Microsoft word - newsletterjan2012.doc

The Committee had one of its regular meetings on Tuesday 15thNovember. Much of the business was routine but there was some good news in that revisions to the 2011/2012 Programme have now been completed and the final version is enclosed with this Newsletter. We apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused. John Carberry has settled into plans for 2012/13 and work on that is now well advanced. Incidentally, the response to the annual request for suggestions for possible speakers was rather disappointing this year. We do appreciate the ideas members put forward though there is sometimes a considerable delay before suggestions actually appear on the programme but please keep them coming. The Committee has now turned its attention to the membership of the Committee which will take office after the AGM in March 2012. The present Committee has two vacancies which were unfilled in April 2011 and there are likely to be at least one and possibly two more vacancies as some present members come to the end of their three-year term. So we would welcome new members as we would like to see more newer members of Oxford U3A offer their services so that the work is constantly refreshed. The commitment is not heavy – four afternoons a year – and the meetings seldom last more than one and a half hours. If you are interested and would like to know more about what we do before committing yourself please talk to me or any other Committee member SPONSORED WALK
In aide of Parkinson’s UK
We were contacted by the charity Parkinson’s UK which was arranging a sponsored walk in Oxford on Sunday 26th November. It was thought we could raise the suggested figure of £50 in sponsorship from members at our Thursday meetings and your Editor agreed to do the walk on Oxford U3A’s behalf. The final amount raised was £63.34. Minerva Booth
We recently received this letter from Minerva Booth, a member of Oxford U3A since 1996 which we are reproducing with her permission. “I have been a member of U3A for many years and very much regret that, having just celebrated my 99th birthday, I feel it is time to withdraw my membership. I have greatly enjoyed the wonderful programmes of talks, expeditions and social activities over the years. The friendship and mental stimulation has made growing old pleasantly stimulating! I would like to thank the many members who have helped to organise everything and I hope U3A will continue to flourish – as I’m sure it will. With all good wishes Minerva Booth” Thank you, Minerva, and warm wishes in return from all members. We will keep in touch with Minerva and send her the Newsletters.
Any member is welcome to join Betty Lewis, the convenor, on these walks – just turn up! They are
not strenuous and most enjoyable. For more information contact Betty or to confirm whether the
walk is going ahead if the weather looks uncertain.
Friday 30th March Meet outside Magdalen College at 2.00 pm, walk through grounds to Addison’s
Walk, then to Fellows’ Garden which should be bright with spring flowers. Proceed to the other
side of Addison’s Walk back to the High Street.
Friday 27th April Meet outside University Parks at 2.00 pm – Norham Gardens entrance (Bevington
Road bus stop). Walk through park to Mesopotamis and on to Marston Road ending in St.
Clement’s.
Details of further walks later in the year will be given in the next Newsletter.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS NEWS

Many thanks to Alistair Tulloch for compiling the latest annual listing of Oxford U3A SIGs, a copy of
which is circulated with this Newsletter.
Churches and Pubs This group will be meeting for an informal pub lunch at the Royal Oak,
Woodstock Road, at 12.00 noon on Tuesday 7th February. We hope to welcome more U3A
members, especially new members on this occasion, whether or not anyone chooses to join the
Group at this stage. You will, however, have the opportunity to learn how interesting and
enjoyable our church visits are. Just let Joan Airey know if you are coming so that table space can
be reserved for us.
Introduction to Birdwatching – possible new group There has been some interest shown following
my proposal in the last Newsletter. Winter is perhaps not the best time to try and get people
interested in an outdoor activity so I hope to get a group started later in the year when Spring is
around the corner. Please let me know if you are interested (without commitment). Many U3A
groups run successful birding groups at varying levels of experience. What I envisage is:
Gentle walks through various local habitats within Oxford ring road or just outside A gentle introduction to identifying birds through visual sighting, calls and song, and behaviour No twitching, just a relaxing walk possibly ending up at a convenient pub Contact Tel 01865 452579 or peterjwilk@hotmail.co.uk or on a Thursday afternoon. SUBSCRIPTIONS REMINDER
Subscriptions for 2012 are now due and if you have not so far paid please send a cheque made out to Oxford U3A for £21, together with a stamped addressed envelope, to the Membership Secretary, Hazel George, as soon as possible. Please use the renewal form sent to all members in October. Members who have not renewed their membership by 31st January will be deemed to have resigned. DAVID HOCKNEY EXHIBITION – ROYAL ACADEMY
We have booked a coach for this exhibition for Tuesday 13th March 2012. If you would like to go please use the enclosed booking form; early booking is advised. Members of West Oxford U3A are included and any members of Cherwell or Headington U3As who may be interested are invited as well. SPECIAL CONCERT FOR U3A MEMBERS
‘In Honour of Saint Cecilia’
The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy
Thursday 2nd February 2012 at 2.00 pm
The Chapel belongs to Her Majesty the Queen in her right as Duke of Lancaster. Tickets are £18 (unreserved). They are issued on a first come, first served basis (maximum of 3 per application). Send s.a.e. and cheque payable to Third Age Trust to: The Third Age Trust, 19 East Street, Bromley, BR1 QE (0208 466 6139 or national.office@u3a.org.uk). Booking form asks for name, U3A, address incl. Post code, telephone, email and number of tickets required at £18 each. U3A SUMMER SCHOOLS
Harper Adams College, Telford
Monday 16th to Thursday 19th July 2012
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester
Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd August 2012
Details are on U3A notice board at back of Rewley House on Thursday afternoons. Joan Airey has a full set of information sheets and a booking form for each of the schools for anyone interested. Alternatively they may be obtained direct from the National Office, The Third Age Trust, Summer Schools, The Old Municipal Buildings, 19 East Street, Bromley, Kent BR1 1QE. CHRISTMAS TEA AT CHRIST CHURCH – Tuesday, 13th December
Once again many members enjoyed the glorious surroundings of Great Hall at Christ Church for a Christmas Tea; we are very grateful to Michael Walker for arranging it. Before that most took the opportunity of a tour visiting either the Cathedral, informatively led by Michael, or the Old Library looking resplendent with its recently restored plaster ceiling. After an introduction by the Librarian we were able to look at early printed books and manuscripts together with other artifacts including Cardinal Wolsey’s hat. PROGRAMME PLANNING PANEL

The Panel met on 13th December. Progress on the programme of speakers for 2012-2013 is well
advanced with the first term already finalised and lots of ideas for the rest of what promises to be a
good range of topics. Many thanks are due to John Carberry, Co-ordinator of Speakers, and Iren
Lusted for their work on this. The Panel also debated coach trips for 2012. In addition to the trip to
the David Hockney Exhibition already organised two more all-day trips have been agreed, details to
be finalised.
Cotswolds Trip. These have been successful in the past, the last time the trip was organised being
2007. Denise Walker has kindly agreed to lead the trip. Further details including date and booking
form in March Newsletter.
Wrest Park. The ninety acres of Wrest Park’s ‘secret gardens’ in Hertfordshire were opened last
summer by English Heritage. 300 years of garden history can now be seen including the work of
Capability Brown. Again full details will be given in the next newsletter.


THE ALPHABET FOR THE OLD
A’s for arthritis. B’s the bad back
C’s the chest pains, perhaps cardiac?
D is for dental decay and decline
E is for eyesight, can’t read that top line!
F is for fissures and fluid retention
G is for gas which I’d rather not mention.
H is high blood pressure – I’d rather it low,
I for incisions with scars you can show.
J is for joints, out of socket, won’t mend.
K is for knees that crack when they bend.
L’s for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget what comes next.
N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low
O is for osteo, bones that don’t grow!
P for prescriptions, I have quite a few,
just give me a pill and I’ll be good as new!
Q is for queasy, is it fatal or ‘flu?
R is for reflux, one meal turns to two.
S is for sleepless nights, counting my fears.
T is for tinnitus, bells in my ears!
U is for urinary, troubles with flow.
C for vertigo, that’s ‘dizzy’ you know.
W for worry, now what’s going ‘round’?
X is for X-ray and what might be found.
Y for another year I’m left here behind.
Z is for zest I still have – in my mind.
FROM THE EDITOR
The next Newsletter will be published in March. Written contributions, photographs and comments are all welcomed. They can be passed on at a Thursday afternoon talk, by telephone or by email to me. Please note the deadline will be 29th February .

Source: http://u3aoxford.org.uk/newsletters/jan2012newsletter.pdf