Autumn 2006 Newsletter                                        Editors: Janet Brown & Martin Shirley 

CHAIRMAN’S CONTEMPLATIONS 

How quickly summer seemed to go, curtains need drawing earlier and earlier and the spiders appear even busier, spinning webs across all our doors at that certain height ready to adorn my face when collecting papers or post!! Anyway I trust you all enjoyed it and are ready to recommence group and monthly meetings, and perhaps try new ones.

Water may have been at a premium in parts of the country but not in Wadeford - my kitchen having flooded twice, thanks to some’ little perforations’ on the cold pipe that travels fourteen feet at the back of the base units. Failure to check the small print outlining minor changes in the household policy when renewing it this year meant the removal of the ‘trace and access‘ clause went unnoticed and therefore cost fairly dearly with having to pay to have all the units out, those of you with older properties might well be advised to check its inclusion in yours. 

The summer was also a great time, in-between nephews’ and various Ruby wedding celebrations, to pursue the extremely addictive genealogy hunt.  What a wonderful way to learn social history, explore unfamiliar areas and really upset one’s children by finding that my husband and I have a common - probably in both senses! - ancestor in Suffolk in the mid eighteenth century.  A reminder, too, that we have a group to help get you started, just like the BBC’s ‘Who do you think you are?’.

          Sue Smith

YOUR COMMITTEE FOR 2006-2007
 

       
SUPERMAN OFF BIKE

Mike Farthing duly completed his epic ride from Berlin to Warsaw to raise funds for the Marie Curie Cancer Foundation, and was given the honour of leading his group of cyclists into the Polish capital; please consider contributing to his fund-raising and contact him on 01460 64586. 

GENEALOGY  GROUP

What is Genealogy?   The rather formal dictionary definition is ‘the study of lines of descent’.  But we also know it as researching our family history.  Most of us know about our parents and grand-parents, but genealogists want to discover as much as possible about their other ancestors – who they were and when and where they lived.

We are a mixed group in that some of us have done quite a bit of research and others are just starting out.  We all help each other with suggestions for lines of research including use of the internet.  We meet mainly in my house at 1 Brutton Way, Chard, on the first Tuesday afternoon of the month, starting at 2.30 pm. Anyone who’s interested is very welcome to join us.(Tel. 01460 66711). 

Sandra Kibble-White

ANOTHER HISTORICAL (OR HISTIRICAL) EVENT

On September 26^th ten stalwarts set out for the fifth annual “History Outing”. The venue was an ancient coaching inn on the outskirts of Cardiff. As usual the days were spent wherever people wanted to go and this year outings were made to Cardiff, St Fagan’s, Caerphilly Castle, an adventure park! And the Rhondda Heritage Park. This last featured a very good tour of an old mine. Quite an education in more ways than one.

During the evenings we all met for some good food, a quiz, a small card school and on the last night diverse chatter and poor jokes. A dog accompanied these historians and wishes to thank all those who donated various meats for its breakfast… Its owners are also grateful as it cut down on the feeding costs. (To contact the History Group ring 01460 67265).

                                                                                                                        Norma Evans

EUROPE AND US

Which European country intrigues you the most, and which do you find the most aggravating? If you too are interested in Europe, that is all of Europe not just the European Union, then this group is the one for you. I propose that we focus on one country at a time for information on how that country works and plays, we can then discuss our findings for one or more meetings. We are starting with Romania as there is a lot of information readily available at the moment.

We will meet on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2pm. For more information please ring me on 01460 66462.

                                                                                                                        Janet Brown

WRITING FOR FUN

Interested? If so we meet on the 1^st Monday of the month at 2pm, more information on 01460 66637.

                                                                                                                        Marry Williamson

U3A SIGNPOSTS

'Signposts' is an on-line bulletin, sent out once a month by the U3A International Group UK and U3A Online Australia, to U3A members anywhere in the world. The latest issue includes:

U3A International UK announce a project based on PARO, a Therapeutic Robot Pet, designed for help with those suffering from dementia; the website is at http://paro.jp/english/

A second Worldwide U3A project is now starting; 'The Place Where I Grew Up' is at

http://u3a-growingup.pbwiki.com and the password is growingup - have a look now......

The National Library of Scotland at http://www.nls.uk/community is a gigantic and comprehensive resource website for Scots and the wider community of the Scottish diaspora.

Sci/Tech and Current Affairs Groups (and indeed anyone interested in the future our grandchildren will inherit) will find definitive and interesting discussions and articles at http://www.theoildrum.com/

The U3A Sunraysia Short Story competition for U3A members anywhere is open until 1st November. For details please click on http://www.u3asunraysia.org.au/ 

Creative Writing Groups might find Ablemuse useful. It's a journal of metrical poetry, prose and art published quarterly online at: http://www.ablemuse.com

Signposts is edited and issued by Tom Holloway in the UK and Rick Swindell in Australia. Members who would like to be on the list can write to tom@worldu3a.org and they will be added.
 

POEM 

Some close friends sent me this poem on their birthday card this year, and I find it  rather heartening.

Martin Shirley

Age is a quality of mind.
If you have left your dreams behind,
If hope is cold,
If you no longer look ahead,
If your ambition fires are dead –
Then you are old.

But if from life you take the best,
And if in life you keep the jest,
If love you hold;
No matter how the years go by,
No matter how the birthdays fly,
You are not old. 

Anon.
 

RESOURCES

I thought I would bring to your attention the resources we have for our use here at CID U3A and what is available to you from headquarters.

The committee are revising and updating our equipment. At the moment we have an overhead projector plus screen, a slide projector with a table, which is in need of some attention, and a flip chart with stand. We are keen to know if your group uses any of these, and if so, is it adequate for your use? Or would you prefer a more up to date version, or even something entirely different. Please let us know a.s.a.p.

Have you thought to use the resources centre at headquarters? - They are very user-friendly.

I have all the resources listed on my table at our monthly meetings, and you can always borrow them to browse at home. The loan of resources is free except for the cost of return postage. They are available in either DVD format, CD, video and/or slides. It is simple to borrow items from the collection by contacting the Resource Centre staff by letter, email, fax or phone. Just give the title of the items you wish to borrow and the date you wish to use them. The earlier you request them the more likely you are to get them on time. Loans are for 3 weeks, which may be extended. The Resources Centre are very helpful and if they don't have what you need they will try to obtain it for you. It is well worth the effort of contacting them; having extra material at your disposal means you are able to broaden your horizons and facilitate more discussion. You can contact them as follows: phone 0208466 6139; email national.office@u3a.org.uk or www.u3a.org.uk

Maggie Darby
Group Co-ordinator and Resources

EARLY LEARNING

Sir – The headline to your obituary on September 20 of the admirable and versatile Sir Stanley Clarke “who began life as a plumber on a bicycle” enables me to add him to my list of Precocious Babies. To have mastered the skills of plumbing while still in the womb is remarkable, but to have achieved this on a bicycle is surely an obstetric miracle. It makes me realise what a useless baby I was.

With thanks to Somerton U3A

DATES FOR MONTHLY MEETINGS, 2006 – 2007  (at 2pm, Guildhall, Chard) 

The next newsletter will be due in February, so may we ask for any contributions (interesting and/or entertaining) to reach either of the Editors by mid-January; please contact Martin on 01460 62608 or Janet on 01460 66462.

Comments and suggestions for improving the newsletter will be welcome at any time

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