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2018 

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, Charmian 
 07914861787 or charmian.cork@virginmedia.com

We look forward to meeting you. 
Annual subscription just £10.

January

Keith Bellamy is always on call as a member of Hampshire Fire Service where their expertise is need to save people from catastrophe. They attended the Haiti earthquake. As many as 200,000 people were killed and two million made homeless following the quake. Keith Bellamy, was part of a 64-strong team of UK firefighters. Their operation was co-ordinated from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Centre's headquarters in Eastleigh. During their time in Haiti, the UK firefighters made three successful rescues. They pulled out a two-year-old girl from the rubble on 15 January and two more - a 55-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman - were rescued the next day. They also assisted in offering medical assistance to scores of people seriously injured by the earthquake.

They also attended the Nepal and the New Zealand earthquake. 

February

Judy Theobald - Life and Other Problems
Our speaker this month was the extremely humorous Judy Theobald who’s aptly titled ‘Life & other problems’ talk had us chuckling.

Judy, who from a very young age had yearned to be a journalist, was instead pushed into work, ‘suitable for young women’ by her parents. She loathed secretarial college but as it proved to be a back door into her coveted profession she persevered. Indeed she did get a job with a newspaper and initially was very pleased. However the journalist opportunity did not arise, (women in those days could be sacked for becoming pregnant) so feeling trapped in her secretarial role, Judy decided to try other careers.
A thoroughly entertaining speaker who had us laughing all afternoon, here’s a taste for you all.

The Readership Survey by Judy Theobald

Ah yes, I confess, I’ve been reading ‘The Sun’,

But I’d noticed they’d just had this sex survey done

Asking why do men fall for blonde bits of fluff

Or wear socks to make love – you know, serious stuff.

Well then came the question that raised lots of laughter

Why do men always drop off to sleep ‘straight after’?

Well I think the answer’s quite simple, don’t you?

They’re joining their wives who dropped off halfway through

March

Ailsa Walters - Gift of Sight “Beating Blindness”

The Gift of Sight Appeal supports world-class research into the prevention and treatment of blindness.

Professor Lotery leads a team of clinicians and scientists at the Vision Science Research laboratories within the University of Southampton’s Clinical Neurosciences Division. Research is combined with treating patients in Southampton Eye Unit, enabling the team to bring insights from the research laboratory directly to patients.

April

Ron Taylor - Spice up Your Life

Although this was the second talk by the speaker he carried on where he left off on the history of spice. His knowledge was impressive. 

May

AGM and the EGM combined. Approval of the modified clause of our constitution and accounts.
Guest speaker was Mark Scovell - Bobby Scheme for Home Safety and Security. Mark joined their team of Bobby Scheme Fitters in the summer of 2012. He has worked in the north of the county and is now visiting clients in the Southampton and New Forest area. Before joining the Blue Lamp Trust he worked in property maintenance and has experience in carpentry and building works.

June

Colin Van Geffin - Lawrence: Before and After Arabia

LAWRENCE : Before & After Arabia The Legend of Lawrence of Arabia is well documented in books and film, but what of his life before and after the Desert War?. Described as one of the most influential Englishmen of the 20th Century – but he wasn’t English! There are many myths, but the truth is far more fascinating. A man of many lives..
Interesting and amusing talk given by Colin who himself has many talent. An able speaker on many subjects and accomplished artist.

July

Change of speaker due to illness.

The history of Romsey Abbey
A community of Benedictine nuns was established at Romsey around 907 AD by Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, posibly on the site of an even earlier monastery incorporating both monks and nuns. There were initially 100 nuns, and Edward named his own daughter, Elfleda, as abbess. Later in the 10th century King Edgar undertook to reorganise and reinvigorate the monastic tradition in his realm, and he placed his own daughter in Romsey Abbey. He obviously held the area in great esteem, as he also buried his son at Romsey.

August

Jan McCarthy - The work of “It’s Your Choice” charity

Our mission is to offer a safe, free, and confidential support service that is accessible to all young people, typically aged 12-25, who live in the areas in which we operate and require our support. Through the provision of information, advice, guidance, counselling and casework support, delivered through our various drop-in sessions, outreach work, workshops, and projects or, where necessary, by signposting to other services, we will aim to provide young people with the knowledge, skills and information they need to make safe, positive choices on issues which affect their lives.

Good attendance at our cream strawberry scone August treat just for 50p

September

 Geoff Deighton - Fun Cops

Interesting talk about his career which ranged from an ordinary constable pounding the beat, Armed section for security including 10 Downing Street where he and his fellow officers on night cover were told to stop playing football as Mrs Wilson wanted some sleep. He then changed to plain clothes before finally a member of the drug squad where they made one of the largest busts in the UK.
Only three years in the drug squad to prevent corruption.
Good attendance about 75 members.

October

Maureen Rose - Working as a Royal Dressmaker
It should have been but due to last minute cancellation due to illness. We fell back to having Ian setting a quiz which was amusing and enjoyed by members. We had two new members join us  this month.

November

Mike Read - The Falklands

At our November  Branch  meeting we were very pleased to welcome Mike Reid who enthralled us with his talk  about the  Falkland Islands.

Situated at the bottom of South East America     off the coast of Argentina, they are fairly isolated and left largely to their own devices, so the wonderful panorama of nature

can flourish to delight all.

He showed us many  photographs of the wonderful selection of wild birds, beautiful flowers and of course the    seals and penguins, which we all liked.

We all  thoroughly  enjoyed his talk on this wild part of the world and wish him well with his future trips and expeditions.

December

Clive Tunley - Christmas Through the Ages.

“At our December Branch meeting – on Wednesday the 12^th- our speaker was Clive  Tunley,  one of our members who gave a talk entitled “All about Christmas “.

Clive had done a lot   of research on this subject, and   it was all very interesting as he explained how the early Church fixed   Christmas and all the stories about Christ’ s birth and all happenings ,so that all the Christians would understand and accept  the importance of it,  and  as most early  followers could not read or write  so  probably from this,  the art of all the paintings and pictures developed  to help this process.

One or two interesting facts emerged, such as the fact that the wise men did come, but not for some months, and there might have been many of them plus the attending baggage train with all their equipment and supporting  staff to prepare camp each night and cook all the food ,and also the date of 25^th December- the day of the birth of Christ - was a guess at when the actual date might have been anytime over a long period of time.

Our grateful thanks to Clive for   presenting this very  interesting talk to us.

Mike Page Chairman