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Banbury U3A Newsletter

No. 34: January 2017

Some hunter-gatherers in the Shorter Walks Group

on their ‘Blackberry Walk’ this autumn

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The Banbury U3A newsletter is published in both electronic and A5 printed format when contributions provide sufficient content. All members receive printed copies of these newsletters which are picked up at open meetings, delivered by hand or posted. For months in between newsletters, there is usually a bulletin sheet which is sent out by email and can also be picked up at open meetings. As bulletins are not posted, the small number of members who have not supplied an email address for themselves or an ‘internet buddy’ can receive them through their letterbox by sending me £5 annually to cover costs. Deadlines for bulletins and newsletters The deadline for the February Bulletin will be Monday February 6th. There should be another newsletter sometime in 2017. The deadline will always be the 3rd Monday of the previous month. Contributions to newsletters and bulletins can relate to any of our activities or be of general interest, preferably sent as a Microsoft Word file attachment or within an email, but please send them well before the deadline if possible. Photographs for the cover are sought after, preferably as jpeg files.

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Contents

Open meetings for 2017 4-5

Where can you go for an afternoon in Banbury for £1? 6

Acting Chairman’s Report November 2016 6-8

What transpired at the AGM? 9

Can I go to neighbouring U3As? 9-10

History Group programme for early 2017 10

Brackley U3A Open Meeting 11

Learning to live with the robots 12-13

Ever heard of MOOCs? 13

10 commandments for reducing stress 13

Up and Down Words 14

Quotes to ponder 15

Thanks to Vivien Moore and Juliet McKenzie for their photographs.

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Open meetings for the first half of 2017

Open meetings are held at the Rugby Club, Oxford Road, Bodicote and start promptly at 2.30 p.m. with doors open around 2.00 p.m. There is an entrance fee of £1.00 which includes tea/coffee and biscuits.

Wednesday January 11th Chris Danziger - Napoleon and Wellington -

a strange relationship. A fascinating light on the psychology of two great commanders. Members who heard Chris’ talk at Banbury Historical Society will know how intriguing this topic is, and may have new ideas to express on the issue.

Wednesday January 25th DOUBLE BILL Nigel Deacon - is the co-ordinator of the Beacon Centre -

a drop in Centre that has met in Banbury for the last 22 years. He will give an

insight into his work with the for the poorly housed and vulnerable. Dave Clark – Would you donate a kidney to a relative? He has, and tells of his experience.

Wednesday February 8th Anne Watts - Nursing This is a story both of home and war, by a nurse who took a non-traditional route to care.

Wednesday February 22nd Sylvie Nickels – “I’ll be better tomorrow” A short talk, postponed from June 2016, given by one of our members and a published author - plus other interesting delights to fill the hour.

Wednesday March 15th Julia Miles - Ragbag and Cocktail This is about the life of a diplomat's wife.

Wednesday March 29th Vivien Moore – North Atlantic Shipping The problems on the North Atlantic for sailing ships and the search for a more

regular shipping service to connect Britain to the New World.

Wednesday April 12th Bob Macfarlane - Small Wonder The story of the Volkswagen Beetle - from utility vehicle to film star, a talk that will no doubt cover many other aspects of 20th Century life.

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Wednesday April 26th Words and Music Shared learning again when members bring in short poems or prose to read out or music to play. Access to the internet also gives us YouTube clips etc. Wednesday May 10th Roger Mason - Votes for Women The history of the suffragette movement.

Wednesday May 24th History Quiz John Haywood and Vivien Moore will provide us with a more interactive meeting. More details in a future bulletin.

Wednesday June 14th Robert Pritchard – Smart Meters and what they mean for users.

All homes will have them installed over the next few years. Be ready!

Wednesday June 28th Roger Moore – From CCF Cadet to Airline Captain After winning a Flying Scholarship and having a Flying Licence at age 17, Roger joined the RAF flying fighters and later civilian aircraft for 26 years. Most of the airline companies went under, so he had a varied career!

Wednesday July 12th Carol McKay - Emergency Planning

Carol is the Principal Emergency Planning Officer for Oxfordshire County

Council, and comes highly recommended. Wednesday July 26th John Haywood: The International Brigade Memorial Trust Oxford; the men and women of Oxfordshire who went to Spain 1936 -39 to help defend the Popular Front Government against Franco.

Some plans for the rest of 2017

September’s outside speaker will be Fraser Liversage on Medical Detection Dogs. He gave an outstanding talk to Brackley U3A so he is a ‘must have’ for Banbury. In October, there will be Stephen Barker on Oxfordshire in 50 Objects. Following the success of our Christmas Social in December, we will be using the same formula of humorous talk followed by eats with Chris Bazeley talking about the History of the Privy! For the second meeting, we are thinking about including a session playing Board Games. Anyone with opinions on this one?

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Where can you go for an afternoon in Banbury for £1? With:

Interesting presentations and a chance to learn something new,

Free parking,

Refreshments,

Opportunities to socialise with a wide range of people? You know the answer!

Banbury U3A Acting Chairman’s Report November 2016

Last month, I attended one of the U3A national courses entitled Participative Learning, the U3A Way. Having sat through inaccurate and out of date theories about how people learn and then a section that added nothing to the publication More Time To Learn, we suddenly had a useful group exercise to do. The task was to list what is working in favour of members’ participation in your U3A and then list what is working against it. On the plus side, the first thing that came into my head and on to the paper was good will, followed by plenty of good practice in Banbury U3A, as follows:

1. The many small interest groups held in members’ homes such as our 10 language groups, where everyone participates in every meeting and does their homework if required.

2. There are groups in larger venues and out-of-doors where the group convenors are not left to organise everything. Although some group members contribute little, a core of other members will organise walks, visits, presentations and activities.

3. At our open meetings, there are plenty of opportunities to participate e.g. move furniture, go on the tea rota and distribute newsletters. We are now sharing the master of ceremony’s role amongst the committee, rather than just expecting the chairman to do it.

4. We are forward-thinking in the U3A movement by having open meetings with shared learning activities, giving members a chance to participate rather than just be one of the audience. As well as some of our members’ talks being as good as the speakers we pay for, this year we have had words and music, holiday snaps, legacy part 2 and technology. If some of you thought that you had something better to

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do in October when the Holiday Italian Group did their class sketch, followed by an entertainment free for all, then you missed a real treat.

5. There is the ultimate opportunity to participate by joining the committee where we try to match the tasks that need doing to the interests and skills of committee members, even if the informal atmosphere leads to shortfalls (e.g. finding a new chairman).

6. I could have added other things in our favour, such as our democratic AGMs, close links with neighbouring U3As, our advanced systems of communication and perhaps most important, the members themselves.

My list of what is working against us had just 3 items.

The paperwork and pronouncements from the Third Age Trust, well-illustrated by its Committee Information File. We do not need it to run a U3A and should not be fearful of the Trust, the Charity Commission, insurance companies, health & safety, data protection or any other threats the Trust tries to throw at us. Basically, we solve this first item by doing things our way, with common sense.

A cultural issue; a lack of interest in third age learning in general. How come only 3% of retired people belong to a U3A? How come nearly 25% of our members do not participate in any interest group? How come a further 40% of our members belong only to one group. How come the attendance at open meetings is rarely more than 25% of our membership and can be under 10% at times? How come we struggle to get new groups started while some others slowly decay? What about the joy of participating in new learning opportunities, learning new skills and continuing personal development? What about seeking out new challenges rather than passively absorbing entertainment or staying in our comfort zone with the same social contacts, interests and activities? Am I completely unhinged in being passionate about social learning, currently attending 11 interest groups in 3 U3As? (This only comes to 40 hours a month, I used to work 60 hours a week!)

Finally, there is the fact that the task of running our activities in Banbury U3A relies on a few very dedicated people, especially group convenors and the committee. My heart-felt thanks must go to all those who try to make our organisation a success. But why are we all reliant on a small minority of doers? Perhaps some members suffer

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from ‘excusitis’ or are part of the ‘not at my time of life’ brigade. Perhaps many of what we say are ‘other commitments’ are just ‘other preferences’. Perhaps there are plenty of other volunteering opportunities in the area for the minority of our age group who still want to keep working in some capacity or take pleasure in doing something valuable for others? Who knows?

Rather than looking for what is on offer in Banbury U3A, why not be an offerer as well? Our motto perhaps should be “oldies are doing it for themselves” but for many it is “somebody else - not me”. In other news, our membership has stabilised around the 300 mark. The quality of our outside speakers remains exceptionally high, thanks to Carmen, as do the searching questions that follow the talks, thanks to those attending. We had our first theatre trip this year thanks to Lynette and there was the trip to Ardley thanks to Keith. The move to the Rugby club went remarkably smoothly and we are indebted to the committee members who investigated the move, turned up in force with me to look around the venue and then pushed for the move to take place. Thanks, must also go to the 50 members who contacted me by conversation and email in support of the move; but there was inevitably a handful against it. However, the improved facilities and the chance to advertise ourselves again has yet to result in a significant increase in the numbers attending and so running costs have risen. Costs may have gone up anyway if the long-overdue rise in rent at St. Joseph’s had occurred. There was no May newsletter this year due to a lack of written contributions. The committee have already discussed the idea of reducing the number of newsletters to 2 a year but the format may simply be on the way out. You will not get another newsletter until there is enough news and contributions to fill one. Bulletins have become a far more immediate method of informing members of news and events. Perhaps some of the small number of members not online or without an internet buddy would be prepared to pay to have printed copies of monthly bulletins posted to their homes? Last year we had a very successful convenors’ get together and planned to have another, but we need willing volunteers to organise it. Most U3As have groups fairs/open days to attract new members but the same applies here; no volunteers, no activities.

Norman Dutton

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What transpired at the AGM?

This well-attended meeting lasted over an hour as members had a chance to discuss our affairs. The constitution change was agreed without objection and just needs Charity Commission approval; all committee members will now be in post for 12 months before potential re-election. The principle of nominations for honorary membership was also established. A full committee was elected (see Contact Information insert). We welcome Laurie Hussain as our new treasurer and Vivien Moore has volunteered to take on the role of Groups Co-ordinator, but there were no nominations for Chairman. Thankfully John Rolland and Jan Watts have offered to be joint chairmen for 12 months only as a temporary measure, so we continue to muddle through. It will be helpful if extra committee members are co-opted during the year. Our finances are in a very healthy state but we are likely to find that costs will exceed income in the coming months, so a valuable discussion followed the treasurer’s report, about our next moves on this issue. Then, a highlight of the meeting with contributions from convenors and others outlining the activities of 10 of our interest groups. Other convenors present could have added to this, but time was running out. Banbury U3A’s AGMs have a long tradition of being productive and democratic and long may this continue.

Can I go to neighbouring U3As?

The confusion that exists on this topic relates to its complexity. The simple fact is that all 1,000 U3As are autonomous organisations with their own rules on membership and guests. They must respect the principles of the Third Age Movement and all members must pay £3.50 (called the capitation fee) from their annual subscription to the Third Age Trust. If someone joins more than one U3A, they will by default pay this twice. The Trust makes it clear that it does not require more than one capitation fee from anyone, but that, given the volunteer nature of committee membership, U3As are under no obligation to make any kind of special arrangements for members who quibble about double payment when they join more than one U3A. Some years ago, Shipston-on-Stour U3A offered the hand of friendship to all its neighbouring U3As, including Banbury, with the rule that our members could join ONE Shipston interest group without joining Shipston U3A. This is just as well as at least 6 of us from Banbury U3A regularly attend their superb

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Jazz and Blues performances every month, run by a former Banbury U3A member Peter Stafford. If more than one Shipston group is attended, then our members must join Shipston U3A but at the annual fee less £3.50 (requiring the proof of a membership card). Banbury U3A has agreed the same arrangement, not only with Shipston, but also any other U3A. So, there is a reciprocal arrangement with Shipston-on-Stour only. Members of other neighbouring U3As, especially Brackley, benefit from our hand of friendship by being able to join one of our interest groups without becoming a member of Banbury U3A and having a reduced annual subscription if they join us. But if we attended another interest group in any other U3A than Shipston, we must join that U3A. This may seem unfair but given the extra workload for membership secretaries and treasurers over a small amount of money, it is not too surprising that such special arrangements are not common practice amongst U3As nationally.

History Group programme for early 2017

The group meets at Amos Court, 3rd Tuesday of the month. 2.30 pm.

17th January - Jenny Charter on Trinity House.

21st February - Terry Garratt on The Indian Mutiny - 2017 is the 160th Anniversary.

21st March - Jill Higham on Canons Ashby.

18th April - Personal heroes - Maureen on William Marshall, Regent of England 1216 to 1219; Rosemary on Edith Cavell, 1865 – 1915; Margaret on Apsley Cherry-Garrard 1886 – 1959; Terry on Violette Szabo 1921 -1945.

16th May - Visiting Speaker, retired professional historian and Journalist, Chris Farman on The General Strike 1926.

20th June - Possessions of historical interest. Members bring along something they have (or can get hold of!) and talk about it and its significance.

18th July A DVD or a Visit. Yet to be decided by the membership.

John Haywood

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Brackley U3A Open Morning

Brackley U3A, formed just over a year ago, held an ‘Open Morning’ on Thursday 18th August 2016 at the Methodist Church, High Street, Brackley. I went along just out of interest and with no preconceived ideas and I was so impressed even before I had walked through the door. The Methodist Church is situated on the High Street in Brackley and has no parking of its own. However, there were spaces available along the street. There was no mistaking where the ‘Open Morning’ was taking place as a large U3A Brackley banner was hanging outside. Two members of the Brackley U3A were also outside to welcome visitors. The first impression on entering the venue was, ‘Wow, this place is buzzing!’ The hall had a welcome table for signing in, tea, coffee and cake was available, there were small coffee tables and chairs in the middle and all around were long tables displaying information from many of the interest groups. The hall was full of people sitting and chatting at the coffee tables, or engaged with Brackley U3A members at the display tables. I counted over 100 people and at one point members of the Dance Group danced a short country dance with 20 people at least joining in. There was plenty of information around on the tables and many people to talk to and engage with regarding interest groups or the Brackley U3A in general. One lady told me she had spoken to more people that morning than she had in the time she had lived in Brackley! My overall impression was that members of the Brackley U3A who were there, whether of an interest group or welcoming group, were fully committed to ensuring that the morning was as enjoyable and informative as it could be. I think they succeeded. Now that the Banbury U3A has moved to the Rugby Club my first thoughts are that we could and should do something similar, provided committee members and interest groups bought into the idea. And did anything in particular attract my attention? Well, the Science and Technology group looked interesting with a forthcoming talk on Forensic Pathology. Would the speaker bring samples to examine? I’ll have to go and to see!

Sheila Maishman

(no, she didn’t, but there were some gory photos!)

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Learning to live with the robots

Robots are the future: we must ensure they are of good character. This was the central message from a keynote speech at a Thames Valley Network study day on robotics at Oxford Brookes University on 23rd November 2016. Professor Nigel Crook takes the view that we should aim to work collaboratively with robots. The prospect of a productive relationship means that we need to give some urgency to the issue of moral competency. As robots inevitably achieve greater autonomy, intelligence and complexity, there will come a time when we need them to be capable of full moral agency and integrity. Researchers are already making serious attempts to develop autonomous moral machines. It is their human creators who should be expected to take responsibility for their full range of actions. Earlier U3A attenders, along with their inter-generational partner students, were treated to a humorous yet insightful romp through 100 years of film featuring robots. Oxford Brookes’ Pro Vice-Chancellor Paul Inman, himself a film maker and TV producer demonstrated with a series of clips how cinema has always been fascinated by robots. Through a century of film, robots have variously been depicted as objects of fear, as yearning to be human (the ‘Pinocchio complex’) or as potential companions. A wealth of evidence emerged from films as varied as The Mechanical Man (1921) – via, amongst others, Metropolis, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet (remember Robby the Robot?), 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Star Wars series, The Terminator, and Robocop - to Ex Machina (2015) and even Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the latest in the Harry Potter series. Our robotics experience wound up a little nearer home with a lecture on Robots and Elder Care, given by Dr Amanda Sharkey, of Sheffield University. Dr Sharkey encouraged us to think about both the potential and the limitations of the use of robotics in care situations. The moral dimension was again a considerable factor. Despite her interest and positive findings on the use of robotic pets in providing therapy and social interaction for elderly people, Dr Sharkey emphasised the need to address the major ethical concern – the potential loss of human contact, dignity, privacy and autonomy. The relationship between, say the cuddly Paro seal and the individual aged person tends, after all, to be rooted in deception. For Carole and myself, this was a further example of the value of these study days, which are generally organised very well and afford extremely good value

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for money, even if we had to miss the AGM to go to it. We would encourage all Banbury U3A members to consider subscribing to future events run by the TVN (Thames Valley Network).

Alan Vincent

Every heard of MOOCs?

MOOCs stand for Massive Open Online Courses. They give people from all backgrounds a chance to learn new things with short courses presented by experts. They started in the USA a few years ago, and have developed rapidly. They cover a huge range of subjects at many levels. Studying a MOOC gives everyone, including those who have difficulty in getting out, the opportunity to keep their brains active. A valuable route to find out more is via the Third Age Trust website, www.u3a.org.uk. You do not need to access the members’ area. Just enter MOOC in the search box and follow the 2 links and the tabs to a host of web pages including short videos to watch. FutureLearn Courses, for example, are free and once registered you can take as long as you like to complete them. Their potential is not just for individuals but for U3A interest groups and the Third Age Trust’s site contains examples of their use to date in some U3As.

10 Commandments for reducing stress

1. Thou shalt not be perfect, nor even try to be.

2. Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people.

3. Thou shalt leave things undone that ought to be done.

4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin.

5. Thou shalt learn to say “no”.

6. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and thy support network.

7. Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly.

8. Thou shalt be untidy, inelegant and unattractive at times.

9. Thou shalt not even feel guilty.

10. Especially, thou shalt not be thy worst enemy, but try to be thy best friend.

Jan Watts

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Up and Down Words: Time to use your brain

Sample Sample Clues

TIME ↕ Piece A watch etc.

Piece ↕ Meal One part at a time

Meal ↕ Ticket Is a source of income

Ticket ↕ Office Railway stations have one

Office ↕ Desk Needed to work on

Desk ↕ Lamp Reading light

Lamp ↕ POST On most city streets

Exercise 1 Clues

MAE ↕ Hollywood star

↕ California for example.

↕ Keeps maritime watch

↕ Try to avoid

↕ ___ ____ Odds (Phil Collins)

↕ Welcome siren in wartime

↕ UP After a U3A Meeting

Exercise 2 Clues

VALET ↕ Some hotels provide this

↕ In Castle Quay North or South

↕ Tim Peake has been doing it

↕ Needed when going abroad

↕ Sent in after an accident

↕ List your expenses on

↕ TEACHER Has a pastoral role

The answers will be in the February Bulletin

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Quotes to ponder

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” (Henry Ford)

“Our organisation is full of willing people; some willing to work and the rest willing to let them.” (Robert Frost) “Don’t urge your husband to save enough money to retire. His retirement may very likely shorten his life by depriving him of its chief interest.” (From Don’ts for Wives by Blanche Ebbutt, published in 1913 - pre U3A times) “The danger of the young is that they will question everything out of existence so that nothing is left. But that is no reason to ever stop questioning. The old lies must be questioned out of existence, even at a certain loss of things worth having.” (D.H Lawrence)

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The Spanish 2 Conversation Group imagining themselves in Spain with weather to match - even if they were meeting in Culworth