IN a happy opening to the October 21 meeting of Prestwich and Whitefield Probus Club, Eric Wilson was welcomed as a new member.

Jack Shaw then gave an hour-long talk and slide show on The Cities of London and Westminster, which he did without any notes.London dates back some 2,000 years and developed from conjoined villages.

Our capital city's most famous views of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben opened the show. Later we were to see Little Ben outside Victoria Station.

Westminster Abbey and the buildings around College Green were next on screen. These included the Jewel Tower, home to the Crown Jewels before their transfer to the Tower of London.

The first museum in view, together with exhibits, was the Imperial War Museum, then on to the Victoria and Albert, and the Science and Natural History museums. Meandering along the highways, byways and alleys, wherever a statue or blue plaque commemorated some important person, these flashed up on screen. We saw Charlie Chaplin and Oliver Cromwell; Apsley House, residence of the Duke of Wellington (now a museum); the homes of Samuel Pepys and Captain Bligh of The Bounty.

London's newest attraction, the London Eye, was the vantage point for a remarkable panoramic view of the city and beyond.

Two shots which demonstrated Jack's considerable photographic skills were night-time views of the Cenotaph, and the fountains in Trafalgar Square.

So many churches and their architectural features had to have their spots - St Pauls, St Martin's-in-the-Field, Westminster Abbey with the widest aisle in the world, St Clement Danes, St Brides on Fleet Street, Dick Whittingtons church of St Michaels (and a statue of Whittingtons cat).

The Law Courts were screened and the original building, which was a prison for monks and nuns on Clink Street. Timbers from ships at the Battle of Trafalgar provided materials for the ornate frontage of Libertys store.

The venue for so many functions, the Lord Mayor's residence of the Mansion House was seen, and a sneaked shot of his ceremonial coach.The buildings featured in Jacks show were too numerous to mention, but the final one was Tower Bridge.

So many anecdotes and titbits of information were reeled off by John which all made for an excellent talk and show. Altogether a remarkable performance. He had well-earned and sustained applause, led by club president, Albert Molyneux.

BERNARD HOWCROFT