It was a smaller group than usual for our meeting on the subject of Connections, but a no less interesting one in spite of that.
Jenny M gave us some interesting facts about the London Underground which was designed to ease street congestion. It is the oldest underground system in the world dating back to 1863 when the Metropolitan line opened. The network has 272 stations and 11 lines covering 250 miles. Kings Cross St Pancras is the busiest station, Roding Valley the least used, and Charing Cross the most central. It’s estimated that 4 million tube journeys are taken every day.
Pauline brought along her 50+year old game of Connect 4 still in it’s original box and in excellent condition in spite of years of fun being played.
Ruth talked about town twinning which started soon after WW2 as a means of fostering peace and understanding. Towns in different countries that had been involved in conflict began to forge ties and promote cultural exchange. Coventry and Stalingrad were the first cities to twin. Karlsruhe, Nottingham’s German twin city which is world-renowned for its integrated tram network, helped trams become a reality in the English city. Ruth’s hometown of Harpenden, Hertfordshire is twinned with the German town of Alzey and as a result of a cultural exchange which Ruth made in 1969, she is still in touch with a family there!
Appropriately timed just the day before the 151st anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi’s birth, Anne R gave us information about the talented electrical engineer and inventor of the first radio communications system. It was interesting to know that it was first trialled across the open sea at the Bristol Channel. His work laid the foundation for the development of radio, television, and all modern wireless communication systems, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909 (shared with Ferdinand Braun).
We then discussed social media platforms – Tik Tok, FaceBook, Blue Sky, X, WhatsApp, Instagram, Duolingo, YouTube, FB Messenger, LinkediN and each member’s relationship to these various ways of communicating. Some members of the group are reluctant to engage for various reasons, but others are enthusiastic users (especially when it comes to ‘Connecting’ with NWR!)
Anne P told us about mycorrhizae – fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of many plants and which are found everywhere in the soil. The fungal filaments which are invisible to the naked eye, supply their hosts, plants and trees, with water and nutrients, and the hosts in return supply the mycorrhizal fungi with the carbohydrates they need for growth. Mycorrhiza can even extract minerals from rock to provide plant food, and cleverest of all, they are able to transmit chemical signals from plants under attack to stimulate neighbouring plants to raise levels of protective enzymes. No wonder it’s sometimes known as the underground internet.
Sue, who is a yoga teacher, told us about the concept of ‘body, breath and mind’. We practised breathing consciously for a few minutes in order to feel the interconnectiveness of physical sensations and the influence on our mental states
Katherine had had a ‘connections’ experience on a Caribbean cruise which was a bit like 6 degrees of separation – somebody who knew somebody else who knew somebody who knew Katherine!!
Lastly, Jane and Jenny L who are ‘Only Connect’ fans (Mondays BBC 2) explained the programme to those who had never seen it. Everyone tried their hand at some home- made walls ( pre-made using glue gun and Velcro for manoeuvrability!!) Jane is sending out some more walls via the internet for those who’d like to do a bit more head-scratching!