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  • INTEREST GROUPS
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AHA up-date

25/6/2020

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June 2020 
 
Hello all, or to show that we have not lost our cultural skills it could be: Guten tag, Dobrý den,
Buen dia, Bonne journée, Kalí méra or Buona giornata – this is your teaser!
 
Since early March it has been such a testing time for so many, and it has been quite interesting to hear what ingenious ideas that people have invented to fill their time.  For myself I seem to have been busier, but one thing for sure I do truly believe that most people gardens look absolutely perfect and very pretty – not a weed in sight.  Therefore, I trust that you all have managed this time and achieved some of those jobs that you always promise yourself to do and don’t.
 
I would like to reassure you that the AHA Committee are ready to commence organising of outings just as soon as it is possible.  I know that some of the Coronavirus rules have been relaxed a little, but it is quite a way off for us to successfully and confidently to move on.  However, we need to keep in mind our senior years and health issues. As you know, our Group visits are very much planned around car sharing, this is still very much a NO.  To take groups of people into museums, art galleries etc., are still very much controlled by numbers. And on our excursions we enjoy including a light lunch, afternoon tea etc., and this could prove a problem for us to remain as a group.  Recently I took the oportunity to speak to our Chair, Stephanie Cox, to discuss my concerns and to get the opinion of our U3A and to see if any advice had been received from U3A nationally – there is none.  It is Stephanie’s opinion that my thoughts are very much in line with hers and we just have to patiently wait for our time to return.
 
You can be assured, just as soon as possible we will return with gusto to get our excursions back on track and all the time adding new ideas to our long list.
 
Wishing you all well and enjoy the summer to the best of your ability – I have heard from a number of sources that alcohol sales have gone up – how many trips have you made to the bottle bank?
 
Keep your distance and stay safe.
 
 
Rosemary Crumplin-Clark
AHA - Excursion Co-ordinator
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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AHA Visit to the Curtis Museum & Allen Gallery, Alton

20/2/2020

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Despite the miserable weather that we have all been facing, ten brave souls braced themselves for a visit to Alton.  We assembled for coffee before making our first stop at the Curtis Museum. 
 
The museum was crammed with information using every available space.  As we travelled through history of time starting with the Romans, we learnt about the Hampshire countryside, soil and how it has influenced industry, lifestyle through the ages.  
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They have a number of permanent exhibits including a rare Roman enamel cup, ancient Saxon burials, hop picking and brewing, the 1643 Battle of Alton - with a Civil War era helmet, breastplate and sword.  Plus the notorious tale of Sweet Fanny Adams – many of us would have heard of the saying “sweet Fanny Adams”, but not knowing it originated from the very sad story of a young girl named Fanny, brutally murdered for no known reason.  The museum is also the home of a very rare piece of Anglo Saxon artefact, known as the Alton Buckle, this was exquisite in detail.  It consists of a silver gilt body with filigree wires and set with AD Cloisonné garnets and glass. Its centre panel design is gold filigree on a gold base.  Archaeologists have dated the buckle to 6 / 7th centuries and it is one of the very finest examples of Anglo Saxon craftsmanship ever found
 
The group all felt that this was most certainly one of the better museums visited and I believe we all learnt something new.

​After two very informative hours we all deserved lunch.  Once again braving the wind and rain, we strolled down Alton High Street to the Swan for a pie and a pint as the saying goes.  I consider it is worth saying that Alton is a vibrant town, with a mixture of old and new from shops to architecture, steeped in history.
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Now all fully refreshed, we moved onto the Allen Gallery.  This is home to one of the best collections in the south of England of ceramics, porcelain, pottery and tiles dating from 1250.  In addition, they hold an excellent collection of perfume bottles, medals, shoe buckles and much more. They have a cabinet 
holding a wide range of Wedgwood and porcelain figurines, some from the great British producers: Bow, Chelsea, Derby and Worcester.

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​After our tour of the above we found ourselves in the café / exhibition area, and to the delight of some we enjoyed a small exhibition of art by William Herbert Allen.  Most of his life he worked as an artist which spanned more than fifty years, from the late 1880s to the early 1940s. He became Art Master and later director at Farnham School of Art, whilst also painting thousands of pictures of the countryside around the south of England and the continent. 

Both venues were managed by a group of volunteers, who were most helpful and very informative. Well done Alton!

Our excursion ended about 4pm and hopefully everyone felt that they had a great day out, costing very little.


​Any U3A Member is very welcome to join us on any of our monthly outings.  I suggest keep checking the webpage for up-to-date information of places that may be of interest to you. 

Rosemary Crumplin-Clark
AHA - Excursion Co-ordinator
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A-HA visit to National Heritage Day, Winchester

14/9/2019

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The day started with seven members first visiting Abbey House, which is formally known as the Official Residence of the Mayor of Winchester.  There are only five cities in the country which retain this facility and Winchester is one of them.  The existing structure was built as a private house in the 18th century, but the site has a much longer history. 

Over the years, the house was allowed to fall into disrepair, and consequently The Mayor no longer resides there.  Subsequent repairs and renovations have made it suitable for many civic and social engagements; it houses the Mayors’ office and is used for cabinet meetings.  The rooms were quite sparsely furnished, but had interesting windows giving a pleasant feel to the house.  The house when originally built had impressive grounds which today is a local park.

The current Mayor of Winchester is Cllr Eleanor Bell and she is the 820th Mayor of Winchester. Madam Mayor was present and greeted visitors during their walkabout and was most obliging in answering any questions that she was presented with.  I requested a group photo and she kindly joined in. 
Our next visit was to Winchester City Museum, which tells the story of England’s ancient capital, the seat of Alfred the Great.
We saw various exhibits demonstrating Winchester’s role in English history from its origins as an Iron Age trading centre to Anglo‑Saxon glory, through to the hunt for King Alfred’s remains.  It explores the sights and sounds of Winchester past and present in the museum’s three galleries.  And of course, there was a section on Jane Austen, Hampshire’s well known author who died in 1817 at her residence, 8 Chapel Street and was laid to rest in Winchester Cathedral.

There is a breath- taking model known as the Winchester Model of the city in Victorian times.  The model was built by former County Planning Officer Roger Brown, who left it as a legacy to the city and its people.  It is a unique record of Winchester from 1870, when the population was less than a third of what it is now, when the magnificent Guildhall was yet to be built, and when it would be another 30 years before the statue of King Alfred would be erected on the Broadway.
By this time we all was in need of refreshments and made our way to the Cathedral Refectory, enjoying a light lunch, a sit down and  enjoyed the glorious sunshine. 
 
It was now 2.30pm and we made our way to the old cattle market to see the vintage King Alfred Buses and Coaches dating from late 1920 to 1967. 
 

To everyone enjoyment we took a free coach tour from Winchester out to Alresford, across to Cheriton and back to Winchester, lasting about an hour.  This was fun as it brought back memories to all of us of one kind or another, plus it was a delight to see over the hedges and view some of the most gorgeous properties in the Hampshire countryside.  This was a great way to finish the day.

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Abbey House picture - with Ghost
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Group with the Mayor
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Part of the 'Winchester Model'
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King Alfred old bus
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On the bus tour
AHA Committee thank all Members for joining us during 2019, and please note we will not be reconvening until 2020.  Information regarding 2020 will be issued later this year.
Rosemary Crumplin
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AHA Group Visit  to Hollycombe Steam in the Country, near Liphook, Hampshire

30/8/2019

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Click on on any picture to enlarge all of them
​The unusually small group who were able to join in this visit were treated to a rare and fascinating sight of some 50-60 large scale models of steam traction engines. All have been faithfully reproduced from actual monster machines now long gone.  In addition, there were the usual collection of fairground and working farm/estate machines plus the two narrow gauge railways.
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Whilst they have many machines awaiting full restoration, all of the above were in full working order and fully steamed up.   Hollycombe is said to be the largest traditional fairground in Britain, and the main steam powered fairground attractions, which included big wheel, golden gallopers, roundabouts, chair-o-planes, swings, etc.  Also on show were a bioscope, haunted house and much more, which were typical of those before WW2 and perhaps during our childhoods.  They certainly brought back many pleasant memories!
However, the additional attraction of the many different types of models, all exquisitely built, included ships in just about every form imaginable.  There were remote tanks which staged a reproduction of a well known battle shortly after the D-Day landings, and a huge variety of steam engine applications.  This was certainly not just a day for steam enthusiasts, because there was something to suit all tastes.  Conclusively the opinion was definitely a day to be remembered and a timely reminder of just how important steam was to the Industrial Revolution.
 
After a gentle day strolling around the attractions, some of us stopped off for an early dinner giving us another opportunity to reminisce before arriving home.
 
Ron Bryan & Rosemary Crumplin

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AHA Visit – 27th July 2019   Ancient Technology Centre

27/7/2019

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In July a group of A-HA Members visited the Ancient Technology Centre at Cranborne, Dorset.  A weekend visit was chosen as the Centre was holding open days, focusing on the Dark Ages.

Exhibits included several demonstrations of ancient crafts.  Among them was an Alchemist using minerals, salts and plants to produce medicines, poultices and ointments.  In addition, there was a Smith (Blacksmith) skilled in making swords using ancient techniques, plus a Bowyer making bows and between the two of them they had the skill of being a Fletcher/ Flights.  Several members tried to draw a long bow with a pulling force of 70 to 80 lbs. albeit 
unsuccessfully.  
All the participants were dressed in costume of the appropriate period, they were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable on their subject. The arena displays included an amusing yet informative display of the use of Viking weapons and forming a shield wall. There was also a display of falconry.
There was an interesting collection of reconstructed buildings from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages as well as Roman, Saxon and Viking periods. We were also able to view these buildings including the interior.  The large Iron Age Earthhouse was particularly impressive; the building being based on one that was discovered and excavated on the Isle of Man in the 1960’s. A couple of brave members sampled the food made to ancient recipes over an open fire inside the building, they seemed to have survived.  Other buildings included a Viking Longhouse, a Saxon workshop and a Roman Smithy.

Some members decided to include a walk around the old village of Cranborne, which dates back to 1086 appearing in the Domesday Book. Cranborne Manor dates from 16th century and its garden was laid out by the 17th century gardener “John Tradescent”, now including an impressive garden centre.  The Church of Saints Mary and Bartholomew is Norman and sits on the site of a Saxon Monastery.  
There were a number of interesting old houses and it is recorded that William the Conqueror, King John, Henry VIII regularly visited to enjoy the hunting on the Chase.
 
Click HERE to see the AHA Group's future programme 
 
Robert Taylor & Rosemary Crumplin
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Farnham Guided Heritage Trail

27/6/2019

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​This month’s AHA trip started off badly due to bereavement; therefore sadly, I was unable to attend.  Fortunately Ron Bryan was able to step in and was the Leader for the day.  Thank you very much Ron for your support.
 
The weather was just perfect after having rain which felt like it had gone on for days. The group gathered together at Wickes car park and set off for Farnham, meeting up at the Maltings for coffee, where the official guide joined them
I am very sad to say that the guide was a disappointment; he apparently had an abundance of knowledge but was unable to present it. This was a shock to me as I had had several conversations with the guide and did not pick up on any signs.  I can only apologise, but one good thing that the group all agreed on was that Farnham was a very interesting place to visit and would like to return at some stage.
 
A statue of a small boy stands in the gardens where the old swimming pool originally stood.
​​The trail lasted for about 2 hrs and the group then split to do their own thing.
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​For July there is a visit to the Ancient Technology Centre, Wimbourne and in August we are visiting the Hollycombe Steam in Country, Liphook.  Please take a look at the web site for up-to-date information. 

 
Rosemary Crumplin
Farnham ​Tudor Buildings  -  Shop Frontages and the Maltings
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