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website: www.cvu3a.uk

THE THIRD AGE TRUST

CHESS VALLEYRegistered Charity No. 1126990

Singing for Pleasure performed ‘The Messiah from Scratch’ at theRoyal Albert Hall

Chess Valley U3A outings in 2017Subscription Renewal Form

Potential New GroupsDid you attend Chesham Grammar (High) School?

December 2016 - February 2017 1

The Jazz Appreciation Group welcomed two specialguests to their October Meeting; Alan Barnes, well-known alto sax and clarinet player, and Alyn Ship-ton, bassist and presenter of Radio 3's "JazzRecord Requests". They gave a very entertainingand amusing talk entitled "What Is Jazz", illustrat-ed by plenty of musical examples and stories whichprovided a lively and very enjoyable afternoon forover 30 of us.

In the 1688 Friends’ Meeting Housein Jordans, the Walks into HistoryGroup learnt why the interior was soplain. In worship, Quakers listeninwardly and do not need outwardsymbols to guide them in prayers.

The Railways Group learned from modelmaker Mervyn (at the back) how he iscreating a new working funicular forBekonscot Model Village.

What an amazing display! GardenGroup members were asked tobring displays of flowers pickedfrom their gardens on the day fortheir meeting in November.


Speakers for General Meetings

2nd Thursday of the month at 2pm

Broadway Baptist Church

76 The Broadway

Chesham

Bucks HP5 1EG

Duncan Campbell-Smith 8th December History of the Royal Mail

Duncan is an author and historian who wrote the authorised history of the Royal Mail, Masters of the Post, published in 2011 and which won the BAC Wadsworth Prize for Business History. He has also appeared in a recent television programme with Alan Johnson MP, who started his career as a postman.

Duncan Brown 12th January Giving Life: The History of Blood Donations

Duncan is interested in politics and was involved with the British Youth Council. He was a Town Councillor in Abingdon, becoming its youngest Mayor, and is a member of the Abingdon Speakers Club. This unique presentation charts the amazing story of blood donation. It is told through some charming, poignant and amusing tales. It captures the compassion and generosity of generations of blood donors.

Susanne Carr 9th February The National Gallery

Susanne has lectured in Art History at Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education, at Missenden Abbey and WEA and she has lead art tours to Florence, Paris and Madrid. She is also an author and, in this presentation, surveys some of the vast collection of works in our national art gallery.

Professor Bill Block 9th March Antarctica: A Natural Biological Laboratory

Bill is Emeritus Fellow at The British Antarctic Survey at Cambridge. He trained as a zoologist and has held posts in Kampala, Leicester and Cambridge and has led several expeditions to Antarctica as well as Svalbard. He has developed a U3A course in Cambridge called Antarctica in a Nutshell.


Chairman’s Notes

Welcome to the Winter 2016/17 edition of our Newsletter.

Those members who attended our U3A Chairman’s Quiz Night on 12 November may recall the question which asked “How many U3As are there?”. The answer at that time was 999. However, I am pleased to report that we have now passed the significant milestone of 1,000 U3As nationwide – indeed, as I write, there are 1,001 U3As, with over 384,000 members who are signed up to our “Learn, Laugh and Live!” ethos.

On the subject of our Quiz Night, I would like to say a big and sincere thank you to all those members who worked hard behind the scenes to make the evening a success – in particular Ian Hutt, for setting the questions and acting as quizmaster on the night; James Cadle and Keith Hoffmeister, for providing the technical support for the audio-visual systems; Brin Harvey and Brian Trevette, for keeping tabs of the quiz scores throughout the evening; Tony Biddle and Chris Kinsley for organising and collecting the food; and Jackie Cobb, Valerie Garrood and Rodney Garrood for organising the raffle prizes and for equipping and setting up the tables. It was a real team effort. Thank you all.

As this newsletter is the penultimate one before the start of our next Financial Year on 1 April 2017, now is the time to talk about membership fees. I am pleased to tell you that the membership fee is reduced to £20 per person for the year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

Enclosed with this newsletter is an application form for renewing your membership. You will see that the form has been amended and is now double-sided. This is because we are asking you to tell us which groups you have joined, and which other interests you may have that are not met by our current groups. Your replies will help us when we are planning for new groups.

You can complete your application form and return it to Derek Gardner, our Membership Secretary, at any time until the end of March. Cheques will be held and not presented until late March 2017. Your cheque can therefore be post-dated, if you so wish.

Finally, as this is our last newsletter in 2016, I wish you Season’s Greetings and all the best for 2017.

With best wishes Eric

[email protected]

New Members We offer our warm welcome to our newest members: Maureen Boylan Chesham Catherine Matheson Chesham Lisbeth Cameron Chesham Margaret Oakes Great Missenden David Carter Chesham Martin Osborne Chesham Sheila Carter Chesham Ursi Osborne Chesham James Cathcart Chesham Elizabeth Rooke Hedgerley Gavin Cree Chalfont St Giles Sandra Ruxton Chesham Sheila Cree Chalfont St Giles Anne Smith Chartridge Keith Denham Chesham Barrie Spencer Chesham Anne Dwight Chesham Nicola Spencer Chesham Vivienne Dyer Holmer Green Karen Swain Chesham Anthony Eustace Chesham Pamela White Amersham Ann Evans Chesham Bois Peter White Amersham Claire Glaser Chesham Ann Whiting Beaconsfield Jill Green Amersham Lynn Wishlade Holmer Green Rhona Hogg Chalfont St Giles If you know anyone you think might be interested in joining, please ask them to contact the Membership Secretary; contact details on the next page.


mailto:[email protected]

Chess Valley U3A Committee Members

Chairman Eric Magson [email protected] 01494 714420 Vice Chairman Tony Biddle [email protected] 01494 725429 Treasurer John Anderson [email protected] 01753 887463 Secretary Chris Kinsley [email protected] 01442 863028 Membership Secretary Derek Gardner [email protected] 01494 771102

Groups Coordinators Marian Bangs

[email protected] 01494 713627

Sue Broad 01494 718128 Webmaster Valerie Garrood [email protected] 01494 433585 Newsletter Editors Liz Stoelker*

[email protected] 01494 712164

James Cadle 01494 716992 Speaker Organiser Michael Cohn* [email protected] 01494 763542 Events Coordinator Jackie Cobb [email protected] 01494 773718 The * indicates a non-voting member

Do we have your up-to-date contact details?

If you have moved, changed your phone number or got a new email address, please let the Membership Secretary know (contact details above). We’d hate for you not to be kept up-to-date

with the happenings in your U3A or miss out on events and outings.

Groups Coordinators’ Report

We really appreciate all the work that the Convenors have done over the years for their various groups since Chess Valley U3A started on 8th October 2008. We now have 45 groups and some of you coordinate more than one of them, so thank you very much on behalf of your members. Chess Valley U3A now has 700+ members, so we must all be doing something right. All we have to do now is to encourage more members to start up new groups, or relieve some of the Convenors who would like to take a backwards step; that is our mission for 2017.

Unfortunately we had to cancel our September meeting so it has been six months since we the Convenors met, making our meeting in December even more important.

Dates for our Convenors’ Meetings in 2017 (always the fifth Thursday in the month) are:

• 30th March 2017 • 29th June 2017 • 30th November 2017.

The venue in each case will be Chesham Town Hall, from 10.00 - 12.00.

We wish you all a successful and healthy 2017

Marian Bangs and Sue Broad – Groups Co-ordinators

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.












Chess Valley U3A Convenors

(All phone numbers are prefixed by 01494 unless otherwise indicated)

Group Convenor/s Phone U3A e-mail

Art Lin Spoor 433896 [email protected] Claire Fallowfield 863160 [email protected]

Art Discussion 1 Jude Jones 723215 [email protected] Art Discussion 2 Caroline Jenks 772090 [email protected]

Book Group 1 Mary Saywood 868746 [email protected]

Book Group 2 Liz Howlett 727482

[email protected] Christine Ross 431521

Book Group 3 Eileen Overton 01753 891667 [email protected]

Bridge Graham Beavan 775745 [email protected] Patrick Clarke 727184 [email protected]

Chess Peter Schweiger 729321 [email protected] Computers Betty Hutton 875507 [email protected]

Current Affairs Eileen Overton 01753 891667 [email protected]

Digital Imaging Liz Stoelker 712164 [email protected] Dinghy Sailing Wendy Barnes 783790 [email protected]

Eclectic Music Juliet Crussell 711159

[email protected] Ron Hartwell 786738

Family History Marian Bangs 713627

[email protected] Sue Broad 718128

Fantasy Shares Merelene Davis

[email protected] Andrew Davis

French Conversation Jackie Cobb 773718 [email protected]

French Intermediate Hilary Alleston 581934 [email protected] Gardening Janice Cross 728291 [email protected] German Jenny Lee 863970 [email protected]

History Claire Paterson 712736

[email protected] Ian Hutt 583955

Italian Beginners Joanna Hughes 814630 [email protected]

Jazz Appreciation Alan Crussell 711159 [email protected] Danny Robins 581079 [email protected]

Mah Jong Julie Wolstenholme 876908 [email protected] MOTO Mo Barnes 786766 [email protected]


























Chess Valley U3A Convenors (continued)

(All phone numbers are prefixed by 01494 unless otherwise indicated)

Group Convenor/s Phone U3A e-mail

Patchwork & Quilting Margaret Payne 783167 [email protected] Photography Keith Hoffmeister 766990 [email protected]

Pilates Christine Ross 431521

[email protected] Angela Bratton 725312

Play Reading Vacant

Poetry Christine Ogborne 773194 [email protected]

Railways Geoff Povey 772596

[email protected] Eric Magson 714420

Science & Technology

Mike Christianson 01753 890480

[email protected] Allan Saunders 01753 883159

Peter Twist 837437

Singing for Pleasure Angela Bratton 725312 [email protected] Stephanie Rothwell 729416 [email protected]

Spanish Conv (Inter) Hilary Alleston 581934 [email protected] Stamps John Small 762000 [email protected]

Theatre Chris Aylott

727555 [email protected] Diana Aylott

Amblers Annie Barker 776165 [email protected] Walkers 1 Wendy Nimmo 721887 [email protected] Walkers 2 Sue Rawbone 713649 [email protected]

Striders 1 John Bratton 725312 [email protected] Libby Odell 772842

Striders 2 John Hall (to mid-January 2017)

757206 [email protected]

Ian Lee (from mid-January 2017)

863970

Walks into History: Country

Tony Biddle 725429 [email protected]

Peter Schweiger 729321

Walks into History: London

Liam Dineen 715413 [email protected]

Angela Shipley 862699

Wildlife Belinda Catton 726616

[email protected] Laura Wyld

Wine Appreciation 1 Rodney Garrood 433585 [email protected] Wine Appreciation 2 Muriel Gray 581068 [email protected] Writers Tony Renwick 782311 [email protected]






















Can’t find what you’re looking for? Chess Valley U3A’s groups cater for a wide and diverse range of interests but, even so, you may find that your particular enthusiasm is not catered for or the group you’d like to join is full. Remember that U3A is ‘for members, by members’ so, if there isn’t a Group covering your interest, why not start one? Or if a Group is full, why not start another one? This is, in fact, how many of our current Groups have come into being. If you have an idea for a new Group, please contact one of our Groups Co-Ordinators, Sue Broad and Marian Bangs (contact details on page 5) who will be more than happy to help you bring your Group into being.

Line Dancing

At the moment, we have insufficient numbers to start our own Line Dancing Group. However, there are classes run by Ellie Redding every Thursday 1:00pm-2:00pm at Chesham Town Hall in the main hall. There is space for new dancers and beginners will be given tuition.

For further information, please telephone Ellie Redding on 01494 758330. Do let her know that you belong to Chess Valley U3A.

Jackie Cobb Events Coordinator

Do you play a musical instrument?

If so, Tony Frostick is exploring the feasibility of a U3A Music Group which would focus on playing music, rather than listening to it. If this might be for you, please register your interest, mentioning what instrument you play and what sort of music you like playing, by contacting Tony on [email protected].

Chess Valley U3A Outings for 2017

The Events Team proposes to organise three outings next year. The outings will be by coach in each case.

These are the places we hope to visit and the final dates will be confirmed later:

• March: Dover Castle, organiser Alan Gray • May: The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, organiser Jackie Cobb • September: Oxford Tour, including colleges, organiser Michael Cohn

As it is early days the destinations may change due to circumstances beyond our control.

I would just like to thank Michael Cohn, Alan Gray and Gina Nash for organising this year’s set of interesting outings. Without their help, Chess Valley Members would have had fewer trips.

And many thanks to members for supporting the outings. Jackie Cobb

Events Coordinator



DiaryDate Group Event

02 Dec Convenors Christmas Lunch05 Dec Family History Christmas Social06 Dec Committee Monthly meeting08 Dec General Meeting History of the Royal Mail12 Dec History Nibbles & Christmases past and family treasures15 Dec Computers Power Point Presentations for Beginners

16 Dec Railways DVDs and Christmas Social

19 Dec Science & Technology Quiz with drinks and nibbles

21 Dec Photography & Dig Imaging Christmas meeting with members' ‘five minutes of fame’09 Jan History A Background History of the Islamic State10 Jan Committee Monthly meeting11 Jan Country Walks into History Walk around Wheathampstead12 Jan General Meeting Giving Life: The History of Blood Donations18 Jan Photography Plant and Garden Photography19 Jan Computers Internet Service Providers23 Jan Digital Imaging Managing Your Pictures - Editing and Storing your Images23 Jan Stamps British Postal History and Germany25 Jan Gardening Euphorbias, Umbellifers and Ferns26 Jan Eclectic Music Anniversaries of composers26 Jan Poetry Rudyard Kipling27 Jan Opera & Dance Opera - Nina27 Jan Railways Visit to LT Museum at Acton (fully booked)31 Jan Jazz Appreciation Members' Choice: A CD track, theme of cities or places07 Feb Committee Monthly meeting

07 Feb Family History Southwark, London's Oldest Village09 Feb General Meeting The National Gallery13 Feb History The History of the Windsor Chair15 Feb Photography Visit to Roger Longdin’s studio in Great Missenden16 Feb Computers iPads17 Feb Railways Talk on Gresley A4 locos18 Feb Walks in London Inside Covent Garden22 Feb Gardening Plant Hunting in Papua New Guinea23 Feb Eclectic Music Composers from Europe23 Feb Poetry John Masefield28 Feb Dinghy Sailing Presentation on our Sea Sailing Trips28 Feb Jazz Appreciation Colin O’Rourke - Welcome to the Jazz Café

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn'tknow about it until the next morning?WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?


News from the Groups

The Chess Valley U3A Art Group continues to meet at The White Hill Centre and is just into itsfourth year. We have no vacancies but we are happy to help another group to get started; wesuggest two convenors.We often paint with reference to well known artists, Mondrian being this month`s artist ofchoice. In December we have invited a professional lecturer.

We wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Since the last newsletter, we have discussed Chardin, the Nash brothers and the rumbustiousHogarth. America chooses a new president and Art Discussion 1 is planning its programme fornext year, a sadly democratic affair with no attempt so far to bribe the convenor.

In September we learnt about The Arts and Craft Movement: artists such as WilliamMorris, Augustus Pugin and John Ruskin who promoted traditional craftsmanship andlocally sourced materials to create exquisitely designed items for the home as a directreaction to the factory-produced furniture etc. of the industrial age. Morris' influence isstill alive today; his intricate designs are part of our heritage. A lively afternoon's

discussion was perfectly finished-off by tea and cake, another element of our British heritage!In October we studied the Northern Renaissance, focusing on how, until the later 20th century, it had beenlargely ignored, most attention being paid to the Italian Renaissance. There were many reasons for this; amajor one being that few paintings survived from the Northern Renaissance due to the destruction of warsand the Protestant Reformation. Painters of the Low Countries have not always been given credit for theirtalents and innovations. For example, they conveyed perspective realistically in their pictures before it wassupposedly discovered and used by the Italian painters; they also moved from the use of egg tempera to oilpaints before the Italians.In November we looked at war art, focusing on the artist Paul Nash. His WWI and WWII works are iconicimages of the ravaging effects of war on the countryside. Nash is a local artist who grew up inBuckinghamshire, taking some of his early inspiration from our local ancient woodlands. Between the warshe brought Surrealism into British art. There is currently an exhibition of his work at Tate Britain.Our group is full but we have no-one on the waiting list at present.

GROUP MEETINGSWhile members are generally welcome at any meeting of a group, it is helpful if they advise theConvenor of that meeting before attending. Some groups are full and most meetings arestructured; the arrival of an unexpected member may cause an unnecessary and perhapsunwelcome blip to the arrangements.In public buildings it is important that the Convenor knows who is at the meeting incase of fire. Please, always sign in at the beginning and sign out and in again if you popout for a while. Also, make sure you know where the fire exits are.

Art Lin Spoor & Claire Fallowfield

Art Discussion 1 Jude Jones

Art Discussion 2 Caroline Jenks

The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his sizefrom too much pi.


This is a book group with a difference. We don’t all read the same book! Approximatelyevery six weeks a group of avid readers meets to discuss the books we have read betweenmeetings. It’s a most stimulating and wide ranging session in which it’s almost certain atleast somebody will have read the same book or the same author as somebody else inthe group. Our discussions have included fiction, biography, history, politics and include

authors such as Rose Tremain, J.M Coetzee, Ian McKewan, Antony Beever, Max Hastings, Rowan Williamsand many more.If you are an avid reader who loves talking and listening about books you would be very welcome.Unfortunately, the group has no vacancies at the moment. Meetings are at the Convenor’s home in GreatMissenden. Please ring the Convenor for more details.

Book Group 2 meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 11.45 am in Chesham Library and then, forthose who wish to do so, continues with a sociable lunch at one of the nearby eating places. In the last threemonths our books have transported us from the WW1 trenches in France, in the form of the historic crimenovel ‘The First Casualty’ by Ben Elton, to a Cornish village, the back drop for Patrick Gale’s ‘Notes on anExhibition’, a complex tale of a troubled, artistic mother and her family. Even further afield, the Arctic wasthe haunting setting for Michelle Paver’s unsettling ghost story ‘Dark Matter’. The latter was voted one ofour best reads ever, the discussion even continued over lunch!

Meetings are held in members’ homes at 2pm on the third Tuesday of each month. Availability is governedby the ten books we get each month from Chesham library; we have our full quota at the moment but pleasecontact the Convenor in case a vacancy occurs. We are currently reading “The Cellist of Sarajevo” and finishingthe year with our own choice of “The Night Manager” to see how closely the television version follows Johnle Carré's book. We have chosen our preferences for 2017 and the library has organised our monthly list.OurJanuary/February book is “The Line of Beauty” by Alan Hollinghurst and, once again, we look forward toreading a completely diverse range of titles in 2017.

Our last meeting for this year is on December 7th; we will be starting again on January4th. We play every Wednesday at Chartridge Park Golf Club starting promptly at 2pm.We still have a waiting list of members who would like to join us and are unlikely to bein a position to accept any new members for the foreseeable future.

The Chess in Chess Valley lives up to its name, but only just. The exclusive few have come to myhome and not only played chess but enjoyed the warmth of a wood burning stove, coffee andbiscuits.We will meet on the third Fridays of the month at 3:00 pm. The next meeting on Dec 16th, then Jan20th and Feb 17th.

We look forward to new comers.

Book 1 Mary Saywood

Book 2 Liz Howlett & Christine Ross

Book 3 Eileen Overton

Bridge Graham Beavan & Patrick Clarke

Chess Peter Schweiger


As reported in the last Newsletter, the Computer Group faced an uncertain future due tothe resignation of our IT expert but after the August and September meetings and lots ofdiscussion between the members it was decided that we should try to engage a commercial'expert' who duly came along and talked to the October meeting. This trial showed thatthis particular expert was not for us, although in the future we may revisit this approach.

It did, however, prove that members really wanted the Group to continue, resulting in several people agreeingto head up a monthly meeting.The November meeting was an eclectic mix of tips and general points which threw up many questions andgeneral discussion, was extremely helpful and confirmed just how much knowledge is contained within thegroup. We now have topics firmed up until next March, including Power Point Presentations for Beginnersin December, ISPs and iPads.The Group meets on the third Thursday of each month at 1.30 pm in Little Chalfont Library and new membersof all abilities will be warmly welcomed.

Meetings are held in members’ homes at 2pm on the first Thursday of each month. We discussa wide range of current topics. What a strange world it is at the moment and it is so interestinglistening to members with a varied range of knowledge. There are always plenty of viewpointsand everyone gets a chance to put their ideas forward. The meeting is held in a friendly mannerand there is a lot of laughter. If you would like to be informed or to inform others, pleasecontact the convenor for details of the next meeting.

We meet in Little Chalfont Village Hall from 10:00 - 12:00 on the fourth Monday of the month, apart fromwhen this is a Bank Holiday, when the meeting will be on the third Monday. Presentations are given bymembers and we explore how to improve our photographs and how to create interesting effects that resultin something quite different. The sessions are based on Photoshop Elements but other software can be used.Bringing a laptop with a copy of Photoshop Elements to the meetings is an advantage but not essential. Noprevious knowledge is necessary as notes and sample images are sent to members before the meeting.In September we did some more work on using layers. October’s meeting was a very welcome repeat ofLaurie’s presentation on editing videos. In November, David taught us some techniques for improvingPortraits. The planning committee will be meeting in January to agree a format for meetings and topics forthe rest of the year.21st December Party with the Photography Group including ‘Five minutes of fame - share your images’23rd January Managing Your Pictures - Editing and Storing your Images27th February tba

We have had a busy summer with between 8 and 16 people sailing each time, twice, sadly, withvery little wind. We did capsize practice back in the summer when the water was warmer, also manover board drill and some basic racing. There have been several trips to the Solent, organised forthose who wanted to experience sea sailing. We are not sailing again until next April on the secondTuesday and third Wednesday, when new members will be welcome.By the time you read this we will have had our end of season tidy up and boat clean and (as a reward

for coming!!) lunch at the club.

Computers Betty Hutton

Current Affairs Eileen Overton

Digital Imaging Liz Stoelker

Dinghy Sailing Wendy Barnes


We will not meet again until Tuesday Feb 28th when there will be a presentation showing the sea sailingtrips. On March 29th we will get the boats out again, practise rigging them and do various dry-land skills.There will also be the opportunity to do an RYA power boat course on a Saturday yet to be organised.

Our group is celebrating Christmas early this year as the Eclectic and Jazz music groups met on29th November for a party. We will therefore not be holding a meeting in December as thedates assigned for both groups are too near to Christmas.JANUARY 26TH: we will resume our meetings at AMERSHAM FREE CHURCH when we will becelebrating the anniversaries of various composers, both ancient and contemporary.

FEBRUARY 23RD: we are to be entertained by one of our members who will take us on a trip round Europewith a composer from each country.New members are always welcome. Please contact Juliet on: 01494 711159 or [email protected] for furtherdetails.

The Family History Group meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month from 2.15 - 4.00 pm in CheshamTown Hall. Our first meeting in 2017 is 7th February There is NO MEETING IN JANUARY.A lot of people confuse Family History with Genealogy. To better distinguish the differences thedefinitions are: Genealogy is about collecting the dates, places and relations. Family History isabout the stories, relationships and lives behind the dates and places; both Family History and

Genealogy involve effort.For the second year running, in November, we held a successful Study Day with Ian Waller. Ian is currentlyChairman of The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives, the body which representsprofessional genealogists throughout England and Wales, and a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists and hehas published several books.Just a small selection of the subjects he covered included Breaking down Brickwalls, Education and Workrecords, Challenges associated with changes of name, Workhouse records overview and Military and Navalrecords overview. We hope to invite Ian back to talk to us in 2017.If you have an interest in Family History you are welcome to join us.We are currently working on our 2017 programme which will soon be available on the website.5th December Christmas SocialJanuary No meeting7th February Colin Oakes - Southwark, London’s Oldest Village

The group returned from its summer break in September to the news of Sir Philip Green and theBHS pension debacle. It seems unfair that the Pension Protection Fund will probably have topick up the bill. The PPF is funded by a levy on well-run company pension funds so this doesnothing to curb either carelessness or reckless behaviour in others. The group agreed thatscrapping the dividend tax credit for pension funds in 1997 in order to put £5bn a year into

government coffers was, and continues to be, damaging for pensioners in the private sector. No subsequentgovernment has reversed this grab. Research for our later meeting highlighted how pension funds had alsobeen depleted by earlier government policies in the 1980s, when it felt pension fund surpluses wereexcessive. Mainly under the 1986 Finance Act, employers and employees were allowed to take ‘contributionholidays’ and excesses had to be distributed – some may recall there was encouragement for people toretire early, even at the age of 50! How much better if Pension Funds had been encouraged to use the

Eclectic Music Juliet Crussell & Ron Hartwell

Family History Sue Broad & Marian Bangs

Fantasy Shares Andrew & Merelene Davis


surpluses to invest in the UK and its infrastructure. The state pension is really a Ponzi scheme (named afterthe 1920 fraudster in America who ran a non-existent enterprise and paid quick returns to the first investorsfrom money he got from later investors) as Britain has no national fund but pays all pensions from currenttax receipts. This was compared to the example of the happy inhabitants of Norway whose State PetroleumFund has a $210 bn surplus.The group’s own fantasy shares portfolio has been stabilised by the use of a ‘stop-loss’ and it is the smallershares that are proving more interesting investments. There are 4.8 million small and medium sizebusinesses in Britain and perhaps they provide the best opportunities for innovation and jobs.

Notre groupe est composé de personnes ayant de bonnes connaissances en français. Nosréunions, très amicales et divertissantes, ont lieu deux fois par mois; notre premierrendezvous se tient le deuxième mercredi du mois, à 12h30, autour d'un petit repas convivialdans un pub local. Nous avons également plaisir à nous retrouver le quatrième mercredidu mois, à 10h00, autour d'un café, chez un des membre du groupe. L'accueil est toujourstrès chaleureux et nos discussions se font dans la bonne humeur. Nous organisons de temps

en temps des soirées autour d’un bon vin et de quelques plats.L'objectif est d'offrir aux membres de notre groupe le moyen de s'exprimer et de converser en français surdes divers sujets d'actualités, de pratiquer les expressions idiomatiques mais aussi de passer un bonmoment ensemble.New members who are interested in conversing in French are welcome to join us.

We are a small friendly group with a varied level of French; we chat with the help of the Convenor andsometimes a native speaker who is a great source of vocabulary and corrections to our grammar.Unfortunately we are now full, as numbers are limited by the venue and by the need to give everyone achance to contribute.

We enjoyed our 23rd November pre-Christmas social, complete with fun quizzes, yummy nibblesand an interesting collection of flowers from our gardens, picked on the day. After a break inDecember, returning in January is a regular speaker, Tom Cole, looking at some of the unsungheroes of the garden with a talk on “Euphorbias, Umbellifers and Ferns”, followed in February bya new speaker, Graham Pattison, who will talk about his plant hunting experiences in Papua NewGuinea. New members and visitors are always welcome to the group. We meet in the Albert Ellis

Hall at the Amersham Free Church, Woodside Road, Amersham. Doors open at 2pm, the speaker starts at2.30 for an hour or so, then we have refreshments. A small charge of £3 is made to cover costs.

Our very small but friendly German conversation group continues to meet on the first and thirdWednesday of each month. We usually have a theme to our meeting to start us off but then ourconversation tends to move in all directions. Subjects such as books, travel, films, politics, foodand wine and the idiosyncrasies of the German language, are all covered.

French Conversation Jackie Cobb

French Intermediate Hilary Alleston

Gardening Janice Cross

German Jenny Lee

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windscreen wipers and laser printers have incommon?A. All were invented by women


We have had a most varied three months of talks since August. Meeting on the second Mondayof the month, we commenced with a visit from Ian Waller, a Genealogist, who asked 'Are YouReally British?' Well I guess we are but most of us are descended from immigrants to this country.He told us that, since the Norman Conquest, thousands have come to the British Isles and settled.Trade, religious persecution and the quest for a better life were the spurs and still are. From 1700

onwards, many Alien Acts have been passed bringing in systems of control and registration.Many of us are descendants of the Huguenots. Around 1708, 50,000 fled to England, settling in Cambridge,Shoreditch and Spitalfields, Bedfordshire, Norwich and Stourbridge where they set up the industries ofweaving and glassblowing.Romanies and Gypsies came from India, Roma from Eastern Europe and Hungarians fleeing the 1956Revolution. Slaves were brought from the Caribbean by their owners and, latterly, English-speaking workersfrom the West Indies and Jamaica, sponsored by the government. Immigrants came from Ireland, Jews fromthe Netherlands, Belgium, Russia and Eastern Europe and migrants from India and Pakistan. We are a meltingpot of peoples. Mr. Waller stated that probably the only descendants from the original Brits are in Cornwalland West Wales. An enlightening and thought-provoking talk.In October our members Tony Frostick and Ian Hutt contributed illustrated talks - Tony told us about hisgrandfather, 'Private James and the Tsar' and Ian on the 'Australian Convicts'. Tony brought in hisgrandfather's WW1 medals, Pip Squeak and Wilfred, an affectionate term for the three campaign medals,but there was one more which he did not recognise. After much research he discovered that it had beengiven to his grandfather by the Russian Tsar in recognition of a secret mission to Russia. His grandfather hadaccompanied Sir Sydney Clive, a British Army Officer who headed the mission. A circuitous journey toPetrograd via Murmansk was undertaken to maintain secrecy. The aim was to support Russia in their struggleagainst Germany but, although welcomed in style, the mission failed as there seemed to be no appetite forthe British proposals and they returned to England and censure. A few days later the Russian Revolutionbegan changing everything.Ian told us the stories of four young people, three very poor girls, the youngest being 11 and 13, and a youngman, who had been deported to Australia for very minor theft of a dress, a piece of lace and a horse, as aprank. The young man came from a privileged background and had trained as an architect. The girls all madea great success of their enforced new lives. Although the young man designed a few significant buildings inAustralia, some of which still exist, he died destitute. A most interesting and fascinating insight into thelives of those sent to Botany Bay.In November we welcomed four students from Chesham Grammar School. This event has become a bit ofa tradition at our November meeting and is greatly enjoyed. This year their theme was Grammar Schools,starting with the background history of their development and then the history of their own school whichcelebrates its 70th anniversary next year. They followed on with arguments for and against grammar schools,bearing in mind Theresa May's proposals. The presentation ended with a very lively forum with the membersin which the students acquitted themselves very well. It was a most enjoyable afternoon and so good tomeet the young people who were a great credit to their school.Our Christmas meeting on December 12 will be a general gathering with mince pies and mulled wine, andreminiscences from Christmases past and family treasures.We have a full programme for 2017, commencing with:January 9 Dr. John Parry A Background History of the Islamic StateFebruary 13 Stuart King The History of the Windsor ChairMarch 13 Jim Matthews Brickmaking in the ChilternsThe programme can be subject to change.

History Claire Paterson & Ian Hutt

I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan Island, but it turned out to be an opticalAleutian.


We completed Contatti 1 in November so we are finally ready to move on to a combination ofthe BBC book ‘Talk Italian’ and ‘Contatti 2’ for the future.Please contact the Convenor if you are interested in joining us - some knowledge of Italian isdesirable and new members will be made very welcome.We plan to meet at the White Hill Centre, as usual, on the first and third Thursdays of the

month at 2.30, finishing with some Prosecco and panettonne.

All types of jazz and blues are covered: Armstrong to Basie, Ella to Peyroux. We have excellentprofessional and non-professional speakers using a wide variety of audio and visual equipment.Members share their knowledge and enthusiasm in an informal relaxed atmosphere. We meeton the last Tuesday of the month at 2:00 pm in The Owen Room, Amersham Free Church,Woodside Road, Amersham, HP6 6AJ.Meetings for 2017 :

January 31 Members’ Choice: Bring along a CD track based on the theme of cities or placesFebruary 28 Colin O’Rourke - Welcome to the Jazz CaféMarch 28 Barbara Jay Whittle - The Ball, Barber and Bilk storyIt is our intention to organize a special visit to the National Jazz Archive in the New Year and your feedbackand expressions of interest would be appreciated.Please contact one of the Convenors if you have any questions.

Mah Jong is a game played with tiles and originated in China. It’s a very sociable and fungame played by 2, 3 or 4 people. There is no competition involved as each person playstheir own game and any mistakes are easily hidden! Don't worry if you haven't playedbefore; if you have ever played the simplest of card games you will quickly pick up thebasics of Mah Jong. This is a friendly group of people who enjoy each other’s companyfor an afternoon, playing, chatting with a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit. Anyone is

welcome, from beginners to more experienced players. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays (except BankHolidays) at 2.00pm in The Free Church, Amersham.

The MOTOs have been very busy since our last report, having made visits to view '90 years of the Queen'sWardrobe' at Buckingham Palace, the 'Sunken Cities - Egypt's Lost Worlds' exhibition at the British Museumand the Georgia O'Keefe paintings at Tate Modern together with a delicious lunch in the restaurant in thenew extension. We also took advantage of tours around The Bury, the Quaker Meeting House and CheshamMosque, all specially opened to visitors for Chesham Heritage Day. In addition, a couple of us are lookingforward to a performance of a new ballet by the Vienna Festival Ballet Company at the Elgiva Theatre, CheshamOur programme of Sunday lunches has continued with outings to The Crown, Ley Hill, The Polecat, Prestwoodand The Two Brewers, Chipperfield. We are looking forward to our festive Christmas lunch at La Rucola, LittleChalfont.The group’s monthly planning meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month at 11am over coffee atCafe Nero in Chesham. Lunches in the planning stage for January will be at the Nag's Head, Amersham andThe Gate, Chorleywood.

Italian Beginners Jo Hughes

Jazz Appreciation Alan Crussell & Danny Robins

Mah-Jong Julie Wolstenholme

MOTO (Members On Their Own) Mo Barnes

Copy date for the next Newsletter is 22nd February 2017December 2016 - February 2017 16

South Bucks U3A shows Blu-ray/DVD recordings in the Beacon Theatre, Holtspur Way, Holtspur, BeaconsfieldHP9 1RJ on the 4th Friday of the month at 2pm. Members of other U3As are invited to attend.December 2016 - no programme as 4th Friday of the month falls into Christmas.January 27th 2017 - Opera - 'Nina' or ‘The Girl Driven Mad with Love’ by Giovanni Paisiello (1741-1816). CeciliaBartolli as Nina and Jonas Kaufmann as Lindoro. Run time 121 minutes. Sung in Italian with English subtitlesfrom Zurich Opera in 2002.February 24th - Check on the South Bucks U3A web site: u3asites.org.uk/south-bucks

The Patchwork and Quilting Group meets twice a month for ten months of the year with nomeetings in August and usually only one meeting plus a pub lunch in December. On the firstWednesday, 9.30am until 12 noon, we meet at the house of the Convenor in Hyde Heath.This is a discussion and show and tell session with members encouraged to bring along anywork with which they are having problems. On the third Wednesday we sew from 9.30am

until 3.30 pm in Hyde Heath Village Hall. Small charges of £1.50 (first Wednesday) and £4 (third Wednesday)are made to cover photocopying, refreshments, other incidentals and the fee to a gentleman who puts outand clears away our tables at the village hall.The 16th November saw us welcome back Sheila Wilkinson who is well known for her scrap quilts. She tookus through how to use our scraps to achieve a quilt that appears to be woven. Many blocks were started inan array of different colours so it will be most interesting to see the finished products, whether they are assmall as a cushion or bag or progress to a quilt. After our last sewing day of the year on 30th November whenwe made a fabric covered Christmas tree, we have one final meeting before Christmas on 7th December. Wego out for our Christmas lunch on 14th December.Our meetings start again on 4th January and proceed as normal with first and third Wednesdays except forthe meeting on the 15th February which is cancelled because the hall is being decorated. In addition to thenormal March meetings we have an extra sewing day in the village hall on 29th in lieu of our missed day inFebruary. I anticipate meetings to continue as normal for the rest of the year except for August when nomeetings are scheduled. As we have had this year, there will be an extra sewing day on Wednesday 29thNovember to compensate for no sewing day in December.Members are encouraged to demonstrate to each other. In January Dee Watson has kindly volunteered todemonstrate how to use continuous zips. Perhaps this may encourage everyone to put zips in their cushions.A later topic will be free motion machine quilting.New members are welcome (although with one new member about to join us it may be necessary to start awaiting list). Please email or telephone the Convenor for further information. Experience of sewing, but notnecessarily patchwork, is an advantage, as is the possession of and familiarity with a sewing machine.

We have now finished our summer programme of field trips and look forward to avariety of indoor meetings over the winter.We meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 2.00 pm in Little Chalfont VillageHall and new members are always welcome regardless of experience and ability.

Dec. 21st Joint Christmas meeting with the Digital Imaging Group with members having a chance for ‘five minutes of fame’ showing off their work to the groupJan. 18th Plant and Garden Photography – a talk by Gill FergusonFeb. 15th Visit to Roger Longdin’s studio in Great Missenden

Opera & Dance South Bucks U3A

Patchwork & Quilting Margaret Payne

Photography Keith Hoffmeister


Pilates 1 and Pilates 2 are both going well. Most of us are beginners so our instructor,Sue, has taken us back to basics and we have been concentrating on the 5 principles ofPilates: Centering, Control, Breathing, Flow, Precision and Concentration. We are makinggood progress and enjoying it. We are all trying to achieve brushing our teeth whilstbalancing on one leg using our core to give us strength and balance; six packs are in themaking!!!

Both classes are currently full with a small waiting list; this may change between the end of this term inDecember and the start of the next one in January. If you are interested in joining, please let us know andwe will keep you informed.None of the gentlemen who showed an interest took up the offer of a place so we are all ladies at the moment.The standard of both classes is the same but Pilates 1 meets at 12:30 and Pilates 2 at 2:00 pm on a Mondayin the Jubilee Hall, Rectory Hill, Amersham.

The group has met twice in the last 3 months. We have agreed that we will share the job of choosing a playto read and are in the process of doing that. We will not meet again until January and we will continue tohave our meetings in a member's home as before. We do not have a Convenor as such at present; if youwould like to join this group, please contact the Groups Coordinators.

Our September meeting was on the poetry of Walter de la Mare and we read some of his very well knownpoems such as “Silver”, “Autumn” and “The Listeners” as well as a few of his lesser known works whichchanged in style over the course of his life.October found us reading and discussing the poetry of two great American poets, Robert Frost (who lived inBeaconsfield for a few years before WWI) and Richard Wilbur. Both achieved high honours for their poetryin the USA and they both wrote about familiar everyday subjects around them, especially autumn trees andwinter snow. Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” was analysed for its hidden meanings and Wilbur’s “The FireTruck” brought the noise to life!In November we enjoyed William Wordsworth’s famous poetry. The places he lived in strongly influencedhis poetry, with the scenery of the Lake District, Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley all vividly portrayed. Hisvisits to London inspired him to write “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge”.Future Meetings are:26 January Rudyard Kipling23 February John Masefield23 March To be confirmed

We meet on the third Friday of the month at 10 a.m. at the White Hill Centre, Chesham.Our September meeting was a visit to Bekonscot Model Railway and Village on anextremely wet Friday. We were given a very interesting explanation of the history of therailway and how it is operated. We also had a ride on the garden railway there and wereshown the workshop. Our thanks to Brin Harvey for arranging this.

In October, Patrick Griffin from Crossrail, gave an illustrated talk on the background and development ofCrossrail which was appreciated by a large audience. We learnt about the practical difficulties in tunnellingthrough a very heavily built-up area. This in turn gave archaeologists the opportunity to discover much aboutburial sites, particularly in the Liverpool Street area.

Pilates Angela Bratton & Christine Ross

Play Reading Vacant

Poetry Christine Ogborne

Railways Geoff Povey & Eric Magson


Next meetings:16th December DVDs and Christmas social27th January Visit to LT Museum at Acton (fully booked)17th February Talk on Gresley A4 locosIf you are interested in joining us, please contact the Convenor.

We meet at 2pm on the third Monday of each month at the Amersham Free Church,Woodside Road, Amersham HP6 6AJ. Emails directed to [email protected] will beseen by all three members of our steering committee.

Dec 19th Quiz with drinks and nibblesJan & Feb 2017 tba

On Sunday, 27th November several members of the group joined with over 3000 singers fromthe UK and abroad to perform at THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. We were all there to sing The Messiahfrom Scratch which provides an opportunity for amateur and professional choristers to join inwith the choruses from this awe inspiring work by Handel. All proceeds from the performanceare donated to the Heart Foundation. After months of practising at home along with YouTube

and CDs we headed off enthusiastically. The chaps had scrubbed up well and were dressed to impress intheir sartorial best while the girls, as usual, looked effortlessly chic and elegant. We were not disappointed.The venue is so iconic and we all felt very privileged to be part of this fantastic experience. We sang ourhearts out and were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sound from the singers and the orchestra. It wasan uplifting, emotional and never to be forgotten evening.Next term our repertoire will be much more lighthearted and less challenging, including pieces from musicals,popular songs and songs from other cultures.If you enjoy singing and would like to join our friendly, lively group next term then please contact one of theConvenors. There is no audition ordeal and, although the ability to read music is an advantage, it is not arequirement and many of the members learn the songs by rote. The emphasis is on enjoyment and, hopefully,improvement. You will be given lots of support from our helpful members.Next term begins on Monday, 9th January. We meet at Amersham Free Church every Monday evening from5.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. There is a small charge for tuition fees.

We meet twice a month at the home of the Convenor and cover a range of topics as wellas having a general chat. Unfortunately we are full at the moment, as numbers are limitedby the venue and the need to keep everyone involved.

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our September meeting as we could not form a sufficientquorum. You may well deduce that we are looking for more members – so please feel free tocome along. This newsletter is too early for our November meeting but we will be pleased towelcome John Gover who is returning to reminisce on his Dutch collection and revisit hisfascinating insight into the Channel Islands.

Science & Technology Mike Christianson, Allan Saunders, Peter Twist

Singing for Pleasure Stephanie Rothwell & Angela Bratton

Spanish Conversation (Intermediate) Hilary Alleston

Stamps John Small


January will welcome Brian Feakes whose topic is British postal history and may well also take us on a triparound Germany. We have also lined up several other speakers who will continue our exploration of thehistory, geography and politics of countries around the world.Meetings are normally held on the 4th Monday bi-monthly; please join us to spend an occasional sociableafternoon developing a common interest in stamps and their history. You don’t have to collect them!Please call the Convenor for an update or further details.28th November Channel Islands and Holland23rd January British postal history and Germany27th March Speaker to be confirmed

In September the Theatre Group went to see ‘The Comedy about a Bank Robbery’ which wasaction-packed and extremely enjoyable. Last month 56 of us went to The Mill at Sonning tosee Noel Coward’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ with a meal beforehand. The format at The Mill works so wellfor us: both play and food were praised by many members and no-one is far from the stageas the theatre only holds 200 people.

In early December, for our pre-Christmas outing, we are going to see ‘Kinky Boots’ at the Adelphi Theatre,London, after which we hope to be able to look at the Christmas lights in the West End. This show has provedso popular that we have, for the first time, booked a double-decker coach to transport us, but even so westill have several members on the waiting list.Our first trip in 2017 will be to see ‘Amaluna’ by Cirque du Soleil at The Royal Albert Hall in mid-January andwe hope to follow that with a visit to see ‘Half a Sixpence’ in March which we will book as soon as tickets forthat month are available.Any Chess Valley U3A members are welcome to join the Theatre Group and should contact the Convenorsby email so that their names can be added to the mailing list.

Amblers walk once a month and the day can vary as the member leading the walk chooses a day to suit them.Our circular walks take between 1½ and 2 hours, starting at 10.30. We usually start from a pub where manyof us finish off the morning with a congenial lunch but this is optional. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.Information about walks is e-mailed directly to members.

Theatre Chris & Diana Aylott

Walking Groups

Members come on walks and accept lifts from other members at their own risk and carry theirown simple first-aid kit, water etc. and should be responsible for their own safety when crossingroads or climbing stiles. Our walks are on uneven and sometimes hilly ground and paths areoften muddy so good walking boots are essential for most walks. Suitable warm and waterproofclothing is necessary – we will not usually cancel in case of rain! Car-sharing is recommended;talk to other group members and find out who lives near you. In fairness to all, Walkers 2 havedecided not to allow dogs; for other groups, please check with the Convenor.Walks can only go ahead if there are at least three members present - one to break a leg, oneto stay with the injured person and one to get help.

Amblers (3 - 4 miles) Annie Barker

A vulture boards an aeroplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at himand says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger’.


Information about walks is sent directly to members by e-mail.Walkers 1 Wendy Nimmo

We continue our walks on the first and third Tuesday of each month although we have made a coupleof adjustments in December and January to allow for Christmas! We have also been happy to welcomea few new members this year. Our walks vary between 5 and 6 miles and vary in difficulty regardinghills and stiles. The group has so far been able to raise funds for 6 gates to replace some of the stiles.

Walkers 2 Sue RawboneFirstly, thank you to everyone for supporting our monthly walks on the fourth Thursday of themonth. Nearly all of them have been fully subscribed and it has been lovely to meet the membersduring the year. We have had several walks with a difference this year with one beginning lateafternoon, one starting and ending with a return ride on a double decker bus to Oxford. OurNovember walk started with a bus ride to Beaconsfield but we abandoned the bus in a traffic jam at‘The Harte and Magpies’ and walked back to Little Chalfont - our bus passes have come in very handy!So, my thanks to all the leaders who take the time to recce the walks and organise a suitable pub,enabling us to have a relaxing drink and meal after some exercise.New members are welcome as we only impose restrictions on the number of walkers on each walkwhich is generally 20-22. Please contact the Convenor if you wish to join the group.

Both Striders groups have had a successful Autumn programme with all walks taking place despite someshowers. We are now looking forward to our joint Christmas walk and lunch on Dec 13. About 70 of us willcomplete our usual Tuesday walk and then follow it with a Christmas Lunch, lovingly prepared by the Friendsof the Belarusian Children’s Hospice (UK). All proceeds from the lunch and raffle will go to the Charity. Thisis the first time we have supported the Charity and we hope for a successful event from all sides. The lunchand entertainment will take place in The Catholic Church Hall in Great Missenden, where the charity is based.We have raised over £1,300 during the year from our weekly walks and this is being donated to our twocharities, The Chiltern Society Gate Fund and the Bucks Air Ambulance. We have supported these two charitiesfor over 5 years now and whilst we are delighted with the provision of new gates which replace old, worn-out,wooden styles we are also delighted never to have used the Air Ambulance Service. Long may this continue!Plans are already being made for our Summer coach outing scheduled for June 27th 2017 when we will beholding a day out in the country for a joint walk in a different part of Southern England.We have over 70 regular Striders but can accommodate a few more so do contact one of the Convenors; youwill find a warm welcome and some regular stress busting exercise with like minded U3A members.Booking arrangements for Striders 1 and Striders 2Members of Striders 1 and 2 can book walks with either group; check with the Convenors for the details.Striders 1 John Bratton & Libby Odell

Walks are on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.Striders 2 Ian Lee

Walks are on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Peter and I have been very concerned about the lack of participation from most members andhave decided to establish a Leaders Group from at least 12 volunteers to help organise and leadfuture walks. This will invigorate the management effort and support the future of the Group. Sofar we have had a good response and we have 10 of you already but need more. Each walk leaderorganises the directions, parking, lunch, visits and keeps records of those attending each walk.

New leaders will be assisted by experienced leaders on their first walk to teach them what is required. Each

Walkers (5 - 6 miles)

Striders (7 - 15 miles)

Country Walks into History Tony Biddle & Peter Schweiger


walk/visit involves some fun in a little pre-reading or research and then pre-walking the route to ensurefamiliarity with the paths when leading the group.The Leaders Group will meet to agree the programme for 2017 in December but in the meantime Jackie Cobband Eileen Garrett have very kindly offered to organise a walk for January.Please support our new management team with any ideas for new town walks that you would like to do.11 January – Walk around Wheathampstead, Herts: Jackie Cobb and Eileen Garrett will lead us around thevillage of Wheathampstead in Herts. Contact Tony Biddle on 01494-725429 or e-mail: [email protected]

Guided Walk around Cookham, 14th September 2016This visit to Cookham was a real treat and it was a beautiful, warm, sunny summer’s day as well.We met at The Crown pub after a short walk from the National Trust Car Park at the west end of town andhad a coffee before assembling outside and being divided into 2 groups of 10. One group was led by Tonyand the other by Roger Hepworth. We ambled up the High Street to the Spencer Gallery, taking in some ofthe old houses on the way, including Stanley Spencer’s house.Outside the Gallery we were introduced to our two guides, Michael Johnson for the conducted Gallery tourand Catherine Saker for the town walk, each of an hour. Both guides were excellent and their great depthof knowledge opened up the life and artistic skill of Stanley Spencer. His paintings were always set in a localCookham scene, so once we had seen his pictures we were able to find the settings as they are today as wewere conducted around the town, which was a unique experience. Stanley was a local man, born and bred,and he returned to his family after the First World War to continue his art around Cookham which he viewedas “Paradise”. He was a very religious man, married twice and raised his family in this delightful village inspite of becoming nationally famous and being knighted. The Thames here at Cookham is very pretty andthe Ferry Pub has a lovely setting on the riverbank. This inspired another local man, Kenneth Grahame, towrite his animal stories in “The Wind in the Willows”.We returned to The Crown pub for a very tasty lunch and would recommend a trip to Cookham to anyone.So thank you Tony for organising a lovely day.

Outing to Jordans and Milton's Cottage on 9th November 2016

Once again, we were lucky with the weather. The overnight rain had cleared when we met in the car park atJordans Quaker Meeting House. Sue Smithson was our guide and she led the group round to the front ofthe building where William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania is buried.Sue explained how the original headstones were removed in the 18th Century and then replaced decadeslater because visitors from America wanted to see William Penn’s grave. The location of Penn's grave wasremembered by an old man who, as a child, recalled the grave being opened to place his second wife on top.Nearby was the grave of Thomas Ellwood who was a friend of John Milton and found the cottage in ChalfontSt Giles for him to stay in. Quakers believe in equality and so all the headstones are simple with just the nameand dates of birth and death.We went into the 1688 Meeting House where Alex Wildwood told us why the interior was so plain. In worship,Quakers listen inwardly and do not need outward symbols to guide them in prayers; everyone can communedirectly with God. There were plenty of questions before we went into another room for coffee and biscuits.It was a short drive to Milton's Cottage in Chalfont St. Giles where Kelly welcomed us and explained that JohnMilton had lived there for about a year in 1665 to escape the London plague. He was a well educated manwho spoke several languages and was a professional poet. He invented more new English words (Neology)than Shakespeare and it is amazing that he invented words like ‘damp’, ‘sensuous’ and ‘terrific’. The Cottageis small but it has many very rare books written by him. They are rare because, for a time, his work wasbanned and copies were burnt. He had drafted King Charles Ist's death warrant but not signed it. Upon therestoration of the monarchy, he was imprisoned for a time but his language skills were needed by thegovernment and so he was released to help them. We were told how many visitors come from Japan and


America because his works are studied widely in the world. “Paradise Lost” was written in this Cottage andthen he was prompted by Thomas Ellwood to write “Paradise Regained”.The Cottage has a lovely garden and is normally only open in the summer but was opened especially for us.It is tempting to revisit both places another time as we all enjoyed it. We then went to the White Hart pub,just up the road, for lunch.

The walks planned for the first half of 2017 are as follows:8th February Inside Covent Garden12th April Mayflower to Brunel14th June Past the Palace

Ghost Walk – October 12th 2016Once you step off a main thoroughfare the Square Mile is a maze of narrow lanes and alleyways that wouldbe familiar to anyone who might have lived there in the past thousand years or so. Most of those souls areat peace - but not all - and this walk seeks out traces of those still roaming the Square Mile. The leader,Adam Scott, had many examples which he blended with the atmosphere of the evening; here are just threefrom our all too short a tour in the vicinity of St Paul Cathedral.It was getting dark and street lights were coming on as we walked to Amen Corner at the edge of what wasNewgate Prison. Just a short step from today’s bright lights, this dark, quiet, dismal spot is still haunted byan amorphous black shape that can, on occasion, be seen stalking this alleyway whilst the air becomes thickwith the smell of roasting bodies. Famine during the reign of Henry II was of such proportions that theprisoners resorted to cannibalism; when a young defenceless scholar was sent to Newgate he did not lastlong! Shortly after his death the spectre of an enormous black dog was seen roaming the prison huntingout and killing all those responsible for the crime. To this day the reminder lurks.It was in the Black Friars’ burial ground that colleagues of Friar Dominic waited for him as he walked acrossto evening prayers. In today's parlance Dominic was a goody goody social climber and hence disliked bycolleagues who set upon him, not just killing him but cutting off and running away with his head. This lastact meant Dominic was condemned to spend the whole of eternity searching for his head as only completebodies could enter paradise. The headless 'ghost' of Friar Dominic can still be seen wandering the area onnights of a full moon. And the head? The church was bombed during WWII and during the clearing upoperation a single skull with no other bones in the vicinity was unearthed!Some of the cells of Newgate Prison reach under the Viaduct Tavern and form part of its cellar; a part sharedwith a poltergeist, a jailer? Care needs to be taken by the unwary and, especially, temporary bar staff visitingthe cellar to change a barrel because it is quite common for the poltergeist to slam the door shut from theoutside and shouts for help are rarely heard above the noise from the bar. Being a City pub, it's closed onSaturday and Sunday not to mention Monday if it's a Bank Holiday, so be doubly careful on a Friday! John Shipley

The Wildlife Group has enjoyed one outing since the last newsletter. On the 12th October members fromthe Photographic group joined us for a visit to the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey.The Centre was founded by David Mills in 1997 as a labour of love when economic circumstances forcedhim to close his dairy farm. He was a keen naturalist so rather than sell the land he converted it into a centreto celebrate only our native wildlife. It was truly a wonderful place to visit with over 40 different speciesfrom the tiny harvest mouse to magnificent red deer. Our group of over 20 members were given an

Walks in London Liam Dineen & Angela Shipley Treasurer: Mick Rothwell

Wildlife Belinda Catton & Laura Wyld


extremely informative guided tour of the centre, getting up close to, amongst others, red squirrels and otters.Our thanks must go to Laura Wyld (Co-Convenor of the Wildlife Group and member of the PhotographicGroup) for arranging such an interesting day.Please note that there will be no Wildlife Group meeting until the New Year.

WAG1 didn’t pass muster in August or September, due to the extensive travel and vacationarrangements of the group.October nearly suffered a similar fate when we failed to make a quorum for a wine tasting atLaithwaite’s. However the cavalry arrived in the shape of the Ross’s, who at short notice generouslyhosted a ‘Bring a bottle you can talk about’ evening. This started with a Prosecco, followed by a

Skinny version which has half the amount of sugar! It is said that if you drink a whole bottle of Skinny youwould only save 5 grams of sugar. We compared both Proseccos and favoured the skinny for the flavour.We then went on to compare a pale and a standard rosé and, apart from all the succulent fruity notes on thenose including sliced plums, we enjoyed the pale rather than the standard pink even though this was a TheNed Rosé. Our taste buds were revitalized with a supper of tuna fish casserole and then onto the reds.The first red was from the Paradigm winery and had been carried all over Argentina on its way back to England.This was everyone’s favourite by a nose (gerrit?). We continued with a Portuguese red Lobo e Falcao whichwas supple and smooth and then a Montagne St Emilion, a vineyard that produces only red wine. We thenfinished off the evening with a vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape which was the oldest and the most expensivewine but was not top of our favourites’ list which does prove a point. Looking at the number of empty bottlesand the number of cars parked outside overnight it must have been an enjoyable evening.

Where has the year gone? It doesn't seem five minutes since we were planning 2016’s winetastings. Since the last newsletter we have held 3 tastings. Jan Weir kindly hosted the one inSeptember when we 'Revisited Rio' - well, South America really! She did manage to find a couple ofBrazilian wines, but it was supplemented by two from Argentina and two from Chile. The ChileanShiraz/Carmenere was outstanding but I don't think any of us will go searching for the Brazilian

Merlot!In October, Andrew Clarke introduced us to some unusual grapes (well unusual to him!). All from Waitrose,none was disappointing but the Douro Valley Reserva from Portugal (a red) came out top. Interestingly, thelowest rated was also from Portugal but a white this time.In November Graham and Gill Hitchenor introduced us to delightful South African wines they discoveredwhilst on holiday (except one was an imposter and came from South America). By far the favourite was awhite called Beautiful Lady, which is unusual because, as a group, we normally prefer the reds.The group is full at the moment, but we do operate a waiting list (empty at the moment) so anyone wishingto join should contact the Convenor.

We plan to continue meeting at the Friends' Meeting House in Old Amersham on the secondTuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be on 13th December at 2.30 pm. We have spacefor new members and are flexible as to our writing. We have had poems, short stories anddescriptive autobiographical pieces to date. For those with writers' block we set a topic which mayor may not inspire them. As a recently formed group we are still in the process of deciding the wayahead and may incorporate sessions with established writers in the future.

Wine Appreciation 1 Rodney Garrood

Wine Appreciation 2 Muriel Gray

Writers Tony Renwick

She was only a Whiskey maker, but he loved her still.


Bletchley Park Outing, 7th November On Monday 7th November there was an outing to Bletchley Park organised by Gina Nash. We were lucky that we had a sunny, dry if somewhat cold, day.

Some members took the guided tour around the park led by volunteers and others like myself used the audio tour.

There is so much information that it was sometimes overwhelming. There were the Codebreaking Huts, numbers 3 and 6, which gave an idea how it felt to work in them in top secrecy in WWII. Hut 8 was German translation and Codebreaking. The Turing/Welchman Bombe Huts held Alan Turing's wartime office and an interactive display for the enjoyment of young and old. Turing was Head of Hut 8 and Brilliant Minds. The Mansion had been the office of Commander Denniston, the first Head of GC&CS (Government Code and Cipher School, now GCHQ). The Garages held wartime military transport. Finally, there was the Museum in Block B with the Enigma machines.

There was much more than one can describe. It is definitely a very interesting place of great history and well worth a return visit.

Our thanks go to Gina Nash for organising an extremely interesting day. Jackie Cobb

A request from Chesham Grammar School Chesham Grammar School is making plans for its 70th anniversary in 2017. The staff wonder if any of our members who attended the school have interesting artefacts or photographs from their time there and would be willing to scan them and/or loan them to the school for scanning and return so that the school can build its own archives.

If you can help, please contact Hugh Bradbury ([email protected]) or the Development Officer, Martha Ware ([email protected]).

It would be much appreciated if you can assist them. Claire Paterson, Convenor, History Group

Chairman’s Quiz Evening: the results

As mentioned in the Chairman’s Notes, the Annual Chairman’s Quiz Evening took place on 12th November. This time, there were 15 teams, totalling 90 players in all, and the questions ranged from geography to history via a host of other topics; there were also two brain-teasing Marathon rounds. In the end, the results were close and the lead almost changed in the last round, the three top-scoring teams being:

1st, 219 points: Eric Magson; Linda Magson; James Cadle; Meg Brinton; Claire Paterson; Barbara Scott

2nd, 215 points: Kath Ford; Verena Clark; Glenys Eades; Glenys Grundy; Elspeth Mackenzie; Jen Williamson

3rd, 187 points: Jill Cooper; Martin Cooper; Janice Weir; Jenny Lee; Ian Lee; Jenny Motion




Chess Valley U3A Groups Schedule

FIRST in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Singing for

Pleasure (eve) Walkers 1 Patchwork and Quilting (am)

Current Affairs (pm)

Art Discussion 2 (pm) Striders 2 Spanish Conv’n

(am) Italian Beginners

(pm) Pilates classes 1

and 2 (pm) Family History

(pm) German (am) Books 1 meet at irregular intervals throughout the year

Writers (pm) Books 2 (am)

Bridge (pm) Jazz Appreciation meet on the last Tuesday of each month (pm) Wine 2 (eve)

SECOND in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

History (pm) Striders 1 Walks into History OR

Walks into London (alternate)

Art Discussion (am)

Mah Jong (pm) Dinghy Sailing (pm)

General Meeting (pm)

Pilates classes 1 and 2 (pm) French Conv’n

(am) The Chess Valley U3A Committee meets on the first or second Tuesday of each month Singing for

Pleasure (eve) Bridge (pm)

THIRD in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Wildlife (odd months) Walkers 1 Patchwork and

Quilting (all day) Computers (pm) Railways (am) Science and

Technology (pm) Striders 2 German (am) Italian Beginners (pm)

Pilates classes 1 and 2 (pm) Books 3 (pm) Spanish Conv’n

(am) Singing for

Pleasure (eve) Photography (pm)

MOTO (Members On Their Own) have an ‘anchor meeting’ on the first Saturday morning of each month

Monday groups sometimes have their schedules interrupted by public holidays; contact the Convenors for more information

Play Reading (pm)

Bridge (pm)

FOURTH in month MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Digital Imaging (am) Striders 1 French Conv’n

(am) Walkers 2 Chess (pm)

Mah Jong (pm) Jazz Appreciation (pm)

French Intermed (am)

Eclectic Music (pm)

Pilates classes 1 and 2 (pm) Dinghy Sailing

(pm) Poetry (pm) Singing for

pleasure (eve) Gardening (pm) Wine 1 (eve) Stamps (odd months only) Bridge (pm)


The Chairman’s Quiz is also wellestablished as a popular, annualfeature of the CVU3A year.The winning team was: ClairePaterson, Meg Brinton, EricMagson, Linda Magson, JamesCadle and Barbara Scott

The presentation by studentsfrom Chesham Grammar Schoolhas become a annual featurefor the History Group. Thisyear’s topic was ‘GrammarSchools’ and the students heldtheir own in a lively discussionwith our members.


The Photography and WildlifeGroups visited The BritishWildlife Centre at Lingfield,Surrey. The photographersfound the animals to be fastmovers and a challenge to‘capture’. Photos by, fromtop: Sylvia Walters, PeterBarnett, Sylvia Morris, SylviaWalters.


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