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- ITALY & COLONIES STUDY CIRCLE HOLDS INTERNATIONAL
- MEETING IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
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- Some fifteen members of the Italy & Colonies Study Circle (ICSC)
and their spouses visited the British Virgin Islands where they sojourned
for ten days (29 April-7May 1999) to hold the International Meeting of
their philatelic group. The occasion was not only special but also had
historic connotations in that ICSC celebrates its 25th anniversary this
year. The ICSC team included members from Great Britain, USA, and Switzerland.
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- It was a week-long of fun, excursions, sailing and stamp exhibiting.
In fact, the British Virgin Islands Philatelic Society timed its 8th Annual
Stamp Exhibition to coincide with ICSCís Silver Jubilee. On May
1st and 2nd, Barclays Bank, Road Town, Tortola, was transformed in a stamp
show hall with no less than than twenty-five international standard exhibition
frames and six tables for a small flea market.
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- Indeed the highlight of the show was the participation of ICSC members
who exhibited ten magnificent
- collections of the Italian area, ranging from early postal history,
to specialized studies of the classic issues of the kingdoms of Sicily
and Sardinia, lake, maritime and disinfected mail, advertising stamps and
early definitives. Not to be outdone, the BVI Philatelic Society had equally
interesting displays of early British Virgin Islands stamps and postal
history, Coats of Arms of the British West Indies, some very interesting
thematic entries, and a special three-frame exhibit from the Liechtenstein
Postal Museum. To give the event the extra glitter was a very impressive
display of Gold Coins of Imperial Rome.
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- On Saturday evening the Silver Jubilee celebrations were the focal
point of the Awards Banquet at Treasure
- Isle Hotel with ICSC secretary Richard Harlow, Fil-Italia editor and
Albo d'Oro of Italian Philately Colin
- Pilkington, and ICSCís first chairman Denis Vandervelde joining
forces to blow out the 25 candles on a
- huge cake decorated with the map of Italy and inscribed "Happy
25th Anniversary ICSC". Attending the
- convivium were Ag. Governor Elton Georges, Minister of Health &
Education Hon. Eileene Parsons, House
- Speaker Hon. Reuben Vanterpool, Attorney General Dancia Penn, Q.C.
and other local VIPs. The food was
- excellent and the evening was enhanced by the musical background of
Reggie Georges mini steel-band.
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- There were short speeches from the authorities in attendance and responses
from Richard Harlow, Colin Pilkington and Denis Vandervelde. A Pusserís
Rum decanter was presented to Harlow and Pilkington by the
- Honourable Speaker of the 13th Legislature.
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- Monday was a day of rest and most ICSC members explored Road Town.
In the evening, however, the BVI
- Tourist Board hosted a welcome cocktail at the Curatorís Hall,
Botanic Gardens were the guests were greeted by Miss BVI, Kamila Smith.
On Tuesday they were treated to an island tour masterfully co-ordinated
by Dozen - a pioneer of the taxi industry on Tortola. The visiting team
had aperitifs at the Downings Castle at Chalwell and then proceeded to
Sage Mountain to enjoy a lunch at Marioís. On Wednesday, a rather
adventurous excursion to Virgin Gorda, and on Thursday island hopping on
board White Squall with stops at Norman Island (Stevenson"s Treasure
Island) and some of the other magnificent islands dotting the crystalline
waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel.The day came to an end with a splendid
dinner at McNamara.
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- Friday was a free day with ICSC members visiting the town and relaxing.
In the evening ICSC hosted a
- farewell dinner during which a beautiful floral hommage was presented
to Astrid Wenzke - the brilliant
- coordinator of the activities of the visiting group. Heartfelt thanks
were expressed by Robert Johnson on
- behalf of ICSC to the BVI Philatelic Society president Giorgio Migliavacca,
to Joanna and Dick Warner,
- Roger and Jana Downing, Barclays gen. mgr. Charles Crane, Vernon Pickering,
Klaus Wenzke and all
- members of of the local stamp club who helped to make the ICSC visit
so memorable.
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For Pictures [Click Here]
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