CHISWELL GREEN U3A NEWSLETTER https://www.facebook.com/chiswellgreenU3A https://u3asites.org.uk/chiswell-green Charity No. 1165924 November 2020 No. 78

As Adrian takes over the role of CG Chair, he has written a short profile about himself:

Born in to where my family had been evacuated. We moved back to London whilst only 6 months old, so I have no real connection with the town. However, the move back was to Highbury, Islington, hence my lifelong support of The Arsenal (real character building necessary).

The majority of my working life has been in the financial sector. Firstly, with Life and Pensions Insurance Companies and finally, prior to early retirement, as an Independent Adrian Wilson Financial Advisor.

Coming up to 4 years with Chiswell Green U3A and it has been a very enjoyable time. I’m looking forward to the end of the pandemic when we can get back to face to face meetings and our interest groups.

I hope to spend my time as Chair to maintaining the friendly and welcoming culture we enjoy. I look forward also to getting to know many more of our members.

St Stephen Parish Neighbourhood Plan Open for Public Consultation

After some five years of preparation, the St Stephen Parish Neighbourhood Plan is now open for Public Consultation. This is the stage that enables residents of the Parish’s three villages – , Chiswell Green and Park Street – to comment on a draft version of the Plan and its policies before it proceeds to the next stage.

Please view the Draft Plan, associated documents and find out how to comment. After all it’s our Parish!! Deadline 30 November 2020vis. Visit the Neighbourhood Plan web page

REMINDER FOR TODAY Did you enjoy our first online ZOOM speakers/singers? (5th November)

Speaker via ‘Zoom’

Paul Robbins A talk on Great British Eccentrics

You should have received an email from Garry Snoad with details of how Fool’s Gold—33 devices joined in and we counted over 40 individuals to take part in this Zoom meeting. (some couples) taking part.

If you did, please let other members of CG U3A know. We can accommodate up to 100 devices NEWS FROM JOY

(laptops/tablets etc) so we’ve got plenty of room for TEREZA JOANNE Trip more members to join in. Due to the rising levels of corona virus We will always try to arrange these Zoom sessions for infection rates and deaths, and the the first Thursday of the month at 11 am and you’ll probability that London, by the time always get an advance email with all the information on how to log on etc. you read this, may be in Tier 2, I have decided to cancel our proposed visits to the Tereza Joanne moored in the Royal Docks, London. Don’t forget you can also log-in to the Herts Network of U3A Zoom speakers but you must register first. Thank you so much to all of you who Details are on our website on how to do this. supported this venture. Sadly, it was not to be. Joy

CHISWELL GREEN U3A NEWSLETTER https://www.facebook.com/chiswellgreenU3A https://u3asites.org.uk/chiswell-green Charity No. 1165924 November 2020 No. 78

Barbara has handed over the chairmanship

I never dreamt, when I retired from teaching, that the U3A would become such an important and enjoyable part of my life. I cannot remember what I imagined retirement would bring, but being quite an active person, I guess I was hoping for new challenges and experiences, possibly to do with travelling (one of my passions). I could not have foreseen the buzz I felt when it came to starting up a new U3A with half a dozen like-minded people. Here was something I could put my energies into!

I have not abandoned my travelling ambitions, not a bit of it, but I have managed to slot most trips in between my U3A responsibilities. I am also very involved with my family but, thanks to the U3A, I have my own interests and friendship group. In fact, I have as active and stimulating a life as I ever did.

I am extremely grateful to the rest of the committee members for their commitment, support and their fabu- lous sense of humour – which is fully evident in our often, very entertaining committee meetings. I know that we are all thankful for those people who volunteer in lots of different ways to keep this wonderful U3A going, but I must give particular mention here to our group organisers: they deserve huge gratitude. In my working life, I was always challenged, always having to digest and understand new information, always having to exploit the capacity of ‘the little grey cells’. I didn’t want to lose that ability to stretch myself academically – and our U3A groups offer the full range of opportunities from social to intellectual. There are so many possibilities when it comes to choosing a group to fulfil our needs.

Now that my time in an ‘officer’ role on the committee has drawn to a close, I would just like to warn you all…. I am still here…... and I am still on the committee. Once our monthly meetings get underway again you will no doubt, as always, hear me before you see me!

I am so looking forward to meeting up with you all again. Roll on our Covid-free future! Barbara

THE HIGH STREET PROJECT

This national project aims to measure how the economic climate is affecting local shops across the country. The idea of surveying High Streets to try and measure the impact of COVID-19 was originated by Peter Cox of North London U3A, and later taken up by U3A National Office. The baseline survey had to be completed by 30th September. The objective was to identify/photograph each shop in the designated survey areas. In the end more than 550 U3A members from across the country signed up as surveyors, making it the largest re- search project undertaken nationally by U3A members.

CG signed up to take part and we received our survey documents on 7th September. The plan was to survey the main shopping streets in , but we decided to see if any other local U3As were taking part in the project. In the event St Albans U3A were also participating, so we agreed to allocate the main shopping areas between the two U3As. Six members of CG volunteered to take part - Peter Antram, Pauline Bezant, Lynda Upjohn, Geoff and Carol Smith, and Tony Hughes, and we managed to complete our survey areas by the end of September, although it was touch and go. We then had the job of uploading the data and photographs we had collected to the national database for analysis, as it turned out, not a simple task!! We now await the in- terim report, the results of which we will be happy to share with you.

The next stage of the project is to re-survey the same areas in a year’s time to evaluate the full impact of the pandemic on our retail areas. The results of this will give an indication of its effect on the viability of our town and city centres, and its impact on economic activity and jobs. Let us hope that it is not as dire as many fear.

The Chiswell Green Survey Team

CHISWELL GREEN U3A NEWSLETTER https://www.facebook.com/chiswellgreenU3A https://u3asites.org.uk/chiswell-green Charity No. 1165924 November 2020 No. 78

COLOURFUL Quiz (by Mary McKerrow)

• The Fiskars brand of scissors are best known for what colour handles? Here are a few useful reminders • Which author wrote “The Green Mile”? about keeping your • The first ever Green party MP was elected in which city at the 2010 data safe

British general election?

• Who played Pinkie Brown in the 1947 British film Brighton Rock?  Use a strong pass- word for all log-ins • In which year was the world’s first test tube baby Louise Joy Brown born? • Back your files up • The Blue John Cavern is in which British national park? regularly

• Who wrote the book “Anne of Green Gables”? • Use anti virus • In which century was The Black Death? protection • The Red Brigade was a paramilitary organization based in which country? • What colour is the circle line on a London underground map? Photos by members of Photography (2) DAY TRIPS FOR 2021 Rickmansworth Aquadrome st 21 April Leeds Castle (details to follow)

19th May Fulham Palace NEW (details to follow)

1st June Cambridge Cultural Icons (City & Village tour; details to follow)

6th July Savill Gardens + Thames cruise

(details to follow)

On the trail (Peter Antram) 26th August W & H Peacock Auction House

(details to follow)

20th November TOP HAT at the Mill at Sonning Matinee Performance

Great crested Grebes GOOD NEWS Chris Cowie Classical Spectacular transferred to SUNDAY, 7th NOVEMBER 2021

(Further details as soon as Joy has them)

Red berries (Mike Webb) How about seeing what the ‘Winter Learning Programme’ from the Third Age Trust has to offer?

All initiatives are available at: https://www.u3a.org.uk/ learning/national-programmes. Events which require you to book are at: https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/ Emperor Dragonfly educational-events. Please keep checking the website as this will be updated regularly.

As the winter evenings draw in, it is so important that we all stay in touch with Spiders Web (Dave Brennan) friends and family.

A quick call or email can make all the difference to those that live alone so don’t forget to keep in contact.

CHISWELL GREEN U3A NEWSLETTER https://www.facebook.com/chiswellgreenU3A https://u3asites.org.uk/chiswell-green Charity No. 1165924 November 2020 No. 78

CHISWELL GREEN U3A COMMITTEE

(from 1st November 2020)

Joy Dabson Tony Jackson Adrian Wilson Vice Chair Peter Waite Trips Secretary Chair Treasurer

Ann Traynor Garry Snoad Pam Whitfield Les Smith Interest Groups Membership Interest Groups Equipment (existing) (new) Facebook

Pauline Matthews Paul Draper Pam Martin Barbara Gerwien Newsletter/Website Speakers Committee member Committee member

Answers to Quiz: The Mill at Sonning has been saved for the present by the generous donations • Orange of George and Amal Clooney (who live nearby) and others. So, the theatre is • Stephen King opening for its winter season on 30th October. • Brighton • Richard Attenborough If you feel unable in present circumstances to come on a trip, perhaps you and • 1978 your ‘bubble’ might be able to support The Mill. There are ‘Theatre plus a • Peak District meal’ dates available and also ‘meal only’ dates. • L. M. Montgomery • Fourteenth All the information is on The Mill at Sonning website millatsonning.com • Italy • Yellow