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Bushey and District U3A is a Registered Charity (No 1109042)
March 2015 Issue No 44
Newsletter
Chairman’s Column
Study Group News
We are now in our 11th year and the range
of opportunities for members is increasing
as we all recognise our own expertise and
interests.
Six months after our Study Group Leaders’
AGM and Tea it has been the custom to hold
an Interim Meeting and it was held after the
main monthly meeting in January. It is an
opportunity for the Committee on behalf of
the members to thank the Leaders, the
lifeblood of the U3A, for all their hard work
and for the Leaders to make comments and
suggestions. It proved a very productive
meeting.
It is good to see the growth of new groups
within the membership and this underpins
the ethos of the U3A as a self help group.
If you are interested in forming a new, or
even reviving an old group please talk with
any committee member and especially
Sheila Saville who is continuing her
wonderful group coordination role.
Two new groups are up and running;
Theatre Studies led by Jill Breslaw and
Trina Soames and a new History Group
run by Thomas Kingston featuring the United
States of America. Both these groups are
now full. Radlett U3A have invited members
of our U3A to join their Local History
Group and also their new Wildlife Group.
Remember we are all here to “Learn, Laugh
and Live”.
We have the Hearing Loop in operation in
the Monthly Meeting room at the Sports
Club so please let any members who would
benefit from this provision know it is in
place and encourage them to come to the
next monthly meeting.
Leaders of two long established groups have
stood down. Our thanks go to Canasta’s
Audrey Bignell who is replaced by Jill Paice
and Angela Grimes of Scrabble Group 2.
Suzanne Woods from Scrabble Group 1 has
kindly taken over that group as well.
Best wishes, Ian Douglas (Chair)
A cheque for £1,273.00 was accepted by Tony
Watson, Fund Raising Manager on behalf of
Peace Hospice Care and was presented at the
February monthly meeting by our Chairman Ian
Douglas.
If you look at your study group lists or the
website and the group you want to join is full
or does not exist, how about starting a new
group of your own? One of our members
has suggested that we form a Novice
Bridge Group and we are looking for a
teacher – any volunteers?
Other ideas
include Crosswords and second Kalookie
and Canasta Groups.
It was very interesting
to learn from Tony
what
additional
services, apart from in
patient
care,
are
provided.
These
include support and
care at home also to
families and carers.
At the Starlight Centre
a range of nursing,
medical and therapy
treatments
and
creative workshops are
offered. On Feel Good
Fridays,
yoga,
reflexology, massage
and exercise classes
are available.
Sheila Saville & Rayna Vincent
Monthly meetings
Meetings are held at 10.00 am on the third
Tuesday of each month at the Metropolitan
Police Sports Club in Aldenham Road.
You can find more
information on their
website at ww.peacehospice.co.uk
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21 April
Cometh the Day, Cometh the
Jewell - David Callaghan
19 May
Man on the Spot - Bill Hamilton
16 June
My Art of my Sleeves -Jack Wood
Bushey and District U3A Newsletter
Gardeners’ Own Study Group
This group meets in gardeners' own gardens on the 2nd Tuesday morning of each month
(with a break in the winter) and members exchange ideas, advice and cuttings and finish
with a cup of coffee. Our gardens are
not picture perfect but we all love
gardening and enjoy sharing our
gardens with others.
Gardeners’ Own SG evolved following
the success and popularity of the
original ‘How Does Your Garden
Grow’ Group which still flourishes on
the last Wednesday morning of each
month.
We currently have a couple of
vacancies so if you are interested in
joining our group, please email Helen
or Phil at gardenersown@gmail.com
or phone 020 8954 9314.
Helen & Phil Griller, Joint SGLs
Rummikub Study Group
This group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at the Watford Ex-servicemen
and Social Club in St Albans
Road, very close to the
Watford
Town
Hall
roundabout
This is an open group and
any Bushey U3A member can
attend. You just have to
phone Linda (check her
number on your Study Group
list) to let her know.
Rummikub is played with
large numbered scrabble-like
tiles and is a challenging but
fun game for three or four
players per group.
Linda Rowland SGL
PLEASE NOTE NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Articles for the June issue should be received by 23 May 2015 and sent to: Vicky Goutis, Editor,
newsletter.busheyu3a@gmail.com
Newsletters are published in March, June, September and December, before monthly
meetings
Our Almoner is Susi Addleman Tel: 020 8950 9009
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Bushey and District U3A Newsletter
February Speaker
.......and nearly a full house at the meeting
An entertaining and
informative talk on
Spare Part Surgery
was given at the
February monthly
meeting by Tony
Maisey
who
brought along a
variety of ‘samples’
to illuminate his
talk.
Contributions to the newsletter
are always welcome, so do email
me and let me know what you are
doing in your study groups (with
a jpeg photo if possible).
Editor
Tea on Sunday Study Group
Despite a slow start, this group gains ground each month. January found us at Moor Park
where we took tea in Ritz style at the gracious home of Miki and Michael Colne. We had our
say on ‘What the Papers Say’, and shared mixed feelings about the disparity in the treatment
of Prince Andrew and the shamed Oldham Athletic footballer whose offences appeared to be
similar. February’s treat was to exchange views on ‘The Theory of Everything’ shown at the
Watford Palace Theatre on 15th Feb. The chat and coffee at Pret a Manger proved a welcome
change from our previous ‘at home’ teas. Please phone Rayna on 020 8950 0892 or e-mail
raynavincent@btinternet.com if you would like your name to be added to our membership
list.
Camera Club Study Group
The group meets at 3.45 on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of
each month at Bushey Meads School.
A Camera Club outing is planned with, amongst other things,
the purpose of obtaining a photo for U3A publicity
to
demonstrate the variety and scope of U3A activities, and,
with
luck,
to
be
published
in
the
main
U3A
magazine. Pictures will be taken at Hendon Air Museum in
order to find unusual interesting backgrounds and will
hopefully include a number of Group Leaders. Names and
groups will be mentioned in the narrative.
The proposed
title could be “Combined Operations”.
If any Leaders or Group representatives would like to take
part in the event please email vmgeduld@sky.com or
phone Vic on 0203 114 5077.
Bernard Wood and Victor Geduld, Joint SGLs
It’s not all work at the Camera Club meetings!
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Bushey and District U3A Newsletter
APOLOGIES for change of speakers at the January monthly meeting.
This was due to a very last-minute cancellation with no time to let members know of the change.
Fortunately, Maurice Crewe saved the day and gave a very interesting talk on
Meteorology and Aerial Navigation
After basic definitions of the title words, Maurice started from the ancient Greeks noting
that the pre-flight planning of Icarus was not good. The earliest meteorological
reconnaissance flight by Jeffries and Blanchard in 1784 was pioneering but in the days
of balloon flying, they just went where the wind took them. Even mid-way through
WW1, aviators were still navigating by use of road signs, railway lines, stations and
even pubs.
Because the military realised by about 1915 that weather advice would be helpful,
Meteor was set up in France to start a near real time weather service, making use of communications
such as telephone, telegrams and wireless thus greatly improving navigation by the end of the war.
From the 1940s speedy communications and data was fed to computers; the World Meteorological
Organisation becoming the largest and most successful United Nations agency.
By the 1970s aeronautical information could be sent by computer direct to airline services – then to
airlines but satellite and computing technology has not replaced aerial navigation for private flying or
specialists such as air sea rescue and some military flying.
Many thanks to Maurice for stepping into the breach.
Laughter keeps you young at heart
A politician will find an excuse to get out of anything
except office.
December Raffle
The winner of the first prize of
£100 was Alison Scarfe.
Can You Help?
Watford and District Talking Newspaper has been sending weekly audio recordings of local news to
blind and partially sighted people in the area for 37 years. They are currently in great need of
volunteers to help with digital editing and compiling the Talking Newspaper which takes place on
Thursday evenings. For this, the only requirement is the ability to use a computer at a simple level
and then all necessary training is provided.
There is also a need for volunteers to record and edit other items at other times and for volunteers
to help with the copying of the Talking Newspaper onto the USB sticks sent out to Listeners which
takes place for about an hour on Friday mornings. If anyone would like to join a Reading Team
recording articles from the Watford Observer on 4 or 5 Thursday evenings a year, do get in touch
with the Chairman or Editorial Representative (numbers as below).
Maybe members of the Science and Technology groups might be interested in offering help but
assistance from any members of the U3A would be appreciated.
If you feel you could spare a little time, please contact the Chairman, Leigh Hutchings on 01923
248006 or the Editorial Representative, Sue Pankhurst on 01923 249139 or email
watfordtn@hotmail.co.uk for more information.
For more Bushey U3A information
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There is a host of information
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Your Webmaster is Steve Francis
Webmaster.busheyu3a@gmail.com
Mathematical Corner Question
There are two trees in a garden each with a number of nesting
birds.
If 5 birds were to move from the second tree to the first there
would be four times as many in the first tree compared to the
second, but if ten birds were to move from the first to the second tree there would be equal numbers in both trees.
How many birds were in each tree?
Answers to: mikeandpenny16@hotmail.com
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