Congress Medal

David Alford

The ABPS has awarded the Congress Medal 2023 to David Alford FRPSL.

Whenever ABPS organises a National or International Exhibition David is an integral part of the team.  He started as a national judge in 2007 and is currently ABPS Jury Secretary.  He was Office Manager for the competition side of EuroPhilEx 2015, Chief Operating Officer for London 2022 and is currently part of the organising team for EuroPhilEx 2025. Before the current ABPS website was established he designed and managed it predecessor. At specialist level he was the Publications Officer for the Pacific Islands Study Circle 1991 -2020 and at the same time between 2006 to 2009 was editor of the National Philatelic Society’s journal ‘Stamp Lover’. At Federation level he designed the website of the Mid Anglia Philatelic Federation which he managed from 2014 to 2020.

The Royal Philatelic Society has benefitted from his expertise in publishing as he is a member of the Publications Committee.  In addition, he is a Committee Member of the Members and Representatives Committee.  His service as a Council Member commenced in 2008 and ended in 2021.

A trustee of the Stuart Rossiter Trust from 2013 to date and he supports his local society North Herts Stamp Club.

David Alford is one of philately’s unsung heroes having provided unrivalled service at all levels of organised philately.  He is a worthy recipient of the Congress Medal.

Yvonne Wheatley, FRPSL. Chairman ABPS Awards Committee

 

 

 

Congress Medal History

The Congress Medal was inaugurated in 1959 at the 50th Anniversary Philatelic Congress of Great Britain held at Torquay. The first recipient was Wilfred Haworth, a well known philatelist at that time. This prestigious medal, together with a lapel pin, is presented to just one person each year at the annual ABPS Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in recognition of dedication and voluntary service to British philately at national level.

Among the recipients were Mr and Mrs Harry Green in 1962 and 1963, the first husband and wife to win the medal. The 1966 award was to Fred Myers, whose daughters Jean Wood and Susan Moore also attended Congress regularly; when Jean herself was awarded the medal in 2007, that made them the only father and daughter to be presented with the award. Mrs Kay Goodman, a keen worker with youth philately, and who has a lecture at Congress named after her, won the Congress Medal in 1976.

The senior holder of the Medal is Richard West MBE who was awarded the medal in 1995. Other holders are:- Pat Rothnie MBE, Susan Oliver, Brian Asquith, Margaret Morris, Brian Sole, Peter Chantry, John Hammonds, Alan Griffiths, Kenneth Norris, Frank Soutar, John Davies, Phil Kenton, Yvonne Wheatley, Christopher Oliver, Bryan Jones , Jean Osborne, John Baron, Erene Grieve, Gerald Marriner and Nigel Gooch..

The Awards Committee has been chaired by Capt B Rogers-Tillstone, G W Dalton, R F W Sheraton, K F Chapman, L Gilbert-Lodge, B Leslie Barker, Neil Russell, David Beech, Alan Wood, Margaret Morris, Susan Oliver and at the present time Yvonne Wheatley.

The full list of Congress Medal winners is below: An asterisk signifies deceased

  • 2023  David Alford
  • 2022 * Michael J Roberts
  • 2021 Barry Burns & Bernard Mabbett
  • 2020 Nigel Gooch
  • 2019 Gerald Marriner
  • 2018 Erene Grieve
  • 2017 John Baron
  • 2016 Jean Osborne
  • 2015 Bryan Jones
  • 2014 Christopher Oliver
  • 2013 Yvonne Wheatley
  • 2012 * Phil Kenton
  • 2011 John Davies
  • 2010 * Ian Crane
  • 2009 Frank Soutar
  • 2008 * Robert Johnson
  • 2007 * Jean Wood
  • 2006 * Kenneth Norris
  • 2005 * Alan Griffiths
  • 2004 * John Hammonds
  • 2003 Peter Chantry
  • 2002 Brian Sole
  • 2001 Margaret Morris
  • 2000 Brian Asquith
  • 1999 Susan Oliver
  • 1998 * Thomas Rielly
  • 1997 * Allan P Berry
  • 1996 Pat Rothnie MBE
  • 1995 Richard West MBE
  • 1994 * Lesley Hampton
  • 1993 * Derrick Ray
  • 1992 * Cdr George R Gibson RN
  • 1991 * Richard C A Payne
  • 1990 * Neil M Russell
  • 1989 * Franceska Rapkin
  • 1988 * C Angus Parker
  • 1987 * Roy H Garland
  • 1986 * S Jack Andrews
  • 1985 * Herbert (A H R) Grimsey
  • 1984 * R Geraint Jones
  • 1983 * George O I Hollings
  • 1982 * Bernard Lucas
  • 1981 * Alfred J Branston
  • 1980 * Jack C Simmonds
  • 1979 * John C W Field
  • 1978 * Robert (Bob) C Emery
  • 1977 * James D Todd
  • 1976 * Kay Goodman
  • 1975 * Miroslaw Bojanowicz
  • 1974 * Marjorie M Humble
  • 1973 * Thomas H Wilcox
  • 1972 * Dr F P N Parsons
  • 1971 * V McFarlane
  • 1970 * R F W Sheraton
  • 1969 * E H Ford
  • 1968 * Kenneth Chapman
  • 1967 * Capt. B Rogers-Tillstone
  • 1966 * Fred Myers
  • 1965 * G W Groves
  • 1964 * F Walker
  • 1963 * Doris Green
  • 1962 * Harry Green
  • 1961 * John Steele Higgins
  • 1960 * Ernest F Hugen
  • 1959 * Wilfred Haworth
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