Rotary Club of Guildford District

President's At Home

Gordon and Bebette opened their doors to Members and their families on Sunday 17th August for a lunch time garden party.

With one of the wettest August's in memory all kept their fingers crossed for weather more in keeping with summer and luck was on our side. Sunshine and cloud, a little on the chilly side but no rain, did not deter from dining 'el fresco'.

Bebette had prepared a feast of delights' to please everyone's tastes' followed by sumptuous sweets and magnificent cheese board. Gordon worked tirelessly to ensure his guests were having a good time.

Diets were abandoned for the pleasures of good food, wine and company.

After lunch a bottle of champaign was on offer with a game of balls in the bucket.

The afternoon concluded with a collection made for Rotary Polioplus appeal and Michael, on all our behalf, extending thanks to Babette and Gordon for their most generous hospitality.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Forthcoming Social Events Calendar

Please add, to your social diary, the following dates. Further events and information will be added as individual details are finalised.

Forthcoming Social Activities	Date	Contact
Golf Day / Dinner : Clandon Regis GC	Wednesday 17th September	Noel Sutcliffe
1250 District Conference : Cardiff	Weekend 26th/28th Sept	President Gordon
Visit To David Shepherd's Studio	Wednesday 29th October	Secretary Geoff
Christmas Party : Peter Webb's Barn	Wednesday 17th December	Vice President Bill

To advise the web editor of further events please fill out the,

Website Email feedback form.

(Re-posted 23.08.08)

Call For Sierria Leone

Second Hand Craft Tools

Agricultural Implements and

Hand Operated Sewing Machines

Assistant District Governor, our Peter O'Keefe, requests your help with an International initiative. Some of the funds generated from a group sponsored walk has been expended purchasing a 40ft maritime container with passage to Sierria Leone.

The intent is to fill with items to give work, self help and respect to the most needy.

Items need not be in good condition, the intent is for the recipients to derive achievement putting into good working order and then use to ply a trade or grow food for their families.

Please sort through the loft, garage and garden shed to bring out those long forgotten items and pass over to Peter. All will be most gratefully received and distributed by trusted contacts, made on previous visits associated with the war orphans and widows projects.

(Posted 23.08.08)

2009 Calendar

To Benefit Rotary Foundation

It's that time of year again to book your 2009 calendar and in the process boost Rotary's ability to help those in need.

Costing a reasonable Ł3.50 each, please reserve your copies by contacting Chair of International Committee Peter Ricketts.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Guest Speaker Michael Moore

Energy: Past, Present and Future

Our guest speaker on Wednesday 20th August was Michael Moore, a retired Senior Mechanical Engineer with the CEGB and member of the Rotary Club of Ripley & Send.

Michael gave an interesting presentation on energy sources starting with coal going through oil and north sea gas and ending with comparing nuclear, wind, wave, tide and sun as hope for the future.

With our traditional sources of natural gas and oil depleting fast, Michael emphasised the strategic importance of taking very seriously the need to find additional sources of energy. The balance of supply and demand is now in the hands of Russia who control more than half of the world's known reserves of natural gas. To compound matters much of the world's oil reserves exist in regions of political instability.

The government see nuclear power, which extracts usable energy through nuclear fission, as one of the best alternative options available. Currently 15% of the world's energy needs are met from nuclear source.

Utility-scale reactors heat water to produce steam, which drives turbines to generate electricity.

The primary environmental impacts of nuclear power include Uranium mining, radioactive effluent emissions, and waste heat.

Nuclear power does not produce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, NO2) directly, but the nuclear fuel cycle produces them indirectly, though at much smaller rates than fossil fuels.

Further environmental issues are disposal of nuclear waste, station decommissioning and the catastrophic effects of a major incident. The planning, design, construction and bedding in spans many years. Also requires expertise from outside the UK to achieve.

No surprising then, that projects utilizing the power of the wind are forging ahead. A 20-turbine wind farm is speedy in establishment, utilizes UK expertise, manufacturers and construction contractors. and can generate enough electricity (about 1MW) for a small town.

A current planning thorn is their massive size and most efficient locations, generally in areas of outstanding beauty. Off-shore costs significant more in construction and infrastructure for transportation of the energy to the consumer.

Harnessing wave power is non-polluting. The turbines, although unsightly, are quiet and do not affect wildlife. Wave heights vary considerably and as such cannot produce consistent supplies.

However a wide rise and fall of the tide can produce electricity at relatively low cost but low in power.

Unfortunately the barrages across river estuaries can change the flow of water, silt deposits and habitat for wildlife.

Most interesting was the concept of using the sun for meeting future energy needs. Solar energy is renewable, non-polluting and relatively maintenance free. Every year the Earth receives exceptionally vast amounts of solar energy. It is this energy that drives processes in the atmosphere that cause the wind, waves, ocean currents and photosynthesis in plants.

Ultimately, the Sun is the greatest energy resource available. Engineers envisage a future with vast Solar Stations in equatorial regions, such as the Sahara!

These could easily be 100 miles square and able to generate enough electricity to supply all of Europe's forecasted future power needs.

(Posted 23.08.08)

The Rotary Club of Lewes Barbican

Visit to Rectory Ales Brewery

Wednesday 24th September : 6:30pm.

A conducted tour of the Rectory Ales Brewery at Plumpton, near Lewes. The profits of this tiny brewery, run by the rector, help meet the overheads of three local churches.

Ł5 including samples and sandwiches.

Contact Club Sec. Valerie Maslen on 01273 478581 for more detail or to reserve a place.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Hundreds Take on Rotary Bikini Challenge

More than 300 women accepted a Rotary challenge by braving the British weather and stripped down to their bikinis to be photographed on a Teesside beach.

The event raised over Ł1,500 for the Great North Air Ambulance, but failed to beat the existing world record of 1010 women in bikinis which was set on Bondi Beach, Australia, in September 2007.

Mike Robson, chair of fundraising at the Rotary Club of Middlesbrough Erimus, said: 'The Rotary club traditionally do dances and quizzes, it's all the same, I thought it's time to do something different'.

Historically, the bikini is more than 1,700 years old, featuring on mosaics dating from 300AD at the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, which depict girls exercising in bikinis.

In more recent times 'Le bikini', a suit of four triangles made from only 30 inches of fabric, made its debut in Paris in 1946.

However it was not until 1957, when Brigitte Bardot appeared in her bikini in the film 'And God Created Woman' that it took off as a fashion item at the resort of St Tropez, her adopted home town.

In 1960 Brian Hyland was to achieve chart success with his novelty recording 'Itsy-Bitsy Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini'.

In 1962 Playboy first featured a bikini on its cover and Ursula Andress appeared out of the surf in the first Bond movie Dr. No.

It was a full two years later before a bikini was to feature on the cover of USA Sports Illustrated, and in so doing giving it respectability across the Atlantic.

By 1966, when Raquel Welch's animal skin two- piece come to the screen in 'One Million Years BC', the bikini had become run of the mill.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Astrology
24th August - 23rd September
Virgos

Many cultures have seen this cluster as a female form. She has represented Ishter, Isis, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, in India the mother of Krishna and to medieval Christians the Virgin Mary.

Virgo was one of the earliest constellations to be named and appears in Ptolemy's initial list of 48 catalogued in the second century. Conspicuous because of the four visible stars forming a squared area and being the largest of the twelve constellations.

In astrology the virgin represents chastity rather than virginity therefore Virgoans are associated with strong moral principals, respected for their humanitarian qualities in endeavoring to alleviate suffering and to further the cause of injustice.

Career minded, many are workaholics finding relaxation difficult. The typical Virgoan is a perfectionist, a walking encyclopedia, with an annoying tendancy to fault find and quibble over trifles. Many are keep fit fanatics some with a tendancy to be hypochondriacs.

Not sexually strong but appealing to the opposite sex, shy and reserved. Not an easy partner in marriage, some are unwilling to take on responsibilities but in the main faithful, tidy in habit and showing consideration.

Patient with the determination to master new skills. Respecting the future they look far ahead making contingency plans and saving for a rainy day.

An Earth sign ruled by Mercury, the Virgo man prefers intellectual forms of entertainment, the Virgo woman presents an immaculate appearance of self and home, the Virgo child is a credit to their parents in good behaviour and academic study.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Figure Of Speech 7 : One and all?

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

It's an ill wind that blows no one any good.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?

As one door closes, another one opens.	At one another's throats.	One jump ahead.
One swallow doesn't make a summer.	Look after number one.	Rolled into one.
Sleep with one eye open.	One man and his dog.	One more time.
In one ear and out the other	One for the pot.	One stop shop.
More than one string to your bow.	At one fell swoop.	One on one.
What with one thing and another.	Back to square one.	In one piece.
Here's one I prepared earlier.	One armed bandit.	You are a one.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Hubble 4: The Veil Nebula

Another spectacular image taken by the Hubble space telescope.

The Veil Nebula is the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred about 5 - 10,000 years ago, with the remnants expanding since then. It is located 1,400 light years away in the constellation of Cygnus.

The intertwined rope-like filaments of gas in the Veil Nebula result from the enormous amounts of energy released as the fast-moving debris from the explosion ploughs into its surroundings and creates shock fronts.

These shocks, driven by debris moving at 600,000 kilometres per hour, heat the gas to millions of degrees. It is the subsequent cooling of this material that produces the brilliantly coloured glows.

(Posted 23.08.08)

Guildford's Town Market : Past and Present

In 1257 a Charter was passed allowing Guildford to hold a market and fair. In 1597 plots were laid out along the High Street for the livestock sales which remained up to 1865 when the expanding commerce along the High Street required the market to be relocated to The Lower Back Side, now known as North Street.

By 1895 the growth of North Street required the livestock market be relocated to Woodbridge Road but the stall holders element was retained. The livestock market was again moved by Guildford Council in the early 70's to Slyfield Green operating up to it's ultimate closure in 2002, ending for local farmers over 500 years of tradition.

The initial Charter is still in place and enacted by the North Street Market traders each Friday and Saturday. The exceptionally high pavement to overlook the late 1800's livestock pens still remains and is used by the fruit and vegetable stalls to display wares.

(Posted 23.08.08)

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