The project was founded by our speaker, Steve Piotrowski, in 2005 as part of the response to the national decline in barn owl numbers (there were 12,000 pairs in 1932 but only 3,750 in 1982). He explained that the decrease was a result of a lack of feeding and nesting opportunities brought about by loss… [Continue Reading]
Reports on past meetings
October 2019 – Bell Ringing in Norfolk
Sue and Guy Morton explained that bell ringing was an English tradition. At St Peter Mancroft in Norwich in 1731, the Bloody Peal (so-called because bell ringers had blood on their hands at the end) was rung by 8 people over 8 hours and 15 minutes. This was a record for 151 years! Sue and… [Continue Reading]
September 2019 – “Who do you think you are”
Gill Blanchard delivered an absorbing talk called “Behind The Scenes Working For ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’”. Gill works as a professional house, family and local historian. She has carried out research for the above-named popular BBC series, also appearing on two episodes (Jonnie Peacock and Mary Berry). The production team does some research… [Continue Reading]
October 2019 – Coffee Morning
The coffee morning held on 8th October at the “Hole-in-One” was well-supported by members and their wives. It was also nice to welcome a prospective new member who enjoyed meeting us and intends to come along to our next lunch.
August 2019 – Drones – The future or a menace?
Although stories in the press tend to be negative, for example the Gatwick incident last December, Andy Cooper emphasised the positive uses of drones in areas ranging from emergency services to farming to construction. Andy demonstrated via a few short videos how easy it is to fly a drone. Once it is in the air,… [Continue Reading]
July 2019 – Titanic – Imposters and Assumed Names
John Balls, who organises the Norfolk Titanic Association, gave a fascinating talk. He has discovered that over thirty people travelled on the Titanic under assumed names. His research has been a study of human motives and desperation. John’s interest was sparked by a newspaper article about a 92-year-old survivor who had died in 2005. She claimed… [Continue Reading]
June 2019 – AGM plus The Aviation Bug and How I Survived It
Greg Cope, a member of the club, gave a fascinating talk on “The Aviation Bug and How I Survived It”. Eschewing notes, he decided to wing it using a variety of props, mainly comprising some superb model aircraft, to prompt his memories. Greg explained that aeroplanes had been his love for more than forty years…. [Continue Reading]
May 2019 – Goats on a Slope
Have you ever wondered about the origin of those goats which are seen every year munching grass on the cliff slope at Cromer, a little to the west of the pier? On Tuesday 7 May we found out! Mr Mark Frosdick, Animal Control Assistant with North Norfolk District Council, gave us a most interesting talk… [Continue Reading]
April 2019 – Antarctica – past, present and future
As well as being an author and editor of various polar books and academic papers, Stephen Scott-Fawcett is an adviser to the Scott Polar research Institute in Cambridge. He told us how there is evidence of vegetation in Antarctica’s very distant past when there was apparently a tropical climate, during four ‘green’ periods. However, he… [Continue Reading]
March 2019 – The History of Beeston Common
While having worked for very many years as a marine geophysicist (with a background in both geology and botany), in his spare time onshore Francis Farrow has worked on the management of Beeston Common and recording its wildlife. His talk traced the formation of the Common through various periods of human history, and how it… [Continue Reading]