Lentune Ladies enjoyed a most fascinating talk at their meeting this month, contrasting with the Men who learnt about demolishing buildings !! Read on :
Lentune Ladies Club met on 6th July when they enjoyed a fascinating talk by Alan Jones, who spoke animatedly about his life as a Roving Reporter for BBC Radio. Initially, Alan travelled widely around the world. After marrying and becoming a family man however, he wanted to be more home-based and the BBC set him up with a van fitted out as a mobile studio unit. Alan then reported along the South Coast of Britain, from West Sussex to the Dorset/Devon border including the Isle of Wight.
Alan amused and amazed the Probus Ladies with ‘hair-raising’ tales of interviewing Artistes at a visiting zoo with Tigers & Baby Bears in the flimsiest of cages which petrified him. He also had to conduct an interview with trapeze artistes by climbing to great heights and balancing with trepidation, while the artistes hung upside-down! Another story had several ladies shuddering !! Alan recounted his involvement while interviewing a person in charge of a bin full of deadly snakes. Alan had the job of opening the bin lid while the interviewee reached inside to retrieve one of the snakes and then slamming the lid back in place before any of the other snakes reared their heads!
There was a multitude of fascinating tales. The one that caused the most mirth was when Alan went to interview a group of Naturists, who refused to be interviewed by him unless he joined them in the same attire!
The meeting concluded with an excellent lunch, as usual .
Lentune Probus Men met on 11th July for their monthly meeting. The presentation from Dr. Colin Jolly was entitled Explosive Demolition - Blowing up Part of London.
Colin Jolly graduated in Civil Engineering from Southampton University and his early industrial experience was on water-retaining structures and buildings. After postgraduate research, he joined the Civil Engineering Department of Southampton University for 21 years and then lectured for 14 years at the Royal Military College of Science, part of Cranfield University.
Colin’s teaching included structural design and the structural performance of large components or complete structures.
From his association with the Royal Engineers, he became involved with civilian explosive demolition, which was the subject of today's talk. With the case study of the demolition of a tower block within an industrial complex in southeast London, Colin described the whole process of demolition, including maintaining the security, safety and structural integrity of neighbouring buildings and the wider environment.
A truly enjoyable and stimulating presentation!
The club's forthcoming social calendar includes the August Summer Luncheon, which is always eagerly awaited by both the Lentune Ladies Club and Lentune Probus Men.