18 — BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2014
TEL: 07724 905406 or 07894 935952
Ivel Valley U3A
THE Chairman, ann Taylor, welcomed members to the October annual general Meeting of the Ivel valley u3a, on Tuesday 14th at Holmemead school Canteen. she thanked anne Jones for organising the Harvest Quiz. The art group will next meet on 4th november at the asda meeting room when the subject will be ‘fruit & veg’. The tenure has been confirmed for a further year. More members are needed – please just turn up and enjoy yourself. book group 1 will meet on 3rd november at Jean Williams’s house. They have a vacancy for new members. The craft group will meet at Pat Warren’s house on 20th november when they will be making Christmas brooches. The music group met at sally Clements house for their October meeting. Closing the business meeting, the Chairman handed over to the President, Eric Lund, who proceeded with the annual general Meeting. apologies for absence were received and the minutes from 2013 read and confirmed. There were no matters arising. The treasurer, Thelma rogers gave her report announcing that membership had risen and the balance in the bank was up. The Chairman, ann Taylor gave her report thanking the committee members for their hard work during the year which had enabled the group to run smoothly. she said that the members had been entertained, amused and educated by the speakers and social afternoons. she thanked the members for the group could not function without them. The committee remain and were vote back in unanimously. Eric thanked all the committee for their efforts. The team leaders gave reports of the groups from the past year and encouraged any member to join as most had vacancies in their groups. ann then invited all to enjoy the refreshments that had been made by the committee members. The members enjoyed an opportunity to chat. subs are now due and can be paid at any meeting when the new programme will be available. ann closed the meeting reminding members that the next meeting was on Tuesday 28th October which is the lunch at bedfordshire growers. The Christmas lunch will be on Wednesday 17th december at the Wheatsheaf, Tempsford. names will be taken next month when the cost will be confirmed. The next meeting at the school is on Tuesday 11th november when the speaker is Keith baldwin talking about ‘a notebook, a Whistle and a Truncheon’. visitors are always welcome.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. We have received an email from Kenneth Wood, who gave a talk about biggleswade and the great War on 1 september. Kenneth said he enjoyed the evening very much and wished to let us know that he had donated his fee for the evening to Macmillan Cancer Care, a cause that is very close to his heart. Kenneth has also offered to send information about two WW1 biggleswade soldiers which had come to light too late for inclusion in his book. The soldiers were Operator MW denny and Private fb Potter, who had mistakenly been recorded on the town war memorial as Potton.
2. adopt a soldier, stage 2. as readers will know, the society is now embarking upon the second stage of its research into biggleswade’s first World War soldiers – our ‘Help us remember Them’ project. The main thrust of this stage, which we hope to complete by september 2016, is to research the 120 men named on the town war memorial who have not already been researched in stage 1. read all about it in the article accompanying this news page. 3. some visitors to our exhibition in september have asked whether they can obtain copies of the folders of the Methodist soldiers that were displayed. The society intends to make duplicate folders available at a reasonable price to be determined by the number of pages to be printed. for the moment we are unable to supply copies but we shall inform bulletin readers as soon as we are ready to do so.4. Our next slot on the bigglesfM breakfast show will be 8.30 - 9.00 on Thursday, 27 november. Tune in to 104.8 or go to www.bigglesfm.com and click on Listen Live.
EVENTS and EXHIBITIONS
The society’s bargain bookstall will be on biggleswade saturday Market all day on 15 november. This is your opportunity to see the full range of the society’s publications and buy them at the same low prices enjoyed by our members. We only do this twice a year, so make a note in your diary! While you are there you can find out about the society’s work and see examples of completed soldier research folders. We look forward to meeting you.
Biggleswade
EDITORIAL: pat@rosettapublishing.com
FROM THE ARCHIVES Accessions
We are grateful for the following items received in august and september for the WW1 soldier archive: photos loaned for scanning by Carolynne Instrell: Menin gate inscription to robert stocker and grave of Herbert stocker from derek foster, donation of copy documents relating to Ernest Woodward (d. 1917) from bobby glen, donation of laminated illustrated pages about fred Pepper (WW1 survivor) and his family from anne shaw, donation of photos of Ernest Chambers (WW1 survivor) and family from Jane Croot, limited edition WW1 centenary souvenir mug – ‘Town of biggleswade will remember them’. further recent donations to the society’s archives include: from Maureen Wilson, small leather bound bible presented 1895 to Maurice Carr, containing handwritten family notes from neville spriggs, various smart and brown catalogues, including a 1949 price list, and printed material about the history of Methodism in biggleswade and the Wesleyan Chapel and sunday school until 1934. from Michael O’brien, copy of his article, ‘seven Campaigns – national servicemen on active service 1948-1960’, published in ‘Medal news’ Oct 2014, and detailed information about the french Légion d’Honneur.
PUBLICATIONS
MEETINGS
The society meets at Trinity Methodist Church, shortmead street, on the first Monday of the month, unless notified. doors normally open at 7.30 for an 8.00 pm start. Meetings are free to members; visitors are welcome at indoor meetings for £3.00 per meeting. In the summer months indoor meetings give way to a programme of evening walks and visits.
LAST MEETING
6 October: 65 attended for Liz brown’s illustrated talk entitled, ‘dad’s army’ and we hope they weren’t too disappointed when they found that the talk was about the classic Tv sitcom and the actors who appeared in it instead of a history of the Home guard in WW2! We have to admit, rather shamefacedly, that the blame is to be laid entirely at the society’s door for not having done our research properly at the booking stage. (stupid boy!) We apologise to anybody who was disappointed and will do our best not to repeat the blunder. Having said that, once over the initial surprise most people found the speaker very knowledgeable and enjoyed being reacquainted with some well-loved actors and old Tv characters. a new ‘dad’s army’ film is to be released next year. The cast list is quite impressive, and includes Tom Courtenay, bill nighy and Michael gambon, but it remains to be seen whether the public is ready to accept a whole set of different chaps in those dad’s army uniforms.
The society has a wide range of publications relating to the history FORTHCOMING of biggleswade and its people. visit the website for a price list and PROGRAMME descriptions of the books, and 6 October: ‘dad’s army’ – a talk details of how to order. better still, by Liz brown. see the books and buy at members’ prices at our bookstall on 3 november: ‘The uses of Wood in the Local Community up to biggleswade saturday Market on 1945’ – a talk by gerry 15 november! The 434-page dan Lawrence. albone hardback is available from 2 december: Members only the Editor, price £20. . Christmas party at the MEMBERSHIP Conservative Club. (This is on a Tuesday). seven more new members have joined us in the last month and the 5 January; ‘biggleswade in the bedfordshire Magazine’ – a talk society is now 179 strong! Our by Peter Ibbett short trial membership offer is still available. It runs until 31 March, 2 february: ‘Edwin Lutyens and his WW1 Memorials’ – a talk by costs only £4.00 and delivers all Tim skelton the same benefits as a full membership. download an application 2 March: ‘strong-Minded Women’ – a talk by Liz Carter form from our website, or simply come along to the next meeting and 13 april: Members only agM and ask to join at the front desk. ‘rubiversary’ celebration.