The newsletter of Paphos Third Age (P3A)

“AD-LIB”
The newsletter of
Paphos Third Age
(P3A)
www.paphos3rdage.com
April 2014
HEAD NORTH MY FRIENDS!!
I have been asked to write an introduction to this quarter’s Ad-Lib. Those of you who will attend the upcoming AGM
on Wednesday 28th May will probably recognise much of the same material being repeated in my report.
This last twelve months have been reasonably eventful albeit without the drama of some previous years when my
predecessor Alan was at the helm. The major challenge was to find a replacement venue for many of our groups as
the Laura Beach Hotel gave notice that they could no longer accommodate us going forward. After a considerable
amount of work by a number of committee members the sister hotel of LBH came to the rescue. We have now
successfully transferred to the facilities at Cypria Maris Hotel and certainly for those who live, let us say, nearer
Paphos Town than Peyia, the move has been largely welcomed. To those who may feel slightly short-changed by
the move, spare a thought for a quarter of a million U3A members in the UK who usually have to make do with far
inferior venues, travel much further and pay considerably more than €5 per annum for the privilege!
If there is a task to be undertaken in the next twelve months it is perhaps “managing success”. We now have over
700 members which is twice the number of three years ago. What we wish to avoid is “full house” signs going up too
often at existing group meetings. Whilst there will always be a welcome for completely new groups, there is
absolutely nothing wrong with starting second, or even third groups to those existing but geographically placed in
Peyia or even Polis and some other outposts of civilisation in the greater Paphos District.
This possibility was recently accentuated when Wally Oppenheim polled his History Group members (the largest of
all our Groups) only to find that a clear majority wished to stay at Droushia Heights Hotel rather than a more
southerly location on offer.
So, what could that mean in practice? As far as presently non-operating groups are concerned, is there anyone out
there who would consider leading Non-Fiction books, Poetry and/or Genealogy? As for doubling up and heading
North, think of any of the existing 35 or so groups and see if you could be the person to lead a new one from a
venue nearer Polis, Droushia, Tsada, Konia or Stroumbi. The walking groups often tread paths all over the District
but perhaps some of the outdoor based groups and others could consider holding occasional events in some of
those areas to give the “locals” a crack of the whip, as it were. It might also encourage new members from those
places if they did not have to travel so far.
If you wish to discuss any ideas, without obligation, give Maggie Macfarlane a call on 97670558.
Under the leadership of Jeremy Wall we have had a healthy (quite literally) series of monthly talks alternating
between Cypria Maris and Droushia (for the obvious reasons given above). Plenty more are in the bag for the rest
of the year.
Finally, look out for details of the new Wine Tasting Group when it pulls the cork. One definitely not to be missed for
amateur sommeliers out there!
JOHN HARPER
Chairman
CONTENTS
P3A Committee & Groups
2
Classic Film Group
4
New Group!
2
What’s New in History
5
Subscriptions
2
Neighbourhood Watch Info
6
Notice of AGM
3
Archaeology
7
Future Monthly Talks
3
Social Singles
8
P3A Committee
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
Group Co-ordinator
Events Organiser
Technical Officer
Magazine Editor
John Harper
Ros Sparrow
Wally Oppenheim
Danne Johnston
Ros Sparrow
Maggie McFarlane
Jeremy Wall
Paul Clarke
Brenda Wallis
For contact details please go to http://paphos3rdage.org/committee.htm
P3A GROUPS
The P3A website http://paphos3rdage.org/groups.htm has a complete list of groups together with details of
meeting times and Group Leaders. Click on the group title to see contact details. If you wish to join a group
please contact the Group Leader
Possible New Group!!!
Wine Appreciation Group
Paul Hoar is keen to lead a wine appreciation group
He would like to host a group of around 20 at his own house for a course of
10 sessions on the wine regions of France, with each session followed by a
tasting from his own extensive cellar. Paul is very knowledgeable, professional and very
enthusiastic, so if you are interested in joining this group please contact him on
suekatundu(at)aol.com
Subscriptions for 2014/15
Subscriptions to the P3A for 2014/15 were due on the 1st April. For yet another year we holding our subscription at
€10 for new members, and €5 for renewals.
Ros Sparrow has printed 2014/15 stickers, with a background matching our existing plastic cards, so we can keep
using those good quality cards. She also has a supply of paper cards, and a limited number of “recycled” plastic
cards, for those without a membership card.
If you have not already done so could you give your subscriptions for 2014/15 to your Group Leaders who will then
pass to Ros.
Your help with this is appreciated, to keep the P3A running smoothly as always.
Many thanks
P3A Committee
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P3A AGM
This year’s AGM will be held on Wednesday 28 May at the Avanti Hotel, Kato Paphos.
Registration and complimentary refreshments will be from 10.00am with the AGM
commencing at 10.30am.
All P3A members are invited to attend and full details of the Agenda and relevant
documentation will be sent out by Wally Oppenheim in the near future.
Future Saturday Talks Programme
17 May, John Harper (Chairman of P3A) will talk at the Cypria Maris Hotel’s Chevalier room
about “MY ISLANDS IN THE SUN”.
He has lived in Jersey, Bermuda and Mauritius before coming to Cyprus and has some
personal and illuminating things to say about each of them.
28 June, Wally Oppenheim, historian extraordinaire, will talk at the Droushia Heights Hotel
about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in June 1914, precipitating the First World War.
27 September Ken Reid (son of members William and Barbara Reid) who has been blind for
some 25 years will address us about aspects of blindness and the RNIB.
18 October at the Cypria Maris Hotel, Tom Handley, Chairman, and Maxine O’Daly will talk
about the work of the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society (PASYKAF) and the Cancer Patients Support
Group.
TBA November, Maureen Watt will discuss the procedures to be followed and the legal and
financial implications of death in Cyprus.
13 December, at Droushia Heights Hotel, Paul Hoar will talk about wines.
For further information on Monthly Talks please contact Jeremy Wall on
jglwall(at)gmail.com
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Quiz Night
Our second very successful quiz night was held at the Cypria Maris Hotel on Wednesday, 12
March, hosted by P3A members Michael and Jill Clayton.
Eight teams and 45 people took part.
The winning team was the “Dragonflies” comprised of: Geoff Cosson, Marion Campey,
Paul Clarke, Jenny Clarke, and David & Ros Sparrow.
Second came the “Young Crocs” and third the “Old Crocs”, both sets of Crocs being
composed of members of Hugh Atkinson’s Current Affairs group and guests, the younger
ones led by Kevin McAnallen and the elder ones by Hugh himself.
We’re very grateful to Michael Clayton for acting as Quizmaster, ably assisted by Jill, and
hope that they’d agree to run another one if it’s decided to hold one.
I’d be grateful for feedback about the quiz, the questions, location, format etc., and whether
we should hold another one early next year.
Many Thanks
Jeremy Wall
P3A Events Organiser jglwall(at)gmail.com
Classic Films Group
The Classic Film Group, led by Paul Clarke, show films that range from
approximately 10 years to 80 years old. The films are selected as having
generally acknowledged merit. Some of the genres we show are Classic
Black & White, World Cinema, UK Made, Musical, Drama, Comedy, and
Thriller.
Movies recently shown include The Ipcress File, Out of Africa, The French
Connection, Hud, Tell No-One (French), Ordinary People, 10 Rillington Place,
Spring Summer Autumn Winter…& Spring (Korean), Singin’ in the Rain,
Primal Fear, Groundhog Day, The Sting and The Third Man.
The Group meets weekly at the cinema of the Laura Beach Hotel on a Tuesday evening, with
performances commencing at 7.30pm, however it will need to relocate as soon as a
suitable replacement venue is found.
We currently have space for some more members, so if you are interested in seeing some
very good films please contact Paul via the website. The films are announced one week
beforehand and bookings are made by email.
For more information and contact details see our web page:
http://paphos3rdage.org/classicfilms.htm
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HISTORY GROUPS
WHAT’S NEW IN HISTORY?
The History Groups are all continuing to grow in popularity, and new members are welcome to
join at any time. There is no limit on numbers.
The Tuesday Group has now moved to Droushia Heights Hotel. Our current topic is the Rise of
Modern China, and that will probably run until the Summer. Members have just voted on what
topics they would like to do next, and the winners were: The Crusades, the Industrial Revolution,
the Rise and Fall of the Swedish Empire, the Wars of the Roses and the Rise and Fall of Venice.
The Thursday group is currently finishing the Rise and Fall of the British Empire. They too
recently voted what topics to do next. Their chosen topics are: The Rise of Modern China, the
Crusades, the Industrial Revolution, the Wars of the Roses and Crime and Punishment through
the ages.
Meanwhile the Military History Group is working its way through the horrors of the trenches in
World War 1. In these talks I am not just covering the battles but also the Home Front, how the
war changed society, Songs Poems and Fiction from the war and how it is covered by TV.
In the Summer I will be giving my usual series of one-off talks. These are open to everyone in
P3A - you don’t have to be a member of the History Group. An invitation to the Summer meetings
will go out to everyone shortly, but you might already want to make a note of any of the talks that
interest you.
On Saturday June 28th I will be talking about the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, 100 years to
the day- to the hour actually- since he was murdered and Europe was on the slippery slope to
war. I will also be looking at what else was going on in Europe in 1914, and in June 1914 in
particular. This talk is part of our programme of monthly speakers organized by Jeremy Wall
Tuesday 22 July: The History of the Ukraine: Very much in the news today, I will trace the
History of this troubled country from its origins, its glory days as the founder of the first Russian
state, to its conquest by Moscow and what has been happening recently. It will include explaining
why Crimea is so important to Russia and how memories of the past explain the hatred between
Russia and Ukraine
Tuesday 12 August: Marie Stopes and the Birth Control Revolution. The life of Marie Stopes,
Birth control pioneer and arguably author of the most important book written in the 20 th Century.
I will also be covering briefly the History of Contraceptives- did you know for example that a
common wild flower in Cyprus was for Centuries used for Birth Control- and that it apparently
works?
Finally on Tuesday 26 August: Conquistador! The astonishing story of how Hernan Cortez and a
few hundred men were able to conquer and destroy the mighty Aztec Empire in 1520. It is a
tragic story with hundreds of thousands killed to satisfy the Spanish demand for gold.
Nevertheless, Cortez’ victory, against all the odds, is astonishing.
All the talks will be at Droushia Heights Hotel
Wally Oppenheim
5
Useful Information from Peyia Neighbourhood Watch
Hotel Check In - Beware!
As some of us would maybe fall for this as it does sound
all too plausible - I decided to pass it on...
You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk.
Typically when checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for any
charges to your room). You go to your room and settle in. All is good. The hotel
receives a call on an outside line and the caller asks for (as an example) room
620 - which happens to be your room. The phone rings in your room. You
answer and the person on the other end says the following:
'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your
charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify
the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.'
Not thinking anything wrong, since the call seems to come from the front desk
you oblige. But actually, it is a scam by someone calling from outside the hotel.
They have asked for a random room number, then ask you for your credit card
and address information. They sound so professional, that you think you are
talking to the front desk.
If you ever encounter this scenario on your travels, tell the caller that you will be
down to the front desk to clear up any problems. Then, go to the front desk or
call directly and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the
manager of the hotel that someone tried to scam you of your credit card
information, acting like a front desk employee.
This was sent by someone who has been duped........and is still cleaning up the
mess.
ANYONE travelling should be aware of this !
(Many thanks to Peyia Neighbourhood Watch for allowing us to print this information)
6
P3A ARCHAEOLOGY GROUP
The Archaeology Group has always been popular, which is not surprising considering the huge number of historical
sites here in Cyprus, not to mention the general interest in archaeology aroused by TV programmes such as ‘Time
Team’.
Our Paphos Group meets regularly, and we try to combine talks, films and visits to archaeological sites and
excavations. We usually have 35-45 members attending.
Over the past year, for example, we have had talks by outside experts such as Dr.
Andrew McCarthy, the Director of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research
Institute (CAARI), who described the dig he is conducting at Prastio-Mesorotsos, in
the Diarizos Valley, and how his finds reflect Cyprus’ varied history. This is an
ongoing excavation, which members will be visiting later on in the year.
(Photo 1)
We have also had talks on ‘Roman buildings in Cyprus’, on Orkney’s unique
Neolithic sites which are only now being uncovered, and a “members’ session”,
where four of our group made presentations on things which they had researched,
including a possible temple in Amargeti, bronze finds in North Wales, some original
thinking about the Roman Agora in Paphos, and some wonderful mosaics in Sicily.
We have had films about the magnificent Neolithic temples on Malta, the
treasure trove of Venetian and ‘crusader’ stone buildings in old Famagusta, and
the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Our site visits are always popular. We have conducted some of these
ourselves…for example, to the walls and tombs in the unvisited areas of Kato
Paphos, and to the sanctuary of Afrodite at Kouklia, looking at the Greek and
Roman buildings, the Leda & the Swan mosaic and the unique conical (cult
idol?) stone in the museum. (Photo 2)
We always try to arrange guided visits with professional
archaeologists when they come to Cyprus to dig, although
they usually only stay for a few weeks during the summer
months. In the past year, we had a guided tour of three sites
at Kourion which are not open to the public, - a massive
‘royal’ tomb and a Roman basilica at the beach (both only
excavated in the 1990s), and the medieval sugar factory in
nearby Episkopi village. Staff from Limassol Museum
opened the sites for us and provided knowledgeable guides.
(Photos 3 & 4)
During April 2014, we repeated our popular ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ course at
Lemba, run by Ian Hill from Edinburgh University. Fourteen of our members spent two days learning the practical
skills of the archaeologist, such as recording a site, recognising pottery and bones, and interpreting data. We are
hoping to arrange a more advanced course in 2015.
Through our group membership of CAARI, our members can attend the talks and annual workshop held in Nicosia,
as well as using their Library. We also send out any new information about Cyprus archaeology.
We now hold our meetings at the Cypria Maris Hotel, where there is plenty of space for new members. We meet on
the fourth Wednesday of most months, at 10.00am.
For further information on this Group please contact Geoff Cosson on gcosson2003(at)yahoo.co.uk
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Prastio-Mesorotsos
Kouklia
‘Royal’ tomb, Kourion
Beach basilica, Kourion
7
Social Singles Group
The Social Singles Group is a group of active single people coming together for social events (it’s
not a dating club!). Membership has already grown to nearly 70, including many new recruits to
P3A. Regular events so far this year have included monthly mini-golf and a 4 x 4 outing, as well as
meals out almost every week, which are often attended by over 20 members.
One-off events have included group lunches and several group theatre trips to Stage One, as well
as impromptu dancing after the regular Friday dinner which we hope to make a more permanent
feature of our calendar.
A Sunday lunch has now been added to the schedule for most months.
A popular event in April was a car Treasure Hunt which saw 6
teams venture out along a scenic route up into the hills on a
beautiful clear day to enjoy lovely views while finding clues along
the way, and finishing with a prize-giving lunch at a mystery
venue. The winning team of Ian Manson, Sue Smith and Averil
Woods are shown with their prizes!
Well done - it was a challenging but fun event.
Another theatre trip and a day at the races in Nicosia are events to look forward to in May, with
the annual boat trip to follow in June.
The group’s monthly meeting to chat about future events is on the last Friday of each month at
1.45pm at Cypria Maris Hotel. If you would like to know more about the Social Singles Group
please e-mail Averil Woods at p3asingles(at)gmail.com
Editor’s Note
Well that’s it from me as this is my final edition of Ad-Lib. When I was “persuaded” to take this
role on 2 years ago I wondered what I had let myself in for - like most of us I came to Cyprus to
retire!!! But such is the way with P3A - retirement can be fun, and I have met a lot of interesting
people and learned a lot about the groups within P3A, not necessarily by belonging to them, but
by reading about their activities in the articles in Ad-Lib. I hope you all feel the same way.
I am now handing over the reins to my successor - as yet unnamed (I hear a certain David Moyes
is looking for a job!). I hope you give them the support and encouragement you have given me,
and continue to send in your articles and stories.
Very best wishes to you all, and I hope to see many of you at the AGM in May.
Brenda
8