MELKSHAM Probus Club held their monthly lunch at the Kings Arms Hotel on Tuesday 1st August.
The after-lunch speaker was Mr David Grump who gave a most interesting and informative talk on the Falkland Islands. It was news to most members that the Falklands consist of over 700 islands and inhabited by over 2,000 people, plus a further 2,000 military personal.
Since the Falkland War, the islanders have been forced to become more self-sufficient as contact with Argentina is very limited. The main source of income is from sheep production and an increasing amount of tourism, with cruise ships calling in at Port Stanley. There is, however, considerable support from the military base.
An interesting statistic is that, apart from Port Stanley, there are no trees. Mr Grump provided some excellent close up pictures of a variety of wild birds and they have very little fear of man. Similarly, close contact with penguins and turtles are quite normal. Another unusual feature is that there are no wild animals on the islands.
There were plenty of questions asked and the meeting was brought to a close by thanking Mr Grump for an excellent talk.
Probus lunches are held on the first Tuesday of the month at the Kings Arms Hotel and the speaker for September will be Mr David Head who will be talking about Scapa Flow.
New members are always welcome. Please contact the secretary Keith Gibbons on 01225 705641.
