Subjects (click name)
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- British POs Abroad
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Greater Antilles
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Maritime
- Montserrat
- Netherlands WI & Suriname
- Saint Kitts Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent
- Thematics etc
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks Caicos Is
- Virgin Islands
Meeting News
For AGM Reports & Minutes click here
For Auction details click here
Delighted to be able to advise you all that our 2023 Conference is now booked. It will take place at Weybourne House, Hitherbury Close, Guildford GU2 4PR.
Delegates will be invited to arrive for 2 pm on Saturday 14th and there is free secure overnight parking for up to 50 cars.
See https://wipsg.org/2023-convention for full details
North America Events See APS Events Calendar
August 8 to 11 2023 Great American Stamp Show 2023 Cleveland, OH https://stamps.org/great-american-stamp-show
UK Events See ABPS list
27 – 30 September 2023 Autumn STAMPEX 2023
Exhibit News
21 May 2023, 7:00 pm BST - 8:00 pm BST
Link to YouTube coming shortly..
A tour around the West Indies with pre-stamp, Ship Letters, GB used abroad, Crown Circles and early adhesive use.
Antigua 1758 entire to London rated at 3/- for 2 sheets
Click here to view the exhibit.
Journal News
Click here to view the index (to December 2022) compiled by Peter Fernbank.
The June 2023 Journal is now online members can be downloaded from here
Publication News
In order to reduce stock of books held, several publications have been reduced in price - See publications page.
This new Study Paper delves into the intertwining of political and postal history from the early 18th century until the first part of the 20th.
Price: £16, BWISC Members’ discount £2.
The history of the military adventures around Grenada and the early shipping services are investigated with timetables of the sailings as well as postal rates of the time. The text is complemented by illustrations of postal material from the late 1700s to the 1930s. Michael’s researches are extensive and very little has escaped his notice. Although not strictly a purely philatelic publication, it relates the story behind what one normally sees in items of postal history, an interesting story nonetheless. ISBN 978-1-907481-50-5
Early BWI Covers Perkins Bacon Adhesives – Barbados
Compiled by Peter Ford FRPSL; Letter size, perfect bound (softback), (vi) + 236 pages
Price: £28; BWISC Members’ Discount £2.
The original idea of recording as many covers as came on to the market must go to Michael Hamilton; his listing of philatelic events and covers posted at the time is a goldmine!
The next plaudit must go to Fitz Roett; from his lair in deepest Alberta, he has over the years amassed a fine collection of items from the island of Barbados. In 2013, he collaborated with that fine philatelist, the late Charles Freeland FRPSL and Peter Longmuir to produce a book entitled ‘BARBADOS –The Britannia Issues’.
The list that follows emanates mainly from these two sources. Other collectors have contributed as well and I list their names in alphabetical order: Graham Booth FRPSL, Jonathan Guy, Joseph Hackmey RDP FRPSL, Christopher Harman RDP Hon FRPSL, Stefan Heijtz FRPSL, Michael Medlicott FRPSL, Michael Rego, Simon Richards FRPSL, Ray Stanton, Richard Stupples and Takashi Yoshida FRPSL; all of these collectors have fine collections of Barbados covers.
Acknowledgement must also go to dealers and auction houses who have generously supplied me with high resolution scans of covers in their keep. These have been noted beneath the illustrations.
As with all these lists, it is a work in progress and we do not expect that we have listed all covers; others will no doubt exist and we would hope that collectors seeing this list will add to it with items we have failed to record.
The Untold Story of the Lady McLeod by Susan Taylor (December 2021).
https://www.pennymead.com/item.php?id=28417
This well researched book delves inside the prized Lady McLeod covers, untangling the family and business history that seeded their existence. It gives a detailed account of the Lady McLeod Steamer. The study takes a closer look at the contents of Lady McLeod letters, and raises questions about their markings. It links David Bryce, Alexander Taylor, Edward Bacon, James Graham Taylor and even King George V to the Covers, describing the stamp enthusiasts and forgers of the time. Readers are transported to Glasgow and Trinidad in the 1800s, where merchants using the steamer for communications, ran their businesses. There is also an updated census of the covers. A fascinating read for philatelists and a ‘must’ for any cover owner.
Other News
Click here to view WIPSG auction
With sadness, we report that Peter Ford, our Publications Manager, former Chairman and Editor of the BWISC passed away on 27 April 2023 in Spain.
PETER FORD FRPSL
It is impossible to overstate the contribution that Peter made to the British West Indies Study Circle over the last more than 30 years. He was Chairman of the Society for 14 years from 2003 before passing on the baton to Graham Booth in 2017, and in that role oversaw conventions, representation at exhibitions including London 2010, the Diamond Jubilee 2014, and the 2004 Golden Jubilee of the Study Circle and events that took place to celebrate it.
Peter has always gone out of his way to encourage new members for which he will be remembered by many. Over many years, his leadership and drive brought to publication many scholarly books; his enthusiasm for collecting British Guiana was infectious; his editorial demands for perfection were sometimes the bane of dilatory authors. He was the friendly face of the society, the one who encouraged members to research and write, and a person who was well known and greatly respected in the wider philatelic community. He will be hugely missed.
Peter started on the BWISC committee as Public Relations officer in 1991. His tireless efforts over nearly 30 years as Publications Officer from 1997 will be a permanent legacy to subsequent generations of philatelists. From starting out in 1994 producing Victor Toeg's book on Dominica, to embracing more recently the latest 'print on demand' technology for short runs of books that otherwise would never have seen the light of day, Peter produced a series of books and study papers second to none. Currently the list runs to over 40 publications each and every one enhanced the prestige of the Study Circle. Including in that list are those that he either wrote or co-wrote centred on Trinidad and Tobago and also those on the early Perkins Bacon issues. Of particular note historically is his involvement in the updating of the original Marriott book on Trinidad, particularly because of his early family history with that country.
Peter was born in Aylesbury Kent but lived in South Africa and Trinidad with his family, during his early childhood. On leaving education he joined the RAF and travelled the world flying Vulcan and Canberra bombers. He served his country in the Falklands war. Then Peter joined Dan Air and later Monarch Airlines flying around Europe and the world.
In 2002, he and Pat relocated to Spain, where they spent many happy years. A visit to him and his wife Pat at their home there, following his move there in retirement, was always something to look forward to, as were occasions as his guest at the RAF club in Piccadilly, when partaking of a few beers was always near the top of the agenda.
A family man Peter spoke frequently and with great affection about his son Andrew, daughter Antonia (‘Toni’), his wife Pat, and his dogs.Larger than life, forceful and genial, the passing of Peter Ford leaves the BWISC and the wider philatelic world poorer. He will perhaps be best remembered by his fellow collectors for his conviviality and warmth.
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About
West Indies Philatelic Study Group
The WIPSG was formed on 1 Jan 2023 when the BWISC and BCPSG societies merged.
The transition of all aspects will take a few months and in the interim period the previous society names will need to continue for certain functions.
British West Indies Study Circle History
The BWISC was formed in 1954 by Philip Saunders.
British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group History
The BCPSG was formed in 1961 by Bob Topaz, Reg Lant and Al Johnson.
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