DEALING WITH CHRONIC PAIN
A talk by Dr Sam Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Pain Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
10.30 am - 12.00 pm, Friday, 14th November
Lecture Theatre G18, Medical School Building, St Luke’s Campus
Chronic pain has biological, psychological and social components. Growing evidence shows that treating chronic pain with drugs alone is largely ineffective and that psychological and social interventions that target the emotional, cognitive or social parts of the pain experience should be used.
Work by Dr Sam Hughes (Senior Lecturer in Pain Neuroscience) in the Exeter Pain Lab focuses on understanding how restorative nature-based environments can help shape the lived experience of chronic pain. His talk will look at the evidence linking nature with pain relief and provide insight into how nature can form part of chronic pain self-management through both real world and virtual reality (VR) approaches.
Sam's slides are available here
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Tuesday 4th November 10.30-12 noon
Amory Building Room 316
Dr Edward Skidelsky – Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
The Language of the Virtues.
About 20 members listened to a fascinating talk on an unusual topic – The Virtues of the Dead. Dr Skidelsky guided us though his website of the same name and showed us how to access a wealth of information about how people in the past saw fit to commemorate their dear departed.
This is an interactive database of epitaphs from churches and cathedrals across the UK. You can search it by region, date, name or virtue-concept - "earnest", "benevolent", "pious" etc. - so as to uncover trends and correlations. His hope is that Virtues of the Dead will become a resource for all researchers in, for example, language, social history, social anthropology and philosophy, who are interested in cultural change in modern and early-modern Britain.
As always, we had some good questions to ask Dr Skidelsky. Some members even shared their knowledge of places both locally and in London where they knew of interesting memorials.
Please have a look at the website –the content is amazing – and there is an opportunity for interested members to get involved.
Carol McCullough
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A Step in the Right Direction: How Your Sense of Direction Might
Signal Dementia, and What You Can Do to Get Back on Track
Friday 12th September 14:30 - 16:00 Room 105 in the Washington Singer Building
Stephen Jeffs, Lecturer in Psychology
Approximately one million people in the UK have dementia, but up to a third of cases are due to 'modifiable' factors, and so could be
delayed or prevented. In this seminar, Stephen will explain that 'dementia' is quite a broad term, and can be caused by a variety of
factors. He will then introduce 'modifiable' versus 'non-modifiable' dementia risk factors, such as education versus genetics, and present
current evidence for the effectiveness of targeting these modifiable factors in preventing dementia. He will finish by explaining how changes
in a person's sense of direction may be one of the earliest signs of dementia, before handing over to Chloe, who will outline her research
that attempts to differentiate the signs of dementia from other diseases such as depression. Questions, comments, and discussion, will be welcome throughout.
Slides from Stephen's talk are available here.
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Falls research - a presentation and discussion session. Wednesday 13th August at 2pm in Room 12 in the Richards Building, St Luke's Campus.
In the UK, more than 2 million people will fall each year with a quarter of these resulting in serious injury. We are able to measure your body’s movement using body worn devices which then allow us to study how falls occur and how they can lead to injuries. By using cameras, we are also able to understand what is causing these falls with videos providing information about what someone was doing before the fall. However, almost half of falls occur outside the house, and therefore collecting video data of these falls becomes a challenge. We are still able to study the fall, but we no longer understand why the fall has happened. Our study looks to use body worn cameras that can capture video footage of an individual outside the home and tell us why an individual may have fallen over. Our study is investigating both the practical issues with this idea such as camera placement, battery life and user experience as well as the ethical issues with privacy and data protection.
We would love to be able to hear your thoughts on our proposed project and what issues you think will come up with our work.
Matt and the team have sent us feedback on the meeting as a written report here and a video here.
If you are interested in taking part in the research contact Matt Smith (ms893@exeter.ac.uk).
Trudi's report on the event is here.
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THE CHALLENGES OF BIGAMY: A WEST COUNTRY CASE STUDY
A talk by Professor Rebecca Probert, Law School,
Tuesday, 22nd July, 10.30 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.
LT 3, Laver Building, North Park Road, Streatham Campus
It was some broken crockery that led to the double life of Richard Francis Archibald Farquharson being discovered. A report of his landlady suing him for breakages in the Trowbridge County Court found its way to the hands of his wife in London, resulting in his being arrested for bigamy. He subsequently pleaded guilty at the Wiltshire assizes and was sentenced to fifteen months’ imprisonment with hard labour.
In her talk, Rebecca will use Richard’s case to illustrate some of the challenges facing those bigamists who tried to juggle two families simultaneously, and – setting it in the context of thousands of other trials – to challenge some of the claims that have been made about Victorian bigamy.
Trudi's report on this event is here.
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Conversation Cafe
The Conversation Cafe is organised by Jo Hughes in the INTO centre. It brings together students for whom English is a second language and u3a members. They learn about English culture and language and we learn about theirs. So if you would like to hear about the education system in Brazil or Korea, or are up to explaining the difference between a cream tea in Devon and a Cornish one, come along and have a chat.
Next term's dates will be Fridays, 23rd, 30th, of May and 6th and 13th June, all at 14.35 to 16.00 in the INTO building on the Streatham campus.
If you are interested, please contact Jo Hughes
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11am on Thursday 5th June 2025 in room G25, Medical School, St Luke’s Campus
TEACHING NARRATIVE WRITING WITH DIGITAL RESOURCES AND APPS
A talk by Dr Clare Dowdall (FHEA), Lecturer in Education (Language and Literacy)
Thursday, 19th June, 10.30 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.
Room 112, Baring Court, St Luke’s Campus
Clare will be talking about her British Academy-funded research project (with co-investigator Dr Judith Kleine Staarman) which investigated children’s narrative writing with digital resources and apps, and which was completed in July 2024.
She will describe how teachers in particular classroom settings use digital resources and apps to support children’s narrative writing; and how children’s engagement and enjoyment are impacted by the introduction of these resources. More information about the project is available at the project website: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/centres/languageandliteracy/digital-narrative-writing/
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Reconstructive surgery in limited resource settings - pain, perils & pleasures.
Prof Vikram S Devaraj MBChB, FRCS(Eng), FRCS(Plast), PG Dip Clin Ed, SFHEA, DL
Vikram Devaraj worked as a medic for over forty years, almost thirty as a consultant plastic & reconstructive surgeon in Exeter covering patients in both Devon and Somerset.
His work overseas included training surgeons in resource-poor environments in low and middle-income countries. Working in these locations can be experientially valuable, educational and personally rewarding but there are keys to optimise value and effectiveness.
After multiple visits to countries in Central and East Africa, the illustrated talk reflects important issues when planning to work in these often complex environments from the personal perspective of a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
The surgical procedures most frequently needed from the reconstructive surgery palette will be considered, what can be achieved, lessons learned and why such activity needs to be sustainable and outcomes examined.
Incredibly enriching particularly the training of local surgeons, it is equally important to emphasise when not to operate. Ultimately, we must always respect patient autonomy and do no harm. It is a key part of being a good doctor. Small gains can accrue to make large changes.
Teaching, training and learning in any healthcare environment requires adaptability and equipoise. It may necessitate remaining neutral in the face of apparent injustice around inequalities in provision or accessibility. Coping with challenging incidents or witnessing distressing events, habitually part of daily life, requires sanguinity and resilience for those involved.
The talk contains some graphic images of clinical cases included purely for realism and shared with consent that may prove challenging to a non medical audience.
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ROBERT HOOKE'S EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
A talk by Felicity Henderson, Senior Lecturer in Archives and Material Culture
10.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m., Wednesday, 5th March
Lecture Theatre 6.1, Queen’s Building, Streatham Campus, University of Exeter
Robert Hooke was England’s first professional scientist, and a pioneer in the field of science communication. He was also one of the few early scientists to leave a detailed manual describing how others could follow his lead and become ‘experimental philosophers’ themselves. This talk will explore Hooke’s scientific method, arguing that his visits to London's coffeehouses and building sites, and his conversations with workmen, philosophical colleagues, craftsmen and London’s wealthy elite, underpinned his scientific research in unexpected but significant ways.
Report by Simon Borrington here
Felicity Henderson has recently published a new biography of Hooke, Robert Hooke's Experimental Philosophy (Reaktion, 2024).
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Wills as windows onto past lives in Early Modern England
25 February, 10:30am, Digital Humanities Lab, Seminar Room 1, University of Exeter.
Many people are aware that wills can be used to trace family history, but what else can they tell us about the lives of people in the past?
In this talk Dr Laura Sangha (Associate Professor in Early Modern History, University of Exeter) explores some of the lesser known aspects of historic wills, explaining how historians use them to explore a range of topics from religious belief, to gender, to changing patterns of consumption. Particular focus will be on the possessions bequeathed in in wills: clothes, furniture, kitchenware, jewellery and much more. These objects give us a practical insight into peoples’ lives, reveal the emotions and social rituals around dying, and help us to trace and understand human relationships of the past.
Report by Andrew Mackay and Useful Links from Laura
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Unearthing Killerton: how archaeology is transforming our understanding of the Killerton estate
Monday 16th December, Lecture Theatre 3 in the Laver Building, Streatham Campus at 2pm
Dr Susan Greaney, Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter
Over the past three years, students and staff from the University of Exeter archaeology department have been running a research project in partnership with the National Trust at Killerton estate, just north of Exeter. Using the location as their annual student field school, the team have been unearthing a number of sites, including prehistoric ditches relating to Dolbury Iron Age hillfort, a medieval settlement within the Front Park, and the finding the ‘lost’ Elizabethan manor house at Columbjohn. This grand residence was built by John Acland in 1580 and occupied until 1680, when the family decided to move to the current Killerton house. The location of the house was uncertain, but excavations in 2024 found a courtyard and two ranges of buildings. The talk covered the key discoveries so far and show some of the important finds.
Report by Dave Parsons
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The Power of Big Data in Health Research
Are you part of a health study? Did you get an invite to take part in Our Future Health? Do you wonder what researchers do with data?
23rd October, St Luke’s Campus, room F20, Exeter Medical School building, 2 pm.
Dr Jess Tyrrell Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School
In October, I’ll be talking about my research and how different types of big data can really help us understand health and wellbeing. I’ve used mobile phone apps, data from the Met Office, the VSimulator (at Exeter Science Park) and huge population studies with over half a million people to improve our understanding of a range of conditions. My main research focuses on the links between metabolic health (e.g. obesity, diabetes) and mental health (e.g. depression, schizophrenia). I use large population studies and genetic data to try to understand the complex links between different health conditions. I’m also very interested in disorders of the ear and have researched hearing loss, tinnitus and Meniere’s disease using big data and statistical methods.
Report by Loran Waite
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VISIT TO THE CLINICAL RESEARCH FACILITY AT THE ROYAL DEVON UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Wednesday, 2nd October, 11.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.
RILD Building, RD&E site, Barrack Road, Exeter
https://www.royaldevon.nhs.uk/our-sites/rild-building/
The NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility (NIHR Exeter CRF) and NIHR Exeter BioResource Centre is a partnership between the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Exeter. It supports and conducts clinical research studies and a large portfolio of experimental research across a diverse number of conditions. Over the last ten years, it has supported over 300 studies. Many of you will have attended talks by Lorna Harris about her research into the genetics of ageing, and Lorna is based at the CRF.
The CRF team includes highly trained ‘research dedicated’ nurses, scientists, doctors and support staff. Its outstanding research facilities include bespoke wards and consulting rooms, sample handling laboratories and specialist equipment for investigating exercise, physiology and metabolism.
This visit has been arranged for us by Dr Mattia Frontini, Associate Professor Cellular Biology.
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EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN IN CARE: RECENT CHANGES AND CURRENT CHALLENGES
A talk by Dr Neil Harrison, Associate Professor in Education and Social Justice, Director of Research and Impact
2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m., Wednesday, 17th July
South Cloisters 2.31, St Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road
The term ‘children in care’ refers to those young people who are legally removed from their birth families due to concerns about their well-being. These concerns are usually centred around parental maltreatment or neglect, but also reference other groups, such as young people with profound disabilities and those seeking asylum without their parents.
There are around 80,000 children in the care system in England at any time, including 1,300 in Devon alone – figures that have risen rapidly in recent decades. This includes those in foster care and residential settings, as well as a growing number in ‘kinship care’ with grandparents or other members of their extended family. Roughly 1% of all children will spend time in care, ranging from a few days to their whole childhood.
This talk will outline some of the recent changes to how the care system operates and the current pressures that are shaping practice. It will focus particularly on the education of children in care, including their experiences of school and progression into further or higher education. While many children in care do thrive in the education system and attain highly, educational outcomes for this group are generally well below national averages and addressing this is a major national policy objective.
Report by Carol McCullough
RECONNECTING THROUGH FOOD:
Using Food Memories to Foster Conversations Between Generations
about How and What We Eat
A two-part event with
Professor Harry G West, Dr Paul Cleave, and Mirta Pascucci
Session one: 13:30-15:30 on Wednesday, 29th May
Session two: 13:30-15:30 on Wednesday, 26th June
University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Building One, Constantine Leventis Teaching Room
The past century has been one of extraordinary change in the ways that we produce, prepare and consume food. Some of these changes have been experienced as beneficial, and others problematic. Regardless, just as past changes have profoundly shaped the world in which we now live, the changes that we make going forward will shape the world that we inhabit in future. What lessons can be learned from reflection on past experience as we chart our food future? This is a question that requires inter-generational dialogue about food. The need for this dialogue comes, however, at a time when such conversations are more difficult to have—a trend exacerbated by phenomena such as greater mobility of young people to find work, and the breakdown, even within households, of shared meal times. But have them we must if we are to make our food system healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable. At the same time, sharing memories about food proves a particularly effective way to deepen intergenerational communication at a time when young and old have less interaction with one another, and much to gain by its reestablishment.
In the first of two sessions (13:30-15:30 on Wednesday. 29th May), two University of Exeter academics and a secondary school student will share personal experiences of how conversations about food—starting with sharing food memories—can serve as a powerful device to bring members of different generations together, and to prompt them to reflect on the how our foodways are changing, on the effects of such changes, and on how we might wish to alter the course of change. Attendees will then be provided with orientations to have intergenerational conversations with friends or family members—to exchange food memories—in order to reflect on these questions. A form will be provided for attendees to fill out and return to the speakers.
In the second session (13:30-15:30 on Wednesday, 26th June), the speakers will facilitate the sharing of accounts by attendees, as well as reflections on their broader implications. And of course, participants will be invited also to share food!
Report by Trudi Learmouth
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UNIVERSITY OF EXETER SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
KNOWING WHERE WE STAND: MAPPING EXETER AND DEVON THROUGH TIME
Wednesday 27th March, 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
The University of Exeter’s Cartography Collection includes the first edition of the Ordnance Survey 1" to the mile maps of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset made in 1809-1811, four of Ogilby's linear road maps of the Westcountry of circa 1675, and a collection of "escape maps" printed on silk and given to military personnel (mostly airmen) who were shot down or captured during the Second World War to help them escape back to the United Kingdom.
The session covered historical maps of Exeter and Devon, including the Special Collections prized Saxton’s map published in 1579, and moving through to 20th century maps of the city. There was also some of the material from the Edmund collection on the history of Exeter and Devon, as appropriate. John Edmund was a local amateur historian who was particularly interested in railways, trams, paper mills, Exeter theatres and the Exeter blitz.
As with our previous visit to the Special Collections, this was an opportunity for people to be hands on with historical artefacts, to find out more about special collections and what is on offer and to chat to members of staff about the objects on display as well as other aspects of their work.
Report by Trudi Learmouth
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WHAT IS OPEN SCIENCE AND HOW IS IT CHANGING RESEARCH?
A talk by Fotis Tsiroukis & Dr Rose Trappes
FEBRUARY - LT4.2, Queens Building, Friday 23rd February, 14:30
Open Science is changing the face of research as we know it. You might have heard of open access publications, but open science also includes things like open data, open source software, open educational resources, and citizen science. Governments, universities, and funders have open science policies. And researchers themselves are advocating for a more open research process. But how is open science changing science, and is it changing it for the better? In this talk Rose and Fotis discuss open science and its consequences, based on their research for the project A Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments (PHIL_OS) at Exeter University.
They quoted extensively from Sabina Leonelli's book 'Philosophy of Open Science', which is available for to read or download here.
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Fertility Control in Ancient Rome
A talk by Rebecca Flemming, Professor of Ancient Science, Medicine and Technology
Constantine Leventis Teaching Room in Building One, at 2pm on Tuesday 20th February
How did the ancient Romans - Roman women in particular - try to control their fertility? What methods and materials were available to either support or limit reproduction, when and why might they be used, and to what effect? How were the processes of procreation understood and regulated? Is it realistic to talk about controlling fertility in the ancient world? Who was in control? Rebecca Flemming will address these questions in this talk, questions which are important both for thinking about Roman society and history and in the context of ongoing debates and conflicts around reproductive rights.
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WRITTEN IN THE STARS – VICTORIAN LITERATURE AND ASTRONOMY
A talk by Jason Hall, Professor of Modern Literature and Culture
Wednesday, 10th January, 11:00 - 12:30
Laver Building LT3, Streatham Campus
Jason Hall is a literary and cultural historian whose research and teaching range across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His current work, which builds on his interests in science, examines the visual culture of astronomy in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
With colleagues in Astrophysics and Exeter's Digital Humanities Lab, he is examining the extensive archive of glass plates held by the Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth. Looking at how humanistic and scientific cultures interact, he is researching the astronomical interests of nineteenth-century and Modernist authors, such as Poe, Verne, Tennyson, Rossetti and Joyce.
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EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ARCHAEOLOGY CONFERENCE – September 2023 - Queens University, Belfast
Exeter u3a was represented at Belfast EAA (European Association of Archaeology) Conference held in the
Queens University and attended by participants from around the world.
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WHAT’S IN THE PICTURE? LISTENING TO CHILDREN TALKING ABOUT A FAMOUS PAINTING
A talk by Prof Fiona Maine, School of Education - Language and Literacy in Education
Wednesday, 6th December 1.30pm-3.30pm
Room 202, Baring Court, St Luke’s Campus
Have you ever stopped to listen – really listen – to young children talking creatively together as they try to make sense of something? In her research Fiona recorded pairs of six-year-old children talking about famous paintings to see how they engaged in critical and creative thinking together. In this talk she’ll share her data of these children, drawing attention to just how sophisticated young children’s language can be, and why it is important to allow them space to explore their own ideas freely.
Fiona Maine is a Professor of Language and Literacy in Education at the University of Exeter. She researches children’s collaborative engagement with visual narratives (stories told in film, image and picture book).
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THE SPLICE OF LIFE – A NEW POINT OF INTERVENTION FOR AGE-RELATED DISEASE?
A talk by Prof Lorna Harries, Medical School – Molecular Genetics – Ageing
Thursday, 16th November, 2pm-3.30pm
Lecture Theatre, RDE Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW
Cells adapt to their environment by changing the output from their genes. This is critical for successful ageing, and when it goes wrong, diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia result. When a gene is activated, it makes a message called an RNA, which tells the cell how to make whatever the gene makes. Each gene is actually able to make more than one thing, which is how the cell is able to effectively respond to its internal and external environment. The ability of the cell to decide which form to make however decreases with age, which we have found to be one of the drivers of these age-related diseases. In this seminar, I will outline how we are able to restore the decision making machinery in old cells of different tissue types and effectively rejuvenate human cells in the laboratory. We hope this will form the basis for a whole new generation of treatments for the diseases of ageing.
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CHANGING EATING BEHAVIOUR FOR HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
A talk by Natalia Lawrence, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Sophie Hearn, PhD student
Wednesday, 18th October, 10.30am-12.00pm
Room 237, Washington-Singer Labs Building, Streatham Campus
Natalia writes, “In this talk we’ll discuss how our diets are wrecking our health and the planet and what we can do about it. We’ll explain why education isn’t enough – many of us know what we should be eating and drinking to be healthy yet struggle to stick to it. We’ll share some top tips from psychology research on what works to change eating behaviour, and invite you to have a go at our new brain-training games that aim to re-shape your desires!
We’ll also discuss how participating in temporary abstinence campaigns like Veganuary or Dry January can be helpful.
We value audience questions and feedback, so please join us!”
{----Slides from Natalia's Talk----}
OSCAR WILDE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD – OR HOW OSCAR MADE THE MOVIES
Wednesday 13th September 2023
In September we started our ‘academic year’ with a fascinating and very informative talk by Kate Hext, Associate Professor of Decadent Literature and the Arts about Oscar Wilde and his posthumous effect on Hollywood and the development of the early film industry from 1916 onwards. When a young student at Oxford, he said, “Somehow or other I’ll be famous, and if not famous, I’ll be notorious.” He succeeded in achieving both these aims, but at great cost. Kate shared her enthusiasm for Oscar Wilde with twenty-five Exeter u3a members in an entertaining and wide-ranging talk. She combined a wealth of information on Wilde’s life, his wit, his arrest and trial and tragic end in poverty, with detailed references to key films, actors and screen writers from the early days of the American film industry, and the development of Hollywood as the centre of film-making. John Barrymore, ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, and Mae West were just a few of the well-known figures who were significantly influenced by Wilde.
We also gained an insight into the differences between the cultural contexts of the US and the UK at this time, with contrasting attitudes to pleasure and decadence and the bohemian lifestyle. Despite being one of the most popular and successful playwrights of the1890s, the night after he was found guilty of gross indecency, his name was removed from the billing at the London theatre where his most well-known play, The Importance of Being Earnest was being shown and the play closed soon after. We were reminded of the dangers of celebrity and the perennial fickleness of judgemental public opinion.
After Kate’s talk, our members came up with some interesting questions as usual, and we were left to ponder on the relationship between pleasure, fun and morality. With her excellent analysis of how Wilde’s words and style were used and her recommendations of films we really ought to look at, Kate sent us away eager to get onto Youtube to look up for ourselves some important films that are often overlooked.
Trudi Learmouth
[Kate’s book, Wilde in the Dream Factory, will be published in 2024 by Oxford University Press]
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INHERITANCE, THE LAW, AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH CRIME FICTION
Over thirty u3a members attended this talk by Rebecca Probert, Professor of Law, on a very hot afternoon in June. Rebecca’s personal enthusiasm for her subject was infectious and she showed an impressive and detailed knowledge not just of the law, but of all the intricate plot details of the many crime fiction novels she had researched. She reassured us that this reading had been done in her own personal, not university research time! Rebecca focused on the period from 1920 to 1939, and the most popular crime writers of this time who all happened to be women - Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and less known as a crime writer, Georgette Heyer, who wrote eight detective novels which Rebecca recommended to us.
It was fascinating to learn how topical these murder mysteries were in their own time, mirroring important changes in the law and referencing important social debate about inheritance and ownership of property in a period of social change. Clearly they were much more than just 'who-dun-its'!
Rebecca set the scene for the changes in the law by referring to the profound social changes in the ownership of land after the 1880s, with six million acres (a quarter of England) being sold by the aristocracy after World War I, due largely to the high level of death duties. People who bought these properties were manufacturers and other people who were self-made men and had acquired their wealth through trade. Unlike the long-established landed gentry whose estates might be subject to settlements and entailments, these new owners had not inherited the estates but bought them. They were therefore free to dispose of their wealth as they wished. Thus, the scene was set for inheritance murder plots, victims, suspects and villains for crime writers! And of course, the creation of wonderful detectives like Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Lord Peter Wimsey.
In terms of inheritance law, Rebecca explained that before 1926, the law was very complicated if there was no will. In essence, the real property (land) would pass to the next male heir. The personal property would be divided between the spouse and children. This default position tended to influence what was seen as ‘a decent will’.
In 1925 the situation was simplified with the Administration of Estates Act under which the spouse would inherit the property rather than the eldest male heir, and children would receive equal inheritance regardless of sex or age. This led to discussion at the time as to how free should people be to draw up wills which went against this default, intestate position, thus making what might be seen as ‘an unfair will’.
In 1938 there was the Limitation of Inheritance - Family Provison Act. Under the terms of this Act, a spouse or an unmarried daughter or an incapacitated son could legally challenge a will on the grounds of it not making reasonable provision for them.
Many interesting questions following Rebecca’s presentation, and she later commented that it was lovely to have a good audience who engaged with the topic. Her investigation continues!
Trudi Learmouth
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MOORISH MAGIC IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY MALTA
On 31st May, seventeen Exeter u3a members attended this session with Prof. Catherine Rider, Associate Professor of Medieval History. Catherine told us she and a Maltese colleague, Dionisius Agius, had been engaged in research on Inquisition records in Malta for the years around 1600. Later in June, they were planning to give this presentation (to a younger audience) in London as part of the British Academy Summer Showcase. Our event was a trial run and interactive and we were encouraged to give comments and ask questions, u3a audiences being known for their willingness to participate!
Catherine explained that this Inquisition was the Roman one, less feared than the bloodthirsty Spanish one. Why look at Malta? It kept excellent records, and due its position in the central Mediterranean, it has always been multi-cultural, attracting incomers from other European countries, Africa, and Asia, some bringing 'magic' practices with them.
Malta was administered by the Knights of St John, a religious governing order originally from the Holy Land. Tensions sometimes arose between the Knights, the influential Bishops, and the Inquisitors, nevertheless the system was reasonably tolerant towards groups other than the predominant Catholics, such as Protestants and Muslims.
The Inquisition was a Court set up by the Catholic Church after the Reformation to deal with offences such as heresy and blasphemy, and misbehaviour by clerics. Anyone could be summoned, whether rich, educated and powerful, or in ordinary occupations, like farmers and shopkeepers, and from any religious group. Alleged offenders included people who practised as unauthorised healers or what we might these days call therapists for social problems such as gambling and relationship breakdown. The use of ritual, herbs and amulets not recognised by either the Church or the professionally licensed doctors of the day, (even if some of the rituals etc differed little from what was allowed in religious or medical practice), was seen as a class of 'magic' which must be the work of the devil. Punishments included beatings, the pillory, or (for men) work as a galley slave. The last resorts were torture or the Inquisition prison, but often the Inquisitors, keen to return to Rome and possible promotion, were more lenient, to get the matter over quickly. The whole aim was to ensure everyone conformed to the rules of the Catholic Church.
One such therapist was Sellem Bin Mansur, aged about forty in 1600. A Muslim from Cairo, he was a slave of the Order of St John, living in a compound, only allowed out during the day. Unable to do manual work as he was disabled, but being able to read and write Arabic and a trained astrologer, he turned to magic practises which made him good money. He wrote prayers in Arabic, which the Maltese did not understand, performed 'love magic' to make people go back to their partners, and claimed to treat gambling and to predict the future through astrology and 'geomancy' (which my Oxford dictionary tells me is 'divination from the configuration of a handful of thrown earth or a number of random dots'). The Inquisition also accused him of calling up demons, which he denied, although he however admit to scams such as getting friends, hidden under his bed, to make weird noises while he was treating his customers...
Catherine's presentation concluded by asking us 'where is the magic in our own lives?' which prompted diverse answers such as complex technology; superstition; keeping belongings of loved ones who have passed away; and being successfully treated by a doctor.
This was a lively morning learning about a very unusual subject which we all found rather fun - and Catherine welcomed our input. Thank you Catherine, we are very pleased to hear that your London presentation went well.
Loran Waite.
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CHILD LABOUR UNDER THE OLD POOR LAW IN DEVON
Tuesday 16th May 2023
In May nearly thirty Exeter u3a members attended a talk by Dr James Fisher, Co-Director, Centre for Early Modern Studies on the system of Parish Apprentices and focusing on its use in rural areas, specifically the village of Awliscombe, just outside Honiton. We learnt a great deal about a darker side of life in the glorious Devon countryside.
Dr Fisher started by explaining the practice of forced Parish Apprenticeships in general. This came into effect in 1598 with the passing of the Old Poor Law, and was increasingly used to deal with the ‘problem of the poor’ from 1670 to 1750. Apprentices received bed and board but no pay. Local taxpayers had to take a parish apprentice, if ordered to do so by the parish officers, or else pay a fine. The system was not abolished until 1844.
Under the terms of a normal voluntary apprenticeship, apprentices would be bound to a skilled master for seven years and would receive proper training in a trade, enabling them to earn a worthwhile living afterwards. Parish apprentices however were the children of the poor who were taken by officers of the parish - often on the assumed authority of a justice of the peace - without the consent of their parents, and would be bound from the age of seven to as old as twenty-four for boys and twenty-one for girls. No training need be given – they were just an unpaid servant or labourer, as their master wished to use them.
In many cities, the system of Parish Apprentices was in fact a vital but unrecognised contributor to England’s rising prosperity due to industrialisation, providing a cheap and compliant labour force. In 1829, a campaigner against this system likened it to a return to feudal slavery whereby “the children of the poor become serfs and vassals instead of learning an honest trade and gain an honest livelihood.”
We looked closely at the use of the Parish Apprentice system in parts of rural East Devon, examining a copy of the Indenture for Joan Baker of Colyton, bound to Benedict Marwood in 1736. In Awliscombe, the focus of Dr Fisher’s research, there was a very organised system with an average of two children per year being allocated systematically around the fifty local farms. Girls were as likely as boys to be bound in this way in Awliscombe and the total amounted to a quarter of all children born in the village
This bleak picture of rural life and its cruel exploitation of children made a great impression on us. The most shocking story for me was that of fifteen year old Rebecca Downing of East Portlemouth who, having been apprenticed to a farmer when she was eight, was found guilty of poisoning him and was sentenced to be burnt in Heavitree in 1782. Although I later read that she was probably hanged until unconscious before being put to the flames, I had no idea that such a barbaric method of execution persisted until so late
Members appreciated being able to ask a wide range of questions about this comparatively little-known aspect of local history, and Dr Fisher said that it was hugely refreshing to have such a thoughtful and engaged audience.
Trudi Learmouth
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LIFE BEGINS AT 40: Understanding the Social and Cultural determinants of the mid-life crisis
Wednesday 4th April 2023
About 20 Exeter u3a members joined Professor Mark Jackson to discuss the mid-life period. We were soon to discover the importance of language in discussing this area of social/cultural history. The very word crisis became significant!
The first part of the talk covered ‘models of midlife’: a. as a period of stability or stagnation; b. as the prime of life and c. as a period of social responsibility. We were very interested when we were shown the u-shaped curve of happiness/life satisfaction from 2011/12. It made us very optimistic to see that the period of greatest life satisfaction was around age 85 with quite a dip between 45 and 55!
The second part of Professor Jackson’s talk showed us the importance of the American Dream and the area of economic recession – encouraging mid-lifers to spend money on luxury and leisure, boost the economy and create jobs for the young. He also talked about the cult of youth and a phenomenon called ‘forty phobia’ – fuelled by the rise in importance of the cosmetic and vitamin industries and self-help literature promoting healthy balanced lifestyles.
The next part of the talk involved post-war explanations for the mid-life crisis, both psychological and biological. For men – a personal identity crisis, and for women – the menopause and for some this was viewed as the end of women’s social value. Naturally this was disputed by post-war feminists but the attitude persisted.
As Professor Jackson moved forward into the 1950s and 60s and beyond, he focussed on the Standardised Life Course and its impacts. 4 areas were analysed:
1. age anxiety – greater awareness of the successes and failures both at home and at work – and ‘keeping up with the Jones’ (or even Joneses)
2. midlife stresses converge – ‘the sandwich generation’ – the familiar situation of caring for both children and ageing parents; workplace stress and burnout; financial pressures; empty-nest syndrome; bereavement
3. ‘taking stock’ – each person reappraising his/her life
4. marital crisis and divorce – in which married life may become more difficult.
Professor Jackson finished with a slide of Reginald Perrin whose mid-life crisis we certainly remembered! The talk was fascinating and relevant – we were certainly able to relate to so many of the points made – and what is more – we learned a lot.
As always u3a members proved to be a wonderful audience and posed plenty of stimulating, challenging questions. Professor Jackson told me how much he’d enjoyed the experience of working with us and one of the participants was heard to say as she was leaving that it was one of the best seminars she’d been to in a long time.
I agree!
Carol McCullough
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REPORT ON SEMINAR SESSION ON CURRENT TOPICS IN MUSCULOSKELETAL RESEARCH IN OLDER POPULATIONS
2nd February 2023
Over 30 Exeter u3a members gathered at the South Cloisters Building on the St Luke’s campus of the University of Exeter, eager to find out about the latest research being carried out into bone health. We were met by a dazzling array of fresh fruit and pastries to go with our tea and coffee – a very positive start to our morning!
We were very fortunate in that we had access to the work of five researchers who presented their work to us with clear slides and an opportunity for questions. The session was introduced by Dr Rob Meertens, who, along with Dr Fay Manning, had been our main contact. Some u3a members had already taken part in a focus group organised by Fay and others had taken part, as individuals, in Rob’s research.
Speaker 1 – Dr Mike Gundry– presented his work on titanium ‘cone’ implantations in total knee revision surgery. The plan is that these implants would create a more stable joint and increase bone density. The research is in an early stage and more participants will be needed. Each titanium cone costs £2,000 and with current NHS budgets the implementation of this work may be some way off.
Speaker 2 – Dr Aseel Mahmoud - Aseel is part of the DREAMproject, which aims to find out what the gaps are in the care of older people living with frailty in non-care home settings. The work involved interviewing both older people and health professionals to discuss the problems with the CGA (Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment). Overall, it seemed as if the major problem was lack of coordination between the various bodies involved in care.
Speaker 3 – Dr Rob Meertens - Rob talked about the use of AI in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Too often patients are finding out their diagnosis after a fracture. The use of the IbxBH software would be able to diagnose osteoporosis whenever a patient was being X-rayed for something else. Early detection and treatment improve bone density. The focus groups have given an opportunity to discuss patients’ worries and fears about the use of this software.
Speaker 4 – Dr Abas Obotiba – Abas talked about his work in the use of ultra-sound to diagnose osteoarthritis and identify treatments. He focussed on the importance of walking for all of us to help to send blood supply to the joints. We are often told that so much of our pain is down to ‘wear and tear’ but Abas said it should be ‘wear, tear and repair’ – and that walking is part of the ‘repair’.
Speaker 5 – Dr Fay Manning – Fay’s work is on fear of falling. She introduced us to FAME – Falls Management Exercises to increase balance and strength. There are now 28 classes in Devon which work on this specific area - with more planned. Future research will be in the area of ‘kinesiophobia’ – fear of movement in relation to osteoporosis. We look forward to hearing about this in due course.
It was a fascinating morning – totally relevant to us – and, as always, u3a members proved to be a great audience.
Carol McCullough
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UNIVERSITY OF EXETER ANIMAL WELFARE ETHICAL REVIEW BOARD
About eight years ago, via the u3a University Liaison Team, I volunteered to sit as a lay member on the university’s Animal Welfare Ethical Review Board (AWERB). All organisations doing animal research have to have this group, so that their research can be scrutinised and regularly overseen to ensure that it complies with the relevant legislation. My role is to be the interested outsider and to ask any awkward questions that seem appropriate during our monthly meetings.
The underpinning principles of the legislation are Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. That is: animals shouldn’t be used if there is a satisfactory alternative; the number of animals must be reduced to a minimum; and all procedures used should be refined to reduce or eliminate any possible unnecessary pain, suffering, distress, or lasting harm to the animals.
Exeter has two main types of research: lab based and wildlife investigation. It’s very easy to imagine that all animal research involves slightly scary scientists in white coats doing unpleasant things to rats in cages, all in rather hidden away laboratories. In fact, a lot of the research done at Exeter happens out in the countryside, with scientists wearing cagoules and wellies or even wetsuits, rather than white coats. The lab based work tends to involve mice or Zebrafish (very small fish) to help with such things as dementia or diabetes research. There’s no research on larger mammals such as dogs or primates. Much of the wildlife work tends to use minimally invasive tagging techniques, often to investigate the effects of climate change, for example on the distribution of sharks around the UK.
Over the time I’ve been on the board, there’s been a great deal of development on the Replacement aspect of research. For example, computer modelling is increasingly used; animal cells, tissues or organsn can be a substitute, as can human tissue. I regularly visit the animal facilities at the university and have been pleased to see the care and creative thinking that goes into such simple things as caring about housing the animals and introducing less invasive ways of handling them. These aspects of caring for the animals are constantly reviewed and external vets visit very regularly. Both the vets and the AWERB have the power to alter or stop research that doesn’t comply with the legislation – and changes are indeed regularly made all over the country, organised by the RSPCA.These are invaluable for ensuring that I can ask the most relevant and effective questions. The RSPCA would love to move away from using animal research, but in the interim does a lot to help us lay members ensure that as few animals as possible are used and in the least invasive way. And I promise to go on asking awkward questions!
Olwen Goodall
See LINKS for previous reports in the Archives.