90NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
IN THIS ISSUE
Jottings from the Chair
A while ago, a few of us were talking about what lay ahead as our
ability to live independently diminishes or disappears.
The prospect of a care home didn’t thrill BUT what if we had a
‘NCU3A care home’ with a central room big enough for meetings,
talks, a bit of dancing and a bit of singing. Could be fun?
Do we have an entrepreneur amongst us who could set it up?
Darcey Bussell recently gave a talk to a House of Commons
committee about the value of teaching dancing in schools.
Amongst other things she said it encouraged creative and inventive
thinking and importantly released endorphins!
With this last bit in mind I am holding another cèilidh dance for
anyone who would like to come along. Why should children have
all the fun?! It will be held on Saturday 22nd April from 7.30 to
9.30pm in Willersey Village Hall. The cost of £1 includes tea, coffee
and biscuits. It would be useful to have an idea of numbers so please
phone me on tel. 01386 853125 or speak to someone in the Scottish
Country Dancing Group.
Dates for your Diary
Your forthcoming
Open Meeting Programme
Page 2
Summer Soirée and
Summer Outing
Page 4
Diana
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NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
Open Meeting Programme
from Mary Burfitt
April 13th
fitt
A Passion for Pearls – Frances Benton
A lively talk on pearls, natures only living
gemstones - the science, the history, the real and
the fakes, the myths and the legends. Frances
brings along a super selection of pearl jewellery,
all of which is for sale.
June 8th
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People – Merleen
Watson
May 11th
Merleen will speak on issues
deafness – a hidden disability.
‘English, whose English’ – David Howe
A brief history of the English language - how it
evolved over a thousand years and why it
continues to generate such fervent debate.
surrounding
July 13th - Summer Soirée
See page 4
All our Open Meetings are held at Willersey Village Hall starting at 2pm.
£2 is payable on the door for members and non-members.
We would particularly like to welcome new members at our Open Meetings. Please speak with
John Bissett on the door, he will introduce you to a Committee Member who will be happy to
answer your questions and tell you more about our activities and groups.
Jean Beaumont
Michael Baron
Jane Whitehouse
Susan Balhatchet
Caroline Woodcock
Lawrence Hill
Gabriella White
Legh Richardson
Brenda Kendry
Brenda Alexander
From John Bissett
2
Angela & Robert Dunn
Angela & Andrew Simpson
Marilyn & Neil Marland
This year’s New Members
meeting and afternoon tea will
be held on Friday 21st April at
Weston-sub-Edge village hall.
If you joined since March 2015
you will have received an
invitation.
NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
GROUP HOTOGRAPHS
Issue 91
Group News
From Sharon Thackeray
Longer Walks Group
Wet ‘Neolithic’ U3A ‘longer
walkers’ sheltering in a burial
chamber at Belas Knap
Early lambs along the
Cotswold Way
Photos provided by Mike Baggott.
FACTS ABOUT YOUR U3A
407
Our Membership has topped 400!
35
Number of Groups
WEBSITES
Don’t forget that our website can be found at
http://u3asites.org.uk/north-cotswold/welcome
The Cotswold Link site also has information
about U3A events in the area
http://u3asites.org.uk/code/u3asite.php?site=44
2&page=0
Opera Appreciation
Hilary Thornburgh writes,
John Busbridge writes,
‘Six of us set off from Winchcombe
on the first Friday of March, with
another member waving us off and
finding it difficult to understand why
we should want to walk on such a
day. Actually, if our leader, Tony
Spinks had suggested aborting the
walk in favour of coffee I would
have readily agreed! But the rain
was not so hard and Vicky Shipton
was sure she could see some
lightening of the cloud.
‘After 20 years, 164 meetings and
140 different operas presented,
listened to or watched, I have
decided to retire! Unfortunately,
there is nobody at present who has
appropriate accommodation and
equipment who would be prepared
to host the Group.
Our first target was to reach Belas
Knap after which the main climbing
for the day would be over. It was a
good hour’s walk but we were
rewarded by seeing one other mad
lone walker and the hills in the
distance were fairly clear. Tony
had laid on a special cave in the
side of the burial mound where we
could sit comfortably for our hot
drinks and we were soon well
settled (see photo, top left).
By the time coffee and treats were
taken it had virtually stopped
raining and we were able to
continue, soon walking through a
field full of lambs (see photo, left).
Much of the walk was on the
Cotswold Way which took us
through a picturesque wooded
valley between Woodpeckers and
Breakheart Plantation, where we
particularly admired the long,
intricate and gnarled, spreading
roots of several trees.
By the time we returned to The
Corner Cupboard we were fairly
dry and were rewarded by a very
warm and cosy pub and a good
lunch.
There must be a moral to this tale’.
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Any offers would be greatly
appreciated
by
our
loyal
members’.
John can be contacted on
tel. 01386 852012
Discussion & Debating Group
This new group meets on the first
Wednesday morning of the month.
For further information
contact Nick Hoskins on
tel. 01242 352805.
please
NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Other Activities and
Events
Issue 91
Summer Outing – Thursday 10th August
‘Tyntesfield’,
Nr. Wraxall, North Somerset
Cèilidh Dance
Another Cèilidh Dance is being
held at Willersey Village Hall on
Saturday 22nd April from 7.30 to
9.30pm. ‘Come along (partners
and friends welcome) and give it a
go’.
The £1 admission includes tea,
coffee and biscuits!
Further information from Diana
Lucas on
tel. 01386 853125
or any member of the Scottish
Country Dancing group.
This National Trust Property has recently undergone extensive
refurbishment.
It was the former home of the Gibbs family, who accumulated their
wealth from the guano trade! They bought the estate in 1843 and remodeled both the interior and exterior in the Victorian Gothic Revival
style, creating a magnificent family home and estate of gardens and
parkland to be enjoyed by four generations until the death of Richard
Gibbs in 2001.
In 2002 the National Trust undertook a massive fund raising campaign to
prevent the estate from being sold to private interests and preserve its
collection of over 50,000 objects.
The house and gardens will be open for viewing and there is a restaurant
where coffee and lunch may be purchased. There are also three shops
where you can browse and buy!
We shall depart from Willersey Village Hall and travel by coach.
The cost will be in the region of £7 for NT members, £19.50 for nonmembers.
Evesham U3A Short Breaks
Group are organising a trip to
Monet’s Gardens in May, the cost
will be £300. The 5 day (4 nights)
trip will depart on Wednesday 24 th
May staying in Rouen on a B&B
basis. Day trips to Côte Fleurie,
Deauville, Trouville-sur-Mer and
Honfleur have been arranged.
To reserve your place contact Tina Anderson on tel. 01386 858699
Summer Soirée
Thursday 13th July
For further information contact
Jean Griffin on tel. 01789 750772
or see the Evesham U3A website:
Arrive at 6pm for Drinks followed by Supper at 7pm
https://u3asites.org.uk/evesham/h
ome
Come and enjoy a sociable get-together and a delicious supper, see exhibits
from various Groups and be entertained by others.
Toddington Village Hall
Do bring your own choice of beverage for the evening. Glasses and water
will be provided.
Tickets will be on sale at Open Meetings, the History Group and the New
Members Afternoon Tea.
You can also reserve your place by contacting Tina Anderson on
tel. 01386 858699 and advise her how you wish to pay for and collect your
ticket(s).
Please let Tina know of any dietary requirements.
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NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
NORTH COTSWOLD U3A ACTIVITIES 2017
Group
Art Appreciation
Crafty Cards
Venue
Willersey Methodist
Community Room
Northwick Park
Discussion & Debating
Private Home – Greet
Earth Sciences &
Astronomy (meetings, field
Wickhamford
(meetings plus visits)
Day
1st
Thursday
3rd
Tuesday
1st
Wednesday
3rd
Friday
Time
PM
AM (winter)
PM (summer)
9.45 for 10 am
till 12.30 pm
AM
Contact
John Hall
01242 583428
Freda Cannan
01386 701539
Nick Hoskins
01242 352805
Hazel Bartlett
01386 852244
trips and videos)
Effortless Entertaining
(Aga Cooking)
Engineering & Transport
Private House
Food & Cookery (1)
Ford
Food & Cookery (2)
Ford
French Conversation
(Advanced)
French Conversation
(some knowledge required)
Gardens & Gardening
Various
Weston sub Edge
Handbells
The White Hart Royal
Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh
Childswickham Village
Hall (winter)
Garden visits (summer)
Behind Methodist
Church, Willersey
Northwick Park
Historic Churches
Various
History
Weston sub Edge
Italian (NOT suitable for
The White Hart Royal
Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh
Weston sub Edge
Golf Croquet
beginners)
Kurling
4th
Thursday
4th
Friday
2nd
Tuesday
1st
Thursday
2nd & 4th
Wednesday
3rd
Wednesday
2nd
Friday
Listening to Music
1st Tuesday
Listening to Music
3rd Tuesday
Mahjong
Willersey
Opera Appreciation
Willersey
1st
Wednesday
1st & 3rd
Monday
3rd
Wednesday
1st
Tuesday
Last
Monday
4th
Monday
1st
Tuesday
3rd
Tuesday
2nd & 4th
Monday
2nd
Wednesday
1st & 3rd
Thursday
2nd
Monday
Willersey
Willersey
(study plus occasional visits)
Painting
Photography
Moreton-in-Marsh
Bowls Club
Willersey
5
AM
PM
PM
AM
PM
2.00-3.30pm
10am (winter)
2.30pm (summer)
PM
May to October
2.00 pm
AM
AM
10.30-12.00
AM
AM
AM
PM
PM
AM
AM
Sonia Woolven
01386 852211
Keith Horden
01386 852145
Phyllis Andrews
01386 584100
Phyllis Andrews
01386 584100
Michael Harris
01608 661672
Ghislaine Craik
07733112089
Pat Poulter
01386 852720
Penny Ingles
01386 853306
Freda Cannan
01386 701539
John Thompstone
01386 852930
David Pegg
01386 858232
Michael Gittins
01608 674183
Daphne Bell
01386 840182
Helen Rhoden
01386 852890
Helen Rhoden
01386 852890
Diana Lucas
01386 853125
John Busbridge
01386 852012
Alan Andrews
01386 584100
Alan Andrews
01386 584100
NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
Group
Reading for Pleasure
Various
Venue
Recorder Consort
Blockley
Scottish Country Dancing
Bourton on the Hill
Stitches & Threads
Singers Group
Willersey Methodist
Community Room
Willersey Village Hall
Skittles
The Snowshill Arms
Sunday Lunches
Childswickham
Table Tennis
Willersey
Theatre Outings
Various
Touch Tennis
Willersey Village Hall
Ukulele
Northwick Park
Walking (nature rambles
up to 4 miles)
Walking – Five Milers
Optional pub lunch
Walking – Medium Walks
Optional pub lunch
Walking – Long Walks
(6.5 to 11 miles)
Optional pub lunch
Day
1st
Monday
1st & 3rd
Tuesday
2nd & 4th
Friday
4th
Tuesday
2nd & 4th
Wednesday
4th
Thursday
3rd
Sunday
1st & 3rd
Thursday
Various
1st & 3rd
Thursday
2nd & 4th
Tuesday
3rd
Tuesday
1st
Friday
4th
Tuesday
1st Friday & 3rd
Thursday
Optional pub lunch
Any changes please contact Sharon Thackeray 01386 858973
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Time
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
7.15 PM
Lunchtime
5.30 PM
PM
3.00-4.00 PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
Contact
Phyllis Andrews
01386 584100
Hilary Thornburgh
01386 701235
Diana Lucas
01386 853125
Phyllis Andrews
01386 584100
Hilary Thornburgh
01386 701235
Alan Andrews
01386 584100
John Bissett
01386 859319
Peter Burch
01386 853837
Tina Anderson
01386 858699
Ken Spensley
07887823800
Freda Cannan
01386 701539
Sue Lindsay
01386 446541
Phyllis Andrews
01386 584100
John Bissett
01386 859319
Hilary Thornburgh
01386 701235
NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
’
1. ‘Spring, Spring, Spring’ is a song from which musical?
2. Who wrote, ‘Oh, to be in England / Now that April’s there,’?
3. What was the title of the poem (2)?
4. Who wrote the ballet, ‘The Rite of Spring’?
5. On what date did the Vernal Equinox fall this year?
6. The Vernal Equinox can occur a day later. When will this happen next?
7. Who wrote the orchestral piece, ‘On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring’?
8. In which work did Vivaldi write about spring?
9. In which film, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland, was it springtime?
10. Who wrote the music for this film (9)?
11. In parts of India and Turkey, what do they celebrate on the day of the spring equinox?
12. Who wrote the song, ‘Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year’?
13. Who first performed the song (12) in a film?
14. Which ‘spring song’ was introduced by Al Jolson?
15. Who composed and wrote, ‘It Might As Well Be Spring’?
16. What are Mazurek, Simnel and Paska?
17. Who wrote, ‘Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear, Unpleasing to the married ear!’?
18. ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’, is the opening line of a poem about which spring flower?
19. Who wrote the poem (18)?
20. Who were the female and males leads in the 1948 film, ‘Spring in Park Lane’?
Answers on page 8
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NORTH COTSWOLD U3A NEWSLETTER
Issue 91
The next Newsletter will be out in June.
23rd May
Your Newsletter editor can be contacted
via the Contact link on our North Cotswold U3A website.
COMMITTEE
Diana Lucas
Chairman
01386 853125
Chris Selby
Vice-Chairman
01386 853512
Eric Watts
Treasurer
01386 854661
Brian Thackeray
Business Secretary
01386 858973
Barbara Matthias
Minutes Secretary
01386 300245
John Bissett
Membership Secretary
01386 859319
Sue Lindsay
Welfare Officer
01386 446541
Sharon Thackeray
Group Coordinator
01386 858973
The Quiz – The Answers
1. ‘Seven Brides For Seven Brothers’ 2. Robert Browning 3. ‘Home-Thoughts, From Abroad’
4. Ingor Stravinsky 5. 20th March 6. 21st March 2101 (don’t hold your breath!) 7. Frederick Delius
8. ‘The Four Seasons’ 9. ‘Easter Parade’ 10. Irving Berlin 11. New Year 12. Frank Loesser
13. Deanna Durbin 14. ‘April Showers’ 15. Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rogers 16. Cakes and
bread eaten in various countries at Easter 17.William Shakespeare (‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’)
18. Daffodils 19. William Wordsworth 19. Anna Neagle and Michael Wilder
8