PP2022 Ep01 Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends

The Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends

In the Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends I take a trip organised by the London Transport Museum Friends to the Isle of Wight. The trip is in late February 2022 on a beautiful, sunny, day.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs for this podcast:
Waterloo to Portsmouth and Southsea:

I have an early start to get to Waterloo where I collect my ticket for the train. We travel down the South West mainline to our first stop at Woking.

After leaving Working we head south from Woking Junction. Our route is through Guildford, Haslemere, Petersfield, under the South Downs and on towards Portsmouth.

We leave the train when we reach Portsmouth and Southsea station. You can get details of South Western Railway services here.

By Hovercraft to Ryde:

The party crosses the road and heads for the ‘Hoverbus’ stop. The bus takes us to the Hover Travel terminus for our rapid journey across the Solent to Ryde.

The ‘flight’ takes about 10 minutes, getting on and off seems to take longer!

On the Island Line:

Unfortunately our flight is late so we miss the train we’d planned to take from Ryde Esplanade station. Ryde Esplanade station is at the landward end of Ryde Pier. Trains travel to Ryde Pierhead where they meet the Wight Link ferries from Portsmouth Harbour.

Our journey to Shanklin shows how well the Island Line Class 484 stock runs. These new trains have been converted by Vivarail from London Underground D Stock trains.

Talking to a driver I hear that, if you didn’t know the stock was a conversion from the Underground, you’d think they were built for the Island Line.

Visit to Havenstreet:

We leave the train at Ryde, St Johns Road, and travel to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet. After a soup and Ploughman’s lunch we have a guided tour around the site and spend time in the museum.

Many thanks to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for hosting us on a day when there is no steam running.

We leave Havenstreet for our journey back to Ryde and the Hovercraft on our journey home.

Thank you to:

The London Transport Museum Friends, Mike Kay and the team at ATTC for organising such a great day; they also deserve special thanks for organising such beautiful weather.

London Transport Museum Friends:

The London Transport Museum Friends support the London Transport Museum. They are based in Covent Garden and also operate the ‘Depot’ in Acton.

Find out more about the museum here.

Members of the LTM Friends enjoy free admission to the Museum, discounts, early booking for the brilliant Hidden London tours and more. Interested? Click here to find out more.

Links:

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music in this podcast:

Steam Railway is licensed from AKM Music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2022

u3a Farnham Exhibition of Paintings (4)

Exhibition of Paintings (4)

Welcome to the Exhibition of Paintings (4) brought to you by the Farnham u3a Painting groups.

This is the fourth online Exhibition, by the members of the Farnham u3a Painting Groups, that we’ve been able to bring you.

2020 has affected us all in different ways. Some of the artists have found that painting has helped them get through the year. Other artists have found it difficult to paint because they’ve missed the usual peer group discussions. The featured artists hope that you enjoy their pictures.

The Farnham u3a has three painting groups, all are self led, with members who have a variety of skills, the members benefit from the skills of each other.

The three groups welcome new members, no matter their ability, and normally meet every two weeks. At the current time physical meetings, at the Maltings, are suspended.

You can find full details and contact information for the groups on the Farnham u3a website by clicking here.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the art gallery:

About this post:

You can find the Farnham u3a site here.

There are over 70 different groups, some are academic (literature, languages and history) and  others have a practical or creative focus (for example painting, photography and computing). Others groups are sporty, purely recreational or social; there really is something for everyone.

Farnham u3a has  members with a rich pool of knowledge and talent who, in keeping with the ethos of the Third Age Trust, are willing to contribute their time.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for the Farnham u3a Painting Groups.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a Painting Groups – 2020

Exhibition of Paintings (3)

Exhibition of Paintings (3)

Welcome to the Exhibition of Paintings (3) brought to you by the Farnham u3a Painting 1 group.

As it was pre-Covid 1
The group at the start of the project.

This is the third online Exhibition by the members of the Farnham u3a Painting Groups. The exhibition is of project work by Painting 1 over the past year. Painting 1 is the only group in this exhibition because this project only involves their members.

Pre Covid 2
Reviewing progress

In the podcast (at the top) Gloria Stock describes the three phases of the project. The pictures in the gallery (below) show you the results of the group’s work towards the three phases.

Socially distanced
Social distancing on the return to the Maltings

The Artists hope that you enjoy the pictures that they have painted. Although the project started in September 2019 many of these pictures have been painted since the end of March. We hope that you’ll find the three different phases of the project very interesting.

Post Lockdown 2
Self review is all we can do!

The Farnham U3A has three painting groups, because they are self led, with members who have a variety of skills, the members benefit from the skills of each other.

The three groups welcome new members, no matter their ability, and normally meet every two weeks. At the current time physical meetings, at the Maltings, are suspended.

You can find full details and contact information for the groups on the Farnham u3a website by clicking here.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the art gallery:

About this post:

You can find the Farnham u3a site here.

There are over 70 different groups, some are academic (literature, languages and history) and  others (painting, photography and computing) have a practical or creative focus. Others that are sporty, purely recreational or social; there is something for everyone.

Farnham u3a has  members with a rich pool of knowledge and talent who, in keeping with the ethos of the Third Age Trust, are willing to contribute their time.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for the Farnham u3a Painting Groups.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a Painting Groups – 2020

Message in a Bottle (13)

Message in a Bottle (13)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (13), the a store for the material in the thirteenth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham u3a.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editor:

Into Autumn….

Our u3a groups have a great deal to offer this Autumn and, although the ‘Rule of Six’ is reducing our physical meetings the Zoom option is being embraced by many of us. This enables us to take part in meetings from the comfort of our own homes, no wet weather, hard chairs or carpark worries! I’ve Zoomed to meetings with over 50 participants that have worked extremely well so it really is an option that we all should be trying.

As our chair, Mike Love, commented ‘our lockdown survey showed that two thirds of members found u3a interests and friends a bonus during lockdown, and 60% of those living alone actually coped better than expected’.

If there are any groups that want to give it a go our Mr Groups, Malcolm Ellis on groups@farnhamu3a.org.uk, will gladly put you in touch with an experienced Zoom host.

Editorial upheaval

Flo, the inspiration behind much of the fun in this newsletter, has left our editorial team. She’s succumbed to ‘lockdown love’ and recently got married. So, as she sails ‘a Wey’ to work on other projects we wish her well. The office seems so quiet now with only an empty chair to talk to…….

The downside? Joe tells me he’s having trouble cleaning his face mask since he tried to drink a glass of red wine through it. Still, it filtered out the sediment!

Some may not like postal votes, but our AGM trumps the old way

Zoom allowed this year’s AGM to be held on-line. In previous years perhaps 50 members attended a physical AGM, our 2020 digital version attracted 203 votes from the membership. This demonstrates that despite the Covid restrictions and potential technical challenges, the membership is both willing and able to engage with u3a, perhaps now more than ever. Age is no barrier to change!

Your committee

The AGM means that there have been some changes on your committee. This year the new faces are Cynthia Barnett as Membership Secretary and Ian Lapworth as Vice Chairman. We also say farewell to Anne Connolly as she is returning to family in the north.  A set of ‘mugshots’ for your committee members can be found here.

Website update

In the last issue we told you that a great deal of work is taking place to bring you a new, refreshed website. During the last month rigorous testing has been taking place to discover and squash the bugs. This is all part of the work that needs to take place before it can be released, which we hope will be later this month.

A new look for u3a

Nationally u3a has updated how it presents itself to members and potential members.  A refreshed logo was updated at their recent AGM. You can find out more by clicking on this link or take a look at the website here.

Groups on the Go

Discovering Music

The group is running monthly music quizzes for members whilst they work on the programme for 2021. Here is a recent one:

  1. What connects a guitar with fish.
  2. Name a composer who is permanently housed.
  3. Why is 1685 a significant date (3 please)
  4. Which composer was born 250 years ago.
  5. Who started the Promenade Concerts? (The Proms).
  6. An underwater success from a group of insects?
  7. What do these have in common? A composer of film music and a guitarist?
  8. Which red headed singer lives in Suffolk
  9. What is significant about the number 48 for keyboard players?
  10. Who ‘rules the waves”?  Name and sing 3 folk songs.

Done the quiz? Then try to find some music that connects with your answers. There is plenty of variety here to choose from. Members will receive quizzes with listening suggestions each month until January. If you’re interested in getting involved contact Ann Vickers at  ann@vickers.plus.com

Grumpy Old People

These two groups are continuing to ‘meet’ with both regular ‘keep in touch’ update emails and Zoom meetings once a month on Tuesday afternoons.

We’re a discussion group, although we try not to look at politics, religion and Brexit – the three Current Affairs groups do all that really well. We look at things like the service in post offices, the state of the roads, the lack of policemen, places that feel safe to visit amongst other things.

Despite the name we’re a happy group and take every opportunity to have a good laugh. At the end of our meetings we decide on the for the next one, so there is plenty of time to get our thoughts together and have a jolly good grumble.

If you feel you would like to grumble with us, just let us know and we will be happy to try to accommodate you, please contact me Michael A’Bear on abear1@btinternet.com

Painting

The group has been hard at work over the summer and is planning two on-line exhibitions to show the work they’ve done. We’ll give you more details in the next issue of F&J for ‘Project Work’ which is an exhibition by members of Painting Group 1, under the tuition of Gloria Stock. They’ve undertaken two projects since the beginning of 2020, Simple composition – advanced acrylic technique and Simple landscape – skyscapes. They’re keen to show us the results.

If you’d like to revisit their previous exhibitions, or maybe didn’t see them, follow this link for the first exhibition and this link for the second exhibition .

Wine for Fun

The ‘Rule of Six’ has stopped these groups meeting in person. They’ll be continuing with joint sessions on Zoom with themed tastings to help members widen their appreciation of the world’s wines.

Jane Moberley, leader of Wine for Fun 2, has published Sips and Tips 6. You can read this here.

Group Leaders

Please keep us updated about your socially distanced programme so we can give you a plug here.

Monthly Meetings

Monday 12th October – The Art and Architecture of The Silk Roads – Alan Freeland

In this talk Alan will highlight the art, design and architectural motifs that travelled along the Silk Roads. It’s like taking a magic carpet ride from China to Iberia, looking for attractive artefacts, entertainment and fascination, rather than a camel ride with a merchant caravan looking for knowledge and profit.

Monday 9th November – Air Traffic Control – Peter Tomlinson

Our lives depend on them as we fly through the air – so how does Air Traffic Control work? And what do the Controllers do?

To join a monthly meeting via Zoom

Please send an email with the subject line “Monthly Meeting” to the Events team at events@farnhamu3a.org.uk. No other message is required. The link, with the meeting ID and passcode, will be sent to you. First come, first served.

u3a radio – podcasts

u3a radio launched recently. The national office learning team have worked with members  skilled in broadcasting to create this new series of podcasts. The pilot features interviews and features from across the movement themed around looking forward. If you have an interesting story to tell – get in touch – please email us at communications@u3a.org.uk

Find the podcast here.

Culture and more

Farnham Maltings

During the lockdown the Maltings was a key part of the support effort in our community with help given to people stuck in their homes, the lending library of games books and toys, and much more.

This rendition of Food, glorious food is by the FAOS and can be found here.

The New Ashgate Gallery

The gallery has frequent exhibitions of arts and crafts and, like the Maltings, Farnham Pottery and the University of the Creative Arts, is a key part of Farnham’s creative landscape recognised by Farnham becoming a World Craft City. Their current exhibitions include:

  • Painting in Farnham
  • Crafts with the Local Heart – Autumn Craft Collection
  • CHICKPEA by Harriet Grist – a Festival of Crafts winner
  • Celebrating 45 years of the Designer Jewellers Group
  • Craft Town Public Art Commission – The Farnham Sculpture by David Mayne

Find out more here.

The London Transport Museum

Joe visited the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden last week to see the effect of Covid 19 on an interactive space. You’ve got to book in advance so that they can control the number of visitors. They’ll ask you for contact details for Track and Trace and you have to follow a set path.

The exhibits are as before although some of the interactive exhibits have restrictions, for example you can’t sit in the old carriages because the spray needed for C-19 would damage the fabric. However, Joe found that he was competent to drive a Thameslink train without crashing it. You’ll find more details here and if you want to book please use this link to find a slot.

More from the scammers

Our thanks to Which? magazine.

Government Grant phishing email scams

With new coronavirus advice being announced regularly it’s no surprise that a fake email purporting to be from HMRC is circulating, telling people they’re eligible for a ‘government grant’. Emails like this are especially dangerous when they manage to make it past spam filters.

You can find more information here.

British Gas phishing email

An email purporting to be from British Gas was sent to one of our readers informing him that he owed £2.01 on his gas bill. It attempts to extort the recipient’s account details by urging them to click a link to log in and pay.

Follow this link to avoid it.

Pension savers are hot targets

More than £30m has been lost to pension scammers since 2017, with pots worth from £1,000 to £500,000 being targeted. This is usually down to savers not knowing how much is in their pension pots and people unable to spot the signs of a scam. Find out more here.

Norton LifeLock advice

The internet security company has published some information and tips about tech support scams.

There are three main ways this scam is executed – cold calls, pop-up messages on the computer and incorrect search engine results.

You can find out more, and how to avoid being scammed here.

Our thanks to Norton LifeLock and Which? Magazine for the information provided here. Be Wary and Keep safe!

completely different.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Computer access is now available at Farnham Library. They’re available between 10.00 a.m. and 3.45 p.m. Scanning facilities are not currently available.

Please note that there is no walk up service – you must pre-book your session either on-line or by telephone. Find out more here and scroll down to find the Guidelines for Computer Usage.

If you’re after the collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The latest update of the guide was updated on 28th May 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200528

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

About this post:

The Farnham u3a site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham u3a – 2020

Message in a Bottle (9)

Message in a Bottle (9)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (9), the a store for the material in the ninth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editors:

Getting towards the new normal – slowly

We’re learning the skills of our parents as we’re getting used to queuing to enter a shop. We need to wear face masks when we travel by public transport and when we’re in situations where we can’t socially distance. So we’re being careful!

As our world slowly opens up, we can soon start back at the gym, maybe get an ‘I loved lockdown’ tattoo and then, in August, go out for a half price lunch, courtesy of Rishi.

The downside? Joe tells me he’s having trouble cleaning his face mask since he tried to drink a glass of red wine through it. Still, it filtered out the sediment!

Have you taken the Life in Lockdown survey?

Lockdown has given new meaning to the good, the bad and the ugly.  This survey gives you a chance to join the many Farnham U3Aers who’ve participated to tell us how you’ve fared in lockdown.  It’s simple and anonymous – click here now. The survey results will be published in the later in the year.

Monthly meetings

Monthly meetings will resume in September via Zoom. We’re told that they’re working on the programme and we’ll publish it when its available.

 Two local businesses benefitting from Farnham U3A

Two local firms will benefit from our “business as usual” approach to member communications. Months of copyrighting and design to produce our Annual Review magazine which this year will be published and distributed by A3Design.  You’ll receive yours, with the AGM documents, in the late summer.

Separately work has just begun on the development of our new website which will be unveiled in the autumn. A team of six guided the selection process with the final contract being awarded to Kallkwik in Farnham.

A picture tells a thousand words

Got photos of your group which show how you do what you do?  We’d love to use them for both our new website and PR activities.  To share a photo, save it using your group name then email us on – kateharvey0212@icloud.com

Groups on the go:

U3A Communities online

You might be interested in this website that has been developed by Runnymede U3A. Its been developed to share ideas and projects amongst the U3A community. They’re building a list of U3A related sites and providing links to them from both the Home page and the Links page. You can access the site  here.

Grumpy Old People

We hear that the Grumpies (1 and 2) did a test run on Zoom recently to raise the spirits of those members who have been missing the opportunity to get together for a good grumble. As usual they digressed from the chosen topics and there was much laughter along the way.

40 minutes went in a flash and the session came to an abrupt end. Memo. to secretary – watch the time! It was good to see familiar faces and they’re doing it again next month.

Songwriting Group

The Songwriting Group continues to meet regularly over Zoom. A few weeks ago, the theme ‘thrown out’ for creativity was “What do you see of your friends and colleagues homes via your Zoom screen“. One of the members wrote this amusing song.

Group Leaders

Please keep us updated about your socially distanced programme so we can give you a plug here.

Armchair Culture

The Louvre

You might not be ready to take the plane or train to Paris yet. You can still visit the Louvre by taking one of their online tours. In line with the requirements of the Académie Française you’ll need to understand a bit of French to fully appreciate the artworks – but the you’d have needed that to order your lunch…  take a look here.

The Science Museum Group

You might not know that the Science Museum Group comprises of five museums. They are:

  • The Science Museum, London
  • The Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
  • The National Science and Media Museum, Bradford
  • The National Railway Museum, York
  • Locomotion, Shildon

Sadly they’re all closed at the moment but you can make a virtual visit here.

The Natural History Museum

No need to travel up to London by train and tube, you can explore the museum in 13 different ways whilst remaining at home. All you need to do is take this link to be transported there.

 The National Theatre

The National Theatre has extended its season of streamed performances again, each one is only available for seven days. You can see:

  • Terrence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea is available until 6.59 p.m. on Thursday 16th
  • The National Theatre production of Amadeus premieres at 7.00 p.m. on Thursday 16th

This has been a wonderful series of plays – don’t miss out – the link is here.

Its July – time for the Proms

This year the Proms is 125! The revised 2020 season brings the spirit of the Proms to music-lovers at home. There will be treasures from the archive and incredible live performances.

The BBC Proms will consist of 8 weeks of world-class performances by the world’s greatest classical musicians of the past, present and future.

There will be archive concerts on BBC Radio 3, they’ll also be available through BBC Sounds – you might want to download the app from the Apple or Android store or explore what’s available on your computer here. 

There will also be a selection of archive concerts on BBC Four and the BBC iPlayer.

In the last fortnight of the season there will be live performances from the Royal Albert Hall on BBC Four. They’ll also be streamed via iPlayer and be on Radio 3 and BBC Sounds.

Find out more here.

The first night, on Friday 17th July, starts at 7.05 p.m. with a ‘mash up’ of Beethoven’s nine symphonies to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth. Its been recorded in lockdown by a Grand Virtual Orchestra made up of around 320 players from the BBC Orchestras and Choirs.

Click here to find out more.

More scams for the unwary

Joe had three emails in 24 hours telling him that his Microsoft 365 (previously called Office 365) subscription was about to expire. When he investigated the email addresses carefully he found that they were all from different people and none were Microsoft.

You should check the email address that the message has come from and also and verify any link you’re being asked to click on. Look carefully – some of them are very clever – a quick glance and you might mistake Cornmons for Commons.

One other thing, major organisations don’t use @gmail.com or @yahoo.com etc.

Hover over the address or link to find out the person behind the message – to hover, just move your pointer over the information that you want to verify.

Hover over the ‘From’ display name or the link you’re being asked to click on, to see the real email or link address. Attackers often spoof a display name to look like it is coming from someone legitimate, but when you hover over the display name you’ll often find someone completely different.

Fight back

5 ways to detect a phishing email – with examples was published last month here.

Details about a PayPal scam are here.

Three ways to verify the sender of an email can be found here.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries – as mentioned earlier the Farnham Library has re-opened. Details of the safety and social distancing measures can be found here.

If you’re after the collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The latest update of the guide was updated on 28th May 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200528

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (8)

Message in a Bottle (8)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (8), the a store for the material in the eighth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editors:

I’ll miss the pink tie!

For three months many of us tuned in to the daily Government briefings. We got to know Chris Whitty, Patrick Vallance and their teams, calmly telling us about the situation. Some also marvelled at Matt Hancock’s never-ending supply of pink ties – or maybe he only has one.

We’re now able to have more contact, and can soon visit a pub. On 6th July Farnham Library re-opens. Whether borrowing a book or shopping in Farnham we can remain ‘socially distanced’ using the newly widened pavements. Their introduction means that HGVs can’t take a short cut through the town centre and has jump started the proposals to reduce the town’s pollution problem. Let’s hope it’s a success and continues after the trial period.

Life in Lockdown – how is it for you

It has been a long and winding road since the 23rd March – lockdown has given new meaning to the good, the bad and the ugly.  This is your chance to join the Farnham U3Aers who’ve participated in our quick survey of how you’ve fared in lockdown.  It’s simple and anonymous – click here now .  The survey results will be published in the summer.

Groups on the go:

U3A groups around the country have maintained their activities online – from Ballroom dancing to sign language and everything in between – pour yourself a cuppa or a cool drink and take a U3A tour around the country here

Wine For Fun

Wine For Fun 2’s enthusiastic leader Jane Moberly has produced another set of Sips & Tips for all those who enjoy an occasional glass of the fermented grape juice. You can find the full write up here. If you missed English Wine Week last week you can probably still find many of the wines mentioned. If you are not a member of the group and want to receive future Sips & Tips just email Jane at janemoberly@gmail.com

World History Group

The group is continuing its programme of fortnightly talks on Zoom. Currently on Mondays at 10 am the programme runs to Christmas. The length of the talks varies but are usually about an hour plus some time for discussion.  The exact title of some talks may change and if a speaker is unable to give the talk, we will do our best to find a substitute.  You can view our programme to Christmas 2020 by clicking here. If you are not a member but are interested in joining us on Zoom please email themrtstudio@outlook.com for details.

Group Leaders

Please keep us updated about your socially distanced programme so we can give you a plug here.

Armchair Culture

The National Gallery

You don’t need to take a train to Waterloo and the tube to Charing Cross as you can visit the gallery from the comfort of your chair. They suggest that if you bring the tea they’ll provide the art take a look at.

Maybe you prefer the Tate

Follow this link and find out what’s on offer. You can use the Artists A-Z to find pictures by artists you like, use Play, Make, Explore for activities in Tate Kids, take a virtual Walk through British Art or, maybe, go Into the Studio to investigate the processes artists use to make artworks.

Take the opportunity to delve into 78,000 artworks, 4,000 artists and 22,000 archive items.

The Imperial War Museum

Although the museum is closed at the moment you can still visit the collections. There are thousands of photographs and other items from 1914 to the present day. Find out more at.

The London Transport Museum

Joe loves to visit this museum in Covent Garden. If you click here you’ll find out how to make you own moquette (that’s the name for the covering used on bus and tube seats) or make your own Routemaster or tube train or taxi ……….

Activities to keep both you and the younger generations entertained and busy.

The National Theatre

The National Theatre has extended its season of streamed performances again, each one is only available for seven days. You can see:

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream – an immersive production of Shakespeare’s comedy is available until Thursday 2nd July at 6.59 p.m.
  • Les Blancs, the final play by Lorraine Hansberry premiers on Thursday 2nd July at 7 p.m.
  • Terrence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea premieres at 7 p.m. on Thursday 9th
  • From 7.00 p.m. on Thursday 16th July you’ll be able to see the National Theatre production of Amadeus.

The link to the National Theatre at Home is here.

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett

The BBC have updated this series of monologues and you can catch up with them on the BBC’s iPlayer.

Sport

Live Football has returned to our screens and no doubt some of us are looking forward to socially distanced Croquet.

Sadly, whilst some of the summer favourites have been cancelled, Wimbledon has some videos at  and BBC Sport has over 50 hours of programmes over the 2 week Wimbledon period including an Andy Murray’s Greatest Hits weekend on 4th (1.15 pm) and 5th (2.00 pm) July.

For those of you who love Cricket the BBC will have coverage of the England – West Indies matches from 8th July.

Helping children to read out loud:

Here’s something we think might interest those of you who like to listen to a story. Its also a way that you can help children improve their reading skills.

The concept – to bring children and listeners together. Using technology and a little organisation, Story Buddies Online is doing this. It can help sustain reading in schools whilst reaping huge mental health and wellness benefits for all involved.

It needs people to make it happen.  To help organise, to promote its activities and to listen to children read and help them to become better readers.

To find out more about the Scheme and how a Story Buddy could help children improve their reading skills from the comfort of their home, please contact us by clicking here. They’d love to hear from you.

Want to venture out?

Face Masks
In our last issue we told you about Face Masks and they may be now “a thing” for shopping. Remember, they are now compulsory both on all types of Public Transport and in Hospitals. If you didn’t see the details in the last issue for making your own, we’re giving them again – see:
  • Make your own – there are various websites that give all the information that you need, the BBC website has clear instructions or the UK Government website has details here.
  • Support a local – and gave you information about local sources such as Natty Tailoring in South Street, Farnham.
RHS Wisley

RHS Wisley

The gardens have reopened to visitors. You need to book your slot here as entry is only by pre-booking. Joe visited last week, his first outing since March, and had a really great time. Some of the vegetables seem to have suffered and none of the glasshouses were open but everyone was enjoying themselves.

On a lighter note

Musical Interludes

Doodle Chaos has set some amazing graphics to music. Just see how the animated tobogganers, apparently called ‘line riders’, react to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony here. It took the creator over 3 months to get the synchronisation right.

Doodle Chaos has also synchronised Les Toreadors from Bizet’s Carmen here.

The Phoenix Chamber Choir from Vancouver have put together this virtual rendition of Billy Joel’s For the longest time. Watch it here.

Watch out – there’s a scam about

I’ve heard that people are getting phone calls from someone saying that they have traced through the NHS Track and Trace service as they’ve been in contact with someone with Covid 19.  The caller then asks for your bank details so that they can collect a £50 fee to cover the testing.

  • The Amazon Prime renewal scam is also back, some are receiving multiple calls a day. Find out more here.
  • Then there are the doorstep scams, follow this link to find out more about the activities of Rogue Traders, learn the truth about Hard Luck Stories, study the ID of Bogus Officials and send the Nottingham Knockers packing.
Friends Against Scams

You can become more aware and help others who’ve suffered by logging in to a short training course that is part of the National Trading Standards Scams Team’s Friends Against Scams initiative. The link is here.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.com

And finally, before you go

Don’t forget to do the survey, it really will help us understand how you’ve fared over the past few months.  It’s simple and anonymous – click here now.   

And a big thank-you from Flo and Joe

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries – as mentioned earlier the Farnham Library re-opens on 6th July. Details of the safety and social distancing measures can be found here.

If you’re after the collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 28th May 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200528

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (7)

Message in a Bottle (7)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (7), the a store for the material in the sixth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editors:

Bubbles

Some of us will have been celebrating with our ‘support bubble’ over the past few days. Those living alone may have felt lockdown most keenly so to see, and be close to others we love is very welcome.

With all shops reopening, what we used to consider ‘retail therapy’ for us, is now greatly needed for the retailer as well. Local shops in particular will appreciate your support. Places of worship also reopened this week, again under new conditions, but we are gradually decompressing which is a great relief.

Whatever our interests, we’ll all find pleasure in a return to the freedom we used to take for granted.

Notices:

Committee Volunteers

To keep Farnham U3A viable and operating successfully, I need again to ask for your help as several Committee members will be moving on in the coming months.

As shown during lockdown, we are fortunate to have experienced and enthusiastic Group Leaders and Secretaries to deliver our diverse programme. They are supported by a small but committed management team (your Committee) to ensure that we continue to flourish and develop.

I am sure that many of you have skills and experience to enhance the efforts of the Committee, especially if you are comfortable using email, word documents, spreadsheets etc. and enjoy working within a small friendly team. If interested, click here to contact me.

Mike Love, Chair.

Groups on the go:

Painting

A picture paints a thousand words and there is still time to visit the two Art Exhibitions staged by our Painting groups; the links are below:

Wanted – Zoom Hosts

Many of us didn’t even know about Zoom when lock-down began. Now, three months later, have developed our ‘Zoom Skills’ and use it regularly.

Some groups, however,  would like to adopt it but don’t have the skills and need help.  Could you schedule, host and control a Zoom meetings for another group? You’d share material on the screen whilst leaving the Group Leader free to focus on the content and agenda.  If so, please contact Malcolm Ellis.

Groups survey request – Group Leaders and Secretaries

A MASSIVE THANK-YOU to those who responded to my recent survey request and also for your efforts to keep Farnham U3A active. Your survey response was exceptional with 82% of groups replying, this information is invaluable as we begin to plan the autumn term. Of the groups who responded 46% are continuing to hold their meetings using Zoom and of the remainder, many are using other means to keep their groups active, learning and socialising.

It’s still impossible to accurately predict what September will bring, but as lock-down measures continue to ease, I’m hopeful of putting some positive plans in place in the next month or so. Be assured, your committee is determined to keep Farnham U3A thriving.

Best wishes and keep safe – Malcolm Ellis (Groups Coordinator)

Cabin Fever?

When the Tales of Our Lives group discussed lockdown life via Zoom last week, travel was identified first as what they would have been doing were it not for Covid-19. The loss of family time and freedom of choice were the two great challenges for most group members.

They said lockdown positives were more exercise, improved IT, DIY and gardening skills, plus the slower pace of life and the simple joy of nature.  As restrictions ease the group hoped society would emerge as more caring with a greater appreciation of essential workers over celebrity.

A fruitful and thought provoking discussion. How have you fared in lockdown? Please follow this link to tell us. 

Armchair Culture

Watts Gallery Artists’ Village

This local Gallery has recently launched a brand new programme called ‘Watts at Home’. You can go on virtual tours of the exhibitions, learn about the collections and participate in tutorials. There will be activities for the whole family to take part in, so it’s time to get creative. For more information visit the Watts Gallery here.

Live from the British Museum

Follow this link to the British Museum and find 11 ways to visit the British Museum from Home. You might be interested in Vikings Live or making a virtual visit to London Landmarks You can explore the collection, see Objects in 3D and, possibly the most popular item, you can watch the film and take a special tour of the 2013 exhibition ‘Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum’.

Curious Minds from the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oxford

Give your brain a workout, visit the world’s museums, libraries, language centres and more – all from home. The material will change regularly with the featured Tutor Takeover being updated every other day. You can also signup for a newsletter to keep you updated about new material. Find out more at Curious Minds.

The National Theatre

The National Theatre has extended its season of streamed performances, each one is only available for seven days. You can see:

  • The Madness of George III – the story of the King’s increasing eccentricity and how ambitious people threatened to undermine the Crown. Premiered on Thursday 11th June and is available until 18th June – so you’ll need to hurry to catch it!
  • Small Island – based on Andrea Levy’s novel tracing the history between Jamaica and the UK through the Second World War to 1948. This premiere’s at 7 p.m. on 18th June.
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream – an immersive production of Shakespeare’s comedy. This premiere’s at 7 p.m. on 25th June.

The link to the National Theatre at Home is here.

Armchair Travel:

Travel Insurance Advice

If you are worried about your travel insurance, maybe worrying about Coronavirus cover or you’re trying to get a refund for a cancelled holiday, follow this link to the Money Saving Expert website where they have put together a guide to the many questions that they’ve been asked.

Virtual tours

What happens to a travel company when you can’t travel? Well if you are Flight Centre you keep your customers dreaming.  How about a visit New Zealand although the borders are closed? Fancy seeing Uluru in Australia? Feel like going on Safari in Kenya? Do it all in the comfort of your own home – no flights, no passport, no inoculations – and its free! Follow this link to travel.

A couple of things to do in the family bubble

Now that some of us can be with our grandchildren, here are some things that might interest them.

Queen Mary’s Dolls House Even though the physical site is closed at Windsor Castle you can find out a great deal about this amazing dolls house here. Maybe an opportunity for some research to prepare yourselves for when things open up.

What about a spot of cooking? We return to the Tiny Kitchen for more bite sized cooking.

Note: lasagne or lasagna? In America they’re interchangeable but in Italy a single sheet is ‘lasagna’ whereas the dish is ‘lasagne’ because that’s the plural and a dish is made up of many sheets of pasta.

Fed up with the Armchair and ready to venture out?

Face Masks
Face masks are now ‘a thing’ for shopping or on Public Transport – now a must ton Tubes, trains and other shared-use transport, plus taxis and private hire vehicles. Whether you want a sober fabric or more of a fashion statement someone, still needs to make them.
  • Make your own – there are various websites that give all the information that you need, the BBC website has clear instructions or the UK Government website has details here.
  • Support a local – when two former refugees sought a new life in the UK, little did they realise they’d form part of Farnham’s post lockdown strategy.  Afghani Baz and Syrian Zam earlier this year merged their tailoring skills at Natty Tailoring in South Street, Farnham. and started their business earlier this year. If you can’t sew, this is a handy and worthy option and we’ve tried them.
Wearing and washing your mask – it should cover your mouth and nose allowing you to breathe easily and you should wash your cloth mask after every use. It can go with your other laundry using your normal detergent.

The scammers are hard at work!

This time we’re looking at information from the Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards who’ve seen a 40% rise in Coronavirus related scams. Some examples include:

  • Fake NHS and care provider lanyards – bought online so that fraudsters can gain access.
  • COVID-19 – voucher scams, phishing HMRC emails and texts offering a tax refund to help during the virus, or a fine for you leaving the house
  • Unsolicited phone calls insisting you buy a face mask because ‘the Government says so’
  • Fake charity collectors (yes, really!)
  • Social media quizzes – cyber criminals use your answers and personal data to hack your accounts
  • Fake healthcare workers offering ‘home-testing’ for Coronavirus
  • Thieves offering to shop for the elderly but really, keeping the money
  • Covid 19 Test and Trace scams.

So, what do I do?

  • Be sceptical. Don’t be afraid to hang up, bin it, delete it or shut the door.
  • Take your time. Don’t be rushed.
  • Know who you’re dealing with. If you need help talk to someone you know or get in touch with Trading Standards.
  • If you are online, be aware of fake news and use trusted sources such as gov.uk or nhs.uk
  • Be aware of advice online – only seek medical advice from qualified doctors.
  • Protect your financial information, especially from people you don’t know.
  • Do not give money, your bank card or PIN to a stranger.
  • Never engage with someone or let anyone you’re not expecting or don’t recognise, into your home, unless you are able to verify their authenticity and who they are.

You can get more information here.

For further consumer advice, to report a scam to trading standards or request a scam pack or No Cold Calling pack, please email trading.standards@surreycc.gov.uk or call 01296 388788.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.com

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries have extended their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 28th May 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200528

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (6)

Message in a Bottle (6)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (6), the a store for the material in the sixth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editors:

Out of hibernation

Life in lockdown has enabled us to enjoy this marvellous spring and watch the beauty of flora and fauna. The slower of life means we’ve seen and heard the marvels of nature more clearly than for many years and appreciate our friends and family more dearly.

Now we are allowed to make tentative steps to return from our enforced hibernation. Some competitive sport will restart and, importantly we can see friends and family. The joy of meeting up with young grandchildren is one many will relish, but it is now a global minefield as reported by The Independent.

Stay safe, keep well.

Reminders:

Your U3A membership fees

Until we know when the Maltings might fully re-open, your 2019-2020 U3A membership is being extended so please do not pay any membership fees now.

Group Leaders Survey

While we’ve not heard from all leaders/secretaries we have had a great response from the many who’ve responded.  The headlines are ‘many groups have adapted to lockdown and being proactive about how they “meet” and are prepared to continue doing so for as long as it takes’.  The survey is still open so if you’ve not responded please do so because your opinion matters.

Groups on the go:

Painting

Even lockdown hasn’t killed the creative juices – paint brushes have been busy again and there is a second exhibition of paintings online.

  • If you haven’t seen the first exhibition click here.
  • See their second Exhibition here.
Play Reading

Possibly first ‘cab off the rank’ following lockdown was The Play Reading group which ran its first Zoom session on 26th March, reading Harold Brighouse’s ‘Hobson’s Choice’. They were very surprised how quickly members took to Zoom and now have over twenty members and friends on-line each week.

They ‘read’ for about an hour, so it takes one or two weeks to read a complete play. Wycherley’s bawdy restoration comedy ‘The Country Wife’ took three weeks. Other plays have included Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’, Synge’s ‘Playboy of the Western World’, Bennett’s ‘Question of Attribution’ and Tennessee Williams’ ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. One week, five read / performed a ‘Round the Horne’ script, first aired in 1965.
Once lockdown is over, they plan to continue the weekly on-line Zoom sessions, with two hour physical group meetings once a month at the Maltings.

World History

The group is flourishing and is meeting on Zoom fortnightly. The current programme will continue to early October. They’ve covered a variety of topics including Spanish history and the Alhambra, Old fashioned remedies and British politics after 1945 in the four Zoom meetings held so far.

Coming up are ‘The history of the perception of colour’, the ‘End of World War 1’ and the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ plus a Quiz. The format is simple – they start with ‘this day in history’ (an old tradition of the group), a talk and then questions and a lively discussion.

It’s working really well. Over 40 baby Zoomers have attended on each occasion, with 48 at the last one. It would take a lot more than Covid 19 to stop this group enjoying themselves. You can find podcasts of previous talks here.

Armchair Culture

Until Theatres and concert halls reopen we’ve had to go online to enjoy a good play or concert. Here are some new offerings:

The National Theatre
  • This House – a funny insight into the workings of British politics in the 1970s. Premiered on Thursday 28th May and is available until 4th June – you’ll need to hurry to catch it!
  • Coriolanus – Shakespeare’s political revenge tragedy. This premiere’s at 7 p.m. on 4th June.

Watch here.

Missing Music Concerts

Many famous organisations have made their concert archives available or have live streaming events. Here are a few:

  • The Metropolitan Opera – ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ are available for 24 hours here
  • Berlin Philharmonic – ‘Digital Concert Hall’ is available here.
  • Royal Albert Hall – ‘Royal Albert Home’ has a varied mix of music styles here.
  • Royal Scottish National Orchestra – ‘Friday Night Club’ – a new concert each Friday and a back catalogue.
  • London Symphony Orchestra – ‘Always Playing’ and ‘LSO Play’. 
  • Living Room Live – ‘Live music streamed from musicians’ living rooms to yours’. Visit here.

Armchair Travel:

Forget the passport and fastening your seat belt, sit back and enjoy these attractions from around the world.

In search of the Northern Lights is a Rough Guide podcast you might like to listen to here.

Or you can visit the top 10 attractions at Kew Gardens here.

The National Trust has some virtual tours of Hidcote available on line by clicking here.

You can see the garden that Monet loved at Giverny here.

This one’s much closer to home. See Wisley from the Sky here.

And then to the south of Guildford there is the stunning Chilworth Manor.

Looking to dine alone? Try this Swedish Restaurant where you’ll eat at a table for one.Here are some more clips from around the world.

There are a lot of scams out there

In this issue we’re looking at Bank scams which come in many guises.

  • Phone scams, also called Vishing, are where the target receives a call from a fraudster pretending to be a member of the target’s bank staff. They’ll try to get financial details or they try to get the target to transfer money to a ‘safe’ account or hand cash to a courier.
  • Email scams are from fraudsters who send convincing emails pretending to be from your bank or a trusted organisation such as HMRC or the Financial Conduct Authority.
  • Postal scams offer something that sounds attractive; however, it doesn’t exist. The catch? You’ll have to pay upfront to receive this once in a lifetime offer.

Click here for more information on these scams.

What to do if you’re worried

If you think you’ve given a fraudster your bank details, contact your bank immediately.

Remember – if someone you don’t know contacts you don’t be panicked into doing something. Sit back and think about it rationally and carefully check your records

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.como help@farnhammaltings.com

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries have extended their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 28th May 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200528

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Exhibition of Paintings (2)

Exhibition of Paintings (2)

Welcome to the Farnham U3A Painting Groups Exhibition of Paintings (2).

This is the second online Exhibition by the members of these three groups. The Artists hope that you enjoy the pictures that they have painted. They’ve painted many of these during lockdown. You’ll find different styles and techniques with watercolours, acrylics and even water soluble colour pencils.

The Farnham U3A has three painting groups. These groups are self led and members have a variety of skills and in many cases benefit from the skills of each other.

You can find full details and contact information for the groups on the Farnham U3A website:

  • You’ll find details for the Painting 1 group here.
  • The Painting 2 group can be found here.
  • And the Painting 3 group is here.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the art gallery:

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham U3A Painting Groups – 2020

Message in a Bottle (5)

Message in a Bottle (5)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (5), the a store for the material in the fifth Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

From your editors:

Showing the stiff upper lip

We love the story about the Scottish newlyweds who didn’t let the pandemic spoil their honeymoon. Having married in Ireland they got home just in time for lockdown and their three week dream safari was cancelled. True love prevails and they’ve honeymoon at home. He’s brought his bride breakfast in bed; they’ve gone on long romantic walks and pretended to see African wildlife, eaten alfresco, got dressed up, and had candlelit dinners. They even got sunburned (yes in Edinburgh), just like they would have done on Safari. Congratulations!

Important information about your U3A membership fees

Recently Farnham U3A emailed you via Beacon about next year’s fees. Normally about now you’d be asked to renew your subscription; however, until the Maltings informs us when they will fully re-open, your 2019-2020 membership is being extended. Meanwhile please do not pay any membership fees for 2020-2021 now.

Groups on the go:

French – Beginners’ conversation

They’re another group using Zoom for their meetings. Normally the group would meet every fortnight but because of the lack of congestion in their diaries they’re conversing every Tuesday morning. They frequently have 11 people on the call. Bien Joué!

Painting

The members of the painting groups haven’t let their paint harden. They’ve been busy and are holding an exhibition of their work online. Click here to see their artwork.

Silk Roads

The Silk Roads group has held their first meeting using Zoom. There was a lively discussion and there is a programme of weekly meetings. Its another group which has increased its frequency in lockdown.

Tall Tales

Tucked away in our U3A programme is Tales of Our Lives – a conversation group where members take turns in sharing their life stories, or join a round table discussion about a common experience like ‘My most memorable holiday’ (oh, would that we could!). In June, the Tales group will join the Zoom generation with the first member to sign up to the online meeting being group founder Alec who at 91 shows age is no barrier to change. Even the creative genius of Roald Dahl could not have written a Tale of the Unexpected about life in lockdown.

Wine anyone?

Brits Booze Their Way Through Lockdown screamed the Daily Mail – the broadsheets carried rather more discrete headlines for the same story.  Yes, in lockdown alcohol sales have soared, with wine leading the charge, then lager, gin and whisky. Remarkably liqueurs sales have risen by 78% and cocktail ingredients by 48%. Tequila sales have almost doubled – pass me the lemon and salt please Joe.  

Given our love affair with wine, little wonder all three of our wine groups are active during lockdown. We’ve reported earlier on Wine Discoveries’ links to WSET training and the WFF1 Zoom meetings and for those who enjoy a glass at their own pace, WFF2’s initiative is the Sips & Tips email full of tempting advice and offers. Issue 3 is here.

Fed up with the Armchair?

News from the National Trust

The houses and gardens remain closed, but the NT is opening many of their outdoor spaces in England. They’ve already reopened some of smaller, local, car parks. The larger outdoor venues tend to involve staff and facilities, such as toilets, and are taking a little longer to open.

As the larger sites can accommodate large numbers of people there’s an online pre-booking system. Members can book for free, non-members must pay in advance. Find out more here.

Armchair Culture

The Theatres are closed and the concert halls silent but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a good play or concert. Your editors scour the world to bring you the best in cultural events!

The National Theatre

We’ve mentioned it before, but the National Theatre has added to the plays that they’re making available online.

  • Barbershop Chronicles – a never before seen archive recording available until Thursday 21st
  • A Streetcar named Desire – premieres at 7 p.m. on Thursday 21st May and available for seven days.
  • This House – a funny insight into the workings of British politics in the 1970s. premieres at 7 p.m. on Thursday 28th May and available for seven days.

The link for the National Theatre is here.

Five activities to see and hear

BBC Arts editor Will Gompertz introduces a number of ideas for you to look up. They range from DJ sets to a virtual visit to the Vatican. You’ll find him here.

Armchair Travel:

Here are some more clips from around the world.

The first might be one for the French Conversation group. A virtual tour of the Eiffel Tower – without having the climb – click here.

Easter Island is difficult to get to at the best of times. This clip shows work moving the statues – here.

This might be one for the honeymooning couple in our editorial. Go on Safari with the BBC here.

Or you might want to chill out with the British Antarctic Survey here.

And finally your editors found this clip about the plastic hunting pirates of the Cornish coast who collect Flotsam and Jetsam here.

The Chelsea Flower Show

The Chelsea Flower Show is online. You can visit without the hassle of the journey and the crowds. You can see videos from garden designers, presenters and experts. Tune in to Lunchtime Q&A sessions, join behind the scenes tours of nurseries and much, much more. Follow this link to find out more. 

On a lighter note

Those who like Monty Python will enjoy this clip.

Creative thinking?

Can anyone answer this question?

A word from the wise

Cyber Aware is a government advice service to help you stay secure at the current time. The National Cyber Security Centre is running a campaign to keep us safe.

Many of us are using technology in ways we never imagined; home schooling, banking, shopping, gaming, and video calling with friends and family as well as more time surfing the internet.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Cyber Aware campaign has six important steps to stay secure online. The NCSC has also provided guidance on using video conferencing apps securelystaying secure while playing online games and shopping online securely.

Follow this link to find details of the six steps.

Remember – if someone contacts by email or ‘phone don’t be panicked into doing something. Sit back and think about it rationally.

Check your records. If you really do have to make contact enter the details rather than clicking on a link.

Also if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything suspicious to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from           9 am-6 pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.com

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries have extended their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 23rd April 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200423

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Exhibition of Paintings (1)

Exhibition of Paintings (1)

Welcome to the Farnham U3A Painting Groups Exhibition of Paintings.

This is the first online Exhibition by the group. The Artists hope that you enjoy the pictures that they have painted during lockdown.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (4)

Message in a Bottle (4)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (4), the a store for the material in the third Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

Listen to a Personal View of Lockdown:

Your editors ‘phoned Ann Vickers to find out how she is coping with the lockdown. She’s been keeping busy as you’ll hear – listen using the media player above.

From your editors:

Our wonderful spring has continued and the arrival of recent rain has really perked everything up in our gardens and parks. Those able to take a walk for our daily exercise will have noticed how polite 95% of the community has become with a ‘thank you’ to those who step aside and a cheery ‘good morning’ to people they’ve never seen before. At the shops people stand back to let us reach onto the shelves. Let’s hope that this is a lasting benefit.

DIY hairdressers

Last time we asked whether you’d brave a DIY haircut during the lockdown – here’s the answer.  25% of respondents would brave the scissors – no doubt believing that any damage will have grown out by the time they see their hairdresser; 44% were fence-sitters opting to ‘wait and see’; whilst 31% remembered Sampson.  Thank you to everyone who participated in our straw poll.

For those willing to take the plunge the most important tip is to use small scissors and trim small sections a time. YouTube is full of video tutorials, but sadly the models are half your editors age and twice as glamorous.  The Telegraph offers this video and The Independent this one.

Groups on the go:

Architecture

This group has maintained contact through a monthly newsletter which is distributed through Beacon about the time the group would have met. The aim is to provide updates (where appropriate), to inform and entertain.  Members have also contributed content which has broadened the range of topics was covered in the second edition.  A copy of the April newsletter can be found here.

The Arts Community can dip into an embarrassment of riches ….
Art History

There are a great many Art talks, virtual Gallery tours, and clips available on-line. Information about these are regularly sent to group members.

Concert Club

Just before lockdown on 5th March the group attended a concert of chamber music by Handel, Telemann and Bach at the Purcell Room. Sadly, the rest of their programme is likely to be cancelled but members will be kept posted.

The websites of their regular orchestras are offering music, either from their archives or recorded at home. One of their favourites is the OAE with informative content about their instruments as well as performances. You can listen here. The baroque spoons video is particularly entertaining – look at the date…. and they love this one from the orchestra of the Royal Opera House – click here.

Discovering Music

Group members are regularly receiving relevant clips and links and for others there is the BBC Sounds.  This may be a good time to try a free online digital music library like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or ask a family member with a subscription to add you onto their account. [Editor tip – now’s the time to spoil yourself with a good quality portable Bluetooth speaker]

Jazz Club

Various clips, and interesting pieces by Alan Little on Mingus/Pre-war Blues/Great piano players, have been sent to group members. It’s very easy to search Jazz music on your BBC sounds app or on line digital music service provider.

Philosophy 1&2

Group members have received their scheduled session content by email and been invited to comment on the chapters they would have studied during the classes.

Wine knowledge online

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is offering free online events through Zoom. There is their Tuesday drinks-themed quiz plus their varietal tastings on Thursdays.  If you are seriously interested you can also access online their well-regarded industry training courses here.

Armchair Travel:

We bring you more clips from around the world. Showcasing the vastness of the USA the first two come from the Yosemite National Park in California’s stunning Sierra Nevada mountains then over to the Grand Canyon

  • To start some 360 degree panoramas are here.
  • And a selection of time lapse films showing the scene yesterday are here.
  • If that’s not energetic enough how about a (virtual) hike through the Grand Canyon.  Start hiking here!
  • Then take an 8 km walk through the Rainforests of Washington’s Olympic National Park here.
  • Or see the Skagit River in Washington State here.

Missing the Flower Shows?

We found a video of the Arundel Castle Tulip Festival here.. You will also find some other videos to help you in the garden.

This year’s Chelsea Flower Show has been cancelled so the RHS is making plans for a virtual Chelsea. There will be online events during the week of 19th to 23rd May on the RHS website and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We’ll bring you more details in the next issue. You can also find out more at.

From our muse:

A word from the wise

One recent scam warns that your television licence is going to expire and unless you click the link, you’ll have no service. Don’t! Another tells PayPal users that there is a problem with their account. Again – don’t click the link.

Remember – don’t be panicked into doing something.  Check your records and if you really do have to make contact enter the details in your browser rather than clicking the link. Also if it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything suspicious to Action Fraud online or phone 0300 123 2040

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from           9 am-6 pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.com

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries have extended their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 23rd April 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200423

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (3)

Message in a Bottle (3)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (3), the a store for the material in the third Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

Groups on the go:

First, a word from Mr Groups,

Well done to all on your creative solutions for keeping groups active during lock-down. ZOOM seems to be the favourite for video conferencing, with a dozen or so using it for regular meetings. One group leader hosted a meeting of 35 last week – perhaps a Farnham U3A record? A bonus of our new skill with this ‘app’ is our ability to keep in touch with friends and families. I find Zoom straight-forward to use and encourage more groups to try it. If you need help to ‘have a go’ as a trial or regular basis, please let me know or page down to the Resources section for a help document.

Other groups, including books, poetry and some languages, are finding that conventional emails better enable them to continue their syllabuses from home. The recently introduced group leader’s Beacon module is particularly useful for these groups.  Finally, if you are a group leader or secretary not currently using the Beacon system, now is a really good time to get your group into the “Beacon Club”. Once again, I can help if needed.

Psychology Group

Leader Pamela Clayton usually presents something topical (supported by research, expert opinion and views) and then opens up a group discussion. To maintain some connection during lock-down Pamela now emails her notes. The most recent are about home schooling.  The work of Maria Montessori is fascinating, and very relevant to many of our children and grandchildren – to receive the notes please email

Astronomy at Large

Members have been emailed with suggestions to avoid a personal black hole during lock-down. Member John Bryant shared an article from The Times about Comet Atlas visible during this Spring and closest to earth on 23 May. There’s also plenty to fascinate on the BBC iPlayer with 30 episodes of Cosmic Quest – originally broadcast on Radio 4 Extra. And if you are trying to cut down on screen time, just stick your head outside at night – with so much less light pollution the night sky is just beautiful.

Songwriting Group

They’re meeting using Zoom where they share the latest music related gossip, perform songs, lyrics, and tunes they’ve written at home whilst locked down.

They’ve been inspired us to put together a ‘You Tube’ video here.

World History

The group is meeting via Zoom every two weeks. If members have to isolate for an extended period, they aim to continue past the normal end of the Summer term with a programme of talks through the summer.

Judith Edge’s talk called ‘Victorian Philanthropy and its Legacy’ has been published – click here

Don’t forget to email your editors about news of your groups. We’ll give you a mention here. Click here to email

A word from the wise

If it sounds too good to be true it usually is – report anything that looks like a fraud or a scam to click here or phone 0300 123 2040.

If you need help with anything contact those you can trust or the Farnham & Villages Coronavirus Helpline on 01252 745446 (Monday-Friday from           9 am-6 pm) or email to help@farnhammaltings.com

Things to do from home

Armchair Travel

Want to research a holiday, re-live somewhere you’ve already been, or see inside Captain Scott’s Antarctic hut?  You can travel the world whilst sat at home with Instant Street View it’s a variant of the Street View that comes with Google Earth.

Petite Cuisine

These ‘Tiny Kitchen’ videos on You Tube which show you how to cook in a dolls house sized kitchen:

Couch Culture

  • Royal Albert Hall Home is a series of streamed concerts, often from performers own home, plus a number of archived performances.  More here
  • The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s own series called #OurHouseToYourHouse streams performances which premiere on Friday evenings. More here
  • The National Theatre is offering premieres on Thursday evenings and available online for 7 days. More here

The musical interlude

Everything old is new again and the Sound of Music has had a creative Coronavirus makeover by Shirley Serban in New Zealand. Filmed long before Social Distancing became the norm the reimagined  Doh, Ray, Me is here 

Resources

We’re all having to learn new skills with technology, hopefully we can help. Please don’t let it get to you like it got to Joe!

Surrey County libraries have extended their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks. Available to all Surrey library members – more here

The Zoom Guide below has helped members connect. Feel free to read it and circulate it to others. The guide was updated on 23rd April 2020.

Zoom instructions 20200423

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (2)

Message in a Bottle (2)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (2), the a store for the material in the second Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

Groups on the go:

Learn how some groups are using technology to maintain momentum

Photography

Their new Facebook page lets members post and comment on images. The initial theme is ‘Black and White’. Members are invited to take new images or scour through their existing ones to see if monochrome is a better medium for some subjects.  They will also be directing members to a number of online photographic courses and resources to help maintain their interest in the coming weeks. For more click to contact Tony Watson

Spanish Advanced conversation

Using ZOOM technology the group had a very successful chat recently when were joined by Group Leader, Montse, from Barcelona. Instead of meeting alternative Wednesdays the group now meet every Wednesday for 40 minutes which makes best use of the free meeting time allowed by Zoom. A good way to continue the class! Adiós por ahora.

Book Worms

World Literature and Short Story groups are planning to share reviews by email. They’ll read the planned books or stories and see how it goes.  And if you are not a member of these groups, Surrey Libraries offer members an eBook service. You can download a wide range of books and audio books to keep your mind fit, all without having to go out – click here

Wine O’clock

The two Wine for Fun groups conquered technology and enjoyed a joint meeting on 30th March.  There was a lively discussion about the wines members are currently drinking and not a drop was spilt. For many this was their first time using Zoom – which shows you can teach an old dog new tricks! After this initial success they’re doing it again on Easter Monday.

Cheers!

A novel solution for when the gym is closed:

This man has created a DIY Treadmill; to see the video click here. It made us laugh, but please do not try it at home.

And finally:

Zoom meetings:

The instructions below have helped members connect. Feel free to read them and circulate them to others.

Zoom instructions

Tip for joining an online meeting: please sort out the software and your computer / tablet / ‘phone before the meeting. This is because the meeting host can’t tutor you during the meeting!

Community Tips

The Town Council, along with the Maltings and the Farnham Herald, has produced a useful fact-sheet full of help and advice for residents of Farnham and villages which is worth printing.  Click here.

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

Message in a Bottle (1)

Message in a Bottle (1)

Welcome to Message in a Bottle (1). This is a store for the material in the first Flotsam and Jetsam e-Newsletter from Farnham U3A.

It doesn’t matter if you deleted the e-Newsletter – the important bits are here!

Free Pilates Video from the NHS:

The NHS encourages us to keep fit – particularly during the big confinement – and Pilates is a great way to do that at home.  If you don’t know, Pilates is form of exercise for men and women at all ages and stages, and it focuses on balance, posture, strength and flexibility.  To view this free NHS video click here.

You don’t need to have done any Pilates before to participate. The video lasts for 45 minutes. If you have an exercise mat it is useful. Wear comfortable, loose clothing.

InstructorLive has created these fitness videos. They last from 10 to 45 minutes. Please note: the videos are recorded sessions of live webcasts shown before.

If you like this class you may also enjoy vinyasa flow yoga or pyjama pilates.

Everything Old is New Again

The New Testament Greek group has gone ‘on-line’  using the Zoom web conferencing app. Meetings last for 30 minutes and are at 12.15 on Tuesdays.

Stephen Mason leads the group – if interested click here to email Stephen.

Travel the Silk Roads without getting footsore

Members of the Silk Roads are familiar with the pandemics of history and are well positioned for the current time. Alan Freeland, group leader reports that a number of his technophobe members have managed to set up Telegram so that they can continue to meet online.

If you’re interested in joining them during the travel ban, please contact Alan here.

Fed up with singing Happy Birthday while you wash your hands?

Click here or on the image, to view the video

And finally:

About this post:

The Farnham U3A site is found at Farnham U3A Home Page.

Please use this material to help you through the lock-down.

Posted by The MrT Podcast Studio for Farnham U3A – 2020

 

Steam Dreams 20th Anniversary

Steam Dreams 20th Anniversary follows a special steam train journey from London to Yeovil Junction on 17th December 2019. 350 passengers joined the train for the journey. The LMS locomotive the Duchess of Sutherland hauled the train. The route ran from Victoria Station to Yeovil Junction, stopping at Woking, Salisbury and Sherborne on the way.

The original train, on 16th December 1999, ran from Waterloo Station in London to Salisbury.

At Salisbury the passengers attended a ‘cake cutting’ ceremony on the platform. The Duchess of Sutherland took the opportunity to refill her tanks with water.

We then rejoined the train and continued our journey to Sherborne. Most of the passengers left the train in Sherborne so that they could visit the town. Many also attended a special Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey.

The rest of the passengers continued on the journey to Yeovil Junction. We were lucky that the earlier wet weather had cleared up. We were treated to a lovely sunset as our engine and train were serviced. The Duchess of Sutherland was turned on the turntable – a splendid sight.

The train then returned to London, stopping at Sherborne and Salisbury to pick up the returning passengers.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the photograph gallery:

Find out more about The Steam Dreams Rail Co.:

To visit the Steam Dreams website to find out more about the Day Trips and Holidays please click here.

Travel from Waterloo to Windsor on the Royal Windsor Steam Express:

The Royal Windsor Steam Express is a scheduled steam train service running from London to Windsor and Eton Riverside station. It runs on selected dates from June 2nd to September 8th 2020. It is a great introduction to steam train travel! Find out more at.

Travel on the Sunset Steam Express:

The Sunset Steam Express is an evening train. It runs on selected dates from June 2nd to September 8th 2020. It takes a circular route from London, through the Surrey Hills and then returns to London. A great opportunity for an enjoyable evening out. Find out more at.

About ‘Steam Dreams 20th Anniversary’

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Deezer, Spotify and Stitcher.

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway for use as the theme and incidental music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and The Steam Dreams Rail Co. 2020

London Underground – Disused Stations

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 1 C – Disused Stations

Please note: Disused Stations was missed from the talk on the London Underground as we ran out of time. A number of members said they would like to hear it so I have recorded this podcast. This material will be to the other parts of the talk when they are posted.

Tim Davies tells us about the London Underground’s Disused Stations in this short talk. He tells us that the first to close was King William Street. This was the original ‘City’ terminus of the City and South London Railway. King William Street station lasted 9 years and 3 months before closing in 1900.

A total of twenty three stations have closed over the years. Some have gone on to have interesting lives after closure.

Down Street

Down Street station on the Piccadilly line was close to two other stations.  As a result of this, and because Mayfair is a wealthy area the station was very quiet.

During the Second World War the station housed the Railway  Executive. Winston Churchill stayed here during the Blitz.

Aldwych

Another quiet station was Aldwych, it probably should never have been built. Artefacts from London Museums were stored on the Eastern platform during the war. Londoners sheltered from the bombs on the western platform.

Charing Cross

The Jubilee line has disused platforms at Charing Cross. The platforms are often used for filming – the sequence in Skyfall is an example.

Euston

At Euston there are tunnels to connect the two original Underground stations. Competing companies built the stations. The rebuild of the station for the Victoria line resulted in closure of the tunnels in 1962.

Please click on one of the images as you listen to the talk to open the gallery.

Please click this link to visit the London Transport Museum website.

Click this link for details of the Hidden London tours.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

AKM Music has licensed Media Magazine for use as the title music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham U3A History Group 2019

The Dean Forest Railway

The Dean Forest Railway – the Friendly Forest Line – runs for four and a half miles between Lydney Junction and Parkend. It passes through beautiful woodland and countryside and reflects the relaxing pace of a country branch line in the early Twentieth Century.

The line covers part of the route of the Severn and Wye railway. It was originally a tramway established in 1810 to transport minerals to the River Severn. The Severn and Wye railway eventually extended to Lydbrook, Cinderford and Coleford.

The station at Lydbrook Junction gave a connection to the Ross and Monmouth railway enabling iron or to be transported to the iron works at Ebbw Vale and Dowlais.

Passenger services started on 23 September 1875 with two trains a day between Lydney and Lydbrook. By 1879 the service had reduced to one train a day. Passenger services north of Lydney Town were discontinued on 6th July 1929. Lower Lydbrook had closed earlier, in 1903.

Services continued south of Lydney Town until the night of 25th October 1960 when two barges collided,  in thick fog, with the bridge over the River Severn. One exploded and the other caught fire causing significant damage to the bridge – it never re-opened.

To find out more about this disaster click here.

The Prairie Tank locomotive used for our journey was built in 1928 at the Great Western works in Swindon. No. 5541 was withdrawn from service with British Railways in 1962 and sent to be scrapped. The Dean Forest Line rescued the locomotive and it was back in steam in 1975.

You can get more information about the Dean Forest Railway here.

Full size copies of the photographs are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

Click on a thumbnail to open the gallery.

You can also listen to the podcast using iTunes (Apple Podcasts), Spotify or Stitcher.

The theme music Steam Railway is used under licence from AKM Music and the incidental music, Chill Electronic-Sunrise Expedition, is used with permission of Joseph McDade who both created and performed the music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2018

 

The Grand Prix de Farnham – October 2018

The Grand Prix de Farnham took place in October 2018 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Mike Hawthorn  winning the Formula 1 World Championship.

On 19 October 1958 the Moroccan Grand Prix was held on a circuit near Casablanca. This was the only time that Morocco has hosted a world championship Grand Prix.

Mike Hawthorn driving a Ferrari was in pole position but the race was won by Stirling Moss driving a Vanwall with Mike Hawthorn in second place. Mike’s second place secured him the world championship by one point making him the first British Formula One champion ever.

Having become Formula One world champion the Farnham Flyer, as he was known, retired from motor racing.

John Michael Hawthorn had come a long way since his birth on 10 April 1929 in Mexborough in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire.

At the age of two his parents had moved to open the Tourist Trophy garage in Farnham, the town where Mike remained for the rest of his life.

The people of Farnham celebrated with cars from Mike Hawthorn’s era driving through the centre of town on a wet Sunday afternoon.

The event was organised by the Friends of Mike Hawthorn and the website for the event is at Mike Hawthorn GP de Farnham where you’ll find lots of information about the day.

The organisers would like to thank the the owners and drivers of the 86 cars that took part, the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, the Jaguar Drivers Club, the Hedgehogs and the Hants and Berks Motor Club for providing marshalls. Thanks also go to the Unity Support Riders for their help and to Zara and the team at Farnham Maltings.

Full size copies of the photographs are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

Click on a thumbnail to open the gallery.

The music Fast Lanes is used under licence from AKM Music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2018

 

The Grand Prix de Farnham

Come back here during the afternoon of Friday 19th October (or later) to listen to the podcast on last Sunday’s Grand Prix de Farnham.

Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Mike Hawthorn becoming Formula 1 World Champion.

Listen to the sounds of the many wonderful cars that braved the weather to entertain the crowd.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2018