TALKS PROGRAMME - jANUARY TO aPRIL 2015
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January 7th David Baldock "Booze, Baccy and Cruise Missiles"
David will be talking about his experiences during a career with H.M.Customs & Excise.
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January 14th Dr. Alan Parkinson "The History of a Devon School"
Alan's talk is based on the research for his book on the 150 year history of North Tawton School and the process of undertaking a school/community history project. Copies of his book will be on sale (£5).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 21st Alison Baker "Driving Safer for Longer"
Since 2008, Devon County Council have been delivering Driving Safer for Longer workshops aimed at keeping older drivers on the road safely for as long as possible, helping them to retain their independent mobility. The ageing process can affect a range of skills essential to driving - including eyesight, memory, decision-making and reaction times. Because this process is usually gradual it can be difficult for the driver to notice and take action to address any potential problems. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for a driving assessment/refresher, for which there is a charge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 28th Gill Riley "Antarctica - Part 2"
Last January Gill gave a talk titled "A Slice of Antarctic History Through My Son Steven's Eyes", illustrated with some exceptional photographs and including her son's journal entries and poems written while working through an Antarctic winter, and "Antarctica Part 2" will continue the story of his experiences.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 4th Laurence Hunt "Whimsical Buildings"
Laurence Hunt prefers to describe follies as whimsical buildings - capricious constructions with an element of fun; the antithesis of modern, functional architecture. Follies became particularly popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, when rich people had more money to build entertaining buildings for fun; many still stand today and Laurence will be showing examples of these and some of the more modern ones, along with their origin and history.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 11th Paul Rendell "Water from the Moor"
Paul is known as 'Dartmoor Paul' because of his knowledge and involvement with activities on Dartmoor. He has been a Dartmoor National Park Guide for over 21 years, and continues to edit the bimonthly magazine 'Dartmoor News' which he founded in 1991. He has written four books about the Dartmoor area and many articles for newspapers and magazines, so we can expect a very authoritative and informative talk about the use of Dartmoor in the supply of water to the towns surrounding the moor.
If you would like to learn more about Paul, the work he does and his publications, his web site can be accessed at http://paulrendelldartmoor.co.uk/ .
Paul will be bringing some of his publications to the meeting for you to see and to purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 18th Dr. Peter Marsden "Who sank the Mary Rose in 1545?
The Devon connection"
Peter is a professional archaeologist, historian and author, formerly at the Museum of London, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. When King Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose sank off Portsmouth on 19 July 1545, over four hundred men died, including Exeter based Vice-Admiral Sir George Carew. Since the ship was raised in 1982, Peter has had the opportunity to join other archaeologists and historians in finding out how and why she sank, and who was responsible for the disaster,
If you would like to learn more about Peter's work, his web site can be accessed at http://petermarsden.net/ .
At the meeting Peter will have copies of some of his books available for purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 25th Lawrence Sail "The Key to Clover and Other Essays"
Lawrence will be talking about his book 'The Key to Clover & Other Essays', published in 2013, with one or two short readings from the essays. These cover a wide variety of subjects such as 'A Sense of Shape', which considers how we look back at our life; or 'Unstill Life', centred on Monet's garden at Giverny; or 'Alceste and the Quiet Coach', about the quiet coach on trains as a great breeding ground for anger.
Lawrence has had 15 books published, is a distinguished poet, editor, critic and essayist, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was born in London in 1942, but grew up in Exeter. His career included teaching in Kenya, and at Blundell's School and Exeter School : he has been a freelance writer since 1991. A new collection of his poems, 'The Quick', is due to be published at the end of June this year.
At the meeting Lawrence will have copies of some of his books available for purchase.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4th Clare James "The Past, Present and Future of the Clinton
Estate"
Clare is the Estates Surveyor with the Clinton Devon Estates, with responsibility for the residential and agricultural properties on the East Devon and eer Estates. Her passion and drive, since joining the Estates in 2002, has been to ensure the countryside is a living, working place, through responsible stewardship and sustainable development. The Clinton Devon Estates own and manage 25,000 acres of land in Devon, with a history stretching back to 1550 when the 9th Baron, Edward Clinton, acquired land near Exeter. In the 17th century the link to Devon was further established when the Clinton family became linked by marriage to the Rolle family.
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March 11th Richard Ball "Disappearing Bees"
Through the knowledge and experience gained as a National Bee Inspector, Richard will give his view of the problem of declining bee populations, the cause, effects and ways in which we may be able to reverse the decline.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 18th Rev. Christopher Pidsley "Dialect Stories and Songs of A.J.Coles
( alias Jan Stewer )"
Christopher will be presenting stories and songs of A.J.Coles, better known by the name he wrote under, Jan Stewer. A.J.Coles was born in 1876 and he taught at the village school in Puddington, near Crediton. His first article under the name of Jan Stewer appeared in 1900 and he continued to write about the life and folk of his fictional Devon parish of Muddlecombe until his death in 1965. The Poet Laureate John Betjeman described him as 'one of the great understanding humourists', and in keeping with Coles' desire to keep alive the Devon dialect, Christopher will be giving a taste of his work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 25th Mike Walker "The Soviet Union - My Part in its Downfall"
Mike will be describing his experiences while serving in the Intelligence Service in Germany for 8 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1st Dennis Dyson "Life in Methley Village from the 1940s"
Last year Dennis recounted his memories of life in Methley Village up to the Second World War and in this talk he will continue with a description of village life since the 1940s. Methley is an agricultural and former mining village in West Yorkshire, about 10 miles south of Leeds and has a very informative web site at http://www.methley-village.com/ .
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April 8th John Lowe "The Boys"
John will be telling the story of the crash of an RAF bomber on the Dartmoor slopes of Hameldown on 21st March 1941. His story focuses on the events of that day and reflects on the young aircrew whose lives ended that night and who were four of the 55,500 airmen who never came home.
John has a passion for history and after a career in the Royal Air Force has been able to combine his experience as an aviator with that of researching the final operation of X3054, its crew and its final resting place on the slopes of Hameldown.
An informative web page with many details of the aircraft and crew can be accessed at the following address : http://hameldownboys.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 15th Ed Parr Ferris "Bats in Devon Landscapes"
Devon Wildlife Trust
Ed is a project manager with the Devon Wildlife Trust and since June 2014 has been the manager of the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. Since gaining his BSc at Seale-Hayne in 2002, Ed has been involved in a wide range of conservation projects in the South West.
Details of the project Ed is managing, along with details of bats and other wildlife in Devon can be accessed at the following web page :
http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/greater-horseshoe-bat-project/
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April 22nd Valerie Sutherland "Nice Girls Never Should"
Valerie is a popular storyteller/entertainer and in this presentation looks back at her life as an actress.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 29th Lesley Weeks "Walking With Attitude ...... oops ...... Altitude"
Lesley is a hairdresser at Exeter's Hospiscare, where she has worked for 24 years. Her talk is about her experiences trekking to Macchu Pichu, which she did to raise funds for Hospiscare, but also to visit a place she had always dreamed of seeing and because she felt in need of an adventure before she was too old.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 7th David Baldock "Booze, Baccy and Cruise Missiles"
David will be talking about his experiences during a career with H.M.Customs & Excise.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 14th Dr. Alan Parkinson "The History of a Devon School"
Alan's talk is based on the research for his book on the 150 year history of North Tawton School and the process of undertaking a school/community history project. Copies of his book will be on sale (£5).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 21st Alison Baker "Driving Safer for Longer"
Since 2008, Devon County Council have been delivering Driving Safer for Longer workshops aimed at keeping older drivers on the road safely for as long as possible, helping them to retain their independent mobility. The ageing process can affect a range of skills essential to driving - including eyesight, memory, decision-making and reaction times. Because this process is usually gradual it can be difficult for the driver to notice and take action to address any potential problems. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for a driving assessment/refresher, for which there is a charge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 28th Gill Riley "Antarctica - Part 2"
Last January Gill gave a talk titled "A Slice of Antarctic History Through My Son Steven's Eyes", illustrated with some exceptional photographs and including her son's journal entries and poems written while working through an Antarctic winter, and "Antarctica Part 2" will continue the story of his experiences.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 4th Laurence Hunt "Whimsical Buildings"
Laurence Hunt prefers to describe follies as whimsical buildings - capricious constructions with an element of fun; the antithesis of modern, functional architecture. Follies became particularly popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, when rich people had more money to build entertaining buildings for fun; many still stand today and Laurence will be showing examples of these and some of the more modern ones, along with their origin and history.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 11th Paul Rendell "Water from the Moor"
Paul is known as 'Dartmoor Paul' because of his knowledge and involvement with activities on Dartmoor. He has been a Dartmoor National Park Guide for over 21 years, and continues to edit the bimonthly magazine 'Dartmoor News' which he founded in 1991. He has written four books about the Dartmoor area and many articles for newspapers and magazines, so we can expect a very authoritative and informative talk about the use of Dartmoor in the supply of water to the towns surrounding the moor.
If you would like to learn more about Paul, the work he does and his publications, his web site can be accessed at http://paulrendelldartmoor.co.uk/ .
Paul will be bringing some of his publications to the meeting for you to see and to purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 18th Dr. Peter Marsden "Who sank the Mary Rose in 1545?
The Devon connection"
Peter is a professional archaeologist, historian and author, formerly at the Museum of London, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. When King Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose sank off Portsmouth on 19 July 1545, over four hundred men died, including Exeter based Vice-Admiral Sir George Carew. Since the ship was raised in 1982, Peter has had the opportunity to join other archaeologists and historians in finding out how and why she sank, and who was responsible for the disaster,
If you would like to learn more about Peter's work, his web site can be accessed at http://petermarsden.net/ .
At the meeting Peter will have copies of some of his books available for purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 25th Lawrence Sail "The Key to Clover and Other Essays"
Lawrence will be talking about his book 'The Key to Clover & Other Essays', published in 2013, with one or two short readings from the essays. These cover a wide variety of subjects such as 'A Sense of Shape', which considers how we look back at our life; or 'Unstill Life', centred on Monet's garden at Giverny; or 'Alceste and the Quiet Coach', about the quiet coach on trains as a great breeding ground for anger.
Lawrence has had 15 books published, is a distinguished poet, editor, critic and essayist, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was born in London in 1942, but grew up in Exeter. His career included teaching in Kenya, and at Blundell's School and Exeter School : he has been a freelance writer since 1991. A new collection of his poems, 'The Quick', is due to be published at the end of June this year.
At the meeting Lawrence will have copies of some of his books available for purchase.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4th Clare James "The Past, Present and Future of the Clinton
Estate"
Clare is the Estates Surveyor with the Clinton Devon Estates, with responsibility for the residential and agricultural properties on the East Devon and eer Estates. Her passion and drive, since joining the Estates in 2002, has been to ensure the countryside is a living, working place, through responsible stewardship and sustainable development. The Clinton Devon Estates own and manage 25,000 acres of land in Devon, with a history stretching back to 1550 when the 9th Baron, Edward Clinton, acquired land near Exeter. In the 17th century the link to Devon was further established when the Clinton family became linked by marriage to the Rolle family.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 11th Richard Ball "Disappearing Bees"
Through the knowledge and experience gained as a National Bee Inspector, Richard will give his view of the problem of declining bee populations, the cause, effects and ways in which we may be able to reverse the decline.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 18th Rev. Christopher Pidsley "Dialect Stories and Songs of A.J.Coles
( alias Jan Stewer )"
Christopher will be presenting stories and songs of A.J.Coles, better known by the name he wrote under, Jan Stewer. A.J.Coles was born in 1876 and he taught at the village school in Puddington, near Crediton. His first article under the name of Jan Stewer appeared in 1900 and he continued to write about the life and folk of his fictional Devon parish of Muddlecombe until his death in 1965. The Poet Laureate John Betjeman described him as 'one of the great understanding humourists', and in keeping with Coles' desire to keep alive the Devon dialect, Christopher will be giving a taste of his work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 25th Mike Walker "The Soviet Union - My Part in its Downfall"
Mike will be describing his experiences while serving in the Intelligence Service in Germany for 8 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1st Dennis Dyson "Life in Methley Village from the 1940s"
Last year Dennis recounted his memories of life in Methley Village up to the Second World War and in this talk he will continue with a description of village life since the 1940s. Methley is an agricultural and former mining village in West Yorkshire, about 10 miles south of Leeds and has a very informative web site at http://www.methley-village.com/ .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 8th John Lowe "The Boys"
John will be telling the story of the crash of an RAF bomber on the Dartmoor slopes of Hameldown on 21st March 1941. His story focuses on the events of that day and reflects on the young aircrew whose lives ended that night and who were four of the 55,500 airmen who never came home.
John has a passion for history and after a career in the Royal Air Force has been able to combine his experience as an aviator with that of researching the final operation of X3054, its crew and its final resting place on the slopes of Hameldown.
An informative web page with many details of the aircraft and crew can be accessed at the following address : http://hameldownboys.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 15th Ed Parr Ferris "Bats in Devon Landscapes"
Devon Wildlife Trust
Ed is a project manager with the Devon Wildlife Trust and since June 2014 has been the manager of the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. Since gaining his BSc at Seale-Hayne in 2002, Ed has been involved in a wide range of conservation projects in the South West.
Details of the project Ed is managing, along with details of bats and other wildlife in Devon can be accessed at the following web page :
http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/greater-horseshoe-bat-project/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 22nd Valerie Sutherland "Nice Girls Never Should"
Valerie is a popular storyteller/entertainer and in this presentation looks back at her life as an actress.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 29th Lesley Weeks "Walking With Attitude ...... oops ...... Altitude"
Lesley is a hairdresser at Exeter's Hospiscare, where she has worked for 24 years. Her talk is about her experiences trekking to Macchu Pichu, which she did to raise funds for Hospiscare, but also to visit a place she had always dreamed of seeing and because she felt in need of an adventure before she was too old.
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