We welcome other U3A's to make comments on our website or advertise trips and events being organised within our district
Please contact Ron Lapthorn email:
BRECON U3A
Rosemary Maling
Thursday 30th September 2010
Coffee 10.00 for 10.30
at Theatr Brycheiniog
Brecon LD3 7EWMorning – Languages of Britain
Professor Glanville PriceAfternoon – Dating & Deception
The Secrets of Body Language
Dr Cliff Arnall – Cardiff UniversityBuffet Lunch with wine or fruit juice
Included
Admission £7.50 in advance only __________
Please send your request for seats at the lectures to
Pat Wilkie, Secretary Brecon U3A
15 Maesmawr Close,Talybont on Usk, LD3 7JG
by 20th September
A cheque payable to Brecon U3A should be enclosed together with a list of names from your U3Awebsite link: www.breconu3a.org.uk
Dear Sir,
I read with interest your report of a talk given by Peter Strong, entitled 'Ted Gill - a Working Class Hero' on your web-site.I wondered if you had any contact details for Peter.
My grandfather John Henry Hutchings was the half brother of Edward Gill's wife Elizabeth Ann Gill (nee Hutchings).All the Hutchings family were heavilly involved in politics in Abertillery.
I am collecting information for a family history project and would love to share information etc with Peter.
Hope you can help.Please feel free to pass my e-mail onto him.
Best Wishes
MikeWednesday 18.08.10
Cordell Mini Saga Competition 2010
Alexander Cordell loved writing and started off entering competitions - indeed he entered sections of Rape of the Fair Country for a South Wales Argus competition in 1957 - the book went on to be an international best seller.
The Alexander Cordell Literature Competition is now entering its 7th year - and it's changing. This year it will all be about creating a full story in just 50 words - a Mini Saga! You might well have a best selling story buzzing around your mind - and this is your opportunity to try it out!
There are 3 categories:
- Children 11 and under
- Young people between 12 and 18
- Adults over 18
All age groups are to write about "Community" or "Unbelievable" - setting the story in South Wales over the last 200 years.
Entries are welcomed in English or Welsh and can be submitted electronically - see the entry details and the rules for more information.
Good luck - we look forward to reading your story set in South Wales.
website link: http://cordellcountry.org/en/competition
What is a Mini Saga?
A Mini Saga is a complete story within exactly 50 words - not 49 or 51 - but 50!!
The British Council has a great section on mini sagas as well as some amusing examples on their website -
take a look!
Key advice on how to write a mini saga is:
1. Start by thinking of a story that you would like to write. Put it down on paper.
2. Shorten your story. Take out any words that are not absolutely necessary. How many words are there?
3. Now shorten your story again. How many words are there? At this point you may need to change words or sentences to make exactly 50 words.
4. Success!!!
2010 Prizes
Under 11s
A day trip for the winner and his/her entire class (up to 30 children) to one of the following attractions including the hire of suitable coach (from school or Welsh border):
• Abergavenny Museum and Castle
• Big Pit: National Coal Museum
• Rhondda Heritage Park
• The Winding House, New Tredegar
• “The Works” Ebbw Vale when it opens Summer 2011
• Cefn Coed Colliery Museum
12 -18's
A modern, e-book reader.
Over 18's
Short break in Cordell Country for two people, staying at The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny visiting heritage attractions. Prize includes 1 night Dinner, Bed and Breakfast but NOT travel to Abergavenny.
How to enter?
It is really simple to enter:
1. Write your story - 50 words exactly & title (up to 10 words)
2. E mail to kim@candoteam.wanadoo.co.uk or post to Kim Colebrook, 7 Gobannium Way, Ysbyty Fields, Abergavenny NP7 9JA. Mark your entry "Cordell Mini Saga"
3. Add you name, address, e mail address (if available) and age (if over 18). If under 18 please give include your school and class details, as well as your parent or guardian's details.
4. Ensure that your entry gets there by midnight on 30th September 2010.
The most important thing is to enjoy researching and writing your story - and I guarantee that we will enjoy reading it!
If you have any queries please contact Kim Colebrook at kim@candoteam.wanadoo.co.uk or 078520 210106.
Mini Saga Rules
Entry
1. Entries must be the original, unpublished work of the author.
2. Entries must be exactly 50 words excluding the title. The title can be a maximum of 10 words.
3. Entries must be inspired by South Wales over the last 200 years and themed on "Community" or "Unbelievable".
4. Entries can be submitted by e mail (kim@candoteam.wanadoo.co.uk) or hard copy
(Kim Colebrook, 7 Gobannium Way, Ysbyty Fields, Abergavenny NP& 9JA).
5. Entries must arrive by midnight on 30th September 2010.
6. All entries must include the entrants name, address,e mail address (if available) and age - if under 18 years of age then details of parent or guardian should also be included, as well as details of school/college and class.
7. Age Groups - 11 and under - 11 years of age on or before 31st August 2011.
8. Age Groups - 12 - 18 - 18 years of age after 1st September 2010.
9. All entries are judged anonymously.
10. Entries are free.
11. No entries can be returned.
12. Entries will be acknowledged by e mail.
Judging
1. The competition deadline is midnight on 30th September 2010.
2. The winners will be decided by a panel of judges. Their decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into regarding that decision. The organisers reserve the right to not award prizes if suitable entries are not submitted.
3. Prizes do not include travel to South Wales.
4. The list of prize winners will be placed on the Cordell Country website www.cordellcountry.org.
5. Winners will be announced in November 2010 - winners will be personally notified. Winning entries will be published on www.cordellcountry.org and in other suitable local, tourist or travel media as appropriate.
Copyright
Copyright will remain with the competitor, but the authors of the winning entries will grant Cordell Country the right to publish or broadcast their entry.
Submission of an entry implies the competitor’s acceptance of the conditions detailed here.
Jazz Concert at St. Michael & All Angels
Once again this year, we have a Jazz Concert at St. Michael & All Angels Church, Cwmdu - on Sat. Sept. 4th. We have invited the Keith Little Band back again, as they were such a success last year.
I should be most grateful if you would publicise this at any U3A meetings before that date - if you need any more info., etc., please do let me know.
Best wishes Mike Stroud
There’s plenty of help at
www
. Mah Jong British Rules . com
It has a clear,
illustrated explanation of this fascinating game
and a gentle introduction for those who have not met it before
The web site
also gives lots of other information about Mah-Jong
Web sites to visit - Where to buy sets - U3A Mah-Jong clubs
Here’s a winning hand...
Mah-Jong is
a charming, late nineteenth century, Chinese game played
with engraved tiles. Although the rules are quite intricate, the rudiments
of play are surprisingly easy to master. It’s a bit like rummy.
For more information:
email PGregory @ talktalk.net
(Peterborough
U3A Mah-Jong group)
or write to Peter Gregory, 10 Muskham, Peterborough, PE3 9XU
(Book and playing aids also available)
Hello Friends,
While doing some reading tonight, I learned that one of my deBohun ancestors was actually born at Caldicot Castle! William deBohun and his twin brother Edward, sons of Humphrey deBohun and Elizabeth Plantagenet were born at Caldicot Castle in 1312.*Please click on the photo below to access a larger image
photo: Caldicot Castle Keep
I'm sure I have this noted someplace, but as you know, my decision to come to Caldicot was based on my correspondence with Ron and Pam, and the fact that the castle was built by one of the Humphrey deBohuns. I never gave William a thought. No wonder I was drawn to Caldicot.
Fondly, Ellie
Hello Anita,
You were so kind to allow me to explore Caldicot Castle with my friend Pam Caines.It was a powerful experience for me, one which I will never forget, and I thank you for that privilege.
Regards, Ellie Lewis
Note from editor:- It was a pleasure to help you Ellie and my thanks to our Chairman Pam Caines for escorted you, having my ear close to the ground I know you both had a good chinwag together in the Castle Inn Public House before you returned to the US.
Thanks Ron
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Letter from America
Hello,
I was pleased to find your website, and was hoping you could help me. I have had a longtime passion for history and genealogy, which is what led me to your website. I am a direct line descendant of the de Bohun, de Barros, and Marshall families, and at long last I will be travelling to Wales to look at the land.Do you know of any day guides or tours that would help me explore your area?
I will be travelling by bus or train, and will arrive in Wales on Monday, March 23, 2009. I'm hoping to find someone who has a passion for their history rather than someone who is just working for the day.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,
Ellie Lewis
Hydes, Maryland USA
Editors reply
Thank you Ellie we hope you find some of the information that Anita of Caldicot Castle and we from Caldicot U3A have sent is of use.
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I am a u3a member at Bath and for some years have been using a French Village organisation for a unique language course . It is reciprocal, in that English speakers are matched by a similar number of French speakers working together, and having fun. I have met a number of other u3a members on these courses and i feel they need wider recognition. The parent organisation, Renouveau, is a charity and can not afford to advertise widely so some of organised a web site, Friends of renouveau, if you like .Here is a link to that site and if you can,in any way distribute this link we would be very grateful.
Yours Ian Murison
website link: www.learn-french-in-france.org.uk/index.htm(Have a look and you`ll see what I mean. I have ,of course, no financial or there link with Renouveau other than as a member)
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U3A MUSIC GROUPS WIKI WEBSITE
Hello Folks
I thought you might be interested in the new Wiki website for U3A Music groups I think it is a handsome looking website ((95% Tom Holloway's (U3A Signpost) work and 5% mine)) and should help spread the words U3A and Music and may encourage people to venture into the fascinating world of the internet.
It can be accessed in the UK simply by entering U3A Musicgroups in Google, then follow through Books, Films etc or click on the link below.
website link: http://u3amusicgroups.pbwiki.com/
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"Open Writing"
Message from Peter Hinchliffe
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Hello
First of all, thank you very much for the mention of Open Writing on your Web site. Much appreciated.
Secondly, would it be possible to pass on the following e-mail to Phil Wood?
And thirdly, if your writing group has more stories articles and poems to offer I would love to run them in Open Writing. The Caldicot U3A contributions are some of the best things I've run in OW - and I am not saying that merely to solicit more material.
Open Writing is now averaging around 4,500,000 hits a year. I am still running a writing and reminiscing class for Huddersfield U3A, and my wife Joyce, who provides a considerable amount of help with the Web magazine, runs a U3A Spanish class.
Thanks very much for your help.
Cheers
Peter Hinchliffe
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Message by Ruth Waddington from Vinegar Hill, Undy
We (me and my husband Graham) were fascinated by memories of living up Vinegar Hill (Phil Wood, July 11, 2006.
We live in one of the 1920\'s semi-detached houses right at the top, where the lane is straight and flat, opposite the new cul-de-sac Broadlands Court.
We fancied that Phil lived in our house, but suspect not. We still have the old wash house in the back garden, with the copper still in it. We\'ve had to entomb it for future generations as the little place is still used for butchering pigs, but now environmental health officers are more stringent about the conditions and we\'ve had to put in stainless steel surfaces, sinks and hot running water!
We rear a couple of pigs each year and a few chickens in a strip of land adjoining the garden, that was bequeathed to the Baptist Chapel. We also use \'every spare hour of daylight\' in the garden, but out of choice, not necessity. We also have a treasured simple black kitchen range, too.
We would love to hear if anyone knows any of the history of this house of those of our neighbours. We know Roy Majors used to live here, and we are friends with people whose grandparents lived here or in \'Bryony\' - but more detail would be lovely to read about. Regards, Ruth & Graham WaddingtonWeb Page:.
Openwriting Web magazine features a feast of words from regular columnists, U3A writers and other authors. Every day there is something new to read in Openwriting.
Phil Wood's story can be read by
clicking on the picture of the front cover of the book produced by our U3A
entitled "The Time of our Lives" which is on our Writers Page.
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Please click on the images below to access a letter and photographs from
Tim Ryan, Project Co-ordinator Severn Princess Restoration Group
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Tim Ryan with a model of the Severn Princess
The Severn Princess Ferry with the construction of the first Severn Bridge in the background, which was opend by H.M.Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1966.
Note... A further photo of the Ferry is
on the Home Page of our Archive Pages
I would like to thank all the volunteers from Caldicot U3A who have helped us in the past 6 months with our two fund raising events, notably the Strawberry Tea held at Keith Dodds' home at The Merrills in June and the Christmas Coffee Evening held in Undy Church and Community Hall recently.
We are a small committee and regularly hold fund raising events to raise money for R.N.L.I. We have really appreciated all the help given to us on these occasions by our U3A friends.
Without their help we would have struggled to run the events so successfully. I can,t imagine how many cups of tea and coffee they have made or how many plates, cups and saucers they have washed up The total money raised by the two events is over £2500-00.
Again "many thanks " to our volunteer helpers.
Brenda Buckley
Treasurer RNLI Caldicot and District
Fund raising committee.
01633 880500
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Flintshire U3A
Hi Ron, I saw the photo of your members at the Caldicot festival in 2006 and loved the signs they were using!
I have just taken over as vice chairman of the Flintshire U3A and we are having an open day in May to try and increase our membership.
Your signs looked just the thing. Would you mind sharing with me where you got them or how they were produced?
Your web site too could teach us a thing or too, bright, interesting and informative.
Best wishes Mrs Hilary Jones
website link: www.flintshire-u3a.co.uk
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