Speaker Martin Ross

Rotary club of Stirling , meeting of 3/4/15

President David Paterson welcomed members and one visitor Jim McDonald to our meeting.

Dates for the diary: Club AGM 17/4/15, District assembly in Aberdeen 19/4/15, and on 20/4/15 an area meeting in Auchterarder.

Alan Rankin reported on our very successful film night at the MacRobert which raised 1164 pounds net. We were pleased to see that Stewart Wilson's 2000 mile sponsored cycle ride in New Zealand had received a full page coverage in last week's Observer.

Tom Wilson announced golf at Aberdour on 13/5/15 at 1.30pm, for which players are required.

Martin Ross spoke about his trip to St Helena last September. Martin's interest in history and in particular Napoleon, led him to undertake this rather long journey.The island is 500 miles from Africa and a 2000 mile sail from Cape Town. The RMS St Helena ,built in Aberdeen, visits the island every three weeks, and on this occasion  there were only six tourists on board,the other passengers being natives to the island or people working there. Seventy per cent of the 4500 inhabitants work for the government . Food on board was excellent and the highlight of the day was the quiz at six pm.

Having gone ashore by tender they found they were the only residents at the hotel. Food was to be found, it was said, at Anne's cafe but the only dish available was Tuna fish cakes all other courses being off that day. Ironically they were offered Highland Spring water from Auchterarder. The tour of sites connected to Napoleon proved disappointing as the buildings were run down, and the most significant artefacts had long since been removed to France. Eventually they hired a car and during their 69 miles of driving managed to visit Jonathan the 130 year old tortoise.

Before the building of the Suez canal St Helena was an important trading stop, first under the Dutch, and then Great Britain through the East India company. Today it seemed to Martin to be a rather impoverished society, with an average wage of 2.50 pound's an hour, and many social problems.This year the UK will build an airport at a cost of 400 million pounds, and the RMS St Helena will be withdrawn.

The vote of thanks was given by SVP Peter Mehta.

Next week. Speaker's host Tommy Thomson, visitor's Host Sandy Farquharson.

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Ian Richardson