AT THIS week’s meeting, President Brian Melville reported that he had thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the hospitality extended by the Probus Club of Broadway when he attended their annual lunch last week. On news of members, we were sorry to hear of the difficulties Cliff Blackborrow and Stan Saunders are having and we offer them our best wishes.
Our speaker was David Howe of Warwick, a retired teacher who said his principal claim to fame was that he had officially opened three school toilets! The subject of his talk to us was Prime Ministers and the Midlands.
From David we learned a great deal about the life and times of Lord North, Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain and Anthony Eden, as well as Walpole, Gladstone, Spencer Perceval and Winston Churchill.
David’s presentation was very impressive. He spoke for nearly an hour, without notes, with lots of little known details and amusing quotes and anecdotes. He reminded us that Enoch Powell had said wisely that all political careers end in failure. David also made the distinction between ‘weathervane politicians’ and ‘signpost politicians’ – and left it to us to determine which of our current politicians are of the weathervane or signpost variety!
The number and depth of our questions demonstrated how well we had received David’s talk and Ken Perkins thanked him profusely on our behalf.
On May 21, our own Bob Young will give us Tales of the Unexpected and then on May 28, Malcolm Lewis will share Signature Tunes with us.
CHRIS DONOUGH
Probus Club of Evesham
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