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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