18

On the 17th of November 1869, forty-six years ago, the Suez Canal, connecting

the Mediterranean and the Red seas, was inaugurated in an elaborate ceremony

attended by French Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

In 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the former French consul to Cairo, secured an

agreement with the Ottoman governor of Egypt to build a canal 100 miles across

the Isthmus of Suez. An international team of engineers drew up a construction

plan, and in 1856 the Suez Canal Company was formed and granted the right to

operate the canal for 99 years after completion of the work.

Construction began in April 1859, and at first digging was done by hand with

picks and shovels wielded by forced laborers. Later, European workers with dredgers and steam shovels arrived. Labor disputes and a cholera epidemic slowed

construction, and the Suez Canal was not completed until 1869–four years behind

schedule. On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was opened to navigation.

When it opened, the Suez Canal was only 25 feet deep, 72 feet wide at the

bottom, and 200 to 300 feet wide at the surface. Consequently, fewer than 500

ships navigated it in its first full year of operation. Major improvements began in

1876, however, and the canal soon grew into the one of the world’s most heavily

traveled shipping lanes. In 1875, Great Britain became the largest shareholder in

the Suez Canal Company when it bought up the stock of the new Ottoman

governor of Egypt. Seven years later, in 1882, Britain invaded Egypt, beginning a

long occupation of the country. The Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936 made Egypt

virtually independent, but Britain reserved rights for the protection of the canal.

After World War II, Egypt pressed for evacuation of British troops from the Suez

Canal Zone, and in July 1956 Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized

the canal, hoping to charge tolls that would pay for construction of a massive dam

on the Nile River. In response, Israel invaded in late October, and British and

French troops landed in early November, occupying the canal zone. Under pressure

from the United Nations, Britain and France withdrew in December, and Israeli

forces departed in March 1957. That month, Egypt took control of the canal and

reopened it to commercial shipping.

Ten years later, Egypt shut down the canal again following the Six Day War and

Israel’s occupation of the Sinai Peninsula. For the next eight years, the Suez Canal,

1

For this edition of Wheelright Past President John Stock has very kindly

agreed to write a profile. John is one of the longest serving members of our club

- he joined in 1977 - and is one of our most prolific fund raisers.

‘I was born in Peckham, South East London

at 18 Wingfield street, SE15, living

downstairs to my Nan and aunt. I had one

brother, Vic, who was two years older than

me. My dad was killed at the battle of Monte

Cassino and my mum raised us

singlehandedly until she remarried when I

was ten years old,

Brothet Vic and I had great times as kids, our

playgrounds were the many bombed houses

and large tracts of wasteland that had been

churned up by the bombs. We had the run of

the streets, there being hardly any cars at that time, and were part of the

neighbourhood gangs - of which there were many.

I attended Bellenden Road Primary School and can still remember the names of

some of my teachers and many of my classmates, especially Joan Moore with

whom I was in love (I wonder where she is now).

My senior school was William Penn Comprehensive, which was divided into

two houses. The first was at Adys Road for first and second year pupils with the

upper at Choumert Road for third, fourth and fifth year pupils.

From the age of seven I was a member of Grove Vale Sports Club and

Christchurch Baptist Church, the two being linked. I enjoyed both, playing many

sports at Grove Vale and attending Sunday School where I became a teacher and

had my own class of young children. I now look back on those days with great

fondness nd remember so many happy times and many good friends.

We moved from Peckham to Crystal Palace Road, East Dulwich where we had

a bathroom and an inside toilet. Luxury indeed after our very basic dwelling in

Peckham.

I left school at the age of sixteen having failed all my GCE examinations. This

was a disappointment as I had passed all the mock exams three weeks

2

beforehand. However, despite having no qualifications I started work in the City

at Sir William Garthwaite - insurance brokers. Sir William was a giant of a man

who had gained a DFC flying a Swordfish in the attack on the Bismarck. My

first position was working in the general office as a clerk, then as a Marine

Claims Broker in the Lloyd’s Underwriting Room.

After five years I moved to the Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia. It

was while I was there that I met Beryl and we married in 1965 renting a flat in

New Cross. We had two sons, Martin and Ian born in 1966 and 1971.

Before stopping work to have our children Beryl had been a dressmaker

earning a higher salary than I did. It therefore needed some belt tightening so I

swapped to a more lucrative job as an insurance agent for the Liverpool Victoria

Friendly Society. I also did a football pools round for Littlewood Pools on two

evenings a week. Meanwhile Beryl became a homeworker making dresses.

After four years in New Cross we bought a house in Welling, Kent.

During the course of my work I met a great character called Bob Page who

many of the more ancient Rotarians will remember. Bob became (and is still) a

great friend and he was the one who introduced me to Rotary. Eventually I

began working for Bob in his roofing business and whilst there I began another

company supplying roofing and building materials to the trade. When Bob

decided to move to Somerset, I and a partner bought the two businesses where I

am today trying to earn a crust.

In 1985 we moved to a house in Sidcup where we still live.

I now have four strapping grandsons, a large and happy extended family and

consider myself to be the luckiest man I know.

During my life I have received help, support and kindness from many people

when it was most needed. This has forged my attitude to others who need a

helping hand and is one of the reasons why I value Rotary so much.

NEW MEMBERS

It was a very great pleasure to have Nellie Stefanova

inducted as a Rotarian and a new member of Greenwich

Rotary Club. She has very kindly provided the following

very impressive pen portrait of herself for Wheelright,

much of which she addressed to the Club at the time of

her induction.

In Bulgaria I have studied at the University

of National and International Economics in

Sofia, Bulgaria and obtained an MSc in

International Business Studies.

In my native country I founded and chaired successful

ventures, some of national and international importance.

Eurohold, Plc, Sofia, International Bulgarian –

17

The Colfeians Sports Club, Horn Park, Eltham Road, Lee SE12 8UE

The entrance is on the A20 (Eltham Road) opposite the end of Weigall Road

Telephone No. 020 8852 1181

By Bus: 172, 178 and 321 pass thground.

By Train: From Char ing Cross, Water loo and London Br idge

via Lewisham. Lewisham to Lee or Kidbrooke, both about 10 minutes walk

from the Club.

16

The Autumn edition of Wheelright should be available at the first lunch in

January 2016.

THE ROTARY CLUB

OF GREENWICH

District 1130

Founded 22nd February 1926

Charter Dated 14th April 1926

PRESIDENT

Shatu Garba

PRESIDENT ELECT Sarah Campbell

VICE PRESIDENT To be elected

Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer

Bill Harris David Glockling

Officers and Specialists

Club Service & Programme - Sarah Campbell

Community & Vocational Service - John Furlonger

Fund Raising - Colin Skeggs

International - Hari Neupane

Membership - Ilkay Chirali

Foundation - Nick Gregory

Publicity - Office vacant Webmaster - Ilkay Chirali

Attendance & Welfare - David Glockling

Birthday Officer - John Stock

Wheelright - Bill Harris

District Representative - Colin Skeggs

Health & Safety - Roger Hull

Project Leader - Eddie Ertan

Raffle - Colin Skeggs

Youth & Rotary Grace - Brian Hewlett

Sergeants at Arms - John Stock, Ilkay Chirali and John Furlonger

Shop - David Glockling

Sports - Dick Geddes

The Club meets every Thursday for lunch (12.30pm for 1.00pm) at:

3

Czech holding /still successful enterprise, listed on the Sofia Stock

Exchange/

Agrarian Economic Centre Ltd., a Bulgarian company with 72 members,

including 10 private cooperatives /50-80 members each/, dealing with

agriculture and light industry

Agricultural Credit Centre /ACC/, Plc., the first financial structure, which

helped Bulgarian farmers and private cooperatives with low-interest credits and

grants in the transition period to mention a few. I have been a Chair of Board of

Directors of ACC, in which members were the late PM of Bulgaria at that

time Prof. Luben Berov and the last Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank,

IIvan Iskrov

I have been also an expert and advisor to the Bulgarian Parliament 1994-1999.

I have also participated in the organising of the International Children's

Assembly ‘Banner of Peace’ under the auspices of UNESCO. It has been

recognised by UN as Messenger of Peace.

Since 1999 my family has been based in London. I became representative in

London of Business Club Nachala (The New Beginnings), founded with the

support of British Know-how Fund – I was senior business consultant of the

Club in Bulgaria.

I was also a co-founder of the Club Discover Bulgaria in London in 2004 and an

active member of the Bulgarian City Club, London.

In 2000 I started working as Business Development Director Overseas in the

Medical Recruitment Agency Capital Staffing Services, (now Capital Staffing

Group), based in London and then moved in private business - real estate and

investments, attracting some of the largest English investments in properties in

Bulgaria.

Our family company Right Move Enterprises successfully sold and then

managed, maintained and rented out more than 150 self-catering apartments,

owned by English Investors in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria for more than 5 years –

till 2010.

At present I am Freelance Business Consultant and CEO of NDE Partnership

dealing with refurbishment of houses and new builds in South East London. Our

family owned company New Panacea Ltd. also started importing new healthy,

non alcoholic drinks from Bulgaria to Ghana and UK.

I have been a founder and Chair for the past few years of South East London

Group of the charity Women’s Interfaith Network, fighting prejudice and

bigotry and have succeeded to help quite a few of our members and other

women, needing help.

I have been a member of the Steering Committee of BME organisations in

Greenwich for the years 2011-2014 and was able to liaise efficiently with the

businesses and the volunteer sector in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

I feel confident I can substantially contribute to the overall projects'

4

success of the Greenwich Rotary Club, based on my background and education, as

well as Bulgarian and English commercial experience and my firm commitment to

help people in need and in the fight for a peace in these turbulent times we live in at

present.

I have joined the Rotary Club of Greenwich with my dream project to restore jointly

with the Bulgarian International Rotary Club the International Children's Assembly

in Sofia, Bulgaria and then on a rotation principle every 3 years the Children's

capital to move first to London and then in other continents.

Nellie Stefanova, MSc

In addition to Nellie we also had the pleasure of welcoming Hari Krishna Neupane

who is already a Rotarian and who has transferred to

our Club from the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Hari is currently living in Charlton with his wife,

Pushpa Bhandari, and their son. He has been a

Rotarian in Nepal since 2006 and he is now working as

a Senior IT Consultant for a

company called Nuance

Communications..

Hari has a Masters in IT

Consultancy from London Metropolitan University and he

names his skills and expertise as Information Technology,

Communication Technology, Project Management etc.

NELLIE’S GARDEN PARTY

On Saturday 19th September our newest member, Nellie

Stefanova held a delightful garden party at her home in

Abbey Wood. The purpose of the event was to raise funds

for one of President Shatu’s chosen charities Riding School for the Disabled.

Although there were few of our members present, President Shatu and Nellie had

invited a number of friends including a large contingent from Streatham Rotary Club

and there were also a few councillors present.

The food which Nellie had prepared was marvellous and included a number of

unusual but very tasty dishes from Bulgaria. She had obviously gone to enormous

trouble. There was even a

large cake with a Riding

School icing design.

A raffle and several guessing

games took place and

ultimately the sum of £350

was raised.

15

Month Speaker Subject Host Welcome

Oct 1st Dick Geddes TBA Colin Skeggs Alan Taylor

8th Jo Walker Adventure &

Volunteering

Nellie

Stefanova John Stock

15th Business and Council Meeting Nick Gregory

22nd TBA TBA Sarah

Campbell Dick Geddes

29th Ladies’ Lunch - speaker Jim Buttress Roger Hull

Nov 5th Hari Williams Sun, Sea &

Friendship. Hari Neupane John Furlonger

12th

14th Business and Council Meeting Brian Hewlett

19th Special General Meeting Colin Skeggs

26th TBA TBA Alan Taylor Eddie Ertan

Dec 3rd TBA TBA John Stock Nellie

Stefanova

10th Hari Neupane Business and Council Meeting

17th Christmas Dinner at Old Colfeians Sarah

Campbell

24th &

31st No Meeting - the next meeting will be on January7th 2016

This list is up to date as at the end of September 2015

CLUB PROGRAMME

All meetings take place on Thursday commencing at 12.30 for 1pm unless

stated otherwise

14

THE H4 HERCULES FLYING BOAT ‘SPRUCE GOOSE’

On the 2nd of November 1947 this massive aircraft which had cost $40

million to build, flew for the first and only time - a distance of one mile

The single 400,000-pound (181,436-kilogram) H-4 Hercules flying boat, built

by the

Hughes

Aircraft Co., was the largest flying boat ever built with the widest wingspan. It

was built after a U.S. government request in 1942 for a cargo and troop carrier

that would not be susceptible to Axis submarines and, by substituting wood for

metal in its construction, would not use critical wartime materials.

Originally conceived by Henry J. Kaiser, a steelmaker and builder of Liberty

ships, the aircraft was designed and constructed by Howard Hughes and his

staff; hence, the original HK-1 Hercules (NX37602) designation. Kaiser

withdrew his support in 1944 because Allied aircraft needs shifted toward

bombers and the type of aircraft was no longer needed.

Hughes continued to develop the aircraft under the H-4 designation. The

press nicknamed it the ‘Spruce Goose’ - a name Hughes hated because it

insulted its builders and, in fact, the plane was built almost entirely of

laminated birch, not spruce.

The cargo-type flying boat which had a wingspan of 320 feet was designed to

carry 750 fully equipped troops or two Sherman tanks over long distances. It

has a single hull, eight radial engines, a single vertical tail, fixed wingtip floats,

and full cantilever wing and tail surfaces. The entire airframe and surface

The cat is not allowed on the furniture.

Alright, the cat can go on the furniture,

but NOT the kitchen counter.

OK, the cat can go on the kitchen counter too.

Just not when I’m preparing food, Deal?

Fine… the cat can go wherever it wants, whenever

it wants, as long as it doesn’t swat me in the face at

5.30 in the morning demanding to be fed.

The cat will be fed at 5.30 in the morning.

Rules for the Cat

5

OCTOBER 2011

Sun. 2nd 9.00am Morning Glory Service

11.00am Family Worship with Communion

led by our Pastor John Twidale

Sun. 9th 9.00am Morning Glory Service

11.00am Family Wors

led by our Minister the Revd Harry Lanham

Wed. 12th 7.00pm ELDERS’ MEETING

Sat. 15th 10.30am CHURCH MEETING

Sun. 16th 11.00am HARVEST AND YOUTH SERVICE

led by our Pastor John Twidale

Sun. 23rd 9.00am Morning Glory Service

11.00am Family Worship with Communion

led by our Minister the Revd Harry Lanham

Sun. 30th 9.00am Morning Glory Service

11.00am Family Worship

led by the Revd Robert Draycott

So, congratulations and special thanks must be given to Nellie, not only for

hosting the party, but also for all her hard work.

Dick Geddes

INDEPENDENT AGE

Following her recent talk , Lizzi Hollis sent tha following letter to PE Sarah

Dear Sarah

Thank you so much for inviting me along to the Rotary meeting last week, it

was a delight to meet you and the rest of the members and to be able to tell you

about the work of Independent Age. I am so pleased the group were able to

present me with a cheque for £50 and I would like to offer my sincerest thanks

for that. Your £50 could be used fund one-on-one advice on social care and

welfare benefits to help one older person to live independently at home.

As promised I have found some statistics about the help we provide older

people within the borough of Greenwich. There are currently 17 people who

receive support from Independent Age in the borough. 7 of these receive

regular befriending, either in their homes or over the telephone, 7 members

receive regular payments from us to enable them to live poverty-free and a

further 3 people receive casework and support, meaning they have regular

contact whenever they ask for it from a dedicated specialist within our team.

We have a total of 6 volunteers in the area, who provide volunteering visits

to 4 of our members. These volunteers have committed to at least 42

volunteering visits this year.

I hope this information is useful in showing you the scope of the work

Independent Age is able to provide. We hope that reaching out to groups like

your own will enable us to increase our profile in communities like Greenwich

and ensure that more people are able to

ask for our support or offer time to

volunteer with vulnerable older people.

We are going to put a tweet out today

with @RotaryGreenwich tagged in, it

would be wonderful if you could retweet

it. I’ve also asked that we either put

something on Face Book or share the

post you guys put out (I have already

shared it on my personal Face Book

page too).

I hope we can keep in touch and please do not hesitate to contact me, or pass

on my details to anyone in the club who is interested in getting involved.

Many thanks and kindest regards

6

Lizzi Hollis

Fundraising Officer

LETTER FROM NEPAL

The following email from Nepal was received on the 26th of May

Dear Dick Geddes

First of all Rotary Club of Dhulikhel expresses its gratitude for supporting the

Nepal Earthquake Victim. We have utilized your support for making 10

temporary houses in DadaGaw of Kavre district to protect victim from intense

monsoon. Currently, Rotary Club of Dhulikhel have

made more than 400 temporary houses . And

planning for economic development program for

earthquake victims as many have lost their

livelihood.

Please accept our letter of appreciation. Receipt slip

is also attached along with some pictures.

Currently, it is not possible to send all the pictures as we are voraciously

working to make more temporary shelters as monsoon is currently in its

height.Sorry for late response and information .

With best regard,

Rtn.Ranjeev Shrestha

President

Rotary Club of Dhulikhel ,RID 3292

Dhulikhel,Nepal

HESTIA

Hestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth (both private and municipal) and

the home. Sarah Campbell writes:

Recently we had a speaker from the Hestia charity. I thought I would write

something about it as quite a few members could not attend and it was a very

interesting talk that promoted a considerable discussion afterwards.

Hestia Housing and Support has been housing and supporting people in London

for forty years.

They help adults, children, older people, homeless young people, ex offenders,

people with mental issues and people with a physical disability.

Domestic abuse destroys lives.

Did you know on average, two women are killed each week by a male partner or

ex partner?

45% of women experience at least one incident in their lifetime.

It is not only about violence, it is also verbal abuse, criticism, control and

withholding money to cause hardship.

13

The best longbows were made of yew. The staves were cut in winter when no

sap was running, from the junction of the inner heartwood and the outer

sapwood. The staves were seasoned and worked on gradually over a period of

three to four years. Today only six longbows survive, none from the "golden

age" and sources do not agree on the dimensions. Most give the length as about

70in. with a drawing pull of 75-100lbs. The arrows were between 27-36in.

long. A trained archer could shoot 12 arrows a minute, but some sources say

that the most skilled archers could fire twice this number. The arrow could

wound at 250 yards, kill at 100 yards and penetrate armor at 60 yards.

At the battle of Agincourt in 1415,

1,000 arrows were fired every

second. After the battle, observers

wrote that the white feathers from

the flights were so thick on the

ground, it looked like snow.

The surviving examples of

longbows look unfinished and it is

probable that most of the bows had

this appearance: the junction of the

inner and outer woods would

rarely be straight but this was not

important. Interestingly English

yew was not considered suitable to make bows and the staves were imported,

largely from Italy and Spain. To ensure a regular supply, each ton of certain

imports, including wine, had to be accompanied by 10 yew staves.

The French did not at first credit the major victories of the English to the

longbow but to the other tactics, especially the use of the English knights

fighting on foot. The French did start to train some infantry in the use of the

longbow in the late 1300s but the king was most concerned about peasants

having such powerful weapons and the idea was dropped.

The training adopted by the English was rigorous. All sports were banned on

Sundays and men between 12 and 65 were expected to practice their archery.

Every man with an income of over £2 a year was required to own a bow.

The longbow was the most powerful weapon in Europe from about 1300 to

1588. In that year, the Spanish Armada, aware of the English skill with the

longbow, armed their troops with bows. The English however experimented by

having 10,000 harquebusiers (early firearms) which proved superior. However,

the longbow still had its supporters. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, a

senior British officer seriously suggested the readoption of the longbow by the

infantry.

12

though weren't to be rushed and at 8.00am, laughing and

joking, they ate breakfast. The English, cold and wet

from the driving rain, ate whatever they had left in their

depleted rations.

Following an initial stalemate, Henry decided he had

nothing to lose and forced the French into battle and

advanced. The English and Welsh archers moved to

within 300 metres of the enemy and began to fire. This

sparked the French into action and the first wave of

French cavalry charged, the rain-soaked ground severely

hindering their progress. The storm of arrows raining

down upon them caused the French to become unnerved

and they retreated into the way of the now advancing main army. With forces

moving in every direction, the French were soon in total disarray. The field

quickly turned into a quagmire, churned up by the feet of thousands of heavily-

armoured men and horses. The English and Welsh archers, some ten ranks deep,

rained tens of thousands of arrows down onto the mud trapped French and what

followed was a bloodbath. The battle itself lasted just half an hour and between

6,000 and 10,000 French were killed whilst the English suffered losses in the

hundreds.

The longbow, which played a pivotal role in the battle of Agincourt and so

many other battles has an interesting history as you will see from the following

paragraphs (with acknowledgements to the History magazine).

The longbow, defined as one over 4ft. in length, was probably first used by the

Germans or Scandinavians in about 500AD. In about 1000AD it was being used

in Wales but it is not known if it was developed there independently or if it was

borrowed from other parts of Europe. Around 1300, during a skirmish with the

Welsh, an English knight received a wound from an arrow that had penetrated

his chain mail, passed through his thigh, the chain mail on the other side of his

leg, a wooden saddle and wounded the horse. The English decided this was a

weapon with real potential as lowly infantry could handle a weapon that could

defeat the finest armour. Early tests showed that the longbow could fire an arrow

with such force that it could penetrate a four inch oak door with a handspan of

the arrow’s shaft exposed on the other side.

The first time it played a major role was at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 when

Edward I defeated William Wallace, largely due to a devastating hail of arrows

from Welsh archers against the Scots.

English archers proved decisive against the French during the 100 Years War

(1337-1453) at the battles of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. Each of these major victories were won against far larger French armies.

7

This charity is helping the children who are also

victims.

This may seem an upsetting subject to speak about in

our newsletter but I feel that unless we talk about the

problems in our community then these situations get

pushed under the carpet.

Our club has a proud history of helping vulnerable

people.

More information can be found at www.hestia.org

EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUES

In August and again at the beginning of September, President Elect Sarah

gave us some ideas about why tapping and using mindfulness can be helpful

in our modern world. As these talks generated considerable interest among

members she has very kindly submitted the following article.

When we evolved and lived in caves our ability to focus was essential to our

survival. Anxiety (fight or flight) saved us. For example men who hunted

had to focus or they may be attacked, lose their source of food, or let their

fellow hunters down. They could not allow their minds to wander. But

afterwards they rested!

Fast forward to now. Being able to focus is still important, we can learn and

achieve great things. Anxiety (fight or flight) can still help us to avoid things

that are bad. But, and this is the problem:- where is the resting? By that I

mean the mind. Watching television doesn’t count. I mean completely

relaxing the mind. Where we are not thinking, just being.

Constant access to world events, emails, phone calls, bills, demands from

others all keep our minds in a state of over activity. Worries can become the

main focus and the brain does not realise it is harming us. So we need to

take control and learn how to calm our brains. Tapping is one way to do this.

Learning mindfulness is another. Some people use meditation or

hypnotherapy. My point is more about understanding what is happening

which helps us.

These are ideas that you can use or not. By sharing them, one day just

knowing (remembering) you may find it helps.

And so a step-by-step guide to tapping:

1.close your eyes and take a deep breath. Your feet are both on the

ground.

2. Focus on your pain (or whatever is bothering you)

3. Rate the pain from 0-10 (10 being the worst)

8

4. Tap on the side of the hand and say the problem

then say something positive. For example, ‘even

though I have this pain in my leg, I will be fine or I

accept myself’.

This is to take away the natural feelings of doubt.

5. Then tap on each point and repeat the problem.

(this pain or this worry)

Eyebrow

Side of the eye

Under the eye

Under the nose

Under the mouth

Collar bone

6. Notice if the number (intensity) has gone down.

7. If your mind is blank this is a good sign.

This can be repeated as many times as you feel comfortable.

Coming now to Mindfulness:

For this exercise, you’ll need about five minutes and one raisin. A raisin is

best, but you can substitute a grape, small piece of orange, or a gummi bear!

There is one essential general instruction: whenever you find your mind

wandering from the task at hand, just gently return your attention to the raisin

and what you are doing with it. Read over the specific instructions that

follow and then begin with the first instruction 1.

Begin by placing the raisin in the palm of your hand. Spend a few moments

just looking at it. Really look at it with a sense of curiosity and awe, as if this

were the first time you had looked at a raisin. In fact, it is likely that this is

the first time you are truly looking at a raisin.

Gently pick up the raisin with your thumb and index finger and roll it

between them. What does the raisin feel like? What are its textures? For this

part of the exercise and the remaining parts, it is best to close your eyes

because you will no longer be attending to visual sensations.

Rub the raisin across your lips, and notice what that feels like.

Gently place the raisin on your tongue. Just let it sit on your tongue for a

few moments. Don’t chew it. Just leave it on your tongue and notice how the

raisin feels.

When you’re ready, begin chewing. Bite the raisin very slowly and gently,

extending the time it takes to bite through it as long as possible. What is that

like? What does the raisin feel like between your teeth? What sensations,

textures, tastes and smells do you notice? If you feel the urge to swallow the

raisin right away, just notice that urge, and slowly chew the raisin for a

11

lever used in sliding-

gear transmissions.

Spark and throttle

were controlled by a

hand lever on the

steering column. The

10-gallon fuel tank

was located under the

front seat. Because

gasoline was fed to

the engine only by

gravity, and also

because the reverse

gear offered more power than the forward gears, the Model T frequently had to

be driven up a steep hill backward. Such deficiencies, along with its homely

appearance, less-than-comfortable ride at top speeds, and incessant rattling, made

the Model T the butt of much affectionate humour in innumerable jokes, songs,

poems, and stories.

Of course the ‘T’ was not the first Ford car, the Ford Model ‘A’ was the

first car produced by Ford, beginning production in 1903. The ‘T’ achieved the

greater success because it was the first to be built on an assembly line.

BATTLE OF AGINCOURT Six hundred years ago on the 25th of October, this decisive battle against the

French was fought and won, despite the English being outnumbered by four to

one.

A 28-year-old King Henry V set sail from Southampton on 11th August 1415

with a fleet of around 300 ships to claim his birthright of the Duchy of

Normandy and so revive English fortunes in France. Landing at Harfleur in

northern France, they besieged the town.

The siege lasted five weeks, much longer than expected, and Henry lost around

2,000 of his men to dysentery. Henry took the decision to leave a garrison at

Harfleur and take the remainder of his army back home via the French port of

Calais almost 100 miles away to the north. Just two minor problems lay in their

way - a very, very large and angry French army and the River Somme.

Outnumbered, sick and short of supplies Henry’s army struggled but eventually

managed to cross the Somme.

It was on the road north, near the village of Agincourt, that the French were

finally able to stop Henry's march. Some 25,000 Frenchmen faced Henry's 6000.

As if things couldn’t get worse it started to pour with rain.

On 25th October, St Crispin's day, the two sides prepared for battle. The French

10

information. Second, microwave

transmission takes less power than a

comparable longer-frequency

transmission. And third, microwave

signals aren’t as susceptible to

deterioration in bad weather, making

them useful during all times of the year

and all weather conditions.

All this lead to microwave towers all

over the US for internal long distances,

starting in 1951 with the Bell System’s

traditional link between New York and

San Francisco. It took over one hundred microwave towers spaced 30 miles apart

and cost $40 million, but it was well worth it, and by the late 1950s a quarter of

US long distance calls went through Bell’s microwave system.

THE FORD MODEL ‘T’

On the 1st of October 1908 - 107 years ago this October, Henry Ford’s Model ‘T’

designed for the masses, went on sale for the first time.

The Model T was an automobile built by the Ford Motor Company from 1908

until 1927. Conceived by Henry Ford as practical, affordable transportation for the

common man, it quickly became prized for its low cost, durability, versatility, and

ease of maintenance. Assembly-line production allowed the price of the touring

car version to be lowered from $850 in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925. At such

prices the Model T at times comprised as much as 40 percent of all cars sold in the

United States. Even before it lost favour to larger, more powerful, and more

luxurious cars, the Model T, known popularly as the ‘Tin Lizzie’ or the ‘flivver’,

had become an American folkloric symbol, essentially realizing Ford’s goal to

‘democratise the automobile’. The Model ‘T’ was offered in several body styles,

including a five-seat touring car, a two-seat runabout, and a seven-seat town car.

All bodies were mounted on a uniform 100-inch-wheelbase chassis. A choice of

colours was originally available, but from 1913 to 1925 the car was mass-

produced in only one colour—black. The engine was simple and efficient, with all

four cylinders cast in a single block and the cylinder head detachable for easy

access and repair. The engine generated 20 horsepower and propelled the car to

modest top speeds of 40–45 miles per hour (65–70 km/h). In most models the

engine was started by a hand crank, which activated a magneto connected to the

flywheel, but after 1920 some models were equipped with battery-powered

starters. The transmission, consisting of two forward gears and one reverse, was of

the planetary type, controlled by foot pedals rather than the more common hand

The Ford ‘A’

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minute or so, without swallowing. Finally, go

ahead and give in to the urge to swallow it.

Mindfully eating a raisin is an exercise that you

can use to learn the skill of mindfulness. Once you

have experienced what it means to be mindful

through this and other exercises, you can start

practice being mindful in your everyday life.

Mindfulness can be applied to any activity you are

engaging in, from the mundane, boring tasks you

do every day to those that are important or

monumental. Being mindful of daily activities

allows us to fully experience them and be truly

alive in the moment. For people who are learning

mindfulness to help prevent recurrence of major

depression, the payoff is particularly high.

TRANSATLANTIC TELEPHONY

100 years ago, on the 21st of October 1915, the first transmission of speech across

the Atlantic by radio telephone was made.

In 1915, Bell engineers achieved the first brief voice transmission across the

Atlantic, between Virginia and Paris, but it took 11 more years for the British Post

Office and Bell Labs to get the system to work well enough for commercial use, and

it wasn’t until January 7, 1927 that commercial radio-telephone service began

between New York and London. Once that was up and running, however, the

service spread rapidly throughout North America and Europe.

Even though radio-telephone service

worked, it wasn’t perfect. The number of

calls that the system could carry was

quite limited, which made calls very

expensive--$6 per minute in 1928. The

technology was also susceptible to

interruptions and bad reception due to

atmospheric and solar disturbances.

Finally, in the 1950s enough

technological advance had occurred to

improve long distance communication

significantly. One such advance was to

use microwaves instead of the longer radio frequency waves used in earlier radio-

telephony. Microwaves are much shorter in wavelength, which offers several

advantages. First and foremost is that microwaves are more easily packed into a

tight beam for transmission, and thus can travel further with less loss of

The Ford ‘T’