Club Speakers 2014/15

Laurie here pictured with
Birstall Luddite Rotarians
Robert Jackson
and Bill Hildred,
at the Birstall Summer Fair.

(Photo courtesy of
Luddite Rotarian John Logan)

Laurie is 67 years of age and has been Town Crier for only four of them.  He took up the hobby
to keep his mind active,
and importantly, to reinstate a sense of civic pride as well as keeping alive the history, heritage,
and the pageantry involved in this tradition.
Laurie is deaf and finds that Town Crying is the perfect hobby as only one person speaks at
once, and usually quite loudly!
Laurie has been awarded second place three times in Town Crier contests. Third place,
also three times, including last year's British Championship and has been
awarded Best Dressed Crier also three times
as well as winning  Best Content of Cry three times. He has been awarded Best
Ambassador once.
Not bad for a crier who has only been active four years.

"John Broadhead, assisted by Jo Broadhead, gave a talk about his father's
First World War experiences. John based his talk on a diary of 1916
kept by his father, George William Broadhead.

 George Broadhead enlisted in the 18th West Yorkshire Regiment
(known as the Second Bradford Pals) in March 1915 and served in the Army until his
discharge in June 1919. George saw active service in Egypt and
France and was present at the Battle of the Somme when his battalion suffered
70% casualties in the attack on 1 July 1916.   

 John illustrated his talk with a selection of contemporary and current day
photographs and maps and extracts from the diary were read to highlight
notable events."

Club Speaker Mon 29th Sept.
John Mitchell

Club Speaker Mon 20th Oct
Paul Gee

Our speaker on the 20^th October was Paul Gee who has
had 20 years experience as a fireman working in the
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service. He now runs a
company called Blaze Fire Safety which specialises in
fire safety training, equipping employees
in a workplace with the skills required to be a
fire marshal. He talked to the our members about
 fire awareness and safety in the home
. Using a video he showed us how quickly a fire
can spread in the home. He informed us
about the most common causes of house
fires and outlined some basic precautions we can
take to keep us safe.
He also showed us a new style of fire extinguisher which,
although is water based, can be used on most kinds of fire,
including electrical.

York Ainsty member Issy Sanderson, coordinator of the workshops says "These kits change lives! We are proud that our Rotary club is supporting these workshops and thereby promoting education and equal opportunities for girls in Nepal"

Club Speaker Mon 26th January Bill Powley RNIB volunteer

“Being diagnosed doesn’t mean the end to someone’s life. People with dementia can live well for a long time.

“There are more referrals coming through, and more support systems being set up. Bradford is doing a lot of work in areas such as memory clinics and the dementia advisory service, which is working well in South Asian communities.”
Paul explained dementia is an illness that that attacks the brain. It is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes.
Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way.

President Jerry with Paul

Alzheimer's disease - This is the most common cause of dementia. Brain cells are surrounded by an abnormal protein and their internal structure is also damaged. In time, chemical connections between brain cells are lost and some cells die. Problems with day-to-day memory are often noticed first, but other symptoms may include difficulties with: finding the right word, solving problems, making decisions, or perceiving things in three dimensions.
Vascular dementia - If the oxygen supply to the brain is reduced because of narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, some brain cells become damaged or die. This causes vascular dementia.The symptoms can occur either suddenly following one large stroke or over time through a series of small strokes or damage to small blood vessels deep in the brain. The symptoms vary and may overlap with those of Alzheimer's disease. Many people have difficulties with problem solving or planning, thinking quickly and concentrating.

Paul thanked Paul Smithson for his interesting talk and Rotarians asked questions about the Alzheimer's Society and dementia that affects so many people and families.

  LINKS - Alzheimer's Society

Alzheimer's Association - Explore Our Global Alzheimer's‎

Alzheimer's Society SHOP