& Deane Over 55s Forum

NEWSLETTER – July 2019 Hello everyone and welcome to your Newsletter. I looked back to this time last year and it was just as hot as it has been during the last few weeks. Keeping the garden watered is a nightmare but at least we did have some rain but not enough: we are never satisfied!! I have found it quite difficult to keep up with feeding the birds – they seem to be so hungry all the time probably because the soil is so hard they can’t scratch around for the grubs etc. It is also important that you keep their water topped up all the time. The children will have finished school for the summer by the time you receive this so I expect some of you will be busy helping the parents and going on holiday with them. It’s lovely to be able to spend time with them – they grow up so quickly and become more independent at a much younger age than we did but with the news you hear everyday about murders, shootings and stabbings I think I wouldn’t want to let them out of my sight. I appreciate how lucky my sisters and I were as we lived in the New Forest and we were able to pack a picnic and spend the whole day playing in the forest without our parents having to worry about us. MEMBERSHIP The membership stays at the maximum number and the reserve list grows longer as more people hear about the Forum. WELFARE During June & July "Get Well" cards were sent to John Tuck - Ray Cook - Janet Cross - Pearl Heywood - Maureen Ward - Margaret & Alan Bewick - Margaret Symonds. Sympathy Cards were sent to Eileen Simmons on the passing of her husband Peter and Joan Bullock on the passing of her husband Jim. EVENTS 12th & 19th June saw 3 coaches leave for the Dolly Parton Musical with a 2 course lunch; the Musical was brilliant and enjoyed by all. 15th June saw 2 coaches set off for the Bristol Aerospace which was very interesting, although the weather was very wet when we arrived. 14th July saw 3 coaches set off for the Brighton Day trip. All those who travelled had a great day doing whatever they wished. 7th August, a coach with 53 members will go to the Rehearsal for the Commandant's Passing Out Parade, then on to Longacres Garden Centre at Bagshot for lunch. 18th September, trip to Stow on the Wold with a steam train ride from Broadway to Cheltenham, price £26.50; there are 8 seats available. 16th October, Afternoon at the Pictures at Wantage - the film is "Breakfast at Tiffany's". 23rd October Afternoon at the Pictures - the film will be "Singing in the Rain". Both these events include a 3 course meal, plus Popcorn & Prosecco (you need to be able to manage 25 steps), price £38.00. There are 10 places available for the 16th & 16 for the 23rd. We really need to sell these places. 22nd November, Kew Gardens with a Christmas Laser Show, price £33.00, including the £20.00 entrance fee. We are again this year running the FREE trips for members who have paid for 3 trips during 2018. This year they will be to Worcester, dates are 21st September & 18th October . The following members have qualified and not spoken to Gerald to book their seats. D & M Wilson - N & J Bechelet - F & J Berntsen - P Bethel - E Boyle - S Day - J & J Govey - R Horton - S Hoynes - L Julier - G & V Lawrence - A & S Lock - L Mash - H Marshall - G & A Marks - J Nicholson - B North - D & L Oliver - M Payne - C Richards - G & P Riddy - P & R Saunders - R & R Tully - C Wattam - B Webster - T Wyles - B West. Anyone who does not qualify can still go, but will need to pay £18.00 (still good value). 1

22nd December Christmas Carols at the Royal Albert Hall, London is full, but if you are still interested speak, to Gerald who will place you on a reserve list, in case of any cancellations. 30th December to 2nd January 2020 New Year is full. Gerald has now started planning trips for 2020, which will be published toward the end of this year. JULY OPEN FORUM MEETING The notes from the July meeting are attached to the end of the Newsletter. CARNIVAL CHORUS As I wrote in my last newsletter the Choir has now finished for the summer. Our last performance at the Blind Club, Kempshott went very well. Several of our members were not able to be there for various reasons but we managed to perform well and our efforts were really appreciated. We had a cup of tea and cake with them afterwards and chatted to them. I asked one elderly gentleman if he had enjoyed the singing and he said yes but he couldn’t join in with us as he only knew two of the songs and if we go again could we please sing some of the songs from the First World War because they are the only ones he knows!! If you want to come along and give us a try you will be welcome: Tuesday afternoons at 13.30 until 15.00 at the Carnival Hall. MOVEMENT AND STRETCH These sessions are going well and are very well attended with quite a few new members. The numbers may well drop off a little during these summer months. I haven’t been able to go for a while but am looking forward to getting back into the swing again before too long. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST TELEVISION LICENCES FOR THE OVER 75’S You are probably well aware by now that the free television licence for the over 75’s is being stopped by the BBC next year. Those pensioners who receive pension credit will still receive their licence free of charge. I didn’t know that MPs do not pay for their licence!!! If you have strong objections to the decision of the BBC there is a petition running on the Age UK website – website address is ageuk.org.uk THE ANNUAL VARIETY SHOW The Forum committee have completed the arrangements for our Annual Variety show to celebrate the "International day for Older People". It will be held at Queen Mary’s College, Cliddesden Road on Saturday 28 th September . It will be a fantastic afternoon's entertainment and we are delighted to welcome back that great comedy impressionist, Chris Gee, who will also act as compere for the afternoon. If he is as funny and entertaining as he was the last time, be prepared to have a good laugh! For those of you who are fans of Cliff Richard, Will Chandler will bring back all those memories. He not only sings like Sir Cliff but he also looks like him. The real Cliff Richard has met Will Chandler, Cliff states he is very, very good and speaks highly of him. He will sing many of Sir Cliff’s songs from the last five decades and also perform great songs sung by many of the great names from the world of popular music. We will also welcome back the Boyle O’Dowda Academy of Irish Dancing with memories of the famous Riverdance and many of you will recall the exciting performances by the young dancers.. The show will be opened by the Mayor of Basingstoke & Deane, Cllr Diane Taylor, who will also give a closing speech. The doors open at 1.30pm and entrance is by ticket only. The tickets are available NOW from the Newbury Building Society in Festival Place, the Council Offices- Parklands, Oakridge Hall 4 All and Shopmobility in Church Street or from Gerald or a committee member. The tickets are £6 – the same price as last year and this includes refreshments.

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Be sure to get your tickets early as this is always a very popular event. The show is open to the General Public and to all ages. BASINGSTOKE LIONS The Lions are holding an event at Old Basing on Saturday 21 st September which some of you might be interested in. They have invited the Ali Mac Band to perform who play rhythm and blues. Ali Mackenzie formed The Birds back in the sixties with Ronnie Wood. The performance is being held at the Royal British Legion in Crown Lane at 19.00 for 19.30. Tickets can be bought from Toucan Travel, Chineham or phone 01256 421867 or on-line at lions.org.uk. And they will cost £12. HOME FROM HOSPITAL SERVICE – ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE This service is supported by the Hospital Trust and funded by the Royal Voluntary Service and offers support to help patients readjust when returning home from hospital. The volunteers will visit at home and assist with such things as: • Helping with shopping • Picking up prescriptions • Accompanying to social activities • Providing information about other services and signposting Or just having a cup of tea and a chat if that is what you would like. The support lasts 6-8 weeks and the emphasis is on regaining independence at home and in the community. If further support is needed they can refer you on to other services. If you know someone who has recently been discharged from hospital and could benefit from their support you can contact tessa.notman-watt or [email protected] . You can also ring mobiles 07919 88069 or 07500 811180. BASINGSTOKE NEIGHBOURCARE Basingstoke Neighbourcare which is situated in the Orchard is in need of more drivers. This work is very important to help get residents out of their four walls and to make sure they get to their medical appointments, shopping, clubs etc. As a voluntary driver myself (Gerald), I can assure you it is interesting and very rewarding as you are helping a person in need. They pay a mileage rate of 45p per mile. Please could you seriously think about this and ring Basingstoke Neighbourcare on 01256 423855. VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA If you haven't already been, our Chairman Graham highly recommends a visit to the Virtual Orchestra in Festival Place. At its heart the Virtual Orchestra is a 10-room walk-through installation that introduces all the instruments of an orchestra - for free. With play-along percussion and in-depth information boards, guiding you through Holst's The Planets, the experience is a thrill for anyone. The installation is fully accessible and is suitable for all ages. Plus, in a first for any orchestra, you can experience what it's like to be on-stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra through a virtual reality experience. In the 360-degree film, you'll find yourself on the stage in front of the conductor with instruments all around you. Please note - VR is only suitable for those aged 7+. The display is open until 11th August, from 10am to 6pm every day. ALL IN THE MIND FESTIVAL This festival is being held on Saturday 14 th September from 11.00 to 18.00 in Eastrop Park. Details of the event are shown on the poster attached to this Newsletter. GET WELL EVENT This event takes place at the Basingstoke Discovery Centre in Festival Place on Thursday 19th September from 10.30 to 11.30am. It is a great opportunity to find out about what services are 3 available in your area and a number of organisations will be present, including: Age Concern, italk, Connect to Support , Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Basingstoke Sports Centre, Andover Carers Support, Neighbourcare and many others. NATTER-AWHILE The Hope Community Church on Sarum Hill has been holding “Natter-Awhile” sessions since last November. The sessions are held on the first Wednesday of every month and start at 2pm until 4pm. There are refreshments available and various activities for 60’s and over. To find out more you can contact Kay Golding on 07841 071865 MEMBERS CORNER I have a few amusing pieces which I hope you will enjoy. I was watching a cooking show on TV and they used clarified butter. Why does butter need to be clarified? Isn’t it rather obvious already? I quoted that one as I cannot stand watching cookery shows and listening to all the chatter!! In a country home that seldom had guests, the young son was eager to help his mother after his father appeared with two dinner guests from the office. When dinner was nearly over, the boy went to the kitchen and proudly carried in the first piece of apple pie, giving it to his father, who passed it to a guest. The boy came in with a second piece of pie and again watched his father pass it the other guest. This was too much for the boy, who said, “it’s no use Dad, the pieces are all the same size!” Just a few one-liners:- I know a guy who is addicted to brake fluid but he says he stop at any time. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down! Don’t worry about old age – it doesn’t last! That leads me on to my final piece:- Age is just a number; it is totally irrelevant unless you are a bottle of wine (attributed to Joan Collins.) That’s all folks until the next time. DATES OF OPEN FORUM MEETINGS IN 2019 14 th August – 9th October – 11 th December

Marian Wilson Editor – JULY 2019 Newsletter

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JUNE OPEN FORUM MEETING Graham welcomed members and guests to the June Open Forum Meeting and gave the usual Health and Safety notices and thanked all those who had contributed more men's books. Once again, the star prize in the raffle was a £50 voucher to spend on a Forum coach trip. He expressed thanks to the many helpers, especially the committee and their partners. The Prize Draw winners for March and April were Mrs Watkins, Mrs Smith, Mrs Hoe and Mrs McDermott. Forestry Mike Ullman introduced himself as a Beat Forrester for Forestry England and explained that FE was a government department, covering only England, with Scotland and Wales having their own separate organisations. He has worked for FE for over 10 years and looks after some 3,000 hectares of woodland, from Overton to Woking, including Micheldever, Basing, and Blackwood. Mike went on to outline the history of British woodlands from the last ice age and explained how they had been decimated and neglected following wars and the industrial revolution. After the 1st World war, woodlands covered only 5% of the country and, although this has now improved to some 13%, it is still at lot less than other countries. The Forestry Commission was set up in 1919 with a remit to replenish the woodlands. Whilst WW2 placed further pressures on the woodlands, softwood plantings commenced after the War, with a programme of restoring the woodlands and habitat in the 60s and 70s. However, these were not native species and there is now a policy on planting broadleaf species. The 80s saw an increase in the use of woodlands for recreation and a further concentration on biodiversity in the 2000s. 2019 is the centenary year of the FC and there have been many changes over the past 100 years. There are a number of celebrations planned with a woodland management day on 20th July. The SSI have make significant improvements to the ecology with the conservation of birds, bats and lizards. Beavers have been reintroduced in some areas and the white tailed eagle can be seen on the IOW. There are design plans in place for the woodland areas, with a 10 year plan for each wood and a 100 year "vision". There is an operational assessment every 5 years when softwood trees are thinned and every 10 years for broadleaf. Climate change present special challenges and species will have to be diversified to take account of new pests and diseases. In response to questions, Mike said that 5,00 trees are surveyed at 1 and 5 year intervals to check for pests and diseases. Basin Wood is west of Chineham, at the rear of Popley. National Trust manage their own woodlands but FE do work with them. Local copses are usually owned by the local authorities. Basingstoke Canal Society The presentation was given by Roger Cansdale who told us he had been a member of the Society since the 1970s and that many people were not even aware that Basingstoke had a canal. The last 5 miles of the canal have been "lost" but the rest is now navigable. The canal basin was where Festival Place is now located. There are 28 locks on the canal and a tunnel at Greywell which is blocked and cannot be cleared as there are thousands of bats in there. Although the canal was never a commercial success (bankrupt after 8 years), it was not abandoned and, as it was not nationalised, 90% survived. Ironically, the canal was used to transport materials for the railway line which opened in 1839. In 1869, the canal was put up for sale and was owned by "crooks" for some 50 years. In 1922, the canal was bought by Alec Harmond who built rowing boats which were used by the soldiers from Aldershot. The gasworks were supplied with coal and timber from the docks. Alec Harmond died in 1947 and the canal was purchased by Joan Marshall, funded by Sydney Cook who became the General Manager, and the new Canal Company was set up. For 15 years, Joan ran the canal but it gradually went downhill once the contract with the Gas Board was lost in 1966. E J Woolgar called a meeting to form the Canal Society and, following a petition with approx 10,000 signatures, the Hampshire and Surry CCs were persuaded to buy the canal. The 5 restoration task was immense, with 239 locks, 118 lock gates and collapsed bridges to be restored with dredging to be carried out and reeds to be cleared. The steam dredger from the Kennet & Avon became a tourist attraction. In 1991, the canal opened, with the Duke of and Joan Marshall attending. Today, the canal is owned by the Surry and Hampshire CCs, managed by a joint authority. Today, the problems are: not enough water, not enough money, not enough boats (only about 100 each year) and a maintenance backlog (it costs approx £1million per year to run). Volunteers are the best asset and they cover so many of the tasks from clearing the canal and banks to repairing the boats. Roger went through a number of pictures showing all the work carried out and the activities that take place on and around the canal. A special BBQ event was held last year to thank the volunteers for all their work. Anyone who would like to join the society would be very welcome. In response to questions, Roger said that a survey had been carried out to examine the feasibility of linking to the Kennet & Avon Canal but it would require millions of pounds. There is nothing that can be done to restore the tunnel but there are plans for further footpaths. Walking Netball Nicola Searle from the Sports Centre gave a brief talk on walking netball which takes place at the Sport Centre every Monday from 10am to 11am. She said it is good fun and open to everyone even if you have never played before. It is "slowed down" netball and can be adapted even if you have an injury. The first session is free and she suggested coming 15 minutes early to register and to get to know her. Further sessions cost £3.35. Payment is required even if you are a member of the Sports Centre. Graham gave more details about the Variety Show on 28th September, with a Cliff Richard tribute act, the Irish Dance Team all introduced and compered by Chris gee. He went on to recommend members to visit the Virtual Orchestra in Festival Place which is open from 18th July to 11th August as it is a fantastic experience. Gerald said that the Hospital was expanding the A&E Department which will take up space at the front of the building. He also said that little notice should be taken of the recent CCG report and that he was one of the judges in the WOW awards. Gerald then outlined the very successful trips so far this year and described the future trips which are coming down the track, details of which are in the Newsletter.

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