Our activities have continued at a good level throughout the year, driven by the whole­hearted commitment of so many of our members. I shall refer to some by name and trust that the others will know that their contributions are greatly appreciated and that we have all been. part of the success of our self-help organisation.

Pride of place this year goes to Rosemary Nicholls and her helpers, especially her husband, Gerald. They have, as usual, provided a series of excellent outings, very well planned and carried through with such thought for the pleasure and comfort of the participants. Rosemary has won many battles with bureaucracy and we remember the problems of dealing with the RSC at Stratford. Always, but always, she has kept within her budget and given us a service of which we (and she) should be justly proud. Now, after many years, she has decided to retire and we shall not readily forget all that she has done. She deserves special recognition and we offer our deep gratitude and best wishes for the future. John Ewington takes over from Rosemary in March. We thank him for undertaking this task, and admire his courage in following Rosemary's reign.

Your Committee has worked hard on your behalf throughout the year. We were fortunate to regain the outstanding experience and knowledge of Chris Dickson, and she was able immediately to take on a significant role. She kept us informed of national issues and it was appropriate that she should represent us at the National Conference in Leicester. Elizabeth Richmond moved from her co-opted status to become an active elected member. Leaving at the end of this year are Mary and Ralph Smith, who brought great expertise and skill to the demanding task of Group Organisation. Eve Shillingford also reaches the end of her term, and we shall greatly miss her friendly presence and pertinent views. As will be clear from the comments below, the other members of the Committee, Tom Coombes, Valerie Ekins, Diana Hayne and Bob Pearce, have continued to serve you well in their various ways

We are very fortunate in our two main Officers. David Wilson took over as Treasurer from Denis Callaway at the beginning of the year, and it very soon became apparent that he knew more about our financial affairs than the rest of us put together. By the time of our mid-year accounts it felt as though he had been with us for years, and he has kept our finances in good order throughout the year. Our Secretary, Neville Jennings, has done an equally excellent job in keeping the rest of affairs on track and making sure that we have done what we should when we should. On a personal note, I thank him especially for responding so readily to my requests for informal advice, and for so willingly standing in for me when I have been unable to perform.

We have retained the cap on our membership at 500, and Valerie Ekins, our Membership Secretary, has continued the good work of earlier years in seeking to provide new members with a helpful and complete package of information and in keeping the time on our waiting list to a minimum. We have also again addressed the problem of making newcomers welcome in such a large group of people.

Chris Dickson took over as Group Organiser from Mary and Ralph Smith, and continued their success in producing the programme of Groups and allocating the places without confusion and to time. We were pleased to start new activities, some under new leadership, and thus to offer about the usual number of varied groups. This is a continuing process, and we look for more leaders and for topics of interest to the membership. It is somewhat disappointing that over 100 of our members do not apply for any Group activities at all. This year we have seen a welcome expansion in the number of activities across the three U3As in our area. New Groups included archaeology, computing (at South Wilts Girls' School) and Health Research (at the Hospital).

We at last solved our doubts about the Anniversary Lunch when members voted decisively in favour of a bring-your-own-food format at St Francis Church. Tom Coombes acted as supremo aided by many helpers and especially his wife Judy, Diana Hayne and Elizabeth Richmond. It was most pleasing that a short entertainment was provided by our own choir under Barbara Butler. It was good to hear the reports of a friendly feeling and an enjoyable time had by many of those who attended. Nevertheless the Committee is always glad to have suggestions for improvement. The joint dinner with the other U3As was not held this year, and it might well be the time to think of reintroducing it in a new form - perhaps a lunch around midsummer?

Tom and Judy together with Bob Pearce and Eve Shillingford took a large part in the running of the Monthly Meetings, and we are indebted to all those who helped in providing coffee and in setting up the hall before and after the meetings. We are pleased that we can now offer our speakers the use of a slide projector which can cope with the lack of complete blackout in the hall. It has certainly improved the presentation of projected images on several occasions and we are spared the embarrassment of the past to both speaker and audience. It has been my hope that the speakers would be so attractive and the presentation so excellent that nobody would want to leave the hall before the start of the talk! This is not to say that the function of the Meeting as a coffee morning plus notices should be changed, but the consideration of such matters as whether the format of the Meeting might be better or the fees increased for speakers. This could be helpful to Elizabeth Richmond who has now taken on the arrangements for the speakers.

James Mogford as editor has produced three excellent Newsletters during the year, aided, as ever, by Fred and Diana Barlow and Bob Pearce, and their helpers, in the production and distribution. The introduction of a smaller version of the Newsletter has proved a great success. Not only is it cheaper to produce, but it also easier to send out, and is both readable and easy to handle for our members. James has also introduced some new features, notably the creative writing competition and some entertaining original articles.

Elizabeth Richmond has continued to write reports of our Meetings for the local press, which continues to print them irregularly. In the latter part of the year Moira Dickson took over, and we are grateful to both of them for performing this rather thankless task At least, we are now able to present the reports on our website and we thank Joan New for keeping both this and our file in the library up-to-date.

The sting in the tail of this report is that, in view of increasing costs, the Committee has had to reconsider the annual subscription, and is proposing a rise for 2006. The Treasurer's report will be put to the AGM.

Finally, at the end of my term as Chairman, I should like to thank everybody for making my time so agreeable. I have had the greatest possible help from all the Committee members with whom it has been a pleasure to work and enjoyable to be with. I have found the membership as a whole to be equally supportive, appreciative when things have gone right and tolerant when they have not. Altogether it has been a privilege to act as your Chairman, and I wish you all stimulation, good fellowship and fun in your membership of our U3A.

----John Illston-----

Taking over as Chairman of the Salisbury U3A is, for me, a particularly daunting task. My predecessor, John Illstone, was an excellent and experienced leader, who has gathered around him a first class committee which not only knows the work entrusted to them but gets on with it and carries it out with first class efficiency.

Within our membership of five hundred men and women there are those with considerable experience of management in their life-time careers and whose intellect and administrative skills are of the first order.

Into this arena, for some strange reason, I have been placed and must, from the start, declare my total commitment to do as well as I can. I will always remember that education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.

Any new Chairman creates slight anxiety amongst the loyal adherents for they immediately fear that there will be ‘change and decay in all around I see’. Please be assured I do not feel that that is my brief - much more to be aware of the well-being of our members and to fulfil their expectations.

You all know that currently we have a definite need for new courses and new leaders so ensuring that our menu covers as wide a variety of subjects as possible. I hope that more of you will respond to this appeal. I myself retain a class of sixteen and am well aware that they all know I am only two sentences ahead of them at any given time.

As I begin my three years in office I know that I have your full support

----John Leeming-----

Computer Courses. September for the School year. South Wilts Grammar School provides the venue for the U3A Computer Studies. The Tutor - Fiona Green - is provided by Government Funding for Life Long Learning and is part of the commitment by SWGS as a delegated Specialist Maths Centre.

Beginners meet on Tuesdays at 4.15 pm to 5.45 pm throughout the year apart from School Holidays. Intermediate level meets on Wednesdays at the same time. All current course members have expressed their complete satisfaction with the excellence of the Tutor who makes it all fun to learn.

Numbers are limited to 10 for Beginners and 12 for Intermediates. The facilities of the computer suite are superb. We agree the course material with the Tutor so that we learn the aspects of computing that will best suit our needs. The courses will appear in the Programme that Chris Dickson is preparing but as the Group Co-ordinator I need to have some guidance on numbers interested in attending these courses so that plans can be made. If you are considering applying to join this September please tell me - I really can assure you that you will gain an immense deal of pleasure coming to terms with this machine that controls so much of what we do these days.

Contact Neville for further information. The courses are free to members of all three Salisbury U3As.

The Sources magazine from the Third Age Trust is an excellent read. It is free but you have to request to go on the mailing list. You are really missing out if you do not receive this very knowledgeable educational bulletin. Just apply to the National Office.

The U3A Science and Technology Network is holding its third annual Seminar of 3-day duration, open to all U3A members, on Monday 8th to Thursday 11th August 2005 in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. Further details on the Notice Board

U3A Summer Schools have a limited number of vacancies - do not delay - apply as soon as possible to The National Office. Details on the Notice Board.

Two recent discoveries (both free): http://google.picasa.com for some truly superb software for managing image files and also visit www.copernic.com for the answer to all our prayers (Desktop Search) for those who find Windows XP search tool a pain. Thanks to Tom Holloway.

The BBC would like to know if you have a WWII story to tell - details on the Notice Board. Also Poetry readings on May 25th and July 27th 2005, both at 7.30 pm in Sarum College - details on the Notice Board.

----Neville Jennings-----

A brief note of our accounts, year ending 2004

Those of you who attended the AGM will have had a full statement of the accounts for last year. Below is a short summary (with numbers rounded up or down), but those of you who wish for the full statement must contact David Wilson please.

Our main income is from subscriptions £4,600 (which will go up by a £1 next year) and the money from the monthly meetings, 50p a head, altogether approx £5,300.

Main items of expenditure are £1,250 to Third Age Trust (capitation fee), subsidies for various groups/courses about £1,000, this Newsletter about £700 and direct mail for the U3A News of £400. Other expenses are administration, secretarial expenses, hire of church hall etc. We also bought for £1,500 a very good new projector to show slides at the monthly meeting and which may also be borrowed by groups.

As a result of this expenditure our outgoings exceeded our income by approximately £900.

----David Wilson-----

April 6th

May 4th

June 1st

July 6th

August 3rd

September 7th

Ian Lace

Rev Roger Hawkins

Tom Burr

Bob Baker

Peter Redmond

Humour in music

Group leaders’ presentation

History of the British cathedrals in needlepoint

Stourhead – creating the landscape

Bobby’s war – a child’s view of WWII in Salisbury

Geriatric on a bike in Jordan

This is to remind members that a file containing information about U3A is to be found in the Salisbury Reference Library shelved with Prospectuses of Higher Education under the heading ‘370 EDUCATION’ The file has a copy of the current Newsletter and programme and the latest Third Age News. It also contains recent issues of Sources, sections on Spire and Sarum U3As, together with a copy of Salisbury U3A’s New Constitution.
If you want to place information in this file or have any questions about it, please contact Joan New 336848.

Salisbury U3A's web site address is www.salisburyu3a.org.uk

Dear Fellow U3A Members,

On your behalf, the Committee have given me a very lovely cymbidiun plus some John Lewis tokens. I was quite overwhelmed at such generosity and thank you for all your kind comments and best wishes.
Running the outings has been interesting, a challenge at times but good fun too. I hope John Ewington will enjoy it equally.
Gerald and I look forward to attending some of John's outings but as members in the crowd.

With all best wishes. R.N.

GR 946294 Free car park,
The Avenue

It is probably the most important function of a U3A to provide opportunities for its members to enjoy, study, take part in, as wide a range of subjects as can possibly be assembled. This is my present job. We have around 500 members, and I want to draw on the knowledge, experience and interests of as many of those as I can. Could you be a Group Leader?

First of all, I want to thank those people who have already sent in their forms, volunteering to continue with the Group they led last year, or to start a new. one.

It is not so difficult to lead a Group as you might think:

The Group can be of 2 or 3 in a sitting room or larger numbers in a Hall. We have a list of halls for hire in Salisbury, and half the cost is paid by the U3A, only half having to be covered by the students.

The Group can meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly for as many, or few, meetings as you wish, each as long or short as you wish.

Your choice of subject need not be connected with your working occupation, most of the best ones are based on outside interests. You do not need to be an expert or a teacher, there are ways of organising the Group so that the research and presentation of the subject can be shared by the whole Group, either by taking it in turns to talk to the group, or by devising a list of topics and discussing one every meeting, when members have had the chance to do some research.

Some experienced leaders have written Start-up leaflets, which may be helpful. They are obtainable from the National Office.

The Resource Centre, based at the National Office, has a wide selection of non-book materials, slides, videos, CDs, DVDs and tapes, including language tapes, which can be borrowed free. The only charge is the postage to return them.

The Subject Network Co-ordinators, listed in the U3A News, are experienced leaders and willing to help in any way they can.

The magazine Sources, also to be obtained through the National Office, consists of articles written by Group Leaders to spread good practice. Shared Learning making use of local museums is another helpful project.
Finally, I am here, and very willing to discuss any ideas you have, either on the phone or here at my house over a cup of coffee.

Do any of these subjects interest you? Castles, railways, crochet, landscape, science, rivers & lakes, travel, Scrabble, chess, antiques & collectables, languages, creative writing, oral history, the Industrial Revolution, the qwerty kevboard, making models?

Monday January 24th 2005 saw the last meeting of the Salisbury U3A Cochrane Journal Search Group of the Cochrane Cancer Network. First formed in 1999 the Group (Diana and Fred Barlow, Joan Brown, Jean Macadam, Joan New, Elisabeth Richmond and Jean Ridgway) have been meeting regularly at the library at Salisbury District Hospital to help the Cochrane Cancer Network identify ‘lost’ reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer by 'hand searching' key journals such as Cancer and Journal of Clinical Oncology. The searching of the journals, co-ordinated by the Oxford-based Cochrane Cancer Network, has had to end because of the termination of the Network's funding by the Department of Health and Cancer Research UK

RCTs provide the data used in Cochrane systematic reviews to determine whether a health care treatment or practice works or not and are part of the body of ‘best evidence’ upon which new NHS guidelines are based. ‘Hand searching’ involves a manual page-by­-page examination of the entire contents of a journal to identify all eligible reports of trials, whether they appear in articles, abstracts, news columns, letters or other text. Although many health care journals can now be searched electronically (if you have paid the expensive subscription) or have their contents indexed on global databases, hand searching journals remains necessary because not all trial reports are included on electronic bibliographic databases, and, even when they are included, they may not be indexed with terms that allow them to be easily identified as trials.

‘It is very sad and represents a real loss’ said the Cochrane Cancer Network’s convenor, Mark Lodge, ‘The Salisbury U3A Cochrane Journal Search Group is one of a number of groups of volunteers around the world that have been helping with the Cochrane Collaboration’s ambitious project to scour the world’s biomedical literature and retrieve ‘‘lost’’ data. Through its electronic searches and the Salisbury Group’s hand searches the Cochrane Collaboration has been able to identify over 2260 reports of trials from the Journal of Clinical Oncology alone and the evidence they contain has been cited in 90 Cochrane Reviews. The work this Group has done is highly valued and will continue to contribute to the ‘‘best evidence’’ for years to come’.

Assuming that most people have read the accounts of the latest disaster there are a few facts which were not much discussed in the press.

Firstly, I was astounded to discover that the last time the Indian Ocean was systematically surveyed was by the Indian Survey Department in 1883-1886 and the surrounding seas in 1888-1889 by the British Navy. This was because the Andaman Islands provided a number of safe, deep, natural harbours which did not exist on the Indian Continent. The British also had a large penaI colony there and a Captain Blair was the governor - hence Port Blair, now the capital.

Secondly, why did the tidal wave engulf such an enormous area? The answer lies in the Indian Ocean itself in that it is comparatively shallow compared with the Atlantic or Pacific. Both these oceans are well covered in geology textbooks but not the Indian Ocean about which I knew next to nothing and had to go to the web for up-to-date information. The Atlantic is slowly becoming larger as there is a spreading ridge in the middle. This is composed of volcanic material erupting along the ridge and giving the islands IceIand, Azores, Cape Verde, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha etc. The Pacific, on the other hand, is becoming smaller, the lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) are being subducted under the lighter continental plates. This is particularly pronounced off the West Coast of N. and S. America and round Japan and Indonesia.

The Indian Ocean also has spreading ridges. Put very simply there is one on the western side of the Indian Ocean, one in the north and one on the east. These ridges are spreadmg but much more slowly than the mid-atlantic one, 2mm/yr as opposed to 5mm. When the earthquake occurred on a plate boundary the sea rushed in to fill the depression.This caused the water to pull back from the coast and then produce a large wave which, as it travelled over the relatively shallow floor, built up as it met the ridges, becoming even higher before crashing on to the land.

What I think this terrible disaster has shown, more than anything, is that this is one world and that people irrespective of colour or creed are all in it together.

In 1939 a young teenager and his younger sister were canoeing down the Avon. It was bucketing with rain so he decided to pull off the river and find shelter. A kind lady took them into her cottage by the river. He never forgot the sanitary arrangements which was hardly surprising as he found himself sitting poised over the river with the storm winds gusting round him.
Many still depend on cesspits or septic tanks but few do not have flushing WCs. Of course, the Minoans were flushing waste 4,000 years ago and the Romans had communal flush toilets of a kind 2000 years ago in Britain.

The first Water Closet in England was invented and constructed by John Harington of Kelston, near Bath, in 1591. Harington’s father had been close to the Princess Elizabeth and our John was the Queen's ‘witty’ Godson. He was exiled to Bath for translating a naughty play from the 28th volume of Orlando Furioso by the Roman, Ariosto. Two cuckolded husbands decide to take revenge on womankind but eventually decide that their wives are no worse than the rest... ..
It was a great success with the Court ladies but when the Virgin Queen read it he was in trouble - her political strategy overseas depended on her chastity and his book was seen as a political threat. She banned him from Court until he had translated all the other 45 volumes of Ariosto's work! This took him six or seven years but he achieved it and also installed the first water closet.
He wrote a punning treatise on the Ajax, his water flushed toilet, complete with plans and costs. It aroused interest but few imitators. Rumour had it that the Raleighs had one fitted at their Downton manor house but rumour is all it ever was, one suspects.

Eventually the Queen did have one built at Richmond Palace and caused a copy of Sir John’s book to be hung on a chain beside it in her smallest room. Harington immediately had a punning verse to play on being chained.

In 1775 Alexander Gumming, a Bond Street watchmaker, took out the first patent for a water-closet well over a century and a half after Harington’s death. The valve closet of Joseph Bramah, a cabinet maker, was the next patent in 1778 and, vitally important, the first patent for a stink-trap was taken out in 1782 by John Gaillait, a cook.

Thomas Crapper may have made serviceable sanitary ware but the verb commonly in use probably derives from the much earlier Dutch krappe, ‘to break off’. Most of our earthier words seem to have come from Northern Europe! However, as you go round the world, whatever the language barrier, those two letters W and C will often save you from the more embarrassing need for mime.

I think a number of members know that I am a keen woodworker and as a change from making musical instruments I have been ‘toying’ with the idea of making automata - those little toys (sorry about the previous pun) often made from wood where you turn a handle or press a lever, or whatever, which sets off a train of events that may be amusing, clever, or just daft.

It occurred to me that there may be other members who are currently making automata and also those who might be interested in making them and I wondered whether we might join together and form a little group where we could pool our knowledge, skills and interests. If anyone is interested in such a proposition, perhaps you would like to ring me.