Please scroll down the page for
our Dear Departed Members
TOBY COLIN TOBITT
4th March 1942 - 1st January 2021
A tribute to Colin
by John Shaw For the past 15 years Colin and I, and for most of that time with the late Maurice Flack, would travel most Tuesdays and Thursdays on the same train to London to work at the Royal Philatelic Society, Colin and I in the Expert Rooms. On the outbound journey, we would talk about stamps using terms like Mirza Haadi reprints, Madame Joseph forged postmarks and Schermack perforations; the other passengers would often look up from their tablets and mobile ‘phones, we suppose, wondering if they were in the presence of professors of some obscure science or whether they should call for the men in white coats. On the return to Eltham, Colin and I would attempt the crosswords and sudoku puzzles in the evening papers, in a sort of time competition, and Maurice would go to sleep.
Colin was quiet, but a force in philately, working steadily and efficiently in the Expert Rooms; he was our resident expert in Austria, his first philatelic love, and also much besides, using his carpentry skills. Colin loved the companionship of fellow collectors at the Royal, in the Austrian and German societies and in Kent and, above all, he cared for them all. As treasurer of the Kent Federation and of the Eltham and Woolwich society he was very much concerned with the Schreck financial viability of both and that they should survive when many others had withered on the vine. In the Kent Federation, Colin and Maurice were known as the “heavy lifters”, being the most physically able persons to convey dozens of display frames for our rallies, collecting the frames, setting them up in the meeting halls and then dismantling them and taking them home; these are the tasks that most of the attendees never see and few appreciate, but they were done quietly, efficiently, and without complaint. Colin was also awarded the Kent Federations prestigious Lingley shield for his efforts. Colin has served as president of the Kent Federation and of other Kent societies and held several offices in the Austrian Study Circle and was highly respected. Probably, although never seeking honours, his greatest philatelic accolades were his fellowship of the Royal and, most of all, being awarded their London medal, an honour granted to only three or four of the 3,000 members each year, and an honour he truly deserved. Colin was truly proud of his family, and they were his first love; he cared deeply for them and for his friends in the stamp world. I shall miss our conversations, about stamps and seemingly silly building matters, such as grub screws and the tanking of cellars. He was a considerate, caring person, and always helpful. Rest in peace my very dear friend. John Shaw |
PATRICIA JEAN PARSONS
"PAT"
8th October 1939 - 15th June 2018
All ENTRY MUSIC Crying In The Chapel by Elvis Presley WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION by Kylie Barnes - Celebrant TRIBUTE TO PAT Read by Michael Thompson MOMENT OF REFLECTION WITH MUSIC The Lord's Prayer by Mahalia Jackson NOTICES, THANKS AND DONATIONS CLOSING THOUGHTS WORDS OF FAREWELL EXIT MUSIC San Francisco by Scott McKenzie ---------------------------------------------- All are welcome to attend after the service at Oddfellows Hall. Maidstone Road, Footscray. DA14 5HB for light refreshments and to reminisce and share your many stories. The family would like to thank all those who have been there to offer their support throughout such a difficult time. Should you wish to make a donation in lieu of flowers and in memory of Pat, they can be made to Willow Wildlife. --- 000 ---- |
Ladies and Gentlemen.
On this very sad occasion, it was a great honour to be asked by Frank and the family to give this eulogy, on a very great friend, Pat Parsons. I first met Pat and Frank about 35 years ago at a stamp fair and we “gelled” straight away and I am pleased to say that nothing changed in all these years. With Pat it was “What you saw, is what you got”, I am very pleased to say. Pat was a great collector of stamps, postal history, revenue stamps and postcards, etc. and was a member of many stamp clubs including Bexley and Sidcup, the Kent Postal History Group and also the Cinderella and Revenue Societies etc. Pat was a founder member of the North West Kent Postcard Club and did a lot to help get the Club up and running and started, she also did everything she could to make their annual Postcard Fairs in Gravesend, a great success. She was a great worker for these clubs, including helping with displays, auctions, social evenings and the refreshments etc., she also helped by being on their committees and worked very hard to make them all, a great success. Her main love in the stamp collecting field, was collecting items to do with prisons, with letters, envelopes, drawings, postcards and photographs, it is a fantastic collection and it was displayed to many clubs in Kent and beyond, a real joy to see. Pat also collected postcards of the North West Kent area and was building up a collection of Dartford, we always had a laugh when she obtained a postcard, that she knew I would like and always said to me, “Too late, I’ve got it”, (and of course, visa-versa). Pat was also very enthusiastic about local history and to raise her knowledge joined the Dartfod Historical & Antiquarian Society a few years ago, when they moved to Dartford. A few weeks ago, I was very sad to be informed that Pat had been taken to Darenth Valley hospital, a couple of days later I was going towards Dartford on the bus, which went via the hospital, I popped into see Pat for a few minutes, Frank was also there. I was so pleased that I did. Just a short side line, if I may, which may be of interest to you all. A few months after first meeting Pat and Frank all those years ago, Julie and I went to the Camping and Caravaning Club’s main event, The National Feast of Lanterns week-end meeting at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Julie’s parents where on holiday in Yorkshire with their caravan and we had arranged to meet them there. We settled in late on Friday afternoon and then decided to look round the site and go to the events in the evening. We had just set out and coming towards us were Pat and Frank, what a small world and what a great unexpected surprise. We did not know that they were also caravaners and we meet them at a few Feast of Lanterns events in the years ahead. They had many great holidays in their caravan touring the U.K. I am please to inform you all that the Kent Federation of Philatelic Societies Autumn Rally at the East Malling Grand Stamp Fair on the 22nd September, will be dedicated to Pat. This is a very sad occasion for us all, but Pat was a great friend and we will never forget her. Thank you. Michael R Thompson |
MAURICE CLIVE FLACK
18th February 1950 - 10th December 2017
After service in the Army, Maurice worked for the Ministry of Defence, as a dog handler until he moved to administrative duties for the last two years of employment.
After his father died, Maurice lived alone at their house at Wainscott, near Rochester, but he did effectively have two “families”, the Kent Federation Federation of Philatelic Societies and the Royal Philatelic Society of London. Maurice was prominent in the Kent Federation for many years and in 1997 took over as Honorary Competitions and Events Secretary from Dr. Richard Saundry, an office he held with distinction for the 20 years prior to his death. In this, he organised the Federation stamp fairs and seminars and arranged for judges and their hospitality; this involved much behind-the-scenes (and largely unrecognised) work and much hard labour in transporting, erecting and dismantling the display frames, tasks without which, would have seen the death of Kent rallies. Maurice was, himself, a county level judge and was also the Federation President from 2011 to 2013. |
Maurice had an eclectic range of collections, Hong Kong and the Treaty ports being the most traditional, but with commercially used South African homelands, Q.E. II. Commonwealth and the Post Office printed labels in addition. Maurice also eagerly promoted Inter Federation competitions (The Dawes Cup) which Kent won twice and national Inter-Federation competitions, Kent winning the first two events under his stewardship.
In 2007, Maurice joined the Royal and was awarded Fellowship of the Society in 2012, a much faster than the average promotion, and in recognition of his contribution in the administrative field. Maurice was virtually the permanent “Welcome Host” not just for formal meetings but for every other day he was there. He always put on a welcome smile and was avid in his efforts to get visitors to join the Society and, indeed, he recruited more new members to the society than any two others put together. For these efforts Maurice was awarded the prestigious London Medal in 2016, an award which gave him considerable and justifiable pride. Maurice was ever helpful, managing the name badges and the attendance books and overall, taking much off the shoulders of the Society staff. Whilst these tasks may appear low key, without them and his work the Society would be much poorer in its perception from members and visitors. He was loved by most he came into contact with, the staff at the Royal, the staff at Eltham train station with whom he always passed time of day, and by those he met at stamp fairs. He was a genuine and generous person. Maurice was a great ambassador for our hobby and his demise is a great loss to both the Kent Federation and to the Royal Philatelic Society. Compiled by :- G. Boutle, R. Burn, N. Davies, J. Shaw and C. Tobitt. |
Members of Bromley and Beckenham Philateic Society
ERNEST GEORGE BURKIN
Ernie Burkin, the longest serving member of Bromley & Beckenham P.S. died on Friday 29th September
after a long illness. He was 96 years of age.
|
NIGELLA KENT - Past President of Maidstone & Mid Kent Philatelic Society (1999-2004)
DEREK E MARCHANT
President of the K.F.P.S. 1977-1978 David Rennie, Secretary of Bromley & Beckenham Philatelic Society, announced the sad news that Derek Marchant died on 20 September 2014 in Lewisham Hospital, although he only found out towards the end of October and so sadly, the funeral had already taken place. Derek joined the Bromley & Beckenham P.S. as long ago as 1966, and became President in 1979-1980. He was Programme Secretary from 1996-2001, and was subsequently elected an Honorary Life Member. Derek was also actively involved with the Penge Stamp Club, which is where David first met him, and where we believe he was a founder member and it's Secretary. He was instrumental in bringing Penge members to Bromley & Beckenham P.S., when Penge S.C. closed in 1989. |
-------------------------
Any further information to be included on this site can be forwarded to [email protected]
Designed by Michael R. Thompson.
Please take a look at my very detailed web-sites.
To view - Please click on the web site address
http://www.acmrosh77.jimdo.com
http://www.MallingStampFairs.weebly.com
Designed by Michael R. Thompson.
Please take a look at my very detailed web-sites.
To view - Please click on the web site address
http://www.acmrosh77.jimdo.com
http://www.MallingStampFairs.weebly.com