CROUCH VALLEY

NEWSLETTER

Crouch Valley U3A - Registered Charity 1180675http://u3asites.org.uk/crouch-valley

SUMMER 2019

COMMITTEE 2019/20

Chairman Ray BurnsVice Chairman Bob LeBeau

Secretary Ian RobinsonTreasurer Don Wragg

Membership Secretary Colin PegrumProgramme Secretary Lynda Burns

Groups Co-ordinator Eileen WendlekenCommittee Members David Shea

Ken WalkerAndy HullRichard BradshawJane Peachey

Welfare Officer Joyce SachWebmaster Don Wragg

Summer Social Event

Sunday 23rd June

* * * Cream Tea * * *

Full details to follow – watch the website

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A Word from the Chair

Well, the time has come for me to step aside for new talent to chair yourU3A. I will be handing over to Ray Burns and Bob Le Beau who I amsure will do an excellent job running our U3A.

It has been a pleasure doing this job for the past few years. I am pleasedto say that the Crouch Valley U3A is noted for its friendly meeting, andvibrant group activity. So much so that our membership has grown to anew high, and we are keeping more existing members.I can only put this success down to the fantastic committee who workhard to ensure the U3A is run efficiently. And fairly. I would like to thankthem all for making my job so easy. And for all their hard work andsupport.

We continue to try and do different activities throughout the year for all toenjoy. Along with the old favourites, such as the BBQ and Quiz.A 40s night is planned later in the year. And we hope to do the SummerTea Party that proved to be very successful last year.

I would like to thank all the co-ordinators for giving their time. Running thegroups for all to enjoy and get involved in. As I have said many times youget out of the U3A what you put in . This may be helping others or simplyparticipating in the groups of your choice.

My I wish the Crouch Valley U3A all the best for the future, I am sure itwill continue to grow, and give many people in our town the opportunity toenjoy life to the full.

All the very best

David Shea Chairman

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From the Secretary’s desk

“They think it’s all over, it is now!”

Famous commentary from Kenneth Wolstenholme towards the end ofthe 1966 World Cup football final.

This will be my final entry for our newsletter as, assuming all went to planat the AGM in April, Secretarial duties will now be in the capable handsof Ian Robinson, ably assisted by Richard Bradshaw. I wish them bothwell for the future. I will continue to look after the Meeters and Greetersand Visitor Mentor’s rota, and if anyone would like to join the list ofvolunteers, please let me know.

After four years as your Secretary, the time was right for me to step downand hand over to a fresh face. It has been fun, and quite challenging attimes, as our membership has grown to its current 170 plus. I hope allwill agree, that we have a thriving U3A with lots of interest groups, welearn but just as important, we have a great deal of fun with our newfriends.

Looking back, I have commented in the Newsletter on what being theSecretary involves, abilities needed, rules Secretaries were forced tofollow in the 1950’s and related a few light hearted stories for youramusement.

But now it’s time to say “it’s goodbye from me and it’s goodbye from him”(as immortalised by the two Ronnies).

Ken Walker

Cosmetic surgery used to be such a taboo subject, but these daysyou can talk about Botox quite openly and nobody raises an eyebrow.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take.

Adlai Stevenson, statesman (1900-1965)

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Treasurer

FINANCIAL REPORT THE ACCOUNTSYEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 2019

I can report on the various funds as follows:-

General Fund

The General Fund, which relates to our “normal” activities, had a smalldeficit of £50.98 resulting in a closing balance of £804.54. In view of ourhealthy reserves we budgeted to break even this year. Taking intoaccount the strength of our finances it is possible to keep annualmembership fees to £15.

Social Fund

The Social Fund is used for all social events outside our educationalobjectives. This year’s events have been the Cream Tea, Quiz, 60’sevening and Xmas Party. All these events are intended to break even wemade a small profit on all these events of £104.53.

Group Fund

The Group Fund relates to monies collected and paid out on behalf of thegroups. These are self-explanatory and are basically used for hall hireand for some groups their Christmas meal.

Charities Supported

As agreed “tea” money collected at our monthly Meetings have beendonated to the following charities. Essex Air Ambulance, Aspire,Dementia Adventure & Mencap.

In total during the year a total of £734.27 has been raised with thefollowing sums being donated to each of the above charities.

Essex Air Ambulance £165.40Aspire £156.85Dementia Adventure £214.42Mencap £197.60Full details, together with copies of thank you letters received, are nowshown on our website.

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The Future

Our accounting year end is the 31st March. As required by The Trust allU3A’s had to register with the Charity Commission. This we did in 2018and our registration number and certificate are on our website.

I believe that as long as there is no drastic change to our membershiplevels our finances look very healthy for the foreseeable future.

Finally the accounts will be examined and checked as in previous years.

Don Wragg – Treasurer

Groups Coordinator

The Role of the Groups Co-ordinator

I am having difficulty in saying exactly what I do..... I talk a lot, I sit forages reading National Office information and other Local U3Anewsletters, to see if I can glean ideas for our Members (I mostly go offon a tangent at this point, as I’m easily distracted); I’m always sendingand receiving emails; I’m frequently arranging meetings, booking rooms,organising teas, sandwiches and..... talking a lot.The Interest Groups are the reason Crouch Valley U3A exists and this isonly because we have such great Group Leaders.Regrettably in the last year, we have seen the demise of both the LooseWomen (& Men) Group and the Creative Writing and Poetry Group – inboth cases this happened because of a lack of attendees. Obviously lifecan get in the way of things, so it’s hoped that at some future date, wemight be able to resurrect these groups.On a brighter note, we now have an Arts Appreciation Group which haskicked off with a very vibrant vibe. It’s not at all “Hi-brow” as the namemight suggest; all types of artwork are looked at and discussed in a veryinformal and enjoyable manner.As Crouch Valley U3A continues to grow, I really hope that we might seethe start of further interest groups, so if anyone has a real passion forsomething, then please think seriously about either starting up a group ormaybe, in the first instance, have a one off meeting to gauge whether youfeel you can take it further. I’m ready, willing and able to help kick startany such project, just contact me.

Eileen Wendleken.

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Membership

At the end of our membership year our numbers had risen to an all-timerecord of 172.

Hopefully all will renew and we will continue to attract newcomers.

May I ask once again for you to highlight any changes to your details onthe membership form so that we minimise disruption of ourcommunications to you.

Colin Pegram.

Webmaster

Crouch Valley U3A Website – http://u3asites.org.uk/crouch-valley

The web is still averaging over 3000 hits per month. As I have indicatedbefore there is little scope to change the look of the site as we use thestandard National U3A template. I look at other U3A websites to see if itpossible to improve the level of information but I have to be honest basedon members feedback and what I have seen our website has the rightbalance.

I acknowledge some people may not like being bombarded with myemails re updates but I think it is the best way of reaching all members inour club. I do try to keep the number of mails to a minimum.

I am always open to suggestions if you would like information to bechanged.

The website is only as good as the information sent to me and for that Ithank everyone for their support.Please let me know your views.

Don Wragg – Webmaster.

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Welfare Officer Once again I have to report that, thank goodness, I have not been

too busy these last few months. We seem to have got over the worst ofthe winter, or you are not informing me if any of our members are unwellor in hospital. I hope it’s not the latter. Please let me know if you hear ofanyone that is ill or in hospital then I can get a card sent to them just tolet them know we are thinking of them. I would appreciate knowing ASAP when members are ill, not when theyhave recovered or home from hospital which has happened a few timeslast year.

I’m sure being a member in the U3A is keeping our mind and bodies fitand healthy so keep doing what your doing. As always, my details are on our website.

Joyce Sach.

Committee Members

I have been a committee member since April 2018 so not very longreally. I am a member of the catering sub committee headed by Lyndaso I have helped to cater for, set up and clear up after various eventssuch as the Cream Tea, Christmas party, Helpers/Group Leaders 'thankyou' afternoon tea, and so on. I see part of my role as being able tocontribute a 'newby's' approach and maybe make some new suggestionsas to events and members' views.

Jane Peachey.

Four temperaments in smileys, depicted by the tilt of the eyes andthe turn of the mouth:

Top row: Phlegmatic, cholericBottom row: sanguine, melancholic

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GROUP REPORTS

Art Appreciation

We all have an opinion about what we like and don’t like when looking atpaintings. But art appreciation is about looking at it objectively and withan open mind. It is about looking to understand it better, the better toenjoy it. It involves learning about individual artists, styles and move-ments, art history. Enjoyment also comes from the process of learning tolook and understand where we didn’t understand before. So Art Appreci-ation sits nicely as an activity suited to the aims of the U3A.

The Art Appreciation Group will be looking at art and attempting toimprove our understanding of art, even where we think that we didn’t likea particular artist, or form of art. At our first meeting we looked atGeorge Seurat’s “An Afternoon at the Grande Jatte” using a frameworkfor examining its detail, form, colour, the artist’s intention, and our ownreactions to it. This first trial of the process proved successful, if thediscussion it provoked is anything to go by.

We are all learners, not experts so the aim of the group is to develop ourskills of looking and understanding:

1. At our own pace. 2. Following our own interests3. Sharing ideas 4. Studying artists, movements, styles, individual works, periods of

art history. We we will plan occasional visits to galleries and special exhibitions. Thescope of possible topics is vast so we are not going to run out of things todo. Indeed, one of the group obtained a copy of a curriculum developedby the organiser of Ludlow’s U3A group. It covered 15 years of study! Wehave not planned that far ahead but we have agreed an interestingprogramme from April to December to include Constable, Van Gogh, andModern Art and will be meeting on the second Thursday at the SWFLibrary 10.00-12.00. For more information please contact me via thewebsite.

Contact is John Acklaw

You don't need a parachute to go skydiving. You only need a parachute to go skydiving more than once.

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Aviation

The Aviation Group run by Maldon U3A has been suspended pendingfinding someone to run it.

CV Contact is Brian Austin 01245 329587

Bird Watching

There is usually a short report andsometimes photos of our monthly visitson the Bird Watching group page of ourweb site.Although birds are our main focus weare on the lookout for anything ofinterest in the natural world. At this timeof year wild flowers can provide achallenge to identifying them. With manyof us having good cameras on our

mobile phones it is easy to take a shot and then identify it later. Try to getthe leaf as well as the flower. Taking photos can be applied to otherspecies such as butterflies or insects. So on any walk collecting imagesof what you see you can start your own Natural History archive and thenshare it with us. For years I have built up my own archive of lists andphotos that I can refer to all stored on my PC.Our walks are of a gentle nature as we do stop quite a bit. We also enjoythe sharing of our knowledge and of course at the end of the walk welook forward to refreshment in the visitor centre or a local pub.

Contacts: Colin Martin & John Gable.

My wife told me I had completely ruined her birthday.

But honestly, I don't see how that can be the case. After all, Ihadn't even remembered it was her birthday, so how can it possiblyhave been me?

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Book Group

The South Woodham library continues to supply us with a wide variety ofbooks. By coincidence, three of the recent novels have been historicalfiction based on real events in such diverse periods as the 12 th Century,the First World War and 1947. All very different but enjoyable readswhere the authors mix facts with their own imagination.

STARS ARE FIRE by ANITA SHREEVE

1947. Fires are racing along the coast of Maine after a summer-longdrought, ravaging thousands of acres, causing unprecedented confusionand fear.

Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her twotoddlers when her difficult and unpredictable husband Gene joins thevolunteers fighting to bring the fire under control. Along with her bestfriend, Rosie, and Rosie's two young children, the women watch in horroras their houses go up in flames, then walk into the ocean as a last resort.They spend the night frantically trying to save their children. When dawncomes, they have miraculously survived, but their lives are foreverchanged: homeless, penniless, and left to face an uncertain future.

As Grace awaits news of her husband's fate, she is thrust into a newworld in which she must make a life on her own, beginning withabsolutely nothing; she must find work, a home, a way to provide for herchildren. In the midst of devastating loss, Grace discovers glorious newfreedoms - joys and triumphs she could never have expected her narrowlife with Gene could contain - and her spirit soars. And then theunthinkable happens, and Grace's bravery is tested as never before.

THE SUMMER QUEEN by ELIZABETH CHADWICK

Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is legendary. She is an icon who hasfascinated readers for over eight hundred years. But the real Eleanorremains elusive - until now. Based on the most up-to-date research,bestselling novelist Elizabeth Chadwick brings Eleanor's magnificentstory to life, as never before.

Young, vibrant, privileged, Eleanor's future is golden as the heiress towealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies suddenly in thesummer of 1137, her childhood ends abruptly. Forced to marry the youngprince Louis of France, Eleanor is still struggling to adjust to her new rolewhen Louis' father dies and they become King and Queen of France.Leaving everything behind, the vivacious Eleanor must face the complexand faction-riddled French court. She is only 13.

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TIME AND TIME AGAIN by BEN ELTON

It’s the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be.

Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history.

Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war. A war that will begin with a single bullet. But can a single bullet truly corrupt an entire century? And, if so, could another single bullet save it?

Contact is Joan Martin.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:Smaller than a breadbox, bigger than a TV remote, the average book fitsinto the human hand with a seductive nestling, a kiss of texture, whetherof cover cloth, glazed jacket, or flexible paperback.

John Updike, writer (1932-2009)

Computer Help

Now in its fifth year the Group continues to welcome new members intoour friendly informal group whatever their knowledge or experience inthe use of tablets, laptops, printers, computers or smart phones.

We are very much a self help group meeting once a month at the VillageHall for two hours. where we offer an enjoyable way to boost our confid-ence in the use of the devices.

We meet to discuss any general topics raised by members using a pro-jector, laptops and internet access. With a break for tea/coffee & biscuitswe then split into small groups helping each other. You can bring alongyour laptop , tablet or Smartphone and even if you not wish to formallyjoin our group, you will be welcome as a visitor or observer to see if thatwe are doing may be of benefit to you.

Contact is Richard Bradshaw.

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Cricket Lovers

The Cricket Lovers Group exists to coordinate visits to see Essex CCCgames at Chelmsford so that members who wish to attend a game canarrange to go with other members.

We have in the past arranged a tour of Lords Cricket Ground and intendin the future to arrange similar tours of The Oval and other sportingvenues in London.

Contact is Ray Burns.

Family History

The Family History Group continues to thrive with in a friendlyatmosphere. There is an eagerness to learn as members share theirknowledge. The first two monthly meetings complimented each other. In January welooked at the importance of attaching Sources & Citations to thedocuments we find about our ancestors. The consensus was that we allmay need to improve, as this gives credibility to our work. However, asmost of us will not be publishing our work we can use the method thatsuits us best.In February we looked at a unique web site called ‘Lost Cousins’. Themain purpose being is to help Cousins share their family history, andSources & Citations play a roll. Information from the census transcriptionis used. If two people enter the same details then they are highly likely tobe Cousins, they are then given the ability to contact each other.Even if no contacts are made it is a good exercise for all. It gives moreexperience family historians a chance to review and improve their work.For new beginners this exercise helps them to build their family tree. Thecensus used are the 1841, 1881 and 1911 for England & Wales. ScottishAmerican & Canadian are also used.Although there is an enormous amount of help on-line, meeting othersand sharing what we actually do to build our family histories is found tobe very helpful. When data has been collected and events in the lives ofour ancestors have been written up, talks or newsletters articles canemerge from members work.

Contact is Colin Martin.

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Games

We meet every 3rd Thursday of the month at the village hall in theplayers lounge, at 2.00pm until 4.00pm. We play lots of games and havea drink and biscuit halfway through. There are normally around 10 of us.We have had as many as 16. We just have a very good time.

Contact is Julie Ferris.

Gardening

The first day of spring has gone and the nights are drawing out. I haveput my potatoes in the allotment and planted up my seedlings in thegreenhouse. This year I am having my garden re-landscaped andI have decided to get rid of a large area of shrubs for a more manageableone, at the same time giving some interest, and making it pleasant tolook at. I have taken these ideas from visiting many gardens over thepast year.

If you are one of the many members who enjoyed our visits to a widevariety of gardens then you will know how enjoyable it is. If you have notyet joined us then why not... You don’t need a garden to be in theGarden group. You just need to enjoy visiting gardens. And don’t forget,most time we can arrange a lift for you if you don’t drive.We have a full list of planned visits and meeting on the U3A web site.

So if you are interested please contact me via the website.

Contact is David Shea.

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Going Out

The Going Out Group has had a number of outings in conjunction withthe Local History Group and the Gardening Group. As there is quite across over between these groups it makes sense to coordinate with eachother.

So far this year we’ve been with the Local History Group to the Museumof London in February and with the Garden Group to Warley Place inMarch. Together with the Garden Group we are going to Kew Gardenson a coach arranged by David Shea in July – this has proved to beextremely popular as the trip is sold out.

Phillips Coaches have a interesting catalogue of trips for the rest of theyear so I would very much appreciate any suggestions whether forPhillips or any other outings.

Contact is Ray Burns.

Jazz Appreciation

We have not been super active over the winter but a number of ourmembers have been going to gigs at the Belvedere Club at theChichester Hotel. However twelve of us went there on the first day ofspring – 20th March - to see ‘The Rag & Bone Club’ a very talented andentertaining seven piece band featuring Hazel Holder on vocals. Theirrepertoire was mainly the well trodden path of the Great AmericanSongbook with a few Jazz classics thrown in. A very enjoyable eveningwas had by all of us and we’re looking forward to more evenings duringthe summer.

Contact is Ray Burns.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything

or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.

Theodore Rubin, psychiatrist and writer (1923-2019)

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Knit'n'Natter

Firstly, many thanks to all who contributed to our Christmas table-topsale. You raised the grand sum of £241 which was duly sent to J'sHospice in memory of Connie Bushby.

We meet on the 4th Monday of the month ( 3rd if it's a Bank Holiday )between 11am - 1pm in the Small Hall of the Village Hall opposite theBlue cage.

New members will always receive a very warm welcome, a cuppa and abiscuit.

Contact is Brenda Neale.

Local History

Our Local History group usual meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each monthat 14.00. This may change if our group is on an all day visit howevermembers are notified in advance of any changes to our publishedcalendar, which is on the Crouch Valley U3A website.There are also occasions when we are required to change our meeting toanother day of the month. This occurs when visits to chosen places ofinterest are only available on specific days.

At our planning meeting in December 2018, we collectively selected theplaces of historical interest for this year's visits.

To commence our programme, in January, eighteen of our membersenjoyed a guided tour of the historic Guildhall, London. Our guide wasvery informative. Once our visit was over, we were able to sit in on thebeginning of a meeting chaired by the Lord Mayor of London.This was then followed by a visit to the Museum of London in Februarywhere eight of our members enjoyed viewing the exhibitions. Havingfound these of interest, some of our members are planning to return at alater date.In March, nine of our members had an interesting and informative visit toEssex Police Museum, Essex Police Communications Centre and ahistorical tour of the outside of the building at Essex Police Headquarters.

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To organise these visits we take it in turn to make the necessaryarrangements.

If you feel that you would like to join our group, please speak to me at ourmonthly meeting or you can contact me by telephone or email. Mycontact details are on our website.

Contact is Aileen Langley.

Play Reading

We have been reading Hay Fever by Noel Coward. I personally have not enjoyed a play so much, for a while.

So the 'old ones are the good ones'! All about a very self indulgent familyinviting guests for the weekend and not telling the others! It made forsome laughs amongst us, always a good sign. We shall be continuingwith another of his items called The Vortex, next month. Always the first Tuesday, 2pm - 4pm in the room at the back of the library.

Contact is Linda Thomas.

Poetry & Creative Writing

The Poetry Group is currently suspended … With such a small number ofinterested members … and taking into account holidays and sickness …it just isn't viable to run the group at the moment. Perhaps in the futuresome of the new members will show an interest so we can kick start thegroup again.

Contact is Bob LeBeau.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.Marianne Moore, poet (1887-1972)

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Strollers

Where's Wally?

Join us for a stroll on a Tuesday - we meet at 10.00 and either walk inWoodham or we enjoy Hyde Hall and Hanningfield for a change endingwith a cuppa.

Contact is Pat Fayers.

It is not easy to walk alone in the country without musing upon something. Charles Dickens

Walking is a man's best medicine. Hippocrates

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I maynot follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. Albert Camus

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Table Tennis

We meet every Wednesday from 7.00 to 8.00 p.m. to play table tennis in the Activity Room at the SWF Leisure Centre and if you would like to join us you would be very welcome.

A man has to take on some sport, on his doctor’s orders, so he decides to play table tennis. After a couple of weeks his wife asks him how he’s doing. “It’s going fine,” the man says. “When I’m playing and I see the ball speeding towards me, my brain immediatelysays, 'To the corner! Back hand! To the net! Smash! Go back!' ” “Really? What happens them?” the wife asks. “Then my body says, 'Who? me? You must be joking.'” What do you call a girl standing in the middle of a table tennis court? Annette. What did one ping pong ball say to the other ping pong ball?

“See you round.” Contact is Eira Jonson.

Ten Pin Bowling

Ten Pin Bowling takes place twice a month, always the first and thirdThursday of the month, we start at 10am usually finish by 12noon and wehave two games with a tea break which is free and biscuits of course.This takes place at Maddison Heights Maldon.

This is a very friendly group, we don’t take ourselves very seriously - it’smore of a social group for the women especially, the men not so, but wedo have plenty of laughs,

Please give us a try, no need to book in - just turn up 10 minutes beforewe start . My details are on our website if you need more information.

Contact is Joyce Sach.

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Q Why should a bowling alley be quiet ? A So you can hear a pin drop

Q What did the bowling balls do ? A They went on strike.

Q Why is bowling a better sport than Golf ?A It’s hard to lose a bowling ball.

Walkers

The Walking Group programme of walks for 2019 is on the ‘Walkers’page of the Crouch Valley U3A website. This was drawn up at theplanning meeting in early January, but please check back there regularlyfor any amendments or updates. We will be returning to some ‘oldfavourites’ as well as trying out a few new walks as well. Please put allthese dates in your diary, so that you don’t miss out. Reminders areissued only about 5 days before each walk is scheduled.

Since the last newsletter, we have ventured further into London. Tworecent Regents Canal walks, eastward from Islington and Little Venice,were quite different in terms of weather and waterside surroundings, buthopefully those attending found them as enjoyable as our regular Cityguide. Links to some lovely pictures are also on the ‘Walkers’ webpage.Makes a change to avoid the inescapable traffic noise of the City.However, we will try to arrange another London walk with Rob if at allpossible, later in the year. He has some new walks we can also try.

SWF Village Hall car park is usually our meeting point at 10.00 for carsharing and the walks are a couple of hours or so and vary from 3 to 5miles. The walking is at a reasonable pace, with occasional stops to restand chat, generally ending with lunch refreshments at a pub or café atthe end.Here are some interesting stats about our walking group:-Number on the list of walkers - 62 Average No. of regular walkers - 14No prizes for guessing where the rest of you are! Carers? Babysitters? Other obligations? Try to set aside some time to join us for the future, if at all possible.

Contact is Lesley Dearing.

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Watercolour Group

The Watercolour Group meets on the second Monday of the month inClub Woodham at 2.00-4.00. We are a very friendly group all trying toimprove our painting skills while chatting and enjoying ourselves with likeminded people. If you would like to come and join us we will supply yourmaterials for the first session so just come and see how relaxingwatercolour painting is.

Contact is Yvonne Frost.

Weekenders

For new members and as the name implies, the Weekenders Group wasstarted for those members who find themselves alone at the weekends.Our regular meet ups are very well attended at 10.30am on a Saturday atthe Coffee Lounge in town and we may soon have to find another venue,as we take over quite a bit of the café some weeks. The short strollalong the river on a Sunday, meeting in the River Car Park at 12 noon,has not been so well attended, but hopefully with the better weather andPhoebe’s Café in the car park, we will attract some more strollers along.

Our Sunday Lunches were postponed during the run up to Christmas,and since then we have been trying different venues, with mixed reviews,and we have yet to find a regular place that we all enjoy to continuemeeting for lunch on the last Sunday of the month. This month (March)we are trying The Hawk at Battlesbridge. (Perhaps we should have apicnic somewhere in the Summer months and then we would know wewould enjoy the food!)

During the winter, as mentioned in the last newsletter, we had visits toLast Night of the Proms, Searchers Farewell Tour, an evening with theUkulele Orchestra of Great Britain, The Billy Fury Story, and theNutcracker, which were all enjoyed by those who attended. Theprogramme for the next few months includes Swan Lake, a lunchtimeJazz concert, a charity Race Night in Maldon, Mothering Sunday Lunch,The Full Monty show, Mamma Mia Here we go Again film, and CalendarGirls the Musical to name but a few.

We will be organising some days out during the summer months andkeeping our fingers crossed that the weather is as lovely as 2018.

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There are some lovely events up at the Schoolroom in Woodham Ferrersin the coming months and we support them when we can, especially attheir weekend events. We are a very informal and friendly group, and all forthcoming events areadvised by email to group members on a fairly regular basis and they arealso kept updated on the website. However, if any other U3A membersare interested in any of our trips out/visits, they are more than welcome tocome along.

Jan T has handed over the reins after several very active years.

New Contact is Pat Offord.

Wine Appreciation #1

Wine group 1 have been continuing with their practice of meeting in eachothers’ homes and with a membership of twenty it is sometimes a verytight squeeze!

We finished off 2018 with our annual Christmas Party and started 2019with the theme of “Drinks left over from Christmas”. Not many of us hadany leftover drinks, so we took a bottle of our favourite wine. As our wineevening fell on Valentine’s Day this year, we tasted Italian Wines and ourhosts for the evening arranged a Mr & Mrs quiz for us. Due to one of our members moving, just prior to their hosting date, wechanged the venue and all met at the China Kitchen for a Chinese mealand a glass or two of wine.

At our last meeting we tasted Eastern European wines. We found thatsome of the wine produced in countries we would not normally consider,are actually of very good quality.

Our forthcoming programme includes: comparing the same grape in wineproduced in different countries, a Gin tasting and a visit to one of thelocal vineyards that seem to be springing up all over the south east ofEngland.

Should any of you feel that you would like to set up another wine groupas both our existing groups are full, our members would be glad to helpand advise you.Contact is Andy Hull.

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Wine Appreciation #2

Wine Appreciation 2 is a very friendly social group hosted in each of ourhomes. We currently have 17 members, having lost five over the lastyear, but gained four new members to fill their places.

The host chooses the theme for the evening, sometimes a straighttasting, but often with an element of guesswork involved - how much didthe wine cost or is worth, what country is it from - and even a trickquestion in February when one of the white wines was made from grapesin a member’s garden! It was very nice and we were all caught out bythat one.

We again went out for our post-Christmas meal at the local Chineserestaurant in January and are planning to eat out again in May - a five-course meal the Fox and Hounds at Cock Clarks. Naturally we will take aminibus so we can all enjoy the wine! We have our programmeorganised for the rest of 2019 and I can’t wait to see what our hosts havein store for us. Cheers!

Contact is Sue Jacobs

New Group Suggestions

Maybe you have an idea/passion/suggestion for a new group – please

have a chat with the Groups Co-ordinator Eileen Wendleken.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

All one's life as a young woman one is on show, a focus of attention,people notice you. You set yourself up to be noticed and admired. Andthen, not expecting it, you become middle-aged and anonymous. No onenotices you. You achieve a wonderful freedom. It's a positive thing. Youcan move about unnoticed and invisible.

Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (1919-2013)

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If you missed Colin & Joan's enjoyable presentation last November –here are the edited highlights!

Down on the Farm

Some years ago now, after losing our furry friend, and after seeing anadvert for retired people to become ‘House Sitters’ we applied. Aftermeeting the head of the company and having the usual ‘Police Checks’we became official ‘House Sitters’ This involved travelling to the clientshomes anywhere in the UK and staying there looking after their muchloved pets while they were away.

We received our first assignment to stay for two weeks on a farm in Kentlooking after two Border Collies and an Alsatian, Chickens, and wait for it---- a herd of prize ’Limousin’ cattle including several Bulls.Colin and I viewed the latter with much trepidation as we journeyed fromLincolnshire where we were living at the time, down to Kent. As this wasa new client for the company we had to impress them with our confidencethat this would be a ‘stroll in the park’ for us.

When we arrived we were greeted by a lovely couple and their dogs. Thecouple were leaving for the USA early next morning leaving the farm andall their animals in our tender care.

It was early February and all thecattle were in barns which wecould monitor from the farmhouse. We were put through ourpaces which involved fillingtroughs twice a day with cattlepellets and checking their water inwhich the tanks were filledautomatically. The free rangechickens spent the daylight hoursoutside, we had to count them inas they entered there roost as itgot dark. Also collect the eggs and sell them to any callers.

We were also told not to enter the cattle pens as the bulls might be aproblem! A ‘Stockman’ would call about every third day to put freshSilage into the pens. We assured the couple that their farm would be insafe hands. After a couple of days of getting used to the dogs routineand that of the cattle who seemed interested in their ‘new farmers’ webegan to really enjoy ourselves.

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Then one morning we awoketo find a ‘world of whiteness’overnight, there had been avery heavy snowfall. Justgetting about was difficult, butthe cattle had to be fed andthe chickens attended tooeven before our ownbreakfast. As we staggeredabout in our wellies and heavycoats, the dogs thought it great

fun. We slipped and slid as we tried to manoeuvre the wheelbarrow andthen found the tanks of water frozen solid. We now had to bring bucketsof hot water from the house to get the automatic system working again.

A last check of the cattle before our much delayed breakfast revealedone of the young bulls frothing at the mouth, it had got its head stuck inthe bars that separate pens. Despite the warning Colin felt it safe enoughto edge around the railings to reach the trapped animal. Grabbing thehorns and a twist and push of the head he freed the young bull whichseemed no worse off for its ordeal.

We were snowed in for several day, the minor road impassable. Howeverit was all joy in the farm house with a roaring log fire, the television and awine rack at our disposal, plenty to eat and the dogs at our feet, whatmore could we want.

The farmers requested that we were sent on several more occasions. If itwas as summer visit we then checked the cattle in the fields. As housesitters we enjoyed six years of travelling around the country, looking aftera wide variety of homes, animals and pets as well as meeting interestingpeople. We could certainly write a book!.

Joan Martin

You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and by falling over. Richard Branson

Golf is a good walk spoiled. Mark Twain

I learned to walk as a baby. I haven’t had a lesson since.Marilyn Monroe

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A Bit FitPatients are panicking over misleading exercise trackers . . .

“Doctor, Doctor! There’s a terrible problem with my husband’s heart!”

“He looks OK to me.”

“Of course I do. Ignore her. I’m fine.”

“He’s not fine, Doctor. He’s horribly ill. His pulse has soared all the way up to 219 beats a minute!”

“No it hasn’t.”

“Yes it has! Look, Doctor. Look at the app from his Fitbit bracelet. See?”

“Gosh, that does seem . . . remarkable. Have you been jogging?”

“It’s worse than that, Doctor. He’s been all around the neighbourhood, climbing over houses! All over roofs!”

“But he’s 73.”

“Like I said, ignore her, Doctor. She’s got the wrong end of the stick.”

“Look at the GPS tracker map, Doctor. It doesn’t lie. It definitely shows him jumping between number 25 and 27. And they’ve got conservatories!”

“Hmmm. I think I see what’s been going on here. We’ve been getting quite a lot of this.”

“Oh God, I’d better tell her myself. Look dear. The fact is, I strapped it to the cat.”

“You what?”

“You were nagging me about not getting enough exercise. Plus, I wondered where the cat was going. It seemed a good way to kill two birds with one stone.”

“The one on the back porch? With its head off? You didn’t?”

“Obviously that was the cat, too. I didn’t do anything. I went to the pub.”

“I might treat some proper patients now? If that’s OK with you?”

“But look at the app, Doctor! Now it says his heart has stopped! Thank Godwe’re here!”

“I think that’s probably the battery, madam.”

“God, I hope so. I love that cat.”

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FAMILY HISTORY - STORY # 11

DARK SECRET REVEALS MUSIC GENE

I had been researching my family history for many years yet couldn't finda record of the death of William Tidmarsh (my 2nd Great Uncle) – heseemed to just disappear. He lived in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire andmarried Sarah Griffin in September 1854, they already had a son, William(b.1852) and then had George (b. 1855) and Sarah (b. 1858). WifeSarah died in October 1860. Where was William?

For a number of years I was unable toanswer this question until thedevelopment of the internet & its impacton family history research. I wascontacted by a distant cousin in the USAand subsequently found a whole newbranch of my family! William left Liverpool on the Albion andarrived in New York on the 30th March1857 (you will note that is before his thirdchild was born). He went to Wauconda,Lake County, Illinois, where he was one

of the original settlers. On the 23rd July 1859 William married AdeliaLyon (b.abt.1839 and died Sept. 1861 from typhoid fever). He marriedAdelia before Sarah died and so we presume he was a bigamist.They had one daughter Emma A. (b.1860).

William did not grieve long for his second wife - on the 14 th November1861 he married his 3rd wife Harriet A. Wells (b. abt.1832 NY ) anddivorced in October 1882. They had 3 children:- Harry E. b. Oct. 1862,Willie b. May 1864 & d. Sept. 1865 and Arthur James b. April 1866. Afterthey divorced Harriet moved back to NY with the 2 living children.

William had an affair whilst married to Harriet with Adelia’s younger sisterSarah Cornelia Lyon (b. abt. 1845 and d. Oct. 1876 ). They had 1 son,another William (b. abt.Nov. 1863 Wauconda & d. October 1901Chicago). William (b 1863) & Emma A. (b 1860) were raised by theirLyon grandparents, (so they were not only half-brother & half-sister, theywere also cousins).

His last wife was Allie D. (b. abt.1857 NY) they married in 1908 inChicago. They didn’t have any children and were still married when hedied on the 23rd September 1920 Wauconda Illinois. She registered hisdeath.

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So as a precis: William had 4 wives:-

Sarah Griffin m. 1854 - 1860 - 3 children William, George & SarahAdelia Lyon m. 1859 - 1861 - 1 child Emma A.Harriet A. Wells m. 1861 - 1881 - 3 children Harry E., Willie &Arthur JamesAllie D. m. 1908 - 1920 - No children1 affairSarah Cornelia Lyon - 1 child William.

All this information was sent to us by Susan, my contact on Ancestry,who is a descendant of William’s illegitimate family. She also told usmany things that you can't learn from Birth, Marriage & Death records.

Besides his love of women and drinking (the reason for his divorce fromHarriet) William was an amazing musician. He could write music for andplay any instrument, although he mainly played the cornet, violin andorgan. He led the band for President Lincoln’s funeral processionthrough Chicago. He was a blacksmith and served with the 8 th Regimentof the Illinois Cavalry being discharged on the 17th July 1865. His brotherGeorge was also in the army as a blacksmith.

What is really wonderful is that eachgeneration of his descendants in USA has atleast one person who is a musician. Themusic gene also comes through the othergenerations on the English side of the family.Through John (b.1839) William’s (b.1832)brother; John had a grandson Frank EgertonVaughan Tidmarsh who was a professor withthe Royal Academy of Music and travelledthe world as an examiner. He was acontemporary of Sir John Barbirolli at theAcademy and a few recordings were madeby his tutor.

Also through Richard (b.1847), another ofWilliam’s brothers, his grandson, ArthurTidmarsh (b.1917) my father, was also a

musician playing the violin and saxophone, as am I playing guitar(Google ‘Quiff & The Shades’). My daughter Julia plays keyboard,my son Ian plays guitar and my eldest grandson Ryan plays piano (toGrade 8).

Jim Tidmarsh

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what3words

Are you a driver? A dog walker? A rambler? A tourist? A new free appfor mobile phones is something you should consider installing. Why?Because it might help find you if you are lost or injured and unable todescribe your exact location to the emergency services.The what3words system enables callers with a mobile phone to accessand share a unique three-word address that can bring police or rescuersto them when they cannot easily describe their whereabouts. It's asimple method of finding your position to within ten feet.

The system divides the whole world into a grid of nearly 60 trillionsquares of 3m x 3m. Each has its own identifier which can be accessedusing a phone’s GPS. For example, part of the floor of the House ofCommons is fence.garage.unable and the summit of Snowdon issuper.ultra.enhancement.

The intention is to shorten response times that can make the differencebetween life and death and to reduce the need for helicopters andmultiple ground units in searches. Users say it is particularly helpful inrural areas without obvious reference points (especially in the dark), butcan also be effective in cities where people under stress may struggle todescribe nondescript surroundings.

Although people can already access their GPS location on their phones,what3words says this requires technical knowledge and relaying longstrings of numbers that are easily garbled over a phone line.

The app is being trialed by a number of police forces and emergencyservices so that 999 callers can be swiftly located, day or night, and thereare already a number of success stories - the following were reportedrecently in The Times.

Avon & Somerset police said: “In one incident, a woman and her youngchild had come off the road in their car and gone through a hedge andyou couldn’t see the car from the road. We started by asking about herroute and then asking 'can you hear our sirens', but it was taking time.Then someone said, send her a what3words code and we did that andwere able to find them and get them to treatment very quickly.”

Humberside police described how the system was used to rescue avictim of sexual assault who was held hostage, not knowing where shewas. He said: “A call-handler talked her through what3words, and thethree-word address was passed to dispatchers, resulting in the recoveryof the victim, and capture of the offender.”

So, my birdbath is located at input.thin.discloses and the walnut treeis . . .

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Summer Social Event

Sunday 28th July

* * * B - B - Q * * *

Full details to follow – watch the website

NEXT NEWSLETTER

I plan to issue the next newsletter at the NOVEMBER 2019 meeting.Articles of interest to members are very welcome and will be included,

space permitting.Please send Group Reports and other items to me by mid October.

Thank You.Jan Campen

Saturday 23rd November

Annual Social Event at the Village Hall

We are pleased to announce Fox, Wiggle & Sass have been booked for this event.

Based in North Essex, Fox Wiggle and Sass are a live vocal harmony trio who travel the length and breadth

of the UK to entertain with their eclectic, swinging feel- good music. Their repertoire spans the decades with

classic 1940's big band numbers, to their 'Modern Swing' set, giving you the chance to dance the night away.

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How to Cope with Fake News

Anu Garg says :

They have found a cure for cancer. And diabetes and heart disease andAIDS. If you haven’t heard about them, it’s only because no one caredenough to forward you these cures they themselves received in aforwarded email, in a WhatsApp message, or on Facebook.

When I receive such messages I try to tell the sender that when they finda cure for cancer you’ll hear about it on the front page of The Times (or inthe most-respected newspaper around you), not in a forwarded email.

No, fasting is not going to cure anyone of cancer. Drinking two glasses ofwater first thing in the morning is not a cure of diabetes. Taking papayaleaf juice is not a cure for AIDS. And, no, there’s no pharma conspiracyto suppress these magic cures.

But sometimes it feels that, while everyone else is trying to save human-ity by sharing these easy remedies, I’m the official naysayer in the room.It’s Sisyphean. It’s tiring. So I propose the following as the first law ofthe Internet:

Garg’s Law: Do not forward anything you’ve received online withoutverifying it yourself.

I suggest ISPs require new customers to sign and date (in front oftwo witnesses) that they agree with the law before they can getonline. First violation would mean one has to be off the Net for aweek. Second violation: a month. Three strikes and you’re out.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I don't believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motionpictures. I didn't treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I thinkno parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach tolearn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach ifthey want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights andshadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if wetried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and theyare the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are notdoing a child a favour by trying to shield him from reality.

Walt Disney, entrepreneur and animator (1901-1966)

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FUTURE MEETINGS

Monthly meetings start at 2.00pm

Tue May 28thPeter Jones will conduct a Q & A on being an authorGroups Showcasing : Knit & Natter & Local History

Tue Jun 25thColin Harper will tell us about the Sahara Run ChallengeGroups Showcasing : Bird Watching & Tenpin Bowling

Tue Jul 23rdKeith Sargeant will tell us about the Life of a Fire Officer

Groups showcasing : Poetry + Writing & Strollers

Tue Aug 27thArthur Brooks will tell us about the Old Time Music Halls

Groups Showcasing : Book Group & Table Tennis

Tue Sep 24thDr Tubbs will tell us about the forger Tom Keating

Groups Showcasing : Jazz Appreciation & Water Colour Painting

Tue Oct 22ndMeeting Details TBC

Groups Showcasing : Weekenders & Family History

Tue Nov 26thPat Garrod will tell us about World trip on a Motor BikeGroup Showcasing : Play Reading & Aviation (TBC)

Monday 9th DecemberChristmas Party in Main Hall

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