THE society met on Wednesday, March 5, at Plymouth Court, Headless Cross, Reddi tch.

The anniversary marked was March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre, when five rioters were shot dead by soldiers of the 29th Foot (The Worcestershire Regiment).

March was a programme change delivered by Ron Gallivan. The Strait of Malacca was a historical and geographical tour along the ‘jugular vein’ of world trade between China, India and Europe for the last 2,000 years.

The main city of the Strait is Malacca City, founded in 1400 by Prince Parawasaram.

It was captured by the first by the Portuguese in 1511 as they strove to break the Turkish monopoly on the spice trade and create their own empire. It was later captured by both the Dutch and British as they created their own empires.

Under the Japanese occupation in the Second World War the society heard how thousands of Chinese, Indians and Malays were either murdered or died on the ‘railway of death’.

The society then ‘toured’ the Strait on a cruise liner, briefly visiting Singapore; Malacca (where the third largest statue of the ‘reclining buddha’ is found) and on to Penang, where founder (Captain Light) cleared the site with an unusual use of a cannon.

Finally, the Strait today – with over 50,000 merchant ships and oil tankers passing through every year, has become a piratical hunting ground and being only 1.5 miles wide and 82 feet deep at its narrowest point, when will an environmental disaster occur?

Or will it come from the proposed canal the Chinese want to cut through the Isthmus of Kra? A lively debate followed.

Next meeting is Wednesday, April 2 – The Battle of the Imjin River: Korean War – Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start (normal £3 door charge applies).

Contact Ron Gallivan on 01527 545450 or email ronnieg33b@ hotmail.co.uk for full details.