In the late 1980s four
people, Barbara Smith, Fred Pesket, George Simner and Derek Smith, attended a
talk given by Festival logo designer Abram Games. At the end of the talk these
four 'Festival Cranks', as Abram Games referred to them, decided it was time to
form a Society dedicated to keeping the memory of the Festival alive for future
generations. This would be done by pooling knowledge and collections, holding a
yearly convention, and perhaps most importantly, collecting a Festival Archive
that would be available to all members.
The first two objectives have now been acheived
and the third, the creation of an easily accesible Festival Archive, is now
underway. Since the formation of the Society on that cold night in Portsmouth
membership has grown to over a hundred, the Society has assisted with
exhibitions, radio and television programmes, and newspaper and magazine
articles. There are now two conventions a year, normally held in the Royal
Festival Hall, where members get together for an informal gathering where they
are able to talk, swop, sell or exhibit items from their collections.
MEMBERSHIP of the Society is open to anyone
interested in the Festival of Britain. You don't have to be an expert or have a
large collection of memorabilia, just a wish to know more and to help keep the
memory of the Festival alive. Members receive 4 newsletters a year with
information about Society events, historic and contemporary articles, and sale
and exchange information.
Membership
costs for 2004 / 5 are:
|
| Adults |
£10.00 |
| Juniors (under 16) |
£5.00 |
| Senior Citizens (over 65) |
£7.00 |
| Joint Membership
(Husband / Wife or Partners) |
£14.00 |
Full details of
membership are available by sending a SAE to Fred Pesket, 124 Havant Road,
North End, Portsmouth, PO2 0BP
|
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