On 10th May our members were given a most interesting and informative talk by Barry Linton (an advisor to Essex Police”) on Cyber Security.

Barry started off by outlining what the “bad guys” are trying to obtain in a number of ways:

.  Key identity information

.  Bank/building society details

.  Lists of your contacts - your address book

.  Your passwords

How to they go about getting this information:

.  “Phishing” e-mails designed to make you curious, excited or fearful.  These may try to get you to click on a link, which could enable them to install malware on your computer to give them access. Alternatively they may ask you to telephone a number they give you. This could be a very expensive line. Also they could seek secure information from you such as bank details.

.  Phone calls purporting to be from organisations such as HMRC, your bank, a delivery company, your computer company claiming that they can put right a virus on your computer etc.  These often have convincing looking phone numbers. They are normally a prelude to seeking confidential information such as bank details.

 How can you protect yourself?

.  If you receive phone calls from Government organisations such as HMRC they will be scams - they do not phone people.

.  On an incoming e-mail by putting your cursor over the “Click Here”, but not actually clicking on, it will show the real destination website, which may have nothing to do with the organisation you thought it was..

.  By looking at the FROM:  e-mail address on a laptop or desktop it may clearly show an address that is not the expected organisation. On a mobile device like a phone or Tablet if you  tap the screen at the FROM: name  you will see a new panel showing the actual sending email address and this can show you if the email is genuine or not.  If in any doubt do not click on any link or reply on-line or to any phone number but check yourself with the organisation claiming to be sending the e-mail.  For example all bank and credit cards have a number on the back which you can telephone to see if an incoming e-mail is genuine or a scam.

.  Beware of e-mails that are not addressed to you by name - they are probably scams.

. Is the use of English and the spelling correct.

.  Do not use public internet (e.g. internet cafes) for any secure transactions.

.  For any online payment transaction ensure that you are dealing with a safe site by checking that it starts https.

.  Install virus protection on your computer.  There are many reliable systems such as Norton and McAfee.

.  Be careful what you put on social media sites such as “Facebook” - this can give valuable information to a scammer/criminal.

Passwords

Your most important password is that for your e-mail account.  If the criminal can obtain this it can open up your whole account, with all your personal information, contacts etc.  It can also take over the account completely and lock you out. All too often passwords are easy for a determined hacker to break, being family names, simple substitution of numbers for letters and so on. Ideally a password should be made up of three random words, preferably around twelve characters long.

With the number of different passwords that we have to have these days they are probably written down in a note book.  This can be your most valuable possession.  Do not keep it next to your computer in case anyone gets access to your property.  Preferably keep it in a safe if available.

Ideally passwords should be changed regularly.

Credit card fraud

Credit card fraud is rampant.  Scammers now have equipment which enables them to read your credit card details at a distance or simply pay for a purchase.  It is advisable to keep your credit cards in your wallet or pocket in a RFID screening pouch - these can be purchased in packs and are also available for passports and car keys.  Also be careful of “shoulder scamming”, where the criminal stands close behind you at an ATM to obtain your password.

On a related matter Barry highlighted the risk of theft of modern cars that have chips in the key fob. The key is accessible to a thief’s scanner from a distance and once the key has been scanned the car could be driven away at a time of the thief’s choosing.  Car keys should be kept well away from the front door or protected in an RFID screening pouch.

What to do if you think you are being scammed

Contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk

If you want to check if your computer may have been compromised go on to “haveibeenpwned.com”

Back up your computer

In case your computer gets compromised, possibly losing all your information, it is Important to back up regularly, either to an external hard drive or the cloud.

Barry fielded a number of questions from our members (some of whom recounted personal problems they had experienced) and was then thanked  by the Chairman for a fascinating presentation.

On 10th May our members were given a most interesting and informative talk by Barry Linton (an advisor to Essex Police”) on Cyber Security.

Barry started off by outlining what the “bad guys” are trying to obtain in a number of ways:

.  Key identity information

.  Bank/building society details

.  Lists of your contacts - your address book

.  Your passwords

How to they go about getting this information:

.  “Phishing” e-mails designed to make you curious, excited or fearful.  These may try to get you to click on a link, which could enable them to install malware on your computer to give them access. Alternatively they may ask you to telephone a number they give you. This could be a very expensive line. Also they could seek secure information from you such as bank details.

.  Phone calls purporting to be from organisations such as HMRC, your bank, a delivery company, your computer company claiming that they can put right a virus on your computer etc.  These often have convincing looking phone numbers. They are normally a prelude to seeking confidential information such as bank details.

 How can you protect yourself?

.  If you receive phone calls from Government organisations such as HMRC they will be scams - they do not phone people.

.  On an incoming e-mail by putting your cursor over the “Click Here”, but not actually clicking on, it will show the real destination website, which may have nothing to do with the organisation you thought it was..

.  By looking at the FROM:  e-mail address on a laptop or desktop it may clearly show an address that is not the expected organisation. On a mobile device like a phone or Tablet if you  tap the screen at the FROM: name  you will see a new panel showing the actual sending email address and this can show you if the email is genuine or not.  If in any doubt do not click on any link or reply on-line or to any phone number but check yourself with the organisation claiming to be sending the e-mail.  For example all bank and credit cards have a number on the back which you can telephone to see if an incoming e-mail is genuine or a scam.

.  Beware of e-mails that are not addressed to you by name - they are probably scams.

. Is the use of English and the spelling correct.

.  Do not use public internet (e.g. internet cafes) for any secure transactions.

.  For any online payment transaction ensure that you are dealing with a safe site by checking that it starts https.

.  Install virus protection on your computer.  There are many reliable systems such as Norton and McAfee.

.  Be careful what you put on social media sites such as “Facebook” - this can give valuable information to a scammer/criminal.

Passwords

Your most important password is that for your e-mail account.  If the criminal can obtain this it can open up your whole account, with all your personal information, contacts etc.  It can also take over the account completely and lock you out. All too often passwords are easy for a determined hacker to break, being family names, simple substitution of numbers for letters and so on. Ideally a password should be made up of three random words, preferably around twelve characters long.

With the number of different passwords that we have to have these days they are probably written down in a note book.  This can be your most valuable possession.  Do not keep it next to your computer in case anyone gets access to your property.  Preferably keep it in a safe if available.

Ideally passwords should be changed regularly.

Credit card fraud

Credit card fraud is rampant.  Scammers now have equipment which enables them to read your credit card details at a distance or simply pay for a purchase.  It is advisable to keep your credit cards in your wallet or pocket in a RFID screening pouch - these can be purchased in packs and are also available for passports and car keys.  Also be careful of “shoulder scamming”, where the criminal stands close behind you at an ATM to obtain your password.

On a related matter Barry highlighted the risk of theft of modern cars that have chips in the key fob. The key is accessible to a thief’s scanner from a distance and once the key has been scanned the car could be driven away at a time of the thief’s choosing.  Car keys should be kept well away from the front door or protected in an RFID screening pouch.

What to do if you think you are being scammed

Contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk

If you want to check if your computer may have been compromised go on to “haveibeenpwned.com”

Back up your computer

In case your computer gets compromised, possibly losing all your information, it is Important to back up regularly, either to an external hard drive or the cloud.

Barry fielded a number of questions from our members (some of whom recounted personal problems they had experienced) and was then thanked  by the Chairman for a fascinating presentation.

At our “Zoom” meeting on 12th July 2021 new member Andrew Lydon gave a fascinating talk on “Events leading to the fall of Singapore in WW2”.

Japan was in need of oil to continue its development following an embargo by the Western Powers on the supply of oil and steel due to concern about their expansion plans.

Japan was faced with the choice of either economic collapse or preparation for war to achieve its aims.

Singapore was known as “Fortress Singapore” and considered to be well defended.  However, the Japanese preparation for an attack had been meticulous.  They had informers in Malaya and Singapore passing on vital information on defences, carried out reconnaissance flights over Malaya and intercepted coded radio messages from Singapore to London. (Initially they thought that these may have been planted until the Germans confirmed their accuracy).

Lt. General Tomoyuki Yamashita was put in command of the invasion on 6th November 1941.  He said that the only successful strategy would be “a driving charge through Malaya”.

Head of the British forces was Lt. General Arthur Percival about whom feelings were mixed -  was he an inadequate commander or was he forced to defend with inadequate resources?

The attack on Singapore started on 8th December 1941, with the Japanese progressing through the Malayan jungle with tanks and bicycles!  They had also launched simultaneous attacks on Pearl Harbour, The Philippines, Wake Island, Guam and Thailand (who capitulated in five hours).  This year is the 80th anniversary of the start of the invasion.

Air raids on Singapore took place on 8th December 1941 and the inadequate fighter plane force of American made “Buffaloes” were no match for the Japanese “Zero” planes.

Part of the British Navy contingent left Singapore to protect the East coast but on December 10th the Japanese sunk the warships “Prince of Wales” and Repulse”, with the loss of over 800 lives.

By 8th January 1942 the Japanese had reached Kuala Lumpur and on 15th January captured Muar.  At this point Percival withdrew 30,000 troops from Malaya.  Percival had spread his forces around the island with gun emplacements East, South and West of Singapore and British troops in the NE corner to protect the naval base.  Australian troops were protecting the NW corner.

On 17th January 1942 Britain blew up the causeway in the NW corner linking Malaya and Singapore but this was repaired by the Japanese by 1st February.

On 5th February Japan attacked an island off the NE corner of Singapore but this was a decoy and the main invasion took place in the NW corner three days later, when the under resourced and under trained Australian troops were comprehensively defeated.

All was now lost and Britain surrendered at the Battlebox on 15th February 1942.

The invasion cost 13234 British lives, with over 12000 wounded and 130,000 captured, mainly ending up in forced labour prison camps.

This was considered to be one of the greatest ever disasters in British military history.

Andrew fielded a number of questions and was then thanked by the Chairman for a most interesting presentation.

At our 14th June Zoom Meeting we were entertained by an excellent and informative talk by Barry Tregaskis on “The Horsley, Bookham and Leatherhead Riding for the Disabled Association”. The Association was founded in May 1970 and is a registered charity for whom the main patron is Princess Anne. It is a part of RDA National, which has 500 groups, 18000 volunteers and 28000 riders, while this local Group has 80 riders between the ages of 4 and 25. Riders have a wide range of disabilities including Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD and Oral Dyspraxia amongst others. There are seven organised riding sessions each week with 5 to 15 riders in each session and a total of around 1200 individual rides per year. There are approx. 140 volunteers, some of whom have been with the Group for more than 30 years. In late 2020 the original Horsley and Bookham RDA merged with Leatherhead RDA. For 40 years the base has been the Wyvenhoe Equestrian Centre, with indoor and outdoor schools and easy access to a bridleway. Each session has an RDA qualified instructor, a group leader and 2-3 volunteers per rider and at least one trained first aider.13 different horses and ponies are used across all groups, two of which are owned and the rest are provided by Wyvenhoe as part of a facilities agreement. Demand for rides currently outstrips the ability to supply them. The focus is to ensure that each individual rider benefits: Therapeutically (Improve muscle tone and posture and develop fine and gross motor movements) Achieve personal ambitions (From sitting on a horse for the first time to learning new skills or participating in a competition) Combat social isolation (Build relationships, enjoy events and develop self confidence). How it is done Work in small groups of 5 to 6 riders at a time. Some may not ride immediately and sometimes getting them to wear riding hats can be a challenge. Each mounted rider has a person leading the horse and a helper on each side. Each rider session lasts 20 to 45 minutes. With larger groups, while 5 are riding the others will be learning about horses and stable management. Sessions are designed to meet the individual needs of the riders. Riders are encouraged to do and learn a bit more at each session. No pressure is applied. Everyone progresses at their own speed. Having fun is the key. Then the pandemic hit!! Lockdown stopped the riding but didn’t stop the outgoings. The horses were moved off site, all events were cancelled and the Group went online, contact being maintained with all the riders, their schools, parents/carers and volunteers. September 2020 An appeal for personal protective equipment went out to get ready for riding to restart and this was well supported by the community. enabling a small number of the weekly groups to recommence. October 2020 The proposed merger was confirmed with Leatherhead RDA and a new facilities agreement signed with Wyvenhoe Equestrian Centre. December 2020 The horses were moved to their new permanent home. With the future secure a major fundraising campaign took place to raise money for a new fully accessible riding school on site at an estimated cost of over £664,000. With a few hold-ups on the way the necessary planning permission was obtained from Guildford Borough Council and it is hoped to start building in July 2021, with the work to be completed in several stages. The school will include: A 30 metre x 60 metre indoor arena, allowing sessions to be held all year round and with a viewing platform for parents, a hydraulic lift to help riders in mounting and dismounting, fully accessible toilets, a classroom for teaching riders about horse care and for training volunteers and a tack roomand separate storage area for equipment. An additional eight horses will be obtained, four purchased and four gifted. Apart from the capital expenditure it will cost around £40,000 per annum to maintain the facilities and it is aimed to build up two years reserves. A number of interesting questions were raised, particularly with regard to the training and regulation of the horses and the interface between the horses and riders. Chairman Alan Gilbertson thanked Barry for a most interesting presentation.

“Concorde - Supersonic Cover Up” was the title of an entertaining and informative Zoom talk given by Guy Bartlett at our April Meeting.

Up until 2000 the Concorde fleets of Air France and British Airways (seven planes each) had an exemplary safety record.  However a tragedy occurred on 25th July 2000 when an Air France Concorde taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport, with primarily German tourists on board, caught fire on the runway while taking off and crashed shortly afterwards into the grounds of a hotel, with a total loss of life of 113, 109on the aircraft and 4 on the ground.

An immediate investigation was started by the French Air Accident Board.  This should have been in full collaboration with the British equivalent authority but the French tended to put obstacles in the way of the British when access was required to wreckage and other events surrounding the tragedy.

The final conclusion of the investigation was as follows:-

The number 2 tyre on Concorde struck at speed a piece of sheet metal which had fallen off a  Continental Airlines plane which had taken off before it.  This shredded the tyre, fragments of which ruptured the fuel tank.  The escaping fuel caught fire, ignited either by the heat of the engine or sparks from broken electrical wiring, causing the fire which affected the aircrafts stability and resulted in a lack of take off speed.  Continental Airlines were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and fined and the fitter who had incorrectly fitted the metal component that dropped off was given a suspended prison sentence.

A number of investigative journalists and existing and former Concorde pilots were not happy with this verdict and further research indicated a number of other major contributory factors to the tragedy.

(a)  The aircraft was overloaded.  Additional fuel had been put on board at the request of the pilot so that he could fly faster to make up time lost in a delayed take off (approx. 1.5 tons in weight).  This also meant that there was no air gap between the fuel and the inside of the tank, the relevance of which will be seen later.  Also half a ton of additional luggage had been put on board unknown to the Captain.

(b)  The aircraft, with permission  of French air traffic control, took off in the “wrong” direction i.e. with the wind behind to save time taxiing to the other end of the runway.  This would have required extra power to get the required lift and was considered to be the equivalent of an extra 6 tons of load.

(c)  A key spacer on one of the wheel hubs, designed to keep the wheels in alignment on take off and landing, was missing (later found in the Air France hangar!).  This caused the aircraft to skew to the left on the runway, when it hit a landing light, the debris from which was then thought to have caused the initial shock on the fuel tank, causing the rupture (at a point on the runway before the piece of metal from the Continental Airlines plane).  This shock, because there was no air gap in the fuel tanks, caused them to rupture outwards. Also the misalignment meant that the captain had to use the rudder to straighten the aircraft, affecting take off speed.

(d)  Engine 1 was shut down because of the fire but then a false fire alarm in the cockpit for engine 2 resulted in this also being erroneously shut down by the co-pilot without informing the pilot.  This meant that only two engines were operational, both on the same side. Under normal circumstances the aircraft could fly on these two engines had there been sufficient altitude and speed but this was not the case here. Also the pilot could not retract the landing gear due to wiring being destroyed in the fire which affected the take off speed..

(e)  There is speculation that the aircraft hit a bump in the runway where resurfacing had taken place, affecting stability. 

(f)  Because of the high speed at which Concorde took off airport regulations mandated that a runway inspection should take place immediately before a flight.  It was found that no inspection had taken place in the twelve hours preceding the tragic flight.

As a result of all the doubts expressed a further review of the accident took place and in November 2012 a French Court cleared Continental Airlines and the mechanic of responsibility for the crash.  This result was largely covered up for a number of reasons - the possible loss of confidence by the public in Air France maintenance procedures,   incorrect procedures by Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the revelation that President Chirac, who at the time of the accident was landing on an adjacent runway, had been put at risk.

Following the accident a number of modifications were made to the aircraft.  The fuel tanks were lined with Kevlar, wiring encased in aluminium to prevent sparking and the overall weight of the aircraft was lightened.

Flying resumed but eventually both Air France and British Airways discontinued their flights.  The French were losing money on the routes, primarily due to lack of co-operation from American Authorities due to France refusing to support the USA in the Gulf War. British Airways were making a profit on Concorde but the French were unwilling to see them go it alone and had Airbus suspend the Certificate of Airworthiness, meaning that the aircraft could no longer be flow commercially.

And so ended a beautiful aircraft.  In the words of a former BA Concorde Pilot “Deadly errors destroyed a dream”.

Guy was thanked by the Chairman for an excellent and well illustrated presentation, complemented by a round of “Zoom” applause from a large audience.

The Suez Canal - The Building and the Conflicts - 2000 BC to 2000 AD was the title of an entertaining presentation by David Williams

The Suez Canal, a major shipping lane through Egypt, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea. It officially opened in November 1869.

Prior to it’s consruction travel from Europe to India was around 12000 miles.  A canal would reduce this to approx. 7000 miles.

Although the Suez Canal wasn't officially completed until 1869, there is a long history of interest in connecting both the Nile River in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

Pharaoh Senusret III is thought to be the first to connect the Mediterranean and Red seas by digging connections through branches of the Nile River in the 19th century BCE. Those eventually filled with silt.

Various other pharaohs, the Romans and possibly Omar the Great built other passageways over the centuries, but those, too, yielded too disuse.

The first modern attempts to build a canal came in the late 1700s when Napoleon Bonaparte conducted an expedition to Egypt.

He believed that building a French-controlled canal on the Isthmus of Suez would cause trade problems for the British as they would either have to pay dues to France or continue sending goods over land or around the southern part of Africa.

Studies for Napoleon's canal plan began in 1799 but a miscalculation in measurement showed the sea levels between the Mediterranean and the Red seas as being too different, causing fear of flooding the Nile Delta.

The next attempt occurred in the mid-1800s when a French diplomat and engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps, convinced the Egyptian viceroy Said Pasha to support building a canal.

In 1858, the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was formed and given the right to begin construction of the canal and operate it for 99 years, when the Egyptian government would take over control. At it’s founding it was owned by French and Egyptian interests.

Construction of the Suez Canal officially began on April 25, 1859. Low-paid forced Egyptian labourers using picks and shovels did the initial digging,  which was extremely slow and painstaking. This was eventually abandoned for steam and coal-powered machines that quickly finished the work.

It opened 10 years later on November 17, 1869, at a cost of £18 million. This cost included several “vanity” projects such as a villa for De Lesseps, a palace and a railway station at Ismailia and a lighthouse at Port Said.

Almost immediately, the Suez Canal had a significant impact on world trade as goods were moved around the world in record time, although British ships refused to use it as it would involve paying fees to the French.

Its initial size was 25 feet (7.6 meters) deep, 72 feet (22 meters) wide at the bottom and between 200 feet and 300 feet (61-91 meters) wide at the top.

In 1875, debt forced Egypt to sell its shares in ownership of the Suez Canal to the United Kingdom.  The British Prime Mnister, Disraeli, obtained a £4 million pound loan from Rothschilds to purchase a 44% shareholding.  Thereafter British ships started to use the canal.

However, an international convention in 1888 made the canal available for all ships from any nation to use.

A few conflicts have arisen over the use and control of the Suez Canal:

• 1936: The United Kingdom was given the right to maintain military forces in the Suez Canal Zone and control entry points.
• 1954: Egypt and the United Kingdom signed a seven-year contract that resulted in the withdrawal of British forces from the canal area and allowed Egypt to take control of the former British installations.
• 1948: With the creation of Israel, the Egyptian government prohibited the use of the canal by ships coming and going from the country.

In July 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, announced the country was nationalizing the canal to help finance the Aswan High Dam after the United States and the United Kingdom withdrew support from funding.

On October 29 of that same year, Israel invaded Egypt and two days later Britain and France followed on grounds that passage through the canal was to be free. In retaliation, Egypt blocked the canal by intentionally sinking 40 ships.

The Soviet Union offered to back Egypt militarily, and eventually, the crisis was ended with a United Nations negotiated cease fire.  In November 1956 the UN arranged a truce between the four nations. The Suez Canal then reopened in March 1957 when the sunken ships were removed.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Suez Canal was closed several more times because of conflicts between Egypt and Israel.  Following the Six-Day War in 1967, 14 ships that were in passage in the canal became trapped and could not leave until 1975 because both ends of the canal were blocked by sunken boats on either side of the canal. They became known as the "Yellow Fleet" for the desert sand that accumulated on them over the years.

In 1962, Egypt made its final payments for the canal to its original owners (the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company) and the nation took full control of the Suez Canal.

Today, the Suez Canal is operated by the Suez Canal Authority. The canal itself is 101 miles (163 kilometers) long and 984 feet (300 meters) wide.

It begins at the Mediterranean Sea at Point Said, flows through Ismailia in Egypt, and ends at Suez on the Gulf of Suez. It also has a railroad running its entire length parallel to its west bank.

The Suez Canal can accommodate ships with a vertical height (draft) of 62 feet (19 meters) or 210,000 deadweight tons. This includes the largest container ships and a United States Aircraft Carrier.  Traffic has increased from 4533 ships in 1910 to 19943 ships in 1964, with an even greater increase in tonnage.

Most of the Suez Canal is not wide enough for two ships to pass side by side. To accommodate this, there is one shipping lane and several passing bays where ships can wait for others to pass, plus a section of “Dual Carriageway”.

The Suez Canal has no locks because the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea's Gulf of Suez have approximately the same water level. It takes around 11 to 16 hours to pass through the canal and ships must travel at low speed to prevent erosion of the canal's banks by the ships' waves.

In addition to dramatically reducing transit time for trade worldwide, the Suez Canal is one of the world's most significant waterways as it supports 8% of the world's shipping traffic. More than 50 ships pass through the canal daily.

Because of its narrow width, the canal is also considered a significant geographic chokepoint as it could easily be blocked and disrupt this flow of trade.

Future plans for the Suez Canal include a project to widen and deepen the canal to accommodate the passage of larger and more ships at one time.

Members showed their appreciation of an excellent talk with online applause.

PROBUS TALK SYNOPSIS – AROUND THE WORLD IN 71 DAYS – PART 2

The first part of this talk was given last year and some of you will recall that Sue & I undertook a cruise in early 2013 and I ’left’ everybody at Pitcairn Island with a promise to return if requested so here we go.

We did not actually land at Pitcairn which is logistically impossible for a cruise ship and after waving farewell to the islanders we moved on to Papeete in Tahiti where we arrived after nine days at sea. Sue was not too well that day so we strolled around the town which is the capital of French Polynesia and has a population of 27,000.

The following day we arrived at the coral island of Bora Bora which is about twelve square miles and a major tourist centre. The island was garrisoned by American troops in WW2 and we took an off road jeep safari to see some of the guns which they installed and have been restored – it was just as well the Japanese did not appear as they had apparently been given the wrong ammunition and not a shot was ever fired.

Our next stop was Fiji where we were greeted by the police band. At the time the island was still under military rule although an election was held the following year and we saw the parliament building being renovated and the island was readmitted to the Commonwealth the following year.

The last Pacific port of call was Noumea in New Caledonia which is an overseas territory of France and has twice rejected full independence in a referendum and sends deputies and senators to Paris. It started life as a penal colony and was the HQ for the US military in the South Pacific in WW2.

On to Brisbane, a very wet capital of Queensland on the day we visited, which meant time spent in a museum and a couple of restaurants/bars. We did feel sorry for about four coachloads of passengers who had booked a day at a beach resort on the Gold Coast!

We ten spent two days in Sydney moored next to the Harbour Bridge which we climbed on Sue’s 60th birthday – truly amazing views from the top. We also took one of the many ferry services to Manly Beach and spent some time on the beach there. The following day we wandered through the old part of the city near the harbour, through the beautiful Botanic Gardens and round the outside of the Opera House which was closed to visitors during our stay.

On then to New Zealand – through a storm for three days when we were not allowed on deck until we reached Milford Sound where we cruised for a couple of hours – it is a fiord and the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand.

Our next port of call was Dunedin – the Edinburgh of the South founded by the Scottish Free Church in 1848 and later became a major whaling port. We took a heritage train ride around the area – there is no commercial rail connection with the rest of the island and I managed a cheap haircut!

We should have then called at Christchurch but the harbour was still closed following the major earthquake and moored nearby at the small harbour of Akaroa. We took a coach ride into the mountains before taking the Tranzalpine Express on Kiwi Rail from Arthurs Pass - a truly spectacular ninety minute journey back to the coast.

We then moved to the world’s windiest city – Wellington which is also the world’s southernmost capital and spent a fine day wandering around what is a beautiful city and visiting the New Zealand’s national museum.

Our last port of call before disembarking was Napier, a town which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in Art Deco style which survives in its’ original design and is protected from redevelopment. Whenever a cruise ship calls the inhabitants all dress in 1930s’ clothes and display many vintage cars for the visitors.

We left the ship the next day in Auckland and hired a car for a three day tour of the northernmost part of new Zealand including the bay of plenty where we visited Waitangi where the Maoris accepted British sovereignty and joined the Empire.

Back to Auckland and on to Singapore where we spent three days taking in the various sights of a delightful city before concluding our journey with tea (and a couple of gin slings) at Raffles.    

PROBUS CLUB OF THE HORSLEYS  Bulletin

Club Zoom Meeting 11 January 2021

“WIGS, FRILLY LACE AND BLACK TIGHTS ”

This was the title of the entertaining talk given by past chairman Tony Dinkin QC in which he treated an excellent turn out of members and guests to the story of his career as a Barrister and Judge  from leaving school in 1963 until he finally hung up his wig when he retired from the Bench in 2017.  Tony accompanied his talk with numerous slides illustrating significant places and events as well as him in his wigs, black tights (really just a well turned ankle so nothing too revealing!) and frilly lace.  

Never considered as academically brilliant, when he left  Grammar School in Clapham he had no thoughts of a career in the law and knew nothing whatever about the law.  In fact he did not have any particular career in mind but knew that he would like to do something concerned with buildings.  Building sites excited him and he has vivid memories of clambering (as a trespasser) over Coventry Cathedral during its construction.  In 1963 he decided to enrol at the College of Estate Management, then in St Alban’s Grove, Kensington.  It was his fear that he had failed his first year exams that prompted him to join Lincoln’s Inn as a student in 1964 (fee 100 guineas equivalent to £1800 now) so that if the worst happened he could tell his father that he had changed his mind as to his chosen career.  Much to his relief he passed the exams and in due course graduated in 1966 with a B.Sc (Estate Management) (London) degree. 

His first (and only) job in the real world was in the Valuation Department of the GLC at Couty Hall. It was his involvement in his first planning inquiry concerning alterations to a listed building in Cavendish Square which led to his decision to read for the Bar to  practice in planning and environmental law.  He told us that it was watching the leading planning counsel of the day which made him realise that he could earn a lot more than his salary at the GLC doing what they did!!  So he resigned his job and enrolled at the Inns Of Court School of Law in Gray’s Inn, now called City Law School. 

1968 was a year never to be forgotten:  in February he proposed to his wife Derry on a seat in the garden of the Inn (she said “yes” and then went back to her job in advertising in Fleet Street!);  in October he passed the Bar Final exams; they got married two days later  and he was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in November 1968.

Tony found pupillage at 3 Temple Gardens (another 100 guineas!) which was one of the leading planning and local government chambers where he became a tenant and remained until he retired from practice at the Bar in 2014. They became “Cornerstone Barristers” after they moved to New Square Lincolns Inn and then to Grays Inn Square in 1990. After a period when he did anything and everything his clerk would give him to earn enough money to support himself and his new wife (including crime and divorce work) he began to develop a good practice in building construction and then planning. 

He quickly realised that he had made the right decision to go to the Bar as above all he loved the excitement and “buzz” of advocacy.  Looking back he realises that he should have seen the early signs as his school reports usually said something to the effect “would do better if stopped talking” and the only thing he was any good at was acting in school plays.      

A high point in his career was undoubtedly being appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991 and he still has the lace, the black tights, the silver buckle court shoes and the silks waistcoat and gown worn for the swearing in at the House of Lords.             

His judicial career had started in 1989 when he was appointed a Crown Court Recorder  which continued until he reached the mandatory retirement age.  He usually sat at Southwark and Blackfriars Crown Courts but his last sitting was in fact at Kingston Crown Court in February 2017.  He was also appointed a First Tier Tribunal Member dealing with Mental Health Review cases from 2000 until 2014.  This introduced him to a fascinating world with which he was entirely unfamiliar. 

Retirement has not meant the end of his involvement with Lincolns Inn and the legal world as he was elected a Bencher of the Inn in 2003 and remains very active in student affairs, albeit it now has to be mainly by Zoom.    

Tony summed up his career by telling us that it was wonderfully satisfying  athough it had its ups and downs and could be very hard work and tiring and nerve racking.  He had two regrets:  he never appeared in a murder trial at the Old Bailey or in the European Court in Strasbourg.      

Talk by Roger Mendham 9th November 2020 - Creation of London Sewers Network by Joseph Bazalgette

London in the 1830’s was a crowded and insanitary place to live.  The basis of the old sewage system was raw effluent discharged into rivers around the capital feeding into the River Thames, which also provided drinking water to London.

In 1831/32 there was an outbreak of cholera causing 6500 deaths and another major outbreak in 1848/49 with a further 14000 deaths. By the mid-19th century, London was suffering from recurring epidemics of cholera. In 1853/1854 more than 10,000 Londoners were killed by the disease. It was thought at the time to be caused by foul air but research by Dr. John Snow proved that it was polluted water that was the problem.

The hot summer of 1858 created the 'Great Stink of London', which overwhelmed all those who went near the Thames - including the occupants of Parliament. This, together with the frequent occurrence of cholera, gave impetus to legislation enabling the Metropolitan Board to begin work on sewers and street improvements.

In 1856, London's Metropolitan Board of works was established. The board was the first organisation to supervise public works in a unified way over the whole city, and it elected Joseph Bazalgette as its first, and only, Chief Engineer.

By 1866 most of London was connected to a sewer network. Bagalzette saw to it that the flow of foul water from old sewers and underground rivers was intercepted, and diverted along new, low-level sewers, built behind embankments on the riverfront and taken initially to discharge through pumping stations into the North Sea near the estuary.

The pumping stations which lifted up the sewage (which had been flowing ever deeper by gravity) into the Thames were steam operated and Roger showed superb pictures of the decorative cast-iron Victorian interior of the Crossness Pumping Station.

Ultimately, following a shipping collision causing around 650 deaths, when passengers on a pleasure boat were drowned in what was still raw sewage, all effluent went through new treatment works for purification before being discharged into the Thames..

The total project was huge, involving the installation of 1100 miles of street sewers, 82 miles of deep sewers, 318 million bricks and 880,000 cubic yards of concrete.  Tight quality control on materials meant that the system survived for well over 100 years with little modification.

By 1870 both the Albert and the Victoria Embankments had been opened. These replaced the tidal mud of the Thames shore with reclaimed ground for riverside roads and gardens behind their curved river walls. The Victoria Embankment protected Bazalgette's low-level sewer, as well as a service subway and the underground railway.

The final cost of the new sewer project was £6.3 million (an overspend on budget of around 50%  - what has changed!)

There is now a new “Super Sewer Project” in construction to update the system to cope with the massive increase in population since the 19th century and to drastically reduce the incidence of raw sewage being discharged into the Thames after heavy rainfall (which happens because many road drains are connected to the sewer system).

A number of interesting questions were raised - two in particular are noted below:-

The first patent for a flushing toilet was granted to Alexander Cumming in 1775 - he invented the “S” bend - so flush toilets became available for domestic use in the last quarter of the 18th century.

Queen Elizabeth 1’s flushing toilet was a monster of a machine.  Invented by Sir John Harington it could be used by 20 people between flushes!  And - the header tank contained 7½ gallons of water.

Alan Gilbertson thanked Roger for a most interesting and informative talk and presented him with a cheque for his chosen charity.

3.  Talk by David Williams - “Military Headress Badges”.

Following the Club’s AGM on 12 October we were treated to another illustrated talk by David.  We know, of course, that he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of British and foreign army history and has entertained us before with fascinating episodes relating to military (and non military) episodes and characters.  This talk was rather different and gave David an opportunity to share some of his vast collection of British military head dress badges. He has over 10,000 badges stretching back to 1790 out of a total estimated at over 40,000!!  Some are very rare and valuable but the majority are available to collectors at fairly modest cost. 

In his beautifully illustrated talk he highlighted the huge array of regiments entitled to wear their own distinctive badges as well as many other “services” including universities, schools, colleges, medical and nursing organisations and war correspondents, to name just a few.  There is even an Army Naval Division and an Army RAF Regiment each with their own badges. 

 He explained that those badges carrying a crown and/or a cipher would need to change with each monarch.  He showed many examples of different types of badge but perhaps the most unusual, and one of the smallest, features a dog’s paw mark and is a badge worn by specialist dog handlers.

 David entertained us with the stories behind many of the badges which feature all sorts of strange emblems.  For example, one shows a “dog gauge” which was used to judge if a dog was small enough for particular tasks.  If not their paws may need to be clipped!  He explained why the Wiltshire Regiment’s badge features a beer barrel and a moon.  The Inns of Court Regiment, largely made up of lawyers, features a “red devil” on its badge.  Obviously!!

 Badges were and are made of all sorts of materials, silver, bronze, brass, even Bakelite and one regiment uses deerskin!  As well as English, mottoes can be found in a wide variety of languages including Latin, French, German, Gaelic, Welsh and Hebrew.  A Welsh regiment even has a special head badge to be worn by its mascot, a goat. 

 As you would expect with David, the stories, anecdotes and jokes flowed thick and fast. It was educational, enlightening and amusing and I suspect to most if not all members watching, a rare insight into a world we know little or nothing about.

The talk following our March lunch was "The Profumo Affair - a story of sex, lies and spies".  The timing was fortuitous as most members had watched the recent BBC series  "The Trial of Christine Keeler".  It was going to be very interesting to see whether the two matched up.

Our speaker was Terry Johnson who is well known for giving illustrated talks on a variety of subjects many of which involve criminal trials.  Terry is in a unique position to speak on the Profumo affair as he retired from a long career with Metropolitan Police.  He rose through the ranks to that of Superintendent with experience in a number of roles, but he was in fact on policing duties at the time of the trials relating to the Profumo Affair.  He even showed a picture of himself trying to deal with crowd control as Christine Keeler was trying to get into a taxi to leave court and he ended up in the taxi with her!!

In a well-illustrated talk Terry told the story of Christine Keeler, from her very poor background, her early attempts at an abortion and her eventual job as a hostess at Murrays Cabaret club.  It was there that she met Stephen Ward, who was developing a high class practice as an osteopath.  He treated Lord Astor for a back injury and was invited to stay on the Cliveden Estate.  She also met Mandy Rice Davies who worked at the club and they shared a flat. 

Keeler was invited to parties at Cliveden through Stephen Ward and it was there that the infamous swimming pool incident took place when Keeler was seen swimming naked by another guest John Profumo.  He was Minister of War and married to the actress Valerie Hobson.  Matters became more complicated when the double agent Ivanov, then the Russian Naval Attache, began an affair with Keeler at the same time as Profumo.  

The story unfolded with  cannabis abuse; the saga of Lucky Gordon who was infatuated with Keeler; the police and newspapers trying to get evidence that Profumo was having an affair.  He told Parliament "there was no impropriety" but was later forced to resign.  Ward was put on trial on trumped up charges of living off immoral earnings (receiving money for sex with Keeler and Rice-Davies).   The News of the World paid Keeler £23,000 to give evidence against him.

Following a heavily biased summing up against him, the jury found him guilty.  Ward committed suicide the night before he was due to be sentenced.

Profumo ended up as a charity worker at Toynbee Hall in the east end of London, although his marriage survived and he was later received back into society.  Christine Keeler was convicted of perjury during an earlier trial of Lucky Gordon.  Terry showed a  photo of her in later life.  Gone was the glamorous model, she had deteriorated and it was a sad end to the whole affair.

Finally, Terry confirmed that the TV series was a good reflection of the real story.

Chairman Tony Dinkin thanked Terry for an excellent presentation and presented him with a cheque for “Help for Heroes”.

Our speaker at our lunch of 10th February was Mark Lewis.   He is a freelance artist, designer, silversmith and folklorist.  However, he is also a PHAROLOGIST i.e. someone who studies the history of lighthouses and lightships.  He is the Education Officer for the Association of Lighthouse keepers.  His subject was appropriately “Sentinels of the Sea – the Amazing History of Lighthouses”.

His talk was illustrated by an excellent Powerpoint presentation.  He explained the long history of lighthouses as navigational aids to mark hazards at sea.  One of the earliest was the Pharos of Alexandria C270BC built by Ptolemy 1st lit by a fire beacon on the top.  It was destroyed in an earthquake but others soon started to appear around the Mediterranean and began to spread round the world. 

The Dover Pharos was built by the Romans in 1st Century  AD and the remains of the tower can still be seen.  The oldest working lighthouse in the World was built at Coruna in Spain in the early 1300’s.

There were no formal rules or regulations governing lighthouses in Britain until Henry VIII passed a statue in 1514 establishing the original Trinity House on Tower Hill in London.  Since then Patents had to be obtained to build and operate a lighthouse and of course taxes were raised for the privilege! 

Mark explained how various light sources were employed ranging from wood beacons to coal to candles.  He illustrated the fascinating history of the technical construction of lighthouses (including the various Eddystone Lighthouses from 1698 built to protect a dangerous reef on the busy Plymouth shipping routes); the introduction of the use of interlocking stone blocks for maximum strength;   the invention of reflector lanterns and in 1820 Fresnel’s revolving optical lantern; the use of flashing signals to distinguish one light house from another and the introduction of bells, guns and horns for use in foggy conditions. 

Mark revealed that there have not been resident lighthouse keepers in the UK since 1998 and very few remain around the world.

Chairman Tony Dinkin thanked Mark for an informative presentation.

Our speaker at our lunch of 13th January was Susan Purcell, whose subject was "The Ups and  Downs of Crosswords".  Susan describes herself as a wordsmith and author and  a "cruciverbalist", the collective name for crossword addicts.  After many years as a teacher she decided to put her own word skills to good use and become a crossword compiler and researcher into the history and practice of crosswords.  In her amusing talk she recounted how, although word games and puzzles had existed for centuries, crosswords originated in the New York World newspaper in 1913. The name "crossword" originated when typesetters  mistakenly reversed the originally intended "wordcross".
 
The first book of crosswords was published by Simon and Shuster in the USA and was an enormous success resulting in the largest book order ever made at that time of a quarter of a million copies.  Susan recounted how the craze had resulted in divorces and even murder!
 
The craze spread to the UK in the 1920's and were so popular that when competitions were introduced the General Post Office set up a separate competition department to handle the resulting mail.  Initially crosswords were based on general knowledge but cryptic crosswords were introduced in 1925 compiled by one of the the Observer's critics. The Times crossword  started in 1930.
 
Susan recounted many anecdotes and interesting examples relating to the  compiling and use of crosswords including for the recruitment of code  breakers at Bletchley Park and as a method of passing secrets particularly  in wartime.
 
Finally, she gave us the astounding statistic that the standard crossword  grid is capable of 24,873 followed by 27 zeros variations of English words!

A lively question and answer session followed.  When asked for her favourite cryptic crossword clue she said "seven letters - fruit and nuts" - the answer "bananas!"

Our November speaker was the well- known broadcaster, Nicholas Owen.

In a fascinating presentation Nicholas detailed his journalistic and broadcasting career, embellished with many anecdotes along the way. He began his journalistic career on the Surrey Mirror in 1964 aged 17, before moving to Fleet Street in 1968 to work for the Evening Standard. He then joined The Daily Telegraph before spending seven years with the Financial Times. He then joined the magazine Now in 1979 as Deputy Business Editor, later becoming Business Editor.

In 1981, Nicholas switched to television reporting, joining the BBC in the north of England, covering general and industrial stories for both regional and national news and current affairs programmes. He described colleague Mike Neville, a well-known North East newsreader and presenter, as his mentor. He moved to ITN in 1984, as Channel 4 News' Business and Economics Correspondent. During the First Gulf War he presented the highly acclaimed Midnight Special Programmes when they were launched on Channel 4. He also anchored The Parliament Programme, Channel 4's first daytime political series.

Between 1991 and 1994, he co-presented the ITN Lunchtime News with Carol Barnes. From 1994 to April 2000 Owen was Royal Correspondent for ITV News. In that capacity he played a major role in reporting on the death and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. He compiled a book on her life entitled “Diana – The People's Princess”. He spoke highly of the Queen as his favourite Royal but had the odd minor clash with Prince Philip Throughout this period, he was also a regular presenter of weekend news bulletins on ITN, as well as a relief presenter for both the Lunchtime and Early Evening bulletins.

From 2003 to 2006, Owen once again became the main presenter of the ITV Lunchtime News on ITV. In April 2005, he joined Katie Derham on the programme, which was extended to 60 minutes as part of ITV Day. He contributed heavily to ITN's coverage of budgetary matters. In October 2006, Owen took part in BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. He was voted off in the first week of the show on 7 October.

The BBC Press Office announced in November 2006 that Nicholas had signed to BBC News as a presenter. Owen's last broadcast on ITV was on 7 February 2007, and he took up his BBC News post on 3 March 2007. Owen was a relief presenter on the BBC News Channel, as well as being a main relief presenter for the BBC Weekend News on BBC One. Having now mainly retired from TV work Nicholas has a regular afternoon show on Classic FM and contributes to other radio and TV programmes. Chairman Tony Dinkin warmly thanked Nicholas for a stimulating presentation and the way he effectively answered numerous questions from members

"Our October speaker was or own, our very own David Williams.  All who know him appreciate that he has a wide range of talk subjects and on this occasion he presented "Catherine the Great to Vladimir Putin - 300 years of Russian Military History".  To cover such an enormous subject in an hour, without notes,  was no mean feat but David managed to condense it into an informative and entertaining presentation amply illustrated by over 100 Powerpoint slides.  He commenced with the territorial ambitions of Catherine herself, took us through the period of the Romanovs, the murder by the Bolshevics of the last Tzar Nicholas and his family, the  upheavals of the revolution (which interestingly started with uprisings earlier than is commonly thought), and then on to "modern" Russian leaders and finally the Putin era.  He managed to distill the significance of numerous Russian military campaigns, many if not most designed to expand Russian Territory, in order  to lead the audience through the major events of Russian history and to illustrate how they related to European and world events.  Of particular importance, not least for Britain,  was the Crimean War.  David explained the strategic importance of that region, and in particularly Russia's desire to establish a front in the Mediterranean.  Finally, David reviewed President Putin's involvement in world affairs highlighting his current feelings against the ever expanding European Union on his doorstop, the problems over the Ukraine and elsewhere. 

We have come to expect excellent talks from David Williams and he did not disappoint.  A formidable review of key events in Russian military history over the last 300 years beautifully illustrated".                

Our speaker in September was Julius Bannister a professional violin and viola player who enjoyed a career spanning more than 40 years. He started his career when he joined Max Jaffa and his Orchestra playing in the grand hotels in 1977. He has played just about all aspects of the music business including Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, based at the Savoy, playing in classical orchestras around the World, playing in West End Shows (including The sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, Phantom of the Opera and many others), recording movie sound tracks, backing for pop singers and for advertisements (one of the more memorable ones was for a Christmas album for an underwear company!)   All through the 80s and 90s his work was packed with variety. The trick he explained, was to do as many different aspects as possible to build your portfolio.

 One fond memory was playing for an afternoon wedding at a racecourse then at the Royal Opera house in the evening – hence “A day at the races – A night at the opera”. Never a dull moment!

 He spent time at the London Festival Ballet when Rudolf Nureyev was at the height of his career. Totally out of his comfort zone but a wonderful experience.

 Not surprisingly he produced his trusted violin (“a Strad imitation” as he called it!) and played a few tunes as he went along.

 Now officially retired to Deal in Kent where he lives with his wife and family, he has not given up and still teaches, spends a great deal of time in educational work, especially with young children, as well as putting on regular concerts, giving talks and teaching and playing in Music Festivals (Jersey is a favourite).

 Julius accepted that probably these days young musicians would be unlikely to be able to follow the same path but for him it has been a wonderfully stimulating and varied career.  

 In thanking Julius for coming to speak to Horsley Probus, the Chairman Tony Dinkin said his aim had been to introduce a little more culture into our meetings! Whether he had succeeded was for the members to judge but it had certainly been an enjoyable and entertaining talk packed full of anecdotes.

The speaker following August’s lunch was Bill Biddell, a Chartered Surveyor and Estate Manager of the Hampton Estate since 1987. This is a family owned enterprise and the family still lives in the old house on the Estate. It extends to some 2,500 acres lying between Guildford and Farnham south of the Hogs Back. He is also a non-executive Director of Wealden Hops. Bill was educated at Christ’s Hospital Horsham, and MagdaleneCollege, Cambridge (where he gained two rugby blues!)

 Apart from the Estate, Bill is heavily involved in many local charitable and other organisations such as Disability Initiative Camberley, Surrey Nature Partnership, Guildford Borough Rural Forum. He is a Governor of his old school and has served as a Governor of Merrist Wood College, Trustee of Whitely Village, and Chairman of Surrey Clubs for Young People.  As if all this was not enough, he is currently Vice Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and was High Sheriff in 2001.

With the help of an excellent Powerpoint presentation he gave a summary of the wide range of activities on the Estate. Growing the fuggle hops has been a central part of the estate production for many years. Fuggle are a classic English top quality aroma hop revered throughout the brewing industry and the staple ingredient of traditional English ale (which he likened to the Chateau Lafite of the beer world). Hampton is one of the last productive hop farms which once were so common in this area. He illustrated the annual cycle of production and some of the machinery developed by the Estate for harvesting during the hop picking season in August /September before being placed in sacks carrying the Estate’s traditional “Bell” logo. He explained why, crucially, they had been able to resist the diseases which have wiped out so many other hop farms. They supply many small breweries with hops including the neighbouring Hogs Back Brewery.

Bill also outlined the remarkable range of other activities on the estate. These include cattle rearing for high quality beef butchered and sold on the Estate and elsewhere; the conversion of a cluster of former Victorian farm buildings (“Myrtles Courtyard”) for use as small scale offices, exhibitions, conferences wedding and other parties; another small group of old farm buildings converted for use as craft workshops and retail space (“Manor Farm”); residential accommodation for rent, a restaurant and other visitor facilities; timber production for air dried logs, hop poles and fencing as well as to feed a biomas plant on the site; film locations most memorably for an episode of Midsomer Murders; Farm tours for the public; children’s activites particularly for the disabled; charity fun runs etc etc. The list seemed endless!

At question time “Brexit” obviously came up. Bill said that he was not too concerned for the Hampton Estate as they are not major importers or exporters to Europe or reliant on subsidies. However, his view is that for the agriculture industry generally it is likely to be a disaster!

Chairman Tony Dinkin presented a cheque from Probus for Bill’s chosen charity “Woodlark Disabled Campsite, Farnham.

This was the rather enigmatic title of our talk for the July Club lunch. Our speaker was author and raconteur Mel Rees. Mel started writing nearly thirty years ago under the pseudonym of Anthony Mann, which has been used for all his books except one. His books are mostly auto-biographical, looking into his own life. The latest in the series published in 2018, “From Where I Sit”, was WH Smith’s “Book of the Month”.

The exception referred to is one novel, written under his own name, “The Club – An Everyday Story of Trainspotters”, based on many years membership of the Railway Enthusiasts Club in Farnborough. The book was awarded the Sunday Express “Book of the Week”.

In an amusing talk Mel gave us an outline of the progress of his life from humble beginnings. Full of anecdotes from ordinary life, we heard his family story, including his own children. This was a story of ordinary people making good in the world from humble beginnings. Mel’s skill lies in relaying the mundane in a direct and amusing way based entirely on his own observation and experience.

However, his final and unexpected revelation was that for the last 17 years he has also been a tour guide at the Hog’s Back Brewery!  

Mel has been giving talks for the last 18 years to a wide variety of clubs and organisations and his skill as a speaker was evident in that he spoke for 45 minutes “without repetition, hesitation or deviation”. This was a most enjoyable and light hearted talk.

On display were copies of his books and CD’s and his talk provoked several members to buy one or more. If you happen to come across any of his books in bookshops I can personally recommend them as a good light (holiday?) read which will almost certainly bring many a smile and chuckle and which will, I am sure, provoke personal memories of everyday life.

Ian Swinney, the Area Ranger at Bookham Commons, gave an excellent talk to the group about the care and management necessary to maintain our countryside for the benefit of us all.

Ian had started working for the National Trust in 1973 and had been the Ranger at Bookham Commons for the past 40 years. During that time both the area and his role had changed significantly and Ian outlined the developments which had taken place.

When he started at Bookham, the Commons were managed by a local committee who had a responsibility to raise its own funds and it was its decisions which set out his plans and activities. In 1994 the National Trust had assumed a direct management role locally and the original committee was disbanded. Ian had been brought into a wider team although he still retained the principal responsibility for the Commons. Budgets were set and monitored regionally. This had led to the creation of an independent Friends of Bookham Commons group who were still able to raise and spend additional funds locally as well as encouraging the involvement of volunteers.

The Commons were first created in 1923 following the disposal of unwanted lands after the purchase of a large house and its estate. This area was bought by the people locally and gifted to the National Trust which, in turn, encouraged the creation of the first local committee. The initial site comprised open farm land as well as woodland and was always known as being a wet area. Its position on the dip slope of the chalk downs ensured that this would always be the case.

Over nearly a hundred years the Commons have been developed to become a significant woodland area with a wide range of trees but with a series of ponds and other wet areas at its centre. This has encouraged a broad range of flora and fauna and has given it a well deserved widespread reputation.

In 1941 the London Natural History Society found that wartime petrol rationing prevented them reaching their intended field study area at Limpsfield and instead they moved to Bookham which they could reach by train. They have remained there ever since and this has meant that there is nearly eighty years detailed technical information about the Commons and its wildlife.

Ian outlined the problems of managing the Commons which were significant and not helped by the fact that they were not joined to any similar area which would allow a ’corridor’ for wildlife so as to increase their diversity. The creation of hard paths through the woodland was essential in current times to allow good access for all members of the public, as were natural play areas for children, but great care had to be taken so as not to create an ‘outer London park’.

He took great pleasure from the presence of the rare Purple Emperor butterfly and the Nightingale and a wide range of beetles. He was less pleased with the presence of non-native species such as the grey squirrel and Himalayan Balsam and the impact these had on the balance of the local ecosystem. He showed a range of first class photographs taken by one of the Friends.

Ian was warmly thanked by the Group for an excellent talk and presented with a cheque to the Friends so that they may undertake more activities to help protect and promote the Commons.

The group listened to an excellent talk from Mike Smith, a long-term member of Probus and a former Chairman, about the developments in medical science which had occurred since the war and particularly over the last fifty years.

Mike had been a Senior Consultant Physician who had studied both at home and in the USA and had then worked locally for many years, firstly at St Luke’s and then at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

His talk ranged across various branches of medicine and demonstrated how far and how fast development had come over a relatively short period. Earlier treatments within that time, such as the iron lung and the barium meal, were now often redundant, and the CT scan, a breakthrough in the 1970s, had given way very considerably to the MRI scan which had removed the earlier potential exposure to excessive radiation. Mike commented that the Nobel Prize awarded in 1993 to Sir Peter Mansfield was thoroughly merited.

He covered the introduction and progress of organ transplants from the difficulties and uncertainties of their early days to the advanced techniques of today and showed a similar path for hip and knee replacement surgery. The development of keyhole surgery was also very significant in simplifying procedures and aiding recovery periods.

The all-purpose doctor’s stethoscope, previously the badge of the profession, had long since been replaced by a battery of highly sophisticated electronic aids to diagnosis.

In looking to the near future, Mike felt that the current work on stem cell research would accelerate considerably and lead to significant progress across medicine generally.

The Group thanked Mike for his talk and presented him with a cheque for his nominated charity of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.

David Snelson gave a first class talk to the group on the history of the five ships in the lifetime of the Royal Navy which had borne the name Arc Royal.

 David had had a long and distinguished naval service, joining as a Cadet and leaving as a Rear Admiral. In that time he had undertaken many roles both at sea and in the MOD including command of the fifth Arc Royal in 2001 and 2002. This also included being the Maritime Task Force Commander for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He had subsequently become Chief Harbour Master of the Port of London and was now an Elder Brother of Trinity House, the lighthouse authority of England and Wales.

The first Arc Royal (before there really was a Royal Navy) was built at Deptford in 1586 and was Lord Howard of Effingham’s flagship during the battle with the Spanish Armada. She took part in a number of raids against Cadiz, some more successful than others. She was rebuilt in 1608 and renamed the Royal Anne and was eventually lost in the Thames Estuary in 1636.

The name was forgotten for many years until Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty at the time of the First World War. In 1914 a Collier under construction was bought by the Admiralty to be a sea- plane carrier and was renamed HMS Arc Royal. She served in the Dardanelles campaign and later became a trials ship for aircraft catapults between WW1 and WW2.

The third HMS Arc Royal was launched in 1937 as a more orthodox Aircraft Carrier. She played a distinguished part in the early years of WW2, particularly when one of her aircraft crippled the steering of the Bismarck. Sadly she was sunk by torpedo in the Mediterranean in 1941 but not before her name had become famous with the general public.

The fourth HMS Arc Royal was laid down during WW2 but not completed until the 1950s. The City of Leeds made a significant contribution to her building costs. She became a ‘Cold War warrior’ undergoing a number of conversions and finally operating Phantom Fighters and Buccaneer Bombers. She was probably the most famous of her name for being in a fly on the wall documentary in the late 1970s with the Rod Stewart song ‘Sailing’ as the theme tune. She was paid off in 1978.

The fifth and final Arc Royal was launched in 1981 and operated Harrier jump jets and anti submarine helicopters. She took part in operations in the Adriatic during the Balkans crisis and in the Gulf in 2003. She was finally paid off in 2010 as part of the then Government’s defence cuts. David added many personal memories of his time in command of the vessel, including visits from the Queen and Queen Mother and a wide range of other celebrities from all walks of life.

David was warmly thanked by the Group for a fascinating talk with a superb insight into the workings of the modern Royal Navy. He was presented with a cheque in support of the Sea Change Sailing Trust, a charity using old Thames barges to give sailing opportunities and instruction to disadvantaged youngsters.

Margaret Arnott, the Surrey County Organiser, talked to the group about the history and the aims and activities of the National Garden Scheme.

She had first joined the Surrey Committee on retirement after 34 years with British Airways and had then become the CountyOrganiser last year. She had opened her garden to the public for the past 18 summers and had given similar talks to groups for 11 years now so she had a wealth of experience in the Garden Scheme.

The history of the Scheme was a very surprising one. Started in Liverpool in the late 19th century by Victorian industrialist and philanthropist William Rathbone, it had expanded from him engaging a nurse to care for his sick wife into a scheme where he employed a team of nurses to care for other people in their own homes across different parts of the city. Each nurse had their own district and hence the term District Nurse had come into use.

When this original team of nurses had started to reach retirement age, it was decided to provide them with a pension and the idea of opening private gardens to the public and charging a small fee for admission was introduced to finance it. The scheme started in 1927 with just over 600 gardens nationally and these included Blenheim and Sandringham. £8100 was raised. Notable additions within the early years were Chartwell and Sissinghurst.

In 1948 the creation of the National Health Service took over the operation and funding of the Distract Nursing service and income was redirected to a range of medical and health-related charities. This income was supplemented in the 1950s by the introduction of sales of tea and cakes and of plants – two items which have become long-lasting and popular features.

 1980 saw the creation of the National Gardens Charitable Trust under the patronage firstly of the Queen Mother and more recently of the Prince of Wales. In 2018 3500 gardens were opened and £3,100,000 (83 % of the revenue raised) was given to charities. These ranged fro large ones like Macmillan Cancer Support to smaller more local ones. Some charities are supported every year and other for a short period as ‘guest’ charities.

 Margaret concluded by showing a series of excellent photos of the various Surrey gardens which had been open during 2018 and were planning to open again this summer. Particular mention was made of Ramster (near Chiddingfold) which was one of only two gardens which have been open every year since the beginning including the war years. The other perennial was Sandringham so Ramster was in good company.

Margaret was thanked by the Group for a very interesting talk and presented with a cheque to further the objectives of the Trust.

Malcolm Nelson gave an entertaining talk entitled "Forty Years Catching Smugglers".  This was based on his forty years service as a senior officer in HM Customs and Excise. It proved to be a very interesting combination of the details of the techniques and methods employed by the Customs Office together with anecdotes of a wide range of experiences over many years.

Malcolm had worked at many ports and airports around the UK and had also liaised with various overseas Customs services to co-ordinate operations and to ensure the safety and security of our borders.

His talk concentrated on the Customs operations at Heathrow, which was the major target for organised smugglers (particularly of drugs), both because of its complexity and difficulty to protect and its proximity to the ready market of London. 

He described how the operations were lead by an Alpha Control Officer, whose role was to draw together all the known information about the anticipated and potential smuggling problems at any time and then allocate the resources available in the best way to combat them. These resources included the Customs Officers themselves, a range of sophisticated detection equipment and various types of search dogs, each with their own specialist areas and skills.

The information to be considered came both from various external sources, such as the police and other security services, and also from the study of passenger lists and passenger journey patterns.  The advent of computer searches had speeded this very significantly over the years but the experience and "sixth sense" of the Customs Officers still represented a major factor.  This theme was a repeated message throughout the talk.

Malcom described a series of intricate attempts to smuggle goods over the years, from false bottoms in suitcases to drugs being sewn under wigs.  He had personally been credited with the largest quantity of drugs by weight (42 kilos) ever found in a single suitcase, a figure which seemed hard to believe.  He also entertained us with stories of a few searches which did not turn out exactly to plan.

He was warmly thanked by the group for a fascinating talk.  We were also left to consider how best to seem normal and innocent next time we walk through the Green Channel at any airport.  Even if we thought we were not being observed this was not necessarily the case!

Stephen Chater gave an excellent talk entitled "Ruin, Wren and Renewal, The Great Fire of London".

The Great Fire of London in 1666 has become a well known date in English history.  It started in the premises of Thomas Farriner, the Royal Baker, in Pudding Lane on the night of Saturday 1st September, when he had failed to put out the fires in his ovens overnight as was required by law.  It took hold in the early hours of Sunday morning and spread rapidly, helped by a strong easterly wind and the legacy of a long dry summer. Houses and business premises were built mainly of wood and other flammable materials and were very close together.  Many of the local businesses used and stored highly combustible materials on their premises.

The City's initial response was that the fire would burn itself out fairly quickly as previous fires had done, thus avoiding the remedy of pulling down houses to act as fire breaks, with the obvious disputes and claims for compensation that would inevitably arise.

However, this did not happen on this occasion and the fire spread rapidly on the Monday, Tueday and Wednesday.  Fire fighting methods were primitive and it was a fortunate change in the direction and strength of the wind which eventually enabled the fire to be brought under control.  Remarkably, although around 70.000 premises were destroyed only six lives were lost.

In the aftermath a visiting Frenchman named Robert Hubert confessed to starting the fire and was duly hanged.  Days later it became apparent that he had not yet arrived in the country when the fire broke out.  History has shown that Thamas Farriner was the true culprit.

The City needed to retain its prosperity by commencing rebuilding as quickly as possible and the task was given to Christopher Wren.  Whilst many of his proposals were turned down his major accomplishment was the rebuilding of St. Pauls.  The new  cathedral was smaller than the older bilding and in a different style (including a controversial triple dome) but it has become Wren's masterpiece and the principal landmark of the City.

Stephen was warmly thanked for his presentation.