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©2025 FEPA. All Rights Reserved.
UK & Relevant International Laws Apply.
Main Pages:
Magazine & News:
Events:
Other Resources
©2025 FEPA. All Rights Reserved.
UK & Relevant International Laws Apply.
The 30-year quest to catch a national records thief
The following is a summary of a short story published today on the BBC website by David Wallace Lockhart, BBC Scotland correspondent.
Dr Alan Borthwick has spent 30 years uncovering how thousands of historical documents from Scotland’s National Records (NRS) ended up in Canada. The person responsible was Prof. David Stirling Macmillan, a historian and archivist with a fascination for postage stamps and postmarks. His removals began in 1949 and continued until 1980, when he was caught taking a document. At the time, staff assumed it was an isolated incident, but Macmillan had systematically taken letters, often mundane but featuring unique seals and postmarks.
After moving to Canada in 1968, Macmillan’s collection was later found in Trent University’s archives. In 2012, Dr Borthwick identified thousands of these documents as belonging to NRS. His painstaking efforts led to their return and reintegration into Scotland’s archives.
NRS chief Alison Byrne described the scale of the loss as “unprecedented.” Despite the breach of trust, Borthwick takes satisfaction in restoring Scotland’s historical records. Today, the archives are protected with CCTV, ensuring such removals cannot happen again. While the stolen documents are now safe, Borthwick reflects on the time spent solving this mystery.
Read the complete article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8v7rr8gj2o
Photo: A letter from a Scot living in Madeira, stolen from the NRS archive by Prof Macmillan.
[Photo credit: NRS, BBC]
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BOSTON 2026: Additional Boston 2026 Show Hotels Contracted
Two additional properties have signed on to become official show hotels for Boston 2026 World Expo.
“Details took a bit longer than expected to work out,” said Boston 2026 Executive Director Mark Butterline, “But the addition of these hotels helps round out our eight hotel offerings to attendees with discounted prices ranging from $129 to $333 per night plus tax.”
Both the Boston Marriott Newton and Boxborough Regency Hotel & Convention Center are in the greater Boston suburbs, 11 and 27 miles respectively from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and offer free parking. Visitors planning to drive to the region will find them especially convenient as they are off major highways with plenty of restaurants and attractions nearby. Residents of these communities take advantage of low-cost parking at train and light rail stations throughout the area and commute into the city.
Boston 2026 President Yamil Kouri reminds show-goers, “We encourage visitors to make reservations through our web site as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Each property only has a limited number of rooms available at the special reduced price. Reservations can be changed based on availability closer to the show or cancelled within 72 hours of its starting date without penalty.”
Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.
Thomas M. Fortunato
Boston 2026 Public Relations Chair
Tom.Fortunato@Boston2026.org
Read the complete press release here.
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The Mail of the Spanish Ship Register Envelopes (1778–1853)
A new book by Jesús Sitjà Prats was recently published by the Real Academia Hispanica de Filatelia e Historica Postal (Royal Spanish Academy of Philately and Postal History). The bilingual 236-page book carries the title The Mail Of The Spanish Ship Register Envelopes (1778-1853) in English, and El Correo De Los Sobres De Registro De Embarque (1778-1853) in Spanish. It is part of RAHFeHP Specialised Library as Vol. XV.
The RAHFeHP Member D. José Antonio Herráiz Gracia notes in the preface that, during the review process prior to publication, the author found it necessary to compile the legislation in force, filling in any remaining gaps in knowledge, particularly regarding the registration of vessels operating between mainland Spanish ports.
Once a solid foundation was established, the subject matter was developed in an orderly and coherent manner. Noteworthy is the meticulous study and classification of the various types of vessels that sailed the seas—an element of great interest in understanding the services they provided. Additionally, the chronological and geographical criteria have been skilfully combined, ensuring easy comprehension for less-experienced and advanced readers alike.
Moreover, when we add the excellent quality and variety of accompanying illustrations—some of which include iconic pieces from Spanish postal history—the result is a perfect combination that truly qualifies as a reference book. Undoubtedly, it will remain relevant for a long time, helping collectors to correctly interpret their pieces (for those fortunate enough to own them) and allowing all readers to gain a deeper understanding of this chapter in our postal history.
Details: https://www.rahf.es/nueva-publicacion-de-la-real-academia-hispanica-de-filatelia-e-historia-postal-5/
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