COVID19 and B.A.T.

Bristol Aero Talks and COVID 19



As you know, in the interests of avoiding Covid 19 infection transmission, we have had no talks since the pandemic began early last year.  We are now in a position to re-start the programme, albeit whilst exercising the greatest care to limit risk.

We propose holding the next talk in the much larger Concorde Room at BAWA, which should enable us to accommodate the anticipated audience size whilst maintaining reasonable social distancing. We would ask that you only attend if you have been double vaccinated and are feeling healthy and free from any symptoms of covid. We would further ask people to wear masks whilst moving about and would prefer if you would remain masked most of the time you are seated.

Although you may be meeting long standing friends for the first time in eighteen months, we suggest you avoid shaking hands but make some sort of substitute gesture; we feel confident that your old friends will understand.

As you know, we have hitherto held our talks on Fridays.  There are two reasons for this;
(1)The usual room at BAWA is generally available at a very reasonable price and at limited notice on a Friday.
(2)Many of our speakers come a considerable distance and inevitably return home very late at night. Most who are employed are happy to do so provided they can ‘lie in’ on Saturday morning; doing a day’s work following such a night during the week is not popular and few people are prepared to do it unless they are supported by their employers.

Since Aero Talks began, we have found that donations made as the audience leaves cover the rental of the small room we use. Additional expenses incurred include contributions to travel expenses and in one case, providing overnight accommodation. (The speaker came from 120 miles away and it snowed heavily late that night).

In addition, some of our speakers give their talks in return for collecting funds as contributions to charities they support and naturally expect audiences to contribute to those charities.  Where speakers come from the south east of England, a member of the organisers of Aero Talks generally provides the transport for at least part of the speaker’s journey.  Hence, so far it has been possible to we can just make the ‘books’ balance.

Unfortunately, a Friday is the popular night for the Concorde room so it is generally booked far in advance and is expensive.

We have been advised that the room is much cheaper and more generally available on a mid-week day so for the time being the talks will normally be held on a Thursday night.  The bad news is that we will have to appeal to the generosity of the audience to put more than hitherto in the collecting box. Could we suggest that three pounds a head, or maybe five pounds for a couple would enable us to just cover our costs. (As you know, we do not charge for entry; this largely overcomes any issues of disputed copyright of any images speakers may inadvertently include in their presentations; money requested at the door on the way in constitutes entry charges; money put in the collecting tin comes under the heading of generous contributions.) 

 

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