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UPDATE

SAFFRON WALDEN U3A

www.saffronwaldenu3a .org.uk

Saffron Walden Registered Charity No. 290670

CONTENTS

OPEN MEETINGS take place on 3rd Monday at 2.30pm DOORS OPEN AT 2.15pm

AT THE BOWLS CLUB IN ABBEY LANE Should any members have difficulty in hearing at our meetings or classes or have

difficulty with access through disability, please speak to a member of the Committee to try and make attendance easier and more comfortable

Front cover image: Bath Abbey by Penny Lawson

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Page Saffron Walden U3A Committee 2Weekly Activities Schedule 3-4Monthly Activities, Term Dates 5Class Co-ordinators 6-8Chairman’s Report, Membership Secretary’s Report 9Notice of AGM 10Activities Co-ordinator’s Report 11Birdwatching 12Thank you Coordinators, Ramblers 2 13Spring Holiday: Bristol and Bath, Writing for Pleasure 14Philosophy, Friday Bridge, In Memoriam 1 15Easy Riders 16Beginners Tai Chi, Art Appreciation, Keep Fit 17Lunch Club 18In Memoriam 2 19Mainly for Men, Summer Supper 20Linda Robinson MBE, Music Group 21Mah-Jong 2 22Writing for Pleasure 23Christmas Tea, Travel 24Dates for Your Diary 25-26

SAFFRON WALDEN U3A COMMITTEE

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Alan Nicholls 01799 522260 [email protected]

Ann Treglown 01799 516707 [email protected]

Ann Crawford 01763 838080 [email protected]

Ann Banks 01799 550328 [email protected]

Jean Little 01799 513411 [email protected]

Pauline Palmer 01799 502560 [email protected]

Ann Cousins 01799 219072 [email protected]

Joanna O’Connor 01799 522260 [email protected]

Trevor Osbourn 01799 500909 [email protected]

Janet Pearson 01799 540065 [email protected]

Website Manager Martin Hugall 01799 527805 [email protected]

Update Editor Jessica Jackson 01763 387294 [email protected]

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

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Monday French Conversation Contact co-ordinator 2.30-3.30

“ Latin 1 Tutor’s home 11.00-12.30

“ Line Dancing URC Hall 1.00-2.15

Monday

fortnightly History Byways Baptist Room 11.00-12.00

Twice monthly on Monday on ad hoc basis

Writing for Pleasure

Tutor’s home 10.00-12.00

Tuesday Italian 3rd year Tutor’s home 9.30-10.45

“ Maj-Jong 3 Co-ordinator’s home Contact coordinator

“ Sequence Dancing

URC Hall 9.45-10.45

“ Indoor Bowls Turpin’s Indoor Bowls Club

11.45

“ Pilates 3 Baptist Hall 1.30-2.30



“ Art Class 1 URC Hall 2.30-4.30

Wednesday Music Group Baptist Hall 10.30-11.45

“ Tai Chi 1 Baptist Hall 9.30-10.30

“ Tai Chi 2 Baptist Hall 11.00-12.00

“ Keep Fit Baptist Church 11.10-12.10

“ Nice ‘n’ Easy Fitness

Baptist Hall 12.30-1.30

“ Mah-jong 1 Members’ homes 1.30-3.30

“ Improvers Bridge Bowls Club 2.00-4.00

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE CONT.

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www.saffronwaldenu3a.org.uk Don’t forget to check out our website for updated

information! Note from website manager: the Latest News and What’s On items on the right hand side of each page just shows the latest five news items and the next 20 events. To see all please be sure to visit the News and What’s On pages on the website. Update can be viewed in full colour on the website.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE CONT.

2nd and 4th Wednes-day

Saffron Harmony Choir Quendon 10.00-12.00

Wednesday Spanish Tutor’s home 2.00

“ Table Tennis Widdington Village Hall

2.00-4.00

Thursday Scrabble Members’ homes 10.00

“ French Conversation

Members’ homes 10.30-12.00

Thursday fortnightly 1-26 July

Ramblers 1 L B Leisure Centre 10.00-12.00 appx.

Thursday fortnightly 2-4 August Ramblers 2 L B Leisure Centre 10.00-12.00 appx.

Thursday Pilates 1Friends Meeting House

1.00-2.00

“ Mah-jong 2 Members’ homes 1.30-3.30

“ Latin 2 Tutor’s home 2.00-3.30

“ Pilates 2 Friends Meeting House

2.00-300

Friday fortnightly Art Appreciation SW Bowls Club 10.30-12.00

Friday Bridge SW Bowls Club 1.30-4.00

“ Art 2 Baptist Church 2.00-4.00

U3A TERM DATES

Autumn 2016 1/9/16 –21/12/16 Half-term 24/10/16 – 28/10/16

Spring 2017 5/1/17-31/3/17 Half-term 13/2/17 – 17/2/17

MONTHLY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Various see p. 14 Birdwatching ContactCo-ordinator

ContactCo-ordinator

First Thursday each month

Easy Riders Cycling Contact Co-ordinator 11.00

Third Friday Gardening ContactCoordinator

Last Wednesday Literature Baptist Room 2.00

See Dates for your Dia-ry

Lunch Club Kate 12.15 for 12.45

Two meetings each term, contact co-ordinator and see page 13

Mainly for Men John London 2.30-4.00

First Monday Philosophy Joanna O’Connor 10.30-12.30

Second Monday Poetry Members’ homes 2.00-4.00

Second Monday Photography Coordinator’s Home 2.30

Last Monday Play Reading Members’ homes 10.00-12.00

Last Friday Theatre and Travel Baptist Hall 2.00

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CLASS COORDINATORS

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Art 1EstherRawlings

01799 520203 [email protected]

Art 2 Peter Divall 01799 524140 [email protected]

Art AppreciationAnn CrawfordTrevor Os-bourn

01763 83808001799 500909

[email protected]

[email protected]

Ballroom/Sequence Dancing

Pauline Palmer


Bird Watching

Brian Linford


BridgeStella McSweeney


Bridge (Improvers)

Maureen Davey


Choir Joan Shad-bolt


Easy Riders Cycling

Colin and Anne Taylor 01799 543127 [email protected]

FrenchConversation

Sue Rooney 01799 525389 [email protected]

Gardening Jo Ware 01763 838654 [email protected]

History Byways

Eleanor Bullough


Indoor Bowling

GrahameWilmott

07922187361 [email protected]

ItalianSusanHumphries


Keep Fit

Helen Verity

Lynda Saw-kins

01799 550408

01799 521022

[email protected]

[email protected]

Latin 1 & 2 Billie Roch-ford 01799 550223 [email protected]

CLASS COORDINATORS CONT

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Line Dancing Sheila French 01799 530364 [email protected]

Literature Ann Crawford 01763 838080 [email protected]

Lunch Club Kate Barwood 01799 550271 [email protected]

Mah-jong 1 Christine Greet


Mah-jong 2 Jess Grinyer 01799 500344 [email protected]

Mah-jong 3 Geraldine 01799 599159 [email protected]

Mainly for Men John London 01799 527729 [email protected]

Music Club Philippa Croft


Nice’n’ Easy Fitness Jan Powell 01799 523855 [email protected]

Philosophy Joanna O’Connor


Photography Anne Mount 01763 838271 [email protected]

Pilates 1 Chris Pickett 01799 542145 [email protected]

Pilates 2 Irene Bed-ward


Pilates 3

Beginners, Pilates 4 and 5

Ann Cousins 01799 219072 [email protected]

Play Reading Gill William-son


Poetry Beryl Ihm 01799 502512 [email protected]

Ramblers 1 Keith Patmore 01799 527568 [email protected]

Ramblers 2 Lynne Howell 01799 525581 [email protected]

Scrabble Veronica

Sylvester 01799 526932 [email protected]

Spanish Jessica Reeve


PLEAS FROM YOUR TREASURER PAYMENT BY CHEQUE Earlier this year we changed our bank account and things seem to be running smoothly. However, could I please ask all members to make their cheques out to

SAFFRON WALDEN U3A.

Please do not put anything else on a cheque, the bank doesn’t like it! PAYING CLASS FEES PROMPTLY In a similar vein, I must thank all of you who pay your dues so promptly. We do need to have money in the bank before we can pay out. Whatever class you are attending, please ensure you pay the class fees for the whole term to your co-ordinator no later than the second class of that term. If, for whatever reason, after the first class you do not propose to continue to attend, please let your co-ordinator know as soon as possible. Ann Treglown, Treasurer

CLASS COORDINATORS CONT

Table Tennis Ann Cousins 01799 219072

[email protected]

Tai Chi Angela Rowland


Theatre/Outings/Travel

Chris Duffy

Pauline Smith

01799 599636

01799 521524

[email protected]

[email protected]

Writing for

Pleasure Diane Drury 07870 900852 [email protected]

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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT – JULY 2016

As many of you may already know I am coming to the end of my term of office for Saffron Walden U3A at the AGM (5 September 2016). My time on the Committee both as Update Editor and Chair has given me the chance to meet many mem-bers, make new friends and be involved in the developing of our growing branch which has been a very happy and interesting experience. I am certain that our U3A will continue to flourish under the capable management of the Committee and I will now take a “back seat” to enjoy my retirement.

Best wishes

Sue Barton, Chairman

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MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S RE-PORT

Hello All,

The time has come around again for your renewals. We have had a very suc-cessful year, with a record number of new members and hope you will be able to renew your membership . The total number of members is now 766. We are pleased to keep the cost at £10 for an-other year. Renewal forms are enclosed within this Update, which please complete (including the reverse) and return to me by post at Fairfield, Arkesden Road, Clavering, Saffron Walden CB11 4QU, or alternatively, please come along to the Registration Day/AGM at the Town Hall on Monday 5 September from 1.00pm. Please note that renewals must be made by mid-October at the latest, otherwise you will not be eligible to attend any classes or activities.

We are always pleased to receive Gift Aid payments, which help our finances. If any new members wish to give Gift Aid, please ask me for a form and I will be pleased to send one to you. You only need to do this once, as we do all the rest on your behalf. U3A diaries are now available to pur-chase at a cost of £2. Please contact me, as below. Looking forward to seeing you on 5th September.

NEW MEMBERS’ MEETING All new members are cordially invited to attend a meeting on Monday 10th Octo-ber at the Bowls Club, Abbey Lane, Saf-fron Walden from 10.30am to introduce the Committee and Coordinators of our groups. Refreshments will be available during the morning.

Ann Banks, Membership Secretary 01799 550328 [email protected]

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of Saffron Walden U3A will be held at Saffron Walden Town Hall on Monday 5 September 2016 at 2.30 pm, or at any adjourn-ment thereof.

Chairman’s welcome Apologies for absence Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting Chairman’s report for the year ended 31 July 2016 Treasurer’s report for the year ended 31 July 2016 and adoption of Accounts Appointment of the Independent Examiner of Accounts Election of the committee for 2016-2017 Resolution relating to the amendment of the Constitution received under Clause 14 Any other business, at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting

COMMITTEE

Under the terms of the Constitution, all the members of the Executive Committee, including those serving as Officers, will retire at the Annual General Meeting.

Non officer members of the Executive Committee have a one-year term of office and may serve not more than three terms

Officers other than the Treasurer have a one-year term of office and may serve not more than three terms in a particular Officer role. The Treasurer may serve not more than six terms as Treasurer.

Written nominations by a proposer and seconder will need to be sent to the Secretary at least 28 days before the AGM (i.e. by 8 August 2016).

CONSTITUTION Existing Clause 3 shall be replaced by: CHARITABLE PURPOSES The charitable purposes of The U3A are: To advance education and in particular the education of people not in full time gainful employ-ment who are in their Third Age (being the period of time after the first age of childhood depend-ence and the second age of full time employment and/or parental responsibility) residing in Saf-fron Walden and its surrounding locality. In this Constitution “people in their Third Age” has the meaning set out above The charitable purposes of The U3A may only be altered with the prior consent of the Charity Commission. Existing Clause 16 iv shall be replaced by: There shall be a quorum when at least 10% of the number of members of The U3A, are present at any General Meeting.

ONLY CURRENT MEMBERS ARE ENTITLED TO ATTEND, VOTE AND SPEAK AT THE MEETING Ann Crawford, Secretary

A copy of the present constitution can be viewed on the website on the Publications page or by using the following link: http://www.saffronwaldenu3a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/swnewconstitition.pdf.

ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR’S REPORT

We have now completed our Fiscal Year and the Summer Break is upon us. All our groups are doing well and we hope that many of our new members have been able to join some of the existing groups as well our new groups all of which are proving a great success. The Table Tennis Group has a big hit with 24 members who regularly attend. The Latin Group is doing very well and thanks go to Alex Reeve (tutor) for intro-ducing this fascinating subject, now expanded into two classes. The Easy Riders Cycling Group is up and running successfully. Pilates continues to be popular, so our Tutor has agreed to run another class. Pilates 5 is already full, contact Ann Cousins to enquire about future vacancies. The Philosophy Group is up and running under the guidance of Joanna O’Connor and we wish her every success with her group. Mah-Jong 3 will run on Tuesdays if you are interested please contact Geraldine Plunkett. HOT OFF THE PRESS!! Mary Curtis is proposing to start a UKELELE GROUP meeting on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, email ([email protected]) for further de-tails. If any member has any ideas about forming a new group please make contact with Ann Cousins. CLASSES WITH POSSIBLE VACANCIES: Art History, Ballroom and Sequence Dancing, Bird Watching, Gardening, History Byways, Nice ‘n ’Easy and Tai Chi (please con-tact relevant coordinator). Two coordinators retire at the end of the Summer Term: Wendy Linney, Literature, and Beryl Love, Keep Fit; the Committee and I would like to thank them both for their hard work over the years. Please see the coordinators schedule on pages 6-8 for new coordi-nator names and contact information. As you are all aware our magnificent website, is administered by Martin Hugall; he keeps it constantly kept up to date and it’s the place to go to find the Hot News as well as details about our group activities so please make good use of this wonderful facility. The two sections which are password controlled are: the Committee Members and the Class Coordinators Section, each hold a tremendous amount of useful information, in-cluding downloads of U3A paperwork eg. Class Attendance Logs, Class Coordinators Guide etc.etc. The philosophy of the U3A is very much the formation of new groups of like-minded peo-ple and it is not necessary to have a tutor just a group of people who are prepared to re-search/discuss a specific topic eg .Discovery Group, Chess etc.etc.. I will be retiring from the Committee in September (after the AGM) and Ann Cousins will take over my role from September 2016, so I obviously wish her good luck in this de-manding role. Ann’s contact details are phone 01799-219072 and e-mail “ [email protected].” I wish to thank all Class Coordinators for your assistance during my three year term on the Committee and if I can be of any help in the future please don’t hesitate to contact me. Please send me your “Summer Term Class Attendance Sheets” promptly and I will hand these over to Ann Cousins at the AGM.

TERRY ALLEN, OOZEDAM, HIGH ROAD,FOBBING,STANFORD-LE-HOPE, ESSEX SS17 9HT; phone 01375 644636, 07974 260078; tallenallet@gmail .com

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BIRDWATCHING More interesting outings during the Spring/early Summer season. In March we visited Lackford Lakes near Bury St Edmunds. Cold wind coming into the hides, but rewarded with 43 species in-cluding kingfisher, oystercatcher, Egyp-tian geese, goldeneye, teal, siskin, red-wing and red-crested pochards. April was Rye Meads on the Lea near Hoddesdon, again cloudy and cold, but a good day with kingfishers at nest site, kestrel fledglings and over 30 species and heard others including Cetti's and

sedge warbler. In May, an extra trip to Wicken Fen, as we had the opportunity of a guided wildlife walk with a resident volunteer. Many species heard and spotted that we could have missed. Marsh harriers, several hobbies, cuckoos heard and seen, blackcaps and whitethroats, orange tip butterflies, konik ponies and Highland cattle and many others. Then Lakenheath Fen another raw day, but memorable for two distant cranes, that we saw circling, marsh harri-ers, cuckoo, reed buntings, several wrens, shoveler, egret, tern and booming bittern (but not seen this year). In June we went to Fingringhoe Wick, an Essex Wildlife Trust site not visited for some years. Highlights were a quite rare turtle dove and a young kestrel display-ing well, as well as butterflies, damsel-flies and wild flowers. A good varied site by the Colne estuary. We end the term at Minsmere in July, a favourite that al-ways yields many good sightings. Some regulars come less often now, so we might be able to include one or two more members without swamping hides on the reserves. Proposed Dates for Autumn Term:- Friday 23rd September; Monday 24th October; Thursday 17th November – Venues to be advised – See website in due course. Brian Linford – 18/07/16 01799-531392 or [email protected]

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THANK YOU COORDINATORS! The Committee was delighted to invite all our wonderful coordinators to the annual lunch last month to thank them for their hard work and dedication in keeping their classes on track and handling the admin that goes along with that job. The Com-mittee

members are highly appreciative of all the work you do – without you the Saffron Wal-den U3A could not function nor provide the huge number of activities for all the mem-bers. We hope to see you all again next year!

RAMBLERS 2

Thanks to Paul Crawford for this photo of Ramblers 2 in the Arkesden area in March. This was John Bank’s last walk as co-ordinator of this group.

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SPRING HOLIDAY: BRISTOL AND BATH Our accommodation at the Aztec Hotel and Spa was of an exceptional standard and provided a good hub to the various outings during the week, courtesy of Eclipse Tours. The hotel is located in a beautifully landscaped commercial park. Friday provided a guided tour of Bristol which included a walk around the central cobbled streets and alleyways; these have remained largely the same for hundreds of years. Perhaps more im-portantly was the appreciation of the significant part that Bristol and Brunel played in the industri-al advancement of the nation immortalised by the SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge. Saturday saw us at the fairy tale mansion at Tyntesfield, one of the finest examples of grand English architecture, overlooking seemingly endless blossoming country-side. Memorable !! On Sunday we trav-elled to the famously unfinished Wood-chester Mansion and the magnificent Ro-coco Garden at Painswick which took us back to a flamboyant time in English gar-den design and allowed us a much en-joyed walk. Monday produced the high-light of the holiday with a very entertain-ing tour of Bath provided by our eccentric tour guide whose anecdotes were full of humour and detailed knowledge of the great period in the city’s history, recognis-ing the huge importance of Roman archi-tectural design as seen for example in the Pulteney Bridge copied from the Pon-te Vecchio Bridge in Florence. The journey home was interesting because our driver attempted to avoid the motorways as much as possible which allowed us to experience further views of the colourful Spring countryside in all its glory. Lunch, in Henley was a fitting end to a very busy and interesting week. Ian Lawson Images by Penny Lawson: front cover Bath Abbey and above Horseshoe Weir in Bath.

WRITING FOR PLEASURE

We are celebrating Barbara's Octogenarian Status. She turned 80 on 4 May. You're never too old to be a great tutor!

Photographer: Sybil Pretious

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PHILOSOPHY This is a relatively new group, having started in April of this year. Our numbers cannot be more than 12 participants as space is limited and to enable everyone to take part in the discussions. Our subjects are wide ranging depending on what the participants leading that session choose as their topic. So far we have discussed Socrates; the existence/or not of God, Humanism, and Eugenics. The aim of the sessions is to examine ideas both past and present.

Joanna O’Connor

IN MEMORIAM: PETER NEWMAN

Although born in Edinburgh, Peter was brought up in the Saffron Walden area; his childhood home was The Fighting Cocks (Wendens Ambo) where his father was the publican and he attended the Boys School and later Newport Grammar. After school he joined the Army, reaching the rank of Lieutenant and seeing active service in West Afri-ca, where he picked up hi long standing interest in tanks. Afterwards he joined BP working in their Research Centre in Sunbury-on-Thames until

retirement, finishing as Research Coordinator and moving back to the Wal-den area in the 1970s. Peter enjoyed a long and happy retirement in the area and always led a very active life, getting involved in a wide range of hobbies and pastimes including a Consumer Group, swimming, bridge, Probus and walking and also found time to co-found the SWU3A. In No-vember 2015 Peter passed away after a short illness and is fondly remem-bered by all who knew him.

THE FRIDAY BRIDGE GROUP We are a welcoming and friendly group who meet on Friday afternoons at SWBC to play Chicago Bridge. New members are always welcome to so please come along and join us for a lovely afternoon playing bridge. Stella McSweeney, Coordinator

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EASY RIDERS The Easy Riders' inaugural bike ride in April got off to an easy start; as the saying goes “start as you mean to go on”. We met at the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in sunshine. However, as we riders set off, a few drops of rain fell, but the climb out of Saffron Walden up to Sewards End was warming. Having made the ascent, we toured through the countryside along a bridleway and then back onto and along Cole End Lane towards Wimbish. One member of the group picked up a puncture but this was easily and quickly rectified.

Going to a pub was es-chewed on this occa-sion as we decided to have (what turned out to be) a very civi-lised lunch-eon at Deb-den Barns. The five of us sat in the sunshine and enjoyed some deli-cious food and coffee.

After the leisurely, chatty lunch we made our way down to Debden crossroads and then back up towards Saffron Walden. At Roos Farm, we made a foray along an-other bridleway which took us to the Thaxted Road which then led (downhill) back to the leisure centre. All in all, a pleasant two and a half hours in the Essex coun-tryside, blessed with warm, sunny weather and good company.

Thanks to (l-r, back row) Rod George, Simon Taylor and Simon Teague for getting 'Easy Riders' off the ground!

Rides are on the first Thursday of the month. Please contact us if you’d like to join the group.

Colin and Anne Taylor

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BEGINNERS TAI CHI There are spaces in the beginners Tai Chi group so please contact the coordina-tor if you’re interested. Tai Chi seems to be a gentle form of exercise and indeed it is low impact, but this underestimates the benefits. It can improve strength, flexibility and balance and there is also growing research evidence that it acts as a preventative in some age-related health problems and is also beneficial for re-habilitation. As it is also a meditative practice it can have a further beneficial im-pact on the mind and emotions. Plus learning something new makes our brain cells work harder and can improve cognitive functioning! What’s not to like?

ART APPRECIATION

In the last academic year, we concentrated on the St Ives artists. In the forthcom-ing Autumn and Spring terms we are going for something very different: the artists of Germany and Austria, from about 1870 to as far as we get! For both countries, these were tumultuous years, years of revolution, war, invasion, occupation and bloodshed, and the artists reflected all these aspects in their exciting and often challenging works. Trevor is preparing a short introduction to the events of the pe-riod. After that, our lively tutor, Fanny Haine, will be introducing the very varied art-ists and getting us to think about them. Keep an eye on the website for further de-tails.

Ann Crawford and Trevor Osbourn, Coordinators

KEEP FIT

Keep fit classes have ended for the summer break. This year has gone very quick-ly, with the girls (ha ha) in the group very keen for Marlene's weekly exercises. Our dance routine is still ongoing with Marlene going one way and us often going another! She remains very tolerant as there is a lot of chat, but also lots of fun. This year our successful fundraising has been divided between a brain cancer charity: SWOP- Saffron Walden Opportunity Playgroup, Cambridge Rape Crisis and Cambridge Aid Society. Next term our lovely Beryl Love will be stepping down as coordinator after nine years. Our grateful thanks go out to Beryl who has done a wonderful job. We are pleased to say that she will still be joining us in the light fan-tastic movements! At present our Wednesday morning group is full but we are al-ways happy to add prospective new members to our waiting list.

Helen Verity and Linda Sawkins, Coordinators

LUNCH CLUB

We started our negotiations with The Coach and Horses, Wicken Bonhunt several months ago. We were a bit apprehensive about going there because it is Thai food and is quite different to what we usually have, which is traditional English. However, Sergio the owner gave us a menu with the condition that he needed a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 40 to make a booking. As a result we did a survey to ascertain the interest. Having sufficient numbers we made the book-

ing and on the day had 40 diners. Our group consisted of people who liked Thai food and those who wanted to sample it. The menu was for three courses followed by coffee/tea and included Chicken and Prawn on toast Chicken Green Curry and Massaman Beef. The chef was Ananta, wife of Sergio who kept the service going. Eve-ryone said they enjoyed the meal and as usual it was a very enjoy-able occasion. We had a record number of din-ers, 47, for our lunch in March. Our venue was The Axe and Compasses, Arkesden, and we occupied a large part of the pub. The menu followed the usual pattern with meat, fish and vegetarian choices. Des-serts were chosen from the trolley and were particularly popular. A very enjoyable occasion, with full marks to Themis & his team.

Kate Barwood

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IN MEMORIAM QUENTIN DAWE 1940 - 2016 The first Mah-Jong group was formed 5 years ago and Quentin Dawe, and his wife Jenny were original mem-bers, offering their home as our weekly venue. The group prospered and grew, and with it Quentin’s regular welcome for us all, together with his enthusiasm for Mah-Jong, and our Social Buffet lunches to celebrate Christmas and the End of the U3A year.

After a short illness, Quentin passed away in May – we miss his zest for life and his kind heart. The Home Farm Trust is a charity that was very close to his heart, and over £5,000 was raised in donations in his memory. Christine Greet (Image: Quentin is third from the left)

BILL MORRIS Bill passed away at the age of 88 whilst on holiday in Malta with his long-time partner, Kate. Bill’s father was stationed in Malta dur-ing the war and Bill went to school there for two years so it was to be a visit down memory lane. From the age of 12 Bill lived in the Wal-den area, working for 34 years at Ciba-Geigy in Duxford. Bill had two children, Fiona and Duncan. He was an active and enthusiastic participant in the activities of our U3A and made a significant contribution to organising

the Lunch Club and sourcing speakers for Mainly for Men as well as regularly enjoying the Bowls Club. Bill’s funeral took place at St Mary’s, where he was a choir boy, and was extremely well attended. As was typical of Bill he had cho-sen all the hymns and the traditional service was much appreciated by all at-tendees. Bill is enormously missed.

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Four events this term. Our speaker in April described his life as a writer of comedy sketches for the BBC, for programmes such as the ‘News Huddlines’ and Radio 4’s ‘The Week Ending’ as well as scripts for radio and television documentary pro-grammes. This was followed in May with a well-attended lunch at the Coach and Horses in Newport. In June our speaker’s talk was entitled ‘Railway Curiosities’ about some of the more unusual aspects of railways in the past, such as Brunton’s mechanical horse, the rail Zeppelin and Cycloped and Boynton’s bicycle railway. Finally in July our speaker was a historian of the US 8th Air Force 398th Bombard-ment Group, who described the development of the airfield at Nuthampstead and the activities of the Americans during WWII. We have two meetings and a trip organised for the Autumn term: a visit to Greene King’s brewery on 21 September, a talk entitled ‘Circumnavigation of the World in Container Ships’ on 3 October, and a talk about the ‘History of the Pathfinder Force’ on 7 November. We meet in the Garden Room in Jubilee Gardens, where our meetings average 30 – 40 people, and we welcome anybody who would like to come along to listen, chatand drink a cup of tea or coffee.

John London Tel: 01799 527729

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AINLY EN

SUMMER SUP-PER

An enjoyable time had by all the 70 at-tendees.

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MUSIC GROUP: Music for All Seasons

This year’s spring and summer months certainly saw the usual variety of British weather, and our Music Group made sure that the selection of musical offerings we listened to provided plenty of sunshine to drown out the rain and storms out-side. With our tastes veering towards the classical we have heard ‘a little of what we fancy’, from adagios, ballet and operetta to waltzes and serenades, Strauss, Verdi, Vivaldi and even Paul Robeson. We have recalled favourite films, shows and TV themes, bought ourselves up-to-date in the history of music with twentieth century and modern classics and visited music from ‘lands of legend’, whilst not forgetting Classical Brits. Whether you enjoy a stroll around an English country garden or a meander in the moonlight (musically speaking !) then why not consider joining us on a Wednesday morning for an hour of relaxing stress-free listening, with the occasional surprise thrown in just to spice things up a bit? Do come along – we have room for more (and we even provide coffee and bis-cuits!)

Philippa Croft

LINDA ROBINSON MBE I’m sure we’re all delighted to congratu-late Linda on her well deserved MBE— you may already have seen articles about this, for example in the Saffron Walden Reporter. The award is for her outstanding work as co-founder of the charity Home-Start, which has success-fully supported families in difficult circum-stances. Linda said: ‘It was an incredibly special day...I was thinking of the fami-lies and how proud I am for them. This medal is for them because they do all the hard work.’ Christine Till, scheme manager, said: ‘We can’t think of a more deserving person to receive recognition. Linda exudes a positive attitude and kindness and leads by example.’ Editor

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Image by Jean Little

MAH-JONG 2

Build the wall, break the wall, clean hands, dirty hands and not to mention Triple Knitting and Wriggling Snake all seemed to me meaningless just a year ago. After a while under the guidance of Connie, who has been playing for over 30 years I feel I am beginning to get the hang of things and am now completely hooked on the game. By the way Connie celebrated her 90th birthday in April of this year. We play every Thursday afternoon and start off with tea or coffee. For this we pay 50p which goes towards a charity of our choice. This year the money is shared between 2 charities. A sum of £55 was donated to Save our Maddi Appeal. Maddi attends Joyce Franklyn School and sadly has Krabbe disease, a very rare condition. The

money raised will help towards her life saving treat-ment in the States. Another £90 was donated to Prostate Cancer. To help raise money and aware-ness, Owen, my son had completed the first stage of the 2016 Tour de France, cycling 117 miles from Mont St Michel to Utah Beach in France, unfortu-nately not in Saffron Walden this year. So far we (Mah-Jong 2 group) have raised a total £217. At the moment our group is full but there are spaces in Group 3. I can assure you, you will love it and quickly become as hooked on the game as I am. I believed that David Stapleton wrote in the last up-date, it's only a game but I have to say, I don't like losing and the enjoyment you get saying 'calling' and then going Mah-Jong is a great feeling. We also had a great time celebrating Connie's 90th at her daughter's house in Ickleton.

Peggy Chapple

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Image by Paul Crawford

WRITING FOR PLEASURE A trip to ‘The Orchard’ at Grantchester by Pauline Smith On June 6th our writing group A very friendly bunch Took a trip to Grantchester For coffee and then lunch We attempt to do this regularly Or at least once every year As ‘the orchard’ has a special charm And it’s one we all hold dear Blessed with perfect weather We settled under a shady tree And in turn read out our homework As we sipped our coffee and tea The subject given was a gold necklace Depicting the honey bee Which we assumed to be a symbol For female fertility Discovered in Crete many years ago It lay buried for 3000 years This item evoked a profusion of tales With murder, betrayal and tears It never ceases to amaze How the imagination can flow To produce such intriguing stories If you’re prepared to give it a go Each of us has found a talent To write on subjects so diverse As Halloween, tennis, abandoned picnics Though mine mainly turn out in verse Everyone has a different idea On the subject given to write Some will pen pages dark and intense Whilst others give humour and light Stories and discussions completed We packed pens and note books away To indulge in a tasty luncheon Freshly cooked at ‘the orchard café’ Before leaving we posed for a snapshot Taken by someone seated close by

Seven authors, our tutor Barbara And husband Jack – a very brave guy Food for Thought We chose a beautiful June day for our summer outing to Grantchester. Inspired by the Rupert Brookes of yesteryear we read out our homework stories under the apple trees at the Orchard Tearooms. Our theme this time was the stunning 17th century B C Bee Pendant on dis-play at the Herakleon Museum in Crete. Our fancy took us on a variety of lyrical and passionate journeys speculating on its origin. Apple blossom over but wasps thankfully not yet arrived, we then en-joyed a well-earned lunch chosen from homemade quiche, salads and delicious cakes. Next homework: A story entitled The Rendezvous set at the Orchard Tea-rooms to take place in any era from 1897 when the Tearooms first set out its deck-chairs under the apple trees. Fancy joining us? Contact Diane Drury Coordinator or Barbara Russell Pitman Tutor. Editor: In the last Update, The Nose was the inspired work of Sybil Pretious, a member of the Writing for Pleasure Group.

Photographer Sheilah Girgis-Hanna

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TRAVEL So far this year I have organised three outings. The first one was on the 29th February, the title of which was ‘All Our Waterloos’, our guide telling us about the French presence in London from the Huguenots seeking religious exile and escaping the guillotine to the free French of World War 2 and the supertax refugees of today. We toured London’s French quarter, enjoyed a Roast Beef lunch followed by a brandy-laced bread and butter pudding in an Anglo-French pub, after which we visited the Victoria & Albert Museum where many beautifully crafted objects were on display – some especially made for Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon. After a welcome cup of tea we then headed home tired but content and more knowledgeable about our French cousins.

Our second trip of the year, Thursday 17th March, was to the William Morris Gallery and cream tea cruise. We first gathered in the William Morris café for coffee after which we made our way around the exhibition which is housed in William’s childhood home. We al-so had time to roam around the beautiful gardens before making our way to a pub in Ep-ping for lunch. Following this, we made our way to Broxbourne where we boarded a boat which took us on a 90 minute cruise during which we were served tea plus delicious scones with ample supplies of jam and cream. At 5:15 pm we boarded the coach for home having enjoyed a very pleasant day – some of us clutching spare scones for the freezer!

On the sunniest and warmest day of the spring, our third trip on 12th May was a visit to Oxford, The Isis and Iffley. Arriving at Oxford midday, we first indulged in a meal of de-lightful fish and chips at the oldest pub in Oxford, which looked onto Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre which we later had a guided tour of around the perimeter and the ancient courtyard which houses the Bodleian Library.

Next onto Trinity College founded in 1509 taking it’s name from the brazen nose which takes pride of place above the high table in the students dining room. Next we boarded a boat for a 25 minute cruise along the stretch of Christchurch meadow, from Folly Bridge to Iffley Lock and the village which boasts one of the most beautiful churches in England. A fine example of Romanesque architecture, little altered over the years with spectacular carvings and stunning stained-glass windows.

We had time to indulge in tea and cakes at the Farmhouse Café set in a pretty orchard before boarding the boat back to Oxford. We returned at 6:15 pm all agreeing we had en-joyed a most memorable day.

Pauline Smith

CHRISTMAS TEA OK so we know it’s only September and nothing’s more irritating this far ahead but thought you might want to book up before all the tickets go—so see page 25 for more detailed information.

SAFFRON WALDEN

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Dates For Your Diary

Tai Chi Class by Angela Rowland

OPEN MEETINGS: Monday, 2.30pm at the Bowls Club19/9/16 Essex Murders, Linda Stratmann

17/10/16 Giggly Pig, Tracy Mackness

21/11/16 Diane Drury, WaterAid

16/1/17 Sreepur village, Bangladesh, Laura Sale

MAINLY FOR MEN: Garden Room, Jubilee Gardens at 2.30pm 21/9/16 Visit to Greene King Brewery, Bury St Edmunds

3/10/16 Circumnavigation of the the World in Container Ships, Peter Hes-keth

7/11/16 History of the Pathfinder Force, Squadron Leader Kevin Dalley

Contact: John London, [email protected], 01799 527729

CHRISTMAS TEA

16/12/16 Christmas Tea, 3pm, Golf Club, tickets £8.50 contact Pauline Palmer (01799 550271, [email protected])

LUNCH CLUB PROGRAMME: 12.15 for 12.45 (unless otherwise stated)

15/9/16 Clavering Lakes, 12.15 for 12.30

6/10/16 The Plough, Debden, 12.15 for 12.30

7/12/16 The White Hart, Wimbish, 12.15 for 12.30

To avoid confusion, communication should be made to the organiser, NOT the venue.Contact:Kate: 01799 550271, e-mail [email protected]

17/11/16 The Plough, Duxford, 12.15 for 12.39

26

Dates For Your Diary

HOLIDAYS30/9/16 Devon: cancelled

Contact : Mary Edwards: 01799 551924

THEATRE, BALLET, MUSIC AND OUTINGS

25/8/16 The Old Country by Alan Bennett, lunch at the Randolph Hotel, free

6/9/16 Grimsthorpe Castle, Park & Gardens (inspired by Capability Brown). Guided tour of House and 3000acre Park (By our Coach) To incl.

21/10/16 Pianolas, Pilots and Pirates, £50 inc lunch and tea

7/11/16 Egypt’s Lost and Sunken Cities. Guided Exhibition at the British Muse-um

26/11/16 Tosca, matinee, English National Operata, London Coliseum.

1/12/16 Christmas Cruse and London Eye, £43

5/4/17 An American in Paris (musical), matinee, Dominion Theatre London

Contact Christine: 01799 599636 (mobile number to be used only during trips: 07786 402776)

Contact Pauline Smith: 01799 521524

Theatre and Travel meet last Friday each month to give opportunity to those members wishing to book for one of the many trips on offer. Day trips, lunch dates, holidays, theatre trips, London walks all organized by Chris, Pauline and Mary.

Notices

Saffron Walden U3A is a Registered Charity No. 290670.

The views and opinions expressed in Update are not necessarily those of the U3A or of the Committee.

The Committee reserves the right to close any class or activity because of low

enrolment or poor attendance.

Errors and omissions excepted.

We try to keep in contact with all members but it is not always possible to do so. This may be due to illness or other incapacitation.

If you hear of any member who may need assistance please contact any member of committee.

Saffron Walden U3A retains the copyright of the contents of Update.

For more information visit our website at www.saffronwaldenu3a.org.uk.

InsuranceAll members are covered by public liability insurance but

Saffron Walden U3A accepts no responsibility for any accident not covered by that insurance.

Legal Assistance Legal Advice, including Private (including Holidays), Commercial and

Employment advice, is available over the telephone to all members of U3A. This service is provided by Arc Legal Assistance (24hrs) and can be accessed by

telephoning 0344 770 1040 and quote U3A Legal Helpline.

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