Henley Probus Club

THE chairman welcomed club members and visitors to the 514th meeting of Henley Probus Club and, following a short business update including reports from the treasurer and secretary, there was a minute’s silence while all members reflected on the recent and sudden death of our former chairman Tony Brown.

The chairman then introduced our guest speaker Luke Degan who gave a talk entitled “Enoch — what a man”.

The talk, assisted by a detailed slide presentation, covered the life of Enoch Powell, who was a very prominent politician and scholar. He was born in Birmingham in 1912 and attended King Edward’s School before going to Trinity College, Cambridge.

He became an excellent multilingual scholar who acquired many educational awards and honours, including a professor at University of Sydney at the age of 35. He joined the army in 1939 and became an MBE in 1943.

Powell entered politics in 1950 and became Conservative MP for Wolverhampton. It was at this stage that he started to become known as a very controversial character. It was in 1968 that he gave his famous “Rivers of Blood” speech.

His views on immigration, anti-EEC and common market made him very unpopular in the Conservative Party leading to his “defection” to the Ulster Unionist Party.

Many of the concerns he expressed are still major concerns today. Powell died of Parkinson’s disease in 1988, aged 85.

The talk concluded with questions from the audience followed by a very warm message of thanks and appreciation from club members.

Henley Probus meets at Badgemore Park Golf Club on the second Tuesday of each month.

It starts with an informal gathering at 10.45am of its members (plus visitors) for a discussion and coffee. The formal meeting commences at 11.30am, followed by a lunch.

There is also a regular but very informal monthly breakfast meeting also meets at Badgemore Park.

If anyone is interested in joining the club, please visit henleymensprobus.org.uk/ contact-us/ or make themselves known to any member they know, or to Roger Griffiths, our membership secretary, on (01491) 575137 or regriffiths44@gmail.com

Roger Roberts