U3a WOOLER E-BULLETIN: WINTER 2021 - U3A Site Builder
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u3a WOOLER E-BULLETIN: WINTER 2021
WELCOME
On behalf of u3a Wooler Chair Pat Boyd, Trustees and members ... welcome to this
quarterly e-bulletin which keeps you in touch with the many and varied activities of one of
the largest voluntary sector membership organisations in Glendale. Apologies if you
receive more than one copy of this e-bulletin; better to see it twice than not at all?!
Anniversaries in 2021
15 January 1921, was a crucial day for motorists, when automatic windscreen wipers
reached the UK
15 February 1971 was the day when the UK was universally baffled, when
decimalisation hit the coinage
29 March 1871 marked the official opening of the Albert Hall by Queen Victoria
3 April 1721 was when Robert Walpole became our first Prime Minister
3 May 1921 was when a partition left Ireland divided into North and South
10 June 2021 is the 100 th birthday of the Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich,
aka the Duke of Edinburgh
13 July 1871 was the day when the UK held its first cat show at Crystal Palace
15 August 1771 was the day when novelist Sir Walter Scott was born
8 September 1921 was when Harry Secombe, alias Neddie Seagoon of the Goon
Show, was born
10 October 1971, London Bridge was officially open for business - in Arizona, after
being dismantled and then mantled again as a tourist attraction
10 November 1871 was when journalist Henry Morton Stanley said, or alternatively
did not say, to the missing missionary - “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”
29 December 1921 was when Robert C Baker was born, inventor of the chicken
nugget
For u3a members across the UK, Wednesday 2 June 2021 will be the first UK-wide u3a Day,
whether online or face-to-face, it will be an opportunity to showcase our amazing stories,
raise our profile and demonstrate that our ageing society is a bonus and not a burden.
Throughout the pandemic, u3a Wooler Geology Group has continued to meet
Zoom has proved an invaluable tool to some u3a Wooler Interest Groups, Leader Maggie
Harker (stading in for Brenda Smith) has ensured that members could continue to learn,
laugh and live …
The Cheviot Alison Cocklawburn Beach
Alison Tymon graduated from Leeds University with a degree in Geography/Geology and
taught in Huddersfield for the great majority of her career. Now, a lecturer and writer of
articles, leaflets and booklets about rocks and landscapes as well as acting as a leader of
field trips in Yorkshire, Northumberland, Scotland and Iceland over many years.
Alison gave talks to the Geology Group on ‘Landscape and Rocks of the Cheviot and
surrounding areas’, ‘Limestone Landscapes’ and ‘Landscapes of the Causeway Coast,
Northern Ireland’. Elizabeth Jevon, as well as giving a talk on ‘Siccar Point’, described ‘The
Coast from South Cocklawburn to Cheswick’.
The Cheviot is an extinct stratovolcano, eruptive during the Caledonian orogeny. The
mountain is heavily eroded. Originally, the mountain may have been as high as 10,000 ft
(3,000 m) and the summit of the Cheviot is very flat. It is covered with an extensive peat
bog up to 6 ft (2 m) deep. The Northumberland National Park Authority have laid down
stone slabs on the main access footpath, to prevent erosion damage to the peat.
The grand sweep of Cocklawburn Beach with its rocky headlands, skerrs and sandy
beaches leads the eye to the large dune-land and breaker-ruled sand flats towards
Lindisfarne. It is possible to find the fossilised remains of ancient sea-creatures from a 340
million-year-old tropical sea. Geodiversity walks give an opportunity to spend time finding
out where these fossils can be found, what sort of creatures they were and what they can
tell about life in this ancient ocean.
Chinese New Year:12 February 2021: Year of the Ox
The Ox is the second of all Chinese zodiac animals.
According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided
by the order in which they arrived to his party.
The Ox was about to be the first to arrive, but Rat tricked Ox into giving him a ride.
Then, just as they arrived, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox.
Thus, Ox became the second animal.
Oxen are the hard workers in the background, intelligent and reliable,
but never demanding praise.
In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal.
Because of its role in agriculture, positive characteristics are attributed to it,
such as being hardworking and honest.
What a start to 2021!
At the time of writing this E-bulletin, because of the bitterly cold weather, the continuing
pandemic – and a lockdown meaning that travel to winter sunshine is not possible, readers
could be forgiven for wanting to escape to a hibernacle. ‘Hibernacle’ is derived from the
Latin verb ‘hibernare’, meaning ‘to pass the winter months’. Some us of may choose to be
‘dormitive’ (inclined to sleep throughout the winter) but most will probably opt for
‘snudging’ (a seventeenth century term for ‘remaining snug and quiet’).
This information is from a wonderful new book, “Word Perfect, etymological entertainment
for every day of the year” by Susie Dent – who many readers will know from when she
began to occupy the Dictionary Corner on ‘Countdown’, twenty-eight years ago.
Talking of books …
Reading for Pleasure Group Leader Elaine Bales has encouraged members to keep on
reading and, although face-to-face discussions have not been possible, members have
been exchanging views by email each month. Some members, with technological help
from Veronica Gilbert, followed up these e-discussions with Zoom sessions.
“Big Sky” by Kate Atkinson reintroduces several characters from previous outings: young
Reggie Chase from book three, for instance, all grown up and working as a police officer;
the slinky Russian honeytrap Tatiana; and Brodie’s glum, on-again-but-mostly-off-again,
girlfriend Julia.
“The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes is narrated by a retired man named Tony
Webster, who recalls how he and his clique met Adrian Finn at school and vowed to remain
friends for life. When the past catches up with Tony, he reflects on the paths he and his
friends have taken.
In “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, the protagonist is fictional Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia on 24 October 1889. He was raised on his Rostov family's estate "Idlehour" in Nizhny Novgorod. When the Count's parents died of cholera within hours of each other in 1900, Grand Duke Demidov became guardian to the 11-year-old and his sister Helena. Fascinating topics discussed by the Philosophical Discussion Group Recently, Group Leader Maggie Harker has facilitated discussions on a wide range of topics – some via email such as ‘How much personal freedom would you sacrifice for the greater good of the community?’ and ‘Life is not about finding ourselves; it is about creating ourselves’. Some topics have had much more lively ‘real time’ discussions via Zoom, including ‘To what extent do you shape your own destiny and how much is down to fate?’, ‘Where is the line between insanity and creativity?’, ‘Would you break the law to save someone you love?’ and ‘What one piece of advice would you offer to a new-born infant?’. First UK-wide publicity initiative In November 2020, u3a recruited and trained Public Relations Advisers in each of the nine regions in England and in each of the three devolved nations. As a newly formed ‘team’, they decided to try and ensure that a similar but locally tailored ‘Letter to the Editor’ was printed in as many daily and weekly newspapers, across the UK, as possible. The letter below was published in the Northumberland Gazette on 17 December 2020 … Dear Editor This Christmas is going to be like no other Christmas we have lived through and, for some people, it could be the loneliest Christmas they have ever had.
u3a is aware that so many older people are likely to be alone and that is why the 1,000+
u3as across the country are doing all that they can to keep their membership of over
400,000 people engaged and in touch, whilst at the same time being open to accept
new members.
At u3a Wooler, we had our Zoom AGM on 16 December, the first of a number of seasonal
initiatives to bring our members together. We have a membership of 130 and we are still
open to new members, Even in Tier 3, six socially-distanced u3a members can have
seasonal celebrations together in an outdoor space! Your readers can see what we are
up to on our website at https://www.u3asites.org.uk/wooler
u3a is a self-help charitable organisation run by and for its members.
Yours faithfully
Kelvin Rushworth, u3a Wooler
HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON … when things return to a new normal …
u3a Wooler is waiting to welcome you –
whoever you are, wherever you live and whatever your circumstances.
Once a month, all members are invited to a meeting
where you can get together, chat and listen to some great speakers.
Anyone can attend two Monthly Meetings or try out two Interest Groups for free,
before deciding to join u3a Wooler (there may be a small charge, towards room hire).
Following an informal agreement with other u3as in North Northumberland,
u3a Wooler members can attend Monthly Meetings and Interest Groups
at u3a Alnwick, u3a Berwick and u3a Coquetdale on the same basis.
Usually, full details of u3a Wooler monthly programmes for Film nights and Interest Groups
can be found on the u3a Wooler website (https://u3asites.org.uk/wooler).
REMEMBER
If you are no longer in full time work or raising a family,
u3a gives you opportunities to develop your interests, make new friends and have fun.
u3a Wooler has sixteen Interest Groups including -
Art Appreciation, Carpet Bowls, Board Games, Bridge, Exercise-Pick and Mix, Film,
Geology, History, International, Painting and Drawing, Philosophical Discussion, Quiz,
Reading for Pleasure, Table Tennis, Science and Wine Appreciation - the choice is endless
and the decision about what to do is made by the members for the members.
In order to comply with General Data Protection Regulations,
notice is given to u3a Wooler e-bulletin readers (who receive copies direct) that a list
of their names/email addresses is maintained so that they may continue to do so.
Names/email addresses are kept confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties,
nor will they be used for any purpose other than the effective distribution of this e-bulletin.
Any u3a Wooler e-bulletin recipients who do not wish their data to be kept for this purpose
may have their names/email addresses removed from the distribution list
by contacting the Editor, Kelvin Rushworth, on kelvinnspc@outlook.com
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