BASILDON AND u3a NEWSLETTER No 330 MAY 2021

Covid – 19 edition14

Bluebells in Norsey Woods, Billericay

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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Alan Wood

Hello Everyone

The weather seems to be stuck in a cycle of showers, winds and below average temperatures for May, making it difficult to plant out the bedding and vegetables whilst hoping they will not be checked by the cold temperatures. I’ve just realised that it is only four weeks till the longest day and the nights start to draw in – what happened to Spring? Along with all the other problems at the moment, how’s that for a bit of despondency (glass half empty etc.)?!

However, on a brighter note, our groups will be able to operate in a normal fashion shortly, although we have no further news from the Canon Roche hall regarding opening before September for the monthly meetings. It may be possible to make alternative arrangements in the meantime.

We are sorry to hear that Joyce Clark, our Speakers secretary, will be moving to Suffolk in the near future. Along with her husband Geoff, Joyce has served us well for the past few years in booking and organizing some excellent speakers, including the more recent Zoom meetings. I am sure we all wish them great success in their new venture.

SECRETARY’S NEWS – “From under the stairs” Andy Fletcher

Nearly there!! I would guess that by the time that this is published, a good number of us will have taken the opportunity to “mingle” with more family and friends than we have been able to for a long time? I’m writing this on 16th May and I must admit that, although I am looking forward to a few more freedoms starting tomorrow, there is still a little bit of caution in my mind about how people will react to being let off the hook. Let’s all be careful. Enjoy those extra freedoms and abide by the guidelines and hopefully, in June, we can all start to plan for a much closer return to the normal activities of our u3a and its Interest Groups.

During our recent Committee Meeting on, 10th May, it was heartening to note that our membership numbers, with a few exceptions, have remained healthy. We can expect our meetings to be well attended when we start to get together again for our Monthly events and talks. I think Stuart, our Membership Secretary, will be mentioning elsewhere in the Newsletter that he would very much appreciate those of you that may not have renewed their affiliation to the & Billericay u3a getting in touch with him as soon as possible. Ann, our Group Facilitator, has reminded the Group Leaders that u3a membership is required by all members of Interest Groups. It would be a great shame if non-payment meant that members were precluded from attending their meetings.

Did you know that 2nd June this year is “u3a Day” around the Country? National Office and u3a Branches are being encouraged to get the word out to their Communities about the benefits of becoming a member of our organisation. Although some COVID Restrictions and Guidelines will still be in place and we will be unable to have a physical presence in a specific venue, we will however try to contact local Broadcasters and news media to let them know about us. If you are in a position to chat to friends, family, neighbours and members of other organisations you may belong to, it would be great if you could “spread the word”. The link below from the u3a Website will give you an idea of what u3a Day is all about. https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/u3a-day

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Our next Speaker at the Monthly Meeting on 28th May will be Jef Page, giving an “Illustrated Talk on London in the 1950s”. A lot of my family on both sides were either born or lived in London and, having been born there myself, I’m JUST about old enough to remember some things about it before we moved to . London is a wonderful place and I’m hoping to have my memory jogged! Here’s a little London conundrum to whet your appetite:-

“How do you get from Aldgate in the City of London to Temple Church on Fleet Street in the City of London withoutcrossing a road”?

Tune into the Zoom Meeting and we’ll see who worked it out!

Talking of Speakers, you will be sad to learn that Joyce Clark, our excellent Speaker’s Secretary and her husband, are leaving Essex for pastures new, and therefore her post on the Committee will become vacant. I’m sure you will all wish them well and thank Joyce for the excellent job she has done liaising with and organising the Talks we have had at the Canon Roche Centre and, most recently during the Lockdowns, on Zoom. Of course, this means that we will now be looking to recruit a new Speaker’s Secretary. I understand it is a very interesting position and great fun and not too complicated to carry out. Please let us know if you would like to join the Committee and take on this very important post.

I’m very sure you all appreciate the hard work that our Janis Horsley does to bring you an interesting and informative Newsletter each month? Please don’t forget that she would be very pleased to receive Group Reports, photographs and anything else that members would find interesting. How about writing a poem about the last year or tell us a (clean!!) story or joke? Send your efforts to her email at: - [email protected]

Stay safe and well and see you online at our next Online Meeting. Details are on Page 5

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Stuart King

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Renewal of membership of the Basildon & Billericay U3A was due on or by the 28th of February as usual. I know this has been an extraordinary year and that is why we introduced the lower fee of £5 to encourage people who might otherwise not have renewed to do so anyway. It was our way of repaying you for your support. It is now over a month since the renewal date expired and despite several reminders, there are still a few that have not renewed and the lower fee concession will expire at the end of May. If anyone wishes to renew please do so now, otherwise, the normal joining fee of £15-00 will be payable after that date.

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GROUPS’ FACILITATOR Ann Fletcher

It is fantastic to see that several of our interest groups are starting to find ways to meet together, whether it’s in someone’s back garden, the park or, if the group is small enough, in someone’s house. A few of our groups have been meeting together during lockdowns via the internet, either using something like Zoom or just emailing one-another.Now they are starting to visit the wider world, brandishing their vaccinated arms and socially distancing wearing masks, but ready to talk face-to-face again!

A couple of the sporting groups, like golf and Petanque, have been meeting together for quite a while, and now they are about to be joined by the rambling groups. One of the gardening groups, at least, has started to get together in their gardens and the Philosophy group is keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will be kind to their meeting.

If your group would like to meet in person, just check on the current Government guidelines and think about how you can best make sure that your group keeps safe. If you don’t want to meet in person yet, and your group members are unsure about meeting up with others yet, that’s fine. We still have the Zoom available to organise on-line meetings, just contact me about setting up a date and time. Remember, you will still have to complete a Risk Assessment if you are meeting in a different location, such as a local park.

There have been several changes to groups over the last few months, with some groups closing and others changing Co-ordinators. If your group has made changesplease let me know, so that I can keep the Groups’ List updated. I know that at least one group has changed Co-ordinator and I am waiting to hear if a new one has been chosen from its members. Without a Co-ordinator a group can’t continue.

Let’s hope that the changes really are leading us back to ‘normality’ and that we can all start meeting together soon.

A MESSAGE FROM THE THIRD AGE TRUST From The Chief Executive, Sam Mauger Link to u3a newsletter express https://mailchi.mp/u3a/newsletter-express-13-05-21-survey-ageism-fashion

This newsletter contains a survey of ageist attitudes to dress and appearance, and news of u3a Day in June.

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SPEAKERS SECRETARY Joyce Clarke

April 23rd, saw Brad Ashton give us a humorous presentation on his experiences as a writer to the stars of comedy. The number of members attending the zoom talk was consistent with previous month’s attendance figures.

Our next speaker will be Jef Page, Chairman and Programme Secretary of Ilford Historical Society. He will talk about London in the 1950s, hopefully jogging some good memories for all of us.

Do join us on Friday May 28th 2021 Meeting starts at 14:00 which gives you half an hour to have a chat and get settled before the talk starts at 14:30. Here’s the link:-

Topic: u3a Basildon & Billericay Monthly Meeting Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86214252055?pwd=bjN5MGJDOEphaExWV056T1hnQVMzUT 09

Meeting ID: 862 1425 2055

Passcode: B&BU3A

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THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST. EXHIBITION IN SOUTHEND

The exhibition has partly been researched by members of a number of u3a groups around the area.

“The TSBT is a registered charity that exists to preserve two Thames barges in sailing condition for the benefit of the public and to pass on the skills required to sail them.

The charity owns two historic sailing barges at Maldon. One of these barges, Pudge, is currently receiving major restoration which is partly funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Pudge Project, as it is called, requires us to advise the public about the history of the iconic Thames sailing barge, and we are holding an exhibition at Priory Visitor Centre, Priory Park, Southend SS2 6NB for three months from the 19th May until 15th Aug.

The exhibition, ‘Red Sails Over the Estuary’ is open during the Centre’s normal opening hours, Wednesday – Sunday, 11:00 – 16:00 and is free to visit. It will tell the history of the Thames sailing barge and its association with Southend.”

There is more information on this and other activities of the TSBT on the website www.bargetrust.org

From John Rayment

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AT LONG LAST …………..NEWS FROM THE GROUPS!

HOME TECHNOLOGY FORUM Paul Edgar

The Computer Workshop has changed its name to the Home Technology Forumand hopes to provide opportunities for members to learn more not just about computers, but also all the other technology that many of us now use in our homes and lives. With great thanks to Peter for the use of his Zoom account, we had an interesting meeting – the first under our new name.

In our Zoom meeting this month Dave gave a very good and thought-provoking presentation on various scams and how to avoid them.

This led quite naturally to discussion about security in the home. More and more ‘smart’ devices are becoming available – from Google Hub to Amazon’s range of Fire devices, to security cameras that access the internet, and keyless start cars. This means the need for care in how one interacts with the internet and the need to make any such connection secure is becoming more vital.

Near Field Communication (NFC) means that now scammers do not need to have your Credit/Debit card details – they can be scanned and cloned as you walk round your local Waitrose. They do not need to steal your car keys to take your car.The signal generated by the key-less entry fob can be scanned from outside your house and cloned, so your car can be opened and driven away. However, with some fairly simple precautions this can be avoided. Carry more than one chipped card in your wallet/purse, the signal will become confused. Keep your car keys in a Faraday Cage which will mask the signal. These can be purchased quite easily.

We also discussed the new NHS app or Covid Passport App. It was mentioned that when we were younger there was a lot of protest about Government involvement in personal privacy and freedoms – 1984 Big Brother type thing. However today we seem to have given big business even more information about ourselves with no apparent protest.

Supermarkets track our purchases and ‘recommend’ things they think we may like, Voice activated devices listen to us constantly and advertisements or websites linked to our conversations appear on our smartphones/tablets/laptops, GPS in our cars track where we go. CCTV can be equipped with ANPR capabilities and it occurred to me that both the NHS apps – the ‘old’ Covid Track and Trace (there is a clue in the name) and the new one could have fairly sinister connotations.

Gone are the days when Officials could demand “Papers” - they already know!

It’s a brave new world and things are much more complicated now than even just 20 years ago. Everyone needs to be careful and alert to how the internet interacts with you. If you are interested in participating in future meetings of the Home Tech Forum, which will continue to be held by Zoom until it’s possible to meet in person again.

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GOLF GROUP Colin Perfect

2021 May Report

We were absolutely delighted to be released from lockdown on Mon 29th March with our protective jabs in place. John, our fixture secretary got us two venues for the first week: Tuesday 30th March at Notley and on our usual day -Thursday- 1st April at on Canvey. The courses had dried out reasonably well and the “going” was “soft to firm”. On reflection we probably didn’t miss much golf during the lockdown because the courses would have been too wet and muddy to play. At our previous last time out on December 17th, the Dunton Hills par 3 had been extremely boggy. The Notley’s Golf Course, with its challenging eight crossings of the River Brain in fairly full fast flowing “flood”, meant there was almost no chance of retrieving balls from the river – and not getting too near the river’s edge! A welcome first meeting for the New Year ended with tea on the terrace overlooking the scenic Essex valley. April 1st on Canvey was a sunny and breezy day on a flat course with plenty of pond and ditch hazards to negotiate. Unfortunately the café was closed to meet Covid regulations. On Thursday 8th April we went to Risebridge Golf Course in Romford where Land Logical are making topographical changes to existing bounds around the driving range and the golf centre. The earth moving lorries and machinery were routed to keep the golf course playable, although they were a bit of a distraction. There were other restrictions where all weather paths are being constructed, presumably to increase wet weather use of the course. Our rounds concluded with tea on the terrace overlooking the 9th green. Stapleford Abbotts was the venue for 15th April. This is one of our favourite courses despite the M25 traffic noise on a few holes. Always in good condition. We went to Golf Centre on 22nd April, where we tried our hand at the “long” 9 hole and the short par 3 courses. The long course has several pond side challenges and the par 3 has difficult concave greens. So quite varied golf before finishing with tea on the patio. It’s a pity this format doesn’t fit our golfshake.com performance record so we had to miss our handicap update. For the fifth Thursday in April (it was a long month for us) we went to playing the Langdon 9 holes and the 9 holes finishing with a good view of the London skyline from tea on the patio tables. Into May with a visit to Dunton Hills on the 6th. Easy to book – just turn up and play. Good views from the top of the first and second nine holes with uphill golf challenges and then bouncing the ball back down. Then water hazards on the last three holes. Finally, for this report, a continuously wet day in the woods at Hartswood Golf Course, Brentwood on May 13th. Unlucky perhaps? Nice course in good condition but unfortunately spoiled by the new leisure hub construction work necessitating a few temporary tees and greens.

The U3A golf group, usually of 6 or 7 players, would welcome more members at our Thursday meetings. Please contact the coordinator if you would like to join our weekly visit to an Essex golf course. Don’t worry about your handicap – we’ve got some big numbers in our group!

Report from Stuart Allen

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DISCUSSION AND PUB LUNCH GROUP Joan Lee

It is planned to hold a meeting on Monday, 12th July at The Old Kings Head on Stock Road, Billericay/Stock CM4 9PQ

Please could existing members of the group contact meby phone or email? There may be vacancies, so if you are interested please could you get in touch, preferably by e-mail. We are a friendly and lively group and topics discussed can be varied and byindividual suggestions.

The meetings start at 12.15 pm.

TABLE TENNIS GROUP Mick Fryer

We shall be able to recommence playing table tennis at Hannakins Farm Community centre from Wednesday the 19th May. There are vacancies in the group, which is a mixed ability group. Previous experience is useful but not essential. If you are interested please contact me beforehand by phone or email Initially numbers may be restricted due to remaining Covid regulations and Test and Trace requirements, but hopefully, if all goes to plan, normal play will resume in late June.

HALF RAMBLE Joan Lee

We meet on the first Monday of every month at 10.30am. Walks are open to all u3a members. Just turn up on the day. We walk for about one hour at a leisurely pace, mainly on flat ground but it can be muddy. We hope always to finish withcoffee (or lunch) and lively chat to round off the day. The aim of our group is that individual members will take turn in choosing, planning and leading a walk on anoccasional basis.

June 7th Hylands House, . London Road entrance CM2 8WQ. Car park opposite house (not near gate)

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RAMBLING GROUP Geoff Forward

Other than the postponed May walk the Rambling Group programme will not be recommencing until July, hopefully after all lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Details of the July walk will be in the June edition of the newsletter.

SCRABBLE FOR FUNAnthea Woolford

Hello Scrabbleites I do hope you are all well and eagerly waiting to come back to playing Scrabble again. I have had to give all your names to the Membership Secretary to check you are all up to date and coming back to Scrabble. I can’t give you any dates or reunion times at the moment but hope it will be in the autumn and sooner than later. Keep an eye on the newsletter and I will let you know.

Keep well and checking your words!!!!!

RAILWAY JOURNEYS GROUP Margaret Mesnard

After 15 months in the sidings due to the pandemic, we are now back on track to re-start on Tuesday 1st June 2021. This will be to Burnham-on-Crouch, starting with a marina and riverside walk followed by lunch in a local pub. This has been welcomed by new and existing members alike who are keen to continue to enjoy what other areas have to offer, but travelling shorter distances to start to make a gradual return to our activities.

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JAZZ APPRECIATION GROUP Mick Fryer

At laston May 18th, the group was able to meet face to face for the first time for over a year in a member’s garden. We managed to meet in warm sunshine with just a brief interlude to escape a shower. We started with a presentation on versions of Gershwin’s IGotRhythm, a tune beloved of jazz musicians. This is one which has launched thousands of new tunes based on its harmonies, (the so- called ‘rhythm changes’), like a new coverlet thrown over a comfortable old bed. We then played our individual musical choices, but it was just lovely to socialise with friends once again; a taste of normality at last.

THE BLUES

It’s 1903 and on a small railway station platform in the Mississippi Delta a well-dressed man is waiting for a train north. His name is William Christopher Handy and he is a trained musician going to Clarksville to take up a post as leader of a black orchestra. His train is late arriving and as he dozes off in the dusty heat he is unaware that what he is about to witness will have a profound effect on his life and on the course of American musical history. He is awakened by the arrival of another man, whose clothes are tattered and his shoes worn out. The man sits down and begins to play his guitar and sing. The man plays and Handy grows increasingly interested in his performance which is unusual, as he doesn’t finger the strings as normal but uses a pocket knife to create a distinctive sound. When he sings he practically moans for emphasis. The combination of sliding guitar, wailing voice, repeated lyrics and emotional honesty of his performance has a powerful effect on Handy, as he relates in his subsequent autobiography ‘The Father of the Blues.’ W.C.Handy W. C. Handy went on to become a celebrated composer and in 1912 He was the first one to publish examples of the blues. ‘The Memphis Blues,’ ‘St Louis Blues’ and ‘Beale St’ Blues’ were among his compositions, and the blues, from its origin as just a regional musical genre, became the foundation for virtually every subsequent popular musical form…. Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Soul, Funk, and Hip Hop

It is not clear how the Blues began but it seems that it evolved from the musical traditions that the slaves brought over, reflected in their work songs and field hollers, which drew on their rich West African musical heritage with its subtle rhythms. The central characteristic of the blues however is it’s melodic line, crucially the slightly off-pitch flattened notes roughly approximated by the minor 3rd and minor 7th of the conventional Western diatonic scale, which have come to be called ‘blue notes’. It is impossible to accurately notate these blue notes using classical musical notation.

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It wasn’t until about 1900 that the blues settled into its generally accepted form, that is an AAB 12 bar structure consisting of 3 x 4 bars, the second 4 bars being a repeat of the first 4 bars, and the final 4 bars a resolving or answering line. Lyrically the blues reflected the lives of the poor black people of the rural south, their hard lives and poverty, mean bosses, prison life, stubborn mules and unfaithful women. Nevertheless blues lyrics are not unrelentingly miserable, they often exhibit a sardonic humour and sexual innuendo.

These early blues artists, usually lived itinerant lives full of hard labour, whisky and women, often with spells in prison, and playing wherever they could find an audience. They began to be recorded in the 1920’s and subsequently became quite popular.Among them were “Blind Lemon” Jefferson (pictured opposite) and Robert Johnson (pictured below)

Johnson claimed to have sold his soul to the devil at midnight at a crossroads, in exchange for a preternatural ability to play the guitar. Perhaps an example of the mythologizing tendency of overzealous admirers. He died at the age of 27, poisoned by a jealous husband.

In the early 1940’s there was a mass exodus of Southern black people escaping from the harsh ‘Jim Crow’ segregation and the poverty of working lives in the rural South. They headed to the cities of the industrial North where there was plentiful well paid employment. The Blues followed them and in Chicago a style emerged employing electric guitars, and harmonicas. Muddy Waters

Artists such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, B.B King, John Lee Hooker etc. reached a wide international audience. Through their recordings they became a huge influence on a generation of young white UK musicians, such as Eric Clapton, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Yardbirdsetc. who venerated these blues musicians and even went on to re-popularise the blues back in the US. The blues pioneers of the late 19c and early 20th century had no clue as to the future importance of the music they played. What they did know is that when they played people listened, threw some money into their hats or maybe bought them a pint of whisky, and that was good enough for them. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63FxcS3dWPHqa5g8mdZXyu?si=Xlmzc4ucQwukkhXtC0iHFg

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Newsletter Contributions

If you have any items please send them by 12.00 Noonon Wednesday, 16th June 2021. I am always happy to receive your report or comments at any time before the cut-off date. Please send all items in editable format to [email protected]

If you are sending photos please send them separately in JPG format.

Only send photos that you have taken yourself. We cannot use photos or pictures that have been downloaded from the internet, unless copyright free. All contributions will be acknowledged. Current and past newsletters can be viewed on our website https://u3asites.org.uk/bb Please note that, in the interests of security, all details of individuals (name, address, phone number) have been redacted from the on-line versions. Janis Horsley (Editor)

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