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Chairman’s*Chat
!A!warm!welcome!home!for!the!Editor!who!has!produced!a!bumper!Newsletter!this!month.!!!The!subject!of!Newsletters!was!raised!at!the!recent!U3A!National!Conference.!!After!many!years!of!editing!Third!Age!Matters!the!editor!has!retired!and!a!new!editorial!team!has!been!appointed.!!Everyone!is!waiting!to!see!what!changes!are!made!over!the!coming!months,!but!it!became!clear!that!TAM!is!the!most!widely!read!magazine!for!Third!Agers!and!as!a!result!is!actively!supported!by!advertisers!to!this!demographic.!!Indeed,!the!outgoing!editor!claimed!to!be!the!only!editor!in!publishing!who!turned!away!advertisers.!!The!consequence!of!this!interest!in!the!magazine!is!that!is!produced!at!minimal!cost!to!U3A!members.!!That!doesn’t!mean!it!is!universally!loved,!as!demonstrated!on!the!letters!page!and!so!I!expect!we!will!see!some!changes.!!(Hopefully!less!about!Ukulele!playing!he!says!contentiously!)!One!of!the!themes!of!the!Conference!was!about!the!growth!of!the!U3A!and!the!direction!that!should!take.!!There!are!some!interesting!presentations!on!the!main!U3A!website,!but!the!issues!revolved!around!growth!for!growth!sake,!diversity,!the!role!of!the!U3A!in!the!UK!and!how!to!meet!the!needs!of!the!members.!UU3A!continues!to!grow,!but!as!was!pointed!out!at!the!conference,!growth!in!the!number!of!members!means!that!more!people!who!are!willing!to!contribute!to!their!U3A!need!to!step!forward.!!We!have!looked!at!this!issue!in!detail!and!as!you!know!Chris!and!I!have!asked!all!members!to!think!about!what!they!could!contribute!by!supporting!the!creation!of!new!activity!groups.!!As!we!said!in!our!message,!this!isn’t!a!lifelong!commitment,!just!give!something!a!go!for!three!months!and!see!what!develops.!!Many!of!the!ideas!we!mentioned!just!require!enthusiasm!rather!than!expertise.!!As!far!as!I!can!see!all!of!our!members!are!enthusiastic!so!let’s!keep!UU3A!going!forward.!Just!back!from!a!holiday!Greece!and!I!am!delighted!to!report!that!there!wasn’t!a!salad!leaf!to!be!seen.!!Greek!salads!all!the!way!for!me!now!!Robert !
UPMINSTER U3A NEWSLETTER
October!2019!
At*our*monthly*meeting*on*Tuesday*15th*October*we*welcome*our*speakers,*
Charlie*Haylock****The*Origin*of*Surnames*
Aisling*Woodhead****The*Land*of*the*Fanns*Project**
Meeting*Venue:*New*Windmill*Hall,*St*Mary’s*Lane,*Upminster*Doors*will*not*open*until*12.30pm*and*the*meeting*will*commence*at*1.00pm
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News*from*your*Social*Committee*!Christmas*–*I*know*you*just*can’t*wait!!!*Following!the!success!of!the!Beetle!Drive!and!Hog!Roast!your!Social!Committee!has!been!asked!to!arrange!the!UU3A!Christmas!event.!!!We!have!gone!into!overdrive!and!hope!you!will!enjoy!the!musical!extravaganza!being!arranged!for!you!with!the!kind!help!of!James!Johnson.!!This!will!be!held!in!place!of!the!usual!monthly!meeting!at!the!Windmill!Hall!on!Tuesday!17th!December!between!1!p.m.!and!3!p.m.!!Light!refreshments!will!be!provided!together!with!a!glass!of!wine!and!a!mince!pie.!Tickets!go!on!sale!at!the!October!and!November!U3A!meetings!and!is!open!to!UU3A!members!only!at!the!moment!at!a!cost!of!!£3!each!!!A!high!demand!for!tickets!is!expected.!!!If!you!unable!to!attend!the!meeting!please!contact!Jill!Coombes!on!01708!227452!to!arrange!payment!and!collection!of!tickets.!Jill, Pat, Ellen, Viv, Pauline, Shirley and Chris M. !*
NOTICES*!Mini*Golf*Challenge*On!a!lovely!sunny!September!afternoon,!14!novices!and!2!pros!enjoyed!the!camaraderie!of!a!friendly!mini!golf!challenge!at!Hall!Lane.!A!fun!time!was!had!by!one!and!all!and!many!surprised!themselves!with!their!hitherto!unknown!golfing!skills!and!abilities!!It!will!be!a!tragedy!if!this!beautiful!and!tranquil!site,!integral!to!the!character!of!Upminster,!is!lost!to!housing!development!so!please!do!support!the!Friends’!Group!and!other!resident!associations!in!their!fight!to!save!a!valuable!community!asset.!The!course!remains!open!at!weekends!until!the!end!of!October!so!there!is!still!time!to!discover!whether!or!not!you’re!a!budding!Tiger!Woods!or!Annika!Sorenstam!!Kevin Kilbey
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*History*of*London*Please!note!the!following!vacancies!on!forthcoming!visits!which!will!be!allocated!on!a!firstacome,[email protected]!or!on!07906a433559!1.!Houses!of!Parliament,!Democratic!Access!Tour!Wednesday!6!November!a!two!places!on!this!75!minute!free!tour!which!describes!how!the!business!and!traditions!of!both!Houses!contribute!to!the!day!to!day!workings!of!the!UK!Parliament.!It!also!highlights!some!of!the!dramatic!history!of!the!Palace!of!Westminster.!!2.!Houses!of!Parliament!a!full!guided!tour!Saturday!16!November!£21!a!five!places!on!this!hour!and!a!half!tour.!Find!out!how!UK!Parliament!works!as!you!travel!through!the!Commons!Chamber!and!the!Lords!Chamber,!follow!in!the!footsteps!of!the!Queen!at!the!State!Opening!and!be!inspired!by!Westminster!Hall!which!is!almost!1000!years!old.!*
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FOR*YOUR*DIARY*The!next!Coffee*Mornings!will!be!held!at!Roomes!Café!at!11am!on!Tuesday!Oct!15th!and!Oct!29th.!
*The!next!meeting!of!Walking*With*Wildlife!will!be!on!24th!October!2019.!All!are!welcome.!Contact!Terry!Smith!via!the!website.!
*It’s*back*W*Hall*Lane*Mini*Golf*Challenge!!Missed!the!last!challenge!or!just!want!some!more!fun?!No!worries,!we’ll!be!holding!another!game!on!Wednesday*23rd*October![weather,!of!course,!permitting].!It’s!a!great!opportunity!to!show!your!support!for!this!valuable!community!asset!and!to!do!something!different!by!playing!9!holes!of!mini!golf,!in!teams!of!2!to!4!in!a!beautiful!green!space.!!Interested?!!Then!please!meet!by!the!hut!in!the!pitch!&!putt!course!at!11am*on*Wednesday*23*October.!The!cost!to!play!is!£5!and!teams!will!be!sorted!out!on!the!day!depending!on!numbers!and!abilities.!
!Kevin Kilbey !Hanging*Hooke*and*Sam*&*I*by*Take*the*Space*Recently!we!tried!to!get!Siobhan!and!Chris!from!Take!the!Space!to!perform!Hanging*Hooke!(A!solo!play!about!Robert!Hooke)!or!STELLA!(A!story!of!women,!their!men!and!astronomy)!for!UU3A.!Finding!an!appropriate!and!available!theatre!proved!too!great!a!hurdle!to!overcome.!!!Take!the!Space!is!a!touring!theatre!company!described!as:!“This!tiny!company!punches!way!above!its!weight!–!see!them!and!experience!meticulously!researched!theatre!that!stimulates,!entertains!and!relies!on!skills!and!imagination.”!(The!Public!Review!at!https://www.takethespace.co.uk/).!!I!have!seen!Hanging!Hooke!and!Stella.!If!you!are!interested!in!STEMM!or!History!or!Performing!Arts,!why!not!attend!one!of!their!productions?!!!BUT!we!now!have!an!opportunity!to!see!some!of!their!work!as!they!are!performing!Hanging*Hooke!(about!Robert!Hooke!1660s)!and!Sam*and*I!(a!solo!play!about!Elizabeth,!Samuel!Pepys’!wife!as!it’s!the!350th!anniversary!of!her!death)!in!SE!London!and!Chelmsford.!!Sam*and*I:*Friday!October!25th!Sands!Films!Studios,!82!St!Marys!Church!St,!Rotherhithe,!London!SE16.!Curtain!up!at!7.30pm!!!!£12!!Hanging*Hooke:!!Saturday!26th!October!Sands!Films!Studios,!82!St!Marys!Church!St,!Rotherhithe,!London!SE16.!Curtain!up!at!7.30pm!!!!£12!Tickets!on!020!7231!2209!!!Or!tickets!online!for!Sam!and!I!here:!https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/samaandaiaticketsa65117620556!And!for!Hanging!Hooke!here!https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hangingahookeaticketsa65119177212!more!info!and!other!tour!dates!on!our!website!~!!*Sam*and*I:*Saturday!November!9th!Chelmsford!Theatres!!!!!7.45pm!Fairfield!Road,!Chelmsford!CM1!1JG!!!!!!Tel:!!!01245!606!505!Tickets!can!be!purchased!at!https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres/whatsaon/drama/samai/ £14 Lyn Haynes !! !!*
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GROUPS**Are!you,!like!Beattie!in!the!BT!ads!of!the!late!1980s,!impressed!by!an!ology?!If!so!and!if!you'd!like!to!find!out!about!one,!join!the!Geology!Group.!After!a!bit!of!a!rocky!start,!we!now!have!a!small,!but!enthusiastic,!Group!and!would!welcome!new!members.!!Also!looking!for!new!members!are!our!Scrabble!and!Singing!For!Fun!Groups.!!For!further!information!and!contact!details!please!refer!to!the!website!or!speak!to!Chris!Slade!at!the!monthly!meetings.!Chris Slade
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NEWS*FROM*THE*GROUPS*A*Midsummer*Picnic*On!a!beautiful,!sunny!summer!afternoon!we!got!together!for!a!picnic!in!Rosemary's!garden.!!After!delicious!homemade!food,!we!put!the!wine!away!and!got!down!to!the!serious!business!of!the!U3A!Art!History!quiz.!
Much!enjoyment!was!had!in!a!friendly!but!competitive!spirit.!!After!three!tieabreak!questions,!teams!Picasso!and!Matisse!were!declared!joint!winners,!with!team!Michelangelo!being!pipped!at!the!post.! Everyone!a!winner!!!A!great!afternoon!and!many!thanks!go!to!Rosemary!for!hosting!the!occasion!again.!Chris Mecham (Art!Appreciation)!
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STEMM*Group’s*Grandparents’*and*Grandchildren’s*Event*~*7th*August*An!ethos!of!the!STEMM!group!is!for!members!to!help!young!people!to!engage!in!STEMM.!Iain!Attiwell!created!an!awesome!menu!of!handsaon!physics,!technology!and!engineering.!!All!20!adults,!16!children!and!a!toddler!carefully!followed!the!complicated!procedures!to!build!a!hot*air*balloon.!What%excitement!when!that!first!balloon!was!launched!!!!!Thanks!Iain,!for!all!the!preaplanning!and!prepping.!Musheda!Yayha,!a!science!teacher,!has!run!the!chemistry!facet!of!this!event!on!all!three!occasions!that!it!has!run.!There!were!three!activities:!Slingshot!(launching!marshmallows!successfully);!Fizzy*Balloons!and!the!Spaghetti*Tower*Marshmallow*Challenge!that!is!one!of!those!legendary!teamabuilding!challenges!that!encourages!the!design!mindset!and!supports!basic!engineering!principles.!The!basic!idea!is!that!a!team!is!given!a!handful!of!supplies!to!work!with!—!spaghetti,!tape,!and!string!—!and!given!18!minutes!to!build!the!tallest!possible!tower!that!can!SUPPORT!a!marshmallow.!Thank!you!Musheda!for!being!such!an!inspirational!intergenerational!link!person!!The!following!was!typical!of!the!postaevent!feedback:!!Our%daughter%and%grandchildren%thoroughly%enjoyed%it%and%so%did%we.!A!reflection!of!a!successful!intergenerational!event.!A!huge!Thank%you!to!ALL!STEMMers!who!made!the!event!work!!!
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Cutlers'*Hall!A!second!visit!by!Group!members!to!one!of!the!most!ancient!of!the!City's!livery!companies!which!received!its!first!Royal!Charter!from!Henry!V!in!1416.!Cutlers!originally!produced!knives,!swords!and!other!implements!of!war,!then!the!emphasis!shifted!to!domestic!wares!such!as!razors!and!scissors!and!then,!as!now,!to!surgical!instruments.!As!previously,!one!of!our!party!was!selected!to!be!Master!for!the!day.!On!this!occasion!it!was!Albert!Dance,!(his!wife!Gloria!tells!me!that!he!has!been!insufferable!ever!since),!supported!by!two!lady!Wardens,!Susan!Mills!and!Jean!Sutherland;!notice!in!particular!Susan's!medieval!cutler's!trainers.!It!is!such!an!interesting!visit!that!the!HoL!Group!will!be!going!yet!again!in!February.!
An!impressive!example!of!the!Cutler's!art.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Jean,!Susan!and!Albert!with!the!Beadle!
*Chris Slade (History!of!London)!
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RECOMMENDED*FOR*YOU*Art*and*Architecture*This!serendipitous!discovery!is!not!useful!to!us,!but!it!might!make!us!feel!better!about!living!in!the!money!capital!of!the!UK.!!The!Open!House!entry!for!St!Botolphs!Building!mentioned!the!lifts!and!the!13th!floor.!!It!did!not!mention!that!the!international!law!firm!that!occupies!the!13th!floor!takes!its!corporate!social!responsibility!seriously!and!supports!emerging!artists.!!Its!office!walls!are!adorned!with!a!yearly!changing!display!of!art,!and!the!firm!provides!the!artists!with!the!advice!they!need!to!actually!make!a!living!from!their!art.!!At!the!moment!all!this!good!work!takes!place!behind!closed!doors!but!they!have!started!a!web!site!www.newplatform.art!!I!initially!wrote!that!it!supports!“young”!artists,!but!then!I!remembered!that!they!had!several!works!by!a!man!in!his!50s!who!only!discovered!his!interest!and!talent!after!a!mental!breakdown.!Natalie Kehr Cinema*An!Andrei*Rieu!concert!was!streamed!into!the!cinema!from!Maastricht!and!was!wonderful.!If!you!haven’t!seen!one!of!his!concerts!go!and!see!it!live!if!possible;!if!not!it!is!being!streamed!into!the!Vue!cinemas!on!Saturday!4!January!and!Sunday!5!January!2019.!*Once*Upon*a*Time*in*Hollywood!is!a!Tarantino!film!starring!Brad!Pit!and!Leonardo!DiCaprio.!It!has!all!the!makings!of!a!good!film!but!we!hated!it.!The!most!boring!3!hours!I!have!ever!spent!in!a!cinema.!*Downton*Abbey!as!we!expected,!was!fabulous,!just!fabulous.!We!had!a!great!turn!out!of!fifteen!on!the!Monday!and!five!went!on!the!Wednesday.!It!was!lovely!to!see!all!the!cast!members!and!the!clothes!were!divine;!a!must!go!and!see!film. Linda Weiss (Cinema!Group)! Poetry*Alexander*Pushkin,*W.B.*Yeats!and!the!American!poet!E.*E.*Cummings'!works!were!explored,!discussed!and!enjoyed!by!The!Poetry!Appreciation!Group.!!!Michelle Blythe !Theatre*The*Girl*on*the*Train!with!Samantha!Womack!a!based!on!the!novel!by!Paula!Hawkins.!!!!Come*From*Away!a!if!you!haven't!seen!it!a!please!go!a!it!was!brilliant.!!The!story!of!the!aeroplanes!grounded!following!9/11.!!The!small!Canadian!Island!of!Newfoundland!became!hosts!to!7,000!stranded!visitors!when!38!aeroplanes!were!forced!to!land!after!the!biggest!tragedy!the!USA!had!every!seen.!!!!Heartbeat*of*Home!a!produced!by!the!same!people!as!Riverdance!a!an!Irish!dance!theme!throughout!but!including!many!other!dance!styles!and!music!a!great!show. Susan Mills (Theatre!Matinée!Group)!
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Why*not*take*a*train,*a*bus,*hop*in*the*car*or*pop*round*the*corner*and*go*for*a*walk?*Here*are*some*ideas*for*local*walks*and*walks*further*afield.**
Heybridge*Basin!!In!the!winter!Heybridge!Basin!attracts!a!large!number!of!wintering!ducks!and!waders,!so!our!walk!this!month!was!designed!to!see!these.!I!arrived!in!the!Daisy!Meadow!Car!Park!early!and!took!a!quick!reconnaissance!to!see!what!was!about.!I!walked!across!the!lock!gates!and!round!to!the!estuary!and!about!50m!ahead!were!about!300!black!tailed!godwit!feeding,!together!with!some!redshank!and!a!couple!of!curlew.!!
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Black!tailed!godwit!in!flight!
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Black!tailed!godwit!feeding!
!!Unfortunately!when!the!rest!of!the!group!arrived!the!tide!had!come!in!further!and!had!covered!the!mud!flat!where!they!were!feeding!and!only!a!half!a!dozen!remained.!!We!walked!further!along!the!path!and!a!local!birdwatcher!told!me!that!he!regularly!saw!birds!on!the!edge!of!the!lake!by!the!side!of!the!estuary.!Taking!his!advice!we!walked!down!to!the!edge!of!the!lake,!where!we!met!him!again.!He!told!us!he!has!just!spotted!common!sandpiper,!snipe,!redshank!and!greenshank!amongst!the!black!tailed!godwit!that!were!there!and!we!were!lucky!to!see!all!of!the!above!together!with!black!headed!gulls,!coot,!moorhen,!little!egret,!teal!and!little!grebe.!We!walked!further!round!till!reaching!the!point!and!across!the!water!we!saw!a!group!of!about!30!avocet,!and!some!Brent!geese.!We!also!saw!some!Canada!geese!flying!over.!The!weather!looked!as!though!it!was!going!to!be!unkind!to!us!and!so!we!retraced!our!steps!and!took!refuge!in!a!tea!shop,!where!we!enjoyed!refreshments!before!returning!to!the!car!park!and!home.!!Terry Smith (Walking!With!Widlife)!
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Around*Regents*Park* Keeping!our!fingers!crossed!with!the!weather!we!travelled!to!Little!Venice!with!its!beautiful!houses!and!the!Regent’s!Canal.!!The!leaves!were!just!turning!their!autumn!colours!as!we!strolled!by!the!canal!through!Regent’s!Parks!with!its!wonderful!villas.!!We!passed!London!Zoo!and!walked!on!to!a!very!busy!Camden.!!Some!of!our!group!left!us!there!but!the!rest!continued!on!to!Kings!Cross.!!We!were!all!more!than!impressed!with!the!redevelopment!of!that!area. Helen (Shortish!Walks)*
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FOR*YOUR*INTEREST**
Waste*Management*As!a!group!we!have!tried!to!find!someone!from!the!Borough!to!address!us!on!Waste!Management:!what,!how,!why?!We!were!thus!really!lucky!that!Debbie!Lee,!Havering’s!Waste!Management!Officer!joined!us!to!explain!how!the!borough!is!working!to!encourage!us!to!be!more!sustainable!as!citizens.!!!Did!you!know:!that!£17!million!is!spent!annually!on!waste!disposal?!That!the!average!household!disposes!of!nearly!a!ton!of!waste!of!which!40%!is!foodawaste?!!What!can!we,!as!individuals!and!the!council,!do!to!take!more!responsibility!to!reduce!our!waste!footprint?!The!borough!runs!Love!Food!Hate!Waste,!Compost,!and!Love!Your!Clothes!workshops.!Some!of!the!STEMMers!have!attended!and!found!these!to!be!informative.!The!average!child!will!add!6000!disposable,!nonabiodegradable!nappies!to!the!landfills!!So,!the!borough!provides!free!real!cloth!nappy!packs!&!washable!wipes!to!expectant!mothers:!why?!!One!of!the!biggest!recycling!issues!appertains!to!Plastics.!There!are!so!many!different!types!of!plastic!that!most!cannot!be!recycled.!The!important!message!is!to!move!away!from!single!use!plastics!and!Reuse.!Bulky!items!can!be!donated!to!the!charity!TCL%Reuse!(shops!in!Ilford!and!Collier!Row)!and!collection!is!cheaper!than!the!cost!of!the!council!taking!away!large!items.!!Prior!to!this!talk!I!was!of!the!thinking!that!it!was!up!to!the!refuse!companies!to!dispose!of!items!that!I!believe!should!be!recyclable.!Debbie!reminded!us!to!read!the!items!as!listed!on!the!orange!bags!and!adhere!to!bagging!only!these.!So,!the!Kerbside!recycling!materials!include:!Plastic!bottles,!Food!tins,!Drink!cans,!Mixed!paper,!card!and!cardboard,!Small!electrical!appliances,!Household!batteries.!Other!items!can!be!disposed!of!in!one!of!the!47!recycling!bring!bank!sites!within!Havering.!These!include!Cartons!(Tetra),!Mixed!glass!(bottles!&!jars),!Mixed!textiles!and!clothes,!Paper,!Plastics,!cans!&!tins.!But!then,!you!knew!all!this!!Is!Havering!making!headway!with!waste!management?!It!would!seem,!Yes,!as!their!recycling!rate!is!38%,!which!is!the!highest!within!the!East!London!Waste!Authority.!Behaving!more!sustainably!is!something!that!STEMMers!now!do!naturally:!we!all!bring!our!own!drinking!vessels!to!meetings!significantly!reducing!the!number!of!nonarecyclable!‘paper’!cups!we!dispose!of.!!Waste!management!could!be!a!really!dry!topic.!Thankfully!Debbie!was!able!to!engage!with!us!in!such!a!way!enabling!us!to!learn,!remember!(and,!like!me,!amend!our!recycling!ways)!during!a!really!enjoyable!STEMM!event. Lyn Haynes (STEMM)! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
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Open*House*Ramblings**
Unlike!last!year!when!I!visited!venues!north!of!the!Thames,!this!year!it!was!south!of!the!Thames.!The!events!were!all!in!the!London!Borough!of!Southwark!or,!in!the!days!of!some!of!my!ancestors,!Surrey.!!Sands*Films,!located!in!Rotherhithe,!is!unique!because!it!runs!its!own!studios,!prop!and!costume!workshop,!sets,!cutting!room,!cinema!and!all!the!various!services!needed!to!make!films.!It!was!opened!in!1975.The!building!was!formerly!a!granary.!There!were!racks!and!racks!of!costumes!–!kept!for!hiring!out.!Those!on!display!included!a!dress!used!for!Little!Dorrit!and!a!cloak!for!Wolf!Hall.!There!was!even!a!cabinet!housing!Mud!Larking!finds.!The!granary!houses!the!Rotherhithe!Picture!Research!Library!that!is!freely!available!to!anyone!wishing!to!do!picture!research.!Thank!you!to!the!four!page!handout!that!was!extensively!used!in!preparing!this!article.!Group!visits!are!available!by!arrangement.!www.sandsfilms.co.uk!
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Canada*Water*Library!according!to!Open!House!is!an!inverted!pyramid!form.!The!architect!is!Piers!Gough,!partner!at!CZWG!and!the!library!opened!in!November!2011.!It!also!houses!meeting!rooms,!IT!work!areas!and!a!cinema.!Personally!what!stood!out!is!the!spiral!timber!clad!staircase!that!connects!the!three!floors!and!also!when!viewed!outside!projections!form!part!of!the!circular!IT!work!area.!
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Started!in!2017,!the!Small*Beer*Brew*Co.!is!a!small!brewery!in!South!Bermondsey,!specialising!in!brewing!beer!between!0.5!and!2.8%!ABV.!There!was!a!short!tour!of!the!site!plus!refreshing!samplings!in!their!tap!room!(site!tours!at!other!times!can!be!arranged).!The!brewing!process!is!
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carried!out!in!stainless!steel!equipment!and!pipework!with!hygienic!fittings.!Bottling!and!canning!are!carried!out!off!site,!each!by!a!third!party!company.!The!Small!Beer!Brew!Company’s!aim!is!to!have!a!low!carbon!footprint.!To!help!achieve!this!100%!electricity!comes!from!the!wind,!sun!and!sea!and!labels,!boxes!and!business!cards!are!all!made!from!100%!recycled!material.!!
Located!of!the!Old!Kent!Road!is!the!Southwark*Integrated*Waste*Management*Facility!that!was!constructed!by!Veolia.!The!facility!includes!a!Materials!Recovery!Facility!and!a!Mechanical!Biological!Treatment!Facility,!a!public!Reuse!and!Recycling!Centre!and!an!Education!and!Visitor!Centre.!For!Open!House!I!went!on!a!tour!round!the!Materials!Recovery!Facility.!There!were!other!attractions!e.g.!cycle!repair!shop!and!steel!band.!Togged!up!in!safety!gear!and!after!a!second!safety!briefing!our!group!entered!the!MRF.!This!facility!handles!household!black!bag!rubbish.!Batteries!should!not!be!put!in!the!black!bag!for!safety!reasons!alithion!ones!have!caused!fires.!There!are!both!mechanical!and!manual!separations,!the!latter!to!remove!any!material!that!is!not!caught!by!mechanical!means.!This!achieves!a!much!better!price!for!the!bundled!paper/card!and!aluminium!cans.!There!is!extensive!use!of!mechanical!conveyors!and,!for!the!separation!of!ferrous!/!nonferrous!metals,!powerful!electromagnets!are!used.!Anyone!with!a!pacemaker!is!not!allowed!in!the!area!with!electromagnets.!Plastics!are!sent!to!Veolia,!Rainham,!Essex!as!they!have!facilities!for!separating!some!types!of!plastic.!No!photography!is!allowed!in!this!area!on!the!basis!that!the!camera!/!smartphone!would!not!be!recovered.!Is!the!real!reason!that!smartphones!and!some!cameras!have!lithium/lithion!batteries?!! Russ
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SHRUNKEN*HEADS*!After!our!delightful!visit!to!Charterhouse!in!September,!two!of!us!went!to!the!Wellcome!Collection!in!Euston!to!see!the!exhibition!of!magic!that!was!on!at!the!time.!While!there!we!joined!what!we!thought!was!a!tour!of!the!collections!but!turned!out!to!be!a!specialist!talk!on!the!subject!of!shrunken!heads.!!The!collection!includes!a!cabinet!full!of!real!examples!(shown!below).!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Headashrinking!was!practised!by!only!a!few!scattered!tribes!in!Ecuador!and!Peru.!There!is!little!information!available!about!this!peculiar!activity!but!it!seems!it!was!still!being!practised!as!late!as!the!first!half!of!the!20th!Century.!It!appears!to!have!been!done!mainly!for!religious!purposes:!to!harness!the!spirit!of!the!enemy!you!had!killed!in!battle!and!to!prevent!his!soul!from!avenging!his!death.!The!heads!were!also!displayed!as!a!warning!to!new!enemies.!!We!were!told!in!detail!how!the!process!was!carried!out.!I!don’t!think!this!is!an!appropriate!place!in!which!to!repeat!all!this!but!suffice!to!say,!the!skull!is!carefully!removed!then!the!remains!are!boiled!with!tanning!herbs!until!the!flesh!has!shrunk!to!the!required!size!then!the!skin!is!reashaped!over!a!wooden!ball!to!preserve!the!features!of!the!victim.!When!made!for!ritual!purposes!the!head!was!then!displayed!for!a!while!(a!couple!of!years!they!think)!until!the!spirit!was!deemed!to!have!no!further!potency.!It!would!then!be!passed!on!to!the!children!of!the!tribe!to!be!used!as!a!plaything!then!eventually!discarded.!!Early!in!the!20th!Century!a!trade!in!shrunken!heads!grew!up!and!many!fake!heads!were!produced!to!meet!the!tourist!demand.!Almost!all!female!heads!are!fakes!because!women!were!not!usually!killed!in!battle.!Some!of!the!fakes!were!made!from!nonahuman!primates!and!others!from!corpses!raided!from!funeral!parlours!and!graves.!Nowadays,!many!fakes!are!made!from!plastic!and!are!available!for!sale!on!Amazon!!Some!reputable!museums!have!returned!their!genuine!heads!to!Ecuador!in!recent!years!in!respect!of!the!fact!that!these!are!parts!of!real!people.!!Note:!If!you!are!not!familiar!with!the!Wellcome!Collection!I!can!strongly!recommend!that!you!visit!occasionally.!They!have!an!interesting!permanent!collection!as!well!as!a!frequentlyachanging!selection!of!temporary!exhibitions!–!all!generally!in!the!area!of!health!(both!mental!and!physical).!Almost!everything!is!free!and!there!is!no!need!to!book.!Pamela Freer
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AND*FINALLY…!!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once!upon!a!time!there!was!a!King!who!wanted!to!go!fishing.!He!called!the!royal!weather!forecaster!and!inquired!as!to!the!forecast!for!the!next!few!hours.!The!weatherman!assured!him!that!there!was!no!chance!of!rain!in!the!coming!days.!So,!the!King!went!fishing!with!his!wife,!the!Queen.!On!the!way!he!met!a!farmer!on!his!donkey.!Upon!seeing!the!King!the!farmer!said,!“Your!Majesty,!you!should!return!to!the!palace!at!once!because!in!just!a!short!time!I!expect!s!huge!amount!of!rain!to!fall!in!this!area”.!The!King!was!polite!and!considerate,!he!replied:!“I!hold!the!palace!meteorologist!in!high!regard.!He!is!an!extensively!educated!and!experienced!professional!and!besides,!I!pay!him!very!high!wages.!He!gave!me!a!very!different!forecast,!I!trust!him!and!I!will!continue!on!my!way”.!So!he!continued!on!his!way!and!a!short!time!later!torrential!rain!fell!from!the!sky.!The!King!and!Queen!were!totally!soaked!and!their!entourage!chuckled!upon!seeing!them!in!such!a!shameful!condition.!Furious,!the!King!returned!to!the!palace!and!gave!the!order!to!fire!the!weatherman!at!once.!He!summoned!the!farmer!and!offered!him!the!prestigious!and!highapaying!role!of!royal!forecaster.!The!farmer!said,!“Your!Majesty,!I!do!not!know!anything!about!forecasting.!I!obtain!my!information!from!my!donkey.!if!I!see!his!ears!drooping!it!means!with!certainty!that!it!will!rain”.!So!the!King!hired!the!donkey!and!so!began!the!practice!of!hiring!stupid!asses!to!work!in!the!government!and!occupy!its!highest!and!most!influential!positions.!!
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THE*BENEFITS*OF*AGEING*!The!benefits!of!ageing!aren’t!always!plain!to!see,!with!greying!hair,!aching!limbs!and!loss!of!memory,!!But!there!are!compensations!not!so!hard!to!find;!think!of!all!the!stresses!that!we!have!left!behind.!!No!more!rushing!off!to!work,!do!something!else!instead!or!if!you’re!feeling!lazy!have!another!hour!in!bed.!!No!more!noisy!children!with!all!their!wants!and!needs!or!feisty!adolescents!plotting!anti!social!deedsa!!all!wanting!our!attention,!no!that’s!not!for!us,!!Now!we!have!our!freedom!passes!we!are!out!on!train!or!bus.!!No!need!to!sit!and!ponder!on!what!has!passed!us!by,!instead!think!of!all!the!new!things!we!can!go!out!and!try.!!We!may!not!move!as!quickly!as!we!did!when!in!our!prime!but!what!we’ve!lost!in!energy!is!given!back!in!time!!So!all!in!all!it’s!fair!to!say!with!age!we!gain!a!lot,!so!we!should!be!out!there!giving!all!we’ve!got,!!for!no!one!knows!a!the!day!may!come!when!we!have lost!the!plot!!!Jackie Cooper
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