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NEWARK & DISTRICT U3A NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2010 EDITORIAL This is the last communication that will be issued under the present Committee and comes with our Secretary’s excellent letter regarding the forthcoming A.G.M. when some new Officers and Committee Members must be elected. Geoffrey Foulds is retiring as Secretary. He has served this organisation diligently since having his arm twisted three years ago. Certain members were aware of his capabilities and applied unashamed pressure to secure his services. Since then he has dealt with all communication with the Third Age trust, our parent body; he has kept the membership informed of events both nationally and locally; represented us at events and meetings and, most importantly, kept us all in touch with each other by producing and distributing our Newsletters. I know that Geoffrey has put in many hours of work behind the scenes and feels that so much of Committee work is unappreciated. On behalf of everyone I thank him for the service he has unstintingly given. Pat Wood is also retiring – as Chairperson. She too is one of the unsung heroes, having served on the Committee continuously in one capacity or another since the Newark U3A was formally constituted. In the absence of anyone else being nominated, she took on the task of booking speakers for the Monthly Meetings. She also represented us at other meetings and events. Together with Geoffrey she has ensured that we have a sound basis for the future. Pat is at present on holiday and enjoying some well-deserved sunshine. On behalf of all members I would like to thank her for the phone calls, the emails and the innumerable personal contacts she has made to make the running of our Branch smoother. I shall not be taking up the post of Chairperson, nor am I continuing as Vice-Chair because I have other pressing matters to which I have to give attention. We have 147 members in our U3A which means there is a wealth of skills, experience and aptitude to fill the vacancies on the Committee. Don’t let false modesty put anyone off applying to join. The current incumbents on the Committee will, I am sure, make all new members welcome and give them full support in return for new ideas and a share in the work-load. I look forward to a fruitful A.G.M. and a vibrant year ahead for Newark & District U3A. Sheilah Andrews (Vice-Chair) NEWS FROM THE GROUPS Please contact Group Convenors or Leaders for details of any Groups not mentioned below: ARCHAEOLOGY THURSDAY 18th FEBRUARY: Talk – “The Plague and its local visitations” by Derek Walker. 2.30 pm. at Hawtonville Methodist Church Hall THURSDAY 18th MARCH: Talk – “The Romans in Wales,” by Sam Gorin, in preparation for the trip in April. 2.30 pm at Hawtonville Methodist Church Hall 2010 HOLIDAY (TO SOUTH WALES) from the 26th-29th April -details are now available from Peter. Please contact him on 704241 For report on the recent trip, see attached account by Duncan Boreham Peter Foden 704241 GARDENING For our February meeting we spent a fascinating hour watching Dr. Andrew Ward’s slides illustrating “A Year of Colour in the Garden.” The winter plants were of particular interest. The grey day was made much brighter by this activity Our next meeting will be at Newark Bowls Club. We shall watch a DVD and have a discussion. In April we shall visit Andrew Ward’s Norwell Nurseries; details to be published later. If anyone would like to join the Gardening Group, we meet at Newark Bowls Club on the first Tuesday each month at 2.00 p.m. Please ring Barbara on 683640 for more information. From March to September we visit gardens. THE BOOK CIRCLE January’s book was “Dissolution” by C. J. Sansom and was a ‘who-dun-it’ set in Tudor times when Henry VIII was closing down many of the monasteries. We found the book enthralling and were very impressed by the amount of research undertaken by the author. On FEBRUARY 25th we shall review “THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN” by KATE MORTON Visitors will be very welcome. You do not need to read the book if you are just visiting. Ring Barbara 683640 CREATIVE WRITING Currently we are preparing our first anthology for publication. We hope that you will all receive a copy at the Annual General Meeting. Don’t forget to send in your entries for the Story-writing competition. Further information and the rules of the competition are available from Barbara Hatton on 01636 683640. Barbara Hatton LITERATURE The Group continues with an enthusiastic membership of ten. We have studied a wide range of authors and themes, including Shakespeare, Chaucer, poetry, plays, short stories, the American novel and currently – and somewhat to the surprise of members – children’s literature (I think Geoffrey believes in jolting us out of our comfort zones from time to time) We have read books we perhaps would not otherwise have done and some we read as teenagers. Re-reading them was, to say the least, interesting! Although we often read passages from the texts aloud together, much of our time in the group is given to discussion – often passionate – but always open and friendly. We meet fortnightly on Wednesday mornings at the home of either Annie Green or Jenny Hardy, for whose hospitality we are very grateful. Geoffrey Foulds keeps us to the subject in hand with unwavering good humour and inspiring leadership. Do contact him if you would like to join us. Tel: 659239 Nim Farkas RECORDER PLAYING The Group continues to meet fairly regularly, allowing for holidays, illness and the weather. We played some delightful, simple settings of Christmas carols and decided, at one point, that we sounded a bit like a trainee Salvation Army Band, though they would make fewer mistakes than we did. Having played the carols in three parts – descant, treble and tenor – we are now taking our lives in our hands and venturing on our first four-part piece. So, we shall have all of the above, plus a second descant. We find it hard work just finding the time to practise, but the pleasure of coming together and playing even beginner pieces is well worth the effort. We sometimes congratulate ourselves that it sounds like real music and we still laugh a lot and enjoy the companionship. New members are always welcome. PHILOSOPHY The week before the receipt of the U3A Magazine the Group took one of our usual diversions and found ourselves discussing the differences between the French and British versions of the U3A. As we understand things, the French model ties local Groups to Universities and fairly rigorous lines of study. Our model is deliberately more relaxed and inclusive. When the magazine arrived there was an article on exactly this topic and, on reading it through, it was extraordinary how close our opinions were to those expressed in the article. We prefer our relaxed self-help model because it offers the possibility of intellectual rigour for those who seek it, but, at the same time, it caters for those of us looking for nothing more strenuous than a little intellectual diversion. Our style encourages sociability and often supports people in making new friendships and building a social network after some personal or domestic crisis. It also provides a structure to our lives when the routine and society of working life are past. Our conclusion – ours is not better, nor worse – just different. At present we are looking at the work of Schopenhauer a convinced atheist. One member of the group, a practising Christian, said that he thought that if God suddenly and incontrovertibly revealed himself to the world, the fabric of society would fall apart. Stunned silence was followed by vehement argument of every shade of opinion. My mind has been buzzing with the thought ever since. It’s what I like about ‘Philosophy, Newark U3A’ style. Someone will always come up with something that amazes you and leaves you with something to gnaw away at for weeks. Sheilah Andrews !!!!!!! MISSING !!!!! PRECIOUS ALL BLACK PASHMINA WITH WOVEN-IN PATTERN Lost at the January Monthly Meeting and last seen draped over a chair while I was helping with teas. Has anyone picked it up in error? Reward is a grateful hug. Sue Boreham 01636 893016 MONTHLY MEETINGS (SPEAKERS) 9th March 2010: Alan Walker – ‘Lifeboats – a charity’ After the Annual General Meeting 13th April 2010: Ted Grey- ‘Where on earth is Gorumna ?’ On behalf of Young Explorers’Trust 11th May 2010: Pam Wisher – ‘Growing old Disgracefully’ Pam works for the CVS at Gedling 8th June 2010: Anne Woods – ‘The Quaker Tapestry’ DON’T FORGET THE A. G. M. ON TUESDAY 9th MARCH 2010 AT 2.00 p.m. NOMINATIONS AND ITEMS FOR ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO BE SENT TO THE SECRETARY BY 2nd MARCH 2010 Geoffrey Foulds 13 Parkway Newark NG24 4QY Tel: 01636 659239 Email tony.marriott7@ntlworld.com Group Contact Numbers Art David Blake 650676 Book Circle Barbara Hatton 683640 Book Group Marjorie Townley 676640 Craft Joan Shankland 626553 Creative Writing Barbara Hatton 683640 Computers Neil Hinchley 704699 Discussion Maggie Johnstone 708624 French Derek Middlemiss 892821 French Tony Williams 813763 Gardening Barbara Hatton 683640 German Corri Moss 706573 Literature Geoffrey Foulds 659239 Mah Jong Sonya Sinclair 672921 Philosophy Tom Chamberlain 636508 Recorders Sheilah Andrews 703219 Scrabble Brenda Williams 704282 Luncheon Group Margaret Clarke 626396 |
