 IMPORTANT NOTICE |
Our venue is the Pavilion in the Recreation Ground in Station Road, Chobham,
on the THIRD Wednesday in the month.
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The new season of social meetings starts on Wednesday 21st October at our regular venue at the Parish Pavilion, Station Road, Chobham at 8pm. These meetings will continue on the third Wednesday of each month until April
2010. Coffee/Tea and biscuits will be available during the interval.
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Winter Season
2009/2010
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Our meeting hall in Chobham.
As last season, PLEASE NOTE that the day is still the THIRD Wednesday in the month, at 8pm.
There is sufficient, and safe, parking alongside the hall.
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| All meetings are free.
Please come along and support these social evenings where we like to see new faces. Everyone is welcome so bring along your friends as well.
Here are the dates and details of the current season -
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A short history of the talks, compiled by Peter Coxhead ----
The Group was formed in the mid-1970s in those enterprising early muddy days of restoration. A small band of enthusiastic characters used to sit on the floor of members' houses planning programmes that would keep the momentum going.
The first actual public meetings when interesting speakers whetted our appetites for what we should aim for, took place in the long-since-demolished Centre Halls in Woking. Our compere was Mike Grist. We then moved to the old Christ Church Hall (now Barclays Bank) and for a time Peter Coxhead presented the evenings.
Then followed a period at the Methodist Church Hall and surely all who came there will remember the 'ex-sergeant-major' caretaker! Our next venue was St Johns Memorial Hall. Ginny Millard took over from Peter during this period.
For the last few years, our meeting place has been at the Westgate Centre again in the heart of Woking. Arthur Dungate was now our 'master of ceremonies' and all who came will remember the wonderful variety of interesting speakers.
Now, subject to receiving approval of a lottery bid, Woking Galleries will almost certainly be building a state-of-the-art 21st century Museum and Art Centre on the site of the old Westgate building.
Finding a hall suitable for both availability and price is not easy. However Peter Coxhead has come to an arrangement with Chobham Parish Council to rent its Pavilion in the Recreation Ground in Station Road, Chobham. The hall is large enough for our meetings, there is sufficient car parking space and a kitchen is available for those very important 'half time' breaks.
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---- 2009 ----
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OCTOBER - Wednesday
21st October 2009
Tony
Pratt - 'Lost Wey to the Sea'
Tony Pratt will follow the
historic route from the River Wey at Guildford to
Portsmouth
via the Wey and
Arun
Canal
and the
Portsmouth
and
Arundel
Canal
. The full history of this important
link will be described and Tony will also show some of the documentary film made
about seven years ago.
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NOVEMBER - Wednesday
18th
November 2009
Dr. Roger Squires - 'The
River Douro from
Oporto
to the Spanish Border'
Roger Squires will be
returning to describe the most dramatic navigation in
Europe
which includes the deepest locks and 90 miles of navigable river coupled with
some spectacular gorges. All this in a glorious part of
Portugal
. Roger is a Deputy Chairman of the Inland Waterways Association, Chairman of
the Navigation Committee and Chairman of the London Branch.
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DECEMBER - Wednesday
16th
December 2009
Brian Stovold - ' The
Wilts and
Berks
Canal
- Past, Present and Future'
Brian Stovold, a Director
of the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust and Chairman of the East Vale Branch, will
cover the history of this navigation and describe the current position and
future of this important project to connect up waterways in this part of the
south west, where restoration is taking place at various locations over a wide
area.
---- 2010 ----
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JANUARY - Wednesday
20th
January 2010
Peter Oates - 'The Itchen
Navigation'
Peter Oates, well known to
us as a member of the Southampton Canal Society and a working party leader
during the restoration of the Deepcut locks will be returning to talk about the
history of this navigation, and tell us of the current work that is taking place
with Lottery funds to cosmetically restore some of the locks and features.
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FEBRUARY - Wednesday
17th
February 2010
Roddy McKee - 'Tale of Two Steamers - Waverley and Kingswear Castle'
Roddy will recount the history of these two restored paddle steamers and
update us on the ongoing work that has been taking place over the years to
keep these historic vessels in operation, including the two stages of large
rebuilds. They are the only two operational sea going paddle steamers left in
this country and long mat they be so.
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MARCH - Wednesday
17th March
2010
Ron and Myra Glover - 'Crossing Germany from West to East'
Ron and Myra will be describing and illustrating
their cruises in Germany in their steel motor cruiser from the River Rhine in
the west through to Berlin and then north to the Mecklenburg Lakes and back to
Berlin thence eastwards to the Polish border.
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APRIL - Wednesday
21st April 2010
Runnalls Davis - 'Birds,Beaux and Barges and a
Great Big Bang - The Regents Canal'
One of our popular speakers returns again to talk
about London's very own canal which is comparatively little known,and this
voyage follows it from its somewhat sordid beginnings at Limehouse on the
Thames to the sublime Regency beauty of Little Venice.Its history and changing
fortunes are described, as well as some of its landmark buildings,strange
curiosities,and the eccentric characters who have left their mark on it.
Note:
If you have any ideas for interesting future talks, the Talks Organiser
will be pleased to hear from you!
Please contact:
David Millett (01252 617364) or Peter Coxhead (01932 344564). -
[or, e-mail webmaster, as below]
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Last updated: August 2009
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