WOKINGHAM NEWSLETTER NOV - DEC. 2005

The November Meeting

Moments, Memory & Magic

Vic Botterill

Do you forget other people's names? Find yourself in one part of the house and wonder why you are there. Put it down to age. Forget it. It happens to young and old alike. But not everyone. The mysteries of the brain revealed. It's truly magic.

Vic's thirty odd years in the police, culminating in the rank of Chief Inspector, has given him a unique insight into Human behaviour from the or-dinary to the extraordinary

Wokingham U3A

Chairman: Len Smith 01344 775517

Secretary: Muriel Froom

Membership Secretary: Gordon Wall, 55 Priest Avenue, Wokingham, RG40 2LT 0118 978 6021

Editor: Paul King

Registered Charity No: 1049995

WEBSITE www.wokinghamu3a.org.uk

E-group sign-up: wokinghamu3a-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chairman's Notes

For those of you who weren't there, the turn out for the Freshers Fair prior to the September Meeting was very satisfying, and we all felt it was a success with new members joining and people signing up or attempting to sign up for new groups. The atmosphere was very pleasant and new members would have got a good impression of our U3A. Our thanks to all who helped.

The recent e-mail shot has resulted in a very pleasing growth in our E-group with sixteen new members signing up. I do hope this will encourage more of you to join with us so that you have a chance to air your views and the committee to be able to understand how you are feeling.

Our web site has passed a milestone in September, having received 100 "Hits" in the month for the first time.

The photo competition entries are in and as stated elsewhere in this issue we shall be displaying and judging them at the November Meeting.

I shall be talking about refreshments at the Monthly Meetings by the time you are able to read this. What I shall be saying is that the groups, who have been helping with teas on an alphabetical rota basis, feel that refreshments should be organised by the members who attend Monthly Meetings, not by them. I shall be asking for volunteers to share this task among yourselves, but, if there are no volunteers we are reluctantly having to say that refreshments will not be provided in future.

Our membership continues to grow and I hope you are all able to fulfil your wishes with our U3A.

Len Smith

If you know of any member who is ill please inform Marion Povall so that she can contact them.

Group News

Group Leaders Meeting

The meeting due to be held on Friday afternoon, 4th November will not now take place. A more interesting occasion will be arranged for early in the New Year. Watch this space.

Please can I have the updates for the Groups Review as soon as possible. E-mail is very useful for quick commu-nication and saves us a lot of postage so please can I have e-mail addresses wherever possible?

Computers - Beginners Internet

Most people want to be able to use Internet and E-mail so Paul King has kindly agreed to instruct eight mem-bers at a time from the Beginners list in this skill in his home where he can demonstrate on-line techniques. Contact Pauline Riocreux if you wish to be included in this activity.

The first of three meetings will be on Tuesday at 2pm the 1st November. The other two will be 8th and 22nd November. All at 40 Nash Grove Lane. The next set of eight can follow on in December.

First come first served. If you want to come and can't manage a Tuesday let me know so that I can arrange another day.

Computers - Beginners Computer Forum

I have booked Woosehill Upstairs room for 10.30 am on 25th October for an exploratory meeting of this Beginners Computer Forum to decide what members expectations are and how to fulfil them.

A lot of members signed up for this group and they have very varied requirements. At this first meeting you will be requested to complete a questionnaire asking for details of hardware and software, degree of hands on experience and training already received and understood so please have this information with you. The variation in software results in variations in the appearance of the screens. The same activities are available but you may have to approach them in a different way. This group may enable you to meet others using the same software and so help one another

Computers - For the very new user

For those members who have not taken the plunge and switched on their machine the Wokingham Library arrange very good hands-on introduc-tion sessions with experienced and sympathetic staff to guide you. You can still join the Forum but you will get more out of it if you have tried things out first.

Beginners should, once they have been introduced to their machine, switch it on and off daily and famil-iarise themselves with the keystrokes and icons - you can always switch it off if it gets sulky. (Don't worry about the message that says you've done something illegal when you switch on next time.) Point and click and see what happens!

Needlecraft

Jennie Rimmer, is the new leader for this group which is full at present. Thanks to Bessie Jared for starting up this group and developing it so successfully.

Cardmaking

Another Cardmaking group is about to be formed. If you signed up at Freshers' you will be contacted in due course.

French

The French for Fun group is likely to split into two as numbers have out-grown the sittingrooms. Likewise French for Beginners is likely to have a second string as there is a suffi-cient number on the waiting list to form another group.

Freshers' Fair

Almost everyone who signed up to a group on this occasion has been or very soon will be invited to attend a meeting for that group. There are a few exceptions for the groups that had too few members interested for the time being.

Whiteknights Outdoor Pursuits

For various reasons the croquet group have not met very often this year, but we hope to have more games next year. We meet on alter-nate Wednesday mornings and after-noons and would welcome new members. There is also Tennis all the year round and swimming in the summer. Please phone Heather Bradly for more details.

Seeking more members to become viable

Hand Bell Ringing

There is a beginners group starting up now and room for two or three more members to join in. You don't need to be able to read music but a sense of rhythm is helpful. This is a very simple way to enjoy making music. Phone Beryl Page for details

Pantomime

We need three or four additional members to start with, to brainstorm a plan of the entertainment and start sorting out the script - probably based on a standard story but bring-ing in U3A personalities and in-jokes. Mischievous minds required soonest.. Later there will be required comic actors, scenery, costume and lighting labour.

Cooking for one

With the idea of swapping recipes and food plans and maybe creating a booklet for U3A publication.

Tap Dancing

There are three, possibly four members with one ready to lead. It is possible to tap a rhythm while seated!

London Buildings

This was to take over from the fizzled Architecture group but only managed two names - anyone else interested should contact me.

Books

There is a good chance of a third book group starting in the near future. The A & B groups are full and there seem to be a few members waiting so now is the time for any others to put their names forward.

Crime Fiction Books

Only two names here although it seems a likely subject - examine the situation (country house) story line (disaffected or long lost relatives), characters (bitter and twisted, but-ter wouldn't melt) and unravelling of plot (denoument or maniac confession) etc. and compare styles. Peroit v Maigret v Francis whatever.

Walking on another day

The only thing that seems to be holding this up is someone to organise a walk and advertise it. Preferably, it seems, not on Monday or Thursday for some of the members waiting.

Canoeing

I'm trying to fix something up with the Reading Club to get a taster session - you need to be able to swim and be in good health generally. Let me know if you want to be included. My contact is on holiday at the moment so please be patient.

Gliding

Two members signed up - that isn't enough to get any concession for a day's taster, so lets have some names and we'll try to get a day for a reasonable price - be warned, the thermals don't always give you a good flight on the day arranged.

Falling by the Wayside

Architecture

The expectations of the group members were too diverse. Thanks to Sandra Chambers for trying to make it work.

Technology

There are no plans to continue this group after the October meeting. Thanks are due to Harry Wilkins for starting it up and Christine and David Granger for finding speakers and hosting many of the meetings. It was great while it lasted.

Comparative Religion

This will close in November after a very successful period of study unless a new Group Leader is found. There is a mass of material still available to study but the subjects of the meetings already held could be repeated if there is a demand and someone prepared to lead the discussions.

Thanks to Ronnie Beecham for running this group for so long.

Breadmaking

Heather Bradly says she has not been asked about this activity for two years so it will cease to be listed forthwith.

Pauline Riocreux

New Recorder Group

A new beginners' Recorder Group is being started. Anyone interested should contact Joan Davis. It is likely that they will meet fortnightly on Monday afternoon. Our existing recorder group has been meeting since 1997. We have grown in experience and numbers (to the point where we cannot easily seat everyone in a living room). We play a large variety of music, from arrangements of great composers to modern music written for the recorder. We thoroughly enjoy our Monday afternoons. Our sessions are fun and the noise comes not only from the recorders. I recommend people to take it up. It is good for keeping the grey cells working and very sociable.

Foy Rees

Copy date for the next issue is Friday 28thd November

Maths Group

The long awaited Maths Group has finally hatched and is to have its first meeting on 3rd November at 10 am. This first meeting will be a presentation on the mathemetical software " Mathematica - Discovery " with which one can achieve amazing and elegant things, both simple and more adventurous and complicated.

Any new member who is interested in going to this meeting will be welcome and should contact the convenor for more details, as should any other potential members, especially any who have some special mathematical interests or who have some particular ideas as to what they might like as topics in the future.

Hilary Taylor

U3A Music

Forget The Three Tenors! Of course an occasional concert by three tenors in London is exciting!

But did you know that Wokingham U3A enjoys concerts by internationally acclaimed musicians on the fourth Thursday afternoon each Month at 2.30pm at the Quaker Meeting House in Denton Road?

(Admittedly they're on CD's but all are properly presented and introduced)

There is more music on the first Friday evening each Month at 8.00pm at the Quaker Meeting House in Denton Road

Visitors always welcome - No Charge!

Books Group A

In September 2005 Books Group A celebrated the tenth anniversary of its formation. To mark this occasion the monthly meeting was preceded by lunch at the Hilton St Anne's Manor, Wokingham. Joyce Tootill was thanked for inaugurating the Group and it was noted that in the ten years 1445 to 2005 the members of the Group have read 110 books by 94 authors.

Joyce Bird

Monthly Meeting Refreshments

Our philosophy for this U3A is that our various activities are self sustaining and where, for example, activity groups have to book public rooms they take care of that themselves. Many members of groups do not come to Monthly Meetings, and so are somewhat resentful of being asked on a rota basis to attend to prepare the teas. Accordingly we have decided it is only fair for members who attend Monthly Meetings to be responsible for preparation of the refreshments for those meetings.

Therefore, it has been decided that if there are no volunteers forthcoming to handle the teas, there will in future, be no refreshments after the speaker at Monthly Meetings. The decision is in your hands.

Len Smith

U3A Photo Competition

45 photographs have been entered into our Photo competition. We intend to display and judge them at the November Monthly Meeting

Annual General Meeting

Preliminary notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday 21st February 2006 at St. Paul's Parish Rooms, Reading Road, Wokingham, at 2.00p.m.

To include any items for the agenda or Motions to be put to the member-ship at the AGM please notify the Secretary. Muriel Froom.

Sixty Years Ago

August 10th. Japan is prepared to surrender. War in China over. War in Burma over and Singapore restored.

August 11th. This afternoon Jim and I took the ferry across the river at Twickenham, and walked along by the river to Teddington. A very pretty walk, though rather spoiled by the great number of scantily clad sprawling canoodlers, by the river and in the fields - most undignified.

August 15th. V. J. Day. Peace In the World. Two days holiday. We put flags out, but after a heavy shower we took them in. Clive put flags all along the fence of their bungalow. Heard a few fireworks.

September 4th. Miss Johnson, a nurse friend of Olive's arrived from Manchester to spend the night here. She has achieved a life-long ambition to go as a medical missionary to South Africa. She is Over 40 so it really has taken some pluck: she is a very gentle woman and needs to toughen up a bit I think to tackle the job in front of her.

September 5th. Miss Johnson left here just after 9 to go to the mission in Faringdon Street to get mosquito boots. Unfortunately she couldn't get the boots today, but the mission told her that if it was necessary for her to leave in a hurry they would let her have a secondhand pair. The woman who has been at the same mission in Africa was home on leave and came over to see Miss Johnson this afternoon. She gave a very interesting account of the work of the mission. Miss Johnson will be living with a Miss Dugdale(or Dovedale) and have a native orderly named Luke, who, although he murdered his wife, is a very nice fellow. They both left at 4pm.

September 8th. This afternoon Jim and I went to the Ritz to see The Affairs of Susan with Joan Fontaine. On the way home we passed a shop with some nice damsons. Jim fetched a basket and went back and bought me a dozen pounds. That was very good of him, but why on earth he should, after that, turn into a complete natterer, baffles me. I was feeling a little tired after doing the damsons, when he wanted to know 'Did I want them to boil? How long had they been simmering?' like some blooming old woman. I was fed to the teeth with him. Not content with that, he must needs start chivvying again as soon as I sat down, and then started carping because I was knitting gloves for David. He's the most annoying pig-headed, blundering idiot I've ever had the bad luck to meet. I feel at times I could leave him with the most intense satisfaction and let him cope with everything for a bit just to see how he likes it.

September 12th. Shopping today, Mr. Armstrong let me have Persil, soap-flakes and Sunlight soap. Grand.

September 13th. Letter from Haslip, the solicitors, this morning giving details of the winding-up of Emily's affairs. Jim and Pops get £441-15s-4d each (£883-10s-8d was a considerable amount of money for a single woman to leave in 1945; it probably came from the sale of her house. It is unknown if there were any other beneficaries. RG)

September 15th. First anniversary of Emily's death. Pity she didn't get more joy out of life. May she rest in peace. (For those readers who have asked me what became of Emily, the disliked sister-in-law, the above provides the answer; she died in1944. )

Rosemary Goldschmied.

Origin of Musicality & Music - a Reminder

Bookings now open for the series of two meetings on the Origin & Evolution of Musicality & Music. They will be held from 10.15 to 12.00 hrs in Wokingham Town Hall . Total cost £2 pp. All U3A members welcome

Thursday 26th January 2006 - 'Musicality in Pre-History' by Steven Mithen, Prof of Early Pre-History & Head of Human & Environmental Sciences at Reading University

Thursday 23rd February 2006 - 'Ancient World Music' by our Research Team of Irene Roberts, Sylvia Nathan, Elaine Poole and Foy Rees.

Alan Povall

Information received from the U3A National Office.

Dulwich Picture Gallery

Exhibition of Beatrix Potter's children's books running from 12th October 2005 to 22nd January 2006.

Winslow Homer: Poet of the Sea from 22nd February - 21 May 2005.

For further information and images contact Sarah Pyke in the press office on 020 8299 8711 or email s.pyke@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

The U3A at The National Institute for Medical Research

Tuesday November 8th 2005. 2.30p.m. - 4.30p.m.

"Spectacular plumbing: Scientific insights into the heart and circulatory system"

Admission is free but by ticket only. Apply for tickets to: The U3A National Office, The Old Municipal Buildings, 19 East Street, Bromley, BR1 1QH. Enclose S.A.E.

To comply with security regulations, applications for several tickets should be accompanied by the names of the persons for whom the tickets are obtained.

Summer Schools 2006

Chester Summer School - 11th -14th July.

At the University College, Chester

Courses may include:

Architecture, Calligraphy, Craft. Exploring the local area. France - Language, Life & Culture, History of Cinema. Oral History, Philosophy, Writing.

Cheltenham Summer School - 18th - 21st July

At University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham.

Courses may include:

Architecture, Art History, Botany, History, Literature, Opera, Philosophy, Poetry, Russia - language & culture Science, Writing.

Colin Mitchell will be tutoring a course on "Our Industrial Heritage", at Cheltenham

More detailed information will be available at the end of November, if anyone is interested in attending either of the Summer Schools will you please send a S.A.E. for information and booking form to Secretary Muriel Froom.

The Christmas Celebration Tuesday 20th December

CAROL SERVICE

1.30pm at St Paul's Church

Followed by

REFRESHMENTS

3.00pm at St Paul's Parish Rooms

No need to bring food or drink as both are provided.

Collection in aid of the Church