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I was a professional newspaper photographer for over 35 years, three decades of which were spent in Blackpool. During this time I amassed a wide variety of anecdotes and stories relating to the celebrities, crazy characters and rather dicey situations I found myself in! I have now collated these and created a 50 minute talk, including photographs that I project, depicting a career that included landing a light aircraft while the pilot looked for his beta blockers, climbing into a rattlesnake’s cage, and Melinda Messenger’s knickers. I am happy to take questions following my talk. Fees by arrangement (minimum £50 plus travel expenses of 40p per mile for talks more than 10 miles from Sheffield)

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Chris Helme gave a very interesting and amusing illustrated presentation on “Christmas Memories from Past.” We have heard Chris before when he visited us in 2021 and gave a talk about ‘holidays in the past.’

His presentation leading up to the forthcoming Christmas period was enjoyed by all with 40 members of Danum Probus Club Doncaster present.

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The Karen of Burma and the Burmese Oppression

Illustrated talk by Carol Brooks

The civil war in Burma has been continuous since the late 1940s and the Karen people have suffered at the hands of it over all these years. Yet they remain a positive, generous, hospitable and loving people who simply want the freedom to live their own way, under their own rule in their beloved land.

The talk will cover both the history and current situation in Burma and show lots of great pictures of the people Carol loves so much.

She has been working with Karen Refugees since they stole her heart on her first visit in 2005.  She has been back to Thailand and Burma seven times since then and has been involved with two charities to support them.  She is currently a trustee for All4Burma. 

In other parts of her life Carol has worked as an Operations manager for Libraries for 38 years and was an Officer in the TA for 27.  She was part of the Kosovo NATO peace mission in 1999 where she was also stunned by the needs of the Roma refugees.  She now runs her own training company and works as a volunteer for All4Burma and another local charity.

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On Monday 3 October the Danum Probus Group met at Doncaster Sports Club to listen to a presentation by Alan Clements. His subject was “A Tibetan Journey”.

Alan is now a retired businessman who has had a strong interest in Tibet for many years. A Buddhist for more than 30 years, Alan has taken instruction in meditation and dharma in both the Gelug Tibetan Buddhist and Japanese Soto Zen traditions. His first of several private meetings with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1992 was to ask the question “what is the meaning of life” and this led him to become the Chairman and later Vice President of the Tibet Society and Relief Fund of the UK.

Alan took us through the recent history of Tibet, from the takeover by China in the early 1950’s, the escape of the Dalai Lama to India in 1959 along with many other Tibetans. He noted that in terms of projects such as road and rail infrastructure the Chinese have been beneficial, but they have mistreated the Tibetans, similar to the Uigurs in China itself.

Alan also has a large garden (Cascades Gardens) open to the public from Spring to Autumn, part of which is influenced by his Buddhist faith.

This was an excellent and thought-provoking presentation from Alan Clements.

John Hope

Roy Gunson visited Danum Probus Club on Monday, 4th April, 2022 and gave a fascinating and excellent presentation, “Venus Earth’s evil twin.”
We look forward to seeing Roy again in June, 2023 when he will talk on another subject, “The Bandit King of Brazil.”