CHAIR'S REPORT
This is the first newsletter of our new membership year, and comes with a gentle reminder that if you haven’t yet sent back your renewal form to do so. Maurice works hard to keep our records up-to-date and the quicker he receives the forms the quicker he can pass on the information to Chris to digitalise it so that you are able to receive updates and information electronically.
Last year was a difficult time for your u3a with the deaths of our colleagues and friends Ruth and Anne. They were both valuable members of your Committee and have been sorely missed. The Committee is much depleted and we have positions vacant. As far as possible we have managed to keep things going, but need help. We understand that many of you do not wish to, or are able to, join the Committee, but there are many jobs ex-committee that we would welcome help with. Examples of these would be to man the entrance desks, greet new members, stuff envelopes etc. These jobs do not need any particular expertise, but would relieve some of the pressures on the few of us who fulfil the more specific tasks. Ideally we would like a list of those willing to help. Please consider if you could give us your help when needed.
If you were at the monthly meeting in January, you will know that Chris stepped down from the chair. This was because of personal reasons. He has worked tirelessly for the u3a since his recruitment in 2017 and on behalf of us all I should like to pass on our grateful thanks. He is continuing on the Committee in a much reduced role, but thankfully has volunteered to maintain our digital records and to send out electronic messages as needed.
Maureen has arranged some varied talks for the monthly meetings for the year. There should be something to interest us all. It may surprise you to know that the average cost of these talks is £80, like everything else the costs continue to rise so please continue to support us.
Our finances allow us to keep the cost of membership to £10 with a £2 entrance fee which helps us to pay for the hire of the room and refreshments. I think you would all agree that this is good value for money. Where else could you get entertainment, a drink and biscuits for £2?
I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who coordinate the groups. These are a valuable part of our u3a and enjoyed by the participants.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at group and monthly meetings.
Rose
RECENT TALKS
In July we were treated by a talk from Marilyn Gregory entitled ‘Leprosy, Past, Present and Future – as she freely admitted not something that sounded immediately appealing! However, this turned out to be an entertaining and informative talk. Marilyn had worked for the Leprosy Mission ad was able to speak knowledgably and fluently and used illustrations to underline her subject.
Leprosy is an illness feared by many and the term leper in common parlance to many means something to be shunned, and those with leprosy throughout the age have been ostracised and deprived of social contact. Victoria Heslop’s book ‘ The Island’ vividly depicts this.
In medieval times those with leprosy were given death rites by the church and sent away.
In the UK there are still 30 cases of leprosy each year, although all can be traced to those who have lived abroad. World-wide there are 158,000 diagnosed with leprosy 53% in India. It is also present in Nepal, Brazil, Tanganyika, and Florida. It thrives in areas of deprivation with overcrowding, poor nutrition and hygiene and is on the increase especially in children.
Leprosy is not spread by touch. The virus is inhaled and even then a person has to be in close contact with a person with leprosy for a considerable time before it is possible to contact the disease. 95% of the world’s population is immune.
The first symptom of leprosy is when white, numb patches appear on the skin. It attacks the bones and nerves in the hands, face and feet, leading for a foreshortening of the bones and a lack of sensation in the affected areas. This gives the ‘club’ hands and feet of the infected person and the lack of feeling , in turn, leads to many horrendous injuries.
The disease effects people in all ways, physically, emotionally and socially. Up to two years ago a person with leprosy could be divorced for that reason.
There are treatments for leprosy. An operation to strengthen tendons can lead to more control. Special shoes are made from car tires, and made-to -measure prosthetic limbs.
Leprosy is curable. The first effective treatment was found in the 1950’s, but developed, some resistance a few years later causing the leprosy to re-occur. Now two other drugs in combination provide a cure after six – twelve months. Leprosy is no longer fatal but reduces the life expectancy of those infected and can be fatal if chickenpox is encountered.
There are instances of suicide because of the stigma of the disease.
The Leprosy Mission was started 150 years ago and helps communities to develop cottage industries to sustain themselves. There is a hospital research facility dedicated to finding a vaccine. This is difficult in the laboratory as only the red squirrel and the seven banded armadillo can be used to assist the process.
In conclusion those with leprosy are no longer to be feared and deserve our compassion and help.
On Thursday 28th August we held our summer social. This was held in the Romiley Methodist Church Hall from 2.00 to 4.00pm. There were light refreshments and a general knowledge quiz and much chat. We managed to raise about £90 for our charity.
On Thursday 25th September Sue Holden talked about 'Hetty’s Ology’ - She talked about those words and phrases we hear every day but don’t necessarily know their origins.
On October 23rd David Lee talked to us about his sixty years of messing about with paper, pencil & paint. David lives and works in Romiley. He originally studied furniture design at Hornsey College of Art & Design in London, a leading design college in the 1960’s. He gained an Upper 2nd BA, followed by one year postgraduate. Awarded 1st and 2nd prizes by the Royal Society of Arts Design Bursaries competition 1967, Furniture section. For eleven years he taught Art and Design at Longdendale High School. In 1981 he left full time teaching, returning to fine art work on a freelance basis, with occasional part time teaching and running adult art classes in Marple for 26 years until 2006. For eleven he taught Art and Design at Longdendale High School. In 1981 he left full time teaching, returning to fine art work on a freelance basis, with occasional part time teaching and running adult art classes in Marple for 26 years until 2006.He is mostly known for his local drawings of Marple Locks, though this is only a small part of his work. Most of his work these days is acrylic with occasional oils and watercolours. He would like to do more oils, but he does not have the patience for drying times. An often used technique these days is to do the underpainting in acrylic and finish it in oils. There was a lively discussion on his work and he answered many questions about it.
In November Simon Michael gave us part two of ‘MY LIFE IN CRIME’. Simon qualified as a barrister in 1978, at that time most barristers came from wealthy privileged backgrounds but his family were originally refugees and East End cockneys and he had to do a variety of jobs whilst studying to fund his education.
He has worked mainly in the criminal law sector having sympathy for those in the bottom of society. He worked both in prosecution and defence.
He described some of the archaic customs of the law society that he experienced whilst doing his early pupillage and the silly rules for dining in Hall, which was compulsory, however the surroundings were magnificent and Gray’s Inn had excellent claret.
He described some of the trials he was involved with such as criminal gangs including the notorious Kray twins, krugerand scams, the Soho sex trade and the Profumo scandal which linked to eminent peers such as Profumo and other peers of the realm as well as the British aristocracy, involving bribery, falsification of evidence and cover ups. It is clear that the British legal system and the Metropolitan Police are rife with institutional corruption.
This was a very interesting and disturbing talk as it seems that nothing much has changed, particularly in policing. He finished the talk by inviting the audience for questions and offering some of the many books he has written for sale.
On Thursday 22nd January Fran Sandham told us about the strange Tibetan adventure of Henry Savage Landor, the real-life 'Baron Munchausen' of Victorian explorers.
In 1897, eccentric traveller Henry Savage Landor vowed to cross 'The Roof of the World', the forbidden Himalayan kingdom of Tibet, and reach its fabled capital Lhasa. Immaculately dressed, equipped with all the latest equipment, and well-supplied with delicacies from Fortnum & Mason, Landor entered Tibet illegally and very definitely uninvited.
Several months later, a very different Landor was unceremoniously bundled out of Tibet. Emaciated, clad in filthy rags, he was clutching his sole remaining possession, a map he'd drawn in his own blood. Back in Europe, Landor became an instant celebrity, thrilling the public with his extraordinary (and often scarcely believable) tales of high adventure in Tibet. Yet despite his embellishments and huge propensity for outrageous lies, the basic facts Landor told of his Tibetan adventure were true.
GROUP REPORTS
ART IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Classes have continued to be well attended on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, from 10am until midday. Up to now we have had a new genre every month, including landscapes, seascapes and digital and “Dave’s Digital Trickery”! Soon we will cover people at work, people at play, Pam’s digital trickery and a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Those who attend are now getting used to having a little more discussion about the pictures on offer each time and we now watch some digital audio-visual images. So far this year Pam has had to cancel the meetings for personal reasons, but they are set to resume in March.
Pamela
BOOK GROUP
Sadly. with the death of the co-ordinator Ruth, the group has disbanded, whilst awaiting a new co-ordinator.
THE ART GROUP
The group has grown in numbers, and we are happy to continue meeting each Monday morning in the annexe to Romiley Methodist Church at 10.30am.We have thirteen members and it may be necessary to have a waiting list in future. When we are able to move back into the Studio in the Forum it will be easier in the way of space and location for those who have difficulty with travelling. We have been waiting to hear news of when the RAAC concrete repair to the roof over this part of the building can be completed. We understand that more finance is waited for the job to be done. It is a relaxed group of artists with various talents and enjoying drawing and painting for pleasure, and helping each other.
Shirley
FRENCH CONVERSATION
Unfortunately, we have not been able to make any progress since May due to various medical problems which are now happily mostly resolved. We are now looking forward to our next session in a couple of weeks.
GARDNERS
On Wednesday 1st October we were invited to the house of one of our members. She organised a lovely visit to some beautiful famous country house gardens by showing us a Video.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire has a multitude of beautiful gardens in level and upland areas which gives them a special charm. On the level part with great views of Derbyshire is a long lake with an exceedingly high fountain as the water supply is from the upland. It also features a stepped waterfall with a path which leads up to a high woodland walk. Near the house is a lovely large labyrinth.
Then we were shown the gardens of Blenheim Palace situated in Woodstock and not far from Oxford. It features a series of well laid-out ornamental and patterned gardens close to the Palace and very specious grassy areas surrounded by nice, planted woodlands. A nice place to relax on a nice day.
We thoroughly enjoyed this Video showing us an abundance of garden designs. Afterwards we were treated by having coffee with a gorgeous home-made cake. But the best treat was the home-made cheese scones nicer than any we ever tasted. They were absolute winners!
We thank Rose for her double treat of garden treats and coffee morning treats.
Karin
On Wednesday 5th November we were in invited by Rose Shimmin to her home and watched a film taking us to see the gardens of several famous English castles and country houses. Leeds Castle in Kent east of Canterbury dates back to the early Middle Ages and is on an island on a large lake. There is a large meadow and surrounding it are workers cottages with gardens with contain a beautiful collection of plants, shrubs and we really liked the Lilies, Hollyhocks, Azaleas, Acers etc. in a nice assortment of colours.
Several other country estates were shown and one of the nicest ones is Castle Howard north-east of York. The grounds are massive and contain several lakes, woods and monumental 17th century monuments on the higher grounds so that they form landmarks visible from far away. The large Castle itself has ornamental gardens with Buxus hedges in intricate designs and beds with a colourful flower variety. Quite special.
Afterwards we were treated to coffee and a nice, tasty choice of cakes. Thanks, Rose, you treated us to a very enjoyable time together. Karin
In December we went to Wilmslow Garden Centre for our Christmas meal.
On Wednesday 4th February we met at the house of Shirley and the theme was to discuss what is our favourite plant. Roses and their great varieties of course are always loved by everybody. One of our choices is Lathyrus Odoratus , or Sweet peas, a climbing plant with delicate tendrils and soft coloured and scented flowers which originates from Sicily and southern Italy. During the 1800 hundreds a Scottish horticulturist Henry Eckford developed more varieties of Sweet peas from the original short-stemmed white, to the colourful, scented varieties that we know today. He became a fellow of the RHS and is known universally as the father of the sweet pea. Nasturtiums originated from tropical regions and their bright orange flowers and circular green leaves are both medicinal and easy to grow, especially in sunny areas which remind them of their tropical origins.
The Orchid also has a tropical background, but they come from shady tropical jungles, need little water and must be kept away from sunlight. The variety Phalaenopsis with a stem with various colours of big flowers is the most popular one.
One of our group likes to grow herbs like the indigenous Wild Garlic, Chives as well as Origami which originates from Italy and are all easily grown and we use them in the preparation of our meals.
Another versatile and very decorative plant is Cineraria (Silver Dust). With its silvery serrated leaves, it provides a nice contrast with all the green plants during the summer while it keeps it silvery leaves during the winter and is very eye catching and decorative when most other plants have died off or are hibernating.
One member had written a poem in praise of bluebells. This wild plant grows well in woodland areas and has a lovely delicate scent
After all the discussions we needed something for our dry mouths, so Shirley provided us with coffee and tea and a tasty choice of biscuits. We had a great time together and want to thank Shirley for her hospitality. Karin
GERMAN - CONVERSATION
Meeting still once a month, face to face in one or other member’s home, 14.30-16.00. The basis of the group is conversation in German. We cover a very wide range of matters of current interest and have never yet needed to specify a topic to be discussed.
GERMAN - LEARNERS
We are meeting generally fortnightly on Mondays, 14.30-16.00. We use a variety of materials to advance the group’s abilities, including the Willkommen! series of structured learning, modern reference books on Grammar, also Verb Declension as required, but also lighten the tone at times, when reading the Dino series of books, which are light-hearted and in simple German, aimed at improving spoken German and the level of understanding. We have recently been using the very structured ‘Audible’ online course, ‘Learn German with Paul Noble for Beginners’.
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For both German groups we are actively seeking 1, 2 or perhaps 3 new members:
For the German Learners we seek ideally someone, who has already some knowledge of German, as our Group comprises folk who have either been with us for several years or attained some qualification (like O-level) or had some experience when young of living in Germany. Nonetheless, all are still far from advanced.
Conversation Group means now folk with, as a minimum, quite a bit of academic experience with German and/or a longer period of living in Germany with an active interest in improving use of the language. Providing we have space in the Group, then someone with somewhat lesser experience will doubtless be accommodated.
Both the Learners’ and the Conversation sessions are generally very informal and relaxed occasions.
LITERATURE
In August we read ‘the President’s Hat’ by Antoine Lorain. This was more of a novella, being short, but it was perfectly formed and very enjoyable. Everyone liked this book.
It began when a young man treated himself to dinner in an expensive restaurant whilst his wife was away. To his joy, sitting at a nearby table was President Mitterrand, who inadvertently left his hat behind when he left. The young man, who could have called after him, stole it.
The next day he wore that hat to work, and felt empowered by it. In a meeting with the managing director, to the astonishment of those present, he spoke up lucidly and intelligently about the accounts. This led to a complete change in his life.
As his journey started, so did the hats. He carelessly left it on a train and it was picked up by a young woman on her way to an illicit meeting with a married man. Her life changed also from this point.
And so the hat’s journey continued as it was found by others and affected their lives in various ways, until eventually it found itself back to the president.
We had an interesting and lively discussion about this story, reflecting on the lives of the various characters and how ‘lucky’ objects can have a psychological effect on people. We have no hesitation in recommending the book.
In September we met to discuss “H is for Hawk’, by Helen Macdonald. This an autobiographical account of Helen’s struggle to come to terms with the sudden death of her father. Helen was a lecturer at a Cambridge College, an author, illustrator, poet and falconer. She purchased a goshawk, after persuading the seller that the one ear-marked for her was not suitable, as she had an immediate affinity to the smaller bird.
Goshawks are notoriously difficult to train, and Helen had many ups and downs in the process. She named the hawk Mable, meaning beautiful, and Mable’s personality soon revealed itself.
Helen withdrew herself from human contact and devoted herself solely to Mable to an unhealthy degree and began to take on Mable’s characteristics. She wasn’t really dealing with her grief.
As Helen recounted her own story she also deviated to include a biography of T. H. White of ‘Sword in the Stone’ fame. He also had trained a goshawk by methods more to do with power than kindness, knowing no better, and being influenced by the way he was ill-treated in his youth. He was also struggling with his sexuality at a time when homosexuality was illegal.
The book was not well received by the group despite the acknowledgement of the vivid descriptions and the remarkable bond achieved between human and bird. The discussion circled around whether it was cruel and wrong to keep a bird in captivity and Helen’s mental health. Most also found some of the details of the hawk’s diet ghastly and repetitive. I enjoyed the book. Not everyone has the same opinions. It is good to have varied opinions and to be able to express these.
In October we read “ The Remains of the Day’, by Kazuo Ishiguro. This book won the Booker Prize and most of us could see why. Firstly it is beautifully written. It evokes an age of privilege and servitude in the period between the two world wars. It is narrated by Stevens a butler in the service of Lord Darlington whom he revered.
After the lord’s death his next employer, an American, was much more egalitarian and encouraged Stevens to borrow his car, even saying that he would buy the fuel, in order for Stevens to take a holiday. He decided to travel to Cornwall to visit a former employer, Miss Kenton, who had previously worked as housekeeper for Lord Darlington. He hoped that she would return with him and take up her former position.
As he drove south Stevens began to reminisce about his life as a butler, where his sole purpose was to make sure that the lord’s wishes were always impeccably carried out. He prided himself on his loyalty and efficiency and reflected upon what it meant to be a ‘great’ butler. As he travelled he became aware that the world was changing as he met various people and viewed the interaction between them. He determined that he must learn how to ‘banter’.
Ishiguro shows us a character that slowly begins to realise what he had sacrificed in order to be a ‘great’ butler. All his life he had subjugated his own thoughts and feelings in favour of Lord Darlington, whom he believed could do no wrong. After his death Darlington is pilloried as a Nazi sympathiser.
We had a good discussion about the book, reflecting on the expertise of the author and the character of Stevens, Miss Kenton and Stevens’s two employers. We also considered how times had changed and considered what it meant to be British according to Stevens.
In February we met to discuss ‘ The Miniaturist’ by Jessie Burton. This historical novel is set in Amsterdam and vividly captures the sights , sounds and smells of this bustling trading port in the 17th century. The main character Nella moves there after her family had fallen on bad times and married her to a wealthy trader, Johannes, of whom she had little fore knowledge. She expected, however that her life would follow the same path as other women of her standing: dependant entirely on her husband and soon to have his children and to manage the household affairs.
She was met, on her arrival by Marin, Johannes’ sister and his two servants, Otto a freed slave and Cornelia a rescued orphan. She was astonished by the open way in which the servants spoke and soon realised that Marin ruled the household affairs . Johannes was notable by his absence. She soon realised that he was avoiding her and after a while also realised that he was not about to consummate the marriage. In lieu of this he bought her an expensive doll’s house modelled on the house in which she now lived.
She began to receive immaculately fashioned figures recognisable as the family, and their pets. She also kept catching glimpses of a mysterious, fair haired female, who always stayed out of reach. The miniature figures seemed to mirror the events that were to occur. Deep secrets were gradually revealed.
There are a number of plot twists and turns, some unexpected. We thought that the female characters were well drawn on the whole, but the male characters were one dimensional. The book was Jessie Burton’s debut novel. It became an instant best seller, but we decided that there were weaknesses in both the plot and the portrayal of the characters. At times the book verged on melodrama. It was worth reading, but was a little disappointing. Rose
SPANISH
Spanish is a lovely language and many of the words are similar to English or French. We meet every two weeks on a Tuesday afternoon. We begin each session reading a prepared text on a specific topic. These have recently included Christmas and a favourite book or film. We the try to discuss the subjects ad-lib to practice our vocabularies. At the moment we read a passage on a selected topic and translate it, before we have well deserved refreshments.
Stockport Car Scheme
This is a voluntary group which will give lifts to people of limited mobility who can’t use the bus. They will take people to the doctor, dentist, paediatrics, shopping or to meetings. They will not go to hospitals. Customers will have to register before making a booking and give one week’s notice. They will be notified of the cost when booking.
Please ring 476 2812.
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OUR ANNUAL CHARITY
Our Charity for 2025 is Walthew House. We managed to raise £350.
HOLIDAYS
If you book a holiday with Riviera Travel, please tell them that you are a member of the Romiley u3a. They will then give 10% of the cost of the holiday to the u3a head office and, after they have taken a small handling cost, we will get most of the 10% they donated. This can easily be several hundred pounds. Any money we get from this source could be used to help fund our activities.
Meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month from 2 – 4 pm. We meet in the Romiley Methodist Church, 77 Stockport Road. Members should please arrive before 2.00pm to allow a prompt start, thus enabling the speaker to have a full quota of time. The Entrance fee is £2.00 which helps allay the costs incurred.
Contributions, please, for the next newsletter at the beginning of October, preferably by email to the Newsletter Editor (via contacts page) If you have any ‘funnies’, anecdotes, memories, or comments you would like in the next newsletter please get in touch.
Future Speakers
26th March David Poppitt (Retired oncologist) ‘History of the Christie Hospital’
23rd April David Seddon ‘Shakespeare and being Human’ (anniversary of both Shakespeare’s birth and death)
28th May Brian Groom ‘These Isles’ A History of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
25th June Eric Newton ‘My Life as a Busker’
23rd July Pam Greenland
Something to make you smile
Computer – Male or Female?
A language instructor was explaining to her class that in French nouns, unlike the English counterparts, are grammatically designated as masculine or feminine. House in French is feminine “la maison”. Pencil in French is masculine “La crayon” One puzzled student asked, “What gender is computer?” The teacher did not know, and the word wasn't in her French dictionary. So for fun she split the class into two groups approximately by gender and asked them to decide whether “computer” should be a masculine or feminine noun.
Both groups were required to give four reasons for their recommendation. The men's group decided that computers should definitely be of the feminine gender “La computer” because:
- No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
- The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
- Even the smallest mistakes are stored in their long-term memory for possible later retrieval.
- As soon as you make a commitment to one you find yourself spending half your pay packet on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine “le computer” because:
- As for as soon as you commit to one you realise that if you'd waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
2. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
3. They have a lot of data but they are still clueless.
4. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem.