Club News
October: Chairman, Tony Farrell, welcomed 21 members, and speaker Neil Sadler. Chaiman’s Charity raised £42 and Raffle £29.
New Members: Chairman, Tony Farrell, was delighted to induct two new members with presentation of Badge, Tie and Handbook.
David Carpenter and Tony Tony and Darryl Cabral
Outings/Events: Terry Ribbens announced 1½ hour Guided Tour to Battersea Power Station plus River Trip to Greenwich
– total cost £40 p.p. for 28th October. Meet 11 a.m. there.
Quiz: Friday 22nd November – leaflets/menu asking for teams. All proceeds to the Chairman’s charity, The Ryan Neuro Therapy Centre. Quizmaster Brian Udell. Dennis Evans has been QM for many years but is critically ill – we wish him all the best.
Lunch changes by 10.30am the prior Tuesday to chris@moniz.co.uk T: 020 8660 6063. Please also report any Member News to Chris.
Please email vincent@fosdike.com with articles/news for the Newsletter.
Speaker today: Jon Fox: ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’
5th December: Revd Malcolm Newman: ‘Christmas Theme’
October Speaker: Neil Sadler – ‘Bison and Custer’
To draw us into the atmosphere of the American Plains and specifically South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming, Neil invoked memories of cowboy films with their unforgettable theme tunes such as the Good the Bad and the Ugly, Rawhide and The Lone Ranger. At the back of our minds we have probably heard that many westerns were nicknamed spaghetti westerns with being shot in Italy and Spain, which does not detract from the fond memories we have of them.
Gradually the focus moved to the mighty Bison which once roamed these plains but were hunted almost to extinction in order to push the native American tribes off the land by starvation whilst providing animal products to sell for the hunters. Whilst they are gradually being re-instated in some areas they are still tragically depleted. For they were not only subject to the loss of the Bison but ultimately military force with which the name Custer is associated in one of the rare tribal victories known to us all, (battle of Little Big Horn). Curiously an Englishman from the Sussex village of Cuckfield had sought adventure by going to America and joining up with the 7Th Calvary. His greater level of education possibly saved his life on the fateful day because he was one of the few literate soldiers whom our speaker found did not go to the battle but was left behind to undertake administrative duties! Eventually he may have returned to England and some history says he lived out his days as a rent collector!
Moving on. For the other major theme of Neil’s absorbing talk we find ourselves in Yellowstone Park with initially calming images of Yogi Bear followed by the real less calming facts about just how dangerous they are and the best survival strategies if cornered but you must remember that black and brown bears have different killing skills so learn your drill well. Equally dangerous are the famous geysers with their potentially life threatening bursts of boiling water. There are ample warnings but apparently one over-confident person decided to sit in one of the small but deadly ‘hot pots’ and was reduced to a few bones and a pair of shoes for his trouble. 22 people suffered similar ends to their holidays!!!
As always Neil gave us an excellent after dinner speech with great images. Thank you Neil
Is there a lawyer in the house? – by Vincent Fosdike
Be warned before reading this you will have to take the role of a judge and give a decision as to the justice of the situation and of course it could be appealed and your views corrected by those held in higher respect in higher courts. It is good for the ego to be put in its place. I even recall a judge giving a decision in a small but intricate case, pausing uncharacteristically to say “If I am wrong there is a higher power who may correct me”, gazing into the far distance with some intensity clearly meaning one even above what we then called the House of Lords (now the supreme court).
Well now you can take his place balancing on a pinnacle of tricky arguments.
The defendant had been enjoying a moonlight dinner in a Kentish Inn on a hill overlooking the sea. He and his lady companion were in relaxed mood and candlelight added a beam of red light by shining through the excellent red wine in the bottle between them.
Cutting suddenly like a sabre slash the fire alarm ruins the mood. Diners startled by a fleeing waitress rush for the exit then huddle outside. The fire appliance can be heard bellowing and labouring up the small steep cobblestone road but halting short of the building, its way blocked by a pair of parked cars. The defendant fumbles with his keys which fail to open the door, the fire crew must get the engine closer and look on planning a removal drill they know well. Before they start the defendant grabs a lose cobblestone ,breaks the driver’s window, releases the hand break and gives the car a shove aided by willing onlookers. The appliance can just move into position, and the onlookers will them on to heroic deeds . Meanwhile the car rolls down the gradient, finally gracefully diving into the harbour up to its windscreen . As the fire comes under control the defendant looks for his car, and to his amazement finds it still where he and his companion for the evening had left it. No wonder the keys did not work. In his desire to save the day and the darkness of night he had not noticed there were two cars of the same model parked nose to tail.
The plaintiff was not only upset about his car taking unbidden to the water he was further distressed to discover that apparently his wife was enjoying the company of the defendant at the time of this drama. The divorce or otherwise was not before the court on this occasion only the liability of the two insurance companies and or their clients if the policies could be avoided successfully .
The plaintiff claimed criminal damage and theft. Plus for good measure trespass to goods.
The defendant claimed there was no criminal intent and he acted under the stress of emergency in respect of the civil claim, trying only to prevent further fire damage to the building. He was not negligent as he took appropriate care in the circumstances. Indeed he believed it was his own property that he moved. In addition had he not acted at all the plaintiffs car might well have been burnt in a greater fire which the brigade could not attend.
Readers might like to look up the various areas of law including the insurers position here. For good measure can he claim hurt feelings for the social problems arising? The parties await your decision.
Please send in your thoughts at least on the justice of the case. No legal argument is needed.