On this page you can see details of previous monthly meetings. Recent reports about the main speakers are on the next section. For previous years please scroll to the lower part of the page. This also shows how to find out details about past second subjects presented at the monthly meetings

Recently
January (1) — Andy Gardner: The Life and Times of Douglas Adams. Adams lived in Islington during many of his most productive years — a very different Islington in the seventies! Andy is an expert on local history; he was the Chairman of the Islington Archaeological and Historical Society until 2019 and now works as a Heritage and Outreach Worker at the Union Chapel. Douglas Adams was born in West London but lived in Islington for many years. He was always known as a storyteller and was a pioneer environmentalist. He became an author, scriptwriter and editor for Radio and TV, most famously writing The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Andy hopes to get at least a green plaque put up outside the flat where Douglas Adams lived behind Screen On the Green. Douglas Adams was also a script writer for the Dr Who series. He lived from 1952-2001 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery. To see the recording of Andy's presentation click here.

December — Bob Gilbert, known to many of our members as the author of a regular column in the Ham & High, to others for his years as Borough Ecology officer, and to yet more as a prolific author, took us on a fascinating exploration of three of Islington’s street trees. In other hands this would have been overkill, but Bob’s enthusiasm for their life story and how it intertwines with London’s economic and social history is infectious. Did you know that the bountifully fragrant flowers of a lime tree were administered for shell shock in World War One, or that they give rise to London’s standing as a producer of some of the nation’s most tasty honey? Next time you view the Bosch painting of a pickpocket, observe that the crowd is absorbed in watching a Linde dance under a lime tree. And what about London’s most prolific tree — the Plane? Did you know how radical Bethnal Green Council was being when they planted planes along their local streets? How previously they were found only in the private squares of the wealthy? Would you have guessed the role of the conker in both winning WW1 and prompting the Balfour Declaration about the founding of the State of Israel? Bob has been writing a book with his son about the Biodiverse City, so we hope to invite him back later in the year for another fascinating talk. To hear a recording of Bob's talk click here: trees

November (2) — Professor Vassilika took us on a fascinating journey from 1906, when Kha's tomb was discovered, to the present day. Kha was an overseer and builder of royal tombs and was educated and literate. His wife Merit unexpectedly died young and was buried in the tomb which Kha was building for himself. He eventually died in 1350 BC. In 1906 the artefacts were taken to Turin but were not properly curated and cared for. Professor Vassilika as a more recent Director of the Turin Museum oversaw the reorganisation of the exhibition which is now on display and widely admired. No recording available due to copyright restrictions.

November (1) — Rediscovering James Mason. In this very enjoyable talk retired film historian Nick Scudamore gave us an engaging and erudite presentation to suggest that James Mason was more of a character actor than a star. Mason’s particular acting skills were well suited to this often overlooked but essential part of film casting. Drawing on clips from five films spanning Mason’s long and busy career (his last film was released after his death) Nick gave us an insight into movie-making mores as well as Mason’s ability to convince and charm. Did you know, for example, that in films of the post-war years, suicide was only allowed to be referred to discreetly, very rarely shown? So in the final scene of Odd Man Out Kathleen Ryan has to shoot at the advancing police to allow her and Mason to be killed by their return fire. To view the recording of the presentation, click on this link.

October (2) — Princess Charlotte: The First People's Princess. This was a fascinating lecture from Anne Stott on Princess Charlotte: no doubt her life story was new to many of us. She was the only child of the Prince of Wales (later King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick. Their marriage was a disaster and Charlotte was not brought up by them. She was a headstrong child and only calmed down when she eventually fell in love with Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. They married and Charlotte died in childbirth along with her infant son. If she had lived she and Leopold would have reigned and we would not have had Victoria on the throne. A very touching biography enhanced by some beautiful portraits. To see the materials connected with this presentation click on this link. To view the recording of the presentation, click on this link.

October (1) — Rosemary drew on facts and figures from international organisations and her own frontline work with refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, Ireland and here in Islington.  We were given insight into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, at a time when mainstream media show little understanding of the complex circumstances of people seeking asylum in the UK. Rosemary is a journalist and avid traveller who specialises in human rights, migration and homelessness. She reminded us about a new iU3A group which will be helping to teach English to refugees. We were asked to support campaigns to honour people's rights, to push for a safe passage to the UK, to support local groups and to volunteer locally. To see the materials connected with this presentation click on this link. To view the presentation, click on this link.
 
September (2) — Pioneers of Photography: "Drawing with light" developed out of the drive to look at images in other ways than with our eyes. Roger Mead took us through the history of the inventors and pioneers of photography from the early nineteenth century to the present day and the invention of the digital camera. The first photo was taken in 1827 by Niépce in France and needed an exposure time of eight hours! We really enjoyed Roger's slides and his knowledge and enthusiasm for his fascinating subject.

September (1) — The Colourful History of Watercolours: Mark Lewis took us chronologically through the most distinguished of the watercolour painters during the 18th and 19th centuries. He explained the sublime versus picturesque movements which dominated the period and showed how individual styles eventually became more dominant. Watercolours are now a popular art form in their own right but at first were used as studies for oil paintings. Their translucence enables white paper to show through and to become part of the work. Watercolours are widely admired for their luminosity, delicacy and freshness. The slides were varied and beautiful and Mark brought them to life for us. To view the presentation, click on this link.

August (2) — Dr Alexandra Wood and Anna Byrne brought us up to date with the current developments in Alzheimers research. We learned how our brains have billions of neurons and how synapses are crucial for transmitting messages. The formation of plaques and tangles inhibit this transmission and brain scans show that Alzheimers patients’ brains have these deposits. There is no cure yet but the research indicates that healthy lifestyles can aid prevention. Trials are ongoing for drug therapy and the hope is for a vaccine eventually. To view the materials connected with this presentation click on this link.

Researchers need patients and healthy volunteers so if anyone wishes to help in the research here are two contacts: www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk, email imperial.memory.research@nhs.net

August (1) — Jo Livingston gave us a fascinating insight into this condition, which many of us had probably never even heard of. Its medical name is prosopagnosia and it has been identified and diagnosed in people of all ages and in all walks of life. Jo shared with us how hard it was sometimes to even recognise her own husband! She now visits groups and organisations all over the world and campaigns to raise awareness of this debilitating condition, for which there is as yet no cure.

July (2) — Martin Plaut took us from Ethiopia's distant past in Biblical times to the present day. Its relationship with other countries in the region, especially Eritrea, remains crucial today. We learned about the involvement of Italy, Cuba, UK and Russia in the past: now many countries have military bases in the area. There is much internal unrest and a lot of people are internally displaced. We see the effects of this as asylum seekers arrive on our shores. This was a fascinating glimpse of a historic and interesting country. To view the presentation, click on this link.

July (1) — Philip Leech: The Sutton Hoo Dane Burial Ship was discovered in 1939 in Woodbridge, Suffolk. It contained several items of treasure, although many had already been stolen. None of the wood remains, but a "shadow" of the ship was found at the mound site which has enabled a team of professional craftspeople and volunteers to embark on the biggest experimental archaeological project in Europe. They are building a replica ship using only traditional tools, many of which have had to be made specially, and traditional methods. The project is run by a charitable trust and further information can be found on their website. To view the presentation, click on this link.

June (2) — Gill Hopkins: Over a period of 20 years and before countries like China and Iran started opening up to mass tourism a group of a dozen Canonbury residents came together to explore them. They called themselves CanTravel. Developing an M.O. to ensure the success of an early trip exploring the Camino de Santiago, they nominated a daily Duty Pilgrim to ‘manage’ the complex logistics of the day, and write up the day’s adventures in a colourful journal of the trip. Every evening another member entertained the group with a pre-prepared ‘CanTravel Tale’ on any topic of their own choosing. So these journeys offered multifaceted enjoyment. Their destinations included much of the Silk Route, South America, and many European destinations. Along the way they were reminded on several occasions of Britain’s Imperial history, discovering a ship on Lake Titicaca that had been built by a British shipyard in kit form for use by British explorers, and unearthing the story of the arduous journey and lifestyle of a 21 year old English gentlewoman accompanying her new husband to China, with only three weeks’ notice.

At a time when travel is impossible this was both a charming reminder of journeys before mass tourism and an inspiration for journeys of the future. To view the presentation, click on this link.

June (1) — Professor Erik Millstone gave us a fascinating summary of present day food production and consumption. He described how laissez-faire economics has favoured vested interests and led to minimal state involvement in food safety. Food is underpriced and price competition has undermined food security by harming its sustainability as well as making products unsafe and nutritionally unhealthy. Local authorities have the task of monitoring standards but have had their budgets cut repeatedly over recent years. The science about what is safe and what is harmful does not speak with one voice, so policy can never “follow the science”. Current policies favour the food industry to the detriment of consumers. Brexit, he believes, affects sufficiency, sustainability, safety, health and equity. To view the materials connected with this presentation, click on this link.

May — Mary Balfour gave us an account of matchmaking and dating over the past 100 years. The First World War having taken the lives of many young men, people rushed into hasty and unsuitable relationships. Also the problem of sexually transmitted diseases being brought home from overseas exacerbated the situation. In 1922 Marie Stopes' "Married Love" opened up the whole debate around relationships, marriage and of course sex. The 1920s were a time of liberation and rebellion but the country remained short of men until well into the 1930s. The famous Heather Jenner Marriage Bureau was a great success and was patronised by those from all walks of life including soldiers and debutantes. Everything was changed by the first computer matchmaking scheme in 1964 and also by the advent of the pill. Mary ran her own business for many years and shared some of her tips with us, for example, how important it is to be realistic when looking for love and to tailor our expectations — both men and women seek someone more attractive than themselves! Now there is an explosion of dating websites and apps but Mary still advocates caution, proceeding slowly and always being prepared to give someone a second date! To view the presentation, click on this link.


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