Thornton-Cleveleys Horticultural Society

A review of the talk I gave about the gardens and parkland at Holker Hall to this Society can be read at:

https://thorntoncleveleyshorticulturalsociety41.com/2018/10/22/cartmel-peninsula-and-holker-hall-gardens/https://thorntoncleveleyshorticulturalsociety41.com/2018/10/22/cartmel-peninsula-and-holker-hall-gardens/

Wyre U3a - A Journey to St. Kilda, The Lonely Isles

12th April 2018

Wyre U3a

St. Kilda: The Lonely Isles
Well over 100 members of the Wyre U3a assembled to hear me talk about the Lonely Isles of St. Kilda. It's a place that hold a fascination for people, for it's one of those places in the UK that is rarely visited, probably because of the difficulty of getting there.

It is, after all, 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, and 100 miles west of the Scottish west coast, so perhaps that's the reason.

However, St. Kilda does have dual World Heritage Status in respect of its Social history and its wildlife, including that below the waves, making it one of just 32 such places world-wide.

There are, therefore, many reasons for making an effort, and I hope that the talk may encourage one or two people to do so.

Perhaps the reason not many people were sitting near the front was that they didn't
want to be caught by the sea-spray!

Bolton Family History Society

 A talk about Preston resident and Freeman, Moses Holden 1777-1864, in his birth-place of Bolton, was an appealing prospect for me, and an 80-odd strong audience was a real encouragement.

There are a few factual errors  in the Society's report, see below, but if you think the talk would be of interest to your group, get in touch and talk to me about it.

http://www.bolton.mlfhs.org.uk/newsletter/Genie_2018_03.pdf

Stick and Wheel Club, Staveley

The Stick and Wheel Club

Staveley.

Staveley Village Institute and the River Kent       Photo:  Steve Halliwell

There can be few places to speak that are lovelier than the Village Institute in Staveley, and such was the case on Monday 19th March 2018, when I gave my talk, "From Victoria to Ventnor" to the gathered ladies and gentlemen.
We explored the differences between two gardens on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria's Osborne House at the north of the island, and the tropical Ventnor Gardens at the most southerly point on the island.
Although the name of the club is intended to indicate how their members may arrive there - either with a walking stick or a form of wheeled walking aid, but I saw little evidence of wheels, and most seemed to make light of their need for a stick! Just a bit of insurance, eh?
The hour's talk seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed, and the tea and home-made cake afterwards certainly was.
Posted by: Steve Halliwell 24.3.2018