Designed to keep you in touch

Purbeck U3A Drama Group is Proud to Present Oliver  On Friday 20 March at 2pm. (Doors open from 1.30pm) At Furzebrook Village Hall. Refreshments will be available at the end from 3.15 – 3.45pm
From the Chair Dear Members, Well this year’s AGM, to be held at Furzebrook Village Hall at 2.30 on Thursday 14 May, is on the horizon. Forms for nominations to the Committee are included with this newsletter. We do need to keep new ideas coming along and hope that you will consider putting yourself forward to be a Committee member, especially if you have secretarial skills and even if you have joined only recently. Committee meetings occur on average every six weeks and last no more than two hours. The more help we have, the easier it is to promote new initiatives and keep our U3A growing. Why don’t you encourage a friend to become a Committee member with you? Our Social gatherings have been well supported by a core of enthusiastic members and their friends and I thank Marion for her hard work in organising them. The latest, about Community Policing, was very well received. Don’t forget the next meeting, Friday March 13, when Hugh Elmes, a very popular local speaker will be present. The usual ‘meet at 10.00 for 10.30’ applies. There is no social gathering in April and the last one for this year will be on 8 May. On page 2, you will see our Tai Chi group (Swanage) and a new Gym (Springfield leisure Club) group advertising for your support. In spite of the recent snow, thoughts of summer coming might prompt to you to have a try. Now, I must add a few words about my long time friend, Grace Benoy, who retired after ten years as Treasurer of Purbeck U3A in December. As Purbeck U3A Treasurer she worked hard and kept our books immaculately. All Chairpersons that she worked with valued her support and greatly appreciated her diligence and thoroughness. Our auditor, Michael Wardle always found the accounts a pleasure to examine and pass without need for correction. The contribution she made to the successful running of our U3A for over a decade cannot be emphasised enough. It was with great pleasure that, on your behalf, I handed her a certificate for life long membership of Purbeck U3A during our celebrations before Christmas. Many, many thanks from us all, Grace, for your years of devoted service and we wish you an enjoyable retirement. Jean Edwards
Proposed New Groups
Contemporary Affairs Discussion Group This group is home based. Please contact Diana for details. Our aim is to understand contemporary affairs in the context of their Historical Background once a month on a Thursday from 2.30 to 4.30. The next three meetings are as follows: 23 April American Civil Rights – Martin Luther King to Obama. Leader Brian Oman. 21 May The Freeing of the Slaves, the American Civil War and After. Diana Morgan 18 June Slavery. Leader Rollo Woods
Gym’ Group The Springfield Country Hotel is offering its very best corporate membership rate for £36.50 per person per month plus use of their new toning room (usually £40 per month).  The whole offer is for the use of the leisure facility which includes swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa bath, and their recently refurbished gymnasium and unlimited use of their brand new toning studio. This offer is exclusive to members of the Purbeck U3A group. Any member interested in this offer please telephone Susan or  Patrick as soon as possible. Alternatively, over 60’s can get preferential day time rates which do not include the toning studio. Please ask the organizers for details NB. The toning room is particularly suited to those who have not exercised recently or are recovering from surgery or other major procedures.
Established Groups with Spaces for more Members
Knitting Circle: Janet             1 April is the last meeting for this year. Ring for venue details. Play Reading 3 (Swanage) Don             We could welcome one or two more members. Please ring for details. Science & Technology The group meets at 10.00 in the Parish Hall in Wareham. Come early - refreshments are available before the start of each meeting. New members welcome – just turn up! 11 March: Above or Below Average? Assessing and Testing with REME 1987-2002. Ian.   8 April: Agricultural Irrigation – A Technical Overview. Robin. Tai Chi Allen Come and join us for Tai Chi and Chi Gong exercises. Designed for health, they improve the energy flows of the body, soften the joints and help with balance. You will be very welcome whatever your age. We meet on Wednesday afternoons at St Edwards Church Hall from 2.30 – 4 pm. U3A K9s Bart Lucky is away for a few weeks on his holiday in France. Contact Bart instead if necessary. March 10th 2 pm Meet outside the N.T. Information centre in Corfe for a walk in the Corfe area. Check with Bart for April meeting Wardles’ Walks (or Michael’s Meanders and Rita’s Rambles) We meet second Thursday of the month at 9.50 to start at 10.00. Walks normally last about 2 hours. Please wear stout shoes and bring rainwear: 12 March: Swyre Head. Meet in car park in plantation, ¼ mile West of Kingston village.   9 April: Knowle Hill and Purbeck Way. Meet in NT Information Centre car park below Corfe Castle.  7 May: Seacombe Bottom and Winspit. Meet in Worth Matravers car park, before the Square and Compass. Please note change of date.   4 June: Dancing Ledge and Blacker’s Hole. Meet in car park ¾ mile west of Langton Matravers at junction of roads to Kingston and Worth Matravers. This is the last walk this year; please note the date.
New Members
☺Welcome to Purbeck U3A: John Dando, Heather Fowler and Barbara Hall of Swanage.
Group Profile
CREATIVE TEXTILES GROUP Originally  two separate groups, Dressmaking and Creative Textiles merged about 4 years ago, and maintained a steady membership of 15 to 20, some of whom do dressmaking, some creative textiles and a few who do both. Over the years we have produced many clothes and accessories, Christmas tree decorations, greetings cards and all sorts of embroidered items. We have made felt starting from a “raw” fleece, tried fabric painting and “stressed” materials. About three years ago, inspired by the wonderful exhibits we saw during a visit to the American Quilt Museum in Bath, we decided to make one of our own on the theme of all things to do with the Isle of Purbeck. Our quilt was finished last summer and shown at the two Open Days in the August and September. Now the Wareham Tourist Information Centre has kindly agreed to display it there from Friday 20th March until Friday 3rd April 2009. All our work has been done with the expert guidance of Nora Gee our much loved and respected leader, who retired last year on reaching the age of 90-something! However, she still inspires us with fresh ideas. There is plenty of room for new members in this very friendly group. So, if you have sewing projects you want to complete or if you need advice on dressmaking come along. You would be very welcome. Incidentally, we also have outings to craft exhibitions and these visits always include a sociable lunch! We meet at Carey Village Hall, Wareham, every 1st, 3rd and 4th Tuesday from 10.00 till noon. For further information please telephone Joy
Notice Board
Talk in Aid of NSPCC Come along to the Mowlem Committee Room on Tuesday 10 March at 2.30 to hear top selling author Lesley Pearce speak about her life and literary career. Tickets are £5 (to include tea and cake) available U3A Summer Schools Harper Adams – places available on art history, crime and punishment, France, garden history, industrial heritage, literature and philosophy. Royal Agricultural College – places available on art history Christianity in England, cinema history, musical appreciation, painting and drawing and Spanish. (Some mention was made of this in last month’s newsletter). Contact secretary for details.	from Purbeck Press, Swanage Library. Local Author is one of Purbeck U3As Group Leaders! Have you read Bill Fox’s novels set in the 2nd World War? He Guardians and Guides needed, Lady St Mary’s church, Wareham Lady St Mary’s Church is open to visitors, winter and summer, in contrast to many churches across the country that are open for services only. Visitors come from far and wide and are welcomed by volunteers, who hand them a brief guide. They come for a number of reasons: family connections, general or special	with help from wife Penny, was inspired by local connections from when they were living in Somerset as well as down here. The novels are available from the bookshop in Swanage or ring Bill.     interest. A number come needing to sit quietly in prayer.   There is an easy to use folder of information to help volunteers answer questions. We are looking for new recruits who are willing to spend an hour during the winter months or an hour and a half in the summer, either weekly or fortnightly. Alternatively your name could be included on our list of reserves.   Please contact either Chair, Guardians & Guides or Rota Organiser.
Committee Meeting Amongst the items on the Agenda discussed at the recent Committee Meeting were: ·         Membership fees for the year 2009/10. It was decided that there was no need to raise the amount paid. More details will be presented to members at the AGM. ·         The Group Coordinator revealed that there had been three groups started or envisaged since January and that support was needed for them. (See above). ·         That whereas most group leaders had let him have details of their group membership, some had not contacted him still and others had not checked membership cards for the current year. A change in the joining procedure was suggested to help prevent this and was approved by the Committee. It will be put to Group Leaders at their meeting, which precedes the AGM. ·         Secretary / Editor stated that she would appreciate help with her duties and hopes that a member will be willing to come forward as a nominee for election to the Committee to help. Two Committee members gave notice that next year would be the last they would be willing to stand. More Committee members desperately needed, if only to ‘understudy’ those.   Next Committee Meeting: Wednesday 29 April, at the Old Brewery, Pound Lane, Wareham at 10.00. The next newsletter will go out during the week beginning 4 May 2009. Copy in before Thursday 30 April, please.
Contact Details
Your Committee 2008/09 Jean Edwards Chair   Marion Morris Vice Chair   Patrick Webb Treasurer   Janet Clark Secretary / Newsletter Editor   Nigel Tennant Membership Secretary   Robin Humphries Group Co-ordinator / Development Officer   Janet Jones Publicity   Check out our Website at: www.purbeckU3A.org.uk .Third Age Trust: www.u3a.org.uk