U3A - Area University of the Third Age Registered Charity No: 1049254

Newsletter ~ January 2018

Picture by Philip Cakebread Printed by Chipstead Services

CONTENTS OPEN MEETINGS

2 ……. CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS Meetings are held at The Banstead Community Hall 3 ……. NEW MEMBERS Park Road, BANSTEAD SM7 3AJ Banstead and 3 ……. GROUP UPDATES St Mark’s Church Hall 3 ……. Popular Music Great Tattenhams, Downs KT18 5RD 3 ……. Explore London 1 Meetings start PROMPTLY at 2.30 pm A.D.2012 4 ……. Explore London 3 (please come early!) 4 ……. The Walking Book Group

Wild Flower Walks (See page 7) Thursday 22nd February 2018

Keeping Safe Indoors and Out otium cum dignitate 4 ……. QUIZ At St Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams ****** 5 ……. PREVIOUS OPEN MEETINGS Wednesday 18th April 2018 The Odette Ellicott Lecture 5 ……. MEMBERS NOTICE BOARD For Banstead U3A Members Only 5 ……. Do You Frame Pictures? At Banstead Community Hall 5 ……. Ashdown Sailing Club ****** Wednesday 2nd May 2018 6 ……. ANSWERS TO QUIZ The Gage Players performing 2 one Act plays A Banstead Art’s Festival event 6 …… WHAT’S COMING UP At Banstead Community Hall 8 p.m. FUTURE OPEN MEETINGS ****** 6 ……. Keeping Safe Indoors and Out Thursday 14th June 2018 6 ……. Odette Ellicott Lecture A Virtual Tour of Big Ben Major Impacts of WW1 At St Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams 6 ……. Banstead Festival event ****** The Gage Players Wednesday 18th July 2018 6 ……. A Virtual Tour of Big Ben Subject to be confirmed At Banstead Community Hall 7 ……. LOOKING BEYOND BANSTEAD ****** 7 ……. U3A Summer School 2018 Wednesday 19th September 2018 8 ..…… Joint Local U3A Science Lectures Open House At Banstead Community Hall 8 ……. NETWORK STUDY DAYS 2018 Wednesday 17th October 2018 Annual General Meeting At Banstead Community Hall

For more information and updates visit our website: www.u3asites.org.uk/banstead

CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS

Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the first edition of the Newsletter in 2018.

I will start by reporting on the Annual General Meeting [AGM] held on Wednesday 18th October 2017 in Banstead Community hall and attended by many members. Those in attendance heard that our membership holds steady at about 650 members and that our finances are in good order. I summarised the activities and decisions undertaken by the Committee over the past year and thanked those who had helped in their delivery. Looking forward we seem to have arrived at a “steady state” which we need to retain and at this time do not see any particular challenges looming ahead.

The entertainment that followed the AGM was provided by our Popular Music Group consisting of a drummer and 4 guitarists with two of the group providing vocals. The group’s style is Country Rock and they played us a selection of songs originally recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Hot Chocolate, the Shadows, the Searchers etc. The response was generally very positive with members bopping about at the rear of the hall and some ladies doing a hand-jive – haven’t seen that for years. However, some members found the volume too loud and were pleased when the tea arrived. Personally I enjoyed the event, it was certainly a talking point.

Banstead Area U3A Popular Music Group: From left: Nigel Kingswell, acoustic guitar and vocals; Keith Perry, rhythm guitar; Keith Parry, bass guitar and keyboard; Bill Traxler, drums; Andrew Scott, lead guitar and vocals. [See page 5]

There was some concern voiced after the Air Ambulance Open Meeting event in November. The feeling was that our U3A should have made a donation to HEMS to which I think I need to respond. HEMS and the U3A are both registered charities. The Charity Commission rules are quite clear that one registered charity may not make a donation to another registered charity. We can however meet the cost of a Speaker who gives a talk on behalf of a charity which was the case here. The Speaker was given £70 which added to the £73 collected on the day totalled £143 all of which goes to HEMS. I hope this is clear but please contact me if you have further questions on this matter. Gill Ross

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NEW MEMBERS

A warm welcome to the following new members:

Valerie Baldwin, William and Anne Bellenge, Jean Brady, Norman Brice, Diana De Giorgi, Shaida Dorabjee, Geoff Dunstan, Sandra Fowler, Gerald Hale-Johnson, Gillian Hutchings, Lynn Jones, Anne and John Kemble, Debbie Mills, Rosalind and Mervyn Morrison, Margaret Moya, Patricia Munday, Gill Norma, Doreen Oliphant, Roger Ponsford, Brenda Richardson, Philip and Patricia Royce, Marian Ryan, Linda and John Sewell, Olwyn Shepherd, Tony Skelton, Ian and Jennifer Smith, Rose Stevens, Karen Thompson, Hilary and Colin White, Gillian Williams

GROUP UPDATES

Popular Music Group On 2nd Monday monthly at 2pm Ray Bates via Banstead U3A website

The group was formed in 2017 and has so far concentrated on guitar based songs like “C’mon Everybody” by Eddie Cochrane. The likelihood is that in 2018 there will be some acoustic songs like "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison or “Bye Bye Love” by Everly Brothers or folk based items from singers like Bob Dylan. The group would welcome a keyboard player or someone who has a banjo or ukulele. A lady backing singer could be a useful addition.

If you would like more details, please contact Ray Bates.

Explore London 1 On 4th Monday monthly, all day. Gill Ross 01737 362675

We’ve had a busy few months with September’s walk around Lambeth starting on the banks of the River Thames between Vauxhall Bridge and Lambeth Bridge. Under the scrutiny of the not so secret MI6 building we crossed the river through Riverside Walk Gardens on to Millbank the former site of the National Penitentiary demolished in the 1890s. This area now contains the Chelsea College of Arts, the Tate Britain gallery and London County Council’s first social housing scheme, the impressive Millbank Estate. After crossing Lambeth Bridge it was on to Lambeth Palace, home to the Archbishops of Canterbury since the 13th century then past the Garden Museum and the HQ for the International Maritime Organisation. We stopped to admire the glorious Royal Doulton building completed in 1878, eventually arriving with aching legs at the Rose pub with its river views for lunch. In October we explored Farringdon and around Hatton Garden. Farringdon Station will become a key hub once the Crossrail project is completed and lies directly next to Hatton Garden. The original garden was given by Elizabeth I to Sir Christopher Hatton who was a favourite of hers due, it is said, to his dancing skills. It has been the centre of London’s jewellery trade since medieval times and even today houses some of the world’s top diamond dealers. Modern businesses specialising in media, publishing and other creative arts are also to be found. Away from the commercial centre are some wonderful Georgian streets and old Picture shows Explore London 1 Group on a cold day at Rotherhithe. 3 churches which attract a number of film makers to the area. November saw us exploring Rotherhithe an area transformed since the passing of the docks and other shipping trades, but its modernisation acknowledges its history with the Thames. Originally Rotherhithe meant “a landing place for cattle” but docks and shipping provided the main occupation until the 198’s. People from all parts of the world travelled through or remained in Rotherhithe, particularly from Scandinavia and the Baltic and their influence can be found to this day. The road names and Norwegian and Swedish churches remain, and some of the new housing was designed by Scandinavian architects. In 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Rotherhithe to Southampton and on to New with a group that became known as “The Pilgrim Fathers”. There are a number of sculptures and plaques on the walk alongside the Thames which provide local historical information.

Explore London 3. On 2nd Tuesday monthly, all day Bob Etchells 01737 373051

This latest Explore London Group held its first walk on Tuesday 9th January 2018. A couple of experienced walk leaders from Explore London 1 agreed to lead the first two walks in January and February, there after the group, working in pairs, will get on and organise their own interesting routes. This was the first time that the group had met one another although only five were present. The walk along the Embankment, the Strand and Fleet Street had many interesting features, but was also not too arduous and gave group members the time to talk to one another. Quite often, members find they can walk the “not too long” distances, but find the standing somewhat difficult. Some members are undoubtedly very nervous about taking a turn leading a walk. However, as experience shows, group support is always strong and help is given on where to find information. In the end the sense of achievement is huge. The group is almost at capacity but contact Bob Etchells to see if he has any space.

The Walking Book Group On 2nd Wednesday monthly at 10.30 Anne Hopkins 01737 351162

A walking book group combines fresh air, gentle exercise, and the chance to discuss our chosen title for the month (and read during the preceding month!) as we stroll around the Oaks Park, Croydon Lane, followed by general discussion over coffee in the Park cafe. We will meet in the car park by the cafe.

The book's 'presenter' will put forward some topics for discussion as we walk at a leisurely pace around the park, stopping every 10 minutes or so to regroup and move on to the next topic. We will then have a coffee at the Park cafe to round off all our views. We aim to read a variety of genres, including new authors and foreign authors, but our chosen titles will all be available in paperback and not too long! If the weather is really inclement, the meeting will take place in a member's house. If you are interested in this new book group, please contact Anne.

QUIZ

1. Which country is known as the Pearl of Africa? 2. In which year were Premium Bonds first issued in Britain? 3. What is the name of Moe’s pet cat in the cartoon show the Simpsons? 4. Madame de Pompadour was the mistress of which French King? 5. Port Said is in which North African Country? 6. The 1999 film Tea with Mussolini is based on whose autobiography? 7. In which year did Henry VIII become King of England? 8. In the human body what is the hallux? 9. Kodiak Island is in which US state? 10. Who wrote the book Catch-22?

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PREVIOUS OPEN MEETINGS

Thursday 23rd November 2017. St. Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams -The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Ambulance Service.

The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust provides Helicopter Emergency Medical Services [HEMS] responding to patients who have suffered trauma or for serious medical emergencies. They operate two helicopters, one currently based in Marden Kent and the second at Redhill Surrey. They are available for 24 hours every day and can airlift patients to hospital or provide specialist care at the scene. The helicopters are leased and come with qualified pilots. The medical team are drawn from clinicians in the NHS. Our Speaker, Beryl Smith, first became involved with this service after it was used by her husband following a road traffic accident. Since then, Beryl has remained involved with HEMS. She showed us a number of pictures and was able to impart some first-hand knowledge following her experience and provide other examples of emergencies requiring this helicopter service. HEMS relies on donations and voluntary contributions and a donation collection bucket was left on our Reception desk for those wishing to donate.

Note: Subsequently Beryl was pleased to inform us that our donation bucket contained £73

Monday 18th December 2017. Banstead Community Hall – Christmas Drop-In

We were disappointed with the number of Members who attended The Drop-In. We introduced this event last year and had over 120 people drop in for a chat and a mince pie. This year the number was nearer 70 and whilst it was an enjoyable couple of hours with plenty of chatter, it did not warrant the amount of effort made by the Committee and other volunteer helpers. The consensus view is that Members are generally just too busy in December and the Drop-In clashes with other events. The Committee will need to decide whether or not it is worth another try next year,

Wednesday 17th January 2018. Banstead Community Hall – Duxhurst: Surrey’s Lost Village. Speaker Ros Black

This talk took place after this newsletter’s deadline and will be reported upon in the next edition.

MEMBERS, NOTICEBOARD

Banstead Area U3A members who want to publicise a local event with which they are involved and believe could interest other members, or have other Banstead U3A issues they want the membership to know about, are invited to submit details for this Noticeboard. Contact details must be included. This U3A will not take any responsibility for the information provided nor will it follow-up or pass on messages

Do you frame pictures?

Or do you need to make mitre joints for any other reason? If so, can you give a good home to an almost new “Precision Mitre Saw “ made for the company Do-it-all? It comprises a jig to set up the components and a guide for the saw, which is included. It can be yours for a small donation to Banstead Area U3A if you ring Ken on 01737 360876.

Ashdown Sailing Club

Would you like the opportunity to go sailing? We are a small sailing club which comprises of boat owners and crew members. We welcome experienced sailors and complete novices, who will soon ‘learn the ropes’. We meet twice a month at Godstone club and sail from the south coast. Membership is only £20 per year. For more information visit our website www.ashdownsailing.org.uk or contact U3A member Pam Wyatt 01737 669536 or [email protected].

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ANSWERS TO QUIZ

1. Uganda; 2. 1956; 3. Mr Snockhams; 4. Louis XV; 5. Egypt; 6. Franco Zeffirelli; 7. 1509; 8. Big toe; 9. Alaska; 10. Joseph Heller.

WHAT’S COMING UP

FUTURE OPEN MEETINGS

Thursday 22nd February 2018. St Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams – Keeping Safe Indoors and Out. This will be a joint talk with a Police Constable talking about security in the home, and David Frost focussing on security outside of the home.

Wednesday 18th April 2018. Banstead Community Hall – The Odette Ellicott lecture.

Title: What were the major impacts of World War 1? Speaker Mike Fox - Group Leader of Banstead Area U3A Military History Group, and Military History Advisor for the Third Age Trust.

This event is for Banstead Area U3A members only who will need to show a current Membership Card on arrival. This year being one hundred years since the end of WW1 seemed an opportune time for Mike to consider this subject.

This is an annual event which commemorates a generous benefactor of Banstead Area U3A, Odette Ellicott. We provide a selection of cakes with the after lecture tea rather than our usual biscuits. Any member wishing to bake and a cake please contact me Gill Ross 01737 362675.

Thursday 14th June 2018. St. Mark’s Church Hall Great Tattenhams – A virtual Tour of Big Ben. Speaker Tim Redmond

Tim Redmond usually gives tours of the Elizabeth Tower [containing Big Ben] but, as it is to be closed for three years, he has created a virtual tour to take to a wider audience.

Wednesday 18th July Banstead Community Hall. – Speaker to be confirmed.

Wednesday 19th September 2018. Banstead Community Hall. Open House

Wednesday 17th October 2018. Banstead Community Hall. AGM

OTHER EVENTS

Wednesday 2nd May 2018. Banstead Community Hall. The Gage Players will be performing two one act plays. Time 8 pm.

Every year Banstead Area U3A sponsors an event for the Banstead Arts Festival and this year we are pleased to be working with a long established, local amateur dramatics group, The Gage Players. They will be performing two one act Hitchcock plays with an interval between the acts. Contact any Committee Member for further information.

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WILD FLOWER WALKS 2018

These are held during the Spring and Summer only.

Date Venue

Wednesday 2nd May Banstead Woods for spring flowers. Meet 10.00am at the Holly Lane car park. (TQ273583)

Wednesday 16th May /Denbies Hillside. Meet 10.00am at the NT Denbies Hillside car park off Ranmore Common Road. Parking free for NT members. (TQ142504)

Wednesday 30th May . Meet 10.00am at the NT car park at the end of Lane. Parking free for NT members. Note: access to Margery Lane is from the A217 heading north. (TQ245527)

Wednesday 13th June , Cheam. Please contact me for details.

Wednesday 27th June , Ewell. A reserve located off the A240 Road. Enter via Priest Hill Close, a new road half way between the Drift Bridge roundabout and the roundabout outside the Nescot car park. On entering Priest Hill Close, immediately turn left into the reserve. (TQ227610)

Wednesday 11th July Epsom Common. Meet 10.00am at the car park off Christ Church Road/B280. (TQ183611)

Wednesday 25th July and for the nationally rare Cut-leaved Germander. Meet 10.00am at the Holly Lane car park. (TQ273583)

Wednesday 8th August Headley Heath. Meet 10.00am at the NT car park opposite the cricket pitch in Headley Common Road. Parking free for NT members. (TQ205538)

There may be wet or uneven ground, please wear appropriate footwear. See U3A website for maps showing meeting points. Contact Peter Wakeham 020 8642 3002 to book a space.

LOOKING BEYOND BANSTEAD

SE Forum U3A Summer School 2018 at Chichester University 18 – 21 June 2018.

The programme for the Summer school has been published. Full details / application forms accessed via http://u3asites.org.uk/southeastu3aforum/ There are 13 courses and the school runs from late on Monday afternoon until lunchtime on Thursday. Entertainment is arranged for the three evenings. The thirteen courses are : Bridge Refresher Course; Culture & Rituals; Knitting; Life Story; Mah Jong; Music –“Jazz – The Sound of Surprise”; Maths – The Joy of Maths; Painting- Discovering Techniques in Water Colour Painting; Exploring Pagham, Parham & Palace; Portrayal of People, Events & Nature; Psychology – A sense of Well-being; Ukulele; Walking 7/8 miles on the local Downs or along the Coast.

Single room, en-suite accommodation can be booked on the modern Chichester University student campus, or you find your own accommodation elsewhere and attend daily. Contact: Helen Turner [email protected] or Isabel Baker [email protected] for more details.

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THE JOINT LOCAL U3A SCIENCE LECTURES

Formerly at Nonsuch Girls High School, the series is now held at Trinity Church, Sutton www.trinitychurchsutton.org.uk. It is for Banstead, Sutton and Epsom U3As and free to Banstead members. Talks begin at 2.00 p.m.

The talks, on science subjects, will be on research topics, with some biographic, and given by university speakers and knowledgeable U3A members. The forthcoming programme is:.

10 January 2018: David Fishwick, Astronomer - Weighing the Stars 14 February 2018: Dr Alexandra Oleya-Castro, UCL: - The Physics of Life 14 March 2018: Dr Mark Lee, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Burping Cows and Climate Change 9 May 2018: Dr Amelie Saintonge, UCL – Galaxies-Formation 13 June 2018: Dr Tim Mason, Portsmouth University emeritus – Pasteur and the Rabies Virus

Please note:  the programme may be subject to change  no refreshments: the Church has a cafe serving lunches until 2pm;  no parking is available on the site. Hill Road access is for drop-off only;  nearest parking is the Gibson Road car park;  nearest railway station is Sutton;

The Church is on the following bus routes: 80, 151, 164, 213, 280, 407, 413, 470, 613, 627, S1, S3, S4..

SURREY NETWORK STUDY DAYS 2018

Making Sense of Militant Islam Friday Presented by Anne Davison, Lecturer for The Arts Society. Feb 16th Places are available Vincent Van Gogh & Painting in Nineteenth Century France Friday Presented by Leslie Pitcher, U3A Member & Lecturer for The Arts Society. Mar 16th Places are available UK Energy Futures Friday Presented by Graham Hill, Richard Rumble, Robin Allen, John Gallop & Ian Funnell. Apr 20th Places are available Satirical Art, Hoaxes & Dickensian Magic Friday Presented by Ian Keable, Lecturer for The Arts Society & Member of The Inner Magic Circle. May 18th Booking opens on 1 February 2018 Prehistoric Britain: new discoveries about our ancient past Friday Presented by Professor Mike Parker Pearson, University College London Jun 15th Booking opens on 1 February 2018 Planned study day in 2018 on Major Infrastructure Projects Friday Presented by John Kennedy, U3A Member, & Others Sept 21st Booking opens on 1 June 2018

All Study Days take place at the Menuhin Hall, The Yehudi Menuhin School, Stoke d’Abernon, KT11 3QQ and cost £10 for members and £12 non-members. Coffees and teas are provided bring your own lunch. Times are 9:30 am - 4 pm. There are plenty of car parking spaces. Applications and SAE to John Kennedy, 20 Greville Park Road, Ashtead KT21 2QT, [email protected], 01372 273561

Deadline for the May 2018 Newsletter with articles to Gill Ross by email is 16 April 2018 (send to [email protected]) or by post 9 April 2018 (send to 5 Harpurs Surrey KT20 5UD)

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