taLKS PROGRAMME
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2021.
September 8th Andrew Webb The World of Coffee
This fascinating talk looked at the world of coffee, covering its history, geography, diversity, and culture. It covered the processing, roasting and preparation of coffee as a beverage and provided interesting insights into one of our most popular drinks.
Andrew is a retired civil engineer who worked as a consultant in project management. One of his early clients was the International Coffee Organization, where he worked for 10 years, and discovered how fascinating the world of coffee was! When Andrew moved to Devon 10 years ago, he established a family coffee roasting business in Crediton where they offer the highest quality speciality coffee roasted daily on the premises. Customers can enjoy a coffee in the coffee shop or take freshly roasted beans and ground coffee home.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 22nd John Davidson Icelandic Volcanoes - Dramatic but Dangerous
Circumstances beyond our control meant that the Mint was unavailable for us to meet. This talk was therefore delivered by Zoom.
The talk examined Icelandic volcanoes and their eruptions, including the consequences for people and the economy, using experience from several visits to Iceland. The talk concluded with an overview of how future eruptions may cause problems for the northern hemisphere and our climate.
Exeter Forum member John Davidson taught geography, geology, and world development at Exeter School until 2018, and was a member of the school’s senior management team. John has travelled extensively studying the environment and writes articles on landscapes, ecosystems, and natural hazards. He has given several talk and zoom presentations on geographical,
historical, and ecological subjects. John is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Geographical Association.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 6th John Davidson Rewilding - Will it save our Wildlife?
Many species in the UK are in decline and the idea of rewilding places has received considerable attention in the last 20 years. This talk will look at what rewilding means, and what is involved in rewilding a landscape. Plans to introduce missing species such as beavers and large predators like the wolf or lynx will be discussed. The talk will also consider the importance of rewilding (or wilding) smaller areas in cities like Exeter or in rural areas and why human intervention may be required to help natural processes.
(Mike Richards' talk on Humour in the Police originally scheduled for October 6th has had to be postponed at short notice due to Mike's present indisposition, but will now be heard in the New Year).
_______________________________________________________________________
October 20th Graham Tombs The Khyber Pass and the North West Frontier –a cultural and historic overview.
The Khyber Pass, 130 miles from Kabul, is where Afghanistan and Pakistan meet in the North-West Frontier Province, on the historical route to India. This topical talk starts by recalling some of the events of the independence and partition of India in 1947, and a brief description of an irrigation scheme larger than England and which provides the food for 100 million people in order to explain why Graham was in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
It will go on to look at life in the region, including transport along the Grand Trunk Road going back to the mid 1800's, the crossing of the River Indus at Attock, the characteristics of Himalayan rivers, and spying during the Cold War. The talk will continue with the journey by steam train from Peshawar up to Landi-Khotal showing the topography, living conditions and people,
including local manufacture of different weapons.
The talk will conclude with scenes at the summit of the Khyber Pass at Michni Post overlooking the Afghan border, a visit inside the Officers Mess of the Khyber Rifles and to local markets selling produce from the irrigation schemes north of Peshawar which were commissioned by British engineers in 1895 and 1914. This talk will show the cultural contrasts of this complex region which is often in the news and is once again, in 2021, the focus of many conflicting interests.
Graham was educated at Exeter School, and then The Royal College of Advanced Technology, Salford, and Imperial College, London, becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer. His main focus was on design of water related projects including dams, barrages, hydro-electric and irrigation schemes, tunnels, pipelines, canals, pumping stations, water supply and seawater desalination, flood control and sea defences. The work took him all over mainland UK and much of the world. Graham retired in 2005.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 27th Michael & Karen Watkins How to hand paint silk scarves and how to tie them
This talk will be a demonstration of hand painting silk scarves in different styles and designs together with a separate demonstration on how to tie scarves by two very experienced designers.
_______________________________________________________________________
3 November Rosemary Griggs A Woman of Noble Wit - The Birth of a Novel.
(meeting to coincide with Exeter Literary Festival – ExeLitFest)
Rosemary will explain how her interests in Devon’s Sixteenth Century history and in historical clothing led to her research into the life of a fascinating Devon woman, and ultimately to her novel “A Woman of Noble Wit”. Rosemary makes her own historical clothing which will feature in her talk. Rosemary will have signed copies of her books available for sale at the end of her talk
_______________________________________________________________________
10 November Stephen Powles Wildlife Photography - In Pursuit of the Improbable
Celebrated Devon wildlife photographer Stephen will describe how he managed to photograph and film several challenging wildlife subjects and why an understanding of their natural history and behaviour enabled him to do so. His talk will include his own photographic images and videos some of which have featured in TV programmes.
_______________________________________________________________________
17 November Revd. Steve Santry A day in the life of a Methodist Minister
Revd. Steve Santry has pastoral charge of The Mint Church and Community Centre in Exeter City Centre, and Sidmouth church. His talk will look at a typical day as a Methodist Minister, referring to some of the challenges faced and the variety of work involved. Steve has been a Methodist Minister for 25 years serving mainly in the North of the country in a variety of appointments. He moved to Devon in 2016 and has pastoral charge of The Mint Church and Community Centre in Exeter City Centre, and more recently Sidmouth church. He values the colleagueship of the lay and ordained staff team. He maintains an interest in children’s ministry and the connection between church and community.
One of the standard lines I hear when declaring that I am a Methodist Minister is that I only work one day a week, to which I retort, Sunday is my easiest day of the week. Being part of the clergy has evolved in my 25 years in the role, no more so than as a result of the pandemic. Most people are oblivious to what clergy do but it is a very varied role and no two days are ever the same. I have accumulated many stories over the years accented by laughter or tears. I will also touch on why I became a Methodist minister, due to my heritage and the DNA of Wesley that still shapes church identity. Finally I will give you a potted history of the Mint through its various iterations. My hope is that the talk will be informative, but also entertaining! Revd. Steve Santry
_______________________________________________________________________
24 November Marilyn Bishop Fighting the Black Dog - Sir Winston Churchill's life through his paintings.
Sir Winston Churchill's rise to the pinnacle of politics was marred by his bouts of depression which were resolved mainly by his total immersion into painting. Marilyn's fascinating talk on the life of Churchill is illustrated with images of many of his paintings
_______________________________________________________________________
1 December Tony Davis How did the Kings find Bethlehem?
In this seasonal talk, Tony will examine the story that the Kings arrived in Bethlehem by following a star. He will describe how navigation has evolved over the centuries and consider possible solutions to the Kings' problem
_______________________________________________________________________
8 December Tracey Norman Cards, Cocoa and Charms - Devon's Forgotten Witches
Tracey’s talk will examine some fascinating and almost entirely unknown cases involving witchcraft in Devon.
_______________________________________________________________________
15 December Prof David Pugsley When the Judge shot the Doctor: the Fatal Duel on Haldon in May 1833.
David Pugsley, Professor of Law, will tell the story of the famous duel at Haldon Racecourse between the hero of the 1832 Exeter Cholera Outbreak, Dr Peter Hennis, and Judge Sir John William Jeffcott.
David Pugsley was born in Tiverton. He was a European civil servant in Strasbourg for 3 years and taught law for 40 years in the universities of Southampton, Johannesburg, Bari and Exeter. Since 1993 he has been the Hon Archivist of the Western Circuit. He has a special interest in causes
célèbres in the West Country in the 19th century.
_______________________________________________________________________
22 December No Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
29 December No Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
5 January 2022 Mark Norman Beyond the Hound of the Baskervilles
This talk explores the folklore surrounding the phenomenon of sightings of phantom Black Dogs in the UK, their long history and folklore, and how they inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
_______________________________________________________________________
This fascinating talk looked at the world of coffee, covering its history, geography, diversity, and culture. It covered the processing, roasting and preparation of coffee as a beverage and provided interesting insights into one of our most popular drinks.
Andrew is a retired civil engineer who worked as a consultant in project management. One of his early clients was the International Coffee Organization, where he worked for 10 years, and discovered how fascinating the world of coffee was! When Andrew moved to Devon 10 years ago, he established a family coffee roasting business in Crediton where they offer the highest quality speciality coffee roasted daily on the premises. Customers can enjoy a coffee in the coffee shop or take freshly roasted beans and ground coffee home.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 22nd John Davidson Icelandic Volcanoes - Dramatic but Dangerous
Circumstances beyond our control meant that the Mint was unavailable for us to meet. This talk was therefore delivered by Zoom.
The talk examined Icelandic volcanoes and their eruptions, including the consequences for people and the economy, using experience from several visits to Iceland. The talk concluded with an overview of how future eruptions may cause problems for the northern hemisphere and our climate.
Exeter Forum member John Davidson taught geography, geology, and world development at Exeter School until 2018, and was a member of the school’s senior management team. John has travelled extensively studying the environment and writes articles on landscapes, ecosystems, and natural hazards. He has given several talk and zoom presentations on geographical,
historical, and ecological subjects. John is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Geographical Association.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 6th John Davidson Rewilding - Will it save our Wildlife?
Many species in the UK are in decline and the idea of rewilding places has received considerable attention in the last 20 years. This talk will look at what rewilding means, and what is involved in rewilding a landscape. Plans to introduce missing species such as beavers and large predators like the wolf or lynx will be discussed. The talk will also consider the importance of rewilding (or wilding) smaller areas in cities like Exeter or in rural areas and why human intervention may be required to help natural processes.
(Mike Richards' talk on Humour in the Police originally scheduled for October 6th has had to be postponed at short notice due to Mike's present indisposition, but will now be heard in the New Year).
_______________________________________________________________________
October 20th Graham Tombs The Khyber Pass and the North West Frontier –a cultural and historic overview.
The Khyber Pass, 130 miles from Kabul, is where Afghanistan and Pakistan meet in the North-West Frontier Province, on the historical route to India. This topical talk starts by recalling some of the events of the independence and partition of India in 1947, and a brief description of an irrigation scheme larger than England and which provides the food for 100 million people in order to explain why Graham was in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
It will go on to look at life in the region, including transport along the Grand Trunk Road going back to the mid 1800's, the crossing of the River Indus at Attock, the characteristics of Himalayan rivers, and spying during the Cold War. The talk will continue with the journey by steam train from Peshawar up to Landi-Khotal showing the topography, living conditions and people,
including local manufacture of different weapons.
The talk will conclude with scenes at the summit of the Khyber Pass at Michni Post overlooking the Afghan border, a visit inside the Officers Mess of the Khyber Rifles and to local markets selling produce from the irrigation schemes north of Peshawar which were commissioned by British engineers in 1895 and 1914. This talk will show the cultural contrasts of this complex region which is often in the news and is once again, in 2021, the focus of many conflicting interests.
Graham was educated at Exeter School, and then The Royal College of Advanced Technology, Salford, and Imperial College, London, becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer. His main focus was on design of water related projects including dams, barrages, hydro-electric and irrigation schemes, tunnels, pipelines, canals, pumping stations, water supply and seawater desalination, flood control and sea defences. The work took him all over mainland UK and much of the world. Graham retired in 2005.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 27th Michael & Karen Watkins How to hand paint silk scarves and how to tie them
This talk will be a demonstration of hand painting silk scarves in different styles and designs together with a separate demonstration on how to tie scarves by two very experienced designers.
_______________________________________________________________________
3 November Rosemary Griggs A Woman of Noble Wit - The Birth of a Novel.
(meeting to coincide with Exeter Literary Festival – ExeLitFest)
Rosemary will explain how her interests in Devon’s Sixteenth Century history and in historical clothing led to her research into the life of a fascinating Devon woman, and ultimately to her novel “A Woman of Noble Wit”. Rosemary makes her own historical clothing which will feature in her talk. Rosemary will have signed copies of her books available for sale at the end of her talk
_______________________________________________________________________
10 November Stephen Powles Wildlife Photography - In Pursuit of the Improbable
Celebrated Devon wildlife photographer Stephen will describe how he managed to photograph and film several challenging wildlife subjects and why an understanding of their natural history and behaviour enabled him to do so. His talk will include his own photographic images and videos some of which have featured in TV programmes.
_______________________________________________________________________
17 November Revd. Steve Santry A day in the life of a Methodist Minister
Revd. Steve Santry has pastoral charge of The Mint Church and Community Centre in Exeter City Centre, and Sidmouth church. His talk will look at a typical day as a Methodist Minister, referring to some of the challenges faced and the variety of work involved. Steve has been a Methodist Minister for 25 years serving mainly in the North of the country in a variety of appointments. He moved to Devon in 2016 and has pastoral charge of The Mint Church and Community Centre in Exeter City Centre, and more recently Sidmouth church. He values the colleagueship of the lay and ordained staff team. He maintains an interest in children’s ministry and the connection between church and community.
One of the standard lines I hear when declaring that I am a Methodist Minister is that I only work one day a week, to which I retort, Sunday is my easiest day of the week. Being part of the clergy has evolved in my 25 years in the role, no more so than as a result of the pandemic. Most people are oblivious to what clergy do but it is a very varied role and no two days are ever the same. I have accumulated many stories over the years accented by laughter or tears. I will also touch on why I became a Methodist minister, due to my heritage and the DNA of Wesley that still shapes church identity. Finally I will give you a potted history of the Mint through its various iterations. My hope is that the talk will be informative, but also entertaining! Revd. Steve Santry
_______________________________________________________________________
24 November Marilyn Bishop Fighting the Black Dog - Sir Winston Churchill's life through his paintings.
Sir Winston Churchill's rise to the pinnacle of politics was marred by his bouts of depression which were resolved mainly by his total immersion into painting. Marilyn's fascinating talk on the life of Churchill is illustrated with images of many of his paintings
_______________________________________________________________________
1 December Tony Davis How did the Kings find Bethlehem?
In this seasonal talk, Tony will examine the story that the Kings arrived in Bethlehem by following a star. He will describe how navigation has evolved over the centuries and consider possible solutions to the Kings' problem
_______________________________________________________________________
8 December Tracey Norman Cards, Cocoa and Charms - Devon's Forgotten Witches
Tracey’s talk will examine some fascinating and almost entirely unknown cases involving witchcraft in Devon.
_______________________________________________________________________
15 December Prof David Pugsley When the Judge shot the Doctor: the Fatal Duel on Haldon in May 1833.
David Pugsley, Professor of Law, will tell the story of the famous duel at Haldon Racecourse between the hero of the 1832 Exeter Cholera Outbreak, Dr Peter Hennis, and Judge Sir John William Jeffcott.
David Pugsley was born in Tiverton. He was a European civil servant in Strasbourg for 3 years and taught law for 40 years in the universities of Southampton, Johannesburg, Bari and Exeter. Since 1993 he has been the Hon Archivist of the Western Circuit. He has a special interest in causes
célèbres in the West Country in the 19th century.
_______________________________________________________________________
22 December No Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
29 December No Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________
5 January 2022 Mark Norman Beyond the Hound of the Baskervilles
This talk explores the folklore surrounding the phenomenon of sightings of phantom Black Dogs in the UK, their long history and folklore, and how they inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
_______________________________________________________________________
