Speaking on Saturday, April 11, 2026, we have :
1st: Steve Foreman – Maasai Memories
Steve Foreman lived in East Africa for 30 years, spending much of that time working in the safari tourism sector.
He became involved with the Maasai people in Tanzania while managing a luxury tented camp perched on top of the Rift Valley Escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara National Park. On a regular weekly supplies trip to Arusha, he gave a young Maasai woman and baby a lift to the hospital there.
Taking her back the next day to the manyatta where she lived led to Steve growing close with the Maasai community there, learning about their culture, customs, and traditional way of life. He took part in several activities with the warriors in the bush and the elders eventually granted him honorary moran status, which permitted him to have a Maasai girlfriend.
He chose Marita, with the elders’ agreement, and stayed overnight with her on several occasions. Marita, like many adult Maasai women, was circumcised. Steve briefly addresses female genital mutilation (FGM) – a practice he firmly believes should be eradicated – and recounts a funny but slightly alarming incident that occurred when the warriors discovered that he himself was not circumcised.
Steve will also speak about his broader experiences in the manyatta – sitting around the fire at night, drinking fresh milk and cow’s blood, and one occasion when he became so ill that he had to be driven for treatment all the way to Nairobi, Kenya.
When his son Zak came to visit, Steve – and two Maasai warrior friends – also climbed Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active volcano, situated out on the Maasai Steppe. Ol Doinyo Lengai means ‘Mountain of God’ in the Maasai language and is sacred to them. Although his warrior friends had heard of the mountain, they had never seen it, and Steve describes some of the delightful incongruities of the experience—such as the warriors later staying in his house, watching television, and sleeping on the floor with their swords beside them.
Steven James Foreman is an HM Forces Veteran (Army). In Africa for over 30 years, he worked as a safari guide, camp manager, and mountain and expedition leader throughout East Africa and Botswana. Now retired, he lives back in the UK with his teenage daughter.
Steve is an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). He has written articles for many magazines including BBC Wildlife, Soldier, SCUBA, African Travel Review magazine, Land Rover World, The Dar Guide (Tanzania), and the Daily Mail.
His website is: https://bushleader.com/
2nd: Speaker to be confirmed
Date & Time: Saturday 11th April 2026
Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.
We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.
Admission costs:
- £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
- £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
- a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.
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Tickets go on sale just before the meetings.
