“LONDON’S MOST IMPORTANT RIVER”

JEREMY BATCH returns to talk about the River Lee and the accompanying man- made Canal Lee Navigation. It has been our border with Scandinavia, London’s lifeline during the Great Plague, and the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games. It boasted Britain’s first lock with mitred gates, and now London’s newest: the Three Mills Lock on the Prescott Channel. What were the Three Mills used for, and why are there only two?

OCTOBER 15

“De HAVILLAND AND THE DeHAVILLAND MUSEUM”

This talk by ALISTAIR HODGSON, covers the history of Salisbury Hall and the De Havilland Museum. Work by De Havilland during and after WW2 and also details the restoration of the DH Sea Venom at the Museum.

The Lecture will be PRECEDED by the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING and will therefore start at the earlier time of 7-30 PM

NOVEMBER 19

ANOTHER SELECTION OF OLD FILMS FROM FRANK BANFIELDS’S COLLECTION?

Our film evening with FRANK BARFIELD showing some of his old films.

DECEMBER 17

“SOME LONDON BRIDGES AND TUNNELS” and our SOCIAL EVENING

DAVID WADLEY returns to give us a talk about just a few of the hundreds of bridges and tunnels that exist in Greater London. Some are pioneering structures that led the way forward. Some are elegant whilst others are not. A few are not quite what they might seem to be at first sight. Hopefully all will be of interest “.
The talk will be followed by our annual informal get-together where the coffee flows like water and we feed ourselves on a multifarious cornucopia of nibbles.

JANUARY 21

“WW2 ROYAL NAVY DESTROYERS”

COLIN GENT One of our members will give us a presentation on the construction, marine engineering and armament of WWII RN Destroyers, typically the CA Class will be described and the Operational Role that they performed during the war, including Artic Convoy and Escort duties. The speaker, Colin Gent will describe the 18 months that he spent as the Electrical Officer of HMS Caprice, one of the CA’s, for her 1960-62 Far East Commission. It will include colour slides of sea going exercises and operations.

FEBRUARY 18

“THE EVOLUTION OF RAILWAY SIGNALLING”

COLIN PORTER, the past Chief Executive of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers will talk on the history of Railway signals from ” Railway Policemen” who gave hand signals to engine drivers, to the latest in Train protection systems TPWS.

MARCH 19

“THE HISTORY OF THE MARCONI COMPANY”

PETER TURRALL was employed by the Marconi Organisation in Chelmsford for 48 years. He was responsible initially for Television Studio Sales in the United Kingdom before taking on the Overseas Sales Manager position where he was responsible for all World Wide Television and Sound Broadcasting Studio and Transmitter sales as well as other communication products. Just before his retirement in 1999 he was awarded the MBE for his export sales achievements. His talk covers the work of Guglielmo Marconi from the time when he invented wireless in 1895 and his development of associated products in Chelmsford, Essex to the time of his death in 1937.