Welcome to the Northampton & District Cigarette Card Club Home Page
Lets start by saying that if you want the very latest breaking news, check out our very own website, and facebook pages.
Let`s have a quick chat about our meetings ...
These have traditionally taken place from 6 p.m. until approximately 9 p.m. on the first Monday of every other month, unless that is a Bank Holiday, in which case it shifts to the second Monday. It happens fairly irregularly though, and in 2026 only our April meeting was affected. However, next year we are changing our meeting times, so they will start earlier, and run between 5.30 and 9 p.m.
We meet at the Weston Favell Parish Hall, which is on Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP and has a large car park. We aim to have one visiting dealer at each meeting, and they always report that they have had a successful night sales wise. There is also lots of dealing done between collectors and the hall is large enough to allow our visitors several tables at which they can either sit and sort cards or catch up on news from the local collecting scene. Teas & biscuits are supplied by our fantastic husband and wife catering team, and visiting dogs always receive a lot of admiring attention, and a few treats. Our members' interests are also widespread, including other ephemera, stamps, and model railways, so there's always a varied conversation to be had. Maybe that is why we attract visitors from outside the local area too, including some who come up from London
If you live in the local area, or fancy a drive out every now and then, we are always looking for new members, as our age demographic seems to be steadily rising. In fact, one of our founding members celebrated his 90th birthday recently. And though Northants Club members pay an annual subscription, which includes free entry to the meetings, visitors are welcome to come in free for a couple of times and only then do we ask that they join the club.
Our next meeting will be our Christmas one; for that we always bring in food for a buffet , and everyone brings in a present, so that we all take home a little souvenir of the day.
As far as meeting dates, we still have one left in 2026, and that is on Monday the 7th of December, from 6 p.m. until approximately 9 p.m.
After that we will, as stated above, move to the new, earlier times, of 5.30 until 9 p.m. And we look forward to seeing you on :
- Monday February the 1st, 2027
- Monday April the 5th, 2027
- Monday June the 7th, 2027
- Monday August the 2nd, 2027
- Monday October the 4th, 2027
- Monday December the 6th, 2027
...and now let`s start to look back into our archives...
Sadly there have been several times in the history of the Society magazine where it was decided not to publish Branch and Club details. That is why personal reminiscences from our readers are so sought after.
The first reference to a club in the Northampton area comes at the end of 1985 - but before we get there we have to add that this may not be its beginning, for there is a small tile in the September/October 1985 edition of "Cartophilic Notes and News" which says "Notice to Branch and Club Secretaries. The first 1986 Branch and Club Informatory will appear in the November/December issue. The practise of the past two years, an official form requesting meeting details, has been withdrawn. Will all Secretaries therefore please forward 1986 details to the Editor not later than 10th November. Entries received after the deadline will contain Secretaries details only". Now at the back of this September/October edition is a list, split into Branches, Affiliated Card Clubs, and Card Clubs (Non Affiliated), together with Overseas Societies - but there is not a mention of Northants amongst any of them.
In the next edition though, perhaps prompted by the Editor`s request, we suddenly see, amidst the section for Card Clubs (Non Affiliated), this:
NORTHANTS CIGARETTE CARD CLUB.
Secretary: Mr. D. Walden, Wycliffe Road, Northampton
This remains their entry for some time, but in March/April 1986 there is a small piece in the Council Notes and News section which reads :
It was reported that the Northants Cigarette Card Club was the latest to become Affiliated.
And at the back of that edition, they have indeed already moved up to the Affiliated Card Clubs section, joining Lea Valley and North Kent. Their entry remains the same, without any sign of where they were meeting. However we do know, thanks to a reader, that they met every third Thursday of the month, starting at 6.30 p.m., at the Spencer Dallington Community Centre. And we also have some dates, courtesy of a listing in the "Cartophilic Notes and News" for May/June 1986, these being Thursday June the 19th, and, oddly, a Friday, August the 8th.
Mr. Walden remained as Secretary for many years, and was still there when the May/June 2002 edition of the "Cartophilic Notes and News" reported, in its "Council Notes" section :
The Society has the largest number of Branches in its history after the decision of the Northampton Club to become a full Society Branch. The change came from an initial approach made to Northants Secretary, David Walden, by retiring Editor Gordon Howsden. David said afterwards that the club was delighted to join up after 17 years on probation!
This backs up our previous assumption that the club started in 1985 (2002 minus 17 being 1985).
In the November/December 2002 edition of the "Cartophilic Notes and News" we have a much fuller Branch page, confirming the venue. That reads :
Northants Branch
Dave Walden [same address, plus telephone number]
Meet at Spencer Dallington Community Centre, Tintern Avenue, Northampton, on Thursdays at 7.30 pm
...and card-wise...
One of our most curious local manufacturers was J. Lees, based at Bridge Street. We featured their only issue as our Card of the Day for the 13th of August, 2022, where you read more about them.