On November 178th, Tony Thorndike, one of our members, gave us a talk on ‘The road to Timbuktu’. Known to be an excellent speaker, Tony attracted a large audience of members to hear about the historical importance of Timbuktu, which in the 1200s, before the coast of Africa had been mapped, became an important trading crossroads between Asia, the middle east and Europe, with a remarkable Islamic-based university established in 1325.

Tony described his complex, difficult (and dangerous) journey through the Sahel and Mali in particular. Since the 1600s Timbuktu has become a sand-blown frontier town, with superb mud and wood buildings and friendly inhabitants from different racial backgrounds. Most recently the Tuareg rebellion in 1990 has been followed by terrorist violence, with the French trying to maintain a sort of peace. Lots of questions and comments from a fascinated audience.