Sep 3, 2019 | 20192020Archive
We are very pleased to tell you that Discovering Wessex is once again the largest single group in the Ferndown & District U3A with some 85 odd members. We’re also glad to welcome a large number of new members this year – some new to Ferndown U3A & some existing members who are new to the Discovering Wessex J1 Group
So this seems an ideal opportunity to highlight & remind ourselves of this group’s structure, aims & programme. Firstly – what are the U3A’s main objectives & what is it all about ?
Well the U3A ideal is based on the self-help Learning Principle
- Members form interest groups covering a wide a range of topics & activities, run by members, for the members.
- No qualifications are sought or offered. Learning is for its own sake, with enjoyment being the prime motive, not qualifications or awards.
- There is no distinction between the learners and the teachers; they are all U3A members. So the learners will become teachers & the teachers will become learners
So Discovering Wessex fits very well into the U3A ideal. It is unlike other classroom & lecture based courses where the leader lectures on their given subject throughout the course – we are a self-help “Talk & Walk” group. Our members like to research a new town or village or place of interest & give a short talk or presentation about it to the group. Then a week or so later, those who wish to, can join the group when we visit & see the place in detail, quite often with a tea or coffee &/or lunch nearby.
We have a good number of new members this year, so whether you are new to the area or think you know the area well, come along & discover interesting places you might not have known about before. You will be among similar like-minded people who want a fun way to explore Wessex.
So this is your opportunity to come up with an idea of somewhere you’d like to have a look at. Our members often work as a team to put a talk & walk together & there is plenty of experience & technical help to hand if you would like to get involved. Let us know your interests & we will supply some help where ever needed – whether it’s research, presentation or organisation we have existing members willing to help.
So it’s a really great way to meet new people & find out more about your surrounding area.
A “Welcome to Ferndown U3A Coffee Morning” will be held on 6th of September at the Barrington Centre, Ferndown in the Conference Room at 10.15am. This event will be aimed at the new members to Ferndown U3A, where it will be possible to meet some of the organising committee, some of the group leaders (including myself) and other members who will be able to answer any questions or queries about U3A. Tea, coffee & biscuits will be available from 9.45am as well as some entertainment. Another email about this event will be sent shortly from the FU3A.committee.
We will be meeting for our first Discovering Wessex introductory presentation on the 27th of September at the Barrington Centre, Ferndown in the Conference Room at 10.30am when we will run through this year’s programme & discuss the topics planned. So please come along to this first session & see what interesting topics we have in store for you this year. In the meantime, if you have any queries about anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call me.
We will be contacting you again soon & look forward to meeting you.
Many Thanks
Keith Banks – tel:- 01202 875354 Leader – J1 Discovering Wessex, FU3A
2019-2020 Programme
Aug 6, 2019 | ARCHIVE20182019
Perfect weather.
Interesting people to meet.
Various animals to watch.
Lots of goods to peruse & purchase.
Beautiful area.
Information about farming & the environment.
Delicious foods to try.
Plenty of straw bales to sit on to watch the entertainment throughout the day.
What more could you want?
The Countryfile Fair had it all.
Jun 22, 2019 | ARCHIVE20182019
During a three day coach trip, we were able to appreciate the historic significance of all 3 locations, while having a sociable and enjoyable time.
All 39 members appreciated the ninety minute walking tour of the colleges of Oxford University, led by a knowledgeable American PhD student; his speciality was World War One history, but he was also able to inform and amuse on the history of many of the colleges.
On to Telford, where we were to spend 2 nights in a modern hotel just outside the town, which met all the basic needs even if the cuisine left a bit to be desired!
Day 2 saw us paying a visit to Ironbridge itself, and to see at first hand the handiwork of the pre-Victorian ironmaster Abraham Darby III. The impressive Iron Bridge was opened in 1787 and even today is a marvel of cast iron engineering.
On to Blists Hill, a re-created Victorian village on the site of the ironworks which contributed a great deal to the Industrial Revolution of this country. Many authentic shops and artefacts of the time took us all back in history – among these was a fish and chip shop still cooking in beef dripping and supplying meals in paper cones!
After visiting the Museum of Iron (the clue is in the name) our last visit of the day was to the Coalport China Museum where we were fortunate in having the services of a volunteer guide who explained in detail – and with some humour – the life of the workers and the manufacturing processes. We all now know what a “Saggar Maker’s Bottom Knocker” is – do you?
Our last port of call on the way home was a pleasant sojourn in Stratford on Avon where we were free to choose how we spent our time. Some made a visit to Shakespeare’s house, some to the Butterfly Farm and others took a boat trip on the river.
The whole trip was enhanced by having a coach driver who cheerfully accommodated our needs, even going beyond the call of duty in transporting us to and from the town for restaurant visits, the hotel being some 2 miles distant. We also learned that as an alternative to counting by numbers to check that all are on board the coach, it is simpler to count the empty seats!
Jun 4, 2019 | ARCHIVE20182019
this talk has three sections.
- How did awareness become alarm?
- Are we heading for an uninhabitable earth?
- Is it too late or can we save the day?
From the publication in 1962 of Silent Spring by R. Carson to the IPPC Report 2018, the environment has been the subject of growing concern. Kyoto and the Paris Accord have both highlighted the problems and called for action.
We have solemn warnings that without urgent action the story of our future is an earth which will trigger the sixth mass extinction. By bringing about a massive rise in CO2 we will create the conditions for global warming and for a whole series of related disasters which will bring our civilisation to an inglorious close.
There are still some optimists who believe that we might yet save the day. Will it be technology, or widespread public action and a fundamental change in the economic system which saves the day? Will the voices of the Greens, the school children and the Extinction rebellion movement convince our political classes that there is very little time left for talking and that action is the priority.? Action at every level from Governments, firms and from society. We all have a responsibility for the problem and all must embrace the solutions.
Douglas Lock
May 18, 2019 | ARCHIVE20182019
Dear FU3A Members
This is to send warmest congratulations and thanks to everyone who attended or contributed in any way to our Open Day yesterday.The event was an outstanding success. We attracted a lot of interest from visitors who were so numerous that when I was hosting the visit of the Mayor of Ferndown, Julie Robinson, we could hardly move!
In particular I want to thank Derek Holden and his team for organising the event, and Ann Williams and her team for the refreshments which were extremely popular. It was also great to see so many of our Group Leaders taking considerable trouble to promote their Groups in imaginative and interesting ways – many thanks to them too.If you weren’t at yesterday’s event you missed a good one – so make a note now of the date of our Open Day next year – Friday May 22nd 2020.
Bob Reeve: FU3A Chairman
