09 January, 2016

Totton U3A

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2016 
Thank you for your interest in the Totton University of the Third Age group. We meet on the second Wednesday afternoon of the month from 1.45-4pm at the Eling Masonic Hall, Lexby Road, Totton, SO40 9HD.
Generally at each monthly meeting we have a speaker and members are brought up to date with group activities and can opt in to activities/new groups. We currently have groups for Walking, Theatre, Bird Watching, Lunch Club, Genealogy, French,  Book Appreciation, History, Craft,  Art, Philosophy, Church Visits and Wine Tasting. Annual Membership/joining fee is £10. Extra costs would be for refreshments and any costs incurred from the activity eg theatre tickets. Members are encouraged to think about hosting an interest group in their home and sharing any skill or hobby they have with other members.It is a very friendly group and membership is growing all the time. Visitors can come along for two monthly meetings paying £2 per entrance fee before deciding if they wish to join.If you would like any more information, contact the Secretary, Ann 023 80 867417 or Sue via                sue.livelybird@hotmail.co.uk
We look forward to meeting you.


January
Simon Hayes
Police and Crime Commissioner
Simon Hayes is the police and crime commissioner for the Hampshire Constabulary force area.

Simon, an independent candidate, was elected to serve Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. As a former criminologist, he is interested in preventing re-offending, particularly associated with crimes linked to drug and alcohol abuse. We all found his talk interesting and he too seemed to believe in his job as a vocation rather than just working for money and power.

February
Margaret Braddock
William Walker
The Diver
Image result for cathedral diverMargaret gave an interesting talk to a packed hall. When huge cracks started to appear in the early 1900s, the Cathedral seemed in danger of complete collapse. Early efforts to underpin its waterlogged foundations failed until William Walker, a deep-sea diver, worked under water every day for six years placing bags of concrete. You’ll find a small statue of him at the far end of the Cathedral.


March
Maurice Kent
The Asteroid Impact Threat


A few seats empty perhaps due to the weather but they missed a good presentation about asteroids and their threat to the earth.
Throughout recorded history, hundreds of Earth impacts (and exploding bolides*) have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage, or other significant localised consequences. One of the best-known recorded impacts in modern times was the Tunguska event, which occurred in Siberia, Russia, in 1908. The 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event is the only known such event to result in a large number of injuries, and the Chelyabinsk meteor is the largest recorded object to have encountered the Earth since the Tunguska event.  (*bolide is an extremely bright meteor, especially one that explodes in the atmosphere.)
April
AGM
Alison Dunnachi
Cinnamon Trust

John handed over the chairman's post to Mike and Ingrid took over my job of treasurer. After 11 years it was long enough. The speaker told us Cinnamon Trust is the only specialist national charity which seeks to relieve the anxieties, problems, and sometimes injustices, faced by elderly and terminally ill people and their pets, thereby saving a great deal of human sadness and animal suffering. The Trust was founded in 1985 by Mrs Averil Jarvis whose determination and dedication has ensured that the manifest need is fully addressed.



May
Peter Rew
Antiques - What is Value
Hall filled with an attentive audience who were entertained as well as educated in the value of antiques. The speaker spoke with confidence and authority of a public educated son of a vicar. He brought in samples of antiques including various paintings. We all tried to make a guess as to value although I don't believe anybody got close to the figures we were told they were worth.
This was the first time Mike Page assumed the position of being the chairman.

                                                                      June
                                                                 Bruce Worthy
                                                          Riding with the Cavalry

The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) has an operational role in armoured fighting vehicles which has seen them at the forefront of Britain's military operations including the Falklands (1982), the Gulf (1990), Bosnia, Kosovo and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Regiments are Guards Regiments and, with the five Foot Guards Regiments, form the Household Division.
The second unit is the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) equipped with horses. It is their unique privilege to meet the requirement to carry out mounted and some dismounted ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions which include the provision of a Sovereign's Escort most commonly seen at The Queen's Birthday Parade in June each year. 
Other occasions include Sovereign's Escorts for Her Majesty The Queen during State Visits by visiting Heads of State, and as required by Her Majesty anywhere in the Kingdom.


July
Carol Watson
An Irish Coast to Coast Walk
The Coast to Coast walk through Ireland, from Dublin to the Atlantic coast passes through glorious mountain and river country and offers an opportunity to discover the heart of the Emerald Isle. The walk comprises several linked waymarked routes to provide a continuous 387 mile long route across Ireland

August
A.G.M.
Julian Lewis
Member of Parliament
The talk was from Julian's research into the life of local hero Samuel Kink Kinkead the racing ace.
In 1928, while in command of the RAF High Speed Flight, Kinkead was killed in a plane crash as he tried to become the first man to travel at more than five miles a minute in a Supermarine S.5 near Calshot.
Julian is a good speaker and his story was peppered with amusing as well as incredible feats of daring do,
A good crowd of members who also enjoyed the cream tea all for 50p 

September
Alan Langford,
The Artist
Alan gave a good demonstration of his ability to paint horses within the one hour allowed. 
Alan Langford is a freelance artist and illustrator who specialises in equestrian subject matter. A member of the Society of Equestrian Artists; the painting of horses is an occupation he finds both enjoyable and rewarding. He describes himself as a painter of horses in their natural or working environments, rather than specifically a landscape painter.

October
John Sandy
My life inside
John Sandy, former Sandhurst trained army officer, John had had an illustrious career in the borstal and the prison services, ending in 1985 -1990 as Regional Director of the Midland region prison service responsible for 27 prisons. John then entertained us for 35 minutes with his views and experience of HM prison service. 
With some 82,000 men and women prisoners currently held in Britain's gaols, He thought most people, took the middle ground between flogging and giving prisoners loving care! He thought we should imprison mainly those with persistent and violent offences. 

November
Grace Hall
Testwood Lakes
Interesting talk of an area well know by local people. Grace is passionate about her role working for the Wild Life Trust.
Testwood Lakes has grasslands which are grazed and cut annually to encourage wild flowers and invertebrates, wet woodland dominated by alder and willow next to alder gully pond, hedgerows populated by native species including hazel and hawthorn and two conservation lakes popular with a variety of waders and wildfowl. The reserve is owned by Southern Water and managed by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
The Testwood Lakes Centre is open Monday to Friday 9am to 4 pm and Sundays, 1pm to 4pm (BST) in summer and 12am to 3pm (GMT) in winter.

December
 Group from Southampton Folk Orchestra

Enjoyable meeting with the lively folk music from 
Southampton Folk Orchestra  an open access group that plays traditional folk music with connections to the local area. The group creates arrangements of tunes together and performs at least once a term. Usual mince pies followed and a successful raffle with a bumper number of prizes.