At our April meeting , members spoke for a few minutes on an historical character (living or dead) of their choice, and covered the following:
*Mikhail Gorbachev, the Russian leader responsible for the collapse of
the Berlin Wall.
*Amy Johnson ,the famous woman aviator who set many new records
in the 20/30s, but was killed in an air crash in WW11.
*Thomas Cromwell- from humble beginning to Earl of Essex, First
Minister to Henry V111, but executed over the failure of the Anne of
Cleves marriage.
*Jane Austin of the 18/19th Century, a daughter of a clergyman and
famous for the many books she wrote, but sadly only fully recognised
after her death.
*Aneurin Bevin, the Welsh Politician, who as Minister of Health in 1948
brought in the National Health Service.
*George Lovelace, who started the first Union and became famous as
one of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
*Mary Queen of Scots, brought up in France, had 3 failed marriages in
Scotland and was executed by Elizabeth 1.
*Sir Walter Raleigh, a favourite of Elizabeth 1, famous explorer and
founder of the State of Virginia, but executed by James 1 to please
Spain.
*Douglas Bader, the RAF fighter pilot who lost the lower part of both
legs in a flying accident in 1931,but with artificial legs went on to
achieve fame as a fighter pilot in WW11.
*Holbein was the official portrait painter to Henry V111, but lost some
support from Henry over his failure to paint a true picture of Anne of
Cleves.
*Samuel Pepys of the 17th Century, famous for his diaries and helping to
create our Royal Navy.
*Isaac Watts, famous inventor, born in Scotland and grew up and worked
in Birmingham and died in 1819.
*Sir Thomas Moore, a strong Roman Catholic who believed God was
above the King, and as a result was executed by Henry V111 for High
Treason.
*And finally Lady Mary Montague (no relation to our Montagues at
Beaulieu) daughter of Duke of Kingston, known as a wit and beauty in
London, brought back and successfully used the scratch type of
inoculation for smallpox from Turkey 70 years before Jenner and died
In 1762.
** On Monday the 17th May we have our outing to the Submarine
Museum at Gosport, please ensure that you are at the entrance by
10 am, ready for us to move across to HMS Alliance for the
guided tour.
Michael Page.
