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Meeting date :- 21 September 2005
Subject and speaker :- History of lawnmowers
Narrative :-
The first meeting of the season was held on 21 September when Bernard Robinson spoke about the History of Lawnmowers. He outlined how the first lawnmower was in fact a development from a machine invented for cutting the nap from cloth.Since 1830 various firms have designed different forms of lawnmowers with some well known names such as Atco (The Atlas Chain company), Qualcast, and Ransome’s (the latter made the first machines here under licence.) A local firm of Samuelson’s of Banbury also designed them in 1854.He illustrated his talk with slides of old catalogues and posters extolling the ease of these new lawn mowers, telling us of one that was horse pulled – but the horses had to wear a set of bootees so as not to damage the lawn! A most interesting evening – but I will stick to the modern lawnmower!
Author :- David Godfrey,Chairman
Date written :- 28/09/05
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Meeting date :- 19 October 2005
Subject and speaker :- History of Medicine - June Smith
Narrative :-
At the October meeting June Smith a former Head of History at the Warriner school took us through a history of Medicine, beginning with the evidence available from pre-historic times with the treatment by herbs, massage, trepanning, etc.
From Egypt in 1500BC there was evidence of various medical recipes, and from the practice of embalming the Egyptians had learnt a great deal about the body. The Chinese from about 2000BC had discovered acupuncture and various herbal remedies. The Greeks learnt from observation that exercise and cleanliness were important. The theory of the Four Humours led to the practice of blood letting.
The Renaissance period led to a greater knowledge of anatomy from the dissection of bodies. Anaesthetics were only discovered in the 1840s, and the method for the storage of blood was discovered in 1922. From her talk it was evident that each age has contributed something to our knowledge, and nowadays we are moving more to a combination of both medication and complementary medicine.
It was a fascinating evening. Next Meeting is on Wednesday 18th January 2006 in the Jubilee Hall at 8.00pm when Dan Roberts will be talking about ‘Costermongers’. All are welcome.
Author :- David Godfrey,Chairman
Date written :- 28/10/05
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Meeting date :- 16 November 2005
Subject and speaker :- AGM followed by Local Place Names - Deborah Hayter
Narrative :-
At the AGM at the November meeting the Chairman and Committee were all re-elected.
The meeting was addressed by Deborah Hayter on ‘Local Place Names’. This gave an excellent insight into the reasons underlying so many of the names of villages in the area. Places were in fact named by neighbours rather than by the people actually living in a place, and to try to get a grasp of the meaning we need to go back to the earliest form of the name, since they have changed a great deal over the centuries.
Many of the earliest names were topographical in that they were descriptions of the landscape,rather than of settlements, which were used later Some of the examples she gave included the following: ‘Crouch’ meaning a Hill and was used of a rounded hill in an area ‘Clif’ was of a hill often near a river but with a slope of more than 45º ’Chester’ was from Latin ‘castra’ and was used for where there had been a camp or was a place with Roman origin. She told us also that old field names may give a clue to where early settlements had been.
This was a fascinating outline, and we look forward to welcoming her back again in the not too distant future.
Author :- David Godfrey,Chairman
Date written :- 28/11/05
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Meeting date :- 18 January 2006
Subject and speaker :- Costermongers - Dan Roberts
Narrative :-
At the January meeting a member, Dan Roberts, regaled us with the history of Costermongers (‘Pearly Kings’), and also a great deal about his own life growing up in the East End of London. His family were ‘totters’ (rag and bone men), who traded very successfully with a horse and cart, eventually moving to Streatham where they were trading. He outlined for us the different East End terminology for coins, and how if there were no key they would not touch a watch as it was probably stolen. Since his family were ‘totters’ they were known as the Pearly Kings of Camberwell. Dan himself is entitled to be a Pearly King since he comes from a family of ‘totters’. The Pearlys were formed to raise money for charity, which they are still doing to this day. This was an excellent talk, with Dan lapsing into the terminology of the East End, even though he came without his ‘barrer’ and costume!
Author :- David Godfrey, Chairman
Date written :- 19/02/06
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Meeting date :- 15 February 2006
Subject and speaker :- Grave Tales and Memorials - Graham Sutherland
Narrative :-
The February meeting was addressed by Graham Sutherland on ‘Grave Tales and Memorials’. He called on his experiences as Town Crier for Warwick, and as a tourist guide, to give us an exploratory tour of some of the countryside’s various memorials, not all of which related to death. Some of those that did were the War memorials of the Flanders Cross, the War cemetery graves, and the Menin gate. Overbury has a memorial to the dead of the 1st World War in the form of the lych gate of the church. Stretton on Dunsmore has a memorial of a difference in that it is a memorial to where King George V reviewed the 29th Division before they went to the 1st World War. Those relating to the death of individuals included those of Jonathan Swift (of Gulliver travels fame) in Banbury and Richard Turpin in York – large enough for his horse as well! Others commemorated events for example of the last foreign invasion of these lands in 1778 when Americans landed at Whitehaven and spiked the guns there. Whitehaven also has a memorial to all children who died in the mines. Leamington has one outside the fire station to all who have lost their lives through fire. Throughout Graham Sutherland illustrated his talk with slides of all the memorials. It was a most interesting evening, giving some flesh to all the names we see on memorials, and to the reasons for some of them being built.
Author :- David Godfrey - Chairman
Date written :- 25/02/06
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Meeting date :- 15 March 2006
Subject and speaker :- Oxford’s Historic Waterways - Mark Davis
Narrative :-
Mark Davies on Oxford’s Historic Waterways addressed the March meeting. He has lived for the past fifteen years on a narrow boat in Oxford and this led him to research the history of the waterways.
He outlined for us the history of the Thames first of all and its effect on Oxford with reference to the legend of St Frideswide, and then Godstow nunnery and Osney Abbey. He moved on then by means of his slides to the effect of the canals on the area surrounding oxford. The lock in Oxford was completed in 1790, the canal having been begun in Coventry in 1769. The Grand Union canal was opened fifteen years later in 1805and though this had some effect on the local canal the Oxford canal continued to make a profit in its first 50 years. The prison governor of the time, Daniel Harris, was able to use the labour readily available to him to develop the Isis lock, which provided a better link between the canal and the Thames.
Mark Davies gave us another picture of Oxford, which contrasted with the one of the colleges and the ‘Dreaming Spires’. Together with his slides he imparted a picture of an Oxford, affected by the waterways, which is still relatively unknown.
Author :- David Godfrey, Chairman
Date written :- 03/05/06
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Meeting date :- 15 April 2006
Subject and speaker :- English Archer and his Bow - Colin Stevenson
Narrative :-
Colin Stevenson spoke to the members in April about the English Archer and his Bow having brought some his bows and arrows for display. He covered the period 1330- 1515, and indicated that at one time it was the law to practise with the bow on a Sunday otherwise one was fined. In medieval times the English Archer used two fingers whereas the modern archer uses three to pull the string back and used the whole body rather than just the arm to bend the bow. At the Battle of Agincourt English Archers could loose at least 4-5 arrows to every one that the Genoese crossbow men could do for the opposition. The best English bow was always made of yew – lesser bows were made from ash – and would need a pull of 100-120 lbs weight, far more than those of today. He believes that the long bow was never bettered as a weapon of war till the Lee Enfield rifle was developed. The penetration power of an arrow was as good as a 303 rifle at 50-100 yards. This was a most informative evening
Author :- David Godfrey
Date written :- 26/05/06
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Meeting date :- 17 May 2006
Subject and speaker :- Experiences during the Second World War in a General Reconnaissance Squadron - Doug Todd
Narrative :-
For our May meeting and the end of the lecture programme Doug Todd from the village gave us a most entertaining talk of his experiences during the Second World War when he was in a General Reconnaissance Squadron based in the Mediterranean area. They operated more as individuals than as a squadron, flying three types of aircraft – Wellington, Walrus flying boat and the Warwick. They were engaged in submarine hunting, landing and picking up agents/supplies air/sea rescue and some bombing. He himself made 31 operational trips in these aircraft. Doug regaled us with his accounts of various incidents in which he had been involved which included when a Rhodesian crew member on board had dropped an elsan on top of a damaged Italian submarine. Doug ended the war as a Warrant Officer, but remained in the Auxiliary Air force till 1985/6 as a Photographic interpreter. He told us he had thoroughly enjoyed his time in the war, perhaps because of the challenge and the comradeship he experienced. He acknowledged that he had come out of the war as a more mature person than when he went in. This was a most entertaining end to our season of talks.
Author :- James Sheppy
Date written :- 24/05/06
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Meeting date :- 10 June 2006
Subject and speaker :- 'What to look for in a church' - James Munby of Oxford Archaeology
Narrative :-
James Munby of Oxford Archaeology will give us a talk in St Marys church in Bloxham about the various archaeology to be found in churches and their surround grounds. The meeting starts at 2.30 pm in St Marys' and attendance will cost memebers £1 and nono-memebers £2. We look forward to seeing you all for this interesting lecture and refreshments are available.
Author :- James Sheppy
Date written :- 21/03/06
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Meeting date :- 00 July 2006
Subject and speaker :- No meeting or trip as yet
Narrative :-
Author :-
Date written :- 19/02/06
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