TUNBRIDGE WELLS U3A NEWS

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1 TUNBRIDGE WELLS U3A NEWS Chairman's Report I m delighted to start my first update with some good news. Jan Sumner has agreed to be Groups Coordinator and Alison Grace will be gradually handing over to her. We have also co-opted Adrian Twiner to join the committee so we can benefit from his extensive U3A experience. My first goal for the next 3 years is to continue the great work that Joy and Alison have achieved in growing our U3A and making it a vibrant group that people want to join. This does have the consequence that as numbers increase, the committee roles become more time-consuming and we need to find ways of sharing the workload. We also need to ensure that new members get a friendly and welcoming response when they approach group contacts and other members. Following on from that, we need to get more members involved in the running of our U3A, so that succession planning isn t such an issue. Currently, we are looking for an Outings Coordinator and also someone to take over the website and PR from me. Please do contact me if you think you could help, especially if you have IT, organisational or marketing skills. I know that these are common problems for all U3As, so I will be looking for ideas from other groups. Finally, and this is just an aspiration, I d like us to be more outward looking and interact with other local organisations to our mutual benefit. I m especially looking forward to being inspired by Eric Midwinter s talk at the July meeting and hope to see you there. THE UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE JULY 2016 Editor John Cunliffe Don t miss OUR MONTHLY TALKS at 2.30pm at the Camden Centre Thursday 18 August The Amazing Dr Johnson Tim Moorey See page 6 for details OUR OUTINGS Tuesday 13 September Watts Gallery Artists Village Guildford See page 3 for details Sue Brimlow Chairman suebrimlow@btinternet.com 1.

2 ART APPRECIATION GROUP 2016/17 SESSIONS Please note the following change of day and venue Members will recall I wrote in our U3A April Newsletter that we have decided to move to the Camden Centre for our Autumn/Spring series of talks by Liz Strang. Since then we have received a large number of enquiries (in addition to our current membership which stands at 100+). The Victoria Suite (our original venue) only takes a maximum of 80 people, so to avoid having to have a possible waiting list, we have, therefore, decided to move to the considerably larger Main Hall of the Camden Centre. Unfortunately the Main Hall is unavailable on Monday afternoons, so we shall change to the following TUESDAY AFTERNOONS, commencing at 2.30 p.m: Tuesday 18th October Tuesday 22nd November 2017 Tuesday 24th January Tuesday 21st February Tuesday 21st March I do hope this slight change will not inconvenience anyone we are, after all, only talking of 5 afternoons and feel sure you will appreciate the amenities of the Camden Centre. Details of Liz Strang s programme and the enrolment procedure will appear in the August Newsletter. If there are any new U3A members who would like further information about the Art Appreciation Group, please contact Linda Sydenham ( or ) Outing to Watts Gallery, Artists Village near Guildford. In the meantime please take note of the U3A September outing (details attached to this Newsletter) on Tuesday 13th September, which will provide an opportunity to visit the former home and studio of G.F. Watts, the Victorian Pre- Raphaelite artist. If you are particularly interested in this period of art history, please note there is to be a 21-hour W.E.A. Art History course led by Kay Blackburn on The Pre-Raphaelite Movement, Monday 19th September Monday 28th November at the Toc H Hall in Little Mount Sion, starting at 1.30pm and costing Details from Tim Auckland: or We look forward to seeing you all in October. Alison Turner or 2

3 Outing News Please could one person or a couple come forward to fill the role of Outings Co-ordinator. With 900+ members, there must be people who could easily undertake this interesting and worthwhile role. If we do not have anyone in place by the Autumn, then planning for 2017 outings will be put on hold. This would be a great shame, as Outing Committee members are already putting forward ideas for further days out. As they make all the bookings, design the forms and receive the applications, the Coordinator s role can be largely one of back-up and financial administration. Please ring me on or contact our new Chairman, Sue Brimlow, if you can help. This year outings have proved extremely popular. There were 53 members on the visit to Dungeness Power Station and nearby coast and how fortunate we were to enjoy a relatively fine day (see page 8). Also, 52 people were booked to go on the Watercress Line excursion. The outing on Tuesday 16 th August to Belmont House Faversham and Provender House is full, with a waiting list. On Tuesday 13 th September there will be an outing to the remarkable Watts Gallery Artists Village near Guildford a must for all art lovers. In the 1880s George Watts was the most famous artist in the world and his wife Mary was a fine designer and potter. Now we have an opportunity to visit their home, gallery, studios and chapel - all of which were built to house and display wonderful, creative works. The main organiser is Rosemary Rees supported by Stella Westrup and the application form can be found at the end of this Newsletter and on the TWU3A Website. Then Tuesday 4 th October will see a relaxing day out with lunch, at nearby Chartwell House, a National Trust Property. Main organiser is Robby Holmes and the application form will appear in the August Newsletter. No decisions have been made yet about a day out in November. Pat Micklewright on behalf of the Outings Committee. Dates for your diary Kent U3A Study Day; the lesser-known Churchill 10 October 2016 Please see the attached flyer for details and how to apply Celebration Lunch Thursday 20 October To further celebrate 25 years of Tunbridge Wells U3A we are busy planning a special lunch at the Masonic Hall on Thursday 20 October. As this will be in place of our usual monthly meeting at the Camden Centre we hope that many of our regulars will come along. More details and application form in our August Newsletter. 3

4 Groups Update I am delighted to announce that Jan Sumner is our new Groups Coordinator. Jan already plays an active role in a number of our groups and will be a great asset to our U3A in this new role. Sue White will continue to work alongside Jan and I wish them both every success and enjoyment. Other news: French Group 3 There will be room in this group for some new members when they restart after the summer on Wednesday 14th September at 10am. The group meets on the 2 nd and 4 th Wednesdays of the month at 10am If anyone would like to join, please ring Liz Hammond on or her. This group is ideal for those who studied French at school a long time ago and wish to brush it up again. New Dance Group Circle Dancing has been danced in many countries across Eastern Europe, Israel and former Yugoslavia for thousands of years. They are community dances in which all would join in. Wedding dances, thanks giving for the harvest etc. The whole community joining in. No previous experience or partner needed with a leader who has been sharing the dances for over 30 years. The music can be joyful and touch your soul. If you are interested please contact the Group Coordinator by 4

5 A Toast to 25 Years of Tunbridge Wells U3A We held a successful AGM on June 2 nd and many thanks to the members who came on the revised date and ensured that we had enough members to be able to vote in the new committee and accept the accounts and the proposal for a subscription free year for existing members. The retiring Chairman, Joy Podbury, Vice- Chairman, Di Brown, and Outings Coordinator, Pat Micklewright received a gift and a vote of thanks for their commitment and enthusiasm. Following the business part of the meeting, the newly elected Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, David Neve, gave a short talk on his previous experiences and how they had influenced his themes for his mayoral year. He mentioned several personal stories of how education had changed the lives of people he had known and stressed that learning in general would be an important part of his mayoral year. He also highlighted his personal dedication to supporting Beat, the charity aimed to help people deal with eating disorders. Accompanied by the Mayoress, Jill Neve, he then cut a 25th anniversary cake and proposed the toasts, with U3A members joining in with a celebratory glass of fizz each. We toasted the U3A, the Queen s 90 th birthday and finished with a rendition of Happy Birthday to Shirley Nankivell, who had rather unwisely let slip that it was her birthday. We had organised a professional photographer to record the event. Two of his photos are used for this article and the remainder can be seen online in this gallery. There are some lovely photos, so do check them out. He has also provided me with a CD with high-resolution copies, so please contact me if you would like a copy of any photograph or David s details. Sue Brimlow We welcome the following new member Mrs Beryl Bond 5

6 Diary Dates 21 st July Monthly Meeting Founder member of U3A Eric Midwinter LOOK BACK IN WONDER How the imaginative vision of U3A became a stunning reality the coming together of three powerful elements; a new and inventive view of older age in modern society as a positive and active part of life; the notion of self- energising mutual aid communal groups; and the construct of a national confederation of such groups finally, the overall impact of U3A 18 th August Monthly Meeting - Tim Moorey: THE AMAZING DR JOHNSON - Following his fascinating talk on the secrets of a crossword setter, Tim Moorey will illuminate the life and achievements of Dr Samuel Johnson. Despite huge personal difficulties, this English hero gave the nation its first "proper" dictionary. After recent research, the talk is now able also to cover the fascinating life of Samuel's former Jamaican slave, Francis Barber. 15 th September Monthly Meeting Bob Ogley Spirit of Invicta Kent in the 20th century Thursday 20th October 17 th November TBD November Bob is a former editor of the Sevenoaks Chronicle. He was born in Sevenoaks and has lived all his life in the county, He is proud to be a Kentish Man. He is an author of 23 books relating to Kent and has travelled extensively in pursuit of information and photographs for them. He was a journalist for 30 years before leaving the newspaper to concentrate on writing and giving NOTE - NO MONTHLY MEETING Buffet Lunch at Masonic Hall Monthly Meeting William Benson CEO Tunbridge Wells Borough Council New Members Welcome meeting Maximum 100 (tickets) 15 th December Anniversary Quiz/Mulled Wine etc 6

7 Tunbridge Wells Street Project The history of each individual street in Tunbridge Wells was begun by a group of keen local history researchers as a U3A Millennium Project in the late 1990 s. Their findings were stored as hand-written sheets in the Local History Studies section of the library. In 2012 a new group rejuvenated the project, initially by digitising all the original pages, and including some extra information categories. The use of the printed sheet has made the searching of the file much quicker for both personal library users and for the staff who are answering ever more queries from all parts of the world by people searching for ancestors and the places in which they used to live. These printed sheets are filed with the original copies and are in alphabetical order. The categories which are being used include 1. The current and any former street name with the date it was first mentioned this is usually found in the Kelly s Town Directories in the library. 2. The type of buildings in the street residential, commercial and parkland. 3. The style of the houses, and any interesting architecture. 4. Maps and books used. The library has a large collection of maps dating from the 1700 s to the present day. 5. If relevant, any census information, noteworthy residents, and noteworthy houses. Did you know that Frog Lane was so called because it is steep enough for a horse drawn vehicle to need a frog or a drag on the brakes when descending? That Cumberland Walk was called Patty Moon s Walk? That when Lord Astor made changes to Hever Castle in the 19 th century, parts of the Orangery were incorporated into some TW properties? The visible one is the window on the first floor of Signor Franco Restaurant on the High Street. A query for you. Why is Cabbage Stalk Lane so called? To find out more do join us on this ongoing project. The group does not meet on a fixed day; any research being done is to suit the individual. The library file has a list at the beginning of the areas currently under research. If anyone would like to join us to research any areas not already being covered, or even just the street where you live, then do please contact us. Gavin Coventry - Jan Holly - 7

8 Outing to Dungeness Power Station and National Nature Reserve Dungeness is an amazing place situated at the terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch model railway and home to two nuclear power stations, only one of which is still functioning and producing electricity. We set off on a relatively fine day and soon got to the Kent Coast. We divided into two groups for the tour of Dungeness B, the remaining functioning power station where you can see how electricity is generated. The tour guides were clear and extremely well informed. They made the rather bleak building come alive. After the tour we adjourned for lunch at the Britannia Inn for a good old fashioned fish and chip pub lunch. We were then free to wander along the shingle beach and admire the profusion of outstanding wild flowers, some of which can be found nowhere else. There are rickety wooden cottages with beautiful little gardens. Because the area belonged to the Ministry of Defence it has not been really developed and it is well worth stumbling through the shingle pebbles to explore a little known corner of Kent. Many thanks are due to Pat Micklewright who organised the day with the help of Robby Holmes and to our driver, Roy, who skilfully navigated the back roads on the way. John Cunliffe Photographs by Rosemary Reece All contributions to the next Newsletter to John Cunliffe Coombe Cottage Spring Hill Fordcombe Tunbridge Wells TN3 0SB by 31 July at the latest 8

9 This outing involves a number of stairs and a fair amount of walking, some of which is up hill and over rough terrain. It is therefore likely to be unsuitable for those with walking difficulties. For U3A Members Only Tunbridge Wells U3A Outing A full day visit to Watts Gallery, an Artists`Village near Guildford. Tuesday 13 th September 2016 An opportunity to visit Watts Village, at Compton near Guildford, and to tour the former home and studio of celebrated artists George F and Mary Watts. In the 1880s George Watts was the most famous artist in the world and his career spanned the Victorian era. Watts Gallery was featured by Michael Portillo in his Great Railway Journeys series earlier this year. It includes a version of the painting Hope which was said to have inspired President Obama to focus on politics and paintings of Ellen Terry (to whom Watts was briefly married) and other famous figures. Mary Watts was also a fine designer and potter. Her work was much sought after and still leaves people in a state of awe. On arrival at the village, we will be welcomed by Rosanna Lawton, Visitor Services Assistant, over a cup of coffee. She will provide site maps and divide our party into two groups, to enable us all to visit the House, recently opened Studios, Main Gallery, the amazing Grade1 listed Arts and Craft Chapel and shop. We are fortunate that in addition to Watts' paintings and sculptures, the Main Gallery also houses a wonderful display of De Morgan Tiles and a temporary exhibition of Victorians and Their Photographs This together with the picturesque buildings and their setting are likely to appeal to photography enthusiasts as well as to all art lovers. Itinerary 8.15 a.m. Coach departs Crescent Road (opposite Assembly Hall) 8.25 a.m. Coach departs Southborough Fountain a.m Arrival at Watts Gallery and tea/coffee and biscuits in the Old Kiln pm Group I Guided tour + talk at Limnerslease House, visit the adjacent Watts Studio and walk to the Chapel Group 2 Visit the Main Gallery to see the Permanent Exhibition of Paintings & Sculptures, the wonderful. De Morgan Tiles and Special Exhibition of Victorian Photos and then walk to the Chapel pm Buffet Lunch for all in the Old Kiln pm Group 1 Visit the Main Gallery to see the Permanent Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures, the wonderful De Morgan Tiles and Special Exhibition of Victorian Photos. Group 2 Time to visit Watts Studio (attached to Limnerslease House) before meeting outside the House (at 2.30pm) for Guided Tour + Talk. Later in the afternoon, there will be time for everyone to visit the shop and perhaps have a tea/coffee (at own cost). Then be ready to board the coach at 4.10pm 4.15pm Coach leaves for Tunbridge Wells pm Arrival back in Southborough and Tunbridge Wells. COST: 39 Includes coach travel, entrance + tour fees, tea/coffee and biscuits on arrival, buffet lunch (sandwich platter with fruit selection, crisps, homemade cakes and jugs of elderflower cordial and water) and driver's gratuity. (Please note, once we are committed to paying out money in advance, refunds will usually only be possible if your place can be taken by another U3A member.) Applications (including cheque to Tunbridge Wells U3A and s.a.e. for reply) to: Rosemary Rees, 23 Springhead, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3NY Tel. No Also available for enquiries : Stella Westrup Tel. No Mobile on the day only Members are advised that neither the TWU3A nor the outings organiser will accept responsibility for any mishap of whatever nature during the outing. Members are advised to consider personal insurance cover.... Tunbridge Wells U3A Watts Gallery, Tuesday 13 th September 2016 Please reserve... place(s) for this visit. I/we enclose a cheque for.... and s.a.e. I/we will join the coach at: *Crescent 8.15am *Southborough 8.25am *delete as appropriate I have special dietary requirements as follows e.g glutin free, (Vegetarian sandwiches available.) Name/s... U3A Membership no/s. Address Post Code... Tel. No..... Signed:... Date:... 9

10 KENT U3A STUDY DAY: the lesser-known churchill KENT U3A study DAY: The Lesser-Known Churchill This Study Day brings together three speakers with an academic and literary background, to explore different aspects of the political figure who has been called the giant of the 20th century, Sir Winston Churchill. But do we know all there is to know about Churchill? This Study Day seeks to throw new light in to unknown corners of his life and work. Date Monday 10 th October 2016 Venue Time Cost Salomons, Broomhill Road Southborough TN3 0TG 9.15am to 3.30pm approx includes 3 lectures and coffee Lunch 2 course hot or cold buffet lunch is available, served in the conservatory or dining room, You may bring a packed lunch. Organiser Adrian Twiner Tel Programme 9.15am Registration and coffee on arrival 9.50am Welcome am Jonathan Smith: The Churchill Secret, KBO am Tea and Coffee Break 11.40am pm David Lough: No More Champagne pm Lunch Break pm Sonia Purnell: First Lady 3.30pm Close Speakers Jonathan Smith has had parallel careers as a writer and as a teacher. He was Head of English for many years at Tonbridge School. His first book Wilfred and Eileen, was made into a four part series for BBC TV. In 2013, his fifth novel, Summer in February, was released as a feature film while his seventh, The Churchill Secret, KBO, was adapted for an ITV Sunday night film, starring Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan and Romola Garai. David Lough After an early career in financial markets he founded a private banking business that advises families across the range of their private affairs and became its chief executive. In 2008, he became its part-time chairman while also starting to research No More Champagne which reveals the untold story of Winston Churchill's precarious personal finances. Sonia Purnell's groundbreaking portrait of Clementine Churchill First Lady, has been hailed on both sides of the Atlantic, translated into several languages and has been shortlisted for the Plutarch Prize for Best Biography. Her first book, a rollicking and clear-eyed biography of Boris Johnson, has been credited with changing the national political debate and was longlisted for the Orwell Prize. Directions: Maps will be sent to applicants. Signed copies of these books will be available to buy. Members may visit the Salomon Museum as well as the Estate gardens. This Study Day is open to the members of any U3A in Kent who may bring one guest. How to Apply: Fill in this part of the form indicating how many tickets at per person you require, and add a further per person for lunch, if required. Make your cheque payable to Kent Network Account and include a stamped selfaddressed envelope (9" x 4") in order to receive your ticket(s) and directions to Salomons and send to Kent U3A Study Day Adrian Twiner, Flat 16, Bishops Court, Bishops Down Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8XL I/ We wish to apply for 1/2 places for the Kent U3A Study Day on Monday 10 th October 2016 Name(s) Address Tel No Home U3A.. I/We wish to apply for lunch at a head OR Will bring a packed lunch. Please tick.