Wokingham U3A Newsletter
Summer/Holiday edition
Wokingham U3A
Chairman: Len Smith 01344 775517
Secretary: Colin Mitchell
Membership Secretary: Gordon Wall, 55 Priest Avenue, Wokingham, RG40 2LT 0118 978 6021
Editor: Paul King
Registered Charity No: 1049995
Chairman's Notes
Well, we have come to the end of the Monthly Meeting Programme for the first part of the year and our next opportunity to get together will be at the Summer Garden Party on the 29th June. I hope to see many of you there and that some of you will have taken advantage of Pauline's arrangement of transport for those who are unable to get there under there own steam.
This current edition of the Newsletter will have our "About you" form and if you are willing we would very much appreciate you completing and returning it to us. We are eager to organise Wokingham U3A in the way that you would wish. We would also like to know if you have capabilities that would enable you to participate in the running of our U3A, either as a convenor or convenor's helper, or even as a committee member. We believe it is healthy for our organisation to have a turnover of committee and convenors to ensure new ideas are brought in and so prevent it from becoming stale.
Elsewhere in this issue we are re-running a piece that Pauline Riocreux published last year which seems to encapsulate some of the thoughts on becoming a convenor. We have managed to find some new blood to take on some roles but we still do look for others to help us. We all think we would not have time to take on any other activity after we retire and find we are heavily occupied, but in the event we are always able to find that little extra time needed to participate in monthly committee meetings with bits and pieces to do between whiles.
Enjoy your summer!
Len Smith
Why Should Anyone Want To Be A Convenor, For Heavens Sake?
How do they win the job? They put up a hand and say I think we should have a group studying............ and before they know where they are they have the job of organising it. Well, I got caught in this way once or twice but have learnt one should never take on an unlimited liability. Set out your stall say you will plan for twelve months only and make it clear that after that there will have to be a new group after all, it may be that someone else would like to tackle the subject from a different viewpoint and breathe new life into it, on a different day/time and with a different group of members, or it may be that it is a dead parrot, expired, with no need for resurrection.
A group that dribbles on indefinitely tends to run out of steam and new things to say to one another far better to stop and sign up afresh see whether it is worth a continuation or a restart. If you know you will only be committing your energy for twelve months you are more likely to take an active part in leading the study U3A is about SELF HELP and KEEPING YOUR BRAIN ACTIVE just sitting like a zombie and letting someone else do all the work is NOT LEARNING. I have enjoyed the groups I have convened I stopped when I got bored with the subjects. The groups carried on with a new leader.
Now I'm a contributing member of several groups and a passive listener in one or two others. I have learnt so much from preparing to share my interests with others that I can thoroughly recommend it as a mental exercise.
The above are my personal views and not any official standpoint.
Pauline Riocreux
New Group - Yoga
Nancy Tompkins, a new member and yoga teacher, is keen to start a yoga group. She would like to hear from interested members, so do give her a call. Her number is 0118 978 4232.
Gill Borlace
If you know of any member who is ill please inform Marion Povall on 0118 978 6240 so that she can contact them.
SIXTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
July 24th. A dreary day. To Ritz cinema this afternoon to see Will Hay in Old Bones of the River. It was a supremely stupid film.
July 25th. The first really fine day for a very long time. Once again I have this awful feeling of discontent and restlessness, dispelled in a small way by a most extraordinary thing. Mrs. Towers called tonight and remarked what a nice garden we have, and how open we are at the back of the house. This, after I'd spent most of the afternoon grousing about lack of space.
July 27th. The I.R.A. have been busy and killed ? people and injured 20 at Victoria and King's Cross stations yesterday. If only they could see the evil of it.
August 10th. Blackout test tonight at 12.30.
August 16th. Rosemary (that's me! R.) came and we caught the 2.04 train to Virginia Water. Fred (my Aunt Frederica. R.) and 'Mig' (my cousin Margaret. R.) were at the station to meet us. I do love Fred, but I thought she looked a good deal older and not very smart in her blue dress with white collar and cuffs. Rosemary said 'Aunty Fred looks like Anastasia the nurse-maid', and I must say she did, but with the move to Bath hovering over her I expect she has been rather worried.
August 24th. The tension is terrible. Do pray that even yet the crass stupidity and cruelty of war may be avoided. George (my father who was in the Territorial Army. R.) was called up at 5p.m. today.
August 26th. Letter from A.R.P.Dept., to report for duty at Mogden hospital in the event of casualty stations being manned. Should have loved my birthday today if the threat of war wasn't hanging over us.
August 28th. Still waiting, hoping and praying that war may be averted. Sir Neville Henderson saw Hitler today taking our proposals.
August 31st. Hitler has now appointed a council of six, can't think whether that is a good or a bad sign.
Rosemary Goldschmied
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
ABOUT YOU
Our U3A relies on members to undertake roles in acting as Group Convenors and to serve on the Committee. It is healthy that we have a regular turnover in these roles. However, as people step down from undertaking these tasks, it can be difficult to identify possible replacements.
As a result we are inviting you to tell us about yourself on a purely voluntary basis. If you do not wish to let us know, there is no obligation to do so, but if we can identify strengths among our membership it could help in future. It would be a help to know if you are good at figures or administration, or if you have particular strengths in areas where our U3A is active such as languages, technology, history, art etc.
If you are willing, please return this form, completed as much as you can, to Gordon Wall, 55, Priest Avenue, Wokingham, RG40 2LT.
Name .. . Post code .
Interests and Skills ...
Strengths and capabilities ...
(The information you supply will be kept on a membership database and used solely for the purposes of the association) Thank you for your assistance
The information provided above will be stored on a database and used only for management purposes within Wokingham U3A. Storage and distribution will conform to Wokingham U3A's data protection policy"
Please use the space below for continuation of any comments you are making.
Please print off and complete this "About You form" and return to: Gordon Wall 55 Priest Avenue Wokingham RG40 2LT
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monthly Meetings
I have received nearly ninety responses to my "Speakers Questionnaire" and am most grateful to those of you who took the time to reply. It has given me a very clear idea of your preferences, as well as some specific recommendations, which I have been able to build into my programme for next year.
The most popular topic was "Exploration and Travel", closely followed by "My Life As A ." and "Treasures of the World". Scientific and environmental talks also had strong backing, as had current events. Two different responders made the point, however, that the skills of the speaker were as important as the content.
Suggestions for subjects for future talks included music and opera, archaeology, economics and wine appreciation, as well as ships and shipping and society in different parts of the world so I have plenty of ideas to work on. It is clear that Ken Goatley came top of the poll for past speakers, and I shall do my best to persuade him to return to tell us more about the local history.
My efforts to book Kevin Warwick (cybernetics from Reading University) and Colin Blakemore (the brain man from Oxford) for repeat talks have proved unavailing, however, as Professor Warwick is out of the country for two years, and Professor Blakemore has become an executive of the Medical Research Council and is very busy.
Following your suggestions that it would be more comfortable for some people to have chairs to sit on at teatime, we arranged two rows of chairs into social groupings at the end of the talk last month and that proved popular. We shall continue to arrange them in this way.
Finally, may I thank all those volunteers from different interest groups who have so nobly supported Lesley and Arnold George in the preparation and serving of teas. It has been great to have different faces in the kitchen, and I hope that some of you may even have enjoyed the experience! Dining-out, Films and French, your turn will come in the autumn.
Do keep ideas coming. We would like the Monthly Meeting to be an interesting and enjoyable occasion for all members.
Patsy Thornton Speakers' Secretary 01344 774812
Copy date for the next issue is Friday 30th July
'Volunteers to help vital ageing research'
Researchers at the University of Reading are setting up a clinical database of healthy older people willing to take part in a wide range of important research projects which could help shape the future of healthcare for senior citizens. Ageing research at the University has recently been given a significant boost by a series of appointments.
Professor Margot Gosney and Dr David Oliver both came to Reading as part of a joint appointment with the Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS, while Professor Christina Victor joined the University as Professor of Social Gerontology and Health Services Research. Together they are setting up the database of healthy older volunteers. Such databases have previously been used by these researchers in projects that have contributed greatly to our increasing understanding of the effects of ageing. "In previous projects, healthy older volunteers have been of vital importance in our research," says Professor Margot Gosney. "We have been able to study the role of exercise in improving muscle function, particularly the heart. We have also looked at the role of antioxidants in improving immunity in older people. "We are setting up a similar database in Reading and would welcome enquiries from anybody over the age of 65 years, who considers themselves healthy.
All subjects on the database will be approached for each and every project that involves a controlled group of healthy older people. Each project will obviously have been closely scrutinised by the relevant Research and Ethics committees and anyone can enter any of the studies that they feel they are particularly interested in. "It is an opportunity to get together with some other fit older people who also feel that research matters, to keep up-to-date with current clinical research in the Reading area and to be involved in research that may help shape the healthcare of older people in the future."
Anyone interested in further details or being involved in the healthy older persons database should contact Professor Margot Gosney on 0118 9636 720
Further Information from Alan Povall (0118 978 6240):
Prof Margot Gosney advised that each project will be offered to all the 'healthy 65+ people' on the database and they can decide whether they want to volunteer or not. Projects could range from testing the bacteria in the mouth to something more strenuous which would require a medical check. They expect them to be conducted at or adjacent to the University or the Royal Berks Hospital.