Members Evening 2017

We had a fascinating evening of talks last night 


Al Reeve started the evening talking on the Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project which sEWBREC are running on behalf of all of us who knew Mary

After an introduction to Mary and her career he gave us a full update on where the project has got to working through the approximately 150,000 records that she captured during her life.

he outlined the work as

• 150000 wildlife records to mine out of 20 boxes of assorted papers,
• 14000 slides to digitise (and recover records from),
• 2 unpublished manuscripts to make available digitally,
• an oral record of Mary’s life to create,
• a website, social media presence and blog to create,
• plus biodiversity events, school/community group visits and led walks to organise and run…

As part of the talk and very much after the talk we were able to share our memories of Mary with Al and Pat and they explained how they want to meet with us again and capture this on tape for use in the archive

Further details can be found in a plethora of online services

https://marygillhamarchiveproject.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MaryGillhamArchive/
https://twitter.com/gillhamarchives
https://www.flickr.com/people/marygillhamarchiveproject/


Paul Bowden went next with some excellent pictures of the Birds he had spotted during a trip to California and Arizona. Clearly these are excellent places to visit and Paul has I am sure inspired a few holiday ideas


Eirian Edwards came next with an intriguing talk entitled "Mainly Orchids" where she showed us the range of Orchids that she has been able to see at home in Wales, in the wider UK and around the world. As the title suggested that wasn't all of it as we were treated to a selection of other plants and animals from the places she explored, especially her favourite place Kenfig Burrows


I brought up the rear with a rapid run through some of the places I have been visiting with work over the last few years. On some of those trips I found a brief time to take a walk and see some wildlife like the wonderful Koishikawa Korakuen which is a beautiful landscape garden from the early Edo Period in Tokyo.

Surrounded by buildings such as the Tokyo Dome in the background, it is a real haven

The Moon Bridge

A few other things to note .. the cafe is now open at the university before the meetings take place and we would very much recommend to people that coming early and sharing a coffee etc and having a chat with your friends is a great way to enhance the evening meetings,

It is possible that the sEWBREC team will make use of these times to record some of your memories of Mary Gillham they will let us know

The other speaker for the night that the Cardiff Naturalists Bioscience Prize which we give in honour of Dr Mary Gillham and Professor Ursula Henriques will be myself giving a talk about exploring Lanzarote both above and underground. For those who know me there will be a lot of pictures to hopefully enjoy. The programme is updated with that information

Regards
Andy Kendall

Mary Gillham talk by Andy Kendall in Penarth - 21 May 2015

FLAT HOLM SOCIETY PUBLIC TALK

“ONCE YOU HAVE SLEPT ON AN ISLAND”

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF MARY GILLHAM

Born in 1921 she was one of the leading naturalists in Wales.  After gaining her doctorate in agriculture and botany at Aberystwyth University, she specialised in island ecology, studying the Welsh islands before moving on to lecture in Britain and abroad.  She was one of the first women scientists in Antarctica and worked on penguin islands in South Africa.  From 1961 she lectured at Cardiff University leading field trips in Britain and abroad, and was a lifelong supporter of Flat Holm.

A talk by Andy Kendall of Cardiff Naturalists' Society

 

To be held in Room 3, The Kymin, Beach Road, Penarth

Thursday evening at 7pm, May 21^st 2015

Suggested donation towards costs of £2/£3

 

www.flatholm society.org.uk                  Help save Flat Holm          

email; flatholm.society@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eulogy to MaryG

Eulogy to Dr Mary Gillham Delivered by Andy Kendall on behalf of Local Nature Societies I, like Mary have had the honour of being the president of the Cardiff Naturalists’ Society and am here to express our deepest respect and our fondness for her Mary was not only one of the most illustrious members of the Cardiff Naturalist’s’, she was one of the most loved . And not just by us, I know that she was loved and respected by all of the local wildlife groups and organizations. Including, the Merthyr Naturalists, the Wildlife Trust, SEWBREC, the Cardiff Park Rangers, the staff from the institutions of the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff and Swansea Universities and of course the National Botanic Gardens of Wales where she was recently honoured as one of the top female botanists of Wales in an exhibition She gave to us all in terms of knowledge, learning, and understanding, and shared enjoyment in discovery Some of us were honoured to be present at her 80th birthday party and we shared with her the highlights of her years of exploring wales and the world. At that event we were entertained to a poem written by her close friend Mairead Sutherland whom’ I know she missed dearly and who’s work I have adapted and would like to present to you here When Mary was born in London town She little knew she’d be renowned For writing books and long-haul travel Her life history I’ll now unravel. When war broke out and food was short She volunteered to do her part And though her work mates thought her barmy She joined the Women’s land Army. She fed the stock and drove the plough Monitored milk yields of the cow. When war was over, tired of monotony She went to ‘Aber’ to study Botany. To write her thesis for her PhD She chose Skokholm in the Irish Sea To study the effects on plants of guano Dear to her heart as we all know. Worldwide postings came her way She stayed a long time from the UK. Five brave lassies of which she was one Sailed to Antarctica, the first ever done. Then Mary felt the call of home Through Africa she did roam She stopped at Robben Island on her way Though with Mandela she couldn’t stay Back then in Wales she joined Extra Mural And taught many students of all things rural With an hour of chat plus one of slides And field trips organized besides. Aldabra called her when rumours rife Said a US base site would cause there strife To the endemic nature living there Mary, when asked, listed all things rare. President and Honoured by Cardiff Nats On Merthyr’s committee she  also sat A founder member of Glamorgan Trust On all their deliberations she was a must. She lectured still and also lead trips From fungus forays and fun pond dips She edited and illustrated our news letter No one did these things better. And in Mary’s cottage on the Garth There was always a welcome at her hearth. In her garden filled with cats and flowers She whiled away many long happy hours. She drew and painted and wrote her books She gardened, entertained and cooked. There was no limit to her gifts Through her life she calmly drifted. With Mairead she travelled through sun and gales Ate ostrich legs and crocodile tails But both martyrs then to hips and knees They cruise more gently on the seas. So here we’ve gathered to celebrate The life and times of our mate To the end keen of brain, though weak of knee The multi-talented Mary G. Some were also able to be with her at her 90th when we had a more intimate celebration where I presented a visual celebration of Mary. I simply entitled it Naturalist, Writer, Artist, And above all Friend MARY GILLHAM Delivered by Rosemanry Hutton,  Mary's goddaughter Mary would want this to be a day that celebrates her life, not a day of mourning and sadness. She was a woman who dealt with the circumstances she found herself in and made the best of them. There was no room in her life for long term regrets, ‘could have been’s or ‘should have been’s. She often told me that in a different era she would love to have been married and had children. Circumstances prevented that happening and she was well aware that by devoting herself to her joy of the natural world sacrifices had to be made.  Mary was my godmother and I would like us to celebrate her life today and for many years to come.  Mary Gillham grew up in a different world from ours. In the 1930’s she went on exciting camping holidays as a child with her parents and brother John, her uncle and aunt and cousins Stella and Marjorie. They drove around Europe by car and camped in rural places without the crowds and restrictions we have now. The war put an end to that freedom, but it opened doors for Mary. She wasn’t happy in her office work as a civil servant, and with the war effort was able to change direction and become a land girl.  The stories she told me were nothing like the fun and loose morals depicted on TV and in the cinema. Mary told me that it was exceptionally hard work, but it gave her a taste for life in the country. After the war, the government gave youngsters who had missed out on a university education, due to their war work, a second opportunity to apply to study there. Mary took advantage of the offer, achieved a first class degree in botany from Aberystwyth University and was launched on her career. When I was a child, I think I was eight, Mary set off on an academic expedition to Australasia which was expected to last for several years. She firmly believed that as my godmother, she should recognise each and every birthday and Christmas with a gift for me. So amidst all of her other preparations, she took the trouble to sort out a whole range of suitable presents from her own possessions  and gave them to my mother to distribute at the appropriate time. They included a necklace of African seeds, a wonderful old doll with a china head and a paintbox that she had used for some of her botanic illustrations. The first time I realised the significance and fascination of Mary’s work was when on holiday as a teenager in Wales with my parents and brother Anthony. Mary had recently moved into her Welsh cottage and we visited her there. We were treated to a slide show from her travels and the pictures were superb and truly eye-opening. At the time we didn’t have television at home, and wild life programmes weren’t made anyway, so I had never seen anything remotely like those pictures. Moving the clock on rapidly, Mary was staying with us in Reigate for Christmas when the devastating Asian tsunami struck. She was up and dressed before us on Boxing Day, and quietly watching the TV news in the kitchen. I will never forget her shocked look and white face as she told us the news about what had happened. This was her territory - the natural world. Her extensive travels and insight into how people lived elsewhere, gave her far more insight than us into what the terrible consequences of the tsunami were likely to be. Mary was a born teacher who never stopped sharing her knowledge with others. She liked nothing better than showing off the natural delights of her beloved Wales. I spent an August week with her on my own, and each day she planned different outings and adventures. It was delightfully old-fashioned, like a ‘Famous Five’ story. We even had picnics with jam sandwiches and ginger beer. Mary was a great listener and very open to suggestions. On one of the occasions when Dave and I visited her at her Cottage we noticed how hard it was for her to drive her old car and park it in her very difficult garage. We suggested she change to a modern automatic car with power steering, and within a few weeks she called to say there was a new car on her drive. Old fashioned she may have been in many ways but she never lost her sense of adventure. The highlight of the later part of her life was to be awarded an MBE for her services to natural history. Dave and I were delighted to be invited, together with Anthony, to Mary’s medal ceremony at Buckingham Palace. It was a wonderful occasion, and we were thrilled to be able to share with Mary something which she so clearly enjoyed. I have lost a much loved and admired godmother, my aunt Stella has lost a much loved cousin and we have all lost a friend who has left us a treasure trove of memories, slides , drawings and books that will ensure that her dedication to natural history will never be forgotten.

Dr Mary Gillham 1921 - 2013

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dr Mary Gillham Mary passed away at around 9:30 Saturday 24th March having been taken into hospital from the nursing home she had been in for the last few weeks We all mourn the loss of such an inspirational person. I remember when in my younger days as a member of the society and clearly just a beginner when it came to things botanical I would be taken by the arm and shown plants of many different types and the insects upon them. She never failed to be able to educated and inform in a manner that was also entertaining and inspiring. I never tired of hearing her tales of adventures in Antarctica and such places and I know she enjoyed hearing all our takes of adventures during member’s evenings and the like once her travelling days were over. I know that she was still enjoying her old travels until recently because in the last year I had to help out when her slide projector packed up and she wanted to borrow one so she could keep looking at them. Mary contributed so much to the society over the years as president, editor and speaker and leader of so many walks, and of course as expert being able to identify so many unknown plants that were put up as pictures in many of our talks I know she will be sorely missed. If course it was not just to our society that she contributed, but to Merthyr Nats, the Wildlife trust and many other groups and  it was for these reasons she was rightly recognised in the 2008 Honours with the MBE for services to Nature Conservation in South Wales. Mary never married, wildlife was her first love, but that did not stop her having many close friends and I know many of you also  remember Mairead Sutherland who she shared many adventures with even up into their 80’s they were exploring and causing mayhem wherever they went, of course always with e smile between them. Her books were a feast of information and the fact she was writing and publishing them into her 90’s was simply incredible. To those who do not know Mary as well you will find a page about her on the CNS website at http://cardiffnaturalists.org.uk/htmfiles/maryg.htm on that page you will find a link to a biography and celebration some of our members prepared for her 80th Birthday party. We showed some of this again at her 90th celebration which we combined with our Christmas celebrations in 2011 Andy Kendall

Mary Gillham at the Botanic Gardens

Dr Mary Gillham receiving due recognition for her lifetimes work in the field of botany on International Women's Day at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales from the Director, Dr Rosie Plummer.

Featured alone

And with Mike Dean, Secretary of the CNS who joined her for the event along with Chris Franks our president

Mary has of course a long pedigree of Welsh Studies with a First Class Honours Degree in Agriculture in the then University College of Wales, Aberystwyth 1949. PhD from Bangor on the effects of seabirds on the vegetation of islands based on research carried out on the islands off the Pembroke coast

She then went off lecturing in such places as Exeter and Australia before returning to the then University College, Cardiff: Department of Extra Mural Studies

She was among 12 other Welsh Women Botanists to be similarly recognised.

Mary Gillham to be featured in Botanic Gardens exhibition

At the Christmas event we had in celebration of Mary's 90th Birthday I was asked for copies of pictures of Mary for an exhibition in the Botanic Gardens of Wales

Those there will note that none of the awful pictures I took were suitable and I made arrangements to get a better picture of her. For those who were there I think you will agree this is much better

This one has been chosen and will be in the exhibition, but we thought you may like to know more about the event

Here is what we know so far

Hi Andy,

We are in the process of writing the official introduction for our exhibition, but I can give you some advance info. We have a working title now, 'Inspirational Botanists - Women in Wales', the exhibition will be held in the Gallery at the Botanic Gardens (opposite the gift shop) for the month of March with the official opening on March 8th to co-incide with International Womens' Day. We will focus on 11 women:

1. Lady Caroline Wilkinson 1822 - 1881 Amateur botanist and artist from Gower

2. Eleanor Vachell 1879 - 1948 Amateur botanist from Glamorgan

3. Mary  A.E. Richards 1885 - 1977 botanist, Merionethshire

4. Elsie Wakefield 1886 - 1972 mycologist, Swansea and Gower

5. Irene Vaughan 1889 - 1993 field botanist and County recorder Carmarthenshire

6. Prof Lily Newton 1893 - 1977 phycologist, prof of botany Aberystwyth

7. Janet Macnair 1903 - 1975 amateur botanist Monygomeryshire

8. Ann Connolly 1917 - 2010 professional botanist, Lleyn and Bardsey

9. Dr Mary E. Gillham 1921 -  botanist, naturalist and writer, Welsh Islands

10. Dr Helgi Opik 1936 - plant cell biologist and senior lecturer Swansea

11. Dr Dianne Edwards Palaeobotanist, Cardiff

12. Dr Lynne Boddy Mycologist, Cardiff

13. Dr Natasha de Vere Plant researcher, NBGW

Yes, I know I said 11, two have been removed from the list as there was insufficient information available to include them, and as neither of them were 'mine', I can't recall who they were. 

Sorry Andy, I will find out!

If that's whetted your appetite look in here at the blog a little closer to the date and we should have more information