WE ARE BEGINNING TO GET BACK TO NORMAL AND WE HAVE ARRANGED A FULL PROGRAM OF SPEAKERS FOR 2022. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS
- Details
- Last Updated: Sunday, 03 October 2021 14:08
6th January -
Ian Keeble - The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in the Eighteenth Century
The 1700s was a period when the people of England seemed to be especially gullible. They believed a woman could give birth to rabbits; a man could climb inside a two pint bottle and sing inside it; and where a blond-haired European could write a book claiming that he was born in Taiwan. In this entertaining talk Ian demonstrates how 18th century hoaxes are memorable not only for their imaginative nature but also because of the differing motives of the tricksters.
3rd February
Ian Brown – The Brinksmat Gold Bullion robbery
Ex.Police Officer rising through the ranks as a Detective and reaching the rank of Detective Superintendent in the Metropoltan Police the last two years of 30 were spent Operationally Heading a Drug Squad in the Caribbean. All of his talks are in some way anecdotal and include The Ronnie and Charmian Biggs Story The Krays The Real Sweeny The Brinks-Matt Gold Bullion Robbery Pirates of the Caribbean (Drugs,Drugs and more Drugs) And More
3rd March
Paul Barwick - The White Mouse
The White Mouse” tells the story of WW2 spy Nancy Wake. A remarkable woman who lived with the daily threat of death for almost 5 years to help shorten the war for the allies. Her incredible courage and strength of purpose is an awe-inspiring tale of strength of purpose, resolve and bravery.
7th April
Chris Bell – Weather / Storm chasing
Originally from the Houston, Texas area Chris first came to the UK to study meteorology and climatology at the University of East Anglia as part of a study abroad program while attending Louisiana State University.. Along with his role as Forecasting Director at Weatherquest, Chris is also a Lecturer of Meteorology at the University of East Anglia. He can also occasionally be seen as a weather presenter on BBC Look East, which he has done since 2010.
Chris has had a lifelong passion for meteorology and remembers wanting to be a “weatherman” from a very early age. He is also a storm chaser and has been on many trips to the Great Plains of the United States in search of severe storms and tornadoes. He has also experienced several hurricanes.
5th May
Michael Smith - Tom Crean, unsung hero of ANTARTIC EXPLORATION
Tom Crean was the unsung hero of the heroic age of Polar exploration, an indestructible character who sailed on three of the four great British expeditions with Captain Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic. He ran away from home at the age of 15, spent longer in the icy wilderness than either Scott or Shackleton and outlived most of the era’s more notable figures.
But Crean never spoke about his exploits and he became a forgotten figure until publication of his first biography, An Unsung Hero in 2000.
2nd June
AGM plus Talk Chelsea Pensioner Royal Chelsea Hospital
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is the home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army. Since 1692 they have offered care and comradeship for veterans in recognition of their loyal service to the Nation. One of the pensioners will visit us to tell us about the hospital and life as Chelsea Pensioner
7th July
Talk by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
This will be a very enjoyable afternoon learning about this service which possibly many of us take for granted. The helicopters are manned by highly skilled medical professionals and they operate 24 hours a day every day. It costs an amazing £14M to run this service annually, all funded by voluntary contributions.
4th Aug
Tony Harris- Flying for Fun
‘Flying For Fun’ ... is obviously about flying! Tony is an enthusiastic and experienced flier having been passionate about flying since childhood. He has flown literally hundreds of times as pilot or passenger in more than thirty different types of aircraft from airliners to autogyros − including gliders, helicopters, microlights, various light aircraft, and a commercial airline flight simulator − even Concorde, the fastest way to travel, and a hot air balloon, the slowest!
This talk, in four short sections, features an entertaining look at the history of aviation, a reassuring review of airline safety, a glimpse at Tony’s piloting experiences, and concludes with instructions on how to fly a helicopter!
1st September
Jack Deans - Finger Prints & Murder
Jack Deans had a 35year career at New Scotland Yard as a fingerprint expert and crime scene examiner during which time he examined 120 scenes of M**der, dealt with all levels of crime including terrorism.
For 10 years he was the Senior Fingerprint Expert in London’s West End where he dealt with offences at Royal Palaces, Government Buildings etc
He also had dealings with the fingerprint aspect of crimes such as Lockerbie, Marchoness Disaster and the Great Train Robbery
6th October
Signing on day
Your chance to meet the conveners and to learn about groups that may be of interest to you.
3rd November
Tony Strange Harris -Titanic the ship that never sank.
Sailing into oblivion or a scam?
Not all aboard the Titanic was as it seemed. The fourth funnel was a dummy and the ship almost certainly had 50 stowaways on board when it foundered. But did she strike an iceberg? Tony doesn’t think so.
Tony’s conspiracy theory will have you Googling like mad when you get home and is a really thought-provoking talk. Despite the tragic loss of life, the talk is kept light hearted and, as with all these characterisations, Tony searches for the humour in the situation.
1st December
Linda Watts, Singer Entertainer
Star of BBC’s Friday Night is Music Night.
Linda is a warm and versatile singer whose beautiful voice will enthral and delight you. If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Linda on radio, seeing her in Concert or on National Tour, here is an opportunity to join her as she recalls her many memories.
Sharing beautiful songs and timeless melodies from the worlds of Opera, Stage and Screen, Linda recalls her childhood memories and how she realised her ambitions to travel the world and become a professional singer.