The River Thames is reclaiming its lost floodplain back; putting, heritage and wildlife at threat as flood risk increases. Guest speaker Laura Nee will be explaining the 'Rewilding Arcadia’ project. A new project from the Thames Landscape Strategy to deliver a series of nature-based flood management projects designed to restore the lost floodplain. By adopting this approach, water, people, heritage and wildlife can be re-connected with the natural cycles of the Thames – whether in normal times, during a flood or a drought. The Arcadian Thames should be resilient to flooding, however, previous land use decisions have seen much of the wildness of the floodplain lost through historic modifications. As a result, the floodplain’s capacity to function during a flood has been greatly reduced. The river is reclaiming its lost floodplain back; putting, heritage and wildlife at threat as flood risk increases.

Guest speaker Sue Pennison from the Old Gaffers based in the Solent.

Our annual photographic competition, ably organised by Derek Fowler, takes place this evening. The judge this year is Paul Waller, Associate of the Royal Photographic Society. Paul is Chairman of Kingston Camera Club and produces some excellent photographic work, including amazing 360-degree panoramas of ornate ceilings. Paul has kindly agreed to show us examples of his work in the second half of the evening

Guest speaker Chris Roche (in the yellow jacket) has shantied across the seven seas for much of the last 40 years just like his mentor the late Stan Hugill and was inspired by Stan to go to sea in traditional square rigged ships to find out how the shanty might have been used at sea in a modern age this was not as easy as one might think. Chris hopes to encourage others with his tale of adventure. Way back in 1991 Chris joined the square rigger Søren Larsen known to any who have seen the Onedin Line, currently being rerun on Talking Pictures TV, for her voyage across the great Southern Ocean Sydney to Montevideo being driven engineless by the wind alone. This then is the story in an illustrated talk of that voyage across the vast 7000 mile expanse Auckland to the Falkland Islands. A shanty here and there and the odd salty story add the flavour of the sea.