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JUL 15th A JOURNALIST’S VIEW OF ISRAELI POLITICS By John Dobson
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JOHN DOBSON: Graduate of London and Southampton Universities. 31 years in Royal Navy (final job – Naval Attaché, Moscow). Cabinet Office working for John Major PM. Owner/operator of a group of nursing homes. Since 2016 columnist for Indian Sunday Guardian and is a Visiting Fellow at University of Plymouth.
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TALK: For 10 years John has written a weekly column ‘The View from Britain’ in the Indian Sunday Guardian. Last July he was invited to join a journalist’s trip to Israel, interviewing Israeli politicians and ‘movers and shakers’ in the country. He also visited many of the places which made the news during the horrendous event on 7 October last year. This talk will cover that visit and weave in the latest dramatic events in that unstable region.
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JUL 22nd CREATING A WILDLIFE GARDEN By Gavin Haig
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GAVIN HAIG: Practised as a surgeon and doctor with a passion for attracting wildlife into our gardens. Developed award-winning Wildlife Garden at Tiverton Hospital.
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TALK: A heavily illustrated talk which is a presentation of a journey through Gavin’s development of habitats to encourage birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and Amphibia, emphasising ponds, trees, nest boxes and
Islands of wildflowers which attracts wildlife to come and flourish close to home. Tiverton Hospital Wildlife was the WINNER of a National competition.
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JUL 29th BACK TO THE FUSCHIA – By Mike Follett
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MIKE FOLLETT: Member of the British Fuchsia Society. Former chairman of the Exeter Fuchsia Society.
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TALK: Mike grows and has shown at many local and National Fuchsia shows. His talk includes how he grows the plants and his journey into showing. There will be a chance to purchase plants on the day.
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AUG 5th BREAKING THE MOULD:THE SUFFRAGETTE STORY IN THE SW By Pamela Vass
PAMELA VASS: Pamela was born close to London but has lived in the West Country for most of her adult life. She has an MA from Exeter University and worked in the care sector for several years before launching her own walking and themed holiday’s businesses. More recently she has become an author and public speaker, finding much of the inspiration for her talks and books - both fiction and non-fiction - in the landscape and people of the West Country.
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TALK: On August 4th 1913, a car was spotted speeding away from a Devon mansion late at night. Moments later the alarm was raised as flames lit up the sky. The papers were filled with speculation that suffragettes were to blame. Truth or fiction? This one question opened a door to the fascinating story of the fight for the vote in the south west - not a tale of a sleepy rural backwater but of women prepared to protest at political meetings, recruit in the streets, join mass rallies in London, and suffer the agony of forced feeding in Holloway. All this ... and the biggest sleepover the region
Has ever known!
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AUG 12th THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GARDEN HOUSE “One of the finest gardens in Britain” By Sue Allen
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SUE ALLEN: On retirement from the National Trust, I have volunteered at The Garden House for 18 years. I am an ambassador for the charity and a Board member of the Fortescue Garden Trust.
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TALK: The Garden House has its origins in the passion of Lionel Fortescue and his wife, Katharine, who bought the overgrown grounds of the 19th century vicarage at Buckland Monachorum in 1945. Since that time only three other highly visionary and innovative Head Gardeners have placed their mark on the wonderful garden so admired today. Now owned and managed by the Fortescue Garden Trust, it ably delivers its charity objectives of demonstrating horticulture innovation and excellence, education and training and - offers pure delight for all who visit the attraction. The talk relates the milestones of a garden approaching its 80th anniversary next year.
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AUG 19th MARY TAVY HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER By Joshua Hughes
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JOSHUA HUGHES: Manager of the site and maintenance and operations manager of South West Water hydro electric
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TALK: The origin of the power station, when and how it was built in relation to the two reservoirs, the two leats and the six turbines. There will also be a brief summary of Morwellham power station.
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AUG 26th BANK HOLIDAY – CLOSED
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SEPT 2nd THE HOME FRONT IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR By Felicity Goodall
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FELICITY GOODALL: Former journalist for regional newspapers before spending several years as freelance correspondent in Norway. Work appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New York Herald Tribune and Business Week. Written 5 popular history books and written a play and community pantomimes.
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TALK: At eleven o’clock on September 3rd 1939, Britons gathered round their wireless sets to hear Neville Chamberlain’s announcement that ‘this country is at war’. Over the next six years, the population knitted for victory, dug for victory, and endured rationing and shortages. Felicity Goodall spent 18 months in archives reading contemporary diaries and letters to build a picture of what life was really like for ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
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SEPT 9th IS THERE A NEW WORLD FOR WOOL? By Bridget Cole
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BRIDGET COLE: A Farmer all her life, mainly in partnership with her husband for 40yrs until his death in 2013, after which Bridget handed over their biodiverse Dartmoor Farms to her sons Neil and Mathew. She also ran a farm tourism business and worked to promote farm tourism in Devon. She then enrolled as a student at Arts University Plymouth, passing out in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts(Hons) in Fashion & Design majoring on wool.
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TALK: With a passion for creating garments from a young age Bridget’s journey through university was not what she thought; getting her frustrated at the lack of understanding and use of sheep wool that is a by-product of the sheep meat industry. This talk will inform you a little of the journey and what she has explored in the world of sheep wool and her vision of a local wool industry.
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SEPT16th WEST COUNTRY FALCONRY - By David Buncle
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DAVID BUNCLE: life-long love for nature and began learning the art of falconry while still a schoolboy .
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TALK: After being employed as a professional Falconer for many years at a variety of establishments throughout the country , he has been based with his family on Dartmoor for the past 20 years , and , together with his wife Michelle under the name “West Country Falconry” provides a range of specialist falconry-based services
At the Wharf Talk he will be accompanied by a couple of his lovely birds !
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SEPT 23rd WHARF CANAL By Simon Dell
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SIMON DELL: Currently a Director and Co-ordinator of Moorland Guides with over twenty books to his name. Retired as a full-time police constable after 30 years’ service in September 2007. Has since led the volunteer policing teams throughout the Devon and Cornwall area in respect to wildlife crime. In 1997 awarded the MBE for services to the community and mountain rescue, Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in 2003 with several other awards to his name along with playing in the local town band or with the band of the South Wales Police.
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TALK: Tavistock Canal celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2017 and this was marked by an historical booklet being published about the canal by Simon along with guided walks alongside this local waterway. Come and hear of the history of the canal, the reasons for its construction and how it fitted into the local mining industry. The canal and its mining connection in West Devon is the very reason why Tavistock is Devon's only World Heritage Town so come and learn about our heritage here in Tavistock.
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SEPT 30th HOW I BECAME A WRITER - The challenges, journey and inspiration By Jackie Waddle
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JACKIE WADDLE: Jackie has been writing fiction for several decades. She has completed three novels, and a selection of short stories and poems over the years. She publishes her work under the name of Anna West, and has recently revised her first novel, Breaking New Ground, for Amazon KDP. Jackie has studied through Exeter University and Manchester Metropolitan University, gaining an MA in Creative Writing with Pedagogic Studies at MMU, in 2015. Since the publication of her first novel, in 2008, Jackie has worked with medical and dental students at Exeter and Plymouth Universities, providing Medical Humanities Special Studies Units, as part of a module in the medical degree. Among her friends, Jackie is known for her culinary art and she has hosted many meals, cake dates and buffet parties, providing home-cooked delicacies. She posts regularly on an Instagram account in her own name - @jackiewaddle. Music has also featured in her life; she studied flute in adult life, and has played in local bands and ensembles for the past 25 years. Both of these passions feature greatly in her fiction.
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TALK: In this Tea Time Talk, I will share my personal journey, how I learnt to believe in myself, where I found inspiration, as well as sharing the delights and health benefits of writing with you, my audience.
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OCT 7th SEARCHING FOR WILD DOG in SOUTHERN TANZANIA By Peter Burkill
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PETER BURKILL: Originally a Biological Oceanographer (PhD in 1985) and, with over 5,000 publications to my name, became Director of the Sir Allister Hardy Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Plymouth, UK. In 2012 I was elected by 32 countries to serve as the President of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). In 2020 I joined the University of Plymouth where I am an Emeritus Professor. I am also a photographer joining Nikon as a professional. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and the Marine Biological Association of the UK. I have always enjoyed telling people about the natural world.
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TALK: I travelled to Ruaha and Selous National Parks in June 2024 wanting to photograph African Wild Dog (or Painted Devils to give them their prosaic name) but in June and July they 'den' which causes interesting problems for those that want to see them. With only 1,500 individuals left in the wilds of Africa, they are rare and need wide open land where they can see and then chase their prey easily. They hunt by chasing the prey, normally an ungulate, over several miles until the latter becomes exhausted and trips or falls over. The unfortunate prey is then eaten - often alive - as they are shadowed by hyena that steal their prey. I will tell you about my visit to Ruaha and Selous, little visited areas in Tanzania, and show you some of the wildlife including birds that the Wild Dog live among.
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OCT 14th DISPELLING THE MYTHS OF CLIMATE CHANGE By Baz Hamblin
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BAZ HAMBLIN: After 25 years flying in the RAF as a navigator, Barry ran a training company for airline pilots for the next 25 years after doing a favour for a friend.
His wife had a lavender business, growing 15 varieties of lavender and producing a range of lavender products (he was the tractor driver).The shop was too large for sole use so Barry closed his training company and indulged his passion for selling antiques.
He is now a trustee of our small but beautiful local museum
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TALK: There is a great deal more to climate change than carbon dioxide and there is a great deal of confusion between “climate change” and “pollution”. The major cause of climate change is the Milankovitch oscillations and not many people know about them! For many years I taught meteorology and climatology to the highest level required by the Civil Aviation Authority and studied the history of our climate. I am appalled by some of the things said about “climate change” by “experts”.
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OCT 21st THE RIVER TAVY FISHERY: from DOMESDAY to MODERN DAY By Sharon Gedge
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SHARON GEDGE: Former Physical Geography academic who used to lecture about past environmental change and hydrology. In recent years she has developed her passion for walking and landscape research, writing about West Devon and Dartmoor landscapes on her blog ‘A Walk in English Weather’, and also sharing her landscape stories through talks to local heritage groups
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TALK: This talk examines the historic fishery of the Tavy, from its first mention in Domesday Book to it becoming a leisure angling river in the modern age. It delves into the control and operation of the fishery by people like the earls of Devon, monastic estates and famous local figures like Sir Francis Drake. The talk also showcases the frequent conflict between neighbours over the sought-after fishery resource.
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OCT 28th BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE By Louise Round
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LOUISE ROUND: British Divers Marine Life Rescue Assistant Area Coordinator for Devon.
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TALK: Louise will be talking about the work of BDMLR both nationally and in the South West, with examples of our work rescuing seals, dolphins and other cetaceans. She is British Divers Marine Life Rescue Assistant Area Coordinator for Devon, the Fundraising Coordinator for the county, an Advanced Marine Mammal Medic and an instructor.
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