Undeterred by a cold, wet morning a large group of members met at 10 am to enjoy coffee and mince pies in the hall. In festive mood we presented a light hearted view of the Nativity as seen by very young children. Sketches based on observations made by Gervaise Phinn during his visits to Northern schools, were interspersed with carols sung by the small Choir and humorous poems. Ruth’s beautiful solo “Mary’s Boy Child” led the proceedings which managed to balance sincerity and innocence with fulsome laughter. Jane’s version of the Joyce Grenfell classic monologue, was warmly received, prompting many memories of similar festive preparations in Reception classes All entered into the interactive spirit culminating in a riotous rendering of the Twelve Days of Christmas, with pictures and actions to aid our “failing” memories. Many thanks to all who contributed especially Mike and Lis for their musical talents, our engaging actors and Ruth who produced the programme. A collection for Menphys raised £103:00.
GROUP REPORTS
(in alphabetical order)
CYCLING GROUP
Co-ordinator
Nigel Bones
01455 209756
It was a cold and dull December day, but 6 members turned up for an
invigorating cycle ride from Palmers Garden Centre, through
Ullesthorpe and the Claybrookes, along the old Fosse Way past Fosse Meadows towards Sharnford, and back via Frolesworth. Those of us who did make it had a very pleasant ride with only one slight mishap: a puncture on entering Frolesworth. This was quickly dealt with though, and then a short ride back to our starting point followed by an excellent pub-lunch at the Hollybush in Ashby Parva. If the weather permits, the January ride will take place on the 2nd Tuesday of January and will be starting from Foxton Locks
.
If you would like to join us, please contact Nigel on 01455 209756.
FAMILY HISTORY
Co-ordinator
Jackie Yeo
01455 552376
There was no meeting of the Family History group in December, due to Christmas. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 27th January 2015, in the Porch at the Methodist Church. We are having a speaker, Barbara Wilkinson from "the other u3a group", telling us about "The life of an ordinary man".
New members are always welcome.
GARDEN GROUP
Co-ordinator
Sue Creeden
01455 557888
Happy New Year to everyone.
We kick start the 2015 programme with a talk by Maggie Richards, Co-ordinator of Market Harborough in Bloom volunteers. Maggie and her team work tirelessly throughout the year tending the parks and gardens in Market Harborough and have won several awards including Best East Midlands Town 2014.
The talk will be on Tuesday, 27th January 2015 in the Sue Foggatt Room at the One Stop Shop, Wycliffe House (which houses Lutterworth Museum), Gilmorton Road, Lutterworth, LE17 4DY. We shall start at 2.00 p.m. and the talk will be about an hour followed by tea and biscuits. The cost will be £5.00 (£2 towards room hire and £3 donation to the Volunteers’ funds).
If you were given the following definitions for the word EDULCORATE:
A)An old English word meaning the education of children under 5
B)To free from soluble impurities by washing
C)To introduce fast dyes into fabric
Which one would you choose? If you said B you would be correct. Other unusual word meanings which we had to deduce in our annual Call My Bluff session were hexastich, partlet, mondaine, liger and ratafia. It was great fun and the 2 teams tied for 1st place! We then consumed the obligatory Christmas fare to mark the season.
Lively Discussion topics covered in 2014 were:
Jan – Operation Yew Tree, has it become a witch hunt?
Feb – Does Valentine’s Day mean anything?
Mar – The pinkification of little girls and does it matter?
Apr – Can a free press be entirely faultless?
May – What should we do about the lack of burial space?
Jun – The housing crisis.
Jul – Should there be restrictions on welfare immigration?
Aug – Aspects of WWI Centenary: Technical developments, Suffrage, Effect on Children, Changes to the class system, Effect on women, WWI Deserters and Parliament during the war.
Sep – Alternative therapies
Oct – Scottish Independence
Nov – Tomorrow must belong to the young and the old
A taster of 2015 - we’ll be covering topics such as English Devolution, Faith Schools and Does prison work?
If you would like to join us please contact Dot Barnard on 01455 208190 or dot.barnard@uwclub.net
We were a bit thin on the ground for our December session, but we were nice and cosy with six players and a plate of home made mince pies as well as the usual biscuits (including the jammy dodgers).
Our newest player, Jim, won his first two games since joining us a few months ago. Perhaps the trend will continue.
I would like to invite any U3A members who are interested in playing Scrabble to contact me (phone number and email address above), I am sure we will be able to accommodate a couple more persons. Not everyone attends every session as other commitments sometimes encroach upon the set day, so usually there are no more than eight players. At a push I think the maximum would be twelve, but it would be tight.
I am expecting to carry on through the winter months, weather permitting. If the weather is bad and driving conditions difficult, please let me know whether the weather (a couple of seven letter bingos there) will prevent attendance.
A reminder that the first walk of 2015 (January 16th) will be a historic walk around Gilmorton, starting at the usual time 11.30a.m from the Crown Inn. Viv will lead the February walk within Watermead Park; Jenny has agreed to organise the March walk and Mandy the April walk (venues/details to be confirmed later).
SOCIAL EVENTS
Co-ordinator
Nigel Bones 01455 209756;email, nigel.bones50@btinternet.comWe now have around 60 names for the social quiz evening on the 30th January. Could everyone on the list please let me have your money (£7 per head) as soon as possible as I need to confirm with the caterers. If anyone hasn't put down their name but would like to go, please let me know as soon as possible.
Additionally, we have a skittles evening on Friday 20th March. If you would like a sociable evening of Long alley Skittles, Table Skittles and Devil's Tails, please add your name to the list or contact Nigel
1st WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP
Co-ordinators
Roger Watmore 01455 552431
Julian Hargreaves 01455 557704
Date of Walk - 4th February 2015
Walk organiser– Julian Hargreaves
Meeting point – The Elms Car Park at 9.30 a.m.
Route and distance – This walk is a repeat of the first ever walk I led for the U3A about 6 years ago. Starting from The Elms Pub in Lutterworth we go across the Golf Course to Cotesbach and then follow a bridleway across the A5 towards Churchover. From there we return back over the A5 and via Moorbarns Lane to have lunch at The Elms Pub. Total distance about 6 miles.
December 2014 Christmas Walk Report
The previous Wednesday was damp and murky but in complete contrast this walk was blessed with a dry bright sunny morning, albeit a little chilly. A magnificent total of 40 walkers set off from Lubenham to Marston Trussell. The walk incorporated more lane walking than usual to avoid the extremely muddy fields and to limit the number of stiles. We climbed across pasture land up to East Farndon taking in the fine countryside views and then stopped for a break in the warm sunshine at the village church of St John the Baptist. We then made our way through some of the village before crossing a few more pasture fields, taking in views across Market Harborough, before picking up a lane which took us back to Lubenham. We were joined by a further three to sit down for an enjoyable festive lunch at the Coach and Horses. If anyone can throw any light on the conundrum as to why the coffee cups did not come with saucers please can you contact me.
Peter Creeden
4th WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUPCo-ordinators
Sue & Peter Creeden
01455 557888
Wednesday 28 January 2015
Walk Organisers:- Sue and Peter Creeden Tel: 01455 557888
Meeting Point and Time:- Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 9.20am to leave at 9.30am.
Start Point and Time:- The Chandlers Arms, Shearsby (LE17 6PL) to start at 10:00am
Directions to the Start:-. Leave Lutterworth by the Gilmorton Road then pass through Kimcote and Walton eventually reaching a T junction. Turn right and pass Shearsby Bath. Shortly after turn left into the small lane to Shearsby. On entering the village turn right into Main Street. Parking is on Main Street and the pub landlord has asked us to park on the village green side of the road.
Route and Distance:-. From Shearsby we will head to Knaptoft then Bruntingthorpe then Arnsby and back to Shearsby. There are no serious inclines but there will be some fields to cross and inevitably some mud to encounter (no red cards will be accepted). There are 17 stiles. The distance is approximately 5.5 miles.
Lunch arrangements:- The pub is serving food which we will pre-order before setting off.
