Course organiser:Ann Whitnall and Alison Aitken
Presenter:Various
Our speakers each share with us their personal experiences, opinions and perspectives on a topic which energises their thinking and their work.
6 Jun:
Registered Nurse Peggy Dilger, New Zealand Blood Service, with a special interest in medical conditions that require therapeutic venesection.Haemochromatosis is the commonest genetic condition in NZ and most people don't know they are affected. Around 1 in 200 people of European descent are at risk of the disorder which can cause organ or tissue damage and result in premature death. The conditions tends to be under diagnosed
because symptoms do not present until the condition is advanced.
Fortunately, hamechromatosis is easily treated and early detection can prevent further damage.
What is it? Who gets it? What are the symptoms? What is the treatment?
13 Jun:
Prof. Stephen Chambers, Clinical Director of Infectious Diseases, Christchurch Hospital on 'Legionella in New Zealand - How should I Protect Myself?'New Zealand has a high rate of Legionnaires disease. Most of this is associated with Legionella longbeachae which seems to be transmitted from potting mix rather than Legionella pheumophila which is spread by aerosols from contaminated water.
Potting mix places gardeners at particular risk. The presentation will discuss the epidemiology, likely sources of the organisms and how to protect yourselves against infection.
20 Jun:
Dr. Judith Coullie, life writing specialist and lecturer on 'The Works of Charles Dickens - The Early Works'.At the tender age of 21, Charles Dickens began contributing stories and descriptive essays to magazines and newspapers. A collection of these, Sketches by "Boz", was published in February 1836, the month in which Dickens turned 24. That same year he began publishing a comic serial narrative, The
Pickwick Papers, which first appeared in instalments. It gained huge popularity. Also in 1836, in addition to writing two plays and a pamphlet advocating that the poor should be allowed to enjoy the Sabbath, he undertook to edit Bentlys Miscellany, a monthly magazine in which he serialised Oliver Twist (1837-1839). Also published in instalments over much the same period was Nicholas Nickleby (serialised from 1838-1839). In this lecture we consider some of Dickens most notable achievements in this early period of his writing career.
27 Jun:
Dr. Judith Coullie, life writing specialist and lecturer on 'The Works of Charles Dickens - Dickens Gets Into His Stride'.Between 1840 and 1844, that is from the age of 28 to 32, Dickens' output was prodigious. He published in installments The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1841), Barnaby Rudge (1841) and Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-1844). An account of a five month trip to America, American Notes, was published in 1842. Written in just a few weeks in 1843, A Christmas Carol not only established what has been described as "the one great Christmas myth of modern literature" but also a new literary genre: the Christmas tale. In this lecture, as we track the rise and rise of Dickens' fame and repute, we consider the key concerns explored in the narratives.
4 Jul:
Dr. Antony Shadbolt, Director of Landscape Ecology NZAntony will speak about his involvement with environmental horticulture, landscape and ecology, wildlife management and research and the re-establishment of native forest.