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GROUPS

U3A Newsletter

Art Group

Book Club

Bridge

Canasta

Cookery

Discussion Group

Gardening Club

Geology Group

History Group

Lacemaking

Luncheon Club

Natural History Group

Needlework

Photography

Scrabble

Sunday + Club

Swimming Group

Table Games

Table Tennis Group

Ukelele Group

Visits

Walking Group

April 2016

From The Chair

I do hope you all had an enjoyable Easter break and it

wasn’t spoilt too much by the changeable weather. Storm

Katie certainly gave us a good blow! However the signs of

spring are well and truly here in the gardens and

countryside and let’s hope the weather soon warms up as

well.

The speaker last month was different from our usual and

we would like to hear from anybody who has tried some of

the stunts!

The monthly meeting in May is also our Annual General

Meeting when it will be necessary to elect a committee to

run our U3A for the following year. We would be

delighted to hear from you if you would like to be

nominated for a post on the Committee. Please feel free to

have an informal chat with me at our meeting on 13th

April

if you would like to know about the various roles.

Best wishes

David

Enrolment forms and subscriptions

Enrolment forms and subscriptions are now due

for the 2016 year to end of March 2017.

If you have not already completed a form and paid

would you please do so as soon as possible.

UK Tax payers are encouraged to complete the

gift aid section on the form as this enables us to

reclaim the income tax paid on the subscription.

We would ask that this is completed each year as

it makes our administration easier.

Please speak to our membership secretary if you

have any queries on this.

Broomfield & District

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MONTHLY MEETING - FUTURE SPEAKERS 2016

April 13th 2016 The National Gardens Scheme - Linda Holdaway

May 11th 2016 How Forensics Came to Scotland Yard - Bob Milne

June 8th 2016 My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer - Nick Thomas

July 13th 2016 The Thames Barge - Tony Earle

September 14th 2016 Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary - Fran Smith

October 12th 2016 Kentwell Hall - Joan Williams

November 9th 2016 One Day in the Battle of Britain - Neil Wiffen

December 14th 2016 Holly Ivy and Miss. L. Toe - Three's Company

Every month we aim to give a brief description of our monthly speaker, so here is March and April

OUR SPEAKER FOR APRIL AND MAY

At our meeting on the 13th April Linda Holdaway will tell us about the history and

development of the National Gardens Scheme. She will show us photos of some of the

gardens throughout Essex which open for charity and tell us what happens to the

money raised by our visits. This is an

opportunity to make a note of the gardens you would like to see this year.

In May Bob Milne will take us through forensic science from 1788 to modern times.

Bob is a retired London Metropolitan Police Officer with first hand experience of the

part played by forensics in fighting crime.

U3A 2016 EVENTS

1. Brooklands Museum - “VC10 and her Royal Connections

2. U3A Spring Concert Mozart Requiem Strand London - 27th April

3. National U3A Summer Schools 2016 Royal Ag. Uni. - 8th - 11

th and 15

th - 18

th August.

4. Annual Science Seminar – Harper Adams – 8 - 11th Aug.

5. North West Regional Summer School, Newton Rigg Agricultural. College

30th Aug - 2

nd Sept.

More information on all the above can be found on the notice board or website

BROOMFIELD AND DISTRICT WEBSITE – www.u3a.uk/broomfield

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CALENDAR FOR APRIL/MAY 2016

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

11th

April 12th 13

th 14

th 15

th 16

th 17

th

Table Games

2 pm

Swimming 10 am

Monthly

Meeting 1.30pm

Bridge 1.30pm

Lacemaking

2pm

Table Tennis

2pm

Photography

Little Waltham

Memorial Hall

10am

Gardening Visit

Hyde Hall 10am

18th

April 19th 20

th 21

st 22

nd 23

rd 24

th

Canasta 2pm Walking Group

9.00am

Swimming 10am

Art Group 10am

Discussion Group

2pm

Bridge 1.30pm

Heart & Sole

12.30pm

Needlework

2pm

25th

April 26th 27

th 28

th 29

th 30

th 1

st May

Natural History

10 am

Geology 2pm

Swimming 10am

Luncheon Club

12.30pm

Scrabble 2pm

Book Club 2pm

Table Tennis

2pm

Ukelele 2pm

Gardening Visit

10.30 am

Feeringbury

Manor

2nd

May 3rd

May 4th

May 5th

May 6th

May 7th

May 8th

May

Swimming 10am

Art Group 10am

Cookery 12.30pm

History Visit

Bridge 1.30pm

Heart & Sole

12.30pm

Lacemaking

2pm

9th

May 10th 11

th 12

th 13

th 14

th 15

th

Gardening

Visit 10.30 am

East Bergholt

Table Games

2 pm

Swimming 10 am

Monthly

Meeting 1.30pm

Needlework

2pm

16th

May 17th 18

th 19

th 20

th 21

st 22

nd

Canasta 2pm

Walking Group

9.30am

Swimming 10 am

Art Group 10am

Bridge 1.30pm

Lacemaking

2pm

Photography

Little Waltham

Memorial Hall

10am

23rd

May 24th

25th 26

th 27

th 28

th 29

th

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Broomfield U3A Group Reports

Art Group

Book Club

Wednesday

6th

April Beginners guide to watercolour painting

- Portraits/Work toward Summer Show

-

20th

April Beginners guide to watercolour painting

- Portraits/Work towards Summer Show

-

4th

May Painting at Langleys, Great Waltham – meet at the first

entrance in Chelmsford Road, close to Hatchfields.

18th

May Painting at Paper Mill Lock – meet outside the café

1st June Painting at Danbury Lakes – meet at the Lakes car park

entrance.

15th

June Painting in Pleshey – meet at Pleshey Village Hall

All sessions are from 10 am - 12 noon weather permitting. If it is really bad weather the session will be

held at my house.

Jo Bowman

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Six members of the Book Group met at Broomfield Library on Thursday, 31st March

2016 where we discussed The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.

This is a novel about the love and friendship of Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy and

Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl, during the internment of World War II. The

general opinion of the Group was that it was a very well written and thought provoking book. It certainly

instigated some very interesting conversations!

Our next meeting will be at 2 pm on Thursday, 28th April 2016 at the Broomfield Library when we will be

discussing The Kings Curse by Philippa Gregory. We always look forward to welcoming new members,

please contact me if you are interested in joining us.

Barbara Bartlett

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Bridge

Canasta

Cookery

A Reminder!

This month, April, Bridge is on the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays - i.e. 14th & 21st. April 1.30pm

In May we're back to normal -1st & 3rd Thursdays.

Melanie Pimm.

We meet on the 3rd

Monday of the month. Next meeting is therefore on the 18

th April

Marie Mackie

The lunch this month was Egg Mayonnaise starter, followed by Maple and Mustard Chicken with

vegetables and the dessert was a Strawberry Galette with cream.

Next meeting May 4th.

Jacqui Barnaby

The topic for discussion at our March meeting was ‘Dementia and Dementia Care’. With the latest estimate

from the Alzheimer’s Society that 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 will suffer from dementia, it is a topic

that many of us will need to face at some time in our lives.

It is a rule of the discussion group, to ensure a full and frank discussion that all matters discussed will

remain “within these four walls” and so, particularly because this discussion was largely anecdotal in

nature, the detail cannot be published.

Our conclusion though was that caring for someone with dementia can be an exacting task, not the least

because there is a lack of carer support, particularly from health and sadly it seems that there has been little

improvement in this over the years.

Discussion Group

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Geology

Gardening Group

One issue raised for when a person is no longer capable of conducting their own affairs was that a ‘Power

of Attorney’ is invaluable. For Dementia sufferers, this should not be just to cover financial matters but

health care too – worth checking yours for this?

At our next discussion group the topic will be the ‘EU Referendum’. If you have a view or are not yet

decided on why we are holding a Referendum at all, what information we need to make an informed

choice, to Stay In or Exit? – You are welcome to join us at 2pm on Wednesday 20th

April.

Thelma Nickerson

The Garden Group are busy making plans for a hopefully beautiful summer.

To remind you we shall be visiting:

Hyde Hall Plant Fair on Sunday April 17th. Meet at 10.00am

Feeringbury Manor on Friday April 29th. Meet there at 10.30am

The Place for Plants, East Bergholt on Monday May 9th. Meet there at 10.30am.

We have added a June visit. That will be to a group opening of three different gardens in Boreham.

This is on Saturday June 11th. Meet there at 11.00am

There will be no house meeting in May because of the Bank Holiday.

Our next house meeting will be on Monday June 6th

Pat Radford

Our last session on Natural Explosions, of course, went

with a “bang”! – sorry could not resist that one, but we

learned a lot about the effects of close encounters with

comets and meteors turning surface rocks to glass and

those nasty explosive volcanoes with their sticky silica-

rich lava producing clouds of incandescent gas and ash.

The Coke and Mentos made a very small whoosh by

comparison!

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History Group

The next session will be much calmer, but no less fascinating, we

hope, as we delve into the fossil record to find signs of early life,

particularly focusing on wood louse-like trilobites that crept

around the sea bed 542 million years ago.

Look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 26th April at 2pm

Ros & Ian

On March 7th, Malcolm Taylor took 17 members on a fascinating Heritage Trail around Chelmsford. From

the Marconi statue behind the Bus Station to Backnang Square, via the Anne Knight building in Duke

Street, the former sites of Marconi & Hoffmann's, and past Marriage's Mill, we learned so much about our

local city's past. A very enjoyable outing.

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Luncheon Club

Lacemaking

Future visits –

8th

APRIL - Trip to Saffron Walden

4th

MAY - Trip to Plotlands Museum, Langdon

13th JUNE - A "POSSIBLE" Thames Barge Evening cruise from Maldon, dependent upon numbers

interested.

Contact Sylvia or Jan for more details

The lace group continues to meet at 2.00pm on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month at the home of group

leader Wendy Talley. The group is still small and new members would be welcome. We have equipment

which can be lent to anyone so that they can try out lacemaking without any financial outlay. Help will be

given, printed instructions are available and there are several books that can be borrowed.

Wendy Talley

Well, 23 of us packed into The Wheatsheaf at Hatfield Peveral and all had what can only be described as

one of the best meals the group has experienced. We were throughly looked after by the staff there,

nothing was too much trouble and having the benefit of homemade/cooked food was a real treat and

delight .

The next meeting is on Wednesday, 27 April 2016 12.30pm at The Anchor at Danbury, beautiful pub with

loads of character..

Just by way of a gentle reminder, that if you put your name down for one of these events that if you are unable to attend that you please do give me 24 hours notice.

Muriel Whiting

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Sunday+ Club

Natural History Group

Needlework Group

Well our last meeting went really well at The Angel, Broomfield nice and local. We had two new members,

which was really nice to see. I do sincerely hope that we can get more members attending this group as for

those of us on our own the weekend can be a very lonely time.

Our next meeting is on Sunday, 10 April, 2016 at The Green Dragon, Great Leighs at 12.30pm. The

Luncheon Club have visited this establishment in February and rated it very highly, so we will see how

they fare with their Sunday Lunch menu.

Muriel Whiting

The Natural History Group enjoyed a lovely sunny walk through Border Wood. The anemones and

primroses were in evidence and with the sun on them it raised the hope of summer to come.

Our next walk is on Tuesday 26th April meeting at the visitors centre East Hanningfield Reservoir at 10am.

Coffee and snacks are available.

Let me know if you would like a lift.

Sue Browning.

Our Friday afternoon sessions on the second and fourth week of the month will continue for the next month

or so, but we will consider whether to take a break over the summer as we have done latterly. When the

weather is fine we would rather be out and about, but there is still time to work on that unfinished project

in convivial company. The next session is on Friday 22nd

April at the usual venue, then on 13th

May it will

be elsewhere, venue to be announced, as I shall be away, but will be back to host the session on 27th

May.

Look forward to seeing folks for a productive time.

Ros

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Photography

Table Games

Swimming

Scrabble

U3A Broomfield photography group meets at the Little Waltham Memorial Hall (across the road from the

GP surgery) on the third Saturday of the month. Next meeting 16th

April.

The group is open to all levels of skill, and offers an opportunity to share practical skills, technical know-

how, enthusiasm and appreciation of the art of photography.

Group members are using a range of cameras, DSLR’s Compacts, CSC’s (and modern camera phones) so

please don’t be put off if you don’t have the expensive gear!

The ‘challenge’ set at last session was to compose a photograph or photographs based on combinations of

colours.

Glynn Wadeson

Even though it was Maundy Thursday and a holiday a good number turned up to enjoy 2 games of

Scrabble. We shall meet again on the 4th Thursday of the month 28th

April at 2pm.

Scrabble Competition

Please can all people play their competition games as soon as possible and by 28th

April at the latest so we

can continue the next round of the competition.

Heather Steed

The Swimming Group meet every Wednesday morning (10.00 am) at Riverside, Chelmsford. New

members welcome.

Barbara Bartlett

Table Games are on 2nd

Tuesday of the month. Next games are 12th

April and 10th

May.

Marion Khoshuei

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Table Tennis

Visits

This month please come along as usual to Melbourne Sports and Social Club at 2pm with your bat (if you

have one) on Friday, 15th

April and Thursday, 28th

April. Cost £1.

Jean Lock

I have arranged for a demonstration and basic tuition on Thursday 28th

April, 2 pm 2016 at the home of

Patricia Platt who has kindly offered this venue for our first meeting. I would like those interested and

intending to attend to contact me by email in order that we know what numbers we have.

Chris Evans

BRENTWOOD BREWERY Colcott Hall Farm CM15 9HS

A visit to Brentwood Brewery on the 27th April 2016 Wednesday evening, starting at 7.00pm £10 per head.

The tour around the brewery lasts about 45 mins. to 1 hour, afterwards a tasting of 3 different beers,

1/3 of pint each = 1pint.

Minimum of 10 members for the tour.

Cheque please, made out to Broomfield and District U3A. Closing 13th

April.

WINE TASTING

Wine tasting at Lucking Wine Store Dunmow on Friday 27th May 2016 at 7.30pm.until 10.30pm

£25 00 per member

Starting with Champagne, followed by 4 White wines. To clear the palate, Pate, cheeses, biscuit and

bread.

On to 4 Red wines; this is followed by Shortbread, strawberries and chocolate, finishing with Dessert

wine.

Minimum of 15 members

Please make cheques payable to Broomfield and District U3A. Closing date 11th May

Ukelele Group

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Walking Group

COACH TRIP TO THE SUPREME COURT

On the 23rd September 2016

Pick up at 10.00am at the Angel

Price £23.00 coach and entry fee included.

Cheque payable to Broomfield and District U3A. Closing date 13th July 2016.

The tour should last approximately 60 minutes. The toilet facilities, café and exhibition are on the Lower

Ground floor, you are also able to purchase a selection of souvenirs and gifts from the cafe gift shop.

Upon arrival there will be an airport-style security check once you have entered into the building, so please

do not bring any sharp or dangerous objects (including nail scissors, penknives etc). It is suggested that you

aim to arrive around 10 minutes before the booked tour, this should give us ample time to pass through

security (for larger groups, 15 minutes should suffice). You could of course, arrive earlier if you wish to use

the cafe or look at the exhibition, you will not however be able to begin your tour until the allotted time.

There are no cloakroom facilities available so please avoid bringing bulky items or luggage, as you will

have to carry these with you throughout your tour.

You are welcome to bring your camera along with you as photography is permitted within the Supreme

Court (as long as a court is not in session) however please note that recording of any kind is not permitted.

The cost is £7 per person or £5 per person for the concession rate

Please let me know in advance if any of you have any special requirements, such as impaired mobility or

hearing. The building is fully accessible, but it is very helpful if they are made aware of any extra

adjustments needed to make, to how the tour is delivered, before you arrive.

Barbara Thomas

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Our March walk was the ‘other loop’ of the Roach Valley Way figure-of-eight that we walked a year ago.

Then we started from Canewdon Church; this year we started at the Plough & Sail pub at Paglesham East

End. It is easy to imagine on a murky morning smugglers hiding their contraband in pub cellars and church

crypts, of ‘dodgy’ church wardens looking after their own interests when it came to ill-gotten gains.

Surrounded by saltmarsh that only suited those born and raised here it was easy to see why they sought

wives from elsewhere – but had so many of them, as they could not cope with the ‘climate’ or hardship!

Our path led us to the other Paglesham hamlet, Church End, where we found St.Peter’s church gifted by

Edward the Confessor to Westminster Abbey the year before the Norman Conquest. Leaving Church End

we returned to the Roach Valley Way and headed across bleak farmland towards Paglesham Creek. Here

we left the Roach valley Way and instead headed back to East End following the seawall as it meandered

above the mudflats and saltmarsh.

On the other side of the creek we could see Wallasea Island and beyond that Burnham-on-Crouch and the

Dengie Marshes. As our course turned along the River Roach there was Foulness Island in the distance.

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These ‘islands’ did not seem that far across the creeks, but the tide was out and woe betide anyone who

attempted the walk across to visit the newly established nature reserve.

As usual our walk ended with a convivial lunch with many taking advantage of the “Winter Warmer” –

beef stew or shepherd’s pie followed by a spotted dick that stuck to the back bone.

This month’s walk is very different. We are heading for the rolling hills of north Essex leaving the village

of Chrishall at the Red Cow and taking a circular 5½ mile route back, using parts of the Icknield Way (the

oldest pedestrian route in England) and the Harcamlow Path, passing a thatched church before returning to

the Red Cow for lunch. We will be meeting at the Village Hall at 9.00am on Tuesday 19th April. As usual

please let Malcolm know if you are coming so that we can organise transport and warn the pub!!

HEART & SOLE – as usual for those that want a shorter walk at a more leisurely pace the City Council’s

Broomfield Heart & Sole Walk will be on Thursdays 7th and 21st April and Thursday 5th May. Meet in the

Main Atrium of Broomfield Hospital at 12.30pm.

For those wanting an excuse to walk for charity HEART & SOLE have their SUMMER SOLSTICE

STRIDE taking place on the evening of Thursday 16th June. Choice of 5km or 10 km routes returning to

Anglia Ruskin University for refreshments. £3 registration fee split between Macmillan Cancer Support

and Age UK. Register online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/summersolsticestride or by phone on

01245 606569.

GREAT GLEN – in June I will be walking the 84 miles of the Great Glen Way (Fort William to Inverness)

in aid of the Royal British Legion. Any sponsorship welcome – a sheet will be on the noticeboard.

Malcolm Taylor

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The March “PARISH” sign could be found on the noticeboard of Broomfield Church (St.Mary’s).

But where might we find this month’s “BROOMFIELD”?

WHERE IS IT?

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Chair David Marcus

Secretary Jean Lock

Treasurer Andrew Lilley

Speaker Co-ordinator Carol Greatrex

Membership Secretary Pauline Draper

Newsletter Editor John Williams

Group Co-ordinator Jo Bowman

Publicity Muriel Hubble

Refreshments Pat Radford

Committee Member Liz Marcus

Committee member (Meet and Greet) Thelma Nickerson

Committee Member Barbara Thomas

Group Leaders ART JO BOWMAN

BOOK CLUB BARBARA BARTLETT

BRIDGE MELANIE PIMM

CANASTA MARIE MACKIE

COOKERY JACQUI BARNABY

DISCUSSION GROUP THELMA NICKERSON

GARDENING PAT RADFORD

GEOLOGY ROS SMITH

HISTORY JAN WHITE

LACEMAKING WENDY TALLEY

LUNCHEON CLUB MURIEL WHITING

NATURAL HISTORY SUE BROWNING

NEEDLEWORK ROS SMITH

PHOTOGRAPHY GLYNN WADESON

SCRABBLE HEATHER STEED

SUNDAY + GROUP MURIEL WHITING

SWIMMING BARBARA BARTLETT

TABLE GAMES MARION KHOSHUEI

TABLE TENNIS GROUP JEAN LOCK

UKELELE GROUP CHRIS EVANS

VISITS/OUTINGS BARBARA THOMAS

WALKING GROUP MALCOLM TAYLOR

The Committee

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For those of you without email who would like a hard copy of the newsletter before the meeting please

supply a stamped addressed envelope