The first class of the year will take place in the Dry Half of the Craft Room at Hazel Court on Monday 5 October starting at 10am. They meet every Monday morning. This group started less than a year ago under the instruction of Carolina Rosati-Jones who used to take part-time classes at DACE Swansea University. Last year the group spanned a wide range of prior knowledge from total beginners up to O level (many of whom, like me, had forgotten almost everything).
Potential new members, whether beginners or more advanced, as well as past members should just turn up at Hazel Court. You will be welcomed.
CHESS for FUN
The first meeting of this group will be on Monday 5 October in the Exercise Room of Hazel Court from 10am. The very pleasant Exercise Room is on the ground floor (turn right, left, right, - from just before the Reception Desk). Chess sets are provided. As last year Ken Huntley will attend to provide tuition and/or play as required. Last years group ranged from absolute beginners to elementary, though Ken plays in a league team.
During our recent long travels in Bali we were pleasantly surprised to see chess being played everywhere in the interior by Balinese, often sitting on the veranda outside their home in the warm evening. We remember too a coffee shop in Mexico where there was an equal division between those who went to read the newspapers provided and those who played chess with the sets provided. It sometimes seems we have forgotten the simple pastimes.
Anyway Joan and I are hoping to welcome a good turnout on Monday. If you are at all interested just turn up at Hazel Court and try out the group. Chess meets the 1st and 3rd Monday mornings of the month.
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
Margaret Hammond's last day in the chair was memorable and there was a full turnout of group members, seated as an audience at a lecture rather than as round table discussion.
It is one of a several topics I intended to cover last week - but forgot.The delay means I am now talking about a candidate for First Minister of the Welsh Assembly, so I had better stop writing from the hip, and be serious about Edwina Hart.
She came for 40 mins but talked and discussed for well over an hour. I think I speak for virtually the whole audience in being impressed by her grasp of her brief as Minister for Health, the well thought out, clearly explained, vision behind her proposals for reorganisation: fewer, bigger, top class hospitals without competition between units thus improving specialist provision and reducing management overheads; more devolution to local services run by GPs and nurses, less form filling bureaucracy, including elimination of the need for repeated collection of the same personal data from patients that annoys us all, thus releasing more time for staff to practise their special skills.
I was pleasantly surprised how little parochial emphasis she put on local facilities even though AM for Gower, though she did speak of plans for the major development of Morriston and Garngogh hospitals, designed to deepen and widen provision in complementary ways. Overall she was an excellent antidote to the widespread cynicism about politicians.
I asked for estimates of the percentage savings from reduced bureaucracy, yes 20 authorities would be reduced to 7: and she gave an example where one finance director would do the job of seven, but no, the other six would be re-employed rather than made redundant. Time will tell if it's an over-optimistic cosy socialist vision - but as a socialist myself I hope not.
Reading the papers that evening I read of the £10 billion bid by Kraft for Cadbury and mused, as is my want, that surely Kraft had done their sums, including estimates of the reduction in locations and staff and the cost benefit of reduced competition. They may not make their sums public but for sure they had estimated in monetary terms what the merger (reorganisation) would cost and what it would do for the bottom line. Vital considerations for the NHS too especially given the current economic climate.
NEXT SUNDAY LUNCHEON
Ramada Hotel, Phoenix Way, Enterprise Park on 18 October 12.30 for 1pm. 2 courses £8.95, 3 courses £10.95. Book by contacting Barbara Brimfield 201274 or Margaret Winter 771725.
TAI CHI
Mike's even teaching us how to breath slowly and deeply. How basic can you get!! But it makes you feel more in control.
Convenor Sue Hutson jkhutson@tiscali.co.uk gave details of websites relating to our routines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY-e2Dqp-ZU
www.taichiwales.com
www.chinese-massage-wales.co.uk
www.chenghsin.org.uk
I hope they are correct. Please send links you want included by email then I can copy and paste and blame you for typing errors!
JIVE
This group continues to attract new members there were about 20 in all last at The Monkey Cafe last Wednesday and there is still space for a few more.
One of the notable features of this group is the regular attendance of a group of men, of whom I am one - well done to us!! We hope to find a few more like souls from this years intake of new members. It's a very friendly happy group and an ideal starting point for those wanting physical activity.
Last week the Guardian carried an article saying dancing which involved memorising complex dance steps and sequences was an extremely effective way to combat mental weakness. Anybody who dances with me knows I'm inclined to ad-lib, what they don't know is that it is a sign of dementia - I just can't remember what comes next. I'm doing something about it. Are You?
MOTO
Talking to a few members of Jive last Wednesday they stressed that it was a group for those without partners.
Demand as I said is such that there is already a waiting list, but members should continue to register your interest for we will always try to satisfy demand. Gerwyn is hopeful of finding convenors to organise related groupings.
He also sent in the following
HOW TO CALL THE POLICE
WHEN YOU'RE OLD
AND DON'T MOVE FAST ANYMORE.
George Phillips , an elderly man, from Meridian, Mississippi, was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.
He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"
He said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me.
Then the police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available."
George said, "Okay."
He hung up the phone and counted to 30.
Then he phoned the police again..
"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot them." and he hung up.
Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"
George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"
(True Story) I LOVE IT!
Don't mess with old people
FRENCH
The first class of the new academic year was held successfully yesterday (Thursday 1 October) with 8 members present. It was conducted by Beryl Edney who concentrated on getting us to converse in French and the class was largely conducted in French, although given her skill as a ex-teacher I think the whole of a mixed ability class went home happy. They will be held every Thursday morning in Hazel Court starting at 10am. New members welcome.
Just received from my Spanish teacher on one of the topics raised Thursday to my chagrin. Unfortunately the cartoon seems to self self destruct a short after pasting so here is the text of la blague - hey, that word's a bit too close to blog for my liking
Va au magasin, puis tu dois etendre le linge, lave la voiture. va chercher les enfants a l'ecole, loue des videos et repose l'antenne sur la toit
CE QUE LE MARI ENTEND
Va..................t'...............etendre.........et repose.............toi
Gilly Jordan gillyjordan@talktalk.net
Thanks to Gilly who agreed to take over as convenor of this group. She will replace Jan Phillips at both the Convenors meeting on 7 October at 10am in The Castle Room in Fulton House Swansea University and at the U3A Open Day in the Dolphin on 14 October at 10am till 3.30pm.
DIGITAL MEDIA for FUN
As reported earlier whilst Tutor Anthony Hughes is away on work in the Maldives - some would call it holiday - the group intend to keep going as a self help group sharing skills until he returns. The first meeting of the new U3A year was held this morning (Friday 2 October) and was decided to continue with the emphasis on digital photography using Photoshop Elements software and some have know-how with Picasa, the free photo handler from the Google stable.
Meetings will be on alternate Fridays, 16 October, 30 October, 13 November, 27 November and 11 December. Although the group has been planned to start at 10am it would be OK to attend after the first Tai Chi session which ends at 10.30. The room bookings at Hazel Court are for a full half day until 1.30.
New members are very welcome but they must bring a laptop computer, and assuming interest in photography a digital camera.
An Epson scanner is available for those interested in digitising existing documents/photos, 35mm slides or 35mm transparencies.
Although Internet is not available in Hazel Court without hiring a much more expensive room there would be no problem about sharing knowledge amongst the group on say Microsoft Office including Word, Excel spreadsheet (whose uses far surpass numeric accounting work, many use it as a Poor Man's Database with selected sorting facilities etc).
SHORT MAT BOWLS
Angela Ball the new convenor of Group 1 writes to tell me she has 4 vacancies for new or experienced short-mat bowlers with coaching by Dilys Jones. Flat shoes without heel. Further details from her on 412701 or angela.ball2@ntlworld.com
They meet at West Cross Community Centre every Monday 1.30 to 3.30. Only £1 including refreshments.
Good news also about the previous convenor Bryn Bulpitt who is recovering well from his heart operation and intends to play again soon.
GEOLOGY
Next trip Monday 19 October at 10.30 to Llandeilo-Llangadog area led by Dr Robert Owens, not too much walking. Picnic lunch. Further details from Yvonne Thomas 01554 832337, the group's secretary.
Meet OS sheet 159 SN 6190 2308
ART APPRECIATION
The first meeting with Constance Hill lecturing went well on Thursday with an audience of around 50. From now on the meetings with Constance are to be held in the Dolphin Hotel.
Mo announced details of the proposed study trip to Holland next April organised by Jean Goodeve of Pembroke U3A.
U3A STUDY HOLIDAY
ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS of HOLLAND
This holiday is being organised by Jean Goodeve, last year's U3A president from Pembroke U3A. She is inviting our members to join as several did for an earlier trip to Paris.
The dates are Sunday 18 April 2010 to Monday 26 April 2010 by coach pickups and returns at pre-agreed points along A40/A48/M4 corridor in South Wales. It includes a cruise on the MS Arlene from Delft 18/04/10 to Amsterdam 22/04/10.
Complete Trip Prices, including accommodation and Dinner Bed & Breakfast but not Museum Entrance fees, are £699(double) to £883(single) on the lower deck, and £729/£913 on upper deck.
For further information and booking forms please contact
Jean Goodeve jggoodeve@tiscali.co.uk
or Margaret Winter771725 or winter728@btinternet.com
or Mo Ellard 363465 or mo.ellard@btopenworld.com
Bookings with a deposit of £150 is required by 31 October 2009 - so hurry. It goes to Phoenix Travel, the balance is payable 8 weeks before travelling.
SAMARITANS - OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
Judith Gilbody wrote in asking for for anyone interested in volunteering to help, or to donate a box, to contact her either by phone 01792 204492 or by email on judith.gilbody@ntlworld.com
She writes
I have been a member of the U3A for a number of years and am also heavily involved in the above charity. It is the world’s largest children's Christmas project and aims to provide a shoebox of gifts for as many children as possible who are suffering through war, poverty, natural disaster and disease from Africa to Kosovo. Last year was the first in which Swansea was the site of a warehouse that served the whole of West Wales and 10,000 shoe-boxes were sent. It is very heart warming to witness so much evidence of charitable giving, both from the donators of the boxes, and the team of people who gave of their time in our warehouse. Do you think this would be something that Swansea U3A members would be interested in? We would welcome anyone who would like to get involved, the warehouse will be open from the first week in November, to the first week in December. My telephone number if 01792 204492 or we have a national website
www.samaritans-purse.org.uk if you would like more information.
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