BTA Residential Weekend At Oxford 2026

17th to 19th April 2026

Arrangements for our seventh residential weekend are in place. Non-members of the BTA will be made very welcome. 

Hotel
We look forward to seeing you at our usual venue of voco Oxford Spires Hotel:
https://oxfordspires.vocohotels.com/ The hotel has a  gym, swimming pool, spa, sauna and steam room.
We have reserved a number of accessible rooms for guests with additional needs. These rooms feature lowered sinks, visual aids and grab rails, please note there is a small step to access the shower. Please indicate on the booking form if you require one of these rooms.
Parking is free during the duration of your stay provided you register your car on arrival.
The hotel’s location is a pleasant stroll into Oxford, along the Thames towpath which runs behind the hotel.
 
Programme
We are delighted to welcome three guest speakers:
Friday evening: Les Ashton-Smith, a thematic collector mainly interested in scientists, particular Leonardo da Vinci, who keeps going down collecting rabbit holes when he finds something philatelically interesting! He will present Philatelic Firsts, not the SG1’s, but a fun journey though the first time different innovative materials, techniques, shapes, oddities and some really bizarre techniques were used on postage stamps. Smells, textures and right up to date with blockchain non fungible tokens.
Saturday: Katrin Raynor, a freelance astronomy writer and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Geographical Society. She is also (as far as your Editor knows) the only BTA speaker to have an asteroid named after her. Katrin will give a talk on Exploring Astronomy and Space Through Philately.
Sunday: Ian Shapiro, a collector and dealer in royal and historical items, and consultant to Spink Auctioneers, London. He will be displaying Royal Household Mail showing a range of postal history related to the Royal Family, including selected ephemera and historical documents from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II.
In addition there will be four sessions of members’ displays (feel free to interpret the subjects as liberally as you like, with all types of material including postcards), and Paula Cant Stamps will be in attendance on the Saturday afternoon with a range of her stock. 

Still thinking about it?
If you have been to a previous Weekend you will know how enjoyable the event is. But don’t take our word for it. Feedback from the 2024 event included: 
“… excellent weekend of events, ably run and most interesting variety of speakers and collections” 
“I met some great people in a very friendly atmosphere … The programme was great and the food and venue excellent”

If you have any queries at all do please contact the Weekend Organiser Anne Stammers on annies1@btopenworld.com.

Click here for the full programme and booking form.