Telford's story

The Probus Club of Babbacombe and St Marychurch's New Year is starting with “Thomas Telford”.
Was Telford the greatest British civil engineer of the 18th and 19th centuries – or was it Isambard Kingdom Brunel with his railways, ships and bridges? That is the question to be discussed.
Telford, born in Scotland in 1757, preceded Brunel by some 50 years and he is credited with building over 1,000 miles of roadway, 1,000 bridges, 40 harbours and piers as well as numerous canals.
It is his story which will be told by Martin Farrant, himself a retired civil engineer, at the first 2024 meeting of the club, which being held on Thursday, January 4.
The club meets at 10am each Thursday at the Mary Alexander Lounge of St Matthias Hall in
Wellswood, where guests and prospective new members are always welcome.
Future talks for the rest of January are “The Paintings of the 17th Century Dutch Master Jan Steen” by Roger Hamilton on January 11; “One Morning in September - The Sinking of HMS Aboukir, Hogue & “Cressy” by club chairman and naval historian Eric Walkom on January 18 and “James Gillray: The Scourge of Georgian Politics” by Adrian Addington on January 25.