Monthly Meetings
Next Members Meeting
Bridges Community Centre 15th May 2018 2.30pm
The Nobel Prize Ashley Jones
Bridges Community Centre 15th May 2018 2.30pm
The Nobel Prize Ashley Jones
.Tuesday April 17th A Pathfinder Mike Ansfield
“What did your father/mother do in the war?” The answer for most of us is that we do not know much, but Mike Ansfield with deep and detailed research told the Monmouth U3A precisely what his father did in World War 11. It was a record of a lively and intelligent eighteen to twenty four year old who enlisted in the RAF. Ted Ansfield had to undertake three kinds of rigorous training in three countries with the knowledge at its fulfilment that the average life span for someone in his role was forty flying hours. Ted Ansfield’s career moved from a gamekeeper’s son in the Home Guard at seventeen to a Flight Lieutenant in the Pathfinder Squadron.
This was a life full of nerve, risk and escapes from near death. Loaded with 5 tons of bombs their Lancaster was shot out of the sky over German territory by a young man who ironically did not look dissimilar to himself. He and one other of the crew survived. With a fractured skull he evaded capture for six days but was caught and put in a German Prisoner of War camp until the end of the war. One of the many reported to their families as ‘Missing in action’. It was three months before his parents knew where he was. However, a memorial at the camp was inscribed, ‘Nothing has been forgotten,’ and these stories continue to be carried into the future. Particularly poignant were the mementos that Mike Ansfield brought - the swastika flag from the camp and a scrap of the Lancaster fuselage with its machine gun holes. Marianne Wright
Tuesday 20th March The Death of Stereo David Scaysbrook BSc, CBiol, MRSB, MCSFS, Consultant Forensic Scientist Please click here for Science article 13th February 2018
Tuesday 20th February 2018 Monmouth During WW1 Karin Molson
How many people in Monmouth know that Vauxhall Fields was one of Great Britain’s Remount Centres for horses to be trained for warfare in World War 1 ? Karen Molson, leading the Monmouth Museum Project, and volunteer, Kate ………, took the U3A audience back a hundred years and forward into the near future to explain how World War I impacted on the small town of Monmouth and then what is being planned to commemorate the Peace celebrations a hundred years ago.
A team of volunteers and four years of intensive research have resulted in detailed studies of the back stories to those names on the war memorials, and the correlation of a wealth of archive material, plus the creatioon of a travelling exhibition. To anyone living in Monmouth now that exhibition of records , clothing and artefacts from World War 1 is a real eye-opener. So much that is familiar now had quite different uses then, for example the ghostly remains of Troy station was where refugees, the wounded, and soldiers arrived and departed. Parade House was a military hospital for the duration. Practice trenches were put up near the Mitcheltroy Garden Centre. Belgian refugees were housed in town.
However, this research is not just about the past; it is also about finding the links between both those that died and the survivors with Monmouth residents now. The research continues. With this in mind a raft of walks, talks, and events are planned for November 2018, including the knitting of 5000 poppies to create our own poppy “field”. The centenary of the 1918 peace will honour once again those that fought.
Members of Monmouth U3A at The Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 20th March 2018 at 2.30pm will once again be journeying into (slightly earlier) history when Bernard Lockett will talk about the satire of Gilbert and Sullivan. A must for all fans, and of course, visitors are always welcome to attend. Marianne Wright
Tuesday 16th January 2018 Wye Shipping Dr. Naylor Firth
“What did your father/mother do in the war?” The answer for most of us is that we do not know much, but Mike Ansfield with deep and detailed research told the Monmouth U3A precisely what his father did in World War 11. It was a record of a lively and intelligent eighteen to twenty four year old who enlisted in the RAF. Ted Ansfield had to undertake three kinds of rigorous training in three countries with the knowledge at its fulfilment that the average life span for someone in his role was forty flying hours. Ted Ansfield’s career moved from a gamekeeper’s son in the Home Guard at seventeen to a Flight Lieutenant in the Pathfinder Squadron.
This was a life full of nerve, risk and escapes from near death. Loaded with 5 tons of bombs their Lancaster was shot out of the sky over German territory by a young man who ironically did not look dissimilar to himself. He and one other of the crew survived. With a fractured skull he evaded capture for six days but was caught and put in a German Prisoner of War camp until the end of the war. One of the many reported to their families as ‘Missing in action’. It was three months before his parents knew where he was. However, a memorial at the camp was inscribed, ‘Nothing has been forgotten,’ and these stories continue to be carried into the future. Particularly poignant were the mementos that Mike Ansfield brought - the swastika flag from the camp and a scrap of the Lancaster fuselage with its machine gun holes. Marianne Wright
Tuesday 20th March The Death of Stereo David Scaysbrook BSc, CBiol, MRSB, MCSFS, Consultant Forensic Scientist Please click here for Science article 13th February 2018
Tuesday 20th February 2018 Monmouth During WW1 Karin Molson
How many people in Monmouth know that Vauxhall Fields was one of Great Britain’s Remount Centres for horses to be trained for warfare in World War 1 ? Karen Molson, leading the Monmouth Museum Project, and volunteer, Kate ………, took the U3A audience back a hundred years and forward into the near future to explain how World War I impacted on the small town of Monmouth and then what is being planned to commemorate the Peace celebrations a hundred years ago.
A team of volunteers and four years of intensive research have resulted in detailed studies of the back stories to those names on the war memorials, and the correlation of a wealth of archive material, plus the creatioon of a travelling exhibition. To anyone living in Monmouth now that exhibition of records , clothing and artefacts from World War 1 is a real eye-opener. So much that is familiar now had quite different uses then, for example the ghostly remains of Troy station was where refugees, the wounded, and soldiers arrived and departed. Parade House was a military hospital for the duration. Practice trenches were put up near the Mitcheltroy Garden Centre. Belgian refugees were housed in town.
However, this research is not just about the past; it is also about finding the links between both those that died and the survivors with Monmouth residents now. The research continues. With this in mind a raft of walks, talks, and events are planned for November 2018, including the knitting of 5000 poppies to create our own poppy “field”. The centenary of the 1918 peace will honour once again those that fought.
Members of Monmouth U3A at The Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 20th March 2018 at 2.30pm will once again be journeying into (slightly earlier) history when Bernard Lockett will talk about the satire of Gilbert and Sullivan. A must for all fans, and of course, visitors are always welcome to attend. Marianne Wright
Tuesday 16th January 2018 Wye Shipping Dr. Naylor Firth
December 19th Christmas Party with Overmonnow School Choir and Albright Pottery 'Pot' raffle
In recent months on TV there has been significant coverage about older people and young children socialising, and at the Monmouth U3A Christmas party members were to find out the benefits for themselves when the choir from Overmonnow Primary School sang carols.
Miss Gibbs led them through a short medley but the hit of the show which had to be repeated as an encore was “We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.” This was because, thoughtfully, and very expertly, it was accompanied by sign language. It was a real bonus and a delight to all those hard of hearing. The children aged 7 - 11 were to be congratulated on their synchronisation and memories !
Following the entertainment a feast was supplied by the committee and members Those with sense had not eaten lunch to better enjoy it all. It also gave everyone time to talk and to undertake the quiz. that had some surprises, e.g., Few knew the correct name for a male turkey that is a “gobbler” or “tom” but one hazarded a guess with “turcock”.
The next meeting of the Monmouth U3A on Tuesday, 16th January 2018, starting at two thirty pm at The Bridges Centre will no doubt include other less known facts when Dr Naylor Firth speaks on the subject of “Wye Shipping”. Visitors are always welcome so if you have an interest in the subject please join members for this talk. Marianne Wright
November 21st The Lost Lake by Stephen Clarke
A large lake lost seemingly at the time of the Roman invasion still effects Monmouth today. The local archaeology team and Stephen Clarke have through their innumerable digs provided enough evidence, along with the geology, for builders to take this lost lake very seriously. Nine metre deep foundations have been used on housing in the Wonastow area and attenuation ponds required - not a cheap option, although the ponds are attractive to both residents and wild life.
All the evidence that has been found such as burnt mounds, boat parts, and wattle fencing show that not only was there a large lake, but it was also an important settlement from the Stone Age. The finds themselves have archeologically speaking put Monmouth on the international map. Stephen Clarke showed an artist’s impression of the lake village houses on their posts above the water, and the structure of the boats used. The local Roman general was also a water engineer and it is thought that he drained significant areas of the lake to provide level ground for agriculture and industry, of which there is archeological evidence to show this was the point of change.
Other evidence comes from literature; The Mabinogion and also, Geoffrey of Monmouth (who admittedly was a great plagiarist), and the lake was mentioned in ninth, twelfth and fourteenth century writings. Stephen Clarke certainly showed a slice of the world that lay quite literally beneath our feet and his talk to a packed hall was fascinating.
Moving from the past to the future meeting of the Monmouth U3A at The Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 19th December 2017 starting at 2.30pm, members will be enjoying a Christmas party and songs from the Overmonnow School choir. Marianne Wright
October 17th River Birds by Stephanie Tyler
Unlike Stephanie Tyler there is no need to wade thigh deep in the river to see the wide variety of river birds that exist locally. Just standing on the Monmouth old bridge will enable you to see Dippers with their distinctive chestnut, white and dark grey plumage and their even more distinct bobbing movement as they perch waiting for their prey. Now there are less mink on the Monnow and Wye, other river birds are increasing again, from Mandarin and Gosander ducks to wagtails, common sandpipers, sand martins and, if quick, the rare flash of the kingfishers.
For Stephanie these birds are a lifetime interest, and the data that she and volunteer teams have collected is fundamental to understanding what is needed to encourage and protect them. Her photos certainly showed all their charm. Also, important is the knowledge gained of the whereabouts of river birds nests and this is where the waders were put to good use when ringing the fledglings. For example, to see quantities of dippers the higher faster reaches of the rivers are the best place, and the larger numbers of sand martins will be where the river has formed sandy cliffs.
Members of the Monmouth U3A will be looking with fresh eyes as they walk Vauxhall fields and other river banks.
September 19th AGM followed by Music from Around the World by Malcolm Meadows
The Monmouth U3A AGM took place at Bridges Community Centre on September 19th and the Report written by the Chair, Jenny Robbins, outlined another successful year with over 510 members enjoying over 50 activities. Michael Bone, the Treasurer explained how a proportion of the £10 annual membership fee went to the Third Age Trust, the umbrella organisation that provided insurance and resources, and some of the remainder was spent on the Monmouth U3A annual magazine that is posted to every member, and the hire of the function room for monthly meetings. Members who had retired, especially Frances Williams the secretary and Judi Ayre, were thanked, and the committee that remained were re-elected. It was hoped new members would come forward to fill any vacancies that remained.
Malcolm Meadows, a retired pharmacist, then took members on a journey of Music Around the World. Despite some initial technical problems, David showed slides and talked a little about the history of Tibet, Russia, Japan, South Africa, China, Machu Picchu, and Germany while playing music he had specially chosen from each of those areas. His entertaining talk included slides of Paris and the story of how Edith Piaf ‘The Little Sparrow’ rose to become a National Treasure of France, and some of her haunting music was played. Malcolm concluded with Louis Armstrong's 'Wonderful World' which was followed by tea and biscuits.
Tuesday 15th August Hands Around the World David Steiner
“If you think you are too small to make a difference then you have never been in bed with a mosquito”.
In Zambia children know very well how much difference a mosquito can make since out of the 15 children admitted every day to the Hospital where David Steiner worked 6 - 7 died every night, mostly from malaria. He was speaking to Monmouth U3A about the Monmouth based charity, “Hands around the world”, that works with 9 partner centres in Africa and India.
David began this support network for children after working as a doctor in Zambia in the 1990s. The difference he has made has not been small. Two and a half thousand children benefit annually from this charity with the contributions from its volunteers and supporters. It is very practical support, for example, a school that makes sure the children who attend receive a nourishing meal every day they attend. In an area that knows starvation this is essential if children are going to be fit enough to learn. Some of the statistics are disturbing as there are over a million orphans, or one in ten of the population, surviving in the poorest of conditions. Having grown up in the Channel Islands during and just after the war, David himself knew about starvation. As a doctor he joined the Jersey Oversees Committee that was formed after the war when so much money was being invested in Jersey. The committee itself aimed to expand and share its largesse abroad as a direct response to those hard years of occupation. David Steiner followed this on with his own efforts. It is a remarkable story and achievement that moved the audience.
Tuesday 18th July Summer Meeting and Rob Swannack
Pimms and strawberries and cream were being enjoyed by the members of the Monmouth U3A whilst they listened to a music provided by Rob Swannack on harp, guitar and accordian. Obviously in this convivial atmosphere the song that he had composed to celebrate World Gin Day (10th June) was greeted with laughter and applause. Rob Swannack seamlessly shifted between anecdotes and information and his performances on his trio of instruments. He talked about the simplicity of the harp and the complexity of its range which made playing it seem tantalisingly possible for even the less musical. It was particularly interesting that the harp had been made just across the border at Bredwardine by Mike Saunders.
The July members’ meeting is always a particularly pleasant one as it gives everyone a chance to socialise and relax. The committee had prepared the main ingredients for the refreshments and were supported by each member providing a plate of light sweet, or savoury, food. Some members did mention that they had had the fore thought not to eat lunch beforehand!
Tuesday 20th June Traditional Fishing in Wales by Dylan Jones
There is always risk with fishing but being tipped out of a coracle because a salmon flipped his tail is not a commonly known one. Dylan Jones’s talk to Monmouth U3A about the traditional fishing methods and trade in Wales was full of unexpected detail. The variety of fish commercially fished in the last two hundred years spread from oysters at Swansea bay to the impressive salmon. Few were aware that even now the Welsh are the largest suppliers of cockles in Britain. However, the current fisher folk are unlikely to be wearing a “cockle bonnet” and plaid.
Raking the river, estuary and sea beds for mussels, the netting by every style of net available ( wade, drift, trammel, seine and lave ) for fish. A lot of fishing seemed to involve standing in cold water and hauling these heavy nets.
Baskets called “putchers” and “putts” are still used for trapping lobsters and crabs. Of course the fishing trade when fish stocks were plentiful involved far more of the coastal population, and was of such significant value that specific licences were issued in the hundreds. Now licenses are issued in tens. However, poaching continues regardless, although the returns are far smaller. In the past poaching equipment was part of a family’s inheritance - handed down through the generations from father to son.
Tuesday 16th May Life on the Home Front Pippa Roberts
Many of the Monmouth U3A audience would have had memories of the Home Front in the Second World War, but Pippa Roberts had a line of family members who had written poetry and kept journals of their experiences then. She was bequeathed a very personal legacy of that time, which subsequently she has published.
Of course many of the topics were common to all; the search lights, the bombing, the deprivations, the rationing and the subsequent queuing for even the most basic of foodstuffs. All were written about with the wry humour so necessary for survival. For Pippa’s grandmother and uncle their coping strategy was to write about their everyday life which in turn by this century has become a rich mine of social history. It is very easy to forget the silence of the church bells, the permitted five inches of bathwater (frequently shared), the make over and mending of clothes and so much more that once again we can take for granted.
Also observed were the examples of the ordinariness of life despite the war; the small pleasures, the countryside, and the oddities, such as a mouse in a shop window. In particular there was something rather remarkable about a housewife at that time recording everything that came her way in a series of poems. These simple observations have increased in value as time has passed.
Tuesday April 18th One Thousand Years with Clay Speaker John Christopher Albrighton Pottery
The talk by John Christopher and his wife about pottery began in an orderly fashion with a dissected picture of a bottle oven displaying the stacking of pottery before firing. Once he had sketched a brief history of the discovery of the pottery process 6000 years before Christ the afternoon orderliness deteriorated sharply.
The audience of Monmouth U3A members were invited to take a piece of protective paper and a knob of red clay. The task was to produce a disc and on it lay the decorated initial of your name, and finally make balls “about the size of a rabbit dropping” with the remainder. This proved to be a fairly messy task. Once all our efforts had been gathered up they were taken aside and compressed in a bowl lined with a wet cloth.
Returning to more recent pottery history John Christopher pointed out that at one time there were 4000 bottle ovens operating in Stoke on Trent each containing stacks fifty foot tall of plates, dishes, etc. It took two days and two nights and ten tons of coal to reach temperature for firing, and then another two days for the temperature to reduce enough to enter and remove the products. The Clean Air Act stopped all coal fired kilns and with it disappeared the majority of a highly skilled work force. Also, a very strong one since three “saggars” that cradle the items in their stacks weigh a hundredweight. To become a potter takes a 5 - 7 year apprenticeship. Proof of that apprenticeship served by John Christopher and his wife at Hornsea College lay in the generous display of ware from their pottery that was also for sale. Marianne Wright
Tuesday February 21st St. David’s Hospice Care
At the March meeting of Monmouth U3A members welcomed two speakers from St. David’s Hospice Care.
Set up in 1979, to provide free and comprehensive palliative care service for people, their families and carers facing a progressive life-limiting illness which is no longer curable, it initially treated 6 patients a year, now the figure is over 3,000.
One of the major services provided by St David’s is Hospice at Home, indeed 99% of patients died in their own homes when the St. David’s team was involved. There are also four day hospices (in Newport, Pontypool, Brecon and Ystrad Mynach) and currently ten in-patient beds. This will soon be replaced by a new purpose built fifteen bed unit in Newport.
The day care facilities enable patients to receive treatment, have complimentary therapy, enjoy lunch or tea, join in therapeutic classes, and importantly avoid the isolation many may feel. In addition to clinical support the Family Support Team includes social workers, welfare rights specialists, bereavement support, a chaplain service and carers’ group and even a choir. Although children are not treated at St. David’s a special service, the Unicorn Project, has been set up to provide support for children.
All of this comes at a price, and it costs £7.5 million pounds a year to fund all the services. Funds come from a range of sources, but inevitably St. David’s is reliant on fund raising by its dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters. Fundraising that provides the people of our area with a vital and dedicated service.
Tuesday February 21st A talk by Peter Garlick about the Pilgrim Route Santiago de Compostela
Nightingales and bed bugs were just two of the common wild life that Peter Garlick encountered when he took the pilgrim route of 790 kilometres to Santiago de Composteia in April nine years ago, Much that he met on the journey would have been recognised by the medieval pilgrims as Peter crossed the Pyrenees from France to Spain, and then onwards to the north west corner of Spain . Many of the hostels and monasteries were built and developed from the twelfth century in order to offer help to the pilgrims on their way to the resting place of the bones of St James. They are still used today and offer equally simple shelter, resting places and washing facilities, although now the showers are hot. The canny learned to wash out their clothes whilst they showered so that they would not have to use the cold water and stone sinks. Boots are left outside for obvious reasons.
Along the unchanging route that is signposted with large yellow arrows, through the beautiful varied scenery of mountain and plain, the pilgrims follow Roman roads, shepherds tracks and early lanes. Local people supply drink and food, and the all essential replacement socks. Beside the road an English retired chiropodist in a camper van offered drinks and foot care. Village fountains came with welcome footbaths. A Bodega in the Rioja region had wall mounted taps offering water from one and a young red wine from the other.
Peter Garlick having had his record book stamped at the different stages of the pilgrimage, and having met many characters, and experienced some odd co-incidences in these encounters, including a man who as a child had been his patient, arrived at last at Santiago de Composteia. To end this experience he joined the throng attending the noon Pilgrim’s Mass before journeying home by ferry.
He may have inspired one or two Members of the Monmouth U3A to make the pilgrimage too. They will need to carry a twelve kilogram rucksack and have well shod feet. The next meeting at the Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 21st March 2017 at 2.30pm will be host to a speaker and topic much closer to home; Christine Vorres speaking about St David’s Hospice.
Tuesday January 17th Professor Mike Edmunds' spoke about the fascinating subject of 'Ancient Astronomy', and remarkably his talk on Ancient Astronomy dovetailed neatly with the current BBC Series "Orkney- Ancient Capital of Britain "
He was trying to answer the question""How does the study of ancient remains suggest now men looked at the sky." .Theories about the purpose of Stonehenge have long been studied, but the ongoing research in Orkney is showing that the structures there predate those further south and are perhaps even more extensive. It is hard for us to enter the mindset of Ancient man,but we know that they observed day length and the four seasons,and tried to link these to sun and moon.
At Stonehenge there is evidence of midwinter feasting and large processions through the landscape. At Newbridge in Ireland,and at theNess of Brodgar on Orkney, stone tunnels were built,ending in a blind wall ,which would exactly reflect the rising sun on the winter solstice.
Prof Edmunds gave us two pieces of homework.One,to visit these ancient sites and two,
To watch the TV series, Not sure about the visits but I will be glued to the Orkney programmes!
Tuesday December 20th
Christmas Social
Members of the Monmouth U3A can be depended on for lively conversation and friendliness and these were much in evidence at the Christmas Party which is organised by the committee. Being offered hot punch on arrival certainly helped to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This year tables competed in four different quizzes; two of photographs of points of interest around Monmouth, questions on food and drink, and finally questions on facts about Monmouth. There is no doubt that sharing ideas about the answers certainly provoked conversation whether you knew your neighbours sitting beside you or not. Most present would say that they prided themselves on their knowledge of the town but there are always some surprising gaps. When the scores had been taken there was food to be shared. Such an occasion really serves to round off a year of the meetings held by self run groups on a very wide range of topics, plus interesting monthly talks, and re-enforces the friendships that have grown. Marianne Wright
November 15th The Isles of Scilly Alan Clarke
Cross the Atlantic and the Isles of Scilly are the first land presence in the South of England, lying twenty eight miles off Lands End. The reefs and rocks surrounding the one hundred and fifty islands are a formidable barrier on which many ships have foundered, including the naval fleet led by Sir Cloudesly Shovell. Two thousand were drowned in that storm.
Fearsome in bad weather, but idyllic in good, nowadays the resident population of just over two thousand is doubled with summer tourists most of whom come to the islands every year for the peace of almost traffic free roads and a lifestyle that seems to have stayed in the mid twentieth century. The High Street of Bryher is a grandiose name for the single track road that peters out into a sandy lane where you might just meet a tractor or cyclists.
On a damp and grey November afternoon, Alan Clarke transported members of Monmouth U3A to those low-lying five inhabited islands where beaches of white sand are fringed with agapanthus and palms. When the Victorian, rich Mr. Augustus Smith came to Tresco and laid out his world famous garden in the old Abbey it became clear that sub tropical flora flourished there. Then it was only another step to start the early daffodil trade to supplement the inhabitant’s income. It was the turning point for the islands prosperity.
18th October 2016 A History of the Owners of Troy Dr Ann Benson
Many locals will only know Troy House by its distant classical north face seen down a tree lined narrow lane when they visit the Recycling centre. This mansion, obviously a place of significance, so close to Monmouth town remains mostly a historical mystery, or an object of planning and conservation concerns. Dr Ann Benson, after six years of detailed research, was able to explain its past to a packed hall of Monmouth U3A members. Its history has been a progressive development from the twelfth century to an increasingly ornate aristocratic residence during the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. The medieval beginnings were almost lost behind the classical structures, courtyards and pleasure gardens.Then in 1698, after a tragic accident to Charles Herbert, heir to the Duke of Beaufort, it was only overseen by stewards and barely inhabited for nearly three hundred years. Only in the early 1900’s when nuns, who had escaped persecution in France, took it on as a home for women in need of shelter, and financed it with a laundry, did it become re-occupied. By the 1950’s they had built a large chapel, cloisters and a privately funded, covered, netball pitch. It was then that it became an approved school for girls.
In 1979 Troy House changed hands and with it came a change to an approved school for boys. So, the house that had hosted queens, and nuns, rang to the clamour of troubled youngsters. Throughout its life Troy House has in its shadow a productive farm that used to have many cherry orchards. Another change in its fortunes occurred when it was purchased by Peter Carroll for further development in the 1980’s and once again it is virtually empty awaiting a new life. Dr Ann Benson will be shortly publishing a book on the subject which surely will awaken interest in this important crumbling time capsule on the Welsh Borders.
20th September 2016 2.30pm AGM
A packed hall was testament to the popularity of the U3A in Monmouth, as many of its members attended the AGM. The retiring Chair, Valerie Conniff reported on a year that had been successful, vibrant and stimulating for its members. She paid tribute to the hard work of the committee, and thanked the convenors of the varied groups for their efforts in making the activities so varied and interesting. With over 40 different activities, ranging from Bridge to Yoga, all tastes and experiences are well catered for.
There had been a wide range of Social activities and outings this year: outings to Big Pit, the theatre, concerts and a ride on the Brecon Mountain Railway. Regular coffee mornings afforded new members the opportunity to meet new friends, and the Christmas lunch had been so popular that two sittings were needed!
Finally, she reiterated her thanks to the people who worked tirelessly to maintain the vibrancy of the group, and thanked the retiring committee members, Shirley Gibson and Jeanne Weston.
The treasurer reported that the group was generally buoyant, and the committee were pleased to confirm that the yearly subscription would remain at £10. At a time when prices seem to rise all the time, this is not only welcome, but a real bargain!
The business section of the meeting finished, the speaker was introduced.
Mary Sinclair Powell is a local historian from Ross on Wye. She entertained the group with anecdotal stories about various Ross characters such as the Highwayman William Lester, the eccentric Dolly Deakin and her junk shop and a nineteenth century solicitor who, after his death, was found to have swindled his clients out of a considerable amount of money.
The meeting ended with convivial tea and biscuits and chat. At the next meeting in October Dr Ann Benson will give a talk on the History of the Owners of Troy House. New members are always welcome at Monmouth U3A. Information can be gained from the excellent website at www.monmouthu3a.com. Ros Haslett
Tuesday August 16th 2016 Digital Wildlife Photography.
The August talk was all about one man’s obsession with cameras, landscape and wildlife. If you are a skilled and award winning photographer like Allen Lloyd then you can still find images close to home that can stun the senses with their beauty. Who would have thought that repeated photographs of the familiar Severn Bridge or Tintern Abbey could reflect so many different lights and moods. Taken with a digital camera they were a modern day equivalent to Turner’s picturesque. However, dedication as well as skill is needed to achieve these. Allen Lloyd was speaking to the Monmouth U3A having been up until 5.00am that morning taking his opening shots of the cascade of stars in the Milky Way. He says his best work is done at dawn and dusk because of the quality of light.
To obtain incredible intimate photographs of bears catching salmon in Alaska Allen had had to go to Anchorage and then take a small plane to a distant nature reserve at no insignificant cost. The images were as professional as any on television documentary programmes, and because they are on a large screen even more detail could be seen. Yellowstone Park in winter showed how animals survived in the freezing conditions. A fox listened for minute sounds below the snow, bunched his muscles and leapt nose down into it so that only his tail and flailing back legs were visible, to emerge with a mouse.
Marianne Wright
Tuesday, 19th July 2016 at 2.30pm Strawberries, cream, Pimms, and entertainment by the Country Dancing Group.
On the hottest day of the year the Country dancing group wore their lightest clothes, and led by Ken Winter, they entertained the Monmouth U3A members at their Summer Members’ meeting. This is a group that has existed for twenty three years and is very popular. “Kit and Boodle“, alias John and Dill Vernon provided the lively music on flute and accordion. To allow the dancers to draw breath David Blick, who was also the caller, sang a very melodious version of “One man went to mow”. Very different from the usual rendition on coach outings.
Afterwards the Craft group, led by Jeanne Weston and Marion Allen, displayed a “Crazy Patchwork” quilt that they had created from remnants of fabric. Both sides were patch works in different but blending patterns. It is hoped that this beautiful effort will raise money for a local charity. The tone of this meeting was significantly raised, and much enjoyed, when members ended the afternoon with Pimms and a strawberry and cream tea.
June 21st Half-timbered Herefordshire. Penny Platts
After Penny Platt’s fluent and lively talk through the history of the half timbered buildings of Herefordshire the Monmouth U3A members present will never again make the mistake of referring to that style as “black and white”. It also came as no surprise that Herefordshire should have the largest number of these charming buildings since the county boasts the oldest, largest, tallest oaks in Britain especially the “0ld grey men” of Moccas Park”, some of which are deemed to be a thousand years old.
Half timbered houses, churches, market halls, farm buildings and even dove cotes were shown in many shapes, hues and different in - fills between the green oak frames. This architectural style has endured from the “Halls of the Dead” at Dorstone built four thousand years ago to the present day. The Pembridge dendrochronology project has ensured that individual buildings’ real ages has been exposed. So many have their core dating from medieval halls.
How many of us knew that the term “eavesdropping” arose out of the fashion for the overhanging jetties where people could shelter ( and listen ), or that “top dog” or “underdog” was the term given to the two man team of sawyers who had to slowly work their way through the largest tree trunks. The lamentable underdog got his hair and clothing filled with the sawdust. Also, that Brion Duppa, the Bishop of Winchester made his money from the London brothels to build the Pembridge “hospitall”, and that he actually intended that to be a brothel too. Those large stones guarding the timber uprights on the market hall were where trading reached its conclusion by placing “cash on the nails”. All these insights ensured that members too would see, admire and enjoy so much more when they pass or visit those half timbered buildings.
Marianne Wright
May 17th The Eccentric Life of Dr William Price.
From a poor home, and a father who had to be chained to his bed and chair when mental illness struck, William Price developed into a leading figure in South Wales. All was possible in the nineteenth century industrial expansion if, like William, you were born with talent, drive and intelligence, and the best gift of all that opened doors and made long friendships, that of great charm.
In his early career of a surgeon he studied in the East end of London, and then worked in the enormous mining and tin plate works of the coal laden valleys around Pontypridd. What he saw of the conditions of the working man awakened in Dr Price, at the age of twenty four, the need for social assistance locally, and political reform. Not only was he a talented surgeon but he won the hearts of the workers with the additional help he offered in the form of a surgery and a food co-operative. Later for a long time he became an active Chartist., so much so that there was a bounty on his head.
The same appetite for knowledge that meant he mastered surgery at an early age, led him into a deep interest in the history of Wales. William Price wanted to change any slighting encyclopaedic reference that showed Wales as merely an appendage to England. Out of this arose his interest in Druidism which he saw as the original culture of Wales. These studies were widened to include the ancient Eastern religions. This in turn would lead him to his abiding belief that “all modern corpses should have a choice.” His battle to establish cremation as an alternative to burial sprung from this source.
Even his absorption in this subject did not limit this polymath. On he went to take obsess ? over the British legal system. He fought small and large battles in the courts and was greatly successful. Bring together all these ingredients, and even perhaps his own mental health issues, it is not altogether surprising that at 84, married to a wife of 22, whose much longed for son died aged 5 months, he deliberately chose to very publicly cremate his son on a hill above the town of Llantrisant. As a result there was a lengthy legal battle for William Price to establish his right to do so. It became a British national “cause celebre” and when he won the case it led to “ The Cremation Act”.
Dean Powell gave the spirited lecture on this subject to the members of the Monmouth U3A who were entranced with the wealth of detail. Marianne Wright on behalf of the Monmouth U3A
Tuesday April 19th 2016 SS Great Britain: ‘From Launch to Re-launch’
Ian Caskie is a dedicated and inspired speaker and volunteer for the SS Great Britain Trust. His enthusiasm held the room as he talked about the early days of this, the second of Brunel’s three great ships, launched in 1843 in the presence of Prince Albert, and the first ocean-going steamship with an iron hull. She was the first driven by a propeller, the largest and fastest afloat, and transformed shipbuilding and sea travel for ever. This illustrated talk told the ship’s remarkable story from her original design in Bristol, through the different phases of her working life: transatlantic liner, carrier of emigrants to Australia, Troop carrier, sailing ship transporting Welsh coal, until being scuttled in the Falklands in 1937. Eventually an Admiralty survey in 1967 led to her recovery and return to Bristol. Since July 1970, a vast restoration programme has resulted in the SS Great Britain now being one of the top 10 tourist attractions in the UK, her different restored sections reflecting her previous daily life. There’s a full-scale working model of the engine, a replica of the propeller, cabins for First Class and Steerage passengers, as well as troop accommodations, a surgery, and a galley with resident (fake) rats! As well as visitor tours, the ship can cater for weddings or murder/mystery evenings, and even offers a ‘Go Aloft’ session, where you can step into the shoes of a Victorian sailor and climb the rigging. The future looks intriguing, too. A national museum – ‘Being Brunel’ – plans to open in Bristol in 2018, which includes a virtual reality experience accessed when you step into Brunel’s head!
Dr Livingstone, I presume? Tuesday 15th March Fran Sandham
There was nothing inevitable about the meeting of Stanley and Livingstone in Africa in the late nineteenth century. The cannibal and tribal war infested size of the area to be searched being just one of the factors. Many twists of fortune led Stanley to be financed by the deeply flawed editor of the New York Herald, Gordon Bennett. However, their motives were much clearer; greed, commerce and self promotion. It led to the best known meeting in recent history and of course, the news scoop of the times. The journey into the African interior so nearly did not happen. Funds had to be loaned by the consulate in Zanzibar, Stanley led the expedition in the rainy season increasing the difficulties, and men died. An assassination attempt was made on Stanley by his followers. Apart from this unbelievably hazardous journey three months were spent uselessly searching for Livingstone in the wrong area. When they did meet it was because both Livingstone and Stanley returned in the slaving centre of Ujiji which Stanley need never have left.
Equally there was nothing inevitable that a friendship would follow between the unprincipled, romancing opportunist, Stanley and the moral and single minded Livingstone. Fran Sandham outlined the points of similarity between the characters of Stanley and Livingstone to the members of Monmouth U3A. Chiefly, both had deprived backgrounds, Stanley in Wales and Livingstone in Scotland. Each had reservoirs of determination that in Stanley’s case earned him the African name “The Smasher of Rocks”. Their achievements deserved the fame that has shadowed them ever since. Marianne Wright
Tuesday, 16th February 2016 2.30 - 4.30 “The Fair Land of Gwent” - Chris Barber, MBE
To speak convincingly of a landscape then the speaker must have a love of the area, and to give validity, then preferably the speaker should also live within it for many years. Chris Barber talking to members of the Monmouth U3A fulfilled those criteria admirably. Every landscape has clues to its history if scrutinised, and Gwent is no exception. From the standing stones of Trellech, cromlechs and thirty two Iron age forts from ancient times to the rebuilding of Gwent’s only stone windmill in the last ten years, Mr Barber darted from one fascinating fact to another spanning four millennia.There seem to be a great many tales and links of the devil to the Gwent landscape, but there are also the far less disputable links to the Romans, the Normans and onwards. Who would have thought that Gwent hosted a castle, Clytha, built purely to commemorate a dead wife in the vein of the Taj Mahal, or an underground dovecote in the grounds of Llanthony Priory? How many people now know that Cary Grant and Sophie Loren ran across the Crumlin viaduct for the film “Arabesque” ? It was clear that this talk was only a fraction of Chris Barber’s knowledge of the area.
Tuesday 19th January Wales Air Ambulance - Steve Jones
Fifteen times a day, every day, a helicopter crew of pilot, critical care paramedic and consultant rise into the sky over Wales and within an average of ten minutes are at the scene of a serious life threatening incident. Their speed saves lives. Not only do they give immediate care at the site but are also able to fly to the most appropriate hospital. This is an important distinction since land ambulance can only go to the nearest one. In difficult terrain, or congested traffic their ability to be at the incident sometimes over an hour sooner than a land ambulance can make the difference between living and dying. All this has been made available through the funding of the public.
Heaven forbid that any of the members and visitors to the talk by Steve Jones to the Monmouth U3A should require such assistance. However, if they do require it, they can comfort themselves with the knowledge that the Welsh Air Ambulance service is known to be the best in the world and that they will be in a hospital within “the Golden hour” that enhances survival.
This service only began in 2001 and has been expanding and improving with the latest technology and helicopters ever since. No mean feat when it takes £20,000 per day to maintain this service and each new helicopter has cost £5 million pounds. No wonder that Steve Jones came equipped with a donation box and members were only too happy to fill it with loose change and notes. Thanks to the generosity of members £313.67 was raised for Welsh Air Ambulance.
In recent months on TV there has been significant coverage about older people and young children socialising, and at the Monmouth U3A Christmas party members were to find out the benefits for themselves when the choir from Overmonnow Primary School sang carols.
Miss Gibbs led them through a short medley but the hit of the show which had to be repeated as an encore was “We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.” This was because, thoughtfully, and very expertly, it was accompanied by sign language. It was a real bonus and a delight to all those hard of hearing. The children aged 7 - 11 were to be congratulated on their synchronisation and memories !
Following the entertainment a feast was supplied by the committee and members Those with sense had not eaten lunch to better enjoy it all. It also gave everyone time to talk and to undertake the quiz. that had some surprises, e.g., Few knew the correct name for a male turkey that is a “gobbler” or “tom” but one hazarded a guess with “turcock”.
The next meeting of the Monmouth U3A on Tuesday, 16th January 2018, starting at two thirty pm at The Bridges Centre will no doubt include other less known facts when Dr Naylor Firth speaks on the subject of “Wye Shipping”. Visitors are always welcome so if you have an interest in the subject please join members for this talk. Marianne Wright
November 21st The Lost Lake by Stephen Clarke
A large lake lost seemingly at the time of the Roman invasion still effects Monmouth today. The local archaeology team and Stephen Clarke have through their innumerable digs provided enough evidence, along with the geology, for builders to take this lost lake very seriously. Nine metre deep foundations have been used on housing in the Wonastow area and attenuation ponds required - not a cheap option, although the ponds are attractive to both residents and wild life.
All the evidence that has been found such as burnt mounds, boat parts, and wattle fencing show that not only was there a large lake, but it was also an important settlement from the Stone Age. The finds themselves have archeologically speaking put Monmouth on the international map. Stephen Clarke showed an artist’s impression of the lake village houses on their posts above the water, and the structure of the boats used. The local Roman general was also a water engineer and it is thought that he drained significant areas of the lake to provide level ground for agriculture and industry, of which there is archeological evidence to show this was the point of change.
Other evidence comes from literature; The Mabinogion and also, Geoffrey of Monmouth (who admittedly was a great plagiarist), and the lake was mentioned in ninth, twelfth and fourteenth century writings. Stephen Clarke certainly showed a slice of the world that lay quite literally beneath our feet and his talk to a packed hall was fascinating.
Moving from the past to the future meeting of the Monmouth U3A at The Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 19th December 2017 starting at 2.30pm, members will be enjoying a Christmas party and songs from the Overmonnow School choir. Marianne Wright
October 17th River Birds by Stephanie Tyler
Unlike Stephanie Tyler there is no need to wade thigh deep in the river to see the wide variety of river birds that exist locally. Just standing on the Monmouth old bridge will enable you to see Dippers with their distinctive chestnut, white and dark grey plumage and their even more distinct bobbing movement as they perch waiting for their prey. Now there are less mink on the Monnow and Wye, other river birds are increasing again, from Mandarin and Gosander ducks to wagtails, common sandpipers, sand martins and, if quick, the rare flash of the kingfishers.
For Stephanie these birds are a lifetime interest, and the data that she and volunteer teams have collected is fundamental to understanding what is needed to encourage and protect them. Her photos certainly showed all their charm. Also, important is the knowledge gained of the whereabouts of river birds nests and this is where the waders were put to good use when ringing the fledglings. For example, to see quantities of dippers the higher faster reaches of the rivers are the best place, and the larger numbers of sand martins will be where the river has formed sandy cliffs.
Members of the Monmouth U3A will be looking with fresh eyes as they walk Vauxhall fields and other river banks.
September 19th AGM followed by Music from Around the World by Malcolm Meadows
The Monmouth U3A AGM took place at Bridges Community Centre on September 19th and the Report written by the Chair, Jenny Robbins, outlined another successful year with over 510 members enjoying over 50 activities. Michael Bone, the Treasurer explained how a proportion of the £10 annual membership fee went to the Third Age Trust, the umbrella organisation that provided insurance and resources, and some of the remainder was spent on the Monmouth U3A annual magazine that is posted to every member, and the hire of the function room for monthly meetings. Members who had retired, especially Frances Williams the secretary and Judi Ayre, were thanked, and the committee that remained were re-elected. It was hoped new members would come forward to fill any vacancies that remained.
Malcolm Meadows, a retired pharmacist, then took members on a journey of Music Around the World. Despite some initial technical problems, David showed slides and talked a little about the history of Tibet, Russia, Japan, South Africa, China, Machu Picchu, and Germany while playing music he had specially chosen from each of those areas. His entertaining talk included slides of Paris and the story of how Edith Piaf ‘The Little Sparrow’ rose to become a National Treasure of France, and some of her haunting music was played. Malcolm concluded with Louis Armstrong's 'Wonderful World' which was followed by tea and biscuits.
Tuesday 15th August Hands Around the World David Steiner
“If you think you are too small to make a difference then you have never been in bed with a mosquito”.
In Zambia children know very well how much difference a mosquito can make since out of the 15 children admitted every day to the Hospital where David Steiner worked 6 - 7 died every night, mostly from malaria. He was speaking to Monmouth U3A about the Monmouth based charity, “Hands around the world”, that works with 9 partner centres in Africa and India.
David began this support network for children after working as a doctor in Zambia in the 1990s. The difference he has made has not been small. Two and a half thousand children benefit annually from this charity with the contributions from its volunteers and supporters. It is very practical support, for example, a school that makes sure the children who attend receive a nourishing meal every day they attend. In an area that knows starvation this is essential if children are going to be fit enough to learn. Some of the statistics are disturbing as there are over a million orphans, or one in ten of the population, surviving in the poorest of conditions. Having grown up in the Channel Islands during and just after the war, David himself knew about starvation. As a doctor he joined the Jersey Oversees Committee that was formed after the war when so much money was being invested in Jersey. The committee itself aimed to expand and share its largesse abroad as a direct response to those hard years of occupation. David Steiner followed this on with his own efforts. It is a remarkable story and achievement that moved the audience.
Tuesday 18th July Summer Meeting and Rob Swannack
Pimms and strawberries and cream were being enjoyed by the members of the Monmouth U3A whilst they listened to a music provided by Rob Swannack on harp, guitar and accordian. Obviously in this convivial atmosphere the song that he had composed to celebrate World Gin Day (10th June) was greeted with laughter and applause. Rob Swannack seamlessly shifted between anecdotes and information and his performances on his trio of instruments. He talked about the simplicity of the harp and the complexity of its range which made playing it seem tantalisingly possible for even the less musical. It was particularly interesting that the harp had been made just across the border at Bredwardine by Mike Saunders.
The July members’ meeting is always a particularly pleasant one as it gives everyone a chance to socialise and relax. The committee had prepared the main ingredients for the refreshments and were supported by each member providing a plate of light sweet, or savoury, food. Some members did mention that they had had the fore thought not to eat lunch beforehand!
Tuesday 20th June Traditional Fishing in Wales by Dylan Jones
There is always risk with fishing but being tipped out of a coracle because a salmon flipped his tail is not a commonly known one. Dylan Jones’s talk to Monmouth U3A about the traditional fishing methods and trade in Wales was full of unexpected detail. The variety of fish commercially fished in the last two hundred years spread from oysters at Swansea bay to the impressive salmon. Few were aware that even now the Welsh are the largest suppliers of cockles in Britain. However, the current fisher folk are unlikely to be wearing a “cockle bonnet” and plaid.
Raking the river, estuary and sea beds for mussels, the netting by every style of net available ( wade, drift, trammel, seine and lave ) for fish. A lot of fishing seemed to involve standing in cold water and hauling these heavy nets.
Baskets called “putchers” and “putts” are still used for trapping lobsters and crabs. Of course the fishing trade when fish stocks were plentiful involved far more of the coastal population, and was of such significant value that specific licences were issued in the hundreds. Now licenses are issued in tens. However, poaching continues regardless, although the returns are far smaller. In the past poaching equipment was part of a family’s inheritance - handed down through the generations from father to son.
Tuesday 16th May Life on the Home Front Pippa Roberts
Many of the Monmouth U3A audience would have had memories of the Home Front in the Second World War, but Pippa Roberts had a line of family members who had written poetry and kept journals of their experiences then. She was bequeathed a very personal legacy of that time, which subsequently she has published.
Of course many of the topics were common to all; the search lights, the bombing, the deprivations, the rationing and the subsequent queuing for even the most basic of foodstuffs. All were written about with the wry humour so necessary for survival. For Pippa’s grandmother and uncle their coping strategy was to write about their everyday life which in turn by this century has become a rich mine of social history. It is very easy to forget the silence of the church bells, the permitted five inches of bathwater (frequently shared), the make over and mending of clothes and so much more that once again we can take for granted.
Also observed were the examples of the ordinariness of life despite the war; the small pleasures, the countryside, and the oddities, such as a mouse in a shop window. In particular there was something rather remarkable about a housewife at that time recording everything that came her way in a series of poems. These simple observations have increased in value as time has passed.
Tuesday April 18th One Thousand Years with Clay Speaker John Christopher Albrighton Pottery
The talk by John Christopher and his wife about pottery began in an orderly fashion with a dissected picture of a bottle oven displaying the stacking of pottery before firing. Once he had sketched a brief history of the discovery of the pottery process 6000 years before Christ the afternoon orderliness deteriorated sharply.
The audience of Monmouth U3A members were invited to take a piece of protective paper and a knob of red clay. The task was to produce a disc and on it lay the decorated initial of your name, and finally make balls “about the size of a rabbit dropping” with the remainder. This proved to be a fairly messy task. Once all our efforts had been gathered up they were taken aside and compressed in a bowl lined with a wet cloth.
Returning to more recent pottery history John Christopher pointed out that at one time there were 4000 bottle ovens operating in Stoke on Trent each containing stacks fifty foot tall of plates, dishes, etc. It took two days and two nights and ten tons of coal to reach temperature for firing, and then another two days for the temperature to reduce enough to enter and remove the products. The Clean Air Act stopped all coal fired kilns and with it disappeared the majority of a highly skilled work force. Also, a very strong one since three “saggars” that cradle the items in their stacks weigh a hundredweight. To become a potter takes a 5 - 7 year apprenticeship. Proof of that apprenticeship served by John Christopher and his wife at Hornsea College lay in the generous display of ware from their pottery that was also for sale. Marianne Wright
Tuesday February 21st St. David’s Hospice Care
At the March meeting of Monmouth U3A members welcomed two speakers from St. David’s Hospice Care.
Set up in 1979, to provide free and comprehensive palliative care service for people, their families and carers facing a progressive life-limiting illness which is no longer curable, it initially treated 6 patients a year, now the figure is over 3,000.
One of the major services provided by St David’s is Hospice at Home, indeed 99% of patients died in their own homes when the St. David’s team was involved. There are also four day hospices (in Newport, Pontypool, Brecon and Ystrad Mynach) and currently ten in-patient beds. This will soon be replaced by a new purpose built fifteen bed unit in Newport.
The day care facilities enable patients to receive treatment, have complimentary therapy, enjoy lunch or tea, join in therapeutic classes, and importantly avoid the isolation many may feel. In addition to clinical support the Family Support Team includes social workers, welfare rights specialists, bereavement support, a chaplain service and carers’ group and even a choir. Although children are not treated at St. David’s a special service, the Unicorn Project, has been set up to provide support for children.
All of this comes at a price, and it costs £7.5 million pounds a year to fund all the services. Funds come from a range of sources, but inevitably St. David’s is reliant on fund raising by its dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters. Fundraising that provides the people of our area with a vital and dedicated service.
Tuesday February 21st A talk by Peter Garlick about the Pilgrim Route Santiago de Compostela
Nightingales and bed bugs were just two of the common wild life that Peter Garlick encountered when he took the pilgrim route of 790 kilometres to Santiago de Composteia in April nine years ago, Much that he met on the journey would have been recognised by the medieval pilgrims as Peter crossed the Pyrenees from France to Spain, and then onwards to the north west corner of Spain . Many of the hostels and monasteries were built and developed from the twelfth century in order to offer help to the pilgrims on their way to the resting place of the bones of St James. They are still used today and offer equally simple shelter, resting places and washing facilities, although now the showers are hot. The canny learned to wash out their clothes whilst they showered so that they would not have to use the cold water and stone sinks. Boots are left outside for obvious reasons.
Along the unchanging route that is signposted with large yellow arrows, through the beautiful varied scenery of mountain and plain, the pilgrims follow Roman roads, shepherds tracks and early lanes. Local people supply drink and food, and the all essential replacement socks. Beside the road an English retired chiropodist in a camper van offered drinks and foot care. Village fountains came with welcome footbaths. A Bodega in the Rioja region had wall mounted taps offering water from one and a young red wine from the other.
Peter Garlick having had his record book stamped at the different stages of the pilgrimage, and having met many characters, and experienced some odd co-incidences in these encounters, including a man who as a child had been his patient, arrived at last at Santiago de Composteia. To end this experience he joined the throng attending the noon Pilgrim’s Mass before journeying home by ferry.
He may have inspired one or two Members of the Monmouth U3A to make the pilgrimage too. They will need to carry a twelve kilogram rucksack and have well shod feet. The next meeting at the Bridges Community Centre on Tuesday, 21st March 2017 at 2.30pm will be host to a speaker and topic much closer to home; Christine Vorres speaking about St David’s Hospice.
Tuesday January 17th Professor Mike Edmunds' spoke about the fascinating subject of 'Ancient Astronomy', and remarkably his talk on Ancient Astronomy dovetailed neatly with the current BBC Series "Orkney- Ancient Capital of Britain "
He was trying to answer the question""How does the study of ancient remains suggest now men looked at the sky." .Theories about the purpose of Stonehenge have long been studied, but the ongoing research in Orkney is showing that the structures there predate those further south and are perhaps even more extensive. It is hard for us to enter the mindset of Ancient man,but we know that they observed day length and the four seasons,and tried to link these to sun and moon.
At Stonehenge there is evidence of midwinter feasting and large processions through the landscape. At Newbridge in Ireland,and at theNess of Brodgar on Orkney, stone tunnels were built,ending in a blind wall ,which would exactly reflect the rising sun on the winter solstice.
Prof Edmunds gave us two pieces of homework.One,to visit these ancient sites and two,
To watch the TV series, Not sure about the visits but I will be glued to the Orkney programmes!
Tuesday December 20th
Christmas Social
Members of the Monmouth U3A can be depended on for lively conversation and friendliness and these were much in evidence at the Christmas Party which is organised by the committee. Being offered hot punch on arrival certainly helped to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This year tables competed in four different quizzes; two of photographs of points of interest around Monmouth, questions on food and drink, and finally questions on facts about Monmouth. There is no doubt that sharing ideas about the answers certainly provoked conversation whether you knew your neighbours sitting beside you or not. Most present would say that they prided themselves on their knowledge of the town but there are always some surprising gaps. When the scores had been taken there was food to be shared. Such an occasion really serves to round off a year of the meetings held by self run groups on a very wide range of topics, plus interesting monthly talks, and re-enforces the friendships that have grown. Marianne Wright
November 15th The Isles of Scilly Alan Clarke
Cross the Atlantic and the Isles of Scilly are the first land presence in the South of England, lying twenty eight miles off Lands End. The reefs and rocks surrounding the one hundred and fifty islands are a formidable barrier on which many ships have foundered, including the naval fleet led by Sir Cloudesly Shovell. Two thousand were drowned in that storm.
Fearsome in bad weather, but idyllic in good, nowadays the resident population of just over two thousand is doubled with summer tourists most of whom come to the islands every year for the peace of almost traffic free roads and a lifestyle that seems to have stayed in the mid twentieth century. The High Street of Bryher is a grandiose name for the single track road that peters out into a sandy lane where you might just meet a tractor or cyclists.
On a damp and grey November afternoon, Alan Clarke transported members of Monmouth U3A to those low-lying five inhabited islands where beaches of white sand are fringed with agapanthus and palms. When the Victorian, rich Mr. Augustus Smith came to Tresco and laid out his world famous garden in the old Abbey it became clear that sub tropical flora flourished there. Then it was only another step to start the early daffodil trade to supplement the inhabitant’s income. It was the turning point for the islands prosperity.
18th October 2016 A History of the Owners of Troy Dr Ann Benson
Many locals will only know Troy House by its distant classical north face seen down a tree lined narrow lane when they visit the Recycling centre. This mansion, obviously a place of significance, so close to Monmouth town remains mostly a historical mystery, or an object of planning and conservation concerns. Dr Ann Benson, after six years of detailed research, was able to explain its past to a packed hall of Monmouth U3A members. Its history has been a progressive development from the twelfth century to an increasingly ornate aristocratic residence during the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. The medieval beginnings were almost lost behind the classical structures, courtyards and pleasure gardens.Then in 1698, after a tragic accident to Charles Herbert, heir to the Duke of Beaufort, it was only overseen by stewards and barely inhabited for nearly three hundred years. Only in the early 1900’s when nuns, who had escaped persecution in France, took it on as a home for women in need of shelter, and financed it with a laundry, did it become re-occupied. By the 1950’s they had built a large chapel, cloisters and a privately funded, covered, netball pitch. It was then that it became an approved school for girls.
In 1979 Troy House changed hands and with it came a change to an approved school for boys. So, the house that had hosted queens, and nuns, rang to the clamour of troubled youngsters. Throughout its life Troy House has in its shadow a productive farm that used to have many cherry orchards. Another change in its fortunes occurred when it was purchased by Peter Carroll for further development in the 1980’s and once again it is virtually empty awaiting a new life. Dr Ann Benson will be shortly publishing a book on the subject which surely will awaken interest in this important crumbling time capsule on the Welsh Borders.
20th September 2016 2.30pm AGM
A packed hall was testament to the popularity of the U3A in Monmouth, as many of its members attended the AGM. The retiring Chair, Valerie Conniff reported on a year that had been successful, vibrant and stimulating for its members. She paid tribute to the hard work of the committee, and thanked the convenors of the varied groups for their efforts in making the activities so varied and interesting. With over 40 different activities, ranging from Bridge to Yoga, all tastes and experiences are well catered for.
There had been a wide range of Social activities and outings this year: outings to Big Pit, the theatre, concerts and a ride on the Brecon Mountain Railway. Regular coffee mornings afforded new members the opportunity to meet new friends, and the Christmas lunch had been so popular that two sittings were needed!
Finally, she reiterated her thanks to the people who worked tirelessly to maintain the vibrancy of the group, and thanked the retiring committee members, Shirley Gibson and Jeanne Weston.
The treasurer reported that the group was generally buoyant, and the committee were pleased to confirm that the yearly subscription would remain at £10. At a time when prices seem to rise all the time, this is not only welcome, but a real bargain!
The business section of the meeting finished, the speaker was introduced.
Mary Sinclair Powell is a local historian from Ross on Wye. She entertained the group with anecdotal stories about various Ross characters such as the Highwayman William Lester, the eccentric Dolly Deakin and her junk shop and a nineteenth century solicitor who, after his death, was found to have swindled his clients out of a considerable amount of money.
The meeting ended with convivial tea and biscuits and chat. At the next meeting in October Dr Ann Benson will give a talk on the History of the Owners of Troy House. New members are always welcome at Monmouth U3A. Information can be gained from the excellent website at www.monmouthu3a.com. Ros Haslett
Tuesday August 16th 2016 Digital Wildlife Photography.
The August talk was all about one man’s obsession with cameras, landscape and wildlife. If you are a skilled and award winning photographer like Allen Lloyd then you can still find images close to home that can stun the senses with their beauty. Who would have thought that repeated photographs of the familiar Severn Bridge or Tintern Abbey could reflect so many different lights and moods. Taken with a digital camera they were a modern day equivalent to Turner’s picturesque. However, dedication as well as skill is needed to achieve these. Allen Lloyd was speaking to the Monmouth U3A having been up until 5.00am that morning taking his opening shots of the cascade of stars in the Milky Way. He says his best work is done at dawn and dusk because of the quality of light.
To obtain incredible intimate photographs of bears catching salmon in Alaska Allen had had to go to Anchorage and then take a small plane to a distant nature reserve at no insignificant cost. The images were as professional as any on television documentary programmes, and because they are on a large screen even more detail could be seen. Yellowstone Park in winter showed how animals survived in the freezing conditions. A fox listened for minute sounds below the snow, bunched his muscles and leapt nose down into it so that only his tail and flailing back legs were visible, to emerge with a mouse.
Marianne Wright
Tuesday, 19th July 2016 at 2.30pm Strawberries, cream, Pimms, and entertainment by the Country Dancing Group.
On the hottest day of the year the Country dancing group wore their lightest clothes, and led by Ken Winter, they entertained the Monmouth U3A members at their Summer Members’ meeting. This is a group that has existed for twenty three years and is very popular. “Kit and Boodle“, alias John and Dill Vernon provided the lively music on flute and accordion. To allow the dancers to draw breath David Blick, who was also the caller, sang a very melodious version of “One man went to mow”. Very different from the usual rendition on coach outings.
Afterwards the Craft group, led by Jeanne Weston and Marion Allen, displayed a “Crazy Patchwork” quilt that they had created from remnants of fabric. Both sides were patch works in different but blending patterns. It is hoped that this beautiful effort will raise money for a local charity. The tone of this meeting was significantly raised, and much enjoyed, when members ended the afternoon with Pimms and a strawberry and cream tea.
June 21st Half-timbered Herefordshire. Penny Platts
After Penny Platt’s fluent and lively talk through the history of the half timbered buildings of Herefordshire the Monmouth U3A members present will never again make the mistake of referring to that style as “black and white”. It also came as no surprise that Herefordshire should have the largest number of these charming buildings since the county boasts the oldest, largest, tallest oaks in Britain especially the “0ld grey men” of Moccas Park”, some of which are deemed to be a thousand years old.
Half timbered houses, churches, market halls, farm buildings and even dove cotes were shown in many shapes, hues and different in - fills between the green oak frames. This architectural style has endured from the “Halls of the Dead” at Dorstone built four thousand years ago to the present day. The Pembridge dendrochronology project has ensured that individual buildings’ real ages has been exposed. So many have their core dating from medieval halls.
How many of us knew that the term “eavesdropping” arose out of the fashion for the overhanging jetties where people could shelter ( and listen ), or that “top dog” or “underdog” was the term given to the two man team of sawyers who had to slowly work their way through the largest tree trunks. The lamentable underdog got his hair and clothing filled with the sawdust. Also, that Brion Duppa, the Bishop of Winchester made his money from the London brothels to build the Pembridge “hospitall”, and that he actually intended that to be a brothel too. Those large stones guarding the timber uprights on the market hall were where trading reached its conclusion by placing “cash on the nails”. All these insights ensured that members too would see, admire and enjoy so much more when they pass or visit those half timbered buildings.
Marianne Wright
May 17th The Eccentric Life of Dr William Price.
From a poor home, and a father who had to be chained to his bed and chair when mental illness struck, William Price developed into a leading figure in South Wales. All was possible in the nineteenth century industrial expansion if, like William, you were born with talent, drive and intelligence, and the best gift of all that opened doors and made long friendships, that of great charm.
In his early career of a surgeon he studied in the East end of London, and then worked in the enormous mining and tin plate works of the coal laden valleys around Pontypridd. What he saw of the conditions of the working man awakened in Dr Price, at the age of twenty four, the need for social assistance locally, and political reform. Not only was he a talented surgeon but he won the hearts of the workers with the additional help he offered in the form of a surgery and a food co-operative. Later for a long time he became an active Chartist., so much so that there was a bounty on his head.
The same appetite for knowledge that meant he mastered surgery at an early age, led him into a deep interest in the history of Wales. William Price wanted to change any slighting encyclopaedic reference that showed Wales as merely an appendage to England. Out of this arose his interest in Druidism which he saw as the original culture of Wales. These studies were widened to include the ancient Eastern religions. This in turn would lead him to his abiding belief that “all modern corpses should have a choice.” His battle to establish cremation as an alternative to burial sprung from this source.
Even his absorption in this subject did not limit this polymath. On he went to take obsess ? over the British legal system. He fought small and large battles in the courts and was greatly successful. Bring together all these ingredients, and even perhaps his own mental health issues, it is not altogether surprising that at 84, married to a wife of 22, whose much longed for son died aged 5 months, he deliberately chose to very publicly cremate his son on a hill above the town of Llantrisant. As a result there was a lengthy legal battle for William Price to establish his right to do so. It became a British national “cause celebre” and when he won the case it led to “ The Cremation Act”.
Dean Powell gave the spirited lecture on this subject to the members of the Monmouth U3A who were entranced with the wealth of detail. Marianne Wright on behalf of the Monmouth U3A
Tuesday April 19th 2016 SS Great Britain: ‘From Launch to Re-launch’
Ian Caskie is a dedicated and inspired speaker and volunteer for the SS Great Britain Trust. His enthusiasm held the room as he talked about the early days of this, the second of Brunel’s three great ships, launched in 1843 in the presence of Prince Albert, and the first ocean-going steamship with an iron hull. She was the first driven by a propeller, the largest and fastest afloat, and transformed shipbuilding and sea travel for ever. This illustrated talk told the ship’s remarkable story from her original design in Bristol, through the different phases of her working life: transatlantic liner, carrier of emigrants to Australia, Troop carrier, sailing ship transporting Welsh coal, until being scuttled in the Falklands in 1937. Eventually an Admiralty survey in 1967 led to her recovery and return to Bristol. Since July 1970, a vast restoration programme has resulted in the SS Great Britain now being one of the top 10 tourist attractions in the UK, her different restored sections reflecting her previous daily life. There’s a full-scale working model of the engine, a replica of the propeller, cabins for First Class and Steerage passengers, as well as troop accommodations, a surgery, and a galley with resident (fake) rats! As well as visitor tours, the ship can cater for weddings or murder/mystery evenings, and even offers a ‘Go Aloft’ session, where you can step into the shoes of a Victorian sailor and climb the rigging. The future looks intriguing, too. A national museum – ‘Being Brunel’ – plans to open in Bristol in 2018, which includes a virtual reality experience accessed when you step into Brunel’s head!
Dr Livingstone, I presume? Tuesday 15th March Fran Sandham
There was nothing inevitable about the meeting of Stanley and Livingstone in Africa in the late nineteenth century. The cannibal and tribal war infested size of the area to be searched being just one of the factors. Many twists of fortune led Stanley to be financed by the deeply flawed editor of the New York Herald, Gordon Bennett. However, their motives were much clearer; greed, commerce and self promotion. It led to the best known meeting in recent history and of course, the news scoop of the times. The journey into the African interior so nearly did not happen. Funds had to be loaned by the consulate in Zanzibar, Stanley led the expedition in the rainy season increasing the difficulties, and men died. An assassination attempt was made on Stanley by his followers. Apart from this unbelievably hazardous journey three months were spent uselessly searching for Livingstone in the wrong area. When they did meet it was because both Livingstone and Stanley returned in the slaving centre of Ujiji which Stanley need never have left.
Equally there was nothing inevitable that a friendship would follow between the unprincipled, romancing opportunist, Stanley and the moral and single minded Livingstone. Fran Sandham outlined the points of similarity between the characters of Stanley and Livingstone to the members of Monmouth U3A. Chiefly, both had deprived backgrounds, Stanley in Wales and Livingstone in Scotland. Each had reservoirs of determination that in Stanley’s case earned him the African name “The Smasher of Rocks”. Their achievements deserved the fame that has shadowed them ever since. Marianne Wright
Tuesday, 16th February 2016 2.30 - 4.30 “The Fair Land of Gwent” - Chris Barber, MBE
To speak convincingly of a landscape then the speaker must have a love of the area, and to give validity, then preferably the speaker should also live within it for many years. Chris Barber talking to members of the Monmouth U3A fulfilled those criteria admirably. Every landscape has clues to its history if scrutinised, and Gwent is no exception. From the standing stones of Trellech, cromlechs and thirty two Iron age forts from ancient times to the rebuilding of Gwent’s only stone windmill in the last ten years, Mr Barber darted from one fascinating fact to another spanning four millennia.There seem to be a great many tales and links of the devil to the Gwent landscape, but there are also the far less disputable links to the Romans, the Normans and onwards. Who would have thought that Gwent hosted a castle, Clytha, built purely to commemorate a dead wife in the vein of the Taj Mahal, or an underground dovecote in the grounds of Llanthony Priory? How many people now know that Cary Grant and Sophie Loren ran across the Crumlin viaduct for the film “Arabesque” ? It was clear that this talk was only a fraction of Chris Barber’s knowledge of the area.
Tuesday 19th January Wales Air Ambulance - Steve Jones
Fifteen times a day, every day, a helicopter crew of pilot, critical care paramedic and consultant rise into the sky over Wales and within an average of ten minutes are at the scene of a serious life threatening incident. Their speed saves lives. Not only do they give immediate care at the site but are also able to fly to the most appropriate hospital. This is an important distinction since land ambulance can only go to the nearest one. In difficult terrain, or congested traffic their ability to be at the incident sometimes over an hour sooner than a land ambulance can make the difference between living and dying. All this has been made available through the funding of the public.
Heaven forbid that any of the members and visitors to the talk by Steve Jones to the Monmouth U3A should require such assistance. However, if they do require it, they can comfort themselves with the knowledge that the Welsh Air Ambulance service is known to be the best in the world and that they will be in a hospital within “the Golden hour” that enhances survival.
This service only began in 2001 and has been expanding and improving with the latest technology and helicopters ever since. No mean feat when it takes £20,000 per day to maintain this service and each new helicopter has cost £5 million pounds. No wonder that Steve Jones came equipped with a donation box and members were only too happy to fill it with loose change and notes. Thanks to the generosity of members £313.67 was raised for Welsh Air Ambulance.
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