There seems to be no end to the interesting information with which our Chairman can delight us. On this day, November 16th, 1979, Anthony Blunt was named the Fourth Man in the Cambridge Spy Saga. On this day in 1992 the fabulous Roman Hoxne Horde was discovered in Suffolk.

Pauline Rowson, the South Coast’s very own mystery crime writer, spoke at our November Coffee Morning. She has written six marine mysteries featuring D I Andy Horton, and two stand-alone thrillers. All her novels feature the Solent, Hayling Island, Portsmouth Harbour, and the Isle of Wight. Pauline explained that this was a varied and colourful background in which to develop her plots.

How interesting it was to hear how an incident at work, an overheard snippet of conversation, a passerby, or an unusual sight, can be a seed from which a story can mature. Once the seed is sown, Pauline uses spidergrams to build characters and plots. Photographs of locations, houses, and work places are collected. Times of tides, sunrise and sunset, and technical details are listed meticulously. An interesting talk giving rise to many questions from the floor, and a queue to purchase copies of her books.

We were sorry to hear of the death of long-time member Derek Strange. There will be a service at the Crematorium at 12.30 pm on November 23rd. The last outing of the year is to the American Museum and Bath Christmas Market on November 25th.