W e're delighted to welcome Tom Way back as a speaker to Malling U3A: members will doubtless recall his outstanding photography which he presented to us two years ago when he spoke of 'Wild- life on your Doorstep'. This month he is taking us overseas with his 'Wildlife in Africa' presentation, which has received outstanding acclaim. Tom has been awarded numerous awards in various international com- petitions including European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year and the Sony World Photography Awards: he favours a fine art style approach to photography exhibiting his work in gal- leries and exhibitions. He spends the majority of his time overseas focusing on large mammals around the world. Tom’s main passion is Africa where assignments have seen him focus on Elephant and Lion in Kenya and Leopard in Zambia. Tom's talk will go into detail about his adventures, describing how he cap- tures powerful and engaging images whilst showing his latest work. He leads a number of photographic wildlife safaris in partnership with Bu- sanga Safaris to destinations such as Zambia, Kenya and Uganda. Tom also guides for the UK’s leading photo- graphic tour operator, Natures Images, where he leads both UK and overseas trips to a whole host of destinations. Tom’s UK workshops are extremely popular and give people the opportun- ity to join Tom photographing King- fishers, Badgers, Little Owls and Red Foxes. As before, there will doubtless be an opportunity to purchase some of his work, including his outstanding greet- ings cards and prints. -Derek Carpenter Speakers’ Secretary issue 124 | November 2019 www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk Eruditio et Amicitia MALLING NEWS Registered Charity No: 1161843 MALLING NEWS | Page 1 The newsletter of the Malling District U3A Speaker’s Corner Tom Way, Wild Life in Africa
Transcript
We're delighted to welcome Tom Way back as a speaker to Malling U3A: members
will doubtless recall his outstanding photography which he presented to us two years ago when he spoke of 'Wild-life on your Doorstep'. This month he is taking us overseas with his 'Wildlife in Africa' presentation, which has received outstanding acclaim.
Tom has been awarded numerous awards in various international com-petitions including European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year and the Sony World Photography Awards: he favours a fine art style approach to
photography exhibiting his work in gal-leries and exhibitions.
He spends the majority of his time overseas focusing on large mammals around the world. Tom’s main passion is Africa where assignments have seen him focus on Elephant and Lion in Kenya and Leopard in Zambia.
Tom's talk will go into detail about his adventures, describing how he cap-tures powerful and engaging images whilst showing his latest work.
He leads a number of photographic wildlife safaris in partnership with Bu-sanga Safaris to destinations such as Zambia, Kenya and Uganda. Tom also
guides for the UK’s leading photo-graphic tour operator, Natures Images, where he leads both UK and overseas trips to a whole host of destinations. Tom’s UK workshops are extremely popular and give people the opportun-ity to join Tom photographing King-fishers, Badgers, Little Owls and Red Foxes.
As before, there will doubtless be an opportunity to purchase some of his work, including his outstanding greet-ings cards and prints.
-Derek Carpenter Speakers’ Secretary
issue 124 | November 2019www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk
One of my duties is to represent Malling U3A at the Kent U3A Network meetings, where we meet other neighbouring U3As and share ideas and experiences, as
well as organising development days. Chrys Short and I heard at the latest meeting that one U3A has devised a U3A Board-game, which sounds fascinating and could be a Christmas present for the future if it becomes available. We also heard from our National Executive Committee S.E. Re-gion Trustee, Bob Duckmanton about plans for the U3A Day on 3rd June next year, which is during Volunteers' Week, and is a chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place 1-7 June every year and is an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity. More about this later when we have decided our own plans to make the wider com-munity aware of what Malling can offer. Bob also said that the November copy of Third Age Matters should be the last issue in plastic and from December the wrapper should be compostable, which is good news.
- Mike Rowe
issue 124 | November 2019www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk
Malling U3A took a stall at the Over 55’s Advice & In-formation Fair, run by Tra-
cey Couch MP on October 25 at Holmesdale School, Snodland, and I was supposed to arrive soon after 8 am to set up our stall, but at 9.45 my phone reminded me where I should be! I rushed off and arrived very soon
after 10, which is the time the Fair opened to the public! Only Carole Skinner noticed I was late as she ar-rived sometime earlier to help me! The stall was quickly set up with all our advertising literature and soon after that Derek Carpenter also arrived to help. He is much better than me at chatting to those passing by.
It still surprises me how many people have not heard of U3A but we did have quite a few people showing an interest. We hope it produces some new members ~ we will see.
Anne Sargent
Talking turkey: Tracey Crouch MP flanked by Anne Sargent and Derek Carpenter (above)
Chairman’s Letter
Spreading the Malling message
issue 124 | November 2019www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk
Say fees: the Inns of Court My mother used to recite Portia in 'The Merchant of
Venice' where she says mercy should be a major principle in the court of law. Partly, since
then, I have taken an interest in the working of the law and so when the Walk London Group 1 went around the Temple and Lincoln's and Gray's Inns in November I was keen to attend. I have been fond of the Temple in London as my neighbour at one time was a bencher of the Middle Temple and took me to dinners in the Hall and also services, particularly carol services in the Temple church. On occasion it was so packed that we had to sit on the ledge which ran around the wall. The Knights Templar were formed to pro-tect pilgrims and care for them on the road from Western Eu-rope to Jerusalem: a quality of mercy in its own way. In 1160 they were given the land between Fleet Street and the Thames for their centre in London. There was also an out station at West Peckham now called 'Duke's Place ' - a fine timbered house of 1500. When the Templars were dissolved in 1312 the land was given over to lawyers and so it has con-tinued up to the present, and let's hope mercy is still prac-tised. We gathered at the Black Friar pub with its black statue of a friar over the door. He looks very cheerful and well fed. Then after coffee into the Inner Temple with its symbol of the flying horse 'Pegasus'. We were there the day after Hallow-e'en and some benchers had made a tableau of pumpkins
with the motif of Pegasus beautifully carved on them. We looked to see the motif of the Middle Temple and there it was over the door into the Great Hall - the sacrificial lamb holding the banner of innocence. In Lincoln's Inn we ad-mired the Jacobean chapel and in Gray's Inn the Walks es-pecially the 300 year old catalpa tree and the red oaks that were planted after the hurricane of 1987. We had our photo in the Walks. The Inns have fine gardens. Some feel that the Inns are the home of an elite but a few days after our visit I read the obituary in 'The Times' of Sir Clive Callman, a lead-ing circuit judge and a bencher of Middle Temple. As a young Jewish boy he arrived in England from Berlin in March 1939 aged 11 virtually destitute. He managed to obtain a place in a good school . He set his heart on the London School of Economics , which we had passed on our walk, and after a degree there went to the library of the Middle Temple and approached the Librarian who helped him find a pupillage in the Middle Temple! He became one of the ex-perts in family law and in 2012 was knighted for 'services to law, education and charity' The Librarian had shown that 'the quality of mercy is not strained 'in the Temple. -Brian Stevenson
Loitering with intent: there was a bumper turnout for the legal walk led by Caroline Bouwens (fifth from left, above) and Shelagh Jones (third from right)
Eight cyclists set off from Stonehouse rec-reation ground at St
Mary’s Platt, on a rare sunny October day. Knowing that the coffee stop was at Ight-ham Mote led some to wonder how an Easy Route could be found?! Google in-dicated a 200m elevation between the highest and lo-west points, but did Barbara, leading her first U3A ride, have any idea what that would mean in reality? Suf-fice to say that those with battery bikes were the most happy on the uphill “slopes”! We made it on good road
surfaces up Gover Hill, via Longmill Lane and The Hurst, and were rewarded (where recent hedge trim-ming allowed), with intermit-tent views across Fairlawn Estate and the Weald. We crossed the A227 carefully at Back Lane, Shipbourne, grateful that the traffic from Tonbridge slowed to 30mph! A right turn up Mote Road took us to Ightham Mote. Bathed in warm sun-shine on the restaurant patio, we enjoyed pastries, coffee, and a well-deserved rest! Ready to set off, and tempor-
arily having mislaid her flock of cyclists, our leader found Anthony Drake. He is a vol-unteer garden tour leader distinguished by his long ram’s head-topped pole. Barry Evans reportedly once shepherded a similar look-ing ram! Barbara introduced Anthony to the group, & en-thused about the Thursday grounds tour, experienced on recce day. The route back via Copt Hall Road and Mill Lane was more potholed, but was un-eventful till a dog chased Barry as we cycled through Borough Green Rec. The
owner did ask us to stop whilst she put a lead on the dog, but Barry, unaware, headed for the fast route along the A25 back to the cars! Barbara, Trevor, and Brian the backstop, returned via Crouch Lane and Piggie’s path, arriving just before the others. How lucky we were to have a sunny day! Some would even do the route again! -Barbara Bryant
Welcome Break: the Social Cyc-lists soak up the October sun at Ightham Mote (above)
issue 124 | November 2019www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk
Plans for U3A Day 2020 on 3 June are now underway with over 130 members signed up to the closed U3A Day
Facebook page and sharing ideas about how they might showcase their U3A on the day.
U3As across the country are being asked to mark the day by hosting eye catching events which showcase and cel-ebrate what happens in their U3A.
Please sign up to the Facebook page or you can email any queries to [email protected]
U3A nationally is currently working on producing templates for marketing materials that can be customised to your local-ity. These, with other guidance and downloads, will be avail-able from the national website early next year.
Your support and enthusiasm are really appreciated and will help make U3A Day a huge success.
Hitting the right note: The U3A nationally is organisng a raising aware-ness day next year where groups can promote themselves and the movement.
issue 124 | November 2019www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk
Malling U3A Diary your monthly guide to what’s on locally and further afield
26 Nov | Speaker’s Corner ‘Wildlife in Africa’ with Tom Way 30 Nov | Modern & Contemporary Art: Katia Mai PhD The difference between modern and contemporary art is the focus of this talk; marking the end of one era & the beginning of the next. University of Kent, Medway Campus. Booking: https://www.kent.ac.uk/tonbridge/short-courses/medway.html 18 Dec | Malling U3A Xmas Lunch
SOLD OUT 19 Dec | Sound & Light Spectacu-lar at Leonardslee Gardens An evening outing to enjoy the spec-tacular illuminations at Leonardslee Gardens, leaving Ryarsh at 3.30 pm and returning by 10.30 pm. The cost per member is £25.50 to include coach travel, entry and driver’s tip. Contact Dianne White 20 Apr 2020 | La Boheme Joint trip with Kings Hill to the Chur-chill Theatre. Contact Dianne White 1-6 June 2020 | Kings Hill trip Kings Hill U3A holiday to Potters Re-sort, Norfolk. Contact Maggie Hall if interested: [email protected]
MAKE TEA NOT WAR November: Alan & Linda Bramley , Stephen Hat-field and Rosemary Lea January: Margaret Ivell, Ruth Brind, Valerie Al-bert & Ann Anscombe NEWSLETTER DEADLINE We do not publish in December. The next deadline is therefore Friday 17 January Please limit contributions to 300-400 words in length, with a photo where possible. Email S Sangha at: [email protected]
Malling Interest Group Trivia
Latin Group 2 - courtesy of Catherine Brown
Q1. Which English city was known to the Romans as Eboracum?
a) Colchester b) Chester c) York
Q2. What does the Latin expression Carpe Diem mean?
a) Seize the day b) Drink like a fish c) It is proved
Q3. What organisation uses the Latin phrase per ardua ad astra as its motto?
a) The Metropolitan Police b) The Royal Air Force. c) British Airways
Q4. Which Roman Emperor was known by the nickname ‘little boots’?
a) Caligula b) Nero c) Augustus
Q5. Which people were said to have prepared for their death by saying, ‘Ave Caesar, morituri te salutamus’ (‘Hail Caesar, we who are about to die salute you’)?
a) Christians b) Criminals c) Gladi-ators?
Q6. What was the ‘Saxon Shore’ (Litus Saxonicum) in the Roman period?
a) A holiday resort b) Coastal fortifi-cations. c) A major port
Answers next month
Answers to last month’s Book Circles 1 quiz: Q1 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Q2 Hilary Mantel for Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies. Q3 Ian McEwan. Q4 Both written by British Prime Ministers: Savrola by Churchill & Coningsby by Dis-raeli. Q5 Margaret Drabble
About half the groups have responded - have you? My thanks to all the Convenors that have already submitted five questions related to their subject areas together with the answers. There has been an excellent response so far and the idea appears to have cap-tured your imagination. It is intended as a bit of fun for the different interest groups to showcase what they do and engage with the wider membership. So please consider putting pen to paper and share your passions! I look forward to hearing from those of you that are yet to respond.
- S Sangha, Editor
Christopher Wilson - a
Loughborough University PhD student is investi-gating the future journey experi-ence with the ad-vent of
self-driving cars. Self-driving cars
can provide many benefits to all people, including improving road safety and an in-crease in mobility for the ageing
population. He is seeking
participants for a survey into the at-titudes towards self-driving cars so they can be best designed to suit the needs of all in a safe and comfortable way.
The results of the survey will he hopes go on to in-form future ve-hicle design. He is interested in all views, not just
those that are in-terested in own-ing or using an autonomous car.
Follow the link below to the sur-vey if you would like to see the sort of things he is in-vestigating. https://lboro.on-linesurveys.ac.uk/re-inventing-the-journey-experi-
