BNRA October meeting

On Sunday 18th October we will have or next in person meeting at Sturdy’s Castle.

This month we have two interesting talks. Visiting speaker Martin Kelly is coming to talk to us about Beer!

For Want of Beer – the 18th Century Navy’s critical dependence upon beer.

There is a popular misconception that rum was the essential drink of the sailing navy, this was not the case. Martin Kelly researched the Royal Navy’s supply of beer as a staple of victualling during the long 18th Century for his dissertation for his MA in Naval history. He will cover why beer was so fundamental, and how the Victualling Board managed the challanges and risks of supplying the 8 pints per man per day ration.

Joining Martin on the floor will be Brendan O’Farrell. Brendan has been strudying the H Class Destroyer, HMS HARVESTER, Banbury’s Adopted Destroyer.

The destroyer HMS Harvester was adopted by the Town and Rural District of Banbury in 1941. This presentation looks at her hectic career as a convoy escort and tragic loss, mid-Atlantic, in 1943. The reasons why a town, which is about as far away from the sea as you can get, became involved in ship-building will be explained as well as the wider aspects of financing a war.

Come along and join us. Usual start time of 10.30, so please try and arrive around 10.00 so we can start on time. Look forward to seeing you all. Picture: Admiral Sir Edward Hawke, who famously complained about the quality and quantity of beer supplied to the Channel fleet. (picture courtesy of Royal Museum’s Greenwich)