From the Chairman

Maturity

A veteran teacher was certain that he would get the forthcoming vacancy for Deputy Head since he had greater seniority than every other teacher in the school. When the appointment went to a member of staff with far less experience he was quite outraged.

'How can you do this to me when I have been teaching at this school for twenty years?' he lamented to the Chairman of Governors.

With gentle wisdom the Chairman responded, 'You haven't been teaching twenty years. You have been teaching one year twenty times.’

We have no control over our chronological age and only a minimal control over our intellectual and physiological ages. We can, however, choose our social and emotional ages. Social and emotional retardation can be remedied with effort. Learning social skills and developing emotional maturity are choices afforded to every one of us.

Perseus may be chronologically mature but emotionally immature whilst Andromeda might well be intellectually mature but socially immature. There is no correlation between chronological age, intellectual age, social age or emotional age. Just because someone is 'grown-up' chronologically does not necessarily mean that they are 'grown-up' emotionally.

Chronological and intellectual maturity combined with emotional immaturity is not uncommon and in some cases can be potentially dangerous. If Eurydice's body and mind are adult but her emotional development is that of a child she can well wreak havoc in her life and in the lives of others.

A relationship between two people is only as well adjusted as the two participants.

A self-centred person does not see himself realistically, does not take responsibility for his own mistakes, is unable to criticise himself constructively, and is insensitive to the feelings of others. Only emotionally mature people can experience true empathy, which is a prime requirement for successful relationships.

Half our mistakes in life arise from feeling where we ought to think, and thinking where we ought to feel.

-----Jack Leeming -----

From the Secretary

Charge for Group Coffee. The membership postal vote was overwhelmingly in favour of the charge for coffee provided by the Group hosts being increased to 40p. Your Committee accepted this decision and it has been introduced forthwith. We are grateful to all our Group Tutors who provide this hospitality.

Members’ attention is drawn to the Proposed New Structure for our National U3A organisational systems. Full details are contained in issue Number 75 Summer 2006 of U3A News, which you all receive direct by post. Please study the proposals and if you have any comments to make regarding these plans please contact one of the Committee members so that a considered view can be taken at the relevant time.

Reminder: Many items of interest are not mentioned publicly but appear regularly on the Notice Boards at every U3A General Meeting on the first Wednesday of each month. Please make time to look at these boards - you will be surprised at the range of topics that appear.

Sources Magazine issued free by post from the Third Age Trust each quarter. I am disappointed that more members do not avail themselves of this excellent source of information. All you have to do is ask for a form from our secretary and post it to the London office. Why not give it a try?

IT News: Information about the following U3A Online Courses for September 2006 is available HERE

3 September   -   Writing for Publications
17 September   -   Digital Imaging
17 September   -   Short Stories
24 September   -   Artists of Spain
30 September   -   China, an Introduction

http://www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk/guidelines2006.html is a grant-giving body. Reading their guidelines it appears that local U3A group projects might fit their criteria for grants.

Technical Support: Bob Rankin's website continues to provide an excellent free and independent service. His latest advice can be found at
http://askbobrankin.com/buying_a_computer.html.

Gardeners: http://www.rspb.org.uk/homesfitforbirds/advice/ will help bring back some of our rapidly vanishing wildlife.

-----Neville Jennings-----

Speakers at the Monthly Meetings 2006

September	Andy Conn	Back to the future—dealing with Salisbury’s waste
October	Ann Sevier	A year in the life of a New Forest pony and its owner—the commoner
November	No meeting	(Anniversary Lunch in October)
December	Peter Allanson	A quick look round Europe

Outings News

Wednesday 20 September 2006
Mystery (Half-Day) Tour??? We first take a leisurely coach drive through some beautiful countryside. Our destination is one of the most unique venues in the South West where you will sample its many attractions 'unspoilt by the passage of time'. Minimal walking. An outing full of surprises! To conclude, we shall enjoy a cream tea in a delightful hotel restaurant. The tea will comprise a generous selection of sandwiches, a trio of mixed scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, tea or coffee. Please advise if vegetarian. A late breakfast or 'brunch' might be a good idea before you join the coach. Coach departs the Coach Park, Castle Street at 12 noon and Tesco, Southampton Road at 12.15 pm. We will arrive back in Salisbury by 7 pm. Cost: £17.00 includes entrance fees and all gratuities. You are promised a delightful afternoon excursion. A must for your diary. Book now at monthly meeting or by post. Members only as this visit will attract a subsidy from Outing funds.

Wednesday 18 October 2006
We visit the city of Exeter travelling by way of the scenic A30 route via Shaftesbury and Honiton. On arrival a tourist office guide will join the coach for a 90-minute tour of the city including a visit to the Visitors' Centre for a video presentation. The tour will terminate at the 850 year old medieval Cathedral which boasts the longest unbroken stretch of Gothic vaulting in the world. There will be a short guided tour followed by lunch (own arrangements) and followed by optional suggested visits to the Guildhall (open 2 - 4 pm) dating from 1330 with attractive medieval hall, and ending the day at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery from where our coach will collect us. Depart Tesco, Southampton Road at 8 am and Castle Street Coach Park at 8.15 am. Return from Exeter at 4.30 pm. Cost: £16.50 to include guided coach tour and Cathedral visit, coach and driver gratuity. Free entry for those visiting the Guildhall and Museum. Booking now at monthly meeting or by post.

Sunday 19 November 2006

Members only. We have been invited by Fred Olsen Lines to visit Black Watch in Southampton. Black Watch was re-fitted in 1998 and carries over 800 passengers. It boasts all the facilities of the 21st century. Photo identification essential. A walking tour of the ship and some stairs will require suitable footwear. Not available to those who have previously travelled on Black Watch or are booked to travel. If the visit is oversubscribed by the October meeting it will be restricted to those who have booked at least one outing during the previous 12 months. Depart Coach Park Castle Street 9.15 am and Tesco, Southampton Road 9.30 am. Embarkation is at 10.30 am. After a short video presentation a guided tour will be provided followed by a buffet lunch with wine and soft drinks. See the deck plans on their web site starting here. Disembark by 2 pm to allow cruise passengers to board. Cost: £7.50 for the coach and driver gratuity (lunch is included!). Bookings open at September meeting.

Wednesday 29 November 2006

The Welsh National Opera returns to the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton for a performance of La Boheme. We have secured centre stall tickets with surtitle views. Cast includes Rebecca Evans and Gwyn Hughes. This is one of the most direct and touching of Puccini's operas. Depart Castle Street Coach Park at 6 pm and Tesco, Southampton Road at 6.15 pm. Performance starts at 7.15 pm. Returning from Southampton approximately 10 pm. Cost: £32.50 including coach and driver gratuity. Book now at August meeting or by post to avoid disappointment as heavy demand is expected. There are no matinee performances.

2007 Plans
Opera lovers for your diary. Tickets have been secured for WNO's production of Bizet's Carmen at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on Wednesday 7 March 2007. Bookings will be taken from the October meeting as once again we expect this event to be over subscribed necessitating us purchasing tickets well in advance.

A five-day visit to either Barcelona or Amsterdam (and Keukenhof for the tulips) is in the planning stage for the end of April. Please sign the list at the August and September meetings to indicate interest (no commitment at this stage) and your destination preference.

A two-day London visit on 4/5 June for South Kensington Museums, a West End Show and to attend a full dress rehearsal at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (home of the Chelsea Pensioners) for its Founder's Day Celebrations with lunch at the adjacent National Army Museum. Hopefully, negotiations will be finalised by October. An action packed two days. Do keep the dates free and await further details.

Car Parking at Tesco: Those joining the coach for outings are asked by management to park at the lower end of the car park and not in the area adjacent to the store. The facility for all day free parking will be withdrawn if we do not adhere to this request. So remember to turn left when entering the car park. Please co-operate!

Note: Cheques only please payable to 'Salisbury U3A'. No cash. Separate cheques for each outing. This will greatly ease the administration burden. Non-members accompanied by a member are welcome but subject to availability and a £1.00 supplement plus National Trust entrance fee if applicable. If you are unable to attend the monthly meeting or prefer to book by post please telephone prior to booking and mail cheque with telephone number, destination and pick-up point on reverse to: John Ewington Flat 5 Arlington House, 22 Bourne Avenue, Salisbury SP1 1LS.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations will be treated sympathetically and no charge will be incurred within one month of Booking Start date. After this refunds will be subject to re-sale less £1.00 administration charge.

Outings by Mail: If you do not come to meetings regularly and would like Outings News mailed to you on a monthly basis send stamped addressed envelope(s) to John Ewington and this will be done.

Car Share: Some members have asked if a lift can be offered to and from the coach departure point. Any members able to offer this facility and those requiring a lift please sign the list on the Outings Desk. A contribution (minimum £1.00 pp) to assist with fuel and other costs is suggested.

-----John Ewington-----

Walking Group, Autumn Term

Please let Maggie or the leader know if you are NOT coming! Also, please consider offering to lead a walk.

21 September
Win Green, Tollard Royal (hilly), 6 miles, Win Green Car Park, GR 925 204. Meet 9.10, start 10.00. Pub at end if required. Leader, Maggie.

5 October
Bishopstrow, Scratchbury Hill, 5 miles. Park at roadside outside church, GR 894 437. Meet 9.15, start 10.00. Pubs at end, Sutton Veney 1 mile, Heytesbury 2½ miles. Leader Geoffrey P.

19 October
Around Dinton, 7 miles. Park at Wyndham Arms, GR 019 315. Meet 9.15, start 10.00. Leader John H..

2 November
Around Donhead St Andrews, 5 miles. Park at The Forresters Pub, GR 917 248. Meet 9.15, start 10.00. Leader Rex.

16 November
Amesbury, River Avon, 4½ miles. Park at main Car Park in Amesbury, GR 155 415. Meet 9.15, start 9.45. Leader Ann.

30 November
Martin Down, Pentridge, Penbury Knoll, 5 miles. Car Park off the Blandford Road, GR 038 201, meet 9.15, start 10.00. End of term pub to be decided. Leader Kay.

Walkers should meet at 13 Dorset Road, Salisbury, to share cars if possible.

-----Maggie Hunter-----

Mini Walks

August	No walk
21 September	Laverstock Park at the Duck Inn, Duck Lane, Laverstock GR 160 303
19 October	Lower Woodford Park at the Wheatsheaf Inn. GR 126 351
16 November	Old Sarum Park at the Old Castle Inn, Old Castle Road. GR 141 325

All walks start at 10 am. Boots or stout shoes are necessary, please bring a drink and a waterproof.

-----Sheila and Peter Brown-----

Family History

September- December 2006. I am following my usual pattern of meetings and covering the basics this term. Every third meeting will be an Open meeting when anyone interested in Family History is welcome to come and consult my books, seek help with problems, boast of achievements and have a cup of coffee. All meetings are on Fridays at 10.15 am, at 8 Shakespeare Road, Stratford-sub-Castle.

29 September          Introduction, what we want to find out and where to start
13 October          Birth, Marriage and Death certificates; their value in research and how to obtain them
27 October            Open, informal meeting
10 November           The Censuses 1841-1901. What they are all about
24 November   Parish Registers; information before 1837
8 December   Open, informal meeting
22 December   County Record offices, the IGI, the Internet

-----Chris Dickson-----

Dates for ‘Play Reading (NOT Shakespeare)'

We will be meeting on alternate Wednesdays (with one exception) at 10.15 am 27 September, 11 October, 8 November, 22 November and 13 December.

Dates for ‘Learning the Recorder’

Bring your recorder, and plenty of puff, on alternate Fridays at 10.15 am. 6 October, 20 October, 3 November, 17 November, 1 December and 15 December.

Dates for ‘Lifestory’

The meetings will be held on Wednesdays at 2.15 pm, monthly. The first date is wrong in the programme: 18 October, 15 November, 20 December. All these will be held at 8 Shakespeare Road, Stratford-sub-Castle.

-----Chris Dickson-----

The 19th Anniversary Lunch

The lunch, 12.00 for 12.30, will be on Wednesday 25 October (make a note in your diary now). We have changed from the usual venue and it will be held in the Main Hall of South Wilts Grammar School. As it will be half term there will be plenty of space for parking and there are no steps to negotiate.

Tickets, at £2, will be available at the September and October meetings. If you do not go to the meetings write to the Secretary at Fernlea, Saxon Hurst, Downton, SP5 3QZ enclosing a cheque and a stamped addressed envelope.

Included in the price of the ticket is a glass of wine or fruit juice and a mince pie. Please remember to bring a contribution of food and also your own plate and cutlery.

After the lunch we will be entertained firstly by our own choir and secondly by some sketches performed by the Spire U3A play reading group led by Anne Acton.

Sunday Lunches

The popularity of Sunday lunches is steadily growing. The lunches are held on the first Sunday after the Wednesday General Meeting (the coffee morning to some). A list is on the notice board at the General Meeting with details, or telephone me.

-----Sheila Tupling-----

Vacancies in Groups and Courses 2006-7

You should receive notification of the places you have been allocated in courses/groups in the next year soon. Some were very over-subscribed and I am sorry if you are disappointed, but here is your opportunity to find another interest, or fill some spare time.

I have listed the groups under the day when they meet; the number at the beginning of the line relates to the programme number, and the final number tells you how many vacancies there are.

DAY	Prog. No.	COURSE	Vacancies
Monday am	3.	Navigation for back seat drivers	1
Monday pm	7.	German Conversation	2
	8.	Gardening	4
	10.	U3A Choir	20
Tuesday am	16.	Italian—Intermediate	4
Tuesday pm	19.	Intermediate Spanish	4
	21.	Metric Matters	3
	22.	Origami for Beginners	2
	23.	Advanced French	1
Wednesday am	29.	Play Reading (not Shakespeare)	5
	30.	Canvas Embroidery	3
Wednesday pm	32.	Writing	2
	33.	Scottish Country Dancing	13
	35.	Latin Poetry	5
Thursday am	37.	Walking	3
	39.	Instrumental Group	2
	40.	Rudyard Kipling Study	1
	41.	Simply Chemistry	6
	47.	Bible Study	4
	48.	Latin Plus	3
Thursday pm	50.	Sugarcraft	3
	52.	Bridge	8
	53.	Ben Johnson	1
Friday am	57.	World Issues	3
	58.	Family History	6
	59.	Learning the Recorder	4
	60.	A Good Read—the King James Bible	3
Friday pm	62.	Ballroom Dancing	13

All the information about the times, tutors, and venues of these courses is in your Programme; if you have questions about content or how to find the venue, please phone the Tutor.

If you would like to join any of these groups, please contact me as soon as possible, as the vacancies will be offered to members of Spire and Sarum.

-----Chris Dickson-----

Garden Club

Garden Club meetings are on the second Monday of the month at 2.00 pm in the Memorial Hall behind All Saints Church in Harnham.

9 October	Bill Williams	Salisbury City Gardens
13 November	Gail Forrest	Japanese Gardens
11 December	John Combes	An A – Z of the New Forest
8 January	Marcus Dancer	Climbing Plants
12 February	Sylvia Parrett	The Mixed Flower Border
12 March	Ian Robertson	Cyclamen for Gardens
16 April	Gerald Nicholls	Gardens in the South West

Three garden outings will be arranged during the Summer of 2007. A Christmas lunch will also be arranged.

-----Moira Dickson-----

What Birds Do You See?

There were two birding groups this year, the second taking the overflow from Gerald Nicholls' main course. The second group held five morning meetings visiting sites within about 6 miles of Salisbury, with a final all-day outing to the coast at Keyhaven. Before reading further, what birds would you expect to find regularly?

Robin, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Mallard would figure on any list - so too might Greenfinch, Moorhen, Coot, Mute Swan. But what about: Black headed Gull, Pheasant, Magpie, Rook, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Wren, Buzzard, Little Grebe, Little Egret? Yet we found all of these, too, on five out of the six outings, which serves to illustrate the wide variety of species which can be seen without too much effort.

The other interesting list is, of course, that of species ordinarily considered common but which we were only able to identify on a single outing: Starling, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Grey Heron. This list of seldom seen birds gives some indication of the decline of many of these species in recent years.

It might also be of interest that we identified 12 species of ducks, 12 species of waders, 5 species of Geese/Swans - but, alas, no divers. Had we been luckier with the weather in mid-March, we might well have added early migrant arrivals, but the spell of cold, north-easterly winds put paid to that. In all, the group identified 75 species - not too bad for this part of the world over the winter months! If this whets your interest, why not join a group next season?

-----John Brown-----

The Phaonmneal Pweor of the Hmuan Mnid!

Ooccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the Itteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and Isat Itteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey Iteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig. And yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.!

Dose aynoen kwon the orinagl srouce?

Pictures on the Web

You can see photos on the Salisbury U3A website taken at the following events:

Village visit to Wherwell, January
General Meeting, February
Village Visit to Urchfont, February
Outing to Bristol, March
Village visits to Stockbridge and Teffont, March/April
Gardening outing to Compton Acres, May
Nature by Bus (Orchids), June

To find the photos, go to www.salisburyu3a.org.uk and follow the link via Salisbury Menu - Pictures.

We Are Survivors

(for those born before 1940)

We were born before television, before penicillin, before polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, videos and the pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball-point pens; before dishwashers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes... and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?). We thought 'fast food' was what you ate in Lent; a 'Big Mac' was an oversized raincoat and 'crumpet' we had for tea. We existed before house-husbands, computer dating, and 'sheltered accommodation' was where you waited for a bus.

We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, word processors or young men wearing earrings. For us 'time sharing' meant togetherness, a 'chip' was a piece of wood or fried potato; 'hardware' meant nuts and bolts, and 'software' wasn't a word.

Before 1940 'made in Japan' meant junk; the term 'making out' referred to how you did in your exams; 'stud' was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and 'going all the way' meant staying on a double-decker bus to the terminus. In our day, cigarette smoking was 'fashionable', 'grass' was mown, 'coke' was kept in the coalshed, a 'joint' was a piece of meat you ate on Sundays and 'pot' was something you cooked in. 'Rock music' was a fond mother's lullaby, ‘Eldorado' was an ice cream, a 'gay person' was the life and soul of the party, while 'aids' just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder there is a generation gap today ….BUT
By the grace of God….we have survived!

Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Bisley.

U3A Information File

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 and sections on Spire and Sarum U3As.

If you want to place information in this file or have any questions about it, please contact Joan New.