U3A News August 2021

Newsletter August 2021 he has become a Devon historian, Our next Members Meeting speaker, author and a group leader for Monday 16th August at 2pm the Devon Family History Society. He has recently published a book entitled 'History Dawlish Town Council Offices, Tours of Torquay' and is soon to publish the Manor House another about the boatmen of Babbacombe Bay. Speaker: Phil Badcott Folklore of bygone Devon – anecdotes from the nineteenth century Our get together last month was well attended. We had a few teething problems with it being the first time we’d held such a meeting in the Manor House, but on the whole it was light, (sometimes a bit too light to see the screen), airy and had plenty of room. Lynne McVernon gave an interesting talk about her time in theatre spanning over 25 years from sweeping the stage to directing and writing. From being a Butlins Rep to working in The National Theatre. This month we have Phil Badcott coming to talk to us. His very interesting title, Folklore of bygone Devon – anecdotes from the You are warmly invited to meet nineteenth century, is a light hearted together again and enjoy a very social look at the folklore of Devon. He will afternoon. Save the date! dip into the accounts of several of our P.S. If you have any suitable raffle 19th century Devonian writers and find out about what our ancestors really prizes, please bring them along to the believed about sneezing, cures for meeting and donate them to our raffle. ailments, counteracting evil and many other Devon customs. Patricia Angove - Newsletter Editor Phil is a Devonian and has lived in South Devon for most of his life. Since retiring Learning Laughing Living www.u3a.dawlish.info Open Day AGM - 20th September Just in case it hasn't found its way into You have been sent the initial notice for your calendar already, Saturday 18th the AGM. Please send any nomination September is the date of our first forms for a place on the Committee back Dawlish and District u3a Open Day. to the Secretary by 20th August. You Planned as a 'party with a purpose', this can be nominated and seconded by any is the day when members come together member of the u3a with the exception of to re-launch our u3a and re-engage with current committee members. u3a activities. Please consider doing a term on our But for this to be the greatest possible Committee, a year at least would be good success we need your help. Each as we do need more people to make sure interest group is being offered a share in our u3a is growing in numbers and a stall at the Open Day. The stalls will vibrancy. enable groups to promote their own The Committee is an essential feature of activities and encourage new and our u3a and members of it have found it existing members to join the fun. a very rewarding experience. Interest group convenors have all been Contact our Secretary: 01626 862486 invited to put together a small team of [email protected] enthusiastic group members to staff their stall. So when you are asked to help out please say yes - and share your own Strollers ideas of how to present your group in the Michael has chosen our August walk best light. Thursday 12th August, along the Exeter We truly want the Open Day to involve as canal, be warned it's a level walk but many members as possible so don't hold quite long so be prepared with sun back - we need you! protection and water bottles please. Any questions? Watch our website and Just in case there's anyone without a bus newsletter for further information, contact pass it's best we get the bus to t h e O p e n D a y t e a m v i a Exminster, we’ll walk down the lane past [email protected] or ask us in Swans Nest pub to the canal, person: Miggie Picton (Chair), John refreshments at Turf lock and then walk Vick, Steve Angove, Kate McCarthy, back by the canal to Powderham Church Anne Whitehead and then continue on by railway line to Starcross for the bus home to Dawlish or Teignmouth. Outward journey - bus number 2 Exeter Theatre Group bus leaves Teignmouth at 1.11pm and Our monthly meetings will be held on the Dawlish at 1.25 pm first Thursday of the month and will be at Return bus journey - number 2 Newton the Strand Centre, the first meeting will Abbot buses leave Starcross at 39 & 9 be on the 5th August from 2pm until mins past each hour 4pm where amongst other topics, we will Looking forward to this walk which I've be discussing Stage Struck prior to done in reverse before, when I was fitter attending the play. Regards to all - Jean Gitsham Kate McCarthy & Margaret Cunningham Art Appreciation Learning Laughing Living The next meeting will be on Monday 9th Badminton August. Weekly, every Tuesday at 4.30 to 5.30pm Contact: Lynne Vick Patricia Angove www.u3a.dawlish.info Literature Group Great Lives The Literature Group met on the 30th Will be held on Friday 27th August. July 2021, when we were pleased to Contact: George Lipscombe welcome new member Maggie Thorogood. Apart from discussing the current book, individually we selected our own personal choices for the future year Invitation to History from the extensive list provided by Devon The History Group will reconvene on Libraries. These are forwarded to Exeter August 19th. We are all going to bring Library, and as we do not share our something of our own, which is of choices, it is very interesting to see what historical interest and say a few things arrives each month. We are looking about it. Hopefully a discussion will forward to some varied and stimulating follow. reads. If you fancy joining us and bringing a The book we discussed was The suitable object, please contact me on Shipping News written by Annie Proulx. It 07910 115862. Come on! Give us a try. is mainly set in Newfoundland and is a The group is great fun. story of transformation of identity. The Also, if you have some such thing and main character is Quoyle who has little could lend it to us for the Open Day that self esteem and believes he is a pointless would be great. We would keep it safe, failure from being raised by selfish “under the counter.” We would put it in a parents, an abusive brother, a cheating pillowcase and ask people to identify it by wife and no stable job. But the transition touching it. Thanks. of this man to a strong self confident Richard Warburton person with a flourishing career, surrounded by genuine friends and finding love is sensitively and heart Natural History Group warmingly unfolded in a witty and often The Natural History met for the first time dark humouredly narrative. indoors since the easing of Covid The members were so impressed with restrictions on 27th July. Toby Sherwin this book they awarded it almost led 6 members on Marine Molluscs, and maximum points, members brought sea shells for The book for August is The Book of identification. We all learned a lot and Speculation by Erica Swyler, and one had an animated discussion. critique describes it as a “quirky, raucous At the next meeting, on Tuesday 24th and bewitching family saga”. Our next August, we hope to examine the meeting is on Friday 20th August. indigenous mammals of the UK, and Happy reading. Margaret Cunningham specifically the handful of wild species whose relations with the human species may be controvertible. There is space for Stand on the Strand new members, (in the Group, if not This Tuesday 3rd August we will be possibly for more mammals in the UK) so outside the Strand Centre giving out do contact me if you would like more Learning Laughing Living leaflets and encouraging new members. details. Please come along for a chat and meet George Lipscomb some of the Committee members. We will be there from 10.00am to 3.00pm. www.u3a.dawlish.info Weekly Zoom Quiz Discussion Group For your zoom link please contact: The group met on Monday 12th July at Graham Carey at Anne's house, (excellent biscuits), to [email protected] discuss post colonial guilt. It was quickly clear that we didn't consider it was possible or desirable for one generation French Conversation Group to take responsibility, or apologise for, The topic was the worst and best meal the actions of previous ones. Indeed, it you’ve ever had. seems impossible to judge past actions, Everyone had done their homework! and the motivations behind them, We had one person’s horror on her first against today's standards. visit here at the age of 10. She is French. What constitutes colonialism was She woke to a terrible smell…turned out discussed, and it appeared that to be an English breakfast! distinctions were to be drawn between We also heard about a visit to a hotel in settling in a country and suppressing the Exeter for afternoon tea where the guests inhabitants way of life, and controlling were put in a sort of sitting room with a resources and trade with less effect on low table which was dusty. They were the culture of the country. The question then served with scones which were rock of whether China's 'belt and road' hard .

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