Newslink
Buxton & District
Bumper Issue 70 - March 2017
Editor’s Welcome
Hello again everyone and a rather belated Happy New Year.
I simply cannot think how it is that the last few months have just flown past . . . Old age, did I
hear you say??
Please keep your contributions coming & feel free to come up with exciting ideas for new
items.
IN THIS ISSUE
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Letter from the Chairman
Group News
Members’ Contributions
Other Bits
Editor’s Bits & Bobs
Dates for your Diary
Miscellaneous
Comments if any
AGM Papers
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N.B. Useful Contact Numbers - now only on the Groups Interest List
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Dear Members of Buxton and District U3A
It seems no time at all since I wrote a letter for Newslink (issue 62) introducing myself as
your new Chairman and here is the last contribution intended for Newslink (issue 70) that I will
produce in that role. It has been an enjoyable three years and a pleasure to serve our U3A
community as your Chairman, working alongside such a supportive committee, whose meetings
are always peppered with laughter and fun whilst we deal with the tasks in hand. The base of our
organisation is clearly the work of the Group Leaders who facilitate the operation of our 63
Groups and to whom we are all indebted for giving of their time for the benefit of like-minded
individuals to come together and pursue a particular interest.
However, without the work of the members of the Committee, there would be no organisation. It
is their ‘behind the scenes’ work which provides the foundation that enables the groups to
continue. They organise the protection of insurance, hiring of rooms where required, collection of
subscriptions (which have remained unchanged since 2012 thanks to their astute stewardship),
acquisition of new equipment via the transparent published application system and ensuring
compliance with the Charity Commission rules, by which we must abide as a registered charity. In
addition, members are kept abreast of current events through the website, Newslink and Ad Hoc.
It is important that members come forward to take up these Committee roles to ensure the
continuing development and vibrancy of our U3A. Some periods of office come to an end at the
AGM on 10 April. These include The Business Secretary, The Membership Secretary and the
Chairman. It is vital that we have replacements for these three roles, although the critical one is
that of Chairman since we have been fortunate that the first two positions mentioned have had
people ‘shadowing’ the current post holders and they are willing to be nominated to take up those
roles. This does not of course exclude anyone else. The other role for which we need a volunteer is
to run Ad Hoc. Simon Rogerson has developed this closed information system since taking it over
in 2012 and it is now an integral part of our communication network, bringing news of U3A and
Community events. Simon will be stepping down at the end of June.
We really do need someone to take over as Chairman, for without one the future of this special
organisation is at risk. The role of Chairman is simply to be a Trustee, chair the Committee
meetings (currently 10 per year) and produce and deliver the Annual Report at the AGM. Any
other functions, which I currently choose to do, can be delegated. I would urge anyone who values
our U3A to consider taking up this role. Do feel free to contact me for a chat should you wish, or
come to the only remaining Committee meeting before the AGM as an observer. Nomination forms
are available from the current Business Secretary (further details are in the notice for the AGM
elsewhere in this issue).
It simply remains for me to thank all members for entrusting me to be Chairman of Buxton and
District U3A for the past three years and to thank all who have been Committee members during
that time for their support. It has been a pleasure to serve you as the Chairman of Buxton and
District U3A and as I step aside I wish my successor well, whoever that may be.
Yours sincerely
Anne Rogerson, U3A Chairman
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GROUP NEWS
OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING: Darren Poyzer gave us an entertaining introduction to making
music fun and accessible in a special needs environment. He is a poet and musician who has
appeared in the Buxton Festival Fringe, but also works with young people who have emotional/
behavioural issues. He demonstrated how he works using "willing" volunteers from our
General meeting audience. A good time was had by all!
AUTUMN CARAVAN RALLY
Thanks to Ian and Shirley, a very good time was had by 16 U3A members on our twice yearly
Caravan Rally last October. This time we went to Ripley in Yorkshire for an action packed week
of sightseeing, walking, and afternoon teas (with wonderful cakes) together with a lot of fun
and laughter.
Ian and Shirley had organised an excellent week with visits to Ripley Castle, Fountains Abbey,
Knaresborough and Harrogate. Colin had even planned a trip to Masham where we visited the
Black Sheep Brewery and sampled the beer, of course, and had a most enjoyable lunch there,
too.
The autumn weather was very kind allowing us to manage some lovely walks- the colours on
the trees were truly amazing. However, it did get very cool in the evenings round about 5.30pm
when it was G and T time. As no-one had an awning large enough to take us all, we ended up
sitting in a circle on the site wrapped in hats, scarves, gloves, blankets and anything else
appropriate just so that we could drink gin! The site was home to a load of ducks that were
happy to pick up our crumbs from the numerous nibbles we always provided every night.
Dave and Mae had their Wedding Anniversary whilst on the Rally so G and T was exchanged for
Fizz which was most acceptable.
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Ian and Shirley had planned a really good programme allowing us all to visit places that under
normal circumstances we may not have been able to see. Our sincere thanks to them and, even
now, we are all looking forward to what’s in store for next year.
Sue Allan (On behalf of the Caravanning Group)
U3A PEAK DISTRICT FAMILY HISTORY NETWORK 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
17 September 2016, held at The Palace Hotel, Buxton
Almost 200 delegates from 62 U3As UK wide with two from Exeter (225 miles) arrived at The Palace
Hotel in Buxton on the 17th September 2016 for the 4th Annual Family History Conference.
We were welcomed by Anne Rogerson, Chair of Buxton U3A, who thanked all those who had helped to
organise the conference, in particular Ian Taylor. Ian then introduced each of our four speakers.
Bill Taylor: Skeletons in the Cupboard. A graduate geographer, Bill retired after 37 years in
education, the last 20 as Deputy Head in a large Comprehensive School. Currently a Vice President of
Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society.
Bill first began researching 39 years ago after his mother died. He attended a Family History Course and
was given the advice not to research Family History if you don’t want to find skeletons.
Bill’s maternal Grandfather had been brought up in Liverpool Seamen’s Orphanage, which he decided to
visit. Unfortunately it was now just a lawn! However, he managed to locate the offices in central
Liverpool and obtained his Grandfather’s admission certificate which named the father, an able seaman
who fell from aloft at sea in 1895. He had previously served for 12 years in the Royal Navy. Bill managed
to obtain the Royal Naval records which showed he had started as a boy sailor. He had a coat of arms
(tattooed on his chest!) His conduct initially was good but declined rapidly in later years with several
references to jail records. Eventually, he was ‘invalided out’. For a cost of £20 Bill was able to obtain
Court Martial records but these simply stated ‘disposed of’.
Bill also found a ‘skeleton’ on his paternal side. After his father’s death he was given a briefcase
containing various documents including his parents’ marriage certificate. This showed that their
marriage took place a year after he had been led to believe, making Bill 5 months premature!
Bill then went on to relate several examples of information he had uncovered on behalf of others, one of
which involved tracing relatives from an old family bible which was about to be thrown on a skip.
Another example involved finding out what happened to a farmer who ‘went to sea’ for 12 months and
then returned. He had, in fact, been in an asylum and Bill uncovered the detailed asylum records.
This very entertaining talk concluded with numerous examples from sources such as workhouse, parish
and census records which included such descriptions as “mistress and concubine”, “fallen woman” and
“desirable spinster”.
Nick Barrett: Tracing your Medieval and Early Modern Ancestors. Well known for his involvement
with the early WDYTYA programmes, Nick is now Honorary Associate Professor in public history at The
University of Nottingham.
Nick explained the need for realistic expectations of what is likely to be found in medieval records. The
higher in status our ancestors were, the more likely we are to find records which positively identify
them. We need to know where they lived and work back in time from known sources.
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Many documents are in Latin, some are in Anglo-Norman French, and the few documents that are in
English have variable spellings. Handwriting can be hard to decipher and many documents have
deteriorated over time. Surnames have not always been hereditary, place names have changed over
time and dates appear in a variety of styles. However, there are online courses and reference books
that can assist with some of these problems.
Nick described the Feudal System and workings of the Manorial Courts. The Manorial Documents
Register is the best place to begin tracing records for a manor. He also advised where to search for
records of freehold land transactions, coats of arms and pedigrees. There followed a very
comprehensive description of central and local government records and records relating to justice and
the legal system. This very informative talk concluded with details of records to be found in the ‘odd
sock drawer’.
Jill Williams: Irish Records- They all went up in smoke, or did they? Jill is a fellow of the Irish
Genealogical Research Society and maintains their Facebook page as well as teaching on Irish genealogy
courses. It is a common misconception that all Irish records were destroyed in the fire at the Four
Courts on 30 June 1922. In fact, many records were held elsewhere, some of which still survive.
To help us understand this, a map was displayed showing the counties of Ireland. Of the 32 counties, 6
are still a part of the UK. Jill then gave a brief summary of key dates, including the 1800 Act of Union
and the partition of Ireland in 1921.
No census records are available prior to 1901 as they were either destroyed in the fire or pulped by civil
servants – there were no separate Enumeration Books as in England. However, the 1901 and 1911
census records are now free online.
Irish Civil Registration began in 1845 with the registration of non RC marriages. From 1/1/1864 all
births, marriages & deaths had to be registered. There are 2 online indexes (familysearch.org and
irishgenealogy.ie). It is worth checking both as they were indexed separately. As from 2 weeks ago
original images are available online at irishgenealogy.ie
Jill went on to describe what can be found in church records and probate records and many other
records that are still safe and sound. We were advised to consider spelling variations when conducting
searches and to search with and without the prefixes O, Mc and Mac. Finally, we were directed to the
website irish-genealogy-toolkit.com which provides links to the many sources available. Jill also
provided a very comprehensive handout giving links to the numerous websites referred to in her talk.
Nigel Lutt: ‘Military History’. Nigel was on the staff of Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service
where he worked for the next thirty years, before leaving in 2014. Nigel used examples of the records
held by Bedfordshire Archives as the basis of his talk. He warned of the danger of making assumptions
as geography is often lacking in military records.
Nigel described the history of Volunteer and Militia forces and the changes resulting from the Militia Act
of 1757. The main surviving records held at county record offices are Muster Rolls and pay lists. After
1871 responsibility moved to the Crown and later records are held at Kew and are available on Find My
Past.
Details of soldiers who served in the regular army can be split into 3 main periods: 1913 and earlier,
1914 – 1918 and post 1919. Most surviving early records are held at Kew. It is also worth consulting
regimental museums who might even have photos of an ancestor, especially those of higher ranks with
long service.
Lots of service records for the period of WW1 were lost during WW2. The remaining records are at
Kew. It is much easier to find records of the soldiers who died than those who survived. The
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Commonwealth War Graves site is an excellent resource. Other resources include medal cards, war
diaries, newspaper reports and the absent voters’ lists for 1918 – 1919.
Post 1919 is covered by data protection and there are no records online. It is possible to apply for access
to service records if you can prove kinship or provide a death certificate to prove that the death
occurred over 25 years ago. By 1939 details are very limited with not even the date of attestation being
given.
As well as the four speakers we had 13 exhibitors including Old Maps, Old Postcards, FH books and
Archival storage materials. Various FHS and County Archives were also represented. All are wanting to
return to any future events.
Carole Williams (secretary of U3A Peak District Family History Network) thanked all the commercial
companies for their continued support and Ian for all his efforts in making this event such a success.
Ian announced that the 5th Annual Conference would be held at the same venue on 16th September 2017.
Ian Taylor
SCIENCE GROUP CHRISTMAS PARTY – December 2016
What with all the myriad things to do in Buxton around Christmas time, people sailing off to see
relatives etc. and so many being laid low by the horrible virus that was doing the rounds, only 9
of us turned up for the party. However I enjoyed myself, wandering around in my star-strewn
leisure suit and sparkly trainers. The theme was stars so I had an excuse. A few brave souls
joined me and dressed up.
There was even themed music – When You Wish upon a Star, The Star Wars theme, Stars, Starry
Starry Night, Wand’rin’ Star and Starman.
We started with a general quiz with questions taken from many of the talks we have had since
the group started in October 2012. Two of the questions were based on the connecting wall from
the TV programme ‘Only Connect’ – fiendish to devise and impossible to get completely right.
Now we know why Victoria Coren Mitchell always looks so smug! Seriously, it was better fun for
me to devise it than it was for everyone else to do it – that just seemed to be infuriating.
One question was based on an error I made while designing Dave’s T-shirt specially obtained for
the event. In my defence, the information was wrong on the internet – a lesson for us all. We had
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questions on shapes of snowflakes, fingerprints, medical scanners and radiation dose from
various sources but my favourite had to be – what links gallium and the infinite improbability
drive?
See if you can find the mistake.
Of course we had to have a photo taken on one of the trips as well. Question – where was this
taken?
The National Space Centre in Leicester, of course.
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I’d just watched ‘Finding Dory’ (I do empathise with that fish!) and discovered that an octopus
has 3 hearts so another question leapt into my mind – another inspired by ‘Only Connect’. What
is the connection?
Pack of Cards
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Octopus
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Doctor Who
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Human
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After some food and drink, we moved onto the main event. Nigel Sangster had conceived a Star
Quiz with 30 questions, bringing along a prize for the winner who was Brian Powling.
Marge Rose
Science Group Leader
MATHEMATICS REVISITED – the story so far.
This has been my first attempt at leading a U3A group, indeed, it is the only U3A group I
have yet attended. It has developed out of a
passion, the seed of which was born when, as
a young mathematics teacher, I had the
conviction that anyone could enjoy
mathematics, and anyone could understand
important mathematical ideas which they
could learn to use to enrich their lives.
As a classroom teacher, I never had cause to
doubt this conviction, but in recent years, the
idea had been growing in me that I wanted to
test my conviction, that anyone could learn to
enjoy mathematics, with adults.
If you have spent much of your life believing
that you simply do not have a mind that can
ever understand mathematics, then I think it takes a certain amount of bravery to
challenge this preconception about one’s limitations and I did wonder if anyone would
turn up to the first meeting at the Devonshire Dome back in September. I was delighted
therefore, when six people arrived at what I have been told is the first Buxton U3A
mathematics group. We did some maths together, using lots of mathematical equipment
(always a feature of our sessions) and happily, all six U3A members, four women and two
men, decided to continue with the group.
We have wonderfully diverse backgrounds in mathematics, with some members having
passed O-level many years ago, to one member who has no formal qualification in
mathematics. This least qualified member has shown a wonderful facility in spotting
patterns both in number and shape.
I recently asked the group if they might let me have a little written feedback on how the
group was working for them. I have been heartened that members do seem to have found
my approach helpful. Their feedback included the following remarks:
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 “I find that I can ask Peter the most basic question if I don’t understand and he is more
than happy to explain.”
 “You have inspired me to want to learn more.”
 “no one need feel they do not know enough to attend.”
In the Autumn we had met weekly and I had initially intended to run the course just until
Christmas. However, the group members were mostly keen to carry on so we now meet
twice a month (1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings). I like to keep the group size small so that
everyone can get lots of individual support but we do have one free space at the moment. I
am also offering a new once-a-month course (4th Wednesday morning) ‘Making Sense of Alevel Maths’ for people wanting to explore mathematics at a higher level. If you are
interested in either of these courses, please get in touch with me at
[email protected] or call me at 07540 774498, or click on the link to the groups
list on the Buxton U3A web site for further information.
Peter Smith
Group leader.
MEMBERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
The Tinsel and Turkey Strut
"So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." sang Maria in
that famous film. This is exactly how I felt, as we walked over fields and through the woods
from Fernilee to Knipe Farm, on the Turkey and Tinsel Strut.
The reason for these thoughts was that, when trudging this short distance the previous day
doing a last minute route check, I'd experienced mud over and into my boots. Oh no, I'm about
to be awarded the mud mantel the group present to leaders who find copious amounts of the
substance.
However, on this glorious day, the sharp frost of the night had caused a miracle; we could walk
ON mud as opposed to IN it; I must have done something good!
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As we arrived at Knipe Farm we heard the guiding voice of Bill hailing us to a newish (15 years
or thereabouts) pathway. But totally ignoring him, and following an out of date map, we
proceeded to the rendezvous arranged earlier. Fortunately the owners of the land had just gone
out so we were not caught inadvertently trespassing. Oops.
As decorated hats were admired and ideas for next year’s hat stolen, we continued up onto the
Midshires Way where we enjoyed the warming sunshine, and stopped for coffee.
During the walk we met many strollers ridding themselves of that soporific festive feeling, plus
chance meetings with family and friends. Our hats made many smile, one even said she was
going home to tinsel up hers!
At one point we delighted in seeing skiers skiing (?) up The Street. See below.
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.
At the pub we relaxed, had a well-deserved drink and once our festive food arrived we were
quiet. Well for a short while anyway! Then it was time to get out presents given by offspring,
and learn from others the workings of the modern mobile phone, the true meaning of the
organisation . . . sharing knowledge.
On the way back to Buxton we waved at a procession of restored Massey Ferguson tractors.
Then home for a cup of tea and to rub in the Ibuprofen gel!
Our final walk of 2016 done without injury or losing anyone, phew!
Hilary Gresham
NEW CROQUET GROUP
This new Group is being developed using the Sheffield U3A Group as the model.
The venue is the Cricket Club Pavilion and Outfield, between April and October and will be
on either a Monday or Friday afternoon for up to 4 hours duration. It is envisaged that
Members will dip in and out during the 4 hours and this will also enable those who attend
other Groups for 1 or 2 hours to come along and play.
The Vision is to have a broad appeal, from those who want to play Croquet for Fun through
to others who wish to be deadly serious and even play matches, and that we will socialise
whilst waiting our turn.
The next phase is to create a Contacts List of those interested and then they can vote to
decide the choice of day and fine tune start time.
Please contact Malcolm Bradbury by, in order of preference.
1. 1: email: [email protected] 2. text to: 0779 168 0209; 3. Tel:
01298 27068
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For further info see the Sheffield U3A website and visit ; www.croquet.org.uk select Games
from the menu and click on Golf Croquet
OTHER BITS
Delivery of printed Newslink and membership cards
We are indebted to the kind volunteers who deliver printed Newslink and membership cards in the
Buxton area. Grateful thanks to Helen White, Chris Harvey, Kath Jupe, John Griffiths, Janet Byers, Judy
Billinge, Nina Thompson, Jenny Heywood.
If you are able to help with delivering U3A post around where you live, please let me know.
Thank you so much
Avril Hedley, Assistant Membership Sec.
CRAFT GROUPS’ PLEA
Angela Knisely-Marpole needs any spare buttons members may have to donate for the craft
groups, please.
Email her on [email protected] if they have any to be collected.
EDITOR’S BITS & BOBS
DID YOU KNOW?
Take a look at some wonderfully descriptive words (with examples) that are now obsolete and
see if you can work them into your daily speech. You’ll find that some are quite fun to say! (For
you, Malcolm!!)
APRICITY: noun. The warmth of the sun in winter
My cat enjoys napping by the window even in cold months because of the apricity.
CALLIPYGIAN: adjective. Having shapely buttocks
CICISBEO: noun. A married woman’s male companion or lover
COCKALORUM: noun. A boastful person
CRAPULOUS: adjective. Lack of restraint in eating or drinking, sick from excessive indulgence
in liquor
My crapulous uncle is always a sight to behold on family celebrations..
DELICIATE: verb. To enjoy oneself, to luxuriate, to indulge in feasting
After she finished her vegetables, she deliciated in twice as many desserts.
FRIGORIFIC: adjective. Chilling, causing cold
The frigorific blast of wind left me chilled to the bone.
FUDGEL: verb. Pretending to work
Our boss blocked access to Facebook out of suspicion we were fudgeling.
GORGONISE: verb. To have a paralysing or mesmerising effect
Her sudden appearance gorgonised the crowd, leaving them awestruck.
JIRBLE: verb. To pour carelessly
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LUDIBRIOUS: adjective. Ridiculous
QUIDNUNC: noun. An inquisitive, gossipy person
You can't tell him anything personal because he's such a quidnunc.
SLUGABED: noun. Lazy person who stays in bed long after the usual time for rising
SNOWBROTH: noun. Newly melted snow
YOUNKER: noun. A young person
PHOBIAS: extreme or irrational fear of, or aversion to, something. These are 70 of the most
common, the names of which are possibly little known. Latin scholars may be able to work
them out from the roots.
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Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – The fear of long words!
Ophidiophobia – The fear of snakes.
Cynophobia – The fear of dogs.
Astraphobia – The fear of thunder/lightning aka Brontophobia,
Tonitrophobia, Ceraunophobia.
Mysophobia – The fear of germs. Also termed as Germophobia or Bacterophobia.
Trypophobia – The fear of holes (an unusual but pretty common phobia).
Thanatophobia – The fear of death - even talking about death can be difficult.
Monophobia – The fear of being alone - even while eating and/or sleeping.
Atychiphobia – The fear of failure - the single greatest barrier to success.
Alektorophobia – The fear of chickens.
Enochlophobia – The fear of crowds is closely related to Ochlophobia and
Demophobia.
Aphenphosmphobia – The fear of intimacy - fear of being touched and love.
Trypanophobia – The fear of needles.
Anthropophobia – The fear of people in all situations.
Autophobia – The fear of abandonment.
Gamophobia – The fear of total commitment or staying with someone to the end.
Achievemephobia – The fear of success, the opposite to the fear of failure.
Ailurophobia – The fear of cats, also known as Gatophobia.
Metathesiophobia – The fear of change, even though it can be a good thing.
Globophobia – The fear of balloons.
Nyctophobia – The fear of darkness - common for children.
Phobophobia – The fear of fear itself.
Triskaidekaphobia – The fear of the number 13 or the accompanying bad luck.
Gephyrophobia – The fear of bridges, crossing even the smallest bridge.
Entomophobia – The fear of bugs and insects, also related to Acarophobia.
Panophobia – The fear of everything, fear that terrible things will happen.
Podophobia – The fear of feet, even the person’s own.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia – The fear of Friday the 13th. (A recent study found that,
despite fewer people choosing to travel on Friday 13th, there were significantly
more hospital admissions due to accidents than there were on normal Fridays).
Gynophobia – The fear of women. May occur if you have unresolved mother issues.
Apiphobia – The fear of bees.
Koumpounophobia – The fear of buttons, clothes with buttons are avoided.
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Anatidaephobia – The fear of ducks.
Ranidaphobia – The fear of frogs.
Galeophobia – The fear of sharks in the ocean, or even in swimming pools.
Athazagoraphobia – The fear of being forgotten, or not remembering things.
Katsaridaphobia – The fear of cockroaches, this can lead to an excessive cleaning
disorder.
Iatrophobia – The fear of doctors.
Pediophobia – The fear of dolls.
Achondroplasiaphobia – The fear of midgets, because they look different.
Mottephobia – The fear of moths.
Bambakomallophobia – fear of cotton wool.
Scelerophobia – The fear of crime in general.
Cibophobia – The fear of food, may come from a bad episode like choking.
Phasmophobia – The fear of ghosts, aka Spectrophobia.
Musophobia – The fear of mice.
Catoptrophobia – The fear of mirrors, being afraid of what you might see.
Agliophobia – The fear of pain.
Tokophobia – The fear of pregnancy, involving giving birth or having children.
Pogonophobia – The fear of beards or being scared of/around bearded men.
Omphalophobia – The fear of belly buttons.
Bathophobia – The fear of depths can be anything associated with depth (lakes,
tunnels, caves).
Cacomorphobia – The fear of fat people, induced by the media, affects some
anorexics/bulimics.
Gerascophobia – The fear of getting old.
Chaetophobia – The fear of other people’s hair.
Nosocomephobia – The fear of hospitals.
Ligyrophobia – The fear of loud noises, more than the instinctive noise reaction.
Didaskaleinophobia – The fear of school.
Spheksophobia – The fear of wasps.
Ergophobia – The fear of work.
Coulrophobia – The fear of clowns.
Allodoxaphobia – The fear of opinions, being afraid of what others are thinking of
you.
Samhainophobia – The fear of Halloween affects children/superstitious people.
Disposophobia – The fear of getting rid of stuff triggers extreme hoarding.
Ombrophobia – The fear of rain.
Coasterphobia – The fear of roller coasters.
Thalassophobia – The fear of the ocean, water, waves etc.
Scoleciphobia – The fear of worms.
Kinemortophobia – The fear of zombies.
Myrmecophobia – The fear of ants.
Taphophobia – The fear of being buried alive by mistake and waking up in a coffin
underground.
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Gotta love those seniors
During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, ‘How do you determine whether or not an older person
should be put in an old folks’ home?’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘We fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the
person to empty the bathtub.’
‘Oh, I understand,’ I said. ‘A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the
spoon or the teacup."
‘No,’ he said. ‘A normal person would pull the plug out. Do you want a bed near the window?’
WOULD ANY OF YOU LIKE THE BED NEXT TO MINE, BECAUSE MY PLACE IS NOW BOOKED!!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY U3A General Meetings 2017 – All on Mondays
MARCH 13th
Janet Allan’s talk, The Restoration of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House (which is
in Plymouth Grove, Manchester).
APRIL 10th
Annual General Meeting
MAY 8th
‘Pointless.’ An amusing first-hand look behind the scenes of this TV Quiz
Show by Nick Bostin and Martin Mullis, two local contestants.
JUNE 12th
Across the Sahara with Sir Philip and Lady Brocklehurst, (late of Swythamley
Hall, Staffs. In 1930 they drove from Algiers to Khartoum crossing the
Sahara on the way). This will be more of a mini-play performed by
members of Swythamley Historical Society based on Lady Brocklehurst’s
diary and her husband’s photographs.
JULY & AUG
No meeting
SEPT 11th
Paul Newham, a Forensic Scientist, to give a talk on his work Biometrics –
there will never be another you, which promises to be very interesting.
OCT 16th
Lucy Marsh to talk about the Dogs Trust, Manchester. This is the largest
Dog Welfare Charity in the UK caring for 15,000 dogs every year.
NOV 13th
To the Top of the World and Back. Travels in Nepal by John Williams who
has had many experiences, visiting the country many times.
DEC 11th
Buxton and District U3A Xmas Lunch, Leewood Hotel, Buxton
NB all meetings will be held in the Buxton Methodist Church Main Hall, except for the AGM
which will be in the main worship area. Tea and coffee will be available from 9.45am and
the speakers will start at 10.15am
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REMINDER:
Friday 24th March:
Let's explore our preconceived ideas together - daft but enjoyable games included.
I'm not racist but . . . Do we send out the wrong signals, unwittingly or unintentionally, to
people from ethnic minorities or other faiths so that they get the impression they would not be
welcome in our branch?
There will be a discrimination awareness event in the lower room of Buxton Methodist Church
on Friday 24th March 2017 from 10am to noon. It will take the form of a workshop facilitated
by Marge and Dave Rose. David has considerable experience in this sort of event. Numbers are
limited so please get in touch as soon as possible to register your interest - either phone us
on 01298 22136 or email [email protected]
MISCELLANEOUS
How cynical can one get!!
All men are seduced into believing they're marrying nymphomaniacs. The problem is, after a
few years, the nympho leaves . . . but the maniac stays.
COMMENTS
I would appreciate any suggestions of what extras you would wish to see, in addition to the
standard items, to keep this vibrant.
If you send in any contributions, please could I ask you to use Cambria font, pitch 12 with pitch
14 for headings, with single line spacing for each para. That will make life far simpler for me!!
Thank you.
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‘The future ain’t what it used to be’ – for those of you who’ve been having a hard time recently,
take comfort – things will improve.
Enjoy reading
Keep on laughing – it’s good for your health and your soul.
Until next time . . .
17
2017 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
Dear Member,
This mailing contains the Notice, Agenda and related papers for the 2017 Annual
General Meeting. The current membership year will end on March 31 st 2017 and the
Membership Subscription Form for renewal of your membership will be sent
separately.
The documents below are also available on the website:
The Notice and Agenda for the 2017 AGM to be held on 10th April
The list of Committee Members standing down
The minutes of the 2016 AGM
If you wish to help in the running and organisation of our U3A by serving on the
committee, or propose another person (with their consent), nomination forms are
available from the Business Secretary, Mary Matthews. email. [email protected]
Tel. 01298 402339 or can be downloaded from the Buxton & District U3A website.
Nominations must be in the hands of the Business Secretary by Saturday 25 March at
the latest. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by ballot.
List of Committee Members standing down, having completed their term of office
Chairman
Business Secretary
Membership Secretary
Anne Rogerson
Mary Matthews
Marge Rose
Other vacancies
Assistant Treasurer
Publicity Officer
Information about what is involved in the roles is available from the Secretary.
Yours sincerely
Mary Matthews (Business Secretary)
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Notice and Agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Buxton and District
U3A to be held on Monday, 10th April 2017 at 10.30 am in the Methodist
Church.
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Welcome
Apologies for absence
Adoption of Minutes of AGM 2016
Chairman’s report
Treasurer’s report
(i) Adoption of Accounts
(ii) Membership Fee 2018/19
Election of Officers and Committee
Appointment of Examiner of Accounts
Agenda items submitted earlier to the Secretary
Date of next AGM
Item 6:
Election of:

Co-opted member Zena Bishop to serve as Vice-Chair for a period of
three years from April 2017;

Business Secretary for a period of three years from April 2017: one
nomination already received

Membership Secretary for a period of three years from April 2017: one
nomination already received
Nominations are required for:

Chair to serve for a period of three years from April 2017

Publicity Officer to serve for a period of three years from April 2017
Item 8 Agenda items for consideration should be forwarded in writing to the
Hon Sec, Mary Matthews, 12 Sycamore Close, Buxton SK17 6FB or by email to
[email protected] to be received on or before Saturday 25 March 2017.
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Minutes of the 20th Annual General Meeting of
Buxton & District U3A
held on Monday 11 April 2016 at 10.30am
in the Methodist Church.
Present; Anne Rogerson (Chairman), Derek Bodey (Treasurer), Mary
Matthews (Business Secretary), Frank Barrett (President), Malcolm Bradbury,
Trish Kukiewiecz , Simon Rogerson, Jean Evanson, Linda Estruch, Marge Rose,
Terry Newholm, Avril Hedley, Sue Allan and 84 others
Apologies; Alison and John Crowther, Mary Bramwell, Angela KniselyMarpole, Margaret Schofield, Margaret Robinson, John Estruch, Geoffrey Willis,
Trevor Gilman and Margery Brown
Adoption of Minutes of AGM 2015; Proposed Dan Blunt; Seconded Bruce
Thomson; Passed.
Chairman’s Report
Welcome fellow members of Buxton and District U3A and thank you for coming
to this the 20th AGM of our organisation. I am pleased to report at the end of my
second year as Chairman that we continue to develop and expand. Our
membership for the year 2015-2016 stands at 565 which represents a growth
of 1% on the figure of 559 for 2014-2015.
We have over the past year seen the establishment of 6 new groups, bringing
our current total to 61. These new additions are Children’s Books, Current
Affairs, Even Shorter Walks, Oral History, Philosophy and Spanish. For me the
groups encapsulate what U3A is about. They are the vehicle through which
people can come together to develop their knowledge of, and share their
expertise in, a subject with like minded kindred spirits whilst having lots of fun
and making friends in the process. I hope I speak for all members in expressing
thanks to the Group Leaders who give of their time and energy to enable others
to participate in the vast array of activities on offer. Thanks also go to Julia
Wright for her sterling work in ensuring that the list of groups is always
current. Please join me in thanking all of them. For anyone interested in
starting a new group, there is a simple flow chart, developed last year, now
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available on the website, showing how to start a new group. There is always
advice available for anyone who needs help with the process.
I would also like to make a plea on behalf of our group leaders. We are now in
the period of renewals for membership for the year 2016-2017 since the 20152016 year expired on 31 March. Thanks to those who have already renewed.
Please help your Group Leaders by showing them your new yellow
membership card for 2016-2017 so that they can record your membership
numbers for this current year. It is vital for both them and you, from an
insurance point of view, that you are a fully paid up member when you attend
a U3A group or meeting, unless you are attending as one of the 2 “taster”
sessions available before committing to full membership.
The others who make the running of our U3A possible are the members of the
Committee. I have the privilege of working with the most amazing team of
multi-talented individuals who make up this Committee. Two of our number,
namely Malcolm Bradbury, and Linda Estruch, have completed their terms of
office as Committee Members and Trustees this month and so are stepping
down as Group Leader Liaison and Communications Co-ordinator respectively.
Malcolm has given much time and enthusiasm to his work on the Committee
serving initially as Secretary and then as Group Leader Liaison, each for 3
years. He has brought his own style to both roles characterising his actions with
warmth, empathy and a genuine desire to help others whilst keeping us all
amused in the process. Linda has been a champion of publicising Buxton and
District U3A. Whenever you see a leaflet around town Linda has been behind
its placement. She is always able to be relied upon for help, incisive thinking
and amusing anecdotes. Linda has worked tirelessly on the Committee and
with an eye for detail that would be the envy of proof readers in any publishing
house worldwide. I would like to thank them on behalf of the membership for
all they have done to advance our U3A but I would like to make a special
personal thanks to them both, for I have greatly valued working alongside
them, their contributions to the Committee’s work have been immense and
they will both be greatly missed, although both have definitely earned their
“retirement”.
Whilst mentioning those who have completed a term of office it is appropriate
to mention Mary Matthews, our very efficient Secretary. Although her term has
expired this April, Mary has kindly agreed to serve, as allowed under the
Constitution, for one more year, for which we are all grateful.
Two other people who have also come to the end of their service are Bruce
Thomson and Trish Kukiewicz, both key players in informing members of what
is happening in our U3A. Bruce initially created and then maintained our
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website which has proved instrumental in developing communication both
within and beyond our membership. For some time we have been appealing
for someone to take over this pivotal role and I am delighted to inform you that
we now have that person. Trish has been our Editor of Newslink and has
brought her own touch of magic to that role. Who can possibly forget the
anecdotes of “the Girls” (Trish’s hens) or of Wojtek, the soldier bear? Before I
move on to their successors it is right and proper to thank Bruce and Trish for
their hard work and generosity of spirit in giving of their time and expertise for
our benefit. Again, I hope I may crave your indulgence in making a personal
thanks to the two of them too, as it has been a pleasure and fun to work
alongside them both.
During the course of this year Kath Jupe had to step down from her role as
Assistant Membership Secretary as a result of family illness. Her contributions
to committee meetings, especially her cartoons, are much missed but we wish
Kath well as she supports family members on the road to recovery. Avril
Hedley kindly slipped seamlessly in to take over from Kath doing sterling
service as an initial contact for new members, a familiar role for Avril. One final
mention goes to Sue Allan who took over as General Meetings’ Organiser and
has had the distinction of being the only one to hold the post when a speaker
cancelled at short notice, not once but on three separate occasions! It is a mark
of her tenacity that she was not fazed and we had a speaker at our General
Meeting every time, thanks to Sue and those who generously stepped in to
“plug the gap”. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all the
Committee members for their time, work, support and the laughter over the
last 2 years.
For any organisation to remain vibrant it is important that new people come
forward to sustain its development. We are delighted therefore to welcome
William McGaw to the Committee as our new webmaster, assuming the
membership supports his nomination. In terms of Newslink we are fortunate
to have Deborah Barham Smith, who is going to replace Trish as Editor. The
Committee members are grateful to them for being willing to step up and help
in the running of our U3A. However, we do still need others willing to join the
Committee. At the time of writing there is a current pressing need for a Vice
Chairman . The demands of this role are not great, only being required to step
in on occasions when the Chairman is not available. During my 2 years to date
that has not ever been necessary, which is perhaps as well as for the last year
there has been no Vice Chairman in place to do so! Being Vice Chairman does
not mean an automatic transition to being Chairman, but please, we do need
someone for this position. We also need an Assistant Treasurer and a
Communications Co-ordinator. The role of Group Leader Liaison is to be
22
undertaken jointly by Sandy and Terry Newholm, for which our thanks.
Committee meetings are not onerous and indeed are great fun with lots of
humour but without the Committee and key office holders, Buxton and District
U3A cannot operate.
In terms of succession planning we are happy to have people “shadow” current
post holders so they can see what the role entails. We are fortunate in having
people who are willing to do this for Secretary, Membership Secretary, and
Assistant Membership Secretary and who may well be willing to be nominated
to take over next year, but other terms of office also end in April 2017. If anyone
is even thinking about becoming involved in any capacity do please come and
speak to me, or anyone on the Committee, after this meeting. Roles can always
be modified to take account of people’s interests and skills as we do always
work as a team.
Turning to finance, in my previous annual report I explained that the
Committee is keen to reduce the surplus, to bring it in line with the
recommended 6 months of operating contingency, recently reduced from 9
months, recommended by the Third Age Trust. This would seem an
appropriate point at which to draw attention to our current financial position.
Last year we had a surplus of £12,847, sufficient to cover just over 11.3 months
of operating costs. This year we have an end of year surplus of £13,565,
sufficient to cover 9.8 months at current expenditure levels. We have therefore
reduced the contingency by 1.5 months this year, which is some 35% of the
required reduction stated last year. This reduction is not the result of
profligacy on the part of the Committee, members of which are steadfast in
their stewardship of your money. It is rather a reflection of the points made last
year that we have an obligation to support new groups and to enable meetings
of all groups in an appropriate venue. We are grateful to those leaders who
choose to use and support community facilities such as the Fire Station or
Library which are free to hire, or indeed meet in members’ own homes but
recognise that such arrangements do not always meet the needs of the group.
We have had one group move to a more costly venue, but the impact has been
a better experience for group members so the move is completely justified.
Another group has extended its meeting time for practical reasons, but with a
knock on effect on hire charges.
There is also a need to be in a position to meet requests for capital purchases
when they arise. In order to be transparent and fair the Committee has spent
time this year devising a system by which groups can apply for equipment.
Details of the process, along with the necessary 1 sheet A4 application form,
are available on the website. Such applications are submitted to the Secretary
23
and go with the agenda for consideration at the Committee meeting, where the
decision is made. The items purchased this year and their cost appear in note
7 of the accounts. It should also be noted that room rentals tend to increase in
line with, or sometimes above, inflation for which provision also needs to be
made in the contingency.
The Committee will continue to reduce the surplus to bring it ever closer to the
recommended 6 months of operating contingency and so the good news is that
fees for 2017-2018 i.e. the year following this current yellow card year will
remain at £25. The membership fees will be reviewed as part of the
Committee’s ongoing financial monitoring so that an announcement about fees
for 2018-2019 can be made at the next AGM in 2017. It is perhaps worth
pointing out that fees for membership have remained at £25 since the year
2012-2013 This means that costs to members will have remained stable for 6
years, but in real terms have actually fallen in light of inflation up to the present
time. I cannot think of any organisation in which one could access so many
opportunities for less than 50p per week, thanks to the underlying philosophy
of voluntary self-help. This is so ably demonstrated in practice by the group
leaders and the occasional helpers underpinned by the careful stewardship of
the Committee. I would now pay tribute to the excellent work of our Treasurer
Derek Bodey and this year’s Assistant Treasurer Terry Newholm in preparing
and presenting such comprehensive accounts. I would also point out that we
are fortunate indeed to have Prem Kumar’s services as our highly qualified and
experienced Examiner of Accounts and thank him for undertaking that vital
role for us.
In terms of the presentation of accounts the Committee has decided to change
the end of the financial year, so that this year and those following, it will end on
31 December. Hence this year will end on 31 December 2016, rather than on
28 February 2017. Clearly this will mean a shortened financial year for this
year. The current end of financial year does not match the membership year
so the change does not create any difficulty on that score. The reason for the
change is to enable the examined accounts to be presented with the Notice,
Agenda and papers for future AGMs. Our Treasurer has put much effort into
taking advice from our Examiner of Accounts and the Third Age Trust before
this decision was made. The reason for making it is that it enables members to
see the accounts prior to the day of the AGM which is simply not feasible, with
an end of year cut off closer to that day. We trust members will appreciate the
reasons for this change.
In terms of other aspects to consider from this year, some of our groups are
making a contribution beyond our own U3A. Members of The Family History
24
group were instrumental in bringing the U3A Peak District Family History
Network’s 3rd Annual Conference to fruition in September 2015.Over 200
delegates from all over the UK attended, these included Marion Clements, Vice
Chairman of the Third Age Trust. Participants were entertained by speakers
and exhibitors at The Palace Hotel here in Buxton. Meanwhile, the Oral History
group is a key player in an umbrella organisation called Buxton’s Present from
the Past. This group which includes the Past lives project, Discover Buxton and
the Crescent project is recording memories of Buxton and district residents,
which are then being held at the Museum and Records Office to create archive
material for the benefit of future generations.
Buxton and District U3A was represented at the National Conference of the
Third Age Trust this year where an important specialist agenda item was the
introduction of a new membership management system. Another topic was
developing language groups without a language specialist, as a direct result of
which we now have a Spanish group in our U3A. A full report on the topics and
workshops was submitted to the Committee so if any member wishes to see a
copy do please contact me directly.
This report, though somewhat lengthy, is a snapshot of a year in a vibrant
stimulating organisation. At the beginning I welcomed you to the 20 th AGM, that
means 20 years of U3A here in Buxton and District. We are marking this special
anniversary with a tea party on 26 April from 3 to 4.30pm. It is by way of a
small tribute from current members to those whose hard work twenty years
ago laid the foundations for the organisation today. Without their drive,
persistence and good offices we would not be here now, so we look forward to
welcoming those founder current members as our guests in two week’s time
as our way of saying thank you to them.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all again for coming today and to wish
you well for the coming year as we continue to have fun and enjoy this amazing
organisation which is Buxton and District U3A.
Treasurer’s Report
Derek drew attention to the Notes on the Statement of Accounts. He expressed
particular thanks to Ralph and Terry and to Prem for auditing the accounts.
During the year bank accounts had been transferred to the Co-op Bank to
enable online banking. With Terry’s assistance, spreadsheets had been set up
to allow one entry per transaction, significantly reducing the potential for
posting errors. To give a clearer picture of the true position, allowances had
been made for room rental bills not yet received and subscriptions paid in
25
advance. The £1k transferred to Culture Vultures would enable tickets to be
purchased in advance of monies received. The Committee received monthly
reports on this account. In answer to a question from Lyn Noble, Derek
explained that the monies received from the sale of art books appeared in the
accounts under the donations heading.
Adoption of the Accounts was proposed by Gill Williamson and seconded by
Linda Estruch. Passed.
Election of officers and Committee
Election of Co-opted members Sue Allan, as General Meetings Organiser and
Terry Newholm. Show of hands. Elected.
Election of William McGaw as Webmaster: proposed by Simon Rogerson,
seconded by Mary Matthews. Elected.
Re-election of Mary Matthews, as Business Secretary, for a further year. Show
of hands. Elected.
Anne reminded everyone that we still needed a Vice-Chair and also made a plea
for an Assistant Treasurer and
someone to take responsibility for
communications.
Appointment of Examiner of Accounts; Prem Kumar’s appointment was
proposed by Simon Rogerson, seconded by Ralph Baker and confirmed
unanimously.
Agenda items submitted to Secretary; None
Anne thanked everyone for coming and the meeting closed at 11.05am.
Date of next AGM: 10/4/17.
26