Regular Meetings at 15 Abchurch Lane
Meetings are held at our London premises usually twice per month from September to June.
The Meeting Programme for the 2024-2025 Session
The full meeting programme for the 2024-2025 session, including a programme of online presentations, can be found here.
The King William Street Pedestrian Priority Project
Impact on Access to Abchurch Lane
A major project will be undertaken during the summer and autumn of 2024 and the first quarter and second half of 2025 covering King William Street, Lombard Street, Cannon Street and many of the lanes that connect them including Abchurch Lane.
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This will mean that there will be road closures due to roadworks. Access during these times will be for pedestrians only, with very limited access to vehicles.
Here are the key dates that will affect deliveries and access to the RPSL’s premises. Please note there are more roadworks going on across the ward that may restrict access coming into the area if travelling by car, and all the buses in the area may be on diversions.
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Closure of Abchurch Lane:
18 June 2024 to 2 July 2024
21 February 2025 to 7 March 2025
Closure of Lombard Street (also the King William Street dates shown below will affect access to Lombard Street)
2 September 2024 to 13 October 2024
Closure of Cannon Street eastbound (including access to Abchurch Lane)
28 February 2025 to 2 March 2025
Closure of King William Street:
28 February 2025 to 2 March 2025
7 March 2025 to 9 March 2025
14 March 2025 to 16 March 2025
19 September 2025 to 28 September 2025
3 October 2025 to 5 October 2025
26 October 2025 to 28 October 2025
Further information about the King William Street project is available from the Corporation of London, Candlewick ward website: https://www.candlewickward.org/
Collections Events
From time to time informal talks and seminars take place, showing the diversity of philately and how it can provide unexpected insights into social, cultural and local history. Click here for information about these events.
Fake stamps being sold by rogue firms in Britain
Chris Harman RDP, Hon FRPSL, Past President of the Royal Philatelic Society London and Chairman of the Expert Committee, met with Matthew Allwright, BBC Watchdog presenter, and helped confirm that some stamps sold by a Post Office were fake, and that a stamp that Royal Mail had identified as being a fake was actually genuine.
This was as part of a BBC Watchdog programme on the subject of how there has been a rise in complaints that stamps bought from legitimate stores are being deemed to be counterfeit, and anyone receiving a letter with a fake stamp is charged £5 by Royal Mail.
You can watch the key parts of the programme on YouTube here.
Vice-President's Newsletter
Welcome to the first newsletter of the season. As most of you will be aware the President is awaiting an operation and he is looking forward to returning with his President’s newsletter in late September. His philatelic programme will continue and we have an exciting and varied programme of events, displays and presentations this coming season that I hope you will be able to attend and enjoy.
What’s on at The Royal in September?
We start the season off with the first of our Zoom presentations on 3rd September at 3pm, where Adrian Pearson will be presenting on The Crimean War, this will be Part One. Part Two will be shown at the close of our Zoom presentations on 3rd June 2025. If you wish to book onto this interesting presentation, please click here and book through Eventbrite.
This will be followed on 12th September by a 1pm display. The opening event at 15 Abchurch Lane is a display of West Africa: The Gambia, Gold Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone; this display is being shown with gracious permission from our patron, His Majesty King Charles III.
We now have a portrait of His Majesty, King Charles III, our patron, hanging in the American Tea Room. This was achieved through a very kind donation from one of our members.
The next meeting will be a 5pm presentation on 26th September by Jonas Hällström RDP FRPSL ‘On War’. An interesting subject, and we hope to see many of you here at Abchurch Lane for this one.
Fellowship
If you know of a member that has supported philately or has supported the Royal in a way you feel deserves recognition then please consider nominating them for Fellowship. The information you require, including a download of the nomination form, is available here. The form must be posted or emailed to adminmanager@rpsl.org.uk no later than 30th September.
Stampex 2024
Stampex is coming up on us and will be at the Business Design Centre in Islington from 23rd to 26th October 2024. The Royal will have a stand there to speak to members and guests about the Royal and hopefully recruit some new members. If anyone intends to be at the show and can offer some time to support the Royal stand, please contact Mark Bailey at itchairman@rpsl.org.uk with your availability; any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
The Royal Challenge 2024
The Royal Challenge 2024 will be held at Abchurch Lane during Stampex week and is open to the public from Wednesday to Friday (23rd to 25th October). This is a team competition in which four members of a ‘Royal’ Society will compete for the Patrick Maselis Trophy. Each team will show four multifare exhibits from different competitive classes and we are delighted to welcome the Royal Philatelic Societies of Canada, New Zealand and Victoria to compete with London for this prestigious trophy.
Web Membership Applications
On our website we have an online application system, whereby applicants do not need to fill in a paper form (though we still have those as well). If you are talking to a prospective new member and they would prefer to fill in the online form, you can direct them to this link to apply to us. If you are proposing or seconding the application, if you can just drop us an email to adminsecretary@rpsl.org.uk, saying you are proposing or seconding the application. If you have any questions please contact Daniella Lawrence, our Membership Secretary in the Administration Office who would be happy to help on 020 7486 1044, select option 1 or email her at adminsecretary@rpsl.org.uk.
The President's Dinner
The President's Dinner was planned to take place during the Royal Challenge/Stampex week. A decision has been taken to postpone the event due to our President undergoing surgery. Whilst the prognosis is good, he will need time to recover. We will of course keep you updated as to when we have a new date confirmed. All those who have already booked have been contacted directly. I am sure you will join the staff and myself wishing Mike a speedy recovery and look forward to his return.
I am hoping to see many of you back at Abchurch Lane and to make the coming season a great success for the Royal!
With best wishes
Simon.
Simon Richards FRPSL
Vice-President
The Royal Philatelic Society London
22nd August 2024
Meeting Videos
5pm meetings that have been videoed may be viewed on YouTube, accessible through links on the All Meetings with Documents page.
The full list of meetings can be viewed here.
Meeting Handouts
Our archives hold over 700 handouts provided by displayers at meetings since 1918. These range from single sheets of paper listing the items on display to extensive publications including complex images that can be regarded as significant contributions to the literature. Explanatory notes were at first provided only occasionally but have become normal practice since the 1980s. Many contain material of value to researchers and their production quality has steadily improved. These have been scanned and converted to searchable PDF documents. Click here for a list of the handouts available to view online.
Standing Displays and Regional Meetings
Information about the standing displays and regional meetings, in the United Kingdom and around the world, can be viewed by clicking the menu to the left.