Totton U3A 2017

Totton U3A

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2017 

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,  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 annbarnes3nw@btinternet.com

We look forward to meeting you.

January
Film from Country Ways Roadshow
Poole Harbour in January

Engaging talk by Stuart Judd a producer of the successful TV show Country Ways.. He told how he became involved in making the TV program and how it was ended as local made programs were discarded after a takeover of the company. He revealed how City born Jack Hargreave's shed was in the studio and not in his back garden. We then viewed Poole Harbour in January one of the recordings from that era.

February 

 Lawrence Shaw from the New Forest NPA 

A talk on Lidar

Lawrence Shaw, heritage mapping and data officer for the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘These resources will allow the public to explore the National Park in a way they could never have done previously. Archaeological sites and monuments can be seen in different ways through different data sets which provide the users with a view completely different from that seen on the ground.‘These data sets allow users to look at the greater landscape and see how sites and monuments interact with each other on a large scale, as well as being able to see what lies beneath the trees.’ The data was acquired as part of two projects run by the New Forest National Park Authority - a Heritage Mapping Project, funded through Europe’s largest Higher Level Stewardship scheme with the Forestry Commission and Verderers; and the New Forest Remembers WWII project, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund. March

March
Nick Braddock

A year and a day on

St Helena

Saint Helena is a volcanic tropical island in the 

South Atlantic Ocean it is, part of the British Overseas Territory The UK government has spent £250 million in the construction of the island's airport. This is aimed at helping the island become more self-sufficient, encouraging economic development while reducing dependence on British government aid. It is also expected to kick-start the tourism industry,  although the airport is not yet officially open due to concerns about wind shear.

April

AGM

Melissa Howarth

Hampshire

and the IOW Trust

There are many  natural areas in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and around the County shores that are  precious habitats for wild creatures and these are under the dedicated care of The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT).  Melissa Haworth of HIWWT  explained the workings and the responsibilities of this organisation. Part of the UK wide Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts umbrella, the HIWWT is autonomous but works closely with many other of the 47 Trusts around the Country. 

The HIWWT spent £3.2 million last year managing their 48 nature reserves in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area and, in addition to opening for visitors they hosted over 3,000 school children. This was achieved with the total staffing of the Trust of only 111. Their big strength however is their volunteer force of 900 who turn out to help with all manner of tasks in all weather throughout the year.

May

David Slade

"Aguila Wrens

World War One

When, in 1941, the Royal Navy permitted members of the WRNS to serve overseas for the first time, the first assignment of twenty one Wrens was sent to Gibraltar for cypher and wireless duties. . They sailed on 13 August 1941 with Convoy OG71 as the Commodore ship, with 22 ships bound for Gibraltar.

The convoy was attacked by U-boats on 19 August and the Aguila was hit by a torpedo from U-201 (Schnee) and sank in under two minutes, taking with her 152 souls, amongst whom were most of the Wrens. There were only 16 survivors, 10 were picked up by HMS Wallflower and 6, including the surviving Wrens, were picked up by the Empire Oak, a 484 ton steam tug.

Three days later, on 22 August, the Empire Oak itself was torpedoed and sunk by U-564 (Suhren) with the loss of 19 lives, among whom were the Wrens. In all, eight ships from convoy OG71 were sunk and none of the twenty one Wrens survived.

June

Chris Lubbe

Nelson Mandela's Bodyguard

Chris Lubbe has simply his height to thank for catching the eye of Nelson Mandela, who was so impressed by his stature that he offered him the job of protecting his life there and then.

For the next eight years the then freedom fighter from South Africa was the shadow of Mandela, always by his side, as the leader continued on his mission to unite a country.

Chris, who now lives in Fareham, was one of 24 bodyguards who had the responsibility of protecting Mandela between 1990 and 1998.

Chris, who turned 53 on the same day that Mandela died, said: “There were many people who wanted him dead. “There was always the threat of the right wing who wanted him assassinated, which made the job very difficult.                                                           

July
John O'Malley
Orangutan Appeal UK
Their lives in your hands

The Orangutan Appeal UK is a registered charity based in the south of England, dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of orangutans and the conservation of their habitat.

The Appeal strives to protect remaining wild populations of orangutans by providing support and funding for projects across Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo; and by raising awareness of the plight of this great ape across the globe. The Appeal is also authorised to work on behalf of the famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre!

August

John Sherborne

Musical Quiz

John Sherborne and his small electric organ provided the entertainment as well as the singing.

He quizzed the members. They were asked to identify the singer who made  number one  hit parade or other questions, which made the quiz more of a challenge. Most members could remember parts of most of the questions but often not all.  This was followed by cream tea. Room was filled and all appeared to enjoy the afternoon.

September

Aaron Phipps
London 2012 Paralympics
+ 2016 climbed Mt Kilimanjaro

Brilliant speech, Aaron Phipps was part of the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team and competed in Wheelchair rugby at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. As a teenager Aaron took a keen interest in extreme sports such as rollerblading, skateboarding and BMX riding, as well as well as competitive sports like basketball However on the 7th January 1999, aged 15, Aaron contracted meningitis C and meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning). This deadly disease developed from seemingly harmless flu like symptoms, which 12 hours later saw him on a lifesupport machine. Aaron was in a coma for two weeks. By March, both of Aaron’s legs and most of his fingers had to be amputated due to the septicaemia.

October

 New Forest Association

150th Anniversary in 2017

Saving the New Forest

A good talk well attended. The New Forest is a unique survivor of medieval Europe. It is internationally important to nature conservation and biological science. As Friends of the New Forest we recognise the many factors that have shaped the Forest we know today and in particular the importance of the commoning system in maintaining its landscape. We are dedicated to protecting and restoring the unique character of the New Forest. Our members promoted the 1877 New Forest Act to secure its future and now we are the voice for the New Forest National Park – its friend and watchdog. For 150 years our guiding purpose has been to protect, conserve and enhance the flora, fauna and heritage of the New Forest.

November

Stephen Ings

Fritham gunpowder Factory

The factory was first built in 1860 to produce black gunpowder. Then 9 years later, Edward Schultze purchased the site. Black gunpowder left a lot of smoke on the battlefields, but Schultze experimented and specialised in producing smokeless powder mainly for sporting guns. The factory consisted of 60 buildings and employed 100 staff. There were 2 shifts of 12 hours a day, and though the work was dangerous, the pay was good

December

Michael O'Leary

Seasonal and New Forest stories

He brought his story box which contained a variety of artefacts and musical instruments which helped enliven the session and   these stories are supported by various creative activities. Although it was tuned for children it was apparent that many of the members enjoyed the he performance. 

The mince pies went down well.