20th January 2014: Our first meeting of the New Year kicked off to a good start with 59 members present. Peter Maidment gave a very amusing and interesting talk on a topical subject – Electricity. The members were shown how electricity is made and how power stations were developed in this country ending with the largest power station in Europe – Hams Hall – being built close to Coleshill. Unfortunately, the cooling towers have since been demolished and alternative sources of power are needed to satisfy the high demand.
Peter Maidment
Rita Flowerday also gave details of the format for the Annual General Meeting
17th February: Annual General Meeting
This was well attended by 46 members and visitors. Rita Flowerday agreed to stay as Chair for the next year only.The existing members of the committee were re-elected, with the addition of Cathy Mills and Hilda Brookes. Special thanks were given to Nina Pemberton (Publicity Officer) and Paul Chiswick (for setting up and managing the web site). There are 17 thriving groups and reports were given to the meeting of their yearly activities.
13th March: Dr. Caroline Ramsey – ‘Ageing Well’
The members were treated to a very entertaining talk by Dr. Ramsey. She gave us many pointers on how to look after ourselves, include diet, exercise, mental health and regular check-ups. She advised us to follow instructions on medication to the letter. Regarding diet, she informed us the one followed in the Second World War was excellent!
28th April: Frieda Baker – ‘The Man Who Was William Shakespeare’
The talk this month was a very interesting topic – The Man who was William Shakespeare. The speaker, Frieda Baker, a retired English Teacher, put forward a powerful argument that it was Christopher Marlowe who had written the plays and not Shakespeare. Marlowe was a scholar who had been to university. Also he was recruited into the Elizabethan ‘Secret Service ‘and had travelled abroad several times.No documents exist that prove Shakespeare was at school in Stratford or at Cambridge University. He never travelled abroad. Although Christopher Marlowe died in a fight, the speaker said that the Coroner’s report showed him to be with several secret agents at the time and although a man was convicted he quickly received a pardon from Queen Elizabeth l. After Marlowe’s alleged death Shakespeare’s plays became very popular. Frieda proposed that the plays were written by Marlowe who could have been in exile in Italy to avoid arrest for political intrigue. In conclusion, she listed the plays that showed characters living in exile and being caught in rough seas. Plenty of information to consider in making up one’s own mind – Shakespeare or Marlowe?
Susan Shaw brought a collection of books to be distributed by Coleshill U3A members following on from World Book Night (UK and Ireland) which took place on 23rd April 2014. Thank you, Susan, for a convincing submission and for all your hard work.
19th May: Martin Cross – ‘Spring and Summer Birds’
Martin’s talk was very interesting featuring two videos which took us through Spring and Summer. It was a revelation to see how much wild life exists in Water Orton. Martin has a very keen eye
16th June: Andy Holding – ‘Airport Hits the Road’
The talk this month featured Birmingham Airport. Andy Holding gave us some useful information on the airport which is on our doorstep. Birmingham airport is number 7 in the league table which reflects the excellent road and rail service which enables people in the Midlands to choose any airport they wish to travel from. The new runway was discussed which will cater for large aircraft from China.
21st July: Raymond Pierce – ‘The rogues I have known ‘
The talk this month was from a very animated speaker, Raymond Pierce, a retired Bank Manager. He told us of the rogues he had encountered in his working and private life. For his talk he accepted a donation to ‘Help the Heroes’ charity.
18th August: Duncan Strachan – ‘Working with Alligators!’
Duncan Strachan is one of our Coleshill members. He told us about his past experiences working with these high risk reptiles.
15th September: Carol Hadwen – ‘Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?’
Carol Hawden, a retired Physics teacher, gave a very interesting talk about whether earthquakes can be predicted. She spoke about the earth’s formation and its seismic plates. Her talk was well illustrated with an impressive PowerPoint display
20th October: Geoff Croft of the Walnut Nursery in Shustoke – ‘Apple Time’
Geoff Croft gave us a very interesting talk about the different varieties of apples spanning a number of years. He had some samples from his own nursery. Ending his talk with a demonstration of apple juice making, enthusiastically assisted by Steph Robinson. Geoff also brought bedding plants and potted plants which he sold to members.
17th November: Malcolm Evans – ‘Participating in the Round the World Yacht Race 2014’
Malcolm Evans gave us an interesting glimpse into crewing for the Round the World Yacht Race 2013. It began on the 1st September 2013. Malcolm sailed the last quarter of the total race. He spoke of the cramped conditions, the food (plenty of rice and pasta), cleaning the bilges and struggling into wet clothing for 4 and 6 hour watches, but it was all worth while when the boat came 5th out of 12 boats.