Lunch time ZOOM meeting - Alan Maskell about Beatrix Potter

On Thursday 29th July 2021 in the absence of President Brian Johnson, JVP Iain Oates welcomed 19 Club Rotarians and guest speaker Alan Maskell to this lunch time meeting held by ZOOM.

Today’s meeting was our first business meeting albeit on ZOOM since the Presidential handover on 24th June. We have had various gatherings since, with a visit and an afternoon tea at Backhouse of Rossie, a BBQ in the gardens of Walter Fletchers house and a visit organised to the Kinghorn Ecology Centre where we have been supporting them in the Old Tools project where they reconditioned old tools for sending abroad to Malawi.

Our speaker this week was Alan Maskell who is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle, with Gold Star. He has performed his magic in a whole host of locations, from London theatres to close-up at The Dorchester, stand up in Covent Garden to front room children's parties. He has performed regularly at Magic Circle events and has made the occasional radio and television appearance.

In 2007, Alan won the originality award and achieved third place in the IBM British Ring Convention, receiving the Alastair Wand. Alan has had his creations published in 'Abra', 'The Linking Ring' and by 'Magical Wonders'. As a former member of The Magic Circle Council and for many years the Chair of Council, Alan received The Silver Wand award from The Magic Circle in 2018. Alan has been an active member of the IBM British Ring committee and the convention Chief Steward for many years and in September 2019, Alan was made President of the IBM British Ring, in recognition of his experience, magical knowledge and dedication to the organisation.  His talk today was about Helen Beatrix Potter born 28 July 1866 and died 22 December 1943) she was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist; she was best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Born into an upper-middle-class household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets and whenever Potter went on holiday to the Lake District or Scotland, she sent letters to young friends, illustrating them with quick sketches. Many of these letters were written to the children of her former governess Annie Carter Moore, particularly to Moore's eldest son Noel who was often ill. In September 1893, Potter was on holiday at Eastwood in Dunkeld, Perthshire. She had run out of things to say to Noel, and so she told him a story about "four little rabbits whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter". It became one of the most famous children's letters ever written and the basis of Potter's future career as a writer-artist-storyteller, developing a love of landscape, flora and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Potter's study and watercolours of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time. Potter wrote thirty books, the best known being her twenty-three children's tales. With the proceeds from the books and a legacy from an aunt, Potter bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey in 1905; this is a village in the Lake District in the county of Cumbria. Over the following decades, she purchased additional farms to preserve the unique hill country landscape. In 1913, at the age of 47, she married William Heelis, a respected local solicitor from Hawkshead. Potter was also a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and a prosperous farmer keenly interested in land preservation. She continued to write and illustrate, and to design spin-off merchandise based on her children's books for British publisher Warne until the duties of land management and her diminishing eyesight made it difficult to continue.

Potter died of pneumonia and heart disease on 22 December 1943 at her home in Near Sawrey at the age of 77, leaving almost all her property to the National Trust. She is credited with preserving much of the land that now constitutes the Lake District National Park. Potter's books continue to sell throughout the world in many languages with her stories being retold in songs, films, ballet, and animations, and her life is depicted in two films and a television series.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by Jim Boyd

This coming week Thursday 5th August 2021 at 1pm on ZOOM we will be a business meeting with fellowship.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.