Annual meeting 1945: London

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11 September 1945 - 14 September 1945

Meeting report

Annual Meeting and Excursion 1945, London, 11 – 14 September

The first meeting of the British Bryological Society since 1939 was held in London from September 11th to 14th, 1945. It was a great pleasure to meet once more, after so long an interval, many old friends and to welcome keen, new members. This pleasure was somewhat overshadowed by the heavy losses the Society has sustained by death during the past six years, and by the absence, through illness, of the President, Miss E. Armitage, and the Treasurer, Mr. J.B. Duncan.

In the absence of Miss Armitage, Mr. Sherrin presided at the Annual Meeting held at 2 p.m., September 12th, in the Board Room of the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, 34 members being present. After the election of officers and referees the question of renewal of subscriptions was discussed and it was decided that each member should pay one 10s. subscription only, to cover the whole period, 1940-45. The final decision for the place and date of the 1946 meeting was left to the executive.

The excursion on Thursday, September 13th, under the leadership of Dr. Wyard, was favoured with fine weather. Most of the party assembled at Waterloo at 10.12, and were met at West Clandon Station by those who had motored down, making 28 in all. The original suggestion was that we should walk up to the top of Albury Down, down to Shere and Albury, back up the hill again to Newland’s Corner, and so down to West Clandon by 3.45. Those who know the average rate on a Bryological excursion will not be surprised to learn that this proved too ambitious a programme for the time available. A most enjoyable, leisurely climb up through Netherlands’ Wood was the prelude to a quick ” follow-my-leader ” by sundry by-paths to an ideal lunch spot on the down at the woodland edge, with a gorgeous view across the valley to other wooded hills in the distance. After lunch it was found to be too late to go farther afield so we made our way direct by a woodland path on the down summit to the well-known viewpoint at Newland’s Corner. From there we returned by the main road to West Clandon Station, full of gratitude to Dr. Wyard for having planned so enjoyable an outing.

Among the interesting Bryophytes collected were Archidium alternifolium Schp., Dicranum strictum Schleich., Phascum cuspidatum Schreb., Pottia minutula Fuernr., Tortula ambigua Ångstr., Tortula laevipila Schwaeg., Ephemerum serratum Hampe, Philonotis capillaris Lindb., Webera proligera Bryhn, Pterogonium gracile Swartz, Eurynchium abbreviatum Schp., Plagiothecium denticulatum var. aptychus Spruce and P. sylvaticum B. & S.

During the evening of the 13th Dr. P. W. Richards gave the members, at the South London Botanical Institute, an interesting talk on methods of growing and cultivating bryophytes. It is hoped that he will write a paper on this subject for publication in the Report.

Miss E. H. Stevenson, B.Sc.

Location:

London