Avanti Magazine - Spring 2016 Edition

THE MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

MAGAZINE

Relationships after retirement Should we ditch the gambling habit?

THE BRONTË SISTERS

THE BIG BUS PASS QUESTION

Medical Marvels INSIDE

Online giving PLUS: Fiona Gibson • Postbag • Entertainment • Tea Break

explained

contents 4 FRONT DESK News from Fellowship Office

editor’s letter

14 THE BIG QUESTION: BUS PASSES Should the bus pass continue to be free to older people?

Hello and welcome to the Spring edition of avanti!

This year, we’ve made a few changes to the magazine we hope you’ll enjoy. One is our new Big Question section.

Turn to page 14 for our first in the series. And do let us know what you think, both about this and about the Big Questions we’ll be asking in future issues.

17 FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO SCIENCE FACT From fantasy to reality: what’s next in medical science?

20 LOVE AFTER RETIREMENT Relationships are not always straightforward, whatever age we are

There’s plenty more in this magazine to grab your attention.

We talk to the experts about relationships in later life, and explore aspects of our national gambling habits that you may not have thought about before.

25 THE WAY WE WORE

Alongside that, Andréa Childs talks about Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë; Adrian Monti describes medical breakthroughs past, present and to come; and we start another new series, this time on mobility, with a look at foot care.

30 BRONTËMANIA

Finally, don’t miss our call to action on page 24, where we ask readers for photographs of you at work and play in days gone by. Rifle through your albums and send them in.

Do keep sending us your letters and anecdotes as well, as our ever growing Postbag section is a great way to share news and views. Have a very happy Spring, and we look forward to hearing from you!

We want YOUR photographs!

26 TALKING POINT: GAMBLING Is it time to stop taking a flutter?

Our longstanding love of the three sisters

34 HAPPY FEET Keep mobile with our guide to foot care

36 ENTERTAINMENT Staying in or going out, our top picks

40 SOPHIA’S CORNER Healthy, delicious Spring recipes

42 TEA BREAK Laughs, puzzles and our prize crossword

46 POSTBAG Your letters, stories and views

50 GROUP FOCUS

30

Group reports and news from around the country

54 THE PLANNER

20

40

published by Square7 Media Ltd, 3 More London Riverside, London SE1 2RE t: 020 3283 4055 e: enquiries@square7media.co.uk www.square7media.co.uk

Find out what your local group is up to

62 MY FAVOURITE THINGS Fiona Gibson’s top choices

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA t: 020 8691 7411 e: info@csrf.org.uk w: www.csrf.org.uk A charity registered in England and Wales No 255465 and in Scotland No SC039049 and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No 6297479

Publisher: Gaynor Garton e: gaynor@square7media.co.uk Advertising: t: 020 3283 4055 e: adsales@square7media.co.uk Editor: Radhika Holmström Contact the Editor: Use the CSRF address above e: avanti@square7media.co.uk t: 020 8691 7411 Contributors: Andréa Childs, Sophia Hill, Adrian Monti, Kate Wheal, Judy Yorke Designer: Charlotte Morgan ©2015. avanti Magazine is published by Square7 Media Ltd on behalf of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF). All rights reserved. The CSRF and the publishers declare that any publication of any advertisement does not carry their endorsement or sponsorship of the advertiser or their products unless so indicated. Contributions are invited and, whether or not accepted, submissions will be returned only is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or while in the publisher’s hands. Proof of receipt is no guarantee of appearance.

In the absence of an agreement, the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic belongs to The CSRF. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format (including, but not limited to, any online service, database or part of the internet), or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of Square7 Media Ltd. The CSRF and Square7 Media accept no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any other opinions expressed herein. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official views of The CSRF.

www.csrf.org.uk SPRING 2016

3

Support us with a donation Give a little, help a lot. Thank you Return the completed form including your donation to: The CSRF, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA Cheques should be made payable to ‘The CSRF’. Alternatively, you can make a donation online at www.csrf.org.uk Please accept my gift of:

£10

£20

£50

£250

£100

Other £

How would you like us to acknowledge your donation?

By Post

By Email I do not wish to receive an acknowledgement We are extremely grateful for all donations we receive; you can help us save money by ticking the box to opt not to receive an acknowledgment

Name: Address:

Post Code: Tel Number: Email:

By giving a regular gift to The CSRF you are making an important contribution to our ongoing work and support of our volunteers, branches and groups Please pay: each month/year (delete as appropriate) Starting on (date)

The sum of £

/

/

until further notice

Name of account holder Account No

Sort Code

-

-

Name and address of your bank/building society (BLOCK CAPITALS please) To the manager

Signature Date

/

/

For office use only (Bank, please quote reference)

Originator’s Identification Number

6 3 0 6 7 0

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay The CSRF Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

I understand that this Instruction may remain with the CSRF and if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society

Make your gift worth a quarter more at no extra cost to you!

If you are a UK taxpayer The CSRF can reclaim the tax you’ve paid on your donation. Please tick the Gift Aid declaration box below I want to Gift Aid this donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

4

If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid

SPRING donations2016 on yourwww.csrf.org.uk Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code. Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

© Paul Heartfield

frontdesk

The latest news from Fellowship Office

Hello Everyone!

A very belated Happy New Year to all of you. I hope that no one was too affected by the floods across the Christmas holidays and if you were, that things are beginning to get back to normal.

Our friends from The Charity for Civil Servants are able to offer support to anyone affected so if you haven’t yet asked for help, you can give their confidential helpline a ring on 0800 056 2424.

Looking ahead this year one of our biggest challenges will be how we address the shortfall in our fundraising revenue.

We managed to succeed in our objective to raise £250,000 between 2013-2015 (so a big thank you again to everyone who donated) but unfortunately due to the very disappointing response to our Golden Jubilee raffle last year we still finished last year a long way short of expectations.

We have to raise funds to support our activities, groups and volunteers and without the grant-in-aid now it is even more essential that we all redouble our efforts and pull together to help generate the levels of fundraising income we need to support our activities.

Chief Executive’s letter Words by Jean Cooper So if you’ve not made a donation then please do consider making one today by filling out the form opposite and returning your donation to the office. Every penny through donations really does make a difference. If you use the Internet for shopping you can also help by registering yourself on Giveasyoulive. This online fundraising website gives a percentage donation to us on any shopping purchase – have a look at page 12 which has an easy to follow guide on how to sign up. There are also other fundraising websites such as Giveacar and Easyfundraising that you can register with too (full details of these can be found on our website).

I mentioned in the last issue that the Fellowship’s Board of Directors are focused on planning for the future and at their last Board meeting in November 2015 they appointed a working group

Jean with former Fellowship Office staff members Sandra Brown (l) and Jenny Lovelace (r) at the Anniversary drinks reception last year

to undertake a full strategic review of all the Fellowship’s activities with a view to setting a new plan for our future.

The review group is being led by our Cabinet Office nominated Board Director and includes representatives from Cabinet Office, the Office for Civil Society, our Treasurer and a nominated staff member from Fellowship Office. It also has the backing of both our Civil Service Champion Edward Troup and President, Sir Jeremy Heywood.

The review group is due to report to the Board of Directors at the end of March after which the Board will agree upon a blueprint for the future direction of the Fellowship. We will be including a report on this from our Chairman John Barker CB in the next issue.

Many thanks in advance for your support and I hope 2016 will be a positive year for the Fellowship.

5

news

Out and About

Our photo round up of news from Fellowship Office

Pig Tales

Our illustrious Piggles have been out and about in the past few months and, never being shy of a photo opportunity, they were caught on camera by some of you!

A fond farewell After 10 years’ service as a Board Director, John Lloyd CB (pictured right) decided to stand down at the end of last year. His last board meeting was at the end of November, where Chairman John Barker CB made a presentation on behalf of the Board of Directors and Fellowship Office.

Visiting the Christmas Market in Stuttgart (submitted by Paul Mannering)

Finding some ‘biscuit buddies’ (submitted by Ian Fenn)

We still have some limited edition Piggles left, which you can get your hands on in return for a minimum £5 donation. You can make your donation online at www.csrf.org.uk or send a cheque for £5 made payable to ‘The CSRF’ to: Fellowship Office, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA

Jean at the Palace Chief Executive Jean Cooper, who was awarded an MBE in HM The Queen’s birthday honours list last year, attended her investiture at Buckingham Palace in November. She received her award, in recognition of her service to the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, from HRH The Prince of Wales.

6

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Photography competition winners Congratulations to David Armstrong, who was selected as the winner of the most recent joint CSRF/NHSRF photography competition with his picture The Beach Hut: Tea and Biscuits.

The ‘History and Heritage’ themed competition was judged in December

by Margaret Moffat, Ann Endean and Andrew Moss from the NHS Retirement Fellowship. The two CSRF runners up were Malcolm Gibbon with his picture Tewkesbury Abbey and Cynthia Gough with her picture Bells and Bikes: Kersey, Suffolk.

befriending schemes

Fancy a companion?

The National Visitors Network provides friendship and companionship to any beneficiary who’d like to request a visit.

Whilst we continue to train new Visitors each month to join the scheme, we do also have Visitors ready to visit. So if you fancy making a new friend, then do please give us a call.

Newcastle training We were pleased to welcome a new group of Visitors on to the National Visitors Network in January to help facilitate visits to beneficiaries in the North East. The training event was organised by NVN administrator Duncan Packer and took place at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle-

upon-Tyne. All our new Visitors were matched up at the seminar.

If you live in the Newcastle, York or Leeds area and are interested in volunteering as a Visitor, we’d love to hear from you. Do use the contact information shown on this page to get in touch.

Want a Phone Buddy?

If you’d like to receive a regular call from one of our Phone Buddies, we’ve got some buddies waiting to pick up the phone and give you a buzz. The registration process is simple and we are very happy to chat to you about how it works to make sure it’s right for you. If you’re interested, use one of the contact methods shown on this page.

NT A BUDDY A W

B E A U D DY B

Registering for our Befriending schemes Call 020 8691 7411 and a member of the Fellowship Office team will call you back for a confidential call.

Email phonebuddy@csrf.org.uk or visiting@csrf.org.uk with your name and telephone number.

If you have access to the internet, you can find out more in the Befriend section on the CSRF website www.csrf.org.uk and if you’re interested in registering you can download the forms directly from the website.

Say Cheese!

Julie (pictured right), one of our Visitors, sent this lovely selfie of her and Doreen (the lady she visits) just before the Christmas holidays. We liked it so much we wanted to share it in the magazine. Julie is a serving civil servant who joined the National Visitors Network last year and has been visiting for more than six months. Doreen (pictured left) is a retired civil servant who used to work for the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Would you like a visit?

We currently have trained Visitors available to visit in: Braintree, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Carnforth, Dumbarton, Exeter, Glasgow, Gloucester, Hayle, Hornchurch, Lindfield, London, Maldon, Norwich, Slough and Stockport. So if you live in any of these areas and would like to make a new friend, we’d love to hear from you.

Now fully National

We recently com pleted the last phase of our regi onal mailshots (to those living in Wales and the Welsh Borders) in viting you to get involved with the National Visitors Network. Don’t fo rget that whereve r you live in the co untry you can get involved with the National Visitors Network and we would love to he ar from you..

7

legacy giving

Our future can be your legacy We have updated our fact sheet on legacy giving, introduced a new pledge form and teamed up with our legal partners McClures Solicitors to offer all members a free will or will review.

In 2015 our services directly helped improve the quality of life for more than 6,000 beneficiaries who engaged with our local community groups, Phone Buddy scheme and National Visitors Network.

As we receive no government funding any more, we rely on the money we raise through regular subscriptions and donations to support and safeguard our work. By leaving us a legacy, however big or small, you would be making an important contribution to our organisation.

If you are interested in leaving us a gift in your will, the most important starting point is to make sure you have a will!

Our legal partners McClures Solicitors can offer advice and guidance on either making a will or reviewing your existing one (see their contact information and CSRF member offer on the opposite page).

your gift can help support our group network Bognor Regis & Chichester (above) and Eltham (below) groups are just two of more than 100 groups nationwide that offer social engagement and friendship to beneficiaries

Types of legacy There are many different types of legacy but the two main ones are: Residuary: a proportion of your estate. For example, if you donated the remaining value of your assets after you have provided for friends and family, this would be known as a residual legacy.

Robert and Don and Sarah and Joyce are just a few of the matches provided by the National Visitors Network

8

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Pecuniary: a specific amount of money. For example, if you wanted to donate ÂŁ10,000 to the CSRF, this would be called a pecuniary legacy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS 1. Can I keep my legacy private?

Yes, of course. You don’t have to tell anyone what is in your will.

However, if you do decide to leave us a gift in your will we would love to be able to thank you personally. So if you’d like to let us know, you can request a copy of our Legacy Pledge form or download it from the members’ area of the CSRF website.

2. What happens if I need to change my will?

CSRF Member Offer FREE WILL or WILL REVIEW Our legal partners McClures Solicitors have a special offer available for all CSRF members – a free will or will review. To take up this opportunity call their Legal Helpline on 0800 852 1999 and quote ‘CSRF’; or email: contactus@mcclure-solicitors.com

You can change the contents of your will at any time. You can either create a completely new will (which would state that it replaces any previous wills) or, if it is just a small change, you can complete a simple amendment document (called a codicil), which is attached to your original will.

3. Would my legacy be taxed?

The good news about leaving a legacy is that it is deducted from your estate before calculating any inheritance tax that may be due. In addition, as there is no upper limit, you can be as generous as you like, safe in the knowledge that your legacy won’t be taxed.

FREE FACTSHEET & PLEDGE FORM You can request a printed copy of our new legacy factsheet and pledge form by calling Fellowship Office on 020 8691 7411 or email: enquiries@csrf.org.uk. If you have access to the internet both forms are available to download from the members’ area of the CSRF website, www.csrf.org.uk.

To access the members’ area you need to enter your membership number and surname (with an upper case first letter). Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten your membership number, just contact Fellowship Office, who can remind you of your number and send you a new membership card if you wish.

did you

know?

A third of people in the they are happy to le UK say ave a to a charity in their gift will but only seven per ce nt currently do.

9

news in brief

Community noticeboard Our new bulletin section shares news and information from our friends from other organisations that might be of interest to you

The Federation of Customs & Excise and Revenue Retired Staff Associations (FOCERRSA) is an umbrella organisation covering 12 local branches (originally for retired Customs and Excise staff) but now widened to cover those from HMRC and others who have moved on to other government organisations. There are currently branches in Ayr, Dorset, Heathrow and West London, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Midlands (East), Midlands (West),

North East, Southend, and Surrey/ Hampshire. Each branch arranges its own programme, inevitably with a local flavour. Events include walks, lunches, river and canal trips, visits to country houses, museums and various places of interest. FOCERRSA Chair Doreen Davis (pictured) is keen to promote the idea of an informal link with CSRF to foster social opportunities between the two, particularly in areas where both organisations do not have many members.

You can find out more about FOCERRSA online at www.focerrsa.blogspot.co.uk.

Artists in Public Service 2016 Exhibition The Artists in Public Service (AiPS) will be holding its annual exhibition at the Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 October 2016. The Private View will be held on Tuesday 18 October from 6pm to 8.30pm. If you’d like to exhibit, please contact Andrew Cooper by email: andrew.cooper@phe.gov.uk or call

10

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

0753 4991021. Entries will be required by early September 2016 and delivery of exhibits to the gallery takes place on Monday 17 October. Don’t be put off if you are inexperienced. All styles are welcome.

You can find out more about Artists in Public Service online at www.artistsinpublicservice.co.uk

© Paul Heartfield

Building links with FOCERRSA

Helping people back on their feet Help from Rowland Hill

Financial support in a crisis The Charity for Civil Servants has had a busy Winter helping out many civil servants in the regions with emergency assistance due to flooding. If you’ve been affected and haven’t yet asked for help, just pick up the phone and call their confidential helpline.

Their online information on how to cope with Winter bills has also been popular: for those of you who didn’t see the piece in the last edition of avanti, check out the charity’s website https://www.foryoubyyou.org.uk/ This year the charity is keen to make more people aware of the support it can offer when someone close to you passes away. This includes financial assistance with funeral costs, as well as support and advice on how to cope with grief and the practical aspects associated with a bereavement.

There will be a dedicated area of the website available from March but in the meantime, if you’re affected by any of these issues, do please give them a call.

You can contact the Charity for Civil Servants using their confidential helpline on 0800 056 2424 or visit www.foryoubyyou.org.uk Do mention avanti as a reference during your call!

The Rowland Hill Fund makes grants to employees or former employees of the Royal Mail, the Post Office or Parcelforce Worldwide who need help to cope with debt, illness or disability.

In 2015 it gave £350,000 to people such as Paul (pictured top right), who’s currently on a career break to support his wife, Jan, who is paralysed from the shoulders down and uses a wheelchair.

The fund has given Paul and Jan Shan Lawrence from Rowland Hill Fund at their recent £1,500 towards household adaptations, Ambassador Network Event allowing Jan a level of independence with a downstairs bedroom and wetroom. It’s going to make a huge difference to all of their lives.

You can find out more about the Rowland Hill Fund online at www.rowlandhillfund.org or call their confidential helpline on 0800 688 8777

BT Benevolence

In 2015, the BT Benevolent Fund gave grants totalling more than £700,000 to support 523 current and former BT staff or their dependents. The fund also recruited more than 500 new pensioner contributors as well as 113 BT people who joined or increased their donations.

did you

know?

You can find out more about the BT Benevolent Fund online at www.benevolent.bt.com/bf or call 020 8726 2145 Pictured: Debbie Terry, BT Benevolent Fund Manager (left) at the CSRF Golden Jubilee drinks reception with Lords Butler (left) and Turnbull © Paul Heartfield

If you or your spouse worked for either British Telecom or Royal Mail at any time, you are eligible to contact either the BT Benevolent Fund or the Rowland Hill Fund for help and support

11

online fundraising

1

Let’s get digital!

Giveasyoulive is one of the simplest ways to help us fundraise. It’s easy to register, costs nothing and just requires you to shop online! What more incentive do you need?

Here’s our five step guide to signing up…

Type www.giveasyoulive.com/join/csrf into your internet browser and you should reach a page looking like this.

You will also see the CSRF logo on the page which will confirm you have nominated us as your charity.

3

2

After clicking ‘Join Now’, a box will open giving you the opportunity to enter your details to register your profile – enter your name and then your email address and click ‘next’.

4

On the left hand side of the screen click on the blue box marked ‘Join Now’.

5

You will then see a message that asks you to check your email inbox.

In your inbox for your email you will see a message like this that asks you to click to confirm your account.

Once you have completed Step 5 you will receive an email confirming your profile is active!

In 2015, the amount we raised via online fundraising sites exceeded our expectations and with your help we can raise even more via this option in 2016!

If you experience any difficulties with registering give us a ring on 020 8691 7411 or email: enquiries@csrf.org.uk

As well as Giveasyoulive the CSRF has a presence on many other online fundraising websites that will make donations as you use them.

You can find out more by visiting the CSRF website at www.csrf.org.uk

12

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

BIG QUESTION

Should the bus pass be Drain on the nation or the sign of a civilised society? We look at the for and against Next time you’re on a bus after the morning rush hour has died away, take a look at your fellow passengers. The likelihood is that one in three of the people travelling with you will be of pension age; and in that case, they’re entitled to a bus pass, which allows them to travel for free.

To some, this is a sign of a civilised society. Surely, they argue, the people who have paid their dues (financially and in other ways) should be allowed to travel whenever they want without paying a penny. Whether it’s nipping to local shops or enjoying a day out by the seaside, why shouldn’t they enjoy some well deserved freedom from the comfort of the lower deck window seat?

However, since the free passes were introduced, the nation’s economy has undergone a drastic change. The wisdom of handing out these tickets to travel for nothing has come under severe scrutiny following a global financial crisis that has ushered in our age of austerity. Some people argue that it’s yet another drain on the nation’s purse strings. Their view is that a lot of older people could afford to pay at least some of the fare, and while it costs them nothing, others are picking up the bill.

After all, the scheme costs more than £1 billion a year and local authorities that are already struggling with ever shrinking budgets also have to pay bus operators for every ‘free’ pensioner.

We take a look at some of the arguments for and against, and, of course, your views too.

ber Memw vie

Diane Cowley

I feel that passes should be free for everyone who turns 60. My partner was a bus driver for over 20 years, and, although he retired early on health grounds he does not receive free travel.

He is looking forward to receiving his bus pass when he turns 60, but I think he will have to wait until a later age than that. Possibly the free passes will be discontinued before he and I reach 60 anyway.

The government expects people to continue working longer, but many cannot find employment and having to pay bus fares adds to their financial problems.

14

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

For

Last year, pensioner champion Richard Worrall delivered a petition signed by 200,000 people to Downing Street. It called on whichever party won last year’s General Election to keep the free scheme in place.

It succeeded, and also highlighted how cherished this pocket sized photo card is to pensioners who want to remain active. “The bus pass has only been free for pensioners across the country since 2008, but it has become embedded in people’s lives,” says Worrall.

His words have been reiterated by the Civil Service Pensioners Alliance (CSPA). “The concessionary bus pass contributes at least £2.87 to the economy through improvements in older people’s health and mobility and greater spending by those who have a concessionary bus pass. So anyone who believes that the bus pass is a net drain on the economy and should be abolished or charged for is totally out of touch with reality,” says CSPA Deputy General Secretary Ralph Groves.

Charities helping pensioners also believe the bus pass has become a lifeline to millions. “With so many older people living in isolation and loneliness, we believe the important role of the concessionary bus pass must not be underestimated,” says Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK. The CSPA in conjunction with a number of other pensioner organisations has also been campaigning for the concessionary bus pass to be able to be used in place of the senior rail card. Both are simply proof of entitlement and it does not seem fair that older people should be required to spend £30 annually to purchase a senior rail card. The Association of Train Operating Companies has previously advised that approximately one million Senior Rail Cards are purchased annually and in an industry that involved billions of pounds in investment and turnover £30 million seems to be a very small sum of money especially when the bulk of it will be expended in administrative costs.

Axeing bus passes wouldn’t raise a significant amount of revenue in any case, adds David Sinclair, director of the International Longevity Centre, the UK based think tank that looks at ageing and population change. He says it would largely be a ‘symbolic’ gesture rather than an economic decision.

“Abolishing or taxing the benefit would remove what is in effect a subsidy of bus services and could put more local services in jeopardy,” he says.

free to all pensioners?

Against

Along with Winter fuel payments for all, many opponents believe free bus passes should be scaled back or means tested so that only the more needy are entitled to it.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance is a pressure group that calls for the UK to pay less tax across the board.

“We spend an absolute fortune on free bus passes and no area of spending should be immune from savings,” says chief executive Jonathan Isaby. “Giving out passes to rich pensioners doesn’t make any sense. We should target benefits like this at those most in need, so they can continue to get to the shops and see friends and family. Taxpayers should fund a safety net for the most vulnerable, whereas right now they’re forking out too much for universal benefits for those who don’t need them.”

This opposition has been echoed by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), an influential think tank that comments on the UK’s finances.

“Politicians must stop trying to woo elderly voters at the expense of other generations,” says Mark Littlewood, the director general of the IEA. “There’s no economic rationale for these benefits and, as a matter of principle, taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for wealthy pensioners to enjoy the luxury of a free bus pass or TV licence.”

Our next Big Question In the Summer issue of avanti we’re going to be tackling another issue guaranteed to generate strong views: ‘Should cannabis be legalised?’. Contentious and controversial it may be, but it’s also becoming an increasingly high profile issue. Above all, we want to know what you think. Do write in or email us.

David Beechey

ber Memw vie

I would strongly argue that these should continue to be available universally for the following reasons: 1. Bus services in sparsely populated rural areas depend for their viability on the income received from bus passes and if the availability of these were to be reduced, a large number of these services would cease, increasing the isolation of many older people. Because of the savage reductions in government revenue support grant to local authorities and its failure to acknowledge the extra cost of delivering services in these areas, it would be unlikely that councils would be able to increase their support for such services.

2. Many voluntary organisations are reliant on older people for the delivery of their services and this often involves travelling, for which no cost reimbursement is provided.

Restriction of availability of bus passes could therefore result in loss of the valuable services that these people provide.

Your views please!

Should the bus pass be free to all pensioners? We’ve received a few views from readers, but we’d love to know what more of you think.

Write in or email with YES or NO. If you’d like to explain at greater length, please do!

15

feature : SCIENCE

from science fiction

to science fact Artificial eyes? Nasal nerves used to regenerate the spine?

Body parts knocked up on a printer? Adrian Monti looks at some of the medical breakthroughs we now take for granted and what’s on the cards for our grandchildren

I

n 1997, Hollywood scriptwriters used face replacement as the theme of the John Travolta and Nicholas Cage film Face/Off. Less than 20 years later, in 2015, plastic surgeons gave Patrick Hardison, a firefighter aged 41, a total face transplant.

Today, that kind of technology is still cutting edge. But then many of the surgical procedures we take for granted these days seemed pretty improbable too when they were first developed.

The truth is that many of us are living proof that medical science gets more

like science fiction every day. We take for granted a whole host of procedures, especially in our later years, which once upon a time would have sounded completely outrageous.

Let’s take a look at breakthroughs past and present, and those still to come.

17

feature : SCIENCE

CATARACTS

Past COCHLEAR IMPLANTS The first cochlear implant was successfully fitted into a profoundly deaf patient in 1982.

It took place after doctors in Melbourne, Australia, came up with a way of implanting a device into the inner ear that did the job of the damaged cochlea. This significant step forward has provided hearing to many people who would otherwise have spent their lives in a near silent or soundless world. In the UK, about 11,000 of the implants are fitted into adults and children each year.

Today, replacing a cloudy, distorted lens with an artificial one to restore someone’s sight has become the most common operation carried out in the NHS. About 300,000 patients in the UK now benefit from this surgery each year. But it was only in 1950 that it was first performed, after eye surgeon Harold Ridley came up with this breakthrough treatment at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital. He had been treating RAF pilots injured in the Second World War when he realised that plastic could be used to make replacement lenses.

ARTIFICIAL HIPS Although very basic replacement hips were fitted into patients who had difficulty walking as long ago as the 1930s, it was only 40 years later that they become more commonplace after Professor John Charnley, an orthopaedic surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary, invented an artificial hip design that was used for the next two decades.

Advances continue to this day in this area of surgery, with even more efficient designs now being used as the standard.

HEART TRANSPLANTS In 1967 the first human heart transplant was performed in South Africa. A year later surgeons conducted one in the UK on a 45 year old man (although he died less than two months later from an infection). After a decade when techniques were refined, heart transplants became more common in the 1980s. Now about 300 are performed in the UK every year.

NEW CELLS IN THE RETINA

Present

About 600,000 adults in the UK, most of them aged over 60, have age related macular degeneration. It’s the leading cause of blindness around the world.

However, last year a new technique was developed at University College London, which was tried out on a woman aged 60. It involved taking a single cell from her retina and growing it into a larger patch of about 100,000 retinal pigment cells and measuring about 6mm wide, and placing these behind her retina. These new cells should replace the faulty retinal cells that have caused the blindness.

SPINAL CORD REPAIR Patients with severe spinal injuries could one day be mobile again thanks to stem cells taken from their own nose. Ongoing work at London’s Francis Crick Institute, led by Professor Geoffrey Raisman, focuses on patients who have been paralysed. The researchers have found that stem cells from the nose have a unique quality in that they continue to renew during our adult life.

This means that if they are injected into the damaged spine, they might be able to regenerate and lead to movement in this area again. The initial clinical trials using this knowledge are taking place in Brisbane, Australia, after work in the lab proved encouraging.

18

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Future HEAD and BRAIN TRANSPLANT It might sound like something from the pages of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero wants to carry out a head transplant some time soon. The controversial surgeon hopes to operate on a Russian man who has volunteered to have the surgery because he has a muscle wasting disease. However, even though fellow medical experts agree that the process may be possible in theory, its critics point out that there are many ethical questions to be tackled before such an operation can go forward.

3D ORGANS The biggest advance to transform medicine in the coming years is bioprinting. Put simply, it’s the 3D printing of body parts to create a synthetic version.

Biotech companies across the world are already experimenting with ways to advance this revolutionary process.

In broad terms, bioprinting usually starts with an MRI or CT scan of the tissue or organ that is to be replaced. After computer design software generates an exact image of it, a version will then be created layer by layer. This is done using living cells (ideally coming from

the patient to avoid any rejection issues) mixed with collagen, the main structural protein in our body tissue. This will form a scaffold on which the new cells can grow.

It’s hoped that every part of the human body could be replicated like this in the future. So far attempts have been made to grow skin and a prototype kidney.

Although scientists have made very basic versions of these, one of the many stumbling blocks is getting them to function in the same way as ours do. Given the pace of progress so far, however, many observers believe this will eventually be overcome.

HAND TRANSPLANTS In 2012, Mark Cahill, aged 51, began getting accustomed to a donated hand he’d had surgically attached. The medical team at Leeds General Infirmary spent eight hours painstakingly connecting his new hand, which replaced one he had lost as the result of gout. Two years later, Mark could use the new hand for everyday tasks such as knotting a tie and using cutlery.

Further down the line What will our grandchildren take for granted? Will they be able to consider total body transplants, or will there come a point beyond which even the most brilliant surgeons cannot go, either ethically or scientifically?

WOMB Last year the UK’s Health Research Authority gave permission for womb transplants to be carried out here after encouraging trials in Sweden. This included a 36 year old Swedish woman whose new womb had been donated by a family friend aged 61, and who went on to give birth to a baby boy in 2014. If the clinical trials prove successful in the UK, the first babies born as a result could arrive some time in 2018.

talk to us

How do you feel about this march of progress? Have you benefited?

Are there limits you feel we shouldn’t cross? Do write in and let us know.

19

feature

20

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Love

AFTER

retirement Second honeymoon or driving you crazy?

O

ne of the most romantic things about embarking on a partnership for many of us, is the prospect of a lifetime together. We walk to the altar or move into our first home together all aglow in the belief that this is ‘forever’.

For many of us, that prospect continues to be pretty inviting and indeed the thing that keeps us going through the hustle and pressure of the years of combining work and family. Alternatively, if we meet someone later in middle age, there’s a glorious warmth in knowing that yes, you have met the person with whom you can spend your later life.

If we’re lucky, that works out. Once we’ve reached them, those golden years really can have a positive glow.

We’re retired, our children are off our hands and we have more time to do what we want.

For others, though, the thought of spending more time with a partner might not be quite as appealing. And the fact is that even those of us who eagerly look forward to a bit more time with our partners may find that the reality is a little more challenging than we expected.

When the Office for National Statistics released its latest figures on divorce last year (2015), it revealed a surprising trend. Although overall divorce rates have fallen, those among the over 50s actually buck the trend, with an 11 per cent increase compared with a decade ago.

“People today have very high expectations about their relationship,”

says Dr Jenny van Hooff, a senior sociology lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. “This applies as much to the over 50s as to younger people. If the relationship doesn’t live up to this ideal, people will not tolerate anything less and won’t hang around.”

With so many choices available to us in other parts of our lives, no wonder that people are increasingly prepared to make drastic life changing decisions with their relationships in later years; especially as we now expect to live longer too.

The sad truth is that once the structure of the old life has been dismantled, there can be a realisation that the spark between you has long since burnt out; hence the rise in what’s called the ‘silver splitters’.

Suddenly there might too many hours together, with no work or family to break it up. It can be a period when couples realise they actually want different things despite having been together for many years. One’s happy to potter around at home while the other wants to fulfil a lifetime dream of travelling the world. Alternatively , one person may be very happy to retire while the other feels lonely and bored.

On top of that, of course, most couples don’t retire at the same time (which can bring different tensions); or it may be the case that one person has been at home for years already, with their own routine and occupations.

We talked to some of the experts about negotiating some of the things that life can throw you as you age together.

Face the change After retirement, many couples suddenly find they’re spending lots of extra time together. To some this can be daunting, while to others it can be invigorating for their relationship.

Either way, though, it’s not quite the same as those six weeks or so of ‘together’ time you got during annual leave while you were working.

“Retirement is a huge period of change which shouldn’t be underestimated,” says Christine Northam, a counsellor with Relate, the UK’s relationship support charity.

“It often changes the identity of both partners. They may have been a respected civil servant in a very responsible job, but now they are a retired civil servant. It can have a big impact on each or both partners.”

“You might be very different people from when you first met 20, 30 or 40 years ago,” van Hooff adds.

Either way, it’s not necessarily ideal to expect that your partner (however much you still love each other) will fill all the bits in your life that used to be taken up by work.”

It’s a period, Northam suggests, for exploring the world anew: and, yes, trying a few adventures if you can.

However, you certainly don’t have to do everything together. Compulsory joint activity can lead to anger and resentment if one partner secretly wants a bit of time off or to see their own friends.

Yet this is a big opportunity, if you choose to see it that way.

“Retirement can be a blank canvas

21

feature where both partners can reevaluate and change how they do things,” she suggests. “We often encourage couples to be more creative in their approach to life. If, for example, you’ve always done the same sort of holidays, maybe it’s time to think of doing something completely different that one of you has always wanted to do. It’s the same with your hobbies and interests. You can find new ones both on your own or together; and those in turn can be a way of leading into new social networks.”

From lovers to carers None of us of welcome failing health, but it’s often unavoidable as the years go by. The most recent statistics show that there are about 6.5 million carers in the UK, and roughly a quarter of them are carers who care for their spouse or partner.

Like the move from being a couple in work to a couple in retirement, this redefines at least some of your relationship. “It’s quite difficult for people to sometimes even recognise that they have taken on a caring role,” says Chloe Wright, policy and public affairs manager at Carers UK. “People tend to think they are just doing what any partner would do for the other one, rather than realising it’s actually a totally new role.”

Obviously, this can be a particularly stressful period when new ways of doing things are being established.

What’s more, old friends and even family may step away (either because they cannot face getting involved, or because they have their own commitments) and sadly this can leave people who used to have a thriving social network feeling quite isolated.

Yet, as Wright points out, it doesn’t have to be that way. “A recent study found that 20 per cent of people said they had made new friends since becoming a carer.”

Above all, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship, she says.

Caring responsibilities and even dementia need not spell the end of your relationship

22

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

“Often it is a case of working out how you can still do the same things you enjoyed in the past in a new way or find new pursuits to enjoy together. Of course, it’s a big period of change. But it’s a case of still remembering you can be a husband and wife or partners as well as their carer and someone who is cared for.”

The long goodbye The Alzheimer’s Society says there are 850,000 people in the UK with dementia and that figure will rise to more than one million by 2025. It’s a huge problem: and it’s going to get bigger.

The sad fact is that dementia rips through lives; and that if it happens to your partner, they slowly stop being the person they were when you first met.

“It’s hard for the person with dementia but also challenging for their partner, who has to watch the other lose their cognitive capacity and memories,” says Andrew Balfour, director of clinical services at the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships. He and his colleagues have devised a project called Living Together with Dementia to improve the experience of couples where one partner has this condition. “We try to look at ways to strengthen a couple’s relationship when dementia lands on them.”

One way his team has encouraged people to build on what still exists between them is by doing simple jobs together. These are filmed to give the partner without the disease a new perspective on their relationship.

“We ask couples to do everyday tasks together like the washing up, clearing out a cupboard or looking through

old photos. Once they’ve watched the film we have videoed, the simple task can be seen as a springboard to think about themselves and their relationship. If couples can be helped to think about their everyday activities as opportunities for becoming more involved and mutually interdependent before the dementia becomes too advanced, this may give them strategies and understanding that can be helpful later on.”

Don’t forget to talk One final thing about retirement that can be a positive thing for your relationship. Now you should have time to talk to each other! Make the most of it, Northam concludes. “Retirement is a time when there needs to be a great deal of communication and honesty about what you both want. Both have to be responsive and to listen. If this is the case, it can result in a very happy and fulfilling relationship in retirement.”

Further information Alzheimer’s Society: call 0300 222 1122 (the National Dementia Helpline) or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk Carers UK: call 0808 808 7777 or visit www.carersuk.org Relate: call 0300 100 1234 or visit www.relate.org.uk

ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ ©HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2016

call to action

The Way We Wore As we prepare to celebrate the Queen’s fashion over the past 90 years, we want to know what you were wearing too!

O

ne of the big celebrations of 2016 is HM The Queen’s 90th birthday.

Top among them for many of us will be three special exhibitions entitled Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style opening at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for Her Majesty’s birthday on 21 April, at the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace in August and at Windsor Castle in September. It promises to be a great retrospective and alongside it, we want to celebrate with our own fashion feature.

So that’s where you come in; because this feature is all about you! We’re planning to look back at the decades through fashion worn by CSRF members at school, work home and Jubilee parties (and, of course, at other parties and on the beach too!). We want your pictures for our Summer reminiscences of The Way We Wore. Whether formal or casual, flares or platforms, punk or teddy boy, we want to see

what you, our members wore; and tell us, with the benefit of hindsight, was it a good look? So get those photo albums dusted off and let’s have some fun!

If you’d like to join in, please send in: • A scanned picture by email (the higher the resolution the better) to avanti@csrf.org.uk • Or a photograph to Head Office, where we can scan them and return them.

In both cases, please tell us a little bit about the picture, when it was taken and any other memories of the outfit in question.

Please send them in by 11 April at the latest. We look forward to seeing them!

Pictured above from l to r: Sir Norman Hartnell, pale blue silk faille evening gown, 1962; Ian Thomas, black silk velvet and taffeta dress, 1980; Sir Norman Hartnell, pale green crinoline evening gown made of silk chiffon and lace embroidered with sequins, pearls, beads and diamante; John Anderson, silk evening dress entirely embroidered with beads and sequins in white, pink, gold and cream with gold thread, 1997.

25

talking point : GAMBLING

Taking a

flutter We take a closer look at gambling

P

eople gamble for all kinds of reasons, the experts explain.

“The classic thing is the escape gambler, who wants to get away from from all kinds of emotions.

But that isn’t always the case,” says Jim Rogers, a senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln. “Sometimes it just seems to be because a person’s exposed to it and then quickly gets used to it. Studies of older people seem to suggest a number of factors.

Unsurprisingly, loneliness and isolation are a classic reason because, in addition to company, gambling venues offer lots of incentives, such as cheap meals as well as the chance to socialise with people across the age range.”

In fact, according to the Health Survey for England (which only started asking people about their gambling habits a couple of years ago), nearly a third of us (68 per cent of men and 61 per cent of

26

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

women) take a gamble at some point during the year.

What’s more, although lotteries and scratchcards are the main activities, racing, online betting, bingo and slot machines are all in there too. Ofcom figures show that gambling advertising in 2013 was nine times that in 2006, when the UK first relaxed its laws.

High profile celebrities are used to advertise betting, ‘super casinos’ are on the increase and, most dangerous of all, betting shops with fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT machines) are springing up on every high street.

Although the UK’s percentage of ‘problem gamblers’ is pretty minimal, especially among older people, it’s now deceptively easy to blow your savings or pension on some of those more frequent and costlier activities.

We take a closer look at four aspects of taking a flutter.

Online

In reality, it’s easy to get the danger of online gambling out of proportion. Because it’s out there in the dim world of cyberspace, we tend to put it in the same category as other dangerous entanglements that can result from sitting at one’s computer (identity fraud, scams that empty your bank account, encounters with people who aren’t what they seem and so on).

“Actually, it doesn’t make as much money as machines and it doesn’t cause as many problems,” says Dr Gerda Reith of the University of Glasgow.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s risk free, and the main danger is that it’s always there.

“There’s 24 hour access and, given the easy availability of bank cards and credit, you don’t need to make an effort,” Reith points out. “All you need is a tablet or laptop and a credit card, and you’re off. That changes the rhythm as well. People can play at times when they can’t

find a betting shop or a bingo hall. You can do it in situations where normally you would not be gambling, so compulsive behaviour is very easy.”

It’s also an easy thing to turn to if you’re feeling lonely, bored and/ or depressed. What’s more, if you gamble in secret, behind closed doors, there are no social stigmas attached and nobody to judge you or curb your spending. Unless you exercise discipline it is all too easy to get carried away (especially if you’re drinking while you’re gambling!).

The gambling industry argues that there are safeguards every gambler can put in place for themselves. You can set a limit on the amount you’re prepared to spend, you can request bars on the hours you spend on a site, and so on.

These all depend, though, on personal responsibility and people setting their own limits, which is precisely what someone who’s tempted to go on a gambling binge is unlikely to do.

27

talking point : GAMBLING

Bingo You can play bingo online or you can play the traditional way in a bingo hall, along with other people. If you’re playing it in the company of other people, bingo has its benefits, especially for older people.

“I’ve done a five year study of people who gambled, some of whom were older people, and a big factor was always the social aspect of bingo halls or betting shops,” says Reith. “The people we spoke to might go to bingo up to a couple of times a day. This is where they see their friends.”

It’s also, unsurprisingly, the only form of gambling where the number of women is greater than men. Rogers adds: “Especially for women who are widowed and quite lonely, there aren’t all that many things you can do. It’s relatively easy to get to, all their friends go, and they even get a cup of tea and

a biscuit. It’s also the case that there’s lots going on [at bingo] but you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t feel like it. You can have companionship without having to be sociable.”

So bingo can be one of the activities that help isolated older people build and keep a social network, which is something that study after study has shown is both physically and mentally important to us. It is, of course, still possible to blow the budget at the bingo hall, especially if you go several times a day, but most people don’t seem to be doing it for the cash.

for whips to be banned entirely, but it believes their use should be strictly limited.

“Riding crops have always been a problem,” says Tom Southern of the League Against Cruel Sports. “The regulations say they’re not allowed to be ‘excessive’ but it’s fairly obvious that this isn’t the case and they cause painful welts.”

Horses aren’t the only animals that race. In fact, the concerns are much, much greater for the greyhounds that take part (or rather, are forced to take part) in dog racing.

“Racing dogs spend 95 per cent of their time in small kennels without contact,” says Southern. “There are problems

with disease. Most of them are muzzled, because they develop skin conditions which mean they bite themselves. The other side is that they often injure themselves while they are racing (they break their backs or their legs) or they damage their paws doing so much racing.”

Southern adds: “Rehoming is also a huge issue. There isn’t much information about what happens to dogs that aren’t fit to race or have reached the end of their racing lives. Some get rehomed but many don’t, and those are put down or sent off for more horrible fates, like being used for dog fighting.”

Racing

If online gambling’s less damaging than it might initially seem, racing is the opposite. Betting on racing takes different forms.

Some do it online, some at the bookies and some merely among friends (ever been part of a work sweepstake on the National?). But whatever form it takes and however much (or little) you put in on a punt, there’s an aspect many people never consider: the animals involved.

In 2015, no horses died in the Grand National, but the very fact that this is considered worth reporting is an indication that we usually expect them to. The whole course is designed to push horses to the limit. If they hit one of the very high fences and break a leg, they may be put down on the field there and then.

“On average in the larger jump meetings, such as the three day Grand National event, we can expect around three horse fatalities,” says animal welfare specialist Mark Kennedy. “My point is these are not freak accidents, they are predictable. If the risk to the car driver were the same as the Grand National, six deaths in 1,000, then you would be lucky to still be alive after six months.”

The other big concern is whips, or riding crops. The RSPCA isn’t calling

28

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Better off not betting?

Machines

intervene if there’s a problem, there’s the option to self exclude and there is a supportive environment. The These are the big, big nasties. Fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) were risk is people will go elsewhere and choose to gamble in places that introduced in 1999 and these days aren’t safe and secure,” he says. they’re bringing in more than half Most people disagree that FOBTs of the bookmakers’ instore profits.

They’re an easily accessible, speeded are a safer option. In any case, people have the choice to ‘self exclude’ by up electronic version of a game, not going in. usually roulette, one of the more “The industry will say there’s addictive casino table games. not a shred of evidence that these You don’t need to know much machines are harmful, but research about gambling: just put in your money and away you go. Oh, and you across the world shows that it is,” says Rogers. “Natasha Dow Schüll, can put in £100 a time. No wonder associate professor at MIT, talked to they’ve been dubbed the crack cocaine of betting, or cash machines people who design these machines for her book Addiction by Design in reverse, and that councils the length of the UK are deeply unhappy and yes, they really are building in something that’s addictive. The about them multiplying along every sounds, the light, the environment high street. in which they are placed are all It’s hard to find anyone with anything positive to say about FOBTs, engineered to be as addictive as possible.” but Malcolm George, the Chief Reith agrees. “There’s no sociable Executive of the Association of British intermediary, you’re not having any Bookmakers, does his best.

“Betting shops are the safest places exchange. One of the people we surveyed said: ‘It’s almost like they to gamble. There are staff who can were designed for me: they just suck me in’. They also have an element called ‘random reinforcement’: you don’t know when your next win is going to come, so you feel you are almost winning but the reality is that you’re losing. Those kinds of things are deliberately calibrated to keep you playing. The designers really do know what they’re doing.”

Gambling isn’t a one size fits all game. Every player is different, from the ‘moderate’ gambler (there are even arguments that this can help keep you alert and on the ball with quick decisions) to the hopeless addict who’ll bet on the colour of the next car to drive past the house.

The ways people bet take many different forms, too: from the machines with their inbuilt ability to suck the money out of your account to the low key companionability of the bingo hall.

Gambling is far from a risk free pursuit (and it’s pretty horrible for the animals involved). So if you’re tempted to venture beyond the weekly Lottery ticket, think twice before heading to the dog track or your local betting shop.

If you’re worried about gambling, there are a number of charities and helplines that can help including: • Gamcare helpline 0808 8020 133 • GA (Gamblers Anonymous) 020 7384 3040

29

BrontËmania Andréa Childs celebrates the three sisters who set the literary world alight

A

ny fan of the thrilling, passionate and darkly disturbing lives and works of the Brontë siblings is in for a treat over the next five years. The bicentenaries of the births of Charlotte (2016), Branwell (2017), Emily (2018) and Anne (2020) will be marked by a whole series of events and exhibitions.

Over the past couple of decades, the sisters’ work has often taken second place to that of their predecessor, Jane Austen, ever since Colin Firth’s

30

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

wet shirt convinced the viewing public that Austen’s novels were more than bonnets and ballrooms. Yet the Brontës have never faded out of public favour: and rightly so. Their best known books, Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, have been read, adapted and loved by successive generations since they were all first printed in 1847.

The three wrote about doomed love and hopeless passion, but they also wrote in chilling detail (drawn from

their own lives) about the lives of educated women whose only career choice was to work as a governess in houses where they were neither ‘gentry’ nor servants; about living with a charming but hopeless alcoholic (something of which again they had direct experience, through their brother Branwell); and about being clever, unattractive women ignored by those around them.

It’s not for nothing that their novels, especially Wuthering Heights, were

The Brontë Sisters (Anne Brontë; Emily Brontë; Charlotte Brontë), by Patrick Branwell Brontë, c. 1834 © National Portrait Gallery, London

feature

considered scandalous when they first appeared. One first reviewer described it as ‘wild, confused, disjointed and improbable; and the people who make up the drama, which is tragic enough in its consequences, are savages ruder than those who lived before the days of Homer’.

“Victorian novels were meant to be improving but it’s hard to see a greater moral message in these books,” says Ann Dinsdale, of the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

“Jane Eyre was condemned as being unChristian when it was published (which is quite funny when you consider Charlotte Brontë was a curate’s daughter who went on to marry a clergyman). Jane challenged God’s given order. She wasn’t prepared to say she wasn’t equal to Mr Rochester and she declared her love for him first, which was considered shocking at the time.”

Indeed, Jane turns down the opportunity to marry a clergyman herself. Her uncompromising narration speaks directly out of the novels, saying: ‘Reader, I married him’ and she concludes her story with ‘Reader, farewell’.

At least Jane Eyre, despite outraging some readers, was an instant best seller. However, a year after its publication came an outcry. Charlotte, Emily and Anne had published under male pen names (not unusual for the time), as Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, and a novel that had seemed permissible from a man was considered scandalous when it was revealed to have been written by a woman. The idea that a provincial vicar’s daughter could have written Wuthering Heights was positively horrifying.

“When their gender was discovered, the three sisters were denounced as coarse and unfeminine because their work was so passionate and erotic,” says Dr Lucasta Miller, author of The Brontë Myth. “There is something dark and dangerous about these books.”

That darkness, when it comes down to it, is what’s kept us reading them all these years. Unlike the beloved heroines of Austen’s novels, whose passion ripples beneath the conventions of polite Georgian society, the male and female characters in the Brontës’ books exist in a world of heightened emotion that demands an equally vivid response from the reader.

“In terms of narrative, there is a fairy tale quality to Jane Eyre. It’s a Cinderella or Bluebeard story. But it’s how we identify with Jane that is so extraordinary. As readers, we feel what she feels and we understand her thoughts,” Miller explains.

“Wuthering Heights has a very different sort of power. We don’t have the same identification with Cathy and Heathcliff, but we’re grabbed by the Gothic enigma and mystery of the book.

Stage and film adaptations only seem to dilute its strangeness and genius.”

Psychologist Corinne Sweet believes one of the reasons we return to the novels today is that, even with the greater freedom and equality we enjoy, we can still feel frustrated in our lives and our relationships. We empathise with the Brontë heroines who struggle over the dilemma of whether to put themselves or others first.

“They feel the same conflicts of interest we all do and have to be enduring and tough to achieve their desires. But they successfully push against the boundaries and learn to express their emotions,” says Sweet.

“Our enduring fascination is because they don’t give up on love. In a quiet way, these characters are very powerful heroines. When so many of us lack confidence, we admire them for their strength and integrity.”

Moira Buffini, who wrote the screenplay for the latest film adaptation of Jane Eyre, released in 2011, relates to this view. “I think I was about 15 when I first encountered the novel and I literally couldn’t put it down. I had never read such a passionate book,” she says. “It had a

That a provincial vicar’s daughter could have written Wuthering Heights was positively horrifying

ABOVE: the dining room and frontage of the Parsonage Museum ©The Brontë Society

profound effect on me, not just because it’s a dark and brilliant love story, but because of what it says about society, about wealth and poverty, about women and men.”

“I and many others love the power and originality of the Brontës’ writing, combined with their tragic histories and the landscape of Yorkshire. It’s a potent mix,” says Dinsdale, who has worked for 25 years as Collections Manager at the home where the children were born and

31

raised, preserved today as the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

She has a dream job for any Brontë admirer: looking after the research library at the museum, the original Brontë manuscripts and the personal treasures of Charlotte, Emily and Anne.

The museum will be the heart of the upcoming celebrations, starting with an extraordinary exhibition called Charlotte Great and Small, which will run until 1 January 2017. Curated by novelist Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, the show explores the contrast between Charlotte’s constricted home life (the sisters shared beds and wrote together in one room, creating miniature books, magazines and drawings that still survive) and her literary ambitions.

“I have always loved Charlotte’s work, and it has been a wonderful luxury while planning this show to get to know her life better,” says Chevalier. “The place where she lived and worked, the clothes she wore, the objects surrounding her, all have a

special magic that makes me feel as if Charlotte is just in the next room, nodding.”

This won’t be the only commemoration, either. The annual Brontë Society Conference will be held in Manchester in August; an exhibition, Celebrating Charlotte, will be held at the National Portrait Gallery until August this year; and a special series entitled Brontë200 will include a range of talks, exhibitions and events.

So if you haven’t done so already, perhaps it’s time to remind yourself why the Brontës and their work are loved so much. And of course, there are always the books to return to.

“Most of us know Jane Eyre, but Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece is her last novel, Villette, which is based on her own experiences as a schoolteacher in Brussels,” says Dr Miller. “And the poetry of Emily Brontë isn’t read as much it might be, though it’s wonderful.”

Reader, read on!

Find out more about the Brontë exhibitions (and one novel based on the Brontës too) in our Entertainment section on page 36.

There’s also more at www.bronte.org.uk, tel: 01535 642323 or write to Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Howarth BD22 8DR.

talk to us

Are you a Brontë enthusiast, or have they always left you cold?

What about the films and TV series: do you have a favourite?

Do write to us and let us know.

mobility

HAPPY feet A bit of TLC for your toes (and heels and arches) will pay off to a surprising degree

B

y the time we reach retirement age, our feet have put up with a huge amount. They’ve pounded pavements; danced on floors; strolled barefoot on the beach; endured the dubious surfaces of swimming pools and changing rooms; been encased in goodness knows how many different sorts of socks and/or tights; and been scrunched up in shoes, boots and sandals of all types (can you really swear that every pair you’ve ever worn has been as sensible as they should be?).

The average healthy active person walks a whopping 75,000 miles, most of it on hard surfaces.

Small wonder, then, that even if footcare hasn’t been a priority before, looking after them now really must be given some attention.

For some conditions, of course, there’s no magic or even medical solution.

However, there’s often a lot you can do to get your feet in decent order.

As time goes by

The toll on your feet isn’t just the result of supporting your entire bodyweight for decades. Our joints get a lot creakier with the years, and our skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic as the natural oils dry out. You may notice

A ‘footcare routine’ might sound fussy, but it’s worth it

34

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

it more on your face, but it’s happening elsewhere too!

Along with that drying out, which makes the soles and heels much more prone to cracking and the nails more brittle, wear and tear means we lose the fatty pads that cushion the bottom of the feet (about half has gone by the time we reach the age of five). That means they’re more easily damaged and any splits in the skin can lead to more injury.

On top of that our feet bear the brunt of other age-related conditions. If you can’t bend easily, it’s much harder to reach your feet. If you can’t see very well, it’s also hard to cut your nails, especially if they’ve become thick. And if you have arthritis, it’s difficult to hold clippers.

It’s no wonder lots of older people (Age UK estimates it’s around one in three) have problems cutting their toenails. This means they end up with nails pressing against the ends of their shoes, which can in turn lead to an infection or an ulcer or it can cause ingrown toenails.

Day to day care If you are having real problems, don’t struggle in silence. Problems such as corns, bunions or just constant pain are definitely worth professional advice.

Discuss this with your GP and see if you can be referred to a podiatrist or chiropodist on the NHS. The likelihood, though, is that you’ll only be referred if you have another

condition such as diabetes or arthritis, which makes footcare particularly important. If not, the local branches of charities such as Age UK often operate footcare services for older people.

Or you can find a private podiatrist through The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, on 0207 234 8620 (www.scpod.org).

If you are able to reach and/or see your feet reasonably well, there’s a lot you can do for yourself, and there are

with long handles and/or magnifiers from shops and websites that cater for disabled people, which can be a huge help.

A proper foot cream is far from a pointless extravagance. The skin on your feet is much thicker (even in older age) than on your hands or elsewhere, and needs to be slathered with something more than an ordinary lotion or even a heavy duty hand cream.

You’ll find specialist foot creams in the ‘footcare’ section of the pharmacy, along with a whole lot of other products designed to keep your feet in good shape. These creams contain the organic chemical compound urea, which is one of the components that keep our skin moist.

A foot cream with 10 per cent urea is a good bet if your feet are prone to drying and cracking; one with 20 per cent or a bit more is worth a try if they’re The older we get, the greater our already quite fissured. risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Don’t moisturise between Foot care is particularly important, your toes, though, as this could because high blood glucose levels encourage athlete’s foot (yes, can cause poor blood supply and then even if you’re not remotely nerve damage in your feet. However, athletic, you can develop this!). the damage happens gradually, so if Check them for blisters, cracks you pay attention to any warning and breaks or inflammation, signals, you should be in good as well as for any other foot time to get any help you infections – if it’s red and itchy need. between your toes or the skin’s If your feet feel peeling, it could be athlete’s foot. ‘unusual’ in any way, If so, it’s best treated using a cream it’s worth talking to or spray containing terbinafine your GP (remind hydrochloride. Ask for this at the them that you’ve pharmacy counter if you can’t find it on got diabetes the shelves. if they think you’re worrying unnecessarily!). In If the shoe fits particular highlight any Footcare is one part of the picture; pain, cramp, tingling or footwear is the other. It’s often tempting numbness; changes in to stick to slippers, especially if your temperature (either hot or feet are hurting or you’re at home all cold); changes to the skin day. However, these tend to make us or toenails; and any sores or shuffle about, which isn’t great. It’s cuts that take longer than better to let the joints in your feet and usual to clear up. ankles work properly.

Podiatrists recommend that you try wearing running shoes for day to day wear. They’ll support your arches, and also do some of that shock absorption that your fat deprived soles find difficult

quite a few devices that can help you too.

To start with, you need a proper ‘footcare routine’. This might sound a bit prissy and like something a glossy magazine would recommend, but it really is worth it. Cut your toenails straight across, regularly (not so short that they’ll become ingrown, but at a comfortable length).

You can get special clippers and nail scissors

Diabetes

If you’ve got a foot condition that won’t clear up, or one that worries you in any way, do speak to your GP.

these days.

Obviously, you need them to fit properly, so that they’re roomy enough to accommodate your foot without being so loose that they slip about.

Also check you can get them on and off properly, and that you can fasten them.

A Velcro strip may be easier than laces.

Keep your feet warm, too, especially if your circulation’s not brilliant. Don’t put them right next to a fire or radiator, but do invest in fleece lined shoes or boots in cold weather if that helps. You can also buy thermal, fleece or (warmest of all) sheepskin liners, though make sure they don’t cramp your feet.

An extra pair of thin socks works wonders too (two thin pairs often keep your feet warmer than one thick one, in fact). And never forget the comforting power of bedsocks as well.

Putting them to use The main point of keeping your feet in working order is, of course, to put them to work!

If your feet are in decent shape and you can move around without them causing you discomfort or inconvenience, it’ll have positive knock on effects for your whole health and lifestyle.

For one thing you’ll be able to get a bit of exercise (even if it’s just a potter to the local library, it’ll be a start). For another, you’re much more likely to be able to see your friends in their own homes too.

Nobody’s expecting you to embark on a marathon, but walking’s excellent for you. If you need a bit of extra incentive, try registering for a fundraising walk like the Moonwalk in May, which raises money for breast cancer causes (find out more at www.walkthewalk.org or phone 01483 741430).

Above all, if your feet are causing you any problems at all, do talk to a professional. Mobility matters, and you deserve for yours to be a priority.

35

entertainment

Our regular mix of books, culture and entertainment The Woman Who Upped and Left Fiona Gibson Avon, out 25 February

Forget about having it all.

Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind. Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back, but she can’t possibly do that. She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities and a slothful teenage son’s washing to pick up. Yet no one likes being taken for granted, Audrey least of all, so the time has come for drastic action.

See Fiona Gibson’s Favourite Things on page 62.

Book Giveaway!

We’ve got five copies of Fiona’s new book to giveaway to the first five entries out of the hat on 8 April 2016.

To enter send your details to: Book Giveaway, The CSRF, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Rd, London SE10 8DA

The Life Project Helen Pearson Allen Lane, out 3 March

On 3 March 1946 a survey began that is, today, the longest running study of human development in the world, growing to encompass six generations of children, 150,000 individuals and some of the best studied people on the planet. This is the tale of these studies, the scientists who created and sustain them, and the remarkable discoveries that have come from them. The envy of scientists around the world, they are one of Britain’s best kept secrets.

36

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

The Madwoman Upstairs Catherine Lowell Quercus, out 24 March

Samantha is the only descendent of the famous Brontë family. After losing her father, she travels to Oxford in search of her family inheritance. There she studies under Professor Orville, a disarmingly handsome tutor who seems nothing but annoyed by her heritage. With Orville as her tempestuous sidekick, Samantha sets out on a mission to piece together her family’s history, which may also be literature’s greatest buried secret.

books

A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment John Preston Viking, out in May

In 1979, Jeremy Thorpe, the rising star of the Liberal Party, stood trial for conspiracy to murder.

It was the first time that a leading British politician had faced a murder charge. It was also the first time that a murder plot had been hatched in the House of Commons, or that a prominent public figure’s private life had been put under such scrutiny. This is the story of hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal at the heart of the British Establishment.

IMAGES: PICSELECT, IMAGE.NET,

film The Lubetkin Legacy

Marina Lewycka Fig Tree, out in May

Hopeless failed actor Berthold is exactly the same age as George Clooney (they share a birthday), but Berthold still lives with his Mum. When he realises at her deathbed that he may lose his mother’s lovely council flat, built in the 1960s by celebrated architect Lubetkin, he niftily adopts the old lady in the hospital bed next door, and takes her home to impersonate Mum. From the bestselling author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.

The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House 1918-1939

Adrian Tinniswood Jonathan Cape, out 5 May

Real life in the country house during the 1920s and 1930s was not always as golden as it’s made out to be. In reality it varied between opulent and ordinary, noble and vicious. Historian Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the truth about a world draped in myth and hidden behind stiff upper lips and film star smiles, drawing on hundreds of memoirs, unpublished letters and diaries, and the eye witness testimonies of belted earls, unhappy heiresses and bullying butlers.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (20th Century Fox, out 11 March)

When Po’s long lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travel to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible and train his clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas. With the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman and many others.

The Ones Below (Icon, out 11 March)

A couple expecting their first child discover an unnerving difference between themselves and the couple living in the flat below them who are also having a baby. When Kate and Justin have their new neighbours over for dinner, an already awkward night is shattered by an accident.

The Jungle Book (Disney, out 15 April)

A remake of one of the world’s most famous films, first made in 1967 and itself a retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s tale about an orphan boy brought up by wolves in the Indian jungle. A star studded cast includes Idris Elba, Sir Ben Kingsley and Bill Murray.

Apocalypse (Fox, out 19 May)

In the latest in the long running franchise about mutant super heroes, Apocalypse (the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X Men universe) awakes and recruits a team of powerful mutants to cleanse mankind and create a new world.

MANY OF THE NATIONAL CINEMA CHAINS OFFER SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE. CHECK YOUR LOCAL PRESS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

37

culture

Motown The Musical Shaftesbury Theatre, London, from February

With just $800 borrowed from his family, Motown founder Berry Gord went from featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, discovering and launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more. Motown The Musical uncovers the true story of the legendary record label that changed music history and created the soundtrack of a generation.

theatre

Iris

Live Theatre, Newcastle, 6 April to 30 April

In a striking new play from Alison Carr, Julie and Ruby are sisters who’ve never got on and are now coming to terms with the death of formidable matriarch Iris.

When their mother’s unusual bequest unearths a story that leaves some indelible marks, something more than a deep clean is needed. Motherhood, sisterhood and family are all explored in a mix of caustic humour and tender pathos.

Stig of the Dump On tour from 23 March

It’s more than 50 years since Clive King’s classic tale of Barney the small boy and Stig the caveman was first published. This stage version, adapted by Mike Kenny and performed by London Contemporary Theatre, is touring a whopping 34 venues between 23 March and 5 June, including the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham (1 and 2 April), Leicester Square Theatre (4 and 5 June), the Gala Theatre in Durham (26 and 27 March), Middlesbrough Theatre (2 June) and the Churchill Theatre in Bromley (18 April). Contact 02037 447 269 for more details.

The Iliad

Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 20 April-14 May

Homer’s Iliad, the greatest and most influential epic poem ever written, tells of the tragic and bloody climax to the ten year siege of Troy, the darkest episode in the Trojan War. This great tale of gods and heroes, love, jealousy and revenge is brought to visceral life in a brand new adaptation by award winning Scottish playwright Chris Hannan.

For some great deals on theatre tickets, why not try the avanti theatre club. Call 020 7492 1566 or log into the members’ area of the CSRF website?

38

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Botticelli Reimagined V&A, 5 March to 3 July

Despite being revered in his lifetime, Botticelli was largely forgotten over three centuries, before the Pre-Raphaelites rediscovered his incredible paintings and revived a widespread appreciation of his work that has never relented. In the largest British exhibition since 1930, the V&A presents his enduring influence across visual arts and popular culture with 150 works assembled from throughout the world.

TOP: La Ghirlandata, 1873 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, © Guildhall Art Gallery 2015. Photo: Scala, Florence/ Heritage Images. BELOW: The Renaissance of Venus, 1877

by Walter Crane, © Tate, London 2015

Charlotte Great and Small

Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire, 1 February to the end of the year

One of two major exhibitions celebrating the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth, this exhibition curated by bestselling novelist Tracy Chevalier explores the contrast between her constricted life at the parsonage and her lofty ambitions for greatness.

Celebrating Charlotte Brontë: 1816-1855 National Portrait Gallery, 22 February to 14 August

Impressionism: Capturing Life

The Holburne Museum, Bath, 13 February to 5 June

When they staged their first exhibition in Paris in 1874, the Impressionists introduced the world to a new style of painting.

The critics were appalled, the public shocked; yet the artists kept on with their pioneering work and as a result modern art was born. Now 28 masterpieces by each artist who featured in the original exhibition go on display as part of the museum centenary programme.

A major display of personal items, original manuscripts and works of art to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charlotte Brontë. Among the treasures are paintings and drawings, letters and journals, the famous ‘little books’ created by the Brontë sisters as children, including the first book Charlotte ever made, and first editions of Jane Eyre. (See our feature on the enduring appeal of Charlotte Brontë on page 30.)

TOP: Charlotte Brontë by George Richmond, 1850 © National Portrait Gallery, London. BELOW: Charlotte Brontë’s cloth ankle boots with leather toes, heels and side laces © The Brontë Society.

Young Woman Seated, Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) 1876, Oil on canvas, © The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

Treasures: Adventures in Archaeology National Museum Cardiff, 26 January to 30 October

To celebrate 2016, the Year of Adventure in Wales, this exhibition tells the stories behind great archaeological discoveries from the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, pre Columbian America and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). It features treasures from popular culture, including the hat, whip and jacket of Indiana Jones, crystal skulls, Inca gold and early finds such as Egyptian Mummies.

Crystal Skull © Musée du Quai Branly

39

Sophia’s Corner Each of our Spring recipes focuses on a tasty way to get some essential nutrients into your body.

Sesame Crusted Tofu with Serves 2 Dipping Sauce and Greens Tofu is one of the lowest calorie complete proteins. A complete protein is one that contains all eight amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which our body has to get from the food we eat as we can’t produce them ourselves. Tofu is also a good source of calcium, which we need to maintain bone health.

Ingredients 200g firm tofu: you can find this in the ‘world food aisle’ of most supermarkets 2 tablespoons flour 1 egg, whisked 50g sesame seeds 200g tenderstem broccoli or half a broccoli head 200g baby pak choi

Dash of light soy sauce 1 tsp wok oil or sesame oil For the dipping sauce: 50ml fish sauce Juice of 1 lime 1 tsp caster sugar A small handful of coriander 1 fresh red chilli

METHOD Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F/ gas mark 2.

Prepare the tofu by sandwiching it between a few layers of kitchen towel with a heavy book or weight on top and leave it for at least half an hour.

This will get rid of excess liquid. Cut the tofu diagonally into two triangles. Then slice them again to halve the thickness and dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip each piece in the whisked egg and then thoroughly coat in the mixed sesame seeds.

40

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Finely chop the coriander and chilli and then mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together until combined before setting to one side.

Chop the long stemmed broccoli lengthways (or into florets if using regular broccoli) and separate each pak choi leaf.

Heat two teaspoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat so that the pan is just coated. Once hot, place the coated tofu in the pan, being careful not to let the oil splash. Turn after three minutes and cook on the

other side until golden brown. Place in the preheated oven to keep warm.

Stir fry the broccoli in the hot wok oil for a couple of minutes and then add the pak choi, stem ends first.

Cook for a further minute with a splash of soy sauce to finish. Serve up the vegetables and crusted tofu with the dipping sauce on the side. Alternatively, toss the veg with some cooked rice or noodles and throw in the dipping sauce to coat everything. Place the tofu on top to prevent the crust becoming soggy.

cooking

Spinach and Egg Bake

Serves 1

This makes a quick light main meal for one. Eggs were once thought dangerous for people with high cholesterol but they’re now considered one of the best sources of high quality, complete protein. Spinach is also rich in vitamins A and C and in fibre.

Ingredients 3 large handfuls of baby spinach 2 eggs 30g feta

A pinch of chilli flakes 1 tsp olive oil 1 thick slice of your favourite bread

METHOD Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. On a medium heat, pour the oil into a frying pan and gently wilt the spinach with a pinch of salt. Tip it into a ramekin or ovenproof dish and crack the eggs over the top, keeping the yolks whole.

Scatter the feta over the top of the eggs and finish with the chilli flakes and a screw of pepper before placing the dish on the top shelf of your oven. Bake for around 8 minutes. Whilst the eggs are cooking, toast the bread on both sides using a griddle pan, frying pan or toaster, then serve with the eggs.

Mackerel with a Herby Tomato Salad

Serves 2

Mackerel is a fantastic source of omega-3, which we all need to keep our hearts healthy. It is also one of the few foods rich in vitamin D. Remove the seeds from ¼ cucumber and then dice the rest. Mix with 3 tbsp natural yoghurt and the zest and juice of half a lemon.

Finely chop two spring onions and a small handful of basil and parsley before mixing with one large mug of couscous, cooked as per packet instructions, and season to taste. It should be light, fluffy and green. Cut up two tomatoes and then drizzle over some olive oil to finish.

Gently score the skin of two to four (depending on size) mackerel fillets and rub all over with salt, pepper and a little oil. Place the fillets in a hot, large frying pan so they aren’t touching each other. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for approximately five minutes until cooked through. To serve, scatter both plates with two handfuls of mixed salad leaves and pile with the couscous. Flake the fish and add it to the plates along with the tomato and dot the yoghurt dressing around the plate.

41

tea break Out of this world

CODED WORD PUZZLE

As astronaut Tim Peake orbits the world, here are a few jokes he might (or might not) like!

Where do astronauts leave their space ships?

At the parking meteor.

What is an astronaut’s favourite chocolate?

A Mars Bar. Why couldn’t the astronaut book a room on the moon?

Because it was full.

How do astronauts serve dinner?

On flying saucers.

When do astronauts eat their lunch?

At launch time.

What did the astronaut say about the new restaurant on the moon?

“The food’s great but there’s no atmosphere.”

In China, clocks are given at funerals, and not at other times!

Many older clocks use IIII instead of IV for the number

42

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

T

25

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Tick, Tick, Tick In 1797, the Clock Tax put a five shilling tax on all clocks and watches. The tax was so unpopular it only lasted a year but that was long enough for several clockmakers to go out of business.

1

four, in order to look more symmetrical against the number VIII on the opposite side of the dial.

Clocks go ‘clockwise’ because that’s the way that European clockmakers saw the shadow cast by a sundial move round. Had clocks been invented in the southern hemisphere, they’d all be running anti clockwise (or, as it’s spookily known, ‘widdershins’).

We want YOU for avanti!

Whether it’s your career highlights, your hobbies or your group activities, do let us know either by email or by writing to Fellowship Office.

B O

26

Looking back at …

Powdered Orange Juice

WORD SEARCH Find the capitals from the list below.

Accra Agana Algiers Amman Apia Athens Banjul Bern Cairo Charlotte Amalie

Dacca Doha Kabul La Paz Lagos Lima Lisbon Lome Luanda Macau Male

SUDOKU

Mbabane Monaco Niamey Nuuk Oslo Paris Prague Praia Quito Rabat Riyadh

easy

Rome San Jos Sanaa Sofia Suva Tehran Thimphu Tokyo Trinidad Tunis Yaren

medium

Some time around the late 1970s, a nation reared on a mix of squash and NHS issue concentrate woke up to a new phenomenon: powdered juice. The little sachets, which one poured into a jug and then filled up with water, produced a drink that had its own peculiar taste (a bit like a fruit sherbert made into a drink). For a while, however, it was all the rage.

It was the sort of thing you’d have as part of your vogueish ‘continental breakfast’, in sharp contrast to the bottles of squash occupying pretty well every kitchen of the time.

If you hunt really hard, you can still track down powdered fruit drinks. However, you’ll probably have to look in outlets catering for camping enthusiasts or athletes, or the further recesses of health food shops or the internet. So we have to ask: is it really worth it?

talk to us

Powdered juice, powdered soup or powdered mashed potato: do you have fond or not so fond memories?

Write in and let us know.

hard

43

Prize Crossword Congratulations to Ann Nash from Stoke Gifford, Bristol, who was our lucky winner for the Winter crossword. Try your hand at this issue’s prize puzzle and you too could win £25 worth of M&S vouchers. Good luck.

Across 7 Split (6) 8 Feign (8) 9 Coastal Chinese city (8) 10 Apparition (6) 11 Dove (8) 12 Happy interjection (6) 13 To lose a type of ‘alluring’ property (11) 18 Oust (6) 20 Having no equal; matchless (8) 22 Disease of nervous system (6) 23 To introduce something new (8) 24 Very fine thread (8) 25 40 winks (6)

Down 1 Person with courage (7) 2 Lofty peak (8) 3 Female fowl (6) 4 Bestselling (5,3) 5 Last month (6) 6 Above board (7) 8 Cause an impasse (8,5) 14 Aardvark (8) 15 Wet display of hunger (8) 16 Release; set free (7) 17 Receptacle for smokers (7) 19 Cerumen (6) 21 Harem guard (6)

Solution to Winter Prize Crossword

TO ENTER: Please send the completed crossword, along with your name, address and postcode to: PRIZE CROSSWORD, CSRF, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA. The judges’ decision is final. Winners will be notified by post. Closing date: Friday 8 April 2016

NAME: ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

TEL No:

EMAIL: Please tick if you do not wish to receive our e-newsletter

44

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

letters

POSTbag

Your letters and stories

Fur and feathers Dear Postbag With reference to the very interesting article on pets, here is a poem I wrote about budgies. They are wonderful companions and easy to look after.

Oh budgies, resting high on your perches like kings How pleasant it is to hear you sing: You’re friends with each other, loyal and true, With pets like you, how can anyone feel blue.

Your home is a cage, yet you’re free girls and boys, Free to sing and eat the food you enjoy: You come in all colours, yellow, blue and greens, And the females stand stately, as regal as queens.

Your plumage is soft, you pretty songbirds What are your thoughts as you watch us from your perch: You’re luckier than sparrows, you have a good home, Oh darling budgies, you are a great joy to own.

Diane R Duff, Stockport

Ed’s note: There’s also a huge pleasure in watching wild birds in the garden: with no cleaning or maintenance required!

Dear Postbag When I was five years old, a whippet puppy became part of our family. We named him Sparky. He loved running as fast as he could on the sands at Southport, and accompanied us on all our family holidays to Scotland and Wales. We were so sad when he died aged 12.

When I moved in with my partner,

46

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

The Road to Mandalay Dear Postbag Jane Wilson-Howarth’s article on train travel in Burma (in the Winter 2015 avanti) was an uncomfortable reminder of our own experience. We have taken the train from northern Burma to Mandalay. Yes, it is rough in both senses, but great fun.

The attached photograph shows the Lashio to Mandalay at Hsipaw.

Passenger trains also carry huge

a female tabby cat adopted us, and Katie joined us for 16 years. She was such a good natured cat. I was heartbroken when she died.

My new partner and I are considering getting another pet, but Marcello wants a dog, and I’d prefer a cat! So who will win?

Pets are a calming

amounts of material, such as sacks of rice, vegetables and wood, much of which is loaded through the carriage windows. There are hawkers at each station and the train itself becomes a market on wheels.

Our advice is just go there and join in.

Terry and Cynthia Gough,Dorset

Ed’s note: An amazing glimpse into another continent and, yes, one that makes us want to book our tickets now!

influence, and they bring so much joy into your life.

Diane Cowley

Ed’s note: Thank you for your responses to our feature ‘Not just for Christmas’ in the last avanti.

You may be interested to know that April 2016, National Pet Month, is focusing this year on ‘The elderly and their pets’. Oh, and as for the cats versus dogs dilemma: we’re split pretty evenly here!

Early days Dear Postbag The Winter issue of avanti brought back some youthful memories.

I attended a boys’ school. This consisted of a headmaster, five teachers, 250 pupils and a caretaker.

The clerical work was done by the boy who came top in the annual examination and was, in effect, the school secretary. In my last term, I was that boy. I did not attend lessons.

My duties included: checking the attendance registers, distributing 250 bottles of milk daily, collecting, recording and banking dinner monies and typing letters and testimonies. Another task was taking letters and exam papers to and from the City Education Offices. This often involved explaining to a beat policeman why I was not in school.

Then with the war on, all prefects were trained in dealing with incendiary bombs. This involved the use of a long handled scoop and a bucket of sand. And we all took turns on fire watch duty during the Blitz.

Dear Postbag Readers may be interested in my recollections of an ancient lift in Palace Chambers, Westminster.

In the late 1960s I joined a new Civil Service Department based in Palace Chambers opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The lift in that building had apparently been installed in the Victorian era. We were told that since London is situated above an artesian well, water was under pressure and the

My education did not suffer as I was allowed to attend, off the register, night school five times a week.

Fridays were dancing lessons and I was what would now be called the disc jockey.

I had always dreamed of being an electrician, so when I left school I applied for a job in a Ministry of Aircraft production factory, which specialised in electronic gear.

The company secretary said they only employed women on the assembly lines but, having read my testimonial, offered me a clerical job at 16 shillings for a 44 hour week.

As soon as I was old enough, I volunteered for the RAF. I wanted to be in the electrical trade but was told there were no vacancies at the time. However, there was a shortage of clerks and so my youthful ambition to be an electrician never happened.

My accountancy experience stood me in good stead later in life when, as a Civil Service Staff Inspector, I inspected departmental regional and head office accounts offices.

Charlie Duggan, Sheffield

ingenious Victorians used this feature to power the lift.

On entering the lift, one selected a control for the required floor. This produced no immediate response, only the sound of rushing water as the tank used as a counterweight was either filled or emptied. After a slight pause the lift then started to move, gradually accelerating.

After a few months, we were rehoused and the block was refurbished to become overflow offices

Audio avanti is free If you are finding it difficult to read the magazine, then sign up to receive our FREE audio version, which includes all the main features, news and information that are contained in the printed version. It comes on a CD (kindly produced by Kent Association for the Blind) and is posted out to you just after publication of the print version.

for the Palace of Westminster. I often wondered whether that was the end of the lift. I cannot imagine that MPs would have accepted its leisurely performance!

Eric Randall, Reading Dear Postbag I have been reading the JB Priestley novel Angel Pavement (first published in 1930) in which one of the characters, Miss Matfield, arrives in London to start her career and, like Mrs Williamson in the Winter Postbag, I was reminded of those first days 60 years ago.

When I arrived at the hostel at 25 Onslow Gardens, the weekly charge was two pounds, four shillings and sixpence, and only dormitory accommodation at that! My salary was £320 and I could just about afford a weekly exotic treat of spaghetti bolognese at the local Dino’s restaurant for a shilling and ninepence.

Strangely enough, I can honestly say I never felt hard up. I think Onslow Gardens and Dino’s are still there but possibly prices have changed a bit for accommodation and food.

Robert Mitchell, Harrogate

Ed’s note: Alas, both seem to be no longer with us but yes, a plate of spaghetti will cost you considerably more today! The only consolation is that it’s likely to be rather better pasta these days.

47

talk to us talk to us Recording history

Love in the green Dear Postbag Yes, one collected Green Shield Stamps (see avanti Winter 2015) and three small boys gazed longingly at the sailing dinghy in the catalogue, dreaming of the family collecting enough stamps.

They all became competent sailors without help from Green Shield stamps, owning their own dinghies.

I remember a song sung to the tune of ‘Greensleeves’, performed by the King’s Singers at Gresham’s School, Holt, about meeting their love in a Green Shield shop: a very witty ending to their concerts.

DM Lawrence, Norwich

Light on the scene?

In the Winter 2015 avanti we looked at the possibility of dropping the switch to British Summer Time, or conversely always staying an hour ahead with the European model.

Here are some of your responses: The obvious answer seems to be to decide on the best Winter TIME and stay on that all year. The shops all seem to decide their times to suit themselves anyway. Most offices have flexi time nowadays.

If everyone is getting up and going to bed simultaneously, surely the actual number on the clock does not matter!

Marilyn Swann, Cheltenham

48

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Dear Postbag Some ideas for other readers: 1) I cook for four: the gardener, the cleaner, myself and my freezer, my little weekly lunch club.

2) I have been persuaded to record my life and career: I am 94 and served abroad for five years between 1941 and 1946. There must be other veterans who record their experiences for the current generation before we all pass on.

AE Moore, Broadstairs

Ed’s note: Those are great suggestions. Thank you.

Ha Ha Ha Dear Postbag The HO HO HO item with its play on words in the Winter avanti reminded me of the radio programme My Word.

Frank Muir and Denis Norden were challenged to invent an explanation of the origins of well known sayings.

This précis has stuck in my memory. I wonder if readers can recall others: George Ree, a reporter with Life Magazine, was given an assignment in a distant country. When no word

I am against moving away from GMT. Noon is when the sun is at its highest point and with GMT this is at midday on the prime meridian at Greenwich. With Summer Time, noon is at 1pm and I would not like this to be for the whole year.

It is understandable that other European countries have different times as they are further east and so noon is earlier.

Greg Pritchard, Woodbridge My strong view is that we should not be required to change our clocks at all. If people/organisations wish to rearrange their programmes they

We’ve received some great responses so far. Keep them coming! If you have a story or picture to share, write or send it to the Editor using the contact information at the front of the magazine. The Editor regrets it is not possible to enter into correspondence with individual readers. All submissions, unless otherwise indicated, will be considered for publication.

It’s lovely to hear from you and read all of the letters you take the time to write but unfortunately due to space constraints we are often unable to print the full version. In these cases, letters will be edited to fit within the allotted space we give to Postbag.

had been received from him, an investigator was sent out to locate him.

After a long search, he found his man and uttered the memorable sentence, “Ah! Sweet mister Ree of Life: at last I’ve found thee.”

Bill Ellerby, Newcastle

Ed’s note: To those readers who might not ‘get’ this one, try reading it aloud (and think of Bing Crosby!).

can alter times to suit themselves i.e. school times, which seem to be of concern to some. Why are we compelled to go through this ritual twice a year? Perhaps we could split the difference, alter by half an hour and leave alone.

Mrs EJ Heather, Worthing I disagree with any attempt to move to Daylight Saving Time all year round. For us in the UK to abandon GMT during the five Winter months would, to my mind, not be to our advantage and wellbeing. Please leave well alone.

P Shepherd, Brentwood

group news

GROUPFOCUS Deputy Chief Executive David Tickner’s round up of all the news from our group and branch network

1

Golden Anniversary lunch Members from the Sleaford & Ancaster and Skegness groups got together for a special lunch to celebrate the CSRF’s 50th anniversary at the end of last year in Skegness. The celebrations also included the cutting of a special Piggles cake (made in recognition of our Golden Jubilee) by Branch Chairman Mike Smith and a presentation of two Certificates of Merit to Gill Smith and Sheila Barker.

1 and 2: Members enjoying the Golden Jubilee lunch.

3: Branch Chairman Mike Smith (left) cutting the Piggles cake.

4: The Piggles 50th cake. 5: Gill Smith and Sheila Barker displaying their Certificates of Merit

3

2

5 4 Turkey and Tinsel for Liskeard Liskeard & Pensilva group members enjoyed their annual Turkey and Tinsel holiday to Llandudno, which included a visit to Conwy Castle, Portmeirion and the Blaenau Ffestiniog steam railway.

50

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

3

1

2 Princetown’s Christmas Party Plenty of seasonal spirit was in evidence at the Princetown group’s Christmas party and prize draw at the end of last year. Members enjoyed entertainment provided by Geoff Lakeman and Speakeasy as well as a giant prize draw!

1 to 4: Members at the Christmas lunch.

5: The prize draw table.

4

1

5

2

Happy Highland Christmas Members enjoyed a very entertaining Christmas lunch at the MacDougall Clansman Hotel in Inverness.

1 to 3: Members get into the festive

spirit at the Inverness Christmas gathering. 4: Former Group Chairman Eric Cheyne (centre) and wife Judith (right) at the Christmas lunch

4

3

Send us your pictures Don’t forget that if you have any pictures from a group meeting, activity or event, you can send them in to us. We’ll publish all pictures on the relevant group page on the CSRF website and, if we’ve got the space, we’ll include as many as we can in the group news section of avanti. You can email any digital pictures directly to: groupsupport@csrf.org.uk or if you prefer send us the photo and we’ll scan it in and send it straight back to you!

51

Thanks to the Big Lottery Fund We are very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for providing funds to support a number of our local groups’ projects in 2016:

The CSRF Dumfries & Kirkcudbright Social Programme

Christmas cheer for Eltham More than 50 group members from the Eltham group enjoyed their Christmas lunch at the Limoncello restaurant in Sidcup.

They were joined by Sophia Hill from Fellowship Office, who snapped these pictures.

The funded project will provide a range of social activities for members of the branch, including talks, day trips and meals out. It will help combat loneliness and isolation (members of this branch are scattered quite widely over this rural part of Scotland) and enable them to enjoy mental, physical and social activities that should help enhance their health and general wellbeing.

The Leatherhead Group ‘Goes Digital’ Project In order to help the group attract a wider variety of visiting educational speakers to our monthly meetings, funding was received for a digital projector and accessories. This will enable the group to offer a more technologically proficient arena for speakers who often expect to find such equipment available on site.

Bexhill-on-Sea festive fun The annual Christmas lunch at the Hydro hotel in Eastbourne is a very popular date in the diary for many Bexhill-on-Sea and Eastbourne members. This year was no exception, with a superb lunch laid on and a fantastic range of raffle prizes up for grabs!

1: Members of the Bexhillon-Sea group committee at the Hydro 2: The prize draw table

2

1 52

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Swansea group trip to the Grade I listed Hall at Abbey Cwm Hir The Hall at Abbey Cwm Hir (Abbey of the Long Valley) is a listed building that has been restored in a beautiful, historic setting over 10 years and filled with the results of a lifetime of collecting. The site contains the remains of Llewellyn the Last, and the 12 acres of landscaped gardens overlook the ruins of the 12th century Cistercian Abbey of the Long Valley.

The funding will enable Swansea group to afford a coach to the venue, entrance fees to the hall and a hot lunch with tea/coffee, which is arranged by the Hall staff.

Neath & Port Talbot Social Programme The funded project will enable the group to cover the cost of speakers for the year and in addition provide outings to: the annual production of Uplands Art Gilbert & Sullivan Society in Swansea; the Lunchtime Theatre, The Pavilion, Porthcawl; St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff; Aberglasney House and Gardens, Carmarthenshire.

in pictures

1

2 3

1: Seeing double: two Santas made an appearance at the Ipswich group Christmas party 2: Tom Metcalfe receiving a Certificate of Merit from Sleaford & Ancaster group chairman Mike Smith 3: Portsmouth & Southsea members at their Christmas lunch at the Holiday Inn 4 and 5: Weston-Super-Mare members at their Christmas lunch at the Commodore Hotel, Sand Bay

4

6: Santa pops in to visit the Wigston group at their Christmas party

6

5

7: Bradford-on-Avon group played host to a world champion at one of their recent meetings. The champion in question is Trevor Heeks, who is a World Champion Town Cryer!

8: Bradford-on-Avon members enjoying their group’s Christmas lunch at the Leigh Park Hotel.

9: Three happy ladies at a Sutton group lunch (the CSRF’s first associate member Helen Vaughan is at the front of the picture)

7

10: Sleaford & Ancaster group enjoying their Christmas lunch 11: Presentation to John & Mary Lawrence and Peter Collins at the Trowbridge group’s Annual General Meeting in January 2016

8

9

10

11

53

GROUP PLANNER Our group network operates across the country and provides a mix of leisure, social and welfare activities for your benefit and enjoyment. So why not show your support by popping along and making some new friends?

SCOTLAND Dumfries & Kirkcudbright John Walker Chairman T: 01387 261889 E: j.walker215@btinternet.com We do not hold regular meetings but if you would like further details about coach trips please contact Doreen Beck on 01387 268824. Coach Trips: All trips start and finish at Brooms Road Car Park, Dumfries.

Everyone is welcome, including family and friends, as the greater the number who attend the lower the cost. Please book as early as possible by phoning Doreen Beck on 01387 268824 or the Chairman on 01387 261889 Our 2016 programme is supported by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund 06 Apr 2016 Branch AGM at The Moreig Hotel Dumfries at 11.30am

Edinburgh (Central) Liz Beedie Secretary T: 0131 229 7422 Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House First Floor 7 Victoria Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2JL Third Tuesday of each month (October April) at 2pm for speakers etc. We run walks throughout the year (jointly with Corstorphine Group) meeting at Lakeland at the corner of George Street/Hanover Street at 1.30pm on the first Friday of each month. Organiser: Pat Sinclair (0131 337 6389) 15 Mar 2016 Venue and speaker to be confirmed 17 Apr 2016 Venue and speaker to be confirmed

Edinburgh (Corstorphine) Trudy Thomas Organiser T: 0131 346 0208 The White Lady Cafe Glasgow Road Corstorphine Edinburgh (please note change of meeting venue) Third Tuesday of each month (October April) at 2pm for speakers etc. We run walks throughout the year (jointly with Corstorphine Group) meeting at Lakeland at the corner of George Street/Hanover Street at 1.30pm on the first Friday of each month. Organiser: Pat Sinclair (0131 337 6389) 17 Mar 2016 Coffee morning at The White Lady 10.30am 21 Apr 2016 Coffee morning at The White Lady 10.30am

54

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Highland (Scotland)

Bury

Mrs Pam Barnet T: 01463 790265 Macdougall Clansman Hotel 103 Church Street Inverness IV1 1ES First and third Wednesday of each month: Coffee morning at 11am.

Gerald Beadling Chairman T: 01706 633674 The Mosses Centre Cecil Street Bury Lancashire BL9 0SB First and third Wednesday of each month at 2.15pm (except events below where listed).

Rosneath

Craigavon

William Lauchlan Secretary T 01436 842723 The Church Hall St. Modan’s Parish Church Rosneath Road Rosneath G84 0RQ First Monday of the month at 1.30pm 21 Mar 2016 Coffee morning at Castle Isle 04 Apr 2016 Monthly meeting 02 May 2016 Monthly meeting

NORTHERN IRELAND & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Banbridge Adrian Howlett Secretary T: 028 4062 7979 Bannside Presbyterian Church Hall 21 Castlewellan Road Banbridge BT32 4AX 02 Mar 2016 Cake decorating demonstration 06 Apr 2016 Gardening: talk by Ian Hawthorne 04 May 2016 AGM

Bangor Mrs Isabel McKnight Secretary T: 028 9186 3410 E: IR3410@yahoo.co.uk Hamilton House Community Centre Town Hall The Castle Bangor BT20 4BT Second Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

Belfast Miss Wynne O’Neill Secretary T: 028 9067 1157 McElhinney Room The Pavillion Stormont Estate Upper Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 3TA First Monday of each month at 2pm 07 Mar 2016 Charity and chocolate: talk 04 Apr 2016 AGM 13 Apr 2016 Trip to Sligo (three nights)

Birkenhead & Wirral Cynthia Morgan Secretary T: 0151 678 6266 Victory Hall 61 Salacre Lane Upton Wirral Merseyside CH49 0TN First Tuesday of the month at 2pm

George McConnell Secretary T: 028 8676 4395 E: joannearcher1@hotmail.co.uk Portadown Library 24-26 Church Street Portadown Craigavon BT62 3LQ First Tuesday of the month at 2.30pm

Crewe Miss Grace Harding Chairman T: 01270 250677 Wells Green Methodist Church Hall Brookland Avenue Wistaston Crewe CW2 8EJ First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 01 Mar 2016 A Shropshire Lad: talk by Derek Jones 05 Apr 2016 ‘How I made my first million and spent it’: talk by Neil Cliff 03 May 2016 Restoration of Trentham Gardens: talk by Michael Herbert

Crosby Dorothy Ainsworth Treasurer T: 0151 222 2538 E: dorrain@blueyonder.co.uk Mersey Road Methodist Church Mersey Road Crosby Liverpool L23 3AE Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am

Lisburn Ann Allen - Secretary - Tel: 028 9266 1943 Bridge Community Centre 50 Railway Street Lisburn County Antrim BT28 1XP Second Monday of each month at 2.30pm 14 Mar 2016 Visit to the Navan Centre with refreshments on arrival (cost £8 including entrance fee and tea/coffee). Pick up time 10am from the leisure centre or station 17 Apr 2016 Visit to The Argory and the Linen Green Dungannon (cost £5). Pick up time from the Leisure Centre or Station 09 May 2016 Visit to the Nomadic (tender ship to the Titanic). Pick up times and cost TBA

Penrith Richard Roscoe Chairman T: 01697 472383 A local hostelry each quarter

First Tuesday of the quarter (March, June and September) at 12.30pm for lunch and in December for a Christmas lunch

Stockport/Grove Park Yvonne Smith Social Secretary T: 0161 427 5593 Brookdale Club Bridge Lane Bramhall Stockport SK7 3AB First Thursday of each month at 2.15pm 03 Mar 2016 Banking in a Gentler Age: talk by Alan Hayhurst 07 Apr 2016 Bee Keeping: talk by Peter Stafford 05 May 2016 Advances in Medical Science: talk by Bernard Loveday

NORTH EAST ENGLAND Blaydon Mrs Catherine Thomas Treasurer T: 0191 488 1385 Ridley Room Blaydon Library Wesley District Precinct Blaydon Tyne And Wear NE21 5BT Second Tuesday of the month at 10.30am

Boston Spa & Wetherby Mrs Janet Walker Records Secretary T: 01937 842216 Deepdale Community Centre Deepdale Lane Boston Spa Wetherby LS23 6EW Second Tuesday of the month at 2pm 08 Mar 2016 AGM and Buffet Lunch (prebooking essential) 12 Apr 2016 Amsterdam to Vienna: talk

by Mrs D Burrows 10 May 2016 Prison to Palace: talk by Mrs V Bird

Bradford

Hull

Neath & Port Talbot

Brian Mitchell Treasurer T: 01482 653973 Age UK Healthy Living Centre Porter Street Hull HU1 2RH Third Tuesday of the month at 2.15pm

Mrs E Northcott Chairman T: 01639 887851 The Mayor’s Parlour The Old Town Hall Church Place Neath SA11 3LL Last Wednesday of each month at 2pm Our 2016 programme is supported by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund 30 Mar 2016 Glyn Houston, Actor: talk by Dean Powell 27 Apr 2016 Duties of a Coroner: talk by Paul Bennett 25 May 2016 National Botanic Garden of Wales: illustrated talk by Louise Austin

Middlesbrough Lilian Lloyd Secretary T: 01642 315439 St. Marys Centre 82-90 Corporation Road Middlesbrough TS1 2RW Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm

Sunderland & Washington Ivan Bell Secretary T: 0191 549 4130 Various venues in the area. Please contact the Chairman for details.

First Monday of the month from 2pm to 3.30pm (except May)

WALES & WELSH BORDERS Caerphilly Mrs Cindy Kingham Secretary T: 01633 440460 E: cindykingham@yahoo.com No.2 Meeting Room Caerphilly New Library The Twyn Caerphilly CF83 1JL Second Monday of every month at 10.15am 14 Mar 2016 The Four Seasons Aspects of Wales: talk by Rosemary Scadden MSc Ecol

Cardiff Jane Lewis Secretary T: 029 20 757174 Ararat Baptist Church Plas Treoda Whitchurch Cardiff South Glamorgan CF14 1PT Second Wednesday of the month at 10am 09 Mar 2016 Spring social event for new members

Church Stretton

Mr Norman Griffiths Secretary T: 01274 586410 Centenary Court 1 St Blaise Way Bradford BD1 4YL Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm 15 Mar 2016 European Cruise: talk by Malcolm Bentley 19 Apr 2016 A-Z of Transport in Yorkshire Part 2: talk by John Holroyd 17 May 2016 English Coinage 1603 to 1971: talk by David Moseley

John Brewer Secretary T: 01694 722965 E: johnbrewer1@talktalk.net Mayfair Community Centre Easthope Road Church Stretton SY6 6BL First Friday of the month at 2.30pm in February, April and November.

04 Mar 2016 Pub Lunch at Raleigh Inn, Little Stretton 12.30pm 01 Apr 2016 AGM and tea party 06 May 2016 Trip to Westonbury Mill Water Gardens, Pembury (meet at 1pm at Co-op)

Gateshead

Llandudno

Elsa Jackson Chairman T: 0191 267 4728 Gateshead Community Fire Station Dryden Road Low Fell Gateshead NE9 5BU First Thursday of the month: 10am to 12 noon

Horsforth Rawdon & District Mrs M J Taylor T: 0113 267 8110 We meet in different local hostelries for lunch.

Please contact Mrs Taylor for more details. We are a friendly group and new members are always welcome Last Tuesday in the month at 12.30pm

Mrs Beryl Rennie Assistant Secretary T: 01492 876238 Queen’s Hotel The Promenade Llandudno LL30 2LE First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am for coffee mornings. Details of lunches/walks are announced at the previous coffee morning

Ludlow Peter Waite Liaison T: 01584 872639 E: peter.waite@dsl.pipex.com Local Public Houses, various venues in and around Ludlow Third Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm

Oswestry Ruth Haile Chairman T: 01691 650993 The Wynnstay Hotel Church Street Oswestry SY11 2SZ First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 01 Mar 2016 Love Food, Hate Waste: talk

by Joy Blizzard 05 Apr 2016 Return visit of Rev. Steve McKenna 03 May 2016 SADS UK: talk about the charity by Anne Wilson

Swansea Mrs Sylvia Edgell Chairman/Secretary T: 01792 851125 E: sylviaedgell@btinternet.com The Vestry Hall St. Mary’s Church Swansea SA1 3LP Last Friday of each month at 2pm 01 Mar 2016 St. David’s Day Lunch (venue to be confirmed: telephone 01792 851125 for more information) 25 Mar 2016 No meeting (Good Friday) 29 Apr 2016 The Plague: talk by Martin Price 27 May 2016 Hand Bell Medley: Ken, Anita Morgan and Group

Ynys Mon (Anglesey) Eric Maynard Chairman T: 01407 720146 Please contact the Chairman for venue details.

Second Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm for lunch

MIDDLE ENGLAND Amersham Jim Campbell Chairman T: 01494 722558 Community Centre Chiltern Avenue Amersham Buckinghamshire HP6 5AE First Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

Banbury Ann Garton Secretary T: 01295 750151 E: agarton@btinternet.com Hanwell Fields Community Centre Rotary Way Banbury OX16 1ER Second Tuesday of each month from 2.15pm to 4.15pm

Bedford Patricia Waters Secretary T: 01234 347443 The Bunyan Meeting Mill Street Bedford MK40 3EU

55

First Tuesday of every month at 10am 01 Mar 2016 Coffee morning and Call My Bluff 05 Apr 2016 Coffee morning followed by Protecting your Home: talk 03 May 2016 Coffee morning and bingo

Coalville & Ashby Terry Watson Chairman T: 01530 835373 Thringstone Community Centre The Green Thringstone Coalville LE67 8NR Third Wednesday each month from 2pm to 4pm 16 Mar 2016 Milk, Muck and Magnificent Mangoes: talk by Wendy Martin, a local farmer 20 Apr 2016 Youth Offending: talk by Mazi 18 May 2016 The Origins of Towns and Villages: talk by Anthony Poulton-Smith

Coventry Mrs J Turner Chairman T: 024 76 465382 Room 2 Gilbert Richard Centre Broadway Earsldon Coventry CV5 6NT Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm

Donnington Betty Pugh Chairman T: 01952 811355 Turreff Hall Turreff Avenue Donnington TF2 8HG Every Monday at 1pm (except Bank Holidays)

Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard Mrs Janet Bliss Secretary T: 01582 661795 E: j.bliss35@outlook.com Scout HQ Grovebury Road Leighton Buzzard LU7 4SW First Wednesday of the month at 2pm 02 Mar 2016 The Magic of Niagara Falls: talk by Mark Davis 06 April 2016 Services of Age UK: talk 04 May 2016 The Curious Disappearance of Major Glenn Miller: talk.

Tombola

Grantham Mr Maurice Whincup Chairman T: 01476 572425 E: mewhincup@gmail.com The King’s Hotel 130 North Parade Grantham NG31 8AU First Wednesday every month from 10.30am to 12 noon

Hucclecote Mrs B Arnold Secretary T: 01452 618069 Evangelical Church Colwell Avenue Hucclecote Gloucester GL3 3LX First Thursday of the month at 2pm 03 Mar 2016 AGM 07 Apr 2016 Khyber Pass or Bust: talk 05 May 2016 Cities of Southern Spain: talk

Lincoln City Jannette Hook Secretary T: 01522 803412 Mothers Union Centre St. Benedicts Church St Benedicts Square Lincoln LN5 7AR First Wednesday of the month at 10.30am

56

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

02 Mar 2016 06 Apr 2016 04 May 2016 25 May 2016

Coffee morning Bring & Buy Coffee morning Spring lunch

Louth Mrs Margaret Bradley Secretary T: 01472 388928 Elizabeth Court Church Street Louth LN11 9BP Second and fourth Thursday of the month at 10.30am

Melton Mowbray Mr M Johnson Chairman T: 01664 566821 School Room United Reform Church Chapel Street Melton Mowbray LE13 1LZ First Tuesday of each month at 1.45pm 01 Mar 2016 TBA 05 Apr 2016 AGM 13 Apr 2016 Branch AGM and Dinner at the Market Tavern, Melton Mowbray 12.30pm (please note this is a Wednesday) 02 May 2016 Lunch at the Bowls Club (12.30pm)

Nottingham Pam Bradley Chair T: 0115 938 4676 The Mechanics 3 North Sherwood Street Nottingham NG1 4EZ Second Wednesday of each month from 10.15am to 12.15pm

Nuneaton Rachel Homer Secretary T: 024 76 385845 E: rachel.homer@tesco.net The Sycamore Tree 2 Chapel Street Nuneaton CV11 5QH First Tuesday of each month at 11am for coffee mornings

Rutland Mrs Peggy Brown Chairman T: 01780 480314 Various locations for pub lunches in and around Rutland Third Wednesday of each month

Skegness Ray Morris Secretary T: 01754 762060 E: ray@bermond.co.uk Philip Grove Community Rooms Church Road South Skegness PE25 2HW First Thursday of each month from 10am to 12 noon

Sleaford & Ancaster Mike Smith Chairman T: 01526 833273 E: mjs_consultation@hotmail.com Bristol Bowls Club Boston Road Sleaford NG34 7HH Sleaford: First Thursday of the month at 10.15am Bristol Bowls Club Boston Road Sleaford NG34 7HH Ancaster: Second Wednesday of the month from 10.15am to 12 noon Angel Court Ancaster Grantham NG32 3PR 03 Mar 2016 Group meeting (Sleaford) 09 Mar 2016 Group meeting (Ancaster) 07 Apr 2016 Group meeting (Sleaford) 13 Apr 2016 Group meeting (Ancaster) 05 May 2016 Group meeting (Sleaford) 11 May 2016 Group meeting (Ancaster)

Solihull Margaret Smith Secretary T: 0121 744 6150 E: me.smith@talktalk.net Assembly Rooms Poplar Road Solihull B91 3AD Second Monday of each month at 10am

Stamford Mrs B Smith Chairman/Secretary T: 01780 755437 Tenter Court Wharf Road Stamford PE9 2EZ Last Thursday of the month at 2.15pm

Wigston Mrs J Collins Vice Chairman T: 0116 288 7802 The Elms Social & Service Club (formerly The Royal British Legion) Launceston Road Wigston LE18 2BA Second and fourth Monday of each month from 1.30pm to 4pm (Bank Holidays permitting).

14 Mar 2016 Indian Wildlife Safari: talk by Dr Sue Ablett 21 Mar 2016 Meal out (venue to be confirmed) 11 Apr 2016 AGM and hot cross buns 25 Apr 2016 Leicestershire Speakers: True or False 09 May 2016 Roman Mosaics: talk by Dr Susan Tebby 23 May 2016 The Boys and Girls of WW1: talk by Peter Cousins

Worcester Leigh Watkins Secretary T: 01905 774034 Perdiswell Young Peoples’ Leisure Club Droitwich Road (opposite Checketts Lane) Worcester WR3 7SN Second Wednesday of the month at 1pm

EASTERN ENGLAND & EAST ANGLIA Attleborough Mrs D Parker Secretary T: 01953 456958 Methodist Church Hall London Road Attleborough NR17 2BY Third Thursday of the month from 10am to 12 noon and other events listed below 17 Mar 2016 St. Patrick: talk by Doreen Parker 21 Apr 2016 Funding for Care, Part 2: talk by Vernon Simmons 19 May 2016 Bring & Buy

Billericay Mr J R Smith T: 01277 622156 Various locations for informal lunches in and around Billericay.

17 Mar 2016 Informal lunch at the Blue Boar, High Street at 12.30pm

Bury St. Edmunds

Lowestoft

Westcliff On Sea

Mrs Doreen Ginn Chairman T: 01284 755256 West End Home Guard Club Abbot Road Bury St. Edmunds IP33 3UB Second Wednesday of each month at 10am 09 Mar 2016 The Isles of Scilly: talk by Chris Parfitt 13 Apr 2016 The Weird and Wonderful of the Plant Kingdom: talk

by Barry Gayton 11 May 2016 The Disappearance of Dunwich: talk by John Saunders

Mike Chester T: 01502 476629 E: mikewc10@gmail.com Ex-Servicemens’ Club Gordon Road Town Centre Lowestoft NR32 1DY and Victoria Hotel Kirkley Cliff Lowestoft NR33 0BZ First (at the Victoria Hotel) and third Wednesday (at Ex-Servicemen’s Club) of each month at 10.30am

Mrs F Cohen Social Secretary T: 01702 342426 Balmoral Community Centre Salisbury Avenue Westcliff On Sea SS0 7AU Fourth Wednesday of each month from 2pm to 4pm 23 Mar 2016 AGM 27 Apr 2016 Home Care: talk by Lee Niven 25 May 2016 Safety in the Home: talk

by Sue Askel of the fire service

Colchester Joan Gomer Secretary T: 01206 794656 Straight Road Community Centre 329 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9EF Third Monday of each month at 2pm 21 Mar 2016 18 years as MP for Colchester: talk by Sir Bob Russell 18 Apr 2016 Colchester in Old Postcards: talk by Jess Jephcott 16 May 2016 The Catherine Bullen Foundation: talk by Roger Bullen

Harlow Mrs Edna McNaughton Secretary T: 01279 865102 E: edian.mcnaughton@tesco.net Toby Carvery Edinburgh Gate Harlow CM20 2LQ First Friday of the month at 12 noon

Ilford David Hubbard Social Secretary T: 020 8550 1533 E: dhubbard777@gmail.com St. Andrew’s Church Hall The Drive Ilford IG1 3JQ Third Monday of the month at 1.30pm

Ipswich Eva Stevens Secretary T: 07765 588467 E: evajs@yahoo.co.uk Museum Street Methodist Church Hall Blackhorse Lane Ipswich IP1 2EF First Wednesday of the month at 2pm 02 Mar 2016 Satire in Song: talk by Joyce Kimber 16 Mar 2016 Lunch at Peak Lodge at 12.30pm 06 Apr 2016 Social Games and Natter 04 May 2016 An Englishwoman’s Life in Rural Turkey: talk by Jenny Gibbs 11 May 2016 Luncheon at Peak Lodge at 12.30pm

Loughton Elizabeth Vale Secretary T: 020 8508 2459 Jazz Archive Room Loughton Library Traps Hill Loughton IG10 1HD Third Monday of each month at 2pm 21 Mar 2016 Essex Villages 18 Apr 2016 Popular proverbs and their origins 16 May 2016 Holidays we remember

Norwich Mary Weatherhead Secretary T: 01603 410821 Reading Room Doughty’s Hospital Golden Dog Lane Norwich NR3 1BP Second Monday of each month at 10am for 10.30am 14 Mar 2016 The Work of the Landmark Trust: talk by Mr M Stevenson 11 Apr 2016 Historic Food: talk by Ms Rosie Wilkin 09 May 2016 Images of Nature: illustrated talk by Mr D Boulton

Radlett Mrs Shirley Herbert Secretary T: 020 8953 2999 Monthly at local restaurants for coffee or lunch: further details from Secretary

Saffron Walden Mrs E Mansfield Chairperson T: 01279 755458 The Chequers Public House Cambridge Road Ugley Bishops Stortford CM22 6HZ Second Monday in the month (approx. 4 times per year) at 12-12.30pm for lunch

Shoeburyness Mrs F Cohen Social Secretary T: 01702 342426 The Salvation Army Hall Frobisher Way Shoeburyness SS3 8UT First Tuesday of each month from 2pm to 4pm 01 Mar 2016 To be arranged 05 Apr 2016 Home Care: talk by Lee Niven 03 May 2016 The Great Barrier Reef, Australia: illustrated talk

by Bob Delgarno

St Albans Mrs B G Hill Secretary T: 01727 858198 E: barbara.hill5@ntlworld.com Friends Meeting House Upper Lattimore Road St. Albans AL1 3UD First Thursday of the month at 10.15am

Swaffham David Moore Chairman T: 01760 723740 Methodist Church Hall London Street Swaffham PE37 7DD Third Tuesday of the month at 10.15am 16 Feb 2016 TBA

Wickford Peter Blake Chairman and Secretary T: 01268 583060 Christchurch Hall Rear of 44 High Street Wickford SS12 9AJ Second Thursday of each month from 1.30pm to 3.30pm

Witham Mrs P Rogers Group Secretary T: 01376 514539 Witham Methodist Church Hall Guithavon Street Witham Essex CM8 1BJ Last Tuesday of each month at 10.30am

SOUTHERN ENGLAND Aldershot Mrs Gloria Wetherill Social Secretary T: 01252 345318 E: rayglo227@talktalk.net Holy Trinity Church Galpin Hall Windsor Way Aldershot Hampshire GU11 3HE Second Thursday of the month from 1pm to 4pm 10 Mar 2016 National Railways: talk by Ian Harrison 14 Apr 2016 Horse Racing with Hot Cross Buns 12 May 2016 The Red Cross: talk by Michael Baxter

Arun Jim Underwood Treasurer T: 01903 709033 E: jimunderwood9@hotmail.com St. Joseph’s Convent Franciscan Way Littlehampton BN17 6AU Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm.

Please use entrance in East Street if arriving by car

Ascot & Sunningdale Pam Drummer Secretary T: 01344 774849 E: roypamdr@talktalk.net De Vere Venues Sunningdale Park Larch Avenue Ascot SL5 0QE Third Friday of each month from 12 noon to 4pm 18 Mar 2016 The Oregon Trail: talk by Roger Shaw 15 Apr 2016 Spring Fair and AGM 20 May 2016 Twice the speed of sound: the Concorde Experience: talk by Ian Smith

57

Basingstoke Tony Brazier Secretary T: 01256 418770 E: bjmapbr@ntlworld.com Brookvale Community Association Hall Lower Brook Street Basingstoke RG21 7SD First Wednesday of each month at 10am Please note that all trips will be subject to a minimum number of bookings 02 Mar 2016 AGM and Lunch 06 Apr 2016 Liverpool, Capital of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: talk by Iain Kennedy 29 Apr 2016 Trip to Wisley Gardens and Craft Fair (includes entry) 04 May 2016 Citizens’ Advice Bureau: talk

by Jane Komrower 17 May 2016 Trip to Brooklands Museum or Hatchlands (includes entry)

Bexhill Elizabeth Leahy Secretary T: 01424 214042 Bexhill Sailing Club Marina Bexhill-on-sea TN40 1LA Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10am 22 Mar 2016 An Author’s Journey: talk by Bunny Mitchell 26 Apr 2016 Talk (TBA) 24 May 2016 Life in a Beehive: talk

Bognor Regis & Chichester Mrs Heather Olive Group Chairperson T: 01903 778543 Jeneses Community Arts Centre 45 Linden Road Bognor Regis West Sussex PO21 2AS Last Thursday of the month from 2pm to 4pm 31 Mar 2016 Easter Party and Gardening: talk by Don Fairclough 28 Apr 2016 The Story of New Zealand: talk by Chris Burstow 26 May 2016 The Secret Life of a Hedgehog: talk by Graham Bowring

Bournemouth - Boscombe & Southbourne Paul Tabor Chairman T: 01202 422493 E: paul.tabor@tesco.net St. Katherine’s Church Hall Church Road Southbourne BH6 4AR First Wednesday of each month at 10am 02 Mar 2016 Hengistbury Head Visitors Centre: talk by Richard Hesketh 06 Apr 2016 AGM and HOY! 04 May 2016 The Lost Buildings of Christchurch: talk by Mike Andrews

Bournemouth - Central Alan Carter T: 01202 292720

Bournemouth Christchurch & Highcliffe Paul Tabor T: 01202 422493 E: paul.tabor@tesco.net

Bournemouth - New Forest Sandy Whittaker Chairman T: 023 8028 2157 New Milton Community Centre Osborne Road New Milton BH25 6EA Second Tuesday of each month at 10.15am

58

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

Bournemouth Ringwood & District Ron Fisher Chairman T: 01202 896315 E: CSRF.ringwood@gmail.com Trinity Centre Christchurch Road Ringwood BH24 1DH First Friday of each month at 10am. Pub lunches are at 12 noon for 12.30pm. Any change of venue will be announced at the preceding coffee morning, or ask the committee 04 Mar 2016 Iceland: talk by Ian Lawston 01 Apr 2016 AGM, Jigsaws etc.

Bournemouth - Swanage Mrs Irene Greenaway T: 01929 423394

Chandlers Ford

11 Apr 2016 Tales from the Operas: talk

by Pat Purcell 09 May 2016 Perfume Bottles: talk by Maureen Coles 16-20 May 2016 Group Holiday to Weymouth

Portsmouth & Southsea Edda Rea Chairman T: 023 92 753581 St. Simon’s Church Hall Waverley Road Southsea PO5 2PW Second Wednesday of the month at 10.30am and fourth Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm 09 Mar 2016 Coffee morning 19 Mar 2016 Visit to the Spring Theatre, Havant 23 Mar 2016 History of the New Theatre Royal: talk by Caroline Sharman, artistic director 13 Apr 2016 Coffee morning, cakes and preserves 20 Apr 2016 Visit to Garsons Garden Centre followed by fish and chips at Mother Kelly’s and afternoon tour 27 Apr 2016 The Story of Stansted House: talk by a member of staff 11 May 2016 Coffee morning 25 May 2016 The Mary Rose & The Mary Rose Museum: talk by Trevor Sope

Ken Willcocks Chairman T: 023 8076 0102 Chandlers Ford Community Centre Hursley Road Chandlers Ford Eastleigh Hampshire SO53 2FT First Friday of the month at 10am 04 Mar 2016 Group AGM 17 Mar 2016 Skittles/Lunch at Wellow Golf Club from 10am to 3pm 01 Apr 2016 The Ups and Downs of my Life (all my own fault): talk

by Bob Goff 06 May 2016 The History of the John Lewis Partnership: talk

by John Pumfrey (he will showcase their range and products) 03 Jun 2016 Why was Mary contrary?

The history of some nursery rhymes: talk by Mrs B Doughty

David Cox Secretary T: 0118 958 6311 United Reformed Church Hall Polsted Road (off Armour Road) Tilehurst Reading RG31 6HN Last Wednesday of the month at 2pm (unless otherwise stated)

Crawley & District

Stubbington

Jim Piercey Chairman T: 01293 409332 Bill Buck Room Crawley Library Southgate Avenue Crawley RH10 6HG Fourth Friday of the month at 2pm

Hastings & St. Leonards John Hall Chairman T: 01424 813355 Please contact the Chairman for details.

Mid Sussex Mike Mason Chairman T: 01444 245289 E: michael_mason6@hotmail.com The Hassocks Room The King’s Centre Victoria Road Burgess Hill RH15 9LR Fourth Wednesday of each month at 10am 23 Mar 2016 Coffee morning and return visit by Sheila Southwell, artist and potter 27 Apr 2016 Coffee morning and Exotic Pets: talk by Steve Bridger 25 May 2016 Coffee morning and scrabble

Newbury Roger Walker Chairman T: 01635 44575 E: colonelrog@hotmail.com St. John’s Church Room Newtown Road Newbury Newtown Road Newbury RG14 Second Monday of the month at 2.15pm 14 Mar 2016 The British Army Today: talk

by Army Engagement Group 04 Apr 2016 Committee Meeting

Reading West & Tilehurst

Peter Stilwell Secretary T: 023 92 527346 E: amy_stilwell@hotmail.com Catholic Church Hall Bells Lane Stubbington Hampshire PO14 2PL Second Thursday of each month at 2pm (meeting) and last Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (coffee morning). On the Tuesday following the Thursday meeting we have a pub lunch 10 Mar 2016 Fashion at any Age: talk 22 Mar 2016 Coach Trip to Oxford 29 Mar 2016 Coffee morning 14 Apr 2016 Borneo Experience: talk 26 Apr 2016 Coffee morning 17 May 2016 Coach Trip to Longleat Safari Park and House 26 May 2016 Coffee morning

Tadley Mr D MacLean Chairman T: 0118 970 1290 Tadley Community Centre Newchurch Road Tadley RG26 4HN First Thursday of each month at 1.15pm for 1.45pm (except in unusual circumstances when advance notice is given to our members) 03 Mar 2016 Tadley Council: talk by David Leeks followed by AGM 07 Apr 2016 Mary, Queen of Scots: talk

by Gordon Massie 05 May 2016 Red Kites: talk by Brian Clewes

Worthing

Burnham-on-Sea

Liskeard & Pensilva

David Keeling Chairman T: 01903 248663 United Reformed Church Hall Shaftesbury Avenue Worthing BN12 4ET (just south of Durrington Railway Bridge; entrance in Barrington Road) Third Tuesday of each month at 10am (coffee at 9.45am) 15 Mar 2016 A Policeman’s Lot: talk by Vic Joy 19 Apr 2016 My Journey into Saga: talk by Pam Weaver 17 May 2016 Rogues Gallery: talk by Rev. Tony Trevithic

Mrs Joyce Beard Secretary/Treasurer T: 01278 782650 E: joyful18@live.co.uk Apex Park Marine Drive Burnham-on-sea Somerset TA8 3YY Fourth Tuesday in each month from 10.30am

Shirley Waye Chair/Secretary T: 01579 346089 E: shirleywaye@gmail.com Refreshment Rooms Liskeard Public Hall West Street Liskeard Cornwall PL14 6BW Last Wednesday of each month at 10am

Chard

Princetown

Gordon Baker Secretary T: 01460 73333 Donyatt Bowling Club Ilminster Somerset TA19 0RG Third Thursday of the month at 10.30am

Chippenham

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND Bath Ros Kedge Chairman T: 01225 443176 St. John’s Parish Hall South Parade Bath BA2 4AF Coffee mornings on the first Thursday of each month at 10.30am 03 Mar 2016 Coffee morning 23 Mar 2016 West Side Story at the Theatre Royal at 2.30pm 07 Apr 2016 Coffee morning 08 Apr 2016 Songs from the Shows at the Roper Theatre at 7.30pm

Bideford Sylvia Moody T: 01237 471334 Griggs Close Community Centre Northam Bideford Devon EX39 1BR Second Friday in the month at 10.30am

Blandford Forum Mrs Margaret Chambers Secretary T: 01258 456572 Contact the Secretary for venue details.

Second Friday of each month at 11am

Bradford on Avon Mr M Wickham Secretary T: 01225 864541 E: lindamorgan1975@btinternet.com United Reformed Church Hall St. Margarets Street Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DD Second Monday of each month at 2.15pm 14 Mar 2016 Police Dog Training: talk 21 Mar 2016 Spring Lunch at Leigh Park Hotel: 12 for 12.30pm 11 Apr 2016 Isle of Mull: illustrated talk 25 Apr 2016 Lunch at the Wiltshire Yeoman:12 for 12.30pm 09 May 2016 Saving Britain’s Art Treasures: talk 25 May 2016 Coach Outing to Tyntesfield House and Gardens

Brixham Brenda Smith T: 01803 559466 E: brenda54@talktalk.net Various Local Restaurants, usually Waterside Usually second Thursday of the month at 12 noon.

David Gardner Chairman T: 01249 658431 Chippenham Museum 10 Market Place Chippenham SN15 3HF First Wednesday of each month at 2pm 02 Mar 2016 AGM followed by quiz and raffle

Crediton Miss M Steer Chairman T: 01363 866256 Various venues in and around Crediton First Friday of each month at 12 noon for lunch unless there is a trip planned. Trips are announced in the local paper

Dawlish Mrs M Carter Chairman T: 01626 888275 Various local Restaurants, usually The Ugly Duckling, Dawlish. Contact the Chairman for further information Second Tuesday of the month at 12 noon.

Please note change of date

Dorchester Mike Rogers Chairman/Treasurer T: 01308 420755 E: michael@mikerogers3.plus.com Dorset Youth HQ Lubbecke Way Dorchester DT1 1QL Third Thursday of the month at 10.15am for 10.30am - 12.30-1pm 17 Mar 2016 Road to Mandalay in Burma: travelogue by Chris Shaw 21 Apr 2016 AGM followed by Born a Peasant, Always a Peasant: talk then lunch 19 May 2016 Lorton Meadows: talk by Sam Dallimore of Dorset Wild Life

Exeter Mrs Cathy Tyrrell Chairman T: 01392 879022 Contact the Chairman for further details.

Exmouth Carol Brett Secretary T: 01395 442671 Wings Club (formerly RAFA) Imperial Road Exmouth Devon EX8 1DB First Wednesday of each month at 10am 02 Mar 2016 Coffee morning with AGM 06 Apr 2016 Coffee morning 04 May 2016 Coffee morning

Mike Fitzpatrick Secretary T: 01822 890799 E: mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Prince Of Wales Tavistock Road Princetown PL20 6QF First Thursday of the month at 12.30pm 03 Mar 2016 Tales of a Store Detective: talk by Julie Turner 07 Apr 2016 The Work of the Dartmoor Search & Rescue Team: talk by Ian Bertie 23 Apr 2016 Coach Trip to a select hostelry to enjoy a St. George’s Day Lunch 19 May 2016 Mystery Coach Trip (lunch will be included)

Salisbury Plain Mr Roy German Secretary T: 01980 653446 E: royandvi@live.co.uk The Village Hall High Street Durrington Salisbury SP4 8AD Third Tuesday of each month at 2.30pm 15 Mar 2016 Creative Embroidery: talk

by P Spence 22 Mar 2016 Outing to Moreton-inthe-Marsh, Cheltenham and Stow-in-the-Wold 19 Apr 2016 Wilsthire Farm Foods (new menu): demonstration 17 May 2016 Salisbury Cathedral: talk

by S Down 30 May 2016 Holiday to Newcastle

Sidmouth Margaret Adams Chairman T: 01395 577622 E: rjadams39@waitrose.com Sidholme Hotel Elysian Fields Sidmouth EX10 8UJ Second Wednesday of each month at 10.25am and lunches listed below at 12.30pm 23 Mar 2016 Lunch at Bowd, Sidmouth 27 Apr 2016 Lunch at Jack in the Green, near Exeter 25 May 2016 Lunch at Tumbling Weir, Ottery St. Mary

Somerton Colin McIntyre Secretary T: 01458 223953 The Two Brewers Leigh Road Street Somerset BA16 0HB Third Tuesday of the month at 11.30am

Tamar/Tavy (Tavistock) David Askew Secretary T: 01822 612274 E: daveandjennyaskew@gmail.com Burrator Inn Princetown Road Dousland Yelverton PL20 6NP Second Thursday of the month at 12.30pm

59

Trowbridge Sue Arnold Secretary T: 01225 761627 E: suearnoldwfh@blueyonder.co.uk Please note our change of meeting venues: First Wednesday of each month (Coffee mornings) at The Wiltshire Yeoman Chilmark Road Trowbridge BA14 9DD at 10.30am and third Wednesday of each month (Monthly meetings) at Trowbridge Cricket Club The County Ground Lower Court Trowbridge BA14 8PX at 2pm (except for arranged coach trips) 02 Mar 2016 Coffee morning at the The Wiltshire Yeoman at 10.30am 16 Mar 2016 Garden Design: talk by Rob Dawson 06 Apr 2016 Coffee morning at the The Wiltshire Yeoman at 10.30am 20 Apr 2016 Medical Detection Dogs: talk by Maggie Christison 04 May 2016 Coffee morning at the The Wiltshire Yeoman at 10.30am 18 May 2016 Coach Trip (TBA)

Westbury (Wiltshire) Ken Holloway Chairman T: 01373 864049 E: kenmoholloway@metronet.co.uk Paragon Hall Haynes Road Westbury Wiltshire BA13 3HA Third Monday of each month at 1.45pm for 2pm (except in May when it is the second Monday) 16 Mar 2016 Outing to Cotswold Farm Park 21 Mar 2016 Wild Life in your Garden: talk by Mr R Cripps 18 Apr 2016 The Life and Crimes of Jack the Ripper: talk by Mr S Wells 20 Apr 2016 Outing (mystery trip) 16 May 2016 Larkrise to Candleford: talk

by Mr M Pope 18 May 2016 Outing to Winchester

Westbury-on-Trym Beryl Webb Secretary T: 01454 614451 Studland Court Henleaze Road Henleaze BS9 4JY First Thursday of each month at 2pm 03 Mar 2016 Recitations & Poetry: talk by Paul Evans 07 Apr 2016 TBA 14 Apr 2016 Lunch at The White Lion (TBA) 05 May 2016 TBA

Weston-super-Mare Margaret Cole Chairperson T: 01934 514309 E: margaretcole@btinternet.com Friends Meeting House High Street WestonSuper-Mare BS23 1JF First and third Thursday of the month at 10am 03 Mar 2016 Coffee morning 08 Mar 2016 Outing to Winchester 17 Mar 2016 Memory Store: talk by David Smale 07 Apr 2016 Coffee morning

60

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

12 Apr 2016 Outing to Teignmouth (Newton Abbot, if weather not good) & WI Tea 21 Apr 2016 Coffee morning 05 May 2016 Coffee morning 10 May 2016 Outing to Abergavenny & Brecon Mountain Railway 19 May 2016 Coffee morning

Weymouth Geoff Greenstreet Secretary T: 01305 832432 St. Nicholas Church Buxton Road Weymouth DT4 9PJ Second Thursday of each month at 2.30pm and fourth Wednesday for coffee mornings at the coffee shop in the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church Melcombe Avenue near Green Hill (unless otherwise stated) 10 Mar 2016 TBA 23 Mar 2016 Coffee morning 14 Apr 2016 AGM 27 Apr 2016 Anniversary Lunch (venue TBA)

Yate & District Donald Kirkham Chairman T: 01454 317242 E: donald@kirkham3.orangehome.co.uk Yate Parish Hall Station Road Yate BS37 4PQ Fourth Tuesday of the month at 2pm 22 Mar 2016 Robin Hood: talk by Mrs J Tozer 26 Apr 2016 Annual Group Luncheon at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club 24 May 2016 Thanks for the Memory: talk

by Mr T Merrett-Smith

LONDON & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND Bexleyheath Brian O’Brien-Wheeler Chairman T: 020 8311 1608 St. Andrews Church Hall Brampton Road Bexleyheath Kent DA7 5SF First three Wednesdays in every month from 1.45pm to 3.45pm 02 Mar 2016 Sara Miller and The Golden Girls 09 Mar 2016 A Laugh at True Life: talk by Rita Silvester 16 Mar 2016 Social Afternoon 06 Apr 2016 Eltham Palace: talk by Mary Corr 13 Apr 2016 Fingers, Forks and French Chefs: talk by Anna Milford 20 Apr 2016 Social afternoon 04 May 2016 Photography to Music: talk

by Roger Stevens 11 May 2016 Monopoly’s Lowest: talk by Alan Payne 18 May 2016 Social afternoon

Enfield Mrs Susan Bentley Secretary T: 020 8360 4361 St. Andrew’s Church Hall Silver Street Enfield EN1 3EG First Monday of the month at 10.30am (unless a Bank Holiday when it will be the second Monday). Refreshments available at all meetings from 10am

07 Mar 2016 My Favourite Islands: illustrated talk by Brenda Brown 04 Apr 2016 Please be Upstanding: illustrated talk by David Pearson on the duties of a Toastmaster 09 May 2016 The Ladies I have Married: lighthearted talk by Richard Selby

Harrow Mr John Pickard Chairman T: 020 8866 5708 E: ja.pickard@btinternet.com St. Albans Church Hall Norwood Drive North Harrow HA2 7PF Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm 29 Mar 2016 The Story of Mrs Beeton: talk by Mrs Mary Peach followed by AGM 26 Apr 2016 The Beauty of Leather: talk

by Edward Newan 31 May 2016 My Role as Farnham Town Crier: talk by Jonathan Jones

Hounslow Roy Woods Chairman T: 020 8230 5533 United Reformed Church Hall 114 Hanworth Road Hounslow TW3 1UF Second Tuesday of the each month 1.30 for 2pm 08 Mar 2016 Birthday Tea 12 Apr 2016 History of Toasting: talk by David Pearson 10 May 2016 Cream Tea to celebrate Princess Charlotte’s Birthday

Kingston & District Helen Stanley Secretary T: 020 8946 2768 Kingston Methodist Church Hall Avenue Road Kingston KT1 2UJ Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm 15 Mar 2016 AGM, Quiz, Tea and Cakes 19 Apr 2016 Windsor Castle: illustrated talk by Leslie Grout 17 May 2016 Board Games: talk by Shirley Morse (to be confirmed)

Leatherhead Anne Thomson Secretary T: 01372 373258 E: anner.thomson@talktalk.net John Rumble Hall Fetcham Village Hall The Street Fetcham KT22 9QS First Friday of each month at 10am The group recently received a grant for digital equipment from the Big Lottery Fund 04 Mar 2016 Out to lunch 01 Apr 2016 AGM 06 May 2016 Bookham Common: talk by Ian Swinney

London - Catford & Lewisham Doreen Hughes Secretary T: 020 8461 4800 St Laurence Church Hall 37 Bromley Road Catford London SE6 2TS Second Tuesday of every month at 10am We have a table top sale at each coffee morning and all donations will be gratefully received 08 Mar 2016 - Coffee morning

London - Clapham SW4 & SW11 Miss M Farley Secretary T: 020 8870 7361 Staff Restaurant 4th Floor PCS 160 Falcon Road London SW11 2LN First Thursday of each month at 10.15am

London – Croydon, Dulwich & Norwood Victor Johnston Acting Secretary T: 020 8653 2946 E: victor@jmail.co.uk Railway Club Selhurst Station Approach Selhurst SE25 5PL Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 22 Mar 2016 Homemade cake competition 26 Apr 2016 AGM 24 May 2016 Surviving Cancer: group members

London - Edmonton Mrs Sheila Lamonte Chairperson T: 020 8886 7873 Sue Sims Secretary T: 020 8245 4723 Ambassador Room Millfield House Silver Street London N18 1PJ Third Monday of each month from 10am 12 noon 21 Mar 2016 The Job of a Laugh-time: talk by Brad Ashton 18 Apr 2016 Baker Street and Silver Street, then and now: illustrated talk by Frank Bayford 16 May 2016 Plant and Bring & Buy Sale followed by quiz

London - Eltham Phyllis Duignan Chair/Treasurer T: 020 8265 0810 E: phyllis.duignan@gmail.com United Reformed Church sherard Hall Court Road Eltham SE9 5AD Fourth Thursday of each month from 10am to 12 noon 10 Mar 2016 Coach outing to Duxford Air Museum 17 Mar 2016 ‘Beautiful’ at the Aldwych Theatre 2.30pm 24 Mar 2016 Coffee morning followed by Mr Doggett & Mrs Legatt: talk by Margaret Taylor 11 Apr 2016 Coach outing to Teapot Island, near Maidstone 28 Apr 2016 Coffee morning followed

by Brought to Book Too That’s Life: talk by Mel Rees 09-13 May 2016 Holiday to Sea Marge Hotel Cromer Norfolk 26 May 2016 Coffee morning followed

by Tax, Care and Toy Boys: talk by Collective Legal Solutions

Maidstone

Sutton

Keith Hunter Chairman T: 01622 746792 Methodist Church Centre Brewer Street Maidstone ME14 1RU Second Monday of the month at 2pm 14 Mar 2016 Telecare and Fall Prevention: talk by Simon Bennett 11 Apr 2016 Spring Fayre, quiz and raffle 09 May 2016 The Mystery of Words: talk by Claire Hutchins (member)

Pam Davis Social Secretary T: 020 8641 2114 Friends Meeting House 10 Cedar Road Sutton SM2 5DA Last Monday of the month from 1.45pm to 3.30pm (please note new times) except March (this year because of Easter) and the preceding Monday in May 14 Mar 2016 Informal Lunch at The Moon on the Hill, Hill Road, Sutton 21 Mar 2016 Boots the Chemist: talk by a member of Boots staff 11 Apr 2016 Informal Lunch at The Nonsuch Inn, North Cheam 18 Apr 2016 Visit to 2 Temple Place, the house built by William Waldorf Astor 25 Apr 2016 Frosts, Freezes and Fairs: talk by local weatherman Ian Currie 09 May 2016 Informal Lunch at The Toby, Cheam Road, Ewell 23 May 2016 Summer Sensation: talk

by John Negus about bedding plants

Orpington Peter Standen Vice Chairman T: 01689 833358 The Memorial Hall Methodist Church Sevenoaks Road Orpington BR6 9JH First Friday in the month at 1.45pm

Romney Marsh Win Owen Chair T: 01797 362598 E: winefrideowen@aol.com The Assembly Rooms Church Approach New Romney Kent TN28 8AS Second Wednesday of the month at from 10am to 12 noon 09 Mar 2016 Hi Kent, hearing aid specialists: talk by John Clayton 13 Apr 2016 Mister Entertainment, his career with the famous: talk by Barry Daniels

Sanderstead & Selsdon Ralph Perryman Local Contact T: 020 8657 3487 E: ralph.perryman172@btinternet.com Various venues for Lunch, please Contact Ralph Perryman for confirmation of details.

14 Apr 2016 Lunch at Toby Carvery Brighton Road (12 for 12.30pm) 26 May 2016 Lunch at Toby Carvery Brighton Road (12 for 12.30pm)

South East Middlesex Mrs June Brown Secretary T: 020 8891 4680 E: junebrownuk@hotmail.com Various venues in and around Twickenham Various venues dates and times. Please contact the Secretary for further details.

09 Mar 2016 AGM and Katie Cox Lunch.

14 Apr 2016 Visit to Beaulieu in the New Forest. To book please contact Joyce Jacobs (020 8893 8535) by 31 March 2016: cost £37 01-07 May 2016 Holiday in mid Devon

London - Stockwell SW8 & SW9

Staines

Mr D Stannard Secretary T: 020 7720 0982 Please Contact The Secretary For Venue Details.

Fourth Thursday of each month at 2pm

Dorothy Dib Secretary T: 01784 441990 Various restaurants for lunch in and around Staines Third Tuesday of each month

Worcester Park John Wright Secretary T: 020 8337 8965 E: johnandglenisw@gmail.com Old Malden Scout Hall 411 Malden Road Worcester Park KT4 7NY First Monday each month from 2pm to 4pm (if the first Monday is a Bank Holiday then meeting will be held on the second Monday) 07 Mar 2016 AGM followed by the Busking Councillor, George Crawford: talk and presentation 04 Apr 2016 Toyboys and Other Tales: lighthearted talk by Nathan Waller 09 May 2016 The Day Peace Broke Out: illustrated talk by Mike Brown

NO GROUP IN YOUR AREA? Then we’d like to help you establish one. If you’d be interested in working with us to open up a new group for your area then contact David or Belinda at Fellowship Office on 020 8691 7411.

61

the last word : Fiona Gibson

my favourite THINGS

Fiona Gibson is the author of 10 top selling romantic comedy novels ‘and she also writes about her chaotic family life for many magazines. Her latest novel, The Woman Who Upped and Left, is published by Avon and focuses on an older woman who has reached the end of her tether on the home front, and dares to do something amazing, just for herself

PAINTING

I love a lot of Chagall’s work but The Concert is my favourite.

Novel

One Day by David Nicholls.

Perhaps I should choose something more highbrow, but this lovely novel has it all for me.

Piece of music

As a lover of disco and funk, I’ll choose Street Life by The Crusaders: the extended version, which goes on for about 11 minutes. I insisted my husband played it at my 50th birthday party, and it had all my friends charging towards the dance floor. Quite an alarming sight!

Film

I love Betty Blue, which I first saw during my twenties when I’d just moved to London. It seemed so erotic, so very French.

The actress, Beatrice Dalle, was mesmerising, and I developed a bit of a girl crush on her, rushing out next day to buy dungarees from the Army & Navy Stores, just like the ones she wore in the film. Sadly, as a short, blonde Yorkshire lass, I had a long way to go to pull off my Beatrice look.

Colour

Baby blue. It’s the colour of my dream VW camper van, which I’ll probably never own. As my husband Jimmy points out, you see them all too often, broken down at the roadside. If that fantasy vehicle eludes me, I’ll make do with a beautiful baby blue Smeg fridge.

Animal

Dog. We adopted Jack, our beloved collie cross, five years ago from the Dogs’ Trust, and have seen him emerge from being a timid, underweight little thing to the fantastic, characterful boy he is now.

As I work from home, he is my constant companion and, as a writer, it’s incredibly useful to have someone who forces you out of the house.

SPRING 2016 www.csrf.org.uk

While I love London, Paris and New York, I’m choosing Glasgow as it’s my new home.

Historical Figure

Maya Angelou, a powerhouse of talent, energy and positivity throughout her rich and varied life.

Flower

Quotation ‘When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.’

Norah Ephron

62

destination

My mum, who was a talented gardener, grew lupins all her life, sometimes stopping at the roadside to gather the seeds of wild ones. At 80 years old, she now lives in a care home, so her gardening days are over; but a dazzling lupin display always reminds me of her.

Fiona’s new novel, The Woman Who Upped and Left, is published on February 25 (Avon).