Brian Moorhouse

Good afternoon!

Thank you for coming to this special occasion to commemorating the elite publication from Corinphila, Vol 50 Edition D’or which has been dedicated to my late husband, Brian Moorhouse for his 3 times Large Gold Medal Award Classic Haiti and his life journey. 

A great honor! Thank you!

Brian has worked and worked very hard with this collection while he was taking the Radio and Chemo treatments. He was exhausted. I have begged and begged him to stop several times, but he has never wanted to give up. 

It has been an emotional 7 weeks for me to immediately started writing this book on the day after the cremation. 

Finally, this wonderful book was successfully launched on 2^nd October at the Celebration of Brian’s Life at the Royal Philatelic Society London. We’ve done it!

Equally, this book has been the greatest challenge for the Corinphila team, I was told.

I would like to address my gratitude to Karl, for his believing in me and his endless encouragement when I was willing to give it all up. For the heroes – my editors! One of them is here, Andre Schneider! 

Thank you for your patience and your compromise under my circumstance…

Such as… Karl – gave me the blank look when I told him that I would like the cover color to be in British Racing Green! And, it then has become Andre’s task to do the research! Brian loved Black color, he also liked Green color a lot. He used green pen often and he has signed all his certificates in green pen.

Corinphila has generously donated the selling of books on the day of celebration and the proceeds have gone to the RPSL as well as to the charity for the hospice where Brian has received 4 weeks one-to-one end of life care at Thorpe Hall, Sue Ryder Home.

Why Stamps? Why Latin America?

At age 19-20. Brian had become the advertising manage for Harris Publication Company. He was in charge of a group of weekly stamp magazines. He collected stamps as a young boy starting with the box of stamps his father has bought for him when he was in boarding school.

The job has renewed his interest in stamps and he has started buying and selling quietly for three years. A couple of years later, he left the advertising company and started trading as a full-time stamp dealer in 1972.

Brian concentrated on Latin America as it was the only area he did not have anyone advertised in the magazine and he felt it was safe and fair, as not to create conflict of interest within the existing clients of the magazine.

Brian’s photographic memory and his very sharp eye for details gave him the edge to become an expert in this field. His accumulated knowledge and fairness in the business for 45 years have earned his unchallenged authority with great respect form the world over.

Respect – must be earned. Brian has just done that.

Brian’s business motto was:

“If you keep your word and pay people, you will always be trusted and have no problem in doing business!”

It was an honor for Brian and myself that his surname “Moorhouse” has become a verb in the philatelic world for his iconic knowledge and authority of authenticity in Latin America rare stamps and postal history.

Brian’s famous two quotes given with his weight of authority were:

“If I haven’t seen it before – it has to be rare!”

“Show me another one!”

Brian and I share our passion in collecting countries! We have made his last country/territories visited on the Åland Island – a side trip made from Finland this May. It has totalled 267 countries/territories travelled for us.

Our Motto:

“See this world before the next!”

The Mick Jagger of Philately as many people called him, has taken his final bow at the final curtain after 45 years. Brian died peacefully in my arms and with all children at this side on the 15^th of July, 2017.

Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this afternoon as well as your visit at the Monacophil in this beautiful place.