Salisbury & District U3A Press Report

October to December 2009

At the October monthly meeting the speaker was, once again, our centenarian member Jack Osborne, who recounted vividly memories of growing up during World War One and the Great Depression, enhanced by his insights as the academic historian that he became.  Like 80% of the population, his home was a rented terraced house, not a flat as on the continent.  Why the difference?  Because we were spared the many medieval wars of continental Europe so never needed to live in cramped conditions protected by town walls.  He told of gas lighting and candles, an outside privy, flypapers at a penny-ha’penny, bread flour eked out with chopped turnip, the occasional Zeppelin raid, all too frequent telegrams bringing the grim news of young men killed at war.  At school he was in a class of 50 children, learning to write in a sand tray, progressing to slate, then paper.  His teacher was one of many women with only basic teacher training who devoted their lives to looking after other people’s children, “having received a telegram”.  But it was thanks to one of these teachers, inspirational and encouraging, that Jack won scholarships, first to grammar school, then university.  This was a world very different from the affluence of today.  And yet, Jack remarked, The Times newspaper on the day of his birth in June 1909 told of trouble in Afghanistan.

November saw the annual bring-and-share lunch at St Francis’ church hall, a delicious and plentiful spread with entertainment provided by some of the members.

December’s speaker was Maria Bota, following her first highly successful presentation as director of Salisbury’s International Arts Festival.  She had been “inspired by an experience”, hearing the Bournemouth Symphony orchestra as a child.  That led to a music degree at Goldsmith’s College and her first job with the London Symphony Orchestra.  She was, she said, thrilled to have been appointed director of SIAF, recognised as one of the major festivals in the UK.  Its mission is to inspire and entertain, creating moments that will stay with people for the rest of their lives, resonate with the remarkable setting of Salisbury and its environs, and connect globally.  It aims to appeal to all ages with a mix of classical, folk and popular music as well as many other art forms, and include many free activities.  It relies heavily on volunteers for its success.  As a result of Maria’s enthusiastic and inspiring presentation a good many of her audience signed up for details to become Friends of the festival and/or to volunteer.

January’s snow led to the cancellation of the first monthly meeting of 2010.
Details of future outings can be found under Outings News.
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