June Journal now online and in the post (9 May)
Also see Europhilex exhibition results below.
Bookings for Caribbean Cruise in March 2027 now open - see details
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
Exhibition Results:
- Gold medal to Graham Stockwell / Susan Taylor / Julian Waldron Gold medal for their book Anguilla’s quest for identity. The philatelic story
- Large Vermeil to Jazad Ali for his book The Stamp Cancelling Machine Slogan Postmarks of Trinidad and Tobago 1923 – 2023
- Large Vermeil for the www.wipsg.org web site (highest score in the Digital Media category
- Large Vermeil for our West Indies Philately journal edited by Darryl Fuller
- Also Gerard van Welie won a Large Gold and the Cavendish award for the best Postal History exhibit (not West Indies)
Congratulations to the above.
It will take place on Saturday 11 October 2025 and Sunday 12 October 2025.
Click here to view Convention details
The venue is Sedgebrooke Hall, near Northampton (https://www.sedgebrookhall.co.uk/)
13 MARCH 2027 - Royal Clipper Cruise - Windward Isles —7 nights
Bridgetown to Bridgetown, Barbados, WI
NOW AVAILABLE TO BOOK!
https://www.starclippers.com/en/search.html?view=itenary&crid=RC130327&ship=Royal%20Clipper
Please meet up with Susan and David Taylor and fellow members on the above cruise.
For full details click on the link above (or paste into your browser)
To make a booking or enquire, please telephone our contact:
Laura Bowdler on +(44) 1 473 242 669 (UK Tel number) from 0930 to 1700 Monday to Friday where she will be able to advise you on cabin choices, answer any questions and take telephone bookings.
Deposits are £500 per person, balance paid 11 weeks prior to departure.
There is a 10% early booking discount up until April 2026.
Laura is fully aware of WIPSG, so please mention Susan Taylor by name when you book!
Please note an early booking secures the best available cabins!
Susan and David plan to fly to Bridgetown Wednesday 10th March 2025 and stay at a Barbados south coast beach hotel for 3 nights prior to the cruise. They plan to fly back to the UK on Saturday 20th returning Sunday 21st March 2025.
North America Events See APS Events Calendar
UK Events See ABPS list
Past Meetings
The weather was bright and sunny for our WIPSG gathering on 10 April. Eighteen of us gathered for a day focussed on war-related philately. We were joined by Keith Burton, Editor of the Association of British Philatelic Societies, and Peter White, Chair of the Federation of Surrey Philatelic Societies. Everyone enjoyed an outdoor lunch in the Secretary’s garden, here are some of the attendees in her Caribbean ‘Rum Shack’. More details in the next WIPSG journal.
Sometimes the best laid plans go awry. This was the case when, after a wonderful day exploring Boston, our Greyhound bus to Hartford had a traffic accident and was severely delayed. David and I arrived, breathless and dragging suitcases, after the WIPSG meeting had started.
Steve Zirinsky was presenting ‘Post Cancels of Dominica’, then ‘Modern Overprints of the Caribbean’. Then I was asked to share the ‘Anguilla Story’. Thanks must go to John Seidl for having made excellent arrangements for the society meeting, show stand, and wonderful WIPSG dinner. Simon Richards had also travelled to the show and Simon, David and I were delighted to meet American members.
(Attendees: John Seidl, Dale Wade, Simon Richards, Nigel Mohammed, Steven Zirinsky, Steve Rose, Somnah Basu, Keith Moh, Russell Silverstein, Susan Taylor, David Taylor).
The Great American Stamp Show was an impressive occasion. Loads of dealers, interesting displays and some incredible exhibitions. We especially liked one ‘Britain’s Marvellous Machins’ by Stephen McGill which won the ‘Most Popular of Champions’ Award.
WIPSG Member Jaz Ali’s ‘Slogans of Trinidad and Tobago’ won a large gold award in the literature category, and ‘Anguilla’s Quest for Identity’ (Taylor, Stockdale, Waldron) took a gold…so the society could feel proud.
There was plenty of interest in the stand, with new members signing up to join, and people taking our book list so they could order from Pennymead. Many thanks must go to the members who took turns to man the booth.
David Druett, Mike Rego and myself manned the WIPSG table at the York Stamp Show event.
A number of members called in to say hello and we sold half a dozen Society books. The Society meeting was attended by seven members with displays of West Indies Ship Letters and the Jamaica 1964 definitive issue.
Journal News
The June 2025 Journal is now online members can be downloaded from here
The printed edition is at the printers and should be in the post by mid May.
Click here to view the index (to December 2022) compiled by Peter Fernbank.
Publication News
The society is proud to announce the publication of our President, Simon Richard's new book 'Dominica Philately to 1967'. Go to the below link for more details.
https://pennymead.com/productdetail?home=1&item=35702&ft=newlyUpdated&pg=1
The original Victor Toeg book is also available at Link as a companion
The book achieved a Large Gold at the 2025 ABPS National Exhibition
New publication (Oct 2023), available for £25 to members at Pennymead, click here to purchase.
The hardbound version is sold out and a softback version is now available.
Click here to view the cover census (This page is only available to purchasers of the book).
An update is provided in the journal for March 2025
Supplements can be downloaded using these links Official Marks and Registration Marks
This book contains a fascinating insight into the Philatelic History of Anguilla. The events of the 1967 revolution are well known and many former Philatelists have written articles on the stamps and history of the Island however, this is the first attempt to bring its Philatelic history into a single reference point.
Anguilla’s Postal History is interwoven with the economics, political and Government events of the day and explains why the Anguillians, through years of neglect by controlling authorities, wanted Independence. To see a clear philatelic history of the Island the authors have extensively researched the events, people, covers and stamps to produce a comprehensive review of Anguilla’s Philately.
It is hoped that this captivating book will stimulate interest and further research from other Philatelists.
Susan Taylor, Graham Stockdale and Julian Waldron presnting the book to Nicola Davies, RPSL Librarian (2nd from right).
In order to reduce stock of books held, several publications have been reduced in price - See publications page.
Jazad Ali (Jazz) has been researching and building a collection of Trinidad and Tobago Postmarks for over 40 years. Jazz is a WIPSG member and a longstanding member of the Philatelic Society of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1997 he and Ronald Wike established a Trinidad & Tobago slogans numbering system, at which time they published 'Machine Cancellations of Trinidad& Tobago'. The publication, a longstanding item of pride for the Philatelic Society of Trinidad & Tobago, won several international awards at the time. Ron Wike died in 1999, but Jazz has continued to collect and research, amassing thousands of covers. This book, published this month, is the result of a lifetime's work. It beautifully displays the postmarks, slogans, cancels and cancelling machines over the 1923-2023 period, and gives an informed insight to the social history that influenced each of the slogans over the years. A highly recommended read for all Trinidad and Tobago collectors.
Copies available from theblueedition.com Email blueeditiontt@gmail.com
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
The British Empire catalogue of our May 26th-June 1st auction series features some good West Indies material. In particular we have over 30 lots of St. Vincent, mostly with covers with Perkins Bacon frankings. There is also over 60 lots of Turks and Caicos, from pre-stamp onwards incl. proofs, a range of surcharge issues, varieties, specimens, War Tax issues and covers.
One of the more interesting offerings is a correspondence of commercial mail to and from the British Solomon Islands made into various different groups.
And we have a range of collections and stamps from the other British West Indies islands including Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad.
And for those of you who collect non-British West Indies, we also have over 70 lots of Haiti.
John Davies presenting Peter Fernbank with the ABPS Award of Merit at the Philatelic Congress in July 2024.
Social Media
Exhibit News
Congratulations to Simon Richards: Mail by British Packets from the West Indies 1663-1863 (Large Gold in the Grand Prix class)
| Collection | Flipbook | |
| Britannias Issues | Click here to View | Click here to View |
| Queen Victoria & King Edward VII Issues | Click here to View | Click here to View |
RPSL Devonshire Competion entry.
Click here to view the exhibit.
Videos
Click Here to see watch Videos
Nigel, a long-time collector of Trinidadian stamps, presented on the numeral postmarks of Trinidad between 1851 and 1891, discussing the history of Trinidad's postal system, the evolution of the numeral postmarks, and the rarity and collection of postmarks.
Click here to watch YouTube presentation
Click here to watch YouTube Q&A session
Click here to download PDF of presentation
Please contact him with any other examples of these postmarks at nigelphilately@gmail.com
This presentation shows, through postal history items, many ways in which the Second World War impacted on the island of Jamaica. Although far away from the war in Europe, there was extensive U-boat activity in the Caribbean, and Jamaica, like other islands, provided many and varied contributions to the war effort, not least through men & women volunteering for military service. Armed forces from Britain, Canada and the United States of America were stationed on the island during World War II, and there were camps for prisoners of war, evacuees from Gibraltar and Jewish refugees from war-torn Europe. Examples of mail will be shown to illustrate these and other ways that the war affected Jamaica.
Most philatelists are aware of Anguilla’s 1967 Revolution and its Overprints – still the most sought-after set of Commonwealth stamps of the QEII era. However, this does not reflect the richness to Anguillian philatelic material since or before, or to the central role that postal services have played throughout the island’s history. This presentation covers the wider philatelic story of the island.
Settled as a British Colony in 1650, Anguilla was forcibly united with St Kitts, under the control of the latter island’s Governor, in 1825. Fifty years later, Anguilla became part of the Federated Colony of the Leeward Islands. Mail from the pre-Leeward Islands period is very rare, and an example of an entire date 1837 will be shown. Prior to 1900, there are no examples recorded of stamps used on covers originating from Anguilla, but postcards are known. From 1900, the stamps of St Kitts and the Leeward Islands were used on Anguilla, and an airmail service began operations in 1930.
Anguilla’s strategic location on the world’s shipping lanes became highly important during WW2.
A mail censor possibly operated on Anguilla, but initially all mail from the island was routed via St Kills, where it was censored. In 1952 Anguilla’s name was added to a new union – styled ‘St Christopher (i.e. ‘St Kitts’) Nevis Anguilla’, - which became a Crown Colony as part of the West Indian Federation in 1958. In 1966, the British proposal of Associated Statehood for this unhappy union met with strong resistance from Anguillians, which led to the secession of 1967. St Kitts then blocked all postal and banking channels. Emergency arrangements were established via St Martin and St Maarten and supplies of the St Christopher Nevis Anguilla stamps were overprinted ‘Independent Anguilla’ before being released for sale on 4 September 1967. Only 100 full sets of this issue were produced, and they are highly sought after. Anguilla then issued its own definitive stamps on 27 November 1967.
In January 1969, dissatisfied with progress, Anguilla reaffirmed its independence by overprinting a set of the 1967 first definitives with ‘Independence January 1969’. Talks to resolve the situation broke down, and on 19 March 1969. Anguilla was invaded by British paratroopers, marines, and a British police force - ‘Operation Sheepskin’. A new constitution arranging for Anguilla’s separation from the tripartite Associated State was signed in 1976, but separation was only finalised in late December 1980.
Anguilla’s last new set appeared in 2016, bringing the total number of stamps issued to 1293.
Stamps continue to provide a vital insight to the island’s quest for identity,
The interaction between the Leeward Islands postal services and those of the Presidencies over time
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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