Oswestry Borders University of the Third Age (U3A)

Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 August 2013

Third Age Trust Oswestry Borders U3A has been officially accepted as a member of the Third Age Trust. Our application for full membership of the Trust became effective from August 1 following a detailed submission from treasurer, Dave Pass.

As well as a folder-full of advice sheets sent with the notification, the Trust offers a network of advisors, resources and experienced members to help committees with policy and constitutional issues and support with membership packs, promotional events and setting up new interest groups. Hot on the heels of a visit to Chirk Castle, the Local History Benefits and Services that our U3A members can now receive by officially being Group met again in August for a a member of the Third Age Trust include: guided tour by Joan Zorn of the Hoffman Kiln at Llanymynech  Online courses—tutored and untutored Limeworks.  Free publicity material and keenly priced merchandise  24 hour legal advice line and PPL licence Inside this issue:

 National Summer Schools, subject study days, shared learning projects Chairman’s Message 2

 Resource Centre Library non-book materials to loan Committee News 2

 Regular national mailings Interest Groups 3  Password protected members’ area on website Dreamtime 4  Exclusive U3A events and offers

 40 National subject advisers offering support to group leaders Slate Mining in North 5 Wales  National, regional and network workshops and seminars Monthly planner 8  Magazine ‘Third Age Matters’ published five times a year—direct mailed Speakers and Members’ 9  Support from National Office staff and regional trustees Meetings  Information leaflets, advice sheets, discussion papers, subject handbooks

 Insurance cover for Public & Products Liability, Charity Trustee Liability, Special points of interest: Tour Operator Liability, and Equipment.  Our recruitment drive begins

The Trust’s online website is a hub for sharing between all U3A groups. Members  What were different slates can use all the facilities of the Third Age Trust website to keep up to date. You called? will need to log in, but if you have any difficulty doing this, send them an email (the contact links are on the public page).  What’s happening at Cambrian Railways Community Orchard? You are also able to access the subject information available at the U3A Resource Centre. Once again you will need to log in, though this very  When did women vote? straightforward. Once in the site, put a term in the search box and loads of resources will be listed, including DVDs etc. that can be borrowed. This is  Six new online courses to study. particularly useful for Interest Group Leaders. Borders Bulletin Chairman’s message Volume 1, Issue 5

It seems hard to believe but Oswestry Borders U3A has existed for only a few Fund Raising months, yet we have had a range of excellent talks from our speakers, some interesting members meetings and an increasing range of interest groups to choose Well done to Joyce from. For many of us the looming problem is in selecting what not to do, given the Whitehead and members inflexible restriction of the week to a mere 168 hours. That, however, is a pleasant who organised the recent difficulty to deal with. car boot sale at Whittington One thing we could benefit from, however, is a few more members. Most of our Castle and raised over £70 activities depend on there being enough people interested: to provide a lively towards our projector audience for a speaker, to get reasonable sized interest groups, to enable us to equipment fund. share the work involved in all this and, of course, to enable us all to meet kindred spirits. Maybe you have friends who would enjoy the activities we have; if so perhaps you could suggest they think about joining. There is of course a limit to the size we would wish our meetings to reach, or which our interest groups could cope Tea Rota with, but we could cope with more people than we have, so please spread the word. There are still quite a few gaps on our tea rota. All Dave Stirling, Chairman August 2013 offers to help out with refreshments at meetings at The Centre are always very welcome. Library Stand

Can you give an hour of your time to If you are new to the U3A, we have a help with the Oswestry Borders U3A a summary sheet to help explain publicity stand at the town Library from Oswestry Borders U3A to others. Monday, 16 September to Wednesday, This information will be sent to you via 18 September inclusive? email in advance of the event. On the Monday morning we need Please volunteer for a time slot below members to help set up the stand and help boost our membership. We which aims to promote Oswestry are aiming for a couple of members for Borders U3A to the public, and each hour slot. hopefully, draw in new members. . Members’ Meetings - a good place to meet up with old and Helpers Timetable new friends to learn something new. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, September 16 September 17 September 18

9 a.m. to Sue Evans Robin Harvey 10 a.m. Jane Davies Sandra Harvey What’s My Mind 10 a.m. to Jane Davies Melva Duley Dave Boulton 11 a.m. Avril Topham The Third Age Trust course 11 a.m. to Brenda Stansbie Pat Broadhurst Brenda Stansbie team is seeking up to a dozen 12 noon Joyce Whitehead people to try out materials on 12 noon to Wendy Lowdon Bobby Coleman Jane Stirling a trial run basis on the topic of 1 p.m. Dave Stirling ‘Music and the Mind’ which 1 p.m. to Eileen Thornton Members’ Meeting may form part of a more 2 p.m. The Centre ambitious and longer course 2 p.m. to Jane Stirling Members’ Meeting of study of the mind in relation 3 p.m. The Centre to a range of human 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. experiences. Contact them 4 p.m. to Maggie Quinn via Third Age Trust website. 5 p.m. 5 p.m. to Maggie Quinn Maggie Quinn 6 p.m. Jane Davies Page 2 Interest Groups and Meetings Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 We have a long list of possible group subjects but we still need group leaders to volunteer and get them started. Photography is on hold for the time being. Cycling looks like a promising new one. Scrabble, I believe is happening, but without a named leader. The Singing Group will resume on September 11 and will meet in members’ homes on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, Cycling Group from 10.30 a.m. to 12.15, The group will hire a rehearsal hall later when The newly-formed Cycling numbers allow. The first meeting will be at my house. However, there will be no Group made the most of meeting on September 25 as group leader, David Ryan is away. good weather this month Speaker meetings have been organised as follows: with a couple of lovely rides, one round Lake  September 4: Guiliana Becciu talking about the ‘Cambrian Railways Vyrnwy, and another on a Community Orchard’; leisurely, fairly flat, 12 mile ride round the quiet lanes  October 2: Prof. Cynthia Burek will speak on the subjects ‘What is in the Kinnerley / Melverley Geodiversity and Geoconservation?’ area.  November 6: Chris Cannon explores ‘Born out of Wenlock – the London 2012 Olympic Connection’; I shall be trying to continue rides through the winter on  December 4: Alister Williams investigates ’Who was Jones? How Welsh dry days and will be Names came into Being.’ contacting those who’ve Members’ Meetings for September and October have also been planned. Aware said they are interested to that the September Members’ Meeting was following the publicity drive in the try and sort out a day that’s Library, we shall have presentations on as many Interest Groups as possible – convenient. the session to be entitled ‘Groups Snapshot’. In October the Members’ Meeting will focus on the ‘History of Pottery and Identification’. If you would be interested in joining us, please get in A meeting with group leaders is to be arranged soon, when we will discuss a touch with me. range of issues such as copyright material and sharing attendance information to help identify membership patterns which can help develop future programmes. Sally Barrett Anne Lynch, Education Co-ordinator

Play Reading Group

The Play Reading Group continued to Similarly, the various characters in the The photograph below shows some meet over summer despite inevitable play placed unexpected values on members enjoying a moment from varying numbers owing to holidays. tradition, orthodoxy and English the reading. culture. Above all, we enjoyed Group members can choose to read the Bennett's wit. Sandra Harvey selected play in advance or read it unprepared and let the meaning unfold from the shared experience of interpreting the scripts. In a sense, we are both the actors and the audience in this process, which is all part of the fun.

At our last meeting on 2nd August, The Old Country by Alan Bennett proved a surprising and challenging play, evoking mixed responses from the group.

The setting, and indeed situation, proved to be very different from the one an audience would first assume they were seeing. Page 3 Borders Bulletin Australian Studies Group Volume 1, Issue 5 The Dreamtime Lynn Rose was the host of this month’s meeting. Three of our members were unable to attend due to summer commitments but the rest of us departed from Oswestry in two cars at 1.00 pm for the trip to Lynn’s farm in Cilwgri which lies on the outskirts of Corwen.

It was a pleasant drive through a very green Wales in goodly company. Wendy played a bit of Slim Dusty, an iconic Australian country singer, but Avril and Margaret politely indicated that he was an acquired taste and we returned to general chat.

Lynn welcomed, us as did Steve, with a wave from the wood pile, a very happy border collie, a large number of ducks and two magnificent geese. A piece of Australian pottery, influenced and inspired by the Once we were all seated the theme for the meeting, The Dreamtime, was Dreamtime. discussed. The Dreamtime is the description given to the relationship that the aboriginal people have with the land. The Aboriginal people, Koori, believe that members of a clan are spiritually linked to a specific territory, are custodians of that territory, which encompasses features and sites where the mythic beings left part of themselves once creation was completed; ’fused with the earth to shape it and make it sacred’ (D.J.Tracey).

The dreamtime stories are statements, expressed in art and name and dance and song and ceremony, about the event that occurred in a particular place which evokes appropriate rituals and responsibilities so that the species and character- istics of that area will prosper. Clans were interdependent, they hunted and collected seasonal food and resources in different territories but they were informed of sacred sites and behaved accordingly.

The group was, for the most part, unable to relate to stories themselves which The group was fascinated by the were statements about the creation of a land feature or an animal rather than Dreamtime stories, told by parables. Living such a ritualised life in ‘a realm of unchanging’ was hard for us Wendy in the atmospheric setting of the farm’s wood…. all to imagine. There was a discussion about feeling a connection to an animal or place, about hostilities between groups over land expressed in our own society, but this was considered to be a pale imitation of the Koori experience.

What the group were able to imagine and to discuss animatedly was the vast gulf between how the indigenous people viewed Australia and how the incoming invaders, white settlers, viewed Australia. It was agreed that unless settlement by outsiders had been avoided altogether, the Koori 50,000 year old relationship with their land was going to be brutally disrupted. As it was newcomers had a particularly exploitative attitude to the environment that in some areas totally destroyed clans and broke the ability of other clans to transmit the spiritual significance of their country. Moreover they came in such overwhelming numbers.

Yet the Dreamtime as a concept and a way of seeing has permeated the Australian cultural psyche and has a world acknowledgement. It is taught in schools and there is a huge expression of the Dreamtime in the art; considered by some to have made an impact more powerful than that by other colonised people. ….and made even more goose- bumpy when Steve showed us The next meeting is at home of Pat Broadhurst on Tuesday September 10 .The these three ancient gravestones members of the group will be researching the early coastal exploration of he had discovered in the wood. Australia.

Wendy Lowdon Page 4 From the Sinc to Abyssinia Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 In his tantalisingly titled Modern-day uses its value and bonuses for talk ‘From the Sinc to included walls, gutters, the men. Abyssinia’, Ludlow U3A crushed gravel, fencing, Other quarry buildings member, David Hughes, hearth slabs, paving, included the powder took us back to his headstones, garden house. The black powder childhood days at his furniture and ornaments, had a distinctive ‘softer’ grandmother’s home in such as clock and mirror explosion to prevent the Llanberis, to the sound frames and chess sets. slate pieces shattering. of men’s boots as they Elaborating on his title, There were also slate walked home from the David explained that shelters to protect the slate quarry, and looking ‘sinc’ was Welsh for hole shunting engines that after the quarry ponies, in the ground, where the pulled the trucks along stabled on his Uncle slate was quarried in tracks over precarious In contrast to the Spartan accommo- Bob’s farm. terraces. A terrace, or piles of slate rubble. dation of quarry sheds and basic In a brief overview of the ‘ponc’ to the quarrymen, shared barracks for men from afar, slate mining industry of was usually named after we were shown photographs of the more ostentatious marshalling yard the British Isles, we a headlining event, a and office buildings which are now explored the geology of person or place in the used as the headquarters of the slate the west coast, focusing national news, hence museum of Wales, well-worth a visit if on the Cambrian slate of Abyssinia. you want to find out more. Llanberis and Bethesda in North Wales; back 530 million years, to the We heard of quarrymen who chemicals in the ground, became famed preachers and And in the midst of all crushed foliage, mud teachers; of singers, brass band this, the dressers, after a and stone from the sea musicians and orators for both six year apprenticeship, bed, and land formations Eisteddfod and Union. would sit with sack from plate tectonics. aprons spread over If you ever travel along the We heard how Penrhyn arthritic knees, splitting Llanberis to Caernarvon road, look Quarry in Llanberis had the slate into as many out for the Union Rock, where the been bought with David told us of the hard- pieces as possible. union members met. compensation money, ships of a quarryman. In Working conditions for the quarry as a direct result of the the days before the men were often bad. In 1896 the slave trade being works bus, men would men from Penrhyn were locked out abolished. We took a have long walks to and for 11 months over a dispute over closer look at slate from the quarry. At work pay conditions. It was three years products, putting aside Health and Safety had a before the quarry was back to the obvious roofing item, low priority and there normal. now facing fierce were many accidents. Chinese competition. Penrhyn had its own We were introduced to a range of Like the terraces, the onsite hospital and work- transport vehicles – the kicking or We were shown a 16th wide, broad and narrow shop that made wooden turning car where the men used century oil painting on a slate pieces had their artificial aids. their feet to propel the car along the huge 30 x 13 ft piece of own embellished naming track; the buses bringing workers slate, and powdered The men would have a system –‘ Empress, and, as in the sheds, each with slate used in ointments quarry shed to eat their Duchess, Countess’. their steward, ensuring order with and cosmetics. food in and to run to for Once given the ‘ok’ from each man occupying the same seat protection during the steward (quality for every journey. ‘blasting’ four or five control prevailed, even if times a day. Each shed JD health and safety didn’t) had its own leader or the slates were loaded steward who kept order onto the trucks and among the men and taken to the nearby would barter over which docks to be shipped slate section to work on, Page 5 around the world. Borders Bulletin Local History Group Volume 1, Issue 4 The Local History group Having been, as it were, Some were drawn to the has been meeting happily primed, we were able to varied décor in the for some time now and it appreciate much of the rooms, and others just is perhaps reflective of interesting detail of the appreciating the the nature of much local castle, its inhabitants and interesting conversion history that it has been their activities. from a rather inhospitable doing this without the battle-ready castle to Some of us were much glare of much publicity. something that modern taken with the details of people could actually live Having had an excellent the mediaeval inside toilet in. talk by Lewis Coleman on arrangements, good proof June 26, we followed this that mankind has made All in all a good day out, up with an associated some progress over the as well as an educational “practical” – a tour of years. experience. Chirk Castle, guided by Dave Stirling Lewis, on 14th August. Family History Group

In a review of ancestry But this figure was in a Many members in the The group listening to Lewis information sources, the population of some 14 group have used the ten Coleman (centre, pointing) at Chirk group explored electoral million, which meant that yearly national census Castle. rolls and registers, parish only 5% were voting. from 1841 onwards to records and the ten year check details of family This was also the first census in more detail. members, servants, time that males were ages, occupations, Up to the 1400s all free- specified as voters. men had been allowed to addresses and birth Interestingly, on the vote. Then in 1429, with places. History of Women.org the introduction of a 40 We heard that the 1931 site there is an item shilling Act, only land- census was totally about landowner, Dame owners of property worth destroyed in a fire on Dorothy Parkington, who 40 shillings or more December 19, 1942 (not voted during the reign of could vote. enemy action, no cause Elizabeth I. They don’t make washing machines Poll Books existed from for the fire was ever The Act granted seats in like this any more! The Local History about 1700 to 1872 found) and there was no the House of Commons group in the laundry at Chirk Castle. when the secret ballot census in 1942 due to to large cities that had was introduced. These the war. sprung up during the contained information The 1911 census was Industrial Revolution and about land owner voters released early but it will took away seats from the but also gave names of be seven more years ‘rotten boroughs’. It was tenants of houses or before we can see at this time that electoral land held. details of the 1921 registers were created. Property qualification census because the Subsequent important was still in force for the 1920 Act is still in force. dates for changes in Great Reform Act of 20th Century electoral voting, electoral register 1832, but the amount roles are available on information and local increased to £10, and many genealogical web- history researching were: long-term lease value sites. was included as well as 1918 – all males over 21 For more information The very first Census of Great Britain owned property. By this and property owning was taken in 1801. The returns gave time the electorate had females over 30 could visit the Electoral Registers.org.uk. a population of 10.9 million people increased from 500,000 vote. living in 1.8 million houses. to 813,000, allowing a 1928 - women were Nicki Carmody total of one out of six given equal voting rights adult males to vote. Page 6 to men. Garden Group Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 Despite a spell of Anne and John are very On Sunday October 13 uncertain weather, we knowledgeable about Oswestry Borders were very lucky to get a gardens and very willing Garden Group will be nice afternoon for our to share their expertise – visiting Gredington visit to NGS garden without making those Garden Open Day, Leeswood Green Farm, less experienced of us Whitchurch, for autumn near Mold, on August 1, feel foolish! colour. again a joint visit with the Their plant stall was also In November, February Garden Group of raided by us, and the and March, at 2 pm on Oswestry U3A. wonderful cakes they the second Monday of served (quite a few of us Anne Saxon and John the month, members will had 3!) were wolfed Glenn have a really be sharing their research down at a variety of ta- lovely garden at into different aspects of bles nicely placed in the Leeswood Green, gardening with the shade of various trees. arranged around their group. Members strolling through the 15th century farmhouse Our next activity is On Monday January 13 attractive gardens of Leeswood in a series of ‘rooms’, another joint visit with we are hoping to have a Green Farm near Mold. both large and small. Oswestry U3A Garden bring-a-plate lunch, Group to Trentham followed by a talk from There is a wild flower Gardens. We had hoped the Chairperson of meadow, attractive to be able to share Trefonen Garden Club parterre vegetable Llanrhaeadr Garden on Plants for Shade and garden and orchard Club’s coach but they Woodland. all around the outside of have filled up the coach the informal perennial themselves, so we will gardens. be sharing cars. Sally Barrett

ICT Skills and Website Groups

The focus this month The group discussed The Website Group has was on using ICT to ways to share video with worked hard,researching, create videos others – as email evaluating and designing attachments, via mobiles the new website. Archaeology and We looked at simple and on YouTube (with Walking Groups cameras and mobile A team of member private settings to limit phones, and the basics editors are now working The Clwyedog Trail was a joint audience ). . for selecting video mode on a private version of venture between the Archaeology to capture film, rather Three requests had been the website for committee and Walking Groups which than still photographs. made by members for approval next month. In seemed to make sense as there is Then we followed the skills development. We time we intend to mentor already an element of common steps to connect the explored creating tables group leaders to edit their membership. The route took the camera to the laptop and in Word, and merging own group pages and to group from the Minera Lead download the video onto cells in the header row. have a team involved Mines, and followed the delightful with regular edits and the C drive. Then we looked at text River Clywedog via Nant Mill and updates. We are planning formatting, where we the Bersham Iron Works, a With our example video to have the website could wrap text around distance of some 6 miles, passing stored locally, we running by the time of the an image. Erdigg and finishing at Kings Mill. opened up the free Library publicity stand Windows Live Movie Finally, the group was (September 16 to 18) and I would be very grateful for Maker program and given an overview of the to show in the ICT Group suggestions from both groups stepped through an new website progress presentation at the regarding future activities. editing sequence, adding and shown some of the Members’ Meeting on John Scorer photographs and mp3 widgets we will use in September 18. music to the video clip. the design. Jane Davies Page 7 Borders Bulletin Monthly Planner - September 2013 Volume 1, Issue 5

Day Morning Afternoon 1st Monday Archaeology, Walking and Bird (September 2) Watching dates to be confirmed 1st Tuesday COMMITTEE MEETING,, 10 a.m. –12 noon. Pam Broomby’s (September 3 home, Treflach 1st Wednesday OSWESTRY BORDERS U3A SPEAKER MEETING, 1.30 – 3.30 (September 4) p.m. The Centre, Oak Street, Oswestry,, Guiliana Becciu ‘Cambrian Railways Community Orchard. 1st Thursday ICT Skills: Jane Davies, 2 – 4 p.m., group leader’s home (September 5) Garden: Sally Barrett, Visit to Trentham Gardens with Oswestry U3A Garden Group

1st Friday Play Reading: Sandra Harvey, (September 6) 10.30 a.m. group members’ homes

2nd Monday Sculpture: Tony Roberts, 1.30 p.m. Leader’s home / Screamin’ (September 9) Chicken Gallery, Oswestry

Art & Collage: Sue Townsend, The Qube, in term time. 2nd Tuesday Australian Studies: Wendy Lowdon, 2 p.m., members’ homes (September 10) Book: Sandra Harvey, 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon, members’ homes 2nd Wednesday Singing : David Ryan, 10.30—12.15 p.m. members’ homes (September 11) Poetry Reading & Appreciation: Maggie Quinn, 1.30—3.30 p.m. group leader’s home.

Family History: Nicki Carmody, 4—6 p.m. Oswestry Library

2nd Thursday (September 12)

2nd Friday (September 13) 3rd Monday (September 16)

3rd Tuesday (September 17) 3rd Wednesday OSWESTRY BORDERS U3A MEMBERS’ MEETING, 1.30 – 3.30 (September 18) p.m., The Centre, Oak Street, Oswestry, ‘Groups’ Snapshot’. 3rd Thursday ICT Web Design, Jane Davies, 10 (September 19) – 12 noon, group leader’s home 3rd Friday (September 20) 4th Monday (September 23) 4th Tuesday (September 24) 4th Wednesday Art Appreciation: Led by group team,. 2—4 p.m, Visit to Port (September 25) Sunlight Galleries

Singing: NO MEETING AS GROUP LEADER IS AWAY

Page 8 Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5

Railways — Trains and Special Train Journeys

Oswestry Borders U3A Borders Bulletin contact information

All contributions to David Stirling opened the session with a presentation of his time as a teenager, Editor, Jane Davies working on the Ffestiniog Railway, showing how with dedicated volunteers, there has been a successful re-opening the line. [email protected] David Ryan, singing the Flanders and Swann "Slow Train", gave a beautiful Mobile: 07791117181 performance with great poignancy reminding us of 1960’s Beeching closures. Carole Fahey gave an account of her train journeys through France in the 1970's with mishaps and the possibilities of being in unlikely or hazardous travelling conditions. Jane Stirling read Pam Dorricott's reminiscences of trains in WW2, travelling and waiting on station platforms, to be with her soldier husband. The session ended with Pat Broadhurst reading poems by John Betjeman , who wrote evocatively about travelling on trains. We could have gone on, but time ran out, and the train had already left the station….. Joyce Whitehead

Date Speaker and Members’ Meetings September 4 Guiliana Becciu - ‘Cambrian Railways Community Orchard’; September 18 ‘Groups Snapshot’ — Our interest groups give an overview Snap of their activities to date and future plans September’s ‘Groups Snapshot’ October 2 Prof. Cynthia Burek - ‘What is Geodiversity and will be short presentations of what Geoconservation?’ groups are doing. We need more October 16 ‘History of Pottery and Identification’. contributions please, even those groups that have not got off the ground yet. It would be good to hear of any new group ideas. Online courses New website

Potty about Pottery? Six tutored online courses are available Oswestry Borders U3A website is progressing well, with a trial build about We are planning a meeting in in the autumn from the Third Age Trust. to start in WordPress .To date, six October on the ‘History of Pottery The tutors are in all cases, the authors. and Identification’. We have an people have been signed in as editors. Short Stories – Angela Gamby – item on the history of Pilkingtons expected start date September 15. The website can be launched with just a and its famous potters by the few pages to begin with, evolving over grand-daughter of one of the Just Before Victoria – David Hopker – potters. We have a short history of expected start date September 30. time to include many more pages/ updates. British Pottery. It would be good to Three Viking Women – Val Bannister – have members input. expected start date September 30. A website proposal will be presented to

the committee for a decision in Do you have a piece of pottery that The First World War; the Home Front – tells a story? Would you like to Verne Hardinham – expected start date September. The website administrator will have overall responsibility, with co- know something about a piece you September 30. editors able to add to specific pages. have? Bring it along. Sorry we Digital Imaging – Peter & Sheila Reid – won’t be able to provide a expected start date September 30. valuation but there will be help to We are planning to have the website (at least a few pages) running by the time of identify or admire. An Introduction to Anglo Saxon Poetry – the Library publicity stand Val Bannister – expected start date Sep- (September 16 to 18). tember 30. Page 9