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November 2014
EXTENDED NEWSLETTER
Melton Mowbray U3A
Registered Charity No. 1137780
At the meeting this month on Thursday 20 November 2014:
Speaker:
Topic:
Display:
Catering:
Janice Musson
Medieval Law
Parchment Craft (Josie Toon)
Audrey Paddock, Wendy Cleaver, Maureen Cramp, Thea Lawman,
Ann Scillitoe
COMMITTEE NOTICES
VICE-CHAIRMAN, MELTON MOWBRAY U3A
In March 2015 I will be resigning from the Committee, as I will have been a committee member
for 4 years and it will be time for me to stand down and make way for a new member. As it is
now only 5 months away I would appeal to all U3A members to consider whether or not they
would be willing to put their name forward for this position. It is not a demanding role, as the
main task is to stand in for the Chairman on the rare occasion that he/she is not available, plus
one or two other minor roles.
Anyone who may be interested will be invited to “shadow” me during the run-up to the AGM,
and I will provide details of the role to anyone who contacts me. As you are all aware, the U3A
is run by the members, for the members, and to help facilitate this it is important that all
committee positions are filled. I will be happy to discuss all and any aspects of this position
with anyone interested.
Alan Barton, Vice-Chairman
EMAILED NEWSLETTERS – UNSUBSCRIBE OPTION
Many of you have opted to receive your newsletter via email. Despite the fact you have made
that choice, our email provider requires us to always include an option to allow recipients to
unsubscribe. You will now see an “unsubscribe from newsletter” option at the bottom of
your email (underneath the signature block). If you do wish to unsubscribe from receiving the
newsletter you will need to click on the option and it will automatically send me an email asking
to remove you from the distribution list.
NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions to the December 2014 newsletter must be emailed, or posted no later than 30
November 2014
Christine Bluett (Newsletter Editor)
Email: [email protected]
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SOCIAL CHESS GROUP – POTENTIAL NEW GROUP
New member Di Broomfield has offered to start a social chess group. Members would meet to
play together and improve their chess in a friendly supportive environment. For further
information contact Di via email at [email protected]
Graham Cherryman (Group Co-ordinator)
U3A DIARIES
If you have not yet collected your pre-ordered 2015 diaries they will be will be available for
collection at the November meeting.
Jackie McMillan (Treasurer) [email protected]
GENERAL NOTICES
WEBSITE NOTICE BOARD ( http://www.u3ameltonmowbray.org.uk/)
A Website Notice Board for Branch members has been added to our Website. If you have
news, events, unwanted items, ideas, messages, puzzles or challenges, in fact anything of
interest that you would like to share, please pass the details to the Web Administrator
([email protected]).
Personal references (eg name, address, email,
telephone numbers) will NOT be displayed, only a reference number for your article
WEBSITE PHOTO GALLERY
The Website Photo Gallery is a way to show relatives, friends and colleagues what you/we get
up to in the U3A Groups. Please submit any photographs that you have showing group
activities to the Web Administrator ([email protected]) or pass to any
member of the Committee.
Peter Matthews (Web Administrator/IT Advisor)
PHOTO DRIVING LICENCES - REMINDER
A reminder to those of us who hold photo driving licences. A member recently had a minor
bump to her car and when sorting the repair out was horrified to be informed by the garage
that her photo driving licence had been expired for a year. Had the police been made aware
of this it could have resulted in a substantial fine. Photo licences all have expiry dates – even
if you have not reached the big 70 – and it is an offence not to renew them. It is also an
offence not to notify DVLA of any change of address.
CONFIDENTIALITY – DISPOSAL OF OLD NEWSLETTERS
The U3A work very hard at maintaining confidentiality, which includes the protection of
personal data. The monthly newsletter often contains contact details for U3A members (with
their permission). Members are asked to bear this in mind when disposing of paper copies of
the newsletter, and ensure they are disposed of appropriately, preferably shredded. Thank
you.
OUTINGS
Doddington Hall 26 November 2015
The Robinson's coach will depart from the slip road behind The Bowls Club at 9am and will
leave Doddington Hall at 3pm. Please park all cars in the Bowls Club car park on the north
side near the railway. All those who have not paid for this trip (£22.50), please see Frances.
PLEASE NOTE there are still vacancies on this outing – contact Frances if you wish to
go
Frances Waite email: [email protected]
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BADDESLEY CLINTON VISIT - REPORT
All participants in our visit to Baddesley Clinton had a very agreeable day. Although the
weather was dreary, it was not to dampen the beautiful views experienced from the coach on
our outward journey.
A pleasant greeting awaited our party on arrival at Baddesley. Our guide Annette, took us on
an interesting verbal and visual external tour of this Manor house which included details
relating to Nicholas Brome, who it is alleged, murdered the local priest for flirting with his wife.
The house was also a sanctuary, not only for the Ferrer family during troubled times, but also
for outlawed priests and their servants, who were hidden from priest hunters in the many
secret hiding places.
The Barn restaurant, National Trust shop, second-hand book shop and wonderful walks
around the estate were very much appreciated by all, which made the day a real winner.
I should like to emphasise that all outings organised by the social secretary are open to all
U3A members.
Frances Waite email: [email protected]
HOLIDAY
U3A HOLIDAY GROUP 2
The Historic Houses & Heritage of Devon - with Executive Coach throughout.
Departing Sunday 31 May 2015, returning Thursday 4 June 2015. 4 nights half board at 3*
hotel on the outskirts of Exeter. Excursions each day included, 6 National Trust Properties
and Gardens.
The above Holiday has a few places still available, for further details please contact Bill
Group Organiser: Bill Shaw (U3A Membership Secretary)
email: [email protected]
GROUP ACTIVITIES
2nd MONDAY WALKING GROUP – 8 DECEMBER 2014
Meet in the Melton Mowbray and District Indoor Bowls Club car park, Bowling Green, Leicester
Road, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0LR at 10.15am for 10.30am start.
Group Co-ordinator: Geoff Harris
Walk Leaders: Cliff and Margaret Thompson
4th MONDAY WALKING GROUP – 24 NOVEMBER 2014
Please meet at the Plough Inn, Normanton on the Wolds at 10.15am for a 10.30am start.
Lunch will be at the Plough for those interested.
Walk Leader: Jan McCarthy
Group Leader: Jennifer Gregory
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2nd WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP – NOVEMBER 2014
Will the members who attend the above walks please note, due to recent circumstances no
walk was arranged for November.
There will as usual be no walks in December or January, but we will restart in February 2015.
Many thanks
Group Leader: Bill Shaw email: [email protected]
1st THURSDAY WALKING GROUP Thursday 4 December 2014
Colston Bassett 6½ miles approx.
Please meet outside the Martin’s Arms, NG12 3FD, so that we are ready to walk for 10.00am.
If you are interested in joining us please telephone or email us earlier in the week.
Richard and Jo Bewell
LUNCHEON CLUB ‘GK’
Our meeting this month will be on Thursday 20 November at The Crown, Asfordby. Please
arrive by 12.15 ready to eat at 12.30. Any queries please contact me
Gillian Kilpatrick email: [email protected]
LUNCHEON CLUB ‘S’
The Luncheon Club 'S' this month is going to Beedles Lake at East Goscote. Please arrive at
12.15 for a 12.30 lunch. Would you also please bring the balance for the Christmas lunch at
Scalford Hall. If you have any problems, please contact me
Marjorie Shaw (Group Leader)
COMPOSER of the MONTH
5 November: Hummel
26 November: Schoenberg
3 December: Ginastera
Contact John Playfer email [email protected]
NEW AGE KURLING – WHY NOT GIVE IT A GO….
1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, 10.00am – 12 noon
New Age Kurling is an adaption of the original kurling game, so that it can be played on any
flat surface. It can be played by both able-bodied and disabled people of all ages. It is a fun
activity which also provides a challenge to the competitive members.
We do have vacancies if you would like to have some easy exercise and friendship in the
warm and dry at the Sports Hall at King Edward VII. If you wish to come and have a go, the
first session is free. Please speak with Angela Fielding or Beryl Jarvis.
Angela Fielding
GARDENING GROUP
This month’s meeting will take place at Sage Cross Church on 27 November at 2pm. The
speaker will be Sally Cunningham, with a talk entitled "The development of unusual edible
plants”. Afterwards there will be Christmas refreshments. Come and join us.
Contacts: Jill Lewell , Mary Caunt
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KEEP FIT GROUP – TENTH ANNIVERSARY
On 28 October the group celebrated TEN YEARS of Keep Fit with our excellent instructor
Jamie. He was very surprised and pleased to be greeted with balloons and a photo session
and presented with a bottle of champagne and a scroll with the following verse:
Jamie’s our hero! Jamie’s our friend!
He helps us to keep fit and shows us no end
Of ways to stay supple, to flex every limb,
To stretch every muscle and keep ourselves trim.
For ten years he’s taught us a strong inner core
Helps us to balance and that, what is more,
Squats, planks and press-ups lead to this end,
Jamie’s our hero! Jamie’s our friend!
We all love you, Jamie, our faithful old dears;
We hope we’ll be with you another ten years!
Jenny read the verse and we all sang “For he’s a jolly good fellow!” then it was back to the
serious business of keeping fit.
Why don’t you come and join us? We meet every Tuesday at Gloucester House, 13.00-14.00.
Avril Hazlewood (Group Leader)
GUITAR GROUP
Our next concert is a collaboration with Melton Ukulele Orchestra at Melton Conservative Club
on Friday 7 November. Tickets are £6 and available from guitar group members. The
programme will be songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s and we would love to see as many U3A
friends as possible. Please support us as our share of the takings will go to Air Ambulance.
Brian Donovan (Group Leader)
LINE DANCING GROUP
Our leader, Jenny Martin and husband Tony, are moving out of the area to be near their
children. We wish them every happiness in their new home.
Jenny has been our leader for 10 years at the Stute and given her time willingly, preparing
programmes for our enjoyment. It is no mean feat leading dances with such a large group.
She has been a true friend to all of us and will be sorely missed. Thank you, Jenny.
We are so lucky to have one lady in our class, Sue Britton, who is prepared to take up the
challenge, so we will continue to enjoy our Thursday mornings
Eileen Harrop
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING
Dates for forthcoming sessions are:
12 and 26 November, 10 December
All sessions will be at Burton Lazars village hall from 2pm until 4pm. New members are most
welcome
Paul Woolston (Group Leader)
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SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP - POSTSCRIPT
Although we disbanded officially on 12 August, we had one further most enjoyable evening
with vino y tapas (of course!) on 2 September.
I was very touched to be given a thank-you present from the group - a beautiful silver
bookmarker engraved 'con amor y respeto de tu tertulia Española’ (with love and respect from
your Spanish group). I'm an avid reader and the present couldn't have been more appropriate
or more appreciated. It will remind me of our many happy years of studying and conversing in
Spanish.
Jenny Martin
THEATRE GROUP
“BEST OF BROADWAY” Wednesday 18 March 2015, 7.30pm Royal Albert Hall, London
I am very pleased to say that this trip has been filled. There are already a few people waitlisted but you are welcome to add your names as there may be withdrawals nearer the time. If
you wait-list but subsequently find you are unable to go, please be kind enough to let me
know. As I am going on holiday I will not be contactable until the November meeting.
Anne Dyster, Group Leader email: [email protected]
Eileen Burdett email: [email protected]
YOGA GROUP
We are a friendly and relaxed group (even having one male member). We meet on a Monday
afternoon upstairs at Sage Cross Street Church. Our teacher is Colette Stein who is very
good, treating us all very kindly. The cost is £3.50 per session. The class begins at 3.30pm for
an hour. Anybody wanting to give us a try is welcome to come along. Contact details below
Chris Edwards or Jan Cleaver
ANNUAL GROUP REPORTS
2nd Monday Walking Group
Our walking group has a maximum of 30 members and covers approximately 5 miles,
whatever the weather. Any member can lead a walk and these circular routes usually
commence within a 12 mile radius of Melton, thus providing different views and terrain,
whether by canals, woodland, farmland or reservoirs.
All walks end with refreshment, usually at a village Inn. During 2014 we have started at
Hambleton, Muston, Denton, Saxby, Somerby, Swithland and Hoby.
Geoff Harris, Group Co-ordinator
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4th Monday Walking Group
The group has enjoyed another successful year. The weather has been kind, so no walks
have had to be cancelled, although 2 walks were in pouring rain (both on Bank Holiday
Mondays!!). I took over as Group Leader in January and would like to thank all the members
of the group who have led walks.
Our walks have been varied and the pubs we have visited at the end of the walks have made
us very welcome. As usual our December Meeting will take the form of a skittles tournament
and lunch. A light hearted men v women - last year the men, captained by Brian Spicer, won
the salver, but the ladies are determined to be the winners this year! Hoping the 2015 walks
will be as successful as this year.
Jennifer Gregory - Group Leader
1st THURSDAY WALKING GROUP
We enjoyed some interesting and quite challenging walks in 2014, and managed not to miss a
month despite, at times, there being quite adverse conditions. Also, it was pleasing that when
we were away, members of the group took it upon themselves to organise walks.
The group maintained a good number, which has been very encouraging, although it is a good
thing that not everyone on our list has wanted to walk every month. Normally we walk with
anything between 10 and 18 walkers.
The walks have been in the four quarters of Leicestershire and ventured into Rutland,
Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. We generally start and finish at a hostelry, although this is
not the main purpose of the walks, it does give members the chance to sample different fare,
should they so wish.
For the future, we are asking members of the group to organise individual walks, although
because of the way we administer the group, this may be difficult. Also, having led the group
for at least five years we think it is time to hand over the leadership and hope that someone
will come forward.
Richard and Jo Bewell
THEATRE GROUP
Another year has flown by and the group continues to prosper after a mid-year blip when we
had to cancel a trip due to lack of support. We hope that by reducing the number of trips
slightly and liaising with other groups organising outings that we can help you spread your
money more successfully. There are just so many activities to enjoy.
We started this year by “Singing in the Rain” in Nottingham then another short hop to Leicester
took us to see Flavia and Vincent from “Strictly Come Dancing” in their own show “Dance til
Dawn”. I think this was the most popular show of the year with the group. In September we
were at the Curve to see “Barnum” starring Brian Conley. A really colourful, happy show.
As we have stayed near to home this year we are starting 2015 with a visit to the Royal Albert
Hall in London to see a concert of Broadway music given by the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra. This has already sold out I am pleased to say.
We hope to have future plans on view at the “Meet the Groups” January meeting but
information can always be found in the monthly newsletter. Thank you for your support.
Anne Dyster (Group Leader
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READING GROUP (JENNY)
We meet on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2.30pm on the balcony in The Cutting
Room on St Mary's Way, LE13 1YE.
Our group started in 2012 and we continue to enjoy our reading and consequent discussion
and it is sometimes surprising how much our opinions differ! We find that we are reading
books that we would certainly not have chosen to, and again are surprised that we enjoy them
or at least find them interesting. The selection of books from the library certainly widens our
scope of personal reading and there is no cost involved.
Since the last Meet the Groups meeting in January we are full with 10 members. The books
from the library that we borrow are in sets of 10, which is also the optimal number of people for
effective discussion so unfortunately we cannot accept any more members.
One member of the group prefers to read the book on her Kindle and would be happy to help
others with navigating through theirs. Phone Jenny 07885 210889
Jenny Petchey (Group Leader)
PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP
The relatively new Photography Group has had an interesting and informative few months.
We have covered many photographic subject areas including camera settings, composition,
macro and close up photography, photo editing to name a few. Each month we select a
subject such as Autumn, Macro, Black and White, Poppies etc and take a few photos to show
at the following meeting.
We have photographers of all abilities in the group ranging from very basic ‘point and shoot’ up
to the very experienced. One of the best things about the group, is how willing the more
experienced photographers are to share their knowledge and help the less experienced. We
were able to display some of our work at the October general meeting which was well
received.
At the last meeting we discussed the programme for the coming months and will be looking at
photo editing, landscapes, panoramas, camera maintenance, table top photography and much
more as well as re-visiting some of topics we have covered previously. We are also very
fortunate to have a professional portrait photographer coming along to the February meeting to
talk about her work and give us the benefit of her experience. We also plan to have many trips
out with our cameras to put what we are learning into practice.
Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month at the RAFA Club, 2-4pm.
We would
welcome new members, regardless of experience and ability. If you would like to join us
please contact me or just come along to one of the meetings (we are not meeting in
December).
Christine Bluett (Group Leader) email: [email protected]
ANNUAL REPORTS DUE FOR DECEMBER 2014 NEWSLETTER
Well Being & Healthy Living, Writing for Pleasure, Words, Words, Words, Yoga
CATERING GROUP FOR NEXT MONTH’S MEETING ON 18 DECEMBER 2014
Vera Mowbray, Collette Marshall, Pauline Posy, Frances Waite, Patricia Fisher,
Susan Pymm
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