FOXLEY SOCIAL CLUB

Monthly Speaker  15/3/06

 

 

On Wednesday 15th March 2006 the Social Club had Mrs. Patricia Mockridge along to give us a talk on ‘Weathervanes’.  I think most members came along with some trepidation: how much could one say about a weathervane?  It has a pointer that spins round by wind force to one of the four compass points.  That’s it---isn’t it?  Well, no it isn’t, actually---as Patricia Mockridge quickly pointed out.  It has, for one thing, a history, which in itself is fascinating, that began in ancient Greece, then went through many stages of development right up to the present day.  Mrs. Mockridge and her late husband spent many years travelling the length and breadth of this country finding and photographing many of the thousands---yes, thousands!---of different weathervane designs.  The many slides that she showed us told of a tireless endeavour, and an encyclopaedic knowledge, of this rather supposedly prosaic subject.  Surprisingly, it seemed to have stirred some latent interest with quite a few members, because the Chairlady has had quite a few inquiries regarding Mrs. Mockridge’s telephone number, and the name of the book she has written on the subject.  It just goes to show that there are no hard and fast rules about what will interest people, and what won’t!

                                                                                                                                                             S.B

 

 

 

2006 SOCIAL CLUB EVENTS

10/05     “The Old Stainless Steel Tableware” with Jon Read

24/05         Outing or Meeting

07/06   “A Wartime Boyhood” with             Mr Tomlinson