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Venice
15th July 2010
Our speaker this week was Anne who showed her slides and talked about her visits to VENICE
The romantic city of Venice was built entirely on water and has managed to survive into the 21st century without cars. Narrow alleyways and canals pass between sumptuous palaces and magnificent churches, colourful neighbourhood markets and quiet backwaters unchanged for centuries.
One of the most famous and visited place is Piazza San Marco (St Marks Square) from where the Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace, The Campanile, the columns of San Marco and San Teodora (the two giant columns with symbols of the saints) can be seen. Other interesting places are the Rialto Bridge which crosses the Grand Canal and the Bridge of Sighs where once convicts crossed from the Doges Palace to the adjacent prison.
The Grand Canal is only one of 177 canals that snakes through the city, but is the busiest with colourful flotillas of gondolas, ferries, taxi launches, high speed police boats and barges full of fresh produces.
Anne told us about the famous Artists and Architects from Venice, showed us slides of the beautiful stonework, and said how exciting it is to explore the back streets where on every turn something exciting and interesting can be found. So many ‘lions’ can be found from door knockers to huge statues. She mentioned the large cruise ships which sail up the Grand Canal which are probably damaging the waterway. Another area of interest on her visits was the Ghetto district which was named after a 14th century cannon-casting foundry, or ‘geto’ in Venetian, the name was subsequently given to Jewish enclaves the world over. Only Jews were permitted to live in this area from 1515-1797
The city is sometimes flooded and warning sirens fill the air, shopkeepers rush to put up protective barriers and sweet sweepers lay out duck boards in low lying spots. Piazza San Marco is among the most vulnerable spots.
Anne loves her visits to Venice and finds something new and exciting on each visit especially as the seasons and festivals change.
Kent Fire Service
20 May 2010
A member of the Kent fire service came to give us a talk about safety in the home. He told us all about ways to escape from a fire in your own home. How to work out an escape plan if you where every caught in a fire in your home. The Kent Fire Service is willing to check home fire alarms and will fix alarms, which have a 10-year battery.
A talk on the English Civil War by Phil Barham
15th April 2010
A talk about the English Civil War with a difference, we had to ask the questions! After a slow start, questions started to flow. Members bombarded Phil Barham with many questions. Who started it? Charles 1. When did it happen? 1642 – 1651. We also found out all about the battle of Maidstone. No, not the one on a Saturday night. It was in 1649.
Phil arrived in full uniform as an officer complete with one sword and two pistols. He showed us how the pistols were loaded and fired.
After about 11/2 hours of questions and answers, the club thanked Phil for his informative talk.
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Lighter Than Air by Susan Pope
11 March 2010
Susan Pope was born in Kent and the desire to write began at an early age. Her husband Mark was a photographer. Over the last few years he has lost his sight through the inherited eye disease glaucoma. Because of this, She has adopted Moorfields Eye Hospital charity to benefit from her book sales.
Lighter than air is the name given to gasses like hydrogen and helium. They have been used to give buoyancy to balloons and airships for over a hundred years.
In her book, Lighter Than Air, the term is also used in its romantic sense.
The love a man and a woman have for each other that never dies. Their love
transcends human mortality and moves through time barriers, to continue
a love story that is everlasting.
Lighter Than Air will take you flying in modern RAF Tornados and floating
in the 1930’s Zeppelin, Hindenburg. You will follow the fortunes of a
modern war hero and a lowly airship mechanic and discover how their lives
and their loves are bound together.
Susan’s talk covers her detailed research of airship development including details on local Kent airship history, the giant passenger airships of the 1930’s and today’s modern hybrid airship development, all illustrated with archive photographs and film.
for more information go to www.susan-pope.co.uk
READ THE OPENING PAGES OF Lighter Than Air on Lovewriting
via these links:
http://www.lovewriting.co.uk/book/2749/Lighter-Than-Air-by-Susan-Pope.html
http://www.lovewriting.co.uk/author/1709/Susan-Pope.html
Big Cats in Kent
February 11th 2010
Neil Arnold who is an Author/Lecturer and Full Time Researcher came to talk about “Big Cats in Kent”
Neil said he had been interested in Big Cats since a child when his father used to take him out, often late at night to observe the night life. He insisted that there are big cats in Kent and the sightings reported are true. He has personally had three separate sightings of Black Leopards, and as recently as two weeks ago a Black Leopard was seen on the Lower Rainham Road. He described their Black Leopard as being dark brown in colour, 4-6 feet long with a long sweeping tail. The puma is the colour of a fox with a stubby tail and as it cannot roar makes a screaming noise. The Lynx, which was once native to Britain, is three and a half feet long and makes a bird like chirp.
Neil told us that there were about 200 reports a year of sighting of big cats in the Kent and surrounding area. As the press liked to make this sound more exciting they usually said it was ‘a beast’ with a place name also starting with ‘b’ to make it sound more dramatic, like ‘the beast of Bluebell Hill’ and ‘the beast of Bodmin Moor’
Wild cats are usually found in woodland, along railway lines but venture into gardens, as they smell foxes and domestic cats, although their main prey is rabbit and peasants. Besides the Leopard other species of cats found in this area include lynx, puma, jungle cat, and caracal. Other animals spotted are wallaby’s, jackal and wild boar.
The reason for these types of animals living in this area dates back centuries, the Romans had them for fighting, the Tudors for hunting, circus’s displayed them and they are found in local zoos. Along the way they have escaped and reproduced. Other more recent reasons is that wild and exotic animals were popular as status symbols and could be bought from shops like Harrods. In 1976 the: Dangerous Wild Animal Act came into power which meant owners of big cats had to pay a large licence fee and keep then in good condition. So a lot of animals were instead released into the wilds. Also some owner had cats as pets not realising how big they would grow and these were also released.
Neil said proof of Big Cats locally was 1). Sightings. 2). Sheep kill 3.) Paw prints. 4) Excrement 5). Scratch marks on trees, 6ft up. He also said that cats do not usually attack unless provoked, cornered or in injured.
Neil finished his very interesting, funny and informative talk by saying that big cats have no fixed den but are often found in trees. SO… if you go down to the woods today you may be in for a surprise!!
For more information go to www.kentbigcats.blogspot.com
Early memories of living in Chatham by John Brown
21st January 2010
As a change we had a member of our club, John Brown, give us a talk on his early memories of living in Chatham.
Some of the highlights mentioned from his yesteryears were:-
· How he enjoyed his school days.
· There once were 34 Public Houses in Chatham High Street but now there are only 4.
· Public baths at Luton Arches were available.
· The horse trough regularly used before deliveries at Luton Arches.
· The fish tower and slaughter house.
· Fresh ice cream made on local premises.
· Small local shops had gone to be replaced by supermarkets.
· John looked forward to Navy days and the November 11th march pass.
· Circ 1900 John’s father was in the Royal Marines Band.
However as with all memories, tragic events cannot be forgotten. This included the deaths of 14 marines and 19 injured when a bus hit a group of boys in fog. The sinking of HMS Submarine Truculent brought home the dangers of our river when in 1950 after colliding with a Swedish tanker the submarine crew escaped the sinking boat only for 10 to survive. The remaining crew of 63, which included dockyard workers were drowned.
Recently a monument was uncovered of HMS Barfleur, which was built in Chatham, launched in August 1892 whose commander later become Earl Beatty.
After the talk several members talked together with John about their own memories. After a count suggested by David it was curiously discovered that only 3 members of the Stroke Club were born in the Medway area.
Visit of Ukrainian Children to Sharon and Dei Roberts
Talk given on 17 September 2009
A very moving talk given by Sharon on the month's visit to her and Dei's home by two Ukrainian boys as part of the Chernobyl Children's Life Line voluntary scheme, which brings groups of children over from the Ukraine twice a year.
Sharon said she and Dei were inspired to offer to take children into their home, as part of the scheme, after the talk given by Gwen Wood at the Medway Stroke Club in October 2008. She said they were both delighted when they were accepted. After the many relevant checks were undertaken, it was agreed that Sharon and Dei would take two boys from the group coming over to the UK in July 2009. Sharon said that she and Dei were both excited and anxious about the boys visit.
The group of children, with a teacher, flew into Gatwick Airport and were transported to a church hall in Maidstone, where the host families were waiting for them. Sharon and Dei were introduced to the two boys they had chosen and duly departed with them for home. The fun begins!
Sharon said that on the whole both boys were a delight. Most evenings they would all go to the Riverside Country Park, no matter what they had been doing during the day, where the boys could 'run off' their surplus energy and this was where they were introduced to ice cream!! Daily ice creams became a ritual.
Bedtimes and washing were quite a challenge but Sharon soon got the knack of handling both procedures.
Sharon and Dei took them to the seaside, which both boys fell in love with. In fact, Sharon said that they were so pleased with all their outings and she passed around a selection of photographs from which it was obvious that the boys were having great fun.
On the day the boys had to go home, it was a time of great sadness. A coach took the children and host family members to Gatwick Airport and Sharon said that it was one of the hardest things that she and Dei had ever had to do when the time came to wave goodbye.
Sharon and Dei have had a letter of thanks from the teacher who accompanied the children and an amazing letter from the mother of one of the boys. Sadly the other boy has no parents and is looked after by grandparents.
Sharon said that they will definitely be participating in the scheme in the years to come because it was the most rewarding thing they had ever done.
Kent Air Ambulance Trust
September 10th 2009
Brian, started his very interesting talk about the Air Ambulance by saying that it can land in very many different places, on motorways, golf courses, in towns, on hillsides, marshland and along the long Kent coast line, and because of the time saved reaching casualties and taking them to hospitals can make the difference between life and death. It is the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service that covers the county of Kent. It was started in 1989, and was the second air ambulance in the UK (after Cornwall) and has flown over 14,000 times
It is like a mini A & E and carries, doctors, paramedics and medical equipment. He explained that because foreign drivers arrive in Kent they ‘practice’ their Left Hand Side driving while travelling through the county! He gave examples of when the air ambulance was used and explained that 40% of the time was at road traffic accidents. They often take the casualties to the Royal London Hospital which has specialist treatment 24hours a day
The Kent Air Ambulance is now based at Marden which has the advantage of having the office and hanger at the same place; it used to be at Rochester. There is now another air ambulance based at Dunsfold and between the two they can reach all parts of Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex within 20 minutes.
The Air Ambulance is operational 7 days a week 52 weeks of the year but only flies in daylight hours; this is because the helicopter hasn’t the equipment for night time flying which would cost an additional £1 million. Helicopter assistance can only be authorised by Ambulance Headquarters, and costs £1,000 a mission. The helicopter is a MD902 Explorer has a twin engine, with a speed of 150 mph and has no tail rotor. This type of helicopter cost £4.5 million but the Kent Air Ambulance is on lease from the Medical Air Service for £60.000 per month. This includes the pilot, servicing and if required a replacement helicopter. It can carry a stretcher, 3 crew, plus the necessary equipment; it can only carry one patient unless a child is involved. The pilots are usually military trained or have been flying instructors with over 700 flying hours. The doctors and paramedics are registrar A & E trained and often from Australia or New Zealand (where they have been flying doctors) who are capable of treating patients outside hospital conditions, i.e. in the rain, upside down.
The money raised in Kent will only go to the Kent Air Ambulance. This can be collected by the Air Ambulance Lottery, selling goods, Christmas cards, legacies and donations. It costs £1.6 million a year to run. Last year (2008) the ambulance had 800 call outs and this year to July 558.
The group presented Brian with a cheque for £96.40, from a £50 club donation and £46.50 raised from a raffle.
Sailing Barges in Their Heyday by Tony Farnham
27 August 2009
Tony showed some amazing slides depicting the work of Thames Sailing Barges. Some of the slides were taken of barges on the River Medway, of particular interest to our members.
Tony himself worked on the barges and he told of the many different loads which he, as a mate, helped to transport and told of the work involved in loading and unloading.
Of the original 2,500 sailing barges built, there are only around 30 still in existence.
He also told of a sailing vessel based in Rochester, the Arethusa, which was going to be 'cut up' and disposed of but, luckily, she was bought by the Americans and transported to the USA. Some years ago, Tony visited New York and was able to see the ship at South Beach. She has been completed renovated and was a magnificent sight to see.
In the 1950s and 60s, barge owners decided that they could not compete with motor driven boats and many barges were sold as houseboats.
Tony ended his talk by reciting a poem dedicated to all the men who sailed the barges and to the splendid barges themselves.
Tony was thanked for his interesting and informative talk.
Created on 07/04/2006 03:23 by mscwebmaster
Updated on 21/07/2010 21:24 by mscwebmaster
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