CROUCH VALLEY

NEWSLETTER

http://u3asites.org.uk/crouch-valley

WINTER 2016 COMMITTEE 2016/17

Acting Chairman Ray Burns Vice Chairman David Shea Secretary Ken Walker Treasurer John Gable Membership Secretary Colin Pegrum Programme Secretary Lynda Burns Groups Co-ordinator Bob LeBeau Committee Member Rosemary Green Welfare Officer Joyce Sach Webmaster Don Wragg

NEXT NEWSLETTER

I plan to issue the next newsletter at the April 2017 meeting. Articles of interest to members are very welcome and will be included, space permitting. Please send Group Reports and other items to me by 30th March. Thank You. Jan Campen

2 A Word from the Chair

Welcome to our winter 2016 newsletter.

This has been an active year in our U3A. At our AGM we were not able to find anyone to take over the Chairman’s role vacated by Ray Burns (aka me) so we took a lead from the Association of U3As who found themselves in the same position last year and I agreed as a member of the committee to carry out the duties of the Chairman in the role of Acting Chairman. The ideal outcome would be that at the AGM in 2017 we can find someone new to take the role as this will keep the ideas fresh, this is very important.

Our thanks must go to Lynda who lined up some really good speakers for the year. She has booked most of the months next year already and the dates and details can be found on the ‘Events’ page on our website.

We ran three events during the year. The first was a quiz in April and our thanks must go to the quiz committee who made all the arrangements and set the questions and generally provided us all with a really fun evening.

The second was a barbecue which was held at the scout hut in August. Lots of thanks must go to David Shea who arranged the venue, got most of the food and did the cooking with the help of Joyce and Don Wragg. We also had some great music from Alan & June Saunders and their ukulele band which was enjoyed by all those who came. Lots of others pitched in to make a very successful afternoon so thanks goes to them as well, even the weather did it’s bit. We hope to hold another next summer but have no details as yet.

The third was the Cockney Evening in October at Champions Manor Hall which was a very good evening. The event went very well indeed with an excellent band ‘Cockney Pride’ and some very welcome fish & chips mid evening. Thanks to all those involved in the arrangements for this one.

Also worthy of a big thank you are the various Group Leaders for their organisational skills and keeping their groups up to date with the news of their activities, and of course the members of those groups who pitch in and share the work load by arranging activities as well. The groups are the lifeblood of our organisation and we are lucky to have so many people who are involved.

3 We have kept up contacts with the Essex Association of U3As. We have also had an attendance at the Essex Assoc. meetings in Chelmsford and while these meetings are not the most scintillatingly interesting events in the calendar we do it for our members and it is a scurrilous rumour that suggests the only reason we attend is in order to enjoy a tasty lunch afterwards and to stock up with fish from the terrifically well stocked fish stall in the market.

Again this year the monies paid for tea and coffee will go to the Essex Air Ambulance, Aspire, the spinal injuries charity, Dementia Adventure and Lupus, all excellent local charities so when you get a cup of whatever and a biscuit or cake at our meetings please be generous and put some coins in the box because it should be remembered that the tea, coffee, milk, sugar, biscuits and cakes are donated by our members and not paid for from U3A funds and our thanks must go to them for their generosity.

Finally our thanks to Jan Campen who edits this newsletter and does a great job for which we should be very grateful.

Ray Burns – Acting Chairman.

From the Secretary’s desk

So just what does the Secretary do, apart from sitting at the front during our meetings?

Tasks:

To keep the Chairman well informed, as correspondence is often addressed to the Secretary

To assist in arranging venues and equipment as required

To ensure meetings are quorate in accordance with the Constitution

To convey decisions taken to the people who may be required to take action

To take action as required following meetings

To deal with correspondence

4 To maintain full and accurate files, including minutes

To circulate minutes to the Committee for approval at the next Committee Meeting

To be the link with the National Office, and to ensure that information and relevant events are relayed to the Committee and passed on to the membership

To keep the Committee Reference File up to date

To be the fall guy if anything goes wrong

And lastly, and most importantly, assist in clearing up after meetings!

And that’s all there is to it……………………………

Ken Walker - Secretary P How To Write Proper, Like What I Does.

1. Avoid alliteration. Always. 2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. 3. Avoid cliches like the plague. They're old hat. 4. Comparisons are as bad as cliches. 5. Be more or less specific. 6. Writers should never generalise. Seven: be consistent! 8. Don’t be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it is highly superfluous. 9. Who needs rhetorical questions? 10. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

5 Treasurer

Treasurer - More Words of “Wisdom”

We started the financial year with strong reserves of £1,189.60 in our General Account and £1,736.47 in our Social Account. Strictly under Charity Act rules our reserves should not continue to increase and The U3A Trust recommend that they should not exceed more than 12 months running costs. As a consequence I budgeted for and expect to make a small deficit for this financial period (eleven months to 31/3/2017).

I hope you agree that the strength of our Social Fund monies has meant that we have been able to provide the BBQ, Cockney night and Quiz at cheap rates and this should continue on into our Christmas activities.

The donations of “tea money” raised at the monthly meetings is for this year being paid over to Four Charities as agreed by you all. Details of these payments and thank you letters are put on the web site regularly and so far this year we have paid at the time of writing this article, £111.18 to Essex Air Ambulance (2 collections), £118.25 to Aspire (2 collections and includes £17.10 donated by Ray Dickens book exchange), £104.72 to LUPUS (1 collection and includes £50 donated by speaker) and finally £40.32 to Dementia Adventure (1 collection). Whilst I believe we have done very well it does seem to me that at some meetings the amount collected does not do justice to the spread of cakes and biscuits provided. If we can all slightly increase our donations I am sure that it will still only represent a fraction of the price you would need to pay at say Costa in the town centre. Come on everybody let’s try harder.

As intimated above our finances are very healthy and will continue to be so in the future as long as we maintain strong membership levels.

Finally I note that my three year tenure as Treasurer comes to an end at the next AGM. If you are interested in becoming the next treasurer then please do not hesitate to contact me or any other member of the committee. I will of course be prepared to give all the support necessary to my successor.

John Gable - Treasurer

6 Groups Coordinator

We have 21 Groups all run by our own members which range from Bird Watching to Wine Appreciation. We also share an Aviation group with U3A. Any member wishing to organise a new group will have the full support of the Crouch Valley U3A Committee - including, where appropriate initial financial assistance.

Bob LeBeau - Group Co-ordinator

Membership

Our membership has steadied at the current 145 plus a couple of people interested in joining, which is on a par with last year. May I take this opportunity to remind members that renewals will take place in March next year and the full year membership will revert to £16. When renewing would you please fill out a membership to accompany your payment, forms are downloadable from the web site.

Colin Pegrum – Membership Secretary.

Webmaster

I have now been responsible for the website for nearly a year. I would like to thank all group leaders and members for their support in providing information / news for inclusion.

It is understood not everyone has internet access but with a very small number of members who don’t have access the committee considered the use of the web would be the most effective way of keeping the growing membership numbers informed.

I am able to see the number of page visits to the website from members / non-members, we are currently getting (on average) 125 hits per day.

Don Wragg – Webmaster.

7 Welfare Officer

The Committee have introduced a new role of Welfare Officer, to be a point of contact between our U3A and any member who is unwell or in hospital. Please contact Joyce Sach by phone on 324936 or email her via [email protected]

Since taking up the position of the U3A Welfare Officer I have been called only once, and sent one Get Well card. I'm hoping that means that we are a very healthy bunch of people, or maybe group members are not letting me know when people are not well or even in hospital. Colin Martin phoned me in September and told me that a member of his bird watching group hadn't been very well. I went out to buy a card and I found a lovely card with bluebirds on the front - it is nice to know people's interests. Please let me know if anybody is not well or needs a bit of cheering up with a friendly card from the Committee and their friends. Thank you.

Joyce Sach - Welfare Officer.

Prose and Poetry Competition 2017

Entries now welcome for our annual Prose and Poetry competition. We began holding this popular annual competition in 1955 in order to capture the reminiscences of the older residents of Essex. Each year a copy of every entry is given to the Essex Record Office to ensure that future generations of Essex people will learn from your story, your experiences, so material with an Essex theme is particularly welcome. This year we're looking for pieces of work taking their inspiration from the titles: Is life better today? or On the river or An unexpected visitor The competition is open to anyone over 50 and you must live in Essex. Prose should be no more than 1500 words long and poetry should fit on one side of A4 paper. For a full list of entry requirements, please go to :- http://www.ageuk.org.uk/brandpartnerglobal/essexvpp/prosepoetryrulesa ndentryform2017.pdf Your entry must reach us by 28 February 2017. Good luck!

8 GROUP REPORTS

Aviation

As some may know, an Aviation group was of little interest to Crouch Valley members, so I joined the Maldon U3A Aviation group, which has a thriving membership of some 48 people. They meet at the Purleigh Sports Field Pavilion, on the 3rd Tuesday afternoon of the month, at 2pm.

We have had some interesting speakers during the course of the year. One recounted his trip in a 2 seat Spitfire, another recounted his experiences of flying 30 missions in a Lancaster 44-45. He then joined up with another 2 who had been crew members on Lancasters, on a question & answer session. Their combined age was 285!!!

Some pictures of the 3 Bomber Command Veterans and their aircraft.

Contact is Brian Austin.

9 Bird Watching

As most of the membership know, reports of our visits are put on the Bird Watching group page of the U3A Crouch Valley web site. For those unable to view the web site we have made visits to at Fambridge, EWT, Chigborough Lakes EWT, Rainham Marshes RSPB. In May we did the evening walk to hear the Nightingales singing at EWT, then returned there for our October visit to include viewing from the new hide situated on the re-instituted salt marsh. Weather conditions play a large part of having pleasing visits, generally we are fortunate. We enjoy the fresh air, looking around and stretching our legs, and of course we find somewhere to have refreshment and socialise. Which after all, is what the birds are doing! The Essex Wildlife Trust has continued to make good use of its resources. It has now opened its new visitor at The Naze which we hope to visit sometime. We car share where possible and finalise this sharing the day before the visit. The numbers on our outings vary from 4 to 14. We welcome new members to our group.

Contacts: Colin Martin & John Gable.

Book Group

INTERNATIONAL BOOK DAY

I expect if asked, many of our readers including myself, were unaware that International Book Day was celebrated on the 3rd of March 2016. In 2015 the number Adults and Children taking part in the quiz held in conjugation with this day was 2679. This year the event broke the ’Guinness Book of Records’ as 6000 book readers took part in this the 19th year.

I found this so inspiring to know the Children and Adults across the UK are being encouraged to pick-up and read a book, as opposed to picking up an iPad or just logging on. As a member of our Crouch Valley U3A Book group, I was particularly interested in all the activities taking place. Many of our High Street booksellers were also supporting the day. It

10 made me think way back when I first started to read, instead of being read - to. This opened up a whole new world of exciting adventures. As I grew older I escaped into the world of historical past in the words of my favourite authors. Nothing can replace a good book!

Our book group meeting allows the members to explore together their opinions on the work of many different authors. Some good, some not so good! But without the ability to read this would be denied us. It is a pleasure to hear my 7 year old Grandson stumble over some words but getting there in the end and enjoying the journey as he improves his reading skills.

Throughout the UK and Ireland, the International Book Day’s aim, though its activities, is to encourage young and old to pick-up a book, this is to be congratulated. Google it when you can to find out more, if you can put down the latest best seller!

Although our Book Group is full we can help to start another group. We also a meet in a ground floor room.

Our recommendation for a 'good read' this time is a haunting ghost story set in the French mountains :-

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

The Great War took much more than lives. It robbed a generation of friends, lovers and futures. In Freddie Watson's case, it took his beloved brother and, at times, his peace of mind. Unable to cope with his grief, Freddie has spent much of the time since in a sanatorium. In the winter of 1928, still seeking resolution, Freddie is travelling through the French Pyrenees - another region that has seen too much bloodshed over the years. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. Shaken, he stumbles into the woods, emerging by a tiny village. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful local woman, also mourning a lost generation. Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories of remembrance and loss. By the time dawn breaks, he will have stumbled across a tragic mystery that goes back through the centuries. By turns thrilling, poignant and haunting, this is a story of two lives touched by war and transformed by courage.

Contact is Joan Martin.

11 Computer Help

The Group is now 18 months old and from its inception with over 30 people it has now settled to an active membership of 20 and average attendance of 12 to 15 at our meetings at the Village Hall on the second Wednesday of the month.

We are still retaining the same format at our meetings of firstly discussing the latest computer topics of general interest followed by breaking up into pairs or small groups working together on members specific problems or issues together with tea/coffee and biscuits. This provides self-help for members to keep up-to-date and improve their skills in a social, beneficial, and friendly way and is now proving to be not only successful but also enjoyable

Amongst topics more recently covered are the ever increasing need to be vigilant and new web sites for maintaining a secure protection on all our devices. We also looked at using a site called 'Lifetile' for the cataloguing, arranging and storage of old printed personal photographs.

Many members, although not all, have now transferred to the Microsoft Windows 10 format and we have been talking about their experiences of this change which required a free update until the end of last July for those using the earlier platforms of 7 and 8.1. This has now finished but a further major mandatory update which is being run out is causing some concern and discussion between members.

Earlier in the year we also spent some more time looking at the Microsoft Office formats of Power point, Excel and Word and we may return to them in the future.

We continue to welcome new members into our friendly group, all having differing individual needs and experience, and whist by no means computer experts we do offer an enjoyable way of getting more out of our tablets, laptops and computers.

Contact is Richard Bradshaw.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. -Arnold J. Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975)

12 Discussion Group

We started meeting in April, initially at Tropical Wings Café which was convenient but rather noisy and the seats very hard! We now use the Meeting Room at SWF Library and the seats are much more comfortable, and there are facilities for making a hot drink. We've discussed a wide variety of topics, including tattoos, restorative justice, swearing, England's disgraceful football performance, burkinis, should we return the Elgin Marbles and the honours system, amongst many other things.

Our meetings are very informal, everyone brings a topic, perhaps a newspaper cutting or something that has caught their attention. So, if you fume at the TV or rant at the radio or just want some conversation with adults – come and join us; 2.15 on the second Thursday of the month. We don't need to agree, just to air the topic!

Contact is Jan Campen.

Family History

With the Genealogy course behind us and our heads full with knowledge, we reviewed the ‘Future Learn’ course at our April, May and June meetings. How much of it we will remember is another matter! We have however, all the material filed away that we can refer to. We also looked in detail at the 1939 war time Register that has this year been made available for researchers. This can be a help to advance our information on recent departed family. Our thanks go to group member Mike Hawker, for giving a talk at the August main U3A meeting. At our September meeting we had a go at trying to understand a little about the subject of DNA and how this amazing biology can sometimes help in understanding our roots and even put us in contact with distant cousins. The October meeting looked at the ever increasing resource of digitised Newspaper Archives, and how to get the best out of them. We always welcome new members. As we meet upstairs, it could be arranged for a member of this group to make a home visit for a disabled U3A member, to get you started, as most of the research is done individually in our own homes. Please contact me if you would like to take up this offer, or for any other information. Contact is Colin Martin.

13 Games

We had a break over the summer and returned to our meetings on the 22nd September and there were twelve of us. We had two card schools going and one scrabble board. Later a darts match was played. Half way through we had tea and biscuits.

The details of our group is on the website, and we would welcome new members, so that we could play more and different games. We meet every fourth Thursday in the games room (upstairs) at the Village Hall 2pm until 4pm.

Contact is Julie Ferris.

Gardening

What a lovely summer we have had, and dry, Essex has lived up to its reputation of be the driest county in England! This caused me some problems and probably our members too, in trying to find someone to look after the garden while you are on holiday.

I hope you have enjoyed your gardening this year. My allotment, despite the dry weather, did well. I had a good crop of potatoes and French beans. Runner beans do not do too well in hot weather, but improved as it became cooler. I am in the process of changing my garden borders from annual bedding plants to perennials, this will save money and time. I have managed to get colour throughout the year, but still have some work to do.

The Garden group have had some memorable visits this year, mostly because of the rain we managed to find in a dry summer! Wisley was wet, but well attended. About 10 of us went back to Oasis, did you see it on the Gardeners World? Then we went to the Henry Moore studio last month, yes it rained all day!! But

14 we had a fascinating guided tour by an enthusiastic lady that made it worth while. We also had a very nice pub lunch. If you are interested in the Garden Group, please contact me on the number on the web site - and you don’t need to have a garden!! We mostly visit interesting gardens or houses. We can advise you on plants or visit your garden to give suggestions on planting --- providing you supply tea and cakes!

Contact is David Shea.

Going Out

As a group we haven’t been very active this summer, probably down to me as I got a little side-tracked with other things this year. One visit we made was in September, when a number of us had a tour of Wimbledon. There is a lot of work going on there at the moment - they are reconstructing Court number 1 so that it will be covered like Centre Court. Nevertheless it was a very interesting tour which took us all through the media centre and around the outside courts and finally to Centre Court itself. The tour is very much recommended and includes entry to the museum. A number of us are going on the Phillips Coaches visit to the Dickensian Christmas Fair in Rochester on Saturday 3rd December. If you would like to come with us, please contact Phillips direct and tell them that you are with the U3A. Finally, thanks to all those who have arranged visits in the past and those who have made suggestions for visits. If you have any ideas for outings please contact me and I will circulate your suggestions to all the other members of the group.

Contact is Ray Burns.

15 Jazz Appreciation

The Jazz Appreciation Group has been attending gigs at The Belvedere Club which takes place at The Chichester Hotel in Rawreth every Wednesday evening. A number of us attended a gig there on April 27th (my birthday) by Elaine Delmar. She was brilliant, and sang happy birthday to me and there was a cake as well. Who put them up to it? There have been a few more evenings there since and coming up is the Christmas party which features The Pasadena Roof Orchestra on November 30th. This is sold out but if anyone is interested they should contact Phil Church and ask to be put on the cancellations list. If anyone else is interested in Jazz and would like to be kept up to date with what’s on please let me know and I’ll put you on my contact list.

Contact is Ray Burns.

Knit'n'Natter

We have met for the past few years upstairs in the Village Hall, but due to some of our ladies having difficulties with the stairs, we have managed to change to the Small Hall downstairs. The times are the same 11am - 1pm, but we now meet on the 4th Monday morning instead of 1st. Always happy to make new ladies most welcome. Come and join us for a natter, cup of tea and biscuit. I'm afraid knitting comes second as we find the chat takes priority, naturally. At last year's Christmas U3A party many of our knitted items were sold to raise funds for our Charities at the time. The sale was so successful, that this year we have been busy knitting and once again our knits will be for sale to add to the Charity coffers. We look forward to seeing you with your pennies and pounds this coming Christmas. You won't be disappointed! Contact is Brenda Neale.

Anonymous contribution : This made me laugh because only women understand this! If my body was a car, I would be trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps, dents, scratches & my headlights are out of focus. My gearbox is seizing up & it takes me hours to reach maximum speed. I overheat for no reason and every time I sneeze, cough or laugh either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!

16 Local History

Another summer of varied visits including Royal Artillery Museum, Marriages Flour Mill, Southchurch Hall, Colchester Roman Circus and Hever Castle.

Our next visit is a legal tour including the Old Bailey on 15 November.

Our December meeting will be at Shaw Farm, date to be arranged, for 2017 planning, two items have been suggested, Audley End and Southend Treasure Hunt walk, so a good start to filling the year.

Contact is Colin Pegrum.

Play Reading

We started reading 'I am a camera' by Christopher Isherwood, which was later used as the basis for the film Cabaret. Prior to this we read 'Spiders Web' by Agatha Christie. If anyone is interested in joining the group we do have space.

Next meeting Tuesday 6th December, 2-4pm at the meeting room in the library. We have a break about half-way for tea/coffee.

Contact is Linda Thomas.

Strollers

Our strollers group is still growing! We mainly walk from the river car park and recently the start of our usual path has been closed, the bonus has been the field our temporary route takes, which has been filled with sheep. The footpath we take crosses the Fenn and is a lovely walk, finishing at Tropical Wings Café for refreshment and a nice chat - we can usually sit outside. Our out-of-Woodham strolls have been at , Hyde Hall and Heybridge basin (where it's hard to resist a naughty scone in the lovely waterside café).

Contact is Pat Fayers.

17 Table Tennis

We meet every Wednesday evening from 7.00 to 8.00 pm in the Activity Room at the South Woodham Leisure Centre and if you would like to play table tennis please come and join us there.

Contact is Eira Jonson.

Ten Pin Bowling

Ten pin bowling takes place at Madison Heights in Maldon on the first and third Thursdays of the month. Some people get confused when there are five Thursdays in the month but we always stick to the 1st and 3rd Thursdays.

We start at 10am so get to Madison Heights about 9.50 to give you time to pay and hire the shoes if you require them - some of us bring our own and we've found that Primark do a good selection which are ideal for bowling.

We have two games, a break in between for a cuppa and a chat (as if we didn't talk enough while we're bowling). So if you want a bit of exercise and fun we are a very friendly bunch with very mixed abilities.

As always, my details are on the website - no need to book, just turn up, we'd love to see you.

Contact is Joyce Sach.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.

Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012)

18 Walkers

Since the last newsletter, we have been on walks to: the Fleet Street area in the City of London, both lesser known Woodhams (Mortimer & Walter,) Thorndon Country Park plus local village & countryside areas such as Herongate, Tillingham & Pleshey, to name just a few.

We usually meet at SWF Village Hall car park at 10.00 for car sharing. From November to March we go out walking on the last Wednesday of each month, but not in December. Then for Spring, Summer & Autumn, we try to fit in an additional earlier walk on Mondays. Walks can vary from 3–5 miles approx, usually culminating in a stop for refreshments at lunchtime. For this year, we will be having our 2017 planning meeting during Twixtmas (date to be confirmed).

However if you feel like stretching your legs for a worthy cause before the Christmas celebrations begin, then this article, taken from the Chelmsford Life - Autumn issue, may be of interest?

Jingle bells, jingle bells, walking all the way...... oh what fun it is to stride on this Yuletide holiday! Enjoy a walking tour of Chelmsford’s Christmas lights and more on Thursday 8 December at 7pm, all in aid of charity. To get in the Christmas spirit, let the Heart & Sole walk leaders guide you from Anglia Ruskin University along the River Chelmer, before hitting the twinkly lights of Chelmsford High Street and Moulsham Street. To cater for a mix of walking abilities, there will be a choice between a 5km and a 10km route, each with a walk leader at the back to ensure that no-one gets left behind. Refreshments will be available to purchase from the University café in the Lord Ashcroft building, where the route starts and finishes...and you will even be treated to a free mince pie! Participants are asked for a £3 donation, which is split between our chosen charities; Macmillan Cancer Support and The J’s Hospice. Last year we raised £580.92; let’s see if we can beat it!

Contact is Lesley Dearing.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Life is short, short, brother! / Ain't it the truth? / And there is no other / Ain't it the truth? / You gotta rock that rainbow while you still got your youth! Yip Harburg, lyricist (1896-1981)

19 Watercolour Group

Our art group is a shared group with South Woodham U3A. We usually meet on the 2nd Monday of the Month between 2pm and 4pm in the back downstairs room at Club Woodham.

Our programme includes painting landscapes, waterscapes, flowers and still life. We use a variety of sources: illustrations in books, magazines and on DVDs, to try to improve our skills and techniques. We are a "self help" group giving each other support and advice as necessary.

We are a friendly, mixed ability group always looking to improve! If you would like to join us new members are always welcome - just come along.

Contact is Yvonne Frost.

Weekenders

As you know, our Group was formed in late 2015, when a few of us were discussing the fact that there were not any regular weekend events for our U3A as most groups met during the week. For those members who had no family near and who sometimes found themselves at a loose end at weekends, we hoped that a Weekenders Group would fill that gap, especially during the Winter months.

Our regular meet ups are 11am on a Saturday at the Coffee Lounge in town and a short stroll along the river on a Sunday, weather permitting, meeting in the River Car Park at 12 noon.

Our ‘out-of-town’ visits in 2016 have included a visit to Burnham by train to go to their Farmers’ Market, followed by lunch and a walk along the sea wall, and a guided tour of Moot Hall in Maldon, which was very informative, and with a view from the top that was spectacular, once we had negotiated the very narrow, winding stairs up to the roof.

We have also been to a Trad Jazz evening at Hyde Hall, as well as visiting their wonderful Flower Show on another occasion. We had a combined visit to the Colne Valley Railway near Castle Hedingham, with lunch and a ride on the steam train, followed by a visit to the only remaining working watermill at Alderford, a couple of miles away. This

20 was historically very interesting and the weather had turned beautiful for this afternoon visit, where we were able to have tea and a slice of wonderful, home-made cake on the veranda of the mill.

Some members have been visiting the free concerts at Chelmsford Cathedral on a Friday lunch time quite regularly and some bought tickets for ‘The Big Sing’ on Saturday 10 September, an evening event. This was to listen to and participate with The London Gospel Choir and the Big Sing Choirs from around Essex. The Cathedral was packed and we had a rousing evening!

This is a very informal and friendly group, and all forthcoming events are advised by email to group members on a fairly regular basis and they are also kept updated on the website.

Contact Jan Talikowski.

Wine Appreciation #1

Over the last few months Wine Group 1 has experienced many different blends and varieties of wines.

Our August meeting was very informal when all members were asked to bring a bottle of their favourite wine and a cheese to go with it, so that the remainder of the group could express their opinions. The meeting started in the garden of Chris and Andy but as the night drew in moved into the house. This was one occasion when there was a full attendance and a new member joined us bringing us up to a total of 19 people.

Our September meeting was held on the terrace of Astrid and John’s home overlooking the river. Our theme for the evening was “What it says on the bottle”. If you have ever read some of these labels you do wonder who could actually dream it all up. How do you get a taste of nicotine in wine? The October meeting was something that as a group we had not tried before, Wine group 2 plus a few other members of the U3A joined us for a

21 wine tasting at Russells Restaurant in Great Baddow. The evening started with every one being picked up by coach in South Woodham and transported to our venue (no problem with drink driving), On arrival we were met by Barry, the owner of Russells who explained that laid out for us to taste were Red, White, Sparkling, Champagne & Rosé wines a total of 30 in all, ranging in price from £6.49 to £24.90.

We spent a happy hour tasting what wine we fancied before being served with an excellent hot buffet while we continued to sample the wine. The evening closed with us being picked up by the coach and transported happily back to Woodham.

Contact is Andy Hull.

Wine Appreciation #2

I am sure that Andy Hull (wine group 1) will send a report on our fab evening at Russell's restaurant Evening so I don't want to steal his thunder. If you only want reports on future events I can only say that Wine Group 2 continue to enjoy a variety of wines and events. More importantly we are looking forward very much to a beer tasting at Crouch Vale Brewery and to liaising with Wine Group 1 again, maybe with a picnic event in the summer.

Contact is Sue Acton.

New Group Suggestions

Maybe you have an idea/passion/suggestion for a new group – please have a chat with the Groups Co-ordinator Bob LeBeau.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story. Terry Pratchett, novelist (28 Apr 1948-2015)

22 FAMILY HISTORY SNIPPETS – STORY #3

MARTHA THE MANTLE MAKER 1830-91

The 1881 census records my Great-Great-Aunt Martha's occupation as a Mantle Maker. This puzzled me because the only uses of the word mantle that I was familiar with were in 'overmantle', 'mantlepiece' and 'gas mantle' (as used in lighting) and I didn't think Martha was very likely to be involved in any of these activities! I researched her life and this is what I found.

Martha was born on 14th August 1830 at the home of her grandparents in Calne, Wiltshire. She was the third of nine children – there may have been more but I cannot find any other records. The family ran a horticultural business and her father was in charge of the nursery at Bishops Cannings, a village just outside Devizes. When she was 21 years old she was living in Little Brittox, in central Devizes, and working as a dressmaker. She was providing a home for herself, and two sisters – Ann aged 18 and also a dressmaker and Letitia aged 9. Perhaps this eased the pressure on accommodation at home with a large family.

Martha later spent time as a Draper's Assistant in Bristol and by the time she was 40 she had her own premises in the High Street at Alton, Hampshire and was a Milliner & Dressmaker, with a young live-in apprentice. At some point she returned to live with her elderly, widower father in High Street, Potterne, near Devizes. She was now a Draper and Mantlemaker. You may wonder what a mantlemaker does. Makes mantles, obviously. I wanted to know about mantles and the social history connected with garments that Martha had made. Through the library I found a very helpful book - English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century by C. Willett Cunnington Dover 1990, 1937.

23 A mantle is an outer garment, sometimes cloak-like, sometimes jacket- like, sometimes fitted, sometimes not so. The length can vary and there may, or may not, be sleeves. The garment is most likely to be heavily decorative, with an assortment of embroidery, frills, ruching, ribbons, buttons, braiding, beads, fur and other embellishments. It would take considerable skill and time to make such a garment and the fabrics and embellishments could be costly. It was thus a garment that didn't feature in the wardrobes of the working classes – poorer women would probably have just a large woollen shawl.

Throughout the 19th century the fashion changed yearly and mantle styles were many and various. World events could be reflected in fashion and the Crimean war period was reflected in military style buttons, tabs, epaulettes. Later an Arab influence introduced tassels. Mantle styles had their own names : the Witzchoura, the Talma, the Crispin, the Cardinal, the Dolman and many others. The fabrics used might be silk for summer and then velvet, cashmere, plush, sealskin etc and be satin-lined and wadded for winter. A considerable amount of work and skill would be needed to make such a garment, as well as a deep pocket to afford to commission one!

There is a report of the infamous Lilly Langtry attending the Grosvenor Gallery and wearing 'a costume of black satin, the hood of the mantle lined with crimson and gold stuff, and trimmings of gold butterflies and green and blue bugles.'

I do hope that Martha had a sewing machine in her later years, to help with the basic construction at least. I'm sure there was much hand-sewing required to attach all the various frills, braids, tassels, lace, beads etc etc. The sewing machine was showcased by Singer at the 1851 Great Exhibition and by the 1860s had become very popular, with many middle-class households owning one.

24 Martha never married and I have no way of knowing what her life was actually like but she seems to have been an achiever and moved several times, in an era when travel was slow and difficult. I think of her as a 'can-do' woman who make her own luck.

She died on 6th March (just before the 1891 census), aged 60 and is buried at Easterton Cemetery, Market Lavington, Wiltshire; although today no grave can be found. Her father lived for another 20 months, as 'a Boarder' in the village of Easterton and was then buried in the same cemetery as his daughter. Jan Campen

HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD

AND DON'T MOVE FAST ANY MORE.

George Smith, an elderly man from North Yorkshire, was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go and turn off the light, when he saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" He said, "No, but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me.”

Then the police operator said, "All our patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available." George said, "Okay." He hung up the phone and counted to 30. Then he phoned the police again. "Hello”, he said. “I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed….. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot and killed them both, and the dogs are eating them right now." And he hung up.

Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Smith's residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!”

25 The BBC is seeking your help!

Please read the following request (received via our website in September and reproduced here for anyone who missed it):

I am an Assistant Producer at the BBC and we are making a new BBC2 observational documentary series called My Big Week (working title). The series will be following individuals and their loved ones through one life changing week with advice & support being offered during these challenging 7 days and we are looking for people all over the UK who would like to take part. Each episode will follow 2 different stories, showcasing the ups and downs of those moments that shape the rest of their lives. We hope to follow all types of peoples journeys, for example perhaps a couple that are becoming parents for the first time, someone who is about to make a big career change and setting up a new business or perhaps a couple getting married- anything that will re-shape a person or a families future.

The reason I wanted to get in touch with you is because we are looking for senior citizens to follow who have a significant week coming up this year and I wondered if you might be able to help spread the word amongst your members. People stories will vary, one thing the producers are really keen to follow is the story of is an elderly parent moving in with their children (and their family) as an alternative to going into a care home or another story might be someone who is overcoming a significant health problem or supporting someone who is, or perhaps someone who is taking a late retirement from a job they have dedicated years to and are gearing up to their final week in the work place. Whatever the scenario, we would love to hear people’s stories. We will be filming up until January 2017 so anything that is happening up until then is of interest to us.

Please do let me know if you are able to help spread the word in any way. By finding out more there is no obligation for people to take part and all enquiries are treated as confidential.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Please reply to Cleo Dixey [email protected]

Anyone interested should contact Cleo Dixey directly.

26 GROUPS & CONTACT DETAILS

Group Contact Name Phone email Meeting time

Aviation Brian Austin 329587 [email protected] At Maldon U3A

Bird Watching Colin Martin 327129 [email protected] Third Wednesday Third Monday at 2.30pm in Book Group Joan Martin 327129 [email protected] the Small Hall at Village Hall Second Wednesday Computer Help Richard Bradshaw 323420 [email protected] 10.00am at the Village Hall Second Thursday 2.15 Discussion Jan Campen 321905 [email protected] Meeting Room SWF Library Fourth Thursday 10.00 Family History Colin Martin 327129 [email protected] Village Hall Fourth Thursday at 2.00pm Games Group Julie Ferris 320732 [email protected] in the Village Hall Afternoon of the third Gardening David Shea 324645 [email protected] Thursday Going Out Group Ray Burns 323226 [email protected] Non specific outings

Jazz Appreciation Ray Burns 323226 [email protected] By Arrangement First Monday at 11.00am in Knit & Natter Brenda Neale 320396 [email protected] the Village Hall Local History Colin Pegrum 321214 colin_pegrum@hotmail .com Third Tuesday in the month SWF Library Small Room Play Reading Linda Thomas 321290 [email protected] First Tuesday 2-4pm. Tuesday 10.00am River Car Strollers Pat Fayers 322567 [email protected] Park near Marsh Farm Every Wednesday 7-8pm Table Tennis Eira Jonson 321958 [email protected] William de Ferrers Joyce Sach 324936 [email protected] Madison Heights, Maldon. Tenpin Bowling 1st and 3rd Thursday of Rosemary Green [email protected] each month at 10.00 am. Summer - 1st or 2nd Monday Walkers Lesley Dearing 325147 [email protected] Winter - 4th Wednesday Second Monday 2 pm Club 01268 Watercolour Painting Yvonne Frost [email protected] Woodham Shared with SWF 762948 U3A Weekenders Jan Talikowski 329560 [email protected] Various Sat & Sunday Second Thursday or Friday Wine Appreciation 1 Andy Hull 320957 [email protected] 7.30pm Wine Appreciation 2 Sue Acton 324805 [email protected] Second Friday 7.30pm

27 FUTURE MEETINGS

Christmas meeting. Please note: this year the meeting is on a Monday and Mon Dec 12th will be held in the main hall so that we can accommodate more of our members at this very popular meeting.

Monthly meeting starting at 2pm. Tue Jan 24th The speaker will be Maz Keenan on Farleigh Hospice.

Monthly meeting starting at 2pm. Speaker is Malcolm Wells from Canine Partners on dogs to Tue Feb 28th help the disabled.

Monthly meeting starting at 2.00pm. Speaker this month is Peter Jones on the subject of 'How I Tue Mar 28th met Kylie Minogue'.

The monthly meeting this month is the AGM. There will be no speaker at this meeting. Tue Apr 25th It will start at the usual time of 2.00pm.

Monthly meeting starting at 2.00pm. The speaker this time is a welcome return of Brian Carline on Tue May 23rd the subject of 'Soil, Sweat and Tears' - a talk for reluctant gardeners.

Monthly meeting starting at 2.00pm. The speaker this month is Paul Spracklin on 'An introduction Tue Jun 27th to exotic gardening'.

Monthly meeting starting at 2.00pm. This month's speaker is Roy Wood (no, not that one) on 'How Tue Jul 25th to enjoy a healthy, wealthy retirement', a humorous look at something we all enjoy.

Monthly meeting starting at 2.00pm. Pam & Mark Bathurst will speak about 'The Medway Queen' a Tue Aug 22nd paddle steamer, heroine of Dunkirk. It's history and the story of it's restoration.

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