Most people believe that as soon as the Cameric Club was founded in 1935, and started meeting at the Bonnington Hotel in London on a regular basis, this was London Branch. However it was not. And nor did it begin when they moved it to Caxton Hall in 1939.
The truth is that London was only ever where the main Council meetings took place. And it is not until the "Cartophilic World" magazine dated July-August 1963 (Vol.15 No.166) that any mention of a London Branch is made. For though it had previously said, "Cameric Club Meetings are to be held at Caxton Hall, Westminster" and even, the last issue, given a list of dates, namely "Wednesday 12th of June 1963, Tuesday 9th July 1963, and Monday 26th of August 1963", suddenly in that issue, it reads : "London Branch Meetings are to be held at Caxton Hall, Westminster on the following dates - Monday 26th of August 1963, and Thursday 10th of October 1963".
And that must mean that the first ever true "London Branch meeting" was on the 26th of August 1963.
There is a further piece in the same magazine, which explains further, saying :
- "Still more change. The Cameric Cigarette Card Club has decided to form a London Branch, so that their committee can devote itself to the Club`s general policy, leaving the London Branch to look after its own affairs."
Now in 1964, the Cameric and the Cartophilic merged. And you can read about that next stage at