MEDWAY U3A GROUPS REPORTS
Special Interest Groups Annual Report 2019 New Groups That Started 2019 Applied Philosophy Joe Cannavina Applied Psychology 2 Suzanne Lucas Bridge (Beginners) Royston Bakewell / Suzanne Lucas Current Affairs 1 Joan Bridge-Taylor / Joe Cannavina Current Affairs 2 Joe Cannavina French 3 Michele Robinson Learn to be Retired Sarat Chick MOTO - Members on Their Own Linda Potter Natural RI Archive Monica Albinson Play Reading 2 Keith Whitnell Spanish Beginners 2 Alfredo Perez
Proposed New Groups Architecture Planning first meeting in 2020 Cribbage Waiting for sufficient members interest Walking Football Waiting for sufficient members interest Walking Netball Waiting for sufficient members interest
Group with New Group Organisers Lunch club 2 Marilyn Curtis from Janet Waters Walking Group Heather Gilbert from Sheila Field I would like to thank “Janet” and “Sheila” for their work setting up and running the groups
Groups Looking for New Group Organiser Nature Janet Adkin can no longer organise the group Travel (sharing the experience) Margaret King can no longer organise the group So far Janet and Margaret have failed to find a new Group Organisers and the groups are facing closure I would like to thank “Janet and Margaret” for their work in setting up and running the groups
Groups That Closed in 2019 Cycling Ian Lucas Film Rosemary Corner Osgood Journey’s end Rob Palmer I would like to thank “Ian, Rosemary and Rob” for their work setting up and running the groups
I anticipated that my first year as Groups Coordinator would be a steep learning curve. It did prove a challenging year made manageable by the support and advise I received from the members of Committee and of the GAP. Working groups came together for different tasks such as to update documents to comply with changes in the law and the organising and running of the Group Organisers meeting. There are to many people to thank individually hence I would like to convey my grateful thanks to everyone that helped to make the last year manageable and dare I say enjoyable.
Joe Cannavina Groups Coordinator
Applied philosophy – Joe Cannavina The members indicating interest in Applied Philosophy has been slow. Recently sufficient members have shown an interest and a meeting will be arranged for January 2020 when the group will decide the format and topics it wishes to consider.
Should any other member be interested in Applied Philosophy a descriptor has been added below.
Philosophy at its simplest is the study of knowledge, or "thinking about thinking”. Applied philosophy considers building bridges between theory and practice and, in particular, that philosophy is not only an internal movement in philosophy but also that it can and should play a role in public debate.
Over the millennia expanding knowledge, “from necessity”, has been separated into discreet specialised subjects. Epistemology considered a branch of philosophy is the study of the nature of knowledge, justification, and the rationality of belief.
Beliefs are fundamental in the branch of Moral philosophy with distinct and differing philosophical approaches like Utilitarian, Rational and Virtue Ethics.
An example of building bridges between philosophical theory and practice is: “Science can be seen as a tool and like a tool it is amoral. Some concerned societies have established Ethical Committees and Codes to control perceived unethical behaviour in Scientific Research. A question is, can or should societies control scientists to behave ethically in their research?”
Other topics could be: the nature of knowledge, the practice of ethics in our society and our institutions, the efficacy of Human Rights, the construct of Justice.
The Applied Psychology 1 – Suzanne Lucas Group started at the beginning of 2019. We have met in a member’s home and each month a different member of the group has presented a subject for discussion by the whole group.
Subjects that we have covered so far are Free Will; The Criminal Mind; Manipulation; Narcissism; Parenting; Sleep; An overview of Applied Psychology - history and developments.
The Applied Psychology 2 – Suzanne Lucas Group started in the middle of 2019 as there was interest from a few people. It has taken a while for the whole group to meet together and we are still finding our feet.
We meet in a member’s home and we have been looking at an overview of Applied Psychology - history and developments and we have also had a session on Asperger’s although there is still a lot that could be covered on this particular subject.
Going forward the group will use the Applied Psychology book from Dorling Kindersley to cover topics of particular interest to the group.
Art and Chat - Muriel Davies
Art Appreciation - Shelly Green
Art. Painting for Pleasure - Sue Bullock This year has seen a big change for us as we have had to move venue from the much missed RVS Cafe which was used by various U3A groups. We are now at the Nucleus Arts Centre in Chatham High Street and have upgraded ourselves from the Creative Cabin into the main studio room there starting from January 2020. Once we have acclimatised ourselves in this larger space, I am sure we will be able to explore some different mediums, although it is hard to come out of your comfort zone!
Some of our group members already use the Nucleus Arts Centre as they attend the "Young At Art" sessions - which are free and introduce you to all kinds of mixed media ie lino cut work.
I am very proud that the group members always step up to contribute to our monthly meetings, whether it be as the Spotlight subject or, as in November and December, with hand painted Christmas cards for sale.
2020 will hopefully be another year of enjoying painting, sketching, and putting the worlds to rights as we do so, in our new venue.
Art Workshop - Brenda Gifford
Badminton - Ian Lucas The Badminton Group has met most Mondays in 2019 and there is a regular core of players of mixed abilities and we play a combination of single and double games depending on the number of players.
Ballet Appreciation - Janet Adkin and John Smith We are a small group co-led by Janet Adkin (contact person) and John Smith and meet on the second Thursday afternoon in the month, usually at the home of John and Jane Smith.
The meeting consists of a mix of watching ballets on DVD and discussing them, going on a visit to either the Dockside Odeon to watch a live link-up from The Royal Opera House, to The Marlowe Theatre to see a performance by The Northern Ballet or occasionally Sadler’s Wells– with follow-up discussion and evaluation at the next meeting. Also we track certain leading dancers or choreographers and share items on them that have appeared in the press or share information on other performances individual members have attended.
This year we have focused on: Tamara Rojo in ‘Good Swan, Bad Swan’, studied a programme entitled ‘The Perfect Partnership’ of Nureyev and Fonteyn , ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Matthew Bourne’s production of ‘Cinderella’ at The Marlowe, Akram Khan’s ‘Giselle’ and also Petipa’s choreography of ‘Giselle’ and the Royal Opera House production of ‘’Manon’.
Attendance at live performances or ‘live link-up’ performances have been: Don Quioxte – produced and choreographed by Carols Acosta, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - choreographed by Kenneth McMillan also Matthew Bourne’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at The Marlow and Sadler’s Wells, and a triple bill of ‘Concerto’, ‘Enigma Variations’ and Act III of ‘Raymonda’.
Before Christmas there are two more live link-ups to attend: ‘Coppelia’ and ‘The Nutcracker’ – always a must before Christmas!
In the autumn of this year we were pleased to have made a link with another (newly formed) Ballet Appreciation group in Wales! We have shared our programmes and hope to stay in touch.
We would warmly welcome anyone with an interest in ballet to come to the group.
Board Games - Sue Davis-Sur We now have 16 members in the group and meet twice a month with good attendance between 5-10 members.
This year we have developed a board game about the U3A and have been play- testing this and tweaking the rules accordingly. I have had a discussion with Ian McCannah, Chair of National U3A and we will be able to use the U3A logo. The next stage is to develop the game further with artwork and production. So far I have contacted Medway University of Arts to see if their students may be able to do this as a project as part of their course. We can also contact U3A art and craft groups to help out with the artwork for a mention in the credits.
We are hoping professionally produce the game for sale across the country which will be a good way of promoting Medway U3A.
We always welcome new members come along to give the grey matter a workout and have fun.
Book Group (Monday) - Gloria Crick We have read a very wide range of fiction this year. Exposure by Helen Dunmore was a good read and the discussion was really interesting.
The Buried Giant by Kasuo Ishiguro really divided opinion, a fascinating book, Snap by Belinda Bauer was another book which led to a lengthy discussion.
It is very interesting that we go along to the meetings with a fixed opinion of the book we have just read then find that we start looking at it in a different way after talking about it. There have been times when some of us wondered if we had all read the same book.
We meet in Chatham Library and the staff there have proved very helpful, even providing tea and coffee with an honesty box for contributions. We now have a list of reading group books from the library so we will be choosing books from that for a while rather than buying books. It really helps the library as well.
The group cannot take on new members at the moment but will start a waiting list with a view to starting another group.
Book Group (Wednesday) - Gloria Crick We have read and discussed an interesting range of fiction. Most enjoyable were The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan; Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist.
Most challenging was The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, a different telling of the story of Achilles from the captured Trojan women's point of view. Very thought provoking.
We have now been given access to a list of library books for reading groups and there are enough to keep us going for months.
We all enjoy the meetings and do sometimes stray away from books during our discussions.
The group cannot take on new members at the moment but will start a waiting list with a view to starting another group.
Bridge (Beginner) - Suzanne Lucas The Bridge Beginners Group started in October 2019 with a meeting of interested people after the monthly meeting. In November eight of us had our first meeting to play bridge in a member of the group’s home and began to get to grips with how to bid and play. Fortunately, several members of the group have played bridge in the past and are happy to share their knowledge with the absolute beginners in the group. We have now found a regular venue for the group and plan to meet once a fortnight.
Classical Music - Mary Woodfield
Click IT - Kevin Booth Helping members make the most of their Technology
The Click IT Group came to life in February this year. As it has developed, the Group has begun to operate on two levels: • The four weekly meetings at Rochester Library, and • Individual assistance for members with specific requirements
I have written in our newsletter about the meetings, which became focused on mobile phones and tablets (or iPhones and iPads for those rich people!) I hope along the way I have been able to help them get a little more from their devices. In turn, they have introduced me to What’s App, which I had never used, but had to learn in order to help them.
To date there have been 8 meetings, with between 1 and 5 members attending, averaging three members per meeting. Clearly, the more people there are, the less time I can spend with each one, and so that is how the 1:1 meetings began. This was where a member had a need which would require my undivided attention, and also may not be of interest to others attending. So far, five members have sought assistance, and I think we have made good progress in each case.
Here are some examples of the things we have achieved: • Introducing a member to e-mail, and setting them up with an e-mail address which they can use in the library without needing purchase a computer, tablet or smart phone. • Creating a photographic slide show using Microsoft PowerPoint • Transferring photographs from a digital camera or smartphone to a computer • Scanning and e-mailing printed photographs • Word processing - editing documents created in Microsoft Word • Sending photographs from a tablet or smart phone via e-mails, texts and What’sApp.
If you think you need help with your devices, or want to do something but can’t fathom it out, do feel free to get in touch with the details. It would be good to get several members together who have the same knowledge gaps, and work it out together in one or more sessions.
You can contact me via the U3A Website, or if you aren’t confident with that, my number is on the Yellow Card. If all that fails, grab me at any monthly meeting. You’ll find me sitting at the back of the hall!
Cooking for Pleasure - Susan Harry This year we have been making some more great bakes together. We have made profiteroles, shortcake biscuits and fruit cake and tried traditional recipes such as Black bun and flapjack. Savoury items were Cornish pasties, cheese loaf and vegetable bakes.
All were a pleasure to make,(and eat) ! We look forward to the year ahead when we are going to try some new recipes. Sadly our group is full at the moment. I hope to include the recipes for you all to try for yourselves so look on the website for these.
Creative Knitting and Sewing - Ann Jones The Creative Knitting and Sewing Group sends handmade items they have sewn or knitted to organisations and charities across Medway.
Creative Tapestry - Sue Davis-Sur The group started in 2013 and has managed to keep a good membership currently at 12 although people have come and gone over the years. This year we decided to try something different. One of our members John has been designing and making cushions for all of his family members and he showed us how to do this with us all having a go at making one.
We then moved on to making items for sale at the December meeting and another member showed us how to use felt to make gift bags and tree decorations. This was a revelation for some of us who have become somewhat obsessed with what you can do with felt! Together we made over 200 items! We are now looking to widen our activities and have had discussions with Wool gatherers with a view to combining the two groups with members having double opportunities to meet up. I thought we could call it Creative Stitching and could include knitting, tapestry, crochet, felt work, applique, quilting and any other similar type of craft.
Creative Writing - Susan Jeeves The group which consists of nine of us write a varied array of stories. Some people are writing their life stories, others specialise in horror, thrillers or even fairy stories, some are also talented poets.
In the Summer we had a garden party which included choosing a hat, then writing and performing a small play which included your character.
There are different levels of writers in the group, some are starting out, and others have had their work published. It’s a lively group who like to have fun and enjoy themselves at the meetings. So, if you have always wanted to write and would like to join us, please do make contact.
Current Affairs - Joe Cannavina Some of the members of the current affairs group met in August to decide how to proceed. It became clear that it would not be possible to continue as one group as not every one could meet on the same day and the group could prove too big if every member attended. It was decide that the group should explore setting up as 2 groups.
Since August part of the group designated Group1 has met on Tuesdays in a member’s house that limits the number that can attend. The group’s focus has been towards Current Affairs and Political Science and the topics that have been discussed are: 1. World population growth and the problems of feeding it. 2. The legitimacy of government with the focus of a. What is legitimacy? b. What makes government acceptable to its people? c. Why do we need government? d. Is our government democratic? e. Is it democracy that makes it legitimate - perhaps not? f. The structure of the EU (Council, Commission, Parliament etc.) g. The judgement handed down by the High Court, which sets a precedent for the regulation of parliament by the Courts. The topic for the next meeting is: 1. The British People Have Lost Trust In Parliament (Lords and Commons).
Starting Group 2 From the members replies not able to attend on Tuesday's I have identified Thursday's afternoon as the alternative time most members can make it.
To start Group 2, I am waiting confirmation from members that wish to attend on Thursday afternoons to see if the number for Group 2 would be viable and identify a suitable venue for the meetings.
The suggestion is that Group 2 could focus towards Current Affairs and Sociology with topics like: 1. Healthcare and social care policies 2. Organ transplantation in our society 3. The role and control of the media 4. The effect of immigration policies 5. Pollution and the environment 6. Aging and the elderly
Dutch Conversation - Brenda Bomers
English Country Dancing - Carol Clark Summary of what you have done for the year.
Each afternoon’s programme usually consists of a mix of old and new dances, some easy and some more difficult. Everyone is encouraged to join in all the dances, even our new members, because with a critical mass of experienced dancers beginners find it easy to find their feet (so to speak!).
We have 27 regular members on our books but on average there are 15 dancers each session. Despite the high numbers, we don't want to turn away new members but will consider a waiting list if regular attendances exceed 20. At the present time, we aren't able to offer a new group as time pressures and accommodation availability can be problematic. Some of our more experienced members each have one or several dances, which they can call; this means that we would not have a problem if the Group Leader could not attend. We also have a secretary/treasurer (as recommended by the recent Group Leaders’ Meeting) who checks attendance, collects the money and pays it to Medway Council.
This is a very friendly and enthusiastic group and members are very appreciative of all aspects of the work put in to make it run smoothly.
Explore by Bus - Valerie Murphy As we do not have any meetings in January and February, because of the winter weather, our first meeting for 2019 was on Wednesday 20th March when we went Maidstone Museum. Again we had to change the day as most museums are closed on Mondays. We had an enjoyable time, particularly in the vintage clothes area, reminiscing the clothes we wore in the sixties as teenagers. I also distributed the programme for the year.
In April we finished our historical walk in Maidstone, which we started last year. We started at the Brenchley Gardens, where we looked at the life-sized statue of a bomb disposal expert to commemorate the service personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan. Next we found No. 31/33 Earl Street which were owned by Andrew Boughton a former Mayor of Maidstone who was clerk to the High Court and signed the death warrant of King Charles I in 1649. When the monarchy was restored in 1660 he was charged with regicide and was forced to flee the country and spent the rest of his life in Geneva. We then looked at Fremlins Walk, (once the site of the Fremlins Brewery), followed by the Royal Star Arcade, (originally the site of the Royal Star once Maidstone's premiere hotel ), Market Buildings and the Corn Exchange, and Week Street which lies along the line of a Roman Road linking Rochester with the iron working working areas on the weald and Port Lympe. We finished at the top of Gabriels Hill, where there was a battle in the English War in June 1648.
In May we had two meetings for the first we walked across the pedestian path of the M2 Bridge. Where there is a spectacular views across the Medway Valley, and from where we were standing superb views towards Rochester including the Cathedral and Castle. We finished with lunch at Waters Meet Restaurant in the Medway Valley Leisure Park, Strood. The second meeting was a train trip to Faversham, where we did a historical walk. Starting at the Guildhall, then Court Street, where Catholic King James was held for four days in 1688 while trying to flee to France following the landing of the Protestant William of Orange, his son- in-law and nephew to take the throne. Abbey Street which was originally a highway laid out in the twelth century as a grand approach to the Abbey, but “fell from grace” early in the twentieth century. At no. 80 Abbey Street, (also called Arden House), in 1551 Thomas Arden was murdered. He like many others made a fortune out of the dissolution of the monasteries, his murder was instigated by his wife Alice and her lover. We finished our walk with St. Mary of Charity Church, where the remains of King Stephen are allegedly burried. We ended with a nice lunch in a local pub/restraurant.
In June we went on a visit to Kent Life, Sandling, Maidstone. Unfortunately the bus broke down on the Rochester Maidstone Road, and we had to wait an hour until the next bus turned up. When we arrived we were all ready for lunch so we did that first. Then we looked at the various exhibits, which included a Victorian Farmhouse, World War II cottages and a traditional Village Hall to name but a few. There was also a farmyard, paddocks and fields with horses, sheep, pigs, twelve owls and meerkats.
July we also had two meetings. The first was to Tunbridge Wells in particular The Pantiles. As it was as long journey, we had lunch first in a nice cafe, which was opposite a very upmarket jewellers which had the Royal Warrant, and security guards standing outside, we watched to see if anyone interesting went in, but unfortunately not. We then continued on down to the Pantiles, which is a very nice area with cafes and bars and a lovely area to stoll and sit in. Apparently before the Pantiles was discovered there was nothing at Tunbridge Wells, so the first visitors either had to camp out or travel from Tonbridge, including King Charles I's wife Queen Henrietia six weeks after the birth of her eldest son. Our second visit in July was a train trip to Folkestone. Where we followed part of the Folkestone Artworks Walk, “The Waterfront and Harbour”, including The Folkestone Mermaid, The Listening Ears, The Holiday Home and Tracy Emin's Baby Things, which she did to draw attention to the number of teenage mothers in that area. We had lunch at a nice cafe on the front, and an ice cream before catching our train home.
August saw our long awaited historical walk in Gravesend. Led by an offical Badge holder. Which I booked up several months before. It started at the Pocahontas Church, St. Georges and went along the river to the oldest pub in Gravesend The Three Daws, (where we had lunch afterwards), the Fort Gardens with the statue of Major General Charles Gordon, who did a lot of charitable work during his stay in Gravesend. We also saw the outside of the Clarendon Royal Hotel, which has been on television in the “Four in the Bed” programme, as well as having royal connections, the Milton Chantry which is Gravesend's oldest building and dates from early 14th century. The walk was very good and we thoroughly recommend it. It was only supposed to last an hour, but was nearer to two hours.
In September we first went to Aylesford Priory. It was the principal house of the Carmelite religious order from 1242 until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 when it passed into private hands and became a family home, and remained so until it came up for sale in 1949, when the Carmelites were able to buy it back. Therefore a lot of the religious artifacts date from that time. Our second meeting in September was a train trip to Canterbury, where we first visited the Roman Museum, we then had lunch in a nice cafe, and ended our visit with a walk through Westgate Gardens before we caught our train back to Chatham.
For our October meeting we went to Eastgate House in Rochester, which is famous for its association with Dickens. It was in the “Pickwick Papers”, and also the Nuns House in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It had several uses over the years, as a private family home, as a Victorian boarding school for girls, young mens hostel and a temperance restaurant. In 1903 it was converted into a municipal library and museum.
For our November meeting we went to Bluewater Shopping Centre. We split up when we arrived, and had a lovely time window shopping. Kept getting lost in the giant Marks & Spencers, and lost some more of our members there, but met them again in the cafe and had some lunch there, before we caught the bus home.
For our December meeting I have booked a table for twelve for our Christmas Meal at the Five Bells Pub/Restaurant, Hoo. Which all members usually enjoy. Our first meeting next year will be on Monday 16th March. When hopefully the worst of the winter will be over, and it gives me time to plan next years programme, do any reccs. necessary and check on the internet as far as possible if my plans are feasible.
Family History - Susan Jeeves This year we have had a few new members which is always interesting as we get to share their finds as well as our own. We use mostly Ancestry on the library’s computers and when we make a find it can be stored on a stick or sent home to your computer. Members have collected a vast amount of knowledge over the years and always impart this to others, so as to help progress their family tree.
So if you have always meant to discover your ancestors now maybe the time to contact us. Folk Singing - Mark Seed The group has 9 regular members and we sing a wide range of songs from traditional tunes to more contemporary ones. The singers are supported by a guitarist and a violin player, and we try songs suggested by group members, working on the key in which we sing them, the tempo, as well as the lyrics to make sure these make sense. We have a wide range of ages within the group, including people with an extensive knowledge of traditional folk songs, so we try and work on a balance of tunes to suit all members of the group. This year we particularly worked on 4 songs to sing at the Christmas meeting, including Dirty Old Town, which we sang with the support of the Guitar Group.
French - Christine Newman
French 3 start up - Michele Robinson We have been meeting twice a month since the spring. We have found that our most successful format is for each person to prepare a few lines or half a page in French on a suggested topic or one of your choice. This gives us something to talk about and gets the conversation rolling.
French Conversation - Lynn McLaughlin There is no native French speaker in the group but several of the members are fluent and happy to support the less proficient.
During the hour long session we chat about our usual weekday activities, special events and future events so we include a variety of verb tenses. From time to time, we read texts and magazine articles on a range of subjects about France and the French and texts containing current French news. Most people are able to read and translate on sight but others prefer to have the text in advance. One talented member occasionally brings along poetry he has composed which he then translates into French – a privilege for the group.
The sessions continue to be challenging, extremely enjoyable and the conversation flows well, showing that the French is improving.
Our work was available for all to see when we produced a table display for the AGM.
Fun Photography - Royston Bakewell A year ago we had our first meeting of the Fun Photography group and over the last twelve months we have had a number of outing the most recent being to Folkestone to take pictures along the newly refurbished harbour arm followed by lunch in a local cafe on the harbourside. Each month we have had a theme and seen some interesting interpretations. Recently we have provided puzzle pictures for the newsletter and looking forward to next year producing a calendar to sell at next years Christmas December meeting.
We would like to see more members coming along and taking part over the coming months even if you only use your camera phone.
Gardening - Susan Jeeves In the spring the group visited the small garden centre of Nettlestead where we hunted around for a bargain or two. We also visited Knowle Hill Farm and looked around the gardens and then as we usually do, we had afternoon tea. In September we visited Spade Works which is in Offham West Malling this was a delightful place which employs people with special needs. After being given a tour which included chatting with the staff and visiting the pumpkin beds, we finished with tea again. This year we revisited Restoration House as we do every year, the changes and almost the finished garden are amazing. During the year we have visited members gardens, swopped plants and given advice and help to each other. We always welcome and enjoy new members.
Geography - Jacquie Cox We meet once a month in member’s homes to share our research on aspects of a specific country or examples of physical geography. Our discussions have sometimes led us to the conclusion that it may not be somewhere we would opt to visit. We are always surprised by information that we discover. At the start of a new year, the group members nominate countries or physical aspects of geography that we could explore.
Geology - Tony Mitchell The Geology group continues on its way with two new members. It is still just a manageable number to house in my sitting room. As usual we have looked at many aspects of geology including Historical Geology, Oceans, Geological Time, Doggerland, and Fracking. We meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month except when I am on holiday. Next meeting 21st November when the subject is Extinction.-
German Conversation- Maria-Luise Massingham It's been a busy year for our group of eight. We meet regularly every first and third Monday of the month in the comfort of Maria-Luise's sitting room and have discussed a multitude of topics including trips and outings, the current state of our health positive or otherwise, art, music, literature and the political state of the nation it being the year of Brexit and elections. All this in German; unless Marie-Luise has popped out to make some tea and then we slip into English keeping a close look out for her return!
We have great fun with a wide variety of stimuli including word games, quizzes, puzzles, newspaper and magazine articles. In addition we have begun to read a new book, Der Zaubergarten, about a group of cheeky children who disobey their grandparents and climb into a secret overgrown garden full of surprises and a scary owner. Some of the vocabulary and grammar is quite testing but Maria- Luise is a patient teacher and explains anything that arises within the text fully and sympathetically.
Our aim is to keep our conversational German to a reasonable standard and this Maria-Luise has helped us to do in a relaxed and enjoyable manner.
On behalf of the group we wish to express our gratitude to Maria-Luise and look forward to working with her in the forthcoming year.
German Intermediate - Martin Farebrother During the year we have met on most Thursdays, depending on the other commitments, and holidays, of members.
We have studied German at A2/B1+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), through listening, speaking, reading and writing.
We have used this year mainly ‘Wilkommen!2’ (Heiner Schenke), an intermediate course. We are about to start ‘Enjoy German’ (Heiner Schenke & Paul Coggle), at intermediate to advanced level. We have also used texts from other sources, and conversation topics chosen by ourselves.
Guitar - Mark Seed The group has 10 regular members and we play a wide range of songs running across all the decades from the 60's up to the present date. Members bring along copies of songs they would like the group to play, and we work on these to see if we can get them to a listenable to standard. We try them in different keys so we get the best match with our voices, and make sure we think the chords are correct. Some songs don't work as they don't suit our voices or group members just don't like them. At present we have 80+ songs we can play, and this year we put 8 of these together to do a half hour Spotlight session before the November meeting. We also did a further 4 songs for the Christmas meeting, including singing Dirty Old Town with the Folk Group.
History 2 - John McLaughlin The group continues with eleven members and is full. We meet once a month. The group chooses a topic and then each member picks a subject relating to the topic which they study so that they can give a short presentation, often producing lively discussion. A topic usually spans two meetings. In January and February we looked at ‘A famous Irish person’ which included Bram Stoker, Francis Beaufort, Michael Collins, John Tyndall and Oscar Wilde. In March/April the topic was ‘An inspirational character’ which included Ada Lovelace, Jesse Owens, Eva Peron, Akbar and Nelson. In May/June we looked at ‘A scandal before 1950’ including the Dreyfus affair, Virginia Rappe and Fatty Arbuckle, the Mayerling scandal and Effie Grey with John Ruskin and Milais. For July/August, we chose ‘An explorer’ and looked at Jacques Cartier, Fridtjof Nansen, John Oxley and David Livingstone. Next we did ‘Scottish history before 1950’ which included the birth of the Scottish legal system, Robert Louis Stevenson, William Patterson and the Clearances. In November/December we will discuss A Famous Peter/Pedro/Pierre. We are grateful to Liz Feege who hosts us so warmly each month.
History 3 - Lynn McLaughlin After two years, our history group is now well established. Topics are agreed on by the group and this year have included: Explorers, Scandals, Any Product/Consumable (which we use or could have used in the past), A person Active in the Arts 1900-1945, An Inventor and A Famous Irish/ Scottish/ Person. Each person presents their research and there is time for a short discussion on each subject. We have been royally entertained with some people bringing along pictures and objects to enhance their presentation.
Our research was available for all to see when we produced a table display for the AGM.
Italian Improvers - Monica Albinson We now have two more members than at the time of my last report, making a group of 6. We are quite happy with this number but would be willing to take up to 2 others at the appropriate level.
The reading book we are using says it is ‘pre-intermediate’. The grammar book we use runs from basics to higher intermediate.
We still need to find a way to improve our conversation element but are otherwise pleased with our continuing progress.
Above all we are a friendly and cheerful group and always enjoy our Thursday afternoons.
Italian Upper Intermediate - John Innes This year the Medway U3A Intermediate Italian Group has continued to meet every Wednesday within term time. We are a small group, and we are a nice mixture of new and established members. Our love for the language continues undiminished. Some of our group are frequent visitors to Italy and love being able to communicate with the locals they meet. Others amongst us are content to enjoy the thrill and the challenge offered by the local Italian Restaurants. With regard to language development, this year the group has made a special effort with combined pronouns, the present subjunctive tense and developing our listening skills. Jazz - John Burrows
Jazz & Blues play & sing - Cece Sorrenti Relaunch of the Jazz & Blues Play & Sing on Thursday 30th January at 1.30pm.
We will be meeting in Strood on last Thursday of the month in a member’s house. We are meeting to discuss the format and introduce ourselves. We would encourage any interested member to come along with any numbers they would like to do as well as any music or instruments. They will be assured of a warm welcome. We do a variety of songs. Here are a few we try-
I only have eyes for you Blue Skies Stormy weather That old devil called love September in the rain Misty Ain't misbehaving There's a small hotel Black coffee Fly me to the moon
And blues numbers
I'm a stranger here It hurts me too Nobody knows you when your down and out Big boss man You don't know.
If you are interested in joining please contact Cece Sorrenti for more details.
Latin I and II - Joan Farebrother Both my Latin Groups are progressing well. The Groups have now reached an intermediate level and next year we plan to turn to original texts while continuing to strengthen our grammar.
Latin III - Jillian Edwardes When I joined U3A, it was partly because there seemed to be 2 Latin groups existing and I really wanted to take this language up again. However when I asked to join, both said that they were not taking any more members. Therefore I asked the Groups Coordinator if we could start another group for “Improvers” which was to be Latin 3 but unfortunately there seemed to be no one who felt sufficiently proficient in the language to run the group. However Latin 4 did get underway in in 2018 and everyone interested joined that although it was designated as a “beginners” group. After a certain amount of time, those of us who had learnt Latin before - perhaps to O or A level - found to our surprise and pleasure that it “came back” very quickly! However this caused a problem as those people who were really beginners were clearly and understandably unhappy about the situation. Therefore in January 2019 it was decided to form Latin 3 - as it had been intended - for “improvers”. There are 5 of us. It had been decided to use the Cambridge Latin Course, which had been recommended by the U3A Coordinator for Latin. To date we have covered Book 1 and Book 2 meticulously, doing our “homework” and preparing in advance for our fortnightly session. We help one another to understand anything, which proves difficult. This has worked well and we are pleased with our progress. So to date, at the beginning of November 2019, we are just starting Book 3. I am sure that the pace will slow down as it gets more difficult but I hope that we can all maintain our interest in this fascinating language.
Latin IV - Sue Micklewright
Learn to be Retired - Sarat Chick The Learning to be Retired group is based on a course developed by 2 U3A members for people in the early stages of retirement. Unlike most U3A groups which are open-ended, each cycle of the course will run for 5 or 6 weeks. The group is closed to new members once we start working through the course. Below is an outline of what each week would cover (approximately) -
Week One We explore the facts, myths and feelings around retirement and consider where we are in the retirement process Week Two We look at developing a new, non-work based identity. This involves exploring who we are and who we might become. Week Three We look at what people ‘do’ when they’re retired and explore potential new activities, interests and adventures. Week Four We explore our need for social connection and how we can maintain strong relationships and communities. Week Five We look at the nuts and bolts of day-to-day living and how best to structure our time. We review all that we’ve learned and we look at how to make retirement ‘the time of our lives.’
There are no ‘subject matter experts’ who give advice. We work through the course together sharing what we discover as we go.
This is the first time Medway U3A has run this course and I would like to think that with enough interest from members who are newly retired or approaching retirement the course could run again.
Literature – Literature We have been working through the alphabet for the second year and this has resulted in a wide variety of topics and literary genres. In November we will reach X which will probably be the most challenging for our members. The meetings are always well attended and enjoyable and we feel we learn a great deal, not only from our own research into our chosen subject, but from each other- which is, of course, the purpose of the U3A. Although my lounge where we meet, is a good size, we have no room for further members especially as everyone takes part within the thematic approach.
Local History - Rosemary Clemence Our membership is 50 and we get an average attendance of 30 each month. In the last year we have learnt about famous women of Medway; Roman excavations in Kent; Archaeology In Chatham and Cobham; historic Kentish towns and enjoyed a day trip to Biddenden and Rye. We look forward to learning more this year.
Come and join us and contribute to our knowledge of the area.
Local History 2 - Nora Reid
Lunch Club 1 - Sue Dixon We have had another year of successful lunches at various restaurants and pubs in and around Medway. No disasters this time, thank goodness!
Membership of the group remains constant and high. Two new members have joined us this year and it has been good to welcome them.
Geraldine has done another great job supporting me this year – many thanks to her and, again, to all those who help sort out payment at the end of the meals at venues which will not allow us to pay individually. This is becoming a bit of a problem now as more and more places are asking for pre-orders and deposits due to the large numbers attending the lunches. But, with all the help I get everything works out in the end!
Hopefully we will find new venues to try in the coming year while still revisiting the popular ones on our list.
Thank you to all who attend the lunches – you are a fantastic group of people. Lunch Club 2 - Janet Waters/Marilyn Curtis From January 2019 until August 2019 this group has enjoyed five diverse lunch outings. Sadly, personal commitments have brought a halt to me being the organizer of this group. We met approximately every 4 to 6 weeks and our lunches took place Monday – Wednesday to try and give as many people as possible the opportunity of attending.
I currently have 29 members and on average 10 people attended each lunch this year. Once again the food and lively conversation has been enjoyed by all.
Marilyn Curtis has agreed to investigate the feasibility of helping or taking over the organising of the group.
Lunch Club with a Difference - Lunch Club 3 - Marilyn Curtis What a great year our Lunch Club has enjoyed. We now have 26 members and 7 on the waiting list. Unfortunately we are unable to take any more members.
In January we visited Eastgate House, and were taken on a tour by John, our very knowledgeable Guide. We explored and learnt the history of this very important house, the people who had lived there with their families through the centuries and the effect they had on the people in Rochester. This was followed by a really good lunch at Simply Italian in the High Street.
We were listening to the Santiago Quartet at The Woodville Theatre in Gravesend in February, a lunch time concert. Santiago is a classical ensemble that manages to blend the sensuous mood of tango music with energy and originality. Mid-morning snacks were organized prior to the concert at Priscilla’s Pantry.
A fascinating guided tour of the Royal Engineers Museum in March and another tour outside with the vehicles plus a lunch provided by the Museum. Then in April, our first “birthday” was celebrated at Hever Castle. The tulips were glorious and we joined a garden tour by the Head Gardener then went inside the Castle. Lunch was really good and most of us managed to sit in the sun and enjoy an ice cream. Upnor Castle was our destination for May with a tour and talk by Dr Jeremy Clarke, Medway’s Heritage and Education Officer regarding the Battle of Medway and the importance of the Castle. We all sat on replica gunpowder barrels for the talk – so pleased they were replica!! Lunch was at the Tudor Rose, most enjoyable and beautifully cooked and presented.
June saw us at Chartwell enjoying a tour of the house, beautiful scenery and walks through the woods. There were various options for lunch and again we were very lucky with the weather and sat outside.
In July we were lucky to do a fascinating tour of The Gurdwara in Gravesend. The magnificent building as you walk towards it really leaves you stunned and it is the same inside. The temple is such a beautiful place. There was a wedding taking place and the gorgeous saris’ of the wedding party were certainly something to look at. We learnt so much about the Sikh religion and their culture and how they help people in the surrounding areas by providing football teams and other sports, lectures, help with debt etc from Jagdev our guide. The Gurdwara seems to be a wonderful place and everyone is welcome to go in and share meals on any day. They begin cooking at 5 in the morning and finish at around 10pm. Jagdev was very kind, patient and welcoming with all our questions. We enjoyed a meal in the hall. It was a most interesting day. August we were at Aylesford Priory and thoroughly enjoyed a tour with Brother Richard who gave us so much of his time with all his knowledge of the Priory, we were a little late for lunch.
A beautiful day was spent on the Kentish Lady in September with a Fish & Chip lunch, on our lazy journey to East Farleigh and back. The sun shone the whole time and we even saw a Kingfisher on the way. Such a peaceful way to spend a day.
Maidstone Museum and a Behind the Scenes tour was a great way to learn about all the artefacts that they are responsible for. We even held a Mammoth’ tooth which was incredibly heavy. This was found when Maidstone Council were redesigning the roads. From many paintings, to an army scarlet tunic jacket worn by a young local man that still has the remains of the injury he suffered when he was killed in the Crimea, to the oldest Japanese mask through to dresses, armoury, the Brenchley Collections which included the Solomon Island canoe and oar, a really fascinating insight to what the museum holds. Samantha Harris, the Collections Manager and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. As there were 20 members we had to do two separate tours and after the afternoon tour she took us to see the mummified remains of Ta Kush, an Egyptian born 2,700 years ago. Many of us have decided to go back to visit again to learn more about the main Museums offerings. The Behind the Scene tour was a very good way to appreciate all the Museum’s wonderful treasures that are not on public display. Lunch was at Cote Brasserie in Earl Street and 24 members enjoyed the meal.
Pot Luck follows in November at Dockside. Members can do as much or as little as they would like with a walk around St Marys Island, lunch at Boomers and hopefully a film in the afternoon. Even a little shopping could be enjoyed.
Christmas Lunch is at McLeods at MidKent College on 13th December. | am sure it will be a wonderful lunch and a very festive occasion.
The programme is complete for 2020 with visits and tours planned to Cobham Almhouses, Guided Tour of Faversham, the Tyrwhitt Carriage Museum, Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Guildhall Museum, Brogdale and East Malling Research Centre to name but a few.
Thanks go to all of the members who regularly attend and support Lunch Club with a Difference, for their enthusiasm for the lunches and tours and to the suggestions from many for future outings. Thanks to the drivers in the group who take other members to some of the places that are not easy to access and without whom many members would be unable to enjoy.
Very special thanks to Sarat Chick, my “Deputy Dawg”, who still manages to come up with ideas after 2 years (some very crazy - wing walking, ice skating and zip wiring spring to mind!!). Without her support in doing the ‘recces’, helping to organize events, my life and planning our Lunches very be very uninteresting and boring indeed.
| look forward to continuing to build friendships in Medway U3A for 2020. With many thanks to Sue Davis-Sur, and all the Committee for the help, advice and friendship they have given me throughout 2019.
Lunch Club 4 - Suzanne Lucas Lunch Group 4 started at the end of 2018 and the first few months of 2019 were monthly pub lunches whilst the group became established. Since June we have visited and had lunches at Down House, Restoration House, Walmer Castle, a tour of Spadework in Offham, Kings Arms in Upnor, Bear Inn in Faversham and Coopers Arms in Rochester. We have either chosen interesting places or towns to visit so that our group can have an explore of the house / gardens / area before lunch.
Mahjong - John Alford
Modern Classical Music - Cynthia Kessler We meet at a member’s local home. Members volunteer on a rotating basis to do a presentation each month on the life and times of 20th century classical composers or musicians.
We enjoy listening to the selection of music followed by animated discussion. We have studied a wide variety of composers, from Bartok to Walton and many others. Occasionally the programme may vary from 20th century music, as the criteria are not written in stone. From time to time we look at an area or school of music.
This year we have looked at, amongst others, the following: Scandinavian and Russian music, including Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Sibelius and Hugo Alfven. Messaien, Quartet for the End of Time Music by Kevin Volans Great orchestrators, such as Ravel, Respighi, Holtz. Rimsky-Korsakov and Enescu. Opera music and arias by Puccini. Music by Debussy.
As usual some of us managed to go to a Prom concert in August, featuring music by Huw Watkins, Takemitsu, Borodin and Rachmaninov. This friendly group has a regular attendance of about 10 members and the overall membership is 12, so at present is fairly full. Sadly we lost one of our members this year.
MOTO - Members on Their Own - Linda Potter As the name suggests, MOTO allows members who are on their own an opportunity to meet other U3A members in a similar situation. The aim of the group is to improve U3A MOTO Member’s social lives, making new friends and learning from each other along the way.
Since the first meeting in July 2019, we have arranged several activities and social events We have now formed a small Steering Group within MOTO to keep us on track. They met for the first time at the Sunday Social on 8th December. There was lots to discuss and it was a positive meeting.
Bottle and Plate Parties • Several members have hosted an afternoon social in their homes. Members bring along some snacks or ‘nibbles’ to share, plus their own tipple. 24 members came to the first one which was held in Maidstone. A similar number attended the second, in Strood and 29 came to the third party, which was held in Rochester. There was lots of ‘group chat’ going on about holidays and other suggested events, and great fun was had by all. Another event will be arranged in the New Year.
Social Outings • We have had members organise trips to Whitstable, Down House and Rochester Christmas Market. Each event was well supported.
Social Meetings • Sunday lunch is a hit with many MOTO Members. We have arranged two of these. 14 members attended the first and 19 turned up for the second. This involved lots of table shifting so that we could sit together! The Thomas Waghorn pub in Chatham was the venue for these, but we may vary this in the future.
Chess • Currently, between 6 to 8 MOTO members have been meeting on Thursday afternoons to play chess when there is enough interest. It’s great fun (especially as we usually go to the pub and play) It’s more of an opportunity for those of our MOTO Members who want to improve their chess.
Dinner & Dance • We have 14 members who are booked to celebrate Christmas with a dinner dance at Bridgewood Manor Hotel on 15th December. So looking forward to this event.
Holidays • 6 members are getting together to go on a cruise on the Rhine in 2020. There’s still room if you are interested There are also discussions taking place around organising a villa or two abroad for the group, along with Warner Holiday short breaks in the UK for 2020. Watch this space.
There are now more than 50 Medway U3A Members registered with the group, and this number keeps going up.
The pictures show six MOTO Members posing with the Gingerbread men at the Rochester Christmas Market in December, and some of the members at the Chatham Sunday Social.
If you are interested in finding our more please contact Linda Potter.
Music Players - Carole Shepherd Our group was formed in April 2018 and we meet on a monthly basis on the 4th Monday of the month. We will be reviewing whether to change this to fortnightly for those of us who can and would like to. We have 7 members with room for one more and our instruments currently include violin, recorder, guitar and ukulele. We enjoy playing a variety of music including folk, dance, classic and jazz. Each of us brings along music that we would like to play and we spend a fun couple of hours working on the pieces and seeing how the instruments work together while we improve our performance. We find that we learn a lot from each other.
Mythology - Rosemary Corner-Osgood This group began in November 2018. We had at least 12 people at the first meeting to sort out times dates etc.
We agreed to meet in Rochester Library alternating between 3rd and 4th Wednesday afternoons to accommodate people.
We looked at what people’s interests were and agreed to begin by looking at Greek Gods/Goddesses and Heroes.
We have now around 5 core members as for various reasons people could not attend or left the group for ill health or other commitments.
We research a topic and a member presents it - we then open up the discussion and share resources e.g. books. We have also visited a members house and watched a DVD on a relevant topic relating to the Greeks.
The members who attend are very interested in the topic they have researched and at some stage we will look at the Romans, and other myths e.g Celtic, Nordic, Fairy Tales etc., depending on the preferences of the group.
We have plans to go to the British Museum but now find that we need some more members. To that end I have written a piece for the newsletter and will be talking about the group at the March U3A meeting.
Nature - Janet Adkin The group met once a month – usually in the morning – from March to September this year.
We have enjoyed visits to: Hadlow College Gardens (Hellebores, Cornus and Iris reticulate), Copton Ash Garden (snowdrops),Tyland Barn, Kent Wildlife Trust (Visitor Centre plus kestrel nest, pyramidal and bee orchids), Hothfield Common (keeled Skimmer dragonfly and specialist bog plants including sundew), Shorham Valley riverside walk to the lavender farm, and Hall Place Gardens (formal gardens, topiary, greenhouses and plant centre.
We have not been so fortunate with the weather this year and had to cancel two meetings due to rain and wind– one to Teston for a riverside walk and the other, sadly our final meeting, to the Elmley Nature Reserve to focus on birds.
The group has met for 11 years and we have been to 48 different venues over this time with a varied focus on plants, trees, birds, butterflies, woodlands, formal gardens or just a pleasant summer walk. Unfortunately I am no longer able to lead this group so the group will cease to meet – unless someone feels ‘called’ to step in! I am sure the Medway Committee would be delighted to know someone could fulfil this role.
My thanks to the group members for their support, interest and shared knowledge over the years.
NRI Archive - Monica Albinson We got going in July after an introduction to the task by Ben Bennet of The University of Greenwich. NRI stands for Natural Resources Institute, a descendant of the Imperial Institute and various other bodies concerned with sourcing natural products from the then empire. They gradually amalgamated and changed their nature. The earliest reports are clearly from British Imperial civil servants and then as countries became independent from the offices of their own officials. It is very interesting material. It was based on the site in Chatham for a while and when it closed, the University of Greenwich inherited the archive.
Our remit is to rationalise this archive. We search each document on Google and if we find it digitally available record the web address and then the document, unless obviously valuable or of special interest, can be discarded. In this way the vast number of documents can be reduced to more manageable proportions.
All information is entered into the appropriate place on an Excel spreadsheet. Each document is either marked ‘retained’ or its web location is recorded. We sometimes add notes about items of special interest.
We work in twos and occasionally swap about to cover holidays. The aim is to do one2 hour session a week each.
It sounds complicated but you soon get into the swing of it and initial instruction is arranged. New members come in with an existing pair for one or two sessions and then we try to arrange a time and partner for each person. We could do with up to 13 more members, depending on which half day they can manage. A larger number would be good as there are a huge number of boxes to work through and it is a valuable as well as fascinating task.
They are pictures of the old agriculture, developing machinery, a plan for a new house and a picture of housing. It was planned in 1943-44 and carried out in 1950. Rhodesia.
The NRI has contributed to the development of crops one important project is Cassava a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. Cassava is suitable crop to grow in arid condition and appropriate for the increasing drought affected developing countries but susceptible to virus that degrades the tuber as in the example below.
The different stages of the Cassave Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) root infection. The NRI has collaborated with other institutions to develop virus resistant strains of Cassava to secure a sustainable crop for the many people dependent on it.
Philosophy - Ted Bower The Philosophers meet on the second Thursday of the month at the Borstal Institute where we try and make sense of a confusing world and try to discover some pointers as to how we got into this mess anyway.
A topic is chosen and all the members do research which they discuss with the group. We limit the group to eight members to make sure that everyone gets the chance to present their ideas and observations which are then discussed. Philosophy is a huge subject and, rather than adhering to a rigid chronological schedule which would exclude newcomers, we agree a programme which may include a group or individual philosophers or a topic presenting ethical/moral dilemmas.
In the past ‘Academic Year ‘ we discussed amongst others:- Jean-Paul Sartre and existentialism--difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to understand. Philosophical Paradoxes with Zeno positing that if Achilles gave a tortoise a start he could never run past it. Karl Marx observed that the workers earned it while the capitalists spent it. Logical Positivists of the Vienna Circle were largely scientists who insisted that if a proposition cannot be tested empirically it is nonsense thus dismissing rationalist philosophy. Their ideas ran into deep do-do when scientists started talking about quarks and dark matter which are necessary conjectures. The Pre Socratic Heraclitus could not step into the river of reality twice because it is always changing. Parmenides countered with the thought that nothing comes from nothing therefore reality must be eternal and unchanging. Jean-Jacques Rousseau produced a succession of infants who were all dumped in orphanages while he went on to lecture the world on education. Niccolo Machiavelli advised that a successful ruler should not keep promises or be restrained by Christian ethics since morality and politics don’t mix. Could it be that here, in the UK, the leaders of the two main political parties are guided by Jean-Jacques and Niccolo???
We continue to try and ‘set the world to rights’ and we look forward to the New Year when we will discover yet again how much we don’t know. Photography - Anthony Faulkner We have had an interesting and varied year, both indoors and out. We have started to look at useful Photoshop techniques such as working with Raw photos, layers and masks, cloning and healing and fine tuning using filters. On the practical side we have done a couple of outdoor shoots including one very enjoyable afternoon at Queenborough and a planned night shoot around Rochester High Street. Richard led a very entertaining session on making semi- abstract photos using water drops to make small splashes. We have also had our usual activities that are part of our monthly meetings. These include solving problems for members of the group and giving advice about how to take or enhance different styles of photo and about kit that would suit the type of photography that they want to develop. We have enjoyed looking at members photographs and pieces of photographic kit they have recently bought. Soon it will be time to think of next years programme.
Play Reading - Frances Kelly The Play Reading Group meets every first Thursday of the month at Rochester library from 14.00 to approximately 16.30, depending on the length of the play.
At the moment there are thirteen members, but it is planned to limit the future maximum number to twelve. So we are at present full, but there is a second group recently set up with free places if anyone is interested.
We read one play a month, prepared in advance by the group organiser so that parts can be shared equally. This year has again been very successful and enjoyable thanks to the all the members, who attend reliably when they are able and are so enthusiastic.
This year we have read our usual comedies, for example by Alan Ayckbourn and Lynn Brittney, but also some true classics; “Tartouffe” by Moliere and “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. The Kent Libraries Archives have purchased many modern plays recently, so, in contrast, we had the opportunity to read “Girl on the Train”, “A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian” and “The Wiper Times”, the first two being adaptations from novels and the latter play by Ian Hislop and Mark Newman.
The first Thursday afternoon of each January we have a social event in order to get to know each other better, as the whole session is generally filled with reading.
We hope to have another successful year in 2020.
Play Reading 2 - Keith Whitnell Play Reading Group 2, currently has vacancies for new members, we were formed in the Spring of 2019 with a view to reading together a wide range of plays, so far these have included Alan Ayckborn's 'Confussions', JB Priestly's, 'An Inspector Calls' ,George Gotts, 'Cocoa', Willy Russell's, 'Educating Rita' and a little known version of 'Bonnie & Clyde'. We each take a role, some like to adopt an accent or a persona but it is not compulsory, as none of us has any ambitions to be thespians! We meet at my home in Borstal, which has the added bonus of free parking!
Our lowest turnout, so far, has been 3 members, our highest 7.
Poetry - Lynn McLaughlin Members of the group take turns to present the biography and work of a poet of their choice; the poems are then analysed and discussed, therefore developing our knowledge and mutual love for poetry in all its forms. Some of the poets covered this year are: Edward Thomas, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, Ivor Gurney, Mary Oliver, Sean Borodale, John Masefield, William Blake and Lord Byron, with other sessions on Valentine, Seasonal and Hallowe’en poetry.
Peter impressed us all with, not only the written version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poems but a stunning pictorial version of “From A Railway carriage”. To add to the interest and introduce an element of fun, Michael brought along a short poetry quiz he had devised which ended with requests for more of the same! Our usual “Christmas” meal together in The Crown, Rochester was rather late this year – February- but enjoyed enormously by the whole group. Thanks Mike for organising that as usual.
Rummikub - Joan Weekes Have had two people enquiring about joining my group which unfortunately is full.
How about someone starting another !!! Would always help.
Afternoons are great fun - brain taxing at times with refreshments half way through.
As usual the WILD CARD bringing varied discussion.
Science and Technology - Patricia Holdstock
Scrabble - Deedle Clarabut-Catmur It is very simple it is a bit of informal fun.
We have 6 members at present although we do not have a maxim number. When members cannot attend they email to inform me. Seriously Funny Laughter - John Burrows
Shakespeare Studies - Maggie Palmer
Singing for pleasure - Terry Chipperfield
Social Group - Toni Wynn The social group continues to meet once a month. At present we meet at the Wetherspoons in Rochester high street. To avoid clashes with the quiz night in the pub we now meet on a Tuesday between 7pm and 9pm. if you’d like to come along please message me first as the arrangements can change to suit members.
We always welcome new members. Don’t worry about walking in alone I will meet you at the door.
Once a year we have a meal, usually after Christmas and this year we had an afternoon tea instead of a evening meeting.
Spanish Advanced - Frances Kelly The Advanced Spanish Group meets every Thursday morning at Rochester library from 10.00 to 12.00.
We have nine active members and the group has agreed on a maximum of twelve we have room for new members.
Sadly we are without a fluent speaker at present, but we have a degree of fluency within the group and support each other well. We are also supported by occasional visits from our personal private tutors who are available during the school holidays.
The group all contribute to the material used during the sessions, which range from reading and translating articles from Spanish newspapers, to listening to podcasts in Spanish, playing games, and having general conversations in Spanish, whichever way the topics take us.
I must give my thanks and appreciation to all members of the group who attend with such enthusiasm and share their skills and knowledge. It is a friendly group and we all get along very well.
Come and join us if your level of Spanish is of an intermediate standard; that is you can make yourself understood in a broad range of subjects with a fairly wide vocabulary and have a good grasp of the grammar. You do not have to be fluent, but the group is not about teaching Spanish in a formal way.
We hope next year will be a successful as this year has been.
Spanish Beginners 1 and 2 - Alfredo Perez
Table Tennis Cliffe - John Read It has been another successful year for the Table Tennis Group. Numbers have increased and there are regular high attendances.
We managed to club together and purchase a new table tennis table, with the help of subsidies from Table Tennis England and some National Lottery funding. With the two tables owned by the Scouts the total we can now use is three.
Average attendance has been around 12 to 14 per week and it’s pleasing to see everyone enjoying the game so much. This is a friendly social group and the better players are only too ready to help others improve their game.
The quality of play has risen and it’s great to see members who started out as novice players becoming proficient at the game. The feedback from them has been positive.
I hate to turn away prospective members, but sadly I’ve had to limit the group to 18 so that some singles/coaching sessions can be carried out on the third table. Doubles though great fun is not the platform to improve technique.
The sessions normally last at least three hours so there is plenty of game time.
Table Tennis Gillingham - Lorna Bailey We are a very friendly group of 10 members who meet on the 4th friday of each month at 2.00 at the United Reformed Church in Gillingham.
At the moment the group is full and there is a short waiting list.
We normally play double matches and we are all fairly evenly matched which makes for good games. It is all good fun and exercise.
Theatre Trips - Rosemary Corner-Osgood This well established group continues to flourish after 9 years. We have around 96 members with some from Medway East.
We have been to a variety of shows this year raging from a visit to the Old Vic, a trip to the ballet in Canterbury, a visit to the panto in December and to a local theatre.
We meet four times a year to hear from members of the group and listen to their suggestions – our meeting place is now in Chatham Library and dates for 2020 are still to be confirmed at the time of writing but will be in January, April, July and October.
I have invaluable help from Margaret Macdonald and Carol Pavlis so we can split some of the tasks needed to be done.
For 2020 we already have shows booked and plans for two theatre tours.
For new members a new member information sheet is sent out which sets out to welcome the new recruit and explain what we do and how to pay etc.
Travel - Sharing experiences - Margaret King I have decided that I no longer wish to continue to be group leader of the Travel group, I have enjoyed my time as leader, but feel that it is the right time to move on. I have informed the group of my discussion, but so far no one appears to be will to take on the role, so I think it is right to say that there will be no further Travel group.
If an individual or individuals wish to volunteer to organise the Travel group please contact Joe Cannavina.
Ukulele The Plonkers - Sylvia Eather/Billy Rance We are the Plonkers and we meet, at Medway Scouts hall in Mafeking Road, Walderslade, on 1st Thursday of each month and then the remainder of the month on the Monday’s. We open at approx 12noon until 3pm with time at the start to catch up in each others news and then a refreshment break about 1.30pm.
We are 30 members in strength and have 4 people interested in joining this year. Our beginners group is going well and we have had several members join us after learning with Billy for a few weeks, or months, whenever they feel they are ready to play within a bigger group. All say they enjoy doing that as it helps them build on the good start Billy has given them. It Is good to have these people trickling through. We have also had several people who joined the big group straight away with a good knowledge of playing the instrument, either from playing with other groups or having played many years before. We are always looking for new members with, or without, playing skills. Anyone interested in joining or finding out more about this group will be made most welcome.
This year we have learned lots of new songs with new chords and tempos and we are just about to start learning to finger pick which will be a new challenge. Recently we joined another smaller group to play at St Luke’s Church to assist a fund raising evening for them. We enjoyed doing a spotlight slot at the monthly meeting in October and we are looking forward to taking part in the December meeting. In the middle of December we are again entertaining the MAPS group at their Xmas celebrations. We did this last year and they really enjoyed helping with the singing and suggesting songs that we hadn’t included in our song list. It was a great success, which we loved and we are keen to repeat this year. Next year we are sending out letters to Age UK to offer to entertain some of their people, we will also be approaching some charities. We are going to return to Forde Almshouses to accompany a sing-along, something we have done several times before. So we will be busy and hopefully will include lots of new numbers whenever we go out. Our group is very much a happy sociable group who enjoy each meeting, whatever ability we have. Learning a new skill, enjoying the company and the challenges with the ukulele is very good for health and well being and we look forward to the year to come.
Walking - Sheila Field/ Heather Gilbert I have really enjoyed organising and leading the walks the last 8 years and believe they would not be so pleasurable if it wasn’t for the friendly cheerful bunch of walkers. We meet every second Thursday of the month mostly at a pub car park where, after a healthy 3-6 mile walk, we end with a pub lunch. This will be my final year of leading the walks but Heather Gilbert will be taking over next year and no doubt will organise some great walks.
In the beginning of the year, the walkers went on a short brisk circular walk around Walderslade Woods. Thanks to Michael Barnet, my recce partner, for leading the walk which everyone enjoyed. More woodland walks around Jeskyns Farm, Cobham, where there are 360 acres of woodland, meadows and orchards and the hills of White Horse Woods surrounded by Oak, Ash, Silver, Birch trees.
In the Spring, we went to Hucking Heritage estate where there were masses of bluebells in the woods and ended in the lovely Hook and Hatchet Pub. There were scenic views on the Birling circular walk, which started from the attractive Birling Village through ancient wooded tracks, undulating meadows edged with wildflowers. We walked on the top of the North Downs around the lovely countryside of Meopham through woods full of celandines, violets and primroses and a farm with noisy dogs!
Tyland Barn walk was interesting. The route took us through Westfield Woods and ended in the restored 17th century barn for lunch which is full of information on wildlife and conservation. We were taken on a tour of the gardens by their Wildlife Habitats Officer. The historical village of Cobham has a 13th century church which we explored and had a lovely circular walk on the beautiful landscapes of the rolling chalk hills.
The fortnightly waterside strolls in the summer from Aylesford to West Farleigh are always a pleasure. We stopped half way on the circular Aylesford to Allington Lock at the Old Toll to have an ice cream and lunched at the Village Pantry. Continuing on to the next circular walk to East Farleigh from Allington where we caught the boat back from Maidstone.
We will end the year with a stroll through the countryside of Shorne and lunch at Copperfields , where we hope to enjoy, as in the last six years, their 3 course Festive lunch!
Heather Gilbert will take over as Group Organiser from Sheila Field.
Welsh Studies - Judy Milton We met for the hundredth time on November 11. We searched the net for a means of celebrating in Welsh style, but we couldn’t find anything, so we ate home-baked bara brith (literally, ‘speckled bread’) instead and sang the National Anthem with nostalgia.
We’ve definitely made progress linguistically. We can now read simple books.
We’ve covered so many things in our ‘Interests’ section. (Half the session is language-based and half is a member-led interest.) This year’s topics have included Lady Rhondda, Mametz Wood (a WW1 battle which involved Welsh soldiers, many of whom died), coinage, laws, Welsh chapels in London, festivals, Welsh miners abroad, the Llangollen Canal, and the neolithic monument, Pentre Ivan. As you can see, the topics are varied. We all enjoy research and we all look forward to the ‘Interests’ discussions.
Woolgatherers - Gloria Crick We have had an enjoyable year. The staff at Chatham library are all very helpful and they provide tea and coffee with an honesty box for contributions.
We have all been busy with our knitting projects and helping each other with new techniques.
We continue to set the world to rights at our meetings and sometimes feel that we are a discussion group first and a knitting group second.
Zentangle - Ann Faulkner It’s rather hard to report on an activity that is so low key and repetitive from month to month but we continue to meet regularly with a few changes of membership and still with a small waiting list.
The regular members of the group seem to have found both the mindfulness practice and the craft side of producing Zentangle designs very beneficial and are very happy to continue into this new year.