Category: Resources

In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd recaps the talk by Alec Jones, Principal of Dragon Spring Taiji School of Taiji and Qigong.

Alec told us that Daoism – sometimes spelled Taoism – is many things: a religion, a philosophy, and a way of life.

Laozi was an educated man living in China in the 6th century. He was a keeper of archives in the capital of China, able to read lots of information and gain a lot of knowledge. He felt he’d seen enough corruption in the way the country was run and decided to move to the mountains. The guard at the border asked why he’d made the decision and, after talking, the guard asked him to write down some of his words of wisdom. This became the Tao Te Ching and was 5,000 Chinese characters. It consisted of succinct mystical phrases called chapters and there were 81 chapters (some very short). It demonstrated his wisdom. Many people saw it as the way to govern a country.

Continue reading “Event Report: Daoism – going with the flow – April 16th, 2024”

In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd recaps the talk by Professor Colin Kelcey, FRS, FRSS, FLS, MRI, about the intriguing and remarkable life of Erasmus Darwin.

Erasmus Darwin was the grandfather of Charles Darwin. Colin showed us a picture of him by the painter Joseph Wright of Derby. Erasmus was a ‘porky’ man who lived from 1731 to1802. He lived at a time when there was lots going on politically and socially. He was one of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment.

Continue reading “Event Report: Erasmus Darwin – “The Everything Man” – March 19th, 2024”

In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd recaps Susie’s talk about the organisation’s work to help, inform and support people in and around Ludlow.

Hands Together Ludlow (HTL) is a registered charity located at 15 Lower Galdeford, Ludlow. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Susie O’Hagan, Operations Manager, explained that the charity identifies gaps and supports people to help themselves.

Continue reading “Event Report: A talk by Susie O’Hagan of Hands Together Ludlow, November 21st, 2023”

Humanists take part in Ludlow ceremony

Members of the Ludlow and Marches Humanists took part in the wreath laying at Ludlow Peace Memorial on Remembrance Sunday, November 12th, 2023.

An informal talk by Father Christopher Walsh
April 18th, 2023

In this event report, Ludlow and Marches Humanists Chair Malcolm Rochefort reflects upon the insightful talk by Father Walsh about Pope Francis and his influence on the Catholic Church.

Father Christopher Walsh, of the Catholic Church of St Peter’s in Ludlow, kindly agreed to give us a talk on ‘Why is Pope Francis special?’. We had the impression, as observers of the Roman Catholic Church from the outside, that Pope Francis had brought something different to the church over the past few years, and his views did not appear to be universally appreciated within the church, so we appreciated an insider’s view on this.

Continue reading “Event Report: Why is Pope Francis special?”

A talk by Igor Kennaway, local pianist, conductor and music teacher
21st March, 2023

In this event report, Ludlow and Marches Humanists Chair Malcolm Rochefort, offers his perspective on Igor’s absorbing multi-media exploration of music.

Igor now lives locally in Wigmore, and is a conductor, pianist and music lecturer. He graduated in history from Pembroke College, Cambridge, and then received a Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust bursary to attend the Royal Academy of Music. During that time he was mentored and became lifelong friends with Vaughan Williams’ widow Ursula Vaughan Williams.

Continue reading “Event Report: Music is the language of our silence”

In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd summarises John’s talk about his experiences as a humanist celebrant

John’s journey

John was brought up with a Baptist mother and was baptised when he was 16. His church was part of the ‘Jesus’ movement. When at Sheffield University he joined the Christian Union but lost his faith and became strongly not religious.

His career was in IT and management consultancy. When he retired, he thought what now? He was attracted to humanism and checked on the website that he was indeed a humanist. He felt he could use his skills of presentation and experience of meeting people to become a humanist celebrant and looked into the training.

Continue reading “Event Report: February 21st meeting with John Leaman – an Introduction to Humanist ceremonies”

Humanists UK launches a new membership recruitment drive, fronted by an animated film from its patron, Stephen Fry

As well as being an actor, broadcaster, director, and writer, Stephen Fry is also a humanist, and a proud patron of Humanists UK.

In this new video, Stephen looks at the work Humanists UK does to help people live full, satisfying lives without religion. From campaigning for an education system free from discrimination, to providing popular humanist weddings, as well as pastoral care in hospitals and prisons, humanists work for the good of everyone to promote a fairer society.

Joining Humanists UK is an opportunity to engage with a thriving community of like-minded people who think for themselves and act for everyone.

For more information, please visit: humanists.uk/join

Humanists take part in Ludlow ceremony

On Remembrance Day, 13th November 2022, a small group of us gathered at the Ludlow War Memorial and we laid a wreath on behalf of the Ludlow and Marches Humanists.

In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd summarises the fascinating and topical talk given by Dr. Kelcey about the history of vaccination.

Colin has spent the last two years working with the Oxford AstraZeneca team. The team mutually supported each other by phone. Someone hacked a member’s phone and obtained the numbers of all the team. Team members were rung, often at very inconvenient times, haranguing them and calls were often very abusive. E-mails were also sent to the team members in a similar vein. Colin started to look into the anti-vax movement.

Continue reading “Event report: October 18th meeting with Dr. Colin Kelcey – Blossom and the Origins of the Anti-Vax Movement”