is available to all members as a pdf file, which can be easily downloaded and searched. There are no plans at present to produce a printed version of all 170 pages of the index.

The Study Group committee hopes that the index will provide a useful companion to research, or for finding out more detail on an issue, cover, person or ship that interests you. 

To download the Index, go to the Published Information page.

Update: for those members interested in ships, there is a subset of the index also published, just with ships and shipping movements indexed.


Membership Reminders

Membership fees are now due please pay promptly if you want to receive further copies of the Upland Goose. Annual subscriptions are £20 UK, £25 Europe, £37-50 rest of the world (or $55 if paid throuigh Carl Faulkner)

If you enjoy the monographs which the Study Group publishes you may also like to make a donation at the same time to the Stefan Heijtz Research and Publications Fund which will be used for the production of mongraphs.


Swinpex and Midpex Reports

Mark Burton reports I went down to SwinPex on 11th June and a good day out it was as well, excellent spacious venue and good catering (bacon butties were a real treat). I managed to find something for the collection which is always nice and saw other items of interest on the dealers stands for which the price was not quite right.

There were various competitive displays and the Falklands were well represented – some interesting stuff. The Study Group had a stand all day and a joint meeting at 1.30 with our friends in PPHSGB – although a number of us claim “dual nationality” being members of both Societies. Various interesting displays - Kim Stuckey showed registered 1954 FID Ship covers at the correct rate cancelled on the day of his birth, Hugh Osborne covers from the 1960s franked with commemoratives at the correct rate and Wilf Vevers various items of early correspondence from the Islands talking us through the significance of each. The theme for the day was recent acquisitions and Wilf told us he had acquired these from Robin Murchie’s recent sale. There was opportunity for buying and selling with a mini bourse and as always it was good to see old friends and new.


At Midpex the Study Group had a stand at on Saturday 2nd July arranged by our Secretary Morva White and Wilf Vevers . There was no shortage of support from the faithful manning the stand and during the course of the day various members also called by.  We managed to sign up one new member. The venue, pleasantly situated in rural Warwickshire, was excellent as was the catering, both being an improvement upon the two previous venues for this event, which takes place alternate years.  With fifty nine dealers and forty four specialist societies having stands this time, it was as always an interesting event.

South Georgia - Frozen Planet


Produced by the BBC's Natural History Unit, Frozen Planet is the most ambitious series on the Polar Regions ever undertaken.

For four years, camera teams braved temperatures down to -50 degrees C, 200 mile per hour katabatic winds, midnight sun and long dark polar nights to capture the essence of these remote and highly seasonal ends of the earth.

More than 2300 filming days were spent in the field, by small crews working in the most remote corners of Antarctica and across the Arctic. The aim was to take the viewer on a journey through the Polar Regions - north and south - some of the greatest, least explored wildernesses on the planet.

In the south, one of the key locations was the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. The team undertook 4 major filming trips to document the lives of some remarkable animals whose dramas play out on this remote and spectacular island.

But filming here isn't for the faint-hearted: 900 miles from the Falklands, over some of the roughest seas on the planet, this is an unforgiving place with no margin for error. Their filming platforms varied from the small and nimble 65ft yacht, Golden Fleece, to the majestic HMS Endurance, the Royal Navy's Icebreaking patrol ship and her Lynx helicopters which gave unique aerial opportunities to the series.

Six different camera teams were deployed to South Georgia over a period of around 3 months, covering stories as varied as the whaling history to Shackleton's epic walk. By far the most effort, however, was spent documenting the lives of the animals, which visit the island during the different seasons.

60p - For spring, the key story was the arrival of the Southern elephant seals. South Georgia plays host to a raft of marine mammals, the biggest aggregations on earth, and the elephant seals are some of the most impressive. The 3,000 kg blubbery ‘beach master' males fight to gain harems of females by rearing up and bashing together their large proboscises. This is their only chance to sire the next generation and the competition is brutal. Gingerly approaching the giant males - which can reach a remarkable 5m in length - the camera team used a mixture of traditional and high-speed cameras to capture the action in all its glory.

70p - While many animals come to South Georgia for its brief summer, others have spent the long cold winter here too. This includes the wandering albatross chicks, which spend their formative months at breeding grounds on Bird Island, on the west side of South Georgia. For these comical young, learning to fly with the world's largest wings, is anything but easy.

Cameraman John Aitchison spent several weeks at the Bird Island albatross colony, waiting to film the rite of passage faced by every young bird as it takes to the air for the first time. Arriving at the island, he was dismayed to hear that even Lance Tickell, whose pioneering research had revealed so much about these giant birds, had never actually witnessed the moment when a young wanderer takes to the air.

John waited day upon day beside these swan-sized babies as they practiced and tried, until finally one opened its wings into the wind and lift clear off the ground. This special moment touched John as one of the few people in the world ever to have witnessed such a moment in a young birds life. This could be the start of sixty years spent mostly in flight cruising the whole of the Southern ocean.


95p - Autumn is a funny season in the poles, broadly described as the time that the temperature drops abruptly and many animals rush to leave. For the fur seals of South Georgia, it's the time when the adults leave and the weaned pups are left alone on the beach waiting the moment when they too will go to sea. At the peak of the breeding season there are around 4 million fur seals on South Georgia, but these numbers dwindle abruptly once mating is over and the pups are weaned.

One in 1000 fur seals are born blonde, and these are the ones which captured the hearts of cameraman / producer team Ted Giffords and Miles Barton. They are instantly recognisable as individuals in a crowd of several thousand brown seals and inevitably attract the most attention. But their individuality doesn't seem to do them any harm as the team also saw a blonde adult bull with a harem of females as well as a couple of blonde mothers with their own brown pups.

£1.15p - Most of the breeding animals leave South Georgia by the time winter comes. The most prominent year-round resident is the king penguin. Their young take 10-13 months to fledge, and at St Andrews Bay, the largest colony, there is a healthy population during every season.

As the snowstorms get harsher, the chicks huddle together to share warmth. Their thick brown fur coats provided a pretty backdrop to the falling snow, but sometimes the snowstorms rolling down from the hills was so strong that the crew - cameraman Martyn Colbeck and director Chadden Hunter - sometimes lost sight of the chocolate-coloured huddles standing just metres away from them.

This stamp shows the remarkable walk that each king penguin parent must do when it returns to the colony from a long fishing trip at sea. The adult, alert and moving with purpose would push through thousands of fluffy brown chicks in the falling snow listening out for the call of their one and only offspring.

£2.50p - souvenir sheet showing a Wandering Albatross in flight against the South Georgia backdrop.

Frozen Planet broadcasts on BBC One in autumn 2011. The series is presented by Sir David Attenborough, who himself first visited South Georgia in 1982 while filming for the television series, Living Planet.

The theme of these stamps, like the series they represent, is the extreme seasonality that occurs in the Polar Regions.


Text by Dr Elizabeth White, BBC Natural History Unit

Technical Details:
Designer: Andrew Robinson
Printer: Cartor Security Printing
Process: Stochastic lithography
Perforation: 13 ¼ x 13 ½ per 2cms
Stamp size: 28 x 42mm
Sheet Layout: 4 within pictorial sheetlet plus single stamp souvenir sheet
Release date: 15 September 2011
Production Co-ordination: Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd
BBC Logo - © BBC

Photographic credits and copyright:-
Stamps
Spring - elephant seals Fredi Devas
Summer - albatross chic Fredi Devas
Autumn - blonde fur seal Chadden Hunter
Winter - king penguin Chadden Hunter
S/S - wandering albatross Ian McCarthy
S/S - icebergs Chadden Hunter

Sheet Borders
Spring Chadden Hunter
Summer Fredi Devas
Autumn Miles Barton
Winter Chadden Hunter

FDC
Mountain backdrop Chadden Hunter

South_Georgia_Frozen_Planet.jpg

American StampShow 2011 Update

The FIPSG meeting at StampShow 2011 will be held on Saturday, August 13 at 2PM at Frame 293. Mark Butterline will give a presentation on his exhibit "Falklands or Malvinas? The Philatelic Contest for the Islands 1927-2002."
 

South Georgia - Royal Wedding - 25th July 2011

To mark the Royal Wedding the South Georgia Post Office is issuing a set of 3 stamps.
The 70p value shows William and Kate laughing and smiling together as they watch the England versus Italy rugby union match at Twickenham, Middlesex, Britain - 10 February 2007.
The 95p value shows the couple in the State Rooms, St James's Palace just after the announcement of their engagement.
The £1.15 value is a beautiful portrait of Catherine Middleton as she joins Prince William for the wedding ceremony.

The Post Office has also released a souvenir sheet with a £2 stamp showing an official Royal Wedding portrait of the bride and groom in the throne room at Buckingham Palace. The background of the souvenir sheet shows Westminster Abbey during the wedding ceremony itself.


Technical details:
Designer Andrew Robinson
Printer BDT International
Process Stochastic Lithography
Perforation 14 per 2cms
Stamp size 28.45 x 42.58mm
S/S size 94 x 64mm (with 31.75 x 48.26mm stamp)
Sheet Layout 10 with pictorial borders
Release Date 25th July 2011
Production Co-ordination Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd

Photographic credits:-
70p Eddie Keogh/Rex Features
95p Tim Rooke/Rex Features
£1.15 Rex Features
£2 Hugo Burnand/Clarence House/Rex Features
S/S background, Rex Features

Beware email Hackers!

One of the Study Group officers has recently been the subject of a email hack, where an email is sent to you, reportedly from him, stating he is away and had all his money stolen. He needs you to email him or ring a number - either to trap you into giving away financial details, or to call a premium rate telephone number.

None of the Study Group officers will contact you in this way, so if you get any emails of this nature, please delete them! Also make sure that you have good security software on your PC and email system.

Midpex FIPSG Stand 

There will be a FIPSG stand, next to the PPHSGB at MidPex 2011 on Saturday the 2nd July from 10am. Come along and meet representatives from the Study Group, and there will be an opportunity to join if you are a non-member (and get a free gift!).

A free mini bus shuttle service will operate from Leamington Spa Railway Station between 9.00am and 5.00pm. For those coming by car aim for the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre and for sat navs CV31 1XN. The car park, which holds 2,000 cars, is accessed via the public entrance on the A425. At the far end of this parking area there is a drop off point and disabled parking which is just across the drive which runs in front of the main hall.

From the car park pedestrian access takes you to the main entrance of the hall The WEC catering service will be open throughout the day.

Upland Goose Latest  Issue

The Summer issue of Upland Goose has been printed slightly later than usual, but is now dispatched.

South West Regional Meeting

A full report of the meeting will appear in Upland Goose. A bright sunny day greeted the drive over the Blackdown Hills to the village of Stockland, the new venue for the South West Study group meeting. Richard and Jane Griffiths had taken over running the event and Stockland Village Hall was an excellent venue. Jane supplied us with coffee and tea, a lovely lunch and a great tea to send us on the way - many thanks!

13 members including one guest, made the session which had a broad range of topics to encourage as many displays as possible. The 2d stamp, Internal Mail, Falklands and Antarctica and QEII gave the members plenty of scope to display a wide selection of material.

The Edgar Stern Award for the best display was awarded at the South West meeting this year and went to Trevor Shaw for his postcard display.

With an excellent venue, good displays, and interesting bourse and great hospitality everyone is hoping that this becomes a regular session on the FIPSG events calendar.

Frank Mitchell


We have learned of the passing of Frank Mitchell, who was a stalwart of the Study Group for many years. For those who had the chance to meet Frank, you were enchanted by the way he could bring names and events in the Falklands to life with his knowledge gained through his service with FIC and appreciation of the Islands.

A full appreciation of Frank's life will appear in the Upland Goose, his funeral will be a private, family event. 

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FIPSG at APS StampShow in Columbus, Ohio USA - August 11-14, 2011

The Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group will operate a joint society booth (with the St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Philatelic Society (SHATPS) and the Pitcairn Islands Study Group (PISG)) at the American Philatelic Society's StampShow 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus from August 11-14, 2011. There will also be a general meeting at 2PM on Saturday, August 13 with member presentations.

The meeting agenda will be sent out later by snail-mail to members based in North and South America. Information on the show itself can be found at www.stamps.org.


Join the Study Group or renew your subscription by Paypal

We are pleased to announce that you can renew your Study Group subscription, or new members can join by using Paypal. On our Membership page of the website we have a simple two stage process:

1) Subscribe via Paypal - we add a transaction charge of £1 to cover our Paypal costs.
2) Let us know your details, by filling out and submitting the form on the page. Here new members can also let us know if you wish to receive the auction catalogue (worldwide) or exchange packet (UK only).

We hope this added service is of benefit for all new and existing members. For our UK members, standing orders are also available, please contact the membership secretary for details.

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Your Comments or Requests for further information welcome!

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