| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Group email: | The World We Live In group |
| When: | Monthly on Friday afternoons 3rd Friday of the Month at 14.00 |
| Venue: | Hazlemere Memorial Hall |
Encouraging and helping members to present their own topics
Our TWWLI Group offers a platform for members to delve into current affairs and insights into local, regional and global issues. Recently we looked, for example, into the history of Palestine and events leading up to The Balfour Declaration.
Our group is designed to be interactive and inclusive, allowing members to explore topics from different viewpoints and contribute to the conversation. We will continue to major on issues and subjects identified by our members.
Future Topics
Friday 17th April 2pm The impact of Fast Fashion on our environment.
Our speaker, Dr Rebecca Beech (online) will shock us all with her analysis but also suggestions. It's a challenging talk introducing us to the research she undertook recently for her PhD.
Please note there is no need to 'dress up' for this talk although ladies are very welcome to 'show off' the hats' they bought for The Grand National (Saturday 11th April).
Do come and I will share our thoughts with Rebecca..
Friday May 15th 2pm The Sugar Trains of Taiwan. I am delighted to welcome back Dr Dyfadd Fell who discussed with us the history of Taiwan and China.
Friday June19th 2pm Simon Cains on 'Trees'
(Worringly for some perhaps, there may be a Part Two from myself in July).
Please bring a cup for our refreshments.
We continue to focus on suggestions and contributions of our members. If you would like to join us, please contact: gilliamph@aol.com
Previous topics covered in 2026
January 16th
Group convenor Paul introduced his new series of talks, ‘The Impact of …. On The World We Live In’.
He got the series and 2026 off to a wonderful start with a fascinating talk by Guest speaker Dafydd Fell entitled ‘Taiwan’s democracy under the Shadow of China’.
Dafydd, a Professor in the Politics department at the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University, and Director of the Tawain Studies centre, gave us an in depth understanding of the challenges Taiwan faces at this troubled time.
Daffydd was extremely accommodating to all the questions his very interesting talk generated.
Left. Our grop enjoying a selfie with Professor Dafydd Fell
On Friday March 20th we looked into the history and future of the Wind. Winds have played a crucial role in the way countries and cultures have developed through time.
The Bible has much to say about it.
“The wind bloweth, where it listeth, and thou hearset the sound, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit”.
KingJames version John 3:8.
We’ve many other talks being planned. Other subjects will major on the impact of Our Relationships, Art, Music as well as discussing likely future developments in Technology on The World We Live In.
Topics covered in 2025
Through talks and discussions, often with international speakers, we have understood more of the Geopolitics of the World. This included the political and economic implications and costs that might arise from the degradation of thousands ‘ship wrecks’ in waters around the UK coastline.
We continued with our theme of Geopolitics with the history and significance of the Mithratheum Temple to the Romans in London.
More recently, we’ve journeyed along the Silk Roads, exploring cities, religions, geology and cultures of the countries we passed through from China to the Mediterranean and on to Europe.
One of our members told the story on how descendants of one of our members came to build the Khyber Pass Railway, primarily to safeguard and facilitate entry from Afghanistan into India (present day Pakistan).
Continuing our theme of India, were fortunate to have links with a leading post-doctoral researcher from Oxford and Havard Universities who discussed the role of women in the Indian Coal Industry during the 2nd World War and the development of the Indian Tea Industry.
On Tuesday 9th December 2025, our sister group - Local History - will be hearing why the Royal Military College was established in High Wycombe and its impotrance in our understanding of World History.
On Friday February 20th we investigate the issue of ‘Thirst. In search of Fresh Water’.
Our talk centres on Sustainability and the Environment, and is informed by an exhibition at the Wellcome Centre, London into the sourcing of fresh water from pre-historic times to current exploration techniques.
