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Winter NewsletterWinter NewsletterWinter Newsletter December 2017 No. 34December 2017 No. 34December 2017 No. 34

PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP - LITTLEHAMPTON

On Wednesday 23rd August. 15 members of the Photographic Group met up in Littlehampton for a field trip. The meeting point was the Look and See Centre just north of the Harbour Park. There is a lovely café on the ground floor, handy for a cup of coffee as we waited for all members to arrive. It was also perfect at the end of the day, for a light bite and a chance to compare our photographs. The café overlooks the Lifeboat station and we could not believe our eyes as a camera crew turned up to take a movie of the lifeboat being launched. A great photo opportunity, and all members took advantage of it.

We all headed up to the top of the Look and See Centre. A staircase leads to exhibitions at each level as you climb upwards. Some fun activities are really designed for schoolchildren, but we could not resist playing with them too. At the very top is a fantastic viewing platform that gives some outstanding views across the harbour mouth and the town.

Some members ventured into town to take further photographs, with the rest of the group following the River Arun in the opposite direction towards the promised swing bridge. When we arrived at the bridge, we discovered it was no longer a swing bridge, but a retraction bridge now, although it had not retracted for many years!

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STONEHEALED FARM

In August, the Garden Appreciation Group enjoyed a visit to Stonehealed Farm in Streat. Starting off as little more than a pony paddock, Stonehealed Farm has been transformed by Fiona and Lance Smith over the last 22 years into the magical place it is today, full of hidden gems. Situated in a back drop of the Downs, and led there by a visual delight of the East Sussex countryside, this farm has spade-loads of intrigue and history. The house is 17th century with outbuildings that have been lovingly restored to retain their heritage. The land of heavy clay was arduously dug and mulched to provide the basis for the planting, which Fiona told us evolved more than was planned into the formal and informal spaces we now see. The beds are full of a variety of evergreen shrubs, some with flowering interest, climbers and seasonal perennials. Roses, honeysuckle and lilacs are among the flowers providing fragrance throughout the garden. Silver birches, oaks, lime trees and willows surrounded us as we walked. Vegetables are grown In raised beds. Turn another comer and you are in a dell with a pond and waterfall, and with a serpentine bridge across, surrounded by ferns and plants that the wildlife enjoy. Ancient farm machinery appears at intervals, transporting you back to the farming world of old. Leaving the dell you encounter a spiral staircase leading to a tree house, where you can rest and enjoy the views. Across the main courtyard you can visit the horses and chickens. We were fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a visit to this property under the National Garden Scheme. All money raised from our visit went to charities of Fiona's and Lance's choice.

We were refreshed with a selection of delicious homemade cakes and tea, and left there with a feeling of calm and tranquillity, and lots of ideas for our own gardens.

ANN PARRY

WEST DEAN GARDENS The Garden Appreciation Group had another delightful visit in September, this time to West Dean Botanical Gardens near Chichester. We were fortunate with the weather, and after a quick coffee on arrival we set off to explore. The Gardens have been on site since 1622, and many of the mature trees date from this time. The restoration of the gardens as we see them today began after the storm of 1987. So much to see!

We started at the Walled Garden, where the fruit collection is housed within the restored kitchen garden. On display were 100 different varieties of apple and 45 varieties of pear. Quite amazing and wonderful to see. In the 1890’s improvements were made to the gardens, including rebuilding the 13 Victorian glasshouses that contain a large collection of tropical plants and fruit.

One of the features at West Dean is an Edwardian pergola. At 300 feet it is one of the largest in the country, and was also restored after the storm of 1987. There was a Sunken Garden which has a pond and a variety of low-growing plants and bulbs. There was also an area called the Wild Gardens, which includes a wild flower meadow, and which has lovely parkland views. There was an excellent restaurant, and a shop that sold gifts and plants. It was an unforgettable day out, and West Dean is well worth a visit.

GAYE SHARPE

Photos by Gwen Davies

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THEY SAY ‘ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END’…………………… I’m actually pleased to say that is what has happened to our Living History Group – the December meeting will be our last! Why? Because after eight years, we have documented our life stories and are now “up to date”. I have an enormous file (over 4 inches deep), filled with my accounts of very diverse topics ranging from “My life aged 0 to the present day”, “Holidays in my early years”, “People who have influenced me” to “School meals”, “The street door to door traders of my childhood”, “Christmas Entertainment” and “The austerity measures of our parents”, to name but a few. The Group has been a joy to run. Every month we have been privileged to read out our individual contributions and to listen to the very different treatment, of the same topic, by the other Group members. Some have supplied photographs and other precious documentation to illustrate their contributions; others have entertained us with their “quirky” writing style and unexpected “take” on the topic. What we have produced is a set of truly individual pieces of work, designed to inform others of the highs (and lows), of our lives - a legacy to pass on to the next generation. The end of the Living History Group is therefore a triumph; we have fulfilled our purpose!

ANNE RICHARDSON (Living History Group Co-ordinator)

THANK YOU, ANNE The Living History Group has been running for several years, since the start of the U3A in Lancing and Sompting. I joined the Group to write about my life before my child was born, as I know very little about my parents' lives, apart from snippets of information from cousins, etc. Hopefully my adult child will be interested enough to read about my life! The Group has been so interesting, especially for the members who are older than me. Everyone's life is so different, but now most of us in the Group have completed our life histories, and the Group finishes this December. So, on behalf of us all in the Group, we owe a very big "Thank You" to Anne Richardson, for all the hard work she has done on our behalf. It is very much appreciated. WITH OUR THANKS ON BEHALF OF THE LIVING HISTORY GROUP.

ANNE HAZLE

LIVING HISTORY GROUP The current Group will end in December 2017 as its members have written their life history accounts in both chronological age and topic based formats and they feel it has run its natural course. If you would like to run a similar course from January 2018 would you please contact the Interest Group Co-ordinator, Sue Maxwell, e-mail sjmax@icloud.com or tel. 01903 411094 to discuss matters further. Anne Richardson, the current Group Leader, is willing to offer help and support to enable the new Leader to begin the process. However ‘ordinary’ we think we are, we are individuals and all of our lives are different. By writing about our own lives we make important social commentary about personal, local, national and international events and experiences. The aim of the group is to record these from our individual perspectives to add 'colour' to the facts and figures of our personal histories.

SINGERS AND SHAKERS GROUP Regrettably after two successful years of running the Group, Frankie Wohler will be stepping down as Leader later this year. If you can play guitar or keyboard to accompany the

Group and would like to take on the role could you

please contact Frankie by e-mail on

frankiewohler@hotmail.co.uk

The 2018 U3A

Diaries are now available. They cost £2.50 each and will be on sale after

the speaker at the monthly meetings. If you can’t get along to the monthly meeting, please ask your Group leader to get one for you.

HEATHER STONE, Treasurer

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TEA ROTA VOLUNTEERS FOR 2018

Pauline Wilson has kindly taken on the role of Tea Supervisor and we are now looking for volunteers to assist her at the General Meetings in 2018. A rota will be passed around at the Christmas Social for volunteers to complete. The role is not limited to the female species. I am sure by now men will have been fully trained by their wives or partners in the art of pouring and serving warm beverages and the mysteries of washing and drying dishes! Please put your name down even if it is only for one meeting as otherwise we shall be unable to provide refreshments at the Meetings.

SUE MAXWELL

SUN SHARED LEARNING PROJECT

Sussex Myths and Spirits SUN is proposing a Shared Learning Project for Sussex Network U3As to be undertaken by various local interest groups during 2018 and culminating in a large exhibition to celebrate the work to be held at Brighton University’s campus in mid-2019. The topic is Sussex Myths and Spirits and can be widely interpreted to include traditional songs and customs, poetry, Sussex Pucks and Pharisees, Legends, Witches, Ghostly Spectres, Bonfires, and Martyrs, as well as notorious people such as Geranium Jane, the Smuggler Gangs and Bevis of Hampton. The Committee is intending to appoint a Co-Ordinator in the New Year as a presentation of our Group project is required before the event. Hopefully, many of our Groups will undertake research on one or more of the topics and include this in their 2018 programmes so that we can produce a variety of Group topics for the exhibition.

SUE MAXWELL

JAZZ & MUSIC APPRECIATION GROUP

Once again I am pleased to say we have had a great 3 months, with several members of our Group doing presentations; this of course is what the U3A is all about! It certainly gives me pleasure to see people in our group having the courage to come forward and get involved. In August we had Sylvia Ashdown presenting Jazz Club Big Bands, with the Benny Goodman Orchestra and “Big John Special”, Woody Herman Orchestra with “Blue Flame”, Gene Krupa “After You’ve Gone”, Harry James “I’ve Heard That Song Before”, Lionel Hampton “Lady Be Good”, Count Basie “Rails”, Buddy Rich “Ain’t It The Truth”, Dizzy Gillespie “Cool Breeze”, Maynard Ferguson “Roamin’ Showman”, Quincy Jones “Cherokee”, finishing with Oliver Nelson and “Hoe Down”. This was followed by Catherine Bowles with More Of My Favourites, starting with Anita O’Day “Time After Time”, Ted Heath “South Rampart Street Parade”, Stevie Wonder “My Cherie Amour”, Dusty Springfield “Windmills of Your Mind”, Count Basie “Teddy The Toad”, June Christie “A Most Unusual Day”, Dionne Warwick “Heart Breaker”, Frank Sinatra “Too Marvellous for Words”, Ella Fitzgerald “With A Song in My Heart”, and Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’”. In September, Sue Maxwell presented Some Old, Some New. Sue featured The Modern Jazz Quartet and “Django”, Etta James “At Last”, Tommy Dorsey “On The Sunny Side Of The Street”, Diana Krall “Cry Me A River”, Jools Holland “Lost Mind”, Harry Connick Jr. “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, Madeleine Peyroux “The Summer Wind”, Teddy Wilson “Poor Butterfly”, Dizzy Gillespie “She’s Funny That Way”. This was followed by our Guest Presenter, Jim Burlong, with Jazz In Scotland. Jim began his presentation with Jim Mulligan Organ Trio “You Stepped Out Of A Dream”, Tam White & Brian Kellock “The Water Is Wide”, Laura Macdonald “Always And Forever”, Tommy Smith “Star Eyes”, Carol Kidd “The Night We Called It A Day”, and Bobby Wellins “Starless and Bible Black”. In October, we had a Guest Presenter from Shoreham, a good friend of our group Cyril Pelluet. The title of the first part of his programme was One Night at Ronnie’s. This was a brief overview of Ronnie Scott and his Soho-based Club - the focal point of Jazz in London! We heard tracks by Sarah Vaughan singing “Here’s That Rainy Day”, British alto sax player Peter King & his Quintet with “Getting On”, Ian Shaw singing “Time After Time”, Marion Montgomery with Laurie Holloway’s Quintet “It Amazes Me” ,Buddy Rich Big Band playing “Wham”, Roland Kirk with “Tear”, Dave Brubeck Quartet “Summer Song”, Ronnie Scott Orchestra playing “Jordu”. The second part of the presentation was entitled Every Day I Have The Blues, starting with Jimmy Blythe “Mr Freddie Blues” (an original ragtime classic from 1918), Billie Holliday and Bunny Berigan “Billies Blues”, Ben Webster & Oliver Nelson “Midnight Blue”, Wycliffe Gordon with “St Louis Blues”, and finishing with Modern Jazz Quartet “Really True Blues”. This was a great presentation from a very experienced presenter and was much appreciated by the group! We are lucky to have had a very good year of Jazz Big Band & Blues.

JOHN ANTHONY

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GENERAL MEETINGS

General Meetings are held at Lancing Parish Hall, South Street, Lancing on the first Monday of the month 2 - 4pm.

Invited speakers talk on a wide variety of subjects, many on local interests. Non-members are welcome to come to one of these meetings to gain an insight into our activities. We respectfully ask that you become a member before attending further meetings. Refreshments are provided.

Future Meetings

DECEMBER 4th Christmas Social. Performance by steel band from World Music Workshops. The Christmas Social is open to members only. The doors will not be opened until 2pm to allow the entertainers and the Committee to set up the tables and equipment. "Reserved" notices will be placed on some tables for the entertainers, tea ladies and Committee members and we would ask you to respect and not remove the notices. JANUARY 8th Quiz - Ron Richardson. This will be a team quiz this year. FEBRUARY 5th Ann Chance – Petticoat Pilot. MARCH 5th U3A- Exhibition of work.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2017—2018

Chair David FleckVice-Chair Barry UptonTreasurer Heather StoneSecretary Sue LeaneyMembership Secretary Jean UptonWeb Administrator Gwen DaviesInterest Group Co-0rdinator Sue MaxwellCommittee Member and Speakers Sue ShoosmithCommittee Member Hilary FarnworthCommittee Member Jane LeeCo-opted Member for SUN Marion Wood

Welfare Officers Tracey Ford

Margaret Foley

Please let your Welfare Officers know if any member is sick or has suffered a bereavement

THE DOGS TRUST AT SHOREHAM

CANINE CARE CARD SCHEME

For people who don’t have friends or relations who can take care of their dog after their lifetime, Dogs Trust can help. In the event of the owner’s death, the Trust promises to look after the dog indefinitely, providing it with all the care it needs until the Trust is able to find a responsible, loving new home for it. The Trust knows that this is often of great concern to elderly dog owners as their dog may be their only friend and companion. The Trust never puts down a healthy dog. If you have a dog and are concerned about its future care, contact Lisa Herbert or Pia Offord at the Dogs Trust in Shoreham tel: 01273 466971 e-mail: lisa.herbert@dogstrust.org.uk or pia.offord@dogstrust.org.uk who will be happy to help and advise you on their re-homing scheme.

THE WALKING GROUP

Although this group has a large number of members, only a hard core regularly attend the walks. Why not make it your New Year Resolution to come out once a fortnight for a breath of fresh air and company? Marion is also short of Leaders to conduct walks for next February and March and would like to hear from anyone willing to undertake the role.

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GROUP CO-ORDINATOR

18th Century Social History Sue Maxwell

Ancient History Ron Richardson

Art Appreciation Wendy Bowers

Art Painting and Drawing Peggy Smart

Bird Watching Gwen Davies

Book Group 1 Kay Martin

Book Group 2 Sue Shoosmith

Bridge Group Brian Partridge

Card Making 1 Diane Webber

Card Making 2 Tracey Ford

Card Making 3 Tracey Ford

Classical Music Appreciation Hazel Clyne

Current Affairs Candy Welch

Easy Cycling Terry Pashley

Exploring Psychology Anne Richardson

Family History Brenda Hester

French Language Pauline Smith

Garden Appreciation Barbara Earley

Wyn Scrase

History David Fleck

Interactive Travel Anne and Ron Richardson

Jazz & Music Appreciation John Anthony

Knitting and Crochet Anne Dobbs

Living History Anne Richardson

Local History Hilary Farnworth

Mah Jong 1 Barbara Franklin

Mah Jong 2 Mary Appleton

Mah Jong 3 Florrie Chivers

Military Matters Don Kinnear

Petanque Sue Fleck

Photography Sue Hibberd

Play Reading Roger Frewin

Poetry Jean Whale

Practical Gardening Gwen Cole

Psychology Today Margaret Howard

Quilting Judie Dicson

Scrabble Valerie Thomas

Sewing Sheila Taylor-Bennett

Singers and Shakers Frankie Wohler

Visits Gwen Davies

Sue Shoosmith

Jean Upton.

Walking Marion Wood

Mike Hester

Wine Appreciation Peter Bowers

INTEREST GROUPS AND CO-ORDINATORS

The next Newsletter will be published on March 1st 2018. Deadline for articles is 10th February.

Email address for articles: u3a.lancingsompting.editor@gmail.com Tel: 01903 752419