ROMSEY and District
Low-down in the Lockdown CHRISTMAS Bulletin No.13 - 23 December 2020 We’ll be here in the New Year, keeping in touch as usual. Be sure to stay Safe, keep Active & keep Well.
December General Meeting What a great time we had at our last general meeting of the year. We were right royally entertained by Michael Brown’s illustrated and musical talk ‘A Medieval Christmas’ with the music being played on some 12 replica instruments. We now know that the oranges which are placed in Christmas stockings, represent bags of gold that legend says St Nicholas dropped down a chimney to help a household with insufficient money for their three daughters’ dowries!
...Looking back This has not been an easy year for any of us. In the u3a it has been especially difficult for our group leaders. We’re sure you will want to say a BIG thank you to each of them. They have worked tirelessly to adjust their group activities to suit the changing guidance, adopting other ways to keep in touch (metaphorically of course) via emails, quizzes, phone calls, Zoom meetings etc. with their group members. Thanks to your committee, R&D u3a has kept running smoothly over the last 9 months. Adding the Bulletin to our Newsletter programme has kept us informed and uplifted. Many of us have learned about Zooming, thanks to u3a, coping well with moving to online events. It’s the volunteers who make our u3a ‘one of the best’ in the land; we thank them all. And thanks to all our members for their continuing encouragement and support.
Looking forward... At our next General Meeting on 20 January, ‘A Body Through the Porthole’ will be a zoom presentation by Steve Herra. Then there will be two Bulletins in January, followed by the first Newsletter of 2021 in February. We would be very pleased to receive your stories of How you spent Christmas, or A Christmas like no other. Please send your contributions to: news.copy@romseyu3a.org.uk .
Christmas is coming - don’t let your guard down! Remember the advice is to: “Keep Christmas celebrations ‘short’ and ‘small’,” to reduce the risk of catching or spreading Covid-19 over the festive period. And definitely no “huggin’ an’ a kissin’.”
Wine Appreciation – Blind Tasting Event
Final Coffee and Catch-up
Sporting jaunty Christmas hats and jumpers, 20 of us enjoyed a Zoom blind tasting evening. Derek and Jan Morley supplied each of us with six numbered ‘shots’ of wine, collected from them Covid-safely in our own labelled box. At the appointed time, glasses were charged with the contents of pot 1. Everyone listened attentively as three wine descriptions were read out. Was it A: NZ Sauvignon Blanc, B: South African Chardonnay or C: French Chablis? Swirl it gently, check the colour, the ‘legs’, then the bouquet and finally sip; repeat five times! Nicky Dale was the winner with 5 out of 6 — wow, well done!
Last Friday’s final Coffee and Catch-up, to which all members were invited, featured a presentation compiled from members’ photos and the Lovell family Christmas photo archives featuring pictures taken around the world of Christmas decorations, activities and more besides.
A rousing rendition (with actions) of 12 days of Xmas concluded a really fun time. Many thanks to Derek & Jan for a super evening. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone from the Wine Appreciation Group. Cheers! Don’t forget: if you would be interested in joining a Wine Group in the New Year, don’t hesitate to email so we can start another group in 2021! Janet Moody
Travel Group Christmas Greetings We say goodbye to 2020, the year that wasn’t quite like we were expecting. This year has been unusual in many ways. Not seeing one another has made us realise how lucky we have been to belong to the u3a with all the variety of groups, monthly meetings, interesting speakers — and in our case all the holidays we have enjoyed either in the UK or abroad. Now we head to 2021 where hopefully we will be able to meet everyone, give our grandchildren hugs, not have to stand 6ft apart and go to the Cinema or Theatre. Keep well, Keep safe and we will see you in 2021.
Best Wishes for a Hap-Pie Christmas and a much Healthier New Year from the Travel Committee.
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ISLANDS OF BRITAIN A Quiz (part 2) © Madeley & District U3A Fill in the missing vowels to discover the islands. Answers next time. 21. RRN 31. STHST 22. LNG
32. TR
23. MLL
33. TRSC
24. FLNSSSLND
34. BNBCL
25. HRRS
35. CLNSY
26. MCKLFLGG
36. GRNSY
27. SLFMN
37. JR
28. GG
38. FRNSLNDS
29. GGH
39. N
30. RKNY
40. NRTHRNLDSY
It’s a cracker... 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? What do snowmen wear on their heads? How do snowmen get around? Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? What do you call a deer who can’t see? What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Why can’t Christmas trees knit? Who’s Rudolph’s favourite pop star? What do you get if you cross Santa with a detective? What is Santa’s favourite place to deliver presents? What does Santa do with fat elves? Answers below
Why are Santa’s reindeer allowed to travel on Christmas Eve? They have herd immunity.
JIGSAWS ONLINE Do you recognise this picture? If so, you will have visited our Romsey & District u3a website. If you enjoy doing jigsaws, have you ever tried to do one online? Have a go at completing this one: you can change the number of pieces! Click here.
JIGSAW EXCHANGE Doreen enjoys jigsaw puzzles and has quite a collection which she bought new – so they have only been used once. She has suggested that it would be a good idea to share these with other ‘puzzlers’! So to keep you entertained during the dark days of January and February, if you would like to share/swap around puzzles, please do give Janet Moody a call on 01794 517589. She will put you in touch with Doreen and you can start exchanging lovely puzzles.
Romsey Choral Society
10. HOLY ISLAND
Romsey Choral Society is recognised as one of the best choirs in Southern England - and surely u3a member(s) sing with them? Their ‘Informal Carol Concert’ at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church, recorded live on 11 December, is now on YouTube. It was recorded live, socially distanced, with minimal rehearsal time under the expert direction of Richard Pearce. Listen here.
‘Every Breath You Take’ You may have seen the ICU Liberty Singers choir hoping for a Christmas number one with a cover of this song by The Police. You can read the story of these 115strong, NHS intensive care frontline heroes and listen to them here. And also download it. Thanks to Margery Thomas. In anticipation of Snowdrops By the time you read this, the shortest day will have been and gone and soon it will be Snowdrop time! Hampshire National Garden Scheme still donated close to £3 million to our Nursing, Caring and Health charities in 2020, despite Covid. You will need to pre-book as the 2021 Snowdrop Festival returns or you can look forward to joining our Garden Visits group sometime.
20. JERSEY 19. BARDSEY
9. ISLE OF WALNEY
18. SKOMER
8. ST AGNES
17. RHUM
7. PORTLAND ISLAND
16. ISLE OF DOGS
6. ISLE OF PURBECK
15. ISLE OF WHITHORN
5. ISLAY
14. ST KILDA
4. ANGLESEY
13. LEWIS
3. ALDERNEY
12. CALF OF MAN
2. BARRA
11. AILSA CRAIG
1. LINDISFARNE
© Madeley & District U3A
ISLANDS OF BRITAIN (part 1) Answers 1.Frostbite 2.Ice caps! 3.They ride an icicle. 4. A mince spy! 5.It’s Christmas, Eve! 6. No eye-deer! 7. Tinselitis 8. Because they always drop their needles! 9. Beyon-sleigh! 10. Santa Clues! 11. Idaho-ho-ho! 12. He sends them to an Elf Farm!
It’s a cracker… Answers
And now… it is goodbye to 2020; a year that none of us will forget but would be best forgotten. A year in which we have learned a lot, laughed a little and one we are grateful to have lived through. Your Low-down in the Lockdown team wish you a safe, secure, relaxing & rewarding Christmas & New Year. Gill Hodge, Glenda Taylor, Janet Moody, Margaret Marchbank & Dave Lovell. Bulletin 14 is due out on 13 January — is there anything you’d like to share with us? Contact Gill Hodge 01794 511529 treasurer@romseyu3a.org.uk This Bulletin will also be on our website: romseyu3a.org.uk Page 2 of 2