CLUBS NEWS
● ACCRINGTON Camera Club
WHAT a fascinating story.
The birth, the life and death of Concorde - the world’s first supersonic aeroplane.
The illustrated talk was delivered to a rapt audience by Gordon Bartley, who worked in sales and marketing of British Aerospace and after retirement became a volunteer at Manchester Airport for the Concorde aircraft kept there for visitors to view inside and out as a living memory of an iconic piece of aviation history.
As long ago as 1954, a team was set up by BAE to consider if Britain was capable of designing and producing a supersonic commercial aeroplane.
In 1956 the project won government backing and investigation into various wing forms were carried out.
In 1960 it became apparent that a French aviation company had been working on a similar project and their conclusions and designs of a new aircraft were very similar to the British team.
Talks were held between the two companies and overseen by the two governments and these concluded that a joint approach offered great cost benefits.
Development would continue in both countries and production would be equally divided between them.
The first flight took place in 1969 and the first commercial flight in 1976.
While the fuselage was lengthened twice in the latter stages of development, the low payload (approximately 100 passengers) made it economically unsound.
The novelty of London to New York in around three hours was at the expense of a return ticket costing up to 30 times more than the cheapest fare available at the time.
In July 2000, a Concorde plane took off from Paris and immediately caught fire and crashed - killing all 100 passengers and nine crew, plus four people in a hotel.
It was the first and only accident in Concorde’s 27-year history.
Following a lengthy investigation, additional safety measures were imposed on the aircraft - further reducing its payload.
Falling sales of trans-Atlantic tickets due to the 9/11 tragedy and high costs all contributed to a decision to retire Concorde from active service in 2003.
Gordon showed his own archive photographs of Concorde taken during his BAE career and further shots taken in the aircraft at Manchester Airport to illustrate its interior and also the flight deck.
One of the archive shots showed the effect of heat along the fuselage, which caused the plane to grow in length during a flight.
One joint on the flight deck had an expansion of 22cm (nine inches) so on the final flight two of the crew put their caps into the space knowing that as the aircraft cooled the gap would shrink and hold their caps in a tight grip as a lasting memory of their time in this iconic aircraft.
Tonight’s meeting (Friday) is our monthly competition, new members and visitors most welcome.
We meet at The Hyndburn Academy, Stourton Street, Rishton, starting at 7.45pm. See accringtoncameraclub.org.uk for more information.
● ACCRINGTON District Probus Club
TONY announced that Cyril Hurst has resigned due to other commitments.
We wish Cyril well and hope he will stay in touch with his many friends in our club.
Kathleen requested notice of any significant, impending birthdays/ anniversaries.
For our age group, most of the above are significant but the thought is appreciated.
Tony then welcomed Geoff as a new member before introducing the speaker.
Kevin Logan started by looking at today’s headlines.
These included a plan to provide dance classes on the NHS to combat loneliness, good luck with that.
Universal Credit, how can simplifying a benefits system have turned into this nightmare?
‘Brexit For Ever’ is looking more and more like a prediction than an appropriate slogan.
Last but certainly not least, a political assassination recorded on and transmitted from the victim’s smart watch. Weird news anyone? This led into the main part of the presentation, an exploration of the concepts of Right and Wrong.
Examples included the US of Trumpland and our own dear disunited Kingdom.
How far can you push a system before it just quits?
Lots of questions here, lots of things to think about but few real answers, unless you blindly accept those offered by our trusted leaders.
After all, these are undeniably the Richest, Smartest and Most Powerful folk on the planet.
Why wouldn’t we trust their judgement?
Lots of reasons, many bad experiences.
We had just about learned to cope with two genders and are now faced, at the last count, with seventy three variations on that theme.
The mind boggles, especially when you realise it is not a joke.
Can everyone be allowed to make their own ethical, moral decisions without society descending into anarchy?
The Google evil meter was a new concept to most of us but didn’t really answer the question.
It clearly was not meant to, but it nicely illustrated the futility of trying to create a universal rule book for ethical decision making.
An assertion that the Big Bang makes no sense cannot be challenged but the current theory that ‘everything in the universe was created from nothing’ has a peculiarly biblical ring to it.
The assertion God is not dead, yet, allowed us to depart with some hope still alive.
Audrey expressed our appreciation for this fascinating, entertaining and thought provoking talk.
Carolyn’s closing, homily and appropriately illustrated the idea that God really does work in mysterious ways.
There are still limited vacancies for new members.
Anyone who would like to join the fun should contact Tony Joy on 01254 264359, or the next meeting will be in the Supper Room of Accrington Town Hall on Monday, November 5, from 10am.
If you are retired or retiring soon, come and give it a try, for free.
● HYNDBURN U3A
LINDA Sawley is, to put it mildly, interested in shoes and is able to project this enthusiasm well enough to hold the attention of a mixed audience for nearly an hour.
She declared the three essential categories of footwear were shoes sandals and boots.
Trainers creep into a sub-set of shoes, but only just.
With Atlantic storm Callum howling outside, wellies were probably on many of our minds.
We were shown the Oregon sandal, which is the oldest known shoe and essentially a piece of padding to be tied to the foot.
This American state gets quite chilly in winter but no ‘earliest sock’ has yet been unearthed. So any insulation was probably provided by whatever came to hand, or foot.
Raised heels were apparently invented by, and for, men, looking for the status that height offered.
They obviously gave the wearer a couple of inches from whence to look down on his neighbour, until that person acquired even higher heels, or went for the clog option.
Did escalation eventually lead to some kind of stilts?
Pointy toes became so ridiculous that a law was passed in 1363 limiting their use to people who already had status.
This has never been repealed.
High heels not only elevate your position in the world and shape your calves but also trim more off your buttocks than most gym subscriptions can ever offer.
Case made, but why do we need so many pairs?
The simple answer seems to be, ‘Because they’re there’.
And that will probably have to do. The educational bit. A cordwainer was a shoemaker who originally used Cordovan leather.
A cobbler was a shoe mender. Might be useful for the pub quiz one day.
Also UK sizing dates from 1343 and is based on the barleycorn, being one third of an inch – file that away.
The breadth of stimulating activities available in Hyndburn U3A, and through it from the National U3A organisation, is only limited by the imagination of the members.
Come and enjoy a taster session.
You can find the club website, with details of various groups, at www.u3asites.org.uk/hyndburn.
Next month’s Hyndburn meeting will be Friday, November 10, at our usual venue, Trinity Church, King Street (off James Street) Great Harwood.
Use the free car park in the middle of the town.
We start from about 1.30pm, with the meeting opening at 2pm, followed by coffee/tea and biscuits and the chance to have a bit of a natter, at about 3pm.