Royston and District Probus Club offers retired and semi-retired professional and business people the chance to make new friends, enjoy good conversation and discover new places together.
The club meets on the second Thursday of each month at Royston Golf Club for a drink, lunch and conversation. Every other meeting also features a guest speaker, and regular days out are a popular part of club life.
Chairman Kevin Edmunds welcomed 33 members and guests to the annual Autumn Ladies and Friends Luncheon at Sheene Mill in Melbourn, on a very sunny day to enjoy a three-course lunch, followed by drinks in the sunshine beside the lake. It was a pleasure to receive such a warm and professional welcome from the new owners Levis and Kirsten Mendonca.
At October’s luncheon meeting at Royston Golf Club, members enjoyed a 2-course meal followed by a talk entitled ’ZULU’ by Steve Bird.
Steve has spent several years investigating the Anglo-Zulu war which was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom in southern Africa.
The British High Commissioner Sir Bartle Frere issued an unauthorised ultimatum on December 11th, 1878, demanding that the Zulu dismantle their military system to force the region into a British-controlled confederation.
We learned about The Battle of Isandlwana (January 22nd, 1879): A massive Zulu force of roughly 20,000 warriors launched a surprise attack that overwhelmed and destroyed an overstretched British camp, killing over 1,300 British troops; The Battle of Rorke’s Drift (January 22nd–23rd, 1879): Just hours after Isandlwana, a small British garrison successfully defended a remote mission station against a detached Zulu assault and The Battle of Ulundi (July 4th, 1879): Backed by reinforcements, heavy artillery, and Gatling guns, the British formed a hollow square and decisively defeated the main Zulu army, ending organised resistance.
It was a very thorough and interesting presentation by Steve which kept the audience enthralled.
