UPA ColworthN E W S L E T T E R DECEMBER 2014

Well my “Bah Humbug” years may be over with the arrival of this little chappie! I have been told I will enjoy Christmas more with a new grandchild. He’s certainly given us a very busy year, and it’s been hard to keep up with your industrious committee who have, as ever, done a fantastic job for us. Many thanks to you all, and special congratulations on the launch of our new website, http://www.colworthupac.co.uk, bringing us into the 21st century.We have done so many super trips, walks and holidays this year that it is impossible to single out any particular winner, but if you did not “do Dublin” you certainly missed a treat. The weather suits their gardens – this is the Gunnera in the Botanic Garden (I don’t think I have shrunk since the last time I encountered the species).I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mim and Noel for all the work they have done for us at Sharnbrook Mill Theatre over many years. Thank you very much. Mim has retired from bar duty, but Noel continues to facilitate our ticketing for their excellent productions that we are reviewing in this newsletter.2015 promises lots of interesting events and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on our jaunts. The programme is on the back page – we will advise you on final dates as soon as we have them.

Please get in touch. We are always pleased to hear from you and what you are doing, even if you cannot join our functions. Meanwhile have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Date for your diaryUnilever Pensioners’ Association Colworth, 2015 Annual General Meeting

John White, Rushden – Wednesday, March 25th 2015

Happy Christmas & New Year from the Chairman

At the peak of fitness – Part 1 " " " " " " Bob Safford

T ALL started with a simple question. Dick Lawrence and I were having a beer at the

Colworth clubhouse when, out of the blue, he asked, “What do you think about doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge?”. It was one of those rare moments in my life when I made a quick decision. I had just retired, so I had the time, I enjoyed walking – most of all in the Yorkshire Dales. I wasn’t totally sure what the Three Peaks Challenge was, just that it was a long walk in the Yorkshire Dales with some big hills. I Googled it to see what I’d let myself in for. The walk is a circular 25 mile route, traditionally starting and finishing at Horton in Ribblesdale, that

takes in three of the highest peaks in Yorkshire. The challenge is to complete the walk in 12 hours. A piece of cake I thought. Having run the London marathon a few times – 26 miles in just over 4 hours – this had to be easy, right?It was many months in the coming, our training marred by ailments associated with getting on a bit (to do with my back and Dick’s knee), and a distinct lack of hills in our locality, but eventually we were as fit as we were ever going to be. And so it was at 6:15am on September 4th Dick and I left Horton in Ribblesdale on our quest to beat the challenge. The weather was set fair, the sun was just beginning to rise, and the early morning mist was clearing. Pen-y-Ghent, the smallest of the three peaks at 694m, was first on our agenda. Its summit is reached by a gradual but steepening climb with a bit of a “scramble” (Dick’s words – I would call it a rock climb) thrown in towards the end. As usual, Dick struggled for a while, but despite my worries had warmed up as we neared the top. On the scramble we were overtaken by three young lads (“young lads” meaning “in their 30s”) sickeningly hopping from rock to rock like springboks. At the top the views were awesome. The sun was up, and we looked down over mist-filled valleys and through the haze to Ingleborough, our final peak. But no time to linger, still a long way to go. Having bagged one peak, we descended Pen-y-Ghent with a spring in our step, and onto the next section – a 10 mile “flat” hike (I use the term flat loosely here). The “lads” were ahead of us, probably also doing the challenge. We kept them in sight until we took a waymarked fork off the path when they were no longer to be seen. So maybe they weren’t doing the challenge?

Eventually we reached Ribb lehead and i t s f amous v i aduct . We stopped for lunch (a couple of cereal bars and a banana) by the Settle-Carlisle railway line, not daring to sit down in case we couldn’t get up again. Refreshed, we set off for part 2.

The Three Peaks Challenge

Sunrise, Pen-y-Ghent

Summit, Pen-y-Ghent

Ribblehead Viaduct with Whernside To be continued

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Despite fears that this would be too long a day and under-subscribed, we had a full coach for our day out in Surrey. In blazing sunshine we arrived at Denbies Winery with plenty of time to eat and shop and then boarded the “land-train” for the guided tour of the vineyard. The harvest was in full swing as we passed rows of vines bearing heavy bunches of black or white grapes. Climbing the North Downs Way we gained grand panoramic views of the 625-acre estate and Surrey Hills. The varying inclination and attitudes of the terrain, favoured one grape type over another and the fields looked as though they had been combed. There were good views of Box Hill, the historic town of Dorking and Leith Hill, the highest in southeast England.The estate had been an animal farm with the farmhouse advantageously perched on the hilltop. In 1984 it was purchased by a businessman from Dorking whose geologist friend recognised that the character of the terrain was very similar to that of the Champagne region of France: the limestone substrata, the sheltered bowl between the Box and Leith hills, the southerly aspect to concentrate the sun's energy. As a result thousands of vines were planted in 1986 and the first wine was produced in 1994. Now 18 varieties

of grape are grown on the 265 acres – the largest area under wine cultivation in England accounting for over 10% of the UK vineyard acreage. The average annual production is around 450,000 bottles, mainly still and sparkling whites (Chardonnay and Müller-Thurgau) and a smaller amount of reds (Pinot Noir and Rondo, a recent introduction).In 2010 Denbies Flint Valley Rosé won the prestigious Gold Award at the International Wine Challenge out of more than 350 entrants from 21 Countries. This prompted The Duke & Duchess of Cornwall to visit (by helicopter and their own Bentley) – our “train” was not deemed appropriate. Denbies wine is offered by the Queen when entertaining foreign dignitaries.

In 1987 the estate suffered considerable tree destruction from the “Michael Fish” hurricane. The oaks that were lost were used to make large, Austrian-style wine casks with carved ends depicting the main stages in the wine production.Returning to the visitor centre and processing plant, we passed a mechanical harvester straddling the rows of vines. The machine shakes the vines so that the ripe grapes fall into a hopper. We saw a 360° movie of the vineyard and jobs done throughout the year; a lot of pruning and thinning of the grapes especially in abundant years so as to maintain the strength of the vine. White grapes were pressed and the juice fermented in tall stainless steel towers, whereas the reds were pre-fermented with their skins for three weeks to generate the red wine colour. The whole operation looked clinically modern.

Denbies Winery and Leatherhead Supper

Box Hill

The “train”

Sampling the wares

Continued on page 4

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“Centenary” – Talk & Lunch at Knuston Hall, October 9th

The highlight of the tour was the wine tasting and we sampled a rosé, Surrey Gold medium dry, and Flint Valley dry white. The two whites and a red were subsequently sampled at our

autumn wine tasting session in the Colworth clubhouse (see report on page 7). Flint Valley was considered to have a good nose, had mellowed a little in transport and was quite liked by our expert.After a short time to visit the farm and gift shops and gal-lery, we were off to Unilever House, Leatherhead. Karen Abbott gave us an introduction to the site and we watched a video explaining the functions of the various offices before being

treated to a lovely dinner including an excellent

carvery. We had a rapid tour of the open plan building with its hot-desking and saw the conference room facilities where

if you are not on time another user can take the room. Some of us were glad we had retired! We were soon back on the coach headed for home, but we would like to take the opportunity to thank Karen and her team for their hospitality and a great finale to an excellent day out.

Continued from page 3 Denbies Winery and Leatherhead Supper

Janet Westcott

The DUO (Richard Oberman and David Wilson) entertained 40+ pensioners with a varied programme of readings, poetry and songs compiled to mark the anniversary of the start of the First World War. They took us through the initial involvement of the British Expeditionery Force, the regular army at Gallipoli, Kitchener’s Army and the formation of “Pals regiments” where friends enlisting together were promised they would serve together rather than be arbitrarily allocated to regiments. The DUO marked the passage of the war and different aspects of soldiers’ lives and those at home with poems, some familiar such as The Soldier by Rupert Brook and For the Fallen by Lawrence Binyon but many – and some of the more moving – were by anonymous writers.They ended with reference to the aftermath of the war and the different world the soldiers and their families had to face. The audience also had the opportunity to join in with three songs which were performed with gusto! The session was very enjoyable and thought provoking. Sue Needham present the DUO with a cheque for £237 raised from the event fee and additional donations on the day for the charity Help For Heroes.Afterwards, there was a splendid lunch with plenty of time to catch up and chat. A very enlightening event – thanks to Sue for all the arrangements and to the DUO who have come out of retirement to perform this programme as part of their last tour.

John Best, Cham Willey

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Day 4 saw us setting off for Puivert. The route passed through Nébias, location of the Atlantic/Mediterranean watershed and of a natural labyrinth of limestone blocks overgrown by Mediterranean oak. Puivert itself has a (slightly less) spectacular castle. Then on to Foix in the Ariège department for our last two nights.

Day 5 was sold as the high point of the trip. The castle at Montségur is the last stronghold of the Cathars. Perched on its “pog” at 1200m it was besieged and eventually overcome in March 1244. The Cathars were given the opportunity to renounce their faith. About 220 refused and were burned en masse in a bonfire at the foot of the mountain. Ascent to the castle looks impossible, but a path wends its way up to the top and we were rewarded by impressive views of the countryside. Our day continued with an undulating walk to Roquefixade and yet another castle. From there we were driven back to Foix.

On our last day we were able to explore Foix (which, you will not be surprised to learn, also has a castle). The town is the smallest administrative centre of any depar tment in France and i s picturesquely situated between the hills on the river Ariège.

We really enjoyed our Ramblers holiday. With up to 14 miles and 800m ascent each day the walking was tough but not unduly so and we wouldn’t hesitate to book another D+ (but might draw the line at a C) . An added attraction was that on four of the seven nights the wine was free and unlimited. Languedoc is a most beautiful part of France and we would love to go back (for a fourth time!).

Castle of Puilaurens

Foix and its castle

Roquefixade (the arrow shows the day’s start point at Montségur)

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Castle of Montségur

Note: One of our party was a historian. In her view the Cathars didn’t exist as a unified group. Rather, the name was a catch-a" used by the Catholic Church to describe the many “heretic” sects that flourished in SW France and N Italy at the time.

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Castles, castles and more castles – Part 2" " " " Robina Gilpin

Walking in Cathar country, continued

For those pensioners who haven’t yet visited Sharnbrook Mill Theatre you don’t know what you are missing. Each year at roughly three monthly intervals the Trust puts on major productions which range from dramas and tragedies to musicals and comedies.The first production in 2014 was “On Golden Pond” presenting the touching, funny and heart-warming love story of a couple returning for the forty-eighth time to their summer home beside a lake called Golden Pond. The couple are unexpectedly visited by their daughter, her fiancé and his young son. The family do not always agree and the play particularly explores the tempestuous times between father and daughter as she was growing up. We have an insight into the many happy times as well as the difficult encounters faced by a spirited, ageing and loveable couple during the twilight years of a long marriage. In May SMTT presented “Camelot”, a classical tale of passion and betrayal based on the legends of King Arthur. The score included some memorable romantic songs as the beautiful princess Guenevere was swept off her feet by the devoted Arthur. After their marriage and encouragement by the wizard Merlyn the king and queen established the concept of the ‘Round Table’ who along with their knights were dedicated to fight for right and justice. And so Camelot was created as the greatest court ever seen. Tragically Arthur’s ideals fell apart when Guenevere fell in love with one of his knights, Lancelot. Eventually Camelot was torn apart by civil war, Arthur was slain and his perfect kingdom crumbled around him.Love him or not I guess William Shakespeare became part of most people’s school certificate days. In September “Macbeth” was chosen as the first ever Shakespeare production to be put on by SMTT. The classic tale tells the story of a good upright Scottish nobleman who allows blind ambition to lead him into the realms of arrogance, madness and eventually death. Macbeth’s downfall begins when he meets three strange witches who predict that one day he will become Scotland’s king. Spurned on by his ruthless wife Lady Macbeth he is led into treachery and murder first killing the reigning king Duncan. To protect his ill-gained throne he commits more and more murders until he himself is killed in the oncoming civil war.The most recent production “Miss Saigon” was performed entirely by students of nineteen years or under. Based on the opera Madam Butterfly it tells the story of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese girl who fall in love during the Vietnam conflict. When Saigon falls to the enemy the couple are separated and they spend the following years struggling to find each other. Their endeavours end in tragedy for her but some hope for the child who the serviceman knows nothing about. A great story with great music “Miss Saigon” offers a moving testament to the human spirit and a scathing indictment of the evils of war.In all the shows we have found the acting to be absolutely superb. The costumes are so colourful and the set designs made by volunteers are magnificent. To add to the fulfilment of the evening the bar is open before, after and during the show’s interval (ice cream/tea/coffee if you prefer). First two performances next year are “Abigail’s Party” in March and “Merrily We Roll Along” in June - look out for the exact dates nearer the time and then come along for a jolly good evening’s entertainment. On behalf of all us pensioner patrons we would like to thank Noel Bradshaw for securing, sorting and handing out the tickets. He always attends the shows to ensure everything goes smoothly for our enjoyment of the productions. We would also like to thank Mim for her welcome services behind the bar and for keeping us Colworth pensioners in order. Cliff and Toni Smith

Sharnbrook Mill Theatre – Review of 2014

November 16th saw 21 ramblers visit the Imperial War Museum in London on the last walk of the year. The group also found time to visit the poppies at the Tower Hill. Olwyn and Doug will be sending out a compendium of the year’s reports to the walking group but, on behalf of our members, I wanted to thank them for their hard work in finding “volunteers” to lead walks, for organising the Lakes holiday, Quiz & Chips and wine tastings, and generally for keeping us all busy and in order.

The UPA Ramblers complete their last walk of the year

Geoff Gilpin

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In what is rapidly becoming an annual event this season’s wine tasting was held at the clubhouse on November 12th, Ian Kimsey hosting the evening and acting as Master of Wine. At his feet, and hanging onto every word, were 24 disciples, eager to learn the tricks of the trade. We had recently visited Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking as part of our trip to Unilever HO, Leatherhead (see report on page 3) and Ian’s chosen theme was “Wines of England & Historic Provinces: Anjou & Aquitaine”. Ian had arranged for us to taste 10 wines: five whites, three rosés, and two reds and, for each, provided information on the grape varieties and alcohol content as well as sourcing and price. He had also prepared a hand-drawn map of Southern England and France to illustrate his remarks and was armed with Hugh Johnson’s “World Atlas of Wine” as reference (which has only one page devoted to English wines). Nibbles were kindly provided by Olwyn Wishart, who, with Doug, had arranged the event.Our attention was forcibly focused on the wine as the bar had closed at eight o’clock. (But not before some members had been able to squeeze in a couple of pints of Oakham Ales’ excellent “Citra”.) The wines were well received although it is probably fair to say that many members felt them to be on the “light” side and rather lacking in impact. Although Ian had arranged that we work up to the heavier wines this was only in the constrained context of the themed wines. (Having said that, the last wine of the evening, an Anjou Red from Domaine Colombier at 13% ABV, was a marked exception.) There was plenty of wide-ranging discussion, questions and comment after each tasting and everyone had a great evening, thoroughly enjoying themselves and much closer to making a decision on what (not) to buy when next in Waitrose.Very many thanks to Ian for sharing his knowledge and to Olwyn and Doug for organising the evening. Geoff Gilpin

Wine Tasting with Ian

The Master His pupils

Someone tell him that his glass is empty

Editorial

With a mere five lines at the bottom of page 7 to play with, it only leaves me space to say that I hope you enjoy the December 2014 issue of the newsletter. I trust you will agree that it contains a good selection of reports and articles which reflect the wide interests of our members. I am always hopeful of getting a few more tales of derring-do so please do not hold back on recounting your experiences. Meanwhile, check out our planned list of events for 2015 on the back page and do have a very good Christmas and New Year.

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2015 Events & Excursions

January 29th “Lunch Club – Now bookingFebruary 18th “Quiz & Chips, Colworth Club House – Now bookingMarch 17th “Abigail’s Party”, Mill Theatre, SharnbrookMarch 25th “AGM, John White, RushdenMarch 29th-3rd April “Walking Holiday – The LakesApril 29th “ “Crich Tram MuseumMay (tbc) “Lunch ClubMay 19th “Merrily We Roll Along”, Mill Theatre, SharnbrookMay 31st “Crawlers Away Day (London by train)June 6th-12th “Walking Holiday – SpainJune/July (tbc) “Colworth SupperJuly 2nd-6th “ “Holiday – BristolAugust (tbc) “Olympic Legacy TourAugust (tbc) “Lunch ClubSeptember 15th “Mill Theatre, SharnbrookOctober 6th “Melton Mowbray (Market Day etc)November (tbc) “Beer tasting, Clubhouse or Brewery VisitNovember (tbc) “Lunch Club + talkNovember 17th “Mill Theatre, SharnbrookDecember (tbc) “Christmas Lunch

2015 Walking Programme Crawlers Boots & SocksMarch 11th Terry Ferguson 26th Roger & Hazel SteelsApril 15th Roger & Janet Westcott 20th Dudley FerdinandoMay 31st Doug & Olwyn Wishart (London) 21st Mike & Pat QuickendenJune 8th Alec & Maureen Mathie 26th Geoff & Robina GilpinJuly tbc tbc Terry HorsmanAugust 7th Helen Minter 20th Stewart Rainbow (Chipping Norton)September 9th George Holland 25th Kath Dixon & Jen GilesOctober 5th Steve & Jean Ablett 28th Dick Safford & Ian KimseyNovember tbc Crawlers / Boots & Socks Combo

ObituariesWith great sadness we report the deaths of Margaret (Peggy) Lloyd, Joyce King and Ernest Doughill. Peggy worked in ESL and lived at Lee Cottages before moving to Sharnbrook. Her husband, Richard, died in 1991. Joyce was the widow of Terry King who died last year and mother-in-law of David Basson who worked in Works Engineering. We have little information on Ernest as he was one of our earlist members but we think he worked on Antonie Farm as a farmhand. He was 91. His wife, Vida, is still a member.Our thoughts are with their families.

Update: Access to the Colworth Shop

Members should contact Colworth by telephone or e-mail a few days before their intended visit and report to the gatehouse on arrival in order to be booked in. Contact details are as below.

Charmayne Hussey 01234 222292 e-mail: charmayne.hussey@unilever.comAlison Cook 01234 222848 e-mail: alison.cook@unilever.comDebbie Felts 01234 222245 e-mail: debbie.felts@unilever.com

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This calls for closer investigation!

Association Chairman: Cham Willey e-mail: chairman@colworthupac.co.ukAssociation Secretary: Sally Butler e-mail: secretary@colworthupac.co.ukNewsletter Editor: Geoff Gilpin e-mail: editor.upac@colworthupac.co.ukUPA Website: http://www.colworthupac.co.uk

Note: A list of FAQs relating to UPA’s events and excursions is included with this newsletter.

A copy is also available on the website.

New memberA very warm welcome to Sue Roberts. Sue worked as travel manager at Diversey Lever (previously Diver-sey Ltd), Northampton. She retired in 2006 and now works for Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton.