EDITOR’S CHAT Summer is upon us and thoughts are turning towards holidays and visits. Our U3A has had a full programme of visits and trips which have been both informative and enjoyable. Long may our visits organisers continue to find fascinating things to do! On the activity front I’ve included a piece from Gary Beighton who you may remember came to talk briefly to us about Walkers are Welcome. He is looking for volunteers to help with keeping the Market Rasen Group operating. On the back page there is a piece by Steve McCarthy, our website administrator. He has developed a very functional website for us that I’m sure will be a really good source of information for everyone. Best wishes from Geoff
COPY DATE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 2015 ISSUE Articles for the next edition should reach the editor no later than 30 August 2015 Send it to gcg@sunny-side.ws or phone me on 01673 842 287
COVER PICTURE Members of West Wolds U3A enjoying the Swiss Garden at Old Warden on the April visit.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Within twenty four hours I had two very good reasons to write about how good our U3A is. Some of us gathered for a Local History walk around Middle Rasen. Unfortunately one of our members fell as he was getting out of his car and cut his head. Several members helped and one followed the ambulance car to Lincoln in order to bring the member back after treatment ,showing again what a caring group we have. The second event was the Joint Recorder Playing Event which was organized by our Recorder Group for themselves, Retford and Newark. I went to listen for the last hour and it was a real pleasure to hear what talent the U3A has. We do so many things that others do not necessarily hear about and it never ceases to amaze me what some people in U3A learn to do or develop knowledge in through our groups. Please let others know by writing in this magazine . Best wishes from Gail Page 2
RECORDER GROUP PLAYING DAY On May 13th 21 U3A recorder players had a wonderful playing day hosted by West Wolds U3A at Nettleton Village Hall in Lincolnshire. Players from Newark , Retford and West Wolds had been practicing the music for a few weeks in advance. We began the day by playing music from Henry VIII’s time which we called the’ Wolf Hall Suite’ because all the music featured in the BBC series of that title. This session was conducted by Jennifer Jones, the musical director of the West Wolds Recorder Group. After a coffee break it was Janet Lewis’ turn, who took us through the music that Retford had put together.
from Peter Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’. We included an arrangement of ‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’ which we thought would be difficult. With Alison’s help it went rather well.
This was the third playing day we have held. We rotate between the different U3As. It started from the first U3A Recorder Summer School held at Harper Adams. It was the chance encounter of players from the area of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire that prompted us to get going. Since we started the standard of playing has improved enormously and the different groups are getting together to explore the Everybody had brought enough food instrument and its repertoire on a to feed us all lunch at least twice over, so regular basis. As the groups have after a brief pause we continued with expanded the range of recorder sizes has Alison Wilson taking leading us in been augmented and we now play music published in the Recorder everything from descant (the ubiquitous Magazine as well as well-known tunes, school recorder) down to contra bass (an ‘Summer is Icumen In’ and ‘Now is the 8 foot one). Month of Maying’. One of the Newark The development of these playing days members, Nick Wynne writes a lot of is a great example of the ethos of the interesting music for recorders and he U3A. We learn from each other and the conducted us in his lively ‘Spinning Top members bring their range of skill and Waltz’ – a few us had played it before ability to enhance the learning and and the rest of the group rose to the performing. challenge so well that we ran through it Geoff Goddard twice. We also had a go at some extracts
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LEARNING AND SOCIALISING ... are the twin ethics of U3A... and one of the best ways to do both is to participate in your West Wolds Visits programme. Whilst some groups organise events such as walking weeks, or history outings, the general programme is there for the benefit of one and all, with no restrictions as to membership of any one specific group. So take a look at the Visits Programme which appears in this edition of the Quarterly, and if you are one of those who come to the Monthly meetings without being able to get around the Hall and take everything in, then here is an easy way to see what has been arranged by the Visits Group. Don’t forget, our excellent NEW website also tells you much more about what is happening in your U3A and is more current than the Quarterly. It is tempting to defer putting your name down for a trip that may be some months off when you see it advertised, but if a booking list looks likely to fall short of the required numbers to make it
viable, because of a shortage of names, then it will have to be cancelled. We have to meet deadlines for payments to hotels and coach companies, hence the need for early bookings. Remember - all our trips are operated at cost, and each of our visits is unique to you and your fellow members. If you are new to us, then this could well be the ideal way to make friends. Getting on board a coach and knowing you will be in the company of fellow members, rather than a bunch of strangers, is a great way to be out and about, for just a day or on one a longer trip. A look at the current programme will show what is being done to offer you all a range of subjects , from the theatre to interesting gardens; from industrial archaeology to modern day industry; from stately homes to the arts. If your partner doesn’t fancy a particular visit, then come on your own - many members do this, and have plenty of company on the day. Come and join us! Come and join us!!
LATIN GROUP TRIP TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM On Monday 1st June six members of the Latin group, on the recommendation of their tutor Gwen Parsons, set off to London to see the exhibition ‘Defining Beauty. The Body in Ancient Greek Art.’ Our group had recently been studying texts from Homer (in Latin) and we thought that seeing models of some of the characters whose lives we had read about would make the subject matter even more interesting. Roman sculptors often copied Greek art and held the Greek writings in high esteem.
The first surprise of the day was seeing a group of Market Rasen U3A members on Newark station! It turned out to be the group travelling to Prague with David Atkinson. What an enterprising U3A we have! On arriving at the museum we were amazed at the quality of the sculptures and the perfection of the athletic Greek bodies, particularly that of the discus thrower. Artistic shape and balance were very skilfully depicted. We were
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surprised to see how some sculptors actually made the male body resemble that of a female with a small waist and feminine features in the face. Even at this time there was no shame in being effeminate! The sculptures could be viewed from all angles to show the beauty of nakedness and the Romans made many copies of these works in marble and bronze. There are statues showing heroism in war and tragedy and caricatures showing deformities, old age and obesity. The women were usually clothed in veiled robes which showed their bodies. They were seen as the home-makers and providers of food and clothing. There were also
mythological creatures such as centaurs and sphinxes. The most relevant statues for us were those of Homer and his characters Priam, Achilles and Hector. As well as sculptures there is also a large collection of pottery showing scenes from ancient Greece, all beautifully preserved. We finished our visit with a viewing of the Roman mosaics which adorn the staircase. We all agreed that that it had been a most worthwhile and enjoyable day and added to our enthusiasm for the Latin language and background knowledge. Our thanks go to Sylvia Jones who organised the trip for us. Pat Spolton
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General Meetings 2015 July 9 Barbara Myer: August 13 Stephanie Dale: September 10 Alan Middleton:
Big Cat Wildlife Photography & Conservation
Caistor Arts & Heritage Centre – the Future
After the Wall Came Down
.
Local History Programme Tuesday 14th July – coach trip with Stuart Sizer to churches in and around Louth, leaving the Market Place at 9 am. Tuesday 11th August – visit to Lincoln Castle, to include Magna Carta with Vic Hughes Tuesday 8th September – talk at Middle Rasen Church Hall at 10 for 10.30 from Paul Howitt Cowan – “Tragic Encounters laid to rest” – the story of little Henry Sleight
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THE WEST WOLDS QUARTERLY DIARY INSERT Remove this insert from your magazine, fold along the lines indicated
COMMITTEE & MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES Chairman Gail Dennis Tel: 01673 843575 galedennis@btinternet.com FOLD
General Meeting Reception Lyn Henry Tel: 01673-843851 lynhenry@btinternet.com Marion Blackstock Tel: 01673 849208
Treasurer & Membership Secretary Barry Dukes Tel: 01472-852454 lindumwold@btinternet com
Website, Magazine & Printing Geoff Goddard Tel: 01673-842287 gcg@sunny-side.ws with assistance from Ken Reid Tel: 01673-849490 ken@kmreid.free-online.co.uk
Secretary & Third Age Trust Contact Sheila Nash Tel: 01673-866569 thenashes60@hotmail.com
Visits and Speaker Finder Brian Ward Tel: 01472 852273 briandgill@btinternet.com
U3A Network Contact Mandy Murphy Tel: 01673-860893 mandy1390@yahoo.co.uk
Publicity David Oliver Tel: 01673 880188 david.g.oliver@btinternet.com
Groups Coordinator Ken Howitt Tel: 01652-678490 kenhowitt@btinternet.com FOLD
General Meeting Catering Margaret Cromack Tel: 07711-112171 margaret.cromack@btinternet.com
New members Joy Mycock Tel: 01673 818326 joypatrick1950@googlemail.com Eunice Hughes
Archivist and Greeter Paul Davison Tel: 07746-626482 davison216@btinternet.com
Why not visit our website at
webadmin@westwoldsu3a.org Page 7
INTEREST GROUPS WEEK
Monday
Tuesday
10:00 German
1st 14:00 Bridge 14:00 Recorders 14:00 Digital Photography
14:00 Film 14:30 Spanish
10:00 German
10:00 Local History
13.30 Card Craft 14:00 Bridge
14:00 Art 14:30 Spanish
10:00 German
10:00 Country Walks 10:30 Strollers
14:00 Bridge 14:00 Recorders 14:00 Digital Photography
14:30 Spanish 19:00 Film
10:00 German
10:00 Music Appreciation 10:00 Armchair Travel * (*Last Tuesday of month)
14:00 Bridge
14:00 Art 14:30 Spanish
2nd
3rd
4th
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MONTHLY TIMETABLE Wednesday
10:00 Country Walks 10:30 Strollers
10:00 Embroidery 10:00 4 Mile Walkers 12:00 Luncheon Group
Thursday
Friday
10:00 French 10:00 Patchwork * 10:00 Keep Fit
10:00 Beginners Family History 10:00 Latin
14:00 Drama 14:00 Patchwork *
14:00 Scrabble 14:00 Biblical Hebrew
09.45 GENERAL MEETING Festival Hall Market Rasen Everyone Welcome Tea, Coffee, Event Notices Guest Speaker
10:00 Family History 10:00 Latin 10:00 Line Dancing 14:00 Paper Engineering
14:00 Poetry 14:00 Drama
Jazz & Swing Enjoyment 6.30 in the summer 2.30 in the winter
10:00 French 10:00 Keep Fit 10:00 Patchwork *
10:00 Latin 10:00 Cycling 10:00 Line Dancing
14:00 Readers
14:00 Drama 14:00 Patchwork *
14:00 Biblical Hebrew 14:00 Scrabble* (* And 5th Friday of the month, if there is one)
10:00 Embroidery * (*Last Wednesday of month)
10:00 Cross Stitch 10:00 Keep Fit* (* And 5th Thursday, if there is one)
14:00 Beginner’s French 14:00 Knitting and Crochet (Oct—April)
14:00 Drama
10:00
Telling our Stories
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10:00 COFFEE MORNING Jossals, Market Rasen 10:00 Latin 10:00 Line Dancing* (* And 5th Friday, if there is one) 14:00 Mah Jong 14:00 Paper Engineering
INTEREST GROUP CO-ORDINATORS ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS COMPUTING Lynn Henry 01673 843851. ARMCHAIR TRAVEL Cynthia Bunch 01673 844661 ART Gillian Anderton 01673 844382 BEGINNERS’ FRENCH Gail Dennis 01673 843575 BRIDGE Bryan Storey 01673 849625 CARD CRAFT Cynthia Burke 01673 849506 CROSS STITCH Ann Field 01673 857529 CYCLING Heather Barratt 01673 849393 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY Joy Mycock 01673 818326 DRAMA Gail Dennis 01673 843575 EMBROIDERY Pat Hage 01673 849447 FAMILY HISTORY Steve Field 01673 857519 FAMILY HISTORY – BEGINNERS Jacqueline Reid 01673 849490 FILM GROUP John Bartlett 01673 857480 FRENCH Pat Spolton 01673 828568 FRENCH (BEGINNERS) Gail Dennis 843575 GERMAN Jo Howard 01673 862015 GOLF Trevor Tripp 01673 844699 JAZZ AND SWING ENJOYMENT Brian Ward 01472 852273 KEEP FIT Dawn Stopper 01472 851133 KNITTING AND CROCHET Sue Jacobs 01673 828898
LATIN Gwen Parsons 07749 044413 LINE DANCING Kim Overton 01673 818326 LOCAL HISTORY Jean Childs 01472 859347 LUNCHEON GROUP Pam John 01673 844260 MAH JONG Reid 01673 849490 MUSIC APPRECIATION Ron Jones 01673 843438 PAPER ENGINEERING Lyn Henry 01673 843851 PATCHWORK Lyn Henry 01673 843851 POETRY Eva Smith 01673 842218 READERS GROUP Audrey Storey 01673 849625 RECORDER GROUP Geoff Goddard 01673 842287 SCRABBLE Audrey Storey 01673 849625 SOCIAL MEDIA Steve McCarthy 01673 308364 SPANISH Alison Atkinson 01673 849979 TELLING OUR STORIES David Atkinson 01673 849979 THE 4-MILERS Mary Ellis 01673 842584 THE 9-MILE HIKERS Helen Wilson 01673 828315 THE COUNTRY WALKERS Ken Howitt 01652 678490 THE STROLLERS Cynthia Burke 01673 849506 VISITS Brian Ward 01472 852273
THE GROUPS CO-ORDINATOR IS:KEN HOWITT 01652 678490 kenhowitt@btinternet.com LIFTS: If you do not have transport it is usually possible to arrange lifts to the various venues. A contribution to the cost of fuel is also welcome.
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FILM GROUP It is now the end of May and the film group has come to the end of another season. I started the group in April 2004 showing films once a month on Tuesday afternoons. That means we have had twelve seasons and seen 120 films. The first film we screened was Noel Coward’s “In which we Serve” The film directed by David Lean later to become famous for films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago. We ended this season with The Hundred Foot Journey starring Helen Mirren
collecting box for Macmillan Cancer Support. Thanks to the generosity of our patrons we have collected a total of £1393.18. It must be stressed there is no membership to the group it is opened to all U3A members you just have to beat our regulars to sign up. Sometimes there are vacancies so do check the sheets at the monthly meetings. But remember you will have to travel to Wragby which some members may find just a “Bridge too Far”
In February 2008 I started a monthly evening screening, these films were to be more thought provoking which would lead to the group debating the film over coffee and biscuits. The first film this new group saw was the Italian production “Cinema Paradiso” ending this year with Le Silence De la Mer a French classic
Whilst I have a reasonable stock of films re-cycling old favourites may have to be considered. I am not a great lover of modern films as they do not have the same buzz as those from the golden days of Hollywood and not forgetting British cinema. A few gems appear from time to time and they are screened. Requests are The Group meets from September to most welcome but they have to be June but we closed earlier this year as the available on DVD and if not in my cinema requires some refurbishment collection the requester may have to which I hope to do in the closed season. supply a copy. The late Colin Hare gave us an insight to some excellent foreign I am credited with being the group films on Tuesday evening shows. My all leader but there is always the backroom time favourite is Casablanca which on staff and I am helped by Barbara who checking the film list has not been keeps me on my toes badgering me to shown. It goes without saying it will choose the films (DVD) so she can type appear next season, I may even try one of up the signing on sheets and ensures coffee/tea and biscuits are available. The the silent movies in the collection which you can now buy on DVD with musical projection and sound is my sound track. responsibility. The U3A policy of John Bartlett payment for refreshments is put into our
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JAZZ & SWING ENJOYMENT GROUP Following the enjoyable weekend of to socialise with fellow enthusiasts. music and leisure time at Scarborough in Cost of the three night break with April, we are contemplating a similar DINNER B&B is £190.00 pp. Whether style of weekend early next year. we will enjoy the same degree of This one will be held in the Redcliffe sunshine as this year, remains to be seen! Hotel, Paignton, (right on the edge of the We are thinking we might travel by train sea) from Friday 29th January arrival, to to avoid bad weather driving at that departure on Monday 1st February. It time of year. If anyone is interested in will be hosted by Jeremy Huggett, whom swelling our numbers, please contact we saw and enjoyed at Scarborough, and Brian Ward at: he will field two different bands, which briandgill@btinternet.com. A Booking will be supported by three other groups Form will be available at the monthly across the weekend. This sort of event is Jazz Group meeting and the General Meeting. a good way of seeing some of the UK’s current Traditional style jazz bands, and
WALKERS ARE WELCOME IN MARKET RASEN Did you know that Market Rasen is a Walkers are Welcome Town? Walkers are Welcome is a national accreditation scheme whose aims are to promote walking and encourage visitors to towns with excellent walking opportunities and facilities. This community led scheme has over 100 accredited towns across the country. Market Rasen gained it's WaW status in 2012 and since then has:Held an annual walking weekend every autumn Assisted the development of the Market Rasen Gateway Walk leaflets Created a free map of Willingham Woods Published a list of local guided walks Have created a web site and social media presence Successfully bid for National AGM venue in 2016 – along with the other local WaW towns of Caistor & Horncastle We would like to do more. The WaW organisations in Caistor and Horncastle are thriving but the Market Rasen group is struggling for support. It would be a shame to lose our accreditation at this exciting time. Can you help? A little or a lot - it's up to you. You don't have to be a strong walker. If you are keen to maintain Market Rasen as a walking destination of choice and can spare some time, then please get in touch:website: www.waw-rasen.org
Email:- contact@waw-rasen.org
Tel: Gary Beighton 07582 227856 Page 12
JAZZ WEEKEND AT SCARBOROUGH A weekend in sunny April saw eight members of the Jazz Group setting off to enjoy a residential jazz weekend at a Scarborough hotel. And enjoy we did!! We were able to meet up Friday evening (Kim and her gang arrived later as she had to control her Line Dancing class in the morning), and kept the same table for all our meals together, and in the Ballroom for all the sessions (another good use for our U3A sign). We soon twigged that the hotel’s Happy Hour from 12.00 to 18.00 was the best time to stock up with bottles for the evening ahead, and saving money throughout the weekend. A great evening’s music by the Richard Leach Seven Stars of Jazz got the weekend off to a fine start and was a foretaste of even better sets still to come. Interestingly, both Joy and Kim were in some psychic way identified by several of the male dancing men as being great partners, and for the remainder of the weekend’s sessions, both girls hardly sat down. What a great thing it is to be young (and fit!). I personally never mastered the mysteries of dancing anything, let alone jiving, so am well impressed at these events by the sight of
our fellow fans bopping the night away, even if the hair has greyed and the waistline filled out slightly.
Other fine sessions on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes by different bands, were complimented by evening ones with other bands, so over the whole event we were entertained by five different UK bands from as far apart as Newcastle and Devon. Foot tapping, arm waving, stomping and applauding as loudly as we could were the order of the day. And during the spare time, we enjoyed the open top bus, the cliff funiculars, the fine walks, ice creams, the miniature railway, the harbour sights and more. Great music, good company, fine weather and a whole lot of enjoyment was had by one and all. Whereas some of the group had not previously enjoyed this sort of event, others of us had, but I think it can safely be said that this will not be the last time we get together to share our interests and to enjoy each other’s company! Now then, that weekend we saw advertised in Paignton early next year .....
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VISIT TO OLD WARDEN AND BLETCHLEY PARK
Visit to Old Warden and Bletchley Park 24/25 April 2015 has been a good year for technically and industrial archeologically inclined members. Earlier in March we visited JCB’s factory near Uttoxeter, now the Shuttleworh Collection near Biggleswade and Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes. Later there was a visit to the Industrial Museum in Bradford and the nearby Saltaire Heritage Site. There are visits planned to a rail signalling centre in Lincoln and past industrial sites estate since 1830. Lunch was then taken in Leicestershire. together as a party in the restaurant. A coach party of 18 left Market Rasen The Collection has been expanded over and travelled to the Old Warden estate time by its Trustees and volunteer which houses the Shuttleworth helpers, so that it now represents what Collection of aircraft and associated must be the most complete range of memorabilia. The Collection was started by his mother in memory of Richard Shuttleworth who was killed on active RAF duty in 1940. It had its beginning with Richard’s own aircraft, cars and bicycles, plus various carriages, carts and agricultural machinery from the estate. However before visiting the aircraft, most of the party had a guided tour of another attraction at Old Warden, the extensive and recently renovated Swiss Garden which has been a feature of the Page 14
preWW1, WW1 , interwar and WW2 aircraft. All the aircraft held are fully serviceable and can be used during Flying Days at Old Warden. Going through hangar after hangar revealed examples of the development of aircraft for specific purposes (usually military) and the variety of solutions employed. The aircraft ranged from a 1909 Bleriot up to a WW2 Spitfire.
The following day we visited Bletchley Park (apart from two members who took the alternative venue and went to Woburn Abbey). The story of Bletchley
On a personal note, your scribe was delighted to see in the hangar attached to the workshops,the little prewar racer the Mew Gull which he last saw nearly 60 years ago when helping to prepare it for Park and the decoding of the enemy’s the 1956 King’s Cup air race. Enigma machine signals has been told by As this was a two day visit,we stayed two films and several rather more very comfortably at the Mercure Hotel in accurate TV documentaries, so is well Milton Keynes As an aside to the visit it known. The temporary huts erected in is interesting to note that Milton Keynes the grounds have been renovated and being a new town planned from the fitted out with such equipment as they outset has it’s roads running horizontally might have had at the time and give a and vertically in a grid pattern. Later in good impression of the activities carried out in them. What brainpower must have been expended in those simple surroundings. In the museum section there were very good explanations of the methods and techniques in use to perform the decoding tasks. Also shown was the broader picture of the social life of those working at the Park and lodging in the surrounding towns and villages.
May we visited the Saltaire site also planned a century earlier as an entity from the outset, albeit on a smaller scale. There the streets local to the mill and part of the development are also on a grid system, unusual for the time.
Visits over a long day are very hard on the feet so we were glad to re-board our coach and be driven homewards. Many thanks are due to Brian Ward for all the arrangements he made for us to enjoy two most interesting days out.
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Barry Dukes
www.westwoldsu3a.org So what’s the point of the U3A website? “I never use the website because everything I need to know is in the quarterly newsletter or I pick it up at the monthly meeting”. Well if that’s your thinking then don’t read any further, no stop right here, not another word (are you still reading?). You will be missing out on so much more. I’m sure some people felt the same way about Shakespeare’s plays (and still do). The internet is a vast array of information and should be ignored at your peril. Not only is it informative, it is also interactive, inclusive and thought provoking. Where else could you get so much entertainment for so little cost? And so to the West Wolds U3A website... At the moment the new version is still in its infancy but with a little input from group leaders (thanks to the cycling group for being so positive) we might see photographs, creative writing, reviews and so much more – all there for us to share, comment on and get engaged with. Don’t miss out, get involved – send me stuff or better still sign up and put your own thoughts and comments on the website and if you need assistance then I’m here to help, just ask. All it takes is an email to: webadmin@westwoldsu3a.org Thanks for getting this far and look forward to hearing from you – Steve McCarthy, web administrator
U3A DISCOUNT ON PC COACHES HOLIDAYS. I have agreed with PC Coaches of Lincoln that all U3A members in Lincolnshire can receive a 5% discount on any of the holidays (not day trips) which are shown in their coach holidays brochure which covers both UK and Continental holidays. This discount will apply only to holidays purchased directly from PC Coaches themselves, and not through a travel agent; for groups of ten persons or more; and must be made as one booking, not as individuals. As U3A regulations do not allow any U3A member to benefit from arranging holidays, we have reached this agreement to allow groups of members to travel together on a publicly advertised coach holiday. Your contact is Jane Bailey on 01522 533605. Obviously we will continue to arrange our own day trips and overnight stays for West Wolds members, but I hope this additional benefit will be of interest and value to some of you. Brian Visits Group Co-ordinator Page 16