THE NEWSLETTER OF CHINNOR & DISTRICT U3A · 2017-02-09 · immediately volunteered to take over the...

Contact December 2015 1

IN THIS ISSUEAnnual Lectures Extra 2Art History 5Bridge 11Carol Concert 4CHaTTR news Extra 2Computer 15Creative Writing 15Digital Photography 6Do you remember the Torrey Canyon? 16Family History 7Gardening 12Gardening: offshoot 14Games 7Geology 7History/Archeology 14Holidays and outings 2Holiday to the Dordogne 8Interest Groups at a glance Extra 4Literary Appreciation 10Music Group 5 3New Members 3Play Reading 4Poetry 17Reading 6Singles/Dining 3Swimming 4Thames Valley Historic Pathways Extra 3Travel 17Walking Group holiday 18Walking: Long walks 16Walking: Mixed walks 11Walking: Short walks 20Welfare 3

A warm welcome to all the new members who have joined us this year – eleven in November, 2014 and twenty in June this year. Don’t worry at this big intake – we also had twenty-four people who did not renew their membership so our net increase was only seven. These things have a way of ironing themselves out.

Also, new faces on the committee – Jennie Marriner-Kyle who is our new Speaker Secretary, and Judith Lee, general Committee Member. A couple of job changes too – Ann Long is our new Groups Co-ordinator, so she is the person to whom you should go for advice when you start a new interest group. And Rosie Hetherington – many of you already know that she will be your next Chairman. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and enthusiasm.

We could do with a few more men on the committee, though, to have a better balance – so come on fellas – think about joining our merry throng next year.

Every month the attendance figures are recorded and analysed. The resultant graphs are always of interest. For instance, of all the members we have – currently 330-odd – less than a third attend the Monthly Meetings and usually it’s the same well known faces. Of course I understand that people join the U3A for different reasons but it has also been a nagging worry for me as Chairman.

Lots of information is given out at the Monthly Meetings that does not reach the vast majority of you. What to do about it… Do you want to receive an email every month – a précis of the report that I give the attending members? I have no idea how to email 330+ people in one go – or several goes for that matter! Could someone take this on? You? And what about the large number of people that do not have access to the web (more than 60 members) – would this mean a trudge around the village – or posting to outlying villages – delivering hard copies. Quite a task.

Mmm – I think I’ll leave things as they are!Most of you will know that Dorothy and Keith Rogers have been

producing our newsletter Contact for several years – and a great success it has been. I did a mini survey one coffee morning and everyone agreed it was a good satisfying read, something to sit down to with a

Message from the Chairman

Please send all correspondence and contributions to:The Editor, Krystyna Hewitt, Email: [email protected]

The Editor reserves the right to edit, shorten or omit any entries submitted. I would like to point out that any views expressed are not necessarily those of the organisation or of the Editor.

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:1st April 2016 continued on page 2

Contact Number 32December 2015

THE NEWSLETTER OF CHINNOR & DISTRICT U3A

2 Contact December 2015

cuppa and read from cover to cover. The green insert – Contact Extra – was a good reminder of all the things available to us as members as well as listing all the groups and those outings and holidays of Sheila’s that were in the pipeline.Dorothy and Keith have now reached the stage where they would like to give up the job – which took several weeks to produce, twice a year (Dorothy is also our Business and Minutes Secretary of course) – and do all the things they have been planning to do as a couple together for the past few years.

Then – call it happenstance if you like – a new member joined us in June and heard about the need for a new editor for Contact. Having been

a Graphic Designer all her life, Krystyna Hewitt immediately volunteered to take over the job – magic! As you read this, you will be holding the first issue of Contact that Krystyna has compiled and she and the Committee would like your opinion on the changes.

You may not know it, but you can also view Contact on–line in full colour. Go to www.chinnoru3a.org.uk and have a look.

Is it too early to wish you all a very merry Christmas and the best possible happy and healthy New Year? I will anyway!Very best wishes, Dorrie Oliver Chairman

Holidays and OutingsJust a quick reminder of our outings during 2015. Sometimes it is difficult to remember where we went the month previously so this might help to bring back some memories.

39 Steps at the Criterion was a great success. So unexpected as it was hilarious and so cleverly performed. Once again a visit to Thoresby Hall, a Warners Hotel, in the quiet season, gave us a very good value break. We went behind the scenes of the BBC and became weather forecasters and announcers for a short time.

We’re now in April. No-one made a fortune at Ascot. If they did they weren’t telling any one! A low betting stake provides a great deal of excitement and you won’t be much out of pocket if you lose. We were lucky to visit the Paper Mill as I believe it may be closing down – lack of funds. An afternoon with the Butterflies proved to be very interesting and I recommend this for a visit with your family – near St. Albans. Not far from Windsor we visited Dorney Court. It is a lovely house and not a massive stately home. Tours are conducted around the house which feels comfortable and homely, in fact the family still occupy part of it.

Moving on through the year, I didn’t manage to choose one the best of summer days for our visit to the West Country to discover the lovely village of Lacock and the Abbey which is the

home of the Fox Talbot family. The name might ring a bell – photography. The village is much used for films and TV. We enjoyed the Tea Party – with Betty Page and her monologues, followed by a really special afternoon tea. Do you want another Tea Party?

Summer is now nearly over but we had the most wonderful weather in the Dordogne. We enjoyed plenty of good food with the main ingredient being duck, presented in

many ways and Pate de Foie Gras and, as one menu described, an item as “with the Aroma of Truffles” – they were less in evidence. Fresh walnuts were provided at breakfast with special nut-crackers.

Back home to a London theatre with everyone being so enthusiastic about Gypsy. In September, we had an interesting walk with our guide, Sally, around Southwark.

We hope to have visited the Imperial War Museum by the time you receive this and, to complete a busy year, our Christmas Lunch, once again at the Oxfordshire Golf Club.

The Outings Programme for 2016 is on a separate sheet. You should keep it in a safe place or pencil in dates in your new diary if you are interested in any of them. They are booked up quickly.Sheila TunstallTravel and Trips Co-ordinator

Sarlat, in the Dordogne


WelfareHope you have all had a good summer and don’t forget your flu jab when they become available.

Since our last edition of Contact I have delivered forty-six cards on your behalf to members who were ill, bereaved or in need of some TLC.

Sadly since I last wrote three members have passed away. Tom Rayfield, Peter Crumpton and David Orr. Also two past members: John Lewis, who moved to Wales some time ago, and very recently Brian Potter. Also very, very recently Jim Hopley, who was a member for many years and had been ill for some time.

Please do continue to contact me if you hear of anyone in need so that I can continue to help where I can. You will find details of how to contact me in your new programme card.Many thanksDiane Carver Welfare Officer

Welcome to our new members… Jan CromptonWilf CromptonJean DixonRosemarie GarrattStephen GoodchildBrian GribbenJacqueline Griffiths

Krystyna HewittJane HoneyballIan JacksonJenny JacksonThelma JonesBrenda MallinderShelagh MartinBrenda Mawdsley

Chris McLeanDoug McLeanJim OakmanTrudi OakmanLouise PainterSarah PhillipsJackie PritchardCarole Rudston

Tony RudstonKate SmithPeter SmithBarry SomersLin WhitbreadMichael WhitbreadAnna Wood

Knowing that the editors of Contact were hoping to hand over the role, due to other interests, it was suggested that I might have the skills to take over, having been a

graphic designer in publishing most of my working life! I only joined U3A this June – but here I am!

I’d like to thank everyone – especially Keith and Dorothy, for all the help and support I have received during the handover.

I am delighted to have been entrusted with this task. I hope you enjoy ‘my’ first issue of your newsletter. Feedback and suggestions are very welcome – my contact details are on page 1. Krystyna HewittEditor

That was quick!

Singles/Dining GroupWe meet every 3 or 4 weeks for lunch at different pubs and restaurants, chosen by the members on personal recommendation.

We are off to Chislehampton in November to the Coach and Horses, where we have always had good meals.

We went to the 7 Stars in Dinton in October and the welcome was as warm as always. We pre- ordered our meals, so the service was very efficient and we had a lovely choice of desserts.

Another very attractive pub/restaurant is the Plough at Great Haseley. The floor is flat from the car park into the restaurant, the atmosphere is very restful and the dining area is light and airy.

In August we visited the Bell in Stoke Mandeville; again we placed our orders from the extensive menu beforehand. The food was lovely and the service was exceptionally good.Val WelfordGroup Co-ordinator

Music Group 5Music Group 5 has not changed for many years – you might say “Same old, same old”.

We are a group of 8 ladies who meet once a month for ALL sorts of music, tea/coffee and cakes (yum yum!)

We have been through every imaginable subject as themes for each month, and are now ploughing through the alphabet once again (probably the easiest option). We are very informal and have lots of chat and giggles during our meetings, but it is a well-earned two hours rest for most of us who are SO BUSY.

How did we ever find time to go to work? We LOVE being retired!!Janet WilliamsGroup Co-ordinator


Chinnor U3A

CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT

St Andrew’s ChurchTuesday 15th December 2015

10.30-12

All members welcome

Relax, exercise, go home with a glow.

Come swimming!

Where? Princes Risborough Springs Swim & Fitness Centre. There is no formal get-together just look out for other members in the pool!

Monday 50+ Swim session 2–3pmThursday 50+ Swim session 10–11.15amFriday 50+ Swim session 10–11amTimes may be different during Bucks school holidays. These are all public swimming sessions.

Members swim whenever and as frequently as they wish.

Monday is the day the co-ordinator is most likely to be swimming.

This is not a teaching group and members are responsible for arranging their own payments to swim at the pool and for their own personal safety.

Contact Anne Marie Lord for details.Anne Marie LordGroup Co-ordinator

Play Reading GroupIt is difficult to give details of our group as the title says it all!

We continue to meet at 2pm on the 2nd Friday of the month in the Reading Room.

I borrow play sets from the library which we read for the first time at our meetings. I give parts out at random and ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to read the “best” parts. As far as possible we fit a complete play into our two hour session so that anyone who can’t make the next meeting doesn’t miss the ending.

We have an average of 12 people at our meetings but are still missing any men.

Recent readings have included plays by Joe Orton, John Osborne, John Mortimer and J.B. Priestley.

At our next meeting we shall be reading Afternoon at the Seaside by Agatha Christie.

We are always happy to hear of anyone else who would like to join us. There’s no preparation beforehand – just turn up, read and enjoy.Pam Clark Group Co-ordinator


commission from Yardley’s to advertise their lavender products. This famous perfume company had adopted as their trademark one of Francis Wheatley’s Cries of London, a series of 14 paintings depicting itinerant street sellers. Wheatley was born in Covent Garden so was ideally qualified to portray the hawkers whose cries echoed around the market where he grew up. Wheatley’s original paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy in the early 1790s and were engraved many times over the years.

London street traders have their own royal families known as pearly kings and queens. Henry Croft, the first ‘pearly king’, a road sweeper, began decorating his suit with pearl buttons in the 1870s to raise money for charity. In the early 1900s, all London boroughs elected their own pearly king and queen, often local costermongers – fruit and vegetables sellers. Children of the pearly families are also bedecked in pearl buttons and, as the Yardley figures had been so successful, Harradine portrayed these ‘princes’ and ‘princesses’ as figurines.

In this example Art History covers 20th century ceramics, 18th century paintings and engravings, as well as the social history of London in the late 19th century.

The Art History Group is always happy to welcome new members. There’s no need to be an expert – just interested in the ideas expressed above. The Group meets on the 3rd Friday of the month at 10.30 am in the Chiltern Room at The Village Centre.

Subjects recently discussed include Illustrators from my childhood, John Constable, John Singer Sargent’s notorious portrait of Madame X, Pottery, Winston Churchill and his Art, and Paul Nash – his WW1 paintings.Elan Preston-WhyteJoint Group Co-ordinator

Most people assume that Art History is about the history of paintings – but anyone who has watched the Antiques Road Show on television will know that the term covers sculpture, architecture, crafts such as ceramics (plates and pots), tapestry, embroidery, metal and wood-working, and much else.

Art History can surprise, annoy and mystify all at once, particularly with conceptual art where anyone’s guess is as good as any other as to the intention of the artist! Compare a Rothko painting – where maybe only two colours, often tones of blackish-purple and sombre red, cover a large canvas – with one of Turner’s later paintings where dim shapes can just be seen in a blaze of light. How do the two differ? What is the artist seeing before him? What are the ideas or concepts that they have in their mind?

This is art of the modern era especially from the 20th century on. Most people regard ancient or antique art as being more comprehensible as representing either an historical person or episode in history which may be factual or mythical. It is the artist’s presentation of a story in a physical form. The most famous picture in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, in the Louvre in Paris can hardly be seen because of the crowds around it. What draws them to it – the mysterious smile, the name of the artist, the fact that the painting has been stolen more than once or that Dan Brown has written a book which features it?

The fascination of Art History covers the personal and often tragic life of the artist, the social and historical environment of the era in which he or she lived, the people who commissioned the work, its original cost and its present, often incalculable, value.

At a recent Art History meeting each member brought in an object which they owned. We discussed how and when it came into their possession and why they had chosen to bring it – a bit like the Roadshow. I brought two Royal Doulton porcelain figures produced in their factory in The Potteries in the 1930s, so not antiques at all! But I discovered that the story of the figures of the Pearly Boy and Pearly Girl had links with Yardley’s of London. The designer was Arthur “Leslie” Harradine (1887–1965) who was one of Royal Doulton’s premier, and most prolific, figurine modellers from 1920 until the mid-1950s.

His first street vendor subject was a

What is Art History?


As a group this year we have photographed Bluebells at Turville, St Andrews Church, Boulters Lock (unfortunately it rained on the scheduled day so the visits were made individually), Bucks Railway Centre at Quainton and Ashridge Park in October. At our June and November meetings we discuss our best photographs with a view to seeing what we can improve on.

Meetings are at 2pm held on the second Monday of the month in the Chiltern Room at the Village Centre or at a pre-arranged meeting place if we are going out on a shoot. There are no meetings in September and December.

Next year’s programme has still to be arranged, but will contain at least 5 outdoor photoshoots at places selected by the members, though January,

February and March meetings will probably be held in the Village Centre.

New members are welcome, from beginners to the experienced. See Richard Carver if you would like to join us.Richard CarverGroup Co-ordinator

Digital Photography Group

24 March Bittersweet Colleen McCullough28 April Members’ Choice26 May Life after Life Kate Atkinson23 June The Book Thief Markus Zusak28 July Miss Garnet’s Angel Sally Vickers25 August Members’ Choice

September No Meeting

27 October Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte24 November Me Before You Jojo MoyesAnn GooldGroup Co-ordinator

Suggestions have been put forward, votes have been cast and we now have a varied and wide ranging programme for 2016. There are a couple of Classics, a local author (her first book) together with writers we have enjoyed before and some yet to discover. Two of our meetings are “members’ choice” when we bring along a selection of things we have found of interest; it might be a book, or poem, an article that has taken our attention or even a snippet of information we have discovered about a previous author or book we have read.

Our Programme for 2016 is ready – why not try some of the titles we have chosen!

Programme for 201628 January To Kill A Mocking Bird Harper Lee25 February Our Endless Numbered Days Claire Fuller

Reading GroupWhy not ‘read along’ with the Reading Group?


GamesWe are, at the moment, a small group and mainly play board games and card games with the occasional short quiz. If you enjoy good conversation in a jovial atmosphere then this group is a tonic that you don’t need to go to the doctors for, so come and join us. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Chiltern Room at the Village Centre from 2–4pm excluding July, August and December. We would love to have more of you join us. A warm welcome is guaranteed.Diane Carver For Kay Hazlewood, Group Co-ordinator

Family History Group

How often have you said “one day I will do some research into my family history” but when you get started, you just do not know where to start? You soon find out that there are numerous web sites on offer, not to mention the Official Records Office, Parish records, etc.

It seems to the beginner like a minefield, but do not despair – help is at hand, for there is help right here in Chinnor. You will soon find that there are so many ways to expand your family history experiences.

Here at the Family History Group there is always someone who may have the answers that you have been searching for, or alternatively you could use our newsletter to pose your problem.

So why not come along to one of or meetings and meet up with members from both Chinnor and Thame U3A? The next meeting will be at 10.30pm at the Chinnor Village Centre on 3rd December. George Hunter Group Co-ordinator

When we first discussed the formation of the Chinnor U3A Geology Group we agreed to keep it LOCAL and SIMPLE. It takes time to get used to and get your tongue around some of the periods and names in geology!

We believe we have succeeded in this objective! In our programme this year we have covered topics including Chinnor Cement Works, Swallow Holes, Trilobites, Crystals, The Cotswolds and Oxfordshire Brickworks.

As there are insufficient members in Chinnor for a viable group we have invited members from other U3As in the area.

Princes Risborough has shown the most interest and we have gained members from there and Haddenham.

Some members have left the group but that has been more than made up by our new members.If the group becomes too large for meeting in member’s homes we may have to consider an alternative venue or starting a new group, possibly in Princes Risborough.

We have no meeting in December but would welcome new members at our meetings next year.John PerkinGroup Co-ordinator

Geology Group

2015/2016 Programme Fourth Monday of the month unless otherwise indicated, from 10:00 until 12:00

DATE THEME PRESENTER VENUE 2016 25th January Oxfordshire Iron Quarries John Christine B. 22nd February Goring Gap Sue Sue? 22nd March Thames Water TW John

www.chinnoru3a.org.uk

The website is updated regularly and gives a full two-monthly calendar of all the interest group meetings, links to other U3A websites

and useful tips on a variety of subjects. You can also read Contact in colour on the website.


Tunstall’s TravelsIn late September twenty-five of us travelled by coaches and trains to Souillac, a beautiful and tranquil town in the Perigord region of France.

Thank you to Sheila for another fabulous holiday.Jane Evans

Thanks to Martin Asbury for these photographs of the holiday.

The abbey in Souillac.

On our free day six of us took a taxi for a forty minute ride to the Eyrignac Manor Garden. It is one of France’s most beautiful private gardens and contains one of the finest examples of the Art of Topiary. A unique collection of over 300 topiary sculpures and 50,000 yew, hornbeam, box and ivy plants are embroidered like the backdrop to a natural opera where the water and light sing in the Black Perigord landscape. The high elevation garden allowed us to admire far reaching views on a calm, warm, sunny day.Brian Butler

The truffadou train, formerly used to transport truffles. The train follows a stunning scenic route from Martel to St Denis.

The awe-inspiring pilgrimage site of Rocamadour, topped by l’Hospitalet Abbey.

Martel, where the train journey started. A Medieval ‘city’ of seven towers


Sheila always builds free time into her holidays and this one was no exception. The whole of our last day was ours to do as we pleased. Several of us had been across the road from our hotel to the very conveniently placed Tourist Information Centre and picked up a leaflet about Les Grottes at Lacave, Vallee de la Dordogne.

Six of us booked a taxi and went off to see what we could see. A short train journey underground saved us a longish walk and took us to the heart of the caverns. The photographs will give you some idea of the vastness and beauty of this underground warren. It was absolutely fascinating. With humidity at 80% and a constant temperature of 14° we expected to be cold but in fact we were quite comfortable and ended up carrying our outer garments.

On surfacing, we had a lovely meal (and a glass of wine, need I say!) in a local restaurant and then walked around the delightful village. Our taxi returned at 3pm as arranged and whisked us back to our hotel in no time. A very satisfying day.Dorrie Oliver

A petrified waterfall (above) and the jaws of a crocodile (below). It takes 100 years for stalagmites and stalagtites to grow 2cm; we were looking at thousands of years of drip,drip, drip…

The medieval town of Sarlat, where beautifully restored sandstone mansions cluster together in a maze of narrow, cobbled streets.

below From the pretty town of La Roque-Gageac on the Dordogne we enjoyed a boat trip in a traditional Gabare boat, passing five of the valley’s most beautiful chatêaux.


The Longest Journey E. M. Forster: A biographical novel published in 1907 about the life of Rickie Elliott, a student at Cambridge in the early 20th century. An orphan who grew up living with cousins and sent to a boarding school, he is bullied and shunned due to his lameness and frailty. At Cambridge he is not a brilliant scholar but he shares rooms with a circle of philosophical and intellectual fellow-students and is accepted as a good chap with a passion for the arts.

He becomes involved with Agnes Pembroke and her fiancé Gerald, an athletic, handsome bully who despises pathetic Rickie. Gerald dies on the football field and Rickie finds himself comforting Agnes. A mismatched couple, circumstances conspire to cause them to become engaged. They are manipulated by Rickie’s wealthy aunt, Agnes’s brother Herbert, and indirectly Rickie’s half-brother Stephen. Herbert has ambitions to be head of dormitory at Sawston School but this would require his sister to marry, becoming house mother and Rickie teaching classics. They marry.

Rickie’s ambition to become a writer, his moral sense and freedom of thought are suppressed by the dreary regime of teaching. The marriage becomes loveless. Herbert and Agnes’s ambitions to get hold of Rickie’s money are thwarted. After a cataclysmic row in which Ricky and Stephen’s blood relationship is revealed everyone storms off. Rickie and Stephen travel. Rickie dies trying to rescue his inebriated brother at a rural railroad. Forster concludes that one must be true to one’s principles, reject hypocrisy and expose boorish petty tyrants using petty rules to control other.The Irish rm (resident magistrate). A series of colourful short stories by the Anglo-Irish novelists Somerville and Ross, written with humour and insight into the Irish and their relationship with the English. Set in pre-partition Ireland it tells the adventures of Major Sinclair Yeates, his landlord Flurry Knox, Knox’s eccentric grandmother and the girl Sinclair courts and marries, Phillipa. Most stories are about horse dealing, fox hunting, shooting and fishing, there is little about the courts although Sinclair ’s status as RM inhibits him, and Flurry and others mildly exploit it. Coming up: J D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye; Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman; and John Betjeman’s autobiographical Summoned by Bells.Clive BrayGroup Co-ordinator

Since May we have read five books:missing Person Patrick Modiano: A postmodern mystery. The narrator, Roland, suffers from amnesia. His past fell away during the Nazi occupation of France. After the war he becomes a private detective, using his skills and the office records to research his own past. The novel is a haunting and disturbing account of his search. In his quest for identity the very notion of self fades. “Do not our identities dissolve into the evening?” our narrator muses. He finally concludes that he will never find the truth about his past. “The sand holds the traces of our footsteps but a few moments”. Too many people have lied about their activities in occupied France due to their collaboration, resistance, or profiteering. Readers looking for a neat solution will be frustrated. a Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Marina Lewycka: Set in England, the novel deals with issues of immigration, the loss of independence in old age, the lure of Western consumerism to suppressed Eastern Europeans. Nadia and Vera settled in England with their parents who fled from the Ukraine after WW2. Their family roots are deep in Eastern Europe. The novel is a wise, tender and deeply funny account of families, and the belated healing of family wounds in support of widowed Papa Nikolai’s longing for female comfort and support. A knowledge of the history of Ukraine helps to give the reader an insight into Russian domination of the region. madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert: set in 19th century France when first serialised in La Revue de Paris, the book was judged to be obscene. Flaubert was tried and acquitted in February 1857. It became an instant best seller.

Madame Bovary was a desperate housewife, coerced into marrying Charles Bovary. Emma had received a good convent education. She read novels and was obsessed with romance and luxury. Charles was a widower, a plodding, well-meaning man who was a medical officer still living with his mother. After being seduced by a man who dazzled compared to her mundane husband, Emma commits suicide. It’s not clear if she intended suicide and her death throes are operatic. Husband, priest, friends and her daughter gather round her as she writhes in agony. Like Tolstoy in Anna Karenina, Flaubert gives the reader a detailed account of the treatment of all women and the male expectation in the 19th century.

Literary Appreciation Group


The name of this 54 mile walk doesn’t sound very inspiring but it runs 10-15 miles from the town centre, and rarely can Aylesbury be seen, except from places like the top of Coombe Hill. Some of you will know that ugly highly visible concrete 1960s office building in Aylesbury, that so damaged the historic town centre, is now home to Peregrine Falcons!

So come and join us on our walks if you can. We are a very sociable group!Peter HetheringtonGroup Co-ordinator

We have welcomed several new members to the group. Over the last 6 months we have averaged 17 on each walk, compared to 12 last year.

We started a busy 6 months with a Mixed Walk Group exchange holiday based in Godalming – an exchange with my sister’s walking group, Godalming and Haslemere Ramblers. My abiding memory of the holiday is of totally clear blue skies over the Punchbowl at Hindhead. The weather was superb throughout. No doubt others will remember the visit to stately Clandon House and Gardens. The house was badly damaged by fire less than 2 weeks after our visit.

The Godalming Group will be visiting us from 12–14 April next year, with our members leading walks for them from Shillingford Bridge, Oxford, Stokenchurch and Hughenden Manor and organising a quiz for both groups to join in. There is a huge amount of organisation needed because they are bringing 50 members and it involves us in leading 6 walks of varying length to suit different abilities. Thank you to Chris Burrows, David and Ann Fahey, Ann Goold, Brian Gribben, Rosie Hetherington, Margaret Silvey, Frances Wells and Carole Wheeler for volunteering to help with leading the walks and the quiz.

So why is our group attracting more walkers from within Chinnor U3A? We are arranging slightly shorter walks than previously and are trying to start walks closer to Chinnor although that is not always possible as we do need variety. This winter we will walk from Hurley on the Thames, Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, the Pole Cat at Prestwood and the Red Lion in Chenies.

Three of our members have completed walking the whole of the new Outer Aylesbury Ring this summer and received certificates from the Chiltern Society. Some of the scenery was stunning and the countryside deserted except for sheep and a few scattered small villages.

Mixed Walks Group

Mixed Walk Group at Radnage Church, enjoying the sunshine after a banana break on a walk led by Peter Brook.

Bridge GroupThe group has been supported well during the Summer months and has justified us keeping open over that period.

We are, of course, always interested in taking on new members and will help those wishing to make a start by providing initial tuition.

We meet at the Village Centre from 2–4pm on the second Thursday in each month, except of course, in late December.Stuart BakerGroup Co-ordinator


On a beautiful sunny day in April we went on a coach outing to Savill Garden near Windsor. Our guides pointed out many trees and plants of special interest, including some champion trees and unique specimen plants. The blooms of the great tree magnolias viewed against a cloudless blue sky were really stunning. The sweet scent of the blossom drifting on the breeze heralded spring. Even the Mandarin ducks swimming lazily on the lake seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.

Unfortunately weather luck ran out in May. The weather forecast for the day of our Plant Sale was so wet that we decided to cancel. The rains came, and the day was a wash-out! Disappointing, as many members had set aside plants especially.

For our visit to a beautiful private garden called Montana in Cholesbury we had a lovely day. The owners had purchased an area of woodland at the end of their garden, creating a wonderful walk through the trees called Marion’s Mile, as well as a fernery within the woodland. They retained and naturalised the remains of an old clay brick-making works. A delightfully informal garden, with a huge array of flowering shrubs and trees, and plenty of benches and seating around to enjoy the garden from various viewpoints.

In June we were welcomed by Millie Messum to her beautiful garden, Lords Wood near Marlow. The garden was full of interest, with three lovely

Gardening Group

ponds, spanned by a rustic bridge, two lawns, a separate croquet lawn, a vegetable garden with impressive raised beds and a state of the art greenhouse. The most recent of the many sculptures – an impressive stone feature – was being set up by the sculptor while we were there. What looked like a Summer House, was, the builder assured us, the new potting shed. The gardener was charming and answered questions about the planting, especially the modern cultivars. After tea and cake on the lawn members bought some of the home-made chutney, jam, or apple juice on sale. Voted our favourite visit for a long time by many of us!

In July we visited Mottisfont near Romsey in Hampshire. The wet and drizzly day had brightened by the time we arrived. We were

treated to a tour around the grounds, hearing the history and seeing interesting features about the architecture of the house. We looked at the Font, from which Mottisfont took its name – a natural spring, feeding into a babbling brook, which in turn flows into the River Test. The outstanding feature of the grounds was the Walled Garden, where the English roses, the rambler roses, the lavender, the clematis and all the other planting were staging a beautiful display. We topped off the afternoon in style with a Cream Tea.

It was a blustery day in August for our next visit, to Homelands, a

Whilst we were at Montana an amazing ladder was delivered – perfect for jobs in the garden.

Enjoying a lovely day at Savill Gardens.


Our Winter Programme will continue in 2016 with meetings and talks, held in the Scout Hut on the third Wednesday of the month at 10.15am:January 20th 2016 Lungs of London: the Capital’s Parks and Gardens. By Colin Oakesfebruary 17th 2016 British Wild Flowers. By John Negusmarch 16th 2016 Butterflies and Orchids of the Upper Thames. By Malcolm BrownswordAnn HineJoint Co-ordinator

private garden in Ellesborough. The garden was comparatively compact, but full of interest, laid out to include eighteen seating areas, we were reliably informed by the owners. The only bench that was not recommended to try out, as it was old and falling apart, was underneath ‘smiley’ and we all wondered who or what ‘smiley’ referred to; it was a smiley face cut in the yew hedge next to the vegetable plot! The rain held off while we enjoyed our tea and cake. A lovely visit.

In September we went to Aston Potteries near Witney. The gardens were lovely, and some of us had a ‘guided’ tour – a little long-winded, but still interesting. It is certainly worth a visit at a different time of year, as the owner is concentrating on developing the garden to attract visitors to the pottery, and the very nice ‘Country Café’ does delicious lunches!

As I write this we look forward to our October visit to Wisley, the beautiful RHS garden near Woking, Surrey.

‘Thank you’ to the members who organised these great visits.

The Font at Mottisfont.

At Lords Wood – no garden visit is complete without tea on the lawn!


In August we visited the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, thanks to the research carried out by Pat & Peter Hearmon.

In 1683 it was the first museum to be opened to the public as a department of the University of Oxford with artefacts which showed the development of mathematics and science. It was originally known as The Old Ashmolean and housed the Ashmole collection. In addition to this, the building was used by academics who carried out experiments in a chemical laboratory in the basement whilst the middle floor was used for lecturing and demonstrations by the School of Natural History. In 1924 following a gift to the University by Lewis Evans the museum became The Museum of the History of Science.

We were given a guided tour by Dr Sophie Waring; she seemed far too young to be a university lecturer and researcher, but within a few

History & Archaeology Group

minutes it became obvious how knowledgeable she was. She gave us an informed talk on several articles on each of the three floors, and a demonstration of how to tell the time in the evening using an astrolabe. She also explained that pendulum clocks have sound because when astronomers looked though their telescopes to time the stars moving across the sky they could count the seconds without having to look away.

The three small galleries offer a wealth of exhibits to view and study. What a delightful place, well worth a return visit!

We meet at the Reading Room on the third Friday of the month. We finish our meetings with tea and biscuits, giving our members a chance to chat and make new friends. If you would like to join us we will be very pleased to see you. Molly Milner & George HunterJoint Group Co-ordinators

On the Gardening Group trip to Wisley in October, we saw the gardeners taking a break from marking out squares on the grass with spray paint.

They were 1 metre squares. They were going to make 36 holes per square.

They were about to plant crocus bulbs........With 4 bulbs per hole, that’s 144 bulbs per

square.There were 500 square metres, making 18,000

holes – and 72,000 bulbs!Why had they temporarily stopped working?They had run out of spray paint and had called

for a fresh can to be brought immediately!I must make a note to go back to Wisley in the

Spring to see the display of crocuses.Ann HineJoint Co-ordinator

Gardening Group: offshoot!

U3A Community Stall Chinnor U3A joined with other local U3A groups in setting up a stall at Thame market one Tuesday in October. The aim was to tell people about the organisation and all the activities on offer, and to give them an opportunity to join if they wished.

The stall was very busy – four new members signed up for Chinnor U3A in the hour that our members manned the stall alone!

Everyone involved considered the venture to be a great success and one they would hope to repeat in the future.


Computer GroupWindows 10 has arrived and Microsoft are pushing hard to get everyone to upgrade. I expect resistance from some of our group but inevitably the focus of our meetings will largely be on the new operating system. We will also continue to pay some attention to the rival systems from Apple, Google and Linux.

The last year or so has seen rapid evolution and diversity in computing hardware and software, leaving us spoilt for choice. This choice is not always helpful and the right choice is not easy, but raising these issues at the meeting will often result in animated discussions and useful input.

We try to pitch meetings at a level to satisfy the greatest number. This may mean introducing topics such as the Raspberry Pi so that members can get an overview of the topic and take it further themselves if they wish.

After comments from a number of people that our meetings were too advanced, Sarah Phillips has undertaken to deliver a course on the basics to half a dozen U3A members. Hopefully they will then return to our usual monthly meetings.

We now charge an annual subscription £15 for regular attendees and £2.00 for casual visitors.

All U3A members are welcome. See our programme on the Chinnor U3A website. Robin Preston-WhyteGroup Co-ordinator

Creative Writing Group

Our group has grown a little and we are now at capacity for the present.

We continue to have fun writing on a variety of topics both in group sessions and at home, and being challenged to write in ways we have never tackled before.

Recently we wrote the account of a fairy story from the point of view of one of the characters – not necessarily human!

We are constantly amazed at the differing ways our imaginations work, as these examples of our efforts illustrate:

“People shouldn’t be allowed to criticise like that! We all have to get along with each other. Why should I have to toe someone else’s line? It is so old-fashioned to think it means I am disappointed – because I

certainly am not! Baby boys look lovely in pink too!”

“One dark night, Josephine was having a very disturbed sleep. She got up, went downstairs,

out of the front door – dressed only in her long white nightdress – and walked straight across the road. A man driving by saw this

apparition in his headlights, and screeched to a stop – just in time!”

“He watched the first stars appear as the clouds drifted away, then the moonlight

slowly drifted over desk, papers, books and his empty coffee cup. He recited all the

irregular verbs he could think of, then dozed till dawn broke. Now at last – his first day as

a French examiner!”

“Stargazing in August: One tiny star in the deepening blue sky, ten, a hundred,

thousands….a million stars in the blue–black night sky. A silent arc of light, a whispered

wish. A million stars minus one in the night sky.… “

Ann LongGroup Co-ordinator

Tips for removing lily pollen stains

Having had an occasional garment stained by brushing past a vase of lilies which have been left with their stamens intact, I was delighted to find an item in a magazine about that very problem.

The pollen completely fades if exposed to strong sunlight – whilst the sun can be difficult to find at this time of year, I have found this works well during summer months.

I haven’t tried the following two methods but these suggestions by other readers may also be worth trying. Some had used their vacuum cleaners to great effect, whilst others reported that sprinkling the stain with talc, then brushing, resulted in the pollen disappearing cleanly away. Janet Roebuck


First a big thank you to Tony Clark who has stepped down after leading this group for ten years. We have now taken over as co-ordinators.

Over the past six months there have been varied walks from six to seven miles in length, starting with a walk in Little Milton in April and finishing with a walk from Stokenchurch in September.

The group’s aim is for morning walks between six to seven miles long, except for a

one day summer walk, which this year was a seven mile walk along the Thames Path from Maidenhead to Windsor, returning by boat along the River Thames in the afternoon.

Between now and April there are a number of walks planned for the first Tuesday of each month starting at 10am, full details of which are on the Chinnor U3A web site.Christine & Ray BarnettJoint Group Co-ordinators

Long Walks Group

On the 18th March 1967 the Torrey Canyon hit Pollards Rock in the Seven Stone Reef of Land’s End. She was carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil much of which spilled out and caused an oil slick that stretched along the English Channel threatening the beaches of Southern England and Western France as far as Normandy. There were over 20,000 sea birds affected by the oil.

At the time I was a Petty Officer aboard HMS Undaunted, a fast anti-submarine frigate attached to the Portland Training Squadron. We were dispatched to try to stop oil reaching the beaches of the Channel Islands. Before leaving we embarked many drums of a dispersing chemicals to use on the oil.

We sent our helicopter to locate the oil slick as we steamed at full speed in the direction of where we thought it was. The ship was guided in by the helicopter and then it returned to the ship to be stowed safely before we started spraying.

Temporary booms were rigged on either side of the forecastle on which the sprays were fixed and spraying commenced as we steamed up and down slowly. The oil was about 6 inches or more thick,

brown and pungent. The spraying crews wore full protective clothing and worked in shifts. A marksman armed with a .303 rifle was stationed right in the bows and he was to shoot any birds in the oil as they were so badly burnt by the oil they could not be saved.

Each evening we returned to Portland to restock the chemicals and take on fresh water as our distilled seawater was contaminated, though we had to use it for washing in. We continued this routine for quite a time until the oil slick was dispersed. By accident one day we discovered that if we towed our Noise Maker (a contraption made up of steel bars that were hinged in such a way they rattled together when towed astern, and used to fool torpedoes into thinking it was the ships screws) was far more effective at breaking up the oil into droplets that sank than the chemicals.

When we finished our stint at clearing the oil after the Torrey Canyon was bombed and the leaking oil was ignited we had to undergo a thorough cleaning of the boilers and hull before returning to normal duties.Richard Carver

Free legal advice for U3A members

The Third Age Trust has an arrangement with ‘Arc Legal Assistance in Association with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors’ to provide legal advice to U3A members.

This is a FREE service, available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Just phone: 0344 770 1040 and quote: ‘U3A Legal Helpline’.

Want to try something new?

All these groups are looking for new members. If you would like to know more contact the group co-ordinator, as listed in Contact Extra.

GamesArt History

Play ReadingPhotographyLong Walks

Do you remember the Torrey Canyon?


The Travel Group has been ‘Travelling’ – but in reality many members have been armchair travellers, ever since the inception of Chinnor U3A in 1998. The group was started by John and Anne Gordon, two people who enjoy travelling worldwide.

We aim to show a wide variety of countries, to learn something about their culture, history, tourist sites and to maybe inspire others to visit.

Each month we listen to travellers’ tales in the comfort of the Reading Room. Subjects vary, and include the UK. Some of our members share their holiday experiences, ranging from North America to New Zealand and South America to Japan, often illustrated with a PowerPoint presentation. For example, October’s subject was a cruise around the Black Sea ending in Istanbul, a fascinating city, safe, clean and full of interesting and beautiful buildings. In November we will be treated to a ‘Journey through Northern England’, presented by Len Davidson from Thame U3A Travel Group.

At Christmas we hold a social meeting, when members are able to relate interesting holiday experiences, without giving a full presentation, and to socialise with a few nibbles and perhaps a drink.

WaNTeD! New members to join us in reading verse:Highbrow, Lowbrow, Comic or Worse,We’d love to see you at half past two,An armchair or sofa is waiting for YOU.

Since May, we have shared a wide variety of poetry chosen from such subjects as ‘Favourite Poets’,’Favourite Things’ and ‘Pleasant Memories’, which produced such a wealth of poems that we extended it to the following month and for which it was suggested that we all have a go at writing our own poem. This was very successful, topped by Stella’s hilarious account of the birth of her son. We read poems about rain sticks, childhood, solitude, knitting, opals and the sonnets of Shakespeare to name but a few. In September we delved into the depths of ‘night’, from which I am including a beautiful poem by E J Scovell.

Poetry GroupShe was

born in 1907 and spent the earlier part of her life working with her husband in the American rain forests. Eventually she came to live in Oxford where, she used to sit in the corners of cafes composing her poems, even into her nineties. Her poetry is both reflective and lyrical while maintaining a sense of rhythm which perfectly frames her beautiful use of language.Rosemary Keavy(Mavis is on holiday)

Fragility of Dusk by E J ScovellThe world is stretched so taut and thinBefore the pomps of night begin.Rain in the air hangs caught like fire.And every sound a narrow wirePlucked by fingers out of sight;And the sky empty, thinned of light; And night falls crisply flake by flake.The world is made of stuff so rare, I think each moment it might breakTo dust and vanish in the air Or, seasoned wood, too dry, might leapTo sudden flame then fall asleep.

The group has around 25 members, some of whom have been attending since the beginning. Anyone can come along and try us out; we meet on the first Thursday in the month at 2.30 p.m. in the Reading Room. It is not compulsory to give presentations but all contributions are most welcome, assistance can be given to those not familiar with PowerPoint.

Next meeting is Thursday 4th February the subject is ‘South America’ by Jill Ives.

an Unplanned JourneyNo travel agent

No travel scheduleNo tickets taken

No money taken evenNo idea where I’m going

No plans of destination even Going is not my decision even

Like a childPulled out of its play

By a parentI walk along

Leaving behind my body.Charles Mackay

Anne GordonJoint Group Co-ordinator

Travel Group


On 5th October nineteen U3A walkers and friends drove down to Lulworth Cove for the start of a 4 night, 3 day walking holiday. It was wet for the whole journey – the rain unrelenting and the weather forecast dire!

But then things got better!The hotel, newly refurbished

in a delightful seaside theme, made us welcome; we unpacked, had dinner, chose our lunch for the next day and our dinner for the following evening. We listened as the three walks leaders described the walk they would be leading the following day. Another decision to make – which should we do? After enjoying a quiz we went to bed, ready to relish the first of our walks the next day. A Good start!

After a very hearty breakfast, and with one eye on the low cloud, we kitted out in our most waterproof gear – well prepared for the promised forecast but determined it would make no

Walking Group Holiday

difference. Our coach dropped us off in the Corfe Castle area. All three walks would take us through Corfe village onto the Purbeck way then the South West Coastal Path and eventually into Studland.

The forecast was wrong – well almost! There was just a shower or two, but the cloud did lift and


we were surrounded by fantastic views and could see as far as the Isle of Wight. By the time we reached Studland all thoughts of rain completely vanished.

On Day 2 we were dropped off at the view point of the Cerne Abbas Giant, where we took our various routes on a circular walk to finish in the village of Cerne Abbas in time for a cuppa before heading back by coach to Lulworth. No Rain!

We had three different start points on Day 3, but all three walks followed sections of the South West Coast Path along the dramatic section of the Jurassic Coast to enjoy fantastic views of Durdle Door and back to West Lulworth. We walked in T shirts, the sky was blue, an occasional puff of wind – perfect!Anne Goold

A winning poem by Rosie Hetherington

Lulworth is lovely – what shall I recall?Ups, downs, the villlages – perhaps best of all –Lovely gardens and vistas stretching down to the sea,Wildlife, wild flowers and a Dorset cream tea!Or shall I remember best the end of the day?Relaxing with friends, wine, good food – let me just sayThanks to all those who made this such funHome calls tomorrow – goodbye everyone!


On a hot day in August, starting from the Sue Ryder Prayer Headquarters at Parmoor near Frieth, Richard and Rosemary Webb led 28 of us through the beautiful wooded countryside nearby. After our leisurely walk we enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea at the Sue Ryder house, then visited the walled vegetable and flower garden of the manor where we met and spoke to the gardeners and Lady Parmoor herself. The manor house has quite a history. At one time, King Zog (exiled from Albania with his attendants and family) occupied the estate. Later it was taken over by a religious order of nuns and then turned into a prayer headquarters that, although it has the name of Sue Ryder, is independent of the organisation.

In September Roger and Christine Prior led the walk. We passed the Roald Dahl museum in the High Street at Great Missenden, and turned into a narrow, hidden alleyway which surprisingly soon led us into the countryside. Climbing a gentle hill we eventually reached a vantage point from which we could see Great Missenden below, and the church where Roald Dahl is interred. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful view and we could see how the great author was so inspired. Walking on and passing the church on the way we eventually arrived back at the museum café (aptly named Café Twit) where we all had tea and cake.

Our winter programme of walks includes two guided tour town walks and more short walks – you can guarantee they will be very enjoyable. We often try to include a visit to a café or pub (if convenient) – especially in winter time. And, of course, we have our Christmas Lunch in December at The Crown in Chinnor.

So do join us – walking is good exercise and the company always very pleasant!Graham StoneGroup Co-ordinator

It’s quite an adventure just getting to Warburg Nature Reserve near Bix – two miles of single track, pot-holed country lane. Once there though the scenery is beautiful. At one point we came to a secluded deep valley – we carefully went down steep steps with no railings – quite exciting and well worth it for the incredible views. However, after the walk, the warden informed us that we would not be able to go home – the only way out of the reserve was blocked by a broken-down lorry sent to mend the many potholes in the lane leading to the reserve – it probably got stuck in a pothole! Anyway, the wardens made us all tea and it ended up quite a special social occasion. After about an hour, the lorry had been moved and we left – what an afternoon!

In May we had an organised tour around a farm at Prestwood (organised by our expert outings lady Sheila Tunstall). Virginia, the farm lady, firstly showed us some of her sheep, then took us through an apple orchard into a meadow of wild flowers, and on to see her cows and bull. The bull is of a fairly genial breed and also knows Virginia well – she scratched his back to keep him happy, as she told us about the bull and her animals. Back at the farmhouse we had a short tour of the bakery and the brewery where we had to buy some beer of course. Finally Virginia gave us tea and her delicious jam doughnuts. Thank you Sheila (and Virginia) for a fantastically pleasant afternoon.

On a beautiful day in June Richard Carver led a walk in the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate near Tring. We all enjoyed walking in the lovely wooded countryside on the estate. We had a dog with us this time and we debated whether the dog should pay double the visitor’s rate (as he had four legs instead of two) or indeed whether he was eligible to come on the walk as he was not old enough. At the NT café, we were obliged (of course) to partake of cake and tea. A lovely sociable ending to a lovely sociable afternoon. Thanks Richard.

In July Peter Hetherington led a walk from Great Kimble. Passing through a lot of delightful small meadows we came to Smokey Row and Lower Cadsden, where our present Prime Minister mistakenly left his young daughter after visiting the pub for lunch. We then walked a small section of the Ridgeway then through the Grangelands Nature Reserve where we saw several Marbled White butterflies, orchids and a variety of edible snails originally imported by the Romans.

Short Walks Group

Printed by Adlam Reprographics, Princes Risborough

Date post:	03-Jul-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

THE NEWSLETTER OF CHINNOR & DISTRICT U3A · 2017-02-09 · immediately volunteered to take over the...

Documents