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Previous Speakers
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Speaker
Dr Stephen Payne OBE
Subject
HMY Britannia/National Flagship
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Speaker
Chris Walker
Subject
He Did It His Way
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Speaker
James Porter
Subject
The Falklands War
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Speaker
Neil Meldrum
Subject
The Enigmatic Ancient Maya
Description
Have you ever wondered about the fascinating and enigmatic civilisation of the Ancient Maya of Mexico and Guatemala? Why and how did they develop such a brilliant and original civilisation in the jungles of Central America, and why did it apparently disappear? Let me take you from their early development to their glorious apogee around 700-800 AD. Join me in a tour of their wondrous cities, and mysterious culture which has been made so much more accessible by the deciphering of their strange hieroglyphic writing. And then lament their tragic downfall, so soon after such an effervescence, but again relish their subsequent glorious but short-lived resurgence.
Meeting:
Date
12:30, Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Speaker
None Required
More details on this speaker can be seen by clicking
here
.
Subject
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Speaker
Dr Charles Rees
Subject
Alcohol Considered
Description
The department of Health says there is no safe level of alcohol. You can say that about mercury compounds, or strychnine or cyanide, but alcohol! There is a huge world wide drinks industry. Buckingham Palaces has its own gin! There has to be a compromise view. Hence this talk. I will introduce you to the J shaped curve, the nonsense of our Units and how they are different to the rest of the world in number and quality. I will demonstrate the three medicinal qualities on alcohol which probably make it the best daily drug ever and the reason moderate drinkers live longer than non- drinkers. I will expose the bent statistics that vilify alcohol. I will not ignore the harmful effects but put them in perspective. This has been a very popular talk but is quite serious in its nature.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 05 August 2025
Speaker
Alastair Olver
Subject
The Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Speaker
John Pett
Subject
The Geology & Wines of Madeira & the Canaries
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 08 July 2025
Speaker
Kevin Patience
Subject
Aviation Around Poole Bay 1910 - 1976
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Speaker
Sam Woodcock
Subject
Over 80 Years in Milton - A Trip Down Memory Lane
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Speaker
Mike Spencer
Subject
Tales from the Mid Dorset Coast
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Speaker
Mike Rendell
Subject
The History of Coffee
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Speaker
Les Yeates
Subject
Pop Music 1960's
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Speaker
Dick Taylor
Subject
U Boat! The Battle of the Atlantic (Part 1) Corvette! The Battle of the Atlantic (Part 2)
Description
The Allied view of the most critical battle of WW2, and how the U Boat menace was managed and eventually mastered, leading to Allied success. Includes British, Canadian and US contributions.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Speaker
Lindsey Fish
Subject
Healthwatch Dorset
Description
Your local health and social care champion!
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Speaker
Dick Taylor
Subject
U Boat! The Battle of the Atlantic (Part 1)
Description
The story of the war's longest continuous campaign from the German perspective, focussing on the U-Boats, their crews, boats, and weapons. In short, the story of why the Germans came close to winning, but eventually lost, the battle.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Speaker
Dr James Taylor
Subject
Darwin, Fitzroy & The Voyage of HMS Beagle
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Speaker
James Porter
Subject
Custers Last Stand 1876
Description
In this talk he covers the personality and background of Custer – an intriguing individual – and the background to the Indian Wars of the late 19th century. Next he covers the strategy of the US Army in using a 3-prong line of advance against the unprecedented Indian gathering at the little Big Horn where the Indians were refusing US Government instructions to disperse. He examines Custer’s approach march and dispositions for an attack in detail.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Speaker
Roger Weeks (The Mayor of Gillingham)
Subject
The Moving of Debra D51
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Speaker
John Smith
Subject
Peenemunde Raid August 1943
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Speaker
Dr Stephen Payne OBE
Subject
Designing the RMS Queen Mary 2
Description
The story of his ambition and the culmination of a childhood promise to himself and Blue Peter. To build, what turned out to be, the world's only Ocean Liner.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Speaker
Ian Mclellan
Subject
Kreuzerkrieg
Description
The story of the German Navy's East Asia Squadron or Pacific Squadron of cruisers in 1914. The talk covers the reasons for the squadron, the issues which arose before August 1914 as well as after the outbreak of World War 1. It will also explain why so little is known today about the activities of this group of ships.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Thursday, 12 December 2024
Speaker
No Speaker required.
Subject
Christmas Dinner
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Speaker
Paul Hooley
Subject
The Monarch and the Dustman
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 12 November 2024
Speaker
John Highnam
Subject
Antarctica My Way
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 29 October 2024
Speaker
Brian Margetson
Subject
A Peculiar Victorian Enterprise
Description
Hear about the company that holds the dubious honour of being in receivership the longest. Discover how the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light |railway Company accomplished this feat. Let me take you down the line of fragile optimism upon which the enterprise was promoted and the desperate measures taken to survive, and survive it did for 43 years. Along the way, I'll introduce you to Colonel Stephens, undisputed king of Britain's small and quirky railways. Creaking infrastructure from the start, hand me down equipment, you just couldn't make up this story.
Meeting:
Date
10:00, Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Speaker
Richard Hutley
Subject
Atlantis
Description
The myth, legend and facts about the antediluvian lost civilisation of Atlantis first reported by Plato 3000 years ago. What do we know, where could it be? Is there evidence that exists today? Did an advanced civilisation exist before?
Probus Club of Gillingham Dorset