Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Members slides: we had a veritable marathon of Globetrotters showing slides. Part 1 included Dan Buckman showing slides on Belgium and Poland; Ernest Flesch showing slides on how people make their living: rice growing in China and Sumatra, threshing, picking and fanning rice; rubber tapping in Sri Lanka, and oxen pilled water wheel in Rajasthan and tobacco farmers in Yemen. Jean Clough, the Globetrotter gate keeper and more, showed slides on the funeral pyre of the grandson of the last king of Bali and regaled us with some of the more ghoulish facts on how bodies are burned.. Phil Koniotes, always good for excellent slides and anecdotes showed us some fabulous slides of fish. Not just ordinary fish, but sharks, huge bump head wrasses, parrotfish cocoons, unicorn fish and er…porcelain toilets. The Beetle was on the edge of her seat, salivating and counting the days to her next dive trip!

Part 2 consisted of Philip (The Whisperer) Ferguson who showed us slides of vintage cars and lorries and a train with Australia written on the side…in Cuba. Peter Mann started off with some slides of pubs in London called The Globe, yes, we know, any excuse Pete! He then sobered up and we visited a series of structurally and visually amazing bridges in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Dick (Curtis) made a couple of appearances at the projector and showed us a series of slides, all of which he reckoned had St Pauls in them. After much good humoured derision, he handed over to Jacqui (Trotter) his erstwhile stand in who finished the Members Slide show with some pictures of Tasmania and lots of people riding penny farthings…

Saturday 1st September

Next on 1st September, we have Beth Wooldridge talking on “My Many India's”, as a tourist, traveller, student, travel-author, and woman – Beth's experiences around the sub-continent were often coloured by her different guises. After the break, Justin Marozzi will give a talk on “The Slave Routes of the Libyan Sahara”, retracing the ancient routes totalling 1500 miles, 1200 of which were by camel. Justin is also the author of “South of Barbary” a story of the expedition.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back on Saturday 1^st September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotter Info.line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/

On Saturday, July 14th, we had the fabulous Yuan Li, a Professor Emeritus from Rutgers University and author of several books on photography. He gave a spectacular slide show about China! Breathtaking photos from Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian. He truly captured the beauty of the people as well as the terrain and helped educate all of us on where to go and what
to see in China. A true inspiration to us all!

Due to all of our summer travelling, there will be no August Meeting, but next month, on September 8^th, we hope to have a talk from Toni Kamis, the well-traveled journalist who has written several travel books and articles

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

A quick reminder that the Globetrotters annual picnic is at Meaford, Ont. (on Georgian Bay), it will be held at Vera Blowers' on Saturday, August 11, 2001. Arrive on Saturday (August 11) around 10:30-11 am. You are welcome to stay over till Sunday & camp in her huge backyard. For the less hardy, Vera has a couple of spare beds.

All are welcome! Car pools will be arranged.

If you would like more information on the picnic, car pools and Ontario meetings, please contact: Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca tel. 416-503-2933, Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911, or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of September and November,January, March, May (with the next meeting on September 21) Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

Christina in Texas is to hold her second Globetrotter meeting at the at the New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common Street in New Braunfels, Texas. from 3 – 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 11, 2001.

Gerri Wright, from Hastings Book Store will present a review of Travel Books and Tour Guide Books and Trish Ross will discuss Practical Pre-Trip Planning Tips.

Christina’s advice is to come early so you won't be late! The Beetle’s is – come early and eat all the cookies! Handouts and refreshments will be available. Anybody want to help Christina or enquire about meetings, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk