Mid May Newsletter

We interview our Chairman, Anne:

Hello Anne, you have been chairman of Ems Valley u3a for a whole year now and we haven’t got round to an interview! Have you enjoyed your first year?

Actually I really have! Several members have commiserated with me, being in lockdown, but it has given me and the committee a chance to really think about what we might wish to develop for the future of Ems Valley.

When did you join our u3a?

I think about 8 years ago, just after I moved to Emsworth.

Did you ever think that you would like to be Chairman?

Oh no, didn’t cross my mind.

Are you an Emsworth resident of old, or where did you reside before?

Originally a Portsmouth girl, I always wanted to live in Spain, but I didn’t make it happen. So it was Portsmouth till I moved to Farlington where we brought up our family.

Can you tell us a little about your working career?

Started working life as a qualified secretary in local government and a hospital, then resigned to have babies. While they were growing I resumed studies at college and university and managed to come away with a degree and an M.Phil. I loved it – when you study as an adult, you just seem to get on a roll with learning! After that, I worked in two local colleges, then at the University of Portsmouth in the Psychology Department. I ‘retired’ early as my parents needed more of me, and obtained a two day a week post at Chichester District Council as their first ever Training officer. Really loved that last job!

I know that you had a history of association with the Rowans Hospice, tell us a little about that.

I was a volunteer in the coffee shop (where else?) for many years and was then asked to apply to be a Trustee. I felt tremendously honoured to be asked, was interviewed and accepted, and continued for 7 years as part of a team of Trustees, and absolutely loved serving in that role. I will continue in the coffee shop I hope, once the lockdown is ended.

What do you feel you have achieved in your first year as Chairman?

Well, any achievement includes work carried out by and with our brilliant committee. We have agreed to having future meetings in Emsworth Baptist Church (plenty of space, up to date technology), though unsure when, due to its current use for vaccinations. We had our AGM on zoom, a first locally; after collecting relevant data from group leaders, we held our first ever business meeting on zoom in January to discuss development of Ems Valley, and members made a great number of excellent suggestions for our future. We have started new groups out of ‘old’ and encouraged new subject groups; and we have held three virtual coffee mornings for new members. We have also ascertained that all but two of our 400 plus members have email themselves, or access to email.

Tell us a little about the work of the Committee

We meet monthly and at present we meet on zoom only. Most members have a specific role, and I am incredibly fortunate that they are all experienced in these roles. They are (obviously) Chairman and Vice Chairman, then Treasurer, Webmaster, Groups Secretary, Membership Secretary, Business Secretary, Beacon Administrator, Minute Secretary, Newsletter Editor plus three general members (one of whom is U3a Day Supremo this year). It was a real surprise to me, on becoming Chairman, how much work each of them undertakes in their role.

What was the worst thing to happen in your first year?

Nothing comes to mind in my first year as Chairman. However, I had a number of ‘frights’ when I was Vice Chairman/Speakers Secretary – late arrivals by the odd speaker and such like. I remember no speaker at two minutes past two one month, managing to rearrange the afternoon completely with that afternoon’s programme, we just got started, and the speaker arrived. No big deal in the great scheme of things, but still…..

What changes, if any, would you like to make in your second year as Chairman?

No changes, exactly – just responding to post lockdown issues. I have been thinking carefully about people before and after lockdown – understanding through feedback and observation that there have been swathes of loneliness in the area due to social isolation, exacerbated perhaps by a lack of communication. I would like us to consider how we might help to alleviate this for the future by perhaps the use of social media together with other more traditional ways. I would also like to support the formation of more ‘new groups out of old’, using the skills and knowledge of members who have been in a group for some years. New members then feel they aren’t an outsider joining a group of long-time friends. u3a Day is 2nd June – very soon! What are you hoping for?

Phew, heaven knows! There has been quite an anti-movement – understandably, as it is in half term, and in partial lockdown (national decision, not us!!). However, looking at my previous answer, I am hoping that local non-members will have a chance to see what we do, and consider joining us. From various feedback sources, it would appear that many people want to positively make new friends. Some have had to retire early or been made redundant because of the Covid issue, and so they may benefit from what we can offer if they join. Again, I am so fortunate in the committee – John Reynolds is leading the plans for u3a day, supported by Jane Yoward, and we are firing ahead even within Government restrictions! Next year is u3a’s fortieth anniversary, so anything we achieve this year can be built on for next year.

The group you lead is ‘Singing for Fun’. Tell us what you do.

We sing! We haven’t met for a year, and we all miss it, but I am hoping we can meet again at the end of June. We have a booklet of words, and choose songs from that to sing. We don’t ‘practice’ each song, as such, just enjoy the singing of it. Hugely fortunate again – a member has offered to accompany us on piano at our meetings. Can’t wait!

We always end the interview with you being cast away to a desert island with the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare and the membership list of Ems Valley u3a. You are allowed to request one other thing, what will that be?

Mmmh…it would have to be a fully fitted kitchen with an endless supply of ingredients, ready for feeding the boat crew when I am rescued - and cake for me…..

Is it in your Diaries? Ems Valley u3a AGM

2.00pm Thursday 27th MAY 2021 Zoom link will be sent to you in good time. Just listen or Make your voice heard!

My look at Combined Operations Pilotage Parties – Part Two

Assembling the team on Hayling Island in the winter of 1942 Very hard training in preparation for their operations.

The build up of the COPP teams usually necessitated a train journey by military railway warrant into Havant station and the collection by a WREN driver. So it was in the Autumn of 1942 that midshipman Robin Harbud RN (soon to be Sub Lt.Harbud) arrived at Havant to be met by WREN Evelyn Cross who drove him to Sandy Point, Hayling. Much later Lt. Harbud and Wren Cross might well dwell on their conversation during that thirty minute trip.

In a few days, the COPP organization grew as they settled in and were billeted and kitted out for ‘what was to come’. As I said in part 1, enemy coastal reconnaissance might be carried out by submarine periscope but vital information could be missed. The only guarantee of precise knowledge of the coastline would be to put men on the beaches without them being seen and for them to leave ‘no trace’ that they had been there. If the enemy became aware of their presence, the secrecy of a future landing would be blown!

Above: HMS NORTHNEY Lt. Cdr. Clogstoun-Willmott RN, Commanding Officer of COPP, designed and led the harsh and tough ‘conditioning’ routines and wrote the procedures to follow. The daily swim in January was the beginning of four frenzied weeks of ‘hardening’, carried out in all weathers and naked! The training was always taken and led by the Commanding Officer. They would return to the beach numbed and gasping to start their physical training. After breakfast they took long canoe trips in the worst permissible weather in their poorly fitted rubber suits. Then the real test, to continue these procedures at night in complete darkness and in up to force 6 seas, everything and everyone being ‘timed’.

Occasionally, the men were taken by lorry to some unspecified and unmarked destination in Hampshire or Sussex, and without food or drink were told to find their way back. Things were beginning to take shape.

The plan was for the COPP teams to be transported into enemy territory by RN submarine. They would have with them a collapsible canoe that could quite easily be manoeuvred down to and out of a torpedo hatch. The submarine would surface some four miles from the enemy coastline, normally at around 23.00 hours, and the two man canoe would be brought up onto the casing. Once the canoe was launched, the submarine would dive and sit on the bottom until the pickup time which would be up to three hours before sunrise. The men would now canoe in complete darkness, to within half a mile of the coast and - here is the tricky bit - the rear person or ‘paddler’ would anchor the canoe and remain alone and in the dark. ’The swimmer’, his colleague, would swim the remaining distance to the shore in his rubber suit with his beach surveying tools and armed with a pistol and fighting knife. The idea was to select the best beach for a future assault.

Left: Sub Lt. Robin Harbud RN in the background withdrawing his canoe from the for’ard torpedo hatch.

The sea was often freezing and the swimmer was likely to be in the water or on the beach for up to four hours alone. Each ‘recce’ would to be over three nights and often to different beaches on one coastline. So a sophisticated communication system of retrieval, from swimmer to paddler and from canoeists to submarine, was worked out with torches flashing Morse signals, always to seaward and based upon agreed rendezvous times. Once the canoe and men were retrieved, the submarine would again dive during daylight hours which allowed time for rest and meals. The same procedure would be then be repeated the following day, and again if necessary.

This reconnaissance was to ensure obstacles, sandbanks, rocks, hidden shoals could be noted and charts updated. They should expect barbed wire on the shoreline and very likely sentries with dogs. This task would be delicate, tedious, exhausting and dangerous. It was high risk, and if caught they would need ‘a story’ for their enemy interrogators.

Right: COPPists under training

Their vital equipment would be waterproof watches, torches and a device for measuring the beach gradient underwater plus an auger tube for taking core samples of the sand. All of this data would be written with a chinagraph pencil on the plastic pad the ‘swimmer’ wore on his arm. The COPPists would never forget that one day in the near future, soldiers would need to know that they could jump safely from their landing craft. It would of course have meant certain death if they jumped into ten feet of water fully laden with their kit!

In part 3 we will learn of COPP support for Operation “Torch”, the Allied invasion of French North Africa, Algeria and Morocco, and Sicily, the death-trap coastline, in the winter of 1943. Richard Swaine

A Country Childhood

Chris Gibbs writes: Seventy years ago my family moved to live on a large estate (Temple Newsam) on the outskirts of Leeds. This had been sold to Leeds city council by the Wood family in 1922 but had remained intact. The estate was self-sufficient and had a home farm, a wood yard, gardens, a mill and even a small coal mine. So that the public could visit and the miners get to work, there was a tram service which ran every half hour until the last shift of miners arrived. Looking back I realise that I witnessed the end of an era as most of these things have gone now: for example the mine has closed and the farm has become a rare breeds centre and museum. There were nine children of various ages belonging to the 4 families living close to the mansion and so we all tended to gang up and play together.

This is a nostalgic look back at that time. I start with “SPRING”.

Spring arrived later in the north 70 years ago and my father use to say that frost sensitive plants should not be planted out until the beginning of June. Bluebells carpeted the woods, cowslips and cuckoo flowers were in the meadows. There was Pussy willow in the boggy areas and hazel catkins in the hedges. Beneath the hedges, which lined the first half mile of the drive, a ribbon of bright yellow dandelions bloomed. For a very short time these ‘weeds’ made the drive look as though it was bordered with gold The cows calved and I remember lying in bed and being so sad as the calves were removed from their mothers almost immediately they were born. The cows would call continuously for them for several days and nights with a non-stop dismal mooing. The hens became broody and were coaxed into a coop to sit on a dozen eggs. After three weeks the eggs hatched and the hens became mothers to a dozen fluffy yellow chicks. Mother hens were very protective and so proud of the chicks, clucking continuously and teaching the chicks what to eat. We also fed them a supplement of mashed hard-boiled egg mixed with roasted breadcrumbs. Frogs spawned in the Lawn pond,(a large shallow concrete lined drinking pond for the cattle) and as the season advanced there were thousands of tiny frogs which were difficult to avoid when they began to disperse. This pond was also a treasure trove of ‘pond life’ as illustrated in natural history books: Sticklebacks, Hydras, spirogyra, water snails, water beetles, pond skaters, dragonfly larvae and many other interesting creatures. We spent hours pond dipping, often falling in, and I kept and observed many of these creatures in a large disused fish tank. Imagine my horror when I returned 15 years ago to find that this ecologically unspoilt pond had been concreted over to make a car park. One year I had the great good luck to find a hedge sparrow’s nest which had been visited by a cuckoo. I watched fascinated as the cuckoo’s egg hatched and the monstrous chick threw the other chicks out of the nest and grew ever larger as the unfortunate hedge sparrows continued to feed it as if it were their own chick. Before it fledged it was very much larger than the sparrows. Spring was also the time for sowing vegetable seeds and planting potatoes and we became almost self-sufficient. No pesticides were used and Dad would spray the aphids with either a solution made from rhubarb leaves soaked in water or just a plain soap solution. It seemed to work. My father, the son of one of the estate farmers, loved to hunt. He would take me along and shoot what was then considered to be vermin. Grey squirrels, magpies, woodpigeons and carrion crows. This probably took a little pressure off the nesting birds. He was a good shot so no target was left to die slowly. There was a flock of geese at the farm and I went in fear each day with a large enamel jug to collect milk straight from the cooler. The gander was extremely territorial particularly in spring and attacked with painful pecks whenever possible. The other territorial bird was the male swan on the lake which caused a huge hoo-ha one day when it drowned a black Labrador, which had the temerity to try swimming in the lake. No one attempted to go into the lake and drive off this aggressive bird. At the tail end of spring the rhododendrons and azaleas came into bloom and the long walk down to the formal gardens was a blaze of colour. CHRIS GIBBS Next Edition: ‘Summer’. Two worthy warriors from Waterlooville!

I lived the first sixty odd years of my life in and around Waterlooville, having been born in the village. (only recently did I make the momentous journey to Emsworth). Now, you may think that nothing ever happened at my birthplace but I intend to set you on the edges of your proverbial seats by a new series about two cousins, Admiral Sir Charles Napier and General Sir Charles Napier. The Admiral died at Merchistoun Hall Horndean (where Horndean u3a now meet) and the General died at Oaklands, Waterlooville, now a respected Catholic School. They died in 1860 and 1853 respectively and their careers will amaze you. The Admiral has a memorial plaque in St Pauls Cathedral, the General has his statue in Trafalgar Square. If they had another likeness, other than their relationship and the fact that they both retired to Waterlooville, it must be their sometime lack of respect for authority and their ever constant thought for the care and welfare of the men under their command. For clarity and brevity, I will now just refer to the ‘Admiral’ and the ‘General’.

The ‘Admiral’ became a midshipman in 1799 (aged 13) at the time of the Napoleonic wars, aboard the 16-gun sloop HMS Martin, but he fortunately left her a year later just before she was lost with all hands in a storm.

Left: The sloop HMS Martin

He next served aboard Renown, flagship of Sir John Borlase Warren. After this, in November 1802, he transferred to the frigate Greyhound under Captain William Hoste. The following year, he moved to the Égyptienne (a ‘prize’ from the French) for a voyage to St Helena escorting a convoy of ships. His ships actually took several prizes of French warships whilst he was serving as midshipman. (In later years though, feeling he had been badly treated as a midshipman by the captain of the Egyptienne, a certain Charles Fleeming, Napier challenged that officer to a duel. Fortunately, they were eventually reconciled by their seconds.) In 1804–5 he served briefly on Mediator before moving to HMS Renommée off Boulogne. He was promoted lieutenant on 30 November 1805 (aged 19). He was appointed to HMS Courageux, and was present in her in the West Indies at the action in which the squadron under Admiral Warren captured the French Marengo (80 guns) and Belle Poule (40 guns), in March 1806. After returning home with Warren, he returned to the West Indies in HMS St George and having been promoted to commander at the age of 21, he was given his first command, the brig Pultusk of 16 guns, formerly the French privateer Austerlitz. In August 1808 he became captain of the brig-sloop HMS Recruit (18 guns), and in her, he fought a hot action off Antigua with the French sloop Diligente (18 guns), in which his thigh was smashed by a cannonball. In April 1809, he took part in the capture of the Caribbean island of Martinique, and subsequently distinguished himself in the pursuit of three escaping French ships of the line, handling the small Recruit so well that the British were able to capture the French flagship Hautpoult. As a result, he was promoted acting post captain and briefly given the command of the captured 74-gun ship-of-the-line.

Left: Recruit in foreground firing at the much larger French ship

His new rank was confirmed on 22 May 1809, but he was put on half-pay, when he came home as temporary captain of the frigate Jason escorting a convoy. While on half-pay he took the opportunity to study at the University of Edinburgh. Still on half-pay, he then went to Portugal to visit his three cousins, (all colonels serving in Wellington's army, and one of whom was Charles James Napier, our ‘General’. He then took part in the Battle of Bussaco, during which he saved his cousin Charles's life and was himself wounded.

Let’s now go over to the General, who was living in Ireland at this time. At the age of twelve, he joined the 33rd Infantry Regiment of the British Army and quickly transferred to the 89th but did not immediately take up a commission, and he then returned to school in Ireland. In 1799, aged 17, he took up active service in the army as aide-de-camp to Sir James Duff. (whose most notable, arguably notorious, moment was his role in crushing the Irish Rebellion of 1798.) Over the next few years he was based variously in England and Ireland and at one stage was aide-de-camp to his cousin, General Henry Edward Fox, commander in chief of Ireland. In December 1803, Napier, still only 21, became a captain in the staff corps. This was a group raised to assist the royal engineers and the quartermaster general.

Napier was promoted to Major in a Cape Colonial Corps but subsequently moved to the 50th regiment at Bognor in Sussex. In 1808 Charles was ordered to join the 1st Battalion of the 50th regiment at Lisbon and he quickly became the commander of that battalion. Sir John Moore placed Napier's battalion in Lord William Bentinck's brigade for the next phase of the Peninsula War against Napoleon. On 16 January 1809, at the battle of Corunna, Napier led his men and was wounded five times. He sustained a broken leg from a musket ball, a sabre cut to the head, a bayonet wound in the back, broken ribs from gunshot and injuries from being struck by the butt of a musket. He was left for dead on the battlefield. However, he was saved by a French drummer and taken to Marshal Soult's quarters where his injuries were treated.

Left: Colonel Charles Napier defended by Drummer Guibert at the Battle of Corunna, also known as the Battle of Elviña, on 16th January 1809 in the Peninsular War. Later, Marshal Ney, freed Napier on condition that he did not fight again until exchanged for a French prisoner. This took place in January 1810.

Napier then obtained permission for leave of absence from his regiment to recuperate, and joined the Light Brigade as a volunteer. The Light Brigade was then in Portugal and Napier's two brothers were in it. He had two horses shot from under him at the battle of the river Coa on 24 July 1810, but survived. Napier was then attached to Wellington's staff and at the battle of Bussaco on 27 September 1810 he was shot in the face, which broke his jaw and injured an eye. He was sent back to Lisbon but on 6 March 1811 he set out again to rejoin his regiment. On the 13th he rode 90 miles in a day, on one horse, to achieve this.

Left: French and British soldiers face each other at the Battle of Bussaco

The Light Division was in the vanguard and in constant contact with the French rearguard under Marshal Ney. On the 14th March Napier met his brothers William and George, both wounded and being carried to the rear. Charles Napier was then involved in the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro on 5 May 1811 and then in second siege of Badajos.

On 27 June 1811, Napier’s promotion was confirmed as Lieutenant Colonel of the 102nd regiment which had just returned to Guernsey from Botany Bay. Lord Liverpool then granted him the sinecure of governor of the Virgin Islands, which did not require residence there, and would be a compensation for his wounds. He resigned soon afterwards when pensions for wounds were introduced. In July 1812, after a few months in Guernsey, Napier sailed with his regiment to Bermuda.

The following May, he was given command of a brigade to take part in a campaign of the War of 1812 against the United States under Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith. The brigade went to Hampton Roads and seized Craney Island and the town of Little Hampton. Later that year, Napier was involved in various minor actions on the coast of Carolina and then went with his regiment to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Napier then transferred from the 102nd back to the 50th regiment but on his return to England in September 1813 the war was over. He was placed on reserve on half pay in December 1814 and so he joined the military college at Farnham (which later moved to Sandhurst) with his brother William. In March 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba and regathered his forces. Napier went as a volunteer and took part in the storm of Cambrai and the entry of Paris.

He received a gold medal for his services at Corunna, and a silver war medal with two clasps for Bussaco and Fuentes d'Onoro. Later he was a made a Commander of the Order of the Bath. When returning to England from Ostend, his ship sank in the harbour and Napier narrowly escaped with his life yet again. He devoted the next two years to studying military and political history, agriculture, construction and political economy.

For both Napiers, their lives and careers were only just commencing…. See part two in next edition, Alan Borrow

BEST OF MATT THIS WEEK!

Wine Appreciation Two

Ever since April last year, wine 2 has been meeting every month for a regular Zoom Wine tasting. Starting originally with a Quarantini, any drink you like, just meet up over Zoom and chat, with the occasional funny wine related video thrown in. We progressed to all trying the same wine which was not so practical as this meant purchasing one or two bottles each. Then John Jackson had the brilliant idea of purchasing small bottles, 150ml size for singles and 300ml size four couples and so by decanting we were able to issue each member with three different wines to taste.

Making this an excellent value way to taste the same wine together and enjoy each other’s company over Zoom. At our first such event back in November 2020 Alistair Gibson of Hermitage Wines gave us a tutored tasting, which included An Argentinian Malbec, a South African Sauvignon Blend and a South African Chenin Blanc. We followed with further meetings every month sometimes showing interesting videos found on YouTube about wine, vineyards or even a tasting with Alan Titmarsh of Welsh wines! Each time we tasted three wines alternating two whites and a red or two reds and a white. We have had wines from Aldi, The Wine Society, Waitrose and Tesco’s, conveniently all these firms do a delivery service. Members wash and dry their bottles before returning them for refill which they then collect in time for the meeting. We have consistently seen about 27 members join for each session and I attach a screen shot of our most recent Zoom meeting this April.

We are planning a summer party in the Friends Emsworth Community Health Gardens in July and hope for kind weather and no change to the Governments timetable out of lockdown. Hopefully then by September we will be able to return to the Community Centre for in person meetings at last. Here are some of the wines we have tasted. Three wines obtained from The Wine Society came from California, Peltier Road Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Reisling and The Wine Society’s Californian Old-Vine Zinfandel. Aldi supplied our wines for February with Silandeiro, an Albarino from the Rais Baixas Dominacion de Origin followed by a Vouvray from the Loire Valley and a Portuguese wine from their Duoro region called Animus. In March we tasted a delightful dry, crisp and fruity Italia Pinot Grigio Rosé followed by Hardy’s Endeavour Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, a classic Australian blend and a Chilean Luis Felipe Edwards Bin Series Malbec. All purchased with a good discount from Waitrose. April saw us source our wines from Tesco with their Finest range Gavi, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Wairau Cove, Marlborough and Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon.

All the wines were enjoyed by our members and a lively discussion would ensue especially after the second glass. Each time we have recorded the Zoom meeting and any member who was unable to attend was able to catch up at a later time. We have a few spaces for more new members if anyone is interested in joining our group. Please contact using the Groups section on the Ems Valley U3A website. Susan Resouly

Ship Building in Southampton Jim Day, a regular member of our Family History group run by Mary Mumby, writes about his great great grandfather, Charles Day (1772 - 1849) who retired from the East India Company in 1816, at the age of 44. He settled in the up and coming industrial port of Southampton. He had made his money trading in spices whilst working for the East India Company in Sumatra and had somehow managed to survive the rigours of the Sumatran climate, which was notorious for ill health and early death. Southampton had always been an area of small scale wooden ship and yacht building serving the local community. In the 1830s it began to change from a small seaside town, popular with elegant society, into a thriving industrial and commercial town that strove to become the Liverpool of the south. This was as a result of a series of changes in the shipbuilding industry which saw the introduction of the use of iron, and the marine steam engine. In 1834, William Summers, who owned a small engineering business in Southampton involved in marine and locomotive steam engineering, was in need of an injection of capital and the local bank introduced him to Charles Day. This was the start of a partnership which was to become the shipbuilding company of Day Summers and Co. and which lasted until 1929. Left: An early Day Summers steam engine in a museum in NZ.

Initially, the main emphasis was on the construction of paddle steamers for the local ferry services and in 1836 the first steamer, the Forester, was launched for the Southampton-Hythe service. This has been claimed to be the first iron steamer to be built south of the Thames. This was followed in 1839 by the Virago, 120 tons, driven by a 25 horsepower engine and destined for ferry service on the river Tagus in Portugal. In May of the same year the Rio Doce was launched for a sawmill owner in Brazil. Around this time, Charles Day’s eldest son, Charles Arthur Day (1813-1892), joined Summers as a partner in the firm together with a third short-lived partner, John Groves, and the firm moved to a more suitable site on the river Itchen near Northam Bridge. The river Itchen flows into Southampton Water on the east side near the entrance to the Solent. It was here that the firm was to build ships for almost a hundred years, - ranging from tugboats to passenger liners and luxury steam yachts, for such exalted customers as the King of Siam. Throughout the 1840s the business gathered momentum. The growing trade in local excursion and ferry services and the consequent demand for steamers provided the firm with a good start in their new premises. On 14 October 1840, the launching of the paddle steamer The Pride of the Water, 49.5 tons (later renamed Ruby) was announced. She was built for the South-Western and Isle of Wight Steam Navigation Company. Another Day Summers local ferry steamer about which some details survive is the Emerald (the second local steamer with this name), launched from their yard on 22 July 1857. She was sent on her way by Miss Elizabeth Lamb, the daughter of Andrew Lamb, the engineer superintendent of the P&O Company in Southampton. Emerald was described as an

Above: an advert for their “Traversing Sheers” ‘SHEER’ would today be called a ‘CRANE’

‘elegant and clipper looking paddle steamer’ fitted with a single mast, smack-rigged and with a straight stem and an unadorned semi-elliptical counter. Emerald went into service with the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company with which she served until she was sold in 1871 to a firm in Spain. Day and Summers’ involvement with the construction of local steamers continued until the eventual closure of the yard in 1929. The last ship constructed by the firm being the PS Princess Elizabeth launched in 1927. The PS Princess Elizabeth is the only ship still existing which was built by Day and Summers. It is now a ‘hospitality vessel’ at Dunkirk. She took part in the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk during the war whilst in the service of the Red Funnel line. She evacuated over 1,600 personnel in four trips and survived relatively unscathed. Paddle steamer PS Princess Elizabeth seen here entering Lulworth Cove James Day In the next edition Jim looks at how the company built early liners for P&O and Royal Mail Company and others.

A graphic artist lives in Germany and works from home. His wife leaves their baby girl with him each day as she goes off to work. However, a few months ago, he got fed up with her texting to check on how he was doing with the baby. So, he started photoshopping responses to text back to her:

Not to be repeated at home!

LAUGHTER:

Laugh and the world laughs with you is always so true. Not everyone sees the funny side, despite that which you do. Some will laugh at everything, and chortle right out loud. Whilst others may smile politely, but never in a crowd. No matter how you tell it, some folk will never laugh. They look at you in pity and think you must be daft.

Laughter can be good for you, with quip and cheery face

Laughter makes the world go round, I’m staying on that case!

POETRY GREATS THROUGHOUT THE AGES

I thought I’d write some witty verse which wouldn’t take too long. I started writing poems , but discovered I was wrong. I tried to write like Kipling, but that was hard to fake, To make it sound like poetry was not a piece of cake! John Keats was famous for his Odes, includes the Grecian Urn. But I am just a clueless writer, with such a lot to learn. Wordsworth talked of daffodils. I read his words out loud, I tried to find a better verse, but wandered lonely as a cloud. I tried to write like Shakespeare and choose some words that scan, It always went from bard to verse to emulate this man. Perhaps I’ll copy Edward Lear and compose a nonsense rhyme, That didn’t take much effort, ‘cos I write nonsense all the time. I’ve now developed writer’s block and perhaps nobody cares So I’ll try to write some witty rhymes, to be - just like - Pam Ayres.

ALPHABET QUIZ

A Which Artist created the sculpture Angel of the North?

B Which Barbara is famous for saying ‘Walkies’ ?

C Which author created Caractacus Potts?

D Which author born in Dublin wrote Dracula?

E Which Ealing Comedy starred Alec Guinness in nine different roles?

F Who was the First Female to win a Nobel Prize?

G Which TV Game show has been hosted by Bruce Forsyth, Larry Grayson, Jim Davidson and Graham Norton?

H Which Henry was the 18th century chemist who identified Hydrogen?

I Which Italian jockey won seven races in one day at Ascot in 1996?

J Which Joseph was the US senator at the centre of the 1950s Communist witch-hunts?

K Which acting Knight starred in Death in Venice in 1971?

L Name 2 Landlocked countries beginning with L,

M What was Marilyn Monroe last completed film?

N What is the name of the annual half-marathon starting in Newcastle

O What is the name of the parish beadle in Oliver Twist?

P Who wrote the Play Private Lives?

Q Name any two of the four members of pop group Queen.

R Which Real Role did Ben Kingsley play in a 1982 film.

S In the Swinging Sixties, which model was nicknamed The Shrimp?

T Terry Wogan hosted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in which decade?

U What is the state capital of the US state of Utah?

V In which country is the Volcano Vesuvius?

W Which is the smallest National Park in Wales?

X Name the two countries whose names contain the letter X.

Y In which Year did James Callaghan replace Harold Wilson?

Z What is the name for a group of Zebras ANSWERS ARE AT THE END OF THE NEWSLETTER

Two Hillbillies sitting in front porch of their shack sipping moonshine. This lorry goes by laden with pallets of rolled turfs: Bill: I’m gonna do that when I win that there lottery. Cliff: Do wut? Bill: Send my lawn out to git mowed.

Fancy a Bath?

Today we have a bath or a shower to keep clean. The Romans did the same but turned the experience into a more gracious leisure time. Instead of taking 10 or 15 minutes, their bathing would take an hour or two. Our local history group learned this on Friday 7th May when Portia from the Novium Museum in Chichester gave them a ZOOM talk on the Roman baths. About 30 attended this excellent talk arranged by Reg Newnham, the leader of the group. When compared to the 900 public bath houses in Rome at that time, Noviomagus Reginorum possibly only had one public Baths, but it was quite large and well used.

Left: the excavated section

If you have visited the Novium Museum in Chichester, you will have seen an excavated section of these baths. But we were told that they would have been much larger than as seen, the remainder lie under valuable Georgian houses that cannot be disturbed! The illustration below gives you an idea of how the baths were heated. Slaves would keep a furnace going with wood 24 hours a day and the hot air would circulate beneath the paved floor before being drawn up through wall flue blocks and expelled to the outside through the roof. These baths date to 69AD and so are an early example. (the Roman conquest of Great Britain took place in 43AD).

The Baths are situated in the North East quadrant of Chichester, accessed from Tower Street. The excavations started in 1960 and finished in 2011. But in that time, for various reasons, six different digs took place!. From 300AD archaeologists have found evidence of the start of decline in the Baths. By 500AD they were derelict. We must assume the Romans had left. Then began a long period of robbing Peter to build Paul! Even the cathedral got into the act, some of their stone was from the Roman Baths site. But the most amazing fact gleaned from our talk was the realisation of the size of the overall site, and the potential for Roman archaeologist remains that may never be discovered! Yes, we were told that just 6% of Chichester has been excavated over the many years, and of that very small area, only 10% of it produced interesting archaeology. We therefore remain largely in the dark, albeit well bathed and showered.

The GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE

Hey all you SEWERS! They are now looking for the next collection of amateur sewers to take part in Series 8 of The Great British Sewing Bee! They state: We are keen to hear from sewers of all ages, so if you or someone you know is a talented amateur sewer then please do encourage them to apply at www.applyforsewingbee.co.uk Applications Close: 11.59am on Monday 24th May 2021. We would be more than happy to answer any questions at : [email protected] I feel a new interest group coming to the fore! Editor

P.S. Some of my socks need attention…….

Here’s a little brain teaser:

Years ago the powers that be in the E.U. were deliberating on how to differentiate ‘cakes’ from ‘biscuits.’ This was very important since it made a difference how those food-stuffs were taxed. Well they came up with a definition which relates especially to Jaffa ‘cakes’. Is it a cake or a biscuit? Can you guess their definition? In fact, I think it does the job well. The answer can be found at the end of the Newsletter! Kate Wiggins

Nine Words Women Use Note: Only men should read on - to warn them about arguments they can avoid if they remember this terminology.

(1) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. This means your facts may be right but you are still wrong.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the match.

(3) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you. (Refer back to 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. In this case DO NOT say 'you're welcome'. That will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever : Is a woman's way of saying...Go to Hell or some place west of Hell.

(9) Don't worry about it, I’ve done it : Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' (For the woman's response refer to # 3).

Answers to Alphabet Quiz: A) Anthony Gormley B) Barbara Woodhouse C) Ian Fleming D) Bram Stoker E) Kind Hearts and Coronets F) Marie Curie G) The Generation Game H) Henry Cavendish I) Frank Dettori J) Joseph Mc Carthy K) Sir Dirk Bogarde L) Laos, Lesotho. Luxembourg, Liechtenstein M) The Misfits N) The Great North Run O) Mr Bumble P) Noel Coward Q) Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor. R) Mahatma Gandhi S) Jean Shrimpton T) 1960s U) Salt Lake City V) Italy W) Pembrokeshire Coast X) Mexico, Luxembourg Y) 1976 Z) A Dazzle

ANSWER CAKE OR BISCUIT? A cake goes dry when left out. A biscuit goes hard! So Jaffa ‘cakes’ are officially ‘cakes’!

Clue: It is in Emsworth!

STOP PRESS: Princess Anne alights from her helicopter to review Ann Newnham’s Ems Valley u3a Croquet first team.

All contributions for the next newsletter please to: [email protected]