SPRING/SUMMER 2018 (ISSUE NUMBER 72) - Newport U3A
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WEBSITE: www.newportu3a.org.uk
SPRING/SUMMER 2018
(ISSUE NUMBER 72)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS APPOINTED AT THE 2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Barbara Phillips Alan Fry Tony Mason Linda Elwell
Rosemary Mason Ian Lumley Alison Cooper Angela Robins
Margaret Swabey Vanessa Mason Audrey Anderson Julie Fry
Duties of committee members are shown on the inside back page of this newsletter.
TERM DATES 2018/9 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR
DOOR DUTY
Summer Term ends Friday 13th July 2018
Please help us by volunteering for just
Autumn Term starts Wednesday 05 Sep 2018 2½ hours, once a month. Contact
Autumn Term ends Friday 14th December 2018 Rosemary Mason 01633 896094
or deputy
Spring Term starts Wednesday 9th January 2019
Audrey Anderson 01633 413487
Spring Term ends Friday 12th July 2019
Summer Term starts xxxxxxxxxx
THOSE ON DOOR DUTY SHOULD KEEP THE FRONT DOOR LOCKED AT ALL
TIMES EXCEPT WHEN MEMBERS ARE ENTERING OR LEAVING.
It is important that members DO NOT touch any of the heating controls either in the
kitchen or on the radiators. On completion of their meeting, will convenors please ensure
that all windows are closed and lights switched off. Also, if another group follows you into
a room, be sure to vacate the room so that they can start on time.
PANIC BUTTONS!!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS AN ALARM BELL AT THE SHAFTESBURY CENTRE.
THE ”PANIC BUTTONS” ARE:
IN THE FRONT ENTRANCE LOBBY - ON THE WALL TO THE LEFT OF THE DOOR LEADING
TO THE OUTSIDE CORRIDOR,
IN THE BACK LOBBY – ON THE WALL BETWEEN THE KITCHEN DOOR AND THE DOOR TO
THE SMALL BACK ROOM.
ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
In severe weather, eg snow, ice, flood, the committee has responsibility for the
health and safety of all our members, and has to take the decision as to whether
U3A will open for that day/week. Therefore if anyone is in doubt about a group
taking place, please contact the convenor for the group or a committee member. All
convenors’ telephone numbers are on the timetable (back cover of this newsletter), and
committee members’ telephone numbers are printed inside the back page of each newsletter.
Barbara Phillips, Chairman
1
FROM THE EDITOR
Articles can be submitted at any time (the earlier the better), for the Newsletter which is
published twice a year. The last date for receipt of articles for the Autumn/Winter edition is 21st
December 2018.
Items can be handed to myself or any Committee member, left in the box in the kitchen or emailed
to me at masonv@hotmail.co.uk Please remember to include your name and contact details in case
I have any query about the content.
Ideally articles will be relevant to U3A activities and are welcomed from any member of the
organisation. The Newsletter is printed in black and white and while photographs to accompany
articles are welcome, they will only appear in colour when the publication is uploaded to the
website. Please remember to obtain permission from all people in your photographs for them to
appear in the Newsletter and subsequently online.
I recommend a visit to the Wales Website (search for U3A Wales) where you will find ideas about
venues, a speakers list, events across Wales, useful tips and advice as well as other U3As
newsletters.
CONTENTS
All That Jazz 16 Line Dancing 20
Art 23 Listening to Music 8
Chairman’s Address 3 Monthly meetings 28
Craft 14
Committee members and general 30 Newport U3A Choir 24
information
Creative Writing 13
Play Reading 5
Cycling 17 Quizzers, Question/Answers 11/20
Dates for your diary 30
Science 13
Family History and Genealogy 14 Skittles (St Julian’s Inn) 19
French 1 23 Spanish 11
French 2 - Literature 16 Summer Quiz 27
French - Les Debutants 19
Gardening and Wildlife 26 Theatre 25
Timetable and Convenors’ contacts back
cover
History 7
History and Reminiscences, programme 9 Ukulele 13/15
Walkers 6/12
Italian 21 Whist 23
2
Chairman’s Report
It’s been an interesting year, with two new groups starting, Whist and Skittles. The skittles
group has been so successful that they have decided to meet twice a month, rather than once.
Even better, some members had brought along their partners who have since joined the U3A.
That’s the way to do it!
Ros made a collage for the Steel Remembered Project, which was exhibited at the Senedd. She
has also introduced various “how to” videos, so the whole group is able to learn different
things, rather than just beavering away at their own craft. The current (highly secret) project
will be displayed on 7 June and at Open Day on 16 August.
French Conversation is trudging on – we still miss Denise Meunier, our real French person! She
was able to din her meaning into our heads on a variety of topics; her English was nearly non-
existent so we had to apply ourselves to understanding in order to hold a conversation. If
anyone knows a French native that would like to join, please let me know. Perhaps I’ll ask Mme
Rapport next week? (Count the plugs for Founders’ Day)
French Debutants – well, what can I say? They have had an amazing year, even managed to do
their homework once or twice! One of the group Trixie had a major birthday during May.
The Walkers have been busy, with their usual varied programmes. The Saturday walkers
celebrated three 80th birthdays during the year, with another one due in May. There must be
some health benefits to walking! With the Wednesday group they went to Dovedale in May and
went to Weymouth with Caldicot U3A in September. Then, again with the Wednesday group,
they went on a day trip to the Gower and some of them spent a week in Sorrento early in May.
All That Jazz continued, despite Greg’s “poorly spells” (his expression, not mine!). They had
recorded music and the occasional live bands, including in April the Hot Sardines, and The New
Orleans Hot Potato band – who incidentally will be performing at our Founders Day Celebration.
Both Ukulele groups again did very well over the year, despite Greg’s occasional absences due
to ill health. It fits the U3A ethos: the teachers learn (to stay in bed!) and the learners teach
... or is it more like the cat being away, the mice learning to play?
Still on a musical theme, The Choir have had a very successful year once again, and currently
have 55 members. The highlight of the year was, of course, the performance at the Senedd in
Cardiff Bay, at the launch of the Steel Remembered Project exhibition. They performed a
piece written especially for them, “My Boy Jack” with music by our own Stephen Berry. They
will also be involved in the final event of the project, to be held at Lysaght’s in October.
Stephen tells me he has composed another song for this and hopes that our Choir will perform it
alongside choirs from the various schools who have been involved in the project. He has a few
other things up his proverbial sleeve, so watch this space.
Family History group has made a lot of progress this last year, and now has 20 members, all of
whom have discovered new facts about their families and in some cases unknown ancestors too.
The group researches far afield, making good use of the internet in the building to interrogate
records in England and Wales of course, but also Scotland, where the record system is entirely
different, so posing a different challenge.
History have been busy, too. Not only a wide range of topics from the speakers, but a trip to
Monschau, Germany in May, York and Castle Howard in July. Jackie retired as Convenor for the
Group in March, after – how many years? leaving it in the capable hands of Rob Wilkinson and
Derek Nash.
3
Theatre Group is going strong, with an increased number of people attending shows, for
instance 28 people went to the Abba Revival in May.
Of course, there have been down moments . . . the three burglaries – two over one weekend,
remember that, in September? They couldn’t carry the TV away on Saturday night so came
back with a power screwdriver on Sunday! We seem to have managed fairly well not replacing
the TV, and the system for borrowing the DVD player works. Meanwhile the new Minister is
doing his best to increase security for us, but we will keep you updated.
Yes, we have a new Minister, who likes to be known as The Rev Les. He took our Carol Service
in December and has agreed a date for 2018. He is a fan of U3A in general, and sympathetic to
our needs with regard to security, storage facilities etc.
Another source of trouble this year has been the Charity Commission, bless their cotton socks,
who have come down hard on the Trust, who in turn have come down on each and every U3A to
ensure we conform to the rules for our finances. This has been a nightmare for all of us,
particularly Linda, and I would like to thank her for her unflagging determination to get this
U3A through the various minefields they put in our path.
Miscellaneous events over the year, included:
Summer Quiz which was good fun, as ever. The questions were set by Pam Cocchiara
and won by Les Frogs. The date for the 2018 event is Wednesday 13th June, details for
entry are on the notice board. If you are entering a team, please think to give a raffle
prize. If you are not entering a team, please give a raffle prize!
Christmas Quiz, actually held in November, run by Angela Robins and Mike Brown, was
won by the Quivering Quavers – let’s hope they do as well this year, good luck to them!
Armistice Commemoration. Following the plan laid down by the Royal British Legion,
we had prayers and readings. It was simple, but very moving.
Coffee and Cakes at the Mayor’s Parlour. This was interesting and educational. We
got a tour of the Council Chamber, some of us even got to sit in the Boss’s Chair and had
photos taken. I suspect the raffle was a bit of a fix, as I think almost everyone got a
prize, but as tickets were sold in aid of three different good causes, no-one really
minded, and the mayor got to declutter his wine rack.
Open Day, or more accurately, Open Morning, will be on 16 August. As an experiment, we will
be doing away with the formal Opening, and people will just be able to come in and wander
around, appreciate what the groups do, chat to convenors etc, without having to sit through me
and some other bod making yet another speech!
Tuesday 20 November will see the Celebratory Concert to finish off our Anniversary Year. This
is being held in Congress Theatre in Cwmbran.
The Winter Quiz set by Angela and Mike is scheduled for 28 November and the Carol Service will
be held on 14 December, here in the Church. Rev Les will officiate
I would like to thank all those who have served on the Committee for their past work, and to
congratulate and welcome the new Committee members appointed at the 25th AGM.
Please remember that the cost for tea & coffee is now 40 pence.
Barbara Phillips – Chairman
4
Windmills, Tulips and Fun
(Visit to Holland 23/27 April 2018.)
The U3A Clan arrived at the village of Graft -De-Rijp, near Amsterdam at 8.35 pm on Monday 23rd
April 2018. The hotel was nice and full of museum type curios with the added appeal of a free bar
on the first evening!
During the following three days we visited Amsterdam and its canals, diamond factories,
architecture, museums and, for some, refreshments in local hostelries. Other attractions included
windmills at Zaanse Schans and Tulip fields in
the surrounding area. We visited Haarlem, the
birthplace of France Hals, the painter, and
Volendam which is a picturesque seaside town
with beautiful painted houses, gift shops and
restaurants.
The holiday also included a fun Quiz and a sing
along session with a local pianist on
subsequent evenings.
Overall, we had a wonderful relaxing time
despite our encounter with overzealous French customs officials on the return Journey.
Submitted by Derek Nash
=====================================================================================
Reading Plays for Pleasure
We meet every Wednesday from 1400hrs to 1530hrs. We have access to plays which are kindly
loaned to us by Newport Playgoers Society, and have read a variety of plays including Cold Comfort
Farm (something nasty in the woodshed!), The Lady in the Van, Blood Brothers, Under Milk Wood
and The Corn is Green. The last two were quite a challenge for non-Welsh members!
We are reading My Cousin Rachel next and
have also acquired a number of Tennessee
Williams plays. Sometimes we have watched
DVD’s of plays we have read – to see how the
professionals do it!
The photograph shows a recent event when we
joined with the Listening to Music group for a
lovely lunch at The Priory Hotel in Caerleon.
We really do read plays for pleasure and have
a lot of laughs!
Submitted by Jean Daniels – Convenor
=====================================================================================
5
Saturday Walking Group
(half day)
The Saturday Walking Group meets at
Evans Street, Shaftesbury, Newport at
0930hrs. Lifts are usually available – we
try and share lifts as it helps with the
parking at the start of the walk, as
sometimes parking is limited. If you have
a lift, there is a small charge for the
petrol. We return to Evans Street after
the walk usually between 1300hrs and
1430hrs depending on how far we travel
to the start of the walk.
Saturday walks are usually between 4-5
miles. Providing you are fit and healthy
the walks are not too strenuous, although
we do have small hills on some of the
walks, but most of our walkers can do these. We would advise to bring a flask of coffee, or tea
and some water, as we have a scheduled mid-morning break of about 20 minutes about half
way into the walk. It is also helpful but not essential if you have done some walking before or
have been walking with another group.
This year, our Saturday Group has grown from strength to strength, having had quite a few new
members. We are a friendly crowd and try to help people to enjoy the walks. We advise good
walking boots and waterproof clothing (even an umbrella if you wish) in case we have wet
weather. Most of our walkers use walking sticks, which helps on muddy or uneven ground.
This winter has been extremely muddy with the inclement weather, so it is advisable to bring
walking sticks to help keep your balance and give you confidence.
We have a walk leader who will pre-walk his or her walk to make sure there are no hazards on
the walk and any problems can be adjusted accordingly if needs be. Our main priority is safety
on the walks. Usually another member will pre-walk with the leader.
If you feel, that the Saturday Walking Group is for you and you would like to try it out, please
come along.
Our Convenor is Jane Morgan, who will only be too pleased to answer any questions or queries
you may have. She can be contacted at janemorgan230@yahoo.co.uk or alternatively, any
member on the Committee of the U3A will help. Details of Committee Members for the U3A
are listed at the end of this Newsletter.
Submitted by Gill Ashdown on behalf of Keith Rackham - Convenor
=====================================================================================
6
A major change occurred this Easter when the very capable Jackie Kerr and her able
assistant, Pat Fackrell, stood down as Convenors after ten years of outstanding work for
the group. Jackie has been a very active and highly competent Convenor, arranging many
engaging and interesting speakers over a
long period. The two ladies also found time
to organise many trips and events to
famous places for the group; this year they
have already been to Amsterdam and a
visit to Cambridge and Anglesey Abbey is
coming up soon. A trip to the Black Forest
next April is already fully booked,
suggesting that these two ladies are very
well-organised, reliable and popular. A
small presentation was made to both
Jackie and Pat at Easter in respect of their
great contributions to the life of the U3A.
They will be a hard act to follow. Canal Trip in Amsterdam
Nevertheless, Derek Nash and I volunteered to take over from April 2018 and have tried to
ensure as much continuity as possible. Some speakers were already booked by Jackie and
others have come through her recommendation, whilst Group members have helpfully
suggested new speakers and we have spotted some interesting characters ourselves at
other events. It has really helped that Maureen Rocke has remained in charge of
Reminiscences, held every second Thursday of the month, as she has been able to advise
and assist in a most positive manner. Jackie and Pat, too, have been most helpful as we
get to grips with the system.
Since Christmas 2017, we have had a number of reliable and informative speakers who
have returned with new talks. Monty Dart, for example, came to speak on the Newport
Workhouse at St Woolos, despite the fact that her husband, Tom, has been seriously unwell
and she will return again later in the summer to speak on the sinking of The Benares, a ship
with Newport connections.
Will Cross is another regular who is always interesting and knowledgeable; his recent talk
on Cliff Gordon, the man who discovered Shirley Bassey, vividly described the problems
that gay men had in the 1940’s and 50’s and the casual racism suffered by black people.
We also welcomed back Dennis Tippins, who has been a stalwart supporter of the group
and who has many detailed photographs of Pontypool and the Eastern Valley. These
photographs show how rapidly changes can occur and how Pontypool now is totally
different from fifty years ago.
7
Peter Strong, from Caldicot, is heavily involved in local History and gave a fascinating
description of how many people in the Valleys were close to starvation at the start of 1918
when the Germans had successfully blocked the movement of supplies. I was also surprised
to find that the Western Mail in 1918 thought the coal miners were being greedy when they
complained about the rationing then in force.
David Husband went back further in time to talk about Edward Trelawney, someone few of
us would have heard about, but he had a fascinating and dramatic life around the time
when Lord Byron was alive. Trelawney, despite his Cornish name, had connections with Usk
and a new building in that town has just been named after him.
One of our own group, Stephen Berry, spoke vividly on the Steel Remembrance Project
which was based around the men who worked at Lysaght’s Institute. Many of these men
had walked from the Midlands to find work here in Newport and some of whom would go to
war in Europe in 1914 and never return. There will be a follow up on this subject in mid-
November.
Finally, I spoke twice on the subject of Lady Llanover and her family. Lady Llanover was an
incredibly determined character who gave her full support to the Welsh language and
culture when it was under a real threat from English in the mid Nineteenth century.
Attendance at the group is averaging around 50, which is a good number and we have
already booked all the speakers to April 2019. Included in the Autumn Term are Roger
James on India, Rosie Humphreys on Usk Castle, Paul Busby on Geoffrey Morgan and Lorna
Pearson with a humorous look at life. (Lorna recently sold out the Congress Theatre, so
should be quite good!)
Finally, if you have any suggestions for talks or speakers, please let Derek or myself know
as soon as possible. Thank you.
Submitted by Rob Wilkinson - Joint Convenor
==============================================================================
Listening to Music
The Listening to Music Group has had another successful year, with
good attendances and a wide variety of music to listen to. We have
been pleased to welcome four new members during the year, who
make a valuable contribution to our weekly programmes.
Our meetings usually open with a ‘major work’ – a symphony, concerto, a piece of chamber music
or a choral work – chosen by group members in turn. For the rest of the session we enjoy hearing
shorter pieces (also provided by members), sometimes on a particular theme but often chosen
quite at random. We all have our own favourites and don’t always enjoy every piece that is chosen,
but that does not matter as it is important to listen to unfamiliar music and so expand our musical
experience.
So, for example we may hear some early music from the sixteenth century on period instruments,
some jazz or folk music, some musical comedy or some music from contemporary composers – all in
the course of a single meeting. We may be inspired, touched or amused but we are all learning
from one another and making very good friends as well.
Submitted by Pat Millar – Convenor
=====================================================================================
8HISTORY GROUP PROGRAMME OF SPEAKERS
6TH September 2018 - 13th December 2018
We meet on Thursday afternoons between 13:30 – 15:00 in the back room of U3A
SEPTEMBER 2018
6th September Bridget Parsons “In Pursuit of Love” Willie Cross
th
13 September REMINISCENCES
TH
20 September The History of Newport's Water Supply Tony Luxton
27th September Lost for Words Alan Badminton
OCTOBER 2018
4th October India’s Golden Triangle Roger James
11th October REMINISCENCES
18th October The Dennis O’ Neill Story Monty Dart
25th October The Abercarn Pit Disaster Lyn Pask
NOVEMBER 2018
1st November Godfrey Morgan and The Charge of the Light Brigade Paul Busby
8th November REMINISCENCES
15th November Steel Remembrance Project & Stephen Berry et al
Commemoration of The Armistice 1918
22nd November Usk Castle, Then and Now Rosie Humphreys
29th November The Suffragettes, Women at War Huw Williams
DECEMBER 2018
6th December A Chuckle Merchant’s View on Life Lorna Pearson
th
13 December The Life and Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Christine Purkiss
Christmas Break - U3A closes on 14th December 2018 and restarts on Wednesday 9th January 2019
Convenors:
History Derek Nash, Rob Wilkinson
Reminiscences Maureen Rocke
==============================================================================
925TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Founders’ Day Celebration at Lysaght’s Institute on 10 May 2018
The day dawned bright and dry! The organisers and their helpers were on-site at 7.30am – there
was so much to do – dressing tables, arranging table centres, balloons, sweets in Champagne flutes
as favours. The first people arrived at 9.30 am and what a sight, the Ballroom had been
transformed into a sea of yellow and blue (the U3A colours), the tables were beautifully dressed as
befits the occasion.
All was made ready for the arrival of the
National Chairman of the Third Age Trust,
Mrs Pam Jones. Our Chairman, Barbara
Phillips, introduced Mrs Jones and she very
soon got in her stride recounting familial
connections in Wales with both Newport
and Cardiff represented in her ancestors.
She then described her love of all things
U3A and her 20 years as a member, in her
hometown now of Witney in Oxfordshire. (I
wonder if she rubs shoulders with our past
Prime Minister, Mr Cameron!). She spoke
very modestly of her 3-year term as
National Chairman which comes to an end
this August.
Our next speaker, was from Cardiff, The Honorary Consul of France (Retired), Madame Claude
Annick Rapport, Madame Claude for short. Born in South West France near The Pyrenees she was
educated in Paris before coming to Wales as a teacher of French in St Teilo’s in Cardiff, latterly
teaching English to overseas students in Cardiff University. Madame Claude was the Honorary
Consul in Cardiff for 12 years and her anecdotes of what it was like to be in this position were told
in a typically witty French way. Her most humorous moment was when she was invited to a 95-
year-old man’s home in the Welsh Valleys to present him with the Legion d’Honneur. The
gentleman asked Madame Claude to go upstairs because the view from his bedroom was so much
better than the view from downstairs. She returned to the man in the front room and said to the
man that the view was almost identical upstairs as down – why did you want me to go upstairs in to
your bedroom? The man replied that he had a bet with his friends that he could still get a woman
into his bedroom!
Our speaker after coffee was Richard Roblin, a musician, poet and a community journalist He had
always worked in the print industry both with the South Wales Argus and Pencil Press of
Pontllanfraith, before going out on his own editing and publishing the Community Times for
Caerleon 10 years ago. He interspersed talking of his career with songs played on the guitar and
poems written in his very frank down to earth way, on subjects such as love, death and even litter
blowing in the wind.
10After a beautiful cold buffet lunch, the wonderful
Celebratory Cake was cut by Mrs Pam Jones. Then for the
rest of the afternoon we were entertained by a rousing Trad
Jazz Band – The New Orleans Hot Potatoes from Cardiff. The
tunes flowed from the clarinet and trumpet and before we
knew it, we were all up doing The Conga!! They allowed us
to get our breath back, well just about, when they played
several well known tunes from the American Deep South.
All in all it was a wonderful way to celebrate our Silver
Anniversary!
Submitted by Tony Mason
=====================================================================================
Spanish For Absolute Beginners
For anyone who is visiting Spain this year or
if you just want to learn a new language,
there is a Spanish course for absolute
beginners starting this September.
Ray Cantwell – Convenor 01633 421085
============================================================
Get Your Thinking Caps On!
What is the first name of the following famous people?
1. Mrs ...........................................Beeton (author of cookbook)
2. Dr .............................................Livingstone (explorer)
3. Dr .............................................Crippen (convicted murderer)
4. ............................................Pollock (artist)
5. Field Marshall ..............................Haigh (WW1 commander)
6. ...........................................Lindbergh (aviator)
7. General ......................................Custer (US Army officer)
8. ...........................................Bizet (Composer)
9. Sir ............................................Irving (Actor)
10. ...........................................Edison (US inventor)
11. ...........................................Houdini (escapologist)
12. ...........................................Gainsborough (artist)
13. Captain ....................................Oates (explorer)
14. .........................................Freud (neurologist/psychoanalyst)
Submitted by Pam Cocchiara (Answers on Page 20)
===========================================================================
11WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP
(all day)
Our Wednesday walking group is growing from strength to strength – We have a healthy
membership with several new members having joined the group during the last few months.
We meet at Evans Street, Newport at 9.30.a.m. every Wednesday. We try to encourage car
sharing so that anyone can have a lift to the starting point of the walk if needed. Passengers
are asked to make a small contribution to the driver for the cost of fuel.
There is a variety of walks, usually between 7 – 9 miles. Depending on the terrain some walks
can be more challenging than others, and if you have any questions or queries about the walks,
then the Convenor can be contacted to answer them. Our countryside has a variety of
walking trails and we try to bring new walks into the programme every year.
On our Wednesday walks, and because it is a full day, most of
the walking group, bring a drink and lunch for the day.
Having arrived at the starting point we put on our boots and
with our wet weather clothing in a rucksack set off at a steady
pace. We have a coffee break mid-morning, break for lunch
mid-day and sometimes stop for another drink mid-afternoon,
before returning to the starting point. This breaks up the day
and makes the walk a very sociable experience.
Some members of the group went on a walking holiday to
Sorrento in May with HF Holidays.
We all look forward to our Christmas Dinner which is usually in December.
We encourage members to become leaders of the walks, if they are willing to do so. New
leaders are most welcome.
Our Convenor, is Keith Rackham. If you need any further information, Keith can be contacted
by email: keithrackham@gmail.com, telephone on 01633 776463 or mobile 07887527769
Submitted by Gill Ashdown on behalf of Keith Rackham - Convenor.
============================================================
80th Birthday Celebrations
Sylvia Sharpe celebrating her 80th birthday by vaulting over a
gate when out with the walkers before going on to The
Tredegar Arms Shirenewton for a celebratory lunch.
This is no trick photography, one could almost say she was
‘celebrating in STILE’
Thanks to Martin Shepherd for the photograph
12The Ukulele Groups
The Ukulele starters group on Thursdays is still going well, and I'd like to
thank those members who kept it going during my recent poorly spell. I
guess that fits the U3A learning ethos well, the mentor becoming redundant!
It is really nice to have people who are as keen as this group.
That shows too with the more advanced Wednesday Uke group. I now join
them for the occasional performance playing Cajon and being a bit of a
nuisance, mainly because they are mostly better than I am on the Uke!
Jane Parsons has done great things since she took over after Fritz died and, now that "life outside"
has made her continuing too difficult, she has decided to relinquish the job of keeping them under
control. So great big thank you to Jane from all of us. How to replace her? Well, sensibly, a number
of members are taking over aspects of the convenor/tutor leader/ MC for concerts/concert
secretary/.... etc.
Concerts are continuing through the summer and onwards. Requests come in for them to appear
from all over the place which include many Ukulele Festivals.
Never a dull moment if you've got a uke!
Submitted by Gregg Platt
=====================================================================================
Science
Cardiff U3A have recently introduced a science group in
partnership with Cardiff University Biosciences. There are two
lectures given at the university from 14 00hrs to 1600hrs on the
3rd Wednesday of alternate months during term time. They are
free to attend and include refreshments in the interval.
There is the capacity to invite other U3As. Several of our
members have attended and the feedback is very good.
Subjects have included 'Conservation of Migratory Birds’,
‘Murder cases involving Poison' and 'Quacks and Butchers or
Medical Pioneers?'
Please inform me if you are interested and I will put you on the mailing list. I can be contacted by
telephone on 07980 970967
Submitted by Angela Robins
=====================================================================================
Creative Writing
Our attendance has suffered this term due to illness of one sort or
another so class size has often been small but the regular core of
writers has produced plenty of good material under Angela’s
guidance.
We are in the process of sorting out various items of poetry and prose
for an anthology which we hope to complete before the end of the
year.
Submitted by Pam Cocchiara - Convenor
13Family History and Genealogy
We now have around 15 members in the group, which continues to attract
members who have previously researched family history and newcomers to
the hobby.
The more experienced members of the group have been able to share their
experience with others and the ability to operate four or five laptops
simultaneously has proved a real boon. Although we by no means solve all
genealogical problems (that’s the nature of genealogy, I’m afraid) it is
always exciting for everybody when we do manage to go back yet another
generation on somebody’s tree!
One of our new members knew that his grandfather worked for the Great Western Railway – he was
delighted when we were able to track down images of grandfather’s employment records for the
whole period of his railway service!
With the regular uploading of further records to the major family history sites there is every chance
that most people would be able to discover something new about their ancestry. If you have ever
had an interest in finding out where your family did come from, whether you had any famous (or
infamous!) connections, or simply would be interested in “seeing how it’s done” with a view to
deciding whether or not you do wish to do anything further, why not come along and join us? We
would be delighted to have you with us and to share both your stories and ours in the hope that we
can mutually benefit from shared experience in research. Please contact me for further information.
Submitted by Stephen J. Berry – Convenor
======================================================================
Craft
We meet every Friday morning from 10:00 to 12:00. It’s friendly group and we all have a chat and
laugh.
Whether you want to learn a new craft or develop your skills at another, the members of our group
will be only too pleased to help you, from knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, earring and
card making. You can bring your own craft and have a chat with our members.
We have a tea break with coffee and biscuits, which everyone enjoys.
We also work towards a themed craft display for the Open Day in August. It’s
usually a fun theme and everyone joins in with their own particular skills in craft
making. This year we have been working very hard to produce our ‘Fun Jungle’
display which we put on show for the first time at the History Group. It received
many complimentary comments. Many thanks to our talented group members for
producing the delightful animals, snakes and ‘Fun Jungle’ sign.
More details of the display will be included in the next newsletter, with some
photos and an article with additional information.
Our next display will be on Open Day the 16th August 2018.
Meanwhile, we will be practising to take part in the entertainment to celebrate
25 years of the Newport U3A in the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.
Submitted by Ros Lee – Convenor
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14Ukulele Improvers
Once again it’s a time of change for the Ukulele Group. I took on the role of convenor early last
year but, due to family commitments which will prevent me committing to regular attendance for
the foreseeable future, I am now passing the baton on to Tony Mason who will act as Convenor and
Carol Kelly who has offered to take the role of MC/Leader – many thanks to both.
The group has continued to grow with several new members in recent months who have experience
not only in playing the uke but a variety of other instruments as well and what’s more most are
male, so we now have quite a decent balance of the sexes!
Throughout the year we continued
to perform regularly for audiences
ranging in size from less than ten to
over 80 and the group has further
concert bookings to the end of the
year. Although ‘payment’ is not
actively sought and would not be
expected from, for instance, an
Alzheimer’s support group, many of
our audiences do offer a donation
which we ask to be made payable to
our selected charity of St David’s
Hospice Care and we have received sums ranging from £15 to £150. A quick tally shows that a total
of £450 has been raised in this way in the last calendar year.
The group normally meets in the front room on Wednesdays at 11.45 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., (except the
second Wednesday of the month when the room is unavailable). During the summer break last year
when the Shaftesbury Street venue was closed to us, and needing to practice for concerts, we were
able to make an ad hoc arrangement to use the skittle alley at the St Julian’s Inn on Caerleon Road
instead. This worked well and so we have continued to use it each second Wednesday too – at the
slightly different time of 12.15 to approx. 2.30 p.m. During the break some of the members have
got into the habit of treating themselves to a pub lunch – such decadence. Many thanks to the staff
at the St Julian’s Inn for making us so welcome.
I know I’ve said this before but it’s
worth repeating. Playing the uke
has many advantages. Music in all
its forms is good for us. With the
uke you don’t need any prior
musical knowledge to get started. A
perfectly good instrument can be
bought quite cheaply and being
small and light is easy to carry. It is
increasingly popular in schools so, if
you want to keep up with the
grandchildren, it could be just the
thing. And if you don’t want to play
the uke but fancy shaking a
tambourine or maracas, banging the bongos or generally showing you ‘got rhythm’, well, there can
never be too many percussionists!
Submitted by Jane Parsons - (Has-Been) Convenor – Ukulele Group
=====================================================================================
15All That Jazz
This year has seen over sixty programmes for the jazz lovers who have been coming along during
the last ten years or so, not counting the "live" sessions. Unsurprisingly, the latter have proved most
popular and I have managed to call on some of my musician friends who have responded by getting
together some great little groups.
As I write, two of them who came early on will be appearing again on June
21st in a new (to us) combo; Feliks Tabis brings his violin, (and adds
saxophone since his first visit), and Alan Johnson will be playing guitar (and
he is one good guitar man!). They are joined by bass player Steve Tarner and
Katie P vocals and percussion. Yet another variation!
I'd like to thank everyone who comes along to ATJ, and especially the faithful
few who turn up every time.
Submitted by Greg Platt - Convenor
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French 2 – Literature
We still run the group as a co-operative, and generally like to start with an item from 7 jours sur la
planète a daily journal of topical information that we can watch on a short video and then
translate. This is created specifically for the more advanced student so vocabulary and grammar
can be challenging. Topics can range from Mexicans harvesting cactus leaves and turning them into
a cash crop as food and cosmetics, another episode was on a political cartoonist from Le Monde.
We have finished Marcel Pagnol’s lyrical autobiography Le Gloire de mon père, the memory of one
particular summer when young Marcel’s papa distinguished himself, against all odds, by hunting the
elusive rock partridge.
We have now moved on to a somewhat darker time, with Joseph Joffo’s “Un sac de billes”, the
story of a young Jewish boy and his family in Paris in 1941. What is rather odd is that we have
several different versions of the book in class! Some were bought on the internet, some
downloaded from on-line suppliers, some bought in charity shops. Dates vary, most say 1941 but
one sets the scene in 1942, page numbers differ with the type size and style. It adds an extra
dimension to our enjoyment – Spot the Difference!
While we all know that the narrator survives, obviously, it is not going to be a cheery read, so we
have decided to read something of Cyrano de Bergerac after this.
Our aim is to look at “Classic” French literature, rather than books in English that have been
translated, and we are always on the lookout for suggestions for our next read.
If you think you might relish the challenge, come along and sit in, give us a
try. We don’t progress very swiftly as there are frequent pauses to look
up a word or three, discuss a particular grammatical point and ensure that
we are all understanding what we are reading. We never get bored! For
any further information please give me a ring, or simply turn up on a
Friday morning at 9.45 and we will make you welcome.
Submitted by Barbara Phillips – Convenor
=====================================================================================
16Cycling
April 17th - Newport International Sports Village to the seawall at Clifton Common Goldcliff
After a delayed start due to inclement weather, the monthly programme of cycle rides got
underway with a 15-mile ride across of the Levels. Starting at Spytty Indoor Sports Centre on an
overcast and breezy April day, the Group followed the cycle track through Great Traston Meadows
Nature Reserve to Pye Corner. From there we followed Broadstreet Common for a short distance
before turning into Straits Lane. Cycling on these lanes is particularly enjoyable as they are lightly
trafficked and enabled us to take in the rural scenery. The lambs were out in the fields and the odd
swan could be seen gliding along the reens.
We cycled through Nash before turning onto the Coastal Path at the RSPB Wetlands Nature Reserve.
We rode along The Seawall, stopping at the Lighthouse before dropping down and out of the wind
to Saltmarsh Lane. We had a close up view of a large buzzard here. It flapped up into a tree just
across the reen from us, to survey the scene. Our presence didn’t appear to cause it concern but
soon it was harried by some magpies and moved on.
Onward through Goldcliff to the Seawall Café which never disappoints, before returning via Nash
Road to the starting off point.
May 15th – A 13.3 mile ride along the canal towpath from 14 Locks to Cwmcarn
We picked the best day of the year so far for this ride. Under a cloudless sky the route followed
a high contour along the eastern side of the valley, affording crystal clear views across to the
hills beyond.
On the canal, groups of baby moorhens were frantically paddling to keep up with their
mothers. At one point we left our bikes and crossed the canal via one of the quaint hump back
bridges to visit a burial ground for some of the miners killed by a huge underground explosion
at the Black Vein mine back in 1860. The mine closed in the 1920s but looking across the valley
to the wooded hillside opposite, we could see a clump of fir trees, that probably mark the site
of the mine. Looking more closely the straight lines of an incline that would have been used to
take coal from the mines down to a tramroad, could be seen between the trees.
The canal has become a great legacy of this industrial age, now providing us with a beautiful
route for walking and cycling but also opening a window to a very different past. We continued
to the end of the canal at Cwmcarn before taking the road up to the Forest Drive Visitor Centre
for a well-earned cup of tea before making our way back to Fourteen Locks.
Submitted by John Dainton - Convenor
============================================================================
17Walking in Paphos
During March we were on holiday in Cyprus, staying at Paphos for the fourth year running.
We like walking in the beautiful countryside and use the local buses to get there. The service is
good but limits where we can walk, so we contacted the Paphos U3A Walking group and asked if we
could join their walks.
David Greensmith, the convenor, was very welcoming and even arranged for one exceptionally
kind member, Sally Hannington, to pick us up at our hotel and convey us to the start of the walks.
Some of the members are expats and some, like us, are regular visitors to the island.
Our holiday this year
surpassed the others
because the walkers were
very welcoming and great
company.
We enjoyed several walks
taking in the varied
landscape of coast and
countryside. The wild
flowers were profuse and
beautiful and we were
lucky to see swathes of
wild tulips.
It was the cherry on the cake to finish off the walks having a relaxed lunch altogether on the
terrace of a taverna in the warm sun.
We are looking forward to our visit next year, it's feeling very much like home...
Submitted by Angela Robins and Mike Brown
18Skittles Group
Skittles started in October 2017 and numbers have settled down to a nice group of about a dozen
each session. As well as enjoying the game everyone is feeling the benefit of a little light exercise.
It is a very sociable activity and members requested meeting more often than the planned once a
month.
Later this year we are having friendly matches against Chepstow and Caldicot
U3As, with more to be arranged.
The group meet at the St Julian’s Inn on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month
at 1315hrs throughout the year. Following each session several of us retire to
the saloon bar for a pleasant hour or so to listen to a live Jazz band.
Submitted by Mike Brown and Angela Robins – Convenors
=====================================================================================
Les Debutants
Book: Easy French Reader, second edition
What can I say? They continue to surprise and delight me with their energy and enthusiasm for the
French language, culture and food. A few weeks ago, we studied a newspaper report of a young
Parisian tourist in Toulouse who was shot 42 times by the local baker because he asked for a Pain
au Chocolat instead of the local expression of Chocolatine. It then transpired that most of the
group had never seen a pain choc so we had to try one. Or two ...
We have decided to abandon the “hard” Façon de Parler with its emphasis on learning grammar,
and instead work from the Easy French Reader – I suspect they were beguiled by the title!
For several weeks we have followed the story of Marc, a young Frenchman and Julie, an American
studying in Paris. The ups and downs of their relationship taught us new vocabulary and how one
should be tolerant of other beliefs (i.e. that any modern inventions were first discovered by a
Frenchman!) and we can absorb the grammar more easily by using it in context.
Now, however, we have started on figures from French history, e.g.
Vercingétorix, who could have been the model for Asterix, Louis XIII and
Cardinal Richelieu – if you’ve read The Three Musketeers you will have come
across these two characters, and of course Joan of Arc and the French
Revolution. Not to mention Napoleon, General de Gaulle and myriad other
French Presidents ... it is going to be an interesting couple of months,
covering French history and culture.
As if this wasn’t enough, the Debs have entered a team in the summer quiz and are planning to
take part in the end-of-year Concert to round out our 25th Anniversary Year.
If you did French in school but not since, then why not come along and sit in? There’s no pressure
to do homework (well, to be honest, not much) but it does help if you have at least looked at the
text beforehand. It is not essential however, and we all help each other. We are a friendly, social
group who love going out to lunch on any occasion – the most recent was the 90th birthday for one
of the group!
Submitted by Barbara Phillips – Convenor
==============================================================================
19Line Dancing for Beginners
Come and join us for an hour of fun, our group usually meets on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the
month: - 12:15 – 13:15pm in the big back room at U3A.
DATES FOR AUTUMN TERM 2018
Friday 7th September 2018
Friday 21st September 2018
Friday 5th October 2018
Friday 19th October 2018
Friday 26th October 2018**
Friday 2nd November 2018
Friday 16th November 2018
Friday 7th December 2018
** an extra date to prepare for Celebration Concert on 20th November
Lorna Hughes and George Williams- Convenors
==========================================================================
Get Your Thinking Caps On!
Answers (from page 11)
1. Isabella
2. David
3. Hawley Harvey
4. Jackson
5. Douglas
6. Charles
7. George Armstrong
8. Georges
9. Henry
10. Thomas
11. Harry
12. Thomas
13. Lawrence
14. Sigmund
Submitted by Pam Cocchiara
============================================================================
20Italian
Newport U3A Italian Group visit to La Concia, Tuscany, May 2018
At 3 o’clock on a Sunday morning last month 10 intrepid members of U3A rose from their beds to
start their journey to Bristol airport, and thus to Pisa for the start of a week’s stay at Agriturismo
La Concia, the old Tuscan farmhouse belonging to our wonderful hosts, Maart and Davide. They are
already well-known to many of the group for whom this was the third visit to La Concia. We arrived
just in time to enjoy lunch in the courtyard before a spectacular “temporale” drove us to our
apartments for a well-earned afternoon rest and to summon the appetite for a sumptuous
courtyard dinner, the thunder, lightning and rain having, by now, passed over.
From left to right, we have Doug England, Angelo Tambini, Pat Copley, me, Chris Adams, Allan Britton, Angela O'Brien, Annette Langlois
(on secondment from Crickhowell U3A), Clare Britton and Dave Tagg.
Monday was a day of rest, which allowed the trio whom our hostess Maart had christened “the
Boys” to find the local bar and try out their Italian language skills, talking to the locals and reading
the papers. Others headed off to explore the mediaeval centre of the village of Codiponte with its
ruined castle and monastery.
Suitably rested and recovered from Sunday’s travel, on Tuesday we set off to explore the castle of
Piagnaro and its exhibition of 4000 year old menhir which have been found in the locality. After an
interesting drive into the Tuscan hills we lunched at the restaurant of another Agriturismo, which
had hosted the wedding banquet of our driver Tommaso, and which he was very keen to show off to
his passengers.
Tommaso has become an integral part of our La Concia visit team over the last 3 years and we have
learned to trust his judgement. It was not misplaced. Unfortunately, we ate so well at lunchtime
that we weren’t really able to do justice to the “little taste” of local food which was placed before
us that evening.
The weather was still trying to put a damper on proceedings and we had arranged to meet and eat
in another nearby Agriturismo belonging to Eleonora and Nicola, friends of Maart and Davide. They
both made us very welcome and forced us to sample their own very good home-made wine and
after dinner liqueur.
Fortunately, on Wednesday the sun came out, just in time for our first trip to the seaside at Lerici.
Lerici has for many years been our favourite spot to enjoy the sea and sand of La Spezia’s Bay of
Poets. This is where Shelley was staying nearly 200 years ago when he took his last ill-fated sea
voyage from Livorno and drowned during the course of an unexpected storm. We fared rather
21better and enjoyed ice cream and aperitivi in Lerici’s main square before being faced with a
magnificent fish lunch in a local restaurant.
Having got a taste for the sea and sun, we returned the following day for a boat trip along the five
seaside villages of the Cinque Terre, which cling to the steep cliffs of the Ligurian coast from
Monterosso to Riomaggiore and thence to Portovenere. Here we were able stop and explore the
town and its ancient church, or just chill and enjoy more ice cream and coffee.
On Friday, we were able to give one of our members practical
experience of Lesson 5 for Beginners’ Italian “Booking tickets at the
train station”. She did a wonderful job of obtaining 11 return
tickets to Lucca which enabled our group, plus Maart, to travel
through the dramatic countryside of the Garfagnana valley on our
way to the beautiful city of Lucca. Armed only with a town map
and the instruction to meet at Gli Orti di Via Elisa for lunch at 1pm,
our party split up to explore the delights of Lucca’s main shopping
street, via Filungo, its café quarter, the Anfiteatro, based on the
old Roman amphitheatre which once stood and this spot, and whose shape it still retains, and the
Guinigi tower, whose tree-topped roof terrace gives a magnificent view over the city and
surrounding hills. After lunch all I was good for was a walk on top of the city’s perfectly preserved
walls. Some of the party managed the entire 3 miles; others found the nearest bit of shade and
watched the world go by from one of the areas of parkland which are to be found on the wider
parts of these Da Vinci designed walls.
Saturday had been planned as a day of rest, but I was keen to visit the nearby castle at Fosdinovo,
which I had missed when the group went there 2 years ago. I had been to the castle a few years
before, but at that time it was not possible to visit the private apartments of the Malaspina family
who still use it as a summer retreat, nor other parts of the castle which were then being restored.
Restoration was necessary not just because the castle is some 1000 years old, but also because of
the damage inflicted on it by Allied Forces when it was used as a local headquarters and gun
emplacement for the German army as it retreated during the last few months of the Second World
War.
This time we had a very knowledgeable guide who was able to get us into almost all of the castle
and explain the stories behind the many works of arts and historical artefacts to be found there. I
think the group forgave me for breaking into their rest time, especially once a short journey took
us to Agriturismo Ca’ vide’ where Francesca and her delightful sister Sara, cooked and served us
produce from their own fields, including the nettles, from which they had made a wonderful pesto,
served with pancakes. Try it! It’s delicious. The ham, sausage, cheese, vegetables, oil and wine
were pretty good as well. After lunch, Francesca accompanied us on a tour of the cellars where
they make their wine and olive oil, and the ultra-modern equipment which they use to do it.
That evening, after the now traditional final feast in La Concia’s courtyard, and the singing of
Welsh and Italian songs, we retired to bed, so that we could rise, at a slightly more civilised hour,
for the return to Pisa airport and home…all except one Angelo, who went off by train to enjoy the
family home near Bardi, from which his parents emigrated last century, but which still remains in
the family. We hope to see him again in September.
Submitted by Jerome O’Brien – Convenor
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22French 1
The enthusiasm of this group for the French language is tremendous and
everyone works extremely hard. We regularly revise elements of the basic
grammar so as to keep it in mind. French conversation is not the favourite
part of the morning’s activities but everyone joins in, discussing a varied
choice of topics.
We’ve enjoyed watching two films this term, both based on the novels of
Marcel Pagnol, and there is a list of other French films that we shall dip into
at least once a term.
Submitted by Pam Cocchiara
============================================================
Art
The Art Group continues to show a great deal of innovation
from its members. With some of them trying completely
new methods of artwork which include expressive charcoal
drawings, a large semi-abstract mixed media study and
precise detailed townscapes. There is also an enchanting
study of children sitting near rippling water in which the
reflections of the complexity of buildings can be seen.
The works being created whether of indoor or outdoor
views show a deal of drawing know-how. There is always
something different from the variety of experimental
effects which are being utilised.
Submitted by Anna Hughes – Convenor
============================================================================
Whist
We are a comparatively new group with just a few members. If you
would like to join us you would be most welcome.
We have members who are experienced whist players and others who
are just beginning. The play is a little competitive but always fun.
We meet once a month on the 2nd Thursday from 1230hrs to 1400hrs.
Submitted by Jen Harrhy - Convenor
============================================================================
23Newport U3A Choir
Our choir’s concert calendar up to July has been relatively quiet, but amongst
the few performances we have given has been possibly the most prestigious – our
performance in January at the Senedd in Cardiff This came about as a result of
our being the Project choir for the Linc-Cymru “Steel Remembered” multi-
disciplinary project. The project, which is Heritage Lottery funded, has very
successfully researched the men of the Orb Steel Works, Newport, who went to
war between 1914 and 1918. Beyond this, though, it has also traced the stories
of the families and particularly those who walked all the way from
Wolverhampton to Newport for work from the time when the works opened in
1898. The central musical input has been the writing of a song about the walk to Newport, contrasting
the walk for work with the walk to war, both of which started out in great hope but which ended so
differently. The words were written by the choir’s lyricist, Sarah Radford, and the music by Stephen
Berry. This song was the highlight of our performance at the Senedd, where we performed to Welsh
Government ministers and other AMs and many other invited dignitaries. It was a fantastic
experience!
Other concerts have been performed in Newport, including one at Shaftesbury Street for the church’s
Christian Aid fundraising in May. For me, one of the most important performances has been the
leading of the music at my father’s funeral, at the Langstone Vale Crematorium, late in May.
We are continuing to grow in numbers – there are 60 active choristers on the books at present. To
the envy of many other choirs, we now have three members who are able to direct the choir and five
who can accompany the choir! What this means is that we have never yet failed to hold a rehearsal
for want of director and accompanist.
Julie Davies, Pam Linton and I usually manage the conducting between us and Sian Cuming, Lorraine
Goss and Carol Brown play the piano. However, it is not unknown for Pam and me to appear at the
piano! As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to all of these members for their excellent work and
dedication.
Again, I must also extend my thanks to U3A members who are not directly involved with us but
through whom we have been offered concert engagements. We are always glad to perform for any
of our fellow U3A friends and other organisations with which they are connected.
Engagements for the remainder of 2018 include further high-profile performances connected with
“Steel Remembered” project, at St Woolos Cathedral around the time of the Armistice and a final
performance at the end of the project in October or November. We will be performing another
specially composed song for these events, hopefully in a greatly enlarged choir which will include
the schoolchildren who have been involved in the project.
I am confident that 2019 will be as exciting and varied – we have already started working on the
repertoire for the annual programme! Why not come and join us?
Submitted by Stephen J. Berry, Musical Director – Convenor
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