20th August

Any talk spanning such diverse subjects as the first murder conviction based on DNA evidence and magistrates ruminating for an entire day on the beef content of sausages has to be worth listening to.

Woven against the background of a lifetime’s experiences in the law from one of the leading defence and prosecuting lawyers in Norwich, both in private practice and with the C.P.S., this was the perfect antidote to what might otherwise have been the sleep inducing effects of the excellent bread and butter pudding we enjoyed over lunch!

Mixing interesting ‘behind the scenes’ facts with great good humour, the talk was deeply appreciated by us all, not only for that but also for the care and trouble-and the able assistance of Margaret Robins-which had so obviously gone  into its preparation; another relaxed occasion much enjoyed by us all.

16th July 2025

Prior to retirement, our speaker,  Nick Brewin, had been Emeritus Professor and research lead specialising in crop genetics at the John Innes Centre. On this occasion, though, he treated us to a deep dive into some of the more curious and entertaining aspects of the history of Norwich Cathedral drawing from his knowledge as an accomplished Cathedral guide. His polished delivery and amusing anecdotes kept us all in rapt attention even after a good lunch and was much appreciated by all.’

18th June 2025

Our President unfortunately had to miss today’s meeting, his rather flimsy excuse being  that it was his son’s wedding. Any concerns were swiftly dismissed, however, as the Vice-President stepped seamlessly into the breach and conducted proceedings with his trademark good humour and typical aplomb. His introduction of our speaker, Stephen Poulter, was so well prepared that it actually covered a significant part of the talk Stephen was about to give(!) The talk which followed, though, was highly entertaining- and definitely one which the President was extremely sorry to have missed.

14th May 2025 (Ladies Lunch)

Our First Ladies Lunch of the year started with a sparkling wine reception on arrival, followed by a few words from the President welcoming and thanking our ladies for their support- and for allowing us out once a month!  A splendid and amusing talk was given by John Vigar, a retired architectural historian and university lecturer who was encouraged  by John Betjeman early in his career and of whose charity he is now a trustee; his off beat and amusing talk, ‘Bedrooms, Banquets and Balls’, traced the story of the English Country House from mediaeval times to the present and was much enjoyed by all who heard it.

16th April 2025 Meeting

Another enjoyable and well attended meeting with the talk this time given by Cathy Shelbourne on ‘The Voyage of the Mayflower -from an East Anglian perspective’ . As a member of Toastmasters International and a member of the Society for Nautical Research as well as Editor of the Ipswich Maritime Trust’s magazine, Cathy was obviously an experienced speaker and gave us a fascinating insight into the story of the Mayflower, the likelihood of it having been built in an East Anglian shipyard but with no certainty which, its voyage from the Dutch coast and the hardships experienced both on board and on arrival in the New World.

26th March 2025 Meeting (AGM)

The club convened for the A.G.M. at Park Farm Hotel as usual but the meeting followed a new, more streamlined procedure this year with the President and Vice President being elected individually but the other officers and members of the committee being proposed, seconded and elected ‘en bloc’. All were duly voted in unanimously and as a result the formalities were all conducted in under 20 minutes.

It was further agreed that the membership fee for 2025/26 be increased to £35 with the lunch charge remaining at £27 per lunch attended.                         

Following the meeting and a good lunch, the President followed recent tradition by giving a light hearted talk about his background and upbringing in Southport on the Lancashire coast, including anecdotes on such wide ranging topics as the public hangman, Albert Pierrepoint, to the birth of Brumas the Polar Bear, the setting of the World Land Speed Record on the beach to the disastrous hypnotising of the local football team, the building of the Southport, Babbacombe and Gt. Yarmouth Model Villages and escorting Miss World.