Club Speakers 2022/23

Birstall Luddites Rotary Club

Club Speakers 2022/23

Club Speakers

Mon 8th Aug -- Rotarian Makhan Singhi Dhesi
Mon 15th Aug -- Steve Wright Church Organist
Mon 22 Aug -- Rotarian Mary Wallace - Life in Education
Mon 26th Sept -- Christine Beal - Mitochondria
Mon 23rd Jan -- Eve Hayes - Childrens Heart Surgery Fund.
Mon 30th Jan --- Paul Cusworth - Rohinder School Project.
Mon 20th Feb --- Penelope Milner - Leeds Rotaract
Mon 4 April --- Joe Appleyard Tong Garden Centre

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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Club Speaker - Rotarian Makhan

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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Outside visit to St Thomas Church
Speaker Organist Ken Wright

Ken started by talking about the church organ at St Thomas Church. The organ was installed in 1878 and was converted to electric in 2014. It is a medium Conica size organ.
Ken pictured on left in front of St Thomas Church organ.
Ken talked of him starting learning the piano aged 6 and his progress at St Lukes Thornhill and St Andrews churches as he got older.
Ken gave his first recital with a song he plays at weddings
" Love changes everything"
In 1967 Kens wife encouraged Ken to play in working mens clubs.

Initially at Batley Central Fri/Sat/Sun for £3 a session. This started Kens career playing for musicians and singers in local clubs.

Ken talked of his father who worked at Thornhill Power station.
Ken started there as an apprentice electrician. They started a skiffle group "Engineers Rhythm group".

Ken played more organ music
and produced Gang Shows in Huddersfield and played the song
"on the crest of a wave" gang show classic.
Ken produced drama groups and played Sound of Music songs on the St Thomas organ.
Ken played the St Georges march in a service for the scouts.
and he played the organ at most churches in the district.
Ken played for 30 years in clubland and finished the evening by playing "The Trumpet Voluntary."

Pictured below is President Steve thanking Ken for his talk and recitals.
The church stained glass window gives a beautiful backdrop

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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Club Speaker - Rotarian Mary Wallace
My Life in Education.

Mary gave her talk about her 50 years in education.
Mary said her story started in 1964 with a teacher shortage in her local authority.

Mary had 2 years in teacher training college where nuns were lecturing.

Mary applied for a job in local authority in Hull and finished in a school in Hessle Road around the fishing industry.
Mary became deputy head at a small school and a large school until in 1987 Hull reorganised their schools.
Mary got a headship in the most difficult estate in Hull.
Mary talked of then having to do her own budgets with decisions with teaching assistants and teaching staff.
She talked of Ofstead starting and each teacher inspected 6 times.
Mary worked in special measures for 10 years creating an action plan for it.
In 2009 she retired for 3 weeks but was brought back
and became Director of Education in Hull .

Steve thanked Mary for her talk.
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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Club Speaker Eve Hayes -
Fundraiser for Leeds Childrens Heart Surgery Fund.

Eve visited the club at Batley Community Centre on Monday 23rd Jan and gave a talk about the Charity Childrens Heart Surgery Fund where she works.

Eve talked about the 1 in 100 babies born with heart conditions. Eve said a 20 week diagnostic scan is taken to give early warning of symptoms in order to plan for care at birth which gives a better chance for survival.

Eve talked about the Charity supporting families on Leeds Congenital Heart Unit ward 51 and neonatal wards with travel grants to hospital, also ward equipment, and accessing the accommodation in hospital for the families.
They give all the children a mascot teddy after they have had heart surgery.
Eve said the charity is entirely self funded, it takes £1M a year to run the charity.
Eve said they have a close working relationship with the cardiac team.

Rotarian Tony gave a vote of thanks to Eve from the club.

LINKS
Facebook

LINK to the Childrens Heart Surgery Fund.

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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Club Speaker Paul Cusworth - Rohinder School Project.

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Birstall Luddites Rotary Club
Club Speaker Penelope Milner
Leeds Rotaract

On Monday 20th Feb Penelope visited the club and gave a talk about her 6 weeks visit to

Mexico City working with Ecolander..

Penelope is in her last year at Leeds University studying for a Geography degree.

whilst at Uni Penelope enrolled in the Laidlaw Foundation this enabled her visit to Mexico City looking at environment and city planning there.
In her free time Penelope set up a University Rotary Rotaract club which now as 25 members.
Litter picking, supporting rough sleepers, collecting for Syria and tree planting are some of their projects.
Penelope is planning to enter the Prison service after gaining her degree.

President Steve gave thanks to Penelope for her visit and talk.

LINK Penelope at Laidaw Foundation

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Rotary Club of Birstall Luddites
Club Speaker Joe Appleyard Tong Garden Centre.

On Mon 3 April Joe visited the Club at Batley Community Centre and gave a hands on talk and practical demonstration on planting a basket and planter with Pansy flowers.

Luddites and partners, friends and "Friends" of the club
attended the talk.

Joe is head plantsman at Tong garden centre.
John talked about working at Morrisons for 29 years as head of Agriculture. He worked primarily in cut flowers and travelled the world Spain, Portugal, Egypt and many more countries.
Joe started his demonstration using a 12inch basket filling sides every other hole with pansies then filled around sides with moss. Then good quality multipurpose compost and filling the top with pansy plants. All the while Joe gave a series of stories about his travels and his work with plants.
Next Joe showed how to plant a planter display. Filling with compost and a centre perennial, and Pansies all around the top.
Joe took questions and gave tips on how to get the best displays. To get fab displays Joe said use weak Miracle-Gro leave for a couple of days then treat with tomato feed.
After more stories President Steve asked John Logan to give a vote of thanks to Joe.
Joe invited people to come and see him at Tong for advice and help in planting.

Two lucky people drew winning raffle tickets to win the two planters Joe had planted.

LINK Tong Garden Centre
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Club Speakers 2022/23