CHAIRMAN, Mike Taylor welcomed members to the second meeting of our 2016 programme on Monday, January 18. Two members were congratulated on recent birthdays and as a reminder of how time really does fly, the booking for the Christmas lunch was confirmed for December 8! Members were then invited to sign up for visits to the Kidderminster Carpet Museum and to Madresfield Court with two further visits planned for later in the year.

Our speaker Ron Gallivan, Chair of the Mercian Military History Association was welcomed back and today his talk was on ‘The Sinking of the Athenia’. Just hours after war had been declared, on the 3rd of September 1939, the Athenia was well out into the Atlantic, about 250 miles west of the Northern Irish coast. She was packed with refugees from Europe; Child evacuees from Britain; Canadians families returning home; neutral American tourists and government workers who had been advised to leave Europe. 1458 persons and just 27 lifeboats! Critically however, she was ‘blacked out’ and on a zig course, not appearing as a normal passenger liner. Suddenly, torpedoes hit, leading to abandonment and it was then that we learned the real story: heroes; villains; lies; survivor stories; politics; discipline and loyalty. It brought Canada into the War; led to the involvement of a future U.S. President; led to the strangest air-sea battle of the War and the capture of an Enigma Machine.

On Monday, February 15 we will welcome Paula du Four and her guide dog Cora. The talk is entitled ‘Sight Impaired’ and a donation will be made to Sight Concern.

Refreshments are available from 10am and meetings begin in The Abbey Hotel at 10.30am. Membership is open for retired business and professional men. For further information on the forthcoming 2016 programme, please e-mail the Programme Secretary, t.batesworc@btinternet.com

TONY BATES