Registered Charity No. 1126990 website: 2017-09 Complete V2-0.pdf · Registered Charity No. 1126990...

website: www.cvu3a.ukRegistered Charity No. 1126990

Application form for CV U3A QuizU3A Diaries on sale now

Volunteer for SchoolreadersChesham Grammar School EPQ Event

September - November 2017 1

The History Group madevisits to Chenies Manorarranged by KeithHoffmeister …

… and HighgateCemetery organised byJackie Cobb.

The Play ReadingGroup took on somefuel before reading‘84 Charing CrossRoad’ in June.

Front cover: The Garden Group visited Deepwood Stud Farm and enjoyed looking atthe horses as well as the gardens.


Speakers for General Meetings

All meetings start at 2pm

Broadway Baptist Church

76 The Broadway

Chesham

Bucks HP5 1EG

Alan Wise Thursday 14th September

Achieve the Happiness and Good Health You Deserve

Alan is a psychotherapist who has practised in both Europe and the US and he offers specialised knowledge as a motivational speaker. He has also worked for many years in the medical/legal field reporting on post‐traumatic stress disorder.

Mick Casson Thursday 12th October

Life and Death in the Tower

Mick Casson was a Yeoman Warder in the Tower of London, and had 25 years of military service that took him around the Globe. Here he shares his insights into the Tower, which William the Conqueror started to build in the 1080s as his fortress in London.

Jason Middleton Thursday 9th November

An Introduction to Gemstones

Jason has enjoyed a highly rewarding career in the jewellery industry working as an International gem stone buyer for a respected jewellery company. Today, his company supplies the jewellery market with loose and finished gemstones, specialising in pearls and semi‐precious stones. He travels extensively to source these items internationally and for some years has developed a series of talks focusing on the fascinating world of gemstones

Bernard Lockett Thursday 14th December

The Musical Theatre of Gilbert & Sullivan

Bernard Lockett is a life‐long enthusiast for G&S and his bibliography includes two books on them and their works. He has been a Trustee of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival since 2005 and also works on the administration of the Festival’s own professional National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company. Clearly, then, Bernard is just the man to introduce us – or, more likely, re‐introduce us to these wonderful pieces of musical theatre.


Chairman’s Notes

Welcome to our Autumn 2017 newsletter. I hope that you will find its contents helpful and of interest. You may also wish to keep it handy for the next three months, until the end of November, as a useful reference to the General Meeting, Group meetings and other activities taking place during that period.

Thank you to those members who attended the Chess Valley U3A Annual General Meeting on 8 June. Four Committee members stood for re‐election at the AGM: John Anderson (Treasurer); Chris Kinsley (Secretary); Valerie Garrood (Webmaster); and Jackie Cobb (Events Coordinator). I am pleased to report that all were re‐elected for a further two‐year period. I would like to thank them, and my other Committee colleagues who were not up for re‐election this year (namely, Marian Bangs and Sue Broad (Joint Groups Coordinators), James Cadle and Liz Stoelker (Joint Newsletter Editors), Derek Gardner (Membership Secretary) and Michael Cohn (Speaker Organiser)) for their hard work and support during the past year. James Cadle was also elected to the post of vice‐Chairman in succession to Tony Biddle who, as reported in the last newsletter, decided not to seek re‐election to the Committee. I look forward to working with James in his new role.

As I flagged up in our last newsletter, we are holding our annual Chess Valley U3A Quiz Night on Saturday 18 November, 6.30pm for a prompt 7pm start (if possible!), in the main hall of the White Hill Centre in Chesham. An application form is enclosed with this newsletter. The cost is £5 per person.

This will be the fifth occasion on which the quiz has been held. As a result of our experiences in organising this event over the years, and taking account of feedback from members, we have decided that:

the number of tables this year will be reduced from 15 to 13, to alleviate the somewhat cramped conditions in areas of the hall, particularly towards the rear and around the bar area

there will be no fish (or chicken) and chips supper, as it has proved challenging to keep the meals warm in transit from the supplier. However, please feel free to bring your own snacks, nibbles, etc

there will be a strict limit of six players per table

there will be no prize raffle this year.

Please note that, because of licensing arrangements at the White Hill Centre, only alcohol purchased on the premises may be consumed there. However, please feel free to bring your own soft drinks with you if you prefer, although these may also be purchased from the bar.

With best wishes Eric

[email protected]

Christmas at Kew

Wednesday 29th November 2017

Jackie Cobb is organising an outing to the Kew Gardens Christmas Lights Trail on Wednesday 29th November 2017. The 2017 winter trail boasts over one million twinkling lights.

The coach will leave from Chesham and the cost, in the region of £29.50, includes coach, entrance to Kew Lights Trail and the driver’s tip. There are a few tickets still available.

If you’re interested, please contact Jackie Cobb, Events Coordinator, [email protected] or 01494 773718.


New Members We offer a warm welcome to our newest members:

Elizabeth Alcock Great Missenden John Park Chesham Liza Bakewell Chesham Kevin Parsons Chesham David Blake Chesham Peter Ray Amersham Denise Delaney Holmer Green Pauline Richards Hyde Heath Gillian Guidi Amersham Lin Roberts Chesham Margaret Harding Chesham Olwyn Routh Chesham Diana Hepburn-Park Chesham Judy Sonley Holmer Green Peter Janes Bovingdon Angela Spittle Holmer Green Gillian Munro Chesham Jacky Taylor Hyde Heath Penny Ouvry Amersham June Terry Chesham

If you know anyone you think might be interested in joining, please ask them to contact the Membership Secretary; contact details below.

Chess Valley U3A Committee Members

Chairman Eric Magson [email protected] 01494 714420

Vice-Chairman James Cadle [email protected] 01494 716992

Treasurer John Anderson [email protected] 01753 887463

Secretary Chris Kinsley [email protected] 01442 863028

Membership Secretary Derek Gardner [email protected] 01494 771102

Groups Coordinators Marian Bangs

[email protected] 01494 713627

Sue Broad 01494 718128

Webmaster Valerie Garrood [email protected] 01494 433585

Newsletter Editors Liz Stoelker*

[email protected] 01494 712164

James Cadle 01494 716992

Speaker Organiser Michael Cohn* [email protected] 01494 763542

Events Coordinator Jackie Cobb [email protected] 01494 773718

The * indicates a non-voting member

Groups Coordinators’ Report

31 convenors attended our meeting on 29 June. 26 New members to Chess Valley were invited and two attended although, as the invitation was at short notice, some said they would like to attend the next meeting on 30 November.

Feedback from the new members was very positive. They found it very helpful being able to meet the Convenors face‐to‐face and were very impressed with the turnout, so congratulations Convenors. We will repeat the experiment again on 30 November, our next meeting.

The minutes will be emailed ahead of the next meeting as a memory jog, and we will be sending a copy to the webmaster for our website cvu3a.uk under the headline “Convenors meeting”. The next Convenors’ meeting is on Thursday 30 November 2017 in Chesham Town Hall, 10.00am to 12.00pm (lunch provided)

Marian Bangs and Sue Broad – Groups Co‐ordinators


Chess Valley U3A Convenors

(All phone numbers are prefixed by 01494 unless otherwise indicated)

Group Convenor/s Phone U3A e-mail

Art Lin Spoor 433896

[email protected] Claire Fallowfield 863160

Art Discussion 1 Jude Jones 723215 [email protected]

Art Discussion 2 Caroline Jenks 772090 [email protected]

Book Group 1 Mary Saywood 868746 [email protected]

Book Group 2 Liz Howlett 727482

[email protected] Christine Ross 431521

Book Group 3 Eileen Overton 01753 891667 [email protected]

Bridge Graham Beavan 775745

[email protected] Patrick Clarke 727184

Chess Peter Schweiger 729321 [email protected]

Computers Betty Hutton 875507 [email protected]

Current Affairs Eileen Overton 01895 831984 [email protected]

Digital Imaging Liz Stoelker 712164

[email protected] Sylvia Morris 722385

Dinghy Sailing Wendy Barnes 783790

[email protected] Judith Young 259807

Eclectic Music Juliet Crussell 711159

[email protected] Ron Hartwell 786738

Family History Marian Bangs 713627

[email protected] Sue Broad 718128

Fantasy Shares Merelene Davis

[email protected] Andrew Davis

French Conversation Jackie Cobb 773718 [email protected]

French Intermediate Hilary Alleston 581934 [email protected]

Gardening Janice Cross 728291 [email protected]

German Jenny Lee 863970 [email protected]

History Claire Paterson 712736

[email protected] Ian Hutt 583955

Italian Beginners Joanna Hughes 814630 [email protected]

Jazz Appreciation Alan Crussell 711159

[email protected] Danny Robins 581079

Mah Jong Julie Wolstenholme 876908 [email protected]

MOTO Mo Barnes 786766 [email protected]


Chess Valley U3A Convenors (continued)

(All phone numbers are prefixed by 01494 unless otherwise indicated)

Group Convenor/s Phone U3A e-mail

Patchwork & Quilting Margaret Payne 783167 [email protected] Photography Keith Hoffmeister 766990 [email protected]

Pilates Christine Ross 431521

[email protected] Liz Howlett 727482

Play Reading Claire Paterson 712736

[email protected] Linda Hepworth 762783

Poetry Christine Ogborne 773194 [email protected]

Railways Geoff Povey 772596

[email protected] Eric Magson 714420

Science & Technology Mike Christianson 01753 890480

[email protected] Allan Saunders 01753 883159 Peter Twist 837437

Singing for Pleasure Angela Bratton 725312

[email protected] Stephanie Rothwell 729416

Spanish Conv (Inter) Hilary Alleston 581934 [email protected] Stamps John Small 762000 [email protected]

Theatre Chris Aylott

727555 [email protected] Diana Aylott

Amblers Susan Osborne 866272 [email protected] Walkers 1 Wendy Nimmo 721887 [email protected] Walkers 2 Sue Rawbone 713649 [email protected] Walkers 3 Mick Rothwell 729416 [email protected] Striders 1 John Bratton 725312 [email protected] Striders 2 Ian Lee 863970 [email protected] Ukulele Alan Bridges 783098 [email protected]

Walks into History: Country

Tony Biddle 725429 [email protected]

Peter Schweiger 729321 Walks into History: London

Liam Dineen 715413 [email protected]

Angela Shipley 862699

Wildlife Harry Howlett 727482

[email protected] Keith Sonley 712857

Wine Appreciation 1 Rodney Garrood 433585 [email protected] Wine Appreciation 2 Muriel Gray 581068 [email protected] Writers Tony Renwick 782311 [email protected]


DiaryDate Group Event

11 Sep History Gordon Lowe, author of true crime stories12 Sep Committee Meeting14 Sep General Meeting Achieve the Happiness and Good Health You Deserve15 Sep Railways The Story of the Bakerloo line18 Sep Science and Technology Singapore to Bangkok by Car and Rail22 Sep Opera and Dance Dance - ballet ' La Bayadere' (The Temple Dancer)25 Sep Digital Imaging Photo Books25 Sep Stamps Jamaica - Stamps and Postal History26 Sep Jazz Appreciation Jazz legends Humphrey Lyttelton and Tubby Hayes27 Sep Gardening The Opposite of Chelsea27 Sep Country Walks into History Halton House, Wendover02 Oct Art Discussion 2 Michelangelo03 Oct Family History How to use the National Archives on line04 Oct Photography Field trip to be decided09 Oct History The History of Some Shoemaking10 Oct Committee Meeting11 Oct Walks in London Street Art12 Oct General Meeting Life and Death in the Tower16 Oct Science and Technology How Clean Should We Be?23 Oct Digital Imaging Video Basics25 Oct Gardening The Inexhaustible Mr Paxton25 Oct Theatre 'An American in Paris'26 Oct Poetry Norman MacCaig27 Oct Opera and Dance Offenbach's 'La Belle Hélène'31 Oct Jazz Appreciation Jazz piano – developments and exponents01 Nov Photography Field trip to Winkworth Arboretum06 Nov Art Discussion 2 Edward Burne-Jones07 Nov Committee Meeting07 Nov Family History Using newspapers & periodicals08 Nov Country Walks into History Pinner09 Nov General Meeting An Introduction to Gemstones13 Nov History Visit by students from Chesham Grammar School20 Nov Science and Technology Air Incidents22 Nov Gardening Pre-Christmas Social23 Nov Poetry Gerard Manley Hopkins24 Nov Opera and Dance Modern dance in 2 acts - 'Mata Hari'27 Nov Digital Imaging ProShow Gold for Photo, Video and Music slide-shows27 Nov Stamps Birds plus Muscat and Oman28 Nov Jazz Appreciation End of year Social30 Nov Convenors' Meeting05 Dec Family History Social with Show and Tell

Copy date for the next Newsletter is 22nd NovemberSeptember - November 2017 8

News from the Groups

Chess Valley U3A Art Group looks forward to starting its fifth year at the White Hill Centrein September. During July and August we are usually out and about, although we have hadrain at times. We have added a further meeting during the month in which members catchup on unfinished work or paint something of their own choosing; this seems to be popularso we shall continue with this addition.

At our three recent meetings we have discussed Hopper and Wyeth, C20th Russian and C20thGerman art. One of the great rewards of wider topics is the discovery of "lesser" artists, oftenremarkable but hitherto unknown to some or most of us and unblessed by the gurus of arthistory. We have also gained some valuable insight into Alma Mahler's .... friendships .... withmany significant men in the worlds of art and music and into the obsession with the workings

of the human digestive tract of one of the directors of the Bauhaus. Further details on these insights canbe obtained from any member of the group.

The group continues to thrive; members comment on the breadth of our discussionsand the confidence they feel to speak their minds.In June Gillian gave a presentation on Louis Comfort Tiffany, a multi-talented artist,designer of furniture and interiors. In 1881 he set up a new business to concentrateon glass objects, windows, lamps and mosaics. The new glass was coloured by pigments

in the glass rather than by colour painted on and stunning effects were created; particularly the lampsmade by his female workers who didn’t receive sufficient credit at the time. By the time he died his businesswas bankrupt; now, however, these lamps sell for £0.5 million!In July we watched a programme called ‘Who’s Afraid of Conceptual Art?’. From Marcel Duchamp’s urinalto Michael Craig-Martin’s glass of water, representing an oak tree, we were puzzled and amused in equalmeasure. In Conceptual Art, the idea is more important than the finished object; it could be a ready-made,the written word, performance arts or installations. If it’s thought-provoking, then it’s done its job. So, ifyou are at an exhibition and you see a ladder resting against a wall it may well be an “Important Statement”about life itself – or not. One of our members quoted from ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ by MurielSpark: “For those who like that sort of thing”, said Miss Brodie, “that is the sort of thing they like”.In August two members each gave a short talk. Elaine spoke about John Singer Sargent. He is mostwell-known for his beautiful society portraits but we also admired his many landscapes and flowerpaintings, and were much moved by his WW1 art. Catherine shared with us her passion for WassilyKandinsky, a Russian painter who also worked in Germany and France. He was noted for his theories oncolour and its links with music, and is famous as one of the first great abstract artists.Our coming meetings include Mughal Miniatures (Sept), Michelangelo (Oct) and Edward Burne-Jones(Nov).

GROUP MEETINGSWhile members are generally welcome at any meeting of a group, it is helpful if they advisethe Convenor of that meeting before attending. Some groups are full and most meetings arestructured; the arrival of an unexpected member may cause an unnecessary and perhapsunwelcome blip to the arrangements.In public buildings it is important that the Convenor knows who is at the meeting incase of fire. Please, always sign in at the beginning and sign out and in again if youpop out for a while. Also, make sure you know where the fire exits are.

Art Lin Spoor & Claire Fallowfield

Art Discussion 1 Jude Jones

Art Discussion 2 Caroline Jenks


This is a book group with a difference. We don’t all read the same book! Several timesa year a group of avid readers meets to discuss the books we have read betweenmeetings. It’s a most stimulating and wide-ranging session in which it’s almost certainthat at least somebody will have read the same book or the same author as somebodyelse in the group. Our discussions have included fiction, biography, history, politics

and include authors such as Barack Obama, J.M Coetzee, Sebastian Faulks, Rose Tremain, Max Hastings,David Owen and many more. We are full at the moment but please contact the Convenor if you wouldlike to be added to a waiting list. Meetings in the Autumn are on September 8th, October 20th andDecember 8th - all at 10am at my home.

Book Group Two has read three books since the last U3A newsletter.In May our book of choice was ‘Etta & Otto & Russell & James’ by Emma Hooper, a story of an eighty yearold woman who sets off to walk a 2000 mile journey to see the sea. Along the way Etta meets a coyotewho talks and sings cowboy songs when no-one is around. The novel is perhaps best read as an extendedfairy tale. Despite the good reviews we all disliked the content and the way it was written - a very bigthumbs down.June’s book ‘Winter in Madrid’ by C J Samson was a much better read and taught us a lot about the SpanishCivil War and the hardships endured by the Spanish. A very good book.Those of us who managed to finish ‘Sophie’s Choice’ by William Styron, July’s book, felt a sense ofachievement if not enjoyment. Set in World War Two New York, the author, as well as attempting tounderstand the holocaust by tracking Sophie’s haunting experiences, crammed the novel withautobiographical references on mental illness, obsession and guilt - a challenging read.

Meetings are held in members’ homes at 2pm on the third Tuesday of each month. Availability is governedby the ten books we get each month from Chesham library; we have our full quota at the moment butplease contact the Convenor in case a vacancy occurs. As a group we usually have different levels ofenjoyment on each book but once we start discussing it’s surprising how our criticisms and agreementscoincide. This makes for an enjoyable afternoon discussing the world at large as a spin-off from the book.Part of ‘Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand’ included a re-enactment of a train massacre during the Partition ofIndia which was completely apt for this month given the 70th anniversary. We look forward to readingour books for the rest of the year and we will soon be choosing our titles for 2018.

As the room that we play in has been enlarged, we have been able to eliminate thewaiting list.We continue to play at Chartridge Park Golf Club every Wednesday afternoon and willcontinue to do so until we break for Christmas on December 6th.All members are asked to arrive by 1.45 so that we can get off to a prompt start.

Book 1 Mary Saywood

Book 2 Liz Howlett & Christine Ross

Book 3 Eileen Overton

Bridge Graham Beavan & Patrick Clarke

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredrthe ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be inthe rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit aporbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but thewrod as a wlohe.


We continue to meet on the last Friday of the month in my home. We will not have a meetingin August because of holidays.Chess is a game where the different pieces move in precise ways. I will explain each piece everytime a newsletter is produced, starting with the pawns on the front row. They move forwardeither one or two squares when moved for the first time and then only one square forward after

that. They can capture other pieces by moving forward on a diagonal square. If they manage to go to theother edge of the board they become Queens. Queens are very powerful because they can move forwards,backwards and diagonally as many squares as the player wants.The object of Chess is to capture the King by getting it stuck in “Check Mate”.

This group meets in the Little Chalfont Library on the third Thursday of each month for2 hours, commencing at 1:30 pm and new members of all abilities are always verywelcome.However, the future of the group is in the balance as Peter Barnett, who has educatedthe group since January with a monthly topic, has resigned due to pressure of personal

work. Therefore, the meeting scheduled for 21 September has been cancelled. The Group will reconveneon Thursday 19 October to discuss how it may proceed, possibly under a different format. If there are anyU3A members with computer expertise who would like to help to keep our group going, please contactthe Convenor.

Meetings are held in members’ homes at 2pm on the first Thursday of each month. Wediscuss a wide range of current topics. Brexit is still very dominant at the moment and, bylistening to other points of view, minds have been known to change. In two hours, we covera wide range of topics, some serious and others are quite frivolous. The meeting is held ina friendly manner and there is a lot of laughter. If you would like to be informed or to inform

others, please contact the convenor for the venue of the next meeting.

We meet in Little Chalfont Village Hall from 10:00 - 12:00 on the fourth Monday of the month, exceptwhen this is a Bank Holiday, when the meeting is on the third Monday. Presentations are given by membersand we explore how to improve our photographs and how to create interesting effects that result insomething quite different. The sessions are based on Photoshop Elements but other software can be used.Bringing a laptop with a copy of Photoshop Elements to the meetings is an advantage but not essential.No previous knowledge is necessary as notes and sample images are sent to members before the meeting.After a coffee break we look at images with which members would like help.In the last three months we have learnt about Multi-media Presentations, Free Software and What's Newin Photoshop Elements 15.25 Sep Photo Books23 Oct Video Basics27 Nov ProShow Gold for Photo, Video and Music slide shows

Chess Peter Schweiger

Computers Betty Hutton

Current Affairs Eileen Overton

Digital Imaging Sylvia Morris & Liz Stoelker

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition noticewhich I sent to your attorney?WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.


We have been very lucky this year as the dreaded weed has not appeared on the lake and thewinds have mostly been a little stronger than last year. As a result, there has been some excitingsailing with everyone growing in confidence. Two members were lucky enough to get half anafternoon each sailing the Comet with the spinnaker up under the guidance of Andy Barnes;next session they will try it by themselves. Also a number of members have done a rescue boat

training course so, we are not now so dependent on the main club.After all those weeks of dry weather it decided to rain on the day we were having our annual BBQ! Wegot in a couple of hours dry sailing, some of which was racing each other around three buoys, but we gotabsolutely soaked putting the boats away. We were able to pull the BBQ under cover and 16 of us satdown to a very enjoyable and social evening.New members are always welcome whether or not you have experience - we will help you along. Get incontact please if you want to give sailing a try!We will be meeting on Sept 12th and 27th, Oct 10th and 25th. In November we will meet once on 22ndto clean the boats, check them over and put them away for the winter. This will be followed by an end ofseason lunch at the club. Sailing will start again next April but there will be some winter in-door sessionsearly next year.

All meetings are held at AMERSHAM FREE CHURCH, 2.30 - 4.30Contact the Convenors for further information.

Our group meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 2.15pm to 4.30pm in Chesham TownHall but there are no meetings in January and August. If you would like to find out more abouthow to research your Family History, please come along, there is no need to book. We havea variety of members, books and help sheets to get you started.The planning for next year’s programme is well on the way. If you missed Antony Marr’s

excellent talk on the work of a Professional Genealogist you will be happy to hear that we have invitedhim back in February next year to talk on Civil Registration - he always has a tale to tell!The visit from Ian Waller in October is still being finalised, details will follow soon.3rd Oct Ian Waller - How to use the National Archives on line (Booking Required)7th Nov Colin Chapman - Using newspapers & periodical, expected and unexpected sources5th Dec Social with Show-and-Tell

Our Group takes a break over the summer months and comes together after St Ledger’s Day,in September. At this new session, members will consider how our fantasy portfolio hasperformed since May and consider topics for future investigation which might include theeconomist Kate Raworth’s idea of ‘Doughnut Economics’. We welcome interest from thosewho would like to join the group.

Dinghy Sailing Wendy Barnes & Judith Young

Eclectic Music Juliet Crussell & Ron Hartwell

Family History Sue Broad & Marian Bangs

Fantasy Shares Andrew & Merelene Davis

One nice thing about egoists ..... they don't talk about other people. Anon


Notre groupe est composé de personnes ayant de bonnes connaissances en français.Nos réunions, très amicales et divertissantes, ont lieu deux fois par mois; notre premierrendezvous se tient le deuxième mercredi du mois, à 12h30, autour d'un petit repasconvivial dans un pub local. Nous avons également plaisir à nous retrouver le quatrièmemercredi du mois, à 10h15, autour d'un café, chez un des membre du groupe. L'accueil

est toujours très chaleureux et nos discussions se font dans la bonne humeur. Nous organisons de tempsen temps des soirées autour d’un bon vin et de quelques plats.L'objectif est d'offrir aux membres de notre groupe le moyen de s'exprimer et de converser en françaissur des divers sujets d'actualités, de pratiquer les expressions idiomatiques mais aussi de passer un bonmoment ensemble.New members who are interested in conversing in French are welcome to join us.

We are a small friendly group with varied levels of French; we chat with the help of the Convenor andsometimes a native speaker who is a great source of vocabulary and corrections to our grammar.Unfortunately we are now full, as numbers are limited by the venue and by the need to give everyone achance to contribute.

We have enjoyed two garden visits this last quarter, both gardens opening in aid of NationalGarden Scheme charities. At Deepwood Stud we had the pleasure of seeing some beautifulracehorses as well as a lovely garden and had an interesting guided tour from the owner. UpperChalford Farm, high in the Chilterns, gave us a beautiful Jacobean Farmhouse garden to enjoy.In July, regular visitor, Graham Talbot, entertained and educated us again; this time on how to

Grow Roses Successfully. Coming up, we have a look at France’s antidote to the Chelsea Flower Show, atalk on the exploits of Joseph Paxton and, in November, our pre-Christmas social. New members andvisitors are always welcome to the group. We meet in the Albert Ellis Hall at the Amersham Free Church,Woodside Road, Amersham on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Doors open at 2pm, the speakerstarts at 2.30 for an hour or so, after which we have refreshments. A small charge of £3 is made to covercosts.

Eine alte Dame trinkt zum erste Mal Whisky. Sie überlegt eine Weile und meint dann:"Merkwürdig, das Zeug schmeckt genau so wie die Medizin, die mein seliger Mann zwanzigJahre einnehmen musste "!!!An old woman drinks whisky for the first time. She thinks for a while and then says: "Strangethe stuff tastes exactly like the medication my late husband had to take for twenty years."!!!

What do you call a bad tempered German? - A Sauerkraut!!German conversation is fun. Why not join us?

French Conversation Jackie Cobb

French Intermediate Hilary Alleston

Gardening Janice Cross

German Jenny Lee

An old lady phones her brother in some distress, "Please can you pop round? I'mstuck over a jigsaw. The picture shows a rooster and I've laid all the pieces out but Ijust can't get started."Her brother duly appears, looks at the rooster on the box and then at the pieces laidout. "Well, I'm sorry but you'll never be able to do this. Why don't you go and makeus a nice cup of tea, and then together, we'll put all the cornflakes back in the box?”


Trains, boats and gardens have featured in our meetings since June. Richard Ogden, avolunteer Guard since 1993 on the Ffestiniog Railway, visited us to tell us about the Ffestiniogand Welsh Highland Railways - Yesterday and Today. Slate was an important industry in Walesbut transporting it from the mountains in Blaenau Ffestiniog to the sea at Porthmadog forloading onto ships was slow. The reclamation of land to build a Cob by William Alexander

Madocks, completed in 1811, enabled a railway line to be laid in 1833. Wagons were pulled up themountain to the quarries by horses, taking six hours. Full wagons travelled back down the line by gravity.By 1860 the output from the quarries had greatly increased and the Company put out tenders for thebuilding of narrow gauge steam locomotives and by 1863 two steam locomotives were up and runningon the line. This meant much longer slate trains could be run and also enabled the introduction ofpassengers, the first narrow gauge railway to do so in Britain. The line had its ups and downs over theyears until slate traffic ceased in 1946 and the line fell into disrepair. In 1954 Alan Pegler andvolunteers gradually restored the line to working order with the objective to operate the line as a touristattraction. Together with the Welsh Highland Railway it travels through 40 miles of forest and mountains,mostly in the Snowdonia National Park, and is now a major tourist attraction in Wales.Our speaker in July was Derek Ayshford who, with his wife Pam, has collected information on seamen andmarines who served and fought on British ships at the Battle of Trafalgar, a few of whom came from theChesham area. We heard about the roles of the crew that made-up each of the ships’ companies and thefact that it took 50 acres of oak trees to build a ship of the line. Nelson's Victory cost £94,000! He alsoexplained how part of Nelson's success in defeating the French and Spanish fleets was how he changedhis mode of attack. The traditional mode was to engage a fleet in a single line of battle parallel to theenemy. However, Nelson divided his smaller force into two columns directed perpendicularly towards theenemy, a tactical gamble which paid off. With illustrations, sound effects and nautical music, we were leftwith a very real impression of what a battle on the high seas would be like.With no meeting for the summer break, a visit was arranged to the Tudor Manor at Chenies - with manythanks to Keith Hoffmeister. Twenty-six members met for morning coffee in the tea rooms followed byan illustrated talk on the history of the Manor by Valerie Edwards, Head Guide. We heard of the indiscretionof Catherine Howard with Thomas Culpeper whilst staying at the Manor with Henry VIII which led to herbeheading for treason! Valerie also told us of the many royal visitors, including Queen Elizabeth I whoarrived with her 1,000 entourage and stayed for some weeks - Oh the cost! There was then time to droolover the beautiful grounds and gardens. The dahlias were amazing and the colour combinations of theplanting stunning. This was followed by a superb lunch and a conducted tour of the House. A really superbvisit, and it didn't rain!Our next meetings:September 11 Gordon Lowe, author of true crime storiesOctober 9 Peter Schweiger, Group Member - The History of Some ShoemakingNovember 13 Visit and presentation by history students from Chesham Grammar School on a researched topic yet to be chosenWe meet in the Council Chamber of Chesham Town Hall on the second Monday of the month at 2.15pm.We welcome visitors who may wish to join us.

The Group continues to make inroads into Contatti 2, interspersed with conversation andtranslations.We would welcome new members although a basic level of Italian would now be required.You would be made very welcome. Please contact the Convenor if interested.We continue to meet at the White Hill Centre on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at

2.30 pm.

History Claire Paterson & Ian Hutt

Italian Beginners Jo Hughes


All types of jazz are covered: New Orleans, Swing, Mainstream and Modern. We haveexcellent speakers using a wide variety of audio and visual equipment. Members sharetheir knowledge and enthusiasm in an informal relaxed atmosphere. Afternoon tea, coffee,home- made cakes and scones are served in the church hall at 3pm. We meet on the lastTuesday of the month at 2pm in the Owen Room, Amersham Free Church, Woodside Road,

Amersham HP6 6AJ.Meetings for 2017:September 26 Alan Crussell and Danny Robins: Great British jazz legends Humphrey Lyttelton and Tubby Hayes.October 31 Rod Stevens: Jazz piano – developments and exponentsNovember 28 End of year Social: Seasonal jazz, prize raffle, members’ musical contributions, brain-teaser quiz, wine and nibbles.December 26 No meeting.Please contact one of the Convenors if you have any questions.

Mah Jong is a game played with tiles and originated in China. It’s a very sociable andfun game played by 2, 3 or 4 people. There is no competition involved as each personplays their own game and any mistakes are easily hidden! Don't worry if you haven'tplayed before; if you have ever played the simplest of card games you will quickly pickup the basics of Mah Jong. This is a friendly group of people who enjoy each other’s

company for an afternoon, playing, chatting with a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit. Anyone is welcome,from beginners to more experienced players. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays (except Bank Holidays)at 2.00pm in The Free Church, Amersham.The group is now full. Please contact the Convenor if you would like to go on a waiting list.

This summer has seen the MOTOs continue to enjoy sociable Sunday lunches at local pubs and restaurants.These have included 'The Fisheries Inn' by the canal at Hemel Hempstead, 'The Cricketers' at Sarrat and'The Gate' at Chorleywood. We also enjoyed our communal annual BBQ which took place in the lovelygarden of one of our members. We are always on the lookout for new venues with promises of good foodin convivial surroundings and some of these are already in the pipeline for autumn, along with more galleryand exhibition visits. Definite dates for outings are discussed and decided at the monthly planning meetingswhich take place on the first Saturday of each month at 11am over coffee at Caffè Nero inChesham. September's meeting is on Saturday 2nd September.

South Bucks U3A shows Blu-ray/DVD recordings at Beaconsfield Rugby Club, Windsor End, Old Beaconsfield,HP9 2SQ on the 4th Friday of the month at 2pm. Members of other U3As are invited to attend. Take acushion!Friday September 22nd - Dance - classical ballet ' La Bayadere' (The Temple Dancer), choreography byMarius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus. Recorded at Covent Garden in 2009 with Tamara Rojo, MarianelaNunez and Carlos Acosta. Run time 167 minutes. Introduced by Val McFarlane.Friday October 27th - Opera Buffa in 3 acts - Offenbach's 'La Belle Hélène', costumes and direction byLaurent Pelly with Les Musiciens du Louvre conducted by Marc Minkowski. Filmed in 2000 at the TheatreMusical de Chatelet, Paris. Dame Felicity Lott sings Helen of Troy, Yann Bueron sings Paris and LaurentNaouri, Agamemnon. Run time 167 minutes. Introduced by Tony Wells.

Jazz Appreciation Alan Crussell & Danny Robins

Mah-Jong Julie Wolstenholme

MOTO (Members On Their Own) Mo Barnes

Opera & Dance South Bucks U3A


Friday November 24th - Modern dance in 2 acts - 'Mata Hari' choreographed by Ted Brandsen to musicby Tarik O'Regan. Dutch National Ballet Orchestra conducted by Matthew Rowe and recorded in 2016.Mata Hari is danced by Anna Tsygankova. Run time - 95 minutes.December - No meeting.

The Patchwork and Quilting Group meets twice a month for ten months of the year withno meetings in August and usually only one meeting plus a pub lunch in December. Onthe first Wednesday, 9.30am until 12 noon, we meet at the house of the Convenor in HydeHeath. This is a discussion and show-and-tell session with members encouraged to bringalong any work with which they are having problems. On the third Wednesday we sew

from 9.30am until 3.30pm in Hyde Heath Village Hall. Small charges of £1.50 (first Wednesday) and £4(third Wednesday) are made to cover photocopying, refreshments, other incidentals and the fee to agentleman who puts out and clears away our tables at the village hall.At the end of June, we said goodbye to one of our founder members, Rosalind Doherty, as she and herhusband moved to Norfolk. We wish them well in their new home. I think all of our members were enviousthat she would have a patchwork shop in her village! In July, we welcomed Sheila Wilkinson as a tutor andenjoyed our ‘end of year’ sandwich and strawberries lunch. May I thank everyone for their help withorganisation and clearing away. Our Group reconvened on Wednesday 6th September. At present, it isintended that we shall have our normal meetings throughout the autumn but any changes will be notifiedto members. There is no tutor this term but we hope to welcome back Sheila Wilkinson next year. Somemembers have expressed an interest in organising another day sewing quilts for Project Linus and this willbe discussed.We like to welcome new members but it is impossible for the Convenor’s house to accommodate anymore. Reluctantly we shall be starting a waiting list but hope it may be possible to include those on thelist at some of the meetings in the village hall. Please email or telephone the Convenor for furtherinformation. Experience of sewing, but not necessarily patchwork, is an advantage, as is the possessionof and familiarity with a sewing machine.

We have had some very successful field trips this summer. In June we visitedWendover, followed by a visit to Marsworth in July for an excellent walk along theGrand Union Canal on a really lovely day. Members also visited the Steam Rally atPrestwood and the Aston Clinton Ragpits to photograph the wild orchids.We meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 2.00 in Little Chalfont VillageHall. At the summer meetings we view and discuss pictures taken on the associated

field trip. We also cover a range of topics of interest to members. New members are always welcomeregardless of experience and ability.Sep. 6th Field trip to Greenwich Sep. 20th Monthly meetingOct. 4th Field trip to be decided Oct. 18th Monthly meetingNov. 1st Field trip to Winkworth Arboretum Nov. 15th Monthly meeting

Pilates One and Two are continuing to flourish and members are feeling the benefits.To reduce the waiting list we added a further class in April, Pilates Three, this filledup very quickly and is doing well. All three classes are proving popular andconsequently only one position became available for next term. Apologies to thoseof you on the waiting list. We will be in touch should any places arise.

Patchwork & Quilting Margaret Payne

Photography Keith Hoffmeister

Pilates Liz Howlett & Christine Ross


We commenced our June meeting early so that we could enjoy a very good lunch to which we allcontributed. Afterwards we read the play, '84 Charing Cross Road' which is based on the 1970 book byHelen Hanff, bibliophile, and Frank Dole, Chief Buyer at the London bookshop Marks & Co. Through herconstant correspondence requesting copies of rare books, a long-distance friendship evolves betweenthem lasting over two decades. It proved to be a bit of a trip down memory lane for us as it incorporatedevents which we were reminded of during the period of 1949 - 68.We took our summer break in July and in August read a one act play, 'At the Seaside', by Agatha Christie;an amusing little tale with no murders!We meet in the afternoon at members’ homes. Our next dates are September 20, October 18 andNovember 15. We have a full membership at present but are happy to put anyone interested in joiningthe group on a waiting list.

We have a couple of vacancies in our wide-ranging and entertaining poetry group which meets on the 4thThursday each month at each other’s houses. Please contact the Convenor for details.In what is becoming an annual event, in June our meeting looked at Singer/Songwriters - when we readthe lyrics of a song as a poem and then heard it sung by the recorded artist. Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens andFrank Sinatra were just a few of the chosen singers. It is tricky to read lyrics without breaking into song!In July we each chose 2 or 3 poems by Simon Armitage and enjoyed his very astute descriptions of everydaysituations. ‘Poundland’, ‘Song of the West Men’, ‘At Sea’, ‘The Anaesthetist’ and ‘Thank You For Waiting’were just some of the favourite choices. Our August session went back to the 17th Century and theMetaphysical Poets, as they were known. Andrew Marvell, John Donne and William Shakespeare wereamong those chosen.No meeting planned in September.October 26th Norman MacCaigNovember 23rd Gerard Manley Hopkins

We meet on the third Friday of the month at 10am at Christ Church Hall, Waterside,Chesham.At our July meeting, Phillip Troth, who has worked for Network Rail Property and itspredecessors (Railtrack and British Rail) since 1983, gave us a very interesting talk onhow it manages its commercial estate and explained who are its tenants. It proved

quite enlightening to discover just how much estate the railway owns, including many of the majorstations as well as being landlords to small businesses who occupy the arches underneath railway viaducts.Next meeting:15 Sep The Story of the Bakerloo line – a talk by James CadleIf you are interested in joining us, please contact the Convenor.

We meet at 2pm on the third Monday of each month at the Amersham FreeChurch, Woodside Road, Amersham HP6 6AJ. Emails directed [email protected] will be seen by all three members of our steering committee.

Sept 18 Colin Gent Singapore to Bangkok by Car and RailOct 16 Gillian Eastmond How Clean Should We Be?

Nov 20 Chris Morton Air Incidents

Play Reading Claire Paterson & Linda Hepworth

Poetry Christine Ogborne

Railways Geoff Povey & Eric Magson

Science & Technology Mike Christianson, Allan Saunders, Peter Twist


The Singing for Pleasure Group have been giving their vocal chords a well-earned rest duringthe summer break. We reconvened on Monday, 4th September ready to tackle the repertoirethat Kathryn, our tutor, has chosen for us for the new term as well as revisiting some ‘goldenoldies’ from last year.In November several members of the Group are going again to the Royal Albert Hall to sing

some of the choruses of The Messiah along with hundreds of other enthusiastic singers from all aroundthe world. It was an amazing experience last year; one which we’ll always remember.

We look forward to welcoming those new members who have already contacted us and who will be joiningthe Group in September. If you enjoy singing and would also like to join us then please contact either ofthe Convenors. There is the opportunity to come along for one ‘taster’ session first.

The Group meets each Monday during term time at Amersham Free Church from 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm.There is a per-term charge to cover tuition and accompanist fees. No audition is necessary; the emphasisis on the enjoyment and benefits of singing. It is not necessary to be able to read music, most of the Grouplearn the songs by heart and find YouTube very helpful!

We meet twice a month at the home of the Convenor and cover a range of topics aswell as having a general chat. Unfortunately we are full at the moment as numbersare limited by the venue and the need to keep everyone involved.

My first request is for new members and I would be really interested to hear from anyonewho has any interest in stamps or wants an afternoon out. The Group can only continue withan influx of new blood. We have lined up several speakers who will continue our explorationof the history, geography and politics of countries around the world. Please join us to spendan occasional, sociable afternoon developing a common interest in stamps and their history.

You don’t have to collect them! Our next scheduled meetings are:25 September Jamaica – when Alan Williams will be our guest speaker27 November Muscat, Oman and Birds – when Chris Marsh is our guest speaker

Our July meeting welcomed Don Jefferies who is an expert on Bechuanaland and also a member of theRoyal Philatelic Society. Don spoke of his background in stamps (his first purchase was a 1913 King GeorgeV seahorse stamp purchased for £10 from the proceeds of a premium bond prize; he was then aged 10 -now that was a good investment). He then talked about his collection of Bechuanaland stamps and hisspecialisation in specimen and overprint varieties. A specimen stamp is really the pre-issue of a stampbefore general release. Some of the details were very subtle – but also very interesting; overall a fascinatingcollection and enjoyable afternoon. Thanks also to our host, Steve Epps, for the delightful cakes and biscuitswhich are becoming a much-loved feature of our meetings.Please call the Convenor for an update or further details.

The Theatre Group's visit to the Barbican Theatre, London to see 'The Tempest' in July wasenjoyed by most of our members though, on the way home, several of us felt it was timeto think about having a hearing test as some of the actors were much better at projectingtheir voices than others! The special effects were absolutely fantastic.

Singing for Pleasure Stephanie Rothwell & Angela Bratton

Spanish Conversation (Intermediate) Hilary Alleston

Stamps John Small

Theatre Chris & Diana Aylott


Our next outing is on 25th October when 94 of us are going to see 'An American in Paris' at the DominionTheatre in London. Although we are taking two coaches, we still have quite a long waiting list.We try to alternate musicals with non-musicals but because '42nd Street' sounds too good to miss, wehave decided to take two separate groups, one to an evening performance on 7th December 2017 andanother to a matinee on 17th January 2018. We have a very short waiting list for the December '42ndStreet' trip and no waiting list at all for the January one, so please let us know if you are interested inadding your name.We would welcome suggestions for a non-musical for March 2018. The only suggestion we have so far is'Lady Windermere's Fan' by Oscar Wilde, which will be on at the Vaudeville Theatre, but please let usknow if you have any other ideas. We are happy to consider out-of-London theatres such as the NewTheatre, Oxford and the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury.Any Chess Valley U3A members are welcome to join the Theatre Group and should contact the Convenorsby email so that their names can be added to the mailing list.

The Ukulele Group is still in its early days but things are progressing. We still meet atsomeone's house and have decided that the second and fourth Tuesdays seem to be bestfor our practice sessions. We have six songs using simple chords that we can play prettywell and have another four with new chords that need a little more work.Anyone interested in joining us give me a call, we can lend you a ukulele if you haven't gotone, but remember though we are doing this for FUN!

The new Amblers group is up and running with 20 members enrolled. Our first outing in July took us fromThe Red Lion, Great Kingshill, on a one and a half hour walk through varied woods and open fields. InAugust, the walk was slightly longer, from Little Missenden up towards Holmer Green,before lunch at thepub. On that occasion 7 walkers, 9 ‘lunchers’ and a dog attended! Members are emailed with details afortnight before the walk which takes place on the second Tuesday of the month, departing at 10.30. Newmembers are welcome.

Information about walks is sent directly to members by e-mail.Walkers 1 Wendy Nimmo

Walkers 1 meet every first and third Tuesday in the month. At the moment we are running a 'waitinglist' but hope to be able to open more places soon.

Ukulele Alan Bridges

Walking Groups

Members come on walks and accept lifts from other members at their own risk and carry theirown simple first-aid kit, water etc. and should be responsible for their own safety when crossingroads or climbing stiles. Our walks are on uneven and sometimes hilly ground and paths areoften muddy so good walking boots are essential for most walks. Suitable warm and waterproofclothing is necessary – we will not usually cancel in case of rain! Car-sharing is recommended;talk to other group members and find out who lives near you. In fairness to all, Walkers 2 havedecided not to allow dogs; for other groups, please check with the Convenor.Walks can only go ahead if there are at least three members present - one to break a leg, oneto stay with the injured person and one to get help.

Amblers (3 - 4 miles) Sue Osborne

Walkers (5 - 6 miles)


Walkers 2 Sue RawboneWalkers 3 Mick Rothwell

September sees the start up of Walkers 3, currently made up of some Walkers 2 members whohave moved into the new group and some new members. Walkers 3 will be walking on the firstWednesday of the month whereas Walkers 2 continues to walk on the fourth Thursday.Members have taken part in some lovely walks over the summer most of which have been fullysubscribed and my thanks go to everyone who has led them. New members are always welcomebut please consider joining Walkers 3 first if you are able to walk on the first Wednesday as it is asmaller group.Booking Arrangements for Walkers 2 and Walkers 3: Members can book with either groupwhen places are available - please check with the respective Convenors for details.

Both Striders groups have been active during early summer. Apart from our regular fortnightly walks inthe Chiltern area, we had a very successful walk from Newhaven to Lewes in June, planned and organisedby John Bratton and John Hall, and some excellent long walks once a month with various volunteer leaders.We are, as always, most grateful to those who recce and lead our walks, enabling the rest of us to socialisewhile we walk and enjoy our pub lunches afterwards. Both groups have acquired new members in the lastfew months and, although we have healthy membership lists, we are always happy to add more. Bothgroups are most grateful to Libby Odell, who is stepping down as Joint Convenor of Striders 1 after severalyears, for her unstinting contribution to the success of Striders.On 31st August at 2.00pm a small, but select group of ‘Long Striders’ met at the attractive NomanslandCommon, Wheathampstead for a walk around the area. The route included the Devils Dyke which remainsimpressively deep despite being over 2,000 years old. The town itself is a very interesting with one of thefew Crinckle Crankle walls remaining in the country. Also, although there is no longer a railway, the stationhas been restored and George Bernard Shaw sits patiently on a bench, as apparently he did on manyoccasions when travelling into London.We walked along the River Lea, passing Waterend House, which reminded us of Chenies Manor. It was thehome of Sarah Churchill, wife of John, confidante of Queen Anne and the Duchess of Marlborough. Weskirted the Brocket Hall estate, stopping for refreshment overlooking the golf course.Finally we drove the short distance to the Wicked Lady pub where we enjoyed an early evening mealbefore returning home whilst it was still light. All in all a good day. Ian HuttStriders 1 (Convenor: John Bratton) walk on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.Striders 2 (Convenor: Ian Lee) walk on the first and third Tuesdays of every month.All Tuesday walks are 7-10 miles. On the first Thursday of every month between April and October membersof both groups combine to do a longer 10-15 mile walk with a picnic lunch (Organiser: Jill Smith).Booking Arrangements for Striders 1 and Striders 2: Members of Striders 1 and Striders 2 can book witheither group when places are available; check with the respective Convenors for details.

Each walk/town visit involves some fun in a little pre-reading or research and then pre-walkingthe route to ensure familiarity, to plan where to park, toilets en route, and where to lunchwhen leading the group. The newly formed Leaders Group has agreed the Programme for 2017but please support your Convenors with any ideas for new town walks that you would like todo.

27 September – Halton House, Wendover. Peter Schweiger and Alison Pullinger are organising a visit toHalton House and Museum whilst we can still get a guide; the RAF is due end its current custodianship.08 November – Pinner. Ian Hutt will lead us around some old parts of Pinner.Contact Tony Biddle on 01494-725429 or e-mail [email protected]

Striders (7 - 15 miles)

Country Walks into History Tony Biddle & Peter Schweiger


Windsor: A Right Royal Walk through History.Mike Christianson had researched Windsor and then led us around the town starting from Windsor andEton Station. The town’s name originated from ‘Windelsora’ because it was on the River Thames and therewas a winch at the harbour. The royal connection started with the Saxons who came by river to hunt inthe nearby forests and they built the original wooden castle. The Normans then built a ring of stone castlesaround London to replace the wooden ones, including at Windsor and Berkhamsted. Windsor Castle isbuilt on a 100 ft chalk outcrop. It was big and originally had two ‘baileys’, not the usual one!Our walk took us to the road bridge designed by Thomas Telford and closed to traffic in 1970 creating apedestrian walkway. Nearby was a large memorial to King George 5th designed by Lutyens. On the roadleading to the main castle we passed the Curfew Tower. There were crowds of tourists queuing to go intothe Castle but Mike led us away into Market Street with pretty, old houses that are now restaurants,including Nell Gwyn’s house dated 1423. A few more old, cobbled streets and we were into the Great Parkand on the Long Walk. One view to the castle and the other stretched for miles. Mike showed us was aroyal blue letter box to commemorate the first aerial post in 1911, flying from Hendon and landing on theLong Walk at Windsor. Having seen the church where Jackie Cobb got married and the Civic Hall we sawa leaning house next door.The tour then went past the old station and down the hill to the Jubilee Fountain where we saw in thedistance a railway bridge over the Thames designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.We crossed the river to Eton for lunch in The George pub, which was full of curios. Peter Schweiger

The walks planned for the rest of 2017 are as follows:October 11th Street ArtDecember 13th Literary London

‘Past the Palaces’ - and all things royalThe June walk started at Embankment Station, the site of which, until the 1860s, would have been themiddle of the Thames. As well as trade, the river also transported an unwanted commodity – untreatedsewage. You could, for a farthing, get a private commode service on the banks of the river, the productsof which were flushed into the flowing waters along with the ever-expanding volumes of normal sewage.This came to a head with the long hot summer of 1858 which, in London, became known as the ‘GreatStink’. In response, the river was canalised and sewers constructed which explains why many of thebuildings featured in this walk are not now immediately on the banks of the Thames.We started from York House and noted the street names – Buckingham Street, Villiers Street, etc whichchart the rise of a certain George Villiers. James 1st/6th fell madly in love with George Villiers, gifting himYork House and then raising him first to a knighthood, and then to Duke of Buckingham. Just to add a littlemore for the imagination, Buckingham became a ‘good friend’ of Anne, James’s wife.A short walk along the Strand and we reached Covent Garden, the name derived from its original use asa convent before Henry 8th changed all that. Orange seller by day, Nell Gwyn became the favourite mistressof Charles 2nd, providing her with a home and providing for her for rest of her life in his will! At the cornerof Covent Garden is Rules restaurant and on its first floor a secret room where the Prince of Wales (laterEdward 7th), would of an evening, after the theatre had finished, meet his renowned mistress Lily Langtree.But not all royal relationships were for love or sex – George 4th was forced to marry Caroline of Brunswickfor money, the ceremony taking place in the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace. George was so drunk thathe had to be propped up during the service! George was a decade into an illegal marriage and broke.Caroline, his bride, was an unwitting pawn of financial politics and the couple separated after two years.As we passed through Trafalgar Square, we were urged to take a look at George 4th on his plinth and notethe physical likeness to David Cameron who is a descendant. I am not sure that many of us were convinced.After many more tales we ended with a glimpse of Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and ClarenceHouse and wondered how the present incumbents will be viewed in the distant future! John Shipley

Walks in London Liam Dineen & Angela Shipley Treasurer: Mick Rothwell


We are the new co-convenors of the Wildlife Group which is now up and running again.Our first meeting in August involved visiting the Feathers & Furs Falconry Centre whereabout 20 members enjoyed a very informative and entertaining two hours with Sadie whoruns the Centre. We all had our turn with gloves to feed a barn owl, a buzzard and aHarris's hawk plus a 'show' from a tawny owl, now reaching endangered status, and a

peregrine falcon. A very successful day was rounded off with a visit to a local pub with pigeon croquettesand bambi burgers on the menu – just perfect for a wildlife group!We held a Welcome Meeting on the evening of the 7th September to introduce ourselves and to find outwhat the members would like to do; a ‘fungi foraging’ session is planned for early October. New membersare very welcome, as are suggestions and offers of assistance!

The summer months have been a quiet time for WAG1 as so many of our band of brothers andsisters have been on holiday or – as our group members are able to say with some verisimilitude– research. Such was this exodus in the search for truth and knowledge that the May and Junemeetings only just managed quorums.May’s event (I wonder if Theresa and Brian are remotely related? And has it ever been remarked

upon that the Queen guitarist has a very non rock and roll first name?) was hosted by Ian and MarianneHawkins and themed on French supermarket wines. And, while the number of participants was down, thenumber of bottles seemed not to have declined and as usual the special Hawkins’ celestial relationshipguaranteed great weather for the evening.June was a similarly social event hosted by Harry and Liz Howlett, featuring NZ, Spanish and French winesand, freed from the tyranny of naming or guessing grape varieties, concentrated on how to say cheers inseveral languages.The July session was at the G’roods with a variation on a theme. Duos of wines were offered and compared.Two sherries, a Fino and the rather more elegant Manzanilla were followed by a very dry German Rieslingwith a Portuguese Planalto, a Dao with a Southern Rhone and lastly a Bordeaux with a Rioja. An interestingexercise, especially the last pairing although the Dao and the Rhone were also quite close to call.The next stop was the Connor’s, towards the end of August.

Three very interesting wine tastings have been held since the last Newsletter. In June, Ian Leeinvited us all to a ‘Geometric Tasting’ where three sauvignon blancs from around the world andthree red wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region were sampled. The white from Morrisons(on offer at £6) and the red from Laithwaites (£7.50) were voted the best.The tastings for July and August were in anticipation of two beautiful evenings to sit outside in

the warm and pretend we were somewhere exotic! Well, we managed it in July in Alan and Muriel Gray'sgarden, but the August evening had been preceded by a wet day so to be outside was impossible. Julywas almost entirely devoted to M&S white and rosé wines (apart from a Prosecco from Aldi).Unfortunately, it was agreed that the M&S wines were expensive for what they were, but the AldiProsecco was a good buy (£7.99). In August, cosily seated around Jenny Motion's table, we sampled aselection of whites and rosés, supplied by Majestic. The sauvignon blanc from Touraine (£9.99 full price)was voted the best white and the Rosé d ‘Anjou (£8.99 full price) was voted the best rosé.There is no meeting in September, but we resume again in October when we are promised wine fromCanada – something very different.We meet in the evening of the first Wednesday of the month and, if you are interested, please contactthe Convenor for more details.

Wildlife Harry Howlett & Keith Sonley

Wine Appreciation 1 Rodney Garrood

Wine Appreciation 2 Muriel Gray


We continue to meet on the second Tuesday of each month when we discuss writing submittedby the seven members of the group. These can vary from responses to a topic set by one of themembers; a topical matter; a semi autobiographical piece or in one case the continuation ofwhat was originally meant to be a short story which has rather spread due to verbal diarrhea.We are now turning our attention to possibly combining to write a short play to celebrate the

tenth anniversary of the local U3A. We have space for a few new members and anyone interested shouldcontact the convener, Tony Renwick. The next meeting will be on 12th September at the Friends MeetingHouse in Whielden Street, Old Amersham.

Writers Tony Renwick

Possible new Groups?We’re always looking for new and different activities that might interest our members and we’vehad offers to set up three new Groups:

(1) Canasta. Possibly operating in the alternate weeks to the Mah Jong Group.(2) Mindfulness / Meditation. A one-term weekly Group.(3) ‘How Jewish are the Gospels?’ A one-year course.

If any of these topics attract you, please contact our Groups Coordinators, Sue Broad and MarianBangs, in the first instance (contact details on page 5) to express your interest.

Do we have your up-to-date contact details?If you have moved, changed your phone number or got a new email address, please let theMembership Secretary know (contact details on page 5). We’d hate for you not to be kept up-to-date with the happenings in your U3A or miss out on events and outings.

2018 U3A diaries available nowThe Third Age Trust is now taking orders for the 2018 U3Adiary featuring, this year, a china blue cover.Those who’ve had them before know that they’re compactand well-designed and, at just £2.50 (including postage),terrific value.

Order them by post from:The Third Age Trust52 Lant StreetLondonSE1 1RB

Cheques should be made payable toTHE THIRD AGE TRUST.Alternatively, you can also order them on-line via the ThirdAge Trust website: www.u3a.org.uk.

2018


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LISTEN TO CHILDREN READ

IN LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Can you spare an hour or two a week to listen to children read in a local primary school ?

Schoolreaders is expanding in Buckinghamshire in September and is looking for volunteers to carry out this important role. No qualifications are necessary, just a good command of spoken and written English.

Reading time for many children at home and at school is often insufficient ,and one in four children are now leaving primary school unable to read to the required standard. This can have a lifelong consequence.

Schoolreaders is flexible and will match your availability to an appropriate, local school. Our volunteers find the scheme incredibly rewarding, knowing that a few hours helping a child learn to read each week can have such a great impact on their life chances.

Please visit the website www.schoolreaders.org to join or call 01234 924111 for further information.

Beyond Chess Valley U3A

As well as being members of Chess Valley U3A, we are all also part of the wider U3A community and so have access to the movement’s events, activities and resources. Here, we highlight how to access some of these.

First up is the Third Age Trust itself, the umbrella organisation for all UK U3As. Their website is at http://www.u3a.org.uk/ and it’s worth registering as a member and getting a login to access the various resources available to members. The Trust also publishes a quarterly magazine, Third Age Matters, which is full of interesting and informative articles and costs only £2.50 per annum when added to your Chess Valley U3A subscription.

Next, Chess Valley is a member of the Herts Network of U3As (well, we’re nearly in Hertfordshire!). Their website is https://u3asites.org.uk/hertsnetworkofu3as/home.

We are also a member of the Thames Valley Network and they can be found at http://www.u3atvnetwork.org.uk/.

It’s worth saying that, though we do try to inform members of events organised by these three bodies, often events fill up very fast, before we can get the information out. So, if you have a particular interest, it’s worth visiting the websites regularly to see if there is anything for you.

Thoughts of President Juncker It’s probably true that Jean-Paul Juncker, President of the European Commission, isn’t everyone’s favourite politician in the UK. Still, we like this comment of his on Eurozone economic policy and democracy:

“We all know what to do. We just don’t know how to get re-elected after we’ve done it.”


http://www.schoolreaders.org/

http://www.u3a.org.uk/

https://u3asites.org.uk/hertsnetworkofu3as/home

http://www.u3atvnetwork.org.uk/

Members’ Noticeboard

Marian Bangs (contact details on page 5) has an Annual Pass for the USA’s National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands. It’s good for the holder and the occupants of a private, non-commercial vehicle and expires at the end of May 2018. If you’re interested in using the pass, please contact Marian.

This noticeboard is available to members looking for companions for specific outings, assistance with projects or to seek or dispose of items (for free). It is NOT for advertising items for sale or for notices of a ‘campaigning’ nature. To advertise on our board, please email [email protected]. The newsletter appears quarterly and the deadline for the next issues is 22nd November.

Chesham Grammar School EPQ event Once a year for the last few years the History Group has welcomed Chesham Grammar School history students to speak on a topic either they or we have chosen. These events are much enjoyed by our members and we appreciate this link with the School.

Members of Chess Valley U3A have again been invited to Chesham Grammar School's EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) event on Tuesday, 26th September. Several members attended last year and were most impressed by the students.

For the EPQ, Sixth Form students are given the opportunity to research and present a project on a subject they have chosen and are particularly interested in. Their presentation is the culmination of several months of skills training, research and report writing.

Students will have stands in the hall to advertise their topic throughout the event. The students will present their projects for about 30 minutes and these presentations will be held in different rooms, 5 - 6 at a time. Visitors can choose the subject they wish to hear about and are welcome to encourage and support the students and to ask questions of them to help them demonstrate their depth of knowledge.

The topics this year include:

• To what extent is the score responsible for emotional response to a film? • How have mental asylums developed over time? • Is Artificial Intelligence entitled to rights? • Have the ideas of Conan Doyle and his character Sherlock Holmes influenced modern forensic

science? • Why are couture dresses so expensive when I can make one for under £50? • Does Dissociative Identity Disorder affect life, what is it and can it be treated? • Multiple Sclerosis and how it effects a sufferer in society.

The venue is Chesham Grammar School, White Hill, Chesham, from 5 to 7pm. Enter by the main entrance at the front of the school. Refreshments will be available.

Chesham Grammar School is rated by Ofsted as an Outstanding School.

Please let Claire Paterson or Ian Hutt know if you intend to go to the event, via email: [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Chess Valley U3A Groups Schedule

FIRST in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Art Discussion 2 (pm) Walkers 1 Walkers 3 Wildlife

Pilates Classes 1,2 and 3 (pm)

Striders 2 Patchwork and Quilting (am)

Current Affairs (pm)

Singing for Pleasure (eve)

Art (am) Spanish Conv’n (am) Italian Beginners (pm)

Family History (pm) German (am) Books 1 meet at irregular intervals throughout the year Jazz Appreciation meet on the last Tuesday of each month (pm)

Books 2 (am)

Bridge (pm)

Wine 2 (eve)

SECOND in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

History (pm) Amblers Walks into History OR

Walks into London (alternate months)

Art Discussion (am)

Mah Jong (pm) Striders 1 General Meeting (pm)

Pilates Classes 1 and 2 (pm)

Dinghy Sailing (pm) French Conv’n (am) The Chess Valley U3A Committee meets on the first or second Tuesday of each month Singing for Pleasure

(eve) Ukulele (pm) Bridge (pm)

Writers (pm)

THIRD in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Wildlife (odd months)

Walkers 1 Patchwork and Quilting (all day)

Computers (pm) Railways (am)

Science and Technology (pm)

Striders 2 German (am) Italian Beginners (pm)


Books 3 (pm) Spanish Conv’n (am)

Singing for Pleasure (eve)

Photography (pm) MOTO (Members On Their Own) have an ‘anchor meeting’ on the first Saturday morning of each month

Monday groups sometimes have their schedules interrupted by public holidays; contact the Convenors for more information

Play Reading (pm)

Bridge (pm)

FOURTH in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Digital Imaging (am) Striders 1 French Conv’n (am) Walkers 2 Chess (pm)

Mah Jong (pm) Art (am) French Intermed (am)

Eclectic Music (pm)


Jazz Appreciation (pm)

Dinghy Sailing (pm) Poetry (pm)

Singing for pleasure (eve)

Ukulele (pm) Gardening (pm) Wine 1 (eve)

Stamps (odd months only)

Bridge (pm)


The three joint winners of thePhotography Group’s print competition inAugust:Graffiti in Costa Rica by Sylvia Morris

A Smoker in Myanmar by David Hurd

The Cobb at Lyme Regis by Miriam Mee


A typical summer’s day forsailing a Wanderer 3?

Who would havethought thatdiscussing railwayscould cause somuch amusement?

Walkers 1 paused for aphoto beside the willows atCookham.


Registered Charity No. 1126990 website: 2017-09 Complete V2-0.pdf · Registered Charity No. 1126990...

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Transcript of Registered Charity No. 1126990 website: 2017-09 Complete V2-0.pdf · Registered Charity No. 1126990...