Spring 2017 Newsletter
Baddow & Galleywood U3A
NEWSLETTER Spring 2017
Chairman’s Comments
By the time you read this I shall no longer be your chair person. As most of you know, I was asked to step in last March, as nobody was willing to fill the post and the rules of the national U3A association are that every individual U3A must have a named chair. Well, we have survived the year, thanks largely to some excellent work on behalf of members of the committee and to some non-committee members.
Carol Crick and Jennie Hasty organised an extremely enjoyable Garden Party at the Galleywood Heritage Centre in June. Part of the entertainment was provided by the Playing for Pleasure Group. They provided very pleasant listening.
Carol and Jennie have been Committee members for some years and like me will have stepped down from committee work, partly due to increased family commitments. Very sadly, another member of the committee, Alan Alderson, died just before Christmas. A number of members of the U3A attended his funeral. It was clear that he was a much loved family man and friend.
Brian Moss, who for several years has organised the speakers for the General Meetings, has also been forced to step down from his post due to health issues. He has been an outstanding organiser of a variety of interesting and varied speakers over that time, even on one occasion giving a talk himself when the speaker, who was booked, failed to materialise. We all wish him a good outcome from his health problems.
Yet another committee member, Mary Partis has retired from her post. She has been the Minutes Secretary for four years, which requires real concentration in meetings. She has done an admirable job.
Nobody on the Committee was willing to act as overall co-ordinator of the Group co-ordinators. We have been fortunate that Sue McLellan has performed this role. It is an important post, as National Office requires all co-ordinators to keep a register of those attending a meeting of an interest group and to ensure that each attendee is a paid-up U3A member. These registers should be available for checking and given to the overall co-ordinator on request.
In my opinion, the U3A organisation is a valuable resource for people in their third age. It can be a neighbourhood source for socialising, entertainment, informal learning and exercise. These activities can lead to improved physical and mental health for those participating. So I will conclude by wishing all people in our U3A a very happy and successful future.
Avis Thompson
A Note from the Editor:
Welcome to the Spring issue and a big thank you to all our contributors. Important information from the Membership Secretary will be found on pages 4 & 14, there’s an article about Online Courses sent in by Linda, on p 5, and Brian Barker writes about Danbury Palace – a building many of us know well - on p 11. Interest Group Co-ordinators should look at p 5 for details of their March meeting, where they will meet Norma, the newly appointed Groups‘ Co-ordinator. My email address and final date for sending your entries for the Summer are on the last page.
There are still groups who are reluctant to send in articles, and it would be good if some new writers from any group could send me a short piece for the Summer edition. Remember, this is YOUR Newsletter, and the more contributions we have, the better it will be – I look forward to hearing from you. Maggie
Important notice from the Membership Secretary
- please read!
Dear Members
The majority of last year’s members have now renewed their membership and I am left with about 35 members who have not yet contacted me.
Group co-ordinators will now be asking to see your 2017 membership card when completing their register so please contact me as soon as possible if you have not yet paid for this year’s membership.
You are also entitled to the Year book which contains details of the monthly talks and also the interest groups and their details. If you have a card but no Year book please either ask me, Norma Henty or your group co-ordinator for one.
This year we are introducing an additional type of membership for those who visit our interest groups and are members at other U3A groups. They will, in future, be Affiliated members for a charge of £9 per year and will complete a form similar to that which you complete. Can the Group co-ordinators please ensure that these people complete the appropriate form and send it to me.
I will be at the monthly meetings with forms, Year books and membership cards for those who have yet to re-join. I can also be contacted by phone. Forms can also be downloaded and printed from our Baddow and Galleywood U3A website.
Interest Group co-ordinators – can you please make sure you have a small supply of Year books for your group. Please contact either Norma or myself for them.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me,
Loretta Riddle
The End of My Road
By the time readers see this, Baddow & Galleywood U3A will have a new Interest Groups’ Co-ordinator, following election at the 8 February AGM. Below is therefore my parting shot to summarise some recent interest group developments:-
Art Appreciation (new group)
With Pam Greenwood as co-ordinator, this group (of 15!) met for the first time on Friday 13 January and everyone enjoyed themselves. Pam had a personal desire to view and discuss famous paintings with a group of like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere…what a good start! Many thanks and well done to Pam for inspiring so many enthusiasts.
Church Visiting
As no one has come forward to be co-ordinator for this group following Val Chiswell’s retirement in November, this group is on borrowed time. “Church Visitors” would welcome any offers.
Cribbage
Although co-ordinator Jackie Large has stepped down, this group is still alive and kicking. It needs more members though so if you fancy a game once a month, please tell us via the cribbage “bluebird” on the website.
German Conversation (new group)
I'm very happy to report that a new group has been formed, and 8 members will meet for the first time in March. HUGE thanks to Sheila Dearns for offering to be group co-ordinator. Sheila has over 30 years experience as a German teacher so the group will be off to a very good start.
That’s it from me; back to being a “normal” B&G member. Au revoir.
Sue McClellan - Ex Interest Groups’ Co-ordinator
Special information for Group Co-ordinators below
GROUP CO-ORDINATORS’ MEETING
I have been elected as the Interest Groups’ Co-ordinator, taking over from Sue McClellan. Sue has done a great job in this role and I hope that I can continue in the same way. An invitation has been sent out, by Sue, to all Group Co-ordinators plus members of the Committee to attend a meeting on Friday, 31st March in the Reading Room from 10 a.m. – 12 noon (coffee served from 9.30-10 a.m.). Co-ordinators are encouraged to send a deputy if they cannot attend themselves for any reason.
This is a golden opportunity for Group Co-ordinators to bring to the meeting any of their concerns, or the concerns of their members, and we hope that there will be a lively and constructive discussion at the meeting. Norma Henty
Future Learn Online Courses
Some of you may have read about these courses in Third Age Matters. Some of the family history group did more than that – they joined! The courses are free and once you are registered and have started you can take as long as you want to do them, though they advertise them as [for example] ‘two hours a week for 6 weeks’. They mostly consist of short videos and the opportunity to join in with an online community of people all over the world, who are also doing the course, and comment on the video. [You can also get certificates which may help you get a new job- I didn’t bother!!] I did three courses last year, but haven’t found one for this year yet.
Several of our group did ‘Genealogy – Researching your Family Tree’ run by Strathclyde University – I found sitting and working with no radio on for a few hours a week was quite therapeutic, so when it finished I looked for another course – this time - ‘World War One – a history in 100 stories’. This was from Monash University in Perth, Australia, so the emphasis was on stories of Australian soldiers – a fascinating course that I put much more into than the first course. I then looked for something completely different – I love reading crime thrillers – so I chose ‘Introduction to Forensic Science’ – a crime had been committed and by the end we had worked out what it was and ‘who’d done it’. The course was another from Strathclyde and the case was based on a real one.
So – if you have a few hours to spare each week [and are online] have a look at the variety of courses https://www.futurelearn.com/courses - you might find something that will fascinate you from the hundreds of courses available. [I pointed my daughter in the direction of a course in First Aid for young children.]
Linda Knock
INTEREST GROUP REPORTS
Local History 1
Highlights of the Programme
Our local history can be anything from many centuries past to more recent times and can include social history which is often the most fascinating aspect of our past!
We resumed our meetings at the URC in September with a talk on the Parish of Southchurch which has a history back at least to Saxon times. We returned to Southend in January when the role of Zeppelins provided an interesting insight into the first world war. It appears Southend was en route to London and some 100 bombs were dropped on the town during the course of the war. It also provided two of the 35 hospital units established in the County for treating those returning wounded from the continent. Personal histories featured in November when Hylands House was used as a hospital.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which helped to save the house we visited last summer, provided an interesting afternoon in February. In March, the history of Shoebury Garrison will be followed in April with an entertaining personal lifetime on the barges around our coast (continuing from the speaker’s visit last winter).
I have been pleased to see some new members coming along – welcome to you all - still room for more !
Brian Barker
Church Visiting
On Friday 26th November, on a bright sunny afternoon, twenty-four members of the church
visiting group enjoyed a visit to Broomfield church.
The church, dedicated to St Mary with St.Leonard, is just off Broomfield Road
We were welcomed by Peter who told us the church's history century by century,
one of the outstanding features being the round tower. This tower is one of only six
in Essex. Some of the Roman bricks can be seen, even one with its original mortar!
The church was very inviting, standing prominent in a very well kept graveyard.
This visit is one of many we have enjoyed over the past few years Kay Tyler.
History Group 2.
In October we had a History Quiz organised by Alan Sheahan. There was a good attendance and we filled five tables. Everyone enjoyed answering questions relating to Chelmsford and Essex history. In the absence of a speaker everyone enjoyed the event followed by tea, biscuits and a chat.
In November Gill Flynn organised a talk by Linda Knock (who runs the Family History Group) on the Hanbury’s at Hylands. She gave us a very informative talk with slides. There was an energetic question time followed by tea and biscuits
December brought to a close our 2016 programme. We met in the Millenium Hall and discussed possible talks and visits for 2017. We have built on this a good start for the New Year. A Christmas tea was offered which all enjoyed.
Co-ordinator: Janet Clark
Music Performing
Have you ever been to an amateur production where the cast outnumbers the audience? Well, the 15 strong band of musicians from the music performing group was a bit concerned that might happen at the Christmas performance. Having managed to fit in two full rehearsals and several sectionals, arranged by Lorna and under the diligent baton of Pam, the distinctly un-baroque set of instruments (had they invented the baritone saxophone in the 17th Century?) performed a Concerto Grosso by Corelli to an audience of other members of the group boosted by friends and committee members who are invited to share in the December meeting. All agreed it was a stylish performance, but a bit more rehearsal time would have been helpful. However with everyone having such busy diaries (retired – what on earth does that mean?!) Lorna and Pam will have to start getting their heads together and get dates in diaries now if we are to do something similar next year.
During the rest of the programme we were transported to Broadway for some songs from the shows arranged for the flute, to a sleazy French night club for some entertaining songs and pastiches, to an English church for an extract from the Messiah, to a ‘Palm Court’ for a string trio and to the deep American South for a bit of ragtime.
Other solos and groups were also featured, and the choir, as always, sang beautifully despite one of the six of them being unable to sing. Hope your voice came back in time for Christmas, Sue.
And, because it was the Christmas meeting, we all resoundingly sang a couple of carols, and some Christmas songs, these accompanied on the piano and harmonica.
As always, there was a lovely atmosphere, the usual sighs of relief when your ‘turn’ was over, the support from friends and the anticipation of preparing for the next meeting.
Happy New Year. Debbie
Needles and Pins
A group of ten women is sitting in a circle in a cosy warm room, in silence. The welcome words ‘tea is served’ are called. Nobody moves or raises their head. What is going on? A prayer meeting perhaps? A meditation group? No! This is what happens at the Needles and Pins meeting. At times, everyone is concentrating so hard on their project that talking and laughter is not on the agenda. It has to be said that at other times, the room is filled with conversation and giggles.
The group has been running for several months now, and follows no particular format. Although it is not a ‘knit and natter’ group, some members just want to come along and have time to concentrate on doing some knitting. Others have cross stitch or sewing projects that they are working on. However, as everyone is passionate about what they do, they want to share it with others. As a result, we have also had sessions on crochet, entrelac knitting, ‘squaring the fabric circle’, and we knitted and sewed Christmas decorations in the last two meetings of 2016.
As a result of being in the group, I have learned crocodile stitch in crochet, made a sewing workbox and made some patchwork boxes. One member has picked up some knitting which she hasn’t done for many years, and two are ‘hooked’ on entrelac knitting.
It is a very supportive group, so if members are stuck on a project, there will always be someone to help them out.
Pictures of what we achieve are on the Needles and Pins group page of the website. Have a look at what we have done so far, and hopefully there will be some more pictures in February of our fabric flowers and in March of our fabric ‘tidy bins’. (It has been suggested that we rename ourselves the U3A group which has great fun in making things that nobody knows what to with!)
Debbie Collins
Table Tennis
The table-tennis group has gained several new members this season, and we enjoy 2 fun-filled hours every Tuesday. However, we are victims of our own success and the group is now full.
If any U3A members are disappointed and would like to join we can consider setting up a second group. Please advise coordinator Gill Flynn if you are interested.
Art Appreciation
Whoever thought that looking at pictures was a serious business would have had their preconceptions shattered at the inaugural meeting of the Art Appreciation group. 15 people, with art experience ranging from zero to reasonably knowledgeable gathered to look at four pictures selected and researched by one of the group members. The titles of the painting were circulated prior to the meeting, giving those people who chose a chance to do a bit of background reading of their own.
For this meeting, Debbie had selected four pictures from the National Gallery dating from the 1400s and 1500s. Three of them were based on religious themes and the last – Venus and Mars by Botticelli was most certainly not. We admired the detail and colour of all the paintings, the way the design drew your eyes to certain point, and of course, in these early paintings, the symbolism. Many questions were raised, to which no-one knew the answer – for example – why were depictions of babies, particularly the Christ child, so unrealistic? Could they not ‘do’ babies, or did they choose to represent them in a stylised way for a particular reason?
The picture that generated the raucous laughter was the Botticelli painting of Venus and Mars which, rather than being full of religious and political symbolism, depicts a couple after they have made love. If you believe that men are the stronger sex, I suggest you have a look at this picture and see if it makes you change your mind! Pam Greenwood
Art Appreciation – 2
This month our five chosen paintings were by Van Eyck, Vermeer, Jan Steen, Adrien Van Ostade (new to most of us) and Carravagio.
We loved the smooth, luminous painting and details of dress and furniture, particularly the chandelier and mirror’s reflections, in Van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Portrait” painted in 1434. Our initial impressions were that it portrays a prosperous, young, perhaps newly married couple in a very handsome bedroom, he holding her hand and she seemingly pregnant – but does it? The simplest of research gave us many different interpretations of the picture. We were interested to discover, that Nicolao Arnolfini must be 30 years old or younger because in 15th century Flanders a marriage ultimatum was given to unmarried men who were thirty, with names of those who failed to marry recorded in the dreaded “Book of Disgrace” – this gave us pause for thought! Then we found that his wife Constanza isn’t pregnant but after the fashion of the day holding her dress bunched up over her stomach and, most puzzling of all, that she was already dead when Van Eyck signed this work!
By contrast Jan Steen’s “The Effects of Intemperance” was very clear, humorously portraying the evils of drink and the wonderful freedom children can enjoy when their elders are drunk!
Looking at paintings as a group is proving to be fascinating and great fun and we are indebted to our much-appreciated hostess, Debbie, for making us so comfortable.
Sylvia Perry
Weekenders
Fourteen of our group attended a very enjoyable Christmas Meal on the 4thDecember. We continue to hold a lunch on the first Sunday of each month at different eateries. These events prove very popular as it gives our members a chance to “catch up” as do our two Saturday coffee mornings.
Last Spring a small group had a weekend away to Cromer, it proved so successful that his year they are to visit Bournemouth.
Our events programme will be renewed at the beginning of March. The current one can be seen via a link from Baddow and Galleywood Web site.
Denis Ketley.
Strollers.
Strollers ended 2016 happily with a lunch at the Chimes restaurant, Rettendon, seventeen members enjoyed an early Christmas dinner on December 21st.
We started the New Year on January 18th when twenty two members met to walk the Maldon Trail. It is well named “Trail” as the places of interest come so thick and fast there are barely a few paces between them. The Swan, Bright’s Path, the Plume Library, the Moot Hall and All Saint’s church are just a few yards from one another and all are steeped in history so at the start there was more listening than walking. Later on we saw parts of the town many of the group said they had not known about before, we heard about the saying “Like Billio” at the U.R.C. and noted the lookouts used by rich barge owning families such as the Sadds to literally watch their boats come in.
A few mysteries arose. We all knew where the salt works are but the only indication of its site was the vapour rising above the buildings in the very cold winter air. Why would a world renowned company holding a Royal warrant not have some signage or even a modest nameplate we wondered?
Maldon, like London is a fascinating place where there is always more to find out. One of our last stopping places was the Friend’s meeting house in Butt Lane and only on the evening before our trail I discovered it has links to the founding of Amnesty International. We ended the outing with lunch at Maldon’s oldest inn, The Blue Boar. That too was an experience, not necessarily a culinary one but an experience none the less. It was nice to welcome new members and any paid up members of B. and G. U3A are welcome to join us at any time. Isobel Greenshields.
Travel
In the past year the Travel Club members have been busy visiting, amongst other places, Alveston Hall, Sri Lanka, Hereford and Iceland. We usually travel in smallish groups, booking with reputable Travel Agencies and our meetings are spent considering and dreaming about where to go next.
This year, unusually and for the first time in many years, we have arranged a 7 day, half-board coach trip to Holland, 29th June – 5th July, to visit some of its wonderful art galleries. Staying in Leiden we shall be taken to the Mauritshuis in Den Haag, the Kroller -Muller museum in Otterlo, Delft, and Haarlem with two days in Amsterdam with visits to the Rijkmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Guided tours, admission to the galleries and a canal boat trip are included in the price which is £1178 with a single supplement of just £60.
If this is of interest to you or any of your friends – all are very welcome- please contact Sylvia Perry
Reading 2
Our ‘reads’ in the last few months have included The Girl on the Train – it rambled bit! ; A Spool of Blue Thread by Ann Tyler, which some in the group liked and others thought boring, it tells the story of a family and its tensions; The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves, a well-written detective tale; a historical novel by Alison Weir on Katherine of Aragon, which was interesting, but very long, and our favourite : The Children Act – Ian McEwan, a beautifully written, poetic novel about the work of a female judge in the Family court , the difficult decisions she faces, with an underlying narrative of her own rocky marriage. Maggie
Gardening
As a relative newcomer to the U3A, I joined the Garden Group in 2015 as an enthusiastic but novice Gardener. In 2016 the originators of the group decided to step back, after long service.
.The group had 40 members holding the winter meetings at the Great Baddow Bowls club, with speakers and biscuits. And the summer months visits to either open gardens, members gardens or anything else of interest. I am not quite sure how but my sister in law Eileen and I felt that it was such a large enthusiastic group it would be a shame for it to close, hence we are now joint coordinators of the group.
The Spring and summer months were incredibly kind to us with glorious weather and beautiful locations.
We started in April at Margot’s garden in Roxwell. What a joy! What Margot doesn’t know about gardening isn’t worth worrying about and there are always cuttings, bulbs etc to try.
We visited Blakes wood in May with Bluebells still in all their glory. Eileen took up the challenge in June with a plant swop theme at her own garden. We enjoyed local strawberries and cream and members brought along unwanted plants or cuttings they no longer needed and could swap them for something else. Everyone was happy.
July was a visit to CANTS Roses at Colchester. I am not a huge rose fan myself, but we were taken around the rose fields which were a mass of colour. I found it difficult to understand how such glorious roses could thrive in such terrible soil conditions
Kindness kills, apparently, which is why I have never been successful with roses.
Another member, Jan, who opens her gardens in the local scheme allowed us to wander around her garden which allowed you to walk through sections like rooms, not allowing you to see what was in the next one. This was in August, and we were blessed again with good weather, and an abundance of tea and cake.
In September we visited Furzlea open garden in Danbury, which was a little more expensive but well worth money. A beautiful house and garden!
In October we moved back to the Bowls club with a speaker from Meadowcroft Garden Centre talking of plant propagation and supplying bedding plants.
Our talk on Lawn care was cancelled due to illness but everyone contributed to discussions on their favourite plants.
In December one of our members demonstrated how to make elegant Christmas displays at the fraction of the cost of shop bought. Work is in progress for the programme for 2017, and hopefully there will be something to interest you whether you have a large garden or window box.
We are always happy to see new members and there are always lifts available to outside visits. We are a friendly welcoming group
Jenny and Eileen
Computing Workshop
With Christmas over many of us will have received a new gadget – laptop, tablet or phone - but how many of us have a problem using it?
Why not pop along to the workshop on the 4th Monday of the month and discuss your problem with other learners.
I have two or three helpers who can add their expertise and hopefully solve any queries you have. Others in the group often have useful suggestions they have learned through experience. No problem is too big or too small.
Even if you have no immediate problem we are a friendly group who try to help each other or even just listen to suggestions made. Quite often nowadays we are given tablets or phones that have been handed down by family members and they are too quick in their telling how to use them. Bring them along and we’ll help you – at a pace you can follow.
Why not come along and try us out? Our next meeting is on Monday 27th February from 11am to 1pm in the Parish Hall. There is a small charge of £1 for use of the hall and WiFi. I hope to see you there.
Loretta Riddel
Family History
Unfortunately the weather [and icy pavements] meant that we had to cancel our January meeting; but we are pleased that our speaker, Alan Pamphilon, is going to be able to come to us for our March meeting, instead.
Our February meeting was a great success, attended by a record 40 members! We had a film about ‘Essex Past – the county our parents knew’. It was wonderful – it started in 1916 with the first generation of children to be captured on film and showed a Sunday school outing from London to Theydon Bois. Many Essex towns and villages were shown and even those of us who are not Essex born and bred could recognise most of them! It was noticeable that men wore hats at leisure and at work, and many of them smoked; we did not see anyone who was over-weight! The film went up to the time of the Second World War and there was even a short clip in colour!
OUTING TO THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM
We are going to visit the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, going on 14th October and staying overnight in a hotel in Swadlincote. We looked at the companies who go there, but the Memorial is just part of their trips, and we have been told that much longer is needed. Do have a look at www.thenma.org.uk to see this wonderful place. We may have a few places so if you are interested please contact Linda Knock
DANBURY PALACE
In 1977 I organised a conference at the Management Centre at Danbury Palace and included in the information for delegates the following on the history of the estate. The author is not credited and I have no recollection of doing the research - however, I may have got it from the Centre literature, and I did have excellent contacts in the Essex Records Office!
Danbury and its mansions have enjoyed a long and chequered history. First mention of Danbury, now the home of the Anglian Regional Management Centre, is in the Domesday Book, where it is recorded that the estate was taken from its Saxon owner and given to an officer of William the Conqueror, Geoffrey de Mandeville.
Descendants of de Mandeville subsequently became Earls of Essex and the estate was held by them for the next 4OO years until 1419 when it passed to members of the D'Arcy family.
In 1947 Thomas, Lord D'Arcy, made a deal with the King to exchange his Danbury property for the newly dissolved monastry of St. Osyth. The Young King Edward VI then granted the 'Manor of St. Cleres, Heyrons and Danbury Park1 to William Parr, Marquis of Northampton and brother of Katherine Parr. Later the same year Lord Northampton disposed of his Estate to Sir Walter Mildmay. Sir Walter, not finding the house sufficiently imposing, decided to build himself a home on a different site. A publication of 1560 described the park and new mansion: "... towards the myddest is builded a fayre lodge with dyverse houses of office and decent lodgings with orchard and garden".
The estate was held by succeeding generations of the Mildmay family until the end of the seventeenth century. During this period it was twice sequestered by the Crown, first for non payment of a plague assessment of £80O and later by the Roundheads and held for redemption against the sum of £1,275.
The estate passed through a succession of owners until 1831 by which time the existing house had fallen into a state of decay. It was then sold Mr. John Round who pulled down the Mildmay's mansion and built the present house.
In 1854 the Diocese of London was considered to have grown too large and the Counties of Essex and Hertfordshire were added to Rochester. George Murray, then Bishop of Rochester came to live at Danbury -by now called Danbury Palace. He added a chapel and lodges and it continued as an Episcopal Palace until 1892. There followed a succession of owners until it was finally purchased after the last war by Essex County Council.
The House, and its immediate grounds, is now used as the Anglian Regional Management Centre, which has been established jointly by the North East London Polytechnic and the Mid Essex Technical College and School of Art.
The foregoing makes no mention of the use of the building as a maternity unit for expectant mothers from London during the WW2 nor its acquisition by the County Council initially as its Civil Defence Headquarters (probably about the time of the Cold War). After the cessation of its use as a Management Centre, it remained vacant for a number of years and has now been sold and developed for residential purposes. The lakeside and the immediate area have of course been a country park for many years.
Brian Barker
Association of Essex U3A’s Study Day 2017
We are advised by the Essex Association that this will be held in Maldon on Oct 24th
Groups agreed so far are:
3 Art groups - Water Colour, Acrylics and another medium Wine or Canals (Clare Urry) Computers – 2 groups again? Country Dancing
Crochet, Lace Exploring Drama
Family History First Aid
History of Trains Jazz Appreciation
Latin Maths
Patchwork Philosophy
SLPs Trees
Ukulele Writing – Non Fiction & Fiction
Singing was also popular but the leader can't do the group again. Do any of you know anyone who could take it on?
Is there anyone in B & G U3A who could offer something new?
Please email gill.harryman@talktalk.net
if you would like to ask any questions.
The Great War – 1917 (Year 3)
On 31st July the offensive known to history as the ‘Third Battle of Ypres, or more commonly ‘Passchendale’, began. An artillery bombardment had been underway since July 18th and air battles raged over head as the British and French air forces sort to make the task of German gunners impossible by destroying their observation balloons and shooting down their reconnaissance aircraft. On the night of 31st July, it began to rain.
The rain that summer was the worst for forty years, a near constant drizzle that filled the craters with muddy slime. Soldiers of both sides fought and died in a man-made swamp; both armies lost approximately a quarter of a million men at Ypres.
Corporal Clifford Lane
1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
We were so thirsty that we actually drank water out of shell holes, and God knows what a shell hole contains. It could hold anything – very often parts of a human body. But we were so thirsty we drank it cold without boiling it, because you couldn’t get a fire very often.
Major Richard Talbot Kelly
Royal Artillery
It rained absolutely continuously, one was as afraid of getting drowned as of getting hit by shells. It was the weather more than anything else that got one down. When you woke in the morning in the little scrape you’d scratched out of the ground, you felt the water bubbling and oozing in the small of your back.
Extracts taken from ‘Forgotten Voices of the Great War’ - Max Arthur
Useful Information
Linda Knock thought that the virtual pages outlined below (click on the link) might appeal to some of our members.
‘I have just read the article in TAM 'virtual reality' and wonder if we have members who are no longer able to get out and about and have a level of computer literacy. I am sure there may be some.http://vu3a.org/index.php/subjects-available/groups-list. I know everyone gets TAM but not everyone reads it and this would be easy to miss.
It could just appeal to someone who is no longer able to get to meetings. You can sign up to receive the information
EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN - Open to men only
Note : due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of 8 participants. The course lasts two days, and topics covered include:
DAY 1
How to water the plants
Step by step guide with slide presentation
Toilet rolls – do they grow on holders?
Round table discussion
Differences between laundry basket and floor – practising with hamper
Dishes and cutlery – do they fly to the kitchen sink / dishwasher by themselves?
Remote control
Losing the remote control – helpline and support groups
Learning how to find things
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while shouting – open forum
Note: Information on Day 2 will follow in the Summer edition of the U3A Newsletter - ( with thanks to Essex Adult Education Service !) - Editor
U3A Magazine
You will recently have received through the post a copy of the U3A magazine. It is sent from Central office several times a year.
Chatting with my Computer Workshop group today, I discovered that some members would rather not receive it. This would also save the branch a small amount of money for each individual who withdraws from circulation.
If you are one of these members, please contact me by email or phone and I will make sure your name and address do not appear on the next circulation list and you will not receive the magazine again.
Loretta Riddel
Membership Secretary
MAIN MEETING : SUBJECTS / SPEAKERS
12 April Martyn Lockwood Grave Concerns - Churchyards
(History and customs)
10th May Peter Regelous A Life on the Road
(Stories of the entertainment industry)
14th June Paul van Damme Chelmsford’s Central Park / Bell Meadow
(An illustrated insight into our lovely parks)
12 July Pat & Steve Schorak Dunmow Flitch Trials
(Past winners tell all)
Copy for the Summer issue should be with me
on or before April 17th , please.
Would Group Co-ordinators encourage their members to send in short articles about what they enjoy, visits they have made, or any stories about the group. Thanks .
Maggie