Introduction

[Ian Bergel]

Had a boyhood collection and went back to stamps collecting during Lockdown. Main collections are Romania (as father from Transylvania), Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and German Empire.
Currently Treasurer and Membership Secretary of APS and also member of various other groups as well as being President of the Harrogate Philatelic Society. Would tend to call myself a collector rather than a philatelist.
In my working life I was an accountant primarily in manufacturing (Printing) and then self-employed as a Cost Consultant

[Tony Clayton]

I also inherited my parents' collections as a child and collected GB until the gold medal winners issues for the Olympics in 2012.
In the early 1990's I started collecting Italy, and then included Trieste and the Colonies, finally anything in Sassone. I particularly like varieties such as unusual perforations or watermarks.
Italy naturally led me to collecting the stamps of Austria and then Hungary. I am more a stamp and postal stationary collector than a postal historian, but do go for interesting covers on occasion.
I have been Packet Secretary for the Italy and Colonies Study Circle for a long time now, and have at various times been President of both Guildford Philatelic Society and Grantham Stamp Club.
In my working life I was initially a research metallurgist before starting a new career as a schoolmaster teaching Physics and Computer Studies, and was lucky enough to be able to take early retirement 30 years ago