March 2018 Issue No 23 MUSINGS FROM THE CHAIR So, we are at last officially over Christmas as we have had our delayed Christmas Lunch. An excellent spread was put on by Mapperley Golf Club and I'm sure I am speaking for everybody that attended that Margaret and Freddie deserve a big thank you for organising the event (see the photos on our Facebook Page). The monthly meeting that preceded the lunch was really entertaining too and, despite the failure of the audio system, was enjoyed by the 80 or so people that attended. It was William Ruff's second visit to our U3A and again his talk “A Day in the Life of the English Language “ was enjoyed by all. As you'll see later in this newsletter, Mike still has a few tickets available for the Square Dance on the 10 March and we hope to see you there. Our AGM is rapidly approaching and I'd like to ask you once again to think about joining the committee. It doesn't take a special type of person to be on the committee, all it needs is some common sense and a small time commitment of a couple of hours each month to attend committee meetings. After that, it is entirely up to you if you want to get more involved with organising things. Even if you've never done this sort of thing before, please give some thought and if you have any questions talk to me or one of the other committee members. We would all welcome new people to join us and help keep the momentum going. Best wishes Richard Hill Chairman BECOME A MaD U3A COMMITTEE MEMBER! The MaD Committee would love to hear from you if you might be interested in joining the Committee and making our U3A even better for all our members. You don’t need any special knowledge or skills, just be willing to work with the other Committee members to make the monthly meetings run smoothly and to contribute your views, ideas and (some) energy into developing our U3A. We meet once a month for a couple of hours, and occasionally smaller groups get together to deal with specific issues. We are keen for new Committee members to work alongside existing members whenever possible. If you would like to have a chat or to come along to a Committee meeting to see what we do, you would be very welcome. Please have a word with any of the Committee members. We would also be delighted to hear from you if you are willing to volunteer to help without joining the Committee – again, see one of the Committee members. The AGM and election of officers and Committee will be held at our May monthly meeting on 24 May. Nominations for officers and committee members should be given to Maggie Grimshaw, the Business Secretary, by 26 April 2018. A nomination form will be available on the website shortly or ask for one at the Membership Desk at the monthly meeting. SPOT THE MAD HATTER The Mad Hatter (our logo) has decided that he is going to hide somewhere in our Newsletters each month, either by popping in a picture of himself or by writing his name somewhere. Can you spot him? Your Monthly Mapperley and District U3A Newsletter THE THIRD AGE TRUST THE UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE U A 3 M a D moments
Transcript
March 2018 Issue No 23
MUSINGS FROM THE CHAIRSo, we are at last officially over Christmas as we have had our delayed Christmas Lunch. An excellent spread was put on by Mapperley Golf Club and I'm sure I am speaking for everybody that attended that Margaret and Freddie deserve a big thank you for organising the event (see the photos on our Facebook Page). The monthly meeting that preceded the lunch was really entertaining too and, despite the failure of the audio system, was enjoyed by the 80 or so people that attended. It was William Ruff's second visit to our U3A and again his talk “A Day in the Life of the English Language “ was enjoyed by all. As you'll see later in this newsletter, Mike still has a few tickets available for the Square Dance on the 10 March and we hope to see you there. Our AGM is rapidly approaching and I'd like to ask you once again to think about joining the committee. It doesn't take a special type of person to be on the committee, all it needs is some common sense and a small time commitment of a couple of hours each month to attend committee meetings. After that, it is entirely up to you if you want to get more involved with organising things. Even if you've never done this sort of thing before, please give some thought and if you have any questions talk to me or one of the other committee members. We would all welcome new people to join us and help keep the momentum going. Best wishes Richard Hill Chairman
BECOME A MaD U3A COMMITTEE MEMBER! The MaD Committee would love to hear from you if you might be interested in joining the Committee and making our U3A even better for all our members. You don’t need any special knowledge or skills, just be willing to work with the other Committee members to make the monthly meetings run smoothly and to contribute your views, ideas and (some) energy into developing our U3A. We meet once a month for a couple of hours, and occasionally smaller groups get together to deal with specific issues. We are keen for new Committee members to work alongside existing members whenever possible. If you would like to have a chat or to come along to a Committee meeting to see what we do, you would be very welcome. Please have a word with any of the Committee members. We would also be delighted to hear from you if you are willing to volunteer to help without joining the Committee – again, see one of the Committee members. The AGM and election of officers and Committee will be held at our May monthly meeting on 24 May. Nominations for officers and committee members should be given to Maggie Grimshaw, the Business Secretary, by 26 April 2018. A nomination form will be available on the website shortly or ask for one at the Membership Desk at the monthly meeting.
SPOT THE MAD HATTER
The Mad Hatter (our logo) has decided that he is going to hide somewhere in our Newsletters each month, either by popping in a picture of himself or by writing his name somewhere. Can you spot him?
Your Monthly Mapperley and District U3A Newsletter
Margaret Taylor is proposing a day trip by minibus to this lovely, relatively local town, for which the cost will be £12.00 per person for 15 passengers. There will be an optional visit to Burleigh House for which the entrance fee is £18.00 per person.
However, if the demand is more than can be accommodated on a minibus, Margaret will arrange a coach for which the cost per person will be announced. Burleigh House conducts guided group tours of the house with a minimum of 20 persons to a group. The cost of this is £15.00 per person and is well worthwhile. More information will be given when numbers are becoming known. For more information or to book a place on the outing please contact Margaret via the website
SPEED CAMERAS ON MOTORWAYS The new 'smart' motorway speed cameras are always on
Overhead gantries film 24-hours-a-day and officers will fine anyone caught - even if there's no variable speed limit displayed
The standard fine for being caught speeding is £100 and three points, but for more serious offences the punishment can rocket
What is a smart motorway?A smart motorway uses technology to actively manage the flow of traffic. The technology is controlled from a regional traffic control centre. The control centres monitor traffic carefully and can activate and change signs and speed limits. This helps keep the traffic flowing freely. Smart motorways increase the capacity of the road by either temporarily or permanently opening the hard shoulder to traffic.
These are the ‘smart’ areas currently operational on the M1 –J6a – J10 Controlled motorwayJ10 – J13 Dynamic hard shoulderJ16 – J19 All lane runningJ25 – J28 Controlled motorwayJ 28 – J31 All lane runningJ31 – J32 Controlled motorwayJ32 – J35a All lane runningJ39 – J42 All lane running
A Controlled Motorway is designed to tackle the issue of local congestion by keeping traffic moving. The system works through adjusting mandatory speed limits using traffic sensors buried in the road surface, which are able to detect the speed and flow of traffic. It works automatically and includes signs to inform drivers of the reasons for the changes.
When the hard shoulder is not indicated as a running lane it should be used for emergency purposes only, in accordance with Motorway Regulations. Dynamic hard shoulder running involves opening the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic at busy periods to ease congestion. The mandatory speed limit, which will be displayed, will vary according to the traffic conditions.
There is plenty of information online, but here are some links you may wish to look at - Nottingham Post RAC Wiki Speed Camera Locations
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A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you’ll look forward to the trip
February’s General Meeting and Lunch The Lords and Ladies of Mapperley U3A will regularly be drawn back to the talk given to us by William Ruff about A Day in the Life of the English Language. We were educated and amused by William's excellent delivery of the derivation of many of our everyday words. The U3A enjoyment continued as many of us followed the morning's entertainment with a visit to Mapperley Golf Club where we became ‘parasites’ at their tables.
Many thanks to Mike Anthony for finding yet another marvellous speaker for our monthly meeting.
Future General Meetings Thursday 22 March 2018 - Helen Catchpole "Burundi" In October 2014 Helen went to Burundi as part of a joint visit by Gedling Borough and Gedling Deanery (CofE) to look at ways they could support the people of this country. Burundi is one of the three poorest countries in the world - we in England are one of the richest - however both countries suffer from some very similar problems. Helen's talk will be about this unique visit.
Thursday 26 April 2018 - Samantha Glasswell "Roman Food & Dining" Archeologist Samantha joins us today for her fascinating talk about the Romans. Did the Romans really eat dormice? What would the well-dressed Roman wear to dinner? What dishes would you find on a wealthy Roman's table? Come along and discover the answers to these and many more interesting facts.
Thursday 24 May 2018 - Paul Newsham "Biometrics - There Will Never Be Another You" Paul is a lecturer in forensics and this talk is the first in a series. It is a brief introduction to the human genome and each individual's uniqueness. Get ready to be amazed and astounded!
Thursday 28th June 2018 - Jean Townsend “The Last Laugh-Graveyard Epitaphs” Jean is a social historian with a particular interest in the late medieval and early Tudor period. She studied archaeology and discovered her first epitaph whilst clearing a London churchyard. This led Jean to study social attitudes to burial in the past and she collected many unusual and amusing epitaphs. Jean has produced a fascinating talk on this subject - the rest, as they say, is history !
Thursday 26th July 2018 - Christine Adams “Miss Savidge Moves Her House” When the council told May Savidge that her Hertfordshire home would be demolished to make way for a bypass, she had other ideas! She had every nail, brick and beam of her medieval hall house dismantled and carted over 100 miles to Norfolk. May set about singlehandedly rebuilding her house from scratch. She was almost sixty years old and it would take her until the end of her life. This event will appeal to those who still believe that an Englishman’s home is his castle and you will not fail to be moved and awed by this story as told by her niece Christine.
New and Prospective Members’ Meeting Next meeting - Friday 16 March at 10:30 Meetings held at The Plainsman, top of Woodthorpe Drive, Mapperley on the 3rd Friday morning of each month at 10:30 (this being the week prior to our main meetings). If you have recently joined, or know someone who may wish to join us as a new member, then this is an opportunity for you to come along for a one to one chat with one of our committee members. You will be made very welcome! For further details contact Mike Anthony on 0115 920 8906
THE LITTLE MaD QUIZ There is a short quiz at the end of the Newsletter - why not have a go? The answers will be given in next month’s Newsletter.
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NOTICES and ITEMS OF INTEREST
AMERICAN SQUARE DANCE Saturday 10 March 2018 7.30pm - 10 pm Mapperley Plains Social Club Annexe (including bar facility) Caller: Dave Morton Tickets: £5 for members and £6 for guests Tickets can still be obtained from Mike Anthony. Get ready to do-si-do and promenade once again - no partner necessary! Come along and enjoy a fun evening with an American theme - cowboy outfits welcome! And feel free to bring along some nibbles as well ….
For more information contact Mike Anthony on 0115 9208906
THURSDAY SILVER SCREEN The Broadway Cinema offers a discounted rate of £4.50 to all U3A members - including tea/coffee and a biscuit - for any Silver Screen showing on Thursdays. Cost is normally £5.00. You will need to show your current membership card at the box office.For information www.broadway.org.uk 0115 952 6611
STOP NUISANCE CALLS TO YOUR MOBILE An article in the Guardian advised how to stop nuisance calls on your mobile – you text TPS and your e-mail address to 85095 to be added to the UK’s official “do not call” database.
BEWARE THE BOGUS CALLER The Co-Operative Bank have a helpful article on how to spot a bogus caller - Click here
SUGGESTIONS BOX
Your ideas about our U3A, its running and groups are very welcome. You can let us have your ideas and suggestions either by putting them into the Suggestions Box at each monthly meeting, by sending an email us by using the contact service on the website. It’s YOUR U3A. Be creative and think outside the oblong receptacle.
FACEBOOK We now have our own Facebook group - Mapperley and District U3A. Do join the group and keep up to date with news, views and information regarding the MaD U3A.
FANCY LEARNING TO PLAY THE UKULELE? Burton Joyce U3A have a ‘Learn the Ukulele’ group and would welcome any MaD U3A members who wish to give it a go. For more information please contact Richard Hill via the website, or speak to Richard at the main meeting.
PLEASE REMEMBER to let the Membership Secretary know if your personal details change. If you don’t you may stop receiving Third Age Matters, email information and the Newsletter etc.
The MaD Moments Newsletter is published monthly in digital format. Hard copies are available for members who do not have email. Please contact your Chairman Richard Hill or speak to one of the Committee members.
The Third Age Matters magazine is available in a text only format to make it readable with screen reader (You will have to register with the Resources section. Let me know if you have any problems and I will send you a text file.) If your household receives two copies of the Third Age Matters monthly magazine it would be very helpful to us if you could bring your second copy to the next main meeting, so that new members can have a chance to browse this. With thanks Your Committee
INTEREST GROUPSNew Groups: PROPOSED INDOOR MAT BOWLS GROUP
Formation of this group is under investigation by the Group Co-ordinator but at present it is proving difficult to find a suitable venue for a regular spot at the same time and on the same day, on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
As soon as a suitable venue is found within easy reach of Mapperley, an advice will be sent to the prospective members of the group who have put their names down on the reserve list. Notice will also be published in this newsletter and by announcement at the monthly General Meeting.
Unfortunately, at the present, it is a matter of wait and see!!
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If you wish to make suggestions for new groups or to join those already set up please get in touch. Ownership of each group lies with the members of that group and they get together to agree on times and places.
Two free taster sessions are available to those who are not members of MaD U3A. To find out more please go to the website. Each group below has a link to the relevant page.
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Your Committee Richard Hill Chair Maggie Grimshaw Business Secretary Anne Elliott Treasurer Vic Blake Membership Secretary Freddie Davies Vice Chair and Groups Co-ordinator Mike Anthony Speaker Seeker Margaret Taylor Social Committee Carolyn Luckhurst Newsletter Sue Cullen Newsletter
Chris Padgett Committee Support
The old believe everything, the
middle-aged suspect everything, the
young know everything.
Oscar Wilde
I don't need alcohol anymore - I get the same effect just standing up quickly
INTEREST GROUPSEach group has its own page on the website.
Art History Convenor : Julie Rigby Meet : 3rd Thursday from 10.00 to 12.00 am Venue : Mapperley Plains Sports and Social Club
The next meeting of the Art History group will be Thursday 15 March when the Group will be looking at the life and work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841 – 1919.
For more information, contact Julie Rigby here at Art History convenor
Bookclub Convenor: Martin Cooke Meet : 2nd Tuesday at 10.30 am Venue : Members’ homes The next meeting will be on Tuesday 13 March, and we are looking at Iris Murdoch's ‘The sea, the sea’.
We've met monthly since April 2016 – a friendly group, great discussions & varied reading list. People also bring books they’ve read and enjoyed, but do not want to keep, to the meetings to share. We meet at our houses in turn, so keep the membership to max 10 people, which usually results in 6/8 coming along, and being able to fit into the room available! Currently the group is full – but please put your name on the Reserve List and hopefully a second book group will be formed.
Future books and meeting dates -
Date Author Title 10 April Sarah Perry The Essex Serpent 8 May Kazuo Ishiguro Remains of the day
For a list of the books we have already read, please visit the Book Club page of the website
Please get in touch with Martin Cooke via the website about venues or if you have any queries
The course, intended to start on 7 February, has been deferred until a new start date … Wednesday, 26th September. The deferment was due to a number of clashes of dates with other activities the prospective members were involved with, which undermined the validity of conducting the course. The members have all asked that I retain their details for the new commencement date, and, of course, I am doing this.
Freddie Davies If you are interested in joining the course please read my page on the website. If, in the meantime, you wish to comment or enter your details on a waiting list, please see me at the meeting or email me at Bridge Group Convenor
Challenging Photography Convenor : Malcolm Darroch Meet : 4th Wednesday from 2.15 to 4.00 pm (except January) Venue: Room 2 Arnold Library - £2 per head to cover room hire
An opportunity for amateur photographers to rise to the challenge of interpreting a given theme, subject or location. This group is open to all members of MaD U3A who use any form of digital photography equipment. We are not judgemental about technical excellence; we are interested in your interpretation of a given subject. In order to provide a level playing field, all composition and editing must be 'in camera'. With the exception of cropping, no manipulation of images allowed. Members will have two months to submit their entries by e-mail attachment and the anonymous photographs will be judged by the group members. All winning photos are shown on the Challenging Photography webpage. Entries must be submitted to Malcolm by the 13th of each month and the picture must not have been taken before the category has been announced. Judging will take place on the 4th Wednesday of each month. The February subject of ‘Bottles’ produced a wide range of interpretations from the predictable to the extra-ordinary. The winner was David Smith with his picture of a bottle embedded in the roots of a tree. In joint second place were Ruth Smith with her collection of building site bottles and Sue Cullen who was caught squeezing the last drop from a bottle. Congratulations to all participants, in particular to David for his maiden 'gold medal'. Theme for March is ‘Archway’ Closing date 13 March, meeting 28 March Theme for April is ’Numbers’ Closing date 13 April, meeting 25 April There are currently 3 membership vacancies - contact Malcolm Darroch for more information or to join the group
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I was at the bank the other day, and an elderly woman asked me to check her balance. So I pushed her over
What do you call the security guys outside a Samsung shop? Guardians of the Galaxy
Creative Writing Convenor : Carolyn Luckhurst Meet : Once a month, varying days, at 2.00 pm Venue : Convenor’s home
The subject of February’s meeting was “A Parent”. We are delighted to have a new member to the group who submitted a lovely piece about his father. Another member wrote a first draft about her mother – an interesting piece showing how times have changed for us all and women in particular. We listened to a member’s poem called Baptism, together with a piece about his father - an extract from something else he is working on - both very moving. Finally, a piece called Parental Influence that was essentially about the misfortune of being a Wednesday’s Child.
The next meeting will be Thursday 15 March at 2.00 until no later than 4.00pm. We know that there’s a lot happening on Thursday afternoons and we are doing our best to fit in. The subject for the next piece is “A Success” and that can be fact or fiction. As usual, around 1000 words is the target. New members will be made very welcome. Please contact Carolyn for more information and to book a place.
Family History Convenor : Claire Wilkie Meet : 4th Monday at 2.00 pm Venue : Arnold Library This group is open to members at all stages of involvement in Family History, from those just taking up exploration of their ancestors, to people who have managed to trace their family back hundreds of years.
Each meeting will have a focus topic, discuss any research individual members have done during the month and also give people the option of spending some time doing further research. Group members who wish to use the Library's WiFi should make sure they have their Library card. At the next Family History Meeting, at Arnold Library on Monday 26 March at 2pm, we shall be looking at the effects Immigration and Emigration have had on our families. If you want to comment or show more interest in this group, please send an email to the Family History convenor via the website
Games Convenor : Marion Wright Meet : Alternate Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00pm Venue : The Punchbowl, Porchester Road, Nottingham
Future meetings : 14 March, 28 March We meet in an alcove at the back of the Punchbowl at the back of the Punchbowl, or tucked away in a cosy corner of the bar. There is no room charge, but we pay £1.00 a head for tea and coffee, which is provided during the afternoon. Generally we play board games. A few (like Rummikub) have become firm favourites, but members introduce new games all the time and that's often been an enjoyable challenge. The card game Canasta is also a regular feature. If you want to play a particular game, then bring it along and see if you can find
fellow enthusiasts to play with you. Remember, you can bring a friend, who is not yet a member, to give them a taster session. New members are very welcome - the bigger the group, the more likely it is that everyone gets to do what they'd like to. Contact Marion via this link - Games convenor
Gardening Convenor : Chris Padgett Meet : 3rd Monday at 10.00 am (ish) Venue : Various Next meeting: 19 March from 10:15 to 12 noon - Treetops We have 30 members - a friendly, cheerful group of enthusiastic people who share an interest in gardening. None of us are experts, but we all have willing hearts and hands, so why not join us?
For more information, just send an email to the Gardening convenor. Whatever your gardening interest, I look forward to hearing from you!
Geology 1 : The Magic of our Solar System Convenor : Freddie Davies First meeting: Commencing Thursday 1 February 2018 from 2.00 to 4.00 pm and every 2 weeks thereafter, for 10 meetings Venue : Room 2 Arnold Library I will be offering this course to commence on Thursday 1st February, 2018. It will deal with the spectacular system of which our planet Earth is part and will examine the effect the planets have on us on Earth as well as the various attributes each of the planets have individually – and they are totally individual. It will be a spectacular course and will be thoroughly illustrated. If you are interested in learning about our sun and the neighbouring planets in the vastness of space and what they mean to us on Earth join this course for a voyage into space and time. Please visit the website page for full information. If you are interested in knowing more please contact The magic of the Solar System convenor
Geology 2 : The History of the Planet Earth Convenor : Freddie Davies First meeting: Commencing Thursday 14 June 2018 from 2.00 to 4.00 pm and every 2 weeks thereafter, for 10 meetings Venue : Room 2 Arnold Library This will be a follow-on from ‘The Magic of our Solar System’ course.
We live on a very tiny planet called Earth that revolves around, and relies for its survival on, our Sun and also on the Moon, which revolves around us, all on the very fringe of our galaxy in the boundless existence of space. How was Earth “born” 4.6 billion years ago? Where did the Sun and Moon come from? What is the story of Earth from then to now? How has our planet been given the glorious scenery which we all admire and travel frequently to enjoy? Why are there earthquakes, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, deserts, storms, rivers, oceans, and the animal kingdom? It’s a fascinating story and if you want to know the answers to these questions and also how and when WE arrived and survive on the thin “eggshell” which is the crust of the Earth, then this 10 week short
course is for you. To find out more about this course please visit the website page. If I’ve sparked an interest, have a chat with me at our general meeting or send an email to Earth's History group convenor.
Geology 3 : The Earth’s Crust and Us Convenor : Freddie Davies First meeting: Commences 2018 - dates to be announced Venue : Room 2 Arnold Library, from 2.00 to 4.00 pm
I am offering a short-course of 10 sessions duration of 2 hours each entitled ‘The Earth's Crust and Us’. It’s about how we survive on it and use it. This will be a follow-on from ‘The Magic of our Solar System’ and ‘The History of the Plant Earth’ courses but it is not vital that you should have attended either of them before joining this course.
Among the topics covered will be: • the structure of the planet and how chains of islands, mountains and
volcanoes are formed; • how did the map of the world, that we are so familiar with, come into
being; • how and why earthquakes occur; • an overview of the geology of the UK & in more detail that of
Nottinghamshire; • mining extraction including the controversy around fracking; • sinkholes; • minerals and their uses. • the wonderful (and sometimes weird) formations of landscape and
the `whys` and the `hows` of it
To find out more about this course please visit the website page or speak to me at our U3A general meeting, or email me at Earth's Crust convenor
Heraldry : An Introduction Convenor : Freddie Davies First meeting: Alternate Tuesdays from 2.00 to 4.00 pm for 10 meetings Venue : Room 2 Arnold Library
The March meetings will be on Thursday 8 and Thursday 22 March. This is a short course which runs for 10 meetings and to get the most out of it it’s best to attend every meeting. The current course is full, but if there is sufficient interest it may be run again later in the year.
If you’d like to know more please contact the Heraldry group convenor
Historical Architecture (short course)
Convenor : Freddie Davies Meet : Commencing Thursday 7 June 2018 from 2.00 to 4.00 pm and every 2 weeks thereafter, for 10 meetings Venue : Room 2 Arnold Library Historical Architecture is a short course of 12 meetings of 2 hours each. The course consists of talks given by myself, Freddie Davies, who is the Group Convenor. Each talk is fully illustrated with slide projection. Hand-out material (for which I do not normally make a charge) is frequently given to each member to back-up the talks delivered. It is intended that the course should be interesting, entertaining and fun to be involved with as well as educational.
We will concentrate on English Historic Architecture although occasional ‘forays' are made into Scotland and Wales.
You will be taken from the pre-historic ‘Shamrock' dwellings of the Stone-age through all the various periods of architectural styles (eg Saxon, Norman, Gothic, Renaissance, Victorian, Modern and many more in between), covering a period of some 4500 years of achievement in building. All the buildings featured in the talks can be seen today and, in most cases, visited.
If you wish to comment or show more interest in this group, please send an email to the Historical Architecture Group Convenor
International Dining Convenor : Margaret Taylor Meet : every 4th Thursday usually at 6.30 pm Venue : Various
Meals will always be arranged for the same Thursday evening as the general monthly meetings of Mapperley and District U3A. Please let me know by the previous week, at the latest, if you wish to come in order that I can advise the restaurant of numbers. You then pay me at the monthly general meeting.
If you wish to comment or show more interest in this group, please send me an email addressed to International Dining group convenor
Italian Speech Convenor : Joice Hall Meet : Wednesdays from 12.15 to 1.15 pm. Venue : Arnold Library, Meeting Room 2 Ciao. This is a beginners' group for people who want the basics of Italian so that they can get around whilst on holiday in Italy. We have seven members in the group with room for one more. The pace is slow and relaxed with lots of opportunity for practice. We also talk about Italian culture, the regions of Italy and their differences and also share our experiences of Italy.
Local History Convenors : Dorothy Ritchie and Michael Payne Meet : 1st Tuesday from 10.00 to 12.00 Venue : Mapperley Social Club, Games Room A reminder that the March meeting on Tuesday 6 March is a visit to the William Booth Birthplace Museum and then to St Stephen's Church. I have a list of 10 people who will join the visit, if others wish to join in please let me know (just to give an idea of numbers for tea and coffee) or turn up on the day.
The visit is planned for 10.30am (to give time for those travelling by public transport). Below is a copy of the map and other details.
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Parli Italiano?
“How do I get to the airport?” “Come posso raggiungere l'aeroporto?
William Booth Birthplace Museum Notintone Place, Sneinton, Nottingham, NG2 4QG
St Stephen’s Church How to get here: The Museum is in Sneinton, about 1¼ miles east of Nottingham city centre, near Green's Windmill & Science Centre (follow the 'Green's Windmill' signs from the city centre). Access the Museum via the walkway to the right of the row of shops on Sneinton Road - at the junction of Sneinton Road and Notintone Street. Please note that the Museum is not visible from the street, as it is tucked within a courtyard among several Salvation Army buildings.
By car: If you're travelling by car the post code for your sat nav is NG2 4QG. On-street parking is nearby (please take note of any restrictions). Disabled parking is available in the staff car park to the rear of The Salvation Army Complex and Museum, off Harold Street (please call in advance for directions).
By public transport: Bus number 43 from King Street in the city centre passes the Museum ('Windmill Lane' stop).
If you would like to know more about this group please send an email to the Local History convenor Luncheon Club Convenor : Sheila Stacey Meet : 3rd Wednesday at 12.00 noon Venue : Various
The Luncheon Club will next meet on Wednesday 21 March.
Please contact Judith to for details and to book your place - Luncheon Club Convenor
Music Appreciation Convenor : Maggie Grimshaw (for now) Meet : Possibly 1st Monday of the month - evenings Venue : To be decided
The second meeting of the Music Appreciation Group will take place on Monday 5 February at 7:00 pm, venue to be finalised. Members of the group are encouraged to bring with them a piece of music which ‘makes the hairs on the back of their neck stand up’.
Please contact Maggie Grimshaw on [email protected] for more information and meeting details.
Philosophy Convenor : Vic Blake Meet : 4th Tuesday from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm Venue : Convenor’s home This is not intended to be a taught course in philosophy. As with many other interest groups, the members of this group have agreed among themselves what the format and aims of the group should be and how it will best work for them, while the convener aims to help the group as best he can to achieve these aims.
As such, we have decided to work predominately from a thematic basis, looking at everyday ideas and seeing how they stand up to a more rigorous and critical analysis. Any reading should flow out of the discussion at any given moment, rather than the reverse. A key aim of this group is to be able to move beyond everyday 'common-sense' notions of the world and how it works towards a more critical understanding of what makes 'good sense' or 'sound sense' (i.e. that which can be supported by rigorous and detailed argument). We hope to be able to access a wide range of resources, not just books, in developing these arguments. The group is currently full but if you want to comment or show more interest, please send an email to the Philosophy group convenor via the website. The convener cannot run a second group but he is willing to work closely and liaise with someone else should they wish to set up and convene a second group of their own.
Friday 9 March, we shall be going to see Our Country’s Good, comedy and drama about convicts settling in Australia.
To date, little interest has been shown in going to see Holes on 4 April, and Shebeen on 1 June. Holes is about the victim of a miscarriage of justice and sent to Camp Green Lake - no lake and nothing green. It is a multi- winning novel that went on to have a box office success on the big screen. Sheebeen invites you to a party you never knew existed.1958 St
Anns, Nottingham. Tempers are flaring and Teddy Boys are on the march.
Friday 31 August - Sweet Charity Friday 5 October - Kinder Transport Friday 2 November - Madness of King George III To book tickets, or for more information, please contact Judith via the website.
Play Reading Convenor : Sue Cullen Meet : 1st Thursday from 1.30 to 4.30 pm Venue : Members’ Homes This is a very friendly, supportive and encouraging group and we have a lot of fun. The purpose of this group is to read plays. We choose texts which interest us, and then get together to read them. We have explored a wide variety of plays and really enjoyed both the serious and light-hearted styles. Meeting for 3 hours enables us to complete a whole play in one afternoon, which makes it much more interesting. This month we shall be reading ‘The Distance’ by Deborah Bruce. The group is thriving, but we should love to have some new voices - so if you’re interested in joining please send an email to Sue via website.
Convenor : Vic Blake Meet : Various times Venue : Convenor’s Home
This is simply an opportunity for those who feel competent enough in Spanish to meet together occasionally and practice through free conversation. Vic, the convener and the host, is reasonably fluent but not perfect and interested parties need only to be able to contribute to the conversation and be prepared to develop. If you want to find out more contact Vic Blake - in either language. Click here to contact Vic via the website, or speak to him at one of our main meetings
Walking
Convener : Chris Padgett Meet : every other Friday at 10:15 Venue : Various Next Meetings : Friday 9 March ) Details to follow Friday 23 March ) Details to follow Hello there, my name is Chris Padgett and I am the convenor for the walking group. We number 40 members at the moment, but there's always room for more! We walk alternate Fridays.
We meet at the start point at 10.15am for 10.30 am start (prompt). Details of the walk and a map will be sent out by email prior to the walk so, if you would like to join us but you're not already a member of the walking group, just drop me a line (see below)
All members of the walking group are encouraged to take an active role. This can be anything from suggesting an area we may like to walk in to offering a particular walk and leading it. Please don't be put off by this, it is not that difficult, it's great fun and you've got me to help you!
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do and what better way to do it than with a bunch of like-minded people? So, what are you waiting for? Come and join us!
If you want to comment or show more interest in this group, please contact the walking group convenor Walking Group convenor
Wine Appreciation Convenor : Maggie Grimshaw Meet : Mostly 3rd Wednesday at 2.30 pm Venue : Convenor’s Home
On a chilly February afternoon, a smaller group than usual was very happy to take a trip to Spain. We were not disappointed. Sparkling Freixenet Cordon Negro (Tesco) was a delight - crisp, clean, apples and (for some) ginger. The rest of the wines were from Waitrose - Torres Vina Sol (also at Costco - see Carolyn) was thought by some to be quite an ordinary white wine, but great value and one to keep in the fridge for emergencies! Vina Taboexa Albarino was very good, a zingy wine with apples, lemons and limes and a long finish. Not to everyone's taste but for most people it was definitely one to buy and surprisingly reasonably priced.
El Guia Rosado was a far better than expected rose - strawberries, marshmallow and vanilla - and amazingly cheap at £4.79! Beronia Reserva Rioja 2012 was probably the star of the show - complex notes of leather and vanilla with tannins but not too heavy - delicious, and again very reasonably priced for the quality (on offer at Waitrose for £10.49, usually £13.99). Finally The Cubist Old Vine Garnacha was a deeper and heavier red - peppery, dark plums and damsons, plenty of tannin and again very good value. Sue also gave us a very enjoyable geography lesson - very educational! We are hoping for a good turn out in March, when we will be tasting English wines (including a couple of reds!). They will be a little more expensive than our usual selection of wines, but still affordable. We are also planning to have occasional "members' choice" winetastings, which will be very interesting. This group is not taking new members at the moment, but we will keep the situation under review. Please contact me if you want me to put you on a waiting list.
THE LITTLE MaD QUIZ 1 Who founded the Boy Scouts? 2 What is the capital of Saudi Arabia? 3 In the bible, who was the brother of Moses? 4 Who composed Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess? 5 Roquefort cheese is made from which animal’s milk? 6 How is Lord Marmaduke Bunkerton better known in a long-running comic strip? 7 Who created Sergeant Cuff, one of the earliest detectives in fiction, in his novel The Moonstone? 8 Which satellite was used to broadcast the first television satellite transmission and to carry the first satellite telephone call? 9 Who was crowned king of Scotland in 1306? 10 Oil of Vitriol is an alternative name for which acid?
AnswerstoFebruary’sQuiz1. Hungary, 2. Hanover, 3. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, 4. PC George Dixon (of dock
Green), 5. (Sergei) Rachmaninov, 6. Ankara (formerly Angora), 7. (Gentleman Usher of the) Black Rod, 8. Entrechat, 9. Aloe Vera, 10. Baskerville
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And finally …….
I was visiting my son this week and asked him where his newspaper was.
He laughed and said, “Dad, it’s the 21st century. We stopped buying newspapers years ago. It saves trees. But you can borrow my iPad.”
Okay, fine, whatever. That pesky housefly never knew what hit it!
