Dursley 91 Probus Club. Monthlymeeting Monday 11Thseptember2017

Press Release

Dursley ‘91 Probus Club. MonthlyMeeting Monday 11thSeptember2017.

The Club held itsSeptembermeeting at the Dursley Community Centre, with approximately60 members present. In the absence of President Martin Lee, Vice President Graham Millest took the Chair.After welcomingGuest SpeakerKen IngamellsVP Graham expressed the condolences of the Club for the passing of Brenda Browning, wife of Past President Derek.

VP Graham then reflected on the success of the recent Club Barbecue. Blessed with fine weather and in the glorious setting of the gardens of David and Dawn Valantin’s home, all present enjoyed a memorable afternoon. He thanked all those responsible for their hard work in making it happen.

Looking further ahead, because of the uncertainty over the expected opening date of theBristol Aircraft Museum, a trip to RAF Cosford has been substituted. Club Secretary Martin Budden gave further details of proposals for an outing to Poole with an overnight stay.This will include a steam train ride, Poole Harbour cruise and a visit to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

November brings a visit to Hook Norton Brewery. This is a return visit by popular request as a number of members can recall our last visit here with its original steam engine an added attraction.

The New Year brings our social evening when we will be both entertained and intellectually stretched with a Quiz Night, the creation of Past President Edwin Nuttall, this promises to be a really lively way to start 2018.

Plans for the Club mini break in June, centred on the Isle of Wight, are beginning to take shape. They will include visits to Osborne House, Carisbrook Castle and the mandatory steam train ride.

Guest Speaker Ken Ingamells entertained the Club with a detailed account of one of the epics of exploration, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition. Ken’s careerin meteorology included time in the Falklands, with responsibility for South Georgia and British Antarctica, hence his fascination with this heroic failurejust over a century ago.

The son of a GP, Shackletonjoined the Merchant Navy as a deck officerand obtained his master’s ticket. His first experience of Antarctic exploration came with Captain Scott, initially they enjoyed friendship, but this deteriorated to the stage where they became bitter rivals. His objective in 1914 was to make the first trans-Antarctic journey and he gathered a 28 man team which with good fortune included Frank Worsley as his ship’s captain. Disaster struck when their ship the Endurance became-stuck in pack ice in the Weddel Sea and after drifting 1000 miles north was lost. The expedition took to the boats and made it to Elephant Island where 22 camped under 2 upturned boats for 100 days in the Antarctic winter. Meanwhile Shackleton took Frank Worsley as navigator and 4 others in a 22 footopen boat to South Georgia across 800 miles of some of the worst seas in the world. After reaching South Georgia they had an equally hard task to reach a whaling station and organize rescue which took three attempts in as many months. Not a single man was lost

After questions, VP Graham closed the meeting and members retired to the bar and lunch.