Basingstoke & Deane Over 55s Forum NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2015 Welcome to the September issue of the newsletter. It looks like autumn is here again although I believe we are set to have an Indian summer in October. We had fantastic weather while on holiday in Tuscany with temperatures in the eighties some days. Tuscany is such a beautiful area of Italy especially the old hill towns with the narrow streets, archways and ancient buildings. Our hotel was set in woodland and we could hear the deer calling and the foxes barking. We visited a castle where they produced their own wines and were invited to a wine tasting lunch needless to say we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!! MEMBERSHIP The membership currently stands at 651. Sadly, Mrs Joan Egleton passed away recently. Her daughter wanted us to know that her Mother had thoroughly enjoyed her four years as a member of the Forum and she had been looking forward to the trip to the London Supreme Court. Our sympathy goes to her family. ******************************************************************** DON'T MISS OUT! The Over 55s Forum's Big Band Variety Show This year's show promises to be even better. It features one of the country's leading Big Bands, the Apollo Big Band who will wow you with the sounds of the big band era. We are also delighted to welcome back comedy impressionist Christopher Gee. With his unique blend of original, quality, non-offensive comedy material and his uncanny impersonations, Chris will keep you entertained while the Band has a "breather". So come and join us all once again for an afternoon of great music and side splitting laughs! Ticket price is still only 6 which will include tea and cakes at the interval - fantastic value for money. Tickets available from the Newbury Building Society or the Forum. ******************************************************************** JULY OPEN FORUM Graham opened the meeting and thanked the committee and all the other helpers without whose support the meetings could not take place. He thanked Marian for another interesting Newsletter but reminded members that it is THEIR letter and we welcome all contributions. He also reminded members that we had a suggestion box and welcomed all ideas for the Forum's activities. Graham also reminded members about the Movement & Stretch sessions, New Age Kurling and the Variety Show. He went on to mention the Older Drivers' Forum, volunteering for St Michael's Hospice and the new booklet with information for the Over 55s in Basingstoke & Deane. Pensionwise Our first speakers were Bryan Fyfe and Lisa Gordon from Citizens' Advice who gave a talk on Pensionwise. Both Lisa and Bryan are qualified pension service advisors and have been providing guidance on the pension reforms since April. The new regulations mean that anyone over retirement age can now take their savings "pot" as a lump sum rather than be compelled to take out an annuity. Pensionwise is a free and impartial government service set up to help people understand their options. This only applies to defined contributions. There are several bodies involved: HM Treasury - website and overall service, Citizens Advice faceto-face appointments, the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) telephone appointments, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) standards. - 1 -
The service is suitable for those close to or over 55 when most people can access their DC pensions by law. They must have a defined contribution pension and the service is of the most benefit if the user is close to making a retirement decision i.e. within 6 months away as products are likely to continue changing. If you contact the Service, the appointment will last around 45 minutes, and is free, impartial and confidential. The five main options will be explained: leaving pot and doing nothing, taking a secure income (e.g. annuity), flexi-access drawdown products, cash lump sum or mixing options. Also explained will be: the advantages of shopping around and how to do it to get better value products, the tax implications for different decisions and information on how to avoid scams and protect selves Website has all content which would be covered in an appointment, along with tools but won t tailor it to circumstances. You can book an appointment by phone or through CAB. The local service covers Bracknell, Newbury, Andover, Alton, Guildford, Woodley, Tadley and Eastleigh. The CAB in Basingstoke was unable to provide the facilities for the service to be offered locally. Ladies of the Tower This talk was given by Tony Strafford (formally of the Tower of London) who was dressed in his regalia of Yeoman of the Guard. He explained that the Tower is a fortress, built by men and is a very masculine place. Tony described how the Tower came to be built and the story of William, Duke of Normandy, and Matilda. They were related so had obtain permission from the Pope to marry. They were excommunicated by the Pope as the marriage was consummated before they were wed. King John was a good administrator but was treacherous, devious, a liar and a sex predator. He lusted after Maud Fitzwalter but she rejected his advances so he sent her to the Tower. He sent her a gift of an egg but it was poisoned. Edward 1st (longshanks) wanted an alliance with Spain so he married Eleanor of Castille. They became true lovers and Edward named part of London after her - Infanta de Castille which became the Elephant & Castle. When Eleanor died, her organs were buried in Lincoln and her body in Westminster Abbey. Edward had 12 crosses erected in her memory and two of those remaining are Charing Cross and Waltham Cross. Tony talked about the War of the Roses, between the Houses of Lancaster and York, and then moved on to the well known story of Henry VIII and his many wives. His last wife, Katherine Parr, was more of a nursemaid and outlived Henry. Tony rounded off his very interesting talk with more facts about the boy King Edward (dies of consumption), Mary Tudor (died childless from a tumour), Elizabeth I who lived in fear of death and James I (IV in Scotland) who reputedly never washed his hands. Events & Other Items In Gerald's absence, Graham went through the current situation on the various trips that the Forum is running, including the free trips for those members who qualify. Graham also gave an update on the developments at Basing View, the new hospital, the new Dial a Ride contract and also gave a reminder about Aortic Aneurism Screening which is available to men over 65. One of our members had been screened and subsequently had an operation. For information or an appointment, telephone 01784 884859 or email aaascreening@asph.nhs.uk. EVENTS FOR 2015 The trip to Sherborne Castle and Shaftesbury was very enjoyable. The castle was a very interesting place to visit, although it isn t really a castle more a large, stately country house with beautiful grounds. The Country Market near Bordon was a shopper s paradise and well worth the visit! The 3 recent trips to the London Supreme Court, the last one being on 25th September have proved to be very interesting and enjoyed by those who went. The first of our FREE trips to Oxford was on Saturday 19th September and it was a excellent day, plenty to do, with brilliant sunshine. The next FREE trip is on Saturday 26th September. There has been a 3rd FREE trip added which will be on Thursday 22nd October; if you do not qualify, you can still go, by paying 12.55. Sunday 25th October -Thames Cruise from Windsor to Bray and back. Lunch will be served during the cruise, consisting of Shepherds Pie and fresh vegetables followed by homemade apple pie and cream with tea or coffee to follow. Cost 34.50 each. it is now fully booked, but if you wish to give Gerald your name (s) he will put your name(s) on a reserve list. - 2 -
Sunday 22nd November Blenheim Palace, Living Crafts for Christmas, also an Art Festival is being held on this day. Cost is 24.75 which includes coach and entrance fee. Saturday 19th December - Gerald has managed to get 106 tickets for the Christmas Carol Singalong at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 19th December 2015.The Royal Albert Hall would only hold these tickets for 2 weeks, so it needed action straight away to sell tickets and money collected in. It has been advertised via e-mail and on recent coach trips; the 106 tickets are nearly all gone. This is our first experience of getting tickets for this well known event, I can assure you all it will be better next year, I am learning all the time. Jonathan Cohen returns to lead the festive fun with Carols and Christmas hits. Special Guest 'Louise Dearman' - London Concert Chorus & London Concert Orchestra. CARNIVAL CHORUS The choir sang at the War Memorial during the commemoration of the Battle of Britain together with some members of other local choirs. The choir have had an invitation from the Festival of Choirs to sing at a special festive event to raise funds for three good causes the Ark Cancer Centre Charity, Inspero and Basingstoke Multi- Cultural Forum. These three charities are supported by the Mayor s Charity Appeal. The event will take place in Festival Place on Saturday 5 th December and will culminate in a grand festival finale in Porchester Square or another location. I am hoping that we will be able to take part in this event. We have also been invited to sing at "Tesco" Chineham leading up to Christmas. MOVEMENT & STRETCH The next set of 6 sessions will commence on Thursday 29th October at 11.00; the cost remains at 2.50 per session but we do ask for payment for all 6 sessions. We are concerned that the number participating has dropped and we do need more members for this activity to remain viable. NEW AGE KURLING Some 17 members enjoyed an afternoon of Kurling and chat on Monday 21st September and, for the first time, we finished with a dead heat between the "reds" and the "blues". The next two sessions have been arranged for 19th October and 16th November, 2pm to 4pm, at the Carnival Hall. Make sure the dates are in your diaries. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST The New Cemetery The plans to build a new cemetery in North Waltham have been approved by the Council. Hampshire County Council has given assurances that improved public transport services will be provided, this being the key issue. There is considerable concern that, given the location of the cemetery, it could cause problems of accessibility, particularly for the older members of the community. These issues currently remain unresolved. SCAMS Virgin Media If you are a customer of Virgin Media and receive an e-mail from them informing you that they are unable to process your most recent bill then you should ignore it. They tell you that your service will be interrupted unless you update your account with your card details. This is definitely a scam as Virgin Media have confirmed that they do not send e-mails, they would ring and ask for your password. Doorstep Cold Callers Hampshire Trading Standards would like to raise awareness of cold callers. A resident in Chandlers Ford was confronted by two men wearing suits, purporting to be from the Department of Work and Pensions. No identification was shown or worn. A check was carried our by the resident and the DWP confirmed that they do not cold call and would only visit following prior contact by letter or telephone. Their advice is that you say NO to cold callers. If you don t already have one there are free door stickers available stating that you do not buy services at the door either by calling 01962 833620 or email doorstep.crime@hants.gov.uk. Do not agree to work that is instigated as a result of a cold call. You should obtain at least three written quotes from reputable - 3 -
businesses of traders who are either members of the HCC Trading Standards Buy with Confidence Scheme or a recognised trade association. If you do agree to work being carried out in your home the trader is required by law to provide consumers with a Notice of Right to Cancel. This gives the consumer a 14 day cooling off period. If you require advice or have information about traders you can contact HCC s Quick Response Team on 01962 833666. If you should feel threatened or intimidated you should ring 999. Pets (Puppies) for Sale Alert If you ever consider buying a pet or a puppy for company please read the following warning from HCC Trading Standards. Puppies are advertised for sale via popular online auction websites. Fraudsters will place an advert for a pet for sale. Claiming to have recently moved abroad and need to re-home the puppies. If the sale is agreed and payment made and the pet does not materialise the fraudster will ask for further payments for courier charges, shipping fees or vet bills. Do not be fooled. HCC Trading Standards have produced a guide on buying a puppy and for more information you should contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06. COMMUNITY TRANSPORT Communities First Wessex, a community transport company who already deliver a service in East Hampshire, Havant and Winchester, have been awarded the contract to operate in Basingstoke in place of Dial-a-Ride and Basingstoke Community Transport. The new contract will bring benefits to Basingstoke residents using the services including booking lines remaining open for longer hours and a one stop shop in Basingstoke for all the community transport services, which the Council supports. The new contract came in to effect on 1 st September and users of Dial-a-Ride will have been contacted about the new arrangements and they will be asked to register with the new operator. If you need more information about this service you can contact HCC s Passenger Transport team on 01962 846785. CANGO SERVICES If you use either the Andover Cango services or the Alresford/Basingstoke Cango Services, they are now running to a set route so passengers can just turn up at the designates time and go rather than booking their journey in advance. Most of the route will be hail and ride so you don t even have to walk to a bus stop. For more information ring 0845 602 4135. HOSPITAL NEWS A new Clinical Chair, Dr Nicola Decker has been appointed for North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group and takes over the role from Dr Sam Hullah who has returned to practice full-time as a GP. Dr Decker will continue to work part-time as a GP at the surgeries in Overton and Oakley. The role involves improving the Health Service and delivering the best value for money. She also has experience in dealing with Dementia care. - 4 -
MEMBERS CORNER The following item was contributed by a member. Today was the absolute worst day ever And don t try to convince me that There s something good in every day Because, when you take a closer look This world is a pretty evil place. Even if Some goodness does shine through once in a while Satisfaction and happiness don t last. And it s not true that It s all in the mind and heart Because True happiness can be obtained Only if one s surroundings are good. It s not true that good exists I m sure you can agree that The reality Creates My attitude It s all beyond my control And you ll never, in a million years hear me say that Today was a good day. Now read from bottom to top!! BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW... No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple. "Dreamt" is the only English word which ends in "mt" There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous" - tremendous, horrendous, stupendous and hazardous. There are only two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order - abstemious and facetious. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. All the ants in Africa weigh more than all the elephants. Who the heck works all these things out? IT S A FACT - Did you know that the Aztecs used to use cocoa beans for money? I don t know how they managed if they had a bad harvest for the beans!!! OPEN FORUM MEETINGS All open Forum meetings are held on a Wednesdays and the dates are subject to change. 14 th October, 9 th December including AGM Marian Wilson Editor September 2015 Newsletter - 5 -