This short posting of the Blog has only one purpose and that is to secure the future for Brian's Blog. Which will only continue if sufficient individuals give me personal authorisation to use their email addresses.
BACKGROUND
Recently a member emailed me challenging my right to email addresses provided for the use of Swansea U3A for my private blog.
I referred the matter to the committee at their very next meeting at which stage the majority view like mine was that it was not of concern because I merely alerted members to the fact that there was a new posting (chapter). Each individual decides whether or not to access the Internet and read the blog. In addition they are offered an opt out of receiving the email alerts.
(NB The latest version of the blog itself always resides in memory space on the Internet and thus does not affect the memory available on your computer.)
Further deliberation showed that it was insufficient to say, as was made clear from the outset, that it was Brian's Blog and not an Official Blog of Swansea U3A. Any reader will know that it gives my thoughts/opinions on a variety of topics several with no link whatever to the U3A and its activities. But even when triggered directly from a U3A activity - say a Politics and Citizenship Group discussion - it frequently deals with contentious issues. In fact it is just this freedom of expression on topics of the moment of particular interest to me, whether within or without the U3A, which provides the motivation to write.
CONCLUSION
The matter having been raised and the discovery that there was potential (though minor) infringement of the Data Protection and Charity Law the committee had no choice but to take action.
After some discussion I proposed that I issue a final Blog Alert requesting receivers to authorise me to use their email addresses for personal purposes (many, perhaps 50% such addresses, had been given personally to me on promise of sending the blog link). Personal purposes are foreseen only to be future issue of Brian's Blog alerts. The addresses will not knowingly be disclosed to third parties.
Future alerts will go only to those who authorise personal contact. That offer was accepted by the committee as the way out. The Chairman of the meeting described it as a 'statesmanlike gesture' which I thought was a generous remark.
I believe the blog has been a considerable asset to Swansea U3A, a thought that was expressed unsolicited by all the members present at that last committee meeting. If it is wanted by a worthwhile proportion of the membership then it will continue in more or less its current form in October. I'm hoping for an overwhelming show of support. In particular I hope that over the past two years and 54 postings I have won your trust, even when you disagree with my opinions or advice, which I like to think have been cogently argued. If you did not understand where I am coming from then this surely was made clear in the previous posting.
ACTION by returning to your email and compose a message to me (or Reply to a message from me).
I suggest the SUBJECT be SAVE THE BLOG (which will help me identify such messages in my already busy Inbox)
I suggest your MESSAGE be
I authorise Brian Corbett to hold and use my email address for his personal purposes.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Sunday, 25 July 2010
BLOGGING THE SUN and THE RAIN, POLITICS and ARTS
GARDENING LIVES ON
Arrival in bright sunlight
Sitting on my wall in my vegetable garden
BLOGGING
Like many people I first became aware of blogging when the Bagdad Blogger wrote about life from the perspective of a local during the Iraq war. His diary informed western journalists of life in the city, who were grossly limited by the sheer impossibility of travel in the city. It demonstrated for ever the power of the Internet as a means of communication which was nigh on impossible to suppress. Of course blogging (like anything on the Internet) can disseminate valid information, disinformation, or rubbish. But in this case it was widely accepted as a vitally important, honest, contribution to the record.
For over thirty years Joan and I had kept handwritten diaries of our more novel travels, the first being a series of holidays spent walking the Long Distance Footpaths (Grande Randonees) in France, which comfortably pre-date the UK's first The Pennine Way. Our young family carried everything needed in rucksacks, lightweight tents/sleeping bags/insulating mats, clothes, food and most precious of all drinking water.
But three years ago for our sixty day journey largely by bus not foot, as befitted our advancing age, following west to east the Southern Silk Road across China, I decided to keep the diary as a blog (giving immediate access to our progress for all those at home), although unsure at the time of the practicality of access to computers by some sort of Internet Cafe. In the event communal computer facilities (without cafe) were very widely available, for in China practically no-one could afford the luxury of their own computer. I blogged and emailed for a pittance whilst fifty or so young Chinese largely played computer games. When anything went wrong I blamed the renowned 'Great Firewall of China', which had put chains on Google, though in retrospect that was never the problem.
When I was elected to the Committee of Swansea U3A Bob Hughes was keen to find roles for the newcomers and so I volunteered for the role of Groups' Coordinator. I liked to think of myself during my career as an engineer as an ideas man, always looking to develop or innovate. At my first annual Convenors Meeting Bob handed me a box full of stick-on name labels and thus forced me to introduce myself to the nearly 40 group leaders present, who are the life blood of this organisation. Almost all were then unknown to me. Until that point I had attended only the Wednesday lectures and a Book Group.
A factor which struck me clearly was the difficulty of communication with a rapidly increasing membership without the use of modern methods and I was amazed to learn from the committee that very few of the convenors used email. A presumption which was in fact found to be false, such was the rate of uptake of Internet connection, now mainly by a fast broadband link.
I started the Brian's Blog just after the first Wednesday lecture of 2008/9 as the best means I could think of to promote group activities. I felt then, as I still do, that to be effective the blog had to be read, and to be read it had to engage its readers. Thus most views of groups are my personal reviews not just statements of fact, which often include thoughts stimulated by the proceedings. Generally items about groups are supported by discussion of topical issues to create a more complete diary, but never I would stress are these chosen to suit vested interests.
For the record I am not a member of any political party, nor any religious faction, but I am an ordinary member of Swansea Jazzland! Politically I am a Socialist (a dying breed). I am also an Atheist and a Pacifist who was brought up in a devoutly Christian home - Christadelphian in fact, which I guess could be described as Pacifist-Baptist (my father was a Conscientious Objector).
Christadelphians acknowledge the special place of the Jews as God's chosen people and were very active in providing them with asylum in this country just before and during the Second World War. I note that their meeting place, as they call their church, appears on earlier maps of Mumbles as a synagogue, and would be interested if anyone can throw light on this.
EMAIL
Hand in hand with the blog I developed my strategy of collecting email addresses whenever I visited different groups, and I started to promote group activities getting members to sign interest lists at Wednesday lectures and special activity days like New Members Coffee morning. All this was done with the full knowledge and support of your committee.
I have now reached the point where I have 334 verified email addresses in my own address book, the membership coverage is more again for many couples share one email address. I have for some time been anxious for this information to be added to our official membership data base. Incorporation is being done this year by the newly elected Membership Secretary. Incidentally reaching this point has involved me in the equivalent of a few working weeks over the nearly two year period, quite aside of the writing of 54 blog postings. Encouragingly group convenors are beginning to request email address lists of their members.
SWANSEA U3A WEB-SITE
For years we had an embarrassingly out of date web site. Creating the attractive, usable, new version was largely the work of our new Vice-Chairman. This is the third arm in the modernisation of communication for Swansea U3A, and I encourage group convenors (I prefer the term group leaders) to make full use of it to publicise their own group. Just google Swansea U3A to find the link.
QUESTIONNAIRE
140 completed forms have been returned from the 332 sent out, I had hoped for more and will try again after the holiday period - towards the end of September. In the meantime any that are returned will be added to the easy to read Excel data base in which the first 140 are already held. Especially encouraging was the late replier who added unprompted, ' - sorry I have been dilatory in replying. Thanks for your Blog, I really enjoy it'.
Many thanks to all those who have responded. They indicate an encouragingly frequent use of computers, and amongst other things has enabled me to identify those who need and deserve basic Internet tuition. The vast proportion access their email within 1-3 days, sufficient for U3A purposes.
SAILING
When I wrote the piece on Llangorse I was completely unaware that there had also been a capsize of one of the larger training boats, a Comet Trio. I therefore offer a big apology to three others for not mentioning that they too were baptised into the sport, though the two I have seen since were completely un-phased by the experience. Tess Atherton, David Jones and Brian Derrick at the helm were screaming along on a plane, crew hiking out, when hit by a strong gust and the boat presumably broached, came rapidly up to wind, and capsized. My advice is to try a Laser dinghy if they want practice in handling that situation!
Last Wednesday back to teaching jive, Pam Williams was still raving about the sailing day. It was her very first time and I'm sure she would have felt the same if she had ended up being rescued.
GARDENING IN THE RAIN
They are not phased by the water either!
Just a gentle drizzle, note the sun glasses
Oophs Action Stations
The brave five (me as well) stick it out
ITALIAN GROUP
Have decided to break off until 10 am Monday morning 23 August. Check with Patricia Morgan on 207305 nearer the date.
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
Gabrielle Suff, 208979, is obviously getting to grips with organising her new group to judge from her queries. It seems there will be no formal meeting in August but she will arrange an informal get together if members want. Might be an ideal time to make YOUR first contact
Don Mason talking last meeting about The Big Society did not let on that it was due to be re-launched the very next day by non less than David Cameron. One thing he requested was that the group turn on a program about a Route from Poverty to Work the very next night on Channel 4. We did so and I must say it was revealing of the effect of concerted one-on-two guidance.
There is little doubt that the young father was a difficult case, in totally the wrong frame of mind to secure employment, and without a vestige of self-confidence left. Yet after sustained, intelligent, guidance he was turned round to an unbelievable extent. The only other explanation is that he is a very talented actor (joke - honest). The mother of the young child appeared to present no great problem, except lack of money and thus hope.
It left me with a few thoughts, yes, transition is undoubtedly possible, I know that from personal experience, but in this case it took an enormous amount of concentrated skilled guidance, which being one-on-two was also very expensive in effort, so I find it impossible to see this enacted on a large scale in the forthcoming period of massive expenditure cuts.
It was the work seeker's mentor's skill to realise his love of training at the local amateur club plus work skills obtained whilst in the army were the ingredients needed to restore self esteem. Though how many such men can afford to buy a new suit (or even whether that is appropriate) to attend an interview for low skilled manual employment. Prolonged interview training was the last step in the chain and it helped him through.
The other observation is that to begin with the man was scared of taking employment in case things went wrong, because if they did he would have to exist without any income for weeks before his benefits were restored. That is a long standing problem which I have heard many times over the past 20 years, including from someone who now works as a part-time college lecturer.
BP and the YANKS
Just as it is beginning to be realised that the subcontractors will have to share the blame for the Mexican Gulf disaster, my erst-while friend Obama strikes on Lockerbie. Might it be that were it not for the high politics involved that al-Megrahi would have been released for unsafe verdict rather than what is beginning to look like a trumped up case of terminal ill health.
There is a play at the Tobacco Factory theatre 0117-902-0344 in Bristol on 8 pm Friday 30 July tickets £10, Lockerbie - Unfinished Business, which will presumably claim that a bomb fragment was planted and that $2million was paid to Maltese key identification witness Gauci for his evidence for the prosecution. Sounds like a riveting play of high political skulduggery. Google Jim Swire if interested (his daughter, 24 year old Flora Swire, was one of the victims).
GWILYM SIMCOCK at the TALIESIN
What a jazz concert last Friday. But why only a 70% audience for such a world figure, young, universally recognised for his talent in classical and jazz circles, and, Welsh too? Recognised as an important new voice on the world stage by no less than Chick Corea, possibly the best known jazz pianist of the present era. Undoubtedly the best Welsh jazz pianist since Bill Evans who can be heard on 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis, the top selling jazz LP of all time.
He was brilliant both times I have heard him at Jazzlands, but was rather subdued a couple of years ago with Acoustic Triangle in Llanrhidian church during the Gower Festival. Last night was by far the best concert of them all.
He was matched by, and blended excellently with, the Salford born guitarist Mike Walker who is revered across Europe. He has played with most of the world's greatest jazz guitarists as well as Kenny Wheeler's band. Displayed fine humour as announcer.
Old timer Steve Swallow from New York on bass guitar of an age to join the U3A, he would fit in anywhere. I thought his composition with a Latin rhythm the best of a wonderful selection of originals, a perfect means of highlighting his ability with melody, helped by the extra range of his five string base. He has played with many of the great American bands.
Even the drummer composed, though Gwilym thought he could improve on one of them. Adam Nussbaum (arguably the stand-out performer of the night - and that from someone who rarely rates jazz drummers) is another American with a unique style which ranges from ultra sensitive to full-on driving and sudden transitions. His best composition was for his wife - something about beauty. His list of credits includes working with all time American greats like Gil Evans and Sonny Rollins. That night he was a sensation. As Margaret, on the door in the good old days when Swansea jazz club was united in St James Crescent, remarked, 'what superb jazz drumming - I doubt Derrick Morgan (the house drummer of the day) could have played like that'
In the interval I turned to find son Geoffrey in earnest conversation with the younger brother of Tudor Harris, one of Geoff's best friends in the darkest days of the 80's. Jason explained that he had been called in urgently to tune the grand piano which explained the delay at the start. He, I remembered was the person who supplied Geoff's heavyweight cast iron piano whilst working for Duck, Son and Pinker in Bath, where the name outlived their shop in the old High Street Arcade - in whose closing down sale I bought a large proportion of my LP collection plus a fine Chuck Berry along with my original Sargeant Pepper's - those last two disappeared, I wonder where?
Tudor incidentally is now married and living in the USA, still french polishing the interior of millionaires boats and middle eastern princes' palaces. I remember he french polished the sill in Geoff's bedroom, long since replaced by boring PVC, part of a decoration plan which left the room with a black ceiling and a giant size dart board on one end of the room
A night entirely playing around eight originals, none of which I had heard before, but all of which I enjoyed, not always the case when jazz musicians turn to composition. But remember these days most of them have excelled, like Gwilym, in classical training and performance. I loved the way some of his own compositions started with a simple motif then quietly ran through classical variations of the theme before slowly transmuting into jazz tonality and rhythms.
At the end of the performance Gwilym thanked piano tuner Jason Harris 'without whom the concert would not have been possible', and Adam Nussbaum thanked Derrick Morgan for supplying the drum kit.
The audience was thrilled, but why the empty seats, it should have been sold out in such a small venue. One day Swansea will come of age! At the National Theatre's Swansea Assembly event in The Monkey Cafe I remember complaining to Dave Philips and then Sibyl Crouch that most of the jazz concerts at the Taliesin are now female vocalists. Now I know, it's a question of bums on seats. We get what we deserve.
BLOGGING
Like many people I first became aware of blogging when the Bagdad Blogger wrote about life from the perspective of a local during the Iraq war. His diary informed western journalists of life in the city, who were grossly limited by the sheer impossibility of travel in the city. It demonstrated for ever the power of the Internet as a means of communication which was nigh on impossible to suppress. Of course blogging (like anything on the Internet) can disseminate valid information, disinformation, or rubbish. But in this case it was widely accepted as a vitally important, honest, contribution to the record.
For over thirty years Joan and I had kept handwritten diaries of our more novel travels, the first being a series of holidays spent walking the Long Distance Footpaths (Grande Randonees) in France, which comfortably pre-date the UK's first The Pennine Way. Our young family carried everything needed in rucksacks, lightweight tents/sleeping bags/insulating mats, clothes, food and most precious of all drinking water.
But three years ago for our sixty day journey largely by bus not foot, as befitted our advancing age, following west to east the Southern Silk Road across China, I decided to keep the diary as a blog (giving immediate access to our progress for all those at home), although unsure at the time of the practicality of access to computers by some sort of Internet Cafe. In the event communal computer facilities (without cafe) were very widely available, for in China practically no-one could afford the luxury of their own computer. I blogged and emailed for a pittance whilst fifty or so young Chinese largely played computer games. When anything went wrong I blamed the renowned 'Great Firewall of China', which had put chains on Google, though in retrospect that was never the problem.
When I was elected to the Committee of Swansea U3A Bob Hughes was keen to find roles for the newcomers and so I volunteered for the role of Groups' Coordinator. I liked to think of myself during my career as an engineer as an ideas man, always looking to develop or innovate. At my first annual Convenors Meeting Bob handed me a box full of stick-on name labels and thus forced me to introduce myself to the nearly 40 group leaders present, who are the life blood of this organisation. Almost all were then unknown to me. Until that point I had attended only the Wednesday lectures and a Book Group.
A factor which struck me clearly was the difficulty of communication with a rapidly increasing membership without the use of modern methods and I was amazed to learn from the committee that very few of the convenors used email. A presumption which was in fact found to be false, such was the rate of uptake of Internet connection, now mainly by a fast broadband link.
I started the Brian's Blog just after the first Wednesday lecture of 2008/9 as the best means I could think of to promote group activities. I felt then, as I still do, that to be effective the blog had to be read, and to be read it had to engage its readers. Thus most views of groups are my personal reviews not just statements of fact, which often include thoughts stimulated by the proceedings. Generally items about groups are supported by discussion of topical issues to create a more complete diary, but never I would stress are these chosen to suit vested interests.
For the record I am not a member of any political party, nor any religious faction, but I am an ordinary member of Swansea Jazzland! Politically I am a Socialist (a dying breed). I am also an Atheist and a Pacifist who was brought up in a devoutly Christian home - Christadelphian in fact, which I guess could be described as Pacifist-Baptist (my father was a Conscientious Objector).
Christadelphians acknowledge the special place of the Jews as God's chosen people and were very active in providing them with asylum in this country just before and during the Second World War. I note that their meeting place, as they call their church, appears on earlier maps of Mumbles as a synagogue, and would be interested if anyone can throw light on this.
Hand in hand with the blog I developed my strategy of collecting email addresses whenever I visited different groups, and I started to promote group activities getting members to sign interest lists at Wednesday lectures and special activity days like New Members Coffee morning. All this was done with the full knowledge and support of your committee.
I have now reached the point where I have 334 verified email addresses in my own address book, the membership coverage is more again for many couples share one email address. I have for some time been anxious for this information to be added to our official membership data base. Incorporation is being done this year by the newly elected Membership Secretary. Incidentally reaching this point has involved me in the equivalent of a few working weeks over the nearly two year period, quite aside of the writing of 54 blog postings. Encouragingly group convenors are beginning to request email address lists of their members.
SWANSEA U3A WEB-SITE
For years we had an embarrassingly out of date web site. Creating the attractive, usable, new version was largely the work of our new Vice-Chairman. This is the third arm in the modernisation of communication for Swansea U3A, and I encourage group convenors (I prefer the term group leaders) to make full use of it to publicise their own group. Just google Swansea U3A to find the link.
QUESTIONNAIRE
140 completed forms have been returned from the 332 sent out, I had hoped for more and will try again after the holiday period - towards the end of September. In the meantime any that are returned will be added to the easy to read Excel data base in which the first 140 are already held. Especially encouraging was the late replier who added unprompted, ' - sorry I have been dilatory in replying. Thanks for your Blog, I really enjoy it'.
Many thanks to all those who have responded. They indicate an encouragingly frequent use of computers, and amongst other things has enabled me to identify those who need and deserve basic Internet tuition. The vast proportion access their email within 1-3 days, sufficient for U3A purposes.
SAILING
When I wrote the piece on Llangorse I was completely unaware that there had also been a capsize of one of the larger training boats, a Comet Trio. I therefore offer a big apology to three others for not mentioning that they too were baptised into the sport, though the two I have seen since were completely un-phased by the experience. Tess Atherton, David Jones and Brian Derrick at the helm were screaming along on a plane, crew hiking out, when hit by a strong gust and the boat presumably broached, came rapidly up to wind, and capsized. My advice is to try a Laser dinghy if they want practice in handling that situation!
Last Wednesday back to teaching jive, Pam Williams was still raving about the sailing day. It was her very first time and I'm sure she would have felt the same if she had ended up being rescued.
GARDENING IN THE RAIN
They are not phased by the water either!
ITALIAN GROUP
Have decided to break off until 10 am Monday morning 23 August. Check with Patricia Morgan on 207305 nearer the date.
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
Gabrielle Suff, 208979, is obviously getting to grips with organising her new group to judge from her queries. It seems there will be no formal meeting in August but she will arrange an informal get together if members want. Might be an ideal time to make YOUR first contact
Don Mason talking last meeting about The Big Society did not let on that it was due to be re-launched the very next day by non less than David Cameron. One thing he requested was that the group turn on a program about a Route from Poverty to Work the very next night on Channel 4. We did so and I must say it was revealing of the effect of concerted one-on-two guidance.
There is little doubt that the young father was a difficult case, in totally the wrong frame of mind to secure employment, and without a vestige of self-confidence left. Yet after sustained, intelligent, guidance he was turned round to an unbelievable extent. The only other explanation is that he is a very talented actor (joke - honest). The mother of the young child appeared to present no great problem, except lack of money and thus hope.
It left me with a few thoughts, yes, transition is undoubtedly possible, I know that from personal experience, but in this case it took an enormous amount of concentrated skilled guidance, which being one-on-two was also very expensive in effort, so I find it impossible to see this enacted on a large scale in the forthcoming period of massive expenditure cuts.
It was the work seeker's mentor's skill to realise his love of training at the local amateur club plus work skills obtained whilst in the army were the ingredients needed to restore self esteem. Though how many such men can afford to buy a new suit (or even whether that is appropriate) to attend an interview for low skilled manual employment. Prolonged interview training was the last step in the chain and it helped him through.
The other observation is that to begin with the man was scared of taking employment in case things went wrong, because if they did he would have to exist without any income for weeks before his benefits were restored. That is a long standing problem which I have heard many times over the past 20 years, including from someone who now works as a part-time college lecturer.
BP and the YANKS
Just as it is beginning to be realised that the subcontractors will have to share the blame for the Mexican Gulf disaster, my erst-while friend Obama strikes on Lockerbie. Might it be that were it not for the high politics involved that al-Megrahi would have been released for unsafe verdict rather than what is beginning to look like a trumped up case of terminal ill health.
There is a play at the Tobacco Factory theatre 0117-902-0344 in Bristol on 8 pm Friday 30 July tickets £10, Lockerbie - Unfinished Business, which will presumably claim that a bomb fragment was planted and that $2million was paid to Maltese key identification witness Gauci for his evidence for the prosecution. Sounds like a riveting play of high political skulduggery. Google Jim Swire if interested (his daughter, 24 year old Flora Swire, was one of the victims).
GWILYM SIMCOCK at the TALIESIN
What a jazz concert last Friday. But why only a 70% audience for such a world figure, young, universally recognised for his talent in classical and jazz circles, and, Welsh too? Recognised as an important new voice on the world stage by no less than Chick Corea, possibly the best known jazz pianist of the present era. Undoubtedly the best Welsh jazz pianist since Bill Evans who can be heard on 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis, the top selling jazz LP of all time.
He was brilliant both times I have heard him at Jazzlands, but was rather subdued a couple of years ago with Acoustic Triangle in Llanrhidian church during the Gower Festival. Last night was by far the best concert of them all.
He was matched by, and blended excellently with, the Salford born guitarist Mike Walker who is revered across Europe. He has played with most of the world's greatest jazz guitarists as well as Kenny Wheeler's band. Displayed fine humour as announcer.
Old timer Steve Swallow from New York on bass guitar of an age to join the U3A, he would fit in anywhere. I thought his composition with a Latin rhythm the best of a wonderful selection of originals, a perfect means of highlighting his ability with melody, helped by the extra range of his five string base. He has played with many of the great American bands.
Even the drummer composed, though Gwilym thought he could improve on one of them. Adam Nussbaum (arguably the stand-out performer of the night - and that from someone who rarely rates jazz drummers) is another American with a unique style which ranges from ultra sensitive to full-on driving and sudden transitions. His best composition was for his wife - something about beauty. His list of credits includes working with all time American greats like Gil Evans and Sonny Rollins. That night he was a sensation. As Margaret, on the door in the good old days when Swansea jazz club was united in St James Crescent, remarked, 'what superb jazz drumming - I doubt Derrick Morgan (the house drummer of the day) could have played like that'
In the interval I turned to find son Geoffrey in earnest conversation with the younger brother of Tudor Harris, one of Geoff's best friends in the darkest days of the 80's. Jason explained that he had been called in urgently to tune the grand piano which explained the delay at the start. He, I remembered was the person who supplied Geoff's heavyweight cast iron piano whilst working for Duck, Son and Pinker in Bath, where the name outlived their shop in the old High Street Arcade - in whose closing down sale I bought a large proportion of my LP collection plus a fine Chuck Berry along with my original Sargeant Pepper's - those last two disappeared, I wonder where?
Tudor incidentally is now married and living in the USA, still french polishing the interior of millionaires boats and middle eastern princes' palaces. I remember he french polished the sill in Geoff's bedroom, long since replaced by boring PVC, part of a decoration plan which left the room with a black ceiling and a giant size dart board on one end of the room
A night entirely playing around eight originals, none of which I had heard before, but all of which I enjoyed, not always the case when jazz musicians turn to composition. But remember these days most of them have excelled, like Gwilym, in classical training and performance. I loved the way some of his own compositions started with a simple motif then quietly ran through classical variations of the theme before slowly transmuting into jazz tonality and rhythms.
At the end of the performance Gwilym thanked piano tuner Jason Harris 'without whom the concert would not have been possible', and Adam Nussbaum thanked Derrick Morgan for supplying the drum kit.
The audience was thrilled, but why the empty seats, it should have been sold out in such a small venue. One day Swansea will come of age! At the National Theatre's Swansea Assembly event in The Monkey Cafe I remember complaining to Dave Philips and then Sibyl Crouch that most of the jazz concerts at the Taliesin are now female vocalists. Now I know, it's a question of bums on seats. We get what we deserve.
Saturday, 17 July 2010
FICK FUFA and its WORLD CUP + GROUPS for 2010/11
Fick Fufa was apparently the popular wording on T-shirts worn by South Africans at the time of the World Cup. Had the Guardian been a thinking man's tabloid, Marina Hyde would have used it as a headline rather than buried it in pertinent political comment (on the back of the Sports Section!). It was related to Fifa's role (Blatter's Patter) in the World Cup Circus.
Aficionados, like me, of Match of the Day or the ITV equivalent, might have thought it was another comment on the introduction of 'goal-line technology', so that Frank Lampard's goal would have levelled the score, rather than face the fact that for 85 of the 90 minutes England's overpaid Premier League footballing celebrities were played off the park by a younger, fitter, more skilful, German side. Read on, the article was on a quite different wavelength.
Her point was that the prime motivation was to make money (£2.5billion) for Fifa and that this was highlighted when the host nation was by contrast under-developed. Talk has already switched to the next venue, Brazil, in four years time, at least it is one of the new BRIC 'tiger' economies, like Russia, India or China, but one in which the majority of the population will still be poor.
The essential points
The locals could not afford tickets (the vast majority of the population of that country could no more find the money for a ticket than they could fly).
That Nelson Mandela, against his wishes according to his teenage grandson, was cajoled into attendance at the final ceremony. (Contrast that with the occasion, just after his election, when he proudly wore the South African jersey at the Rugby World Cup so long ago, a powerful symbol that the day of the black population had at last arrived, peacefully and triumphantly.
That even South African law was changed temporarily to suit Fifa, so that unauthorised marketing became a criminal rather than a civil offence so as to protect the World Cup's commercial sponsors. Say for the sake of emphasis that Coca Cola had been a sponsor, then Pepsi Cola would have had to watch their step very carefully. In this case the sponsor was Zurich and she states, ' Fifa World Cup Courts, established to appease Zurich were costing £160,000 per largely petty conviction, in a country whose justice system cannot cope with the serious crimes that swamp it'.
She describes Fifa as 'a travelling oligarchy, enjoying all the benefits of power with none of the disadvantages, like having to provide healthcare or to be remotely accountable. Just imagine the strain put on the already inadequate health care systems by a huge influx of wealthy visitors. No wonder the T-shirts were popular, but then the media did not tell us that at the time.
Such a pity the quality of football didn't match up either, a World Cup Final of artistry (don't forget Arjen Robben and the Dutch goalkeeper as well as the whole Spanish team), and thuggery (no match here, talk of the Dutch getting their retaliation in first). A few delightful games such as that for third place between Germany and Uruquay and a lot of sheer dross. Much more like that and my viewing will revert to my first love Rugby, which was the centre of my young life for twenty years until my playing days finished suddenly under the same Cardiff Neurosurgeon as Merve the Swerve. I should have died at 31 or 33, but thanks to Mr Robert Weeks in the Cardiff Royal Infirmary there's life in the old dog yet.
U3A GROUPS
At the first meeting of the new U3A Committee it was decided to form a Groups sub-committee several of the of the committee expressed interest. We are planning the first exploratory meeting (think-tank) this month. Aspects would include
Venues: availability, facilities (eg Internet, projectors), access and costs
Increased range of Group Activities
Increased U3A Group membership/participation
Assistance with launching new and re-launching failing groups.
Communication with Group Convenors and members with Internet
Communication with Convenors without Internet net by post
Communication via Wednesday Lectures (eg Slide show)
Clarification of roles of web-site, blog, displays at lectures
Verifying and adding email addresses to U3A Membership Directory
Providing services to Convenors, eg given names to return in Excel data-base format, phone numbers, membership numbers and email addresses
Any ordinary members (particularly newer members) interested in such exploratory discussions please contact me ASAP.
QUESTIONNAIRE
You will have received one of the 332 questionnaire emails about Internet use etc I sent out at the end of June. I have received 106 replies which I am told is a way better than average response. Thanks very much to those who responded, the replies were very instructive and illustrate we can communicate reliably with that section of the membership by email.
But being greedy I would like to know about the other 226 members with email. I am tempted to assume that email is not a reliable means of communication with them and their computer skills are lower than the first hundred.
The information gathered is used only to inform members of the committee and convenors, so that we may better structure our communication and may well influence design of new computer Groups.
I have added two additional questions, one to assess the importance of access to venues by bus, the other to assess the need for very basic instruction in use of the Internet for email and websites, search for appropriate web sites and saving links to Favorites and how to use Help facilities and how to recognise and categorise simple computer faults. Answer those questions you understand.
For this month only I have added a further copy of the Questionnaire to the Blog Alert email.
SPANISH CONVERSATION
A brand new member Alison Burns (Tel 290260, or alisoneburns@yahoo.co.uk ) suggested we should have such a group, either with a tutor or just as an informal self help group who meet to talk in Spanish. She offered to chair a first meeting of members interested in forming such a group to discuss its formation.
Would all with some interest in joining please contact her so we can assess demand.
Independently Alison Burns or I would be delighted to hear from one time Spanish teachers, or fluent speakers, within our membership who would be prepared to help such a group. Help of that kind, sharing abilities, is the ethos of the U3A - too often missing.
YOGA
I have just returned from the first meeting of the newest group of all which will replace the third (11.45 am Friday) slot of Tai Chi at Hazel Court for the rest of the summer.
Phone Chris Bryan (301938) if you want to come. The sessions will be taken by Chris who needs such experience to complete her qualification to teach Yoga.
Edna Jones (already a qualified instructor) has a room booked on Wednesday mornings at Hazel Court from October for the expected continuation of Joga classes. Hopefully the two will work together.
SAILING at Llangorse
Sixteen members braved a discouraging weather forecast (to say the least) on Wednesday 14 July to sail in dinghies. It was a huge success and the clamour is on for a repeat next year. Eddie Ramsden and I, who together organised the event, are now considering a few group meetings to outline sailing principles next year in the weeks immediately before venturing on the water at Llangorse.
For the vast majority of the group this was their first experience of the sport, but everyone sailed in the morning and so enjoyed it they returned enthusiastically for a second session, after a packed lunch.
The Jones, Rita and Judy
Ian Howie, Pat Herbert, David Jones, Judy Jones and Angela Blewett
Four 'spectators', Jean Ramsden, Joan, Cecily and Pat Herbert completed the party and they were rewarded with the opportunity to go for a trip round the lake with Ian in the club motor boat.
Pam Williams (Jive Tutor), Cecily Hughes, Enid Owen
We were made extremely welcome at the club by Club Commodore David Hemingway, Chief Instructor Brian Cook, Chris Holt, and Ian Howie who gave us a potted history of this self help club from its origins just after the Second World War, and amazingly still continues. Eddie, a member of both Swansea U3A and Llangorse Sailing Club, where he races a Flying Fifteen keel dinghy, liaised with the club and has already emailed a note of thanks. In response Eddie was told we were welcome to come again.
Thanks also to Jean Ramsden who ran the galley and plied us with very acceptable cups of hot coffee and tea, and my wife Joan who helped her.
Cheers for Llangorse Sailing Club and Jean Ramsden
I had two of our hardier souls on the telephone the night before warning me of the poor weather forecast and wondering if we were cancelling. Eddie and I left Llangorse knowing we had been lucky, not only avoiding the worst of the rain but above all the worst of the wind. Rain showers we all endured, but no-one minded that for sailing is a water sport, but luckiest of all the wind speed was at its height during our lunch break so we thought of cancelling the afternoon session, but luckily the wind abated.
John Headley and Rita
The Brians, Corbett and Derrick
Ian Howie, Bob, Joan and Rita Read-Jones
Nobody capsized except the same two hardier males who courageously tried to teach themselves in the Topper, a child's single hander! One of them was equipped with a wet suit and some knowledge of windsurfing, the other with extensive experience of crewing on a racing cruiser from Mumbles Yacht Club. Both had continual problems getting stuck 'in irons' (heading into the no-go area, directly into the wind, from where you are blown backwards). I watched King Eric for a while from the jetty and shouted instructions to pick up boat speed before trying to tack, which he refused on the basis that to do so would take him back out when he wanted to come in, two tacks or a jibe would have been the answer. I haven't quite forgotten all I learned in twenty years racing dinghies several days a week at Mumbles, first in a home-built Mirror with my eldest son Jim and then in a Laser.
A Dory, Swans and a peaceful Topper dinghy
GARDENING
The Old Guard and the New
Margaret Massey and Margaret Llewellyn, Margaret Cross and Vicky Wood
Yesterday the group visited Margaret Massey's garden where on retiring after 17 years as leader she was presented with a Hibiscus plant and a garden centre Token by long standing member Margaret Llewellyn. Luckily the rain held off long enough for a trip around the garden on arrival and Joan was gratified to see there was no sign of a Hibiscus. These flower gardeners are all the same, they want one of everything.
The presentation by Margaret Llewellyn
Afterwards we went inside for tea/coffee and cakes and half a dozen agreed to hold a meeting to agree a program for next year, lead jointly by Margaret Cross and Vicky Wood. Margaret, who is already active with the Dunvant Club, agreed to be the telephone contact. Margaret Massey will ensure we have access to the wonderfully appropriate venue in Singleton Park. So faced with closure the group goes on led again by enthusiasts.
WINE GROUP
Mary Roberts sent me this photo of Cecily and Bob handing over the running of this group to Val Lawton (361741). Another group, at one time threatened with closure, being rescued by someone who will continue its success. When the chips are down volunteers are coming forward, though personally I never feared that such strongly supported groups as Gardening and Wine would actually finish.
PRE-CONCERT TALKS
Cecily Hughes (363875) is going to proceed with this, perhaps the most difficult of the groups she founded, for a further year. They meet for lectures in the Civic Centre Boardroom before selected events at the Brangwyn Hall.
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
Another good story. In discussion following the main session Gabrielle Suff (208979) volunteered to lead the group next year, which offer was accepted unanimously by the group. Thus ensuring the final group at risk will be in good hands.
The election occurred at the end of the best, most animated discussion I have heard. Don Mason, in a minority I suspect - being a Conservative in the group, used a flip chart presentation to get over the theme of the Big Society. His first chart gave all the usual reasons for thinking we lived in a Broken Society which needed mending, and asked, tongue I suspect in cheek, if everyone agreed with the points made, whereupon good humoured opposition started whilst I wondered if there were some points I agreed with. I was prepared to go with a 'loss of trust', though I wondered if 'addiction' didn't go way back in time with the legal drug, alcohol and opium, and if 'gang culture' was that new.
Don't ask me why I was walking as a student along an empty High Street in London suburbs in the early hours of Sunday, for I have no idea. But I do remember being terrified on spotting four youths, with a remarkable likeness to thugs, walking step for step along the opposite side of the deserted street swinging bicycle chains, the preferred weapon of the time - before chain saws! When they came to a small store and went inside and I scarpered as fast as a young, mobile, tight head prop could, and then some.
Our middle son who lives in Mount Pleasant told us in the bad old years of Thatcher that people like Joan and I living in prosperous West Swansea had no idea what the real world was like. It is better now - he and neighbours like him have dignity again, we hope for his sake it lasts.
Another Tory thesis was that people had to be got out of a trap, their reliance on benefits, for their own self respect. In the last posting I told how my Geoff found employment, after a decade in the wilderness, by virtue of Labour's New Deal. A scheme to give a short training to fit people like him for work followed by guarantee of a few months work for a very low pay of, I think, £10/week, on top of existing benefits. Given the opportunity some of the unskilled will return to the work ethic, but schemes like that cost money which seems unlikely to be available in the biggest spending squeeze in my lifetime. Indeed the coalition have apparently scrapped a remarkably similar scheme Labour had planned to head of a repeat in this recession.
'There is no such thing as Society', Thatcher told us, Don told us the current message was, 'There is Society - but it's not the State'.
However when he turned to the remedy and his vision of the part to be played by promoting employment via self help schemes within the local deprived communities, there was approval across the political spectrum in the group, not so surprising as this is the U3A ethos. But there was very considerable doubt whether such a happy outcome could be wrought in a Britain of 30% cuts in the State expenditure and the resulting squeeze on Local Authorities in an environment where there is already a dearth in employment for unskilled males.
Employer's policies of no hard redundancies are going to mean once again it's the young unskilled, poorly educated males who are hardest hit. Manufacturing industry is never going to return from China and India at anything like its earlier scale - and we have to look forward to the time not too far ahead when those emerging countries will also be as good or better than us in design and development. When I was young my parents told me the Japanese made cheap copies, forty years on they were the world leading automobile designers and the God to whom the whole world steel industry bowed for advanced process methodology. It's a frightening outlook.
Don Recommended several books, two of which he returned to, they were
'Peoples' Power', a paperback written by Tony Gibson in the 70's
'Red Tory', written by Philip Blond, recording the work of a Tory think tank.
Don especially recommended the web site of 'The Centre for Social Justice' which records the work of Ian Duncan Smith, who has won respect across the political spectrum for his approach. I would note that many others think that benefit dependency is the problem not the solution, they include for instance the founder of The Big Issue.
In my brief notes I have
Empower communities
Educate citizens
Train Local Activists
Facilitate local projects to meet local needs
Social enterprises eg child care
I wouldn't argue dogmatically against these, but how likely are they to prosper in an age of cuts, and in any case will they come anywhere near the scale which is going to be needed if things are made really tough.
BOOK READING 1
Mo Ellard who runs the group opened with a reminder that there is to be a memorial service for Marie (Jackie) Davies who died recently. She belonged to other groups including, to my knowledge, French. The service will take place on Friday 10 September at St. Peter's Church, Newton.
This month it was my turn to present the book I had chosen which was 'Home' by the American writer Marilynne Robinson. This time the group was split between the many who disliked it and the few including writers Jill Govier, Norma Kent and yours truly who thought it was beautiful, though very sad. I could say more about it but I haven't the energy at this moment but by strange coincidence I picked up Thursdays G2 before the arrival of today's paper and was directed by Joan to an article on 'The Slow Reading Movement'.
This movement is decrying the advent of browsing to the extent that a vast proportion have lost the ability concentrate on reading and understanding even a single sentence, but scan print rapidly to pick out pertinent items - a technique I perfected at work long before the arrival of the Internet, though that is clearly accelerating the problem. It is recommending deliberate slow reading to extract more meaning, to facilitate relevant connections.
Slow Cooking which I enjoy, so long as someone else does it, but then I never had an eating problem
Slow Travel which I advocate 100%, but then I also recall JB Priestley and Jacquetta Hawkes critique of 1950's USA admitting impressions of a new place were valid within 24 hours of arrival or after living there for several years.
Slow Reading, which in me is a sign of failure, so there has to be Good and Bad Slow reading.
I think I qualify for the title of the world's slowest bad reader but in my case that is perjorative, not for praise. I guess my problem is that I simply don't like the process of reading, find it soporific, lose concentration as random thoughts fly free half way through every sentence. A further problem is that I never retain plots in my memory whether from book, TV, or quality theatre (which I love). In primary school and beyond I read avidly - what went wrong? I used to blame my dad for requiring me to read classics during holidays in grammar school years - whilst he devoured my Biggles.
To come back to the point that article in G2 recommended the following five books all of which need good slow reading.
'Home' by Marilynne Robinson
'The Origin of Species', by Charles Darwin
'Remembrance of Things Past' by Marcel Proust
'The Golden Bowl' by Henry James
'Ridley Walker', by Russell Hoban
So that's why Mo didn't enjoy Home - she reads too fast like my wife!
How about a book group for slow readers, 100 pages is about my limit so we'll start with Sam Selvon's 'Moses Ascending', then progress to Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'
Aficionados, like me, of Match of the Day or the ITV equivalent, might have thought it was another comment on the introduction of 'goal-line technology', so that Frank Lampard's goal would have levelled the score, rather than face the fact that for 85 of the 90 minutes England's overpaid Premier League footballing celebrities were played off the park by a younger, fitter, more skilful, German side. Read on, the article was on a quite different wavelength.
Her point was that the prime motivation was to make money (£2.5billion) for Fifa and that this was highlighted when the host nation was by contrast under-developed. Talk has already switched to the next venue, Brazil, in four years time, at least it is one of the new BRIC 'tiger' economies, like Russia, India or China, but one in which the majority of the population will still be poor.
The essential points
The locals could not afford tickets (the vast majority of the population of that country could no more find the money for a ticket than they could fly).
That Nelson Mandela, against his wishes according to his teenage grandson, was cajoled into attendance at the final ceremony. (Contrast that with the occasion, just after his election, when he proudly wore the South African jersey at the Rugby World Cup so long ago, a powerful symbol that the day of the black population had at last arrived, peacefully and triumphantly.
That even South African law was changed temporarily to suit Fifa, so that unauthorised marketing became a criminal rather than a civil offence so as to protect the World Cup's commercial sponsors. Say for the sake of emphasis that Coca Cola had been a sponsor, then Pepsi Cola would have had to watch their step very carefully. In this case the sponsor was Zurich and she states, ' Fifa World Cup Courts, established to appease Zurich were costing £160,000 per largely petty conviction, in a country whose justice system cannot cope with the serious crimes that swamp it'.
She describes Fifa as 'a travelling oligarchy, enjoying all the benefits of power with none of the disadvantages, like having to provide healthcare or to be remotely accountable. Just imagine the strain put on the already inadequate health care systems by a huge influx of wealthy visitors. No wonder the T-shirts were popular, but then the media did not tell us that at the time.
Such a pity the quality of football didn't match up either, a World Cup Final of artistry (don't forget Arjen Robben and the Dutch goalkeeper as well as the whole Spanish team), and thuggery (no match here, talk of the Dutch getting their retaliation in first). A few delightful games such as that for third place between Germany and Uruquay and a lot of sheer dross. Much more like that and my viewing will revert to my first love Rugby, which was the centre of my young life for twenty years until my playing days finished suddenly under the same Cardiff Neurosurgeon as Merve the Swerve. I should have died at 31 or 33, but thanks to Mr Robert Weeks in the Cardiff Royal Infirmary there's life in the old dog yet.
U3A GROUPS
At the first meeting of the new U3A Committee it was decided to form a Groups sub-committee several of the of the committee expressed interest. We are planning the first exploratory meeting (think-tank) this month. Aspects would include
Venues: availability, facilities (eg Internet, projectors), access and costs
Increased range of Group Activities
Increased U3A Group membership/participation
Assistance with launching new and re-launching failing groups.
Communication with Group Convenors and members with Internet
Communication with Convenors without Internet net by post
Communication via Wednesday Lectures (eg Slide show)
Clarification of roles of web-site, blog, displays at lectures
Verifying and adding email addresses to U3A Membership Directory
Providing services to Convenors, eg given names to return in Excel data-base format, phone numbers, membership numbers and email addresses
Any ordinary members (particularly newer members) interested in such exploratory discussions please contact me ASAP.
QUESTIONNAIRE
You will have received one of the 332 questionnaire emails about Internet use etc I sent out at the end of June. I have received 106 replies which I am told is a way better than average response. Thanks very much to those who responded, the replies were very instructive and illustrate we can communicate reliably with that section of the membership by email.
But being greedy I would like to know about the other 226 members with email. I am tempted to assume that email is not a reliable means of communication with them and their computer skills are lower than the first hundred.
The information gathered is used only to inform members of the committee and convenors, so that we may better structure our communication and may well influence design of new computer Groups.
I have added two additional questions, one to assess the importance of access to venues by bus, the other to assess the need for very basic instruction in use of the Internet for email and websites, search for appropriate web sites and saving links to Favorites and how to use Help facilities and how to recognise and categorise simple computer faults. Answer those questions you understand.
For this month only I have added a further copy of the Questionnaire to the Blog Alert email.
SPANISH CONVERSATION
A brand new member Alison Burns (Tel 290260, or alisoneburns@yahoo.co.uk ) suggested we should have such a group, either with a tutor or just as an informal self help group who meet to talk in Spanish. She offered to chair a first meeting of members interested in forming such a group to discuss its formation.
Would all with some interest in joining please contact her so we can assess demand.
Independently Alison Burns or I would be delighted to hear from one time Spanish teachers, or fluent speakers, within our membership who would be prepared to help such a group. Help of that kind, sharing abilities, is the ethos of the U3A - too often missing.
YOGA
I have just returned from the first meeting of the newest group of all which will replace the third (11.45 am Friday) slot of Tai Chi at Hazel Court for the rest of the summer.
Phone Chris Bryan (301938) if you want to come. The sessions will be taken by Chris who needs such experience to complete her qualification to teach Yoga.
Edna Jones (already a qualified instructor) has a room booked on Wednesday mornings at Hazel Court from October for the expected continuation of Joga classes. Hopefully the two will work together.
SAILING at Llangorse
Sixteen members braved a discouraging weather forecast (to say the least) on Wednesday 14 July to sail in dinghies. It was a huge success and the clamour is on for a repeat next year. Eddie Ramsden and I, who together organised the event, are now considering a few group meetings to outline sailing principles next year in the weeks immediately before venturing on the water at Llangorse.
For the vast majority of the group this was their first experience of the sport, but everyone sailed in the morning and so enjoyed it they returned enthusiastically for a second session, after a packed lunch.
Four 'spectators', Jean Ramsden, Joan, Cecily and Pat Herbert completed the party and they were rewarded with the opportunity to go for a trip round the lake with Ian in the club motor boat.
Pam Williams (Jive Tutor), Cecily Hughes, Enid Owen
We were made extremely welcome at the club by Club Commodore David Hemingway, Chief Instructor Brian Cook, Chris Holt, and Ian Howie who gave us a potted history of this self help club from its origins just after the Second World War, and amazingly still continues. Eddie, a member of both Swansea U3A and Llangorse Sailing Club, where he races a Flying Fifteen keel dinghy, liaised with the club and has already emailed a note of thanks. In response Eddie was told we were welcome to come again.
Thanks also to Jean Ramsden who ran the galley and plied us with very acceptable cups of hot coffee and tea, and my wife Joan who helped her.
I had two of our hardier souls on the telephone the night before warning me of the poor weather forecast and wondering if we were cancelling. Eddie and I left Llangorse knowing we had been lucky, not only avoiding the worst of the rain but above all the worst of the wind. Rain showers we all endured, but no-one minded that for sailing is a water sport, but luckiest of all the wind speed was at its height during our lunch break so we thought of cancelling the afternoon session, but luckily the wind abated.
Ian Howie, Bob, Joan and Rita Read-Jones
Nobody capsized except the same two hardier males who courageously tried to teach themselves in the Topper, a child's single hander! One of them was equipped with a wet suit and some knowledge of windsurfing, the other with extensive experience of crewing on a racing cruiser from Mumbles Yacht Club. Both had continual problems getting stuck 'in irons' (heading into the no-go area, directly into the wind, from where you are blown backwards). I watched King Eric for a while from the jetty and shouted instructions to pick up boat speed before trying to tack, which he refused on the basis that to do so would take him back out when he wanted to come in, two tacks or a jibe would have been the answer. I haven't quite forgotten all I learned in twenty years racing dinghies several days a week at Mumbles, first in a home-built Mirror with my eldest son Jim and then in a Laser.
GARDENING
The Old Guard and the New Margaret Massey and Margaret Llewellyn, Margaret Cross and Vicky Wood
Yesterday the group visited Margaret Massey's garden where on retiring after 17 years as leader she was presented with a Hibiscus plant and a garden centre Token by long standing member Margaret Llewellyn. Luckily the rain held off long enough for a trip around the garden on arrival and Joan was gratified to see there was no sign of a Hibiscus. These flower gardeners are all the same, they want one of everything.
Afterwards we went inside for tea/coffee and cakes and half a dozen agreed to hold a meeting to agree a program for next year, lead jointly by Margaret Cross and Vicky Wood. Margaret, who is already active with the Dunvant Club, agreed to be the telephone contact. Margaret Massey will ensure we have access to the wonderfully appropriate venue in Singleton Park. So faced with closure the group goes on led again by enthusiasts.
WINE GROUP
Mary Roberts sent me this photo of Cecily and Bob handing over the running of this group to Val Lawton (361741). Another group, at one time threatened with closure, being rescued by someone who will continue its success. When the chips are down volunteers are coming forward, though personally I never feared that such strongly supported groups as Gardening and Wine would actually finish.
PRE-CONCERT TALKS
Cecily Hughes (363875) is going to proceed with this, perhaps the most difficult of the groups she founded, for a further year. They meet for lectures in the Civic Centre Boardroom before selected events at the Brangwyn Hall.
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
Another good story. In discussion following the main session Gabrielle Suff (208979) volunteered to lead the group next year, which offer was accepted unanimously by the group. Thus ensuring the final group at risk will be in good hands.
The election occurred at the end of the best, most animated discussion I have heard. Don Mason, in a minority I suspect - being a Conservative in the group, used a flip chart presentation to get over the theme of the Big Society. His first chart gave all the usual reasons for thinking we lived in a Broken Society which needed mending, and asked, tongue I suspect in cheek, if everyone agreed with the points made, whereupon good humoured opposition started whilst I wondered if there were some points I agreed with. I was prepared to go with a 'loss of trust', though I wondered if 'addiction' didn't go way back in time with the legal drug, alcohol and opium, and if 'gang culture' was that new.
Don't ask me why I was walking as a student along an empty High Street in London suburbs in the early hours of Sunday, for I have no idea. But I do remember being terrified on spotting four youths, with a remarkable likeness to thugs, walking step for step along the opposite side of the deserted street swinging bicycle chains, the preferred weapon of the time - before chain saws! When they came to a small store and went inside and I scarpered as fast as a young, mobile, tight head prop could, and then some.
Our middle son who lives in Mount Pleasant told us in the bad old years of Thatcher that people like Joan and I living in prosperous West Swansea had no idea what the real world was like. It is better now - he and neighbours like him have dignity again, we hope for his sake it lasts.
Another Tory thesis was that people had to be got out of a trap, their reliance on benefits, for their own self respect. In the last posting I told how my Geoff found employment, after a decade in the wilderness, by virtue of Labour's New Deal. A scheme to give a short training to fit people like him for work followed by guarantee of a few months work for a very low pay of, I think, £10/week, on top of existing benefits. Given the opportunity some of the unskilled will return to the work ethic, but schemes like that cost money which seems unlikely to be available in the biggest spending squeeze in my lifetime. Indeed the coalition have apparently scrapped a remarkably similar scheme Labour had planned to head of a repeat in this recession.
'There is no such thing as Society', Thatcher told us, Don told us the current message was, 'There is Society - but it's not the State'.
However when he turned to the remedy and his vision of the part to be played by promoting employment via self help schemes within the local deprived communities, there was approval across the political spectrum in the group, not so surprising as this is the U3A ethos. But there was very considerable doubt whether such a happy outcome could be wrought in a Britain of 30% cuts in the State expenditure and the resulting squeeze on Local Authorities in an environment where there is already a dearth in employment for unskilled males.
Employer's policies of no hard redundancies are going to mean once again it's the young unskilled, poorly educated males who are hardest hit. Manufacturing industry is never going to return from China and India at anything like its earlier scale - and we have to look forward to the time not too far ahead when those emerging countries will also be as good or better than us in design and development. When I was young my parents told me the Japanese made cheap copies, forty years on they were the world leading automobile designers and the God to whom the whole world steel industry bowed for advanced process methodology. It's a frightening outlook.
Don Recommended several books, two of which he returned to, they were
'Peoples' Power', a paperback written by Tony Gibson in the 70's
'Red Tory', written by Philip Blond, recording the work of a Tory think tank.
Don especially recommended the web site of 'The Centre for Social Justice' which records the work of Ian Duncan Smith, who has won respect across the political spectrum for his approach. I would note that many others think that benefit dependency is the problem not the solution, they include for instance the founder of The Big Issue.
In my brief notes I have
Empower communities
Educate citizens
Train Local Activists
Facilitate local projects to meet local needs
Social enterprises eg child care
I wouldn't argue dogmatically against these, but how likely are they to prosper in an age of cuts, and in any case will they come anywhere near the scale which is going to be needed if things are made really tough.
BOOK READING 1
Mo Ellard who runs the group opened with a reminder that there is to be a memorial service for Marie (Jackie) Davies who died recently. She belonged to other groups including, to my knowledge, French. The service will take place on Friday 10 September at St. Peter's Church, Newton.
This month it was my turn to present the book I had chosen which was 'Home' by the American writer Marilynne Robinson. This time the group was split between the many who disliked it and the few including writers Jill Govier, Norma Kent and yours truly who thought it was beautiful, though very sad. I could say more about it but I haven't the energy at this moment but by strange coincidence I picked up Thursdays G2 before the arrival of today's paper and was directed by Joan to an article on 'The Slow Reading Movement'.
This movement is decrying the advent of browsing to the extent that a vast proportion have lost the ability concentrate on reading and understanding even a single sentence, but scan print rapidly to pick out pertinent items - a technique I perfected at work long before the arrival of the Internet, though that is clearly accelerating the problem. It is recommending deliberate slow reading to extract more meaning, to facilitate relevant connections.
Slow Cooking which I enjoy, so long as someone else does it, but then I never had an eating problem
Slow Travel which I advocate 100%, but then I also recall JB Priestley and Jacquetta Hawkes critique of 1950's USA admitting impressions of a new place were valid within 24 hours of arrival or after living there for several years.
Slow Reading, which in me is a sign of failure, so there has to be Good and Bad Slow reading.
I think I qualify for the title of the world's slowest bad reader but in my case that is perjorative, not for praise. I guess my problem is that I simply don't like the process of reading, find it soporific, lose concentration as random thoughts fly free half way through every sentence. A further problem is that I never retain plots in my memory whether from book, TV, or quality theatre (which I love). In primary school and beyond I read avidly - what went wrong? I used to blame my dad for requiring me to read classics during holidays in grammar school years - whilst he devoured my Biggles.
To come back to the point that article in G2 recommended the following five books all of which need good slow reading.
'Home' by Marilynne Robinson
'The Origin of Species', by Charles Darwin
'Remembrance of Things Past' by Marcel Proust
'The Golden Bowl' by Henry James
'Ridley Walker', by Russell Hoban
So that's why Mo didn't enjoy Home - she reads too fast like my wife!
How about a book group for slow readers, 100 pages is about my limit so we'll start with Sam Selvon's 'Moses Ascending', then progress to Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'
Friday, 25 June 2010
Year 2009/10 ENDING
BLOG
It's nice to be reminded that a number of you have missed the blog. I assure you I have not retired, or been off on holiday, nor even watching a so far pathetic World Cup. My only excuse is that I have been taking advantage of our spell of Global Warming in order to catch up on all the jobs neglected in the garden during last year's May and June's excursion to Bali/Lombok, and, have come in exhausted each evening. For our pains Joan and I have been rewarded by a daily incursion of sheep, something we thought we had cracked three years ago after forty years of pain, but now invading from the street and not Clyne Common. Anyone know a good manufacturer of made to measure 6 foot high gates!
Remember a previous blog I offered a Laser dinghy for sale. Well some kind reader asdvised a friend and within a week it was on its way, releasing the untold luxury of garage space once more.
FRENCH GROUP
Has decided after a very successful year to take a summer break restarting mid September at a date yet to be decided. Thanks are especially due to Gilly Jordan who has been an excellent pro-active convenor and to Beryl Edney who has been an innovative tutor according to my spy, wife Joan. The group is currently divided into two with Gilly taking a 'beginners/refresher' course in French Grammar (taking advantage of the ability to divide the Craft Room into halves). The main group are operating at a single level, always difficult to achieve in U3A language classes.
Assistance to share the load with Beryl and Gilly whenever either is not available (holidays etc) would be most welcome. Surely we have some ex French Teachers out there who would be capable of part time tuition. You would be very welcome and might well enjoy teaching our enthusiastic adults in a low pressure environment.
ITALIAN GROUP
Will be meeting again on on Monday 28 June at 10 am in Hazel Court. Current intention is to keep the group going weekly throughout the summer.
This group, whilst still too small, is jelling well around new convenor Patricia Morgan (207305) and four regulars with a similar not very impressive knowledge of the language. All four have taken a few years of adult education classes.
New members are welcome to turn up and try. Each week's class is different without the normally structured way of linear progression language learning. To give budding linguists a feel, last lesson she described in Italian her holiday in the USA, meeting cousins as far apart as Ohio and Texas, with descriptions of cousins, second cousins and children's large birthday parties, a rich cousin with a huge ranch in Texas, visits to El Alemo and fabulous restaurants. In her view the holiday of her life.
We all understood the bare bones of her tale, so she then asked us to reconstruct what she had said. We were intended to do this in Italian but that proved too difficult so we pursued the detail in English and learned from her how to say some of it in Italian. A great deal of detail was uncovered in this way. Collectively we have the British failing of reading and even listening skills but pathetic ability to speak a foreign language.
Come and try, we are a friendly group.
HISTORY GROUP TRIP TO LLANCHAERON
SAILING TASTER on Llangorse Lake, Brecon.
Llangorse have a Sail Training School fully authorised by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) using four Comet Trio 3/4 handed sailing dinghies and some single handed Toppers and a few Flying Fifteen keel dinghies. They have a number of qualified instructors and people to man safety boats, many retired. The Organiser our member Eddie Ramsden runs a similar school at Mumbles Yacht Club where they teach sailing in a Topper fleet.
His idea for Llangorse is nothing more than to give a taster of the wonderful feeling of moving across a large lake using natural wind power. How green can you get?
I have been collecting names of those interested via using this blog and the slide show at the Wednesday lectures. Almost all the early volunteers had some sailing experience, one said he used to race small dinghies fifty years ago. But then I went to the Jive Group and asked around and found that no less than 2/3 the group wanted to take part, so now I have 22 names all but 3 contactable via email.
(There is a lesson here, ask impersonally and no-one volunteers, but ask face to face and the response is stunning - that I remember is how I came to be enticed onto the committee. I think it explains the main reason for what I regard as the poor take up in our various U3A group activities, given a growing membership setting a new record year on year. Now having reached 725 we ought to have difficulty in creating enough new groups to satisfy demand, but this year we are have been struggling to maintain sufficient attendance at some of the groups we already have. The first big challenge for next year is to replace the retiring Group Leaders (convenors) and to expand the variety).
The probable date is Wednesday 14 July at Llangorse from 10am to 4pm. The charge made for the day by the Llangorse Sailing School is £10 per person intending to sail payable to me in advance, that is excellent value for a day's sailing and includes hire of boats, the tuition, loan of life jackets/buoyancy aids and the RYA recommended number of safety boats. If the weather is unsuitable the event will be postponed until the following Wednesday 21 July. I am now emailing the group to establish, availability of individuals, identify those with enough experience and confidence to sail Toppers without tuition, identify those prepared to drive and establish numbers of spare seats. Llangorse Lake is east of Brecon just off the road to Abergavenny, the AA give the journey time from Swansea centre as 90 mins which implies an 8.30 start. The drivers will expect others to share petrol costs.
Apologies for the clash with the normal Wednesday Jive Morning, but with the vast majority of takers from either Wednesday Jive or Wednesday Lectures (now discontinued for the summer) it seemed likely to be the easiest day to guarantee satisfactory turn out.
Those participating should take a change of clothing and a picnic lunch (there are changing rooms and toilets) . Jean Ramsden will set up arrangements for serving tea/coffee. As all must wear bouyancy aids it is not vital to be able to swim, indeed it is difficult to make much progress wearing such aids, though ability to swim may help with your confidence on the water. The advice in the case of capsize is always to stay with the boat and you will be assisted/picked-up by the safety boat. Others are welcome to join us, subject to availability of transport, and there will be no charge for them.
YOGA GROUP
Talking of increasing the variety of U3A activities I now have two offers to run such a group. Chris Bryan (301938) who is just completing a Yoga Teaching course is offering to run classes in the Exercise Room at Hazel immediately following Tai Chi at 11.45 on Fridays beginning on July 16 and running through until September. (You may recall this as the date the Tai Chi switches for the remainder of the summer from three to two sessions per Friday). People attending should wear Comfortable Clothing, a Mat or Rug, and a light Cover for relaxation. Please contact Chris at the above telephone number for more details.
Edna Jones, also a qualified instructor, has also expressed interest in running such a group next year. So we look to be well placed to run a Yoga Group independent of Tai Chi from next Open Day.
I expect Tai Chi will revert to three classes with the new membership intake swelling their ranks from next October.
PILOT CUTTERS IN MARINA
Remember the Wednesday lecture which mentioned that five remaining Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters would be sailing into Swansea the very next day as part of their racing schedule. A few of us went down to view these magnificent boats. Built in the days of sail to win competitions by speed not for a sporting trophy like today, but to be the first out to the biggest and most lucrative incoming cargo boats. Once the deal was negotiated they went on-board and brought the big boats safely into harbour. Pilots were the real entrepreneurs of their day and the most successful became rich.
SWANSEA U3A is 25 next year.
It's not surprising to find that several of the long established groups have gone through crises as the original leaders are forced by age to give up, that happened the year before to for example the French Group and the Literature Group, both have been restored under enthusiastic new convenors and a significant influx of new blood from the general membership. The Research Group who work on the archives at Swansea Museum is also showing signs of renewal.
Any ideas on a form of Celebration for our 25th anniversary?
GARDENING
Margaret Massey as been convenor of the Gardening Group for 17 years and following a scare in hospital with her heart complaint has felt it wise to retire. The Group is very well attended with over twenty five regular attenders, but it will fold unless enthusiastic convenor(s) are found to lead the group forward. Of course she is a difficult act to follow, the same daunting task as faces any-one taking over as Chairman from popular, thinking, innovating, hard working Bob Hughes. Ideally the new gardening leaders will come from the younger energetic age group as in the early days of Swansea U3A.
The Gardening Group meet monthly at Singleton Park. Many will be pre-arranged lecturers (I'm sure Margaret would be pleased to assist with contacts), some led by individual members, an annual group dinner and an outing of gardening interest say to Aberglasney or the Welsh Botanical Gardens. The new leader can be assured of the active support of a large pre-existing group and is encouraged to innovate.
Formal Gardening Group Meetings have finished for this year, but the tradition of a few members opening their gardens this summer will continue with visits already planned for visits to John and Val Day in Ammanford, Margaret Massey in Killay, and Joan in Mayals all scheduled for July. Group Members should contact Margaret 205028 for details of dates and addresses, they will be welcomed with tea, coffee, cakes, as well as flowers and vegetables to view and just maybe plants to take away. Any takers for my Elm Tree seedling?
BOOK GROUP 2
Happy Eightieth Birthday Lunch - Eileen.
GROUP ORGANISATION
The majority of groups have a helper (typically handling such tasks as holding the attendance records, collecting the cash, and paying the room hire) as well as a leader or tutor. Both organise replacements between them to cover their holidays, which our age group understandably think of as the big bonus of being retired - none less so a nomad like me!
Maureen Thomas has used a different model for her Calligraphy Classes, short courses running each week for a month. It suits her well and she is never short of enthusiastic support.
Most tutors are members who give their time free so the typical cost per session is £1 or £2 to pay for hire of the room. Tai Chi needs a teaching skill outside our scope so we hire a professional tutor and given sufficient support the cost can be kept to £3. Other specialities like Art Appreciation and Pre-Concert Lectures have also used paid lecturers.
We have an ever larger, younger, membership so we need many new leaders to continue the U3A 'can do' tradition and take the group organisation forward and in turn they need the support of enthusiastic attendees. Very few active members stop at membership of a single group. Too many I think do not take any advantage of one of the major features of a U3A. Everyone's needed, so JOIN IN and you will find we are a friendly bunch. Your first appearance feels daunting but the reality is that we are here to enjoy life.
So often I'm told this organisation has been a personal lifeline, with so much activity on offer and so easy to make friends - let's keep it that way. If you have an idea for a new group then please discuss it with me and together we will attempt to drum up the necessary.
JAZZ
Yes I have been several times to Jazzland (St James Crescent) but I must boast that 'my own' group The Bryan Corbett Quartet were quite outstanding. I never realised how well (well what's in a y or an i) I could play trumpet so well with a full tone reminiscent of Art Farmer or 50's Miles Davis. Bryan hails from the Midlands like me so I must get one of the web experts busy proving the hereditary link, otherwise my only memoir will be an autographed CD. Like all the soloists coming to Jazzland he expressed gratitude at the support given by the Dave Cottle Trio saying 'I haven't played jazz for a while because to earn a living I do a real mixture of styles for film and TV etc, but they are forcing me to play Jazz tonight'
The next week was the upbeat Clark Tracey Sextet, very exciting, very precise in timing, polished slick professionals yet somehow less inspiring.
Next was Tina May singing with Dave Cottle as recommended
in this column, in fact the U3A attenders were almost into double figures that night, instead of the usual five. But for me the highlight of that evening was a local quartet of pre-GCSE juniors, calling themselves The Tourists (such excellent playing is deserving of a more inspiring name). They played before the main act and so impressed international singing star Tina May that she dismissed Dave Cottle late on in order to do a couple of numbers with The Tourists, to rapturous applause, it really was quite an emotional moment as she encouraged each one in turn to play their best.
The Tourists are led by Tom Duggan on alto sax, with two brothers on keyboards and guitar Sam and Mike Vine and Dylan Goldring on drums. They will be playing at Noah's Yard a small wine-bar in Uplands at 9pm on Monday 28 June. I hope I heard all names correctly.
WHAT COUPs
So there we have it the moderation of the coalition politics, I believe in, producing the sharpest budget cuts ever. Do they have the guts to carry the 25% cuts through lower/middle UK whilst the rich whistle. One section losing their dignity, the richest and their accountants made to work harder for a smidgen less tax avoidance! Will it be counter productive? At least for the moment we have enthusiastic leaders, that at least is a step forward.
Meanwhile the Professional Footballers of the highest paid European Leagues join the ranks of the ridiculously overpaid. What a pathetic lot, one should not be surprised if the better value Germany or Netherlands leagues prevail to test their skills with the rest of the world and England and Spain follow France and Italy to an Early Bath.
LOCAL HISTORY
On 12 July at 2.30 in the Footlights Bar, Grand Theatre, Roy Davies will speak on Welsh Rugby.
Their Outing to Fonmon Castle on 27 July will now cost £15 for bus and tea. The bus will pick up at the following points.
9.25 Banana Island, Morriston
9.45 Surgery, De-la-Beche Road
9.50 Sketty Green
10.00 University Bus Stop (Student Village)
Details from Barbara Brimfield 203503
It's nice to be reminded that a number of you have missed the blog. I assure you I have not retired, or been off on holiday, nor even watching a so far pathetic World Cup. My only excuse is that I have been taking advantage of our spell of Global Warming in order to catch up on all the jobs neglected in the garden during last year's May and June's excursion to Bali/Lombok, and, have come in exhausted each evening. For our pains Joan and I have been rewarded by a daily incursion of sheep, something we thought we had cracked three years ago after forty years of pain, but now invading from the street and not Clyne Common. Anyone know a good manufacturer of made to measure 6 foot high gates!
Remember a previous blog I offered a Laser dinghy for sale. Well some kind reader asdvised a friend and within a week it was on its way, releasing the untold luxury of garage space once more.
FRENCH GROUP
Has decided after a very successful year to take a summer break restarting mid September at a date yet to be decided. Thanks are especially due to Gilly Jordan who has been an excellent pro-active convenor and to Beryl Edney who has been an innovative tutor according to my spy, wife Joan. The group is currently divided into two with Gilly taking a 'beginners/refresher' course in French Grammar (taking advantage of the ability to divide the Craft Room into halves). The main group are operating at a single level, always difficult to achieve in U3A language classes.
Assistance to share the load with Beryl and Gilly whenever either is not available (holidays etc) would be most welcome. Surely we have some ex French Teachers out there who would be capable of part time tuition. You would be very welcome and might well enjoy teaching our enthusiastic adults in a low pressure environment.
ITALIAN GROUP
Will be meeting again on on Monday 28 June at 10 am in Hazel Court. Current intention is to keep the group going weekly throughout the summer.
This group, whilst still too small, is jelling well around new convenor Patricia Morgan (207305) and four regulars with a similar not very impressive knowledge of the language. All four have taken a few years of adult education classes.
New members are welcome to turn up and try. Each week's class is different without the normally structured way of linear progression language learning. To give budding linguists a feel, last lesson she described in Italian her holiday in the USA, meeting cousins as far apart as Ohio and Texas, with descriptions of cousins, second cousins and children's large birthday parties, a rich cousin with a huge ranch in Texas, visits to El Alemo and fabulous restaurants. In her view the holiday of her life.
We all understood the bare bones of her tale, so she then asked us to reconstruct what she had said. We were intended to do this in Italian but that proved too difficult so we pursued the detail in English and learned from her how to say some of it in Italian. A great deal of detail was uncovered in this way. Collectively we have the British failing of reading and even listening skills but pathetic ability to speak a foreign language.
Come and try, we are a friendly group.
HISTORY GROUP TRIP TO LLANCHAERON
SAILING TASTER on Llangorse Lake, Brecon.
Llangorse have a Sail Training School fully authorised by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) using four Comet Trio 3/4 handed sailing dinghies and some single handed Toppers and a few Flying Fifteen keel dinghies. They have a number of qualified instructors and people to man safety boats, many retired. The Organiser our member Eddie Ramsden runs a similar school at Mumbles Yacht Club where they teach sailing in a Topper fleet.
His idea for Llangorse is nothing more than to give a taster of the wonderful feeling of moving across a large lake using natural wind power. How green can you get?
I have been collecting names of those interested via using this blog and the slide show at the Wednesday lectures. Almost all the early volunteers had some sailing experience, one said he used to race small dinghies fifty years ago. But then I went to the Jive Group and asked around and found that no less than 2/3 the group wanted to take part, so now I have 22 names all but 3 contactable via email.
(There is a lesson here, ask impersonally and no-one volunteers, but ask face to face and the response is stunning - that I remember is how I came to be enticed onto the committee. I think it explains the main reason for what I regard as the poor take up in our various U3A group activities, given a growing membership setting a new record year on year. Now having reached 725 we ought to have difficulty in creating enough new groups to satisfy demand, but this year we are have been struggling to maintain sufficient attendance at some of the groups we already have. The first big challenge for next year is to replace the retiring Group Leaders (convenors) and to expand the variety).
The probable date is Wednesday 14 July at Llangorse from 10am to 4pm. The charge made for the day by the Llangorse Sailing School is £10 per person intending to sail payable to me in advance, that is excellent value for a day's sailing and includes hire of boats, the tuition, loan of life jackets/buoyancy aids and the RYA recommended number of safety boats. If the weather is unsuitable the event will be postponed until the following Wednesday 21 July. I am now emailing the group to establish, availability of individuals, identify those with enough experience and confidence to sail Toppers without tuition, identify those prepared to drive and establish numbers of spare seats. Llangorse Lake is east of Brecon just off the road to Abergavenny, the AA give the journey time from Swansea centre as 90 mins which implies an 8.30 start. The drivers will expect others to share petrol costs.
Apologies for the clash with the normal Wednesday Jive Morning, but with the vast majority of takers from either Wednesday Jive or Wednesday Lectures (now discontinued for the summer) it seemed likely to be the easiest day to guarantee satisfactory turn out.
Those participating should take a change of clothing and a picnic lunch (there are changing rooms and toilets) . Jean Ramsden will set up arrangements for serving tea/coffee. As all must wear bouyancy aids it is not vital to be able to swim, indeed it is difficult to make much progress wearing such aids, though ability to swim may help with your confidence on the water. The advice in the case of capsize is always to stay with the boat and you will be assisted/picked-up by the safety boat. Others are welcome to join us, subject to availability of transport, and there will be no charge for them.
YOGA GROUP
Talking of increasing the variety of U3A activities I now have two offers to run such a group. Chris Bryan (301938) who is just completing a Yoga Teaching course is offering to run classes in the Exercise Room at Hazel immediately following Tai Chi at 11.45 on Fridays beginning on July 16 and running through until September. (You may recall this as the date the Tai Chi switches for the remainder of the summer from three to two sessions per Friday). People attending should wear Comfortable Clothing, a Mat or Rug, and a light Cover for relaxation. Please contact Chris at the above telephone number for more details.
Edna Jones, also a qualified instructor, has also expressed interest in running such a group next year. So we look to be well placed to run a Yoga Group independent of Tai Chi from next Open Day.
I expect Tai Chi will revert to three classes with the new membership intake swelling their ranks from next October.
PILOT CUTTERS IN MARINA
Remember the Wednesday lecture which mentioned that five remaining Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters would be sailing into Swansea the very next day as part of their racing schedule. A few of us went down to view these magnificent boats. Built in the days of sail to win competitions by speed not for a sporting trophy like today, but to be the first out to the biggest and most lucrative incoming cargo boats. Once the deal was negotiated they went on-board and brought the big boats safely into harbour. Pilots were the real entrepreneurs of their day and the most successful became rich.
SWANSEA U3A is 25 next year.
It's not surprising to find that several of the long established groups have gone through crises as the original leaders are forced by age to give up, that happened the year before to for example the French Group and the Literature Group, both have been restored under enthusiastic new convenors and a significant influx of new blood from the general membership. The Research Group who work on the archives at Swansea Museum is also showing signs of renewal.
Any ideas on a form of Celebration for our 25th anniversary?
GARDENING
Margaret Massey as been convenor of the Gardening Group for 17 years and following a scare in hospital with her heart complaint has felt it wise to retire. The Group is very well attended with over twenty five regular attenders, but it will fold unless enthusiastic convenor(s) are found to lead the group forward. Of course she is a difficult act to follow, the same daunting task as faces any-one taking over as Chairman from popular, thinking, innovating, hard working Bob Hughes. Ideally the new gardening leaders will come from the younger energetic age group as in the early days of Swansea U3A.
The Gardening Group meet monthly at Singleton Park. Many will be pre-arranged lecturers (I'm sure Margaret would be pleased to assist with contacts), some led by individual members, an annual group dinner and an outing of gardening interest say to Aberglasney or the Welsh Botanical Gardens. The new leader can be assured of the active support of a large pre-existing group and is encouraged to innovate.
Formal Gardening Group Meetings have finished for this year, but the tradition of a few members opening their gardens this summer will continue with visits already planned for visits to John and Val Day in Ammanford, Margaret Massey in Killay, and Joan in Mayals all scheduled for July. Group Members should contact Margaret 205028 for details of dates and addresses, they will be welcomed with tea, coffee, cakes, as well as flowers and vegetables to view and just maybe plants to take away. Any takers for my Elm Tree seedling?
BOOK GROUP 2
Happy Eightieth Birthday Lunch - Eileen.
GROUP ORGANISATION
The majority of groups have a helper (typically handling such tasks as holding the attendance records, collecting the cash, and paying the room hire) as well as a leader or tutor. Both organise replacements between them to cover their holidays, which our age group understandably think of as the big bonus of being retired - none less so a nomad like me!
Maureen Thomas has used a different model for her Calligraphy Classes, short courses running each week for a month. It suits her well and she is never short of enthusiastic support.
Most tutors are members who give their time free so the typical cost per session is £1 or £2 to pay for hire of the room. Tai Chi needs a teaching skill outside our scope so we hire a professional tutor and given sufficient support the cost can be kept to £3. Other specialities like Art Appreciation and Pre-Concert Lectures have also used paid lecturers.
We have an ever larger, younger, membership so we need many new leaders to continue the U3A 'can do' tradition and take the group organisation forward and in turn they need the support of enthusiastic attendees. Very few active members stop at membership of a single group. Too many I think do not take any advantage of one of the major features of a U3A. Everyone's needed, so JOIN IN and you will find we are a friendly bunch. Your first appearance feels daunting but the reality is that we are here to enjoy life.
So often I'm told this organisation has been a personal lifeline, with so much activity on offer and so easy to make friends - let's keep it that way. If you have an idea for a new group then please discuss it with me and together we will attempt to drum up the necessary.
JAZZ
Yes I have been several times to Jazzland (St James Crescent) but I must boast that 'my own' group The Bryan Corbett Quartet were quite outstanding. I never realised how well (well what's in a y or an i) I could play trumpet so well with a full tone reminiscent of Art Farmer or 50's Miles Davis. Bryan hails from the Midlands like me so I must get one of the web experts busy proving the hereditary link, otherwise my only memoir will be an autographed CD. Like all the soloists coming to Jazzland he expressed gratitude at the support given by the Dave Cottle Trio saying 'I haven't played jazz for a while because to earn a living I do a real mixture of styles for film and TV etc, but they are forcing me to play Jazz tonight'
The next week was the upbeat Clark Tracey Sextet, very exciting, very precise in timing, polished slick professionals yet somehow less inspiring.
Next was Tina May singing with Dave Cottle as recommended
in this column, in fact the U3A attenders were almost into double figures that night, instead of the usual five. But for me the highlight of that evening was a local quartet of pre-GCSE juniors, calling themselves The Tourists (such excellent playing is deserving of a more inspiring name). They played before the main act and so impressed international singing star Tina May that she dismissed Dave Cottle late on in order to do a couple of numbers with The Tourists, to rapturous applause, it really was quite an emotional moment as she encouraged each one in turn to play their best.
The Tourists are led by Tom Duggan on alto sax, with two brothers on keyboards and guitar Sam and Mike Vine and Dylan Goldring on drums. They will be playing at Noah's Yard a small wine-bar in Uplands at 9pm on Monday 28 June. I hope I heard all names correctly.
WHAT COUPs
So there we have it the moderation of the coalition politics, I believe in, producing the sharpest budget cuts ever. Do they have the guts to carry the 25% cuts through lower/middle UK whilst the rich whistle. One section losing their dignity, the richest and their accountants made to work harder for a smidgen less tax avoidance! Will it be counter productive? At least for the moment we have enthusiastic leaders, that at least is a step forward.
Meanwhile the Professional Footballers of the highest paid European Leagues join the ranks of the ridiculously overpaid. What a pathetic lot, one should not be surprised if the better value Germany or Netherlands leagues prevail to test their skills with the rest of the world and England and Spain follow France and Italy to an Early Bath.
LOCAL HISTORY
On 12 July at 2.30 in the Footlights Bar, Grand Theatre, Roy Davies will speak on Welsh Rugby.
Their Outing to Fonmon Castle on 27 July will now cost £15 for bus and tea. The bus will pick up at the following points.
9.25 Banana Island, Morriston
9.45 Surgery, De-la-Beche Road
9.50 Sketty Green
10.00 University Bus Stop (Student Village)
Details from Barbara Brimfield 203503
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
All that jazz
JAZZLAND, St James Social Club
I have rather hurriedly put together this blog posting to advertise THIS Wednesday 26 May session featuring one of the leading UK vocalists Tina May singing with the Dave Cottle Trio. Last year at the Mumbles Jazz and Blues Festival they gave an absolutely superb concert, if tonight's gig is of the same ilk it will be a pity to miss it for the sake of £10 entry, doors open at 7.30 show begins at 8.30 I imagine there will be a good turnout so get there by 8pm. I can do no better than copy my blog entry following last years event, but would caution that saxophonist Mornington Locket will not be part of the line up.
I regret recommending Simon Spillet's concert at this years Jazz and Blues Festival, not because it wasn't good, it was, but because it required an acquired taste for very fast bop music. Simon played tenor at the speed of Charlie Parker's alto, even Dave Cottle on keyboards was surprised by the pace, in fact after the very first number he jokingly held his hands up to show his fingers were dropping off. I remember the learning curve I went through when determined to get to grips with Charlie Parker's music on LP. I am a strong believer in the value of getting to grips with any difficult arts form with an enthusiastic following, eclectic tastes if you will.
FROM MAY 2009 BLOG
The apple is in the foreground but the light green behind is Elm in flower (not yet leaf). Dare we hope it will continue to defy the beetle which killed off the majority of these beautiful trees.
This photo could have been taken in May 2010
MUMBLES MOSTLY JAZZ and BLUES FESTIVAL May 2009
Who would have been aware of music let alone an important new departure for Mumbles and Swansea. We walked along the sea front from West Cross on Sunday and saw hardly any sign of such an event. The one poster tied to a signpost in the square did acknowledge the festival with pictures of some of the main attractions, but absolutely nothing gave a schedule of four days of concerts, not even the time, location, price and where to buy tickets. Nor was there any sound of music or any sense of festival, though there were times when it sounded like the venue of a motorbike rally. Tickets and details it appeared were available from the Tourist Office, but the Tourist Office is closed on Sundays.
Yet we already had tickets for the festival marquee, purchased earlier from Jazzlands in Swansea, to one of the most enjoyable concerts we have ever attended, everyone we spoke to seemed of the same mind. Jazz is the one arts idiom in which Swansea has shone during my forty years here, this concert was amazing.
Tina May sang beautifully with a style reminiscent of Cleo Lane. Tina stage managed the event so joyfully that she got the very best from her supporting four piece band, mostly interweaving her singing with solos from all the instrumentalists and the drummer Dave Owm. They were improvising on well known standards up to Duke Ellington's time.
Like her tenor saxophonist Mornington Locket is a top British jazz star and nothing surpassed the duet between her voice and his sax towards the end of the concert, passing by even her duet with bassist Alun Vaughan which showed off her low register, plus songs with recital accompaniment from Dave Cottle on the keyboards - a skill I have never heard from him before. The Dave Cottle trio (keyboards, bass guitar and drums) are the backbone of weekly Jazzlands concerts, and they emphasised how lucky we are to have them here in Swansea.
DINGHY SAILING
I already have six or so members expressing interest, Eddie tells me there will be four Comet Trio (training dinghies) boats plus two Flying Fifteens (keel dinghy which will be nearer to a sailing cruiser experience!). He also stressed that no-one will be expected to do things with which they are unhappy, this is a fun event let me know if you are interested.
Eddie Ramsden, a member who helps organise our UK Olympic Team on behalf of the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is offering to organise a taster day for our members this summer at Llangorse lake near Brecon.
They would use Comet Trio boats (which he described to me as being like the better known very stable Wayfarer training boat. Three members would sail together in a boat with a trained instructor on board. Eddie would arrange the event to suit, probably a midweek day from 10am in July or August, with the probability of being able to change date given an unsuitable weather forecast. He tells me there is a basic clubhouse for changing but that picnic lunches would be the order of the day - hard to think of a nicer place without walking into the mountains. Buoyancy/life jackets would be available but no-one is expected to capsize though there could be some spray, so you would be expected to bring a change of clothing.
Anyone interested should reply to the blog alert but please change the subject of the email to Sailing so that I can easily sort through the replies. Once I have a dozen interested we will attempt to get maximum agreement on the date, so please advise any dates you will definitely be unavailable in July/August .
FAMILY HISTORY (VIRTUAL)
A new departure for Swansea U3A is the whole idea of virtual groups, ie one existing in cyber space like this blog. To learn more about it and understand the type of help available please access the Swansea U3A website on
http://www.u3aswansea.org.uk/
Anyone with topics for other virtual groups should contact me.
I ought to count to 303 before writing this rant, but just travelling home from the lecture today will have to do so. We heard from our president, Professor Richard Davies, about the exciting developments at Swansea University, the new build by the sea on old BP land, generously donated by that multi-national. The vice-chancellor showed a first design presentation, prepared by architects, which was functional, yet pleasing, innovative, seemed to inhabit the space well, with a jetty and sail motifs, which have also been used in the main campus designs.
He had his audience thinking about the interior space of this new build – how for his generation and certainly ours, the unthinkable was being contemplated; rooms surrounded by white boards, wireless everything, very likely not even a library, because in this world of global communication students can access so much more information and opinion swiftly through their I Pads/phones.
Prince Charles comes into the story now somehow, even Professor Davies didn’t sound too sure in what capacity, doesn’t like the design, BP bring in new architects on the royal nod, and voila, smaller enclosed pods were revealed, mostly built round central courtyards, a good idea being that the buildings are tiered for the purpose of absorbing and deflecting the prevailing South Westerly winds. We’ve lost the jetty, but that looked rather decorative and right in the firing line of those same winds.
It was when our speaker showed pictures of images, which could inspire the fuller design that I began to get worried. Welsh cottages, the J sheds before renovation, rows of Victorian poky buildings, Singleton Abbey, appeared, images suitable for and indeed used in Poundbury, and Cefn - a town landscape designed to fulfil Prince Charles’ ideas of architectural sustainability. This is a charming concept for a village but surely not for a state of the art University, built on a stunning dramatic site.
Swansea has become an exciting city for modern architectural design usage. The University has the beautiful building next to the Taliesin, and the first Life Science building. By the Tawe, look at the innovative designs of the Technium and others in the regenerating SA1 district, which we were told would eventually link up with the new University site. What we were shown was Toy Town. I felt that Professor Davies was deeply disappointed in the outcome, but obviously could not comment in such a public arena when someone else is pulling the strings, but I both can and will.
It's not so long ago following the Swansea Assembly run by National Theatre Wales that I was commenting on the lost opportunity to build iconic modern buildings in Swansea and Cardiff, namely the competition winning designs for the Literature Centre here and the Millenium Centre in Cardiff. Surely if ever a project was crying out for iconic modern architecture it is Swansea University's Science and Engineering new campus. That is intended to be a world leading endeavour not a bit of retro!
I have rather hurriedly put together this blog posting to advertise THIS Wednesday 26 May session featuring one of the leading UK vocalists Tina May singing with the Dave Cottle Trio. Last year at the Mumbles Jazz and Blues Festival they gave an absolutely superb concert, if tonight's gig is of the same ilk it will be a pity to miss it for the sake of £10 entry, doors open at 7.30 show begins at 8.30 I imagine there will be a good turnout so get there by 8pm. I can do no better than copy my blog entry following last years event, but would caution that saxophonist Mornington Locket will not be part of the line up.
I regret recommending Simon Spillet's concert at this years Jazz and Blues Festival, not because it wasn't good, it was, but because it required an acquired taste for very fast bop music. Simon played tenor at the speed of Charlie Parker's alto, even Dave Cottle on keyboards was surprised by the pace, in fact after the very first number he jokingly held his hands up to show his fingers were dropping off. I remember the learning curve I went through when determined to get to grips with Charlie Parker's music on LP. I am a strong believer in the value of getting to grips with any difficult arts form with an enthusiastic following, eclectic tastes if you will.
FROM MAY 2009 BLOG
The apple is in the foreground but the light green behind is Elm in flower (not yet leaf). Dare we hope it will continue to defy the beetle which killed off the majority of these beautiful trees.This photo could have been taken in May 2010
MUMBLES MOSTLY JAZZ and BLUES FESTIVAL May 2009
Who would have been aware of music let alone an important new departure for Mumbles and Swansea. We walked along the sea front from West Cross on Sunday and saw hardly any sign of such an event. The one poster tied to a signpost in the square did acknowledge the festival with pictures of some of the main attractions, but absolutely nothing gave a schedule of four days of concerts, not even the time, location, price and where to buy tickets. Nor was there any sound of music or any sense of festival, though there were times when it sounded like the venue of a motorbike rally. Tickets and details it appeared were available from the Tourist Office, but the Tourist Office is closed on Sundays.
Yet we already had tickets for the festival marquee, purchased earlier from Jazzlands in Swansea, to one of the most enjoyable concerts we have ever attended, everyone we spoke to seemed of the same mind. Jazz is the one arts idiom in which Swansea has shone during my forty years here, this concert was amazing.
Tina May sang beautifully with a style reminiscent of Cleo Lane. Tina stage managed the event so joyfully that she got the very best from her supporting four piece band, mostly interweaving her singing with solos from all the instrumentalists and the drummer Dave Owm. They were improvising on well known standards up to Duke Ellington's time.
Like her tenor saxophonist Mornington Locket is a top British jazz star and nothing surpassed the duet between her voice and his sax towards the end of the concert, passing by even her duet with bassist Alun Vaughan which showed off her low register, plus songs with recital accompaniment from Dave Cottle on the keyboards - a skill I have never heard from him before. The Dave Cottle trio (keyboards, bass guitar and drums) are the backbone of weekly Jazzlands concerts, and they emphasised how lucky we are to have them here in Swansea.
DINGHY SAILING
I already have six or so members expressing interest, Eddie tells me there will be four Comet Trio (training dinghies) boats plus two Flying Fifteens (keel dinghy which will be nearer to a sailing cruiser experience!). He also stressed that no-one will be expected to do things with which they are unhappy, this is a fun event let me know if you are interested.
Eddie Ramsden, a member who helps organise our UK Olympic Team on behalf of the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is offering to organise a taster day for our members this summer at Llangorse lake near Brecon.
They would use Comet Trio boats (which he described to me as being like the better known very stable Wayfarer training boat. Three members would sail together in a boat with a trained instructor on board. Eddie would arrange the event to suit, probably a midweek day from 10am in July or August, with the probability of being able to change date given an unsuitable weather forecast. He tells me there is a basic clubhouse for changing but that picnic lunches would be the order of the day - hard to think of a nicer place without walking into the mountains. Buoyancy/life jackets would be available but no-one is expected to capsize though there could be some spray, so you would be expected to bring a change of clothing.
Anyone interested should reply to the blog alert but please change the subject of the email to Sailing so that I can easily sort through the replies. Once I have a dozen interested we will attempt to get maximum agreement on the date, so please advise any dates you will definitely be unavailable in July/August .
FAMILY HISTORY (VIRTUAL)
A new departure for Swansea U3A is the whole idea of virtual groups, ie one existing in cyber space like this blog. To learn more about it and understand the type of help available please access the Swansea U3A website on
http://www.u3aswansea.org.uk/
Anyone with topics for other virtual groups should contact me.
A new “Virtual Group” called Family History (Virtual) has started, based at our website which you can access from the Group Activities page. The Family History website is written particularly for U3A members by members who have direct experience of carrying out such research, and is designed to be used by newcomers to Computing or Family History.
It shows you how to use the FamilySearch website to trace your ancestors and as an example traces Winston Churchill’s ancestors back 800 years. If you are not as illustrious as Churchill the best you can hope for with your ancestors is Henry V111’s time.
There are guides to several other websites including Genuki which has lots of historical details of almost every town and village. You could see what it says about your favourite places.
The writers of our Family History website, whose contact details are given on the website, hope to expand it based on what members say they would like to see there.
A NEW CAMPUS FOR SWANSEA UNIVERSITY
(I am pleased to publish this 'rant' from Jill Govier which expresses disquiet not unlike my own.)
I ought to count to 303 before writing this rant, but just travelling home from the lecture today will have to do so. We heard from our president, Professor Richard Davies, about the exciting developments at Swansea University, the new build by the sea on old BP land, generously donated by that multi-national. The vice-chancellor showed a first design presentation, prepared by architects, which was functional, yet pleasing, innovative, seemed to inhabit the space well, with a jetty and sail motifs, which have also been used in the main campus designs.
He had his audience thinking about the interior space of this new build – how for his generation and certainly ours, the unthinkable was being contemplated; rooms surrounded by white boards, wireless everything, very likely not even a library, because in this world of global communication students can access so much more information and opinion swiftly through their I Pads/phones.
Prince Charles comes into the story now somehow, even Professor Davies didn’t sound too sure in what capacity, doesn’t like the design, BP bring in new architects on the royal nod, and voila, smaller enclosed pods were revealed, mostly built round central courtyards, a good idea being that the buildings are tiered for the purpose of absorbing and deflecting the prevailing South Westerly winds. We’ve lost the jetty, but that looked rather decorative and right in the firing line of those same winds.
It was when our speaker showed pictures of images, which could inspire the fuller design that I began to get worried. Welsh cottages, the J sheds before renovation, rows of Victorian poky buildings, Singleton Abbey, appeared, images suitable for and indeed used in Poundbury, and Cefn - a town landscape designed to fulfil Prince Charles’ ideas of architectural sustainability. This is a charming concept for a village but surely not for a state of the art University, built on a stunning dramatic site.
Swansea has become an exciting city for modern architectural design usage. The University has the beautiful building next to the Taliesin, and the first Life Science building. By the Tawe, look at the innovative designs of the Technium and others in the regenerating SA1 district, which we were told would eventually link up with the new University site. What we were shown was Toy Town. I felt that Professor Davies was deeply disappointed in the outcome, but obviously could not comment in such a public arena when someone else is pulling the strings, but I both can and will.
Jill Govier
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It's not so long ago following the Swansea Assembly run by National Theatre Wales that I was commenting on the lost opportunity to build iconic modern buildings in Swansea and Cardiff, namely the competition winning designs for the Literature Centre here and the Millenium Centre in Cardiff. Surely if ever a project was crying out for iconic modern architecture it is Swansea University's Science and Engineering new campus. That is intended to be a world leading endeavour not a bit of retro!
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