The Society's Last Meeting

Saturday 19th July 2008, in Hastings..

This represented a bumper weekend for most members commencing with a tour of Hastings on Friday evening for early arrivers. On Saturday the local town crier gave a rousing start to the day’s proceedings with its accent on the seaside and travel.  John & Thelma Burgess were the first to step forward with their ramble through the Sussex countryside. Then newcomer Richard Baines showed us some watery gems from his collection including a magnificent moving panorama of a lifeboat rescue. Trevor Beattie and Alice continued the theme with lost landscapes of the South Coast.

After lunch Dr Nick Hiley , Head of the British Cartoon Archive, dipped into his secret pocket and showed us some naughty seaside postcards : telling us about the  work of Donald McGill and his run-ins with the local Censorship Committee. Afterwards Ine van Dooren introduced us to the local illustrator and witty lantern entertainer Harry Furniss, with excerpts from some of his rare films.

The grand finale was a show from the ever-popular Delia and Peter Gillies. In the evening there was a supper with live music.

On Sunday morning the Gillies were the hosts at a splendid lunchtime barbecue at their home in the heart of the Sussex countryside and for those who still wanted more, there was a public lantern show performance at the local Stables Theatre, presented by  ‘Professor’ Mervyn Heard, Irene and Alan Marriott and Juliette Harcourt.