Teignmouth Probus Club’s 1st monthly meeting was disrupted by a car transporter fire on the M55 so the Cyber Crime talk by speaker Mike Harrison was postponed and at very short notice our secretary, John Polley dashed home to pick up his computer kit and presented a YouTube talk by Dr. Robert Ballard on how the RMS Titanic wreck was discovered. Prof. Robert Ballard led a joint American-French expedition that discovered the RMS Titanic wreck on September 1, 1985, using the Argo submersible to scan the ocean floor and follow a debris trail. The discovery was initially a part of a secret US Navy mission to locate sunken nuclear submarines, using the lesson that the debris trail of the submarines led them to their locations. After finding the Titanic's boiler and then the hull, Ballard sent the first images of the wreck back to the surface, confirming the discovery. This talk can be viewed in full on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q3eA6wYil4. Members showed great appreciation for John Polley’s quick thinking and resourcefulness. The fascinating presentation kept everyone engaged, awakening interest about maritime exploration and the enduring mysteries of the Titanic. For our second meeting Mr Phil Badcott gave us a talk and presentation about the rise and fall  of Sir Walter Raleigh our local Devon hero born in 1552 in Hayes Barton, East Budleigh educated at Oxford University aged 14 who, with the influence of his half brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert rose in the court of Queen Elizabeth I becoming a royal favourite with his soft Devon accent and clear speech.

He was honoured with appointments as 1st commoner to be Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Vice Admiral of Devon & Cornwall, Lord Warden of Stannaries’, and Captain of the Queen’s Guard and knighted in 1584. He had many naval adventures against the Spanish Armada and the Spanish Fleet at Cadiz and  particularly to the Americas including the search for the gold of El Dorado up the Orinoco River in South America, which from hero to villain, became his downfall. It was through this final exploit in that search for gold that he defied a royal order not to attack the Spanish which his retinue did ‘big time’ leading to his arrest, incarceration in the Tower of London and his public execution on 29th October 1618 during the reign of James 1st  for treason. Whilst in prison in 1614 he published a 1354 page book about ‘The History of The World’. Sir Walter Raleigh was a most remarkable individual, a man of his times.

Following a lively Q&A, past Chairman (2019) David Jeffery gave an enthusiastic vote of thanks.

Posted by Press Officer Rick Purnell