Archived Reports 2007
Speakers for 2007 - January to December
January 17th 2007 - Greg McErlean
(Director of major projects, the Royal Parks Foundation)
The Restoration of Bushy Park
Bushy is the old deer park of Hampton Court and the second largest of The Royal Parks. It covers a vast area (445 hectares) and welcomes over two million visitors a year. Bushy Park may be the least known of the eight Royal Parks, but it has a fascinating history. From being the birthplace of hockey to housing General Eisenhower’s HQ during the planning and executing of D-Day, Bushy is an important London landmark that deserves to be cherished. Now, thanks to a grant of £4.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we can do just that.
Restoration Project
Bushy Park is the 'Sleeping Beauty' of the Royal Parks. It is a truly grand landscape, which mixes formal avenues, statues and gardens with the wild appeal of a country park. Historic under-investment has taken its toll, and now this important London landmark deserves to be cherished.
Some highlights of the restoration are the Arethusa 'Diana' Fountain, the magical Woodland Gardens and a brand new visitor welcome centre at Broom Clumps, which will act as a focal point for visitors.
Notes on the Lunch Meeting at the Antoinette Hotel
The Chairman, John Moore opened the meeting by asking for a minute’s silence in memory of our late member, John Turner, then invited the Events Secretary, David Ashen to inform members about the proposed holidays for 2007. These were to consist of a four day stay at the Ramada Hotel, Norwich from the 19th to the 23rd April 2007 and a six day trip from the 19th to 25th August to the Alsace region of France. This would mean staying four nights at the Holiday Inn, Strasbourg with overnight stops on the outward and return journeys. Timing was due to the European Parliament sitting in September. However, the Events Secretary explained that the Committee thought it might be prudent to delay the Alsace holiday until September 2008 (if possible) and substitute a four day trip in September this year to Lille.
The Deputy Chairman then proposed the Loyal Toast, after which he introduced the Speaker, Greg McErlean. Greg is a Director of Major Projects at the Royal Parks Foundation. He has worked 10 years for the organisation and for five years on a long term project for Bushy Park.
Superficially the Park appears fine but scratch the surface and you can find 50 years of neglect compared to Hampton Court. The Park was damaged by the storms of 1987and the floods of 2000 and suffers from wear and tear, with rotting paths and many areas inaccessible. The object of the restoration is to conserve the Park and make it a great place for people to enjoy.
An outline of the history was provided. The Park has been around for 500 years and medieval field boundaries are still evident. Henry VIII acquired the Park in three or four parts. Its present form dates back to 1620. It always had strong association with people- Henry VII to Eisenhower, cold war history and social history.
Early bids for lottery funds were unsuccessful but by 2001, 96 projects were identified. Today 67 projects are going ahead in a 2 stage process with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Work is planned to finish in 2009.
Sample projects were then described in detail, fully illustrated with the aid of coloured slides. The first one was the Upper Lodge Water Gardens which date from 1709. These include pools which supply water to the Hampton Court fountains and are angular in shape due to field boundaries. Paintings showed what the area originally looked like but conservation is the aim of HLF, so the two pools will not be fully restored. The Brewhouse, which suffered badly from vandalism, is to be repaired and is scheduled to become an Ancient Monument. Work starts this summer and it is hoped that the Brewhouse will reopen in summer 2008.
Another project is the Arethusa Fountain, better known as the Diana Fountain. The base is covered in motifs and the Fountain has 26 water jets when fully working. The Royal Parks Community Ecologist, Dr Nigel Reeve, checked for exotic spiders before work started.
The next project described was the 50 year old Woodland Gardens. Here a Welcome Centre at Broom Clumps is planned, with horticultural gardens and speaking, walking and acting groups encouraged to make use of the amphitheatre. Also planned is a new, less obtrusive, car park, a sit down café and new public toilets.
Other projects include education and community involvement,, volunteer groups , access improvement, further repairs and plans to minimise the impact of traffic.
Fundraising is important and money is still required. Six million pounds is needed of which four million will come from HLF. The Royal Parks Foundation is a registered charity. There have been 20 public meetings to engage people in the Park restoration project. The programme management is by the Partnership Steering Group, consisting of six individual groups, and the internal Programme Board.
Greg concluded by saying that construction of the Welcome Centre is shortly going out to tender. When the projects are completed the Park will look much as before but it will actually be in much better shape.
Questions were invited and topics covered were public transport to the Park, location of the Water Gardens, the support of Friends of Bushy Park and on the White House, which is known as the Stockyard.
After answering questions, Greg commented he was disappointed that he was unable to arrive in time to enjoy the lunch. He had a number of leaflets which were available to members.
The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to our Speaker and the meeting closed with the Probus Toast at 3.15p.m.
Brian Jackson
February 21 st - “Victim Support “by Richard Ferris
Notes on the Lunch Meeting at the Antoinette Hotel
The Chairman, John Moore, opened the Meeting by asking for one minute’s silence in memory of our late Members Alex Wood and Jack Pateman. He took the opportunity of reminding Members that the life of the Club depends on new Members and that it us up to the present Membership to bring along their friends among who lies the best hope of finding new Members and thereby guaranteeing our future.
The Chairman then welcomed our Speaker, Richard Ferris, he then announced that Life Membership had been conferred by unanimous vote of the Committee on Laurie Bower and Geoff Isaac, the former for his long service as General Secretary of the Club, the latter on his attainment of the age of 90.
A sub Committee had been entertained at Glenmore House and reported favourably on its facilities. The ladies’ Lunch will be held at Glenmore in May 2007 after which Members will be asked to express their views on the possibility of adopting this as our permanent venue. If any change is voted for, this will take effect from July.
The Events Secretary updated Members on the arrangements with York’s for the Norfolk holiday break.
The Chairman then proposed the Loyal Toast after which he introduced the Speaker Richard Ferris. Richard is a Chartered Accountant and during his career spent several years in South Africa where he specialised in retail distribution.
Richard’s first remark was that he expected most of us to have heard of Victim Support but guessed that few members of the general public are likely to have much idea about what VICTIM SUPPORT does. In the Queen’s Speech at the opening of the last Parliament there was, in fact, a new central commitment to making victims central to the criminal justice system and a green paper was published last year. Among the innovations promised were the creation of new (separate) units dedicated to victim and witness support and a raising of the claims threshold; legislation is expected this year for changes to be rolled out in 2008.
The basic objectives of VICTIM SUPPORT are to provide emotional and practical support to victims, to support witnesses attending Crown and Magistrates courts and to provide certain supplementary services e.g. to young victims
Richard foresaw particular challenges ahead for VICTIM SUPPORT in the immediate and medium term. Some of these are administrative or derived from changes in the criminal justice system or arising through implementation f the green paper. Others will relate to the results of new services already being trailed in Nottingham, Salford and Yorks. Some areas will need to look into indifferent service and quality issues (but not in South West London). And funding agencies are increasingly looking for more accountability.
The picture so far as Kingston is concerned is very favourable. It has the lowest crime rate in London, which continues to fall, it has a low drug problem one of the best detection rates and is one of the safest London boroughs.
Kingston Victim Support is an independent registered charity with its own management committee and trustees. There are four office staff supporting fifty volunteers. The core funder is the Home Office providing at present £55 000 p.a. and the agency receives enquiries presently running at c4, 500 a year. These usually result in a first contact by letter or in the case of a serious crime a phone call. VICTIM SUPPORT provides victims with “emotional and practical support – not counselling”. Witnesses attending magistrates’ courts are helped by briefing those unfamiliar with court procedures and there is advice specific to family courts and where video links are in use.
The two clusters of offences requiring victim support are categorised as hate crimes and domestic violence. The first include racism, homophobic issues and bullying. On domestic violence Richard offered the following statistics
25% of murders in London are domestic related
Three women in UK die every day from domestic violence
In 90% of domestic violence cases children are in the same or the next room
A partner can be abused as much as 35 times before making a report to the police.
As a borough with a particular racial community - some 15% of Kingston residents are Korean – it might be expected that there are particular crime related issues with this group. On the whole Korean victims in tend, in fact, not to report their difficulties but there are five Korean speaking volunteers and inroads are gradually being made into the community, but progress is slow.
Richard asked for questions and reflections from the audience. Ken Smith observed that despite the relatively favourable profile of the borough it is still a fact that elderly people are increasingly afraid to go into central Kingston at night. In this sense we are all victims without necessarily suffering physical abuse. However, the increasing presence of policemen on the streets is beginning to have an effect. Laurie Bower deplored the failure of victims to give evidence which is perhaps a result of weak sanctions when there is a conviction.
In conclusion the Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to our speaker and the session concluded with the Probus Toast at 3.10 p.m.
Brian Jackson
March 21 st - The Quest for Camelot - Lionel Beer
In the second half of the 6th Century AD, the ancient Britons inhabited the land all the way from Cornwall up the Western half of England, and into Scotland as far as the River Forth which flows past Stirling, and also up to the River Clyde on which the City of Glasgow now stands. So the Western side of England and all Southern Scotland was inhabited by the ancient Britons in the 6th Century AD. These ancient Britons shared a common language, and common background, legends and mythology, so the legends of Arthur could originate in any region where the Britons dwelt.
Notes on the Lunch Meeting at the Antoinette Hotel
After Grace the Chairman then welcomed our Speaker, Lionel Beer, following which John Moore announced that the Ladies’ Lunch booking forms would be distributed next month and drew attention to the location of the venue, Glenmore House, directions to which are to be found on the Spring edition of the Newsletter.
The Events Secretary announced that plans for the Norfolk trip starting April 18th, 2007 were now finalised but added that a further five travellers could be accommodated. He also drew attention to boards which were circulating, giving members the opportunity of notifying their intention to attend the next pub lunch at the Star, Chessington on 4th April.
The Chairman then proposed the Loyal Toast after which he introduced the Speaker, Lionel Beer.
Lionel was born in Paignton, Devon and now lives in Hampton. He is a Founder member of the UFO Research Association, a subject in which he has an abiding interest, having been for some time a bookseller specialising in works about ancient and modern mysteries. Lionel has himself written a book about the Moving Statue of Ballinspittle. He also founded the Metropolitan Water Board Railway Society, the object of which is to restore the 2ft gauge line between the Thames and the Great (Steam) Engine at Kempton Park. He is an enthusiastic reader of the Fortean times.
In his own introductory remarks Lionel identified himself as a sceptic about global warming – not of the observable phenomena, but the attribution of the effects to CO2 produced by human activity. In this he acknowledged himself a heretic.
His subject of Camelot involved a double mystery: the location of the site and the identity of the King whose court it was. Arthur was traditionally born in Tintagel and buried at Glastonbury and was of Romano British descent, defending the island against the invading Saxons. Other traditions identify him with Scottish or Welsh local leaders but our main source is Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote in the first half of the twelfth century contemporaneously with Chrétien de Troyes. But most of the earlier source material is now lost.
Lionel’s talk was well illustrated by slides and he took us from Caldey Island (above), off the south coast of Wales to an island off Bardsea in Cumbria- supposedly the birthplace of Merlin- to numerous other sites on the British mainland. Among these were Montgomery in Powys, near Offa’s Dyke, Winchester, the vale of Crucis Abbey near Llangollen, and a curious giant obelisk in Trent Park North London and so on. A Round Table is extant in Winchester and dates from the late thirteenth century. There is also a (fifteenth century) round table in Sterling and even something similar in the Isle of Man.
There was very much else: at least an hour’s talk compressed into half that time. There is absolutely no doubt that the Arthurian legend has gripped the imagination in these islands for more than a millennium and Lionel’s talk was witness of one man’s amazing obsession. Because of slow service from the Antoinette Hotel there was, sadly, little time for questions at the end and following the Probus toast we dispersed at approximately 3.30p.m.
April 18 th - The Work of the RSPB - Roger Tomlinson
The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and other wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all. We rely upon memberships and donations to fund our work.
Our work is driven by a passionate belief that we all have a responsibility to protect birds and the environment. Bird populations reflect the health of the planet on which our future depends.
The need for an effective bird conservation organisation has never been greater. Climate change, agricultural intensification, expansion of urban areas and transport infrastructure, and over-exploitation of our seas all pose major threats to birds.
The RSPB could not exist without its supporters and members. Whether you join us, give a donation, purchase items from us or undertake voluntary work, your support is vital to the future of birds and the places where they live.Notes on the Lunch Meeting at the Antoinette Hotel
After Grace the Chairman conveyed apologies for absence he then welcomed our Speaker Roger Tomlinson following which John Moore announced Members’ birthdays.
The Chairman then announced that envelopes were available for collection containing application form for the Ladies’ Lunch and an explanatory Notice about the referendum on a permanent change of venue.
The Events Secretary then outlined proposals for a visit to France in the autumn with a view to ascertaining the general level of interest. This was assessed on a show of hands and proved encouraging enough for the Events Secretary to undertake to have a detailed and costed programme ready for distribution at the Ladies’ Lunch.
The Chairman then proposed the Loyal Toast after which he introduced the Speaker, Roger Tomlinson. Roger joined the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds a year ago as Community Talks Officer for the London area. He had originally trained as a photographer after which he spent a number of years writing. Three years of that period were passed in Sicily where he still has a number of friends. He says his knowledge of birds still has room for improvement but (attributable to experience in a zoo) he is particularly sound on penguins.
The RSPB was founded 110 years ago and currently has a membership of around a million. These are subscribers, but upwards of 13,000 are volunteers who assist the Society with its manifold activities. A lot of this is research but the Society owns and actively manages a number of actual sites: their mission is “protecting birds and the places where they live”. A popular (populist?) recent survey has been to determine Britain’s Favourite Bird. The medal is currently held by the Robin which seems to return Britain’s affection, in that it seems to be tamer here than on the Continent.
Campaigns have long been an aspect of the Society’s work. A recent example was the proposal to build a new airport for London on the marshes at Cliffe, north of the Medway, threatening many colonies of wading and other wetland birds. Back in the end of the nineteenth century women wore hats much more commonly than now and very commonly with feathers. In 1889 a Mrs. R. Williamson launched a campaign against the plumage trade and by1908 had won it with a ban against the importation of feathers this was effectively the birth of the RSPB. Last year the Society bought its 200th property, Loch Garten, a home of the Osprey. The warden there has made the decision to welcome visitors instead of excluding them and has provided facilities for viewing. Another former native bird, the Avocet became extinct in this country in the middle of the nineteenth century because of its widespread use for fishing flies, but has re-established itself with the help of the RSPB which has now incorporated it into its logo.
Another extremely popular activity of the RSPB is the annual Garden Bird Watch which is now the biggest survey of its type in the world. Roger gave the results of the
Survey, in reverse order as follows:
5th Blackbird
4th The Wood pigeon. 4 to 5 million estimated
3rd The House Sparrow – a bird sometimes liked, sometimes persecuted.
Has declined by 50% in the last thirty years. If a common small bird starts to decline something definite is going on, but not necessarily one thing. In this case the decline in the supply of soft bodied insects must have been an important factor.
2nd. The Starling is also in decline (they were once kept as pets) the males mate haphazardly and females dump eggs randomly in other birds’ nests .Flocks can be very big indeed – up to ¼ million birds. Losses vary from area to area but in some cases have been up to 70% in a 30 – 40 year period.
1st Blue tit. This is a tiny bird – about the weight of a £1 coin. It needs lots of caterpillars but at 3.3m is not endangered.
At the opposite end from the tit in size is the Albatross. These are found mostly in the Southern Ocean (below the Indian Ocean) and typically measure 11feet from wingtip to wingtip and have remarkable endurance on long migratory flights. They lay eggs on alternate years. The Albatross is endangered. A particular hazard is in the Southern Ocean where the big commercial fishing fleets use long lines – up to eighty mile in length. The birds predate the caught fish and then become enmeshed and drown. Various strategies are being discussed with the fleets- such as camouflaging the lines, putting them down at night or weighting them. Fortunately these measures are slowly gaining acceptance.
As was perhaps to be expected, bearing in mind the subject and Roger’s personal history, his talk was illustrated by a dazzling succession of brilliant photographs. At the end of the formal presentation questions were invited A predictable subject was the ring-necked parakeet. Although clearly a little cautious about this subject Roger said quite firmly that the view of the RSPB is that this recent introduction, by deliberate release or by accident in Kent, in the late sixties is not as yet a threat. There are now some 10,000 spread around London but there is no evidence that they are causing harm to other wildlife. However, on this subject of introductions it is on record that forty pairs of Starlings were originally introduced in Central Park in New York and the US population of these birds is now estimated at 500 million.
There were several more questions on individual species – such as the Starlings at Pat Tumber’s school in Somerset during the war. But a vote of thanks was carried and at 3.20 p.m. The Chairman proposed the Probus Toast and closed a very successful meeting.
Brian Jackson
May 16 th - Ladies’ Spring Lunch - John sings - John Stratford
John Stratford, who lives in the Tolworth parish, will sing a selection of popular songs including Irish ballads and Italian arias. We are very fortunate that John has agreed to make space in his busy schedule for this special event – he has had engagements in many countries and has won several awards, including two cups at the recent Richmond Festival.
The Ladies’ Spring Lunch will be held in Glenmore House which is situated in The Crescent, Surbiton. The Crescent is situated across the gardens which run alongside Claremont Road in Surbiton. It is just close to Surbiton Station, just past the Waitrose supermarket where there is a bus-stop. If approaching by road from Surbiton station, access to The Crescent is a sharp left turn at the Kingston end of the gardens. There are plenty of parking spaces behind Glenmore House and the suite that we will use has direct access from the car park. There is a friendly entrance for people with disabilities.
The Bar has plenty of seats and tables and prices are also most reasonable. As an example, a bottle of House wine is priced at £8.00 and is of excellent quality.
Santa Lucia
La Donna Mobile
Parnis Angelicus
Cora 'ngrato
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Oh Danny Boy
Wind Beneath My Wings
Ave Maria
Sorrento
Chorus of The Hebrew Slaves
Oh My Papa
My Way
Programme devised and presented by John Stratford
Photographs by Michael Johnston
June - Arrive Alive by Mike Whicher
Notes on the Lunch meeting at the Antoinette Hotel
On Wednesday 20th June 2007
The Deputy Chairman, John Goodridge introduced our Speaker, Mike Whicher. Mike’s role in the Driving Standards Agency is to conduct driving tests and to make presentations to educational institutions, the armed forces and to associations like our own. Mike came to road safety from the BBC where he first worked in IT and then at developing training material for development courses.
Mike’s presentation was based on a DVD from which he illustrated his talk which, of course, centred on the special needs of older drivers. All drivers have to apply for a new licence on reaching age 70 and the application form includes a declaration of health. On vision it is necessary to be able to read a number plate at 20.5 metres (wearing glasses if prescribed), although total deafness is not a bar to driving. Having a stroke often leads to the loss of one’s licence, but not in all cases. Stiffness due to arthritis or other medical condition can reduce flexibility within the car and therefore impair rapid all round vision. Panoramic mirrors and parking sensors are recommended and for some people a switch to automatic transmission should be considered.
There followed a clip from a pre-war documentary made by Ford films with a pithy commentary by Sir Donald Campbell. “Never drive like this, chaps.”
Today Mike claims that the standard of driving test candidates is high; born out by the 42% pass rate. But evidence on the road is that, although taught to a high standard, drivers rapidly forget what they have learned. The bible of driving in the UK is, of course the Highway Code, a manual which is continuously updated; there have been 500 changes in the law since 1976. For infractions, ignorance of the law is no defence: typical lapses relate to seat belts, mobile phones and the various regulations designed to ensure the safety of children.
Reverting to the effects of aging, Mike cited confusion arising from the speed of traffic, absent mindedness, medication, and stress. He strongly advocates taking breaks at distances of 100 miles or after an hour on the road, whichever comes first. On the issue of prescribed drugs it is highly necessary to observe warning such as “do not drive” or “may cause drowsiness”: in the event of an accident, failure to observe such warnings can be legally actionable.
Drink driving. Mike tended to be cautious about unit counting: the only unarguable test is measuring what is blown into a bag. But a salutary real life example was that six pints consumed on a Friday night makes driving before Sunday lunchtime questionable. Among common fallacies are that big meals or coffee can reduce blood alcohol levels.
He then proceeded to examine certain “hot topics”. Roundabouts were number one because they are where most accidents occur. All roundabouts are designed to allow traffic to flow more easily but misunderstandings do arise. In the case of mini roundabouts, for instance, the answer to “can you drive over the paint” is basically “no”, but the size of the vehicle has a bearing. U turns are not permitted and only one vehicle at a time is permitted. Gyratory systems are very rare but basically involve a main turning circle and a series of mini roundabouts (up to eight) and are “best learned in advance”.
Road signs change frequently and the use of them is not absolutely consistent nationwide. But the basic “grammar” is that statements in red circles are mandatory, in triangles are warnings and in rectangles are for information.
There is widespread misunderstanding about speed limits. Out of town the basic rule is that only where there is a central reservation does the 70 limit apply. Otherwise it is 60 and beware the appearance of speed cameras just after the end of a central reservation!
Speeds. It can be as dangerous to drive too slowly as too fast. A common question is “Should you stop and give way if other drivers don’t want to observe the limit”. The legal answer to this is that you are only responsible for your own speed but the common sense one is that it is dangerous to cause frustration to other road users and it is better to pull in and give way.
Another common fallacy: the belief that middle or outside lanes are appropriate for cruising at some given speed. The law says that only the inside lane is to be used for ordinary driving: all others are only for overtaking. There is also an interesting provision only applicable to the M25. You must always stay in the same lane. Overtaking is not permissible.
Signalling. This is only for the information of other road users. It is better not to signal than to give misleading signals.
Hazard awareness. This subject is not included in the driving test but drivers are often woefully unaware of what is going on (this was illustrated by some nail biting clips). A commentary/ drive is very useful: not least because it slows you down. Ideally a driver should check his mirror every 6-8 seconds. Children are especially dangerous: smaller and faster than normal humans.
Hard shoulders on the motorway are not for a snooze or looking at the map; only stop for an emergency. (Incidentally Mike says that he uses satnav). Never, ever, reverse on a motorway.
Mike’s closing words were also salutary. In a lifetime, barring accidents or malfeasance, it is only necessary to take the driving test once. But it is an activity taking place all the time in changing surroundings and in accordance with changing rules. In our professions and businesses we kept up with our subjects. The same should apply to our driving.
Mike’s talk provoked an unusual amount of interest and there were many questions. One related to signs painted on the road, which are much more common in the UK than elsewhere in Europe. All these signs are legally binding – and so woeful when they are not properly maintained. Incidentally, local authorities are responsible for local roads, the Highways Agency for trunk routes.
At 3.20 the Deputy Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to Mike Whicher and then closed the meeting with the Probus Toast.
Brian Jackson
July - History of London’s Water Supply by Ron Howe
pre reading only a report will follow the presentation
At the end of the 16th century, London was a thriving, bustling centre of trade and commerce. The population had increased enormously, to about 180,000, since Norman times and now faced an acute shortage of clean drinking water. The River Thames and its tributaries which had made London such a suitable place for a port and city were badly polluted.
In Elizabeth 1 time London had no sewerage system separate from its water supply. Since the 13th and 14th centuries various monarchs and Parliaments had tried to stop people throwing dung, garbage and entrails into ditches, rivers and streams but to little effect. Pollution and the general careless disposal of waste made London evil-smelling and unhealthy.
Many people got their water from open water courses. Some depended upon water-bearers to bring their supply from the river in barrel-like containers. Other people, often the more wealthy, obtained their water from shallow wells that tapped the ground water and in a few cases water was piped to different parts of the city. However, even these sources were soon contaminated.
In Elizabeth 1 reign, the Corporation of London sought ways of alleviating the problem of the shortage of clean water. They concentrated on bringing in more drinking water into the metropolis rather than trying to stop the pollution of their existing supply. By 1570 the City Corporation had obtained an Act of Parliament to cut a channel to bring water from Middlesex or Hertfordshire.
In 1580, a man named Russell suggested building a channel from the River Colne at Uxbridge to Holborn in north London. Nothing came of this proposal but at the turn of the century, Edward Colthurst, a former army captain, made plans to bring water from springs near Hertford in a channel to Islington. This was to become the New River.
Was it really necessary to go so far afield to find a supply of clean water? The answer probably lies in the quantity of water required and in the way in which the water could be brought into the capital and distributed. The Elizabethans' ability to pump water over long distances was not well developed.
Notes on the Lunch meeting at Glenmore House
On Wednesday 18th July 2007
The Chairman introduced our Speaker, Ron Howe. Ron spent 35 years working for the Metropolitan Water Board and its successor (in 1988), the Thames Water Authority. He retired ten years ago and became involved with the Kew Bridge Steam Museum and then the Metropolitan Water Board Railway Society of which he is still an active Member.
Ron started by sketching the early history of London’s water supplies. In Medieval times the river itself was a common (although dangerous) source of domestic water and for use in various trades and industries. Then water from natural springs was channelled into conduits and from thence into cisterns. The spring at Tyburn was piped into the Great Conduit House in Cheapside. But by the end of the sixteenth century real shortages were developing and John Coultard secured letters patent for bringing water from Hertfordshire into the city. His early efforts ran short of funds and the enterprise was taken over by Sir Hugh Myddelton, already a merchant, goldsmith, banker and Member of Parliament who between the years 1609 and 1613 built a canal, called the New River carrying water from the springs of Chadwell and Amwell – a distance of nearly forty miles. Finance was a serious problem during the construction work and King James agreed to pay half the cost in return for “one half of the benefit”. To supply his side of the project Myddelton issued shares to 29 “Adventurers”. There were, of course objections and to meet the protests of certain farmers in the Lea Valley, bridges were constructed for the safe transit of sheep. The company created by Myddelton was eventually incorporated into London Merchant Securities one of the world’s first property companies. Technically the concept of the New River was simple. The drop was 9” to the mile, plotted with very elementary surveying equipment and cut with manual tools.
The supply of water to London continued to be undertaken by a private utility until 1904 when the whole responsibility was undertaken by the Metropolitan Water Board. One of the early enterprises of the MWB was the construction of a waterworks at Kempton Park where massive steam pumps were installed, powered by coal fired boilers. These boilers consumed 270 tons of coal a week and were brought by rail to Kempton Park station – the Shepperton line of the L&SWR. The neighbouring works at Hampton used 760 tons of coal per week which came by river. River transport was cheaper than rail but deliveries could be less certain so there was scope for harmonising the two sources to ensure reliable and cost effective supplies.
For the latter part of his talk Ron had a wealth of pictorial material covering the Kempton site and in particular the magnificent narrow gauge railway. There is a very active railway preservation society which is clearly one of Ron’s special interests in retirement.
The talk was very well received but there was, unfortunately very little time for questions because on this first use of Glenmore House for a Club lunch we had not been able to keep strictly to our usual timetable.
Brian Jackson
Wednesday 15th August 2007- Experiences as a Queen’s Messenger by Lieutenant Colonel Kimmins
Notes on the Lunch meeting at Glenmore House.
After Grace the Chairman, John Moore welcomed his Guest, Reg Varney and our Speaker, Lieutenant Colonel John Kimmins, who was to address us on the subject of the Queen’s Messengers.
The Events Secretary then updated the Club on the progress of arrangements for the forthcoming visit to Normandy. Further travellers will still be very welcome. He also reminded Member that the next Pub Lunch, at the Queen Elizabeth in Ewell Road, was on the following Wednesday and gave instructions on how to get there. In speaking of the Normandy trip he urged Members to refer to our website for details and in passing remarked on how very impressive this site has become.
After the Loyal Toast our Speaker introduced our Speaker. John Kimmins had an army career which started in Sandhurst from where he joined a Cavalry regiment. On retirement at 55 he became a Queen’s Messenger.
For those who know little more than that there are such individuals as Queens’ messengers it seems like an easy job: flying Club class everywhere, earning good salaries, meeting influential people and having very limited responsibilities. But they cover millions of miles a year. In that much air time there is much that can go wrong.
The office of monarch’s messenger is in fact very ancient, going back to 1199 when King John appointed an individual to deliver secret documents; the first King’s Messenger identified by name was John Norman appointed by Richard III in 1485. Methods of transportation have changed during the centuries, particularly since the eighteenth when the horse was supplanted by the carriage system. The last time a horse was known to have been used was in 1949. In search of authentic stories Jon Kimmins visited the King’s Messenger involved. The country was Nepal, and then covered diplomatically from Delhi. But at that time there was no suitable road or airstrip. So the King’s Messenger set out by train with a secretary to the frontier. At the border two horses, grooms and Sherpa’s were waiting. The King’s Messenger changed into diplomatic “whites”, donned a sola toupee, set out on his horse and ceremoniously entered Kathmandu.
The reference to trains caused John to reflect that in the last century progress went backwards for the traveller to near destinations in continental Europe. When the Silver Arrow to Paris was in operation he could leave Victoria at 9.15 p.m., dine, sleep comfortably in his suite and arrive at the Gare du Nord at 9.15 a.m., the entire train having been transported on a ferry while he slept. Today’s business traveller leaves Waterloo by Eurostar at 6.20 a.m. to arrive in Paris by 9.40 to achieve the same full day and then suffers a journey back in the evening arriving at 9 or 10 p.m.
An amusing railway incident involved an Italian Count delivering a message to London from Mussolini who started his journey with a British KM. After some conversation the Italian excused himself to visit a lady in another part of the train, leaving his message in the charge of the King’s Messenger. Unfortunately the train split part way through the journey, taking the Count and his inamoratas with it. The King’s Messenger delivered the message to the Italian Embassy in London, with the seal unbroken in the best tradition of diplomacy. No more was heard of the Count.
There were many more anecdotes involving, for example, Tiananmen Square and a perilous journey involving hired tricycle vans, a flying boat to Switzerland via Portugal in WW2 landing in Munich because of bad weather and so on.
But why continue to send live people around the world in an age of electronic computing and computer generated coding systems? Well, anything sent over the ether can be captured – and diplomatic sources are fiercely monitored. No code is any good after three months. Signals can be trapped and stretched so that code breakers can operate in real time. There is no substitute for a trusted, resourceful (and courageous) servant.
There were many questions. For example: how are Queen’s Messenger’s recruited? Basically anyone between the ages of 40 and 50 can apply. The great majority (currently 13 out of 16) are ex-service. This is not surprising for a number of reasons, because service careers usually terminate well before those of civilians and service wives have become tolerant of long periods of separation. A question about passports led John to draw attention to a small display of Diplomatic and Queen’s Messenger passports which he had brought with him and which attracted much attention afterwards.
In all this was one of the most interesting speakers we have had recently and Members enthusiastically endorsed the Chairman’s closing words of appreciation.
The meeting ended in good time at 3.10 pm with the Probus toast.
Brian Jackson
September - Kempton Nature Reserve by Kristine Boudreau
The Chairman welcomed our Speaker, Kristine Boudreau who was to address us on the subject of the Thames Water Nature Reserve at Kempton
After Lunch the Chairman proposed the Loyal Toast and then introduced our Speaker, Kristine is an American by birth but has a French father and an English mother. She first attended Washington University in Saint Louis and the took a Master’s degree at the University of Colorado, her home State. She is an ecologist and has also studied in Russia. Her career aim is to promote and enhance biodiversity and to encourage public access to sites of scientific interest for recreational and educational purposes.
In the Greater London area there is a growing interest in small sites such as Isleworth, home of two breeds or rare snail: the German hairy (which is not in fact hirsute) and the two lipped door snail. In Bexley there are rare water voles.
The Kempton site became available when Thames Water declared several reservoirs redundant. Several to the west were devoted to historical machinery, including the waterworks railway: to the east is the Kempton Nature Reserve, still shielded by its original embankment. It had its first Warden in 1996. Kristine herself has been in post as Site Manager since 2003.Over the last ten years features have been added and there are now one and a half miles of walks, a boardwalk, a variety of habitats, two hides, a viewing screen, mud straits and channels for water voles and other amphibians.
Kristine described the bitterns as “like synchronised swimmers”. A particular pride of KNR is the fact that avocets have bred there: believed to be the first observed inland for 150 years in the U.K. There were just two chicks, one of which was taken by a sparrow hawk after about three months. Marsh harriers have been seen and spoonbills in May. There is a kestrel which appears with amazing punctuality at one o’ clock each day.
Grass snakes and marsh voles are quite common. It is also a habitat for the great crested newt and water turtles are seen occasionally. The highlights are the avocets, bitterns, greenshank, little ringed plover, willow tit and red-backed shrike.
Sadly even such a precious facility as an urban nature reserve attracts vandalism and so there are nine volunteer wardens who counter disturbances to breeding sites and (surprisingly) graffiti. The site is surrounded by a steel palisade with bolted uprights, all of which have had to be welded on. One youth was found impaled to one of these posts which generated a degree of unchristian glee. Another cause for satisfaction was the arrest of three boys because their tag signs were found on a police database.
The Friends of KNR was established in 2003 and now boasts a membership of 322. They organise events such as photographic contests, moth walks and fun work parties. The cost of membership is £20 p.a. for individuals; £30 for families. The site is open to Friends throughout the year but to the public generally only on specific days announced in the local press.
Kristine has a very attractive personality and her talk was received enthusiastically. She answered questions ranging from enquiries about specific inhabitants to issues of access to the public. The website of KNR is at www.kemptonbirds.org.uk
The Chairman thanked Kristine warmly and closed the meeting at 3.15. p.m. with the Probus toast.
Brian Jackson
October - English Manorial System by Lieutenant Colonel Molyneaux-Childs
The Chairman then welcomed our Speaker for the day, Lt. Col. Molyneaux-Childs who was to address us on the subject of The English Manorial System.
After Lunch the Chairman proposed the Loyal Toast and then introduced our Speaker, Lt. Col. Molyneaux-Childs. John Childs has effectually had two careers: one as a mechanical engineer and chairman of six electronics companies and one in historical research an interest which was triggered while at prep school. He subsequently inherited the Lordships in Surrey of the manors of Dedswell and Papworth.
This presentation was based on very well produced slides illustrating a series of topics covered in John’s book “The Evolution the English Manorial System, which he had on sale. First he addressed the word “manor” itself. This has always two meanings: first a substantial house but more frequently in medieval England a unit of property in a landed estate which was an area of legal jurisdiction, but did not necessarily contain the residence of its lord.
The essence of the feudal system, which originated in the military policy of the tribes of northern Europe, was that the ultimate title to all land in a kingdom vested in the King but that it could be held by sub-proprietors (vassals) in exchange for a commitment to the provision of arms and men in times of war. It was introduced by William soon after the Conquest after a threat of invasion from the Danes.
The Doomsday Book – or rather books, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk were recorded in a smaller supplementary volume – is housed in the Public Record Office and has recently been re-bound undoing poor work carried out in Victorian times. It is an inventory created to form a basis for taxation. It was completed in a year and its purpose was clearly well understood because local jurors were active in disputing values attributed. Its second but very important use was as a record of the extent and ownership of land. As such it was a definitive authority which could not be disputed. It was also the best indication we now have of the population of the country (of England: Scotland, most of Wales and parts of the far north were excluded). Only men were counted – excluding clergy, monks and nuns, women and children. Modern estimates are constructed by applying a multiplier of 5.4 to the count. By this method the population covered by Doomsday was 1,687,500
Almost all of the legal functions of the Manorial System are now defunct but they were once considerable. Most important were the Courts Baron. These were supposed to be held every three weeks although the frequency was much attenuated from the 15th Century onwards. The judgements were made by the assembled body of the tenant (the homage); later by juries drawn from the homage. The business was minor cases of debt, contract, trespass and assault, breaches of custom, enforcing the rules of open field husbandry and offences of nuisance. Major theft and violence were the prerogative of the Crown. Punishments were by fines, the stocks or enforced work. The courts were customarily presided over by the Steward or sometimes the Lord of the Manor.
There was a hierarchy of officials in a manor the most important of which was the Steward. Farm management was the responsibility of the Bailiff who was accountable for the collection of rents and dues, the exaction of fine and the seizing of heriot on the death of a copyholder (sub- tenant). In many manors there was an ale – taster whose job was to assess the quality and price of bread and alcoholic drink produced for sale. He had the power to exact fines on behalf of the Lord but the mechanism acted more as a licensing fee system than as a way of maintaining quality standards.
In his own manors Molyneaux-Childe likes to “revive” customs for purely entertainment purposes, the Ale Taster being a popular character as the centre of jollifications. We were shown a lot of slides of these events.
One slight mystery was Molyneaux-Childs’s military title which suggested a part of his life which he did not speak of.
The talk well over-ran its allotted time and created a great deal of interest, evidenced by the many questions. The Chairman warmly thanked the speaker and closed the meeting with the Probus Toast at 3.30.
Brian Jackson
November - Trafficking endangered species by Guy Clarke
The Chairman welcomed Guy Clarke our Speaker for the day on the subject of “Trafficking in Endangered Species”. Guy Clarke, a customs officer based at Heathrow he had previously specialised in drug offences but is now assigned to the UK Border Security Agency. His rank corresponds to that of an Inspector in the Police.
The focus of the management of animals passing through Heathrow is a building which was formerly a warehouse where the focus is on the health and welfare of the animals but also the security of the public. Animals escape very easily and can be difficult to capture. Guy cited a box of ground squirrels from which the lid was accidentally knocked off, resulting in an infestation which lasted several months.
Why do people import animals covertly? The first answer to this question is that people have always sought to avoid the quarantine regulations - and this is true even for non endangered species. But rare animals can have a high cash value and the internet has provided collectors and sellers with an efficient way of contacting each other. For example dwarf tortoises can change hands for £170 each. A recent box of 713 therefore had a street price of some £106,950.
An example of an internet trade was a 15 year old boy who used his father’s credit card to import a chameleon. The animal was duly detected and the family’s houses raided – as a result of which charges were brought not only in respect of the chameleon but because the father was found to be trading red (agricultural) diesel fuel!
The penalty for illegal dealing in protected species is up to 7 years’ imprisonment. We were shown slides of two boxes of rare birds of prey – 27 in all with their beaks taped. The two principals in the trade were each given 6 ½ years and the couriers were also caught and imprisoned.
When animals are intercepted and confiscated they automatically become the property of the Crown and are usually housed in zoos up and down the country. Ivory presents a rather different problem, but apparently some of it has gone to repair inlays in damaged woodwork in Windsor Castle.
Another example of the incentives for wrongdoing is the common monkey. All breeds are protected but some can be bought in Africa for as little as $5. These would still change hands in Moscow for upwards of $150. The problem with monkeys is not just that some are rare but all can carry human disease.
There is actually a trade in monkey flesh, also – usually smoked. A smoked monkey can fetch as much as £500.
Sometimes customs officers receive intelligence about illegal cargoes but more often they simply rely on the visual evidence of packaging. More recently sniffer dogs have been specially trained.
Guy’s remarks were well illustrated by his PowerPoint presentation. We saw padlocked boxes shown closed, and then opened to reveal 292 kilos of ivory, representing the skeletons of 20 elephants. In an even larger haul (690 kilos) there were whole trunks that each needed two people to carry them. These would have been headed to the dental industry – although there is no legal market in this country. An allied trade is in animal parts such as rhino horn ( a confiscated example shown left) or tiger bone which is highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine.
Plants as well as animals come within the ambit of the Customs Service. There are approximately 32, 000 protected species, many of them being orchids. These can sometimes be returned to the country of origin. A consignment of rare Mexican cacti, for example, was sent back to the exact area of origin in Mexico because the packaging contained GPS co-ordinates.
Some hiding places are bizarre. Two Labrador puppies found at Schipol, for example, were x-rayed and found to have packages of cocaine inside them: one died as a result. And in the U.S. rare snakes have been found in car exhausts.
After his formal presentation Guy answered questions. An enquirer wanted to know whether other countries in Europe organise their policing of biological traffic in the same way as we do. It seems that there are similarities and differences. Italy, for example, has an independent service which supervises crops and woodlands and it is specifically represented at points of arrival and departure. The Netherlands and Spain also have specialised investigation services; France, on the other hand, is “more informal”. Of the countries newly in the EC, Poland and Slovakia are said to have new and very effective enforcement procedures.
Another questioner was interested in the methodology of identifying suspects. This is partly basic custom officer training – profiling people, body language: the “Revenue Nose”. But there is also the question of journey origin – Nigeria, say, being at one end of the scale and Iceland at the other. Seaports are another matter. Passengers from a cruise liner are more likely to be smuggling in valuables such as jewellery, but crew members might well have parrots or monkeys.
Back to ivory, the cut- off year is 1947. Any ivory owned in UK and proved to have been imported before1947 dos not create a problem, although a licence would be required to export it. Later imports are strictly speaking illegal.
Guy’s talk was very well presented and illustrated. The Chairman thanked him warmly and then closed the meeting at 3.00 with the Probus Toast.
Brian Jackson
December - Mayor’s charity by Shiraz Mirza
pre reading only a report will follow the presentation
The Worshipful Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames - 2007/08
Councillor Shiraz MirzaAfter successfully completing a language course Shiraz enrolled onto a course of electronic studies, sponsored by a company working in the defence industry. He stayed with that company for 19 years until, during a short holiday to Pakistan, he was affected with a neurological virus that paralysed any movement of his body below the neck.
Six months of complete stillness followed an experience which to this day leaves me short of words to describe. Miraculously, through rehabilitation, my health improved and I regained the ability to effectively use my muscles again, eventually re-learning how to walk, and even drive. My recovery was very positive but it goes without saying that such an illness leaves irreparable damage. Permanent tissue damage in my legs meant that I never returned to my old position at work. Slowly I rebuilt my life, coming to terms with what I had lost and accepting what could be. I began to forge new links with my local community, starting, in 1993, at the Crescent Resource Centre in New Malden, where I was able to share my experiences with different people.
I see this year in office as an opportunity to build on the excellent work in recent years of integrating the work of the wider community with that of the Council.
I would like to use my time to build on the excellent links that already exist and serve our communities in the best possible way, with a view of raising as much money as possible for my three charities;
Momentum
A charity based in Kingston hospital to provide support to children affected by cancer and life-threatening illness.
Royal Kingston Rehabilitation Centre (Lahore)
Established as part of the Fountain House project, which was set up for people with mental health illnesses. The Royal Kingston Centre will uniquely provide day and residential care and support to people affected by the Kashmir earthquake.
The Parkinson's Disease Society
Having been diagnosed three years ago with Parkinson's disease myself, this is a charity very dear to me.
Christmas Lunch 2007
The Deputy Mayor of Kingston upon Thames, Councillor Bart Ricketts,
Pianist Entertainer Fernado Munez and Chairman John Goodridge
Christmas Lunch 2007
Chairman of The Probus Club of Surbiton John Goodridge
and The Deputy Mayor of Kingston upon Thames,
Councillor Bart Ricketts
