Talk Catalogue

Ascension Island is a remote military base in the tropical Atlantic. On this island, the seabirds are magical with little fear of people. With the aid of stunning images, Dr John Hughes tell stories of the island’s history, its seabirds, the introduced land birds, and the marine environment.
Talk length - 42 minutes.

John was a professional soldier and travelled the world. He has a passion for birds and lifelong learning. He achieved a PhD aged 69. John is married with 5 children and lives in Hampshire.

Melanie Gibson-Barton brings to life the well known and certainly the less well known First World War sites in a themed way that will appeal to all elements of the audience.

Talk length - 41 minutes.

From being an enjoyable part-time ‘hobby’ the repeat bookings for Melanie Gibson-Barton's talks grew to such an extent that she gave up her 'day job' to become a full-time speaker. Many of her talks have been commissioned by previous audiences for commemorative occasions. You can be confident of a high quality presentation. Melanie's website features just some of the lovely testimonials that she has gratefully received - www.toonstelling.com

This talk describes the 22 year development of Cascades Gardens, a beautiful four acre garden in Bonsall, Derbyshire. Inspired by Japanese gardens, Alan Clements discusses the construction and planting of the garden in his attempt to create a natural garden for peace and relaxation. Photos of the wild landscape 40 years ago and other before and after pictures are shown. Gardening issues are discussed and there are pictures of the cascades, the nursery and flowers throughout the seasons.

Talk length - 47 minutes.

Alan Clements - A speaker on gardening subjects and travels in Tibet. Vice President of the Tibet Society and Relief Fund working on charity projects in India. Always a keen gardener having developed Cascades Gardens, the Meditation garden in Bonsall, Matlock,Derbyshire. Open to the public see www.cascadesgardens.com and blog www.gardenforwellbeing.com

A wide-ranging talk appealing to garden lovers and walkers - and arm-chair gardeners! See the distinctive style of Flemish gardening - and lots more - in this colourfully illustrated talk.

Talk length - 34 minutes.

From being an enjoyable part-time ‘hobby’ the repeat bookings for Melanie Gibson-Barton's talks grew to such an extent that she gave up her 'day job' to become a full-time speaker. Many of her talks have been commissioned by previous audiences for commemorative occasions. You can be confident of a high quality presentation. Melanie's website features just some of the lovely testimonials that she has gratefully received - www.toonstelling.com

Seabird populations on the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Ascension Island have declined dramatically. With the aid of stunning images, Dr John Hughes reveals how a team of citizen scientists have discovered some of the causes of the decline and ways of restoring the seabird population.

Talk length - 49 minutes.

John was a professional soldier and travelled the world. He has a passion for birds and lifelong learning. He achieved a PhD aged 69. John is married with 5 children and lives in Hampshire.