U3A - Banstead Area University of the Third Age Registered Charity No: 1049254 Newsletter ~ January 2018 Picture by Philip Cakebread Printed by Chipstead Services CONTENTS OPEN MEETINGS 2 ……. CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS Meetings are held at The Banstead Community Hall 3 ……. NEW MEMBERS Park Road, BANSTEAD SM7 3AJ Banstead and 3 ……. GROUP UPDATES St Mark’s Church Hall 3 ……. Popular Music Great Tattenhams, Epsom Downs KT18 5RD 3 ……. Explore London 1 Meetings start PROMPTLY at 2.30 pm A.D.2012 4 ……. Explore London 3 (please come early!) 4 ……. The Walking Book Group Wild Flower Walks (See page 7) Thursday 22nd February 2018 Keeping Safe Indoors and Out otium cum dignitate 4 ……. QUIZ At St Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams ****** 5 ……. PREVIOUS OPEN MEETINGS Wednesday 18th April 2018 The Odette Ellicott Lecture 5 ……. MEMBERS NOTICE BOARD For Banstead U3A Members Only 5 ……. Do You Frame Pictures? At Banstead Community Hall 5 ……. Ashdown Sailing Club ****** Wednesday 2nd May 2018 6 ……. ANSWERS TO QUIZ The Gage Players performing 2 one Act plays A Banstead Art’s Festival event 6 …… WHAT’S COMING UP At Banstead Community Hall 8 p.m. FUTURE OPEN MEETINGS ****** 6 ……. Keeping Safe Indoors and Out Thursday 14th June 2018 6 ……. Odette Ellicott Lecture A Virtual Tour of Big Ben Major Impacts of WW1 At St Mark’s Church Hall, Great Tattenhams 6 ……. Banstead Festival event ****** The Gage Players Wednesday 18th July 2018 6 ……. A Virtual Tour of Big Ben Subject to be confirmed At Banstead Community Hall 7 ……. LOOKING BEYOND BANSTEAD ****** th 7 ……. U3A Summer School 2018 Wednesday 19 September 2018 8 ..…… Joint Local U3A Science Lectures Open House At Banstead Community Hall 8 ……. SURREY NETWORK STUDY DAYS 2018 Wednesday 17th October 2018 Annual General Meeting At Banstead Community Hall For more information and updates visit our website: www.u3asites.org.uk/banstead CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the first edition of the Newsletter in 2018. I will start by reporting on the Annual General Meeting [AGM] held on Wednesday 18th October 2017 in Banstead Community hall and attended by many members. Those in attendance heard that our membership holds steady at about 650 members and that our finances are in good order. I summarised the activities and decisions undertaken by the Committee over the past year and thanked those who had helped in their delivery. Looking forward we seem to have arrived at a “steady state” which we need to retain and at this time do not see any particular challenges looming ahead. The entertainment that followed the AGM was provided by our Popular Music Group consisting of a drummer and 4 guitarists with two of the group providing vocals. The group’s style is Country Rock and they played us a selection of songs originally recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Hot Chocolate, the Shadows, the Searchers etc. The response was generally very positive with members bopping about at the rear of the hall and some ladies doing a hand-jive – haven’t seen that for years. However, some members found the volume too loud and were pleased when the tea arrived. Personally I enjoyed the event, it was certainly a talking point. Banstead Area U3A Popular Music Group: From left: Nigel Kingswell, acoustic guitar and vocals; Keith Perry, rhythm guitar; Keith Parry, bass guitar and keyboard; Bill Traxler, drums; Andrew Scott, lead guitar and vocals. [See page 5] There was some concern voiced after the Air Ambulance Open Meeting event in November. The feeling was that our U3A should have made a donation to HEMS to which I think I need to respond. HEMS and the U3A are both registered charities. The Charity Commission rules are quite clear that one registered charity may not make a donation to another registered charity. We can however meet the cost of a Speaker who gives a talk on behalf of a charity which was the case here. The Speaker was given £70 which added to the £73 collected on the day totalled £143 all of which goes to HEMS. I hope this is clear but please contact me if you have further questions on this matter. Gill Ross 2 NEW MEMBERS A warm welcome to the following new members: Valerie Baldwin, William and Anne Bellenge, Jean Brady, Norman Brice, Diana De Giorgi, Shaida Dorabjee, Geoff Dunstan, Sandra Fowler, Gerald Hale-Johnson, Gillian Hutchings, Lynn Jones, Anne and John Kemble, Debbie Mills, Rosalind and Mervyn Morrison, Margaret Moya, Patricia Munday, Gill Norma, Doreen Oliphant, Roger Ponsford, Brenda Richardson, Philip and Patricia Royce, Marian Ryan, Linda and John Sewell, Olwyn Shepherd, Tony Skelton, Ian and Jennifer Smith, Rose Stevens, Karen Thompson, Hilary and Colin White, Gillian Williams GROUP UPDATES Popular Music Group On 2nd Monday monthly at 2pm Ray Bates via Banstead U3A website The group was formed in 2017 and has so far concentrated on guitar based songs like “C’mon Everybody” by Eddie Cochrane. The likelihood is that in 2018 there will be some acoustic songs like "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison or “Bye Bye Love” by Everly Brothers or folk based items from singers like Bob Dylan. The group would welcome a keyboard player or someone who has a banjo or ukulele. A lady backing singer could be a useful addition. If you would like more details, please contact Ray Bates. Explore London 1 On 4th Monday monthly, all day. Gill Ross 01737 362675 We’ve had a busy few months with September’s walk around Lambeth starting on the banks of the River Thames between Vauxhall Bridge and Lambeth Bridge. Under the scrutiny of the not so secret MI6 building we crossed the river through Riverside Walk Gardens on to Millbank the former site of the National Penitentiary demolished in the 1890s. This area now contains the Chelsea College of Arts, the Tate Britain gallery and London County Council’s first social housing scheme, the impressive Millbank Estate. After crossing Lambeth Bridge it was on to Lambeth Palace, home to the Archbishops of Canterbury since the 13th century then past the Garden Museum and the HQ for the International Maritime Organisation. We stopped to admire the glorious Royal Doulton building completed in 1878, eventually arriving with aching legs at the Rose pub with its river views for lunch. In October we explored Farringdon and around Hatton Garden. Farringdon Station will become a key hub once the Crossrail project is completed and lies directly next to Hatton Garden. The original garden was given by Elizabeth I to Sir Christopher Hatton who was a favourite of hers due, it is said, to his dancing skills. It has been the centre of London’s jewellery trade since medieval times and even today houses some of the world’s top diamond dealers. Modern businesses specialising in media, publishing and other creative arts are also to be found. Away from the commercial centre are some wonderful Georgian streets and old Picture shows Explore London 1 Group on a cold day at Rotherhithe. 3 churches which attract a number of film makers to the area. November saw us exploring Rotherhithe an area transformed since the passing of the docks and other shipping trades, but its modernisation acknowledges its history with the Thames. Originally Rotherhithe meant “a landing place for cattle” but docks and shipping provided the main occupation until the 198’s. People from all parts of the world travelled through or remained in Rotherhithe, particularly from Scandinavia and the Baltic and their influence can be found to this day. The road names and Norwegian and Swedish churches remain, and some of the new housing was designed by Scandinavian architects. In 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Rotherhithe to Southampton and on to New England with a group that became known as “The Pilgrim Fathers”. There are a number of sculptures and plaques on the walk alongside the Thames which provide local historical information. Explore London 3. On 2nd Tuesday monthly, all day Bob Etchells 01737 373051 This latest Explore London Group held its first walk on Tuesday 9th January 2018. A couple of experienced walk leaders from Explore London 1 agreed to lead the first two walks in January and February, there after the group, working in pairs, will get on and organise their own interesting routes. This was the first time that the group had met one another although only five were present. The walk along the Embankment, the Strand and Fleet Street had many interesting features, but was also not too arduous and gave group members the time to talk to one another. Quite often, members find they can walk the “not too long” distances, but find the standing somewhat difficult. Some members are undoubtedly very nervous about taking a turn leading a walk. However, as experience shows, group support is always strong and help is given on where to find information. In the end the sense of achievement is huge. The group is almost at capacity but contact Bob Etchells to see if he has any space. The Walking Book Group On 2nd Wednesday monthly at 10.30 Anne Hopkins 01737 351162 A walking book group combines fresh air, gentle exercise, and the chance to discuss our chosen title for the month (and read during the preceding month!) as we stroll around the Oaks Park, Croydon Lane, followed by general discussion over coffee in the Park cafe. We will meet in the car park by the cafe. The book's 'presenter' will put forward some topics for discussion as we walk at a leisurely pace around the park, stopping every 10 minutes or so to regroup and move on to the next topic.