We are proud to announce that the Society has recently secured a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for £14,760 to fully fund the making of a short film about John Walker and the impact of his invention on the world. This project is made possible thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, allowing us to engage with Lonely Tower Film and Media from Durham to make the film with us. Our film will act as a lasting legacy of John Walker, beyond 2026, and it will be premiered on 29th May 2026 during the Birthday Weekend celebrations in Stockton on Tees.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was held at the Northwich show on 7th September 2024, which had been called to vote on two proposed changes to the Society’s Governance Rules. The details of these proposals, and notice of the EGM, was published in the August magazine. The two Rules affected are Rule 19 and Rule 25.
We are pleased to say that the two proposed changes were unanimously approved by the meeting and will take effect from 1st October 2024.
The progressive-rock band Gil Galad have recently announced the release of a new studio album “A Record of the Unworldly and the Strange – An Ingenious Man …”.
The work was inspired by John Walker, the entrepreneur and chemist from Stockton on Tees who is credited with the invention of the friction match.
The limited edition CD launch version comes in beautifully presented packaging featuring original artwork with lyric booklet, and the album weaves a wonderful story of truth, myth and legend.
More details can be found here on their web site and you can download the album here on their Bandcamp page.
The Society makes two Awardseach year, and the Award Winners for 2024 were announced at the recent AGM.
The Tony Gallaher Memorial Award for the Best Article published in the Society magazine in the previous year was awarded to : Jerry Bell and Barry Sturman for their article ‘Sulphur Matches’ (published Oct 2023)
The KC Literary Award for the Best Publication reviewed in the Society magazine in the previous year was awarded to : Tom Gibbard for his book ‘British Bookmatches’
Thanks to Tom O’Key the Society has now joined Facebook.
Tom has set up for us two Facebook Groups’ :
“British Matchbox Label and Bookmatch Society” is intended as a general Group for those interested in the hobby of phillumeny. Anyone wishing to join this Group does not need to be a member of the Society.
“BML&BS” is for Society members only, and to join this Group members need to supply their BML&BS membership number.
Facebook Groups are designed for people to connect with each other around a common interest or topic. They are a place where people can have discussions, ask questions, and share information, including pictures and videos, and ideas.
To participate in these Facebook Groups you would have to be registered with Facebook. Both these groups are registered as private with only members of the group being able to see who is in the group and what they post, although, the group itself is visible to anyone so that they can find this group. Anyone seeking to join either group will be required to abide by the Group rules.
To find either Group log into your Facebook account and use the Facebook search (top left of any page on Facebook) by typing the Group title, and choose what you are looking for from the results:
Our friends in the Bangaldesh Matchbox Collectors Club have opened their fourth International On-line Exhibition which runs until 15th January 2024. All details can be found here on their web site
Our friends in the Bangaldesh Matchbox Collectors Club have announced their fourth International On-line Exhibition which will take place in January 2024. All details can be found on their web site
Following feedback from members who sell items in our Society Actions we have changed the Auction Rules in respect of Reserves on Lots that do not sell. Previously the seller would be charged a 15% commission with no upper limit. Now the same commission applies but there is a fixed upper limit of £10. We hope this will encourage sellers to enter more high-value Lots in our Society Auctions.
The Rules affected are : Meeting Action Rules 9.4 and 11.1, Postal Auction Rule 9.3 and On-line Auction Rules 9.3 and 11.1
Our friends in the Portuguese Phillumeny Society (Associação Portuguesa de Filumenismo) have extended their second on-line Phillumeny Exhibition until 31st July 2023.
Our friends in the Portuguese Phillumeny Society (Associação Portuguesa de Filumenismo) have curated their second on-line Phillumeny Exhibition which opened on 8th April 2023. Their first Exhibition last year was really good, and we encourage everyone to visit their new Show which we are sure you will enjoy.
Our friends in the Portuguese Phillumeny Society (Associação Portuguesa de Filumenismo) have announced that they will hold the 3rd APF on-line Phillumeny Exhibition in April 2024
More information can be obtained from aspofilumenismo@gmail.com and the deadline for receipt of exhibits is 31st March 2024.
More and more Phillumeny-related groups are appearing on Facebook and we want to provide links to them from our website, so have created a new page which you can find here.
Although the Society does not yet currently have a Facebook page it is something we are actively looking into.
Between 1st and 15th January 2021 the Bangladesh Matchbox Collector’s Club held the world’s first on-line matchbox exhibition. The Exhibition is now closed, but a review of it can be found in the February magazine.
Poster for world’s first on-line matchbox exhibition
The new Netflix movie THE DIG is set in 1939 and tells the story of the Sutton Hoo archaeological dig and treasure trove. Many of the characters smoke, and there are several closeups of matchboxes. The continuity people did a good job, because they clearly show a wooden England’s Glory box on several occasions.
In 2008 a comprehensive book with 88 pages was published with the title Harlequin Matches. This was followed by a second edition that was significantly larger with 120 pages. Now a third edition, which adds in even more information about these fantastically colourful matchboxes has been published (February 2021) and is now available for purchase. It details Bryant & May’s range of Harlequin Matches. It is laid out in the same format as the previous editions. It is arranged in two sections. Section One details the cardboard Harlequin range and Section Two the Plastic Harlequin range. The third edition now numbers 137 pages and is illustrated thought-out in colour with 173 pictures. Full review will appear in the April magazine.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on line using the popular Zoom video conferencing platform. The AGM is going to be held on April 11th at 14:00 UK time.
‘In the news ….. 150 years ago’ has inspired a special article to be written, which is being published in two parts. It has the title: ‘The Proposed Match Tax of 1871 – Part I’, this first part will be included in our April magazine, and covers the events of April 1871.
We held our inaugural On-line Auction on Sunday 14th March and were really pleased with the way it ran. 25 members attended on-line and 8 postal bidders had also submitted bids. There was a lot of enthusiastic bidding for 30 very desirable Lots, and the results will be published in our April magazine.
Our next Auction takes place on Sunday 9th May at 14:00, and the Catalogue will be published with our April magazine.
