2008 Monthly Meeting Programme

January Meeting

Avril Owton

"The Show goes on"

Avril Owton proprietor of Cloud Hotel, Brockenhurst, New Forest gave an inspiring talk to a packed hall. When she lost her husband suddenly from a heart attack 14 years ago, Avril’s life transformed and she commenced on a journey of juggling - running a hotel business while raising a family of four. Her husband had neither life or mortgage insurance and there was no safety provision for their children’s education – in those days she did not know her bottom line on the balance sheet from her washing line. Coming from a show business background, the former Tiller girl had no experience of management, administration or finance.
Avril took on the hardest challenge of her life and learnt how to run the business she had inherited overnight – cleaning bedrooms, cooking guests’ meals and doing everything else within the hotel in between doing everything a caring mum would do for her children.

For an interesting report on the web go to Avril Owton

February Meeting

Jonathan Gerrelli Head N.F. Agister

The talk “The work of a New Forest Agister” was well received by a very good turn out of members. Four agisters are employed by the Verderers of the New Forest to look after the day-to-day welfare of the commoners stock. In late Summer and Autumn, round ups (‘drifts’), which are the responsibility of the Agisters, are held throughout the Forest. The Agisters collect a ‘marking fee’ for the depasturing of the animals and cut the tails to show the fee has been made - each agister has his own individual tail marking so it is known to whom the ‘marking fee’ was paid. The animals are also wormed at this stage and any ponies that are to be over-wintered on properties or taken to the sales are removed. Another duty of the agisters is to attend any accidents involving commoner’s stock.

March Meeting

Eye Specialists

Andrew Luff & Roy McCleanaghan

Another very good speaker on a subject that for the squeamish is hard to take but it was very informative Age–related macular degeneration (AMD) accounts for nearly 50% of all visual impairment in the developed world. It is associated with adults over the age of 50, and is characterized by thinning and atrophy of the macula, an area of the retina responsible for detailed vision. Vitamins play a part in prevention

April Meeting

A.G.M.

A well attended meeting with 78 members. John started the proceedings followed by the Secretary's written report and then the treasurer's explanation of the annual accounts. After that Sally Barrett led her group singers to entertain us by a rendering of many favourite songs. Ending with an audience participation of "Smile while tho' your heart is breaking" to "I did it my way".

May Meeting

Pam Goodall

“Riding it Out”

About eighty members came to listen to Pam Goodall, an excellent speaker. Approaching her sixtieth birthday, she set off riding a tailor-made Roberts expedition bicycle on a journey which would take her around the world – twenty countries in all. She was chased by a rabid dog in Mexico, attacked by teenage boys in Rumania, searched and questioned by police in Vietnam, and all but prevented from entering America because of a permit crisis. She appeared on Indian television with two spectacular black eyes, the result of a major crash which rendered the bicycle unridable. At Islamabad airport the bike emerged on the conveyor belt in several pieces. And the night of her birthday was spent holding down the tarpaulin of the tent which had collapsed during a dramatic storm. New Year's Eve found her alone in remote woods and sufficient frost to freeze the condensation inside the tent.

June Meeting

Jake Simpkins

An Introduction to Soton’s History

His talk started by describing the surrounding region, then focused on Southampton's history. Highlighting benchmark events, including the French raid, the sailing of the Mayflower, the loss of the Titanic, the Blitz, post-war reconstruction, through to the dynamic city of the present day. And, explaining why Southampton experiences its phenomenal double-high tide.
An interesting well attended talk backed by a graphic slide show.

July Meeting

Denise Edwards

Stunt Coordinator

Small numbers today due most likely to the continuos rain we experienced. John told members that we were once again successful in winning a £3250 Awards for All grant for IT equipment and tuition in its use from Totton College. He then intoduced the speaker.

Denise started her TV life swimming alongside Miss Piggy in the Muppet Show! Since then she has coordinated stunts on many Feature and TV films. Her many credits include Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Aliens, Miss Marple, Midsummer Murders to name just a few. In a fascinating account of her professional life, Denise reveals some of the secrets of the film world's most dangerous job.Denise gave a marvellous talk telling all about how she got into stunts - the first time she was set on fire, the first time she was shot, having to jump off a 27 story building but still being frightened of the lift going up. Her repertoire of stories seemed endless as she told of her present co-ordination role, and the many films and TV series she had worked on.

August Meeting
Cream Tea

No speaker this month so the chairs were left so that we could all sort them out as we wanted. The art and craft group displayed their artistic work created during the past year. Marie and helpers produced an excellent cream tea for 50p. David supplied everybody with a quiz, all in all very entertaining.

September Meeting

Brian Kidd

Looking forward to Spring

Full house to listen to Brian Kidd's well delivered talk with lots of jokes to keep everybody awake. Many useful tips for gardeners.
Two new members bringing us to 129.

October Meeting

Roger Bricknell

The Concorde Experience

A packed hall on a nice day for a very interesting slide presentation by Roger on his long service as a flight engineer which coverd the whole lifetime of the Concorde. His many pictures of the controls which were nearly all mechanical with no computer input show the compexity of flying such a plane.

November Meeting

Rona White

Jamaica

Rona White with the help of a slide show and hand chopped sugar cane and other tit bits gave us a good illustration as to the Island's charm and history. Jamaica (pronounced /ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə/) is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (145 miles) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 miles) in width situated in the Caribbean Sea



December Meeting

John presented a donation to the Garage youth centre. A photo is on the News blog page. We were then entertained by the Maskers theatre company with songs and music in a Christmas theme.

2007 Monthly Meeting Programme

January Meeting

Mrs M Emery
Not just another roll of wallpaper.

An excellent forceful speaker who needed no prompt to recount the life of William Morris Always fascinated with tapestries, Morris set up his first tapestry loom in 1877, and after experimenting, he started weaving tapestries in 1879, using an upright loom. The production of tapestries moved to Merton Abbey in 1881, where all of the famous Morris & Company tapestries were originally woven. Today, the tapestries are woven by machine on traditional jacquard looms in France, Belgium and the United States. For further information go to http://charlesrupert.com/tapestries/index.html

February Meeting

Rona White - Israel - Past present and Future

We had ninety-five members and visitors attend this month's meeting where Rona White gave a spirited historical review of the land of Israel from a Christian perspective. From the pre Diaspora to the present day. History of Israel

The art and craft group put on an exhibition of paintings and sketches in various mediums as well as decorated craft work.

March Meeting

Captain Greenway - Airborne Early Warning

We were told many facts about the U.K's A.E.W, which had been using Shackleton bombers equipped with surplus Fairey Gannett radars. Wishing to avoid a multibillion - dollar acquisition of modern U.S. replacements, the U.K. tried to develop its own system, based on the Comet jetliner. The Nimrod AEW.3 was an unmitigated disaster and inevitably led to a U.K. acquisition of seven E-3s in 1986. This was the only concerted effort to develop an alternative to the two dominant U.S. systems.

April Meeting

AGM - Hammond Angoras

Jane-Ann and Rita Knott of Greystones Titchfield Lane Wickham were quite productive while telling us of their experience of commercially producing Mohair wool from Angora goats and not rabbits as most people think. UK Angora Goat web page Sixty-two attended the meeting including two visitors. We had two new members join and it was decided by a big majority to stay where we are for our monthly meetings.

May Meeting

Brian Kidd

Colour all the year

Brian Kidd a lively speaker is well known in the City of Portsmouth and beyond for his vast knowledge and practical experience in the realm of horticulture. Retired as head of the City's Parks and Gardens department, Brian is still very busy writing a weekly column for The News, appearing on Radio Solent's gardening program and speaking to groups and societies across the South. His talk encompassed the whole year giving us the benefit of his extensive knowledge.
About 80 attended with four new members and three visitors

June Meeting

Tim Craven

Curator So'ton Art Gallery

Peter Jones stood in for the booked speaker and to a well filled hall he gave an outline of the museum's acquisition policy after the first foundation money. His obvious interest in surrealistic art work was not evidently shared by many U3A members and led to a spirited response in questioning the notion that making a mould of the underside of a bed could be classed as art.
Notes on British Surrealism at Southampton City Art Gallery by Peter Jones

We now have maximum membership numbers for the hall and a waiting list has the first names added.
The sum of money raised for the Parkinson's Disease was £51.

July Meeting

Jonathan Fryer

Humorous side of being

an actor

Actor: Jonathan Fryer
Character: Landlord of the George & Dragon.
Catchphrases: "This weather is bad for my trade."
Appearances: Series Three, Episode Six
Biography: Born in London. Trained at Bournemouth Drama School. Now does after-dinner speeches.
Notable Credits: Z Cars, Keeping Up Appearances.
Remembering Reggie: "During rehearsals I said my lines and Leonard followed up with a couple. When we had finished, he looked at me with a smile, and said: "You must be exhausted, you'd better have a sit down!"

Jonathan received an almost standing ovation he was extremely funny.
We had a packed hall, 91 including 9 guests. We now have 11 on a waiting list.

August Meeting

Cream tea

The hall was nearly filled to capacity to hear our own U3A singing group who bravely sang and entertained all of us. Sally was brilliant singing "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" in the style of Gracie Fields. Thanks to Marie for providing the cream tea and those who helped. A sunny day allowed us to display the art and crafts stalls outside in the garden. Quite a few of the art and craft works shown were professional in quality. On the art table Pat's painted orange looked edible.

September Meeting

John Foster.
The hobby of metal detection

John Foster gave an interesting and amusing talk backed in the second half by slides of his hobby or disease as he called it of metal detection. Although saying that he was far from lucky in finding anything other than ring pulls, having three of his finds on a National database is proof enough that he was being modest.
The hall was mainly filled, with members and three visitors.

October Meeting

Rhys Jones

About seventy-five members and visitors came to hear Rhys Jones speak about his Greenland adventures. With the extra dimension of having a screen set up for his slide show and even the short films to illustrate the talk he gave Rhys was even more entertaining then before. Sheila who was instrumental in starting the U3A in Totton joined us today making 128 in total

November Meeting

Carol Wilson
River Meon
from source to sea

Another filled hall to listen to the illustrated talk.
The River Meon is a river in Hampshire which flows generally southwards from the South Downs to the Solent. For most of its route it is a chalk stream, with a length of 21 miles (34 km)The River Meon rises approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village of East Meon. It first flows due north to that village, then northwest to West Meon, and southwest to Warnford before adopting its principal southwards flow. From Warnford the river flows through the villages of Exton, Corhampton and Meonstoke, Droxford, Wickham, and Titchfield. From Titchfield the river flows some 2 miles (3 km) through the marshes of the Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve before entering the Solent through the small harbour at Hill Head.

December Meeting

Xmas event
Andrew Burns a cabaret magician

A very good performance by Andrew with a the help of members acting as assistants in what were clever demonstrations of the art of stage magic. Plenty of prizes were won in the lottery and we had mince pies with the tea. A good response to the form filling as to interests in new groups. We now have a Wine Tasting, Quester, Poetry and Writing group. Also we have a leader for the meditation as well. Hopefully if we can get volunteer leaders several other well supported interests may come to fruition.