EASTER MONDAY

LIFE BEGINS AT 50+
It is pleasing to report that several of the people at this event subsequently contacted me on receipt of the blog link, and that I was able to deal by email with their queries.

I was also approached by Gill Illingworth the Publicity Manager for the Grand Theatre who wondered about the interest of our members in the hour long lunch theatre on Saturdays in the Arts Wing. Joan and I went last Saturday to try it out, adding it to a week long exposure to theatre including Bath and Bristol of which more later. The play 'Confessions Off Broadway' was written by Louise McLeod who has a Masters in Creative and Media Writing from Swansea University. It was well performed by a cast of four an hour thoroughly well spent dealing with the tensions in a theatrical family reunited in New York preparing for production of their play. Those who read this blog may remember me reporting earlier how my love of theatre was influenced by the beginnings of the Off Broadway Theatre In The Round movement in the late 50's. A production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible made a huge impression. It was written as repost to the vicious McCarthy anti-communist witch hunt which pervaded the States for a decade, of whom Paul Robeson, well known for his connections with Wales was one of many high profile victims.
Details of the Saturday and other daytime programs can be obtained via the Grand and they are also published in 'What's On'.

RED LADY OF PAVILAND
Elisabeth Walker who delivered an excellent lecture recently on this topic informs me, via Esther Searle, of a related lecture which may well be of interest on 14 May at 6.30pm in the Reardon Smith Theatre of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. The speaker will be Professor Jim Kennedy, Director of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. His subject will be 'William Buckland', who Elizabeth described as the man who would eat anything - like me who sought after live raw Sago Worms in Borneo, considered a delicacy! - with the sub text 'The man who ate the Heart of a King and discovered the Red Lady of Paviland'. We are welcome to attend, further details at
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/whatson/?event_id=3561

OPEN UNIVERSITY LAUNCH
Mike Wiseman sent details of free multi media based on-line learning about Wales, its history, coast, BBC Radio Wales archive material, David Lloyd George etc. For details follow the link to www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/wales-cymru .

U3A NEWS
All groups are likely to have made special arrangements for Easter Week so I will report only where I am sure of my facts.

POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP will meet as usual at 2pm tomorrow Tuesday 14 April in the West Cross Community Centre. The topic for discussion will be 'Contacts with Europe'. It may not be of general knowledge that the two members of the group, Roger Knight and Marjorie Vanston, who will lead the discussion are active in the local branch of Support for European Movement. It should develop into the group's usual well informed discussion.

TAI CHI is back on Friday17 April

DISCUSSION Rob James is taking over next year from Roly Govier.

CHRONICLE Don't forget that articles are required for 13 May deadline.

BACK TO THEATRE
MOTO may go drinking water in Shrewsbury but Joan and I indulged in food and theatre for a short break, which in part explains why there was no posting last week.

THE TEMPEST
First stop Royal Theatre Bath for an absolutely outstanding production of Shakespeare's last play. It is often said that the lead character Prospero was Shakespeare, directing matters throughout but at the end taking his last bow, forgiving all his enemies, admitting it was all done by mirrors, and in the final words of the play asking for just a simple reward, the applause of the audience.

It had 5 star reviews at Stratford and is now on tour, but unfortunately Bath is the closest such really good theatre gets to Wales! The production however originated with Janice Honeyman as director at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Capetown , which even in the days of apartheid was allowed to play to mixed races - being part of the university.

It was a very African production, a setting which seemed absolutely appropriate and served to underline the timelessness and reach of Shakespeare whilst illustrating the significance of the plot. Being African meant it was every bit as vivid as the Lion King. The scenery was simply the branches of a tree on which five spirits with full body paint and richly coloured textile clothes move around like monkeys. The spirit world so alien to today's sophisticated westerners is so natural and believable in an African context. A serpent of Zulu cosmology and Chinese dimensions helped spirit Ariel draw up the storm which caused the usurpers to be shipwrecked on the island. There was much use of huge colourful puppetry, but non more effective than a huge Picasso like image of the witch Sycorax (Caliban's mother), a pair of eyes here, a pair of breasts there, a mouth and two giant hands which entrapped Ariel, from whose grasp he was released by Prospero, after his mother had died, and for whom he then controlled the events of the plot.

John Kani a black South African was superb and just right as a symbol of slavery to a colonial power. Anthony Sher a white South African who has spent a lifetime with the Royal Shakespeare Company was equally superb as Prospero the symbol of ruthless colonial power. Atandwa Kani as Ariel, a part often taken by a petite woman with wings, but so much more realistically portrayed here as a powerful young male spirit of the forest. Tinarie Van Wyk Loots was equally as impressive as Prospero's daughter, never more so than in her delight at meeting the first attractive young males of her life and soon becoming Queen of Naples.

Wayne Van Rooyen played the jester beautifully in such a relaxed style with such a broad Africaans accent, as did Elton Landrew as Stephano the shipwrecked drunkard. They too enslaved Caliban and the three plotted to overthrow Prospero. Previously I could not have conceived of Shakespeare spoken in such a accent, but rhythm was perfect and the comic impact was unforgettable.

Four African musicians with voice, guitar, percussion and cello were as essential to create the atmosphere as any cinema sound track.

I have seen it perhaps four times previously and always struggled with the way events were controlled by a colonial tyrant and a spirit. I never expect to see the equal of this production but in my mind I will be able to paint them white and black, colonial europeans and enslaved natives, humour and an underlying spiritual dimension.

ANTONY and CLEOPATRA
On via a very pleasant day at the Fox Talbot Museum in the National Trust Village of Laycock, to Bristol. Then our second visit this year to The Tobacco Factory and a style which could not present a starker alternative, for theatre in the round is minimalist with no scenery and few props where everything rests on the text, the actors skill in speaking and projecting the work of the playwright.

On that first occasion we saw Julius Ceasar which was superb if not quite the equal of last year's unbelievably good five star production of Hamlet (Jamie Ballard) directed by Jonathan Miller. This one lacked a little in comparison with both but we tend to think the fault was in ourselves (as Shakespeare might have said) for neither of us had previously seen a production of this complex play of sexual emotion, political intrigue and empire, neither had we studied it at school, nor even looked for guidance on the Internet. You get out what you put in, and we should have prepared better by reading through the text.

It is easy to find informative discussion of Shakespeare's most popular plays on the Internet, plot, characters, and issues, We would always advise this course as being time well spent, as essential as advance familiarity is to the enjoyment of complex classical music or opera, or modern jazz (well I would say that wouldn't I).

I would find fault only with the pace of some of the speeches where newcomer to Shakespeare roles Alun Raglan, as Mark Antony, struggled with his diction in the crescendo climax of some of the interchanges, and Cleopatra and Octavius Ceasar spoke at the limit of my ability to comprehend fully what was being said. That said it was a very enjoyable production.

The story of The Tobacco Factory goes back only to 1999 when George Ferguson the architect-owner bought the derelict building with a view to opening the following year with a Shakespeare season. In 2000 they duly opened with King Lear with almost no pre-booking and a few days later a cast of fifteen played to an audience of twelve. Toby O'Connor Morse of The Independent gave them a half page rave review and by the end of the five week season all shows were sold out and they achieved a total audience of 8,000. Support faltered in 2006 with Titus Andronicus at 40% capacity and Love's Labour Lost and they closed early. But in 2007 Jonathan Miller agreed to direct Hamlet in 2008. That season with The Taming of the Shrew as well as the wonderful production of Hamlet the total audience reached 22,000 a record and close to capacity. We will be back in 2010 whatever the choice of plays or the economic climate.

SPRING IS RIZ

SPRING AT LAST
For the first time this year I have been enticed to start the years labouring on my garden, the first day I felt it warm enough and dry enough that I could actually do more good than harm, to both the garden and myself, by digging the vegetable plot - well a quarter of it but the rest is now free of annual flowering seeding weeds which should give me a head start.



Saturday I came in tired but happily announced to Joan that my heart had miraculously gone back into rhythm, well it was pulsing strongly but further investigation by her showed it was as irregular as usual. Still that gave me a thirty second lift. The crocus of St. David's Day are now giving way to a field of
golden daffodils.

Field is the best way to describe my lawn, well paddock would be better the result of frequent visits by my eldest grand-daughter on horseback with assorted friends like mother, boyfriend, girlfriends, acquaintances and even her young brother.



Joe was into Rugby rather than riding until he was kicked unconscious, complete with broken nose, by his own scrum half. He even praises the said scrum half for not being afraid to put his boots into a ruck to win the ball. How the world changes! At that age I was just an innocent beginning grammar school and Rugby, whilst he is already a veteran. We English of the day described Rugby as 'a game for hooligans played by gentlemen'. Did you see them play France off the park in the nicest possible way? Tally-ho Ireland!



TAI CHI
Such a success that from this Friday it has been decided to split into two groups, the first 9.30 to 10.30, and the second 11am to 12am. One of the advantages of Hazel Court not before exploited is that the rental pays for a half day. Of the twenty five present last week twelve opted for one course and thirteen for the other, that means there is ample space for further members at either session. The charge remains at £3 per session.



MOTO
Janet Jones who is co-ordinating, but not booking, for the MOTO 6 day cruise party going to Stockholm and St. Petersberg leaving Heathrow on 6 June is now looking for an extra male as a previous one has booked but now finds himself unable to go. I assume he will be the second male in a shared cabin, but for this or other details lease email Janet at
janeteileenjones@hotmail.com

CREATIVE WRITING 2
Jill Govier writes to say that John Barber has agreed to take over as convener of this group, he has been standing in for Tony Crisp for several weeks already.
His address is: 86, Rhodfa Fadot/ Morriston/ SA6 6NB/ Tel:01792 774741/ e-mail: barberjay@aol.com.

LIFE BEGINS AT FIFTY
This free event will take place on Thursday 26 March between 10am and 4pm at the Swansea Leisure Centre. The U3A will be amongst the organisations promoting our wares in an effort co-ordinated by our Publicity Secretary Marilyn Croft. The Leisure Centre are also offering free a Free Splash in the Pool, Aquarobics and Exercise tasters, and Health Checks. There will be Learning Tasters on Computers, Water Colour Painting, Digital Photography and Calligraphy. Contact Ann or Richard on 636703/636745, or text/phone 01792 636733 for further information.

ART APPRECIATION
Mo Ellard is organising a coach trip to the National Museum of Wales on Tuesday 28 April. There will be free guided tours of an exhibition of Alfred Sisley's paintings of South Wales. The coach leaves Wellington Street (opposite Tesco Swansea Central) at 9.30 and leaves Cardiff for the return at 4pm. The cost is £3, all U3A members welcome but please contact Mo, tel 363465 to book places.

EVERYMAN OUTDOOR THEATRE at St. FAGANS
Marjorie Vanston 296375 is organising her usual coach trips to St Fagans to see:-
The Gondoliers on 11 July
King Lear on 1 August
The price will be £11 per ticket plus a share of the cost of the coach. She is asking for Names of those wanting to go by this Wednesday, but money later once the cost of the coach has been determined.

THIS WEEK'S NEW GROUP ACTIVITIES
MONDAY 16 March
ITALIAN at 10am in Hazel Court with CHESS sharing the Craft Room.

TUESDAY
LITERATURE at 2pm in St. Mary's Vestry with Mary Webb's Gone to Earth.

WEDNESDAY
JIVE as usual 10.30am at the Monkey Cafe in the Centre of Swansea opposite the Castle. Come and try. A good time to pick up the latest news on MOTO activities, eg Janet Jones is a regular attender.

NO WEDNESDAY LECTURE until 22 April

THURSDAY
French Conversation as usual at 10am in Hazel Court.

FRIDAY
TAI CHI First Class at 9.30am and Second Class at 11am.
Taste of Singapore 6.30pm at Sketty Park Community Centre. Lyn Holt goes Asian for his last meal of the U3A year.

ST. DAVID'S DAY

St. DAVIDS DAY LUNCH
Although not present and thus unable to give my own impression of the St David's Day Lunch, the feedback I have heard is that the switch to Pennard Golf Club was a big success. I have Chairman Bob to thank for a fine selection of pictures, some of which are included here.










TAI CHI
This new group continues to flourish having completed four weeks with a turnout between 22 and 29. The higher number is certainly at the limit of capacity for this room at Hazel Court. If demand grows there will be a clear case for running two groups probably in succession on Friday morning with a 30 minute interval and thus avoiding the choice between Digital Media and Tai Chi for those who want to attend both groups.

LITERATURE
I went to last week's meeting for the first session on the new book 'Gone to Earth' by Mary Webb to see how Lawmary Champion would tackle a novel. You may remember I previously attended the reading of the last act of the play 'An Inspector Calls'. She had prepared information sheets on the background to the book (Mary Webb apparently owes her success to the advocacy of Prime Minister Baldwin) but we moved on rapidly to a group reading of the first few chapters, each being discussed in turn. A technique which involves everyone in the group and I found stimulating. The group were full of praise for the way Lawmary is re-directing this group. All nine members were there, a considerable advance on the uncertain start at the beginning of the U3A year when it faced collapse. Members are now expected to read the next few chapters and discuss them next time before progressing with the group reading.

They tell me that in their heyday there were 20 members of this group. I would certainly advise you to join, you will be welcome and I expect like me you will find the session pleasant and informative. They meet in the vestry of St. Mary's Church at 2pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, a very convenient location close to the Quadrant bus station.

CONCERT GOERS
Joan attended last Monday's talk by Clive John on Dvorak's 8th symphony, although as you will see later we were unable to attend the concert in the Brangwyn Hall. She returned full of praise for the lecturer.



THE WEEK AHEAD for this year's new groups.

MONDAY 9 March
ITALIAN at 10am in Hazel Court at which new members are welcome. A few more would be highly desirable.
READING GROUP 4 sharing the Craft Room is now full and anyone wanting a reading group should contact Cecily Hughes on 363875.
GETTING STARTED with INTERNET, I will have another session for a few at home in the afternoon. I have now offered help to all those who signed the lists, albeit at a shorter and more basic level than originally envisaged.

TUESDAY
CARDS FOR PLEASURE, another venture by Lawmary will meet in the Taliesin Bar Restaurant at 11 am. They meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, thus dovetailing with her Literature group.

WEDNESDAY'S LECTURE in the Faraday Theatre on the ground floor of the Engineering building looks fascinating. Elizabeth Walker, Archeology Curator at the National Museum in Cardiff will talk on 'The Red Lady of Paviland and The Early History of Gower'.

Before that the JIVE GROUP will meet in the Monkey Cafe at 10.30. It's the one U3A Group which attracts as many men as women and is always good exercise and fun. Welcome back to Julia Huntley now thankfully recovered from vertigo - not caused by Jive I assure you!! John and Val Day, who run the Art/Painting group in Fforestfach, came for the first time last Wednesday. Before them it was new U3A member Mike Lewis who has led walks for the Gower Society for years. They are already dancing like us group veterans and illustrate how easily new members can be taught and integrated. Gerwyn's cry of 'Round One Lady' ensures that every one gets to know the others quickly. We are not short of members but there is room on the dance floor for more. It is also the place where a hardcore of the MOTO group go to plot future activities.

MOTO
Anyone interested in the 6 June cruise from Stockholm to St. Petersberg should scroll back to last week's posting, because the entry has been changed significantly.

THURSDAY
The French Conversation Group meet at 10 am, when those who have done their homework will talk, in French, of their feelings about Winter and the advent of Spring.

FRIDAY
TAI CHI in ground floor room at Hazel Court at 10.30 under the excellent direction of Mike Hart.

NATIONAL U3A The Third Age Trust
FIRST ASSIST provides free legal advice to members who phone 01455 251 500. You apparently need a Code Number from our Swansea Committee (news to us!) in order to access a service available 24 hours a day. When I have additional information I will clarify this entry on the blog, so watch this space.

2009 U3A PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
We are being reminded that the theme is 'Eccentric Britain' and that the closing date for entries is 5 May 2009. A quirky humorous look at British Society is required with suggested topics being Places, People, Pets and even the Weather.

A good colour print minimum size 7" by 5" is required with each entry for judging purposes even though the source may be a digital camera. I take it the 300 dots per inch resolution asked for on the print implies a resolution of at least 2100 x 1500 pixels, which is less than 4 mega pixels. The prints are not returned and up to three different pictures may be submitted in a single entry.

This is merely a reminder, full details will be found in your U3A magazine.

EVERYMAN OUTDOOR THEATRE at St. FAGANS
Marjorie Vanston 296375 is organising her usual coach trips to St Fagans to see:-
The Gondoliers on 11 July
King Lear on 1 August
The price will be £11 per ticket plus a share of the cost of the coach. She is asking for Names of those wanting to go by this Wednesday, but money later once the cost of the coach has been determined.

JULIUS CAESAR
(SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOBACCO FACTORY or SATTF)
Joan and I went to the matinee yesterday in Bristol and enjoyed it so much that we are booking for the second half of their Theatre in the Round Shakespeare season, which will be the better play Antony and Cleopatra. We can also recommend the rustic cafe in the same building for Tapas, light lunches or meals. It passed my criterion for finding good restaurants across the world, that is to be obviously popular with locals and free of large parties, it passed with flying colours and from our experience trying only one plate of tapas each the reputation was well deserved.

We rate last year's performance of Hamlet directed by Jonathan Miller as the finest theatrical experience we have ever had. Julius Caesar needed to be good or it would have suffered dismally by comparison. If not in the same class it was still a very enjoyable performance.

Both Joan and I had studied Julius Caesar for 'O' levels so the numerous long speeches were very familiar. Almost the whole cast had trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, a number many years ago. Brutus (Leo Wringer, an outsider who has often performed with the RSC) and Cassius (Clive Haywood) were excellent and the play came to life for me with a stunning short intervention by Brutus's wife Portia (Dani McCullum), pleading to be told what they were plotting. Dani last year won a prize at the school and represented them with the BBC. Alun Raglan was ill and so script in hand Peter Clifford played the role of Mark Antony, though he interpreted the role exceptionally well and never had to refer to the script in sight of the audience. (Just as well since by the end his script was covered in blood, and he just shook hands with the murderers!).

ENERGY and CLIMATE CHANGE

ENERGY and CLIMATE CHANGE
Should interest all of you who hoped to wave goodbye to cold and snow and ice!! It's facile to think we shall become a Mediterranean country overnight. Weather is well known as an example of a chaotic system in which small disturbances can create major effects. It is thus very risky to predict the weather by mathematical model, as the BBC know to their cost, or finger in the air techniques. The chaotic variability of weather has always been with us, but what we are dealing with here is the effect of a continual increase in carbon in the atmosphere, driving the slow but remorseless warming of our planet earth.

This is one of the big challenges of our age (I might have said 'only' until the Credit Crunch came along) . Finding efficient ways of generating electricity to reduce the lifetime release of carbon into the atmosphere (in manufacture of the generating plant as well as its operation). Winning this battle is vital to ensure the sustainability of our high energy way of life, which few of us would willingly give up, and to which the less developed world will quite reasonably aspire.

This week on Wednesday the Swansea U3A make a two pronged attack on this issue.
First up the lecture by Ian Masters from 'The Marine Energy Task Group for Wales', at 2.00 for 2.30 back in the Grove this week, who will speak on 'Turning the Tide - Marine Power along the Welsh Coast'.

Then after this lecture Mike Wiseman's Climate Change Group will take their second successive session on energy and he has called it simply 'More Energy'.

It is now several weeks since we all received the last U3A magazine accompanied by the January 2009 publication of 'Sources'. You may recall that, with windmills on the frontispiece, this issue was dominated by considerations of Climate Change, a topic close to the heart of the Chairman of the Third Age Trust Jean Goodeve and her husband Graham. Our Climate Change group leader Mike Wiseman had a full page piece entitled Climate Change and Sustainable Development in which he reminded us all to think of our generations poor stewardship of this planet and to reflect on the legacy we were leaving for the following generations, not least the prospect of a shortage of fresh water.

CHESS
The next meeting is tomorrow 16 February at Hazel Court from 10.00 onwards. Joan and I will be there to welcome you. We are hoping for a good turnout. Member Theo Joannides is suggesting cooperation/amalgamation with the Mumbles Chess Club who meet in the Ostreme Hall at 11am on Saturdays. I would be interested in your views either added as comments to this blog or emailed privately.

TOBACCO FACTORY, Bristol
If I am to express my interests in the Arts, top would come high quality theatre (which we have only occasionally glimpsed in Swansea in 40+ years). I am a devotee of 'Theatre in the Round' in which a small audience surrounds the 'stage' (and can almost touch the actors). There is no scenery, just a few props maybe just benches. A form which relies entirely on acting skill. I first came across this style in New York in the Off Broadway movement of the 50's, very often performed in a public upstairs room of an hotel. When we returned to the UK we lived in Stoke on Trent where directors Stephen Joseph (now famous for his theatre in Scarborough) and Peter Cheeseman started, they became the driving force behind the movement in the UK for decades, whilst Alan Ayckbourn practised acting as well as some directing.

Last year we discovered the Tobacco Factory because of the rave reviews for a production of Hamlet with Jonathan Miller as director. That performance Joan and I rate the finest theatrical experience of our life. Recently I read a review in The Guardian decrying the fact that the production failed to get to the West End for lack of a TV star in the cast, itself an indictment of commercial theatre. Incidentally I speak as someone born in Warwick in easy cycling distance of Stratford who as a young grammar school boy attended many productions in what was then called The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. A golden period from the late 40's and when John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson were amongst the actors,though I have no idea whether I saw them. Anthony Quayle was director at the time.

This year the Tobacco Factory are performing Julius Caesar from 12 Feb to 21 March followed by Anthony and Cleopatra from 26 March to 2 May. There is a performance every day but Sunday, with a matinee on Saturday (£15). A matinee is our choice since it allows either go and return in a day, or more enjoyably a hotel and good meal following the theatre. The production is unlikely to reach the heights of last year, but I notice the Bath newspaper acknowledge the high standard of the Shakespeare season over the decade The Tobacco Factory has been re-used as a centre for the performing arts.

YOUR CHRONICLE NEEDS YOU
Jill Govier on behalf of Derrick Jenkins and co. (the producers of the annual Swansea U3A publication THE CHRONICLE) is issuing a call for Articles, Life Stories or Poems on any subject but provides a few pertinent pointers.

We are growing rapidly as an organisation, and occupying an increasingly important and rather articulate section of the population, so written matter should be flowing in - but it is not. I have willing confessed that I was a fellow traveller for several years before discovering the rewards of commitment. Now all of you know that given a typewriter a pen or a computer I can go on a bit!! Please join in and make the most of membership.

It's news to me but to stimulate a few ideas Jill is reminding us that
2009 is the Year of Science
2009 is the Year of Homecoming for the Scots, so why not the Welsh or the Irish. Who wants the English to go home and Why? Because we can outscore the Welsh in tries at least!!
2009 will lead to a new set of Honours. Who would you nominate and Why?

The Homecoming is particularly to celebrate Scotland's great contributions to the world, but leads on to wider thoughts of Nationalism. Why did you choose Swansea for your retirement, was it a home coming or a home leaving?

Many have been investigating their genealogy. Are you willing to share your discoveries and think aloud of the implications?

The Old Topics are always welcome: Travellers Tales, The Time of My Life, Let me have My Say

Contributions, hand written, typed or computerised, can be handed to Derrick Jenkins, Helgi Opik or Jill Govier at any Wednesday Meeting

emailed to joyce.jenkins@ntlworld.com

or posted to
Derrick Jenkins
122 Belgrave Road
Gorseinon
SA4 6RB

Time is of the essence because the completed Chronicle is mailed with the notices ahead of the AGM in June. Please participate in the success of your own 'self help' organisation.

LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL
My interest in Latin America is well known and stems from our extensive slow, in depth, travel there in the past few years. It is a melange of fascinating, vibrant cultures, not least in music and dance. Brazil and Mexico like China and India will soon become the dominant economies in the world.

ALAS Swansea's Latin American organisation have for years run an annual Festival at the Dylan Thomas Centre. This time it will feature Cuba in the fifty years since its revolution, in a festival running over the weekend from 27 February to 1 March. As usual it will feature a broad program covering film, photography, art, poetry, a Salsa Party and Latin American music. As an organisation they raise funds for charities.
Tickets are already on sale. For more details visit the Dylan Thomas Centre or their website
http://www.alas.org.uk

TAI CHI
The second meeting was as successful as the first, again with a turnout just over twenty members. More could be accommodated in the large room at Hazel Court. If you want to join the sooner you do so the better, we are nearly all absolute beginners so far. The Group meets every Friday at 10.30, the tuition is excellent and pleasant, the exercises ideal for those who give importance to retaining flexibility, precise control of movement, and memorising of sequences. From now on the subscription will be £3 a week for the rest of the initial six session period at least. I feel it should develop into another regular Group activity. Michael Edmonds writes to give me the name of a second tutor should expansion of the group or a choice of days be needed.

AGE CONCERN myfriendsonline

http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/myfriendsonline

This year from 16 to 20 March there will be a international week long campaign to interest older people in social networking. Outdo your grandchildren, join the Facebook generation.

No doubt there will be more to say nearer the date. Our own Publicity section are preparing a presentation to the public in a 'Life begins at Fifty' event at the Leisure Centre on 26 March.

CADW
Angela Brunt writes to say that in celebration of St. David's Day on 1 March that CADW are offering free entry to all of their sites, and that there will be storytellers at many of them. She also informs that anyone over 60 can get a free Pass giving free entry at any time to any of their sites. An application form is on the CADW website.

CARDS for FUN
After a disappointing lack of turnout before Christmas Lawmary reports that nine turned up for their second session on Tuesday at the Taliesin Cafe. It seems as though another group is up and running. Next meeting 24 February.

JAZZLAND, St James Crescent
Come and hear a young, exceptionally talented, saxophonist Oliver Nezhati from Llandeilo. He plays with a sextet of youngsters drawn from old friends (pianist Mitch Jones from Pontadulais and Dewi Young from Cwmbran) and some friends from his studies at the famed Trinity music school in London. I first heard him in his mid-teens play the last half of the set with Bruce Adams, one of Britain's best jazz trumpeters, who remarked jokingly how dispiriting it was to have to play with someone so young and so talented.
For further details of the club program visit

http://www.swanseajazzland.co.uk