0701Newsletter

WOKINGHAM U3A NEWSLETTER Jan -Feb 2007

Tuesday 16th January

St Paul's Parish Rooms 2.00 pm

Monthly Meeting

The January Meeting

Ann Chance - Petticoat Pilot

Ann Chance, the lady who will speak to us this month has been described as a Speaker Extraordinaire. She has many exploits to her name including parachute jumping and paragliding, learning to ride a horse at the age of 64 and taking part in cattle drives in Montana and Oklahoma and scuba diving in Egypt with a disabled friend to mention just a few. The venture that Ann is to tell us about is how she gained her pilots license at the age of 56 at Biggin Hill which promises to be not only interesting but highly entertaining.

We are told that laughter is good medicine, and so, if in the dark days of January after the Christmas jollifications your spirits need a lift, you should come and enjoy Ann's story of her flying adventure.

Wokingham U3A

Chairman: Colin Mitchell, 0118 978 2824, e-mail colinfmitchell@hotmail.com

Secretary: Muriel Froom

Membership Secretary: Mrs Carole Beswetherick, 31 Hatch Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 6LF, 01344 771303

Editor: Paul King

Registered Charity No: 1049995

WEBSITE www.wokinghamu3a.org.uk

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

A View From The Chair

My apologies for missing November's monthly meeting and several group meetings. Some of the absences were due to illness and others to the support needed by a relative living in Kent; hopefully normality will return in 2007 but I can't yet be sure of this.

This issue of the Newsletter includes the agenda for the AGM in March together with nomination forms for election to the 2006/7 committee. For the agenda please let our Secretary, Muriel Froom, or me know whether you would like any extra items added.

You will see that some members of the present committee will be standing down at the AGM, please consider standing for election to one of the vacancies. Please note that ALL committee positions, including chairman, are subject to re-election. Separately in this Newsletter you will see information about the U3A Summer Schools and also the U3A/Ri Out and About. I have been a Summer School enthusiast for several years and strongly recommend them to anyone who fancies a few days not too serious study in the company of other third agers. The U3A/Royal Institution (Ri) events occupy an afternoon in London; the 2007 one is on 3rd April.

How nice to know that St Paul's Parish Rooms offer an ideal location for our monthly meetings. My last 'view' invited comments on any problems with St Paul's and there has not been a single one - thank you for confirming its suitability.

Colin Mitchell, Chairman

Rose St Methodist Centre

We have been advised not to sign the hiring conditions for use of rooms in the Rose Street Methodist Centre. This advice comes from the U3A National Office as a result of an enquiry that I made on behalf of a member who has previously used the hall for one of our groups. The difficulty is a clash between the hiring conditions and the U3A's Public Liability Insurance Policy. I am hoping that this can be resolved.

Colin Mitchell Chairman

Pantomime Rick Dittington

The new Lord High Secretary

For those of you who did not attend one of the performances of our pantomime, Rick Dittington, which was undoubtedly the best show of the year, the caption above will not mean a lot so let me explain.

The pantomime tells the tale of Rick Dittington (Gill Oldridge), a newly retired gent living in Crouch End, who decides to embark on an adventure to find excitement and a new life. His destination, chosen with a pin from an atlas is a small town west of London which apparently has many interesting attractions including a strange society or group called the U3A. The town, of course, is Wokingham! Rick's first stop on his travels is Windsor where he bumps into first the Queen (Doreen Bagg) and then a slightly inebriated trio of friends from the Wokingham U3A Computer Group (Ray Lancaster, Mike Bullock and Joe Strange) from whom he obtains queenly advice and guidance with directions to Wokingham in the form of a GPS route plan. His journey then takes him to California Country Park and Arborfield where he meets further members of the U3A, the Needleworkers (Doreen Bagg and Enid Richardson) who dextrously mend his torn trousers, and the Tap Dancers (Enid Richardson, Brenda Perry, Shirley Lancaster and Sylvia Penn) who entertain him and explain about the wondrous and famous Christmas lights of Arborfield.

In Dinton Pastures Rick encounters not only further U3A members, the Bird Group (Peter Harms and Wendy Jones), but a large, talking Cat (Frances Lewis) who is causing mayhem in the pastures having chased the rare Lesser Spotted Greater Wokingham Goose into the netting fence separating the golf course from the pastures. It is now Rick's turn to lend a hand by persuading the Cat, against her better nature, to release the goose from the fence for which help the birders invite Rick and the Cat to join them in a glass/saucer of ale at the famous Rose and Thorn Inn in Wokingham.

Meanwhile we have been introduced to the members of the Wokingham U3A and the officials, the Lord High Secretary (Dale Britton) who is about to retire for a gap year, Madonna (Rosemary Hearmon), the charismatic Mistress of the Groups, the Chancellor of the Purse (Ray Lancaster), the Keeper of the Record (Mike Bullock) and, last but not least, Scribbles (Betty Hughes), the hard working and love lorn (for Madonna) Newsletter Editor. We witness a meeting of the U3A members and the officials and two new lady members, the elegant Bertrunella (Harry Green) who is the town planner Bert Buildalot in disguise, and his trusty colleague Agnes Crunch (Andy Lee) who are attempting to infiltrate the U3A incognito. Bert reveals his dastardly plan to Agnes and the audience to cover Wokingham and District with vast car parks and toll booths to make riches for himself and prevent the U3A from using local halls and facilities so that he can retire and search for his long lost love. The newly vacated position of Lord High Secretary supplies Bert with his chance to infiltrate the U3A completely and stand as candidate for the position.

We then are introduced to the scintillating Dame Belladonna (Philippa Neall), the proprietor of the Rose and Thorn Inn, who is making preparations for the annual U3A MOTO ball, where she hopes to find a suitable consort although still pinning for her long lost love. A convivial gathering in the Inn follows where Rick and the Cat meet the local U3A and start to get to know what it is all about. You can probably guess the rest: how Rick falls for Madonna and seeks her hand at the MOTO ball with the help of the Yoga (Brenda Perry), Book (Mike Bullock) and Ballroom Dancing (Peter Harms and June Bentley) groups who transform him into a calm, cool, suave and sophisticated suitor; how Scribbles and the Cat discover and reveal Bert's dastardly plan and unmask Bertrunnella at the ball; how Dame Belladonna rediscovers her long lost love who is actually the unmasked Bert; and how it all ends up splendidly with Madonna accepting Rick's hand and being chosen as the new Lord High Secretary.

The audiences for the three performances were wonderful and joined in the fun with great enthusiasm giving a lift to the cast who produced very memorable performances. It is not possible to mention all those involved in the production but all of the more than 40 members of our U3A who were involved put in large amounts of time and enormous effort to achieve this production. A special mention must be made of Jean Davis, the director, who painstakingly coached the cast dramatically and musically for many months with amazing results so that the best way to sum it all up is probably in the words of Rick Dittington himself ' The University of the Third Age - what a team!'

Hilary Taylor

The Pinewood Theatre

This is the lovely little theatre where our pantomime was presented. It is situated in the Pinewood Leisure Centre at the junction of Nine Mile Ride and Old Wokingham Road in Wokingham Without. It is the home of the East Berkshire Operatic Society who present some of their productions in the theatre but where other independent groups, like us, put on shows of many various kinds. It is also available for hourly hire for meetings and lectures etc. and is run by a team of volunteers, headed up by the facilities manger, Gordon Riley, who over the last few months have given us help and advice, not to mention their time, and without whom we would not have learnt some of the things about stagecraft which we needed to know. If you are looking for an evening's entertainment then you will surely find it at the Pinewood theatre.

Unknown Unknowns

At the last AGM I attempted to quote from Donald Rumsfeld, but a lady in the audience spoke up to say she didn't know what I was talking about, so I thought you might be amused to see the whole quote from him, "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

Len Smith

Chess Group

The members of the chess group enjoy a friendly game of chess each month. Our meetings are very informal and relaxed. We do not record our moves or analyse our games, except in the most superficial manner. We do not play competitive chess, so any potential member should have no reason to feel under pressure. We are, in effect, all winners, playing interesting games of chess. Before forming the group, the members had all lost touch with the game, having played little for the last 20 - 40 years or more. We welcome anyone with a knowledge of the game from their younger days. Chess is fun; it really is. The members of the U3A Chess group have now been playing enjoyable and stimulating games since July 1995. All meetings are held in members' houses on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, starting at 2.00 p.m.

Keith Davis

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

Tai Chi

The Tai Chi group is now operating as a "normal" U3A group without a paid teacher. New (and lapsed) members are welcome. Tai Chi is an exercise for improving the health of mind and body. We are learning the 24 movements of the short form of Tai Chi, a series of movements performed in a slow, relaxed and harmonised way. We revise the form most weeks so it's easy for beginners to join in. We meet each Friday in the upper room at Woosehill Community Centre from 3:00 to 4:00.

Brian Hunt , Group Leader

New Recorder Group

I am starting a new recorder group for absolute beginners on Tuesday Jan 9th from 10.00am to 11.00am. The first session will be at 32 Linkway, Crowthorne. My Monday afternoon group will now be called Intermediate.

Joan Davis

New German Group

A German Beginners Group has started - they meet on Monday mornings for a 10am start with coffee served beforehand. The sessions last 1 hour -

details from Elaine Scothern

Handbell Group

The Handbell Group have started new practice sessions. Please ring Heather Bradly for details

BELOTE Popular French Card Game

This group has now got off the ground and we are meeting on the 2nd Tues in month.
I gleaned from the open day that a number of people are interested in this group but are rather reticent at coming forward because they know nothing of the game and its rules. I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about - all will be revealed. You will be taught how to play. The game is very simple to pick up and if you enjoy a not too serious game of cards, then you will enjoy this.
If you would like to come along, please contact me:- Alan Ager

MOTO2 bring buy evening

MOTO2 have arranged a bring buy evening which will be held at Macmillan House in the grounds of Wokingham hospital. Anyone wishing to get rid of unwanted gifts/Christmas presents can come along and we will do our best to sell these items on. So please come and support this EVENT and you can also invite your friends and Family to join us. There will be a £2 entrance which will include light refreshments. All proceeds will go to Macmillan House.

Copy date for the next issue is Friday 2nd February 2007

Other Group News

Since the last Newsletter we have has the Open House which to quote our Chairman was a "wonderful event". Thank you to all of those who took part and made it lively, colourful and informative with imaginative displays. Kay MacDonald wishes to thank the MOTO ladies who helped her so willingly with refreshments. The 'spin off' is that we have more new members, more new groups and many groups swelled their ranks.

Card Making

Needlework

As from January these new groups will be starting:

Rosemary Jenkins is stepping down as leader of the Discussion Group. If anyone would like to take up the reins please contact Rosemary. With all good wishes for 2007

Phyll Smith - Groups Co-ordinator

I would like to thank Philip Lewis for all the photographs of the Open House and Pantomime. Ed

Jazz Appreciation

Network Study Day Held At The Warehouse Reading On Saturday 30th September 2006

Two of us from the Jazz Appreciation Group attended the above - myself and Muriel Froom (yes, under my influence our Secretary is turning into quite a 'cool cat'). There was an attendance of 100-150 people from U3A Jazz Appreciation groups all over the country.

For the morning session we were entertained by the Ken Colyer Legacy Jazz Band. Before starting on the music the members of the band talked to us about their experiences as players of their New Orleans style of jazz, accompanied by demonstrations. After lunch, a live piece group, Century Jazz, took over and played jazz from the 40s, 50 & 60s. They were still playing at 5.30pm and I think the audience would have liked them to play all night, but we had to be out of the hall by then. Altogether a most adrenalin boosting and successful day, and a lucky one for Muriel; she won a CD in the raffle.

Rosemary Goldschmied Jazz Appreciation Group

U3A/Ri Out and About

U3A/Ri Out and About at the Friends Meeting House, London.

Each year the Royal Institution and the U3A team up to produce an afternoon of the best speakers from the Ri's programme. On 3 April 2007 this event will return with another line up of fascinating science.

Writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry will tell 'The truth about hormones' - letting our audience in on what's going on when we're tetchy, spotty, fearful, tearful or just plain awful.

Eminent biomedical researcher Professor Salvador Moncada will tell the story of the mopping up that antioxidants do in your body, and how an imbalance in the body's defences can lead to risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Finally Professor Bill McGuire, Director of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre, will tell us about how researchers are dreaming up ways to protect the planet from danger. It's a tough world out there, with economy-busting earthquakes, giant tsunami, volcanic super-eruptions, threatening asteroids and climate change to worry about. Bill will reassure us with some possible solutions to the threats.

Any one that would like personal information of any of the above events contact National Office. Details are also available on U3A web-site www.u3a.org.uk. Places are limited. Admission by ticket only at £14 per person. Tickets and map will be sent out at the end of January. Please apply in writing to: The Third Age Trust, 19 East Street, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1QH, enclosing a s.a.e and a cheque made payable to The Third Age Trust.

U3A National Summer Schools

Sixty Years Ago

(Further extracts from the diary of my aunt Hilda Mary Todd Bates who died in December 1983 at the age of 89.)

January 1st. Nationalisation of coal mines: time will prove whether anybody benefits.

January 7th. Still horribly cold. I do detest this weather: snow and rain alternately. This evening Miss Rule and I went to the Council House to a film showing for the Arts Club-Brend? City, Valley of the Tennessee and Power in the Highlands. I must try to express my ideas more lucidly, at the moment my sole expression is "very interesting" which conveys nothing.

January 9th. Went to horrible Hounslow High Street, the people there seem so garish. Bought Jim a shirt at Abernethys(Warrens). Not quite his usual style, but I suppose I was fortunate to get one at all, even at 18 shillings(65p R). Bought 2lbs of tangerines at 10d. (approx 4p R.)a pound.

January 28th. Intensely cold. Windows in the bedroom covered with ice. Dad has received a letter from Honiton requesting the name of Uncle Bill's solicitor. As Jim is executor he collected the letter from Dad and took it to Bonnet's, the solicitors, who said they would deal with it.

January 30th. Colder than ever. Fred(her sister Frederica R.) rang this morning to say it was snowing heavily at Bath and they have no electricity at all. I walked home from Dad's this afternoon and arrived home to find Jim sitting in the firelight as the electricity was off.

February 1st. The King and Queen with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret left Portsmouth in H.M.S.Vanguard for South Africa.

February 4th. I was hoping to get my brown umbrella recovered, but this couldn't be done as the cover was too big, so I bought a new one for £2-2s-Od. (£2.10 R.). Went to the Ritz this afternoon to see Great Expectations with John Mills and Valerie Hobson and thoroughly enjoyed it. This evening I went to an Arts Club meeting at the Council House and heard a very well delivered lecture on Cultural India.

February 8th(Saturday). Mr.Shinwell has announced drastic fuel cuts to take effect from Monday.

February 10th. (Monday) Although it has started to thaw it is still very cold and miserable. The slush on the paths is unbelievable, and very difficult to walk on. The Labour Government have got us into a hopeless mess. Owing to Mr Shin-well's bungling with the fuel situation we have been asked not to use electricity between 9-12 and 2-4p.m. Already thousands are out of work. If only we could get rid of this lot of blockheads and make a fresh start.

February 17th. Heavy snowstorm and bitterly cold. Coal short.

February 23rd. Too cold to go out. The night was the coldest for 30 years.

February 24th. Gas has now been added to the list of fuel shortages. The men from the Council were out clearing the quickly thawing pavements this afternoon.

February 27th. Pontings delivered the china fruit set for Cis's birthday present. Not quite so cold and no more snow. Most interesting description of the Royal visit to South Africa on the radio: made us long to be there. (I bet it did! R.)

Rosemary Goldschmied

Ken's book
Bygone Days In Wokingham
Many will know of Ken Goatley's presentations at the Wokingham U3A Open Meetings over the last few years and his popular slide shows for charity. In memory of Ken and to ensure that this immense knowledge is not lost, a new book has just been published by The Wokingham Society and the Wokingham Times entitled Bygone days in Wokingham. It reproduces his articles with the Wokingham Times from 1999 until 2003 and contains a wealth of information and photographs dealing with places, events and personalities from the last 150 years. It also has many quick "Did you know?" slots and a review of the 20th century in Wokingham decade by decade.

If you would like to bring back memories of a different age, or show your children and grandchildren what Wokingham used to be like, then BYGONE DAYS IN WOKINGHAM may make an ideal present, especially for Christmas. It is beautifully produced and priced reasonably at £9.95. Excess monies will go to charity and copies are being donated to Wokingham's school libraries. It can be obtained from the Wokingham Times office in Denmark Street, the Wokingham Town Hall Information Centre and the Wokingham Library.

Arrangements can also be made by telephone (through David Tinker on 0118 9786459 or Jane Bingham 9781175) or through the website www.wokinghamsociety.org.uk.

Computing Advice

The following was spotted on the U3A website. Have any of our members obtained these special deals? If so would you like to share your experiences with other members? Views to the editor please.

"On this page you can find some help and advice on special deals on equipment. For other advice to do with computing please follow the links on the member area menu to the right.

The Third Age Trust has arranged special deals for U3A members who want to buy computer equipment.

EVESHAM COMPUTERS will give members double the standard warranty, free of charge. Go to their website www.evesham.com/u3a, or phone 0870 160 9520.

DELL COMPUTERS offer a better-than-usual deal including increased warranty. Contact Frank Forsey on 0870 907 5006. The Trust can get software with an educational discount, so check with The National Office before purchasing upgrades or programmes."

Paul King

Wokingham U3A

Annual General Meeting 2007

St Paul's Parish Rooms

2:00pm on 20th March 2007

Agenda