There is a lot of information in this month’s newsletter so go and get yourself a drink before you start reading!
OK, you ready…Mary Duly wants to let you know she is organising a Plant Swap – if anyone has cuttings or plants they would like to swap, we will be running a plant swap stall at the November (26th) Monthly Meeting. So get gardening and pot up those bits and cuttings.
Our illustrious Chairman Dave Johnson wants to remind everyone that Weston Turville U3A is open to new members. Rumours are circulating yet again that our membership list is closed….if you hear this please correct it! There is lots happening on the Extreme Visits and the new group Extreme Gourmet, so much I cannot fit it all in this newsletter, but you will get the information via email if you let them know you are interested and in the newsletter and at the monthly meeting if you are not on email. Bring your diaries to the meeting, you will need them! A thank you for your emails and comments re the Duck Tour Trip: I am glad we did not sink and that you enjoyed it. For those of you who thought the purpose of the trip was to look at ducks: we saw some as well.
Mandi Simons (Editor)
SPEAKER: Our speaker this month on Thursday 25h September is Paul Chamberlain talking on “Bone, straw & paper – How French POW’s occupied their time 1793 – 1815” Doors open at 2pm unless you want to help set up the hall!
CHRISTMAS MEAL: As Halton House is on Ministry of Defence land we need members to use as few cars as possible, can you organise car sharing and the let me know who is with whom and the car registration being used pleased? Also, Mike Bean will be taking cheques for this event at next Thursdays meeting. As a reminder it is £40 each and cheques made out to: Weston Turville U3A (Travel). Thank you all for your assistance with this as it could become a big headache otherwise! Carol Theobald carolwtu3a@hotmail.co.uk
TRIPS AND TRAVEL: 50+ Show Birmingham 2015. We are proposing to visit this on Friday 13th February 2015, cost will be approximately £21.00 per head. It will be a full day leaving around 8.30a.m. The Show focuses on four key topics: Hobbies, Health, Crafts and Travel. We have opened up a provisional list for interested parties. Please either sign up at the General Meeting or let Mary Duly/Mandi Simons/ Dave Johnson know if you wish your name added to the list.
CANASTA: Now the nights are drawing in the Canasta group will restart for the winter months. We will meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month at the Chandos Arms in Weston Turville starting at 2.30pm and typically ending at about 5.00pm. The first meeting will be Wednesday 1st October. All old members of the group (Oops, Sorry!) are invited to re-join us as are new members – with or without experience of the game – as long as they come to have a pleasant afternoon in delightful company over a not too taxing card game. If you are interested please contact Mike Bean at (canasta@wtu3a.org.uk)
HISTORIC BUILDINGS: Friday October 10th Osterley Park and house. Coach leaves 10.15 Chandos. 10.20 shops. There are a few seats left, cost £12.50 . Entry for National Trust members is extra. Tuesday November 4th. Tower of London: Payment of £28 to be paid at September meeting.
Ceinwyne Jones
GARDEN VISITS: Very Important for entry to Highgrove Gardens. All passengers are required to bring a form of photographic id, if they do not have this two utility bills will be accepted from their current address. NO mobile phones, cameras or any form of recording equipment allowed. General information: Highgrove suggest stout shoes and suitable clothing as tours continue during wet weather. We will be leaving from the bus stop on Main Street,Weston Turville, opposite the shops at 8.30am. We will have a short stop in Tetbury, leaving at 11.45am for our first allotted time slot at 12.05pm. We split into two tours the second tour going out at 12.30.pm. On arrival the first group will be escorted from the coach, and your ID will be checked. You will be introduced to your Guide, and there will be a chance to use the Cloakrooms before setting off on the tour. After the tour you can visit the Orchard Restaurant for lunch and the Estate shop. We will depart Highgrove at 16.30pm. Arrival time back in Weston Turville approx. 6.30pm -7pm. Thank you.
Gaynor Edwards
MONEY MATTERS: Money Matters reconvenes on Thurs October 2nd at 2.30pm in WT Chapel with a talk by Graham Edwards on ‘Investment Risk’.
VISITING CHURCHES GROUP: Our next visit will be to our own church of St Mary, Weston Turville on Wednesday 15th October, BUT I need at least 10 members for the visit to take place. Glynn White has kindly offered to address us and I understand he will introduce some recently discovered information. Afternoon tea will be provided at the church for the usual inclusive amount of £5. We need to be at the church by 1:30 p.m. and away by 3:30 because the church is used by a regular group from then on. For those who need transport I will be at the Five Bells car park from 1:00 to 1:15. All are welcome but please enter your name at our table during the monthly meeting. This will be our last meeting for 2014 and Margaret and I hope to resume church visits in the Spring of 2015.
John Richardson
THEATRE: Last chance to purchase tickets for the Nutcracker on Saturday November 8th at 2.30 £32.00 Also available: Blood Brothers, Thursday 26th Feb 2015 2.30 £27.00 The Curious incident of the dog in the night-time Thursday 19th March 2015 at 2.30 £15.00 Spamalot Wednesday 15th April 2015 at 2.30 £20.00. Rosemary Williams
EXTREME GOURMET: Fact of the day. Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an empty glass (something a lot of you suffer from! Editor). As part of our recommended coping strategy – sign up for our visit to Chiltern Brewery on 24th October at 15:00 cost £12.50pp for a maximum of 24 connoisseurs. Payment (due with booking) by cheque to “Weston Turville U3A(Travel)” now due. The next date is: 20 Nov 2014 for a Nouveau Beaujolais Lunch: Tasting 3 different Nouveaus – accompanied by suitable regional quinine. Hosted by Twist,Wendover. Cost is £25 each. There are other events already planned for the next year. Contact Rosemary, Pam or Mary email extreme.gourmet@wtu3a.org.uk
EXTREME VISITS: Apprentice Locksmiths. December 2014 (watch this space) at Master Locksmiths Association headquarters in Daventry, Northants – about an hour’s drive away. £10 contribution – which will be donated to “Help for Heroes” Last year, we attempted to arrange a lock-picking class – which unfortunately fell through. I am now talking with the Master Locksmiths Association about a similar event at their headquarters in Daventry, Northants – about an hour’s drive away. The ethics of the Master Locksmiths Association will not allow us to all physically learn to open locks without a key. The will however allow us close up to demonstrations of techniques such as lock bumping and snapping. In the second half of the event, the knowledge gained from the demonstrations will be applied practically into advice on how to mitigate the techniques demonstrated in the first half. The Locksmiths Workshop is limited in space to about 30. Watch your email as firm details should emerge over the next week.
Abseil the Spinnaker: 25th or 15th May 2015 On half a dozen weekends/bank holidays in 2015, it is possible for the public to Abseil 100m down the side of the Spinnaker, group bookings for up to 12 are allowed. It is also possible to privately hire the facility for a group of up to 40 midweek and in term time. In both cases the experience costs about £85 + transport. www.spinnakertower.co.uk/whats-on/Abseiling.aspx We have sufficient interest for this event to be feasible and have a meeting with the Spinnaker Operations Manager on 14th October to negotiate a mid-week event, even though we currently only have around 20 volunteers. If anyone would like to join me at the meeting, let me know.
Extreme Campanology: Payment of £32 by cheque to “Weston Turville U3A (Travel)” now due. Finalised itinerary and logistics will be circulated nearer the event
Race Car Simulator (& Tummies): Payment of £40 by cheque to “Weston Turville U3A (Travel)” now due
SHOEBOX SCHEME: Just a reminder – if you have gathered together or bought or created anything to go in the shoeboxes for “Operation Christmas Child” could you please bring it along to the September or October general meeting where there will be a box to put it in. We are happy to accept hats, scarves, gloves, socks, small cuddly toys (with labels), colouring books, pencils, pens, small toys and other gifts as well as toiletry items (but no bottles of liquid). Many thanks in advance.
Pat Housego.
OVERSEAS NEWS:
TRING U3A’S GENEALOGY GROUP is arranging a talk which may be of interest to your members. The talk is: – Date: 2nd October, 2014 at The Nora Grace Hall (better known as The Red Cross Hall) at 10.00 -12.00 noon. The speaker is Tom Doig and the subject ‘Customs of Births and Baptism in the 18th and 19th Century’. This is the first of two talks and I hope to have the second talk on ‘Customs of marriages ‘ next year. Entry is £2. Contact: Julia Groom 01442 822174.
From Weston Turville Horticultural Society: Thank You…Thank You….Thank You to all those members of the U3A who took part in the Village Horticultural Society’s Annual Show in August and of course special congratulations to all prize winners. Well done and thank you for helping to boost the number of entries for the Show. Everyone’s efforts were very much appreciated. Thank you again from the show organisers.