Tom Banfield: French Cathedrals, How They Are Built and Why They Burn

While living in France with his French wife, Jacqueline, The Garlands member Tom Banfield became obsessed with the structure and construction process of France’s magnificent cathedrals, built three or four centuries before Columbus discovered America. Tom has shared his extensive knowledge multiple times at The Garlands. This presentation is augmented with new information about the burning of Notre Dame de Paris on April 15th of this year, along with a discussion on the history of similar cathedral fires.

Veteran member

D-Day 75th Anniversary with Tom Banfield

Garlands member Tom Banfield’s presentation will include material from his presentation for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, augmented by information from a recent book, D-Day Through German Eyes, by Holger Eckhertz. This book published writings by a German reporter who had interviewed German soldiers and officers stationed in Normandy before and after the landings and offers a perspective of D-Day heretofore missing from the records of the largest seaborne invasion in history.