February 2016 - Kings Hill U3A
Transcription
February 2016 - Kings Hill U3A
Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 – February 2016 From the Chairman Please come along and support the AGM which is being held at the end of April (Thursday 28th at 2 pm). A new Committee will be in place following elections at the AGM as some of us are standing down this year. The AGM will give you the opportunity to meet the new Committee Members and Officers. Also, don’t forget that we will be holding our main meeting as usual on Thursday April 7th. There will be no main meeting in May. I know a few of you are enquiring about going to Chichester University for this year’s Summer School and some have already booked. This year you will see there are some great subjects for you to choose from. If you are interested, have a look at the website or contact me if you need more information. The Committee met with 12 new members at our welcome gathering at the Golf Club at the end of January. There are many more who have been unable to make the dates but there should be another being organised in the next couple of months. I also met a few new members at our Luncheon Club meal at Lenham recently. Thanks go to Tricia, David Urmston and Margaret for getting even more SIGs started for our members. Tricia has started a ‘Makers of History’ SIG, David has already arranged a ‘Hill Walking’ SIG trip to the Black Mountains in February and Margaret organised the first meeting for an Ukulele SIG. We have around 50 SIGs for our members to choose from with a few more in the pipeline. I was very impressed to see the photo of the stunning arrangements produced by our Floristry SIG. They look so professional and well done all! See later in this newsletter for more details. See you all at our next meeting on Thursday 4th February. Karen Speaker – last month r John Reuther gave us a lovely, Dlight-hearted talk on the history and origin of our old, friendly nursery rhymes. It seems that some were not as friendly as first thought! Some were political comment at the time, and many were old counting rhymes, to teach children how to count (Hickory Dickory Dock, for example.) It seems, too, that “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is a political rhyme - about the Great Custom, a tax on wool that was introduced in 1275, its use of the colour black and the word “master” led some to wonder whether there was a racial message at its centre. Its political correctness was called into question in the latter part of the 20th century, with some schools banning it from being repeated in classrooms, and others simply switching out the word “black” for something deemed less offensive. In 2011, news.com.au reported on the proliferation of “Baa, Baa Rainbow Sheep” as an alternative, although it doesn't scan nearly as well! John spoke almost entirely from memory, only occasionally referring to his notes, and kept us entertained for a full 45 minutes, with time at the end for a few questions. Next month we will hear from Anthony Poulton-Smith, who will be talking about the origins of place names. (I wonder if anyone will ask him about Pratts Bottom, near Orpington?). Barry Evans Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Terrific Tina trashes our previous high score (both men & women) with 175 points at KHU3A Bowling Page 2 of 18 News from the Groups Gardening Groups This month the two groups met up at the Kings Hill Golf Club for a quiz. As there were sixteen of us we split into 4 teams. The questions were cryptic so not too much knowledge of gardening was needed and so the teams were fairly even in their scoring. However, there was a winning team and their prize was a variety of window sill seeds and the team that came last got some garden twine! Over tea, coffee and cake we discussed what plants were flowering early due to the mild winter. However, whilst the warmer weather had confused some plants the wetter conditions may also have affected others, in particular rotting some bulbs. It was agreed that Gardening Group One would not meet next week and Gardening Group Two would not meet in February. Jan Atkins Luncheon Club The February luncheon club will be held on Friday 19th February 2016 at The Plough in Eynsford. Please let June Rose know if you will be coming - there is no need to choose food in advance. In future it is hoped that the 3rd Friday in the month will be the regular day for Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 luncheon club. This will hopefully make it easier to plan your activities in advance. June Rose Photography Our next meeting is on 16 February at my house when the theme will be 'Churches and Historic Buildings'. Please let me have a maximum of 4 photographs to share with the group. These can be sent as email attachments, by Dropbox, Flickr or on any portable device on the day. Roger has kindly volunteered to demonstrate the making of a slideshow combining photos, special effects and music using Pro Show Gold. The plan is to spend 30 minutes on the photographs and the rest on Roger's presentation. Cathy Sargent Page 3 of 18 Creative Writing Our first meeting of the new year took place at the Golf Club on the thirteenth of the month when we discussed our various literary efforts in the usual way. Although I expected many to be preoccupied over the Christmas period, everyone managed to write a story for children as suggested and additionally there were some very original and amusing limericks produced by the group. I have chosen the following one to reproduce as it summarises the aims and achievements of the group as well as referring to the task of the previous month which was to produce a war story. There once was a group from U3A Who met once a month on Wednesday They did lots of writing The last one on fighting But this time should be just Child’s Play The group were challenged today to make birthday cakes from flowers. The results were excellent and some of the best arrangements we have done yet. After the excesses of Christmas, it was good to be making cakes which wouldn't add to our calorie intake! New members are always welcome. Margaret Knock One of our number (Jim) is sunning himself in Marbella for three months so cannot attend the meetings but still wants to participate and write a story for us to discuss each month which is really gratifying. Paul Chapman Floristry Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 4 of 18 New SIG - Makers of History This group is now up and running and our first meeting will be on Friday, 5th February at 10.00 a.m., and thereafter on the first Friday morning each month. We welcome new members to the group – whether or not you are a historian, you just need a bit of curiosity about the people in the past who have shaped the way we live now. Tricia Francis Philosophy ur usual monthly meeting was a Obit down in numbers, with one member having left the group, and three members being away, but the discussion still ranged far and wide, over, under, above and below the main subject, which was 'The Age of Reason'. The meeting was brightened by a new member, Gill Collingridge, who took her place and made some good, positive points. We also covered the latest Government announcement on drink - and we all seemed to agree - "Everything in moderation". Our mothers were obviously well clued up on these things. We also talked about Child Parenting Classes - we wondered if these will be required for all parents, and we didn't feel that everyone would benefit, although perhaps some would. Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 For our next meeting, the subject will be "Art" Barry Evans Craft During January we tackled Kusudama projects - this is a kind of origami. There is a lot of folding and then a lot of glueing using pegs and paperclips to hold each petal and flower together prior to making the whole ball. The two in the pictures were made by Pauline Haselgrave and Barbara Stead. Pauline used Christmas wrapping paper and Barbara used origami paper. Barbara Williams made some individual flowers using pages from an old book. Next month we are continuing with the folding theme and this time it will be tea bags! June Budd Page 5 of 18 The Ukulele Group has now started! After a very successful initial meeting to agree the format, the Ukulele Group is now established. We will meet on the first and third Wednesday in the month at 11.00 at Kings Hill Golf Club, unless we get too loud and disturb the golfers when we may need to relocate to a nearby hall. Clifford from Maidstone U3A came along to help get the group started and by the end of the session everyone was playing, and singing, Hush Little Baby! A good start and we look forward to our next meeting on 3rd February. required. Please show your interest by e-mailing me. I will, when enough interest is shown, contact everyone again so that an initial meeting can be arranged. [email protected] Jan Atkins Indoor Bowls Do you enjoy a sporting exercise, but prefer the indoor type, then perhaps Indoor Bowls is for you. This doesn't have to be just for the winter months either, it will be possible to play all year round. A new/refurbished rink (Tonbridge, behind Sainsbury’s), is willing to offer preferential rates to U3A members. Please e-mail me [email protected] - and when we have sufficient interest, I will contact everyone again to organise an initial meeting. Jan Atkins Margaret Knock Wine Appreciation Are you interested in wine, are sociable and would like to share your knowledge? Due to a very active group already in existence, a second group is Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 6 of 18 Petanque Sadly, the wind and rain associated with the latest storm meant that our January meeting had to be cancelled. The next meeting will be Wednesday 24th February @ The Duke of Wellington Ryarsh at 10:30. All those interested in giving Petanque a try are welcome to join us. tel: 07790 949568 email: mikethomas63@ sky.com Mike Thomas 10-pin Bowling We had a good gathering of 12 people for the first meeting of 2016, from the standards of bowling the break hadn't done any of us any harm. With most of us scoring around 110-120, Alan scored the highest for the men with 142 and l have to admit for the ladies l (Tina) scored the top score of 175 which to date is the highest that's been bowled. [email protected] 07775731953 Tina Patterson Golf Five intrepid members of the Golf SIG ventured onto a frozen West Malling course for the January meet. Apart from the cold, the weather stayed fine and an enjoyable afternoon was enjoyed by all. The standard of golf varied greatly between holes, but that did Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 not detract from the round. Frozen glassy greens meant for a game akin to crazy golf at times, but that was all part of the fun. Players of all standards are welcome to join us for our monthly meets. Dave Urmston Hill-Walking The Hill Walking group has started up and has already organised its first trip with five members venturing to the Black Mountains in February. The group will provide opportunities for walking in areas such as the Brecon Beacons, North Wales, Lake District, etc. I am happy to lead such a group in the hills, as I have a huge amount of experience, leading groups in mountainous regions on four different continents. I do not envisage undertaking particularly arduous walks as my own physical capabilities would certainly limit what would be possible. If you would like to join a future expedition, or would like to know more, please email me to express your interest. [email protected] Dave Urmston Guitars – 1st Tuesdays pm This month we are going to have an entirely acoustic meeting, so Page 7 of 18 bring your acoustic guitars along and we’ll have a good old singalong! If you have more than 1 acoustic guitar, then bring that too and we’ll all share. Julian Smith Singing Group We had a record 22 meet at Nettlestead Hall for our January meeting. All are welcome and there is room for more to join us. The next meetings are Fridays at 10:30 on 5th February, 11th March and 8th April. Please contact me for more information. Karen Karen Military History At our January meeting we welcomed four new members to our group, which brings us up to maximum capacity at present. The members heard a talk about the battle at the "Horns of Hattin" which took place in 1187. This was followed by questions and answers and a general discussion on various topics. Our February meeting will include a talk on a battle which took place during the 2nd Boer War. Michael Simmonds SOLD OUT! However – as the demand for this visit was high, Mark might consider running it again so let him know if you are still interested. A VISIT TO LONDON Tuesday 12th April 2016 Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 8 of 18 Walking Our walk, Peter was a January led by McKay, repeat of our December’s 5 mile walk from East Malling but we walked it the other way round and made one change. Instead of walking the Bridleway through Oaken Woods we tool the southern perimeter route on a wide path this greatly reduced the amount of mud and gave us some good views. Our turn out was 20 including 3 new members who were also new to our U3A. The walk for February is from Dunorlan Park Tunbridge Wells and will be led by Ken Bridge. Looking for fresh air and exercise? Come and join us contact [email protected] Peter Royall MOTO news for January Another lively month for our group, with a good post-Christmas lunch enjoyed by 20 members at the King & Queen, East Malling, outings to the local cinema Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 organised by Helen and to London theatre organised by Pauline. A highlight for this month was a return visit to Esme’s house enjoying an Autoharp recital by her friend Heather. We had a really good session here. Heather gave us lots of information and answered questions from the group. Her playing was, as ever, superb. She then allowed people to have a go themselves, as you can see from the photos. Everyone contributed handsomely to the lunch and a very convivial hour (or two!) was spent round the table. Graham has organised a lunch at The Bull Wrotham for the end of January which is again well supported. 18 members came to the monthly meeting at The Spitfire, and we welcomed a new member, Yvonne to this meeting. We had a good discussion and have a packed programme planned for the next few months. If anyone else is interested in joining MOTO, do contact me for more information. Elaine Scutt Page 9 of 18 History of Kent group and took a guided walk around Spitalfields to hear primarily of its historical connections with The Huguenots, who were probably London's first refugees. Our guide for the walk Charlie De Wet ( herself of Huguenot descent) was so enthusiastic on the subject she had set up a charity -The Huguenots of Spitalfields -and that is where the profits from our walk were to go to fund education of the subject matter in local schools. After meeting at Liverpool Street station the walking group made an exploratory walk finding the starting point of the Walk proper, and then discovered the Pub recommended by our Guide for lunch. This left a short time to roam around the market before we met with the History group at Christ Church in Spitalfields, a Hawksmoor church, where our official walk began. MOTO lunch outing at The Bull,Wrotham London Walks This month The London Walks group joined forces with The Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 We learned how the Huguenots came from France as persecuted Page 10 of 18 protestants and set up their skills as silk weavers and dyers in Fournier street in magnificent Georgian houses. At the end of the street was the only Mosque in Britain housed in a Georgian building. We then turned into Brick lane which houses refugees from Bangladesh and we saw a fantastic, overcrowded textile shop run Mrs Bopal and took a look around The Taj stores selling many exotic foods at excellent prices, We then walked down Princelet Street, a cobbled street which houses a Jewish museum, an old pharmacy and an old, dilapidated house all of which have been used as film sets for period dramas. We walked on passing Dennis Severs house, a house still lit by gas light and furnished as an 18th century family would have lived. we then visited an area which had uncovered the remains 10,500 bodies whilst excavating the site of the hospital of St Mary Spital. A small area of these excavations is preserved underground amongst the new high rise buildings. The walk finished at The Scapegoat monument. Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 The whole area is being modernised and our guide and many other local inhabitants are campaigning very hard to preserve the history in this lesser known area of London. Roma Elson History of Kent Eleven members of the History of Kent group were pleased to join the London Walks group on their visit to Spitalfields in London this month. While not Kent, we will be visiting the Huguenot Museum in Rochester later this year and the subject of this walk was "The Huguenots of Spitalfields". Our guide, a representative of the Spitalfields Huguenots charity, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her subject, telling us of the many skills the Huguenots brought with them, after persecution in France and pointing out where silk weavers' workshops were, the galleried windows to let in maximum daylight still Page 11 of 18 visible. Thank you, Roma, for letting us enjoy your walk with you. Linda Russ Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 12 of 18 My Top 10 - Classic Rock & Pop January has been a bad month for losing Rock & Pop legends; the passing of Glenn Frey was announced the morning of meeting; so we included once of his most famous "Tequila Sunrise" that he cowrote and sang with the Eagles. This fitted well with this month's topic "USA Road Trip" featuring some of the most played tracks on US radio 'Classic Rock' stations - unfortunately there are no similar in the UK. So, we covered some old classics Deep Purple, Springsteen, Bryan Adams, etc -, some new(er) Matchbox Twenty, Melissa Etheridge - , and some more obscure , as well as the ubiquitous Tom Petty, who is everywhere on US radio. 20 tracks which made the 2 hour journey fly past. John Russell Birdwatching (4th Tuesdays am.) We took a gentle walk around the lake, but we were not blessed with any great numbers of birds, lots of different breeds of dog however! One lady remarked that in the previous week she had witnessed approximately 20 'dead' pigeons on the lake (apparently it was frozen, and I guess they were too!). We did spot 20 different species, the most notable being kestrel, long Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 tailed tits and Great Crested Grebes. The wind was pretty biting and we assumed that the birdlife was hunkering down ready to ride out the soon to be arriving storm. Mike Thomas The next meeting will be on Tuesday 23rd February at Oare Marshes near Faversham. We will meet in the car park by the sea wall at 10 am. Please remember to bring a hot drink and a snack for our stake out in the hide! Hopefully we’ll spot seals, long-tailed tits, avocets and other waders. Please allow at least 2 hours at the reserve. Toilets are available at the local Sainsbury’s superstore. For more information please contact me on [email protected] or 01622720847. Mobile 07879428084. Linda Smith Other Items of interest Page 13 of 18 We now have a website for the Kent Network and the link is: [Ctrl+Click here to follow] Joy Podbury has worked very hard since the last Network Meeting to produce the website and, on your behalf, I want to record our thanks to Joy for her hard work and I hope you will all find the site useful and informative. Ideally we need each Kent U3A, National Office, Regional sites etc. to add the link of our site to their respective websites, please circulate the link to your members and publicise it in your various newsletters. If you have any feedback, discover a problem or have any other comments please respond via the Kent Network Secretary, Valerie Wisher, that way we can be sure of having a record of any issues that may arise. Mobile Library Do you enjoy reading, but can't get to the library? Kent Library Services provide - A Mobile Service and Home Service. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help - Tel.No. 03000 419494. Jan Atkins More of the National Office Spring events are now open for booking. To find out more and book your place on any of the featured events you can log in to the members' area of www.u3a.org.uk and visit the Events page to view all our current events. Summer School booking is also available in the members' area. U3A Explores Science at the Royal Institution 17 March 2016 The Search for Life in the Universe 11th April 2016 National Office news Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 14 of 18 Another New U3A in Kent: Faversham & District U3A started this month to become the 30th U3A in Kent; they meet on the 3rd Wednesday at the West Faversham Community Centre 1.30; if you know anyone in the area who might be interested, the contact is Ann Mansfield, 07464 309818, [email protected] South East U3A Forum Summer School At the University of Chichester Monday June 27th – Thursday June 30th 2016 The Summer School consists of about fifteen courses running in parallel. It is not possible to combine parts of several courses. The School runs from Monday afternoon to lunch on Thursday. The first seminar is late Monday afternoon and rest on the following three mornings and two afternoons, about 14 hours in total. The tutors are members of U3A. There is entertainment in the three evenings, a table quiz, the choice of a visit to the theatre (extra charge) or a film in the campus theatre, and a musical evening. For you - an interesting course, new interesting people, with good food and accommodation. History of Aviation on the South Coast Tutor: Phil Butler Jazz, Blues and Folk Music in the USA Tutor: Mike Head Mediaeval and Georgian Chichester Tutor: Arthur Browne Astronomy then and now Tutor: Alan Wagstaffe Drawing with pen and enhancing with colour wash Tutor: Janet Blight Psychology: Thinking, Feeling and Behaviour Tutor: Anne Dale Mathematics explored Tutor: Roger Luther Sex, Crime and Deviance Tutor: Bernard Smale The Golden Age of Dutch Art Tutor: Margaret Nicolle Some Great Houses & Gardens of Sussex with Isabel Baker Seventy Years of Changing Britain Tutor: Gillian Pitt Some 20th C Poets and their Poetry Tutor: Pat Johnson Play Reading with discussion Tutor: Gilly Moysey Walking in and around Chichester Leader: Roger Sugden Enjoy more Bridge, enjoy Bridge more Tutor: Heather McLannahan These are the courses… Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 15 of 18 More information and joining instructions can be found on our website. [Ctrl+Click Here for more] Kent Study Days Date Saturday 9 April 2016 Venue Sinden Theatre, Homewood School, Tenterden TN30 6LT Time 9.15am to 3.30pm approx Cost £12.50 includes 3 lectures and coffee Across the Frontiers – Tom Deveson Three ways in which poetry has travelled between eras, places and languages; the persistence of Latin poetry; discovery and rediscovery of Shakespeare in countries and cultures h never knew; and the recent explosion here of translation and adaptation of work by world poets. All That Jazz! – Steve Migden WHAT is it? WHERE did it come from? HOW and WHEN did it get here? WHO did it and does it now? through the eyes of Japanese and European artists. As usual, details on our website. [Ctrl+Click Here for more] National U3A event Spring Concert Mozart Requiem with the Brandenburg Singers and Organ, conducted by Robert Porter Wednesday 27th April 2pm - 4pm £18 per ticket @ St Clement Danes, Strand, London WC2 The concert will be introduced and conducted by Robert Porter, the Brandenburg Choral Festival of London’s Artistic Director. The programme will include a selection of a cappella and organ favourites, including the Mozart Requiem. The Brandenburg Singers is a small hand-picked group drawn from the finest of the members of the 150 choirs that perform in the Brandenburg Choral Festival of London – the largest in the UK. [Ctrl+Click here to book] When Worlds Collided – Tom Evans Exploring the cultural shocks and reverberations caused by the encounter of medieval Japan and the industrial West after the ending of isolation in the 1850s, as seen Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 16 of 18 General Information Monthly Meetings - held on the 1st Thursday of every month in The Kings Hill Community Centre off Gibson Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling, (Near ASDA) at 2:00 p.m. We usually have a speaker following refreshments and a social get-together. Other activities may include discussions about the Special interest Groups. These meet at various venues – contact the convener first. Entry to the monthly meetings (including refreshments) is included in an annual £20 fee, which also includes membership of most of the Special Interest Groups. An attendance fee of £3 is required for any Guests, who can come along up to 3 times. Cancelled Meeting - If the General Meeting has to be cancelled for any reason we will try to get a note on the website by 11:00 on the morning of the meeting, so check there if you are uncertain. Parking - There is small car park at the Community Centre and this fills early. There is a large public car Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 park behind ASDA and another in Crispin Way to the south as shown below... KHaD U3A Website www.kingshillu3a.org.uk (Ctrl+Click) Special Interest Groups - see the Website and contact the Groups Co-ordinator. Membership Inquiries khad.u3a.membership@gmail .com …or phone (Mark Richards): 07824 326566 Newsletter - SIG Reports and articles: Deadline: Friday before each General Meeting Julian Smith [email protected] Page 17 of 18 Your Committee Officers... Chairman - Karen Usher Vice Chairman - vacant Treasurer - Joyce Evans Secretary Margaret Knock Other Roles... Members, Website, Outings Mark Richards Groups Co-ordinator Jan Atkins Newsletter - Julian Smith Speakers John Russell Hospitality June Rose Welcome Ron Hall Plus… Barbara White, Elaine Scutt, Pat Bell, Barry Evans and John Mourne The Last Laugh Trade signs to remember… On a Plumber's van: "We repair what your husband fixed." On another Plumber's van: Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber." On an Electrician's van: "Let us remove your shorts." On a Maternity Room door: "Push. Push. Push." Sign over a Gynaecologist’s Office: "Dr. Jones, at your cervix." In a Veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!" In the front yard of a Funeral Home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait." Sign on the back of Septic Tank Lorry: "Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises" In a Podiatrist's office: "Time wounds all heels." At an Optician’s: "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place." Kings Hill and District U3A Newsletter 40 - February 2016 Page 18 of 18