Bognor Regis Probus Club

Our March lunch meeting opened with the chairman welcoming members, our speaker and a new member who was inducted.

The chairman reminded members that his chosen charity for the year was Dementia Support at Sage House and that the monthly raffle raised the money for our donation.

This month’s speaker was Beryl Kingston a best-selling local author who gave an illustrated talk about William Blake an English poet, painter and print-maker and his stay in Felpham.

He was born in London in 1757 and trained as an engraver moving to Felpham where he lived between 1800 and 1803. Blake took up a job illustrating the poetic works of William Hayley and it is here he began the words of the anthem Jerusalem. He was a committed Christian, hostile to forms of organised religion and had visionary religious beliefs.

Blake had trouble with authority and the abuse of class power which culminated in 1803 with him appearing at the Chichester assizes charged with uttering seditious expressions. However, he was popular in the village and numerous witnesses said they hadn’t heard the alleged words and he was cleared. Beryl concluded her talk showing an example of Blake’s art.

If you are a retired professional or business gentleman who would like to visit the club with a view to possibly joining please contact Roger Bennett on 01243 849358. More about our activities can be seen on our website at probusclub. net/bognor regis.