All-Party Group visit the BPMA

19 January 2011

Today we were pleased to welcome members of the All-Party Parliamentary Arts and Heritage Group, led by Lord Crathorne. The group's visit coincides with the discussion of the Postal Services Bill in Parliament.

The group spoke to staff and trustees, were given a tour of the archive search room and repository, and saw some of the philatelic gems including Penny Blacks, and work done preparing for Edward VIII’s coronation stamp issue that was never completed.

Among other items in the collection they saw Ulysses, Sergeant Knight's VC, and some posters, as well as some of our education packs and material from our handling collection.

The group were particularly pleased to hear we passed 3000 annual search room visitors for the first time in 2010.

The attendees were: Lord Crathorne, Lord Boswell, Lord Selkirk, Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, Hugh Bayley MP, Andrew Dismore and Tom Levitt (former MPs).

The group's visit coincides with the discussion of the Postal Services Bill in Parliament. This Bill has cleared its Commons stages and has now moved on to the Lords.