Luncheons and Speakers

The Probus Club of Yeovil meets at The Quicksilver Mail pub, Hendford Hill, Yeovil BA20 2RG – normally on the second Monday of each month (except when this coincides with a bank holiday).

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9th DecemberRaising the Standard-Flags of The WorldLt Col Dick TaylorA look at the fascinating history of flags & banners, concentrating on national & maritime aspects. This includes the captivating stories behind the designs of                the Union Jack & the Stars & Stripes.
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13th January Westland Fixed Wing AircraftJoseph Lewis of the Heritage CentreJoseph will relate the aircraft produced by the company from its first aircraft a seaplane in 1915 through the inter war years & the second world war up to the last fixed wing aircraft the Westland Wyvern.
10th FebruaryAlien TechnologyBud BudzyenskiBud will give his view on what an advanced race of beings would need, to travel unimaginable distances across the cosmos & visit or just observe us.
10th MarchLate Flowering LyricistMiranda PenderMiranda will give a humorous light hearted talk which includes 6 original songs about why it may never be too late to change direction, the importance of seizing the moment & how, with a bit of determination, you might be able to achieve things you never dreamed of.
14th AprilAn Auctioneer’s Ten CommandmentsRichard KayRichard who is the director Lawrences Auctioneers picture department, will relate light hearted & informal saleroom reminiscences.
12th MayWho Shot JFK? (and who didn’t)Richard HutleyRichard will give his view on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22nd 1963 as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plasa in downtown Dallas Texas. But who shot him? Lee Harvey Oswold? The man on the grassy knoll? Was it 3, 4 or 10 shots? Or the magic bullet? History may not be what they let you believe!
9th JuneHypnotherapy & The Power of The MindAndy HillAndy is a hypnotherapist working in Yeovil, Ilminster & Chard. His talk is fairly upbeat (but not silly), interactive & informative & covers topics including: What is Hypnotherapy? What sort of problems can Hypnotherapy help with. Interesting case studies (completely anonymised). The miracle of mind & emotions. How to get your mind on your side-top tips.
 14th JulyNapoleon Soldier & LoverJames PorterThis talk combines the military & political life of Napoleon Bonaparte with his personal & love life. Churchill described Napoleon as “the greatest man of action born in Europe since Julius Caesar”. Certainly Napoleon was a man of quite extraordinary energy, dynamism, vision & ambition. He was a brilliant & inspirational military strategist & commander, as well as being a gifted & far-sighted politician & administrator. But Napoleon was also a human being & the talk examines his relationship with Josephine Bauharnais from its beginning, through her marriage & coronation as Empress, to divorce & to the string of other women in his life.
11th AugustThe World of Ghosts Brian Wright Brian will be looking at the many different phenomena called ghosts & their possible causes. We will discuss any experiences   members have had, & look at the lecturers own experiences in a haunted mansion & during two ghost watches.
8th SeptemberQuiz  
13th OctoberDarien BreakthroughCol. John Blashford-Snell CBECol. John Blashford-Snell is a former British army officer, explorer & author. In 1971-72 he oversaw the first north -south vehicular journey from Alaska to Cape Horn. Part of this journey involved crossing the Darien Gap-thick uncharted jungle & swamp in Panama & Columbia. An expedition to drive two newly introduced Range Rovers 17,000 miles through North & South America was initiated & Funded by the MoD. It entailed crossing a 250 mile stretch of extremely inhospitable land in the isthmus of Central America, through which there was no discernible route. The terrain was regarded as impassable, consisting of thick rain forest, several sizeable rivers & an extensive swamp. The area is home to all manner of ferocious, biting, poisonous creatures & vicious thorny toxic plants.  
10th NovemberAGM  
8th December
Uncle Bill: Britain’s Forgotten Hero – Field Marshal William Slim
 Ashley Jones MBEAshley will explore the life of Bristol born soldier, Field Marshal 
Viscount William “Bill” Slim. Known affectionately as “uncle Bill” by his soldiers. Slim commanded the 14th “forgotten” army in the bitterly contested Burma campaign of WW2, recovering from the 1000 mile retreat from Burma to India, only to return two years later to defeat the Japanese in the steaming jungles of South East Asia.