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The
British Corkscrew Club The idea to get the UK members
of the CCCC together for a meeting was first spawned from a conversation between Frank
Ellis and Fletcher Wallis around Christmas 1991. After very positive responses from Mike
Meakin and Peter Coldicott the first meeting was set up in a public area in the Royal
Festival Hall in London since it was central for us all, was fairly easy to get to and
food was available. The meeting took place in March 1992 and was attended by members Peter
Coldicott, John Compton, Frank Ellis, Mike Meakin, Christopher Sykes and Fletcher Wallis.
Conclusions were that we should try and meet twice a year, that we should be a cohesive
section within the CCCC and that we should try and gather UK orientated items to send to
the Newsletter (later Quarterly Worme).
There is now a core group of regular ABCDE attendees and meetings now take place very informally at someones
house. The loose format for the afternoon is a general chat, then a buffet lunch, followed
by showing the theme corkscrews and finally buying and selling any spares. The traditional
charge is a bottle of wine for the host. In addition, small groups of members
often arrange to meet at auctions or antique fairs. If you are interested
in attending Club meetings they will advise you on dates by email. Please
send your e-mail address to Mike Meakin. Visitors from other Countries are
welcome!
The following table records the dates and themes. Note that it
became traditional to show Best Six corkscrews at the Autumn meeting.
|
Date |
Where |
Host |
Themes |
1st |
15 Mar 1992 |
Royal Festival Hall, London |
|
Personal favourites |
2nd |
11 Oct 1992 |
Royal Festival Hall, London |
|
Columbus corkscrews to celebrate
500 years |
3rd |
14 Mar 1993 |
Woburn |
Christopher Sykes |
Compound Levers,Boxed corkscrews,
Worst corkscrews in the world |
4th |
3 Oct 1993 |
Royal Festival Hall, London |
|
Double levers, Left handed worms,
Miniatures |
5th |
20 Mar 1994 |
Luton |
Frank Ellis |
British registered designs |
6th |
23 Oct 1994 |
Lee, Greenwich |
John Compton |
Modern corkscrews, Worm
variations |
7th |
2 Apr 1995 |
Wellington, Telford |
Geoff Kenward |
Henshalls for the bicentenary |
8th |
8 Oct 1995 |
Monxton, Andover |
Peter Coldicott |
Lund Levers and the like |
9th |
21 Apr 1996 |
Great Bookham, Leatherhead |
John Burton |
Champagne related items |
10th |
15 Sep 1996 |
Hunstanton |
Mike Meakin |
Named bows, Lund items for the
bicentenary (1796) |
11th |
20 Apr 1997 |
Loughborough |
Antonio Lopez |
Registered figurals, Iberian
corkscrews |
12th |
7 Sep 1997 |
Holcot, Northampton |
John Nash |
American Patents |
13th |
29 Mar 1998 |
Alsager, Stoke |
Alan Thomason |
Thomasons, Champagne taps, Smyth
& Mackay's 1898 patent |
14th |
18 Oct 1998 |
Hackney, London |
Fletcher Wallis |
First and favourites |
15th |
18 Mar 1999 |
Luton |
Frank Ellis |
Registered corkscrews re-visited |
16th |
24 Oct 1999 |
Great Bookham,
Leatherhead |
John Burton |
Champagne
related items |
17th |
16 Apr 2000 |
Weybridge,
Surrey |
John Belcher |
Twisted wire to
celebrate Clough’s machine’s patent |
18th |
1 April 2001 |
Faringdon
Oxfordshire |
John &
Carole Davis |
Spring assisted
corkscrews |
19th |
30 Sept 2001 |
Eastbourne |
Jim & Liz
Edgar |
Pockets, pegs
and picnics |
20th |
28 April 2002 |
Blackcroft
Honiley, Warwickshire |
Tim Underwood |
Codd Openers |
21st |
29 Sept 2002 |
Lee,
South London |
John &
Christine Compton |
Thomasons for
the bi-centenary |
22nd |
27 April 2003 |
Gillingham
Dorset |
Pat & Giles
Harbottle |
Things with
springs |
23rd |
2003 |
Bradenham, Norfolk |
Dominic & Helen Byrne |
Not
recorded |
24th |
Not
recorded |
Luton,
Bedfordshire |
Frank
& Barbara Ellis |
Not
recorded |
25th |
Not
recorded |
Bromham, Bedfordshire |
Norman & Margaret Wright |
French corkscrews |
26th |
22
June 2008 |
Hunstanton, Norfolk |
Mike
& Anne Meakin |
Advertising corkscrews |
27th |
21
Oct 2009 |
Woburn, Bedfordshire |
Christopher & Margaret Sykes |
Bow
corkscrews |
28th |
13
June 2010 |
Langton Green, Kent |
Jim &
Liz Edgar |
Best
corkscrew Buys |
29th |
17 October 2010 |
Warwick, Warwickshire |
Tim Underwood and Dawn Ashford |
Free choice |
30th |
13 March 2011 |
Faringdon, Oxfordshire |
John and Carole Davis |
Your special corkscrews |
Language
The "official" language of the ABCDE is English
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Officers:
The Club does not have
officers. For further information on activities, contact:
Mike
Meakin
e-mail:
mikemeakin@btinternet.com
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