All posts by Sue Galley

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

This year we celebrated our 9th annual BBQ, and although we were all hoping it would rain after the weeks without rain and watching our gardens taking on a brown tinge, it decided to rain on the Sunday of our BBQ. We were not to be deterred, and thanks to Carol Linton, who has kindly hosted us in her garden in style every year we all had a thoroughly enjoyable time under the ‘big tent’.

Throughout the year we have visited a wide range of eating establishments, experiencing food cooked with a range of ethnic flavours. The aim of the group is to try all the various restaurants in a 10mile radius; our experiences have aided us to develop new tastes, both likes and dislikes ! More importantly we have welcomed new members and enjoyed one another’s company.

diners

 The Cooks at work!!

Jill Burnham

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

As often before, some of our best reads over the past year have been non-fiction:

‘The Shepherd’s Life’ by James Rebanks is an unsentimental account of the working year of a sheep farmer in the Lake District. Not for him a place of spectacular scenery or hearty walking holidays but the land where he and his forefathers have lived and worked in harmony with the seasons for generations. His lyrical descriptions of the changing seasons and his undoubted love for his animals bring into sharp focus the tough conditions of his working life. And yet, there is another side to his story: in his 20s, Rebanks, having idled away his schooldays, attended Oxford University, gaining a double first in history. His love for the shepherd’s way of life drew him back and today, to make ends meet, he combines this with a post for UNESCO advising on tourism.

‘Singled Out’ by Virginia Nicholson looks at the lives of “surplus” women who, after the terrible depredations of WW1, were left without hope of marrying or raising a family. For many this meant a lifetime of scrimping and getting by on near-starvation wages – mens’ needs always came before those of a single woman with no dependants. Others blossomed, taking on and making a success of roles that would never have been open to them had the men survived. Defying convention and prejudice, these women excelled in traditionally male roles of medicine, marine and electrical engineering, stockbroking, Egyptology and many more, paving the way for the generations who came after. One problem we encountered with this book was that the typeface is too small and faint: several of us had to use magnifiers.

‘Blood River’ by Tim Butcher recounts his 2004 journey along the Congo river, retracing the steps of his fellow Telegraph reporter Stanley who first mapped this region in the 1870s. He skilfully blends history with present day experience in this war-torn country, exposing the brutality and exploitation of colonial days and the cruelty, corruption, and venality of leaders and warring tribes following independence. He lays bare the shocking contrast between the “civilised” society of the colonial era and the broken-down remnants of it today. Butcher’s mother visited by rail in the 1950s; Katherine Hepburn stayed in a comfortable hotel while filming “The African Queen”. Yet today, in this resource-rich country, buildings are rubble, and no railways or roads remain. How did Butcher manage to make his journey against all the odds? How did he stand the relentless heat, the limited diet and the constant fear of marauding rebel fighters? A meticulously planned and executed trip.

We were, however, disappointed with Claire Tomalin’s biography of Jane Austen which we read to mark the 200th anniversary of the great author’s death. Little substantive Austen material remains (her family burnt most of her letters, for example). Tomalin was obliged to include a wealth of detail about friends and relatives of the Austens, which we found confusing and boring (too many Janes and Elizabeths!)

Other books we have enjoyed include Rosemary Lupton’s “The Quality of Silence” in which a mother sets out with her 10 year old profoundly deaf daughter along the Alaskan Dalton Highhway to search for her husband, refusing to accept that he has died in an accident. The pace and tension as the pair wrestle with the constant darkness and extreme cold of an Alaskan winter while pursued by villains, are well-drawn. ‘The Muse’, Jessie Burton’s second book following her successful debut novel ‘The Miniaturist’, is every bit as enthralling a tale. Set in two time periods, the late 60s and pre-civil-war Spain, it involves secret love affairs, hidden identities, and a mysterious painting which links the two eras.

Jen Cayley

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

During the year we have looked at the life and works of composers such as Scarlatti, Elgar, Swiss composers, Handel, Shubert, the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan and Bortniansky.

Bortniansky was a new name for us and we spent a pleasant afternoon listening to pieces from his full and varied range of music. Born in the Ukraine in 1751 he was regarded as one of the most prominent Russian composers of church music producing over 100 religious works, sacred concertos, cantatas and hymns. He spent 10 years in Venice where he wrote a number of instrumental works including operas, symphonies, chamber music and piano sonatas. He is known for the famous hymn ‘How Glorious is our Lord’ which for a long time was the Russian National Anthem. In 1881, Tchaikovsky, at the request of his music publisher, edited and made piano solo arrangements of Bortniansky’s complete church music, which was published in ten volumes. When asked to arrange more of Bortniansky’s choral works in 1883, it is reputed that Tchaikovsky declined complaining that he found the works poor in content and monotonous, which caused him from time to time to sink into profound despair. Tchaikovsky might have been a great musician but the Group thought his opinion of Bortniansky’s music flawed as we found his music most enjoyable and entertaining.

The Group meets on the 4th Friday of the month at 2.00 p.m.

Maura Chapman

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

In pursuing Genealogy, one never knows what might suddenly be discovered even though it is all buried in history. The internet has played an incredible part in enabling research to be undertaken at a touch of a button from the comfort of our homes. By contrast, I well remember trips up to London to visit Somerset House and later St Catherine’s House as well as the records office where one would systematically wade through huge volumes to find details of births, marriages and deaths, or strain the eyes peering at endless reels of blurry microfilm images.

Modern technology has enabled our members to trace their ancestry back to at least the 17th century and some even earlier. But it is not just a case of adding another name and some dates. We study their occupations, their geographical movements and the social conditions in which they survived. In addition, there has been the opportunity to find lost cousins through the family history websites and more recently through DNA tests and some of our members have had the most enjoyable reunions even as far as Australia. There seems to be an instant rapport with persons that you’ve never met before with the only link being that you share some common ancestors. There is no doubt that blood is thicker than water!

Paul Chapman

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

The Croquet group was formed on 20 Jun. We play on our garden court. We started with 6 members, most of whom were beginners, and have now grown to 12 over the past six weeks, during which time we have managed to play regularly because of this long heatwave; we have been grateful for the large willow tree in the garden, under which all of us are able to sit for our coffee breaks. We are a very friendly and supportive group, and spend quite a lot of time smiling and laughing at our own and others' "miss hits"

Members meet once a week at 10 am on Wednesday at our house. The group has proved to be very popular, and everyone is thoroughly enjoying it.

The group is closed to new members at present. We play for 2 hours which just about allows all members to complete a game.

Susan Blagden

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

The card making groups are thriving. We meet once a month and make a card. The techniques that the group members have mastered recently are stamping and powder embossing and using a heat gun, die cutting, brayering, using acetate to make window cards and embossing folders. Catching up with friends, having fun, tea and biscuits are all included in the £2 cost of the session. In June I started making up card kit packs for those unable to attend a session which are proving very popular.

At the time of writing this report I am in the middle of designing Christmas cards (I know the dreaded word!) as we need to begin making them in September if we wish to make 4 or 5 cards in time for the Christmas post. I do have a 2 spaces on a Wednesday morning (the first Wednesday of the month) so if you think you would like to try your hand please contact me so you can come along for a taster session. One lady who started over a year ago is convinced she isn’t artistic but at the end of each session she is so pleased with the result and often says “I can’t believe I’ve just made this!”

Anne Hollis

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

The group was formed in 2006 with seven regular members.

As some were fairly new to the Island, there were many subjects to research and discuss, and meetings were well attended, rising to 10 members. With the introduction of the first Project, some left the group, but luckily two more joined us.

At the next AGM/Open Day on September 20th we hope to attract some new interest, as we are producing a small display of paintings & drawings by Art Group 3, showing historic local views & buildings with brief descriptions, and we invite enquiries from anyone interested.

This year it has proved difficult to find subjects to interest the five remaining in the group. Once the holiday period has passed we will get together and pool ideas on subjects that have not already been covered, or need refreshing.

If you would like to know more about our Island or have some information that you think might interest us, please contact

Id BrendaC does not exist

Brenda Cotten

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

HuggersLThe Huggers are continuing to perform and in the last few months have played for The Rowan's Day Care Centre, The Memory Clubs in Fareham and on Hayling, The Rainbow Centre in Fareham and Daisy Chain on Hayling. Donations we were given have been sent in their entirety to Naomi House/ Jack's Place.
We will be playing at the Hayling 3 Churches fete in August.

A brief gap in performing has given us the opportunity to find new songs to increase our repertoire. December will find us 'in panto' at Northney Village Hall plus we have Christmas gigs booked already.

This group is for reasonably experienced players and is full, however I have noticed that Hayling Library is advertising a course of beginner’s ukulele lessons beginning in November.

Avril Keyes

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

We continue to walk on the second Thursday of each month. We meet at the Community Centre lower carpark at either 10am or 10.30am, depending upon how far we are travelling. We walk at an easy pace for a distance of between 2 and 3 miles and we complete our outing with refreshment of some kind at a local hostelry or pub.

We have recently visited Emsworth, Havant, Farlington and Portsmouth.

If any member is interested in joining us please contact Sue Humphrey or Sonia Keeble. Our details are on the Hayling U3A website but I also am giving these below. You will always be welcome.

Sue Humphrey
Sonia Keeble

Group report

This is an article published in the Summer 2018 newsletter ….

Science and Technology plays a huge part in our lives without us even realising it, and this terms talks, given by our own members provided an insight into just three areas where technology abounds. The first was about Control Systems given by Mike Lynch who illustrated some of the mathematics (for those in the know such as the Fourier Series) as well as the various factors that have to be allowed for in any system. Control systems can vary from simple devices such as a thermostat which keeps your house at an even temperature to the most complex systems to ensure that rockets and satellites go where they are meant to go and do what they are meant to do! This was followed by a talk on lifts and elevators given by Pat Hulls in which he traced the history and development of machines that carry goods and people from one height to another. He also described the stringent tests that are made to ensure safety including cutting the cable and making sure that the fail-safe device, patented in the Nineteenth century, works and doesn’t result in the lift plunging to the ground when the cable breaks. Modern lifts owe much to control systems. At one time, one would feel a jerk as the lift started and an empty stomach feeling as it stopped. Nowadays, control systems allow lifts to rise hundreds of feet at a very fast speed without sensing either the acceleration or the de-acceleration on arrival. Another control system decides where the lift goes next when buttons are being pressed on multiple floors with people wanting to go both up and down.

By contrast, the third talk was about Modern Cryptography given by Bob Hornby. Every time we make a financial transaction or undertake activities on computers, cryptology is involved. It is all part of the technology that is required to keep transactions safe and secure from interference by third parties. The use of Private and Public Keys was illustrated and the use of complex mathematics to develop these keys such that they must, or should be indecipherable. The challenge for cryptologists is to stay two steps ahead of the criminal.

Our talks are designed to be interesting to a wide spectrum of listeners from those deeply involved in science and technology to those who would claim not to have any scientific knowledge. I am sure that our members in the future when they enter a lift, make a credit card payment or switch on the cruise control in their car will have a greater appreciation of the technology involved as a result of listening to the talks.

The Science & Technology Group meets on the 4th Weds of each month at St Patricks Church Hall at 2.30 pm. Any member of the U3A is welcome to attend for a contribution of £2 or alternatively, one can join the group for a fee of £5 which lasts for around 8 months.

Paul Chapman

Group report

This is an article published in the Spring 2018 edition of the Hayling Island U3A newsletter....

We arrange four visits a year to places on behalf of all Hayling Island U3A members. You do not have to join the Visits 'group' to go on one of our trips. A small committee meets to consider places to visit that should have general appeal.

The visits usually take place in April, June/July, August/September and December. Once dates have been finalised and costs calculated the visits are published on the web site and displayed at the U3A monthly meetings. Bookings for visits are limited. We take bookings on a first-come first-served basis, but (because of issues we've had in the past) we do not recognise a booking until we've received your payment. That means we cannot start taking bookings until we have calculated the cost to members. Cheques are not cashed until nearer the date of the visit when various payments have to be made.

Visits are available for 50 members although if we have sufficient notice and the visits are over-subscribed we can book a 59 seater coach. If visits are under subscribed we reserve the right to offer places to members of other local U3A Groups in order to avoid making a loss. Naturally Hayling U3A members have priority.

The easiest way to book a place on a visit is to go to our U3A web site. Look under the heading ‘Events’ then select ‘Visits” and follow the instructions shown under 'Your bookings' at the end of the description. If 'Your bookings' doesn't appear it means we are still calculating the cost of the trip so can't yet take bookings. Members can also book visits at the monthly meetings. We'll have a table set up to take bookings for visits. Dates for the visits have been provided for all 2018 visits to enable members to plan ahead and avoid conflicting dates with other activities they may be planning. With this in mind members are asked to restrict their bookings to the next visit only rather than booking for several bookings in advance.

You can now make payment by bank transfer using the internet. You need to login to the members' area to see the bank account details. Click here to do that now.

Cheques can also be taken or sent to Debbie Wilsher. To see her address, click here to log in to the members' area.

Visits start times are usually 8:30am from HIADS returning between 5:30pm to 6:30pm depending on Traffic. Other pick-up points are: United Reform Church, Hollow Lane; Opposite Co-op / Tournerbury Lane; Bus Stop opposite New Cut, North of the Esso Garage.

We welcome suggestions for visits which should have wide appeal for members.

Visits arranged for 2018 ...

... are to The Globe Theatre, Borough Market, the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern in April and Longleat Safari Park and House in June.

A special visit is planned for August. Our destination is Swanage where in addition to sightseeing it will be possible to go sailing on “Moonfleet” a 70 foot Gaff rigged cutter for two hours with the opportunity of some ‘hands on’ experience if desired. There will be two sessions available each taking 12 members. Alternatively you can take a trip to Corfe Castle via the Swanage Railway. The cost of these two activities is not included in the visit basic cost but what is included is dinner in Bournemouth at the Laguna Hotel. As you can see this will be a full day’s outing.

December will carry on what has become a tradition with a visit to a Christmas Market - in Bristol. This will be combined with a visit to Brunel’s “SS Great Britain”.