Monmouth Annual Magazine

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�� British Dance Bands 20 Welcome from the Chair 1 Million Dollar Quartet 21 Members’ Meetings 2 Garden Visits 22 Monmouth U3A Committee 3 Usk U3A Quiz 22 Monmouth U3A Activities 4 First Aid Awareness 23 Festive Celebrations 5 Poetry 24 A Morning at the Flicks 6 Birds of Prey Centre 24

Striders 8 The Shoes Outside the Door 26 The Verdict 10 Country Dancing 28 Intermediate French 10 Brecon Mountain Railway 29 Internet Drop-In Sessions 11 Geology 30 Breakfast at Tiffanys 12 Pétanque 31 Table Tennis 13 Reading for Pleasure 32 Family History 13 Half Day Walks 33 Exploring Local Churches 14 Welsh for Beginners 1 and 2 34 Flower Arrangers 15 Mahjong 35 Music Appreciation 1 and 2 16 Photography 36 European History 16 Coffee Mornings 38 Finance & Economics 16 Summer Meeting 38 Red Shoes 17 Recorder Players 40 Science & Technology 18 Pastoral Care 40

Black Holes: Ends of the Universe 18 U3A Insurance 40

The text and photographs in Issue 5 of the Monmouth U3A magazine must not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder Monmouth U3A. The information provided in this magazine is for general information purposes only, and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy, reliability and suitability of this information, neither Monmouth U3A nor the printers can accept liability for errors or misinterpretation resulting from its use, and any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. August 2017 ©

� �� Welcome to the fifth edition of our annual magazine. The enthusiasm and commitment of our U3A convenors and helpers is reflected on each page, and I would like to thank everyone for their contributions and the colourful photographs that illustrate them. With over five hundred members and around fifty activities, this magazine can only give a brief overview of what is on offer but the variety is astonishing, and well over half our groups have contributed to this issue. We can keep fit with table tennis and yoga classes; or ramble with Striders, Strollers and Half Day Walks. Foreign languages, musical activities, literature� and games and are well established; while creative writing, tracing family trees, photography and craft develop new hobbies. Finance, economics, European history, science, and geology attract members interested in the world around us, and there is an amazing article about black holes on page 18. First aid awareness may be life saving, and Internet drop-in sessions help us surf the web with confidence. Entertainment is not neglected. Our programme includes a film every month, visits to the theatre and interesting day trips. Weekly coffee mornings, monthly meetings, and festive lunches round off what has been a highly successful year, and I must mention the Usk U3A Quiz that Monmouth U3A won! Convenor’s contact details are on: �� and a full list of activities is on page 4 of this magazine. Sadly some convenors have retired, in particular Vera Easton at the venerable age of ninety-one, and Charlotte Jones who recently celebrated her ninetieth birthday. Vera is a founder member of Monmouth U3A and became the Poetry 1 Convenor in 1990, and Charlotte organised a wide variety of garden visits for nine years. Do you have ideas for new activities? Contact us, see page 3, and we can put information on the notice boards to assess how many members are interested, and provide the support that will help new groups to flourish. Finally I would like to thank Val and Tricia for proof reading, and our committee for their support. Monmouth U3A is a local charity, and the committee are members who are elected at an AGM or co-opted afterwards. According to the Charity Commission we are trustees, and there is a statutory duty to ensure Monmouth U3A remains a vibrant and successful organisation. We work together as a friendly and enthusiastic team, and new committee members with fresh ideas and a few hours a month to spare are needed every year. Most of the positions are restricted to a maximum of three years and we are happy to mentor and induct new ‘trustees’ until they gain the confidence to take on a more active role. Do chat to us, role descriptions are on the website. Best wishes, ��

1 Members’ Meetings 2.30pm at Bridges Community Centre, Drybridge Park, Monmouth 2017 August 15 Hands Around the World David Steiner

September 19 Annual General Meeting Music from Around the World Malcolm Meadows

October 17th River Birds Stephanie Tyler

November 21st The Lost Lake Stephen Clarke

December 19th Christmas Party and entertainment

2018 January 16 Wye Shipping Dr. Naylor Firth

February 20 WW1 – Monmouth, a Town at War Karin Molson

March 20 Social and Political Satire of Gilbert and Sullivan Bernard Lockett

April 17 A Pathfinder Mike Ansfield

May 15 The Nobel Prize Ashley Jones

June 19 ‘You must be Joking’ Brian Partridge

July 17 Summer Meeting and entertainment

August 21 What Two Sisters did for Wales David Harrison

September 18 Annual General Meeting Exploring Gwent Castles Chris Barber �

2 Monmouth U3A Committee 2016 – 2017 Chair Website Magazine JENNY ROBBINS �� Vice Chair TRICIA DODD �� Secretary �� FRANCES WILLIAMS �� Treasurer ROBIN GIBSON �� Treasurer 2 MICHAEL BONE �� Membership Secretary MIKE SAUNDERS �� Group Coordinator �� KATE WALDRON �� Communications JUDI AYRE �� Social Secretary DIANA WILKINSON �� Programme Secretary PAM DAVIS �� Appointed Roles �� Pastoral Care BARBARA MATHEW �� Press Officer MARIANNE WRIGHT ��

�� Technical Support NICK SANDERS ��

3 �� The following groups were active at the time of going to press. Please check the website for names and contact details of convenors. To start a group, please get in touch via the website. New convenors are always very welcome.

Bridge Players Geology Skittles Cinema Mahjong Spanish Conversation Coffee Mornings Music Appreciation 1 Table Tennis Internet Drop-In Sessions Music Appreciation 2 Visits Exploring Churches Craft British Dance Bands Visits Historic Places Country Dancing Jazz Appreciation Visits Theatre and Ballet Discussion Group Pétanque Visits Trips and Outings European History Reading Walks Half Day Family History Photography Walks Striders Finance & Economics Poetry Reading Walks Strollers Flower Arrangers A Good Read Creative Writing French Intermediate Reading for Pleasure Welsh Beginners 1 Les Petits Français Rockfield Reading Welsh Beginners 2 Garden Visits Recorder Playing Yoga 1 Nelson Garden Science & Technology Yoga 2

�� Convenors ‘retire’ for many reasons, and an activity will not continue if no-one volunteers to fill a vacant place,. Since 2008 the following groups have ceased.

Adventurers Italian Oral History Architecture Lace Making Painting Companions Art Appreciation Latin (below) Portrait Drawing Gardening Philosophy Scrabble General Interest group Wild Life Conservation Swedish Indoor Bowls Opera Visits Swimming (below)

Latin group Swimming activity

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�� These were arranged at the Beechwood Restaurant, Coleford on the 6th and13th January because Christmas dates were not available due to a reorganisation by the Gloucestershire College. Members enjoyed a superb 3 course meal chosen from a festive menu. � �� Pumpkin velouté, truffle oil and Parmesan croute Home cured salmon gravlax, horseradish cream, beetroot carpaccio, pickled beetroot and buckwheat blini Oak smoked crispy belly pork, celeriac roulade, apple puree and black pudding

�� Turkey stuffed with sausage, cranberries and chestnuts, pigs in blankets, duck fat roast potatoes, and pan gravy Pan cooked fillet of sea bass with dauphinoise potato, cauliflower puree, � curly kale and port jus Camembert, chestnut and cranberry tartlet, with parsnip puree, wilted greens and buttered new potatoes Creamed sprouts, braised red cabbage, and honey glazed carrots

�� Christmas pudding and �� brûlée, almond and sultana biscuit White chocolate and Baileys cheesecake, orange sorbet and suchard sauce Apple and cinnamon tarte tatin, clotted cream and caramel syrup Coffee or tea with a mince pie

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7 �� Convenors Jenny Robbins �� Sue Marshall �� Come and walk with us, usually eight to ten miles depending on the time of year. The walk leaders are members of our group and we stop for morning coffee and a picnic lunch. There is car sharing for the journey to and from the start of the walks. This year we have explored the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons, the Wye and Usk Valleys, and the Malvern Hills. The great thing about walking is that it is enjoyable and sociable whether you are single or with a partner. It is a wonderful way to keep fit whatever the weather, and some of us use walking poles to reduce the stress on hips, knees and ankles. Details of our walks are on the Monmouth U3A website. New members can start with (Strollers) shorter walks and gradually increase to Half Day Walks and Striders as they gain more confidence.

The photographs below show a walk in Haugh woods on a sunny spring day, and the photographs on the facing page are from a selection of Strider’s walks in 2017.

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� � 9 �� Theatre Goers Convenors Jan Currie �� Judi Ayre �� In January a group of us went to see the Verdict at the Malvern Theatre. I hadn’t heard of it before, and the night before we went I thought I would find out a bit more about it. I was surprised as the author was a person I had always associated with ‘whodunits’ rather than the courtroom drama I assumed from the title of the play. I was right; it was a courtroom drama, and a fascinating one. It could be understood at many different levels, from a simple and effective legal play to a reflection on the influence of the power of male dominated establishments on the lives of women and the way in which history can be rewritten to suit the purposes of these establishments. The attitudes of the Catholic Church and maybe even racism made an appearance. In straightforward narrative terms, it was a study of a once brilliant lawyer who had become an impoverished alcoholic wreck. The first half of the play introduced us to him and the other characters, as well as drawing us into the dilemma he faced - money or morality? The second half was set in the courtroom, with some splendid twists and turns. The Verdict was a complex and engaging play, and a play that I would urge you to see. ��

�� Convenors Digby and Marion Idle �� This lively group continues with preparation in French of what each member has done or experienced during the preceding week. With such diverse personalities, it is amazing what can be learned about a variety of subjects in addition to a foreign language. Recently a member recounted a fundraising event for an orphanage in Mongolia that incorporated Mongolian music. The style and sounds that are strange to our ears were described in French but this could not be fully appreciated without actually hearing an example. Our tutor was prompted to search the Internet for an audio example so that everyone could hear and see what was involved. This is just one way the subject matter of a session is provided by a member to enable everyone to expand their vocabulary and offer the opportunity for others to ask questions. ��

10 �� The ‘sort out your problems' sessions continue to be popular with members who bring a laptop, tablet, kindle or smart phone, and much laughter ensues. These sessions are open to every member of Monmouth U3A, and girls from HMSG 6th form help and advise on a one-to-one basis. Email: ��

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�� George thoroughly enjoyed that first meeting and was looking forward to the subsequent meeting with the charming girls from HMSG. He was given his first computer when he retired 31 years ago but he said he had learnt more that evening because of the one-to- one tutoring. He was impressed by the ease and patience with which they helped him. ��

� 11 � �� Books, films and plays become classics when they have the quality of excellence. They can include escapism and that is why the 1961 film was so successful. Set in the 1940's during World War 2, the story allowed the audience to view Holly Golightly's sad life through glamour and pathos, before ending happily ever after? � Sadly, this stage version evoked no empathy. The leading lady had a shrill voice, and the male lead shouted at the audience from the front of the stage. The play was promoted as including 'songs from the era', but Holly only sang two songs. One sounded like an American folk song but it was suited to her voice whereas the other song, 'Moon River’, was a disaster. Nevertheless, this was another� well organised trip for forty-seven Monmouth U3A members and there was plenty of time to enjoy lunch and walk around Cardiff, but not the happy trip down memory lane many had anticipated.

� 12 �� Convenor Helen Levy �� The Table Tennis group meet at 7pm on Wednesdays at Whitchurch Village Hall. We are a mixed ability group with members who are novices and league players. Our aim each week is to enjoy our two hours in a social manner, alongside learning new skills and gaining the confidence to know we could reach great heights if we wished. Bats and balls are supplied. The world is our oyster. And there are special spin offs! Our concentration, balance, reactions and fitness increase steadily alongside our fun and laughter. We stave off weight gain, dementia, trips and falls, all for £1.50 a week. Our fun could save the NHS ££s! What a wonderful investment. Interested in joining us? Please contact me by email. ��

Some members of the Table Tennis group

��Convenor Tony Jones �� The Family History group meet on the first Tuesday of each month in the Monmouth Library, where we have access to Ancestry and Find My Past on the computers. We will be having a relaunch in September, so more members are very welcome. New members often join, and having been pointed in the right direction carry on with research on their own. We encourage our members to share problems and successes with the rest of the group. ��

13 �� Convenor Frances Williams �� During a recent visit to St Tewdric’s Church in Mathern, near Chepstow, we learned the story of St.Tewdric or Tewdrig, a King in the 6th Centruy. Saint Tewdric had been a patron of the Church at Llandaff, with a history of success in battle. At some point in his reign he abdicated in favour of his son and he lived as a hermit near Tintern. At the time Tintern was a rocky place near a ford The Church at St Tewdric at Mathern that crossed over the River Wye. However, he was forced to lead the defence when a Saxon threat to the kingdom emerged. Saint Tewdric defeated the Saxons, but during the fight he was mortally wounded and he asked to be taken to what we know as Flat Holm for burial. He never reached Flat Holm and only got as far as Mathern on an inlet of the Severn Estuary where he died. Tewdrig's defence of his homeland was said to be sufficiently decisive that the Saxons would not dare to invade again for thirty years. These are the known ‘facts’ but as this was the 6th century we learned that the whole episode was surrounded by myth and legend. Before the battle, Tewdrig was apparently given the prophecy that he would defeat the Saxons but would be mortally wounded in the process; and that a carriage pulled by two yoked stags, would appear and carry him towards his destination of Ynys Echni (Flat Holm), but that he would die in peace three days after the battle. Legend has it that fountains sprang up whenever the stags halted, and as they approached the River Severn the wagon broke. It was here that Tewdric died and a clear stream of water appeared and marked the spot. His son built the church at Tewdric Mathern and buried his father's body there, then he gave the surrounding land to the Bishops of Llandaff. A Bishop’s Palace was later built there and is still there, no longer inhabited by bishops but restored and used as a bed and breakfast venue. We meet on the last Friday of the month between April and October and car share. New members are always welcomed. �� 14 ��

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15� � “Why do I ‘appreciate’ Music Appreciation”? Convenor Norma Williams [email protected]

� Anticipation We don’t know in advance what music Norma will choose to focus on. � Perspective Norma gives a historical and musical perspective of how and why the composer produced this work. � Research Norma produces detailed but comprehensive notes to follow while listening to the music. � Concentration This is the only time I enjoy uninterrupted listening other than at a concert. � Social We enjoy the company and shared experiences. Thank you Norma Sheila Jarrett

European History and Finance & Economics Convenor Eric Crawford [email protected] Hello everybody. We have just concluded our 2016-17 season for European History and Finance & Economics. Both were very successful and we welcomed a number of new members who contributed well at our meetings. This season we held a number of history meetings with short histories of individual European countries that proved to be well received. We began with Spain and went on to discuss the histories of Italy, Germany and France. Next season begins on Wednesday 4th October and the subject will be a short history of Russia. Separate meetings will be needed to discuss the 1917 Revolution and the Second World War, and more members will be welcomed. Our Finance & Economics meetings are held on the day following European History and will begin on Thursday October 5th. Last season we discussed Quantitative Easing (QE) followed by a survey of the Bank of England, and all our members were involved and interested. Next season we will review the role and responsibilities of the clearing banks. With Brexit in view these discussions are timely. Again new members would be welcomed; no specialist knowledge is needed. Best wishes Eric

16 �� Another Theatre Goers coach trip to Cardiff for Matthew Bourne’s version of the ballet Red Shoes, based on the film shown on 1948. Red Shoes is the story of Vicky, an ambitious budding ballerina whose romance with a young composer threatens both their careers. Vicky’s red ballet shoes represented her obsession to dance, an obsession that led to her suicide in a dramatic scene when she threw herself under a massive locomotive that burst onto the stage to the sound of screeching brakes and flashing lights. Thank you to �� for the excellent organisation�

17 �� Convenor Valerie Conniff �� We have had a very successful programme of events covering visits and topics as diverse as down-to-earth water treatment to awesome black holes, which stretch the imagination to its limits: see following article for more details. We have 50+ members with 32 an average attendance, and this year a visit to the archaeological dig at Trellech will see the work Visit to Hereford Archives and Records in progress. Centre We meet on the 2nd Tuesday afternoon of each month at 2.30pm in Mitchel Troy Village Hall and any U3A member is welcome to join us for a ‘taster’ session without charge. There is a joining fee for full membership to cover set up costs, hire of hall and refreshments for at least 12 months. �� On Tuesday 13th June the Science and Technology Group was taken 'to infinity and beyond' by Samuel (Sam) Gower a former student at Warwick University who gave us a talk about his research project. Sam was the first to admit that black holes are baffling to science, mainly because you cannot see inside them. The gravitational force of a black hole is so great that light cannot escape from it, and what we see as a black hole is an 'event horizon' beyond which further investigation is impossible. Everything we know about black holes is based on theoretical assumptions about them and their effects on things around them. Einstein first predicted black holes as a theoretical concept in 1905 and published a 'field equation' for them as part of his relativistic theories but it wasn't until 1916 when Karl Schwartzschild published a solution to the field equation that anyone believed they were possible. In 1975 Kip Thorne, an American theoretical physicist, had a bet with Stephen Hawking that the centre of Cygnus X-1 is a black hole. Kip Thorne won but his prize was a rather esoteric one, a subscription to Private Eye. Since that time it is believed that black holes are widely distributed in the universe. It is now believed that each galaxy has a super massive black hole at its centre that actually controls how the galaxy behaves. There is now a device called LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) which is so sensitive that it can detect gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes, something I did not realise could happen without causing the end of the universe.

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19 �� Convenor Rex Biggs ��

Another successful year which apart from the monthly meeting and Christmas lunch, involved four trips away to Warners to hear the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra and Chris Dean’s Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Doubtless, more trips will be enjoyed by the group in the coming year. The programme during the year covered the bands from the early 1920’s through to the early 1950’s, and the highlight was an evening when members chose their own songs, with a memory that ranged from Henry Hall ‘s ‘Man on the Flying Machine‘ to The Mindbenders, ‘A Groovy Kind of Love‘ in 1966. We also covered the Girl Bands of Ivy Benson, Josephine Bradley and Mrs Jack Hylton (Ennis Parkes). Then of course there are the girl singers like Beryl Davis, Bebe Daniels, Rita Marlowe, Frances Day, Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton, Carol Carr and Anne Lenner to name just a few. Another evening was devoted to Leslie ‘Hutch‘ Hutchinson, the doyen of the rich and famous, and the scandals that revolved around him as he caressed the keys of the piano. Currently the group is enjoying the bands that the BBC played at 10:30pm to midnight during the week, like Roy Fox, Lew Stone, Harry Roy, Carroll Gibbons and on Saturday night Ambrose from the Mayfair Hotel. Thousands tuned in nightly to listen and enjoy the fabulous sounds they produced, and we heard each instrument and the best vocalists of the day. In association with this current series we enjoyed the nostalgia of the Radio Days of The BBC Light and Home Services with the humour of ITMA and Take It From Here, along with other shows of the late 40’s and early 50’s.

20 Vacancies do appear to join the group, though infrequently, and if you are interested please email me. We meet monthly on the last Tuesday, at 7:30pm and each member takes a turn at hosting the evening, having to provide coffee and a few biscuits A programme full of notes of interest is available for each member. You will need a CD player. ��

�� Smoothly organised by Jan Currie, our coach left Monmouth promptly at 11.30am on May 5th and arrived in Cardiff in good time for a leisurely lunch. The matinee was in the New Theatre, and apart from cramped leg room which left my knees complaining, the West End smash hit musical lived up to high expectations among an older audience who remembered many of the soundtracks from the 60s. It was the story of how Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins met together for one night only and had an impromptu ‘jamming session’ with Sam Phillips who was a legendary record producer. Sam was played by Jason Donovan who originally found fame in the Australian soap ‘Neighbours’. The second half of the show was livelier and encouraged more audience participation with favourites Blue Suede Shoes, Fever (Peggy Lee), Great Balls of Fire, Hound Dog, Walk the Line and several other well remembered hits. The show ended with a banner across the stage displaying an enlarged copy of the original photograph that showed Elvis, Jerry, Johnny and Carl gathered around a piano singing. This was nostalgic but also sad as Jerry Lee Lewis is the only surviving member of the quartet that made music that night.

21 �� Convenor Sue Marshall �� Charlotte Jones has been the Convenor of the Garden Visits group since 2008 and organised many trips to gardens of interest which often included a pub lunch. Memorable visits included an amazing display of snowdrops and cyclamen at Colesbourne, and Mill Dene garden near Moreton-in-the Marsh, in a valley with a Norman mill, stream and millpond. Charlotte is now retiring and handing over the ‘bouquet’ to Sue Marshall who is busy planning some autumnal treats. Sue Marshall Charlotte celebrated her 90th birthday in July this year, and friends held an afternoon tea at a surprise venue with a walk round the gardens afterwards.

�� Each year Usk U3A hold a quiz and invite neighbouring U3As to compete. In November 2016 we managed to take a team to challenge the home side. We were the only 'outsiders' and imagine our dismay when we saw the warm-up questions were ‘Beer and Beverages!’ At half time we could not believe we were leading, AND with a valiant effort we kept our lead and won! It helped to know Manchester United Managers, Top Trumps, Formula One racing drivers and Kent breweries among an eclectic mix of questions. Thanks go to Kath Tomboline, Cath Gilbert, Kate Waldron, Maureen Gallop, Sharon Sanderson and to Usk U3A for the questions! ��

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� � In September our Monmouth U3A held another free First Aid Awareness course for members at Mitchel Troy Village Hall. We spent an intense two hours as members of St John Ambulance explained DRABC (danger, response, airways, breathing, circulation), and how to protect airways and the recovery position, then we discussed spinal injuries and when and how to give CPR. We also learned about shock, chest compressions and what to do for stroke, bleeding and burns. Chest compressions (CPR) were practiced on resuscitation dummies under close supervision, and good advice was modified for us oldies, such as, “If you can’t kneel down, give someone else instructions”! Techniques are constantly changing so refresher first aid courses and looking at websites including the St John Ambulance website are a good idea. Thank you to Val for organising another excellent and potentially life-saving course.

� � 23 �� Convenor Linda Blunt �� In the last 12 months this friendly group has listened to and discussed a large variety of poems, some written several centuries ago but others written quite recently. The poets who have come under the spotlight have included Scottish poets Jacky Kay and George Mackay Brown, Walter de la Mare, Maya Angelou, Emily Bronte, Constance Naden, Mathilde Blind, Leslie Norris and Australian poets Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. Two meetings were given over to subjects (Victorian lady poets, poems about places) rather than particular poets. As usual, the December meeting took the form of a festive lunch followed by light/comic poetry. And in July, the group will go to Dymock where, after a pub lunch, a visit will be made to an exhibition in Dymock church about the Dymock poets (Frost, Abercrombie, Brooke, Thomas, Gibson and Drinkwater) who lived in or near Dymock in the years 1911–1914. All our meetings are lively and enjoyable, with everyone present having an opportunity to join in with a break during each meeting for tea, biscuits and general chat. ��

�� Twenty-five members visited this Centre last November on a perfect day for watching so many beautiful birds flying against a vivid blue sky. The Centre was originally set up in 1966 and has expanded over the decades to house more than seventy different special breeds of owls, falcons, eagles, vultures, kites, hawks and buzzards in more than ninety aviaries. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Each Ariseama day there are three flying demonstrations in lovely gardens. Picnic areas and café ensure everyone can tour the aviaries and enjoy the refreshments both indoors and outside. � Photographs of the birds are courtesy of the International Birds of Prey Centre

Benbecula Steller Sea Eagle

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26 She took a few steps down her hallway, and then in a most uncharacteristic move, stepped out of the door in them and set off down the street towards the shops. As she walked the familiar route, she caught out of the corner of her eye, the flash of red as each shoe came into view. She smiled Involuntarily. A lady coming towards her also smiled and murmured, "Good morning." "Good morning," replied Mary, surprised. Strangers did not usually greet her en route to the shops. In the butcher's, she waited in the queue next to a young woman with a toddler who pointed to Mary's feet, calling out, "Shoe, shoe, red, red!" "Yes, shoes, red shoes, clever boy," his mother encouraged, “He obviously feels you are a kindred spirit!" Mary had never considered she was a kindred spirit to anyone, let alone a child, and was entranced by the toothy smile that the child flashed at her. By the time she was returning from the shops, she had said good morning to five total strangers, had a conversation with the lady in the bakery about a red scarf that might or might not go with the red shoes, and had caught sight of herself in innumerable shop windows and found herself smiling each time. By the time she reached home she was feeling buoyant, a sensation that she found very pleasant. Once inside the house, habit overcame her and she slipped off the shoes carefully, though somewhat reluctantly. As she bent down to pick them up, the doorbell rang and made her jump. Still holding the shoes, she opened the door. A neat young woman smiled at her as the door opened. "Oh, I am so sorry to bother you," she said with a marked Italian accent, "but I wondered if you had seen a pair of shoes?" She paused as her eyes fell on the shoes in Mary's hands, "Oh you have! I am so relieved, I left them in my boyfriend’s car and he said he would drop them off at my house, and I said number 17 but when I phoned him to see where they were he said he left them at the house with the red door, oh you know men never listen." Mary was rather taken aback by the young lady's enthusiastic delivery. "I've just moved in to my new house," continued the young woman, "I'm only three doors away, so we will be neighbours!" Mary handed her the shoes, and with her customary need for the truth, said "I did try them on. I suppose you bought them in Italy?" "Oh no, they came from the shoe shop in town!" As the woman tittuped off down the drive, Mary turned back into her house. A frivolous idea was insinuating itself into her mind. Tomorrow, she thought as she put the kettle on, I might just take a trip to town, and have a little look at that shoe shop. ��

27 �� Convenor Ken Winter �� ‘This Art (Dancing) has been Anciently handled by Athenaeus, Julius Pollux, Caelius Rhodiginus, and others, and much commend it to be excellent for recreation, and after more serious studies, making the body active and strong, graceful in deportment, and a quality much beseeming a gentleman.’ This is an excerpt from the introduction to ‘The English Dancing Master’ published by John Playford in1651, and the sentiment expressed sums up nicely the objectives of the Country Dancing group although we include ladies as well as gentlemen in our remit! We meet in the ballroom at Bridges which provides just the correct atmosphere for our dances, on the first, third and fifth Mondays excluding Bank Holidays, and we perform some of the dances described by Playford as well as traditional country dances and dances composed by contemporary choreographers. We mostly dance to recorded music but are extremely lucky to be able to � dance to professional folk musicians once or twice a month. As one of our new dancers puts it, “As a newcomer to the U3A country dancing I would like to say how friendly and helpful I have found the group. The dancing is great fun and I feel it is a good way to exercise both mind and body. It is helpful having a caller who prompts you with the moves and the music that goes with the dancing is also an enjoyment. Sometimes we have live musicians. Often my enthusiasm overtakes my expertise but fortunately the group have a good sense of humour and are very understanding.” We are essentially a fun group with plenty of laughter especially when things go wrong, and, (I hope), very welcoming to beginners. Come and join us. ��

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30 Next we visited Hereford to look at building and ornamental stone in the cathedral and city centre, and then we visited the Little Doward just outside Monmouth, a local site of geological interest. You don't have to be an expert to enjoy geology, just be curious about the world we live in. Guy

Jim Handley looking at one of the curious formations in the Soudley Valley Pétanque Convenor Guy Moody [email protected] The Pétanque group recently enjoyed something of a rarity when it was joined by members of the Forest of Dean U3A Pétanque group for an afternoon of joint games. The FoD group comprised six members and each was paired up with a Monmouth player to enable three games to be set up. These random pairings proved highly successful and much fun and laughter was had on a lovely summer afternoon. The Monmouth group is now looking forward to playing at the FoD terrain and experiencing a different playing surface. Everyone agreed that combining an activity with another U3A group was something that could be explored further with other U3A activities. The great thing about pétanque is that it can be played on an equal footing by both sexes and virtually all ages. The Monmouth U3A Pétanque group now has nearly 20 members We meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 2:30 p.m. on the Rockfield Estate terrain. The emphasis is on fun and enjoyment and less on skill but even so we sometimes end up with some very impressive results like that shown in the picture. Guy

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33 � � �� Convenor Valerie Conniff ��

There are now two Welsh groups meeting for an hour every week on Friday mornings. Here are some comments from the group members: As guilt overtakes me mid-week and I attempt to do my Welsh homework, I ask myself "Why am I doing this?". The answer is simple - we learn a little and laugh a lot every Friday morning and just listening to our tutor, Val, speaking so melodically is priceless therapy. On my arrival in Monmouth over 50 years ago, it was rare to hear a Welsh accent, let alone the language itself. Later, in the Valleys and West Wales, both were a part of everyday life. Indeed, it was very amusing at times to hear neighbours slide in and out of both Welsh and English in the same sentence. There was always encouragement to try and learn everyday words and young parents found it very necessary as their children were being taught through the Welsh medium at school and they had no idea what their kids were talking about! We started as a mixed group of seven learners some 18 months ago and the number has gone up and down due to personal commitments over that time. But, if all we have learnt is not to be afraid of road signs, place names and ‘mutations’, then it is all worthwhile. The structure and sound of the language are both fascinating and mysterious, (especially the mutations), and when I think I will never learn to cope with three different ways of pronouncing ‘Y’, I remember that there are seven ways of saying

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35 �� Mark Lees �� The Group has been running now for about five years with a stalwart membership which regularly, each month, turns up with some amazing photographs. The subjects for the following month are chosen at each meeting but recently we have been comparing ourselves to the ‘Amateur Photographer of the Year’ competition that was organised by the ‘Amateur Photographer’ magazine. Meetings are held in each other’s homes on Macro study of a dead the last Wednesday of each month, and this Hover Fly �� strictly limits the membership number to twelve. We currently have a ‘full house’! ��

�� I like this photo of a Pilot Boat readying itself for the transfer of a pilot because of the action and sense of drama it conveys: especially given that it was taken using an inexpensive compact camera ��

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37 �� Every Monday morning (except bank holidays) a group of U3A members meet for coffee (or ice creams on hot days) at Green and Jenks Café at the top of Monnow Street. Conversation flows and ideas are exchanged over cappuccinos. Many new members have found it a good place to meet other members and to find out about the different activities available through U3A. New friendships have been formed and several members now meet regularly for weekend lunches Green and Jenks at different pubs and restaurants. It is lovely to see new people popping in to join us and they will always get a warm welcome upstairs at Green and Jenks between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday mornings. ��

�� Members enjoyed Pimms, and strawberries and cream after they listened to Rob Swannack playing the harp, guitar and accordion. In this convivial atmosphere the song that he had composed to celebrate World Gin Day was greeted with laughter and applause. Rob Swannack seamlessly shifted between anecdotes and performed on his trio of instruments. He talked about the simplicity of the harp, which was made at Bredwardine by Mike Saunders, and the complexity of its range which made it possible for even the less musical. A very pleasant and relaxed afternoon with each U3A member providing a plate of sweet or savoury food, see page 39 �� 38 39 ��

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