Conclusions on AV & Assembly Elections - for now ++

AV
The people have spoken in a referendum. But what was the referendum about, Nick Clegg and his Liberals?

It doesn't matter which side you look from this was unthinking politics at its best! To think the No campaign was supported by our so called intelligencia from our most famous political school and what used to be our finest university without the slightest attempt to deal with the issues or the slightest respect for the Liberals who have delivered them a stable government. What a calamity! Give me London University and LSE any day. Well I would say that, wouldn't I?

One of the jibes on the literature that came through my door said 'there's nothing progressive about the Liberals'.


Personally I would conclude 'there is nothing progressive about the Labour Party either'! Fifty percent of them are brain dead, at least the other side knew what they were doing, as a party they are sleep walking into a lifetime rout unless Events intervene, eg a slump. I can see the Liberals will bounce back if they hold their nerve, I am not so sure Labour deserve to yet. Labour, pre-Tony Blair, was my ever constant preference. 

Not a single party presented the case for AV here in Swansea. If they did I saw no sign of it. That was what fired me up a couple of postings ago to explain how AV should work to make a parliament more representative picture of people's preferences.


Nick Clegg shot himself in the foot by saying much earlier that AV was 'a miserable little compromise'. I think AV has considerable benefits not least its simplicity! and that voting is for named/known candidates. Its weakness is its unpredictability in any one constituency, which varies from precisely the same result as 'first past the post' (FPTP) if every voter nominates only his first choice to something akin to proportional representation if used positively.


Turning to the Welsh Assembly elections with one exception all the local parties ran negative campaigns. The exception here was Plaid Cymru, and for only the second time in my 45 years in South Wales did they get my vote. A dyed in the wool Englishman I can see sense in having a Welsh Party in the Assembly, personally my only negative thoughts are that I think the adoption of the Welsh as the Prime Language (even worse the language of privilege) would be a disaster. That is my honest opinion, but it is a side show here so I will return to it later in this blog posting. The only other wholly positive campaign in the UK was apparently for the SNP in Scotland. I don't think the Plaid will have similar success until they get a leader who can match Alex Salmond's charisma on TV. (Come back Adam Price all is forgiven).


Look a bit closer at the Assembly elections in both countries. The Scottish situation I have dealt with, and the demise of Labour there is probably the consequence of a complacent Scottish Labour Party having failed to update, plus failing like Plaid in the TV personality stakes.

Welsh Labour in contrast stood up to Tony Blair, refused to accept his place men as leader, and that helped them develop confidence, unity, and modernise - though not yet anywhere near enough.

But what fascinates me most is the effect in both countries of a degree of proportionality. Take that away and use only the first past the post constituency results and a very different picture emerges.

In Wales under our proportional system the results were     
Labour/Conservative/Plaid/ Liberal  being 30/14/11/5 seats            

FPTP Constituency results alone the results were
Labour/Conservative/Plaid/Liberal (constituency ratio) 28/6/5/1

We don't hear much Conservative squealing about that. The fundamental question for Democracy is which is the truer reflection of the peoples wishes? I personally believe our FPTP model is failing and certainly not being adopted elsewhere in the world. Also valid is; which produces the better government?


Turning the same analysis to Scotland where there is a much higher ratio of proportionality purpose designed to thwart the SNP!
Under their proportional system seats were
Scottish National/ Labour/Conservative/Liberal 69/37/15/5

Based on FPTP constituency results alone the results were
Scottish National/Labour/Conservative/ Liberal 53/15/3/1

We don't hear much Conservative squealing about that either. The fundamental question for Democracy is which is the truer reflection of the peoples wishes? Also valid is; which produces the better government? 


If leaving the UK was judged on a FPTP system then there is little doubt Scotland with a 2+:1 overall victory ratio would be leaving the UK soon. A Referendum would have been fairer and much closer, but note the SNP elected in spite of a proportional system have large overall margin. Fingers crossed my counting is correct

WELSH LANGUAGE

I have not the slightest doubt that bilingualism learnt young is an aid to the development of the brainpower, that applies to equally to Welsh children, as to half my grandchildren whose first language is French but are uncommonly verbally skilled in English as well; or to the Indians who learn first the language of their State, then Hindi and many English as well. The current ascendancy of English across the world is not the point, I can well see it may well be challenged by Mandarin in future, probably in the romanised alphabet form of Pinyin, which is the way the Chinese find their way about Personal Computers.


Neither have I any doubt of the importance of keeping Welsh alive as a means of remembering the country's cultural roots and its literature. But as a way of progressing an economy and reducing the focus of printed information I believe it is a dead end. Two examples spring to mind, post colonial India turned its back on English but its current rapid emergence on the world stage owes much to the benefit of reviving that language. A few years after Joan and I left Canada General de Gaulle made his 'Vive le Quebec libre' speech in Montreal 1967, which produced a resurgence of thoughts of partition of Canada into an Eastern French speaking nation and the English speaking West. The Canadian government of the day reacted with a determined effort to make the whole country bi-lingual, for government jobs in particular, to what extent that remains the case today I do not know. But the 2 May 2011 Canadian general election, as Muriel Chamberlain reminded us, saw the once proud French speaking Parti (now Bloc) Quebecois trounced to just 6% of national vote.

ARTS
I have just bought tickets for tomorrows theatre 7.15pm 12 May in the Arts Wing of the Grand. It is for Chekhov's Uncle Vanja a masterpiece about wasted lives, since I have yet to see it can't say more except to note the recent local Fluellen Theatre's production of Hamlet 'in the round' was excellent. Incidentally getting involved in Swansea U3A is a perfect anti-dote to feeling ones time is wasted.

Tommaso Starace Quartet will appear at Jazzland next Wednesday 25 May £10 (£7 members). Anyone citing Cannonball Adderley and Charlie Parker as role models (instead of sprinkling names like confetti) should be another way of spending your time profitably. I will be watching the way our unique Louis Armstrong voiced announcer Berry Ray, pronounces Italian - thanks to the tuition of Carolina Rosati Jones.  

GROUPS
I have written enough this week except to give the latest news on the proposed German Group, the interested now numbers 10 - far better than expected, including drawing in two new members, making this years membership 772. Gislinde and I are about to set up their inaugural meeting. Once this is done time will be freed to turn my attention to Half Day Walking and Dinghy Sailing Day, and I haven't finished my ideas yet.

CLYNE IN BLOOM

CLYNE GARDENS
1-31May is advertised as the best period to visit Clyne Gardens but I took these photos as I walked through from Blackpill this very morning and it seemed at its best to me. Don't delay your visit too long.

BUSES TO HAZEL COURT

At the time I was assessing the practicalities of getting back from Hazel Court by bus, my wife having a doctors appointment at the same time as Spanish Beginners class. I was lucky leaving at just after midday to immediately catch an 82A bus to Fulton House at the university. In fact I now know I should have got off earlier at the Singleton hospital since the minutes saved could have got me an earlier bus west along Mumbles Road whereas coming from the University I had just missed one, but the maximum delay between buses would be around 20 mins.  In fact I decided to walk to Blackpill but it would have been quicker to wait.

The advice thus is transfer to/from the 82A at university or hospital, whichever is closer to home. For some the ideal combination could be the Metro and 82A. For others like me go to Mumbles Road for the quickest transfer to city centre or Mumbles.



THE WELFARE, YSTRADGYNLAIS
Following Tuesday's monthly committee meeting I was browsing at the Civic Centre and came across the display being erected in the foyer The Josef Herman Arts Foundation located in the Welfare Hall Ystradgynlais which holds a collection of his work donated by his widow Dr Nini Herman. This particular exhibition in Swansea was targeted at promoting the 10th anniversary of The Josef Herman Award for Schools whereby children from across three Welsh counties are given the opportunity to work with a professional artist. 

Still waiting for my wife to finish our shopping I picked up the latest copy of What's On and was quite impressed by it current presentation which provides in modern advertising style the current leisure attractions in Swansea including of course restaurants but also the Taliesin, The Grand Theatre, Swansea Jazzland, and various Events - such as organised under the name Swansea Bay. A big step forward from the earlier style largely of small ads. Swansea U3A still has a small add promoting only the Wednesday lectures at the University - we could do much better than this. 

But what struck me was not just the full page advertising activities at The Welfare, Ystradgynlais but the imaginative program they had compiled. Something is clearly on-going there which deserves attention. Box Office 01639 843163, www.thewelfare.co.uk , and Facebook 'The Welfare, Ystradgynlais'. 
Finally the boast 'A new generation of digital 3D Cinema and satellite technology has arrived at The Welfare!' I feel they deserve support.


First to catch my eye on the program was the Live by Satellite transmission of Jamie Cullen's Solo concert at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, but that has gone it was last Sunday and was reviewed in Tuesday's Guardian. Followed by a number of live events of music and theatre. The other which stood out for me was the National Theatre  production of 'The Cherry Orchard' by Chekhov and starring Zoe Wanamaker (also live via satellite) at 6.45pm on Thursday 30 June for £10, concessions £8. I knew that such transmissions were available at a cinema in Cardiff, indeed I intended to go but couldn't get to the previous event of its type 'King Lear', though I know Jill Govier did.


Four interesting films including 'Song of Freedom' starring Paul Robeson, 7pm on 9 May and 2.30pm on 13 May. This was featured earlier this year by Andrea Symonds in her presentation to our U3A British Film Studies group. 



ALTERNATIVE VOTE AV
I do not intend to go over the same ground again which was mainly to try to clarify how such a voting system to select the most liked candidate works when no one starts with an overall 50% majority. However I do believe it is a vital vote which could change the future of British politics. It very unfortunate it comes when the vote will inevitably be effected by the current unpopularity of Nick Clegg, disgruntled Liberal voters, many Labour voters and, to judge by the vindictive campaigning of the No camp, by the Conservatives as well. Somehow we have to rise above the present day situation and consider whether to vote Yes or No to Progressive Reform, on the merits of the serious long term issue it is. There is unlikely to be another opportunity to move towards a more representative house of Parliament in the near future, nor towards the more inclusive style of politics it will encourage.





SPANISH CONVERSATION
Last posting I was so concerned to promote the new Spanish Beginners Language Course that I forgot to mention my visit on the 5 April to the other Spanish group formed almost single handedly this year by Alison Burns, 290260  alisoneburns@yahoo.co.uk


On this occasion there were 13 members present at Starvin' Jacks cafe in the centre of Swansea, a very convenient location not far from Swansea City's new Bus Station. It was a lively meeting helped by an attractive theme, 'Talk About Things You Hate'. It will be no great surprise to those who know me well to learn my hate is the bane of our life, Sheep, those hefted baa'ing animals that think they have territorial rights to follow their traditional path through my garden in order to reach Clyne Common. Complaints from others varied from the way Tesco treat their customers to Ironing, Joan's pet hate as well, to many more I have forgotten.

The recent email enquiry about a potential Improvers language course identified 11 people (of whom I am one) and I have kept a record of the members who replied positively but there is no way of proceeding until we can identify someone and willing to lead such a group. In the meantime I would advise them to try out this conversation group, I very much enjoyed this last session.

It was good to be listening to Spanish for only the second time this year. For me as a traveller learning that language opened up the Latin America continent from Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Chile and Argentina to Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel the point of departure to Antartica. Experiences spread over many months and several years that I would not have wanted to miss. 

BEGINNERS SPANISH LANGUAGE

I attended this morning to find the class has already grown to 11 and was very impressed both at the speed the class has gelled as a unit and the style of teaching. Almost a case of forget the complexities of grammar but listen and speak fluently, learn vocabulary relevant to today's exercises, and above all make the vowels and the accentuation sound Spanish. Very simple still, but very good for me who speaks Spanish with a mix of English and French sounds.


YOGA

I slipped into Edna Jones's 9.30 Wednesday morning session on my way to Spanish just to take this photo. I go to Christine Bryan's Thursday class because the timing suits me better, this is restarting after their Easter break at 10am 5 May. Joga is a big help to retaining suppleness.

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL
Bumping into Margaret Massey after today's superb lecture contrasting the English and French approach to colonies by Professor Muriel Chamberlain I was reminded Margaret is presenting to the group this Friday 6 May at 2.30 in Hazel Court her recent travels to North Africa.
Bob Hughes is taking over as convenor of this group for 2011/2 and already has a program arranged

GROUPS, ALTERNATE VOTE (AV), and BIG ISSUE

 Almost time for planting
 'Don't cast a clout till May is Out', I know it's Blackthorn now but May (Hawthorn) will soon follow.

ALTERNATE VOTE for the next GENERAL ELECTION?

Politics and Citizenship discuss the Welsh Elections and AV

Those who, like me, favour Proportional Representation should vote YES to the Alternate Vote (AV) as it will get us a considerable way forward and is the only system on offer for the foreseeable future.

Those who prefer First Past The Post should vote NO to AV. If there is a No Vote to AV any question of having a more proportional voting system will be put on the back burner.


Most Western European countries including Wales and most New Democracies have some form of proportional voting. This piece is written by way of explanation of the AV system and not to make a political point......honest.

Why do I dislike First Past The Post so much, it is because it often results in unfettered power to the winning party. Think of the decade of huge majorities first to Margaret Thatcher and then to Tony Blair, and what they were able to do with such impunity. Both those governments would have been improved by having to take other views into account. Love or hate the Liberals at the moment you have to admit they are rubbing some of the rough edges off Tory policies and have so far negated the Tory right wing. By going into coalition they saved the country from being forced into the chaos of a second election, at a time when stability was the absolute key.

The big advantage of AV is that it aims for a fairer contest at each constituency.  AV thus retains the link with each MP representing a single constituency, whereas pure Proportional Representation considers only the total national votes. The Welsh Assembly is voted for by a half way house in which 2/3 of the AMs represent a constituency, and 1/3 have no constituency link but move the national result closer to proportionality with the total national votes. 


The best example of how turn-overs can work in practice is given by the recent election of the Labour Leader. (I was travelling in India at the time so please forgive me if the details are wrong, but the sense is correct.) Labour MPs, Unions and Constituencies were allowed to rank the candidates 1, 2, 3, in order of preference. candidate. 

David Miliband led after the first ballot but crucially failed to get 50%. So the second choices of loser Ed Balls were added and in it was his brother Ed Miliband who emerged as the winner. That's an example of a 'Turn Over', and is not typical of the norm which is that the leader in the First Choices goes on to win with over 50% of the votes. Whatever you may think of the final outcome in this contest is irrelevant to this example but what you can deduce is that Ed had broader support in the Party than his brother, the difference I understand being mainly with the unions.


For what it's worth my own choice would have been Ed Balls (even better his wife Yvette Cooper who was not standing). I guess David suffered from being too close to Tony Blair and Ed Balls from being too closely associated with today's pet hate figure Gordon Brown, whose role in leading the world in face of the credit crunch I still expect to be recognised in retrospect.


This example was to consider only a single election (Leader of the Opposition), though a rather important one! In a General Election there are hundreds of constituencies and in the vast majority the winner who wins on first choices will emerge as the eventual winner. In a closely fought seat it is quite possible that the second or even the third candidate will emerge as eventual winner if they have broader support when the balancing act of adding in the second and lower choices is done. It ought to (probably will) vastly increase the number of Liberal Democrat MPs, making their number of seats closer to their proportion of the vote..


Lets now see how four quite different voters might vote for a single typical Welsh Seat in a GENERAL Election. There are four main parties in alphabetic order Labour, Liberal (Democrat), Plaid and Tory. Purely as an example let's see how a sensible person might vote, adding in a couple of other thoughtful choices such as UKIP and Green.

      Voter A       Voter B      Voter C     Voter D

1)   Labour        Liberal       Plaid          Tory
2)   Plaid           Tory           Labour       UKIP
3)   Liberal        Labour       Liberal       Liberal
4)   Green          Green         Green        Green


Note neither the Labour or the Tory inclined voted for the party he detests most and no-one has a voted for a party he doesn't want to have a voice in parliament, for example BNP, Communist, Monster Raving Lunatic.



Labour (in the old days at least) would have the most First Choice votes but nowadays it may well be less than 50%. This situation is merely meant to be an example. So let's emphasise that we are considering only one seat, in others Plaid or Liberal or Tory might have the biggest vote on First Choice. On probability it is likely that the Green party would be last and drop out but then their second choice votes would be transferred to the other three candidates probably boosting the Labour or Liberal vote. Assuming no-one has reached 50% the lowest party remaining would now drop out and it's choices 2nd and lower choices would be added in to the remaining parties. And so on, until one party passes the winning 50% post.


My wife asks what if there are 12 parties how do I rank them, the answer is that you rank only those you want to have a voice in parliament, just two choices, better still three or four, is capable of making a big difference in a close contest. Then she asks will this rule out success for say Independents or Greens, and the answer is if they have really popular (good) candidates then their chances may well be enhanced by being the second choice of most of the others. Think for example of two recent examples, a well loved ex Labour candidate running as an Independent against his own party, or say the talented Green candidate Caroline Lucas. On the other hand a party without broad support, say the BNP, is unlikely to emerge the winner under AV.

How many spider's webs can you spot?

GROUP LEADERS for NEXT YEAR
Always at the end of the year some leaders will want to hand over. In Swansea U3A this has been mainly those with a large number of years in the position wanting a well earned rest. Last year we had to find replacement for Margaret Hammond in the Politics and Citizenship Group, Margaret had reached 90 but sadly is no longer with us. Margaret Massey decided 17 years as leader and instigator of the Gardening Group was long enough. Luckily we have good replacements for both highly successful groups with 20 to 30 regulars Gabrielle Suff is doing an excellent job with Politics and a team of three or four lead by Margaret Cross are running Gardening.


This year a couple more long standing Groups seek renewal under a new leader, Barbara Brimfield is handing over the 'Local History' group after 13 years and Margaret Winter is standing down from the History Group after 11 years at the helm. Both groups are highly successful and shown by turn outs with 30 to 40 a session. Both meet in the city centre. We cannot afford to allow such well attended groups to go to the wall.

Margaret Hammond has been replaced as leader of the Research Group on a temporary basis by Marjorie Vanston, who also runs the Welsh group. They deal with projects selected by the staff of  Swansea Museum, and in the interests of space are split into two small teams who meet in the Museum on alternate Wednesdays.

In addition Margaret Webster is standing down as organiser of the Sunday Luncheon Group having completed the 12 months she agreed to as a stop gap.

It would be true to say that members of all these groups are in the higher bracket, long established groups tend to grow older together, but this should be no deterrent to a new younger leader for there is plenty of incentive to work towards a younger age profile and to modify the way the group is run.

I would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in helping in any capacity with any of those four groups. Please simply reply to the Blog Alert email from me, Brian Corbett the Groups' Coordinator. Enthusiasm is the main pre-requisite, advice and guidance will surely be available from the present incumbents, and remember shared responsibility will work, you are not committing yourself to be present every session (look at me disappearing for two months at a time).

The U3A is a self help organisation, or nothing, from those according to their abilities to those according to their needs. Are you happy that you are contributing as much as you can? 

SPANISH LEARNING

Keith Barry teaching, Christine Broomhall (Convenor), Joyce Marris, Lyn Jones and me (photographer) 

Keith Barry is teaching the Spanish language to a group of eight in Hazel Court every Wednesday morning, not even currently a U3A member he simply wants to 'keep his hand in'. He has many other interests such as Badminton and keep fit in the gym. Their third meeting will be Wednesday 20 April, the class is starting entirely from scratch so if you have no fore-knowledge then the sooner you start the better. If you have some fore-knowledge consider joining next University Year.

I attended his second lesson and as promised the accent was on speaking and it was a very effective method of teaching the like of which I had not previously encountered the objective being instinctive fluency in the spoken language through repetition of responses in pairs. It put me in mind of Professor Michael Thomas, whose subject is Psychological Sciences, not languages in the grammatical sense, at Birbeck College London University, though I may be utterly mistaken since I know only of his standing not his methods. His style is characterised as 'learn a foreign language the way you learnt your own'. 


I have produced a simple spreadsheet which provides an easy way of keeping track of attendance and money, the 'kitty', which this group I hope will trial. They already have a Convenor so this is looking like the smoothest start-up yet. My swan song, or is there time for one more?


ARMCHAIR TRAVEL
Bob Hughes is to replace Brian Davies who was around five years as Convenor, the same Bob as put new life into Bridge classes. They have already got a program out for next University Year and this represents a change in emphasis from one speaker per session to two half an hour slots, to get as many as possible involved. Most of us have holidays so why not join in and talk about yours.

MOTO (Members on Their Own)
Rosemary Brangwyn 202029 now runs this group replacing the founder Gerwyn Thomas who had to reduce his load following a severe heart attack. She phoned in to give me some news just as I was about to publish. The group now meet at 10.30am on the first Monday of each month in the Coffee Shop in the Dragon Hotel to plan future events.


They have recently had a visit by train to Narbeth, and seventeen of them had a 'brunch' of Paninis and coffee in the Grand Hotel. A party are going for a holiday together at the Bosworth Hall Hotel with day trips to Stratford and Warwick my beautiful home town.


SPRING OUTING to Welsh National Botanic Gardens
Joan and I were part of the coach-load who spent 6 April at the gardens and what a delightful day it was, all the more special by contrast to the day before when it rained and rained.

                                                                               




Barbara Garnham (Outings Organiser) and Margaret Winter, History Convenor








Barbara Ellis and Joan in the Hothouse












BIG ISSUE
I have long been a supporter both in a terms of a small annual donation to the underlying Big Issue Foundation, but above all by buying, and reading, copies from the street sellers. So if you see a man with the latest Big Issue under his arm then that's how to recognise me! The magazine is increasingly worth reading but the last one I purchased was their Twentieth Anniversary was special and contained an article by founder and Editor in Chief John Bird. He is the original exponent of the idea of 'tough love'. He makes the telling point that street sellers (vendors) have to prove their housing status get their first five magazines free, but thereafter they have to buy them at £1 each. They cannot return magazines they do not sell. He is encouraging some of the most deprived (homeless or vulnerably housed) to learn the business ethic. 'A hand up not a hand out' is their ethos, 'self help' their way. Decriminalizing homelessness is one of their big aims, better to earn than steal even if it does go on drink.


The Big Issue Foundation is a charity, its major functions are to provide training for vendors and help them build skills, but also to provide access to health care and dentistry, for many do not have the ID needed to register with a GP. It is one of the charities acceptable as beneficiary of Waitrose's 'Community Matters' monthly local initiative.
www.bigissue.org.uk

I did not know that Gordon and Anita Roddick of Body Shop supported Big Issue from its inception. John Bird met Gordon Roddick when John was hiding from the police aged 21, he was then a rough sleeper and petty thief with a drink problem. Twenty years on he met Gordon again, by then the co-owner of successful Body Shop. It was Gordon who asked him to start a street paper, 'who carefully took some , and that business nouse - and sprinkled it on the poor'. But it is to deceased Anita that he gives the greatest plaudits, 'she had the fire of social justice burning in her'. 

FORM IMPROVING AT LAST

NEW BEGINNERS SPANISH  GROUP
A New Group set up from nothing in two weeks, why didn't I think of using my email address bank in this way before? I know I had to trawl the whole list  of members with email in the attempt to find the 2% who were interested - most declared their interest within two days of me sending out the broadcast.

First the facts the group set up to teach beginners will meet for the first time in the Dry Side of the Craft Room at Hazel Court at 10am next Wednesday 6 April under the tuition of Keith Barry, tel 795672. He was keen to form a group which will learn from scratch with no members previous knowledge daunting the genuine beginners. If you've always wanted to learn the language here is your opportunity.

It looks as though the group will originally number nine, sufficient - but a few more would be welcome. A small amount of rusty fore-knowledge several years ago should not put the anyone off trying the new group out so long as they do not flaunt it. One member declares she now has young grandchildren in Madrid, if she's as lucky as us with our French connection she will have a few delightful years being spoken to in Spanish whilst she replies in English until the kids overtake her and speak English as fluently as she does.

The group will meet weekly and looks set to run through the summer, though that as usual will be for the group to decide themselves. 


SPANISH CONVERSATION
Alison Burns run this informal group which meet alternate weeks at 2pm in the basement at Starvin' Jacks coffee shop in the town centre, more precisely in Portland Street opposite the HSBC bank just up from the Oxford Street entrance to the market. I have only attended once when they wee still searching for a suitable venue but intend to go there this Tuesday 5th April where the topic being prepared by members will be 'Things I Hate'.

At the same time as I trawled for interest for beginners I tried to establish a list of people interested in Improvers a more advanced potential course. The ten positive responses to this were slower coming through and quite a lot were from members who joined our U3A this year. I formed the impression that most were motivated by the need to improve or to maintain their speaking skills. They have been invited to Tuesday's meeting with Alison's blessing.

TRAWLING FOR INTEREST
I hope members are not unwilling to receive such bulk mailings, because I intend to do a couple of other topics soon, emails are easily discarded and in any case today's Inboxes have huge capacity.

ITALIAN
Complaints that Carolina, our diminutive octogenarian Italian tutor, has finally lost control of her group keep reaching me. The latest complaint is that she is now apparently conducting her own Male (well almost all) Voice Choir as they prepare to top the bill in Italian voice at our silver birthday celebration. So much so that in a delicious irony, to me at least, I hear that two of the Arty-Farty Wets are thinking of jumping on the band-Wagon next door. For the uninitiated Wet and Dry refer to the two halves of the Craft Room  at HazeI Court. I wouldn't put it beyond her, for she doubles in the role of leader of Swansea Writers, to have them reciting specially home crafted poetry as well, and maybe coming out in favour of her fallen hero, the fascist 'Il Duce' - Mussolini to you lot.


JAZZ
The best concert I've heard this year was two weeks ago from the Geoff Eales Quintet who are on a 25 concert 60th birthday tour of the UK. Small matter that it was my first visit of the year to Swansea Jazzland, for Geoff will still be there or thereabouts at the top by December. A hard working unit who specialise in puffing and blowing together in ensemble, unusual for modern jazz players who usually take it in in turns to show off in solos, but a feature of the best Trad Bands, I'm thinking here of post-war stars like Black American George Lewis and our very own Ken Collier.


The non-stop vigour of Geoff's piano playing put in mind that in  Trad jazz piano was always thought of in the role of percussion, that is not to forget that classically trained he was often tuneful, even reflective. This time his trio featuring excellent drummer Asaf Sirkis and Fred Thelonious Baker on bass guitar, was front-lined by Ben Waghorn, an exciting saxophone player (who never did pick up his base clarinet), and Carl Orr on guitar. They played standards, like Miles Davis's 'All Blues' from his landmark best-selling album 'Kind of Blue', mixed with Geoff's own excellent compositions.


The good news is that you have a second chance to hear them since they are playing as Geoff Eales and Friends at Porthcawl International Jazz Festival on Sunday Monday afternoon 24 April, the morning of the same day his trio will perform. 

The festival runs from 22 to 25th April with many fine performers across the spectrum spectrum from trad to modern and perhaps beyond including singer Jacqui Dankworth. We will not be there for we will be in France for a grand' daughter's 16th birthday. 


The very next week Karen Sharp, who won the 2010 British Jazz Award for tenor saxophone, Alan Barnes got the award for alto sax, reminded us how musical and tuneful modern jazz can be. I was so pleased she played one of my bossa nuova favourites 'The Dolphin', that when I got home I played the Stan Getz version and appreciated the edge and phrasing and changes in tonality which made him one the all-time greats on tenor. He like Miles Davis transcended the gulf with popular music and was so popular in the 60's with this form of jazz music - remember his recording with  singer Astrud Gilberto of 'The Girl from Ipanema' or the instrumental 'Jazz Samba' album with acoustic guitarist Charlie Byrd.


You have a second chance to Karen Sharp since she is playing with tenor Robert Fowler at the jazz festival at Upton on Severn from Friday 24 June to Sunday 26 June. We will be on our second trip of the year to France. Robert Fowler was playing in Alan Barnes band not so long ago at the Taliesin, I think to perform Alan's then new 'Sherlock Holmes Suite'.

POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
We had an excellent lunch out in the Brasserie, Wind Street, on Thursday attended by around a dozen group members. It was arranged that day so we could go on to the public gallery of the Council Chamber to hear the Monthly? plenary session of the Council, the topic for discussion at the next meeting of the group. More joined us at the Civic Centre having come from the Gardening Group meeting, an unfortunate clash - but then there is so much going on these days such random clashes are unavoidable.


It's the first time I have been to a council meeting anywhere and in general I did not hold a good view of local politics and councillors. I must say the experience modified my view and some of those who spoke were most impressive, the fact that many such came from the senior members of the Cabinet benches was encouraging. On the downside there needed to be better amplification from the floor, although unlike say my wife Joan I have no acute problem with hearing some of the special presentations in particular were difficult to follow.


I must say I found many of the exchanges about the problems of Swansea's most deprived areas and concern about the education in these areas was moving and it was good to hear the discussion of professionally prepared planning documents. A few members fitted my previous buffoon image of councillors, none more so than the one who seemed more concerned to get photos with to promote himself on Facebook than the business of the chamber.


ARTS
I was heartened to read that my favourite Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol was given a grant from the Arts Council for the very first time (after twelve glorious years) and that in a year in which there were 15% cuts in the London based top end and savage cuts in the rest of the country making a total budget cut of 30%. The Bristol Old Vic also held onto the whole £1.2 million of their grant, another of my favourite venues and one which is currently closed for stage two of its rebuild. 

The choice of enterprises to support and those to drop had clearly been re-evaluated from scratch - and from my admittedly limited observations it has been done well. Appropriate targeting, including cutting out dead wood, is vital but it is a shame that there had to be a cut at all in this most vital area of British excellence, there aren't too many other areas where we are at the top echelon of the world league these days.  Certainly not manufacturing industry, football or cricket! Is investment banking really the best we can do? 


EDUCATION 
Question Time this week unusually had a complete panel who were prepared to argue logically and even Boris Johnson showed he was prepared to lend his support to sense talked by those of normally opposite views. 

To my mind that applied to the discussions about the Libyan crisis and education. The bit that pleased me most was to find most of the panel agreed that support so that talented but poor students could continue their studies was vital, previously called the EMA (educational maintenance grant) under Labour. There  was also a universal acceptance that the recently revised (narrowing) targeting was a step forward, but as with the Arts Council many expressed the view that it was too important an area to be cut at all. Education of our young is our future, without matching the importance that India and China give to this area our grandchildren will be dead meat.

I have many times in this blog returned to the belief that our grand'children's generation that suffers most from this crisis, even The Guardian is now belatedly preaching that theme. Just as our children's generation suffered most in the 80's. Many never recovered from their experiences in the 80's we called it the lost generation, the greed of us older generation will see it re-enacted. 


Mark Serwotka, a name new to me, was that unusual thing a trade unionist very clear about his personal philosophy and willing and able to use that to express eloquently the opinions derived there-from. You may take it I was heartened to hear logical argument by a member of a lobby which so often seems blinkered, and so often, usually for good reason, comes over as being simply defensive. He is a free thinker a breath of fresh air for Labour politics.

WAR and LIBYA
Anything I say about this crisis is more than probably to be overtaken by fast moving events, especially tonight because I haven't even listened to today's news. But here goes!


My opposition to war is clear, I believe the use of military force is nearly always counter-productive. We went into Libya to protect a population from undeserved violence, an arguable position I admit. Having largely achieved that aim what could be worse than arming the 'rebels' so that they can prolong the killing.

The only beneficiaries of that are the manufacturers of arms, like ourselves, we should aim to wean ourselves off such a dirty, overpriced, corrupt, trade.

CRICKET
I think I n must be the only one in Rugby mad Wales who has regularly stayed up till One pm to listening to the exciting World Cup games. 
Don't miss the climax tonight with the final in Bombay between Sri Lanka and India. Seen another way it is Master Batter  Sachin Tendulkar, indisputably the best since Bradman, who hopes to make his swansong his 100th Test Century today versus Master Tweaker the ham-strung Muralitharan (with  Shane Warne one of the two best spin bowlers of all time). He will fight through an injured hamstring to sign off from Test Cricket with a triumph.


Since England tied with India in one of their sequence of exciting close finishes whilst they were trashed by ten wickets to Sri Lanka the result should be a no brainer. But it won't be. Remember the sub-continent is even more crazy about cricket than Wales and New Zealand are about Rugby. Remember also that Tendulkar by his own admission used five (of his nine) lives in top scoring against Pakistan in their semi-final or they wouldn't be there at all. Home advantage should be a huge advantage to India in Mumbai, but the level of expectation may get to them as it does so often to England's football team at Wembley, if it doesn't and if Sri Lanka also perform to the standard they can reach expect a classic cliff hanger.

BACK AGAIN

 KARNATAKA, INDIA

Maharaja's Palace, Mysore (once state capital now part of Karnataka) from last year's album

 Maharaja's Palace, Mysore, floodlit briefly every evening


Last year you may recall we spent January and February travelling around Tamil Nadu and Kerala the two states which comprise the southern tip of India, starting and finishing on the east coast at Chennai (Madras as was). This year we spent the same winter months travelling around the western state which stretches northwards from Kerala. What a state of contrasts from the fast expanding city of Bengaluru (the traffic jammed heart of its IT Industry) to the wonderful unknown centre of the state north of Hampi, and the magic of Indian religious ceremonies in Upudi.


As usual I kept a blog of our travels by way of a diary, though in the less visited areas usable computers were difficult to find and frequent power failures were disruptive. A few readers had access to that blog, for the rest I promise a link once I have published a cleaned up version, inverted the postings into chronological rather diary order and added tasters from our 1000 photograph record.  Karnataka surrounds the tiny ex-Portuguese colony of Goa, a package tourist area at least as well known as Kerala, where we spent two weeks, in a southern part not at all ruined by catering for mass western tourism.

Apart from travellers like us, of which there were few, we discovered two pockets where retired Europeans return year after year to  replace the ice and snow, wind and rain with non stop, unvarying, sunshine. We often asked ourselves before returning would too much heat be better than too much cold. It was a relevant question to ask, the long stayers are anxious to get out before India really starts to warm up in late March. Britain was still cold at the start of March but now our daffodils have taken to flower and it's beginning to feel that spring really is on its way.

Our last night in Bengaluru was spent at the Chinnaswamy Stadium watching Ireland of all countries to annihilate England in the league stage of the One Day World Cup, and claim two world records one of which, only 50 balls for the fastest hundred, will take some beating, to emphasise the context the previous record was 66 balls. We turncoats could not but cheer the Irish on that exciting night, along with the pilot of tomorrow's plane. Sport being what it is it's the battle scarred English who reached the knock out stage, three more victories and they will be world champions.


To a significant extent this holiday was troubled by prolonged ill health and poor sleep patterns, Joan in particular was swearing she would never return to India and convinced her troubles would disappear the moment she reached home - they didn't. Once feeling better and starting to look over the photographs a reassessment will surely begin.

RICHARD 2 Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory - Bristol

We had bought tickets for Saturday's matinee 12 March before leaving for India knowing there would as always be a full house on our return, not bad considering they play daily except Sunday for almost two months. Richard 2 is normally thought of the first of four history plays proceeding to King Henry 4, 5 and 6. In fact it is better seen as a tragedy of the king who acceded to the throne as a minor fully believing in the divine right of kings and found it difficult to adjust to being usurped by a fait accomplis of his cousin Henry Bulingbrooke, who although technically banished had returned to England and won the support of the nobles and the people (The Peasants Revolt). Richard 2 had no choice but to hand over the crown.


Throughout this blog I have always promoted quality theatre. I went initially to the Tobacco Factory because of the rave reviews several years ago for their production of Hamlet directed by Johnathan Miller. Without question Richard 2 was the best production since, the bulk of the casts has always been excellent, mainly older actors trained at the Bristol Old Vic, but this production was absolutely outstanding for the way little known John Heffernan played the title role.



But don't take my opinion on its own have a look at John Morrison's who issues several posting a month on theatre, this on his very first visit to the Tobacco Factory. He is advocating Richard 2 is given a short season at the National Theatre in London. Transfer to the West End was advocated for Hamlet, in fact the other play directed that year by Jonathan Miller that year won out because it had a well known star, Joanna Lumley if I remember correctly. John Heffernan bounded onto the stage like a ballet star ahead of the rest of the cast to receive a standing ovation. He has the range to portray the tortured emotions of Hamlet - if he does I hope to be in the audience
http://blackpig.typepad.com/john_morrison/2011/02/richard-ii-at-the-tobacco-factory.html 


I did give advance warning of the Tobacco Factory's Shakespeare Season but this was the final week of Richard 2.  This twelfth year continues with their second production Comedy of Errors, it will run from Thursday 24 March to Saturday 30 April. Don't miss that too. Incidentally they have now opened a second theatre space at The Brewery, another factory being put to new use 150 metres from the first. The three month Shakespeare season is the highlight, but there is a wide range of productions throughout the year, they might be thought of as more popular fare but its hard to beat three months of full houses for their Shakespeare season. What was encouraging was the age range at that matinee performance, there were plenty of young faces, though almost all above school age, Classical Theatre will thrive whilst there are interpretors like this company and intimate spaces like the Tobacco Factory.


U3A
My thanks to Adrian Crowley who has made such a success of a facelift for the slide presentation before the Wednesday lectures whilst I was gallivanting, and to Mo who has kept communication on Group activities flowing through the monthly Newsletter. Adrian will take over the slide show, though in a reversal of roles I have offered to deputise for his much shorter holiday week.

I have decided not to stand as Groups' Coordinator, or any other role, on the committee at this year's AGM, though I thoroughly enjoyed it for three years I think it is time for new ideas and renewed enthusiasm.
I like to think I helped make a difference and non more so than by the overdue use of computer technology for the first time in this organisation, plus an illustration of the potential for widened communication by this blog. The blog may well continue though without emphasis on promoting new and troubled U3A groups for which it was first conceived, though certainly with comment on U3A activities dear to my heart. 

Without the slightest doubt I recommend the very interesting and rewarding role of Groups' Coordinator to anyone. I am sure that discussions already in progress by the committee will result in a higher profile for groups, their convenors, tutors and helpers, as well as by structured help for the Coordinator. In the longer term I foresee the evolution of internal Group structures being led by small teams of members - though each group needs a single point of contact.


GP LED NHS for WALES?
The only group meeting I have been to since returning drew my interest from its topic, presented by member Vicky Wood, a researcher on NHS matters. It's difficult to imagine a more topical or vital subject. She started the discussion by summarising the major changes which had taken place in the NHS since its foundation by Aneurin Bevan. She said the most relevant to the current discussion was the introduction of GP Fundholding in the early 1990's but follow up research into the effects had shown only mixed results. Since then The Guardian has added to my understanding. In an informative two page spread it added the introduction of practice based commissioning by Tony Blair in 2005 whereby commissioning of hospital care was shared between GPs in cooperation with The Primary Trusts.

When it came to a question of decision by the group as to whether Wales should follow England in respect of GP control unusually there was a big silence from the group. I for one must admit ignorance as to the way the two countries approach to the NHS differs currently, which didn't help. It is the political question of the hour but only one member was clearly in favour of the change and none of the silent majority spoke definitely against, though one was clearly concerned it would be the first step on the road to the unsatisfactory, privatised, far from universal coverage, system in the USA.

A GP friend used to say the fault lines were drawn in the original agreement with Bevan, by which he meant permission for hospital consultants to work privately as well as for the NHS (since constrained). The main thrust of The Guardian articles was that the GPs, who gained big unforeseen increases in earnings from the changes of the Tony Blair era could be the financial beneficiaries of this proposed system, maybe doubling current earnings. It seemed all too plausible to me. Put together it made me wonder if the current objection by BMA members was not based on the same hospital/GP split. 


I have just a few observations
1) Continual upheaval is unwarranted except for very good, well thought out, reasons. The lack of evidence of the benefits of reorganisation  troubles me, and it seems quite the wrong time for large scale risky experiments.
2) It appears from personal observation that the morale of staff in Hospitals was much improved following the large input of finance by the last government including finance to accelerate operations and reduce waiting lists. It was surely that widely held feeling which caused all political parties to say in the last election debates they would protect spending on the NHS. Indeed we know a Swansea U3A member who classes his treatment here far higher than the experiences he had when he lived in France - the exact opposite to that normally cited.
3) Drawing purely from the unrelated unrelated experience of an design and development engineer I suspect that, regrettable though it may be, a majority of GPs, like engineers, would rather exercise their specialised professional skills than dilute them with general management tasks, for which their interest and training has not equipped them anyway. I say maybe regrettable because in industry that was the cause of the top management posts going to accountants, and we all know that Britain's once world renowned engineering industry, still intact in 1945, has virtually disappeared since. The one world class engineer that remains, Rolls Royce, was throughout headed by engineers who really understood both the business, the innovating technology and the necessity to stay in front or fail, though they did need a government bail out to succeed.

THE RISE and FALL of the SOVIET STATE
Last Wednesdays lecture topic, by Dr Neil Harding. We went not knowing quite the approach which would be taken, would we be drawing lines on a map to show the break up? But no it was nothing short of an intriguing attempt in forty minutes to expound the political principles behind the rise and fall of market driven capitalism and that of planned communist approach. Akin to Julian Barnes attempt to write 'A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters', but much more pertinent.

I would like to feel I have retained a fraction of what was said and wish the lecture had been recorded. What I have kept is the idea that political systems (Capitalist or Communist) contain the seeds of their own destruction and that all lead to Militarism to defend their power. What hope for the world? 

What hope for a pacifist like me? Should I become an advocate for Elle - la Revolution Permanente which Georges Moustaki promoted so attractively years ago in his song, Sans la Nommer, but I guess he was an anarchist at heart, he told us his friends were un peu anars. But as Dr  Harding told us tearing things apart is no longer a realistic option given the ever increasing complexity of modern industry, so is there no way to a more sane world? Maybe I'll retreat to study the three main Hindu Gods in more depth, the one who should have constructed but couldn't bring himself to act, the one who did, and the destroyer, there's a trinity for you.

JAPAN
I don't even feel so confident of my previous advocacy of nuclear power given the terrible tragedy in Japan, from natural causes not warfare, though I am sure the engineers will, given the opportunity, eventually evolve safer reactor designs. But we always said if there is a known mechanism for failure sometime it will happen. Building on a well known active fault line sounded crazy yesterday, let alone today. The far bigger danger in my view is nuclear weapons.

SOLAR POWER
My sister phoned this afternoon to say her voltaic roof started generating power this afternoon and her meter was now running backwards but her computer had ceased to work! There's hope for those who can adapt to daylight living.

LIBYA
As a pacifist I must say military intervention is always wrong. Quite apart from that I think the attempt at Regime Change in our Self Interest, to paraphrase David Cameron, is a strategy which may well backfire in the medium term - even though it is backed to an unclear degree by a UN resolution. I doubt that even the UN should be attempting to police the world.

SHORT COMPUTER TRAINING COURSES
Just before Christmas I led a four week course for Internet Beginners, which set out teach how to think logically, calmly and constructively about it. One of the aims was to provide one on one help for the pupils, in which I had sustained help in the true U3A manner of sharing know-how. If there is sufficient interest I will organise a repeat, the benefits will be greatest to those just starting - in fact last time two of the pupils brought their first computers straight out of the packing case.

WINTER WONDERLAND, well it started like that

Takes me back, just 21, winter in Canada, Rugby on ice, no wonder their season was split in two by a lengthy winter break. Minus 20C in the UK - I could hardly believe it for that's colder than I ever experienced during five years in southern Ontario - my record was in northern Quebec, just once outside in minus 40 (F or C which ever you prefer), pee holes in the deep snow we have a little way to go. But except for the relatively infrequent snow storms the cold was invariably accompanied by clear blue skies, just like we had been having. The other day I caught Joan tilt and turn window wide open sitting on the sill and stretching out as though cleaning the outside of the windows - but no, camera in hand, she was trying to capture the sunlight glinting on the snow of Clyne Common. I hope between us we have got some impression of the magic, pale blue and white make a fine pair. Then back again to dismal cloud from the south west, which even though it is a few degrees warmer has broken the spell. No wonder I am now depressed from SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder)

Today when people ask 'am I sorry to have left Canada, would I go back'? The answer is a clear 'no' because I could not face the long cold winters where snow comes in December and never thaws until March (four days rather than four months is already awakening the same vulnerability). It was great fun to learn to ice skate by playing ice-hockey on the frozen Lake Ontario (well we did buy boots and sticks, which acted as a support to disguise the lack of skill), and on the areas of flat parkland which were flooded for the winter so as to form huge ice rinks. I remember snow too cold to form snow balls.

One of the world's great spectacles is the heaving and breaking of thawing ice confined by river banks. New arrival, Joan, shared the sight with me in early April at Valleyfield, Quebec, following a tributary along the road which would cross the soon to be opened Saint Lawrence Seaway. In summer Cunard sailed to Quebec City but at this time of year it ended at at Halifax Nova Scotia where she was met by my best Irish friend who was commissioning an Ice Breaker whilst I battled the cold with the new Seaway lift bridges in Montreal and Valleyfield. The Seaway was another case of too little too late, a great idea whose time had passed - a few years later 100,000 ton ore bulk carriers were docking at the new tidal  Port Talbot harbour. An attempt to automate the new unloaders was my first failure in the Steel Industry - but an unforgettable insight into 'simple' harmonic motion, think of the swing when accelerating the pivot point of a mannerly pendulum whilst drastically changing its length so as to haul iron ore out of a boat by grab crane and deposit it in a fixed hopper on shore.

TAKING STOCK
For the past couple of years Swansea U3A has been characterised by steadily increasing numbers of members but high turnover from year to year and my belief is that we never involved those who left after a single year. So far that trend seems to be even worse this year, which seems surprising given the large increase in new activity groups formed during the year all bar one of which are well and truly launched. But read further and learn how much of the dynamism needed to run new groups is coming from new members

Is the real problem one of communication and getting the bulk of new members to take their first step? I meet a lot of people who are delighted with the friendship and interests they find here. but in this blog I am almost certainly preaching to the converted. However the  take up by this year's new members is disappointingly low, one hopes it is balanced by increased reliance on the website as the prime source of electronic information. The future for communication is electronic for any 700+ member organisation.

If you want to find out more about a group then phone the contact given with you membership card, voice contact is best for initial contact, or email the same person via the website just quoting the group's name in the subject of the email, or phone me the Groups' Coordinator Brian Corbett on 424702 or Mo Ellard 363465 who is deputising.


In the old days everything revolved around the Wednesday afternoon lectures at the University, they still exist and are if any thing improving in quality and diverse interest but the numbers attending have dropped off a bit - perhaps as a result of the alternatives within our organisation, perhaps as a result of the tendency away from thought provoking activities towards the comfortably social. A major obstacle is undoubtedly car parking and the answer is greater reliance on buses for the university is excellently served by the new metro-line from the north, the orange 82 bus university service and many more from the new Quadrant and points west. Park and ride is perhaps the best option from the east of the city.


GROUP NEWS

PHYSICAL FITNESS, includes three new groups
We are well served here by a variety of very popular groups from the long standing Walking Group which meet at 10.30am on alternate Thursday mornings and has rambles often in the Gower followed by a Pub Lunch.
Now in its third year the Jive Group meets at 11am every Wednesday in the Monkey Cafe in the centre of Swansea. Both of these are excellent places for new members to start if only because they are fairly large diverse groups and by their very nature it is easy to make informal contact, with other members and find out about many of the other happenings.

Tai Chi, two years old, restarts 7 Jan 2011 with the usual three one hour classes, 9am, 10.30 and 12 on Friday mornings at Hazel Court. They help improve control of body movement and practise memorising lengthy complex routines - also true, in a more vigorous style, of Jive.
Yoga has been introduced this year for the first time and we are lucky to have two excellent class leaders who are members of the U3A, which keeps the cost down. Choose between two classes on Wednesday morning at 9.30 and 11am with Edna Jones, and a class on 10am Thursday morning with Chris Bryan.


I did a years Tai Chi last year with Mike Hart but have now homed in on Yoga, neither of which I had previously tried.  Exercises I have done all my life but always vigorously and with multiple repetitions with the goal of keeping fit and strong. Yoga has been an eye opener as practised here it is well suited to our age group, the emphasis is on retaining flexibility by gentle deep breathing, persistent rather than vigorous stretching and twisting, and, the regain of a balance which was once second nature. I started with Chris in the summer and have continued with her since (there will be an extra vacant spot at the start of 2011 during my winter in India). She is delaying restart until Thursday 27 January to give herself a well deserved break.

Last week, the end for 2010, I was surprised by how effective virtually the same movements were without floor exercises, just standing or sitting in an upright chair. The thought occurred to me that such an approach would open the sessions to those who for various reasons find it almost impossible to get on and off the floor, like for instance my wife Joan who has two artificial knees and can no longer kneel. I am sure Chris would be prepared to cater for such members within a more fully able class, or if the demand was high enough as a second session on Thursday mornings. Call Chris to discuss it on 301938.


As far as sport is concerned we have added this term two hour sessions of Short Tennis on Thursday mornings at the Leisure Centre (LC2). This is played on a badminton court with a soft ball which is hard to hit hard and therefore is a game without service aces but continual retrieval can be quite vigorous. Contact David or Judy Jones on 410484 who are keen to reproduce what they brought from Maidenhead. Given that there are six badminton courts available of which only three are currently used this group could be doubled in size. The two existing Indoor Bowls groups n have been nearer to capacity for some years but there is some turnover so the persistent eventually get their turn. Contact Angela re the Monday pm session, or Dudley re the Tuesday morning sessions - both at the West Cross Community Centre

Pat Herbert has now undertaken to give a trial run to a Fitness Class on Tuesday 18 January, watch the website or Wednesday lecture slides for more information. 

CREATIVE GROUPS
In this category I count the writing classes run by Jill Govier on Mondays at 10am and John Barber on Tuesdays at 10.15 both at Hazel Court. These courses are the source of many articles which are published in our annual magazine The Chronicle.


Then there are the three painting groups, Mary Lane's well established group meets every Tuesday afternoon in Mumbles, Val Day's Art/Painting group which meets on the 3rd Monday of each month in Fforestfach, and the newest a Beginners Watercolour group run weekly on Thursday afternoon by Brenda Sweet, though she tells me she does not intend to remain restricted to Watercolours which is often thought of as the easy option but which in many ways is the most difficult technique.


READING, one new group
Literature group run by Lawmary Champion studies the chosen books more thoroughly spending longer on each and meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday afternoons of the month at Newton Village Hall.
There is variety in the approach of the other five Reading groups. I now understand that Vicky Wood, who is already involved with the Gardening group, has taken over as convenor of Reading 5.

READING 1

READING 4

LANGUAGE, one new group with two more probables
There is a very strong French Group which divides into two parts, those wanting to gain confidence with French grammar who work in one half of the room with convenor Gilly Jordan, and the other more advanced half who are led by ex teacher Beryl Edney, with new member Jean Cunniffe (a graduate in French) taking sessions to allow Beryl some time off. Not until the morning of their Christmas Dinner did I realise our Membership card gives my phone number by error against the name of convenor Gilly Jordan, it should of course have been 01269 824876

Italian used to be my biggest headache but has truly found a niche under Italian born ex DACE teacher Carolina Rosati-Jones and enthusiastic convenor Patricia Morgan. Last week we men (a badminton player, a bee-keeper, a blogger, a bridge player, and an ever young squash player outnumbered the ladies 5:2. Is this a record for a U3A group? Perhaps this accounts for the recent run of 'complaints' from next door that they cannot concentrate on their painting for all the laughter coming from the Italian class, and it's us who are in the Dry side of the Craft Room! More likely it derives from  Carolina an award winning creative writer with a penchant for stories and humour and, as she demonstrated last week, with a fine singing voice and a deep love of sound of the Italian language.

SPANISH
Alison Burns, new this year - better known for work with Amnesty International, was keen to start a conversation group and is succeeding, they are currently trying out free venues so be sure to contact her  on 290260 if interested in attending. She keeps contact with the group via email alisoneburns@yahoo.co.uk  There were around 10 of us on the awful winter day well down on the previous session. I am sure they would welcome the leadership of someone really secure in the grammar and the spoken language, a feature we have in 'spades' in the other two language groups. Anyone out there willing and able to contribute?


One of my other local interests as a frequent travellor in Latin America is via ALAS (Asociacion Latinoamerica de Swansea) which over the past decade has held annual festivals at The Dylan Thomas Centre. Memorable ones include the early Latin American film only festivals which started in a decade ago in the Dylan Thomas Theatre, one with a top Salsa Band from London, a memorable weekend including a book drawn from Welsh oral history of the Spanish Civil War. More recently there was one on the Cuban revolution including its modern political history and response to the crisis caused there by the disintegration of its great supporter the USSR, under Yeltsin two decades ago. Interposed with which there have always been documentaries on the political oppression of socialists in South America, which presumably brought many of the ALAS founders to Swansea. I remember my eldest Jim recounting the arrival of Chilean girl to his form in Bishop Gore 35 or so years ago.

In the New Year from 6pm Friday 18 Feb  2011 it starts with a Madrid theatre performance of a play for voices Tejas Verdes (with English sub titles) recording one woman's fate in the military overthrow of the Allende government of Chile in 1973; through dinners, films, dances, to a piano concert and reading from Pablo Neruda's poetry to 7pm Sunday 20 Feb. 

Their website is www.alas.org.uk but this does not currently appear to provide a link to the detailed program which is available by email on request to  alas_wales@hotmail.com


BRITISH FILM
The new British Film study group run by Anthea Symonds (206479) meet at 2pm Ground floor Hazel Court on the First Thursdays, next one 3 February will start a term exploring wartime films from the 1940's. Joan relayed to me what an well presented, amusing. topic it was. So I accompanied her to the last session on a dreadful winter day, she still drew an audience of 18, to a study of Proud Valley with Paul Robeson set in the Welsh valleys and what she described as the best documentary ever made the night train with sorters on board and snatched pick up of mail bags in the old days of mechanical automation, featuring a poem of W H Auden to the rhythm of a train.  


Night Train by W. H. Auden (1907 - 1973), first verse only


This is the Night Mail crossing the border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner and the girl next door.
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:
The gradient's against her, but she's on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,
Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses
Birds turn their heads as she approaches,
Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches.
Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course;
They slumber on with paws across.
In the farm she passes no one wakes,
But a jug in the bedroom gently shakes.

Then Anthea goes on to amuse us by quoting a modern 'spoof version' she found on the Internet - I think it was this one

The Modern Mail by Jeff Green (after W D Auden)

Second class mail is getting much slower
Standards of service now even lower,
Most of it junk mail heading for landfill,
Or charity mailshots trading on goodwill.
The van's slowing down fry-up is calling
Delays to the mails are something appalling

Stamps cost a fortune come in a book
Is this the right one where can I look?
Packages, parcels, low business rate
All in one post van and all of it late
Card from your Mother, "Best Wishes" son
Just has you guessing "Now what have I done?"
Postie is dawdling, stops for a fag
Chats to a neighbour, has a good drag
Clatter of envelopes crash to the mat
Most are for next-door, he's scared of their cat
Catalogue filled with ladies undressing,
Study that later, I don't mind confessing!
Bill for some services I haven't had
The late Birthday Present I bought for my Dad.

All that I'm waiting for hasn't arrived;
Of toys and amusements I'm sadly deprived.
The train doesn't bring them it's all done by van;
Delays and diversions where-ever they can.
Somewhere in his grave I can hear Auden spinning
And no-one can doubt why it's email that's winning!!!

Plenty of room though visibility of large but low TV screen could be a problem, Anthea (new this year) merits a big audience. 

PRE-CONCERT TALKS
Cecily Hughes (363875) has arranged five such lectures by Chris Weekes (lecturer in music for DACE) on Monday afternoons in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre starting on 31 January with an introduction of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.
Space in this wonderful venue is virtually unlimited and the talks are only 2 pounds, but if you decide to attend you will need to buy your own tickets for the concert in the Brangwyn Hall

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL
They have had to change venue and have decided to go to the large ground floor room at Hazel Court. The very first there at 2.30 on the Friday 7 January will be by Brian Davies, the current convenor, presenting the La Loire, the beautiful French river famed for its Chateaux. Here's hoping he will do as well for France as he did for Swansea and Gower as a short notice replacement for the final Wednesday lecture of last term.


The room has been booked through to December 2011, but remember Brian Davies is finishing as convenor this summer, after several years in charge. Group members should think about a replacement for this well attended group.


POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP GROUP
Another excellent group thriving under the new leadership of Gabrielle Suff. Her last coup was to persuade Peter Black, AM and Swansea Councillor, to talk to us on Coalition Government.
The groups interest was clearly evident from the extensive questioning. I would certainly go along with his view that the Liberals had no option but except to join a coalition with the Conservatives in order to provide the stable government which the country so obviously needed. We should be grateful they have stuck to their task, think of the chaos when Ireland was forced into an early General Election by dissolution of their weak coalition. Clearly they have been able to strengthen the liberal wing of the Tories notably Ken Clarke, who ironically like the Liberals must be thanking the day we stayed out of the Euro and preserved the freedom to devalue by 25%, or depreciate as Peter Black would have preferred to say - though it seems little more than a semantic distinction to me.


The one area where the Liberals have not gained noticeable moderation of Tory policies is in the area non of the parties dare discus in their electioneering, the Economy. We have so far avoided a double dip recession but as he admitted on answer to another question any cuts to date have been those put in place by the outgoing Labour Government. The end of the financial year 2011/12 will for me be the very earliest time to evaluate if we have escaped unscathed from their current single track emphasis on reducing spending, in a doomsday scenario we could end up increasing our debt under collapsing paid employment.


This will make the current furore about Tuition Fees look like the minor feature it is. I, a long supporter of the merits of some contribution for university education coming from the students themselves, because I believed they needed to value and not enter lightly into such education. No I am simply horrified by the huge increase in scale of student debt implied by the current proposals. It was excessive debt that got us here in the first place, now we are ingraining it into the next generation. Bear a thought for those students who achieve full time employment above the median wage, 25,000 pounds a year in 2010, by the time they are thirty and wanting to start family life. (If 50% of the population go to university then many graduates will, almost by definition, end up under the median full time wage, though many more will end up as well paid bankers, lawyers, accountants, doctors, scientists and engineers whose costs will have been refunded by their parents or employers - 'it's fair' - pull the other leg.)  


If there is one factor which to me is even more disturbing which seemed to have disappeared from the political landscape and that is for incoming governments to dismantle the policies of their predecessors. One day a new Aneurin Bevan will see fit to restore public services. Why dispense with regulatory control, of drugs by NICE, of schools by publicly accountable authorities, hand food safety issues to manufacturers.


In the meantime if 20:1 is an appropriate salary range from very top to bottom for public employees (David Cameron's figure not mine) why not in the private sector too?

ANYTHING GOES
A new venture by Pat Herbert (405920), Barbara Ellis, Marion Harris and Joy Gillard to encourage support for events at local clubs and businesses. Joan and I joined them for their first get-together at the so called Vanilla Restaurant run at Gower College in Tycoch by trainees. Excellent value for a well cooked meal, though being last to order I just missed out on the most popular dish, Plaice.

They are starting the New Year at 11am on 18 January with coffee/wine in the Grape and Vine restaurant on the top floor of our skyscraper.


Already there are a few new faces at Jazzlands, although there were a number of regulars in ones and twos. Why not become members at the beginning of January £25 with two stand-out events Mornington Locket (tenor sax) on Wednesday the 5th and then Jim Mullen (guitar) with Stan Sulzmann (reeds and flute) on the 12th.


CHRISTMAS PARTY AT SWANSEA JAZZLAND
This was held on 15 December as previously advertised and what an event, never before have so many talented jazz musicians appeared together in Swansea. The evening started with a hour by a band of teenagers now calling themselves The Gents (previously The Tourists) and led by fabulously talented fourteen year old Sam Vine on keyboards, a name to watch. His brother Tom is on bass guitar,  Tom Duggan played alto sax and Tom Goldring drums, with the somewhat older James Duggan (tenor sax) guesting later on. You can hear them any Monday from 8.30 till 11pm at Noah's Yard in Uplands.

But the real feast was to come the inaugural performance of Dave Cottle's 16 piece Big Band. They started with Grandstand as though we were in for an evening of Premiership football, everything was clearer on noticing the music stands were from grandstands.com . All but two played solos of whom the pick were top British jazz stars Steve Waterman on trumpet and Simon Allen on tenor sax, though two of the the biggest cheers of the night went to Tom Harris on Baritone and Tom White and Sarah Morrow with their trombone duet.

The majority of the rest hailed from South Wales. Oliver Nezhati from Llandeilo was not too long ago being praised at Jazzland by top UK trumpeter Bruce Adams for being unfairly good for someone so young, he set the night off with a barnstorming solo on tenor. I was impressed by young Nick Mead on trumpet who read as accurately and played as confidently as Steve Waterman at the opposite end of the trumpet line up when some were at sea on a complicated piece by Mendoza and Dave Cottle had to give up piano and conduct. Nick, a new face to me, was said to come from Gower.


THEATRE
Please support Peter Richards director of the Ffluellen Theatre who gave a well attended 'Theatre in the Round' production of Hamlet in the Arts Wing of the Grand Theatre in November. He also ran three day long 'Discovering Shakespeare Workshops' at the Dylan Thomas Centre on, Macbeth, Henry the 5th, and Twelfth Night. Joan and I enjoyed all three which got better and better, if only because there was a more complete study of the plays, despite a dismal turnout. We can safely assert that we gained a deeper insight into those plays in a day than good language teachers conveyed at school in a term - the reason coming from his life time as actor and the last 10 years as director of Shakespeare and other plays. To call them workshops was perhaps misleading, since they were essentially theatrical monologues drawn from a lifetimes thought and experience.


He intends to run three more workshops in the Dylan Thomas Centre in the spring followed by a Ffluellen Theatre production of Cymbeline in the autumn.

SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOBACCO FACTORY
Another recommendation on a similar theme Richard 2nd and then The Comedy of Errors at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol, every night except Sunday from 10 Feb to the 30 April. Theatre in the Round performances under director Andrew Hilton which regularly rate supportive revues in the national press. Matinees are held on Saturdays and some Thursdays and can be incorporated in a day-trip by rail or National Express. This is the 12th annual season of Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory www.sattf.org.uk