Committee Members: MARCH 2019 Newsletter Chairman: John Smith. Vice Chair: Hazel Adkins Secretary: Joyce Parr Treasurer: Derek Sparkes

Wem & District U3A Group Membership Secretary & Data Controller: Chris Fraser Groups Coordinator: Liz Parish Speaker Coordinator: Enid Smith Other members: Kathy Coombs Audrey Moseley

https://u3asites.org.uk/wem/home

Welcome to our Newsletter Upcoming Events

Spring is the growing season, one of new life emerging and Tuesday 5th March General Meeting rebirth as daylight hour’s increase. Wem Town Hall. ALL ARE WELCOME 10am for 10.30am start

Spring fever is in the air and, with the days getting slightly Guest Speaker longer and warmer, my thoughts turn to gardening. Although one gardener friend I know once told me the gardening Jeremy Derrick on season begins in January with the dream! Nevertheless, I for ‘Homeopathy’ one, am looking forward to being out in the garden with the hoe. I plan to be taking a leaf out of Margaret Atwood’s book, Jeremy is a homeopathy practitioner she once said “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should from Shrewsbury. He will explore the smell like dirt.” uses of Homeopathy and Allergy therapy. He has much experience and Once again in this edition news from most of the groups is has given talks to WI, business groups missing, due to the fact that I have been sent such little and networks, support groups, Rotary information to include by the group leaders or the network and the University of the Third Age coordinators with updates of what is going on within our own throughout the county of Shropshire and the Shropshire network. Tuesday 2nd April General Meeting I must, however, extend a very big thank you to Enid Smith, an Wem Town Hall. ALL ARE WELCOME active member of the Family History group, who was sent me a 10am for 10.30am start very entertaining and informative article for inclusion. Much Guest Speaker appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did and it whets your appetite to research your own family histories. Martin Wood, Shrewsbury Town Crier

The next edition is due out for publication in June 2019, so you ‘Have Bell will Yell!” all have plenty of notice to think about submitting something Martin is well known and certainly well about your groups or that you think will be if interest to our recognized throughout Shropshire and members. beyond not least for his stature but also Please send all reports on Group activities, photographs. for his role as Town Crier for Shrewsbury. Notices or other items of interest to me at the email address Martin will give an interesting and below. I look forward to hearing from you! amusing talk about his role and, amongst other things, how he came by Peta Smith, Editor [email protected] his middle name!

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Wem U3A Groups and Group Leaders Groups and Group Leaders For details of the groups, meeting Bridge Jan Cuthbertson times and venues, planned activities Chess - Paul Young and contact details please see the Computing - Glynis Nicholls Craft - Hazel Adkins Wem and District U3A web page. Cycling - Bob Millington

Dog Walking/Strolls - Peter Brown Any information required about Discussion - Daphne Smewing Family History - Ralph Tracy / Groups, could you please either Sue Young contact the Group leaders directly or Films - Julie Bushell if you have difficulty in contacting a French - Sue Bichener group leader please contact Liz Gardening – Hazel Adkins Parish, Groups’ Coordinator, by email German – Clyde Aylin Geocaching – Mary Sparkes [email protected] Literature – Daphne Smewing Local History (1) - Kath Coombs who will pass on your message. If you Local History (2) - Audrey wish to start a new group or test an Moseley activity also contact Liz Parish Mahjong - Ralph Tracy Natural History - Alan Johnson - group currently inactive One-off / Bucket list - Clive Most groups meet monthly unless Smewing otherwise specified. Please bear in Photography - Peter Knight mind that this list is by no means Rummikub - Hazel Adkins definitive, as we are always interested Scrabble - Wendy in forming new groups that are not Gonsalkorale Social Activities - Liz Parish covered elsewhere. Please let us Spanish - Derek Farnfield know if your interest area is not Ukulele - Mike Bendall covered and we can ask others if Walking – Derek Sparkes they would also be interested forming a group around your topic.

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Further Upcoming Events

Tuesday 7th May General Meeting Wem Town Hall. ALL ARE WELCOME

10am for 10.30am start

Guest Speaker

Kate Innes Shrewsbury Author of Medieval Novels

Kate will talk about her research and writing. Her latest book “The Errant Hours” is a literary adventure through the physical and spiritual dangers of Plantagenet Britain. She will bring copies of her book to sell.

GROUP NEWS

Former Professional cartoonist Mike Watson has used his artistic skills to

capture a taste of the activities taking place at the U3A where he is a member.

See more at

https://www.u3a. org.uk/about/ne ws-archive/433-

u3a-in-cartoons

GROUP NEWS

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Social Group LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS!

Any one from any group in Wem U3A can join these social activities. If you have an ideas and would like to arrange something for others to enjoy with you, please contact Liz Parish Social Activities Group Leader

An Outline of a Provisional Programme for Social Group Activities 2019

February: Nothing planned

March: Nothing planned

April: Rugby (Spectating not playing!) John Smith. Details will follow

May: Pitch and Put. Paul Young. Details will follow

June: Sabrina River Severn boat trip. Jenny Edge. Details will follow

July: Visit to Style Mill. Volunteer needed to co-ordinate

Aug: Bangor on Dee Races. Kathy Coombs. Details will follow

Sept: Football Shrewsbury Town. Volunteer needed to co-ordinate.

Oct: Visit to Hencote Winery. Maggie and Allan Boyle. Details will follow

Nov: Ten Pin Bowling. Volunteer needed to co-ordinate.

Dec: Gathering at ‘The Castle’, Wem. Liz Parish. Details will follow

Members who chose to organise an outing/social/trip will receive help in co-ordinating details if they wish. There is no specific time of the month to hold a social event and there can be more than one a month if people wish to arrange something in a month that has a proposed event.

Please let Liz know if you wish to plan or help to plan something. It may be that several people may wish to get together to organise something...that's fine...and again any help needed only has to be asked for. The purpose of holding these social events is for fun and a chance for people to get together.

Liz is looking forward to hearing from you all!

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WEM U3A, FAMILY HISTORY and ME

by Enid Smith

A little bit about me to set the scene

Like a good many others, I have lots of things going on in my life. Music and clothes have always been very important to me and I love all the different genres and eras. Some of you may remember my 70th birthday at Wem Town Hall, where ‘Music through the Ages’ was my theme for the night. Such fun seeing so many people dressed in great outfits and dancing to tunes spanning the 1940’s and 50’s through to present day.

However the music of the 1940’s, the decade of my birth, is an era I particularly like. I remember my mum singing along to the tunes on the wireless and dad playing the piano to Glenn Millers jazzy ‘In the Mood’.

When I discovered there were all sorts of 40’s events going on all over the country, especially those connected to the nostalgic era of steam, there was no stopping me! Dressing up in day dresses or wide legged, high buttoned trousers, headscarves and land girl dress of the war years and the beautiful dresses - one of which was my mum’s original 1940’s black crepe de chine evening dress with glass jet buttons and black lace inset top. Then there are the lovely hats, gloves and furs (!) so elegant.

With George Formby (look alike)

1940’s event in Colwyn Bay

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Last year was very special as we celebrated 100 years since the end of WW1. When Wem U3A had their celebratory tea party event in November it was a great opportunity for me to bring out my Suffragette outfits! More recently I have become interested in Steam Punk....but that might be for another Newsletter article in the future!

Wem U3A ‘Tea Party’ November 2018

With Liz Parish

Time and Tide Wait for No Man.... (or woman)

So back to the ‘real’ topic of this article. I have been involved with Wem U3A since its inception, although I still work 3 days a week and have recently taken on 1 day a week looking after my little granddaughter of 9 months. I also work as a volunteer at Wem Town Hall about 3 or 4 times a month on box office or ushering for the cinema, which is great fun as I love meeting people. Last year I was ‘persuaded’ to join Wem U3A committee and at the AGM I took on the role of Speakers’ Secretary. Let’s hope our members enjoy the speakers I plan in our diary for the coming months.... all suggestions warmly welcomed.

Of course all this ‘work’ has quite a big impact on my time availability and so when I chose to join the Family History Group, as I was interested in discovering my own roots, it seemed manageable – only one day a month for a couple of hours... yes I could manage that!

Family History... do it while you can

The family history group, I thought, was something that could help with my family tree research and to build on some information I had inherited from my mum plus a few documents from my dad’s family. It would be nice to have something to leave my own children and grandchildren for the future when they might want to explore their own ‘roots’ in more depth.

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Me with my mum at Blackpool Tower about 1949

My grandparents died when I was a child and both my parents died many years ago, well before I was really interested in the past. I was far too preoccupied with the here and now, what to have for tea, can we afford a holiday this year and how my children were doing at school? Whilst all this is very important stuff we deal with in our lives, it is still a big regret for me that I didn’t ask questions of my parents and was just ‘too busy’ to take much interest in what is turning out to be so fascinating.

Why do we leave things too late? We rush around in our own little world, mostly too busy to stop and reflect and then one day we realise it’s almost too late. As I am an only child, with no aunties, uncles and other extended family to go to and listen to their stories, there was really no one to find out this information from, that now felt so vital for me to have whilst I still could....or so I thought until I joined Wem U3A Family History Group!

But here I am several years later with a huge amount of data on so many of my ancestors thanks to members of my group who have provided mentoring, advice and practical help in researching my ancestors. I’ve always wanted one of those lovely big Family Trees that WATKINS FAMILY TREE people have proudly displayed Thomas c 1779 m Sarah Mason c 1781 in 1803 in their living rooms. You know John m Margaret Morgan the ones, all beautifully scripted with c1811 c1813 Mary Thomas John Emma Sarah Hannah Margaret William Edward Elizabeth Richard immaculate dates all in line...of 1835 1837 1838 1841 1842 1845 1847 1850 1852 1854 1856 Richard m Sarah Lloyd course a family crest would be a (1856-1921) 28-8-1884 (1856-1931) bonus, but that is not something Edith Mary Richard Joseph Mary Sydney John Mabel Frances Albert Edward I 1885 – 1954 1888 1890 – 92 1893 1895 – 1979 1902 – 1988 aspire to, just the impressive Edith Mary m Ambrose Clement Poole 8-7-1912 scroll of ancestry to remind me Clifford m Hilda Macdonald of where I came from....maybe 11-4-1942 Enid you have one in your living 3-5-1946 room?

The Wem and District U3A Family History group has been growing rapidly of late and now we have around 28 members coming from Wem and surrounding areas including Market Drayton, Clive, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury and Shawbury. For the past few years, when there were just around 12 of us, we had our meetings at people’s houses, but with our growing ranks, a decision has had to be made about future venues that would fit us all comfortably.

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We have opted for Harmer Hill village hall as this is well placed for most people and has good free car parking on site. Our meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 10.30am until around 12 noon. We start with any general information, relevant events and any feedback from members on their family history successes or ‘brick walls’ that they want to share and/or get help with. Occasionally we will have a speaker and also there are optional visits to places like the National Archives in Kew and ‘Who Do You Think You Are in Birmingham’.

For the past year we have all been researching a particular ancestor, a paternal great RICHARD WATKINS 1856 – 1921 grandparent. Richard Watkins was my dad’s Paternal Great Grandfather grandfather on his mother’s side and I found out

Richard Watkins c 1920 Blacksmith so much about him. This included a huge newspaper article on his tragic death where he was knocked down and 2 other passengers were killed by an intoxicated driver of a motor car in Shrewsbury in the 1920’s when cars were few and far between!

Each month the group has heard from one or two members about their ancestor. We have really enjoyed listening to the fascinating stories and facts that members have uncovered, so much so we decided to continue this year with another maternal great grandparent.

I can’t wait to present Rufus Middlebrook, my mum’s grandfather, who I knew absolutely nothing about until this activity started, but I know a lot more now!

RUFUS MIDDLEBROOK 1845 – 1917

Maternal Great Grandfather

Cotton Weaver, Blackburn Lancashire

Alongside these regular activities there is also an opportunity to get involved with other related projects, for example we did an amazing amount of research work to remember the soldiers of Wem who lost their lives in WW1. We presented our findings to the general meeting and also used the material again for our recent end of WW1 celebration event that I mentioned earlier.

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This year some of us are researching Red Cross Nurses of our area. Our Family History group is great and the people are lovely and very generous with their help and advice. Why don’t you come and join us?

I would love to join other U3A groups, especially Local History, but it’s just impossible at the moment to fit in. Maybe one day when I finally retire, I can start to fill in spare days with other exciting interests and activities....skydiving anyone?

If you are interested in finding out more about the Family History Group or require any further information about joining this group please contact the Group Coordinator Liz Parish who will pass on any information to the Group leaders Sue Young and Ralph Tracy.

Thank you Enid for a really interesting account of your experiences in the group.

Disclaimer The articles in this newsletter are written by our members and are not necessarily the views of the committee or the national U3A

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