The Hayling u3a Amblers walked along the shore to The Locks Sailing Club on Remembrance Day. We enjoyed coffee and some delicious cake. It was a perfectly calm day and we saw seals. A delightful three mile amble!
Thelma Cook
Open day competition
Sample poems provided to entrants...
There was an old man with a beard
Who said, 'It's just as I feared!
Two owls and a hen,
Four larks and a wren
Have all built a nest in my beard!'
There was a young fellow from Leeds
Who swallowed six packets of seeds.
It soon came to pass
He was covered in grass
And he couldn't sit down for the weeds!
Sunlight pierces clouds
illuminates autumn trees.
Leaves glow in splendour
Green leaves of summer
rustling in the autumn wind
heralds winter frosts.
The city wakens
I walk in the early light
A moment of calm.
Authors various
The winning entry
Come and join the u3a
Learn, laugh, make friends this way.
Reading, writing, bowls or art,
Half the fun is taking part.
Once you come you'll want to stay.
Thelma Cook
Owls about town
Andy Kendall, who runs 'Owls About Town' with his wife, Zsi, in Selsey brought several of his owls to our November meeting and it proved to be a fascinating afternoon. The owls all looked interested in what was going on and various people were allowed to hold the smaller owls, which caused much excitement.
Andy was invalided out of the army and unfortunately became homeless. He lived alone in a rural setting and began to adopt rescued owls. Often they had been bought as presents for children who were unable to care for them and they were in need of a new home. Andy developed an affinity with them. He met his wife and they started the business, 'Owls About Town'. They attend many venues and events, such as Residential homes, charity events, schools, birthday parties and team building sessions. 
They also run individual experiences and attend fêtes and fairs. Good animal welfare is very important to them - they are all fed on a healthy diet and they travel in purpose built boxes. It is an original way of ensuring that the owls are well cared for while members of the public experience interaction with these wonderful creatures.
Maggi Bridgman
Photos by Hannelore Hone
A very successful open day
We were very fortunate that the sun was shining and the weather warm. Many of our exhibitors started arriving at 8.30 am and the doors were opened at both the Community Centre and Radford Hall at 10 am.
An area on the field was cordoned off for Petanque, Croquet and Walking Netball, allowing members and visitors to take part in demonstrations and taster sessions.
Visitors started to arrive immediately and there was a continuous flow of people throughout the day. The attendance level was fantastic, and there was definite buzz throughout the various venues.
All exhibits were popular with many requests to join our current groups and suggestions on possible new subject areas. The outside activities of Petanque, Croquet and Walking Netball were particularly busy with many people joining in.
The music groups put on an excellent programme of music between 10 am and 2 pm demonstrating their musical talents. Visitors listened on, whilst taking refreshments and sampling some of the lovely cakes that many donated.
The membership desk was frantic at times with long queues of people wanting to join our organisation, so our Membership Secretary Peter Haskell will be very busy over the next few days/weeks going through all the forms!
The Hayling Island Bowls Club were available to talk with members and visitors about the starting up of a Lawn Bowls group on their new ‘All weather’ facilities. Unfortunately, the contractors had not quite finished laying the surface for our Open Day, but a taster session will be available on the 8th October between 10am and 12 noon. All are welcome.
The Lady Mayoress Rosie Raines, joined us at 1.30 pm and wandered around the exhibits, talking to the exhibitors and visitors and finding out about our activities. The day was ended with our afternoon speaker, Malcom Wells with a talk “So far so Good” followed by tea and cake.
There will be much to do in the coming weeks and months to start up new groups to meet the needs of our members both old and new. Keep an eye out for notices on new start up groups as we begin to integrate them into our portfolio.
The success of the Open Day can only be attributed to the hard work of the Executive Committee, group leaders, and their members both before and during the event. A big thank you to all those who helped and participated before and on the day. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Julie and Anne
Group news
Did you play netball at school? Did you enjoy it? Maybe you carried on playing it with friends some time after schooldays were over, but if you have any yearnings to refresh your skills, walking netball with Anne Hollis is for you!
Sessions are weekly on Thursdays during term time.
Maggi Bridgman
Group report
At the time of writing the Group is still ‘grounded’ because the hall we use is not open to group meetings. This could all change after 19th July, but I feel some members may still wish to play safe and stay at home. We may have to use technology to hybridise the meeting and use a mix of the old and new and Zoom the event at the same time.
To help whet the appetite we have a group Newsletter being created, where all the latest technology is trawled from the Internet, currently 6 science and technology web sites' information is looked at, selecting items from Aeronautical, Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Automotive and Semiconductor disciplines, plus a fun section, answers to those silly questions that you were afraid to ask.
At the moment I have heard from some members that the acoustics in St Patrick's Hall makes it difficult for them to hear the speakers. So I am looking at an alternative site to see if that is any better, so watch this space for further updates on this.
A recent initiative for the SE Region u3a, was to look into shared resources, so I have asked Waterlooville u3a if they have any speakers but alas they have indicated that they are struggling to get speakers. So I will widen the net and see if I can get speakers, but you may have to be prepared to fund minimum expenses.
If you have any questions, speaker inputs, then contact me.
Bob Hornby
Group report
All through Lockdown the group were able to play together via Skype. This was possible by players taking it in turn to play the lead with the rest playing along but with their devices muted. Most of the time this worked very well, just occasionally someone would forget to mute resulting in some strange noises. We are only a small group so since the beginning of Boris’s roadmap, have quite legally been able to play together, weather permitting, in the garden. Now we are free to give the neighbours a rest and meet indoors.
Pat Bailey
Group report
After lockdown restrictions eased we were able to resume our monthly meetings, but with restrictions on numbers. As it happened this was not too big a problem for our members as some members were taking short breaks away or visiting children and grandchildren and some were still having to isolate. So the April meeting was afternoon coffee at the Inn on the Beach for those who were around. A similar get together took place in May, but this time at the Three Beans and at the Tea Leaf Coffee shop. A further easing of restrictions in June meant that 6 people were allowed to meet indoors for the first time so some came on the Tuesday and the rest on the Wednesday.
Hooray! Hooray! after the 19th of July freedom, but of course with caution, and we had a lovely time together yesterday afternoon with all doors and windows open!
Pat Bailey
Group report - surviving pandemic
During the first lockdown in 2020 we set up a WhatsApp group and kept in touch through this and emails, sharing quizzes, jokes and newsletters. One of our members became tech proficient and set up Zoom meetings for us (thank you Diana!) We began Zooming fortnightly for social chat and general news sharing. Once the library allowed access we were able to resume reading our monthly books, meeting by Zoom once a month for book discussion, but keeping up the in-between Zooms for social reasons. During summer 2020 we managed some garden meetings in person. Further lockdowns meant no face to face discussion but we continued as before, with monthly newsletters updating the group on literary happenings eg prize winners, recent book reviews and other book related news.
Books we have read recently include: The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood, Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey, Love is Blind by William Boyd and Fell Murder by E C R Lorac.
Sadly, two of our members have died in the last few months: Daphne Somerfield, who on being registered blind, intrepid as ever, continued reading by audiobook well into her nineties; and Sue Humphrey, well-known to you all, admired for her boundless energy and commitment. Both contributed a huge amount to our group and we miss them very much.
Jen Cayley
No landline telephone network after 2025
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and ISDN lines will be switched off by 2025. You can see a statement from OpenReach here. Instead, telephone calls will be made via:
- Broadband
- The mobile phone network
Unfortunately, there's very little information to help you prepare for the change, and what there is comes from providers touting their own solutions. Here's what I've been able to glean so far...
Will it just affect phones?
No, the switch-off affects everything connected to the telephone network including:
- Fax machines
- Alarm systems
- Aid call systems
Can we keep our telephone number?
Simple answer: yes.
However, it's unclear how providers will handle the change. BT, for example, has nothing I can find on its site and continues to sell landline phones without any warning.
It does sell Voice Over IP (VOIP) - internet phones - but, for the time being, they are aimed at businesses.
There's no indication of how new voice services will be charged. Given the way internet phones work, you'll be able to choose from a huge range of different providers offering their own blend of services - and costs. So there's a fair chance you'll want to change provider. My best guess is that you'll be able to take your number with you to a different provider - like you can with mobile phones - but I don't see a guarantee of that.
Can we keep our existing phones?
Simple answer: yes.
I expect there will be products that allow you to:
- connect your phone(s) to a plug that works like the PSTN
- replace your DECT hub
Either way, the new box of tricks will connect your phone(s) to the new phone network via broadband or the mobile phone network.
However, you might not benefit from the full range of services that will be offered by the new, digital phone network.
Will we need a phone?
No.
Many people already use mobile phones instead of landlines. And I expect you will be able to make and receive calls from your landline number using a mobile phone.
Also, the new service will be digital and one of the benefits it brings is that you'll be able to make and receive calls on a range of devices I expect these will include:
- PC's and laptops
- Smart speakers - such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home (or Nest or whatever they call it this week)
- Video calling devices - look out for enhancements to Amazon Show, for example
- Smart TVs
- Game consoles
Do we need to do something now?
If your current phones work OK and you've no good reason to change, stick with what you have, wait and see.
You'll no doubt get offers from your landline provider eventually - but you might be able to get a cheaper/better service by shopping around.
For the time being, if your phone uses rechargeable batteries and they don't keep a charge, consider extending their life by replacing the batteries - most phones allow you to do that.
If you rely on, or make heavy use of, other equipment that connects to the phone line:
- Consider, alternative technologies. For example there are other ways to transfer images besides fax.
- Contact your alarm or aid call providers and ask what they're planning - again, it might not be best to accept their first offers.
Are there things we shouldn't do?
Unless absolutely necessary, I suggest you shouldn't:
- Invest heavily in any device that requires a phone line.
- Sign a long-term contract for any service that requires a phone line.
- Buy an internet phone now - as far as I can see devices on the market are either:
- Business-oriented (i.e over-complex and expensive)
- Tied to specific services
- Or both
Group report
Our last meeting together as a group was a year ago on 25th February and we had a good time over tea and cakes discussing the wonderful Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I was able to give out the next month's book Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella, I don't think any one of us had any thoughts that this was the last time we would be able to meet up again till when?? And that there would be no more books as the library closed until it opened up in a very different format in the Summer when lockdown restrictions had lessened somewhat.
Over the last year we have kept in touch by email and occasional phone calls; the meetings in gardens or indoors in small numbers when finally allowed not being practicable for our large(ish) group. However group members were able to collect and return the books on our list to the library lobby each month. A big thankyou to all of the group members for their continuing commitment to our group and their enthusiasm in reviewing the books each month.
Below are the books we have read recently together with some of the comments members sent me.
August - Joanna Trollope - City of Friends
Mixed reactions to this one, some loved it, some thought the friends were not very nice people to know!
September - David Jason - Only Fools and Stories
As you would guess, a commentary on the TV series and a reminder of some of the best bits we watched many moons ago.
October - Ann Leary - The Children
An American family saga found to be quite confusing but not too difficult a read. Not to everyone’s taste but as one person commented ‘it passed some time in lockdown’
November - Robert Harris - Munich
Very strong historical story line, based on events leading up to WW2, but a lot of military names, ranks and characters to keep track of. Not to everyone’s taste, but those who persevered found it a compelling and engrossing read.
December - Ella Griffiths - The House at Sea's End
Unanimously enjoyed, and although a murder mystery it was much light relief after Munich. Everyone wanted to read more by this author
January - Dan Brown - Origins
Very good story telling and compelling storyline. As usual with Dan Brown, there was lots of well researched factual details to augment the plot.
I hope this gives you an idea of what a reading group gets up to in lockdown.
Finally, we would like to add a big thankyou to all of the staff at the library who are always there to greet us with a friendly smile and are doing a great job in very difficult circumstances. Also a big thankyou to Matthew, the reading group co-ordinator, for keeping us supplied with books.
Pat Bailey
This is an article published in the Spring 2021 edition of the Hayling Island u3a newsletter
Group report
We set up a WhatsApp group and have used this and emails to keep in touch.
In July 2020 we all met in the park (distanced of course) and put together ideas for the next year’s programme which started in September. We were hopeful of meeting in the hall by then! How things have changed. We did manage a few weeks of four at a time meeting weekly at the kind invitation of the Men’s Shed. This provided a chance to paint together on a rota basis, but then that stopped with the November lockdown. However we have worked to the programme from home and put pictures of our efforts on WhatsApp.
January programme subject was hats and umbrellas, here are two examples of our work.
We can’t wait to meet again but in the meantime we will continue to paint and share.
We hope to make an exhibition of work completed in Lockdown for our contribution to the Open Day.
Lesley Vincent
This is an article published in the Spring 2021 edition of the Hayling Island u3a newsletter