Weekly meeting

We were pleased to welcome two visitors to tonight's meeting. Robin Wraight is the District Youth Services officer, and attended at Ivan's invitation. Robin said he would welcome a return visit to talk to us about Youth Activities in our District. Also attending as a guest was Rick Woodruffe, a potential new member who is already well known to a number of us.

Our main speaker today was our very own Martin Anscombe, who showed us some of his extensive collection of flown RAF covers. To non-philatelists, covers are essentially envelopes produced to commemorate a particular occasion or person. They will often be signed by those featured on the cover. In the case of 'flown' covers, a limited number of these covers will have been flown in an aircraft, with details of the flight given. The fact they have been flown and signed gives them value to collectors.

Martin gave us a great deal of historical information whilst showing these to us, including anecdotes about some of the journeys covers went on. For instance a number of covers were taken to the moon by two astronauts, even participating on a moon walk, which we were told got the astronauts into some trouble with their bosses. There were covers featuring Douglas Bader (and signed by him), Tommy Sopwith, Bomber Harris and many others. A most entertaining presentation.

Before the meeting closed Robin Wraight updated us on Rotary's Christmas toy box project, in which our club has participated. Enough has now been collected across our District to fill 500 boxes with toys, which will be given to children living in refuges, who have escaped from abusive parents.