GLAD TO BE BACK

OPENING DOCUMENTS


Several of you have written to say you have problems with opening programs generated with the later Microsoft Office 2007 as used by people with the more up to date systems, such as Bob Hughes. Office 2007 creates different file formats, eg files from Word which end with the file format .docx rather than the earlier .doc 

(It may be of interest to those who experienced the delay at the start of Wednesday's lecture by Barry Plummer that it resulted from his use of Power Point .pptx files rather than the earlier .ppt format. The only short term solution was to change to a newer computer/software. In doing so we uncovered a faulty connection in the universities video plug connection, which for a time resulted in a yellow hue to the picture - quite unsuitable for a lecture based on pictures of paintings.

Luckily there is an update available for free download from Microsoft (though being commercially oriented they don't make it too easy to find, they would rather you buy a new computer, or at least a new version of MS Office!). The solution is to install a program called File Format Converters .exe (less formally under the name of 'Microsoft Office Compatibility Packs for Word, Excel and Power Point') which when run will enable systems as old as Office 2000 to handle these new file formats ending in x.

To get this first let Windows scan your system to establish whether you have the latest 'essential' updates for Windows and Office. If not download them as advised - which will take some time. (I would recommend that computers should always be set for automatic update and regularly connected to the Internet otherwise they will rapidly get out of date and become less secure for Internet use)

On checking the most modern U3A laptop I found there were 5 'essential' updates needed, and that 4 were associated with Office. One of these updates was SP3 for this version of Office 2003. SP updates are always important as they consolidate a lot of earlier updates into one single update and clean up the system. So I downloaded all these updates as suggested.


Next the computer asked if I wanted to download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Packs. I downloaded them and in this way File Format Converters.exe arrived. It may appear as a new icon on your 'desktop' or a file in the 'downloads' folder, either way the file needs to be run by double clicking to start the installation.

(An .exe, or executable file, has to be run just once as a program by double clicking)


I hope this is a bit clearer than mud! Good luck with your computer learning. Unfortunately attendance at our Digital Media Group can't help as it is essential to have an Internet connection, and very preferably one by Broadband or large upgrades, like those described, will take forever.

A WEEK IN MY LIFE WITH THE U3A
MONDAY CHESS
I have already mentioned this group is near to folding, but I was not aware that David Croxall or 510470 had like me been away on holiday. (In his case cycle touring on the continent - that's where I started as a schoolboy, oh for the energy of those days it must be much harder now). He is hoping to revive the group on a different day and in a more relaxing environment - he has in mind the Swansea Yacht and Sub Aqua clubhouse on the Marina.

WEDNESDAY, JIVE and LECTURE
Jive again, this time I did make it and to my surprise realised I could still do moves called Catapult, Pretzel and Man Spin. Great to see new faces and so many men that I was frequently the 'wallflower' as the women got their own back by chatting without moving when requested 'Round one, please'. Eric and Pam have done an excellent job in keeping this group thriving. Gerwyn was there collecting the money, drinking coffee, organising dinners and enjoying the company.

Eric has a new email address
ericforking@googlemail.com


A young woman called Mathilde Lopez, Creative Associate at the new National Theatre Wales (see later), appealed for 4 or 5 couples to assist by dancing at her Swansea Assembly which aims to investigate by theatre 'the spatial and emotional disorientation of this city', and will run alongside a main theatre production. Initial meeting is 14 April, then 18 April with two performances with actors, musicians, writers and special guests on 22 April. 
Sounds interesting, I have long thought that a real development opportunity for Swansea is to aim at a presence in theatre to match Bath and Bristol, Glynn Vivian and Jazzlands. A Cultural presence to match our wonderful environment

Anyone interested should contact mathildelopez@nationaltheatrewales.org , by phoning 029 2035 3073 or mobile 07951575249. After listening to her accent I concluded she was French, 'Yes', she replied. Then seeing her name Lopez I asked if she was in fact Spanish, 'my dad was Spanish'.


THURSDAY
Morning at the OPEN MEETING discussion of the 'Way Forward for Swansea U3A' in the face of the forthcoming 'retirement' of so many stalwarts from the current committee. Most significantly the Chairman, Membership Secretary and Minutes Secretary are all standing down after many years of service.
About 50 attended and contributed to a very positive discussion, the real success of which will be seen in the nominations for new officers at the June AGM. Volunteers welcome to come forward for any committee role, we will help with nominations.

Bob Hughes invited anyone to attend a committee meeting and get a feel for the involvement. They are held at 9.30am the first Tuesday in each month in the Civic Centre, but contact Bob Hughes before attending. I intend to stay on for a further year as Group's Co-ordinator, and will again be looking for a stand-in to cover when away travelling.

Many have expressed to me how well Tina Barker stood in during my absence, especially visible was her production and running of slides for the Wednesday Lectures, but she was also handling the email addresses during the period. We all wish her well and look forward to welcoming her back.


BEGINNERS WATERCOLOUR

The very first meeting of the group was that afternoon at Hazel Court. Brenda Sweet, a new member this year, had a class of eight experimenting with colour combinations and brush stroke effects. Initially at least this course will run every week.

She has a new email address for U3A business
dickie_dus@yahoo.co.uk
or contact on 850518

What surprised me was that I knew all but two people from their involvement with other groups. Some members are getting a great deal from their membership. We now have 700 of whom say 200 sometimes attend the Wednesday lectures, I would encourage the rest to participate in at least one of the groups.

Rhian Evans 510470 apologised for not being able to get to the morning Open Meeting,  but suggested she would be perfectly willing to be contacted by anyone wanting help in running Swansea U3A on an ad-hoc basis.

She has just been cruising the Norwegian coast right round to Russia in mid winter


TEXTILE CRAFT



Next door, in the other half of Craft Room Pearl Wiseman's group were busy designing, cutting out and sewing small quilts. They were just three, normally more, but would nevertheless welcome new members.

FRIDAY EVENING
'TASTE OF TIFFIN'
Last night Joan and I went to Lyn Holt's celebration of Indian food, as if we hadn't seen enough of it in Jan/Feb. We even developed a liking of curry for breakfast! 'Was it authentic', he asked knowing there is no answer to that, for you are speaking of a wide range of spicy cuisine across a huge country of a billion people. Mind you I have never seen sweet mango chutney there.

But it was good, and far more representative of India than the food served in the average British curry house, which often seem to be judged solely on the extreme heat which can be developed by chilli. The truth is that some spices are hot like chilli and pepper corns but many are subtle like say cardamon, cummin and turmeric.

The only time I ate lamb in India I paid for it with several days of severe diarrhoea, this time I feel perfectly OK and that goes for the chicken and vegetable curries as well.


Nice too to hear several, many who I do not know by name, come over to say they were glad the blog was back. Thanks, a bit of encouragement goes a long way in the early hours (must still be jet lagged). For the many who had trouble linking last week, due to a configuration fault of my own,  I repeat that my blog with pictures written as a diary in Southern India will be found at 


http://rsouthindia.blogspot.com/

It will be chiefly of interest to those who are contemplating a trip to Tamil Nadu and Kerala


SATURDAY/SUNDAY
I have just received a list of all the membership and telephone numbers. With it for the first time I have been able to construct a comprehensive email address book for Swansea U3A of those members who have provided us with email addresses. 321 members are contactable by email out of a current membership of 705. This was a major piece of non-stop painstaking drudgery which took over 20 hours to complete. To integrate this email address record with the existing U3A membership data base should now be fairly easy, if done before the influx of new members next September.


I know that in this blog I am speaking to the converted, but would nevertheless emphasise the advantage to the U3A as an organisation is that distribution of information by website/email costs absolutely nothing and can be done without effort apart from preparing the documents. The value to members is that more and better information can be provided than would ever be attempted by photocopying and post.

This blog is simply one example of what can be achieved by way of distributing 'comment', and personal promotion of the groups. It
is now complemented by the new U3A website which it it is hoped will increasingly be the best source of comprehensive up to date information.
http://u3aswansea.org.uk/ 

email Adrian at u3aswansea@me.com with information you would like to see publicised on the website, this applies particulary to Group Convenors.



NATIONAL THEATRE WALES
Just before leaving the dinner I got into conversation with Jill and Roly Govier, about the highly successful pantomime she ran in the Dragon at the height of the snowy winter. But we quickly moved to the National Theatre Wales for we had both noticed a review earlier in the week by The Guardian's chief theatre critic, Michael Billington, of their inaugural production 'A Good Night Out in the Valleys' written by Alan Harris at the Blackwood Miners Institute in Gwent.

Jill and Roly had followed that up by going to see the same production Thursday night at the Pontardawe Arts Centre and raved about the experience in a performance which mixed local talent with professional actors. 'What it lacks in narrative focus it makes up in communal vigour' was one of Billington's comments.

The National Theatre Wales, with input from for example the Welsh National Opera, will not have a fixed theatre base but will tour Wales, and aim at creating a unique impact. There are plans for Michael Sheen to return to help revive Port Talbot's annual Passion Play. I wish them well.

I hope our jive group will get involved if only to get a feel for what is being attempted by way by way of community theatre in Swansea.

GOLDEN WEDDINGS
Congratulations to Jill and Roly who will shortly be celebrating their Golden Wedding in San Francisco with the family. Joan & I made it almost a year earlier and celebrated by travelling in Bali and Lombok. 


BBC ENGLISH
Early on in our India trip I expressed discontent at the BBC World Service, available on all hotel TVs there, which seemed like BBC 24 with little but breaking news. In fact later on we saw quite a lot to enjoy in their longer programs, not least the Asia Service which is shortly to be axed, and more frequent Hard Talk presentations than in the UK.


Travelling as we do we meet independent travellers from all across the globe, the one thing they have in common is that they converse in English - not just to us but between themselves.

As I was waiting hours in Chennai airport for the plane to London I couldn't help overhearing two middle aged ladies conversing in English One was evidently French the other I assumed was also French. But why were they conversing in English I asked myself? They were both fluent but surely would have been even better in their own language. Then I listened more closely and came to the conclusion that the second lady was Spanish.

Travelling in both India and China in the last couple of years I can't but be amazed at the rate of progress and the speed at which they are economically overhauling the USA and Europe. How are we going to compete long-term in the changing world? The more I think about it the more I feel that our language is perhaps the greatest of our strengths, and is undoubtedly one of the aspects we should be concentrating on. The BBC is quite simply the best broadcaster in the world, and acknowledged as such. Its World Service is our best way of marketing our culture, our knowledge of world affairs, and above all our language. We are mad to be cutting back on the BBC, and our very best universities which are recognised internationally in similar terms.