Chepstow Learn, Laugh and Live!A 2017 film made by joint effort from Japanese animation studio Ghibli, and Dutch animator Michael Dudok. A simple story of a man shipwrecked on an island,

www.u3asites.org.uk/chepstow Page 1

April 2018

Chepstow

Learn, Laugh and Live!

April 2018

Cycling Group


April 2018

Chairman’s Diary Committees generally react to problems as they arise and either do not have the inclination or the time to look too far ahead to next year and beyond. Last year, while still looking after the day-to- day running of our U3A, we developed a more progressive, forward-looking approach. This year, with a larger committee allowed in the new constitution, we want to take this further.

Later this month we will hold a strategy meeting where we will look at our plans for this year and then take a longer term look at what we could be doing in the following year and the years after. If you have any ideas, no matter how futuristic, then do let us know about them.

Whether we like it or not there is a new Data Protection Act coming into force on 25th May and all organisations, large or small, who hold personal data will have to comply. You may regard this as an absolute necessity or just another load of bureaucratic red tape, but, as an organisation that holds members’ personal data, Chepstow U3A will have to comply and we are making preparations to ensure that we are ready when the Act comes into force. One thing that we know we will have to do at some point, is to ask every one of you for your consent to hold your data, but we will be giving you more details about this in due course.

Derek

Membership I am Irene Hullah – your new Chepstow U3A Membership Secretary. Just a gentle reminder that the new membership year begins on 1st April 2018. Lots of you have already renewed, but there are still quite a few outstanding. Go to the Membership page on our website where you will be able to see all the ways in which you can make your payment. Lots of members who use internet banking have renewed by Electronic Fund Transfer – by far the simplest way. However, payment can still be made at Monthly Meetings and at Saturday Coffee Mornings. If you have any questions regarding your membership then please do not hesitate to contact me. Call me on 629055 or email me on [email protected]. Wishing you all an enjoyable year with Chepstow U3A.

Dates for Your Diary Coffee Mornings

Saturday April 7th 10-12 at The Palmer Centre

Saturday May 5th 10-12 at The Palmer Centre

At a loose end on Saturday mornings, or just want to have a rest after doing some shopping? Come along to the Palmer Centre for coffee and the chance to chat with friends old and new. We look forward to seeing you there.

Monthly Meetings

Tuesday April 3rd from 2pm in the Drill Hall. The Creative Writing group will be doing a presentation to show some of the things they have learned and written about at their meetings. There will be short readings from some members and a chance for the audience to take part in a fun collaborative writing exercise. A folder of creative writing achieved by the group will be available for other U3A members to peruse.

Tuesday May 1st from 2pm in the Drill Hall. An Insight into the Culture, the Tradition and the Activities of an Indian Wedding by Sushil Nair, one of our own members.

For more information go to the Monthly Meetings page on our web site

Chepstow U3A web site: https://u3asites.org.uk/chepstow/home

mailto:[email protected]


April 2018

Art Appreciation are holding a Virtual Art Gallery event at their next meeting on Wednesday 25th April. Group members will be naming two paintings that are important to them and sharing why they like them. All welcome. Contact Martin Pagnamenta on 01594 531151 or email [email protected]

Cinema

At the Savoy Cinema, Monmouth. 10th April. 'The Red Turtle'. Doors open 10am. Film begins 10.30am. A 2017 film made by joint effort from Japanese animation studio Ghibli, and Dutch animator Michael Dudok. A simple story of a man shipwrecked on an island, prevented from leaving by a giant sea turtle, which he tries to kill, resulting in a change of his life. Contact Bill Pouton on 621407 or email [email protected] The Gardening Group are hoping to arrange a trip to the Bristol Botanical Gardens in July. The tours are hosted by the Gardens’ Team of trained volunteer guides who explain about the history and work of the garden and introduce the plant collections. The tours take around 1 hour 30 minutes and cost £7 per adult. If anyone would like to join us please contact Sandra on 621573 or email [email protected]

The Family History group would l ike to invi te you to their meeting on 19th April to learn what resources are available to begin your family search. Contact Marion Huckle 409868 or Alison Nicholls 621106 for more details.

History Group are on their Spr ing break th is month so there w ill be no meeting.

On Wednesday April 11th the Natural History/Bird Watching Group invite you to the Dawn Chorus Walk with Sarah Sawyer from the Wye Valley AONB. Contact Tony Green on 07825 470811 or email [email protected] The Strollers still have spaces on the coach for their day out and walk from Talybont-on-Usk to Brecon on April 23rd. Any U3A members and friends will be welcome to join us. If you would prefer not to walk, but to spend the day in Brecon instead, please come along. The cost is £10 per head. We depart the Leisure Centre at 8.30am, and leave Brecon to return home at about 4pm. For more details contact Ruth Wood on 624362 or [email protected]

Theatre Group 31st May “Art” at the Wales Millennium Centre. £29.50

Starring Nigel Havers, a comedy centring on three friends and their argument over what constitutes ‘Art’ after one of them buys a giant, white on white painting.

13th December “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens at the newly refurbished Bristol Old Vic. The classic tale of miserly money-lender Ebenezer Scrooge who, on a bleak Christmas night, is visited by four ghosts who present to him chilling portraits of his past, present and future. Cost including coach £29.00

Contact Barbara Walters for more details 01291 641338 or email [email protected]

If you would like to publicise a forthcoming group event, or have pictures of a recent activity you want to share with the membership please contact the publishing team at [email protected] Deadline is 15th of the month preceding publication.







April 2018

Focus on a Convener

Janet Whiteman – Convener for the Ukulele Group

This month we meet Janet Whiteman, Convenor of the Ukulele Group and a lady who likes cleaning windows – the song made famous by George Formby, naturally. Let’s face it, writing about a Ukulele Group would be impossible without bringing to mind the well known musician. The Ukulele Group, called ‘Offa’s Tykes’, was started by Janet in 2014 and now has twenty five members. They meet in her home once a fortnight on a Wednesday and have just started to learn George’s aforementioned famous melody.

Janet learned to play the piano when she was young and progressed on to playing the guitar; she has also played the mandolin and violin and although she can read music she prefers to play by ear. Her father was very musical and played in a brass band.


April 2018

She has an interesting story to tell about how she started playing the ukulele. Seeing some for sale in Lidl at a very reasonable price she decided to buy one. Doubts about its performance vanished when she played it and she realised she had bagged a bargain; the rest is history. Does Lidl know the part they have played in U3A history?

Janet prepares well for the Wednesday fortnightly meetings, organising the music and the repertoire. She organises two concerts a year, in the summer and at Christmas, playing in residential homes and the Probus club. This year they are playing in a school for the first time. The group play a variety of music including 60s pop music, folk and jazz. Janet coaches the players, giving them tips to improve and encouraging the group to sing while they are playing.

Playing the ukulele in a Quartet called ‘Big Bad Woof’ takes up much of Janet’s time. The band is an offshoot from the Ukulele Group and they play mainly in Memory Cafes. Most recently they played in the monthly U3A meeting in March, to great acclaim.

The hardest thing about being Convener at the moment is having to limit numbers, as she can’t fit any more people in the conservatory! The easiest part is having her husband Chris as a member because he makes the tea and coffee and helps with teaching the ukulele. His absence from a previous meeting resulted in chaos.

What a wonderful achievement of Janet’s in starting this group and keeping it going and bringing such pleasure and joy. Is there a more pleasant way of spending an afternoon than listening to this group in Janet’s spacious conservatory? The many smiling faces at the fortnightly practice said it all. This unique lady, who loves to be busy, clearly has her own ideas and marches to the rhythm of her own ukulele.

By Jackie Neal


April 2018

Spotlight on Cycling

Back in 2015 Brian Dunford led ten people on a cycle ride over the Severn Bridge and

the cycling group was born. With the weather having been kind over the last couple

of years, the season runs from March to November, weather permitting. However, no

one could have foreseen the snow last month, and the March ride had to be

postponed as their chosen pub could no longer offer them lunch. The ride went

ahead the following week, and snow could still be seen on the highest parts of the

ride.

On the second Friday of

the month around fifteen

cyclists get on their bikes

and ride twenty to thirty

miles, using mainly bike

trails and quiet lanes.

The pre ride information

normally says ’mainly flat,

with some hills’, those

seasoned cyclists in the

group know to that this

may not be their

perception of ‘flat and hills’

The group has its share of

keen, fit cyclists, but there

are also those who

inevitably have to get off

and walk up the hills. This

is such a friendly group

that no-one minds waiting

for the slower cyclists, and

great care is taken not to

lose anyone!

Punctures are inevitable

and members of the group

are encouraged to carry

basics, such as a pump and a puncture repair kit, and Brian now carries a spare chain

as well as a tool kit and first aid kit! But there are many willing hands to help out. It ’s

all part of the camaraderie.

The pub lunch is always a high point of the ride and a good opportunity for a laugh

and a gossip. Finding good cafes for coffee and pubs for lunch is an important part of

leading a ride!.


April 2018

You never know what is on your doorstep, and this group is a great way to find out.

Rides are varied and cover a wide area; The Valleys or around Newport, Cardiff,

Abergavenny and Monmouth. The countryside is very often stunning, and the group

take time to enjoy it. This June, the ride will cover the Bristol to Bath cycle path and

the Two Tunnels – about thirty five miles in all. Interestingly, the group has a new

member who comes over from Bristol to discover new cycle routes this side of the

Bridge.

Last June Brian organised

the group’s first cycling

weekend. Nine members

took their bikes to Devon to

ride coast to coast, mostly

off-road, from Ilfracombe to

Plymouth. Over the course

of three days they covered

a total of one hundred and

twenty miles in mainly

glorious weather, with

overnight stays in

Barnstaple and

Okehampton. The linear

nature of the ride did

present challenges, but

these were overcome with the aid of train rides and a bike shop which transported

bikes back to Barnstaple, where the cars had been left. Safe to say that this year’s

weekend is a circuit! It’s the Radnor Ring in mid-Wales, starting in Rhayader with

overnight stops in Llandrindod Wells and Knighton.


April 2018

AGM 2018 Billed as ‘an AGM different to any other’, our 2018 AGM succeeded in combining official business with entertainment and gave us the chance to witness, yet again, the wealth of talent that we have in Chepstow U3A.

Derek, our chairman, kicked off the proceedings with general notices and Kay, our convener liaison, let us know about two potential new groups: a non-fiction reading group and a photography group. We were then treated to a taste of what was to follow as ukulele group ‘Big Bad Woof’, comprising Chris, Janet, Colin and Elaine, played two songs for us. It was lovely to see that bright colours were the order of the day, Chris and Colin sporting Hawaiian shirts and Janet and Elaine wearing flowers in their hair.

Chris introduced their first song, ‘Eight Days a Week’, telling us that the title came from a chance remark by a driver chauffeuring Paul McCartney to John Lennon ’s house. McCartney casually asked the driver it he’d been busy. ‘Busy?’ he replied. ’ I’ve been working eight days a week.’ By way of contrast, their second song was ‘How much is that doggie in the window?’ Colin told us that it was written in 1952 by Bob Merrill and that a recording by Lita Roza reached No. 1 in the UK singles Chart in


April 2018

Colin, Janet, Elaine and Chris

1953 (a useful piece of information for all you quizzers out there). It was another lovely surprise to discover that not only did the band members play the ukulele, they all sang as well.

And so to the official business of the day. The minutes of the 2017 AGM were firstly

approved by the members and then Derek reported on our main achievements for 2017/18. ‘What has your committee being doing?’ he asked, or, as one member laughingly commented, ‘what have the Romans ever done for us?’

New administrative initiatives this year have included revising our constitution, updating the website and sending out surveys to provide feedback on the monthly meetings. Development of the Beacon management system has continued apace, with conveners now using it to manage their groups. Electronic payment of subscriptions has also been introduced and this is proving popular with members, although payment by cash and cheque will continue.

Fourteen new activity groups have been started. We have a new logo and a brand new magazine. We have produced posters, which are now placed all around town, and a pop-up stand for use at a moment’s notice. We were delighted when Head Office asked if they could use the photo montage from our July meeting.

On the social front we now have a monthly Saturday coffee morning and 80 members in 16 groups took part in our inaugural intergroup quiz in February. Finally, we saw photos of the highlight of the year, our successful July summer party, attended by 200 members and encompassing all that is best about Chepstow U3A. It has been a busy and rewarding year and Derek ended by thanking the committee for their hard work and all our members for their support throughout the year.

David, our treasurer, then presented his annual report, which was approved by the members, and the new committee was voted in and introduced to the hall.

Continued on Page 10


April 2018

Continued from Page 9

Official business over, Big Bad Woof started their main session, and for anyone who thought that a ukulele is just a ukulele, think again. With Chris on bass ukulele, Janet and Elaine on concert-type ukuleles and Colin multi-tasking on tenor ukulele, banjo ukulele and cajon (a percussion instrument operated with the foot), we were treated to a medley of songs. ‘Sunny Afternoon’ by the Kinks was followed by ‘Leaving on a jet plane’, which Elaine explained had originally been titled Babe I hate to go.’ ‘Sway’, which Colin introduced as a mambo song written in 1953, gave way to ‘Ain’t no sunshine’ by Bill Withers. Chris explained that Bill used to make toilet seats for aircraft and that his record company presented him with a gold toilet seat when he became successful. Who amongst us knew that? The old sea ballad, Sloop John B, and ‘Save the last dance for me’ were the band’s final two songs, the audience being encouraged to join in with the latter. It was a great toe-tapping set, much enjoyed by everyone and we look forward to welcoming the whole Ukulele Group back to our summer event. Thank you, Chris, Janet, Colin and Elaine.

Our final treat of the afternoon was in the shape of tea and biscuits. The Flower Arranging Group had done us proud with a variety of beautiful, colourful flower arrangements on the tastefully set out tables, continuing the floral theme of Big Bad Woof and hopefully heralding the approach of spring. Our thanks go to them.

So, an AGM different to any other and, in the words of one member (not on the committee!), ‘it’s the best AGM I’ve been to’. All in an hour, too!

Janet & Elaine

Chairman Derek Shottin 01291 623986

Secretary Raye Whiteside 01291 408617

Treasurer David Phillips 01291 621680

Convener Liaison Kay Mahony 01600 860199

Programme Nancy Marsh 01291 622519

Membership Irene Hullah 01291 629055

Marketing & Gift Aid Nicky Lee 07515 511365

Constitution & New Member Support Shelagh Davies 01291 629364

Membership Project Chris Stott 01291 621546

Data Protection Jill Rundle 01594 531196

Committee Member Marion Huckle 01291 409868


April 2018

NEW GROUPS

It looks like three new groups will be blossoming in the spring! Following my recent email to members, there has been a lot of interest in Photography, Chess and Non-Fiction Books (a lthough a few more members who would like to join the latter 2 groups would be welcome!)

Watch this space for more details in next month’s magazine. Contact me ([email protected]) if you are interested in any of these groups. And - great news - The Away Days Group, after a long absence, is likely to be able to offer you the chance to be whisked away to exciting places in 2018. Details to follow by May 2018. MORE MEMBERS WELCOME!

Some of our groups would welcome more members - check them out and see if you would like to take up another interest or skill. They are: Poetry Appreciation

The group meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month, from 2pm until 4pm.

The group members read a very wide range of poems, taken from an extensive time period. The group chooses a different topic each month from a list which they have selected together. For example, this month’s topic was "Mountains and Hills” and could embrace poems from any nationality in translation, and in any time from Anglo-Saxon to the present day; or a more specific topic could be 17th Century English metaphysical poetry - and anything in between! It is for those who love reading and listening to poetry, and partaking in some interesting discussion.

Contact the Convener, Rosemary Trevelyan, if you are interested - tel: 01291 628683 Painting and Drawing

This group meets on Friday mornings (9.30-12.30) at Shirenewton.

It is a close and supportive group, expertly run by Bob O ’Keefe. Group members learn from, and support, each other and, as you will have seen from past exhibitions, they produce wonderful painting and drawings. They have occasional input from an outside “expert” to help develop their skills.

Contact the Convener, Bob O’Keefe, if you are interested and want to find out more - tel: 01291 641686 Rock Music Appreciation

Meetings take place monthly, on the 3rd Friday, at 2pm, for 2 hours maximum.

As rock music fans, they enjoy chatting about the music that they enjoy and sharing

Continued on Page 12



April 2018

Continued from Page 11

their favourites with others. Each group member selects a subject in turn - an album, an artist, a festival, a genre, cover version etc, then play songs, show videos, talk about gigs and generally share their musical highs. The period can cover anything from 50s early rock to contemporary rock bands - a broad spectrum! As the Convener says - “Rock on and look forward to meeting you soon!”

Contact the Convener, Ian Wood - tel: 07767 474730, email: [email protected]

Wine Appreciation 4

This is a new group which started in January 2018. They meet in members' houses on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, in the evening.

So far, they have tasted some interesting wines and have had lively discussions - they would welcome a few more members to help them explore more of the world’s wines!

If you would like to join the group please contact the Convener, Dave Nicholls - tel: 01291 621106.

Highlights Hillwalkers

The Hillwalkers are a hardy bunch! It was well into the New Year, but Winter still did not loosen its grip on us when, in February, we were over in the Brecon Beacons, enjoying walking in the snow up to Fan Frynach. Here we are on the summit, with Pen y Fan and Corn Du in the background:

Then the end of February brought us out on what was our coldest day’s walking in a long time - up to the Sugarloaf and Crug Mawr. The landscape was frozen and looked like a Bruegel painting as shafts of sunlight lit up a sections of the hills and fields below, covered in ice and snow. At the summits, it was minus 10 degrees, with a ferocious, bitterly cold wind. The sunshine on the lower slopes provided a welcome respite from the cold and we ate our sandwiches in the cosy shelter of a bank, looking across towards the Black Mountains. Here we are on the two summits:

Kay Mahony (Hillwalkers’ Convener)



April 2018

Gardening Group

This is one of the newer groups. Our first meeting was last July.

So far some members have opened their gardens to the group. This has shown a wide diversity of landscapes and ways of planting. We have also exchanged plants and ideas.

We have made Christmas wreaths and enjoyed afternoon tea at Raglan Garden Centre and seen the fantastic display of snowdrops at the Rococo Garden, Painswick

Our March meeting was a talk by James Boyle, the owner of Chepstow Garden Centre, telling us about a year in the life of a Garden Centre. Plants, bulbs, garden furniture and Christmas decorations need to be ordered (unseasonably) months in advance. Thank you for our plants, James.

Photos and more details can be seen on our web page. Future meetings include allotments and public gardens. New members are welcome.

Table Tennis

We have around 31 players in the group, which is great, but not all turn up every week so we get quite a lot of games in during the two hours. If there are new members wishing to join, they would be very welcome. We have members with a variety of skills from almost beginners to almost professional! This means everyone can learn and it is a very fun group.

We meet every Thursday at the Rugby Club from 10.00 am to 12 noon. See the Table Tennis page on the web site for more details.

Painswick Rococo Gardens


April 2018

Group Frequency Day(s) (Main) Convener Telephone

Art Appreciation Monthly Last Wednesday Martin Pagnamenta 01594 531151

Art Club Weekly Wednesday Gill Wallace 623458

Badminton Weekly Thursday Brian Dunford 01633 400884

Ballroom Dancing Weekly Tuesday Derek Shottin 623986

Bookworms 1 Monthly 2nd Friday Diane Parnell 628084

Bookworms 2 Monthly 4th Tuesday Margaret Wigham 623606

Bookworms 3 Monthly 1st Wednesday Gerry Crawley 01594 530655

Bookworms 4 Monthly 3rd Wednesday TBA

Bridge Weekly Friday Chris Ballard 637466

Bridge Tuition Weekly Monday John Hullah 629055

Bridge Duplicate Weekly Thursday Colin Stocks 626268

Cinema Monthly 2nd Tuesday Bill Pouton 621407

Creative Writing Monthly 1st Wednesday Val Ormrod 01594 528395

Cycling Monthly 2nd Friday Brian Dunford 01633 400884

Drama Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Wednesday Lynne Prosser 641666

Family History Monthly 3rd Thursday Marion Huckle 409868

Flower Arranging Monthly 4th Friday Barbara Walters 641338

French: Conversation Française Weekly Thursday Lyn McFarlane 627234

French: Oser Parler Française Fortnightly Tuesday Geraldine Giaquinto 01633 400024

French: RONdezvous Weekly Thursday Kath Crawley 01594 530655

Gardening Monthly 1st Wednesday Sandra Gregory 621573

German: Deutsch fur spaB Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Friday Barry Chandler 625754

Handicrafts Monthly 2nd Wednesday Theresa Lee 620383

History Monthly 3rd Wednesday Marian Thomas 625591

Latin Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Thursday Maureen Pouton 621407

Mahjong Bi-monthly 1st&3rd Monday David & Cari Green 01594 510490

Natural History/Bird Watching Monthly 2nd Wednesday Tony & Lesley Green 624982

Norwegian Weekly Thursday Ruth Wood 624362

Painting & Drawing Weekly Friday Bob O'Keefe 641686

Painting for Pleasure Weekly Thursday Carol Morgan 329659


April 2018

Group Frequency Day(s) (Main) Convener Telephone

Philosophy 1 Bi-monthly 1st&3rd Wednesday James Hagens 620617

Philosophy 2 Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Wednesday Peter Shepherd 624522

Philosophy 3 Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Tuesday Valerie Francis 07789 714034

Poetry Appreciation Monthly 3rd Thursday Rosemary Trevelyan 628683

Psychology for Everyday Life Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Thursday John Plowman 07587 229163

Real Ale Appreciation Monthly Various Derek Shottin 623986

Recorder Playing Weekly Thursday Brian Fraser-Hook 650602

Rock Music Appreciation Monthly Friday Ian Wood 07767 474730

Saturday Coffee Morning Monthly 1st Saturday Shelagh Davies 629364

Scrabble Bi-monthly 2nd&4th Thursday Liz Eastham 623845

Spanish Conversation Fortnightly Monday Pam Robinson 630168

Table Tennis - Tuesday Weekly Tuesday Bob Wakefield 425838

Table Tennis - Wednesday am Weekly Wednesday John Giles 625677

Table Tennis - Wednesday pm Weekly Wednesday Emrys Thomas 620579

Table Tennis - Thursday am Weekly Thursday Melv in Green 424665

The Choir Weekly Tuesday Merv Fowler 650724

Theatre Various Various Barbara Walters 641338

Ukulele Bi-monthly 1st&3rd Wednesday Janet Whiteman 408516

Walking: Easy Walkers Weekly Wednesday Toni Wilde 01594 529107

Walking: Trekkers Weekly Monday David Lindo 625536

Walking: Strollers Weekly Monday Vivien Davies 628356

Walking: Striders 1 Weekly Monday Dave Andrews 689973

Walking: Striders 2 Weekly Monday Mike Brown 01633 882107

Walking: Hillwalkers Weekly Wednesday Kay Mahony 01600 860199

Welsh: Dysgu Cymraeg Weekly Wednesday Helen Oats 629774

Wine Appreciation 1 Monthly 3rd Thursday Lynette Thomas 625622

Wine Appreciation 2 Monthly 3rd Thursday David Lindo 625536

Wine Appreciation 3 Monthly 2nd Thursday Helen Wilson 629918

Wine Appreciation 4 Monthly 2nd Tuesday David Nicholls 621106

Wyenotes Monthly 3rd Tuesday Terry Walters 641338

Do you want to find out more? Call the convener or visit www.u3asites.org.uk/chepstow


April 2018

Are you retired/semi-retired?

Do you want to learn new skills?

Do you want to meet new friends?

Choose from 66 activities

There’s a group for you!

Come and join us.

A warm welcome awaits.

www.u3asites.org.uk/chepstow

or meet us at:

Chepstow Drill Hall 1st Tuesday of the month at 2pm

Or

The Palmer Centre 1st Saturday of the month from 10am to 12pm

Contact Irene Hullah on 01291 629055 for more details.

http://www.u3asites.org.uk/chepstow

Documents

Chepstow Learn, Laugh and Live!A 2017 film made by joint effort from Japanese animation studio Ghibli, and Dutch animator Michael Dudok. A simple story of a man shipwrecked on an island,