ROMSEY and District
Low-down in the Lockdown Bulletin No.8 - 9 September 2020 Here is the first of our September ‘Low-down in the Lockdown’ bulletins, as we notice the cooler weather approaching and Autumn is on its way. We do hope you are managing to find a way of returning to meetings and activities, whether with family or friends but as always, remember to Stay Safe, Keep Active & Keep Well. It may have been 91 days later than originally planned and it may have been ‘online’ rather than in Crosfield Hall, because of Covid-19 restrictions, but it was a resounding success. Thanks to the many people and many hours that were put into preparing for it, the 21st R&D U3A AGM went without a hitch. Particular thanks go to our Chair: Janet Payne, Secretary: Janet Moody, Treasurer: Gill Hodge, and for the technical management by John Broughall, co-leader of the Technology Group. Over 120 people attended, minutes of the 2019 AGM were approved, as were the well-presented accounts, and trustees were elected (the Committee, listed on our website). Sylvia Croxall, leader of the Introduction to Computers group, gave a very helpful presentation on keeping fraudsters out of our devices and away from our money.
September Monthly Meeting On Wednesday 16 September at 10.30am, Andy Lester is giving his talk online, but with a different topic than that shown in your 2020-21 programme card. His presentation will be ‘Land of the Emerald Forest: an illustrated talk on the wildlife of Costa Rica’. Anyone who has travelled there will no doubt agree that it is ‘the most nature-rich nation on earth, from volcanoes and rainforests to beaches and mangrove swamps’. Keep an eye out for the email containing the Zoom link!
GROUP NEWS On 10 September, the Committee will be meeting with Group Leaders to discuss restarting and managing group activities, Covid-19 and premises/activity risk assessments, use of copyrighted material, updates to groups’ website pages, the importance of members providing emergency contact details and so on. —————
If you think your emergency contact details may not be up to date please provide the name and, ideally a mobile phone number for who should be contacted if the need ever arises, to the Membership Sec y. —————
Later in the month we’ll be Zoom-meeting with members who have joined this year: that’s on 25 September. We are really pleased that despite the current circumstances, people are continuing to find membership of the U3A movement appealing. This meeting will help people to get the most out of their membership.
TRAVEL GROUP As life seems to be very, very slowly returning to some form of normality it is time to think of where we would like to travel in 2021, whether it be 5 days/4 nights, 3 days/2 nights short stay or just a day out. If you have any suggestions please get in touch with one of our group committee members. At this time of year we would be thinking about our group’s Christmas Lunch, which cannot take place due to Government restrictions on numbers. So, it will be good to hear from each of you; it is your opinions and ideas that count and we are sure that everyone is looking forward to 2021, when we can have our next meeting and positively start on planning some trips together. Travel Group Committee CROSFIELD HALL You may have seen press coverage of the master plan, recently revealed, for the redevelopment south of Romsey town centre and shown here on the Gazette website: https://www.mlggazettes.co.uk/future-of-romsey-unveiled-in-final-masterplan/
Whilst individually there is much that will interest you - parking arrangements, shopping, public transport and so on - as a U3A, the future of Crosfield Hall is of particular importance.
On your behalf we asked what would happen to the meeting place we have relied on for our monthly meetings and received the following assurance from Cllr Nick Adams-King, who is responsible for Planning and ‘Romsey Future’: “A new Crosfield Hall will be built in the town centre (almost likely by the Rapids) and the current one will not be decommissioned and demolished until the new one is in use. We won’t at any time be without a Crosfield Hall.” (Published with his permission). Page 1 of 2
U3A 2021 DIARY In dark blue, costing £3.00. However, only available this year in batches of five mailing directly from the supplier now. And this is where YOU come in... We need someone to take charge of ordering the diaries, and arranging hand over of the goods in exchange for the money! Please contact Janet: secretary@romseyu3a.org.uk Thank you!!
Screening near you at THORNDEN HALL, Chandlers Ford Their ‘boutique studio cinema’ is open again, having been reconfigured for socially distanced, cabaret style seating. Plays, Opera, Music, Films, Musicals can be booked online now, including live productions from the National Theatre.
Use this link to see what’s on. You can also pre-order drinks...
Happiness Chemicals and how to hack them September national events Pre-booked live events, virtual tours & online talks are available through Heritage Open Days ‘England’s largest festival of history and culture’ 11 - 20 September. Many Hampshire venues are open but pre-book for Romsey signal box! Open House London Including 130 online events to tempt you to investigate our capital city. Mostly weekend 19 - 20 September. Free access to historical landmarks.
If you haven’t already done so, do read Chris Amery’s article on the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower. You can find it here on our website.
The TITANIC Did you remember that the Titanic wreck was found 35 years ago on 1 September 1985? A large proportion of the crew were Southampton men and this Historic Southampton map shows how many and where they lodged or lived. But as you walk around Romsey, do you know the connection with the building now occupied by Prezzo, and the Titanic? This death notice appeared in the Hampshire Chronicle on 27 April 1912:
WARD--April 15th, on s.s. Titanic, Arthur "Bobbie" Ward, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. A Ward, of Manor House, Romsey, aged 24. Read his full story here. There are also connections with the Titanic in our U3A. Sidney Holloway, a relative of Kay Lovell, co-leader of our Genealogy Group, took his first voyage as Assistant Clothes Presser Steward (First Class). Sidney was one of the many lost during the sinking. His body (no. 273) was recovered by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett. Another of Kay’s relatives joined the skeleton deck crew of Titanic in Belfast to bring her from the Harland & Wolff shipyard, to Southampton where she took passengers on board. He was more fortunate, and was saved in lifeboat no. 7 which he manned, and subsequently had to appear at the resulting U.S.A. enquiry. Do you have family connections with the Titanic? Please write in and tell us your story.
Have your say! Hampshire County Council's Active Places Survey is now open. The survey is all about understanding what it is like to walk, scoot, cycle or use a wheelchair, mobility scooter and/or pushchair in Hampshire. This is not just about Active Travel for pleasure but as a mode of day-to-day transport: getting to work, shops or school. If you would like to, completing this short survey will help HCC understand the good and the bad of Active Travel in Hampshire. Your views will help to inform new walking / cycling design principles which will shape future schemes. You may also send HCC photographs illustrating how you feel about Active Travel in Hampshire, and showing areas that do or do not work. If you have your photos ready you can upload them at the end of the survey. This will be really important to help us demonstrate best practice or where improvements need to be made. The survey is open until 11.59pm on Monday 21 September.
Bulletin 9 is due out on 23 September. Why don’t you send us a short article for it? *** We would especially like to hear from those not on email. Is it working for you, too? *** Contact Gill Hodge 01794 511529 treasurer@romseyu3a.org.uk This Bulletin will also be on our website: romseyu3a.org.uk ‘Low-down in the Lockdown’ team: Gill Hodge, Glenda Taylor, Janet Moody, Margaret Marchbank, Dave Lovell. Do you want to join us? We’re just an email away: news.copy@romseyu3a.org.uk Page 2 of 2