Probus Talk – The Great Exhibition of 1851

The Probus Club welcomed John Brearley this month who gave a presentation on The Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Arts & Crafts Movement. The backdrop of the Exhibition was the UK, then with a population of some 16 million people which was going through a period of extreme poverty, chronic illnesses, with many parts of the country in a dire condition. It was felt that an exhibition which outlined the various arts and crafts that existed in the country would help lift the population. This had the support of Prince Albert, who worked tirelessly on a plan for the exhibition, which eventually took place in Hyde Park, London  at a venue named Crystal Palace, and became an international and world fair to unite nations and encourage economic growth through international trade. The exhibition lasted 5 months and contained c 100,000 exhibits from over 13,000 exhibitors from all over the world covering materials, industry, and inventions. The exhibition also portrayed UK in a strong position on the world stage.

The Chairman thanked John for his presentation which was warmly appreciated by the members.

The next events to be held are a visit to the Mill at Sonning on March 29 (to include a dinner) and see Hay Fever, a Breakfast get together at Badgemore Park in April and a cruise on the Thames in May – all events to include members plus guests. A programme of events for the whole of 2023 is in place.

Henley Probus meets at Badgemore Park on the second Tuesday of each month; it starts with an informal gathering of its members (plus Visitors) for a discussion and coffee, with the formal meeting commencing at 1130 followed by a lunch. Each meeting normally includes a presentation from a guest speaker, and it is planned that the next meeting, to be held on April 11 will be a talk from Gerald Seaman on ‘My Musical Life in Russia’.

If anyone is interested in joining the men’s Henley Probus, please make themselves known to Roger Griffiths our Membership Secretary (01491 575137/email regriffiths@waitrose.com) or to any Club member that you may know.