{"id":19290,"date":"2021-11-28T10:13:35","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T15:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=19290"},"modified":"2021-11-28T10:18:43","modified_gmt":"2021-11-28T15:18:43","slug":"fwd-episode-480-the-castlefield-institute-where-old-friends-meet-nov-292021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=19290","title":{"rendered":"Fwd: EPISODE 480 THE CASTLEFIELD INSTITUTE… WHERE OLD FRIENDS MEET NOV. 29,2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

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From: <\/b>“alan skeoch” <alan.skeoch@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>
To: <\/b>“John Wardle” <jwardle@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>, “Marjorie Skeoch” <marjorieskeoch@gmail.com<\/a><\/a>>, “alan skeoch” <alan.skeoch@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>
Sent: <\/b>Saturday, November 27, 2021 6:28:22 PM
Subject: <\/b>EPISODE 480   THE CASTLEFIELD INSTITUTE… WHERE OLD FRIENDS MEET   NOV. 29,2021
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Note: I INITIALLY SENT THIS NOTE TO A FEW PEOPLE\u2026I.E. THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.  QUITE A RESPONSE SO<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I AM SENDING IT TO USUAL GROUP\u2026A REPEAT FOR SOME OF YOU.  TRIGGERED BY RESPONSE FROM KENT<\/p><\/div>\n

  AND RON AND OTHERS.   MOVIE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE INTERESTED I  FEAR\u2026UNLESS THEY WANT TO MAKE<\/div>\n
A FEATURE FILM!!!
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Just a note about our Castlefield Institute\u2026and our free swinging discussions of world affairs<\/div>\n

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EPISODE 480   THE CASTLEFIELD INSTITUTE… WHERE OLD FRIENDS MEET   NOV. 29,2021<\/p>\n


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alan skeoch<\/div>\n
Nov. 2021<\/div>\n

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The Castlefield Institute has been in session for several years now.  It has even survived the Covid 19 shutdown<\/div>\n
thanks to this daily Institute news letter which circulates to members. (and some non members)  John Wardle founded the institute to honour John<\/div>\n
Ricker now well into his nineties and sharp as a tack.  Usually we meet in person once a month.<\/div>\n

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John Ricker once said \u201cI have come to like dogs better than humans.\u201d  \u2026. which is not true .  The dog we all knew was named<\/div>\n
Montesquieu  one of the leading forces in the French Revolution. A John Ricker hero.  A painting done by Paul underscores how close John Ricker<\/div>\n
was to  this little white dog who often stole sandwiches and cake when members of the institute were distracted.<\/div>\n

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Wilf started us off on the right foot with a bottle of champagne to loosen our tongues.<\/div>\n

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John Wardle read letters of greeting from Phil Sharp and Bill Saywell and Bryce Taylor and verbal regrets from Sam Markou.<\/div>\n

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Then the toasts began and the laughter\u2026and the stories some of which might actually be true.<\/div>\n

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The Institute members spent time discussing the impact of Covid 19, the state of the American nation, the local political scene<\/div>\n
in Toronto and the future of our world.  Jumped around a bit.<\/div>\n

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Milton really warmed us all up with tales of the University of Toronto history department some years ago.  Seems most of the profs<\/div>\n
had a weakness for Scotch Whisky.   Milton\u2019s comments were spell binding at times when he got serious.  At other times however<\/div>\n
he let his natural humour surface.   <\/div>\n

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The kitchen cabinet meeting before the formal meeting began.<\/div>\n

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John Ricker\u2026musing.<\/div>\n

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We have all walked our way through our slice of history\u2026and wondered at the meaning of it all.  We can lament some things and rejoice<\/div>\n
in others.   And laugh at those who puff themselves up.  And cry for those who cannot do so.<\/div>\n

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In a serious moment, one of the Institute members asked John Ricker \u201cJohn, I would be interested to know how your mind worked<\/div>\n
in 1945 when you returned to Canada after the terror a a tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber\u2026after knowing that many of your <\/div>\n
friends had been killed\u2026what was on your mind after the war was over    You were still a kid really.  You had career choices.  Why did you decide to become<\/div>\n
a history scholar?\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cI wanted to understand the forces that allowed so many people to fall into crucible of war.\u201d  (paraphrase)<\/div>\n

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And when all was done\u2026a case of wine appeared with a bottle for each of us.  Merry Christmas.  \u201cIf you do not take a bottle then<\/div>\n
John will have to drink it all.”<\/div>\n

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I tried to grab a bottle for Sam Markou and Phit Sharp but was stopped..  Not trusted.<\/div>\n

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Paul did the painting of John Ricker and his dog.   He is also the author this year of a major book on aboriginal history.  (title?)<\/div>\n


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From: “alan skeoch” <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>To: “John Wardle” <jwardle@rogers.com>, “Marjorie Skeoch” <marjorieskeoch@gmail.com>, “alan skeoch” <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2021 6:28:22 PMSubject: EPISODE 480   THE CASTLEFIELD INSTITUTE… WHERE OLD FRIENDS MEET   NOV. 29,2021 Note: I INITIALLY SENT THIS NOTE TO A FEW PEOPLE\u2026I.E. THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.  QUITE A RESPONSE SO I AM SENDING IT […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19290\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}