The first appearance of the Manchester Branch of the Cameric Cigarette Card Club appears in the Cigarette Card News for April 1939 (Vol.6, No.67, p.147). as part of a section entitled “Around the Clubs”.
This states that :
- In addition to the towns mentioned last month, Branch Secretaries have been appointed for Ayr and Manchester. Charlton (S.E.) [London] is also holding meetings between the General Meetings. Members residing in these areas should get in touch with …for details of future meetings”. Ayr, by way of alphabetical order, was listed first, and their Secretary was given as G. Simpson Dale of High Street, Ayr. The article concluded with “These meetings are being organized to meet the requirements of country members so that they, as well as members living in or around London, can share in the benefits derived from such meetings. It is hoped that this service can be extended to all large centres throughout the country, but new members are urgently needed to provide sufficient support.”
Manchester`s Secretary was given as A. J Woolley of Levenshulme. This was Ankers James Woolley, a luminary of early cartophily, who, in his "Pen Portrait" for the Cartophilic Society`s "Bulletin" magazine (Vol.2, No.32 - March 1942) gave the same address. He was twenty-eight years old, am overseas technical correspondent, who was involved with both the Cameric and the Cartophilic. He had been a collector for four years, specialising in natural history cards of all makers, and had nearly three hundred and fifty sets, with many more part sets to complete. Whilst he could not pick his three most treasured sets he did admit to a preference for "small cards, tastefully coloured". He had no interest at all in values of cards, he collected purely "for the unending attraction of the subjects depicted and the fulfilment of a desire to collect and complete sets".
He moved to South Africa some time later, and sent us many articles on local cards and natural history.