Events in 2009

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04a085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Probus '83 Club, Guildford</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Probus 83 Club, Guildford"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About us"><U>About us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location Map"><U>Location Map</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A>   |   <B> Events in 2009</B>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Committee Membership"><U>Committee Membership</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2e83.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="07796990.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="153" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I> Events in 2009</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The tradition of having lively and interesting after-luncheon speakers has been continued in the first eight months of 2009 thanks to the work our programme Secretary, Neville Lyons. </div> <bR> <div> <B>8 January</B></div> <bR> <div> Dr. Stuart Eves of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd explained that for his company “</div> <div> ‘small is beautiful’ as they typically produced satellites weighing 7 kg and costing about £1million compared US satellites weighing tonnes and costing billions. His well-illustrated talk impressed Members who had not before realised that Guildford was playing a leading role in 21st century technology. </div> <bR> <div> <B>5 March</B></div> <bR> <div> Mr. Bill Turnill treated members to a series of beautiful and impressive images from space. His presentation moved from vivid pictures of Mercury taken by the probe “Messenger” to a “tour of the solar system and then onto Hubble telescope’s images of galaxies in collision in the depths of space.</div> <bR> <div> <B>2 April</B></div> <bR> <div> It seemed like heresy, but Dr. Michael Smith, a retired senior consultant physician at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, attacked the widely held belief that cholesterol causes heart attacks and strokes. He queried the widespread use of statins, which could have harmful side effects. His talk had members reaching for “just a little more butter”.</div> <bR> <div> <B>7 May </B></div> <bR> <div> Ray Hampton’s ‘20th century Derby Magic Moments’ provided an hilarious history of The Derby , especially for the Ladies.</div> <bR> <div> <B> May</B></div> <bR> <div> Our Visits Secretary organised a two-day visit to Ypres and Bruges taking in British and German military cemeteries; the Last Post ceremony at Ypres and the tranquil beauty of 16th century Bruges,</div> <bR> <div> <B>4 June</B></div> <bR> <div> The father and son Nobel prize-winning physicists, Sir William and Lawrence Bragg of Chiddingfold were the subject of a talk by Dr. Jack Salway. Both men had wide-ranging interests but it was their work in 1913-14 on X-ray crystallography that led to the understanding of the structure of complex molecules and earned them the Nobel Prize for physics in 1915.</div> <bR> <div> <B>2 July</B></div> <bR> <div> Mr. Mike Payne, a retired Master of History at Cranfield School, gave a very moving account of the troubled history of Kenya and of the plight of children there today. His interest in the country led to him becoming the secretary of the Education Kenya International Fund, a small charity set up by a former Cranfield pupil. He described how EnKI tried to help education in Kenya in small but practical ways by sponsoring individual pupils, providing books, desks, and even a water supply for one school. </div> <bR> <div> <B>6 August</B></div> <bR> <div> A most unusual career change was the subject of the talk in July. Alan Nichols told of his rise within a major bank to become a relationship manager in a large branch only to find himself made redundant. After a couple of unsatisfying jobs he answered an advertisement for trainee drivers with South West Trains. At the age of 55 he entered an intensive course of training including learning route layouts for 700 miles of track and a 650-page rulebook. He is now a fully qualified driver and a member of ASLEF with responsibility for trains of 650 tons and up to 1,500 passengers at a time.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3 September</B></div> <bR> <div> Members were given a glimpse of the future when Dr. Richard Bowles, a retired research chemist forecast that not only cars, but also aircraft, could be powered by hydrogen with only water as an exhaust emission. He pointed out that spacecraft were already powered by hydrogen and that Honda had a hydrogen-powered car, the Clarity, running in California with a top speed of 120mph and a range of 250miles.</div> <bR> <div> <B> 1 October</B></div> <bR> <div> A combination of murder mystery and medical science was the topic at the October meeting. Professor Vincent Marks, retired Dean of Medicine at the University of Surrey and author of “Insulin Murders - True Life crimes” outlined the history of the use of insulin as a murder weapon. He described a number of famous murder cases including the trials of Claus von Bulow in New Hampshire and Colin Bouwer in New Zealand. The conclusion was not a very effective murder weapon as it worked so slowly that victims often had to be “finished off” by other means.</div> <bR> <div> <B>5 November</B></div> <bR> <div> This was the date of the AGM when the new Chairman, David Drake, took over from John Glanfield. After the formal meeting, Members were “treated” to a quiz so fiendish that even the winner only scored 9 out of 20. </div> <bR> <div> <B>3 December</B></div> <bR> <div> Members and their ladies had a special treat at the Christmas Luncheon when Alex and Vera Baker gave an entertaining summary of the history of British Music Hall. Stories of stars like Marie Lloyd, Dan Leno, Harry Lauder, Gracie Fields and the 'Cheeky Chappy' Max Miller were interspersed with opportunities to sing along to some of their famous numbers. The choruses were truly rousing.</div> <bR> <div> <B> </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Kevin O’Keeffe</div> <div> Publicity Secretary</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>