Meetings

The Circle normally holds two meetings each year, in the Spring and Autumn. This is apart from more informal meetings of individual members at places like antique fairs.

The 2013 Spring Meeting will be held in London Thursday 16th May at Goldsmiths Hall (not the Savile Club). Start time is 5.30pm when we assemble in the Drawing Room. The Open Forum will take place between 5.45 and 6.15 - members are encouraged to bring labels from their own collections and our Advisory Committee will be on hand to answer queries about individual labels. There will be presentations by three of our members on plain Escutcheon Labels, and Sandylands Drinkwater.

Last year we met at the Savile Club on 17 May. At the Open Forum, discussions included consideration of the finances - in a healthy state - membership, the website and dates and times of future meetings, and the Boudoir Labels book (see the Books page for details). The photo shows a section of the audience with, at the table (left to right) Secretary Peggy Pullin, (ex) President Terry Gill and Treasurer Stuart Wood

Three members spoke on particular aspects related to labels: Gordon Proctor on Newcastle labels, Tim Kent on those assayed at Exeter and Stephen Levy on Hester Bateman's labels. Afterwards members enjoyed a buffet and wine, - some of the members shown here enjoying it - examined labels relating to the talks and renewed friendships.

In recent years Spring meeting speakers have included Robin Butler, author of ‘Great British Wine Accessories’; Richard Wells, renowned expert on enamel labels and Phillipa Glanville, President of the Silver Society, on the social context of labels.

This year we will be meeting in Chester on Saturday 19th October conforming with our usual practice of alternating the meeting between London and outside London. For those who can make it we usually arrange an informal dinner on the Friday evening and arrange visits on Friday and/or Saturday morning. This year we will be concentrating on Chester Wine Labels and will be hearing a talk about them. We encourage members to bring examples from their own collections. More information to follow.....

The Autumn Meeting was held in London, last October at the Rembrandt Hotel, opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum. followed by the launch of the Boudoir Label Book and a presentation by the author, John Salter.( Pictured here).
John is holding a copy of the book and a Boudoir label for CONVALLARIA, in enamel and silver, which was presented to him in recognition of his outstanding achievements.
A picture of the label is shown on the Home Page.

Here you can see some members at dinner in a Sheffield restaurant in 2011.
We have also made visits to the Reserve collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Vintners Hall and the Millenium Galleries in Sheffield

While these are the two fixed events during the year, individual members also meet informally, often at antique fairs , museums or exhibitions. The Circle is a friendly social group as well as a group interested in the many and varied aspects of wine labels. We do encourage members to come to the Spring or Autumn meetings but some members prefer to keep to themselves and enjoy the Circle solely through the Journal.