Introduction
The Bulletin of the British Bryological Society started with issue no. 1 in December 1963, as a foolscap, 3-paged, Gestetnered publication, and produced by the then Secretary E.C. (Ted) Wallace, under the Presidency of Dr E.F. Warburg. Over the next few years, about two issues per year were produced, each stapled in the top left-hand corner. The contents consisted of notices of forthcoming meetings with listed accommodations, sales from the Library, notes from the BBS Mapping Scheme, and the Annual Bryophyte Exchange which was run by Ted. Lists of New Members, reports of other Society activities such as the Reading Circle, slide collection news, and so on, appeared in later numbers.
Dr D.H. (Kery) Dalby became the Secretary in 1970 and produced his first Bulletin, no. 14. The Bulletin was still mostly Gestetnered and foolscap, though occasional A4 copies were produced. An Income & Expenditure Account sheet for 1971 was distributed to the Membership in 1972.
Roy Perry became Acting Secretary in late 1973 and produced the last foolscap Bulletin, no. 22, in September. With Council’s approval as the newly elected Secretary/Bulletin Editor/Membership Secretary in 1974, he set about producing two bulletins a year which were sent as camera-ready copy to a local printer who stapled them as A5 booklets. Members were encouraged to supply news of bryological interest and short articles for the Bulletin, so that gradually its size grew, and by no. 26 in July 1975, it had 36 pages and contained New Vice-county Records and Amendments to the Census Catalogues (which had hitherto been published in the Transactions and later in the Journal of Bryology), as well as notes on various genera, and keys to bryophyte species. Card covers were given to no. 28 onwards, and from no. 41 Roy used bryological images taken from various old bryophyte works, to enhance them.
After relinquishing the post of General Secretary at the end of 1981, Roy carried on as Bulletin Editor until he was joined by Marcus Yeo as Assistant Editor in 1998. Marcus became Editor from no. 72 in February 1999 and was responsible for the evolving of the Bulletin to the new Field Bryology.
Roy Perry