Our next Open Meeting is on Monday 16th October 2023 at the Bowling Club in Abbey Lane. Doors open at 1:45 pm for a 2:30 pm start. The speaker will be Mr Fran Sandham and his talk is entitled “Dr Livingstone I Presume”.
The story behind the legendary meeting in Africa in 1871 between the missing explorer Dr David Livingstone and the ambitious news reporter Henry Morton Stanley. How their meeting proved to be the newspaper scoop of the century, bringing Stanley world fame and notoriety; the widespread controversy, hostility and personal ridicule Stanley faced on his return to Europe and America after finding Livingstone; why their meeting was such a sensational news story – and why Stanley’s four words became the most famous greeting in history.
Lecturer and author Fran Sandham walked across Africa solo from coast to coast, from Namibia’s Atlantic Coast to the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar. This three-thousand mile journey was the first time on record anyone had crossed Africa solo entirely on foot by this route. A very experienced speaker with many glowing testimonials, Fran’s talks are uplifting, humorous and personal with issues of inspiration, motivation, achievement, setting goals, overcoming obstacles, and travel writing itself.
Fran has given well over 400 lectures in recent years across the UK and abroad at literary festivals, geographical and lecture societies, at U3As and Probus clubs, and at high-profile events such as the Sunday Times Literary Festival at Oxford University and the Times Destinations Travel Show at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. He has lectured on travel writing at the University of Winchester and also been a guest on over thirty national and regional radio stations including Radio 4’s ‘Excess Baggage’ programme and Radio 5 Live. As a freelance author he has written for many newspapers, magazines and travel publications in the UK and abroad, including the Daily Telegraph, Observer and Financial Times.
There will be the usual free refreshments and raffle, plus plenty of socialising – so come along for an entertaining afternoon.
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