newsletter may -june 2017 - wokingham u3anewsletter may-june 2017 2 registered charity no: 1049995...
TRANSCRIPT
WOKINGHAM
NEWSLETTER
May -June 2017
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Registered Charity No: 1049995
For the WEBSITE go to: www.wokinghamu3a.org.uk
Members Area Username: wokingham (all in lowercase). Password: changed from 01/6/2017 and shown on your 2017-2018 membership card.
E-group sign-up: [email protected]
____________________________________________________________________
Wokingham U3A belongs to the Thames Valley Network of U3As. Accordingly, if you are a member of the Wu3a, then you are also a member of the Thames Valley Network of U3As. There is a website covering the activities available within the Network, which you can access from the ‘Links’ page on the Wokingham U3A website (click on the ‘Links' menu entry). Also you can access the TVN website
directly at http://www.u3atvnetwork.org.uk/
Committee Members 2017-18
CHAIRMAN Pam Hares
VICE CHAIRMAN Position vacant
(please enquire with Secretary)
TREASURER John Waddington 16 Waterloo Road Wokingham, RG40 2JH Tel: 0118 979 9007
SECRETARY / MINUTES SECRETARY Denise Allen [email protected]
BEACON & FINANCIAL COORDINATOR Gill Gardner
GROUPS COORDINATOR Chris Melhuish
NEW MEMBERS SECRETARY Patricia Howard
WEBSITE COORDINATOR Neil Goodhand
SPEAKERS SECRETARY Hilary Hough
EVENTS COORDINATOR Jacky Smith
EQUIPMENT MANAGER Chris Readings
MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES [email protected]
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
For details of members on WU3A Administration Teams, see back page
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Contents
An Evening of Music and Dance, poster ............................ Front cover
WU3A Committee for 2016-17 .................................................... 2
View from the Chair ............................................................. 4-5
Dates for your Diary and Passing Friends ....................................... 5
Notes from the Treasurer.......................................................... 6
Evening Meeting ..................................................................... 7
Monthly Afternoon Meeting ....................................................... 8
Members' Events ................................................................. 9-10
Groups News ........................................................................ 11
Groups Wishing to Start, and New Groups Starting .......................... 11
Groups looking for members ..................................................... 12
Group Changes ...................................................................... 12
Group Programmes ............................................................. 12-14
Group News and Reports .......................................................... 15
Thames Valley Network - Future Events ................................... 16-17
News from the Third Age Trust .............................................. 18-19
Wokingham U3A Adminstration Teams ............................... Back page
Deadline for next newsletter .......................................... Back page
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View from the Chair
I would like to thank all of you who came along to support our March AGM which had about 90 attendees, and I am very pleased to be continuing as your Chairman for my third and final year.
This is always the time of year for thankyous and goodbyes as some of our Committee members leave, others take on new roles and we see some new faces joining us. Firstly, our leavers…… Olga Hughes who has done a fantastic job as Vice Chairman giving me tremendous support over the past two years as well as running our New Members meetings until Patricia
Howard took over the task at the end of last year. Sadly, we are also losing Hilary Taylor who returned to the Committee for a second ‘stint’ and over the past three years has done an amazing job handling all aspects of our Membership, for both new members joining and our yearly renewals. And finally, Sue Waddington who kindly stepped up to the role of Secretary last year and Dave Howlett who became our ‘caretaker’ Groups Coordinator before Chris Melhuish took over the role permanently. A big thankyou to all of you.
Now for the changes… Denise Allen who has been our Minutes Secretary for the past few years has kindly agreed to take over as Hon Sec and incorporate her previous duties into that role. Gill Gardner has become our Beacon wizard and has taken on the role of Beacon and Financial Coordinator. Hilary Hough will continue as Speaker Secretary for the early part of the year but will later step down and one of our new members, Margaret Walton, will take on the role. We will have a couple of non-Committee helpers, Sue Metcalfe and Jackie Taylor, to assist with the bookings.
I am pleased to say that John Waddington, Neil Goodhand and Chris Readings and Jacky Smith have all agreed to remain in their current roles. I would also like to thank the three ladies Sarah Wood, Pat Baldwin and Margaret Finch who have been working very hard behind the scenes collecting all the membership monies - both renewals and new members - and Ray Carmody for his creative advertising.
Thanks to the efforts of Franky Bulmer, we are having four Evening Meetings this year (the first was in April). If these meetings are to continue next year we do need to see them better attended and we will need a new organiser as Franky has said she will step down after this year.
The Research Sub-Committee (RSC) will continue for another year, but this also is desperately in need of some additional supporters and helpers if it is to continue and succeed.
Disappointingly, despite many attempts at advertising our 2017 Showtime production only attracted around 190 people across the three performances.
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(View from the Chair, cont.)
As you can see, the three items above have a theme running through them. An enormous amount of time and effort are given by the people who organise our events/activities. If the activities do not receive our members support they will discontinue. If there are things we need to change, please do let the Committee know and we can try to do things differently.
Wokingham U3A continues to be an amazing organisation which opens up new opportunities for learning and making new friends. We now have over 2,250 members and 202 groups. Our success is achieved by people volunteering a little (or in some cases a lot) of their time. So well done and thank you to all my fellow Committee members, our Convenors, Category Coordinators, “tea makers”, “hall set-up people”, ticket sellers etc.......the list is so long. If you would like to join a GREAT team, please VOLUNTEER NOW.
A final thankyou to Steve Block our Newsletter Editor, as without him you wouldn’t be reading this now!!
Have a great Summer! Pam Hares Chairman WU3A
Dates for your Diary
WU3A Coffee Mornings
Every Tuesday 10.30am at Cantley House Hotel
WU3A Meetings
May 9th 7.30pm Evening Meeting St Paul’s Parish Rooms
May 16th 2.30pm Monthly Afternoon Meeting St Paul’s Parish Rooms
Passing Friends
Your Committee has decided that when we are notified of the death of one of our members we will, in future, record their passing here.
Rusty (Ronald) Atkins, died Monday 27th March 2017, aged 97
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Notes from the Treasurer
Membership subscriptions 2017
Reminder ……. For those who have still to pay the current year subscription (increased to £8 this year), could they please do this as soon as possible or confirm if they do not wish to renew.
This will reduce our administration time & cost and help our cash flow!!
Subscription renewal payment information was posted to all members towards the end of February. If you have mislaid your copy, you will find this information on the Wokingham U3A website.
And a BIG thank you …… to all of you who have already paid, particularly those who have paid direct to our bank.
Membership cards 2017
Our new Beacon computer membership system has enabled us to streamline this process for 2017, thereby saving material postage costs and significant administration time on the part of our membership subscriptions team.
Your 2017-18 membership card takes the form of a facsimile on the lower part of the subscription renewal confirmation which was emailed or posted to you when we processed your subscription payment.
If received as an email, you may print this out or alternatively retain this on your phone, tablet or similar device.
No separate 2017 -18 membership cards will be issued.
Member email communications
We now have the facility through Beacon to keep members informed of the activities of your U3A by email (over 85% of our members have registered email addresses with us).
We will seek to maintain a suitable balance by restricting these emails to a minimum.
If you do not wish to receive these incoming emails, please simply delete them.
Please do not mark them as spam, as they are coming from the known source of Wokingham U3A. Should you mark them as spam, this causes significant difficulties relating to our server distribution system. It will also prevent you receiving important email communications from your U3A.
John Waddington, Treasurer [email protected]
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Tuesday 9th May at 7.30pm St. Paul’s Parish Rooms (doors open at 7.00pm)
“It’s not just flat, white, and boring” A brief tale of paper, Frogmore Paper Mill
and the industry of the Gade valley
Peter Burford
Papyrus was used by the ancient Egyptians, and paper as we would recognise it dates back to China in the first millennium AD. However, it was here in England that the first mechanical paper mill in the world was founded, on the site of Frogmore Mill, in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead.
Peter Burford is the Visitor Services Manager for Apsley Paper Trail, the charity that operates Frogmore Paper Mill. He has been involved with the paper trail project since its inception in 1995 and has worked for the charity since 2002. He is one of only 8 employees based at Frogmore Mill and responsible for making visitors welcome and keeping them informed and entertained whilst on their visit.
Peter will be happy to answer any questions you might have at the end of his talk – but be warned, he will be asking you some questions during the course of his talk, too.
Evening Meeting
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Tuesday 16th May 2017 at 2.30pm
St Paul’s Parish Rooms, Reading Road, Wokingham
Hugh Gibbons
The Thanksgiving Field IN PRAISE OF COMMON HUMANITY
Sprung out of historic happenings
that involved the area beyond the
fence during the liberation of
Europe, the Field offers unusual
angles on modern social history and
the values of local communities.
The Field is where a USAAF B17 #3351Z ended up at 6.44pm
on 14 October 1943, after a day's battle that featured great
courage of common humanity on both sides, in the air and on the
ground. By chance, a handful of metal fragments were unearthed
by metal detectorist Hugh Gibbons in October 2013. He saw the
potential for big smiles.
Internet and local research uncovered a great wealth of information about the plane,
the places and (above all) the people involved, then and now. Hugh decided to use his
findings to fill a gap in the collective memory - something very different.
So the Field isn't another solemn war memorial but one to hidden heroes in
families, communities and nations who help lives recover after conflict of any
sort, anywhere and anytime. You may be one of them.
Monthly Afternoon Meeting
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Members’ Events
Away from the large flower shows, Hyde Hall offers the chance to view a beautiful hill top garden, a rose garden and a fascinating Mediterranean Dry Garden along with the show.
The coach will leave Wokingham Theatre at 9.30am and return to Wokingham at 6.30pm, traffic permitting as always.
Travel time approximately 2hrs.
Price: £27.00 per person
If, however, you are a member of the RHS your entry to the show is free; therefore only travel would need to be paid, which is £18.00pp.
Please apply to [email protected]
Cheques made payable to Wokingham U3A and sent to:
Events Wokingham U3A
2 Wormstall Cottages
Greensward Lane
Arborfield.
RG2 9JP
Hyde Hall
Flower Show
Friday
4th August 2017
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An Evening of Music and Dance
Friday 19th May 2017 (see front cover)
Booking available by email or post:
WU3A Events Coordinator, 2 Wormstall Cottages,
Greensward Lane, Arborfield, Berks RG2 9JP
or email to [email protected]
Cheques made payable to “Wokingham U3A” to the address above.
Event report
Wokingham U3A Golf Day 31st march 2017
The powers that be smiled down on us again, and after a short rain shower the day improved as it went on.
44 members took to Hennerton Golf Course with high hopes and expectations, none more so than Chris Barnes who achieved a Hole in One on the 11th. As a nice gesture, Chris then supplied the wine for the tables – an expensive day for him, but a great result!
The scores were much higher than on our previous golf days.
Results
Winner of the individual Stableford Competition Roger Warren scoring 45 points
Runner Up Liz Tomlinson scoring 43pts There were 5 other players scoring 40 points.
Hennerton looked after us very well and the food was delicious which is always a bonus after a game of golf!
Well played to all – our next golf day is planned for October.
Jacky Smith Events Co-ordinator
Best Team Score 2 out of 4 – 85 points Roger Warren Michael Martin Stuart Birley Digby (Alisdhair) Beckingham
Nearest the Pin Hole 4 Roger warren Hole 7 Daphne Ferguson Hole 9 Stuart Birley Hole 11 Chris Barnes (Hole in One)
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Group News If you have an idea for a new group, why not find out if other members are interested? Your ideas can be included in the Newsletter and on the website.
The website contains a wealth of information on groups mentioned in the newsletter, and you can make contact with convenors through the group page.
Groups wishing to start
None that I have been informed of to date. Ed.
New Groups starting
Beer Appreciation Group The purpose of Beer Appreciation Group is to enjoy real ale, good company and to support publicans who are prepared to take the care and interest needed to provide proper beer.
The group is informal and members will receive emails or phoned detailing times and places of monthly meetings. It is intended that for all our meetings we will use public transport and it is hoped that in the future trips will be arranged to breweries and beer festivals.
The group meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month starting at 1.00pm. The next meeting will be on Thursday 18th May.
If interested, please contact convener Rodger Fox at [email protected]
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Groups looking for members
None that I have been informed of to date. Ed.
Group Changes
Board & Table Games group
The Board & Table Games group now meet weekly rather than fortnightly.
For more information, please contact convener Paul Cockayne
Group programmes
Winemaking/Home Brewing Group
This group is for anyone who makes wine, cider or beer or any other type of home brewing, and for anyone who is interested in starting to do so. We share our joy of brewing with one another, sample one another’s brews, give tips and help to solve problems. Hopefully we will bring in the occasional expert to improve our knowledge.
Meetings will be held on Saturday evenings once per month; the schedule for the remainder of 2017 is:
May 20th, June 10th, July 8th, October 7th, November 11th, December 9th.
Travel Group
This group meets in the Woosehill Community Hall upstairs on the first Wednesday afternoon of the month from 2.00 to 4.00pm. Members and visitors are always welcome.
Wednesday 3rd May: Alan Drabble presents Burma - a place that really seems to be catching on as a tourist destination.
Wednesday 7th June: This will be a sociable, informal session in which members are invited to share travel experiences and tips with the group.
We will then have a break in July and August and re-convene on September 6th. If interested in coming along or joining the group, please contact the Group Convenor Elizabeth Manley on 0118 9772569
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(Group programmes, cont.)
French Walk and Talk
Forthcoming walks:
Tuesday 30th May: Meet before 10.00am Roadside parking near The Thatched Tavern, Cheapside near Sunningdale (SL5 7QG; SU945695) for a walk in Windsor Great Park towards Valley Gardens. Walk of about 9 kms. Contact Phillip: 0118 969 8771.
Tuesday 27th June: Meet before 10.00am at the Wheelwright's Arms opposite entrance to Dinton Pastures (RG10 0TR; SU787716) for a walk along the banks of the River Loddon. Contact on the day: 07703 166 467.
Contact convener Phillip Rothbart for more details: 0118 9698771
Walk ‘n’ talk Italian
Friday 5th May at 10.00am
Middle Assendon and Coxlease Farm. 6.5 miles from lay-by in Middle Assendon on B480, GR 739 857.
Leader: Caroline Layton, tel. 0118 978 1336. Mobile on day: 07906 182893. Friday 2nd June at 10.00am.
Green Lanes of Waltham St. Lawrence. 5.5 miles from church, GR 829 769.
Leader: Caroline Layton, tel. 0118 978 1336. Mobile on day: 07906 182893.
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(Group programmes, cont.)
Film
Wednesday 3rd May, 7.00 for 7.30pm
Fear Eats the Soul (1974) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Introduced by Ellen Holmes
A West German film, hailed by many to be a masterpiece. The film revolves around an unlikely relationship which develops between an elderly woman and a Moroccan migrant worker in post-war Germany.
Wednesday 7th June, 7.00 for 7.30pm
Double Indemnity (1944) directed by Billy Wilder. Introduced by Peter Hodgson.
A film noir co-written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler producing a witty and sparkling script. The film stars Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, Barbara Stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead, and Edward G. Robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims.
Praised by many critics when first released, Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre.
Wokingham Methodist Church Hall, Rose Street
For more information, contact Clive Tomlin 01344 774409
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Group news and reports Contributions are always welcome from group members as well as convenors. Pictures are always a bonus (but please get featured individuals’ permission!)
Italian Elementary
Fluent Italian speaker needed to help
Sadly for us, we are losing our fluent Italian speaker who has helped us so much over the last year.
If you are a fluent Italian speaker who would be willing to help our group, either on a regular basis or occasionally, particularly with pronunciation and grammar, please can you contact me, Sylvia Lynam on 0118 901 8291 or by e-mail at [email protected]. We meet from 10.00 until 12.00 on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.
Industrial Heritage
Change of convenor
The current IHG (Industrial Heritage Group) will stop convening this topic after June this year. However, we are pleased to tell members that a new volunteer group will take over the running of Industrial Heritage from September onwards. Further news of the format will be detailed in the next newsletter.
There will be no events during July and August 2017, but a future programme will be compiled during the summer months. Members on the "register" will receive full information directly during that time and the programme will also be published in the September/October newsletter and on the website.
We are grateful to Roger and Martin for their ambitious and enjoyable programme during the last year. If in the meantime you wish to know more, please contact either Biddy Wombwell on [email protected] (Tel: 0118 989 4859) and David Tinker on [email protected] (Tel: 0118 978 6459).
Aiuto per favore!
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Future Events
As a member of Wokingham U3A, you are also automatically a member of the Thames Valley Network.
Full details of future events can be found at the link below
www.u3atvnetwork.org.uk/Events_Programme_2017.html
Aspects of the Social History of the Thames Valley (Identical repeat of 22nd March)
A few places left
17th May
River & Rowing Museum, Henley
Einstein Day See flyer on next page Go to TVN Events page (above) for application form
23rd June
Benson Parish Hall
U3A SE Region Conference
5th July
Royal Holloway Cost £5.00 only (inc. lunch)
The work of William Morris
10th August Note changed date
Kelmscott Manor Crop Growth and Climate Change
28th September
Benson Parish Hall (Details to follow)
Gilbert & Sullivan
18th October
Harwell (Details to follow) Archaeology Day 15th November Benson (Details to follow)
TVN Workshop 23rd November Benson (Details to follow)
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News from the Third Age Trust
Consultation Process Update
The Future Structure of the Third Age Trust - A Members Consultation
In 2016, Pam Jones, Chairman of the Trust, began a Consultation Process (CP), on the future structure of the Third Age Trust, in a series of articles.
The Consultation process is underway and currently 470 members, represented by 280 U3As, have attended meetings and a record made of the views they expressed.
After a presentation at the Plenary Session of the AGM in August 2016, members with an interest in making proposals for the future structure of the Trust were encouraged to ask for a meeting with a member of the Working Group to make their views known.
Some 25 members responded to Pam’s request for views on the Structure of the Trust. They were invited to formalise their proposals and to present a summary at a meeting on 2 November. Those attending then participated in a general discussion.
25 requests were made by Networks and groups of U3As to meet with the working Group and by Friday 10 February, nineteen consultative meetings had been held in locations across the country, including input from Trustees at the February NEC meeting. 470 members represented by 280 U3As have attended meetings and a record made of the views they expressed.
By 27 February, the remaining meetings will have been held and the Working Group will meet again with those who attended on 2 November to let them know the outcome of the consultation meetings. They will then be invited to put forwrd any further views in a general discussion.
The Working Party will then consider and analyse all the proposals received which will be incorporated in a presentation to the NEC in March.
If only ‘minor’ structural changes are proposed, constitutional amendments may be submitted to 2017 AGM.
If ‘major’ structural changes are proposed, these will be debated at 2017 AGM. If there is consensus, constitutional proposals will be submitted to 2018 AGM
Michaela Moody, Ian McCannah, Graham Clarke
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(News from the Third Age Trust, cont.)
Finally (I needed to fill a page), here are a few gems from the TAT’s “Interest Group Survey” (2013) for your interest and delight! (Ed.)
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WOKINGHAM U3A ADMINISTRATION TEAMS
MEMBERSHIPS TEAM [Central email address: [email protected]]
New members: Margaret Finch
Renewals (cheques): Patricia Baldwin Renewals (bank transfers): Sarah Wood
SPEAKER MEETINGS TEAM [Central email address: [email protected] ] To be confirmed
NEWSLETTER [Email address: [email protected]] Editor: Steve Block
GROUP CATEGORY COORDINATORS [Central email address: [email protected]] (Category co-ordinators assist the groups co-ordinator in running groups and also provide help and guidance to convenors)
Arts & Literature: Joy Meaton [email protected]
Crafts: Hilary Hough [email protected] 01189 782140
Indoor Games: Brenda Cutler [email protected] 01189 617538
Language & Philosophy: vacancy (apply to Chris at [email protected])
Learning Out & About: Patricia Howard [email protected]
Life and History: Jane Wolsey [email protected] 0118 9696612
Physical Activity: Chris Melhuish [email protected] 01189 791011
Science & Technology: Stephen Edwards [email protected] 01189 890507
Music: Penny Tomlin [email protected] 01344 774409
Deadline for contributions to next Newsletter (July-Aug 2017):
Wednesday 24th May
Please send to Steve Block, Newsletter Editor