At the monthly meeting held on Wednesday 2 June John Illston reminded everyone that a volunteer is still needed for a Vice-Chairman who could take over as Chairman next year. John Ewington will take over the outings next year from Rosemary Nicholls, who has run them for ten years with great dedication and success. John will start in March, and would welcome suggestions for places to visit.

Christine Dickson is now the Group Organiser, and tribute was paid to Mary and Ralph Smith for their marvellous work in this capacity over the last three years. Chris reported that she had received a quarter of the group membership applications, and hoped that the rest would follow shortly.

Spire U3A has invited Salisbury U3A to join four archaeological meetings - applications to be sent to Spire. The Tolsons are organising an indoor bowling experience, applications to Christine.

There are still eight tickets available for the regional study day in architecture at Southampton University on 22 October; anyone wishing to go should contact Neville Jennings.

Places are still available on the Gardens Group outing to Kingston Maurward on 12 July. There will be no outing in August, but bookings are being taken for a visit to Stratford upon Avon on 30 September to see the RSC's production of Hamlet.

Geoff Layton, previously the Head of Sixth Form at Bishop Wordsworths School, talked to the meeting on coming to live with a stroke. He suffered a stroke four years ago at the early age of 43. It was very unexpected, and although he had been fortunate in his physical recovery and was walking after two weeks, the emotional adjustments were far more difficult. He suffered from dysphasia, where more recent knowledge is lost and new knowledge is very difficult to acquire. He had been fluent in German before the stroke, but is unable to speak it any more. He could read sentences slowly and laboriously, but not well enough to enjoy books and newspapers. Taking in verbal information was very difficult, and he found the telephone a big nightmare, though e-mail was a great boon.

He emphasised the importance of speech and language therapy, which is very hard work, as it needs massive concentration. Also one must realise that the stroke affects the whole family, with the patient's partner often having to adopt new roles and probably becoming the major breadwinner. Geoff has suffered a great deal of frustration, finding it difficult to accept that he is unable to achieve all the things he used to be able to do, but he is now more relaxed and natural, and better at coping with his situation.

The Chairman thanked Geoff Layton for sharing his personal experience so fully and frankly, and wished him well for the future.