Number 4 April 2020 COMMENT During Lockdown there has understandably been little or no news. But in an effort to keep the Seaton U3A Family together, the Newsletter has metamorphosed into something more resembling a magazine. As they were more likely to be in a position to readily provide content, virtually all the content has been provided by Group Leaders who were able to draw on topics they had prepared for their Groups at some stage. We would like to thank those Leaders who have provided you with a good read and intriguing brain – teasers. However, given the current situation it is very unlikely that we will be able to reconvene for some time yet and therefore we may be looking to produce a few more editions. As this is not a publication for Group Leaders alone and to enable us to put together future editions, we need the support of members to provide written topics for inclusion in the future. These may be on anything which is likely to be of interest to the U3A readers. We would also welcome your views on what we are attempting to do during this lockdown period. See page 11 for contacts. Page 12 Is a notice/flyer that you might wish to print to show appreciation to your particular key workers. We hope you enjoy your read and the mind bending puzzles. RATIONALITY, THY NAME IS WOMAN In our Seaton U3A philosophy group we tend to focus on questions that we want to explore, always remembering that, “You don’t study philosophy, you do philosophy”. However, as we progress, we inevitably look at what the famous philosophers have said on the areas that interest us. Such a range of people, such a range of ideas. Think of the cool, precise reasoning of Immanuel Kant through to the vigorous, almost wild, enthusiasm of Nietzsche. Many people avoid philosophy because it is believed that their writings are difficult to read and understand. Indeed, Kant and Nietzche are very challenging. However, there are also many philosophers whose careful, thoughtful writings carry you along. One such is the writer of “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797). This amazing book explores the place of women in her own day and the way that women are brought up to live limited lives dependent on the men in their families. From there she argues that when women are treated this way the whole of society suffers, the outcomes are disastrous for both women and men. She is particularly critical of the way young males in the wealthier classes were educated and the lives they were encouraged to live. All that leads her to her positive conclusions and I think it is worth quoting her, “Marriage will never be held sacred until women, by being brought up with men, are prepared to be their companions rather than their mistresses . So convinced am I of this truth, that I will venture to predict that virtue will never prevail in society till the virtues of both sexes are founded on reason; and until the affections common to both are allowed to gain their due strength by the discharge of mutual duties.” The book was published in 1792 and radically challenged the thinking of her day. She challenges us still to think about human relationships and the type of society that will best allow us all to flourish. Final footnote, Mary Wollstonecraft had a daughter whom she also named Mary, who married the poet Percy Shelley and in 1816 (the year without a summer) Mary Shelley began writing ‘Frankenstein’. David : Philosophy THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY In Their Own Words 1880-1939 This sounds a serious enough subject for a Tuesday afternoon. It has interested our little group for a substantial period of time – so we ought, by now, to be well-versed in the struggles and tribulations of the gentle sex in its earnest endeavours to achieve a fairer society. By studying the words of the various authors writing in each period, we ought to be fully aware of the seriousness of the subject matter and, by now, beginning to form our own branch of the suffragette movement. So why is it that while incarcerated in another room, the only sound my husband hears of our meetings is laughter? Could we be taking the subject too lightheartedly? Surely not. Take our last meeting, which, for one reason or another was so long ago. We were reading excerpts from ‘The Age of Innocence’ by Edith Wharton – a very fine author, superior in my opinion to her friend and mentor, Henry James. Her writing and storytelling so enthralling that I had picked out rather more excerpts than usual. I was hoping to cover the entire book in one afternoon, as we had only two more novels to study after this one before proceeding to the next period, 1939 – the Present Day. But it was too good a novel to skimp our attention. The morals and behaviour of the protagonist, The Countess Olenska, were scandalous, causing both mirth and mock shock and horror from the group. I kept looking anxiously at the clock and reluctantly realized that our time was nearly up and we still had four excerpts to read. No, we could not finish the story that day, and I reluctantly had to call a halt at 4.00 p.m. “Oh, you can’t leave it there!” was one comment. “How does it end?” Mary knows I will never tell her before we discover for ourselves, but she tries. “You’ll have to read it for yourself if you can’t wait until next month”, I said. But alas, next month came and went without our being able to get back to it, and yet another month has since passed, and who knows for how long this will continue. The likelihood is that when we do meet again, the story will be long forgotten and it will be better to start the next book. Sad, because the ending is the best part of the book, in my opinion. I hope you did get around to reading it, Mary, in your isolation. Exploring Literature Barbara LOCKDOWN 2020. Time has has become an oddity, My Car sleeps, My hands drown, My milk is surrounded by glass, My telephone has regained it’s voice, I am wary of my neighbours Though I greet them cherrily from a distance. I intend to do much but often do little, The economy shrinks While the environment blossoms, I am deeply troubled by what I see And often humbled by what I hear Though I’m in lockdown, unlike so many I have the gift of time. John Seward April 2020 A BRITISH JAZZ ICON Sir George Albert Shearing, OBE ( 1919 - 2011) was a jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group and composed over 300 titles, including the jazz standard ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, had multiple albums on the Billboard charts from the 1950s through to the 1990s. Born in Battersea, London, Shearing was the youngest of nine children. He was born blind to working class parents his father delivered coal and his mother cleaned trains in the evening. He started to learn piano at the age of three and began formal training at Linden Lodge School for the Blind, where he spent four years. Though he was offered several scholarships, Shearing opted to perform at a local pub, the Mason's Arms in Lambeth, for ‘25 bob a week’ playing piano and accordion. In 1947 Shearing emigrated to the United States, where his harmonically complex style mixing swing, bop and modern classical influences gained popularity. In 1949, he formed the first George Shearing Quintet and had an almost immediate hit with ‘September in the Rain’ which sold over 900,000 copies, later to be followed in 1952 by the immensely popular ‘Lullaby of Birdland’. He also had great success with the LP ‘Beauty and the Beat’ accompanying Peggy Lee. His quintet had a unique sound where the melody was doubled and played an octave lower by the piano, vibraphone and guitar playing in exact unison. Shearing remained fit and active well into his later years and continued to perform, even after being honoured with an Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993. He never forgot his native country and, in his later years, would split his year between living in New York and Chipping Campden, where he bought a house, which gave him the opportunity to attend cricket at Lord’s He was appointed OBE in 1996. In 2007, he was knighted for services to music. He lived to the ripe old age of 91 years. Recommended Listening: September in the Rain. Lullaby of Birdland and with Peggy Lee: You’ve Come Along from St. Louis Clive: Jazz Appreciation DICK BARTON SPECIAL AGENT IS IN TOWN TONIGHT The Music Appreciation Group, whilst quite small, is very enthusiastic. We listen to recordings of a wide variety of “serious” music and the members are appreciative of the information about what we are listening to or about the composer. The opinions and reminiscences of the members are always fascinating and often amusing. It is very revealing what can be experienced in the concert hall; for instance, I have very clear memories of attending the Robert Mayer concerts for children in the 1950s when the main presenter/conductor was Sir Thomas Beecham. Being of advanced years and suffering from gout he nearly always sat to conduct and wore carpet slippers on his feet. One of the sessions that I presented in the early days of my leadership of the group revolved around signature tunes of radio and television programmes.