At the Quaker Meeting House, Ludlow, on Tuesday 15th February at 7:30 p.m.
Please join us at our next event and be spooked with tales of death and ghostly happenings. Dr. Colin Kelcey, neuroscientist and Fellow of the Royal Institution, will give his talk entitled “Mary’s Warning”. All are welcome.
The committee is also working to firm up the rest of our programme for 2022. We’ll be adding more details to the website as they become available.
Darwin Day Lecture – online or in-person – February 11th, 2022
Professor Alice Roberts, President of Humanists UK, returns as Chair of the Darwin Day Lecture, welcoming Professor Dame Anne Johnson as 2022 lecturer. Professor Johnson – an esteemed epidemiologist, public health specialist, and President of the Academy of Medical Sciences – will speak on People and pathogens: the evolution of infections.
Never before in modern times have the effects of evolution by natural selection been so plain for all to see, or so keenly felt by so many. And never before have so many set out to understand – and debate! – the rights and wrongs of public health messaging, guidance, and restrictions. In this, Professor Dame Anne Johnson is something of an expert. She cut her teeth in epidemiology in the 1980s – when a poorly understood Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) exploded into the world and devastated millions. For almost 40 years since, she has led a distinguished career investigating how infections spread, and how changes in human behaviour can be brought to bear to reduce human suffering.
The 2022 edition of the Darwin Day Lecture will be a hybrid event, held at Conway Hall in London or viewed online.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://humanists.uk/events/darwinday2022/
TV scientist and Humanists UK President giving a talk about her new book, Ancestors
While this isn’t a Humanists event, we thought it would be of interest to our members, or indeed anyone visiting our website.
In addition to being an evolutionary biologist, osteoarchaeologist, author, and broadcaster, Professor Alice Roberts is also President of Humanists UK and the organisation’s most high-profile ambassador.
Professor Alice Roberts will be giving a talk about her new book Ancestors at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbruy on Monday, April 25th, 2022.
Here’s the write-up about the event from the Theatre Severn website:
What can a grave tell us about a person? Did the Neanderthals bury their dead? Why was a man from the Alps buried in Wiltshire, four thousand years ago? How is genetics revolutionising what we know about the deep past? And what does all this mean for us, today?
Professor Alice Roberts takes us on a tour of the most fascinating burials in Britain, with behind-the-scenes insights from digs and filming – and a chance to buy a signed copy of her new book, Ancestors.
“This is a terrific, timely and transporting book – taking us heart, body and mind beyond history, to the fascinating truth of the prehistoric past and the present” – Bettany Hughes
For further details and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://www.theatresevern.co.uk/shows/talks/prof-alice-roberts/
Additional links:
Professor Alice Roberts’ website
Professor Roberts and the team at Humanists UK
Humanists take part in Ludlow ceremony
A group of members of Ludlow and Marches Humanists attended the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony at the Ludlow Peace Memorial on November 14th, 2021.
David Trotter, pictured, laid our wreath in memory of all who gave their lives in conflict.
First in-person meeting for over a year
Just a reminder that the Ludlow and Marches Humanists resume our in-person meetings on Tuesday, October 19th, with our guest speaker Dr. Antony Lempert.
Click this link for full event details
Also, two of our local papers ran items about the meeting: the Ludlow Advertiser (left) and the South Shropshire Journal (right).
“What is Lost”
A talk by Dr. Antony Lempert
Tuesday 19th October 2021
7.30 p.m.
Dr. Lempert explores the impact of the silencing of freethinkers and secular ideas over the centuries and how that affects us still.
Antony is a GP partner in Knighton, Powys. He chairs the Secular Medical Forum (SMF) of the National Secular Society (NSS), an organisation working to protect patients and the wider public from the imposition on them of other people’s beliefs. He is President of the Shropshire division of the British Medical Association (BMA) and, as a BMA representative since 2009, he has engaged in frequent debate about secular and other issues at the BMA’s annual representatives meeting.
The Friends Meeting House
St. Mary’s Lane
Ludlow
SY8 1DZ
All welcome
For more information, please contact:
David Trotter, Chairman of Ludlow and Marches Humanists
Telephone: 01584 872492
E-mail: david215@talktalk.net
Dear Fellow Humanists,
I am sorry to have to tell you that so many members of your committee find that they are double booked, that we have to cancel our meeting planned for Tuesday 21st September. Please accept our apologies for this.
The speaker for that evening was to be Amanda Jones, Director of Shropshire Supports Refugees. We have apologised to Amanda and asked if she will come and be our speaker in March or April next year. Your committee have all agreed to now make personal donations to Amanda’s organisation at what is no doubt an extremely busy time for her.
Our first meeting will therefore be on Tuesday 19th October when our speaker will be Dr Antony Lampert of the National Secular Society. We look forward to meeting again after such a long and difficult time.
Best wishes
David Trotter
Chairman, Ludlow & Marches Humanists
In-person meetings set to resume in September
At our committee meeting held on Saturday 29th May 2021 it was decided to park annual membership for now with the intention of starting it again in April 2022. Expenditure for the group includes hire of the hall, speaker’s expenses and subscriptions to organisations such as Humanists UK. If we find there is not enough money to cover these expenses once meetings commence, we may need to ask for donations. Currently we have £452.01 in our account.
The committee needs one more member to replace Michael Radford who has left Ludlow. If you are interested please contact David Trotter Tel. 01584 872492.
It was decided that our meetings will recommence in September this year and speakers for the first three months are as follows:
| Tuesday September 21st | Refugees Amanda Jones Director, Shropshire Supports Refugees |
| Tuesday October 19th | What is lost Dr. Antony Lempert National Secular Society |
| Tuesday November 16th | Climate Change Dr. Frank Baker |
The Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 17th May 2022.
The venue for these meetings will be the Quakers Meeting Rooms in St Mary’s Lane, Ludlow as before. If there are any social distancing requirements still in place in September we will let you know.
Frances Lloyd
Newsletter editor
Humanist groups from across the West Midlands region are coming together to put on weekly Zoom sessions at 7.30 p.m. every Tuesday during February 2021. Please do join us.
| 2 February | Where are we now? With guest speaker Andrew Copson |
| 9 February | Climate change With guest speaker Richard Norman |
| 16 February | Humanism in action School speakers, SACREs, Dialogue, Pastoral care/chaplaincy, Celebrants |
| 23 February | The future of humanism With guest speaker Andrew Copson |
For more information, e-mail birminghamhumanists@gmail.com
To book your place and receive the Zoom links, contact Mark Taylor at markntaylor@gmail.com
Update: Recordings of the four sessions are available on our website for people to view at their convenience:
February 2nd – Humanism – where are we now?
February 9th – Climate change
February 16th – Humanism in action
February 23rd – The Future of Humanism
Dear Fellow Humanists,
Your committee met on Saturday 5th September to discuss our future in this world of Covid-19. You may recall that our last meeting was on 18th February 2020 and the ensuing lockdown has prevented further meetings, including our AGM which was scheduled for May.
We had hoped to resume meetings with an AGM and speaker in September. The rules, as we understand them, mean that there is a limit of 30 people allowed with two metre social distancing and face masks to be warn. This means that the maximum number allowed in the Quaker Meeting House is nine. Clearly this is a nonstarter and members of the committee will investigate possible alternative venues. Therefore there will be no meeting in September and unless an alternative suitable venue can be found, or the regulations are relaxed, we will plan on resuming our meetings in March 2021.
The present committee of David Trotter – Chairman, Malcolm Rochefort – Vice Chairman, David Flory – Secretary, Juliet Trotter – Treasurer, Jano Rochefort – Membership and Frances Lloyd – Newsletter, are willing to carry on until we are able to hold an AGM. Mike Radford resigned earlier this year. If any member wishes to volunteer to replace Mike please tell me. Secondly if any member objects to the committee continuing please tell me.
Our finances are quite sound and we have not banked the cheques received for 2020 subscriptions which will be destroyed, and direct donations for this year refunded.
Sadly I have to report the death of two valued members, Chris Neal, the wildlife lover with the raptor sanctuary on Clee Hill; and Pam Cusack’s companion, blues/jazz music fan and engineer Maurice Arnold. They will both be missed.
If there is anything further to report I will let you know. In the meantime I wish you all health and happiness in these difficult times. If any member needs any help or assistance please tell me.
Best wishes
David Trotter 10th September 2020
PS. As you will know the new government law limiting meeting numbers to six means there is now no prospect of us resuming meetings for the foreseeable future. DT.
