Announcements
Sidcup and District U3A
Sponsored Charity 2011
The sponsored charity for 2011 will be “CARERS SUPPORT BEXLEY”.
This is a small local charity based in the Manor House, Grassington Road, Sidcup. It provides a free service to all unpaid carers where the carer and/or the person cared for reside in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a voluntary sector organisation and the services it provides include:-
> A respite service.
> Carer’s information pack.
> Quarterly magazine “Carers Voice”.
> “In Touch” - one-to-one emotional support for carers.
> Information and advice (including welfare benefits and assistance with applications).
> Befriending service to carers.
There were no other charities nominated.
George Murrell
June 2011 Meeting
As has become our custom, there will not be a speaker at this meeting. Therefore, the Committee would like to invite all group leaders and their members to ‘showcase’ their activities for the benefit of all with displays in the hall.
We are a large and diverse group of people with an infinite range of interests, so, in addition, we extend an invitation to individual members to display any craft, hobby or special interest they would like to share. It could be a great opportunity to extend our range of groups and discover potential leaders, so please give some thought to what you could do and talk to any member of the Committee.
Anne Evans
U3A National Geology Meeting at The National Stone Centre, Wirksworth, Derbyshire 6th-7th April 2011
In response to a growing interest in geology by U3A members, National Office is considering organising a meeting as above. Experts at the centre propose a programme of lectures with field visits. The estimated cost is £40.00 per person including lunch and refreshments on both days. Participants arrange their own accommodation and evening meals. Further information is available from the U3A National Office 020 8466 6139
South East U3A Forum Summer School - University of Chichester
28th June-1st July 2011
Subjects on offer include:-
> Castle, Cathedral, Canal and City. Guided 5 mile walks around Chichester and Arundel.
> Anglo Saxon, Mediaeval & Georgian Chichester.
> Chichester and Arundel - Landscape, history & conservation of three nature reserves walking approx 5/6 miles per day.
> Creative Writing.
> The Golden Age of Dutch Painting.
> Opera on stage.
> Painting with water colours for beginners.
> Poets with many voices, Robert Browning and others.
> Post War England and the decline of Imperialism.
> Psychology: Reality and Imagination.
> The War to End all Wars - A study of the First World War.
> Watermills and Windmills.
Probable cost: residential single en suite £285; residential standard single £257.
Further details are available from Derek Payne (Kent U3A network) 01732 354228 e-mail derekcpayne@sky.com <mailto:derekcpayne@sky.com>.
U3A Jazz Appreciation Network Holiday to Vannes Jazz Festival 25th -30th July 2011.
8 days/7 nights estimated cost £650.00. Included in the price is the return Eurostar/TGV fare from London to Vannes and 7 nights B&B in Best Western Hotel, Vannes Centre. Excursions to Quimber, Quiberon and Carnac, Guerande and a luncheon cruise. Further details are available from Bob Jones 0118 941388 e-mail jazzer@mypostoffice.co.uk <mailto:jazzer@mypostoffice.co.uk>.
George Murrell
National Service with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
In the early 1950s, about 40% of the Army’s Infantry Battalions were made up of National Servicemen. There was no National Service in Northern Ireland, and, therefore, the National Service element of the three Irish Regiments, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Ulster Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers was recruited mainly from Londoners. The first step for all 18-year-old men was to register for National Service; this was compulsory. Prior to registering, I had never even heard of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
In March 1951 I was just eighteen and awaited my calling up papers with mixed feelings. I had always wanted a career in the services, but as an officer and preferably in the Royal Navy. I was fed up with my job as a local government clerk but was not prepared to take the risk of signing on for seven years. National Service seemed the ideal opportunity for a “trial run”. How wrong I was would soon be proved.
The papers arrived instructing me to report to the recruiting office in Croydon to register. Smartly turned out to create a good impression, I duly attended and was at first interviewed by a middle-aged clerk, who immediately informed me that there was no chance at all of being accepted for the Navy as a National Serviceman.
Anxious to please, I said I was quite prepared to accept the Army and would like to join the RASC and become a driver. “Not much chance of that,” said the clerk. “We’ve got plenty of recruits who are already drivers.” Seeing my disappointed expression, he gave me kindly advice. “Write down your preference as ‘RASC to follow my civilian occupation as a clerk.’ That should get you into the Service Corps, and, once you’re in, you could request a change of trade to driver. You might be lucky.” I followed his advice.
I was then summoned into an inner office to be interviewed by ‘the Colonel’, who was a very distinguished looking military type of individual sitting behind a large desk.
“So you want to be a clerk, do you?” he asked. “A big strong looking lad like you,” he went on in a manner that made me feel thoroughly ashamed of myself. “You want to be a clerk pen-pushing behind a desk, instead of being a real soldier sticking a bayonet into the enemy in Korea.” I wasn’t too keen about the last suggestion but did not want him to think that I was a wimp. “No sir, I don’t want to be a clerk, I want to be a proper soldier,” I replied. “Well, why did you put this down on your registration form?” he asked. I couldn’t think of a suitable answer apart from the truth. “The man out there suggested it as I wanted to be a driver,” said I. ‘The man out there’ was rapidly hauled into the Colonel’s office and was dressed down in my presence. I will never forget the look of reproach directed at me as he left.
The Colonel then neatly played me along as I explained to him that I would like to serve King and Country in the best way possible (even if it did mean sticking a bayonet into somebody), and how much I would like to be granted a commission and make a career of the Army. It seemed important to me at the time that the Colonel formed a high opinion of me.
After listening and prompting me, the Colonel came up with what appeared to be the ideal solution. I was to alter my form to show my preference as the Brigade of Guards. This would show that I was, indeed, the stuff of which heroes are made. The grounding that I would then receive would make me much sought after as ‘officer material’ in any other regiment, and a commission would be a mere formality. (We agreed, reluctantly, that I probably did not have the financial means and social background to accept a commission in the Guards.)
I was beginning by this time to suspect that the Colonel was ex-Guards and perhaps a little biased, but, nevertheless, I agreed to his suggestion. As he was altering the form for my signature he asked me, “Which Guards do you want to go into?” I thought this was rather nice of him as he seemed to have made all of my decisions so far. I replied to the effect that I didn’t mind. “Have you any Scots ancestry?” he asked. “No,” I replied, “only Welsh and Irish.” “Well, put down Irish or Welsh Guards,” he said, pushing the form across to me. This I did and I suppose that is the reason that I ended up in The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
George Murrell
Discounted Computer Books
The U3A “Older and Wiser” books published by Wiley are available at £9.99 each (£3 discount) until 31st January. Phone Freephone 0800 243407 quoting VB116. Titles include Computing, Computing Windows 7, Digital Photography, Family History, The Internet, Social Networking, Laptops, and Microsoft Office.
George Murrell
U3A Summer Schools 2011
Harper Adams College near Telford, Shropshire 18-21 July
Courses include Aspects of American Cinema; Development of Drama; Geology and Industrial Landscape; History - Aspects of 19th Century English Social History; Maths - Back To Your (Square) Roots & Easy As Pi; Music - Shostakovich; Philosophy; Poetry - Converts T S Elliot & John Donne; Storytelling - Learn To Tell Stories.
Full Board en suite accommodation £315.00.
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester 22- 25 August
Courses include Dancing - a variety of dance activities; History - India’s Forgotten Genius, Rabindranath Tagore; Anarchism in Literature; Music Appreciation - Classical Music; Introduction to Philosophy; Science and Technology - Lasers Secret Messaging and the Science of Photography.
Full Board en suite accommodation £315.00.
Further information about both can be downloaded from the U3A website or by contacting the National Office 020 8466 6139
U3A Explores Science at the RI
A programme of talks given by expert speakers at the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1 at 1.30pm- 5.00pm, Tuesday 29th March.
Tickets including refreshments £18.00. Further details are available from the National Office as above.
George Murrell
Nomination Form
Nominations for Committee posts are now invited and a nomination form is attached to this Newsletter. The Vice Chairman, Annette Jansen, is standing down after many years service on the Committee.
New Treasurer Required
After 10 years loyal and efficient service, Dennis Brittain will be relinquishing the position of Treasurer at the AGM in March. Any member who is prepared to take on this task is invited to have a word with Dennis, or any other Committee member, as soon as possible. As you will appreciate, without a Treasurer the future of the Branch could be very much in jeopardy and it is therefore important that a potential successor is identified as quickly as possible.
Apart from Annette and Dennis, all other Committee members are prepared to stand for re-election.
George Murrell, Secretary
The sponsored charity for 2011 will be “CARERS SUPPORT BEXLEY”.
This is a small local charity based in the Manor House, Grassington Road, Sidcup. It provides a free service to all unpaid carers where the carer and/or the person cared for reside in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a voluntary sector organisation and the services it provides include:-
> A respite service.
> Carer’s information pack.
> Quarterly magazine “Carers Voice”.
> “In Touch” - one-to-one emotional support for carers.
> Information and advice (including welfare benefits and assistance with applications).
> Befriending service to carers.
There were no other charities nominated.
George Murrell
June 2011 Meeting
As has become our custom, there will not be a speaker at this meeting. Therefore, the Committee would like to invite all group leaders and their members to ‘showcase’ their activities for the benefit of all with displays in the hall.
We are a large and diverse group of people with an infinite range of interests, so, in addition, we extend an invitation to individual members to display any craft, hobby or special interest they would like to share. It could be a great opportunity to extend our range of groups and discover potential leaders, so please give some thought to what you could do and talk to any member of the Committee.
Anne Evans
U3A National Geology Meeting at The National Stone Centre, Wirksworth, Derbyshire 6th-7th April 2011
In response to a growing interest in geology by U3A members, National Office is considering organising a meeting as above. Experts at the centre propose a programme of lectures with field visits. The estimated cost is £40.00 per person including lunch and refreshments on both days. Participants arrange their own accommodation and evening meals. Further information is available from the U3A National Office 020 8466 6139
South East U3A Forum Summer School - University of Chichester
28th June-1st July 2011
Subjects on offer include:-
> Castle, Cathedral, Canal and City. Guided 5 mile walks around Chichester and Arundel.
> Anglo Saxon, Mediaeval & Georgian Chichester.
> Chichester and Arundel - Landscape, history & conservation of three nature reserves walking approx 5/6 miles per day.
> Creative Writing.
> The Golden Age of Dutch Painting.
> Opera on stage.
> Painting with water colours for beginners.
> Poets with many voices, Robert Browning and others.
> Post War England and the decline of Imperialism.
> Psychology: Reality and Imagination.
> The War to End all Wars - A study of the First World War.
> Watermills and Windmills.
Probable cost: residential single en suite £285; residential standard single £257.
Further details are available from Derek Payne (Kent U3A network) 01732 354228 e-mail derekcpayne@sky.com <mailto:derekcpayne@sky.com>.
U3A Jazz Appreciation Network Holiday to Vannes Jazz Festival 25th -30th July 2011.
8 days/7 nights estimated cost £650.00. Included in the price is the return Eurostar/TGV fare from London to Vannes and 7 nights B&B in Best Western Hotel, Vannes Centre. Excursions to Quimber, Quiberon and Carnac, Guerande and a luncheon cruise. Further details are available from Bob Jones 0118 941388 e-mail jazzer@mypostoffice.co.uk <mailto:jazzer@mypostoffice.co.uk>.
George Murrell
National Service with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
In the early 1950s, about 40% of the Army’s Infantry Battalions were made up of National Servicemen. There was no National Service in Northern Ireland, and, therefore, the National Service element of the three Irish Regiments, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Ulster Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers was recruited mainly from Londoners. The first step for all 18-year-old men was to register for National Service; this was compulsory. Prior to registering, I had never even heard of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
In March 1951 I was just eighteen and awaited my calling up papers with mixed feelings. I had always wanted a career in the services, but as an officer and preferably in the Royal Navy. I was fed up with my job as a local government clerk but was not prepared to take the risk of signing on for seven years. National Service seemed the ideal opportunity for a “trial run”. How wrong I was would soon be proved.
The papers arrived instructing me to report to the recruiting office in Croydon to register. Smartly turned out to create a good impression, I duly attended and was at first interviewed by a middle-aged clerk, who immediately informed me that there was no chance at all of being accepted for the Navy as a National Serviceman.
Anxious to please, I said I was quite prepared to accept the Army and would like to join the RASC and become a driver. “Not much chance of that,” said the clerk. “We’ve got plenty of recruits who are already drivers.” Seeing my disappointed expression, he gave me kindly advice. “Write down your preference as ‘RASC to follow my civilian occupation as a clerk.’ That should get you into the Service Corps, and, once you’re in, you could request a change of trade to driver. You might be lucky.” I followed his advice.
I was then summoned into an inner office to be interviewed by ‘the Colonel’, who was a very distinguished looking military type of individual sitting behind a large desk.
“So you want to be a clerk, do you?” he asked. “A big strong looking lad like you,” he went on in a manner that made me feel thoroughly ashamed of myself. “You want to be a clerk pen-pushing behind a desk, instead of being a real soldier sticking a bayonet into the enemy in Korea.” I wasn’t too keen about the last suggestion but did not want him to think that I was a wimp. “No sir, I don’t want to be a clerk, I want to be a proper soldier,” I replied. “Well, why did you put this down on your registration form?” he asked. I couldn’t think of a suitable answer apart from the truth. “The man out there suggested it as I wanted to be a driver,” said I. ‘The man out there’ was rapidly hauled into the Colonel’s office and was dressed down in my presence. I will never forget the look of reproach directed at me as he left.
The Colonel then neatly played me along as I explained to him that I would like to serve King and Country in the best way possible (even if it did mean sticking a bayonet into somebody), and how much I would like to be granted a commission and make a career of the Army. It seemed important to me at the time that the Colonel formed a high opinion of me.
After listening and prompting me, the Colonel came up with what appeared to be the ideal solution. I was to alter my form to show my preference as the Brigade of Guards. This would show that I was, indeed, the stuff of which heroes are made. The grounding that I would then receive would make me much sought after as ‘officer material’ in any other regiment, and a commission would be a mere formality. (We agreed, reluctantly, that I probably did not have the financial means and social background to accept a commission in the Guards.)
I was beginning by this time to suspect that the Colonel was ex-Guards and perhaps a little biased, but, nevertheless, I agreed to his suggestion. As he was altering the form for my signature he asked me, “Which Guards do you want to go into?” I thought this was rather nice of him as he seemed to have made all of my decisions so far. I replied to the effect that I didn’t mind. “Have you any Scots ancestry?” he asked. “No,” I replied, “only Welsh and Irish.” “Well, put down Irish or Welsh Guards,” he said, pushing the form across to me. This I did and I suppose that is the reason that I ended up in The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
George Murrell
Discounted Computer Books
The U3A “Older and Wiser” books published by Wiley are available at £9.99 each (£3 discount) until 31st January. Phone Freephone 0800 243407 quoting VB116. Titles include Computing, Computing Windows 7, Digital Photography, Family History, The Internet, Social Networking, Laptops, and Microsoft Office.
George Murrell
U3A Summer Schools 2011
Harper Adams College near Telford, Shropshire 18-21 July
Courses include Aspects of American Cinema; Development of Drama; Geology and Industrial Landscape; History - Aspects of 19th Century English Social History; Maths - Back To Your (Square) Roots & Easy As Pi; Music - Shostakovich; Philosophy; Poetry - Converts T S Elliot & John Donne; Storytelling - Learn To Tell Stories.
Full Board en suite accommodation £315.00.
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester 22- 25 August
Courses include Dancing - a variety of dance activities; History - India’s Forgotten Genius, Rabindranath Tagore; Anarchism in Literature; Music Appreciation - Classical Music; Introduction to Philosophy; Science and Technology - Lasers Secret Messaging and the Science of Photography.
Full Board en suite accommodation £315.00.
Further information about both can be downloaded from the U3A website or by contacting the National Office 020 8466 6139
U3A Explores Science at the RI
A programme of talks given by expert speakers at the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1 at 1.30pm- 5.00pm, Tuesday 29th March.
Tickets including refreshments £18.00. Further details are available from the National Office as above.
George Murrell
Nomination Form
Nominations for Committee posts are now invited and a nomination form is attached to this Newsletter. The Vice Chairman, Annette Jansen, is standing down after many years service on the Committee.
New Treasurer Required
After 10 years loyal and efficient service, Dennis Brittain will be relinquishing the position of Treasurer at the AGM in March. Any member who is prepared to take on this task is invited to have a word with Dennis, or any other Committee member, as soon as possible. As you will appreciate, without a Treasurer the future of the Branch could be very much in jeopardy and it is therefore important that a potential successor is identified as quickly as possible.
Apart from Annette and Dennis, all other Committee members are prepared to stand for re-election.
George Murrell, Secretary