July 18th Meeting
This month we welcomed a visiting speaker Dr Yi Wang from The Canal and River Trust.
The theme was ‘Wildlife Around Our Canals’ and she explained that they were once busy avenues of commerce and industry and are now bustling corridors of wildlife.
Kingfishers dart low over the water, and herons stalk fish from shadowy banks. Moorhens and swans glide peacefully, while dragonflies shimmer above lily pads. Otters, once rare, are now making a quiet comeback. Reeds and towpaths hide voles, frogs, and butterflies. These tranquil waterways offer shelter, food to countless species—nature’s heartbeat flowing gently alongside human history.
After the break in preparation for our aeroplane flying and rocket launching day at Bestwood Country Park on 15th August, Ian Murray explained how planes fly. Before becoming the ‘Rockin Rev’ Ian worked for 12 years in the aerospace industry, and he managed to make a very difficult concept accessible by his explanation and illustrations.
To summarise:
Planes fly by using lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Air flows faster over the curved top of the wing, creating lower pressure above it—this generates lift. Engines provide thrust to move the plane forward, while drag resists motion. Pilots balance these forces so the plane can climb, cruise, and descend. Precision design and constant airflow turn physics into flight, keeping the aircraft soaring through our skies every day.