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U3A

Editors:Ken & Edna Bentley kenedna@aol.com
 Special points of interest:
•    We Are On THE WEB
•    U3A AGM at Chester
•    Wow The RI  is well worth a visit
•    Walking Group
•    Bridge
MAY 2006
It has happened to OUR U3A.
We  now     have      a splendid WEB SITE
With the aid of a small sub-committee  led  by our Vice-Chairman Mr. John McCartney   and Mike Snape ,Richard
Clarke and Peter Kress.

Together  with  input from   the   various Group Leaders, the idea has now borne fruit.
Many    photographs have been taken and some will appear in the WEB SITE.

Your grandchildren will be  thrilled  to  see you on  the  World  Wide Web. Your family will be pleased to read		 about some of the activities that you are getting up to in your leisure time, and to find out what you have been learning about.

Don’t worry if you do not  have  a  computer, you  can  go  to  your local  library  and  I am sure  they  will   be pleased  to  show  you how  to  find  the  WEB SITE on the Library computers.
Maybe  you  can  email you family from there and   give   them   a splendid  surprise.
We need to thank  the sub-committee  and anyone  providing  data for  input  to  the  Web 		Site  together  with  Peter Kress   who   compiled the  web  site  assisted by Philip  Day  the  husband of   Jean   Day   (our Bridge Tutor)
Editor


We are on the Web
Forthcoming Speakers for General Meetings
Date Speaker Subject
June 14th

Aug 9th

Sept13th
Oct11th
Nov8th
Dec13th		 Jack Glen

Howard Greene

Mr C Robinson
Michael Grisham
Mr J Tindsley
All Groups		 A Light-hearted Look At Public
 Speaking
Vernon Park
The Stockport Story
Glimpses of Chatsworth
Bottoms Up
Singing Waiters
Christmas Party

  The RI and the U3A-----------Superb                                                        Page 2
For over 200 years the Royal Institution (RI) has been diffusing science for the common purposes of life, providing a forum for anyone interested in science, irrespective of whether they have a scientific background or not.  Each year the RI makes a presentation to the British U3A..  This year it was at the Friends Meeting House near Euston London because the RI building is undergoing some major refurbishment.  Four members of our U3A travelled down on the 4th April to hear lectures by 3 people who are established experts in their  specialist fields.
Baroness Susan Greenfield delivered a lecture on The Brain in Sickness and in Health.
The brains of humans and most mammals develop by the extent to which they are exposed to different experiences and challenges.   These cause the connections between different brain cells to become increasingly complex. This builds memory and all the mental skills.
Whilst there can be some reduction  in capacity due to ageing, this can be minimized providing the brain remains active and exercised. This is clearly not possible when a brain  		disease such as Alzheimers is contracted, for here there is no control as the brain cells become progressively destroyed.
 
Professor Tony Ryan gave the next lecture on Will Nanotechnology Change the World.
Bearing in mind that everything is made of Atoms
Nanotechnology starts with the thought that we could build anything if we could arrange the atoms in the correct  arrangement. Since atoms are a million times thinner than a human hair, this theory has been discounted.
It is very surprising that any progress has been made with this technology, but it has.  Self cleaning Glass, dirt resistant fabrics and some sun screens use this technology, however, the real
future is probably at a biological		  level. Copying the atomic structure of bacteria into systems  to combat disease, to substantially improve the delivery of drugs to body organs and create artificial muscle are current objectives.  Watch this space.  The future is wet.

Professor Marcus du Sautoy
Delivered the subject of The Music of the Primes.
A prime number is one that can only be divided by itself and the number 1 .  Thus the sequence starts with 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, etc. but they appear to continue on to infinity without anyPage 5   logic as to when they will occur.  The largest Prime number found to date has 9 million digits.
Mathematicians have found a logarithmic stepped link to the frequency that they occur with a factor of 2.4 seeming to have some significance.   However the mystery is far from solved and their search for a mathematical law to connect these primes continues.
All three of these lectures were extremely interesting and most enjoyable.
We are looking forward to attending the presentations next year
Mike Snape
Christmas Lunch................what now??
It may seem a little early to mention the Christmas Lunch but your committee have confirmed the date and venue.

After our successful meal last year we are repeating the venue of
MARPLE GOLF CLUB on THURSDAY the
7th DECEMBER.

We are also having A
DECEMBER GENERAL  MEETING on the 13th which we hope will involve all groups.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW  
We may wish to select a different venue for next year.  If you have any ideas of a venue for over 100, please let a committee member know so that it can be considered.
Editor



                        Heritage Group Conducted at the                                                       Page 3
                           BRIDGEWATER HALL
On Tuesday the 14th March, 19 members enjoyed a conducted tour of Manchester's Bridgewater Hall.
Seated on springs to eliminate  street vibration, the Hall was completed 11 years ago, on time, within budget, and it now continues to operate without a Taxpayers subsidy.
The tour incorporated the public amenity areas, the dressing rooms and of course the magnificent auditorium.
The Hall is home to the 4 Manchester orchestras' and has one of the finest		 acoustic   designs   which makes  it  favoured  by  the many  visiting  musicians.
Our   excellent   guide, Glynn,  also  pointed   out the  several  superb  Pianos sited  in the various foyers to  tie  in  with  the  Piano 2006   Festival.  Manchester is fortunate to have such a truly splendid concert hall.

Following lunch 11  members continued with a tour of Manchester Cathedral..  Mostly built in the 15th century it did not achieve Cathedral status until 1847.  A splendid stained glass		 window in the Regimental Chapel commemorates the 2nd World War Blitz , where a section of the building was destroyed.
Our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, Ethel, pointed out many intriguing features, particularly the canopied Choir Stalls with their wonderful set of misericords (tip up seats).
Magnificent carvings including Lions, Unicorns, Monsters and a Pig playing the bagpipes.  Permanent scriptures were enhanced by a series of unusual modern sculptures with a boat motif.  A most interesting visit.          Mike Snape
         
           Chester Hosts U3A AGM  Can you Help?
The British U3A are holding their ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING in Chester this year and are looking for volunteers to assist them in various ways, stewarding, general assistant etc. Are you able to help? If so please ring:-         Mr Barnes.
            
           Gentlemen Prefer Blondes  ………..do they really??
The theatre Matinee Group are visiting the
Bolton Octagon on
Wednesday 21st June at 2.00pm To see Blonde Bombshells of 1943 by Alan Plater.  Last date for booking is the 10th May.		 There will be Pick up points at  Rose Hill, Hazel Grove,
High Lane, Marple and
Romiley.
If you want details of this or any other theatre Matinee outing please contact
Pat Whinnerah




How STRONG WILLED are YOU?                                                                                   Page 4    
 
If you die without a Will (intestate) the laws of intestacy come into force and dictate who will receive your possessions.
For example, if you are single, your assets will be distributed equally in this order, to your living parents, brothers and sisters, living grandparents, living aunts and uncles and if none of the above are still living to the Crown.

If you are married, or have entered into a civil partnership, do not assume that your partner will inherit everything– brothers, sisters and children may also be entitled.

If you have made a Will in the past but since remarried, do not assume that your old Will is still valid.  Upon re-marrying any existing Will you had will be rendered void and cannot be relied upon.

If you are living as a couple (co-habitués), but have not married nor entered into a civil partnership, do not assume that your partner will receive all that you leave.  The law may well treat you as a single person regarding the distribution of your assets and it is possible that your partner may receive nothing including your home together.

If you are retired and made a Will some time ago do not assume that all the provisions made are still valid.  Check that all beneficiaries are still alive and that specific gifts still exist.

It is worth taking a few minutes if you have not made a Will or your circumstances have changed since you last made a Will  so that you can ensure that your estate is divided AS YOU WISH.
Extracted from the ‘Bramhall Spotlight’

                               Intermediate BRIDGE
The Intermediate Bridge group is  flourishing.
There are now 47 regular players who come along on a Monday afternoon.
This means that we regularly have 8 tables which is near the capacity of the room.
If you wish to join this group, please contact either John McCartney or Steve Reynolds who can advise you of the up to date situation.
The forthcoming programme is as follows:-		 All dates are Mondays.  Start prompt please

May                15th            Duplicate
May                22nd           Duplicate
May                29th      Bank Holiday TBA
June                  5th              Rubber
June                12th            Duplicate
June                19th            Duplicate
June                26th             Training
July                   3rd             Rubber
July                  10th             Rubber
July                  17th           Duplicate
July                  24th           Duplicate
July                  31st            Chicago






   Walking Group                                                                                         Page 5  
Recent heavy rains and a partial eclipse of the Sun might have boded ill for the Walking Group on the 29th March.  But spirits rose as Ann Reynolds fortified 16 Walkers with hot punch, and husband Steve led us on a surprisingly scenic walk from their home in the Ley Hey area of Marple.  It proved an enjoyable day.
We crossed the Marple aqueduct, and the skirted the appropriately named Watermeetings farms(Upper and Lower), close to the confluence of the rivers Goyt and  Etherow. We went below Redbrow wood and did a full circuit of Etherow country park, before 		 returning through Brabyns park.  Apart from one heavy stretch it was good going with occasional climbs, although perhaps it was nearer  to 7 miles than the advertised 5.
The walkers had a really good day, with lots of wild life interest
on the way.
Many thanks to Steve and Ann Reynolds.
Walter Mason
A mixed group of 12 enjoyed a 5 mile walk in the attractive, but little visited Hay Dale and Peter Dale  The walk had been devised by Ray and Rae Ogden There were impressive limestone rocks and plenty of glimpses of wild flowers in the 		 National Nature Reserve with some historical interest in the village of Wheston, especially a 15 century cross with the crucifixion carved on one side and the Virgin and Child on the other.  Thanks to Ray and Rae and Walter Mason who led the walk, when unfortunately Rae was called in for a minor op. on walk day
Walter Mason

The following are the details for forthcoming walks.
Weds.24th May
Easy 4 mile walk
Mobberley/5Pubs
(Pub Lunch)
Led by Sonia Brown		 Weds 28th June
5 miles Hayfield area
(packed lunch)
Led by Walter Mason

Weds 26th July
An easy 5.5 mile walk from  Hartington, along three of the most picturesque dales in the Peak District. Part of the walk is along limestone pavements which can be uneven in parts and slippery when wet.
Start from Village Hall -
please note 9.30 start
Bring a packed lunch and water if hot weather. We may need change for parking.
Led by John McCartney.
John McCartney
   Did you know??
In the 1400’s a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick any thicker than his thumb.
Hence the ‘rule of thumb.’
Many years ago a new game was invented, it was ruled Gentlemen only Ladies forbidden 		Thus the word GOLF entered the English language
The first novel ever written on a typewriter was Tom Sawyer
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both legs in the air		 The person died in battle. If the horse has one foot in the air the  person died of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has both feet on the ground the person died of natural causes.

ANON
Is he going to beat his wife
Or a GOLF ball
   Story Time
Do you have an interesting or amusing story that could be printed in the NEWSLETTR
It could be from your childhood, school, work or sport and leisure.  There must be some of you who would like to share an experience with us.
Please let the Editors have them by the next closing date.
Editor       
   German                                                                                                    Page 6   
The German group  has resumed meeting most Fridays at my house.  We had a longish break from normal lessons when I was hosting a
German guest and going on holidaybut even then we met up one evening when members had the opportunity to meet two ladies from Munich, Franziska and Brigitta,
and the following week for an enjoyable meal at The Crown at Hawk 		Green.
10 members of the U3A plus a friend will be going on a trip to Hamburg on the 31st August for 4 nights.  Margaret has done all the work this time and we are extremely grateful to her for making all the bookings.
Another 4 members of our group are joining my exchange trip to Forchheim in North Bavaria, from the 6th to 17th July, staying in an 		 hotel, rather than staying with families. But they will be joining in the excursions and evening events.
Marlene Brookes

We are looking forward to hearing more about the visits in future Newsletters.
Editor
   Needlework
We continue to meet on a Thursday morning about twice a month at various addresses.  The next meeting is on 11th May at my house.
Tasks in hand at the moment are to make 3 new panels for the U3A banner and to complete all our card orders for the coming months.  If  you do wish to order a card for a special occesion please give one month's notice as we are very busy at the moment.
Marlene Brookes
   Dining Group
The dining group had a most pleasant lunch last month at The Crown in Hawk Green. 26 of us enjoyed the food and the company.
Our May meal will be in the early evening at The Red Lion in High Lane.
We are always on the look out for good venues to visit, so please let us know if you had a particularly		 pleasant dining experience, so we can add it to the list of places to visit.
We are trying some evening meals this summer and hope that the response will be enough to make this worth repeating in future years.
Edna Bentley		 Dates for your DIARY

Thurs 25th May Red Lion
(6.30 for 7.00)
Tues June 27th
Luncheon
Thurs July 20th
(Evening Meal)
No meal in August
Tues Sept. 26th
(Evening Meal)
Thurs Oct 10th
Luncheon

   Gardening (Pennine Link)                                                                 Page 7 
At the last meeting of this gardening group we had a talk  from Bob Wilson, an employee of Stockport Council.
He gave us an interesting, in-depth talk about people in by-gone times in Marple and their involvement in the start of the Memorial Park.  He then spoke  of the plants that grew well 		 there and those that didn’t.
On the 12th April we had a talk about the nurseries at Woodbank Park and will arrange a future visit.
We meet the Second Wednesday of each month at The Methodist Church Hall in Marple from 9.45 to 11.45.  We have leaflets you can browse or buy, plants you can buy and lots of gardening talk from		 the experts - YOURSELVES.
Doreen Scotte
It is a pity that this group meets on the morning of our General Meeting at High Lane.
It does, however, seem to be worth the effort to attend if you can find the time to do so.
Editor
   Heritage Group Joins the CO-OP
About thirty members travelled to Rochdale and made their first stop at the original premises of the Rochdale Cooperative Pioneers who later progressed to become The Cooperative Wholesale Society.
Here we were given an excellent presentation by Mrs Dorothy Greaves, about the founding and early development of the cooperative movement, which was followed by a tour of the museum.  Mrs Greaves is one of two part time curators of the building and she addressed her subject with great enthusiasm.
Forgoing our usual coffee break, we next went over to the Town Hall, where another enthusiastic guide took us round the		 impressive 19th century Gothic building..  It was erected in 1867 at a cost of only 8 times the original estimate, included in that price was a series of stained glass windows depicting  English monarchs from William the Conqueror to Queen Victoria.. This display of colourful loyalty did nothing to entice Queen Victoria to visit when she was invited by the councillors.
After lunch in the restaurant of the Town Hall, ably served by the staff we set off for Ashton and the Portland Canal Basin which is strategically placed at the junction of three major canals.  In the 18th century it allowed access by barge to the rest of the country and to the coast. However, after 1840,
the importance of the interchange slowly declined as competition from the emerging railway system increased.
As well as displaying astonishing examples of early industrial achievements, there are many later exhibits of a domestic and social nature which raised nostalgic memories for many of us.
We missed our afternoon tea because the Café was closed for stocktaking.
This was a good day out, informative to those who went and rewarding for the efforts of our organisers. Many Thanks
Fred Sleigh
Your Committee
                  Chairman                          Jim Summers               
              Vice Chairman                   John McCartney             
              Secretary                          Doreen Scotte               
              Treasurer                          Steve Reynolds 
              Membership Secretary       Margaret McDermott                                                  General Committee           Marlene Brookes, Ida Butler, Grace Shaw                                                            Mike Snape, Ken Bentley



WHAT
 WHERE WHEN LEADER
 Bridge
 (Improvers) 		 Woodside Tennis Club  Thursday  
 13.30 - 16.30 		 Chris Gibson 
 Bridge
 (Intermediate)   		 Woodside Tennis Club    Monday
 13.30 - 16.30   		 John McCartney
 Steve Reynolds 
 Crown Green Bowls  Torkington Park    Thursday
 10.00 - 12.00 		 Ken Bentley 
 Dancing  High Lane Village Hall  Alternate Fridays
 14.00 - 16.00 		 Kath Taylor 
 Dining
 (Luncheon) 		 Various Venues  Tuesday’s &         Thursday’s  Edna Bentley 
 Finance  High Lane Village Hall    Odd Months
 After General Meeting 		 Derek Hill 
 First Aid  Marple  By Arrangement  Doreen Scotte 
 Gardening
 (High Lane) 		 Various Venues  3rd Monday
 14.00 		 Frank Singleton 
 Gardening
 (Pennine Link) 		 Marple Methodist Church  2nd Wednesday
 9.45 - 11.45 		 Joan Nield
 German  Usually
 Marlene’s House 		 Friday
 9.30 - 12.00 		 Marlene Brookes 
 Heritage  Various Venues  Various Days  Margaret Dodd 
 History  Various Venues  Wednesday Evenings  Wilf Gannicliffe 
 Literature  Sue’s House  TBA  Sue Dintinger 
 Mathematics  High Lane Village Hall  Usually Thursday p.m.  Barrie Milnes 
 Music Appreciation  High Lane Library  Alt. Tuesdays
 14.30 - 16.30 		 Allan Leach 
 Needlework  Various Venues  Usually Thursday’s    Marlene Brookes  
Singing  High Lane Village Hall  Alternate Fridays
 9.45 - 11.15 		 Sue Dintinger 
 Theatre Matinee  Various Theatres  Wednesdays &
 Saturdays 		 Pat Whinnerah 
 Walking  Meet at
 High Lane Village Hall 		 Last Wednesday
 10.00 		 Walter Mason
Website Development John McCartney’s House As required Peter Kress 









STOP PRESS...............STOP PRESS..............STOP PRESS
Closing Date for next NEWSLETTER   26th June.
Anything after that date will not be included.

Heritage Group
 
We have a waiting list for the holiday to Kent which is now fully booked.
Final payment is required at the meeting on August 9th.

Forthcoming Day Visits:

May 23rd     Come and join us on a visit to Oakwell Hall,
a 17th century Manor House near Batley, immortalised by Charlotte Bronte in her novel Shirley.
We then go on to “The Last of the Summer Wine" village of Holmfirth. See Sid's Cafe and Nora's Steps. 
Cost £13.50

June 27th      Crich Tramway Village.
Travel back in time on a vintage tram along a cobbled street and into the beautiful Derwent Valley.
We round off the day with free time in Ashbourne. 
Cost £16.50

July 25th       Our outing this month is to Hoghton Tower,
an impressive Elizabethan Manor House near Blackburn, home of the Hoghton family since the Norman Conquest.
We end the day with a visit to Oswaldtwistle mills where we can learn about 300 years of textile history and perhaps include some retail therapy.
Cost to be advised later

August 22nd   Conwy.  More details later.

Margaret McDermott
 
 
Crown Green Bowls
A lunch has been booked at The Crown, Hawk Green,  on Thursday 1st June for 12.30 after the bowling at Torkington Park.
Menus will be available at the Bowling on Thursday 11th May,
Ken Bentley