Glenrothes Probus Club TalksReports

12th December 2017 - "Guide Dogs Change a Life Forever" by Jim Hynd

'Guide dogs change a life forever'Member Jim Hynd entertained and informed the club about the work of the charity Guide dogs for the blind. Present too was his current trainee, a 14 week old puppy named Vogue.While Jim talked, it's true to say that Vogue won the hearts and minds of the audience as only an intelligent receptive playful dog can. Give the dog a bone and he'll chew it, do acrobatics with it, show off, and sit and look at his admirers as if reading their minds. Were there any of us who didn't want to take this puppy home with us?Guide dogs are conditioned to behave in appropriate ways to equip them to work. The training regime focuses on feeding, walking, toileting, obstacle avoidance, noise tolerance, and obedience, kerb training, and movement on and off and in buses, and on staircases. Jim has taken some dogs to football and horse racing venues where their patience and obedience, critical to their success as guides have been tested.Jim emphasised the need for trainers to use simple one word repeat instructions and how voice tone is important. Basic instructions are ’sit, stop, stay, busy busy.' Feeding time is announced by three whistle blasts.Off duty the dogs are free to display the playful side of their personality. Some dogs however are so intelligent they require additional input to help them

switch off!There are four main training centres in the UK including one in Forfar which runs stage 2 training. It costs £50000 to fully train a dog from ages 7 weeks to 14 months.The charity which began in 1930 has 1368 staff members and 4800 members and 1500 dog walkers. It pays for all the dog food and Vet fees. The charity's costs however are not exempt from vat and it receives no government help. Dog insurance is difficult to obtain given the number of animals that would require cover.Jim noted some of the problems trainers encounter including well meaning dog lovers distracting the dogs while they are on training walks in local shops.One dog remained at a kerb and refused to move. The blind owner asked a passer by if there was an obstruction on the road. The dogs recognise these and take appropriate avoidance action. In this instance the obstruction was a cooked chicken dropped mid road. Much as the dog might have wished to gobble it up, its discipline and training kicked in overriding its hunger impulse. It remained stationary thus keeping its blind owner safe. Another dog required surgery having eaten a thorny winter twig. The operation cost £6000 after discount from a sympathetic vet.This was a well informed and joyous talk culminating in an interesting range of questions.The vote of thanks was given by a well informed Jim Bowen.Member’s appreciation of this session was reflected by their donation of £70 to the charity.

14th November - "Lies During Wartime" by Ian Garden

These are times when we all too readily accept the idea that fake news is a new concept. In order to form a balanced opinion about any news item you could consider its source and the intent of the broadcaster in reporting the story be it in film or written form. Cross reference different official media sources, their funding, and contrast with items circulating on social media. Well these were some of the points referred to during a q+a session following Ian Garden's talk to Probus this morning. A packed room avidly followed his detailed account of 'Battling with the Truth' the contrast in media reporting of World War 2.A question of perspectives and how and why at critical times in history, wherever we hail from we absorb the line that those in power feed us. In times of conflict these powers rest with Ministries of Information or State propaganda. The latter of course permanently exist in some regimes. Aims include undermining enemy morale, boosting your own and allies’ morale, and control of home population.So you ask yourself, where the truth, lies then, and now.Ian explored the newsreels and press reports from friend and foe relating to the Dam Busters raid of 16th May 1943, Arctic Convoy PQ17 in 1942, and the Dieppe raid of 19th August 1942.Clearly the need to keep morale high is a key determinant and control factor in the application of wartime D notices to restrict what was published.For example news of the disaster that met the Arctic convoy was heavily restricted in the UK. A fact which in turn influenced the enemy's subsequent propaganda output. In that instance the enemy actually providing a more accurate account of events.That of course was not always the case. Both sides offered their own 'analysis'

throughout the war of the cause of conflict, human losses, shipping sunk, loss of civilians and children. The same too for tank and aircraft losses across the various theatres of operation.Examples too of unpalatable news held back at the actual time of key events, or drip fed over time, such as death by drowning of prisoners of war resulting from the breach of the Ruhr dams, the initial inaccurate commentary on theV2 rockets, and the bombing of cities. Lest the reader assume this was a one sided talk on the spin output from the Allies it was not. The barbarity and bankruptcy of the enemy cause ensured its propaganda drive was as skewed as its hosting regime demanded.For further information Ian's book is available currently on sale.

31st October - "The Battle of Passchendaele" by Rev Malcolm Richardson

This year sees the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele. It was appropriate that the speaker at the club was one of our own members, Rev. Malcolm Richardson, giving his talk on this major part of British history. Malcolm began by reading of a poem by the war poet Siegfried Sasson, followed by a rendition of a favourite wartime song which would have been heard throughout the trenches. This set the mood for Malcolm’s talk on the Battle of Passchendaele or, as it was also known, The Third Battle of Ypres. The talk then went back to the first Battle of Ypres which lasted from October to November 1914, in which French and Belgian soldiers along with British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) fought the Germans from Arras in France to Nieuport on the Belgian coast. The explanation of the battles fought at this time was amply illustrated with detailed pictures and mapsThe Second Battle of Ypres was fought from the 22nd April to the 25th May 1915 for the control of strategic Flemish town of Ypres. Malcolm said this was the first mass use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front. It was also the first time a Canadian Division defeated a European power on European soil at the Battle of St Julien.Malcolm then moved to the talk’s main subject, The Battle of Passchendaele, which lasted from July to November 1917. The battle was covered in great detail again using maps and pictures of the event as it progressed. The main purpose of the battle was to gain control of the ridges south and east of the

Belgian city of Ypres, a vital supply line of the German 4th Army. Malcolm went on to explain how the campaign was controversial and the differences of opinion between General Hubert Gough, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig and General Sir Herbert Plumer, the appalling weather conditions did not help. There were 3,000 guns firing 4 million shells and the North and South Irish divisions were fighting as comrades in the trenches. He then went on to describe the extent of internal trouble with the French army’s lack of motivation, the effect of the weather and the decision to continue the offensive resulting in the great human loss on both sides. Malcolm read extracts from letters written by soldiers who survived the war.The talk finished with photographs taken by Malcolm on a recent visit to the towns where the battles took place and pictures of the memorials to the hundreds of men who lost their lives in the battles to gain just a few yards of land.And finally a short silence, with reflection on those dreadful days of war, followed by questions from the club members.A truly professional talk from someone who is passionate about this time in history, delivered in detail, complimented with maps showing battle lines and positions along with photographs showing the horrors of war.The vote of thanks was given by John MacKay with members showing their appreciation in the usual way.Article from the Guardian

17th October 2017 - "Where in Fife & Scotland Quiz" by Bob Docherty

It had been intended that Bob Docherty, Past President of Raith Probus, would give us a talk on “Scotland’s Beautiful Islands”. However, Bob was still recovering from a nasty throat and chest infection that made speaking difficult. Instead of postponing his visit Bob, like any other Probi, still insisted he come

along and set us a very interesting quiz instead of his intended talk, which would have entailed much more strain on his sore throat.It was indeed interesting. Bob projected many a fine view, first of all in Fife and then in Scotland as a whole. What made it even better was the standard of Bob’s photography skills and we saw some super, colourful and well composed pictures. Many of the views were taken from unusual angles making it more difficult for us to work out where they were. The pictures also made the viewer wanting to travel to the actual destination to survey the beautiful views in person.The quiz took everyone’s attention and after a tie break decider, Bob even produced prizes for the winning team. The Club had a very enjoyable morning and Bob promised to return in 2018 to give us his original talk!The picture above was taken in Burns' country at Alloway

3rd October 2017 - "Fifty Years of the Kinghorn Lifeboat" by Alan McIlravie

In 2015 the Kinghorn Lifeboat celebrated 50 years of service. Alan McIlravie, the current Lifeboat Operations Manager came along to tell us how it all worked. Alan explained the history and beginnings of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Its founder was Sir William Hilary.After Hillary had witnessed the wreck of HMS Racehorse in 1822 he drew up plans for a lifeboat service manned by trained crews, intended for use all around the British coast. In February 1823 he published a pamphlet entitled An Appeal To The British Navy On The Humanity And Policy Of Forming A National Institution For The Preservation Of Lives And Property From Shipwreck. He proposed a national and voluntary organisation, and pointed out the potential of

new techniques such as those introduced by William Congreve (rockets), Charles Cornwallis Dansey of the Royal Artillery (kites), Frederick Marryat (signal codes) and George William Manby (life-saving apparatus).Initially Hillary received little response from the Admiralty. He appealed to London philanthropists including Thomas Wilson (MP for the City of London) and George Hibbert of the West Indies merchants, and his plans were adopted. The National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded on 4 March 1824 at a second meeting in the London Tavern, Bishopsgate Street, London, with the king as Patron. Office premises were initially taken at 12 Austin Friars, in the City of London. The first of the new lifeboats to be built was stationed at Douglas, Isle of Man.Other organisations such as the Ladies Lifeboat Guild helped to raise funds for the charitable organisation. The only time the RNLI has received any public funding was at the end of the Second World War to help kick-start the organisation as it had been starved of donations which had been going, instead, to the war effort.The organisation grew to cover the whole of the coastline of the British Isles, spurred, on unfortunately, by some terrible shipwrecks.The lifeboat at Kinghorn is a B Atlantic 85 class lifeboat. There are two types of B class lifeboat – the Atlantic 75 and the Atlantic 85 – named after Atlantic College in Wales where these rigid inflatable lifeboats (RIBs) were first developed. 75 and 85 represent the lengths of the lifeboats – nearly 7.5m and 8.5m respectively. Introduced into the fleet in 2005, the Atlantic 85 is the third generation of B class lifeboat and is gradually replacing the Atlantic 75. The latter joined the fleet in 1993, replacing the very first B class rigid inflatable lifeboat – the Atlantic 21 – which served from 1972 until 2008.Kinghorn Station History1965 Inshore lifeboat station established in June with the placing on service of a D class lifeboat.1982 A Marley pre-cast boathouse constructed, replacing the Hardun boathouse.1985 A D class lifeboat withdrawn and replaced by a C class lifeboat on 10 June.1987 An extension to the boathouse was built enabling the launching trolley to be housed with the lifeboat.1995 An Atlantic 21 class lifeboat placed on temporary station duty on 29 June and C class withdrawn from operational duties. New boathouse and launching ramp constructed. The two-storey boathouse includes housing for the lifeboat and tractor coupled in-line, a souvenir sales outlet, workshop, and improved crew facilities. Work was also carried out at the same time on the construction of a new concrete slipway opposite the new boathouse. Atlantic 21 withdrawn and replaced by an Atlantic 75 B720 on 12 December.2009 The new station Atlantic 85 class lifeboat B836, the Tommy Niven, was placed on service on 22 October. B720 lifeboat has been withdrawn to the relief fleet. This lifeboat was donated by the generous bequest of Mr Thomas Niven.Alan also explained some of the other types of craft currently in service. The station at Anstruther is due to receive the latest Shannon class of lifeboat at a cost of £2.7 million, a staggering cost when you consider that it is funded through charitable donations with no outside help!

In the past, crew members were alerted to a “shout” using maroon rockets, but nowadays each of them carries a pager at all times. The crew responds to alerts from the Coastguard Co-ordinating Centre at Aberdeen. Each member is extensively trained using a sea survival pool which can simulate various sea conditions. There are always 16 or 17 members available in standby patterns. The ages range from 17 to 55 and nationally 20% of all crews are female.The boat itself is constructed using high tech glass fibre and Kevlar materials. It has an inshore speed of 55 knots (about 40 mph).The RNLI’s policy is always one of prevention i.e. trying to prevent any difficulties before they escalate to life threatening situations. For example pet owners trying to rescue their pet, yacht owners trying to save their boat, coastal path incidents, and wholly unsuitable craft caught in the strong currents of the North Sea and so on.One thing is for sure, to be an operational member of the RNLI, you have to be a strong, brave and dedicated person and thousands of people in the British Isles owe their lives to the volunteer men and women who exhibit these qualities.After a lively question and answer session a vote of thanks was given by Probus Member David Day and then members had the opportunity to buy copies of the booklet that had been produced outlining the history of the Kinghorn Life Boat.Click here to link to the Kinghorn Lifeboat's own website.

9th September 2017 - "Scottish Football - Where Are We Now?" by Henry McLeish

The Scottish National Football team has not qualified for a major tournament for twenty years.This statement has prompted debate among sports pundits, journalists, politicians, psychologists, the football governing bodies and devolved government and is ongoing. It sounds to this observer that it could even be the subject of various school exam papers. Discuss.Team Scotland should be the most important football team within the game in this country. The advantages of celebrating a successful national team are well rehearsed, but sadly so are the frequent inquests into defeat.Yet, it need not be like this. Team Scotland should be a source of national, political, social and economic pride. A sense of vision determination and

ambition are required to achieve that goal.Reform is necessary within the governing association, as is the relationship it experiences with the league. The aim being the focus on creating and sustaining a successful international team, rather than the shorter term needs of the major clubs. The bigger national aim must be focused on the national side with the clubs playing a supportive role.Schools should be a bigger part of a grass roots approach to nurturing and sustaining talent, following the demise of school coaches' goodwill during the industrial action of the 80's. That period is seen as a critical time in the demise of Scottish football. School resources are underused for large parts of the year and these community facilities could be put too much improved use by the people they serve. The response to the national team’s need for future talent should therefore involve the active participation of all bodies involved in school sport. An eclectic approach beckons.Over the last twenty years all manner of reasons for failure have been rattled off. Not enough talent, too many competing other interests, a small population to draw on, and believe it or not, ‘not enough poverty', or kids don't play in the streets any more, to many electronic distractions.However, in the words of the mission controller of the Apollo 13 flight ' Failure is not an Option'.Mr. McLeish holds this view dear to his heart and none of these excuses are acceptable. Each in turn can be debunked, because every other country faces the same problems. Not enough local talent? Not so, “talent awaits everywhere". The means to discover and develop it are paramount. Size is not important, we only have to look to other nations with smaller populations but who have more successful national teams. A cultural change embracing top to bottom is necessary.Mr. McLeish is well qualified to offer this critique. He has after all enjoyed a passion for football since he learned to walk. Captain of Kennoway primary school team at an early age, taught by one of our members at Buckhaven High, and talent scouted when aged 15 and on to playing briefly for Leeds Utd until homesickness brought him home to play for East Fife, a club he remains actively involved with.University education led to posts in research, and then in planning along with political positions in local, national, and devolved administrations, and lecturing in the academic world. He holds a number of Professorships in the US and Europe. He has retained his love of football throughout, and in 2010 headed up the Scottish Football Review which made fifty three recommendations and challenged the two governing bodies of the game and the government to solve the crisis at national level in Scottish football.One achievement to date has been the establishment of a Fife Elite Football Academy involving four local clubs. The much- admired blueprint for the game has been inspired in part by the Barcelona Football club academy.With the help of a very supportive Fife Council there is a great deal more to be done to put Fife and the Academy in the fore front of the very best of football development. In Fife, the local authority, schools and teachers aim to nurture talent, as part of our overall approach to developing grass roots football.Well what an inspiring talk this was. To sum up in the manner of a pundit. This was a piece of two halves. The first half was excellently played, lots of passion, dexterity and delivery on target. Second half performance, a multitude of keepie

uppies that would be jinx any opposition and which sustained the spectators' involvement. No yellow or red cards, no own goals, and the q+a session delivered with a sense of vision and drive to match any penalty shootout. A tour de force. The lad done well.Raymond Sutherland, club member and a former player for Blackpool delivered a knowledgeable vote of thanks. As one member put it, it is hoped that in the not too distant future our speaker will return and deliver an analysis on how Scotland won the World Cup.We were also delighted to have Lindsay Roy attend the lecture as our guest. Before his time as an MP Lindsay’s work as an experienced Secondary Headteacher included encouraging pupils to embrace sport whenever they could.

5th September 2017 - "Hearing Link: Living Well With Hearing Loss" by Ann Thallon

"YOU DON'T LOOK DEAF"! Has anyone shouted this in your direction, or delivered the question in an ironic or sarcastic way? It's a statement that part reflects the psychological impact of realising that your hearing is not as good as you've taken for granted, or worse, you've suddenly lost it. If you are worried about this happening in your life, Hearing Link could be the very people to assist you to move on in a positive manner. Ann Thallon addressed 39 club members all of whom have or know someone with hearing difficulty. It is in fact a significant feature of club life and the group readily empathised with the speaker and the subject of her talk. We learned about Anne's personal experience when in her 30's her hearing was affected. Each person's experience is unique but there are common factors at work that impact on family, work, leisure, individual psychology, confidence, ability, and defensive strategies that with support can grow into coping strategies. It is the latter that the charity focus on in partnership with the individual. Having outlined the statistics of hearing loss and deafness e.g. 900,000 affected in Scotland, 11 million in the UK, 3.7 million of working age, we learned how Hearing Link volunteers home visit in order to help assess individual circumstances, and how and why they run Self-Management Courses. These are informative, analytical and pro social in that they encourage participants to formulate a personal strategy. Subjects include the types of hearing loss, its numerous environmental and physical causes, aids and support available, emotional aspects including impact on self, family, work, leisure, self-esteem, denial, fear, a sense of loss of identity, spiraling in some instances to dementia. “If you don't have the words you can't think the thoughts", sounds a simple statement of denial, but its catchall

simplicity masks potential for misunderstandings. Tiredness is a key factor too. Did you know that it is estimated that it is three times more tiring living with hearing loss? Hope and aspirations and relaxation and communication skills are therefore key components of their courses. Hearing link also has a user friendly help desk, link up programmes, a website and magazine, and a social media site. It is active too via the Sensory Impairment Implementation Group. The charity logo is interesting. It is shaped like a butterfly. The caterpillar represents life before deafness, its cocoon represents isolation, and the butterfly represents breaking free. Did you know that caterpillars can hear and that butterflies cannot? Ann has a teaching background and her interests lie in theatre and music. This was reflected in her charismatic, skillful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable talk, which in turn was reflected in Mike Saxton's vote of thanks from a very appreciative audience. The Hearing link volunteer network reaches out to people with hearing loss, providing them with personalised information, peer support, and the reassurance that they are not alone. Contacts. helpdesk@hearinglink.org www.hearinglink.org Text 0300 111 1113 SMS 07526 123255 Hearing Link website - please click HERE.

22nd August 2017 - "Franklin's Lost Expedition" by Ian Fairley

Our second nautical narrative this month was presented and illustrated with his detailed sketches and maps, by club member Ian Fairley. The subject was Franklin’s lost expedition. It complemented the earlier talk on coastal archaeology.Ian began with a personal history of his time working for the P and O line, including their exploratory cruises in the North West of Canada and Alaska. He detailed the early history of naval expeditions to this area and the importance to

trade and to the Admiralty of finding a sea route through these icy waters.Franklin's fourth arctic exploration, was undertaken in 1845 when he was 59, with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror whose mission was to traverse the last un-navigated section of the Northwest Passage.Things went wrong. There were a few early fatalities and the two ships became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in the Canadian Arctic. The entire expedition of 129 men was believed lost.Lady Franklin meanwhile pressed the Admiralty to launch a search in 1848. Partly due to Franklin's fame and a finder's reward offered by the Admiralty, in 1850 eleven British and two US ships were involved in expeditions to locate Franklin and his crew. Several of these ships reached Beechey Island where the first relics of the expedition were found including the graves of three crew.In 1854 explorer John Rae acquired relics and heard tales about the expedition from local Inuit located south east of King William Island. Five years later McClintock discovered a note on that island left by Franklin and which described the expedition's fate. He also took testimony from the Inuit about the fate of the crew. A clothed skeleton was found along with a seaman's certificate for a Chief Petty Officer, but believed to be the body of Thomas Armitage the gun room steward on the Terror. To the west of the island a party led by Lieutenant William Hobson found a lifeboat along with two skeletons and expedition relics, equipment clothing, soaps, and books. Charles Francis Hall lived with the Inuit on Baffin Island and Repulse Bay in 69, and he found expedition campsites and graves but no survivors. Searches continued through the C19th but it was not until 2014 that the wreck of the Erebus was located off O'Reilly Island in Queen Maud Gulf off the Arctic Archipelago by Parks Canada, and two years later the Terror was found south of King Island by the Arctic Research Team and it was in pristine condition.Ian filled us in on the various attempts by crew of both ships to find rescue routes. Alas they were unsuccessful and in 1981 a scientific study of the graves of crew by the University of Alberta on both the islands mentioned above, concluded that they had most likely died of pneumonia and TB. Their health had worsened due to lead poisoning from badly soldered food tins in the ships' stores, and from the poor quality of their distilled water.Worryingly, cut marks on human bones found on King William Island were seen as signs of cannibalism. Combined evidence indicates that crew died slowly from a combination of hypothermia, starvation, scurvy, lack of nutrition poor clothing and poisoning.Franklin remained a Victorian hero. Rae not so. Ian explained that he was shunned by the establishment due primarily to Lady Franklin's efforts to glorify her late husband and also to his unpalatable message about possible cannibalism.It was not until the early C21st that the tide of public opinion turned in Rae's favour, for example, in 2004 and 2009 motions to recognise Rae were laid before Parliament. In 2014 it was announced that a plaque would be installed in Westminster Abbey to follow the one placed at his last residence by English Heritage in 2011.The Franklin expedition remains the subject of much environmental debate, and the story features in much literature, art, and TV production and continued underwater and archaeological research.The vote of thanks was enthusiastically given by Ray Allan

Feature in Local PaperDavids Article CLICK HERE

8th August 2017 - "Shipwrecks of the Forth" by Steve Liscoe

Our guest speaker today was Stephen Liscoe who delivered an illustrative talk about the shipwrecks off the Fife coast and in the Firth of Forth. Did you know that Fife Council has an Archaeological unit, and that it also does underwater research? There are historical wrecks off the Fife coast, which have been surveyed by this unit which Stephen has worked in for ten years. Prior to that he was involved in the Mary Rose team and spent a number of years working on coastal survey boats undertaking diving inspections and hydrographic surveys of shipwreck sites. He was also a research member of the Scottish Institute of Maritime Studies at the University of St Andrews up to 2003. He also has an M.Litt.During the course of this fascinating insightful talk we learned that the unit has approximately 13000 records, one detailing a 4000 year old find. There are 20000 wrecks off the Scottish coast, 1600 of which lie submerged off the Fife coast. Examples were given of the impact of silt in preserving artifacts, and a wreck such as the Duncan Dunbar in 1896. Each wreck has its individual characteristics that the researchers embrace like detectives stripping down the available evidence with the aid of the most sophisticated modern technology. We heard in some detail about wrecks found off Newburgh, Wormit, The Isle of May, Anstruther and Kingbarns.

The RMS Campania built in Govan and launched on 8th September 1892 was twice winner of the coveted Blue Ribbon and the first ship to sail without an auxiliary sail. Its naval life was extended when a flight deck was built atop its deck, turning it into the first aircraft carrier in the world. Alas in 1918 a gale sunk it off the Fife coast and it had to be blown up due to the wreck being a shipping hazard.The light cruiser Pathfinder came to a watery end in the Forth, thanks to a torpedo fired from U boat 21 in September 1914. It was the first warship to be sunk by torpedo fired from a sub' and it sank in just four minutes with the loss of 259 of the 268 crew.Finally we heard how sonar development promoted the identification of shipwrecks, and aided navigation. It also helped locate downed aircraft such as the Grumman Avenger discovered off Crail. The modern multi beam Seabat 8125 echo sounder maps seafloor bathymetry and is even capable of distinguishing objects less than 1cm wide.On a humorous ending the vexed subject of the Loch Ness monster raised its ugly head! Not so much ugly as comical in this instance in that while sonar identified the shape of a monster lying in the depths of the Loch its human controllers interpreted the imagery at its true worth. The discarded monster prop discarded in the Loch by a film crew shooting a Sherlock Holmes film. Elementary I hear you groaning!A well-deserved vote of thanks was delivered with approbation by Ray Allan.Fifedirect.org.uk Archaeology. ‘Fife possesses a rich variety of archaeological remains which are a physical record of thousands of years of human development and activity. These remains are a fragile and nonrenewable resource that the Council is committed to preserving and enhancing.Link to Fife Regional Council's Archaeology Section Please Click Here

10th July 2017 - "Tommy's Honour" by David Rees

The scheduled speaker today was unavailable and so a club member stepped in with the minimum of coercion required.The club Secretary David Rees and President Eric Adam presented this end of term session in a slightly different way. A Q+A session in which The President asked the questions and David tried to answer them, or not.David has been an active film extra for a few years. In fact having recently been in the film Tommy's Honour he is introducing the feature to one of the audiences at Dundee's DCA on 23th July.At short notice David was asked to talk to Probus members about being an extra.Many anecdotes were shared about several films, their locations, amusing incidents on set, exchanges with cast and crew, incidents and minor accidents on set, and the atmosphere on set, and the influence of the style of the Director.David elaborated more about the film Tommy's Honour including detail of Fife filming locations at Falkland, Upper Largo/Drumeldrie, St Andrews, the Fairmont golf course, and Balcares. South of the Firth, Dunbar golf course and Musselburgh race course were used and the Bo'ness railway.The Director Jason Connery had been a pleasure to work for as was his son Dashiel, known to family and friends as Dot dot. Many cast and crew stayed in the Holiday Inn Glenrothes during filming.The world premiere of the film took place at the Edinburgh International film Festival in 2016 and it won best feature film Bafta Scotland. Jason Connery thanked the extras for their enthusiasm when he introduced the film at that event, and they cheered him to the rafters.Neither of the main male characters were golfers before the film was made and extras urged them both on during their daily practice shots in between takes. Their increasing off camera confidence and competitiveness became a feature of on set life, and possibly by either accident or design seemed like unscheduled but welcome rehearsal time for extras.During the six week shoot it only rained once, although heavy wind brought some, often hilarious disruption.David was asked to share stories from other productions and these included Mrs Brown the 1996 film, The Debt Collector and some BBC comedy programmes. Finally was there any advice to those interested in being an extra? In brief, yes and David elaborated. A members' Q+A session followed and the unusual session ended in an untraditional manner with some cheers as opposed to the traditional vote of thanks. Then again as David noted, while nobody fell asleep during the talk maybe the cheers were in fact gratitude that the talk was over!The club now takes its summer break and reconvenes on 1st August.For the full interview on the DCA website CLICK HERE.

13th. July 2017The club Secretary and guests enjoyed a lunch at the DCA Jute Bar in Dundee. A pleasant morning was had by all following their viewing a screening of Jason Connery's film Tommy's Honour. The Secretary worked on the film and had been asked by the DCA cinema team to introduce it one of their audiences.

27th June 2017 - "The Glenrothes Foodbank" by Jilly Guild

The 33 members present learned a lot about food banks this morning. An illuminating well-presented talk by Jilly Guild the manager of Glenrothes food bank and someone who is clearly well in control of her remit. Given the eclectic range of skills required to fulfil this particular role the audience came to appreciate that at times it requires the PR delicacy and balance of a metaphorical hire wire walker traversing competing stakeholder needs. To do this Jenny has drawn on prior experience as mother, midwife and psychiatric work and prison input. Her current range of service stakeholders include;referrers, beneficiaries, the public and business donators. Add in responding to media reaction, multi-party political considerations, stock control, demand/ supply of service, volunteer support and goodwill, and campaigning.Forget the stereotyped ' undeserving poor' often portrayed in unenlightened sections of the media. Consider the individual need and circumstance of those referred by a host of sources. Consider too I thought as she spoke that there but for the grace of God go any of us.We heard about the food needs of those on zero hour contract, on minimum wage, redundant, the unemployed who become homeless , the separated with no income, some of whom live in their cars, and the impact of Universal credit.These are just a few of the specific needs addressed following referral. Consider too how need has also been further met by the development of clothing stores allied to individual advice on how to dress appropriately for a specific occasion be it job interview, or funeral. All these needs informed by data and also of use

in promoting an intelligent multi agency and government dialogue.Now you might have taken a very imperious view that food banks only give out tinned or ready prepared food. Not so. Fresh food is available twice weekly (I can't advertise from whom) and importance is paid to encouraging culinary skill in the kitchen by use of recipes and demonstrations. The enhancement of life skills. The food bank also has a cafe open to the public at Caledonia House Pentland Park KY6 2AQ.A vibrant Q+A session brought the session to a close and a well-earned round of applause following Raymond Sutherland's vote of thanks.If you wish more information or wish to offer your support be it by volunteering your time or donation please contact;Email info@glenrothes.foodbank. org.ukGlenrothes Foodbank Website Click Here

13th June 2017 - "Nazi Propaganda - Exploding the Myth" by Ian Garden

Ian Garden presented a master class which explored Nazi propaganda philosophy and exposed some myths in order to demonstrate that this evil regime were not masters capable of absolute rule of everything they thought they controlled.Many film extracts were presented which demonstrated unmistakable film production skill and talent while also highlighting Nazi ineptitude. Imagine for example a scene portraying Irish republicans of the 40s playing rugby with medicine balls.Nor did Goebbels and his ilk for see negative international audience response to some of their efforts such as their representation of the 34 Nuremberg rally.Nazi controlled state tv(34-44) and films' focus included anti British propaganda be the subject the Boer War, or the Titanic, where the villain was presented as an English upper class malevolent buffoon often a caricature of well-known British politicians of the time. Some of their film titles were subject to a volt-face by Goebbels or withdrawn due to production schedules falling behind and their propaganda value being rendered meaningless by the war overtaking

events. For example the Eastern front shrinking ever closer back to Germany, or the Italian's joining the Allies. In some cases film directors paid the ultimate price of perceived failure and lost their lives.Olympia 36, the famous Riefenstahl film was, contrary to popular belief commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and is a fairly accurate representation of scenes that are less flattering to the Nazi ideology of racial supremacy even showing the German female 400 meter relay dropping their baton, much to Hitler's fury. Another myth debunked concerned Hitler's apparent refusal to acknowledge athlete Jesse Owens.It was in fact the case that the games governing body insisted head of state's including Hitler did not shake hands with victorious athletes, rather than the case that Hitler chose not to congratulate victorious athlete Owens on ideological and racist grounds. Ironically in less enlightened times in the US Owens was poorly treated on his return home from a successful games.The contrasting tone of UK war time films was noted.Films reviewed included; Triumph des Willens 34, Olympia 36, Der Fuchs Von Glenarvon 40, The Heart of the Queen 40, Ohm Kruger 41, Besatzung Dora 42/3, Titanic 43. U.K. films referred to included Mrs Minerva 42, The Gentle Sex 43, Millions Like Us 43, and The Way Ahead 44.Bill Dougall's vote of thanks reflected how warmly the 38 members appreciated this insightful talk which was based on the book 'The Third Reich's Celluloid War' by Ian Garden. See also iangarden.co.uk for further information.

30th May 2017 - "A Life in Medicine - From Both Ends of the Stethoscope" by Dr Bob Grant

The club were privileged to have Dr. Bob Grant speaking about “A life in medicine – from both ends of the stethoscope”. He talked about growing up in

Aberdeen and enjoying hillwalking and cycling until he had an accident which led to problems with his leg. The diagnosis of a bone tumour meant attendance at a cancer unit in Edinburgh and the start of a lifelong interest in cancer. He began university in 1964 and while still a student in 3rd year was engaged in a research project.After qualification he went to Orkney to work with a GP- “a wonderful experience”. The following year he did his surgical training and then worked in the Pathology Department in Glasgow. He then met Joan and they were married in1973. A partnership in Sanquhar kept him extremely busy as he was on call seven days a week. This lasted until 1977 when further problems with his leg entailed a return to the cancer unit.There followed a post in research training in Cambridge where he met “lots of amazing people” but it was difficult to get a job in the field of cancer so he moved to Markinch as a GP but continued his interest in cancer by becoming the Macmillan lead cancer GP for Fife. He then went through a very difficult time as he developed septicaemia, had three major operations, endured “diabolical” care and was put on antibiotics for 14 years. In early 2001 his leg was broken in an accident and he underwent an operation in London. Shortly after that the septicaemia returned and the following year the decision was made to amputate his leg.After such potentially devastating experiences a lesser man would be excused for withdrawing from social life but for Bob it was the start of a new lease of life. He returned to work – on crutches – and he did lots of walking to raise funds for Maggie’s Centre and he was appointed chair of the Scottish Cancer Group. He describes himself as “lucky”. He is very involved in the community and in various organisations. His talk was delivered very fluently and he revealed his great sense of humour and dealt very well with questions. It was clear from the Club’s response that he and his talk were highly regarded. We look forward to a return visit at some point.

16th May 2017 "Classic Crime Fiction" by Colin Moore

There are many informative websites and at least one entertaining TV documentary on this subject. However if you wish to witness shear dramatic effect and mastery of the subject, I suspect that few could match the artistry of our welcome return guest speaker's presentation of this subject. His visit, in

contrast to the subject of his previous talk referred to no coincidences and was as well planned as was the execution of his presentational MO. This included an analysis of and readings from well kempt literary tracts of the golden age of crime literature of the 1920's and 30's. Too many authors to merely list here. You will know them. I felt as if my early interest in books was being re - kindled by his enthusiastic depiction of crime scenes, victims, and suspects.The culpable being resolutely brought to justice by well-meaning amateur sleuths grinding down the evidence until the inevitable solution was reached. They were usually accompanied by a dim witted assistant whose incompetence merely served as a writer's ploy to introduce red herrings into the plot.The general intent of the genre was to entertain and relax its hard working readers of the world, and in theory provide them with enough clues to solve the puzzle. The contrast between the sad realities of life for millions in the depression of the 30's with that of the usually well to do subjects of these books was noted. In a light hearted vein you'd also have to ask yourself whether you'd risk living in the same village as the likes of Marple given the local murder rate. On the other hand the crime clear up rate was high but perhaps in its wake made the local bobby redundant. Some of the tomes have transferred well to stage and screen, others not. In some instances authors and actors befriended each other. In some cases authors actually loathed their fastidious creation. Some manuscripts were rejected before eventually making their creator's fame and fortune.The truth of the matter is that the thousands of published crime scripts from this era have left an indelible mark, an imprint on our reading and viewing habits, and caused the odd sleepless night. Surely there is no mystery behind that fact and for which we owe each author our thanks. Ex-President Alec Redpath delivered an aptly thought provoking and humorous vote of thanks. Then, meeting over - there were none.

2nd May 2017 - "Canals-A Miscellany" by John Hamilton

This week 36 Probi bade a welcome to the return of John Hamilton. A railway and canal enthusiast, 'trying' golfer, and an entertaining and informative

speaker. This talk was titled 'Canals a Miscellany'. If that word is taken incorrectly in its negative connotation it is certainly would be a descriptive injustice to this most detailed of presentations which was well organised and constructed, just like the myriad of canals it referred to. It was delivered with authority, without notes, hesitation, deviation or repetition. It also evolved into an interactive discussion with a knowledgeable and appreciative audience.We metaphorically meandered along the mix of narrow and wide canals, local, Scottish, English and Welsh, European, and South American. Each example referenced by map, portrait or photograph. In each case consideration was paid to an eclectic mix of factors that had determined the development of each canal and its supportive infra structure from the C15th to the C21st. So, we learned about the history and impact made by entrepreneurs and families, and what motivated them in building canals. The topology and hydrography influencing development of each canal, about the engineering polymaths of the day. Also the economic factors driving canal development and why some thrived, or were abandoned and happily in latter years some reopened for pleasure. I counted at least fourteen different canal locations subject to John's historical analysis before my pen failed to keep up with his flow. So I offer him my apologies lest this modest piece fails to do justice to a talk the quality of which was reflected in the vote of thanks which Vice President Ron Downie delivered with his usual aplomb.Canals & River Trust - Click Here for More Information

11th April 2017 - "A Sentimental Journey" by Linda Ballingall

A Sentimental Journey - My life in Musical Theatre - by Linda BallingallLinda Ballingall was brought up in a household of classical and operetta music and from the age of six or seven she realised she had a passion to “dress up” and sing on the stage. Her first chance at fame was the Christmas concert at school, but the teacher’s favouritism for another girl in her class was an obstacle to her aspirations.In what she now realises as a most un-Christian like act, she devoted her

prayers to asking God to fix this dilemma in whatever way he felt fit. Sure enough her rival was shortly to be diagnosed with the mumps and the rest is history!When Linda’s family moved to Dundee she remembers being taken to a Frankie Vaughan concert in the Caird Hall. During the interval there was a call from the stage asking for volunteers to sing karaoke and Linda jumped at the chance. (At this point of our meeting, Linda gave us her first song performance with “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady and she had a clever black box for the backing music and the result was stunning.)When her family returned to Glenrothes she was invited to join the Glenrothes musical performance of Finnian’s Rainbow. This was the start of a long and happy career of “singing and dressing up” with 54 lead roles over 36 years. After singing “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man of Mine” from Show Boat, we listened to Linda sing “If I Love You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical Carousel and, needless to say, we were all joining in by that stage.When Linda was Tourism Development Officer with the Glenrothes Development Corporation and attending the Worlds Travel Fayre at the Olympiad Exhibition Centre in London she was asked, at short notice, by the Scottish Tourist Board to perform alongside Kenneth McKellar and a Scottish Pipe Band four times a day for the length of the show! On another occasion, Sir George Sharp (Chairman of the Glenrothes Development Corporation) asked Linda to give a “singing interview” on Grampian TV News promoting Glenrothes.Linda then sang “Bali Ha’I” from South Pacific and recalled how she disrupted traffic in Dunfermline when she drove through in full costume, “blacked up” to play Bloody Mary in South Pacific with Kelly Musical. Similar effects took place when Linda was in character as Dolly Parton in a spoof of Phantom of the Opera and she had the idea to wear a very tight bone and hook type corset with stunning results!!Linda’s final list of songs were as follows:“The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha“I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.“I Love Him, but Only on My Own” from Les Miserables“I Have Dreamed” from The King and I“This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde“Vilia” from The Merry WidowWe all enjoyed her performance so much we didn’t want our Probus meeting to come to an end and the songs had brought back many happy memories. We were so lucky to have had our own exclusive performances of so many songs from iconic musicals and this, coupled with Linda’s infectious, bubbly and warm personality made for a winning combination.Thank you Linda!

4th April 2017 - "My Kind of Town - Chicago" by Duncan Gilfillan

The Windy City.A man in Cowdenbeath walked into a butchers. 'Is that a sheep's heid in the window?' he asks. ‘Nae son ' replies the butcher. ‘It’s a mirror'. Thus 36 Probus members sat enthralled and at times aching through side splitting laughter at the speaker of the day's turn.Duncan Gilfillan took us on an anecdotal tour of his home town from WW1 through the decades to modern times. We enjoyed hearing about the town's characters as he took us through their exploits by shop, streets, well known venues and events, during this non-stop rib tickling talk which employed a behavioural observational style.This reflected the pleasant absurdities of life from childhood escapades, misdeeds and mishaps onward. No subject or stone was left unturned as he tackled the town's every occupation, industry and the economic influences on its everyday life. We also heard about the actions of a well-known fitball hero, the origins of a well-known actor, and even local greyhounds got in on this act.The morning was somewhat reminiscent of the bygone ' life's like that' and ' laughter is the best medicine’, digestible stories from a well-known magazine.Now bear in mind that I write this before the watershed and so I have self-edited the piece reflecting my view that Duncan could and likely does gauge his address to suit a variety of day or night time audiences. This report is limited to the daytime presentation! All I'd say is that whether you are from his home area or not, listening to him is a tonic. While his tales were about well kempt locals good humour is universal and travels well. Listening to this speaker you felt as if you were there with him back in time on his home turf on this amusing uplifting trip through the Windy City of Fife.Don't miss this talented raconteur if he's at a venue near you and bear in mind that public speaking is just one string on his multi-dimensional bow. Club member Munro Cunningham, a fellow wordsmith and acquaintance of Duncan's from the former Glenrothes speakers' club, delivered an equally memorable and a tongue in cheek vote of thanks which concluded this morning's business.Or so we thought. In fact the talk generated so much interest that there were a

further three related anecdotes from members before the President rang the smaller of his official bells thus drawing the session to an end.

21st March 2017 - Fife Regional Council Emergency Resilience Planning by Derek Finnie & Emma Palmer

Tuesday’s talk had the rather ominous title of Emergency Resilience Planning for Fife. That it took two speakers to present it tended to reinforce that impression, Derek Finnie, with a very impressive career as a police officer, and Emma Palmer, very well qualified in the study of the relevant subjects. What followed was a very comprehensive description of how an emergency would be met and dealt with in Fife. What constitutes an emergency? Derek noted that it was defined as “an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare or the environment of a place in the United Kingdom, or war or terrorism which threatens serious damage to the security of the United Kingdom. `’ This definition is contained in the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), the legislation which describes the various responsibilities placed on relevant organisations to prepare to respond to such emergencies. The organisation and planning prepared to meet emergencies is truly impressive. Depending on the type of emergency that arises, who should respond, which groups, services or agencies are called upon and how they are used and co-ordinated is all set out in the plans drawn up by organisations, Emergency Planning/Resilience teams. It seem difficult to think of an emergency arising which has not been planned for. This was a serious subject and it is re-assuring to know that we are so well prepared. As this report was being written on Wednesday afternoon, as though to offer a grim example, just such an emergency was taking place in Westminster, London. The loss of life involved emphasises forcefully the vital need for planning to meet such events which can occur at any moment, at any place.A thoughtful Vote of Thanks was given by John Ewan.Download the Community Risk Register from this Website by Clicking HERE

3rd March 2017 - Action for Children by Stuart Laurie

Our speaker today, Stuart Laurie is the community fundraiser for Action for Children Scotland which is one of the most innovative charities in the U.K. It was founded in 1869 when the Rev. Thomas Bowman Stephenson witnessed the plight of homeless children on the streets near Waterloo station in London. " Do what you can for us Sir " implored one of the destitute children to the Minister, and this moving encounter led to his establishing the National Childrens' Home ' in the service of children' and which evolved over a century later into Action for ChildrenFrom its early days it developed the ability to identify the needs of the young disadvantaged and address these through an eclectic range of innovative practical supportive and challenging service provision. These days the majority of its work is referred by local authorities and involve inter agency funding partnerships to deliver specific services Stuart provided a detailed erudite account of the development of the charity. It has operated for nearly 150 years in the U.K. and 62 years in Scotland. The focus of the talk was the work of some of the 90 services it runs in Scotland beginning with the opening of its first Scottish project Cathkin House Rutherglen in 1955. Case examples, a video, and evaluation data graphically demonstrated the effectiveness of the services that evolved over subsequent decades. These focus on young careers, homeless youngsters, anti-bullying school based projects known as 'The Roots of Empathy', foster schemes, youth justice, intense family support, disability respite care, individual support, transition from care to independent living, and homeless families.Work on the latter was pioneered in Dundee and was subsequently rolled out throughout the UK. One young man who engaged with Action for Children staff in order to address his problems managed to overcome his shyness and limited social skills. How do we know this? Well, he succeeded in addressing an audience of a few hundred key fundraisers during a music quiz event called “Never Mind the Business” that raised £147000 in one evening! How could you possibly top that as a positive outcome? Well, later this year that youngster along with Stuart meets the Queen at a garden party.Underlying the work are core values and an ethos that runs throughout the organisation and which Stuart indicated had developed in his life from early experiences. When not engaged in work for the charity Stuart is active as a Church youth club leader and also 247 Boys Brigade. The importance that early

intervention, in some instances literally from the cradle, can have for a child and family in striving for positive outcomes was stressed with an example too of how cost effective this can be. The aims of intervention can focus on the individual's emotional, physical, psychological, and financial wellbeing coupled with their educational and employability prospects. Of course none of this can happen unless accommodation needs are met too His audience also learned how money raised for the charity via donations, sponsorship events and challenges is spent by the organisation.During this part of the talk one of the Probus group was also offered, or challenged to abseil from the Forth Rail Bridge on 15th October. The offer was accepted! What came across today was the energy drive focus and commitment of the organisation which clearly creates synergy with the individuals, groups, communities and partners with whom it works Following q+a's the Secretary gave the vote of thanks on behalf of a very appreciative and empathetic audience many of whom kindly donated to the charity before the meeting was closed by Vice President Eric Adam.

BY DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.  BY DOING WHAT'S NEEDED.  BY DOING WHAT WORKS.  THAT'S HOW ACTION FOR CHILDREN

WORKS.For further information about the work of Action for Children please click HERE.

21st February 2017 - The Life of a Professional Toastmaster by Malcolm Gerdes-HansenOur club speakers volunteer their time in order that they can advise inform and entertain us. This week's presentation could be seen as a command performance judging by the speaker's stature, audibility, mastery of subject and his ability to convey the evident enjoyment of what he does. This clearly had a cathartic affect his audience and we hope he in turn could sense our enjoyment as we listened to him. This tour de force was presented by Malcolm Gerdes - Hansen who is an approved Toastmaster and fellow of their guild in Scotland. We learned how the essential practices of the modern Toastmaster evolved over the centuries. Beginning with definitions of the word, on to a description of the literal use of spice and honey marinated toast to purify the wine of olden times, how the professional language has to be appropriate for the particular event, and how it evolved. As too the custom and practice and how use of appropriate regalia came about. All this peppered with historical data and anecdote drawn from a lengthy career which began with Malcolm's training by the Queen's Toastmaster Ivor Spencer. His role has taken him to some of the world's exclusive venues and to the day to day ordinary. Each event requiring his services being

uniquely tailored to client need via a Harmony meeting during which a five page action plan is prepared for the specific event. While fees for a genuine skilled and guild approved professional as opposed to an internet supplied unapproved operator are reasonable, outlay on a range of requisite regalia approaches £12000. Would you get value for money for this service? Well it is not the remit of the club to advertise, but based on the integrity charm wit and business ethic of this speaker you are unlikely to find a better Toastmaster if you require one, and, he performs the skilled act and art of Sabrage. Following a q+a session which evoked many humorous tales live from the lectern, and Wilson Gilchrist's vote of thanks, the gavel came down once to signify proceedings were at an end. Cheers!

7th February 2017 - Sounds & Memories of World War II by John CarderMost speakers present their topic either by use of video, or DVD, a screen power point or a photo presentation, or any combination of these. This week's speaker John Carder is ex RAF, and was a teacher and college head of department and he drew on his presentational skills to share his memories and experience of WW2 aided by recorded wartime wireless broadcasts, and press and photo cuttings of the day. Thus he presented the 36 club members with an often chilling audio commentary on key historic aspects of the day. These covered the phoney peace agreement from 1938 Munich, and the sound of Chamberlain's 'peace in our time ' at Hendon aerodrome. A period of history which hindsight perhaps teaches us actually bought valuable time to prep the UK infrastructure into a better state of preparedness for what was to follow. We heard Churchill's speeches from key points of the war including the fall of France and his proposal the two countries unite, the excitement and anguish of children being evacuated in 39. Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbour, D Day, Dimbelby's emotional broadcast from Belsen, the buzz of doodlebugs and their explosion, the V2 rockets' impact followed by their sonic boom.On to VE Day and to War's end. In retrospect all these years later we can also appreciate the intelligent use of language in the well-crafted speeches of the wartime PM and understand

the psychology employed in targeting of audience e.g. Roosevelt. John’s memories of wartime childhood and subsequent service in the RAF added a personal touch to the talk. As usual members had a keen interest in a q+a session and an equally enthusiastic Jim Miller gave the vote of thanks.

24th January 2017 - Club Burns Celebration

Our weekly meeting began with tributes and a celebration of the life of former President Willie Polland. One of his loves was the work of Burns and so with Willie in mind the 41 members present enjoyed a Burns breakfast. Much traditional participatory singing, the quality of which once again presented absolutely no threat to local operatic groups! Orchestrated by the excellent fiddle solos from Jim Miller, and an eloquent address from President Alec Redpath. The most enjoyable aspect of the event was its spontaneous unrehearsed nature creating the ambience of a home spun parlour ceilidh. It was a remarkable morning and one we think Willie would be proud of.

10th January 2017 - Dundee Contemporary Arts by Alice Black

What a wonderful start to the club's 2017 programme. Today's speaker is blessed with the gift of having a job that is a pleasure and a professional vocation. Her depth of knowledge and ability to share her experiences in the world of cinema programming shone throughout the presentation and had 39 Probi enraptured and requesting a return visit a.s.a.p., if not sooner.Alice Black's talk was on her role as the Head of Cinema at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Leading up to that we were treated to her impressive CV which includes work at the New York Museum of Art, and The French Embassy in the U.S. A move to Ireland where she engaged with film societies and independent cinemas with the aim of developing their cultural programmes. As Regional Development Officer for the Irish Film Institute she had programming responsibilities for the French Film Festival and launched an initiative to engage older audiences in cinema, called Wild Strawberries.The DCA opened in 2006 in a modern ship shaped design that enhanced the architectural skyline of the city centre. Its work focuses on four key areas - the two art galleries, a print studio - which incorporates older techniques to modern 3D and photography, an education team encouraging all ages to engage in art, and 70 seat and 200 seat cinemas showing 450 films per year. A third cinema may open later this year. All backed up by a well-reviewed and popular restaurant.The venue has a positive vision statement and Alice's role since 2009 has reflected this in helping shift and shape the film paradigm from a limited earlier focus on screening mainly foreign films to one of an eclectic mix of genres, themes, styles, and audience niche. For example, Italian, French, Horror (by demand of Dundonians!) Childrens' - an annual event drawing in 6000 children in 3 weeks of cinema, themed seasons by specific artists, live broadcasts, live guests, and targeted audiences such as the older persons morning - the Citizens' Kane Club, parents and child mornings - Bring a Baby, Children with Autism, and soft subtitle screenings. The screenings include 35mm, 16mm and even 16 mm.

Listening to the talk one got a sense of synergy among the DCA staff in promoting film to the wider world. In fact the projectionist would be keen to show old 16 mm that you may have stored in your loft. The film venue attracts 93000 punters per annum. Demand is both needs led by audiences and serviced by 75 staff and a careful film selection mainly from the three international film festivals which Alice attends - Berlin, Toronto, and Cannes. Very romantic I hear you say. Well yes up to a point but sheer hard work. Imagine if you had to view up to 65 screenings per festival from 7a.m through till 1am the following morning. Then decide which films are being purchased for the DCA. The criteria? To offer a balanced programme that will 'grow' the audience. This strategy could incorporate showing blockbusters to act as a draw to attend the DCA, and hopefully act as the catalyst to draw the audience back to watch another genre.With the market producing 12 new films each week just in the UK and the DCA's current capacity to show 4 of them over a 3 - 5 week season screening selection is far from easy a task. In reviewing the DCA's strengths opportunities and business threats, marketing is all important in what is after all show biz showmanship. As too is consideration of venue location viz a viz potential new cinema and the new waterfront Museum in Dundee.In her spare time (?) Alice is completing a PhD in Film Studies at St Andrews University. This year she is also on the Berlin Film Festival judges panel.Following a lively Q+A session which continued well after the close of meeting the club Secretary delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of a well entertained interactive audience.The DCA Website - Click Here