The Committee TAVY Chair David Palmer 612100 Tavy District U3A DISTRICT Vice Chair Paul Ward 610618 Business Secretary Liz Heaton 615129 Treasurer Randall Williams 859167 Membership Barry Smith 07702 871671 Newsletter No 86 Groups Liaison Caroline Paskins 853377 Newsletter Distribution Christine Pleydell 613054 July 2017 Speaker’s Liaison Andy Paskins 853377 www.tavydistrictu3a.org.uk Two Moors Liaison Barry Smith 07702 871671 Equipment Officer Andy Paskins 853377 Catering Liaison Anna Clarkson 614243 Without Portfolio Robin Neave 854766 Tavy District U3A meets on the first Wednesday of Social Committee Norma Woodcock 613597 the month Lillian Taylor 617720 at 2.00pm in Tavistock Town Chris Webb 613884 Hall Diana Smirles 612763 Janet Hunt 613088 Our Speaker Programme for the next few months: August 9th It’s a Small World - The Wonders of Nanotechnology Richard Hardy September 6th What has happened to the book? Derek Wilson Last date for inclusion in the next Newsletter is 20th August Email to [email protected] The beach near the Minack Theatre. Vixen Tor on a winter’s morning See Page 15. Photo by John Noblet Things we have done and places we have seen Social We enjoyed an excellent talk by Devon Freewheelers, motor cyclists who volunteer to rush Thursday July 6th : 1.30 pm – 4.00 pm: Visit to nuclear submarine HMS blood and medical supplies Courageous. Please make sure you have read the health and safety sheet on the around the county to aid the Social Table. NHS. Thursday August 17th : John’s Annual Town Walk Quiz. Cost £2. Meet between Several of our members were 6.00 pm and 6.30 pm on Bedford Square followed by (optional) supper afterwards so enthused they took turns at Robertson’s. trying to mount the massive 1300cc machine. Friday August 18th: Guided tour of Tiverton and visit to Exeter. Depart by coach at 9.00 am from opposite Bedford Hotel. Cost £15. (4 spaces remaining). What should the caption be for this photo by Hilary O’Neill? Thursday – Monday, September 14th – 18th : Art and Heritage of West Yorkshire Holiday. Saturday September 30th : Exeter and Canal Cruise down to Exmouth. Depart by coach at 9.00 am from opposite the Bedford Hotel. Cost £17 OR £20.50 to include a cream tea on the boat. Life’ Details He has a face like a warthog licking a stinging nettle. A good time was enjoyed at Kingsand. Photo also by The trouble with jogging is that, by the time Hilary. you realise you are not fit enough to do it, you are a long way from home. The baker went to evening classes so that he could do joined-up writing on wedding cakes. He is a real big gun - small calibre and immense bore. Diana’s walkers at If the shoe fits, buy the other one too. Widemouth Bay. Photo by Diana Smirles Ignorance of the law never prevents a lawyer from collecting his fee. If unlawful means against the law, what is illegal? A sick bird? Thanks to Anna Clarkson THEATRE NEWS David’s Message Matthew Bourne is back! Cinderella was one of his early productions and it is am sitting here in my dining room, looking out returning to the Theatre Royal. A love story set in in the Second World War with over the garden. What a lovely sight, mostly due to Prokofiev’s magnificent score is forming part of the company’s 30th anniversary I my wife’s work! celebrations. We have reserved 30 seats for this show and the deadline for paying is the meeting in September. Yesterday we clipped back the veronicas, planted some cosmos and a centaurea for the summer flowering. The In JULY you will need to pay for Beautiful The Carol King Musical. amazing thing is that six months ago I would never have dreamt I would be writing this. Not only did I not These are the shows available for booking at know what any of these plants were but I never the moment; imagined that I would be interested in gardens. Beautiful The Carol King Musical What has changed? In May we took the bold step of becoming National Trust Wednesday 20th September 7.30 upper volunteer Garden Guides at Cotehele. There I was sent into the gardens to talk to circle £27.50. Deadline July. visitors, but I soon realised I didn’t know my snowdrop from my comfrey. So I went round with a clipboard and paper trying to learn the names of the plants Beautiful The Carol King Musical (impressive!) and each week as they grow ever larger I test myself and finally can Thursday 21st September 2.30 upper tell people with some confidence and enthusiasm what they are looking at! circle £26. Deadline July. Why mention this? It is true that when we get involved in learning about something Hedda Gabler Thursday 5th October 2.30 new, it can become a passion for us. That is why U3A is unique in opening doors of upper circle £15.50. Deadline September fun and learning which can spark new interests. So please keep exploring and developing new groups and enjoy it. (A plug too for the Garden Visits!) Grease Friday 3rd November 5.30 upper circle £24. Deadline August. A number of people have commented how much they like the newsletter and the Sunset Boulevard Thursday 15th March 2.30 upper circle row C £37.50. new Twenty Questions idea. I really think we should congratulate John on his superb Deadline November. work. This time it is Paul who is in the spotlight, but let John know if you would be interested in taking part in sharing your stories. Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella Thursday 1st February ‘18 2.30 upper circle row C £23. Deadline September . We love to know what is happening in the groups and each group has a slot in the year where they are asked to give a short report on the group. John has asked me to And finally, will you please collect your tickets from the Theatre table at the meeting remind Group leaders to try to get in those reports for the newsletter as early as which is the month after the show deadline. they can so that he can get on with putting the newsletter together. Janet 613088 or Carole 618981 Finally, we will not go ahead with a support group, as proposed earlier. Thank you all so much for your responses, but the overwhelming feeling was that members support each other already so we do not need to put anything else in place – a sign Email Addresses of a healthy U3A. We take the security of our members seriously and for this reason we do not Thank you everyone for being part of Tavy District U3A whatever part you are show most email addresses in the Newsletter (as this is available to read online). playing – it just wouldn’t be the same without you! If you wish to contact a member of the committee, or perhaps a group leader, David Palmer use the contact form on our website www.tavydistrictu3a.org.uk TWENTY QUESTIONS With Paul Ward, our new Vice Chairman Walks What is your earliest memory, Paul? I have a vague pre-school memory of sing on the counter in my father’s shop eang cheese and tomato sandwiches bought from the café next door. They were very good. I sll like cheese & tomato sandwiches! Where was home? My first home was in a flat over my parents’ shop in the centre of Tuesday 18th July Birmingham. When I was four we moved to a house in south Birmingham. A er the flat it was the Walk from Jennycliff to Mount Batten, Radford and Bovisand, returning on coast height of luxury! We later lived in Solihull and Redditch. Wherever we lived was “home” for a while. path. 7 miles. John What work did your parents do? My father managed a number of newspaper shops. When Thursday 27th July Walk from Peter Tavy to Stephen’s Grave, Horndon, Cudlipp Town and back to he was made redundant my parents bought a grocery shop. Shortly a erwards a supermarket opened optional lunch at the Peter Tavy Inn. nearby and my parents could not compete. They had to sell the business. My father trained as a About 2-2.5 hr walk, please indicate if you would like lunch. Tony telephonist with the GPO and my mother became a sales assistant with the Midlands Electricity Board. What was your early educaon? I started at the local primary school when I was a rising five. Tuesday 15th August I don’t remember a great deal about it except that I recall being given a biscuit by the headmistress Walk from Saltash (St Stephens) to Trematon Castle and Antony Passage along the a er we had sat the 11 Plus exam. That might not sound much but she was a dragon and receiving a Lynher. 6.5 miles John biscuit from her was not something we were accustomed to! Thursday 24th August What was your further educaon? I went to Moseley Grammar School for Boys in Birmingham. Circular walk from Helebridge, coastal path from Widmouth Bay to Bude and return A er A-levels I went to Bristol University to study medicine, qualifying in 1977. A long period of medical along the Canal. pracce, post-graduate study and post-graduate exams followed leading to my appointment as a About 3hrs but very leisurely, bring packed lunch or buy lunch in Bude. consultant paediatrician in Plymouth in 1990. Jennie and Chris When did you move to Devon? I worked in Plymouth in 1981 although we lived in Saltash.