November 21st
Earlier in the year we gave Luke Paddon a small donation to help him buy a ticket to India to visit the 'Haven Home India'. Luke started by telling us of the wonderful and widespread work they do there. He first visited them in 2017 and, with his family and alone, has made the trip every year apart from the Covid lockdown. Haven home is a base for schooling, medical treatment, drilling water boreholes and spreading the Christian message. His journey to Haven Home took two days and he was there for most of August 2024. He outlined the daily pattern of the Home and his involvement; primarily teaching English and arranging sport activities. Luke is clearly a dedicated young man who wants to use his life and skills to help others. His experiences at Haven Home have convinced him that teaching is what he wants to do and his future plans include returning to Haven Home from September 2025 to February 2026 and then to undertake postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) at UWE. It was a joy to hear such enthusiasm from a young man and our donation was well used.
Earlier in the year we gave Luke Paddon a small donation to help him buy a ticket to India to visit the 'Haven Home India'. Luke started by telling us of the wonderful and widespread work they do there. He first visited them in 2017 and, with his family and alone, has made the trip every year apart from the Covid lockdown. Haven home is a base for schooling, medical treatment, drilling water boreholes and spreading the Christian message. His journey to Haven Home took two days and he was there for most of August 2024. He outlined the daily pattern of the Home and his involvement; primarily teaching English and arranging sport activities. Luke is clearly a dedicated young man who wants to use his life and skills to help others. His experiences at Haven Home have convinced him that teaching is what he wants to do and his future plans include returning to Haven Home from September 2025 to February 2026 and then to undertake postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) at UWE. It was a joy to hear such enthusiasm from a young man and our donation was well used.
October 18th
This was our joint meeting at the Hanham Club and we looked forward to the talk. ‘Behind the Curtain at the Bristol Hippodrome’; Katie Bell did not disappoint us. The Hippodrome opened in 1912, designed by Frank Matcham and funded by Oswald Stoll and Edward Moss. The talk was based on a video tour of the Hippodrome where Katie worked for many years. She stopped the video every few seconds to explain about what we were seeing. The initial design had a nautical theme with rope and seafaring images as features, many of which survive, including six bare breasted ladies at the back of the stalls, (similar to those seen on the prows of ships). The video tour started in the entrance foyer and wound its way through the front of house, on to the stage area and then behind, over and under the stage. The Cary Grant bar is named after the actor who started his career as callboy before joining a travelling troop and going America. Back stage was fascinating with the technical features well explained. The system for ‘flying’ backdrops and scenery is complicated but the sequences are still identified with simple blackboard instructions. The safety curtain has an automatic system for deploying it in the case of emergency but has occasionally stuck down. On one such time it was during a staging of Joseph and the Amazing Coloured Dreamcoat. After a quick panic meeting the cast performed the show on the small section of stage left in front. The theatre has played host to many top shows, such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Cats, Les Misérables, Blood Brothers, Wicked and Of Mice and Men. This is due to the size of its stage, which is one of the largest outside London. Katie was a mine of information with stories from the theatre which kept us hypnotised for an hour,which flashed by.
This was our joint meeting at the Hanham Club and we looked forward to the talk. ‘Behind the Curtain at the Bristol Hippodrome’; Katie Bell did not disappoint us. The Hippodrome opened in 1912, designed by Frank Matcham and funded by Oswald Stoll and Edward Moss. The talk was based on a video tour of the Hippodrome where Katie worked for many years. She stopped the video every few seconds to explain about what we were seeing. The initial design had a nautical theme with rope and seafaring images as features, many of which survive, including six bare breasted ladies at the back of the stalls, (similar to those seen on the prows of ships). The video tour started in the entrance foyer and wound its way through the front of house, on to the stage area and then behind, over and under the stage. The Cary Grant bar is named after the actor who started his career as callboy before joining a travelling troop and going America. Back stage was fascinating with the technical features well explained. The system for ‘flying’ backdrops and scenery is complicated but the sequences are still identified with simple blackboard instructions. The safety curtain has an automatic system for deploying it in the case of emergency but has occasionally stuck down. On one such time it was during a staging of Joseph and the Amazing Coloured Dreamcoat. After a quick panic meeting the cast performed the show on the small section of stage left in front. The theatre has played host to many top shows, such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Cats, Les Misérables, Blood Brothers, Wicked and Of Mice and Men. This is due to the size of its stage, which is one of the largest outside London. Katie was a mine of information with stories from the theatre which kept us hypnotised for an hour,which flashed by.
September 19th
We were pleased to welcome John Lockwood and Nick Smith to talk about the work of CHAP (Community History and Arts Project). John introduced the subject and explained the creation of the group. 'CHAP' aims to create a coherent identity for Downend (including Emersons Green), built around interesting or significant places, people and events from the past, and to share this with the local community through arts, publications, music and events. Nick then took over to give a lively talk about the history and development of Downend. His knowledge of how the area developed is impressive and the growth of the place was largely inspired by quarrying and mining. There were, however, other industries such as hat and pin making and the manufacture of farm tools. This gave great wealth to individuals who were able to build large houses and impressive estates. He told us of the Cave Family who built Cleve House at the top of Cleve Hill. Downend was originally a village in the Parish of Mangotsfield, but its growth in the 19th century prompted the Church of England to build Downend Church, which was largely occupied by a growing middle class. Previously, worship tended to be in non-conformist chapels. There were two major times of growth in the population. First in the mid 1800’s when travel became easier and people could move out of the city to escape the dreadful pollution and then in the 1920’s and 30’s when the Cave family sold off their estate for building. Improved transport also helped to turn Downend into a commuter area for Bristol. Nick is a teacher and has a very expressive way of telling his story. He was able to answer our questions to round off a most enjoyable talk.
We were pleased to welcome John Lockwood and Nick Smith to talk about the work of CHAP (Community History and Arts Project). John introduced the subject and explained the creation of the group. 'CHAP' aims to create a coherent identity for Downend (including Emersons Green), built around interesting or significant places, people and events from the past, and to share this with the local community through arts, publications, music and events. Nick then took over to give a lively talk about the history and development of Downend. His knowledge of how the area developed is impressive and the growth of the place was largely inspired by quarrying and mining. There were, however, other industries such as hat and pin making and the manufacture of farm tools. This gave great wealth to individuals who were able to build large houses and impressive estates. He told us of the Cave Family who built Cleve House at the top of Cleve Hill. Downend was originally a village in the Parish of Mangotsfield, but its growth in the 19th century prompted the Church of England to build Downend Church, which was largely occupied by a growing middle class. Previously, worship tended to be in non-conformist chapels. There were two major times of growth in the population. First in the mid 1800’s when travel became easier and people could move out of the city to escape the dreadful pollution and then in the 1920’s and 30’s when the Cave family sold off their estate for building. Improved transport also helped to turn Downend into a commuter area for Bristol. Nick is a teacher and has a very expressive way of telling his story. He was able to answer our questions to round off a most enjoyable talk.
May 18th
Prof Brian Vincent gave us a talk on ‘The Herapath Family’. I do not think any of the audience had ever heard of them but by the end of a fascinating 50 minutes we knew a lot. The Herapath family had its roots in Pilton in North Devon. Two brothers John and William moved to Bristol in 1780, establishing themselves in the brewery trade and as publicans. From these two men descended five generations of scientists and doctors. Some members of the Herapath family were medical practitioners, whilst others made notable contributions to physical and analytical chemistry and forensic science. John Herapath (1790-1868) was a very bright child. Whilst working for his father, he taught himself French and Latin, and read books by famous scientists. He went on to become a renowned mathematician and was involved in the rapidly developing railway network. He became editor, and then owner, of the Railway Magazine in Fleet Street, which in 1894 became Herapath’s Railway Journal which is still published today as the Railway Gazette. His brother, William Herapath (1796-1868) taught himself analytical chemistry and became the first professor of chemistry and toxicology at the Bristol Medical School. As a chemical analyst, William provide forensic evidence, including Arsenic used as a poison. This led to the conviction and hanging of Mary Ann Burdock in April 1835. William was also involved in the early use of anaesthetics and was the first to administer laughing gas for dentistry. William’s eldest son, William Bird Herepath (1820-1868) was a surgeon at St Peter’s Hospital, after which the present-day St Peter’s Hospice is named. Moving on to the next generation of Herepaths, Charles Kynaston Coathupe Herapath (1853-1923), attended Clifton College and then, following in the family tradition, enrolled in the Bristol Medical School in 1871. Charles worked as a surgeon at the BRI but had a private consulting practice at home. Charles’ brother Charles Edward Kynaston Herapath (1882-1946), also attended Clifton College and then University College Bristol to study medicine. During the First World War, he served in finishing with the rank of Major. After the War he was appointed physician, at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where he developed a strong interest in cardiology, making use of the “polygraph” machine devised by the British heart surgeon, Dr James Mackenzie, for detecting irregular heartbeats. A forerunner of the modern electrocardiogram – ECG. Now on to the fifth generation, Geoffrey Charles Kynaston Herapath (1925-2009) also attended Clifton College and then Bristol University. Although there had been a general medical practice in Keynsham since 1903, there was not one in nearby Saltford until, in 1953, pressure from the residents led to a branch surgery being established under the recently formed NHS. Dr Geoffrey Herapath was the first general practitioner and is remembered to this day by many residents as an excellent doctor. A truly remarkable family and a detailed trace of the dynasty by Brian.
Prof Brian Vincent gave us a talk on ‘The Herapath Family’. I do not think any of the audience had ever heard of them but by the end of a fascinating 50 minutes we knew a lot. The Herapath family had its roots in Pilton in North Devon. Two brothers John and William moved to Bristol in 1780, establishing themselves in the brewery trade and as publicans. From these two men descended five generations of scientists and doctors. Some members of the Herapath family were medical practitioners, whilst others made notable contributions to physical and analytical chemistry and forensic science. John Herapath (1790-1868) was a very bright child. Whilst working for his father, he taught himself French and Latin, and read books by famous scientists. He went on to become a renowned mathematician and was involved in the rapidly developing railway network. He became editor, and then owner, of the Railway Magazine in Fleet Street, which in 1894 became Herapath’s Railway Journal which is still published today as the Railway Gazette. His brother, William Herapath (1796-1868) taught himself analytical chemistry and became the first professor of chemistry and toxicology at the Bristol Medical School. As a chemical analyst, William provide forensic evidence, including Arsenic used as a poison. This led to the conviction and hanging of Mary Ann Burdock in April 1835. William was also involved in the early use of anaesthetics and was the first to administer laughing gas for dentistry. William’s eldest son, William Bird Herepath (1820-1868) was a surgeon at St Peter’s Hospital, after which the present-day St Peter’s Hospice is named. Moving on to the next generation of Herepaths, Charles Kynaston Coathupe Herapath (1853-1923), attended Clifton College and then, following in the family tradition, enrolled in the Bristol Medical School in 1871. Charles worked as a surgeon at the BRI but had a private consulting practice at home. Charles’ brother Charles Edward Kynaston Herapath (1882-1946), also attended Clifton College and then University College Bristol to study medicine. During the First World War, he served in finishing with the rank of Major. After the War he was appointed physician, at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where he developed a strong interest in cardiology, making use of the “polygraph” machine devised by the British heart surgeon, Dr James Mackenzie, for detecting irregular heartbeats. A forerunner of the modern electrocardiogram – ECG. Now on to the fifth generation, Geoffrey Charles Kynaston Herapath (1925-2009) also attended Clifton College and then Bristol University. Although there had been a general medical practice in Keynsham since 1903, there was not one in nearby Saltford until, in 1953, pressure from the residents led to a branch surgery being established under the recently formed NHS. Dr Geoffrey Herapath was the first general practitioner and is remembered to this day by many residents as an excellent doctor. A truly remarkable family and a detailed trace of the dynasty by Brian.
April 18th
Many will remember terrible stories in the media about the '25th World Scout Jamboree in Korea in 2023'. Owen Fitzjames was one of the Avon contingent selected to take part and he came to tell us of his experiences. Before the Jamboree he took part in a number of training sessions designed to bond the scouts into an effective group. When the contingent arrived together with 43,000 other scouts and leaders from 155 countries they found the site was like a muddy swamp with no shelter from the heat. He took part in the opening ceremony, which was spectacular but four days later the 4,500 UK contingent, the largest there, withdrew from the site and the Avon scouts were moved to a five star hotel in Seoul. The UK leaders managed to arrange a replacement programme with visits, Korean food and tours of Seoul. One memorable trip was to the North/South Demilitarised Zone. Owen said that one thing which impressed him was the number of Korean people who apologised to the scouts for the failure of the organisers to run a good jamboree. He accepted that he had missed the traditional type of jamboree but felt on the whole to experience was valuable. The challenges of coping with the heat, learning to take transport in another country, money management and the language barrier certainly left an impression on him. The spectacular closing ceremony was transferred to Seoul World Cup Stadium, followed by a K-pop concert. Owen was joined in the talk by his grandmother, Pam Cottee, who emphasised that the UK scout leadership had been excellent in communicating with relatives about the situation and they had much better knowledge of the situation that the media reported.
Many will remember terrible stories in the media about the '25th World Scout Jamboree in Korea in 2023'. Owen Fitzjames was one of the Avon contingent selected to take part and he came to tell us of his experiences. Before the Jamboree he took part in a number of training sessions designed to bond the scouts into an effective group. When the contingent arrived together with 43,000 other scouts and leaders from 155 countries they found the site was like a muddy swamp with no shelter from the heat. He took part in the opening ceremony, which was spectacular but four days later the 4,500 UK contingent, the largest there, withdrew from the site and the Avon scouts were moved to a five star hotel in Seoul. The UK leaders managed to arrange a replacement programme with visits, Korean food and tours of Seoul. One memorable trip was to the North/South Demilitarised Zone. Owen said that one thing which impressed him was the number of Korean people who apologised to the scouts for the failure of the organisers to run a good jamboree. He accepted that he had missed the traditional type of jamboree but felt on the whole to experience was valuable. The challenges of coping with the heat, learning to take transport in another country, money management and the language barrier certainly left an impression on him. The spectacular closing ceremony was transferred to Seoul World Cup Stadium, followed by a K-pop concert. Owen was joined in the talk by his grandmother, Pam Cottee, who emphasised that the UK scout leadership had been excellent in communicating with relatives about the situation and they had much better knowledge of the situation that the media reported.
March 21st
Freewheelers, sometimes known as Blood Bikes, is a voluntary organisation who use motorbikes to ferry urgent samples, medication, blood and other items to and from the Bristol, Bath and Somerset hospitals. Richard Bentham explained that their aims are to save lives, provide medical support to public if practicable, allow the NHS to redirect spending on taxis to pay for extra nurses and to promote a positive images of motorcyclists. They operate an ‘out-of-hours’ emergency courier service with over 100 volunteers using specially converted motor bikes capable of carrying items in special panniers and a rack in place of the pillion seat. A special nightly service is provided to the Great Western and Wessex air ambulances to deliver fresh blood so that they can give blood to a person at the roadside. The service is funded entirely by charitable donations and costs around £2,500 a week to run. Some impressive statistics were given including average distance by bikes per day is 600 miles, each bike averages over 200 deliveries per month, they save the NHS £360,000 per year with no cost for the service. Richard gave us a well-presented story of a vital service with an informative PowerPoint presentation and we were pleased to be able to make a £100 donation to the Freewheelers.
Freewheelers, sometimes known as Blood Bikes, is a voluntary organisation who use motorbikes to ferry urgent samples, medication, blood and other items to and from the Bristol, Bath and Somerset hospitals. Richard Bentham explained that their aims are to save lives, provide medical support to public if practicable, allow the NHS to redirect spending on taxis to pay for extra nurses and to promote a positive images of motorcyclists. They operate an ‘out-of-hours’ emergency courier service with over 100 volunteers using specially converted motor bikes capable of carrying items in special panniers and a rack in place of the pillion seat. A special nightly service is provided to the Great Western and Wessex air ambulances to deliver fresh blood so that they can give blood to a person at the roadside. The service is funded entirely by charitable donations and costs around £2,500 a week to run. Some impressive statistics were given including average distance by bikes per day is 600 miles, each bike averages over 200 deliveries per month, they save the NHS £360,000 per year with no cost for the service. Richard gave us a well-presented story of a vital service with an informative PowerPoint presentation and we were pleased to be able to make a £100 donation to the Freewheelers.
February 24th
Race Night 2024
We have been holding filmed race nights for 26 years now and this was our 27th. As usual we had sold all 64 horses, obtained 8 race sponsores and found prizes for the winning 'owners'. A great evening with a bar to keep us lubricated and good food. The result was a profit of just over £900 for our charity funds.
Incidentally in February we made donations of £1600 to local charities and allocated £900 to YMI international project and programmes.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
Race Night 2024
We have been holding filmed race nights for 26 years now and this was our 27th. As usual we had sold all 64 horses, obtained 8 race sponsores and found prizes for the winning 'owners'. A great evening with a bar to keep us lubricated and good food. The result was a profit of just over £900 for our charity funds.
Incidentally in February we made donations of £1600 to local charities and allocated £900 to YMI international project and programmes.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
February 15th
February is our traditional Time of Fast meal When we have a suitable speaker and a simple meal but pay the normal price and the saved cost goes towards the Time of Fast programme. This year our President suggested something different. we each brought some food and shared it out but there was no speaker. Instead we played table top games. An enjoyable evening which we will probably repeat on a regular dinner night.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
February is our traditional Time of Fast meal When we have a suitable speaker and a simple meal but pay the normal price and the saved cost goes towards the Time of Fast programme. This year our President suggested something different. we each brought some food and shared it out but there was no speaker. Instead we played table top games. An enjoyable evening which we will probably repeat on a regular dinner night.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
February 4th
We celebrated our 64th anniversary with a President's Lunch at the Radisson Blu hotel. 38 of us, including Hanham visitors, enjoyed good company in stylish surroundings.
See the Picture Gallery for images.
We celebrated our 64th anniversary with a President's Lunch at the Radisson Blu hotel. 38 of us, including Hanham visitors, enjoyed good company in stylish surroundings.
See the Picture Gallery for images.
January 18th
Our late President, Peter Sheppard, asked Graham to create a programme of the music he liked but unfortunately became ill and died before Graham had a chance to show it. When our booked speaker was unable to entertain us it was an opportunity to use the presentation. Graham was himself unable to attend but Wally again stepped in to present the show on his behalf. ‘A Musical Lunch with the President’. We started with opera arias being sung at a school dinner time, much to the surprise of the children, they looked scared when a policeman arrived but he also burst into song. Two extracts from West Side Story were a bit more modern! The Grimethorpe Colliery Band gave us the Willian Tell Overture and we finished with Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballe belting out Barcelona. A wonderful evening of music remembering Pete.
Our late President, Peter Sheppard, asked Graham to create a programme of the music he liked but unfortunately became ill and died before Graham had a chance to show it. When our booked speaker was unable to entertain us it was an opportunity to use the presentation. Graham was himself unable to attend but Wally again stepped in to present the show on his behalf. ‘A Musical Lunch with the President’. We started with opera arias being sung at a school dinner time, much to the surprise of the children, they looked scared when a policeman arrived but he also burst into song. Two extracts from West Side Story were a bit more modern! The Grimethorpe Colliery Band gave us the Willian Tell Overture and we finished with Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballe belting out Barcelona. A wonderful evening of music remembering Pete.
December 15th
Graham was scheduled to give the talk but was not available so Wally presented the talk he had prepared for him. Another excellent meal from Hannah and her team was followed by a completely different type of programme to our normal December celebrations. This time we were treated to an eclectic selection of video clips compiled by Graham Walker. As Graham & Diane were unable to be with us, Wally took on the task of continuity using the prepared script. The theme to the presentation was ‘Entertainment’ including, amongst many other clips, one of the most brilliant tries in Rugby Union (1953 Barbarians vs. The All Blacks), an Aussie take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, then a song from Judith Durham and The Seekers, aſter which we visited a sleepy Belgian town where nothing ever happened. Just picture a medieval square edged by cafés with the locals enjoying a quiet coffee or maybe something a little stronger. The centre of the square is empty, save for a short pillar with a large button on the top. A cyclist approaches and pushes the button and to coin a phrase, “all hell lets loose”! Cars race in, shots are fired, people ‘killed’ then an ambulance arrives accompanied by flashing lights and sirens. Casualties are loaded in the back and the ambulance starts to pull away with the casualties’ stretchers falling out in the square. A motorbike races by, ridden by a girl in a bikini; fights break out and half a dozen American Football players emerge from a café to pick up the remaining injured when suddenly, it is calm again as all vehicles leave the scene and the square returns to its quiet, medieval setting where nothing ever happens. “There is nothing like a Dame” from “South Pacific” rounded off the very interesting presentation and with the very varied selections there must have been something for everyone at some part of the show.
Pictures of our meal on the Gallery page
Graham was scheduled to give the talk but was not available so Wally presented the talk he had prepared for him. Another excellent meal from Hannah and her team was followed by a completely different type of programme to our normal December celebrations. This time we were treated to an eclectic selection of video clips compiled by Graham Walker. As Graham & Diane were unable to be with us, Wally took on the task of continuity using the prepared script. The theme to the presentation was ‘Entertainment’ including, amongst many other clips, one of the most brilliant tries in Rugby Union (1953 Barbarians vs. The All Blacks), an Aussie take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, then a song from Judith Durham and The Seekers, aſter which we visited a sleepy Belgian town where nothing ever happened. Just picture a medieval square edged by cafés with the locals enjoying a quiet coffee or maybe something a little stronger. The centre of the square is empty, save for a short pillar with a large button on the top. A cyclist approaches and pushes the button and to coin a phrase, “all hell lets loose”! Cars race in, shots are fired, people ‘killed’ then an ambulance arrives accompanied by flashing lights and sirens. Casualties are loaded in the back and the ambulance starts to pull away with the casualties’ stretchers falling out in the square. A motorbike races by, ridden by a girl in a bikini; fights break out and half a dozen American Football players emerge from a café to pick up the remaining injured when suddenly, it is calm again as all vehicles leave the scene and the square returns to its quiet, medieval setting where nothing ever happens. “There is nothing like a Dame” from “South Pacific” rounded off the very interesting presentation and with the very varied selections there must have been something for everyone at some part of the show.
Pictures of our meal on the Gallery page
December 2nd
We were pleased to be able to visit the Muller Museum decicated to the life and work of George Muller. The museum is situated in one of the orphan houses on Ashley Down Road and has an excellent display of the homes and the activities of the staff and children. One of the themes which surprised most of us was the very wide geographical reach of the homes. Chldren came from all over the UK, each proposed by a reliable sponsor. The homes could cater for 2,000 children at peak and cared for over 10,000 during the period they were open. Muller nevaer asked for donations but believed in the power of prayer to answer all the needs he faced. The Charity still exists, now named "Mullers", and continues to work with children and religeous charities all over the world
See the Picture Gallery for images of the museum and our visit.
We were pleased to be able to visit the Muller Museum decicated to the life and work of George Muller. The museum is situated in one of the orphan houses on Ashley Down Road and has an excellent display of the homes and the activities of the staff and children. One of the themes which surprised most of us was the very wide geographical reach of the homes. Chldren came from all over the UK, each proposed by a reliable sponsor. The homes could cater for 2,000 children at peak and cared for over 10,000 during the period they were open. Muller nevaer asked for donations but believed in the power of prayer to answer all the needs he faced. The Charity still exists, now named "Mullers", and continues to work with children and religeous charities all over the world
See the Picture Gallery for images of the museum and our visit.
November 16th
We were delighted to welcome Rachel Monger to tell us about ‘Bees Abroad’, a charity which encourages beekeeping in Africa. She moved with her family to Tanzania when her children were young and spent several years working with a charity, Emanuel International, encouraging villagers in conservation agriculture and tree planting. It was during this time she became interested in beekeeping and after much studying on the internet decided to build a Top Bar Hive. This is the simplest form of hive which can be built by a local carpenter. Beekeeping is a sustainable, cost-effective, and ecologically friendly way for communities to generate an income and a food source, and to build and grow a business. Demand for honey exceeds supply and conditions are often well suited to beekeeping. She told us many stories of her beekeeping adventures including having to look after the bees at night with red torches as they can be very fierce and defensive when disturbed during the day. The work expanded to include making candles and balms from the wax; indeed in some places the wax is more valuable than the honey. Bees Abroad continues to work with local communities and there is a significant opportunity to increase honey production in the countries they work in. A most interesting talk by a very enthusiastic beekeeper.
We were delighted to welcome Rachel Monger to tell us about ‘Bees Abroad’, a charity which encourages beekeeping in Africa. She moved with her family to Tanzania when her children were young and spent several years working with a charity, Emanuel International, encouraging villagers in conservation agriculture and tree planting. It was during this time she became interested in beekeeping and after much studying on the internet decided to build a Top Bar Hive. This is the simplest form of hive which can be built by a local carpenter. Beekeeping is a sustainable, cost-effective, and ecologically friendly way for communities to generate an income and a food source, and to build and grow a business. Demand for honey exceeds supply and conditions are often well suited to beekeeping. She told us many stories of her beekeeping adventures including having to look after the bees at night with red torches as they can be very fierce and defensive when disturbed during the day. The work expanded to include making candles and balms from the wax; indeed in some places the wax is more valuable than the honey. Bees Abroad continues to work with local communities and there is a significant opportunity to increase honey production in the countries they work in. A most interesting talk by a very enthusiastic beekeeper.
October 19th
David Cheesley has entertained us well before and he did not disappoint us this time. His talk ‘Return to Banjo Island’ was chosen partly to make our guests from Hanham club feel at home. Banjo Island is the local name for Park Estate, built in the 1950’s as Bristol overspill housing after the war and enlarged in the 60’s and 70’s. The green fields of Cadbury Heath, some already in Council ownership before the war, were a prime site for the land-hungry local authority. The building of the Park Estate created quite a 'culture shock' for the inhabitants of Cadbury Heath and Longwell Green, together with a dramatic rise in the population. Happily, the old and new residents learnt to live together amicably. David moved into the estate at the age of three and lived there during his early school days. His memories formed the basis for his talk with many pictures of his family and a tour of the area in pictures. The greatly enlarged community has forged a character of its own, centred on the long delayed Village Hall built in 1981. It is, however, a far cry from the community of the same name as it existed before the end of World War Two. Many of the audience could relate to the talk with memories of their own. A very satisfying talk, which recalled many stories from the area.
David Cheesley has entertained us well before and he did not disappoint us this time. His talk ‘Return to Banjo Island’ was chosen partly to make our guests from Hanham club feel at home. Banjo Island is the local name for Park Estate, built in the 1950’s as Bristol overspill housing after the war and enlarged in the 60’s and 70’s. The green fields of Cadbury Heath, some already in Council ownership before the war, were a prime site for the land-hungry local authority. The building of the Park Estate created quite a 'culture shock' for the inhabitants of Cadbury Heath and Longwell Green, together with a dramatic rise in the population. Happily, the old and new residents learnt to live together amicably. David moved into the estate at the age of three and lived there during his early school days. His memories formed the basis for his talk with many pictures of his family and a tour of the area in pictures. The greatly enlarged community has forged a character of its own, centred on the long delayed Village Hall built in 1981. It is, however, a far cry from the community of the same name as it existed before the end of World War Two. Many of the audience could relate to the talk with memories of their own. A very satisfying talk, which recalled many stories from the area.
September 21st
'Avon Wildlife Trust' (AWT) is the largest local charity working to protect wildlife and inspire people in the West of England and we were pleased to welcome Gill Sayzeland to our dinner to tell us about it. Gill is one of many volunteers who help AWT, in her case with practical field work at sites near Weston as well as giving talks. AWT works across the old county of Avon and cover the four local authority areas of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset. They care for 31 nature reserves - from ancient bluebell woods to Iron Age forts, nationally important wetlands which are a haven for rare, wading birds, and wildflower meadows. Educational and community programmes help people of all ages connect with and benefit from the natural world around them - and take action themselves to help nature's recovery. They work with landowners in the countryside across our region to reverse the decline in wildlife by creating connected living landscapes. Gill’s talk was illustrated by many super pictures of the sites and work carried out there.
'Avon Wildlife Trust' (AWT) is the largest local charity working to protect wildlife and inspire people in the West of England and we were pleased to welcome Gill Sayzeland to our dinner to tell us about it. Gill is one of many volunteers who help AWT, in her case with practical field work at sites near Weston as well as giving talks. AWT works across the old county of Avon and cover the four local authority areas of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset. They care for 31 nature reserves - from ancient bluebell woods to Iron Age forts, nationally important wetlands which are a haven for rare, wading birds, and wildflower meadows. Educational and community programmes help people of all ages connect with and benefit from the natural world around them - and take action themselves to help nature's recovery. They work with landowners in the countryside across our region to reverse the decline in wildlife by creating connected living landscapes. Gill’s talk was illustrated by many super pictures of the sites and work carried out there.
September 8th
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
At 9.00am on Friday 8th September fifteen of us Y’s Men boarded a mini bus hired by Jerry. We proceeded up the M5 and turned off for Broadway where our rail trip was to start. There was time for coffee on the station before the magnificent engine arrived to take us on our trip. We set off towards Cheltenham through the countryside. The scenery was very pleasant with the Malvern Hills on our right and Cotswolds on the left. We went through the second longest tunnel on any leisure railway in the country. We also went over a long viaduct, although it was difficult to see from the train.
We had a short stop at Cheltenham Race Course station before making our way back to Broadway, stopping at Winchcombe and Toddington. The smell of the steam engine brought back memories to Kath and I as we lived right opposite the railway line in Shortwood when we were first married. I was a really enjoyable trip even though it was the hottest day of the year at 32 degrees C! Thank you to Jerry and Sam for organising this great trip especially to Jerry for driving us to Broadway and back. Mike McBraida
See the Picture Gallery for images from the day
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
At 9.00am on Friday 8th September fifteen of us Y’s Men boarded a mini bus hired by Jerry. We proceeded up the M5 and turned off for Broadway where our rail trip was to start. There was time for coffee on the station before the magnificent engine arrived to take us on our trip. We set off towards Cheltenham through the countryside. The scenery was very pleasant with the Malvern Hills on our right and Cotswolds on the left. We went through the second longest tunnel on any leisure railway in the country. We also went over a long viaduct, although it was difficult to see from the train.
We had a short stop at Cheltenham Race Course station before making our way back to Broadway, stopping at Winchcombe and Toddington. The smell of the steam engine brought back memories to Kath and I as we lived right opposite the railway line in Shortwood when we were first married. I was a really enjoyable trip even though it was the hottest day of the year at 32 degrees C! Thank you to Jerry and Sam for organising this great trip especially to Jerry for driving us to Broadway and back. Mike McBraida
See the Picture Gallery for images from the day
June 15th
Our speaker was Margaret Roy telling is about her 'Wye Valley Walk', 136 miles along the beautiful River Wye. She did not do the walk in one session but over a year, averaging 8 miles per session. She was often accompanied by her daughters and was able to take many photographs on the journey. There is well defined route with 18 sites where a ‘passport’ can be stamped to record progress. Margaret started her walk in Chepstow and passed through well-known towns and villages in this beautiful part of the world on the way to the source of the Wye near Rhyd-y-benwch in Hafren Forest. The route often climbed away from the river providing a different perspective on the unfolding landscapes that are frequently, and sometimes literally, breath-taking. She did the walk in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis organisation and raised over £1,800.
Our speaker was Margaret Roy telling is about her 'Wye Valley Walk', 136 miles along the beautiful River Wye. She did not do the walk in one session but over a year, averaging 8 miles per session. She was often accompanied by her daughters and was able to take many photographs on the journey. There is well defined route with 18 sites where a ‘passport’ can be stamped to record progress. Margaret started her walk in Chepstow and passed through well-known towns and villages in this beautiful part of the world on the way to the source of the Wye near Rhyd-y-benwch in Hafren Forest. The route often climbed away from the river providing a different perspective on the unfolding landscapes that are frequently, and sometimes literally, breath-taking. She did the walk in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis organisation and raised over £1,800.
May 18th
Bob Cutts spoke to us in September 2015 about ‘Bride Ships’ taking ladies to British Columbia but this time he gave us an illustrated talk entitled Andean Journey. The talk covered the now largely defunct Transandine Railway between Santiago, the capital of Chile, and Mendoza in the wine-producing region of Argentina. The meter-gauge railway was planned and built by Juan and Mateo Clark, two brothers of British descent, who were Chilean entrepreneurs in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Parts of the railway were opened in 1892-93, and the whole line was opened by 1910. The line of some 226 miles in length was constructed through punishing terrain. Bob’s slides showed an arid, mountainous route with virtually all of the line above the height of Ben Nevis. At its height, the line was 3, 176m above sea level. Although much of the line was based on normal traction, some steeper parts of the line were based on rack haulage, where traction was assisted by the existence of racks between the tracks into which the locomotives engaged. The line passed through the Paso Internacional los Libertadores also known as Cristo Redentor, a pass in the Andes and Bob’s pictures showed some of the stations on the line along with the now-disused rack construction in the Uspallata Pass. Although there have been no trains along its length since 1984, when it closed, both governments have planned a reconstruction. However, little has been done and the traffic has been largely limited to a section in Chile between Los Andes and Rio Blanco, running freight trains, passengers between Santiago and Mendoza being limited to travel by bus, car or plane. Bob and his wife Pauline have travelled extensively in South America and his talk showed he has learnt a lot about the region.
Bob Cutts spoke to us in September 2015 about ‘Bride Ships’ taking ladies to British Columbia but this time he gave us an illustrated talk entitled Andean Journey. The talk covered the now largely defunct Transandine Railway between Santiago, the capital of Chile, and Mendoza in the wine-producing region of Argentina. The meter-gauge railway was planned and built by Juan and Mateo Clark, two brothers of British descent, who were Chilean entrepreneurs in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Parts of the railway were opened in 1892-93, and the whole line was opened by 1910. The line of some 226 miles in length was constructed through punishing terrain. Bob’s slides showed an arid, mountainous route with virtually all of the line above the height of Ben Nevis. At its height, the line was 3, 176m above sea level. Although much of the line was based on normal traction, some steeper parts of the line were based on rack haulage, where traction was assisted by the existence of racks between the tracks into which the locomotives engaged. The line passed through the Paso Internacional los Libertadores also known as Cristo Redentor, a pass in the Andes and Bob’s pictures showed some of the stations on the line along with the now-disused rack construction in the Uspallata Pass. Although there have been no trains along its length since 1984, when it closed, both governments have planned a reconstruction. However, little has been done and the traffic has been largely limited to a section in Chile between Los Andes and Rio Blanco, running freight trains, passengers between Santiago and Mendoza being limited to travel by bus, car or plane. Bob and his wife Pauline have travelled extensively in South America and his talk showed he has learnt a lot about the region.
April 20th
The booked speaker was unable to come so Wally gave a talk untitled ‘Four Exhibitions’ His first was the famous 1851 Crystal Palace event with the official title “The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations”. The idea of Prince Albert and staged in Hyde Park with 100,000 exhibits contained in a magnificent glass structure and opened by Queen Victoria in May 1851. Over six million visitors attended and a profit of £186,000 was used to build the Albert Hall, and the Science, Natural History and Victoria & Albert museums in Knightsbridge. In 1893 the “Bristol Industrial and Fine Arts Exhibition” was held in a specially built hall at the bottom of Colston Avenue on the city centre. It was 110 feet wide and 520 feet long and cost £11,000. It was lit by 20 electric and 400 gas lamps. The hall featured the first electric clock in Bristol. Around half a million people went and the event made a profit of £2,200 which was donated to local medical charities. Moving on the 1914 the talk featured the “Bristol International Exhibition” held on Ashton Meadows in the Bower Ashton area of Bristol. The site covered 30 acres next to the river Avon and included an International Pavilion, a concert hall, a replica of Bristol Castle, and the Dominions Pavilion. Other attractions included a Scenic Railway roller coaster. After the exhibition closed the site was used by the Gloucestershire Regiment. The last exhibition covered was the 1951 “Festival of Britain” held primarily in London on the south bank of the Thames and a Battersea Gardens. The exhibition was the brainchild of Herbert Morrison and had a budget of £1.2 million. International themes were absent and the event focused entirely on Britain and its achievements. The Skylon and the Dome of Discovery were the prominent features together with the Festival Gardens at Battersea Park. Over 8 Million visitors made it a great success and over half of the members present said they went to visit. An interesting talk well received by the audience.
The booked speaker was unable to come so Wally gave a talk untitled ‘Four Exhibitions’ His first was the famous 1851 Crystal Palace event with the official title “The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations”. The idea of Prince Albert and staged in Hyde Park with 100,000 exhibits contained in a magnificent glass structure and opened by Queen Victoria in May 1851. Over six million visitors attended and a profit of £186,000 was used to build the Albert Hall, and the Science, Natural History and Victoria & Albert museums in Knightsbridge. In 1893 the “Bristol Industrial and Fine Arts Exhibition” was held in a specially built hall at the bottom of Colston Avenue on the city centre. It was 110 feet wide and 520 feet long and cost £11,000. It was lit by 20 electric and 400 gas lamps. The hall featured the first electric clock in Bristol. Around half a million people went and the event made a profit of £2,200 which was donated to local medical charities. Moving on the 1914 the talk featured the “Bristol International Exhibition” held on Ashton Meadows in the Bower Ashton area of Bristol. The site covered 30 acres next to the river Avon and included an International Pavilion, a concert hall, a replica of Bristol Castle, and the Dominions Pavilion. Other attractions included a Scenic Railway roller coaster. After the exhibition closed the site was used by the Gloucestershire Regiment. The last exhibition covered was the 1951 “Festival of Britain” held primarily in London on the south bank of the Thames and a Battersea Gardens. The exhibition was the brainchild of Herbert Morrison and had a budget of £1.2 million. International themes were absent and the event focused entirely on Britain and its achievements. The Skylon and the Dome of Discovery were the prominent features together with the Festival Gardens at Battersea Park. Over 8 Million visitors made it a great success and over half of the members present said they went to visit. An interesting talk well received by the audience.
March 16th
Bernard Merrick is an accomplished photographer and a keen observer of the many places he has visited with his wife Anthea. This talk was about the ‘Glories of Venice’. He promised us it would not be a holiday travel story and so it turned out. He told us a little of the history of Venice, how it was founded and built on piles driven through the mud into the underlying clay. A look at some of the canals was accompanied by Vivaldi music. He described how food was brought to places and rubbish removed, all by boat. The provision of clean water was difficult and the Venetians developed a system of collecting rainwater and filtering it into wells. The many gondolas are 36 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. They are constructed to a common design and the gondoliers have to undergo ten years of training, there are currently 400 of them, many with long family traditions. Photographs of costumes from the Venice Carnival, revived in 1979, gave us a colourful finale to the talk.
Bernard Merrick is an accomplished photographer and a keen observer of the many places he has visited with his wife Anthea. This talk was about the ‘Glories of Venice’. He promised us it would not be a holiday travel story and so it turned out. He told us a little of the history of Venice, how it was founded and built on piles driven through the mud into the underlying clay. A look at some of the canals was accompanied by Vivaldi music. He described how food was brought to places and rubbish removed, all by boat. The provision of clean water was difficult and the Venetians developed a system of collecting rainwater and filtering it into wells. The many gondolas are 36 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. They are constructed to a common design and the gondoliers have to undergo ten years of training, there are currently 400 of them, many with long family traditions. Photographs of costumes from the Venice Carnival, revived in 1979, gave us a colourful finale to the talk.
February 16th
This evening we were entertained by an educational talk by our President Wally about the 'Early History and Development of Y’sdom'. He was able to show a fascinating PowerPoint presentation illuminating our history from the beginning in 1922 through to the current time. This was followed by information about some of our international programmes and projects such as Time of Fast and Roll Back Malaria. The Time of Fast video was particularly appropriate as this was our TOF supper night. It was interesting to learn that individuals are not members of Y’s Men International but only members of their own clubs, with the Clubs being the member of International. More details are available at ‘www.ysmen.org’
This evening we were entertained by an educational talk by our President Wally about the 'Early History and Development of Y’sdom'. He was able to show a fascinating PowerPoint presentation illuminating our history from the beginning in 1922 through to the current time. This was followed by information about some of our international programmes and projects such as Time of Fast and Roll Back Malaria. The Time of Fast video was particularly appropriate as this was our TOF supper night. It was interesting to learn that individuals are not members of Y’s Men International but only members of their own clubs, with the Clubs being the member of International. More details are available at ‘www.ysmen.org’
January 19th
Julia Kennett is a guide at 'Dyrham House' and, as such, a knowledgeable person to lead us through the delights waiting for visitors there. She started with a history of how William Braithwayt inherited the estate in the early 1700’s and his family over the years developed the house and estate. The National Trust took over the house in 1956 and opened it to the public in 1961. In 1976 the park was purchased. Julia had many photographs which showed the architecture and interior of the house. She gave us a tour of the various rooms describing the features in great detail and showing us the glories there. The house contains some interesting and valuable picture but some were copies because the originals had been sold to support the upkeep of the property. Some of William’s successors had made tours of the continent, as was the custom in those days and brought back interesting furniture now displayed in the rooms. A carefully created talk giving us a wonderful feeling for the estate and house, which Julia clearly loves.
Julia Kennett is a guide at 'Dyrham House' and, as such, a knowledgeable person to lead us through the delights waiting for visitors there. She started with a history of how William Braithwayt inherited the estate in the early 1700’s and his family over the years developed the house and estate. The National Trust took over the house in 1956 and opened it to the public in 1961. In 1976 the park was purchased. Julia had many photographs which showed the architecture and interior of the house. She gave us a tour of the various rooms describing the features in great detail and showing us the glories there. The house contains some interesting and valuable picture but some were copies because the originals had been sold to support the upkeep of the property. Some of William’s successors had made tours of the continent, as was the custom in those days and brought back interesting furniture now displayed in the rooms. A carefully created talk giving us a wonderful feeling for the estate and house, which Julia clearly loves.
December 15th
It being Christmas time we had a pantomime, but with a difference. Tim Lewis and Sheila Furneaux entertained us with an unusual version of 'Dick Whittington'. Sheila played the piano and Tim supplied the words and songs. He started with a short history lesson on the real Sir Richard Whittington who was born in Gloucestershire in about 1350. He became a very successful businessman and was indeed Lord Mayor of London three times. He died childless but left £7,000 (about £7 million now) in his will to form a charity, which still exists doing good work. The pantomime was based on the Ladybird book of Dick Whittington with many delightful pictures used to illustrate Tim’s songs. He has a knack of writing suitable words to familiar tunes and we enjoyed joining in with some of the choruses. Following the panto Sheila led us in some favourite carols and we finished with a few traditional Christmas songs. A super evening to celebrate Christmas together.
It being Christmas time we had a pantomime, but with a difference. Tim Lewis and Sheila Furneaux entertained us with an unusual version of 'Dick Whittington'. Sheila played the piano and Tim supplied the words and songs. He started with a short history lesson on the real Sir Richard Whittington who was born in Gloucestershire in about 1350. He became a very successful businessman and was indeed Lord Mayor of London three times. He died childless but left £7,000 (about £7 million now) in his will to form a charity, which still exists doing good work. The pantomime was based on the Ladybird book of Dick Whittington with many delightful pictures used to illustrate Tim’s songs. He has a knack of writing suitable words to familiar tunes and we enjoyed joining in with some of the choruses. Following the panto Sheila led us in some favourite carols and we finished with a few traditional Christmas songs. A super evening to celebrate Christmas together.
November 17th
An interesting illustrated evening presented by Chris Bigg on 'Lost Bristol'. Many old photos from the early days of photography depicting the city before 'modern' times overtook horse horse-drawn transport and pre-1940 when the heart of Bristol was dramatically re-drawn. Some (most?) of us were able to relate to the devastation in the city following 1945 and how it took some years to become what we know today. To some the iconic images of the Rover’s ground, replaced by Ikea, brought tears to their eyes. Chris is a talented photographer and many of the old images were contrasted by newer photos he had taken. He had plenty more information to impart about our city photographic history which there was just not time to see on the evening. I'm sure Wally will ask him back again at some future date.
An interesting illustrated evening presented by Chris Bigg on 'Lost Bristol'. Many old photos from the early days of photography depicting the city before 'modern' times overtook horse horse-drawn transport and pre-1940 when the heart of Bristol was dramatically re-drawn. Some (most?) of us were able to relate to the devastation in the city following 1945 and how it took some years to become what we know today. To some the iconic images of the Rover’s ground, replaced by Ikea, brought tears to their eyes. Chris is a talented photographer and many of the old images were contrasted by newer photos he had taken. He had plenty more information to impart about our city photographic history which there was just not time to see on the evening. I'm sure Wally will ask him back again at some future date.
October 11th - Fellowship, Fun & Food (of course!)
Once more, Sherry and Bob invited club members to their home for a fun and games evening. A good crowd turned up; had there been many more we would have been out in the garden! A number of board games were laid out on the many tables with some exotic names such as Skib-Bo, Lama and Sequence etc - the playing of which was, for a while, as mysterious as to the origins of the names. Eventually, most people got the hang of what went on and the clock soon moved on to the very important time everyone enjoys when visiting the Gray household - Supper! As usual, a very good spread had been laid on by Bob & Sherry and soon a silence descended onto the room as everyone tucked in. After mains and puddings it was back to the games again for an hour or so then home time after a very enjoyable evening. Our thanks, once again, to our hosts for a special evening which had the additional benefit of extra funds in the kitty for the Club.
See us enjoying ourselves in the Picture Gallery
Once more, Sherry and Bob invited club members to their home for a fun and games evening. A good crowd turned up; had there been many more we would have been out in the garden! A number of board games were laid out on the many tables with some exotic names such as Skib-Bo, Lama and Sequence etc - the playing of which was, for a while, as mysterious as to the origins of the names. Eventually, most people got the hang of what went on and the clock soon moved on to the very important time everyone enjoys when visiting the Gray household - Supper! As usual, a very good spread had been laid on by Bob & Sherry and soon a silence descended onto the room as everyone tucked in. After mains and puddings it was back to the games again for an hour or so then home time after a very enjoyable evening. Our thanks, once again, to our hosts for a special evening which had the additional benefit of extra funds in the kitty for the Club.
See us enjoying ourselves in the Picture Gallery
September 22nd
We had a different style of Dinner Night this time. Our meal was a generous portion of delicious mushroom soup followed by a choice of three cheeses with biscuits, then tea or coffee. All provided in expert fashion by Bob & Christine. To reduce our costs we did not have a speaker but instead played BINGO! Bob pulled out the numbers and Sherry checked the results. We played six games with three prizes each time, one row of numbers, two rows and then ‘full house’. The prizes for each game grew in value for the winners from a lollipop to packets of biscuits. No £1,000 prizes but still fun to win. A good evening with friends, and a profit of over £250 for the club funds.
Look at the Picture Gallery to see the concentration of the members engrossed in the games!
We had a different style of Dinner Night this time. Our meal was a generous portion of delicious mushroom soup followed by a choice of three cheeses with biscuits, then tea or coffee. All provided in expert fashion by Bob & Christine. To reduce our costs we did not have a speaker but instead played BINGO! Bob pulled out the numbers and Sherry checked the results. We played six games with three prizes each time, one row of numbers, two rows and then ‘full house’. The prizes for each game grew in value for the winners from a lollipop to packets of biscuits. No £1,000 prizes but still fun to win. A good evening with friends, and a profit of over £250 for the club funds.
Look at the Picture Gallery to see the concentration of the members engrossed in the games!
July 2nd
Jerry had the bright idea of using the Tynings School for the President Handover, he seems to be in charge there so could make the arrangements. There are plenty of opportunities for games at the school so it was decided to combine this with ‘Family Fun Day & BBQ’. Skittles, Archery, Jenga Blocks, Curling and Pistol shooting (with elastic bands!) were all laid on for our amusement. The barbeque was well organised by Bob and Christine with strawberries and cream to follow. When well fed and worn out with the games we settled down to hear President Pete install Wally as the 2022/3 President. A pleasant afternoon at a very convenient venue, thanks to Jerry for organising the event.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
Jerry had the bright idea of using the Tynings School for the President Handover, he seems to be in charge there so could make the arrangements. There are plenty of opportunities for games at the school so it was decided to combine this with ‘Family Fun Day & BBQ’. Skittles, Archery, Jenga Blocks, Curling and Pistol shooting (with elastic bands!) were all laid on for our amusement. The barbeque was well organised by Bob and Christine with strawberries and cream to follow. When well fed and worn out with the games we settled down to hear President Pete install Wally as the 2022/3 President. A pleasant afternoon at a very convenient venue, thanks to Jerry for organising the event.
See the Picture Gallery for images of the event.
July 1st – Remembering Robin and Jean
We did not have the opportunity to remember Jean and Robin Short when they both died within six months of each other in 2021. His son, Robin Junior, was aware that this had happened and determined to make such an occasion happen. This became available when most of the immediate Short family met on July 1st at 27 Overndale Road. He invited members from the Kingswood Y’s Men, Bromley Heath Probus and Robin’s Rambler group to join the family. Hundreds of photographs were on view, all carefully labelled with dates, names and places, typical of Robin’s attention to detail. The family had kept family pictures but those involving Robin’s interest groups were there to be taken if wished. Splendid refreshments were available, supplied by Hannah. The younger members of the family plied us all with tea. Robin Jr. gave a short speech thanking all for joining the family and others added their voices with fond recollections times with Robin and Jean. It was a lovely chance to share memories with a house full of their friends and family.
Do look at the Picture Gallery for photographs.
We did not have the opportunity to remember Jean and Robin Short when they both died within six months of each other in 2021. His son, Robin Junior, was aware that this had happened and determined to make such an occasion happen. This became available when most of the immediate Short family met on July 1st at 27 Overndale Road. He invited members from the Kingswood Y’s Men, Bromley Heath Probus and Robin’s Rambler group to join the family. Hundreds of photographs were on view, all carefully labelled with dates, names and places, typical of Robin’s attention to detail. The family had kept family pictures but those involving Robin’s interest groups were there to be taken if wished. Splendid refreshments were available, supplied by Hannah. The younger members of the family plied us all with tea. Robin Jr. gave a short speech thanking all for joining the family and others added their voices with fond recollections times with Robin and Jean. It was a lovely chance to share memories with a house full of their friends and family.
Do look at the Picture Gallery for photographs.
June 16th Dinner Night
How lucky we are to have Graham Walker as an honorary member of Kingswood club. Graham’s hobby is researching and creating PowerPoint presentation on subjects which interest him. June’s dinner was enhanced by his talk on the Life and Music of Irvin Berlin. Born in Russia in 1888 he moved to the United States at the age of five. He was a musical prodigy and published his first song in 1907. His first major international hit was Alexander’s Ragtime band in 1911. Graham ran through many of his most famous tunes with videos and photographs to accompany the music. During his 60 year career Berlin wrote an estimated 1,500 songs and we were able to sing along to many of the more famous ones. He wrote the scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 Hollywood films. His song “God Bless America” has become an unofficial anthem for the USA. Graham’s extensive research found many delightful images and tunes to entertain us the whole evening.
How lucky we are to have Graham Walker as an honorary member of Kingswood club. Graham’s hobby is researching and creating PowerPoint presentation on subjects which interest him. June’s dinner was enhanced by his talk on the Life and Music of Irvin Berlin. Born in Russia in 1888 he moved to the United States at the age of five. He was a musical prodigy and published his first song in 1907. His first major international hit was Alexander’s Ragtime band in 1911. Graham ran through many of his most famous tunes with videos and photographs to accompany the music. During his 60 year career Berlin wrote an estimated 1,500 songs and we were able to sing along to many of the more famous ones. He wrote the scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 Hollywood films. His song “God Bless America” has become an unofficial anthem for the USA. Graham’s extensive research found many delightful images and tunes to entertain us the whole evening.
May 19th - The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
Speaker Phil West’s grandson had an accident while on holiday and he was picked up by the Great Western Air Ambulance, the swift and expert response greatly reduced the effect of the accident. He has since given his time to spread the word of the value of the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC). Phil was keen to emphasise that it is a charity reliant on public donations. They receive no money from the Government or NHS, but around half of the Specialist Paramedic costs are funded by South Western Ambulance Service. They treat an average of five critically ill or injured patients a week. Each mission costs an average of £2,000. The team who travel are specialists in emergency treatment and carry the equivalent of a small operating theatre with anaesthetics and blood products. They don’t simply fly people to the nearest hospital; the priority is to get to the patient fast. People are treated at the scene, on the road and in the air, providing complex interventions to stabilise and treat the patient and give them the best chance of a positive outcome. We usually think of helicopters when seeing GWAAC but in fact nearly two thirds of call outs are by one of three critical care cars, which carry the same vital equipment as the helicopters. One big advantage of the cars is the ability to work in bad weather and at night. It costs about £4 million a year to run GWAAC out of their base at Almondsbury and public support is vital. We have recently donated to GWAAC and it was an interesting and valuable talk for the members to hear where the money goes and what it achieves.
Speaker Phil West’s grandson had an accident while on holiday and he was picked up by the Great Western Air Ambulance, the swift and expert response greatly reduced the effect of the accident. He has since given his time to spread the word of the value of the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC). Phil was keen to emphasise that it is a charity reliant on public donations. They receive no money from the Government or NHS, but around half of the Specialist Paramedic costs are funded by South Western Ambulance Service. They treat an average of five critically ill or injured patients a week. Each mission costs an average of £2,000. The team who travel are specialists in emergency treatment and carry the equivalent of a small operating theatre with anaesthetics and blood products. They don’t simply fly people to the nearest hospital; the priority is to get to the patient fast. People are treated at the scene, on the road and in the air, providing complex interventions to stabilise and treat the patient and give them the best chance of a positive outcome. We usually think of helicopters when seeing GWAAC but in fact nearly two thirds of call outs are by one of three critical care cars, which carry the same vital equipment as the helicopters. One big advantage of the cars is the ability to work in bad weather and at night. It costs about £4 million a year to run GWAAC out of their base at Almondsbury and public support is vital. We have recently donated to GWAAC and it was an interesting and valuable talk for the members to hear where the money goes and what it achieves.
April 21st - A Beetle Drive
We were asked by the Barn to finish early this month so decided not to have a speaker but to entertain ourselves with a Beetle Drive. Do look on the Picture Gallery page for images of us at play.
We were asked by the Barn to finish early this month so decided not to have a speaker but to entertain ourselves with a Beetle Drive. Do look on the Picture Gallery page for images of us at play.
March 17th - Making the Earth Flat
Chas Ashley clearly has an in depth knowledge of maps and how they have changed over the ages he was able to entertain and educate us at the same time. His talk was a master class in the development of maps from the earliest to the modern GPS maps.
Early Roman maps were centred on Rome and had little detail beyond the Mediterranean region. They did develop a type of linear map showing routes from one place to another.
The first major development to show the world a flat surface was in 1569 with the publication of maps using the Mercator projection which turned the globe into a distorted image. It was used primarily for navigation at sea and relied on astral observations.
In the 1600’s acts of parliament made the enclosure of common land a requirement and better quality land maps were needed to show ownership. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century the national mapping of commercial land, that is not mountains, moorland or useful space, became a necessity and so called tithe maps were produced. They were in effect tax maps.
With the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 the army found great difficulty in tracking the rebels but the British army eventually beat the Jacobite forces at the battle of Culloden. The rebellion showed the need for better quality mapping and it was decided to create a national map. William Ross had a major influence in mapping as he developed triangulation as the means of ensuring accuracy and detail in maps. Trig points still exist in many places in the UK as a lasting monument to his work. The first series of OS map was published in 1860 at a scale of 25 inches to the mile. The advent of the railways allowed more people to travel to see the countryside and soon commercial companies and eventually the maps were reproduced at the more convenient scales of 6 inches and 1 inch to the mile.
Chas finished his talk with some fascinating detail about modern mapping using the Global Positioning System (GPS) now readily available on your phone and car sat nav. This mapping no longer relies on physical land based triangulation but uses multiple satellites and extremely accurate time to establish detailed maps freely available to all. The method still has to use the triangulation method devised by Ross in the 18th century!
Chas Ashley clearly has an in depth knowledge of maps and how they have changed over the ages he was able to entertain and educate us at the same time. His talk was a master class in the development of maps from the earliest to the modern GPS maps.
Early Roman maps were centred on Rome and had little detail beyond the Mediterranean region. They did develop a type of linear map showing routes from one place to another.
The first major development to show the world a flat surface was in 1569 with the publication of maps using the Mercator projection which turned the globe into a distorted image. It was used primarily for navigation at sea and relied on astral observations.
In the 1600’s acts of parliament made the enclosure of common land a requirement and better quality land maps were needed to show ownership. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century the national mapping of commercial land, that is not mountains, moorland or useful space, became a necessity and so called tithe maps were produced. They were in effect tax maps.
With the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 the army found great difficulty in tracking the rebels but the British army eventually beat the Jacobite forces at the battle of Culloden. The rebellion showed the need for better quality mapping and it was decided to create a national map. William Ross had a major influence in mapping as he developed triangulation as the means of ensuring accuracy and detail in maps. Trig points still exist in many places in the UK as a lasting monument to his work. The first series of OS map was published in 1860 at a scale of 25 inches to the mile. The advent of the railways allowed more people to travel to see the countryside and soon commercial companies and eventually the maps were reproduced at the more convenient scales of 6 inches and 1 inch to the mile.
Chas finished his talk with some fascinating detail about modern mapping using the Global Positioning System (GPS) now readily available on your phone and car sat nav. This mapping no longer relies on physical land based triangulation but uses multiple satellites and extremely accurate time to establish detailed maps freely available to all. The method still has to use the triangulation method devised by Ross in the 18th century!
February 17th - Time of Fast Dinner Night - Ian Brailey
Our speaker was an ideal match for the annual Time of Fast dinner when we have a simple meal of soup and bread. Ian Brailey spoke of the work of the Bristol Street Pastors. The Bristol city centre can offer entertainment for up to 35.000 young people and some get into difficulties. The Street Pastors were formed in 2012 and go out on the weekend evenings in teams of three or four to offer help and guidance to revellers that may be the ‘worse for wear’. The Street Pastors do not judge or place blame they are only concerned to give support. The first part of the evening is often spent clearing up glass and rubbish which may cause injury later in the evening. Young ladies often find their shoes uncomfortable and remove them, leaving them open to possible harm. Later in the night more young people need assistance so they carry supplies of flip-flops, space blankets, water and minor injury first aid. Often the Street Pastors find they can disarm potential problems with a kind word or a lollipop. The team coordinate their work with the police and para-medics, the CCTV centre and have radios provided by the council to get alerts to potential problems. Cities have a ‘purple flag’ system, similar to the ‘blue flag’ beaches and the Bristol Street Pastors are proud to have earnt this recognition. A fascinating talk by an enthusiastic speaker who has been made an MBE for his work.
Our speaker was an ideal match for the annual Time of Fast dinner when we have a simple meal of soup and bread. Ian Brailey spoke of the work of the Bristol Street Pastors. The Bristol city centre can offer entertainment for up to 35.000 young people and some get into difficulties. The Street Pastors were formed in 2012 and go out on the weekend evenings in teams of three or four to offer help and guidance to revellers that may be the ‘worse for wear’. The Street Pastors do not judge or place blame they are only concerned to give support. The first part of the evening is often spent clearing up glass and rubbish which may cause injury later in the evening. Young ladies often find their shoes uncomfortable and remove them, leaving them open to possible harm. Later in the night more young people need assistance so they carry supplies of flip-flops, space blankets, water and minor injury first aid. Often the Street Pastors find they can disarm potential problems with a kind word or a lollipop. The team coordinate their work with the police and para-medics, the CCTV centre and have radios provided by the council to get alerts to potential problems. Cities have a ‘purple flag’ system, similar to the ‘blue flag’ beaches and the Bristol Street Pastors are proud to have earnt this recognition. A fascinating talk by an enthusiastic speaker who has been made an MBE for his work.
January 20th 2022 - Dinner Night - Andy March
Andy is the chairman of the Children's Chernobyl Lifeline, Bristol Link and told us about the work they do. It is part of a national charity founded in 1992 by Victor Mizzi OBE. There are currently over 45 active 'Links' that have been established throughout the United Kingdom, raising money to support the children of Belarus, whose lives will be forever affected by the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
The Bristol group’s work is focused on the following core activities:
Raising the funds to bring up to sixteen children to Bristol each summer for four weeks of fresh air, uncontaminated food, fun, love and attention as well as dental and eye check-ups. They come from the town of Osipovichi in Belarus and surrounding villages, (including Protachavici - see below).
Supporting three schools in Protachavici village where the children help to grow the vegetables for the canteen and collect scrap metal to sell for learning resources. The charity has funded the refurbishment of the playground to make it safe and enjoyable for the children.
Andy is a committed speaker who brought to life the joy given to the children chosen come to Bristol each year and the help given to those not fortunate to be selected.
Andy is the chairman of the Children's Chernobyl Lifeline, Bristol Link and told us about the work they do. It is part of a national charity founded in 1992 by Victor Mizzi OBE. There are currently over 45 active 'Links' that have been established throughout the United Kingdom, raising money to support the children of Belarus, whose lives will be forever affected by the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
The Bristol group’s work is focused on the following core activities:
Raising the funds to bring up to sixteen children to Bristol each summer for four weeks of fresh air, uncontaminated food, fun, love and attention as well as dental and eye check-ups. They come from the town of Osipovichi in Belarus and surrounding villages, (including Protachavici - see below).
Supporting three schools in Protachavici village where the children help to grow the vegetables for the canteen and collect scrap metal to sell for learning resources. The charity has funded the refurbishment of the playground to make it safe and enjoyable for the children.
Andy is a committed speaker who brought to life the joy given to the children chosen come to Bristol each year and the help given to those not fortunate to be selected.
December 16th - Dinner Night - Speaker David Cheesley
David Cheesley has been a regular contributor to our Dinner Nights and on 16th December he began by recalling legendary shopping stores in what he termed “The Golden Age of Shopping” and these were such stores as Woolworths, the International Stores (later Somerfield) and the Home and Colonial, together with the Penny Bazaar later to be the Pound Shop.
David focussed specifically on the opening and completion of the Broadmead area between 1952 and 1963 during which time many events occurred including the opening of Marks and Spencers in 1952 (sadly to close early next year), the opening of the new Woolworths in 1953 and the ending of the ration book system also in 1953. Other well-known stores opened in this period including John James and Currys and in 1957 Jones's, later to be Debenhams and Lewis's, followed by Bentalls and then John Lewis. David treated us to a slice of “The Golden Age of Shopping” evoking many memories.
David Cheesley has been a regular contributor to our Dinner Nights and on 16th December he began by recalling legendary shopping stores in what he termed “The Golden Age of Shopping” and these were such stores as Woolworths, the International Stores (later Somerfield) and the Home and Colonial, together with the Penny Bazaar later to be the Pound Shop.
David focussed specifically on the opening and completion of the Broadmead area between 1952 and 1963 during which time many events occurred including the opening of Marks and Spencers in 1952 (sadly to close early next year), the opening of the new Woolworths in 1953 and the ending of the ration book system also in 1953. Other well-known stores opened in this period including John James and Currys and in 1957 Jones's, later to be Debenhams and Lewis's, followed by Bentalls and then John Lewis. David treated us to a slice of “The Golden Age of Shopping” evoking many memories.
November 21st - Dinner Night - Speaker Jackie Baker
An excellent talk was given by Jackie Baker who has been the chairperson for the Downend and Bromley Heath in Bloom group for six to seven years. Her energetic and vibrant presentation explained how from Cleeve Hill Tennis Club beginnings a voluntary and self-financed group started to fill our local streets and roads with displays of flowers every summer. A wide range of plants from daffodils, tulips, bluebells, polyanthus, and primroses are planted each year into a wide range of pots, containers, four stage planters, pouches and displays on poles. Some are bought-in displays, self-planted arrangements, and tree plan<ng encircled with plants. Experiments with wildflower meadow arrangements also have been tried. Around £15k this year has been spent on the area wide scheme which included plants, poles, soil, with a total of some 241 arrangements displayed. The watering contract alone costs £3k!
An excellent talk was given by Jackie Baker who has been the chairperson for the Downend and Bromley Heath in Bloom group for six to seven years. Her energetic and vibrant presentation explained how from Cleeve Hill Tennis Club beginnings a voluntary and self-financed group started to fill our local streets and roads with displays of flowers every summer. A wide range of plants from daffodils, tulips, bluebells, polyanthus, and primroses are planted each year into a wide range of pots, containers, four stage planters, pouches and displays on poles. Some are bought-in displays, self-planted arrangements, and tree plan<ng encircled with plants. Experiments with wildflower meadow arrangements also have been tried. Around £15k this year has been spent on the area wide scheme which included plants, poles, soil, with a total of some 241 arrangements displayed. The watering contract alone costs £3k!
October 21st - Dinner Night - Speaker Chris Bigg
The talk was entitled "Bristol - City of the Sea" and despite the title he began by referring to the 1957 crash of the Bristol Britannia in Downend when 15 people were killed. He went on to John Cabot setting sail for Newfoundland in 1497 and talked about Bristol's links with the slave trade between 1696 and 1807. During this period there were 2,000 voyages and 500,000 slaves transported.
There was, of course, mention of Brunel and in particular his first ship the Great Western Steamship which just failed to be the first ship to make an Atlantic crossing in 1838. This was followed in 1843 by the grand launch of Brunel's SS Great Britain with its subsequent historic links with the city. Another legendary ship was the HMS Flying Fox and coming right up to date was the description of power boat racing in the city docks. So an interesting and informative talk and slides which evoked many memories for us all.
The talk was entitled "Bristol - City of the Sea" and despite the title he began by referring to the 1957 crash of the Bristol Britannia in Downend when 15 people were killed. He went on to John Cabot setting sail for Newfoundland in 1497 and talked about Bristol's links with the slave trade between 1696 and 1807. During this period there were 2,000 voyages and 500,000 slaves transported.
There was, of course, mention of Brunel and in particular his first ship the Great Western Steamship which just failed to be the first ship to make an Atlantic crossing in 1838. This was followed in 1843 by the grand launch of Brunel's SS Great Britain with its subsequent historic links with the city. Another legendary ship was the HMS Flying Fox and coming right up to date was the description of power boat racing in the city docks. So an interesting and informative talk and slides which evoked many memories for us all.
September 16th - Dinner Night - Speaker Peter Sheppard
Our speaker called to say he was unwell and President Pete stepped in to give a talk on his working life with a Swedish company. This involved often spending a week at a time in Mojlby where he was able to experience Swedish culture and food. His abiding memory was of the hospitality he was treated to. Often the food was dominated by fish; lots of pickled herrings and eels accompanied by schnapps.
From a business perspective the factory was in a middle of a forest just outside of the town. Most of the forklift trucks were built by team’s which assembled them from start to finish. Robots were introduced from the early 1980 to weld the chassis together. An entertaining talk given at quite short notice without notes.
Our speaker called to say he was unwell and President Pete stepped in to give a talk on his working life with a Swedish company. This involved often spending a week at a time in Mojlby where he was able to experience Swedish culture and food. His abiding memory was of the hospitality he was treated to. Often the food was dominated by fish; lots of pickled herrings and eels accompanied by schnapps.
From a business perspective the factory was in a middle of a forest just outside of the town. Most of the forklift trucks were built by team’s which assembled them from start to finish. Robots were introduced from the early 1980 to weld the chassis together. An entertaining talk given at quite short notice without notes.
August 19th 2021 - Indoor Picnic
After over a year away from our base at the Barn we were back. The tables were well spaced and members and wives were able to socialise. Graham Walker gave us a PowerPoint presentation of the music and videos selected by members. Graham has had to leave the club due to poor eyesight meaning he can no longer drive at night. The club had decided to honour him with honorary membership so that he would feel welcome to join us whenever he could.
Our President for 2019/20 was reinstalled as President for 2020/21 since his year in office had been so interrupted.
A super evening to restart our activities.
We also restarted out monthly Coffee Mornings on September 4th.
See the gallery for a slide show of pictures
Our President for 2019/20 was reinstalled as President for 2020/21 since his year in office had been so interrupted.
A super evening to restart our activities.
We also restarted out monthly Coffee Mornings on September 4th.
See the gallery for a slide show of pictures
2020/21
The club completed a year of weekly virtual Coffee Mornings on Zoom. During the meetings we have welcomed visitors from Australia, Germany, France, Japan’ Russia and Canada. Members have made donations in lieu of the money they would have spent at real Coffee Mornings and have raised over £3,500 which we have donated to local charities who have lost income through the pandemic.
From August 2021 we returned to normal meetings.
The club completed a year of weekly virtual Coffee Mornings on Zoom. During the meetings we have welcomed visitors from Australia, Germany, France, Japan’ Russia and Canada. Members have made donations in lieu of the money they would have spent at real Coffee Mornings and have raised over £3,500 which we have donated to local charities who have lost income through the pandemic.
From August 2021 we returned to normal meetings.
