March/April 2004 Newsletter

Chairman's Notes

It was a great pleasure to see so many of you at the December Christmas Meeting, didn't the groups and individuals who entertained us do well! My thanks go to all concerned as the general consensus seemed to be that it was a great success. Apparently some people felt the seating layout was not optimum so we shall see if we can organise a better layout for next year.

As I write we are approaching the AGM and we are still short of a few replacements for the committee. I am sure there are lots of you out there who would be happy to be more involved in your U3A, but we don't know whom to approach. To this end we are intending to send out with subscription renewals a small form to try to find out something about each of you. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary and no-one will coerce you into doing anything.

Patsy is trying to enlist speakers on subjects that interest you and is seeking to find out what are your preferred topics. Alan Povall, through his various outside committee activities has managed to establish contact with several local schools and colleges which will probably result in our being able to utilise some of their facilities, such as computer suites, art rooms etc. Finally, may I wish you all a happy and rewarding U3A year.

Len Smith

Advanced French Group

The last Newsletter included a tribute to Jill Tatham for her sterling work with the Intermediate French Group. On behalf of the Advanced French Group which I joined a little over a year ago, I echo those sentiments.

We all miss Jill's expertise and kindly explanations. A note on her Christmas cards indicates that she misses the U3A, but she has settled happily in Cambridge near her family.

She has a part time job and private pupils. Good luck Jill, and a heartfelt "thank you", from us all.

Frances McEvoy

SUBSCRIPTIONS

A form is enclosed for your use when you send your subscription renewal to the membership secretary. Don't forget to complete the Gift Aid section if you haven't done this in a previous year

Industrial Archaeology Group

The Group is organising two or three visits to sites of interest during the summer, one of these being to Breamore Manor House and Countryside Museum (near Fordingbridge in Hampshire) on June 10th. As an experiment, we are hiring a coach for this, and although details are not yet firm, the cost is likely to be about £15, covering the return journey from Wokingham Town Centre and admission to the House and Museum.

There may be a few spare seats after the requirements of the IA Group are filled, and if you feel you would be interested please let me know.

There is no need for members of the IA Group, or those members of Wokingham U3A who put their names on the list at the last Monthly Meeting, to contact me for this.

Because of the way the Third Age Trust insurance arrangements operate, this offer must be restricted to members of our U3A.

Gordon Riocreux

SIXTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

March 5th. Win (her sister Winifred. R.) telephoned. Bert is coming to be vicar of Holy Trinity at the end of April.

March 6th. Lovely morning. Dull afternoon. Saw a beautiful gold and blue butterfly; a perfect picture, in the garden. Dad is most enthusiast about Win and Bert coming to Hounslow, and has many plans for their garden. Do hope that Win won't squash them.

March 7th. Telephoned Win who is looking forward to living in Hounslow but is anxious to get on well with the people. Later in the day Win telephoned me. She was very 'ratty' because the Middlesex Chronicle had got hold of the news of Bert's appointment and had telephoned him. She had wanted Bert's appointment to be kept quiet. It's all very silly.

March 8th. Myself and the rest of the family agree that Bert was entirely wrong in announcing his resignation from the pulpit at St. Mark's, Notting Hill, before he had acquainted the Bishop of his decision Feel like telling Win not to tell me any more about it; it's so stupid.

March 9th. Fred (Frederica, another sister. R.) telephoned, she'd had a four page letter from Win, in which Win blames herself for not telling George(my father. R.) to keep secret Bert's coming to Hounslow. Silly woman, as if it matters whether he comes or not.

March 24th. Jim's installation at the Connaught Rooms tonight. Had a lovely evening and received a tall cut glass vase as a present. Did not get to bed until 3a.m.

March 25th. Terribly cold with icy showers. Felt very tired and would cheerfully have gone to bed for the afternoon, but had booked seats at the Q| Theatre for Elaine, Rene and myself. We thoroughly enjoyed Dodie Smith's "Touch Wood".

March 29th. Emily (her sister-in-law. R.) came in a really dreadful hat. Must try to make the best of her although it is very difficult. Wish Rene was my sister-in-law.

April 7th. Italy has annexed Albania.

April 17th.. Hitler and Mussolini are considering Roosevelt's appeal for world peace; do pray that it may come about. To A.R.P. whist drive tonight. I won a 21b. box of Cadbury's Roses' chocolates for having highest ladies' score in the second half.

April 25th. Win and Bert move into the vicarage in Bulstrode Road today and I hope to goodness that they will be happy and contented there.

April 26th. Went to Bert's induction at Holy Trinity church tonight. The church was crowded, and the family was very well represented. Bishop Crotty, a learned man with a tortoise neck, did the honours. Bert was very good, but I never feel at home with him. We went and joined the crowd at the Church Hall afterwards, where it seemed to me that Bert was cold to his in-laws, but charming to everybody else.

April 29th. Called at the vicarage this afternoon. Win and Bert seem to have settled down quite happily: hope they will like it here. Bert had a rotten headache.

Rosemary Goldschmied.

2004/2005 COMMITTEE

Nominations for Officers and Members of the Committee are as follows:

Officers

Chairman:- Len Smith

Vice-Chairman:- Patsy Thornton

Secretary:- Colin Mitchell

Treasurer:- Don Macdonald (temporary - Don is urgently seeking a replacement)

Committee

Gordon Wall (Membership Secretary)

Pauline Riocreux (Groups Co-ordinator)

Paul King (Newsletter Editor)

Alan Povall (Lifelong Learning Rep)

Christine Holland (Minutes Secretary)

There are no contested positions, and subject to formal confirmation at the A.G.M., the above members will constitute the new Committee.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

These last four months I have had an astounding and quite unexpected experience: I have been driving twice each week into Reading to Kendrick School, (selective girls grammar), to take six English lessons, chiefly with one of the three parallel first year forms. I was 'headhunted' by one of their senior staff, a fellow member of the Wokingham Literary Society, to help fill an unexpected English specialist gap. (Or "They were scraping the barrel" is another way of putting it). I found the offer surprisingly attractive. A fond belief perhaps that in this way I would recapture my lost youth? My half-hearted hesitations - would the LEA employ anyone my age? (Yes - they already have a gentleman supply teacher on their books aged ninety); did they realise I hadn't taught English to any 11-year-olds since 1957? (Not to worry, you'll get on with them fine, they are very well behaved!) - were airily swept aside. It was certainly a novel challenge.

The Head and Head of English Department, and the other staff too were all most welcoming. Anyway, it was only for one term, as Southern Spain had already been booked again for the New Year. Happily, it has proved to be a lot of fun. There have, of course, been minor irritations and some lessons that have not worked out as well as I'd hoped; but mostly, I've enjoyed it. It has been salutary to have one of my double periods observed, and then carefully commented on in writing, one week by the Head herself, and another by a lady colleague less than half my own age.

Paradoxically, I have found this period of teaching at one and the same time quite different from fifty years ago and very much the same. There are no desks in any classroom, only 16 tables and 32 chairs (which is fine for re-arranging for group discussion); there is a bare 35 minutes lunch hour instead of a full hour, which I find a grievous limitation; the excellent National Curriculum Guidelines and masses of back-up syllabus material and research reports were made available to me before I started, whereas in the 1950's I was given nothing of that sort at all. On the other hand minor irritations are much the same: e.g. "I've done my homework, Mr Stagles, but I'm sorry, I've left it at home" sometimes improved to "I did my homework on my computer but the printer broke down".

However, major satisfactions are the same too, as when a lesson goes really well and you feel the whole class is with you. My 7H of 32, in 8 groups of 4, dramatised 'Mrs Pratchett's Revenge', from Raold Dahl's 'Boy' into eight short scenes, which they then acted and watched others act with great enthusiasm. New comparisons for old cliches - I was offered 'flat as a floorboard' to replace ' flat as a pancake', and finally, perhaps a little slyly, in a session on anagrams. Cheater for Teacher. It has been an exacting intellectual stimulus: morning, noon and night I have had ideas for lessons tumbling round in my head, many to be rejected, the survivors to be reshaped again and again before being committed to lesson outlines; and it has been a great pleasure to talk about books and authors and ideas week by week with other teachers. However, I have missed half the class being boys, and it has felt odd to be one of the few male teachers in a girls' school.

One term will be enough. Barbara is looking forward to my second 'retirement' at Christmas. Nevertheless, I shall follow with interest the progress of 'my' grade 7 form, and hope I may be around to ask them, when they enter the sixth form, whether there is anything at all they remember from their first term's English lessons in the school. Ray Stagles December 2003

From the retiring Editor

As you will have seen from the list showing the Committee for the next 12 months, I am standing down. at this A.G.M. My thanks to all who have supported me in any way during this period, not least those hardy souls who stuff the envelopes for distribution. How many remember the days when members of the Committee used to walk round Wokingham, delivering each issue direct to members' letter-boxes?

Can I commend to you Paul King, my successor. Many of you will know him already because of his activities with a variety of Groups, and I am sure you will give him your unreserved support.

Gordon Riocreux

Philosophy Group

We are nearing the end of our introductory course and about to embark on a series of meetings in which we hope to develop our critical thinking and philosophical skills through the analysis of short essays on philosophical topics and current affairs. For example, we shall start with a devastating critique by Richard Dawkins of the page inserted in textbooks on evolution in the State of Alabama and a counter critique of Dawkins's by Alvin Plantinga. From time to time we shall give members the opportunity to enlighten us on some aspect of philosophy that they have looked into in greater depth.

We invite new members to join us on the 4th Wednesday of each month, whether new to philosophy or having some knowledge of it from long ago or from present study: the main qualifications are an enquiring mind with a willingness to do some preparatory reading and thinking and contribute to our discussions.

Please contact Hugh Davis (0118 9786532).

U3A Nationally & Internationally

Holidays - The U3A Travel Network is organising 16 overseas holidays during 2004. Details from from U3A Travel Network (via National office) or summaries from Wokingham U3A Secretary.

International U3A get together - Queensland, Australia, September 27-29 2004. Details from www.conferenceu3asc.com or summary from Wokingham U3A Secretary.

Online UK Courses 2004 - details from www.u3a.org.uk/~courses/online

Folk Dance / Walking week - 24-28 May 2004, nr Taunton. Details from Roy Phillips 01225 420673

Environmental Topics - Study Day in Reading on 31st March organised by Thames Valley and Reading U3A in the University of Reading. (with Buffet Lunch £12.50, without £5.00).Details from Mrs Marshall 0118 9263860. Parking on site probably horrendous.

Jazz Appreciation - Conference/Study Day in Reading on 20th March. Details from Bob Jones 0118 9413889

Whale Watching - Bay of Biscay 20-23 July organised by Poole U3A. For details s.a.e. Gina Pointing, 39 Glynville Close, Colehill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2SL

Victoria and Albert Museum - Runs guided tours for groups led by Specialist Guides and offers familiarisation visits to Group Co-ordinators with the opportunity to discuss visits they are planning with the Groups Manager. Contact Kerry Lloyd, Groups Manager, Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington SW7 2RL. Tel 020 79422529

Language CD-ROM - Free CD-ROM to help people keep up to date with language courses and resources. E-mail to learning.database@bbc.co.uk must use languages as subject and give full postal address.

EAC Arts Award 2004 - National competition open to all amateur artists over the age of 60. Prizes for various classes. Entry forms from EAC Over 60s Art Awards, The Old House, Rotherwick, Hook, Hants RG27 9BB - enclose s.a.e. Closing date 30 April.

U3A Liability Insurance Cover

The U3A National Office has published the following advice: "Some U3As are occasionally using paid tutors from outside their U3A and assuming they are covered under the liability insurance cover that we provide on your behalf.

THEY ARE NOT!

Please note that if you are paying non-U3A members to take some of your groups, you must check that they have their own liability insurance cover, otherwise if anything happens caused by their negligence, your members will not be protected."

Next Meeting

20th April 2004

Kris Lawrence

tells us about

"Magna Therapy "

and

how it can help health care for

people, pets and the environment

1:45 for 2:00pm at St Pauls Parish Rooms