CLUB NEWS


It will probably be April before this edition gets out. Blame computer upgrades and other editorial distractions but some of it is due to the long wait to see how many will renew membership with stragglers still coming in. We are glad to see you all back again but if you could all confirm your intentions by, say, end of January, not only could we get March out earlier but we would also save real money on postage of reminders. Of all the costs that the club incurs post is both the largest and the most subject to inflation. We have tried to encourage on-line membership, especially where air-mail costs would be saved but this appears to inspire less loyalty than print as on-line members were prominent among those who did not renew. Anyway something like this little moan will be repeated next renewal time in the hope that we can cut the cost of the  process.  

The net result is that we have lost about 15 postal and on-line members but are still gaining new ones. With over 100 members we are still very much in business. Two new members came from a promotion of the Heathrow catalogue in that airport’s magazine Skyport, together with 15 catalogue sales (Thanks to Gordon Tutt for the idea to run this feature). These take the Heathrow catalogue to No.1 on UK sales but still third worldwide. The new members from this source and others are included in the members list sent out with this issue and are

Ms P O Middleton Ashford Middx : David Hutchison Robertsbridge Sussex

Alan Leonard Southampton : David Tustin Solihull W Midlands

With effect from the loading of the March newsletter, the password for www.aviapc.com will change. Members will also be advised by E-Mail but the 2004 password is “croydon”. No capital needed this time – so one thing less to remember. The Username is unchanged as “member”

Returning to  catalogues, progress on Concorde is slow but already it is clear that the numbers far exceed any of the previous documents. Member Pete Cooper, also of the Concorde Study Circle has been the prime contributor. He informs us that there is another catalogue compilation under way in France – but the end product there is anticipated to be of a print quality commensurate with an €80 price tag. More on this project next time and there is also more to say on Concorde cards in “The Cards are Out  There”, so read on.

 

Doug Bastin                                                         Chester UK March 2004