Speaker's Corner

Monthly talks at Claygate Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm

The Shed That Fed 2 Million Children

March 4th Presenter: Roy Peachy

It all began some 25 years ago in a tin shed in the Highlands of Scotland when the charity Mary’s Meals was formed by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow and his brother Fergus. Their aim was to provide aid to many war-torn and poor countries. They also built homes for abandoned children in Romania and helped returning refugees in Liberia by setting up mobile clinics as well as funding many additional projects.

Roy Peachy

Roy Peachey is the Mary’s Meals Supporter Engagement Officer for Surrey, Sussex and Kent and will talk about the charity’s life changing work. Having previously been a school teacher, he is also the author of ten books for children and adults.

Women in Intelligence – A Hidden History From WW1-WW2

1st April Presenter: Helen Fry

At Bletchley and Whitehall, women’s vital administrative work in Military Intelligence kept the British war engine running. Helen takes a panoramic view of the intelligence and espionage work women undertook as civilians and in uniform. From spies who worked in the Belgian network ‘La Dame Blanche’, and knitting coded messages into jumpers, to interpreting aerial images and even running entire sections.

Dr Helen Fry

Helen has written over 25 books with particular reference to British Intelligence, the 10,000 Germans who fought for Britain, espionage and WWII. Her latest book Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World War received the Silver Award from Military History Matters Magazine. She appears frequently in TV documentaries, including covering the major anniversaries of D-Day for the BBC. Helen was recognized as a woman of achievement at the Women of the Year Lunch Awards and received The Lifetime Achievement Award in Jewish Military History and Education. She is an ambassador for the Military Intelligence Museum; a trustee of the Friends of the Intelligence Corps and a trustee of the Medmenham Collection..

A Humorous Look at Travelling

6th May Presenter: Maggs Latter

Maggs Latter is known for her light-hearted, witty presentations that blend social history with playful storytelling. In A Humorous Look at Travelling, she takes us on a comedic journey through the mishaps, delights and pitfalls, plus the unexpected joys, of exploring the world. From the medicines we must have with us, travel agents, acquiring fake passports, choosing cruise ships instead of care homes, lost in translation notices and instructions to tourists.

Maggs Latter

Maggs, an Elmbridge u3a member, is on the Board of Trustees of RC Sherriff Trust. She is also a member of Elmbridge Community Choir and a founder member of the Barn Theatre Molesey. She went to Military School in Hong Kong and is a former Drama Advisor and Adult Education Teacher for Surrey County Council. Maggs says that she loves hot weather and is a bitch when it’s cold, so her talk promises to be a lot of fun.

A Forgotten WW2 Heroine

June 3rd Presenter: Joanna Bogle

Riccarda Hambrough grew up in Edwardian England. In the 1920s she became a nun and joined a convent in Rome. During World War 2 the sisters sheltered Jewish people from the Holocaust. Sister Riccarda cared for them, risking her own life in doing so. Joanna Bogle’s book Courage and Conviction tells the story of these remarkable nuns.

Joanna Bogle

Joanna is an author, broadcaster and historian known for her contributions to Catholic literature. She trained as a journalist on the Surrey Comet newspaper in the 1970s and is the author of some 20 books. She also leads History Walks around London.