Members heard the most fascinating talk with slides from Ted Sutton about the story of the Mary Rose – the first English warship which sank with the loss of 700 lives during a battle against a French invasion. The work that has been undertaken by the Mary Rose Trust to recover the ship from its resting place in the Solent has been extraordinary. As a result it is now possible to understand far more about daily life for the seamen. The ship’s carpenter had a significant role and his own area for carrying out essential repairs. Feeding the usual crew of around 400 men was also quite an undertaking with huge pots needing to be heated to provide a meaty broth each day.