Monthly Talk in November
Monthly Talk in November given by John Pearman
Wednesday 5th November 2.15pm at The Rest: Talk by John Pearman: Pathways through Patagonia.
In 1865 one hundred and sixty Welsh emigrants set sail for distant lands in the far south of Argentina. What prompted families to leave their native homeland and embark on such a perilous journey? In his talk John will seek to explore the reasons that led to this momentous decision, describe the daunting challenge that awaited the pioneers on arrival and trace their travels along the Chubut Valley from the Atlantic Ocean coast to the foothills of the Andes.
John himself visited Patagonia with a Welsh Choir in May 2007, traversing the Valley in the reverse direction from west to east. His experiences in travelling across this rough terrain have given him some insight into the faith and indomitable spirit of these brave people who sought to preserve their culture and language in a far off land.
We can be sure that this will be a fascinating talk, full of insight and interest. Do come along if you can.
Special Event in November
Porthcawl U3A Charity Coffee Morning
Thursday 27th November 10.30am at The Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl: U3ACharity Coffee Morninq in aid of the Mayor’s Charity.
Our next Charity Coffee Morning will be held at the Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl from 10.30am to 11.45am on Thursday 27th November. We'll have a raffle with several prizes and a cake and jam stall as well as a crafts stall with raffled items. All the proceeds will be donated to The Mayor of Porthcawl's Charity Fund. We hope very much that you will be able to spare the time to come along and join us on what will be a very enjoyable morning spent with friends and fellow members. If you are able to bring any items for sale on the cakes and jam stall we'd be very grateful indeed. Tickets are £1.50 each. If you would like more details, please contact me. Mavis Griffiths (tel. 788395).
Three of Our Special Events in December
Porthcawl U3A Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 17th December
Wednesday 17th December 12.30pm at The Rest: Porthcawl U3A Christmas Lunch.
Our Christmas Lunch will be held at The Rest on Wednesday 17th December at 12.30pm, I hope very much that you can join us on this very special occasion. The menu is attached to this Newsletter.
To book your place, please telephone me (tel 784283) immediately and then PRINT your
name and telephone number at the top of the menu, tick clearly your choice of starter,
main meal and dessert and return it as soon as possible to me -
If there is another member you would particularly like to sit with, please indicate this on the menu so that we can try to arrange for you to sit together. Please don’t delay in booking your place with me as we envisage a heavy demand for places.
Rod Thomas (tel. 784283).
General Meeting of Members on Thursday 17th December
There will be a General Meeting of Members at The Rest at 11.30am on Thursday 17th December, immediately before the Christmas Lunch. The purpose of the meeting is to decide the membership subscription for 2009 and to decide the programmes of talks, visits and interests groups for 2009. Gwyn Davis (tel. 654766).
Our Writing & Storytelling Groups’ Stories & Poems Morning
Our Writing and Storytelling Groups will be arranging a Special Morning of Stories and Poems at the Prince in Kenfig at 10 for 10.30am on Friday 19th December to be followed by a buffet lunch. The cost to include coffee on arrival and the buffet lunch is £6.50. If you would like to come along to this most entertaining morning please send me – Fred Mitchell, 20 Austin Avenue, Porthcawl CF36 5RS – a cheque for £6.50 payable to Porthcawl U3A as soon as possible. Fred Mitchell (tel. 789060)
Visits
Visit to Wells on 19th November 2008
Wednesday 19th November 8am from the Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl and 8.15am (approx) from Sainsbury’s, Bridgend:
Visit to the Bishop’s Palace at Wells and Wells Cathedral.
This splendid medieval Palace has been the home of the Bishops of Bath and Wells
for the past 800 years. There are 14 acres of gardens including the springs from
which the city of Wells takes its name. We will also see the Bishop's private Chapel,
the ruined Great Hall and the Gatehouse with its portcullis and drawbridge, beside
which the famous mute swans ring a bell for food. We shall have coffee there before
our guided tour and then go on to Glastonbury for lunch. We shall then return to
Wells for a guided tour of the cathedral. Although the first church was established
on the site in 705 AD, Wells cathedral itself was built between 1175 and 1490. It
has been described as the most poetic of the cathedrals of England. Much of the structure
is in the Early English style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature
of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals. The eastern end has retained
much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has a splendid Early
English façade and a large central tower. The cost of the visit to include coach
fare, entry charges and guided tours of the Bishop’s palace and the cathedral is
£20. If you would like to come along please phone me as soon as possible to book
your place and then please send me -
Please note that we will not visit Glastonbury Abbey as originally intended because there is no shelter from the weather there and there would not be enough time to visit the Abbey as well as the cathedral and the Bishop’s palace at Wells. However, we shall go to Glastonbury for lunch.
Dorothy Jones (tel. 657571)
Phoenix Club Visit to Cheltenham Christmas Market on 26th November
Wednesday 26th November 9am from THE REST Porthcawl and 9.20am (approx) from Sainsbury’s Bridgend:
Visit to Cheltenham Christmas Market organised by the Phoenix Club
The cost of this visit is £15 to include coach fare, coffee and a tip for the driver. The coach will leave THE REST at 9am and also pick up at Sainsbury’s Bridgend at approximately 9.20am. We’ll leave Cheltenham at 5.30pm. All members of the U3A are welcome to join us. If you would like to do so, please contact me before 10th November. Barbara Miles (tel. 783291).
Visit to Penderyn Whisky Distillery on 2nd December 2008
Tuesday 2nd December 9am from the Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl and 9.20am (approx) from Sainsbury’s Bridgend:
Visit to the Penderyn Whisky Distillery
Our visit will include a tour of the distillery and a tasting. The cost of the coach
fare and the tour is £15. I’ve booked lunch for us at the Glyn Cynnon at 1pm, following
the tour. Will those interested send me -
Visits to the Theatre in 2008 and 2009
Visit to ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ at Stratford on Saturday November 15th 2008
The coach will leave from the Atlantic Hotel at 8 a.m. and from Sainsburys at 8.15 a.m (approx). I have no theatre seats available but there are still a few coach only seats available at £12.50 if anyone else would like to join us.
Visit to ‘West Side Story’ at Wales Millennium Centre on Thursday January 15th 2009. Inclusive price £33.50
Our tickets are being held until 3rd December only, so if you have booked your place please send me a cheque for the appropriate amount made payable to Porthcawl U3A by November 26th at the latest. I have a long waiting list so if you wish to cancel please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you.
Visit to ‘As You Like It’ at Stratford on Saturday June 18th 2009.
I have now received our allocation of tickets which are being held for us until December 10th only. If you have booked for this visit please send me a cheque for £27.00 p.p made payable to Porthcawl U3A by December 3rd at the latest.
Please note: This amount does not include the coach fare which will be requested nearer the time. Thank you.
Judith Hillman Flat 2 Seawinds Rest Bay Close Porthcawl CF36 3UN
tel: 07981 869066 or email jude.hillman@yahoo.com
Residential Visits
Travel Group Experience
It was so rewarding to see so many people attending our morning show and discussion. We did have about a dozen apologies from people who couldn't be there, most were away on holiday!!! We are planning three trips next year. One to the West Coast of Scotland, one to Tuscany maybe visiting Florence or Pisa in September, and a weekend away in November, which could involve visiting a Christmas Market, but that hasn't been decided yet. Our thanks to everyone for showing so much interest.
We also announced that due to ill health Jean Duff has had to retire from our travel group for the moment. We thank her for her involvement and wish her a speedy recovery.
We put on an audio visual show of past holidays and if anyone would like a copy costing £3 (which can only be played on a PC) please ring Sandra to order one, Sandra Paget 01656 784309 Margaret Rees 01656 784368 Brian James 01656 741364
