Welcome to the North West Branch Home Page
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A QUICK CHAT ABOUT OUR MEETINGS
North West Branch meet once a month, running from 4 – 8 pm at Barton Village Hall, Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5HE.
This Hall is situated three miles north of Junction 32 on the M6 Motorway - or Junction 1 of the M55 Motorway, depending on which way you are travelling. It is an excellent venue, a modern building in a very attractive setting with lots of parking on site. In fact it was frequently used for antique related events, and an Antiques and Collectors Fair was held there fortnightly on Sundays, starting at 9.30am.
Our calendar for 2023 is : Friday the 21st of April, Friday the 19th of May, Friday the 16th of June, then there is no meeting in July, Friday the 18th of August, Friday the 15th of September, Friday the 20th of October, Friday the 17th of November and Friday the 15th of December.
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A LOOK INTO OUR ARCHIVES
This is a really thriving branch, and extremely well established. So you might be surprised to learn that our current North West Branch is not our original. This one only came to life when Dennis Williams, a member of our Winchester Branch who had newly relocated to the area, decided to breathe of new life into his dreams of a proper North West Branch. And one started to take shape. It rose again in October 2010, and many local dealers and members attended the inaugural meeting.
Sadly the brilliant start would peter out due to difficulties with venues and meeting times, and membership slowly declined. Dennis Williams died a few years later. But we are sure he heartily approved when our current Branch Secretary took the reins in 2012
Before coronavirus restrictions, our meetings took place
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Manchester Branch [Cameric] 1939 - ?
The first mention of a local North West Branch appears in April 1939 (Cigarette Cad News Vol.6, No.67, p.147) in the section entitled “Around the Clubs”. This states “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.
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Lancashire Branch [Cameric] 1945 - 1964
In 1945, Cameric Cigarette Card Club literature mentions the “newly formed Lancashire Branch”. At that time it had nine members.
In “Cameric Notes and News Magazine”, Volume 4, new series, no 6, dated December 1949, when they appeared on the back cover within one of the Christmas Greeting advertisement boxes, which reads “Greetings to … YORKSHIRE and LANCASHIRE Members from C. Webster“.
Their next mention is in Volume 6, new series, no 6 dated December 1951, when they appeared on the back cover in a similar advertisement, which reads “The Lancashire, Yorkshire, Reading and Bournemouth Branches join with their London Camericans in wishing their President – Mr Blows, a Merry and well earned Christmas” . We are not certain if this means the others were added in the interim, or Mr. Webster was only in contact with the two Northern Branches.
Fast forward five years and the “Cameric Notes and News” Volume 10, New Series, May 1956 tells us a meeting of Lancashire Branch would be held on Saturday June 9, 1956. They were to meet at 3.15 pm, at a private home in Chislehurst Avenue in Blackpool. The Secretary at that time was Cyril Marsden, who lived near Bolton. The Branch were also stated to be regular exhibitors at the annual Blackpool Hobbies Exhibition. An early President was Frank Easson, with Wills specialist (and later operator of the Society Book Round) Norman Pendlebury of Horwich listed as secretary.
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Lancashire Branch [Cartophilic] 1965 -
I believed that when the Cameric and Cartophilic Society merged in 1964, their Lancashire Branch simply became our North West Branch. After all, Cyril Marsden was certainly involved with both. However in the first ever edition of "Cartophilic Notes and News", January/February 1965, Volume 1, Number 1, there was the following announcement :
BRANCHES. Members who were not previously members of the Cameric Club are, of course, now entitled to attend any Branch Meeting of the Cameric and are assured a very hearty welcome. If you live anywhere near London, Leeds, Manchester or Birmingham, do go along and introduce yourself. You will find them a friendly crowd. Spend an enjoyable evening and acquire a few cards for your collection."
The branches given were not actually correct, for it referred to their meeting places not their proper names, which were as follows,
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London, Secretary F. H. Pitts
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Leeds - this was Yorkshire, Secretary Mr. J. K. Wild
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Manchester - this was Lancashire, Secretary C. Marsden
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Birmingham - this was Midlands Branch, Secretary L. Higgs
In 1968 they are recorded as meeting at the College for Adult Education in Manchester, starting at 3.15, as well as at private homes in Crosby Road Bolton and Townfield Avenue Farndon.
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North West Branch [Cartophilic] 1970 - 1997?
In the November/December edition (Vol.3 No.36) Lancashire/Manchester was now going by the name of North West Branch, under Secretary Norman Pendlebury.
In 1972 they advertised they would be holding their January and February meetings at the College of Adult Education in Manchester. Both events were very successful, the January having seventeen members attending and the February having eighteen. And the Branch also participated in the Bolton Hobbies Exhibition of that year, which was allied to the Blackpool one but closer to Cyril Marsden`s home.
In 1973 North West seem to have left the College of Adult Education, as according to a yearly schedule list in the Cartophilic Notes and News, it seems that the ordinary meetings were taking place in members homes throughout the area, apart from one at The Premium Bonds Social Club, Lytham St Annes, and another at Somerset Road School, Bolton. Unless these were special events like rallies?
By 1975 they were meeting at St. John`s College in Crown Square Manchester, on Saturdays 8 November and 13 December, from 3 pm, plus a meeting on 23 November at the home of Mr. Crook in Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The secretary at this time was still Norman Pendlebury.
In January 1981, according to the Cartophilic Notes and News, they were meeting on the first Sunday of the month through February and March, at Bolton YMCA; by arrangement none of these dates clashed with Timperley or Merseyside, and it was agreed that future meetings would have a theme so that cards of a particular type could be exhibited, sold, and swopped.
Now there are conflicting reports of what happened next. One says that during 1981 this version of the North West Branch became absorbed into the Timperley Club - and then Timperley became incorporated within the Cheshire Branch. However the other says that North West Branch remained for longer, into the 1990s, and that is supported by the Card Times magazine of October 1997, which has a short piece that reads :
Merseyside branch closes.
MERSEYSIDE branch of the Cartophilic Society has been wound up. Secretary Harry Shaw has written to the Society explaining that decreasing numbers and the increasing age of the remaining regulars have made it inevitable. "A few of us will continue to meet on an occasional basis at Prescot Bowls Club for a drink and a chat" he adds. So Merseyside goes the same way as the North West branch, which became a home-based group some time ago. The lure of the still massive Timperley club near Altrincham has probably also had some effect on the decision. And it may also have repercussions for the Society`s plans to bring the National Convention to Cheshire in April 1999. Stewards for the event are due to be recruited from Merseyside and the North West.
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Merseyside Branch [Cartophilic : 1977 - 1997]
We know that Merseyside Branch was founded in 1977. However there is rather a gap after that, until Saturday 30th April 1994, when North West and Manchester Branches co-hosted our AGM and Card Convention at Manchester.
Now in the Card Times for December 1994 Merseyside Branch is given as meeting at "Prescot", on Saturday November 26th. Perhaps, given what follows, this was Prescot Bowls Club? Does anyone remember?
Sadly in the October 1997 edition of Card Times magazine there appears a small article headed :
Merseyside branch closes.
MERSEYSIDE branch of the Cartophilic Society has been wound up. Secretary Harry Shaw has written to the Society explaining that decreasing numbers and the increasing age of the remaining regulars have made it inevitable. "A few of us will continue to meet on an occasional basis at Prescot Bowls Club for a drink and a chat" he adds. So Merseyside goes the same way as the North West branch, which became a home-based group some time ago. The lure of the still massive Timperley club near Altrincham has probably also had some effect on the decision. And it may also have repercussions for the Society`s plans to bring the National Convention to Cheshire in April 1999. Stewards for the event are due to be recruited from Merseyside and the North West.