The speaker for our July meeting was John Keohane MVO BEM retired Chief Yeoman Warder.
This was a most entertaining and well informative talk which everyone enjoyed. John, who was attired in his official uniform, served at the Tower for 21 years and had many ceremonial duties to perform and met the Queen on a number of times. He guided us through a pictorial tour of the Traitor’s Gate, Trinity Green, infamous for executions, the Bloody Tower and the apartment where Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned with his family for 13 years. The origin of the nickname ‘Beefeater’ remains a mystery but John suggested the most plausible derivation was from the custom of giving the Yeoman the leftover beef from the Monarch’s table.
Callington U3A meet on the first Monday of every month and new members are always made very welcome.