talks programme - January - April 2018
January 3rd Stephen Ayres Exeter Airport, an overview, past and present
Stephen is the Communications Manager at Exeter Airport, and has lived in Devon for over 30 years. He previously worked for local radio stations, but for 16 years he has been responsible for all public relations at the airport.
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January 10th Seasonal Lunch at the Devon Hotel
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January 17th David Oates From Bog to Lettuce via Hereward the Wake
The Fenland of eastern England has been one of the most inaccessible and mysterious places in the country. David's talk will give us an insight into its ancient formation and how this remote setting was home to monks and outlaws alike. By contrast, we shall see how the drainage works of the "Adventurers" of the 17th century created the fertile agricultural plains of today.
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January 24th Kevin Cahill Spying and Surveillance
Kevin is a writer, and investigative journalist . After serving as a platoon commander in Aden, Bahrain and Northern Ireland, he left the army and graduated as a mature student from the University of Ulster. He worked for several international companies including Rank Xerox, Glaxo, Gulf Oil, Singer & Friedlander and ICL.
Switching to journalism he became Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times Rich List. He is currently Bureau Chief at Global & Western News Bureau working from Exeter.
He was Paddy Ashdown's researcher in the House of Commons and is currently special advisor to Professor the Lord Laird of Artigaven in the House of Lords. He is a Liveryman and Freeman of the City of London.
His key books are Who Owns Britain and Ireland, Who Owns the World and in 2018, Who Owns Ireland.
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January 31st Michael Pittkeathly Life in a Nuclear Submarine
Michael joined the RN in 1966 and served 33 years before the mast, starting with a wonderful time in the Far East on the HMS Albion. He volunteered for submarines and served on Repulse, Courageous, Superb and Trafalgar, all nuclear powered. He now lives in Saltash and has been involved in the renovation of HMS Courageous which was laid up in Devonport Dockyard and in coordinating the Courageous Volunteer Guides.
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February 7th Karl Emeleus Killerton Gardens, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Karl has been the Head Gardener at Killerton for just over 3 years, having previously worked at Killerton for 7 years as Assistant Head Gardener. Before coming to Killerton he was a gardener at Greenway in South Devon. He and his team of 4 staff, 1 full-time trainee and 20 volunteers look after the 18 acre formal garden at Killerton as well as the less formal Chapel Grounds. They are currently undertaking a project to improve some of the infrastructure in the garden (fences, paths and drainage) and will be focusing on replanting a few of the formal areas and improving presentation standards.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 14th Hon Sir Neil Butterfield Crime and Punishment
After a very successful career as a barrister, Sir Neil served as a High Court Judge from 1995 to 2012, dealing with many of the most high profile cases in Devon and Cornwall. He is a member of the Parole Board and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
Sir Neil lives in mid Devon where he is a very active member of his local community and is a patron of the charity Balloons (Bereavement And LOss LOoking ONwardS), having on many occasions in his work on the Parole Board seen the effects of unresolved grief and loss on later lives.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 21st Paul Jepson The Role of the Theatre Director
Paul is an experienced dramaturg and a published playwright. He has directed classics, contemporary classics and new plays at the Royal National Theatre, major regional theatres, the new writing theatres and in the West End.
In January 2015 Paul was appointed Artistic and Executive Director of the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and was featured on the BBC ‘On Stage’ series which followed his first six months in the role as he started to rejuvenate the venue. In developing theatre productions at the Northcott he has directed Pinter's Betrayal as the debut in-house production and since then has directed the Christmas 2017 show, Peter Pan, and The Railway Children, a Northcott production which subsequently went on to tour around the UK.
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February 28th Extraordinary General Meeting
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March 7th Michael Caines MBE My Journey to Lympstone Manor
Michael Caines MBE is one of the UK’s most celebrated and acclaimed chefs, making numerous appearances on Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef, The Great British Menu, Sunday Brunch and other broadcasts. Over the past fifteen years, he has also proved himself to be a successful and imaginative hotelier, in 2017 opening Lympstone Manor which has already gained a Michelin star rating. Lympstone Manor marks the pinnacle of a scintillating career. For the past two years, Michael has spent his time creatively and imaginatively transforming an historic Grade II listed Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary into his wholly personal and exciting vision of contemporary country house hospitality for the 21st century.
Michael was born in Exeter in 1969 and adopted into a large and loving family. He gained his passion for food from his mother and attended Exeter Catering College where he was “Student of the Year” in 1987. He worked with a number of world-renowned chefs in this country and France, before becoming Head Chef at Gidleigh Park. Two months after taking this job he suffered a terrible car accident in which he lost his right arm. With remarkable and inspirational determination he was back at work within 4 weeks. In 2006 he received an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.
In addition to numerous business interests Michael has a long history of commitment to community and to charities and in recognition of this he was made a freeman of the city of Exeter in 2015.
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March 14th Dennis Dyson New Zealand, The Complete Holiday Destination
New Zealand is frequently quoted as the destination many people would most like to visit. This illustrated talk will show many of the attractive areas seen by most visitors, together with some background to explain their significance.
This talk will concentrate on the North Island with the possibility of a second presentation dealing with the South Island. The relatively small size of New Zealand - similar to the British Isles - makes it easier to see many of the 'top attractions' in a limited time span but it needs extended visits over several weeks to see them all.
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March 21st Jon-Paul Hedge Exeter From the Chief Executive's Office
Jon-Paul Hedge is Director of Communications and Marketing for Exeter City Council.
He is a former senior photo-journalist and broadcaster with 15 years’ experience of regional media, being editor of the Express and Echo, after working for Northcliffe and Local World.
He is experienced in providing strategic direction and reputational management to organisations, with a focus on using digital media in high profile marketing and in managing effective rapid change.
As a volunteer he has been involved in media related work for VSO, Oxfam, Christian Aid in Russia, Thailand and South Africa and is vice-chair of a homeless charity in Devon.
Other ‘spare time’ is spent in the comms team for TEDxExeter helping share ideas across the globe.
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March 28th No Meeting
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April 4th No Meeting
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April 11th Norman Maudsley Finland : Trekking With Huskies
Norman will be showing a pictorial record of his experiences trekking with huskies above the Arctic Circle, in temperatures as low as -30 deg. Centigrade.
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April 18th Peter Barker Life in Russia Today
Peter is the Chairperson of the Exeter Yaroslavl Twinning Association which promotes friendship between Exeter and Yaroslavl, Exeter's twin city in Russia.
Peter has been to Russia 10 times, staying as a personal guest in private Russian homes. In return, they have stayed with him in Exeter. Through these visits he has been encouraged to learn the language and has many good Russian friends.
Peter's talk will be about Russian life and culture, including things he has found especially interesting about Russia and its people.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 25th Professor Jeremy Black The Politics of James Bond
Jeremy has been a Professor of History at the University of Exeter since 1996, working on post 1500 military history, eighteenth-century British history, international relations, cartographic history and newspaper history.
Jeremy has lectured extensively in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the USA . He is and has been on a number of editorial boards including the Journal of Military History, the journal of the Royal United Services Institute, Media History, the International History Review, and History Today and was editor of Archives. He is the author of over 100 books, especially on eighteenth century British politics and international relations. Some of his most recent publications include War and World 1450-2000, The British Seaborne Empire, Maps and History, George III and European Warfare in a Global Context 1660-1815.
Stephen is the Communications Manager at Exeter Airport, and has lived in Devon for over 30 years. He previously worked for local radio stations, but for 16 years he has been responsible for all public relations at the airport.
_______________________________________________________________________
January 10th Seasonal Lunch at the Devon Hotel
_______________________________________________________________________
January 17th David Oates From Bog to Lettuce via Hereward the Wake
The Fenland of eastern England has been one of the most inaccessible and mysterious places in the country. David's talk will give us an insight into its ancient formation and how this remote setting was home to monks and outlaws alike. By contrast, we shall see how the drainage works of the "Adventurers" of the 17th century created the fertile agricultural plains of today.
_______________________________________________________________________
January 24th Kevin Cahill Spying and Surveillance
Kevin is a writer, and investigative journalist . After serving as a platoon commander in Aden, Bahrain and Northern Ireland, he left the army and graduated as a mature student from the University of Ulster. He worked for several international companies including Rank Xerox, Glaxo, Gulf Oil, Singer & Friedlander and ICL.
Switching to journalism he became Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times Rich List. He is currently Bureau Chief at Global & Western News Bureau working from Exeter.
He was Paddy Ashdown's researcher in the House of Commons and is currently special advisor to Professor the Lord Laird of Artigaven in the House of Lords. He is a Liveryman and Freeman of the City of London.
His key books are Who Owns Britain and Ireland, Who Owns the World and in 2018, Who Owns Ireland.
_______________________________________________________________________
January 31st Michael Pittkeathly Life in a Nuclear Submarine
Michael joined the RN in 1966 and served 33 years before the mast, starting with a wonderful time in the Far East on the HMS Albion. He volunteered for submarines and served on Repulse, Courageous, Superb and Trafalgar, all nuclear powered. He now lives in Saltash and has been involved in the renovation of HMS Courageous which was laid up in Devonport Dockyard and in coordinating the Courageous Volunteer Guides.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 7th Karl Emeleus Killerton Gardens, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Karl has been the Head Gardener at Killerton for just over 3 years, having previously worked at Killerton for 7 years as Assistant Head Gardener. Before coming to Killerton he was a gardener at Greenway in South Devon. He and his team of 4 staff, 1 full-time trainee and 20 volunteers look after the 18 acre formal garden at Killerton as well as the less formal Chapel Grounds. They are currently undertaking a project to improve some of the infrastructure in the garden (fences, paths and drainage) and will be focusing on replanting a few of the formal areas and improving presentation standards.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 14th Hon Sir Neil Butterfield Crime and Punishment
After a very successful career as a barrister, Sir Neil served as a High Court Judge from 1995 to 2012, dealing with many of the most high profile cases in Devon and Cornwall. He is a member of the Parole Board and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
Sir Neil lives in mid Devon where he is a very active member of his local community and is a patron of the charity Balloons (Bereavement And LOss LOoking ONwardS), having on many occasions in his work on the Parole Board seen the effects of unresolved grief and loss on later lives.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 21st Paul Jepson The Role of the Theatre Director
Paul is an experienced dramaturg and a published playwright. He has directed classics, contemporary classics and new plays at the Royal National Theatre, major regional theatres, the new writing theatres and in the West End.
In January 2015 Paul was appointed Artistic and Executive Director of the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and was featured on the BBC ‘On Stage’ series which followed his first six months in the role as he started to rejuvenate the venue. In developing theatre productions at the Northcott he has directed Pinter's Betrayal as the debut in-house production and since then has directed the Christmas 2017 show, Peter Pan, and The Railway Children, a Northcott production which subsequently went on to tour around the UK.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 28th Extraordinary General Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
March 7th Michael Caines MBE My Journey to Lympstone Manor
Michael Caines MBE is one of the UK’s most celebrated and acclaimed chefs, making numerous appearances on Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef, The Great British Menu, Sunday Brunch and other broadcasts. Over the past fifteen years, he has also proved himself to be a successful and imaginative hotelier, in 2017 opening Lympstone Manor which has already gained a Michelin star rating. Lympstone Manor marks the pinnacle of a scintillating career. For the past two years, Michael has spent his time creatively and imaginatively transforming an historic Grade II listed Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary into his wholly personal and exciting vision of contemporary country house hospitality for the 21st century.
Michael was born in Exeter in 1969 and adopted into a large and loving family. He gained his passion for food from his mother and attended Exeter Catering College where he was “Student of the Year” in 1987. He worked with a number of world-renowned chefs in this country and France, before becoming Head Chef at Gidleigh Park. Two months after taking this job he suffered a terrible car accident in which he lost his right arm. With remarkable and inspirational determination he was back at work within 4 weeks. In 2006 he received an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.
In addition to numerous business interests Michael has a long history of commitment to community and to charities and in recognition of this he was made a freeman of the city of Exeter in 2015.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 14th Dennis Dyson New Zealand, The Complete Holiday Destination
New Zealand is frequently quoted as the destination many people would most like to visit. This illustrated talk will show many of the attractive areas seen by most visitors, together with some background to explain their significance.
This talk will concentrate on the North Island with the possibility of a second presentation dealing with the South Island. The relatively small size of New Zealand - similar to the British Isles - makes it easier to see many of the 'top attractions' in a limited time span but it needs extended visits over several weeks to see them all.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 21st Jon-Paul Hedge Exeter From the Chief Executive's Office
Jon-Paul Hedge is Director of Communications and Marketing for Exeter City Council.
He is a former senior photo-journalist and broadcaster with 15 years’ experience of regional media, being editor of the Express and Echo, after working for Northcliffe and Local World.
He is experienced in providing strategic direction and reputational management to organisations, with a focus on using digital media in high profile marketing and in managing effective rapid change.
As a volunteer he has been involved in media related work for VSO, Oxfam, Christian Aid in Russia, Thailand and South Africa and is vice-chair of a homeless charity in Devon.
Other ‘spare time’ is spent in the comms team for TEDxExeter helping share ideas across the globe.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 28th No Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
April 4th No Meeting
______________________________________________________________________
April 11th Norman Maudsley Finland : Trekking With Huskies
Norman will be showing a pictorial record of his experiences trekking with huskies above the Arctic Circle, in temperatures as low as -30 deg. Centigrade.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 18th Peter Barker Life in Russia Today
Peter is the Chairperson of the Exeter Yaroslavl Twinning Association which promotes friendship between Exeter and Yaroslavl, Exeter's twin city in Russia.
Peter has been to Russia 10 times, staying as a personal guest in private Russian homes. In return, they have stayed with him in Exeter. Through these visits he has been encouraged to learn the language and has many good Russian friends.
Peter's talk will be about Russian life and culture, including things he has found especially interesting about Russia and its people.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 25th Professor Jeremy Black The Politics of James Bond
Jeremy has been a Professor of History at the University of Exeter since 1996, working on post 1500 military history, eighteenth-century British history, international relations, cartographic history and newspaper history.
Jeremy has lectured extensively in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the USA . He is and has been on a number of editorial boards including the Journal of Military History, the journal of the Royal United Services Institute, Media History, the International History Review, and History Today and was editor of Archives. He is the author of over 100 books, especially on eighteenth century British politics and international relations. Some of his most recent publications include War and World 1450-2000, The British Seaborne Empire, Maps and History, George III and European Warfare in a Global Context 1660-1815.