NEWS: Reports & Notice �

September 2018/111

� Registered Charity No. 1161843 �1

Eruditio et Amicitia

MALLING DISTRICT

NEWSLETTER www.mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk September 2018/111

Over 40 convenors had confirmed they will be at the annual signing-up for groups afternoon as we went to press, although there are likely to be more on the day. “A wide range of activities will be represented  - from our newer group such as Wine Appreciation to our more established ones who are always welcoming of new members.” said Groups’ Co-ordinator Chrys Short, “We have a very new ‘Art with Clout’ oil painting group present for the first time.  A real opportunity to try something out a new interest or activity this year”

If you have an idea for a new group, Chrys and the Committee will be on hand to listen and offer support. Chrys is also looking at ways the afternoon can be further developed and would welcome your input. A survey will be circulated after the event to gauge opinion but she will be happy to talk to you on the afternoon. Please come along to re-register or sample something new and enjoy a delicious slice of cake generously donated by our members

Learning when you’ve done earningMalling U3A Open Meeting:Signing-up for groups25 September

Croquet, madam? it’s something like golf with bigger balls

At its heart, the U3A believe that continuing to learn,

develop your interests, make friends and try something new,

is a life-long passion

Malling u3a Mega QuizEveryone is invited to Malling

District U3A’s first super Quiz Evening on Saturday 10 November at 7.30 pm in Ryarsh Village Hall. Doors open from 7 pm.

Come on your own; in couples, or in a team of 6 -8. Why not consider coming as a team from one of your interest groups? Everyone can be accommodated. Non-U3A friends and family are all welcome. £5 per person; bring your own nibbles and drink. Free raffle with first-rate prizes.

email Dianne White to book:

The Lady VanishesMalling u3a, Kings Hill and

Meopham have come together to arrange several joint outings. The first of these is to see a new production of The Lady Vanishes, at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on 28 March, 2019. Please see attached flyer for details and booking information.

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Sent to Coventry but we loved it

En route to Stratford-upon-Avon, writes Linda, we stopped at the National Trust property Hughenden, the home of the unconventional Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister. The young Disraeli was an unlikely politician, flamboyant in appearance and with heavy debts. He married a wealthy widow and bought Hughenden Manor which became his much-loved home and private retreat from 1848 to 1881.

The house is set in an unspoiled Chiltern valley with wonderful views of ancient woods and rolling hills. Walking through the house, the rooms, although not large, felt very cosy and lived-in. They held many items of Disraeli’s personal memorabilia. The furnishings were mostly original to the house which I personally appreciate.

In 2004 it was revealed that Hughenden Manor had been the location of a secret map-making base during the war. 100 people were based there drawing detailed maps of Germany and occupied Europe for nearby Bomber Command at Naphill.

Arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon in the late afternoon, we settled into our hotel, a stone's throw from the city centre and the many pubs and restaurants. The next morning, we set out for Stratford.

Twenty-seven of our members set off at the end of August for a three-day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, gathering at Ryarsh Village Hall to await the coach whose driver and his colleague were to prove efficient, reliable and sociable company. Linda Bramley, Pam Carpenter, Alan Bramley and Derek Carpenter report on a memorable Malling u3a outing

From Pam, the highlight that stands out was an hour of tranquillity, our river cruise on Thursday of our Stratford extravaganza. We strolled down to the private mooring of Bancroft Cruisers to board The Rita Ellen, an elegant event cruiser, for her first sightseeing trip of the day. What a lovely boat, with intimate tables and chairs, bunting and sliding windows so that we could hear the sounds of the river, water lapping, birdsong…. Ah! Wonderful.

We passed under the medieval Clopton Bridge with its 14 beautiful stone arches built sometime during the fifteenth century by St Hugh Clopton to replace a 'poore bridge of tymber'. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre which we would visit later and other places of interest were brought to our attention by our lovely mother and daughter crew. Coffee was served and we sailed up to the weir while the crew distributed old black and white photographs of the river in times past. It was fun deciding which riverside property we would buy along Millionaires' Row, but all too soon we found ourselves back at the mooring.

Central to our visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, thinks Alan, was a matinee performance of ‘Macbeth’ by the RSC and what a stunning performance it was. [Contd. page 3]

In BriefArt with CloutPeter Cozier The Clout Institute, W. Malling is the venue for the new oil painting group. “I think the setting and local facilities are excellent because we have a fine range of architecture from the last 1000 years, town-scapes, landscapes and a lake!”

The 50’s & 60’s GroupRod Hilborne A new name for the Music Group that meets on the 1st Monday of the month at member’s houses and play music from the 1950's (Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Acker Bilk, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley) and from the 1960's, (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley, also Mose Allison, Johnny Hodges from jazz.) Our aim is to Introduce members to artists they may not know.

Dining out Lunch GroupRod Hilborne & Molly Potts The last Wednesday in the month at 12.30 to dine at 1300. Molly and I reccy pubs and restaurants for sensible prices, food choice and ambiance which the group agrees as acceptable to all. Bills are paid individually so you can spend as much or as little as you like. You don't have to turn up at every meeting but advance booking for table numbers is required.

Make tea, not warBrenda HurdSeptember Rota Ann Wallis, Shirley Wilsher, Michael Winsor, Anne Shields, Dianne & Rowland Hiller Advance notice: OctoberAnn Anscombe, Judith Barnsley, Patricia & Richard Meehan

Newsletter deadline S SanghaContributions by Sunday 14 October, to S Sangha at: newsletter@mallingdistrictu3a.org.uk

Hughenden Manor: Disraeli & maps

Simply messing about in boats

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Starters: [A] Chef’s Winter Roast Vegetable soup (V) [B] Portobello Mushroom stuffed with Chestnuts and Stilton [C] Festive Pork Terrine served with Apple Chutney

Main Course: [D] Kent Turkey with Traditional Trimmings [E] Sage-crusted Cod with Crispy New Potatoes and a Prosecco Dressing [F] Spicy Vegetable Butterbean Tart served with vegetables (V)

Desserts: [G] Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce [H] Winter Fruits Meringue

Summer is at an end; holidays will soon be over and it’s time to look forward to our splendid annual Christmas lunch at the lovely West Malling Golf Club. The Golf Club has extensive, easy parking and there is a disabled access to the side of the building. Group convenors have previously enjoyed excellent food and service at the club, and no doubt, the Christmas lunch will be equally memorable. The cost this year is £25 head for a 3-course lunch to include a drink on arrival (wine or fruit juice), and finishing with coffee and a mince pie. The Festive Menu is varied and appetizing. Members are asked to choose one dish from each part of the menu .

Malling U3A Christmas Lunch 12.30 for 1pm, Thursday 6 December at West Malling Golf Club

Many of us came out of the theatre in a state between traumatised and elated. Superstition amongst actors lead them to avoid the play’s title and call it ‘The Scottish Play and it starred Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack as the Macbeths.

The whole cast put on a magnificent performance that drew us in to the horror and tragedy of the plot. A modern twist was three young girls in pink hoodies as witches, different but it worked. The entrance of the ghosts with a short shower of ‘snow’ was particularly effective as was a large digital clock which started the instant that King Duncan was murdered and gradually timed down to zero the instant that McDuff kills Macbeth.

Sent to Coventry but we loved it [from page 2]

The Narrator/caretaker chalked the death toll on a wall every time someone was killed and by the end he had almost run out of wall.

The following day, writes Derek, began with a visit and guided tour of Coventry Cathedral. The 'new' cathedral, consecrated in 1962, stands alongside the ruins of the mediaeval one, destroyed on 14 November 1940 when Luftwaffe bombs destroyed much of the City. Their physical presence is in itself a symbol of the reconciliation which lies at the heart of all that the present building stands for: indeed, a Litany of Reconciliation is prayed at mid-day each day and some of us shared in it at the end of our tour.

The towering splash of coloured glass designed by John Piper, overlooking the Baptistry - the font itself a huge rock from the Holy Land - is the first thing to impress the visitor, but looking down the nave to the far end the architect, Sir Basil Spence, has created a grey box whose jewels can only be seen when one walks through the cathedral and turns back to see the

vibrant colours in the glass of the slanted windows. Sutherland's

tapestry of the seated Christ imposes itself on the whole place, but other works of art, such as those by Jacob Epstein and Elizabeth Frink, are also in evidence, together with more quirky things such as the 1962 pennies in the floor to keep processions on the straight and narrow, 'Basil's pence'. It was a stunning visit, and will doubtless be one of the centre-pieces of all that Coventry has to offer when it becomes the UK's City of Culture in three years time. The three days were a lovely time

of enjoyment, learning, and sociability as befits a U3A outing, and our thanks are due to Dianne White and Kate Adds for all the arrangements and for the extremely efficient organisation of it.

The Macbeths Double, double, toil and trouble

Coventry Cathedral: modern masterpiece

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1 OctoberComputer Group - open to all First meeting of the new session is ‘What gadgets do I want for Christmas - ideas for presents.’ Our meetings are open to all Malling u3a members and start at 2pm, Ryarsh Village Hall. Cost is £1 for tea and biscuits - just turn up if you are interested. Contact Chris Daly

23 OctoberOur Monthly Meeting ‘A Schoolgirl’s War’ with Mary Smith which is a change to the published programme. Nikki Gammons has been rescheduled for May, next year.

27 October Cunning Regal Women: English queens before Elizabeth I - a Saturday morning seminar looking at the women that came before the most famous iconic queen in our history. University of Kent Medway Campus. Advance booking necessary. Cost £17.50. Visit www.kent.ac.uk/tonbridge

10 November Malling u3a Mega Quiz - Saturday 10 November, 7 for a 7.30pm start at Ryarsh Village Hall. Bring your own grey cells, nibbles & drinks. Contact Dianne White

6 December Malling u3a Christmas Lunch at the West Malling Golf Club. Contact Jenny Tomlin

28 March, 2019 Theatre outing to see The Lady Vanishes at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. A joint venture with Kings Hill & Meopham u3a. Contact Dianne White

Malling u3a DiaryYour monthly guide to what’s on locally & further afield

Mad dogs and Irishmen go out in the South Pole SunBrian Stevenson

and asked to serve with him on a number of ships in the1900's. Shackleton had been on the Discovery - in charge of the entertainment .

Then in 1911 Tom was selected to be on the Terra Nova expedition to help Scott reach the South Pole. Scott did not choose Crean for the final leg, taking five and leaving  Tom behind with Lashley and Evans . Michael Smith said it was because of Crean's constant coughing  that he was not on the Pole party. Tom was a heavy  pipesmoker. Thanks to Tom the rear party reached base camp and then came back to bury Scott, in a cairn made by Tom Crean.

The most taxing journey was with Shackleton and McCarthy on the Endurance in 1914-17. The boat was stuck in the ice in the Weddel Sea drifting for 492 days. Eventually it sank and the crew had to sail for five days  in three lifeboats to Elephant Island and after that Shackleton, McCarthy and Crean with three others sailed in an open boat  800 miles to South Georgia. Tom sang out of tune as he steered. They landed in the south of the island and then had to walk over the mountains to the permanent settlement on the north, careering down a precipice on rope mats.

At the end of World War I Crean went back to Co. Kerry where he set up the 'South Pole Inn' and in 2003  his statue was erected in front of it. In Kinsale Co. Cork, McCarthy's statue was erected in 2000, he served on the S.S. Narangassett and was lost when all died on the ship after it was  torpedoed in 1917. In 2006 a  statue to Shackleton was unveiled in Athy Co. Kildare.

Every one in the audience kept awake in Michael Smith’ talk on the unsung  hero of Antarctic exploring,Tom Crean. After all we soon learnt that it is fatal to fall asleep in  subzero temperatures. We have all heard about Captain  Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton but nothing about Crean who shared their expeditions and indeed outlived them and spent longer in the Antarctic than  they did. Part of the reason is that Crean came from  a small farm in Co. Kerry  and had little formal education  and  was very modest about his exploits. 

Also  the tide of Irish politics after the First World War was to play down those who had served in the British forces and to focus on those connected with the struggle for Irish independence. Moreover Shackleton although another Irishman, from Co.Kildare, was the son of a doctor and able to charm people into funding his expeditions  and people flocked to his lectures and he wrote copiously. The Guinness family from Dublin were big supporters. It was because of the writings and reminiscences of Shackleton and Scott that Michael Smith  was able to bring  Crean to life and astonish us with his bravery and concern for others.

We saw the farm where Crean was born in 1877 and the ship HMS Ringarooma  in New Zealand where Crean was serving when Scott needed another  sailor for his 1901 expedition on Discovery to the Antarctic. They underestimated the severity of the  conditions . The men had to pull the sledges across the ice - Crean  dragged one for 149 miles. They did not near the Pole but Scott was very impressed with Tom

Pipe dreams: Tom Crean, unsung hero Ph

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