May 2013 Month bulletin
Report on the April Meeting
This month, Tony Butler gave an interesting illustrated talk on his Life in Aviation. He started out working for High Duty Alloys in Redditch. There he was a metallurgist working on aerospace components for many well know aircraft. These included the Vulcan, well known to Lutterworth residents as well as others like the Harrier jump jet, the Tornado fighter bomber and probably the most famous, Concorde. He also showed pictures from much earlier times at High Duty Alloys. One of their notable achievements, again with local relevance, was the development of high temperature alloys for the Whittle jet engine. These gave Whittle the technical edge of similar developments in Germany. Following his time at HDA, he then moved on to become an aviation historian and writer with 21 books already published on different aircraft. This has involved him in seeking out many old photographs in colour and black and white including some of the first on the original Kodachrome slide film.
Everyone found the talk most interesting.
Note from the Photography Group
If you want to see more aerial photos, go to:-
www.britainfromabove.org.uk
It’s a website sponsored by English Heritage amongst others and you get free access to over 25,000 images that are high resolution and easy to access and download.
XMAS LUNCH ADVANCE NOTICE— New Venue for 2013
Please make a note in your diary that the 2013 Xmas Lunch will be held at
Lutterworth Golf Club on
Tuesday, 10th December.
3 course meal inc coffee and mince pies
Cost £16.50
FRENCH CONVERSATION
Co-ordinator
Sue Hicks
01858 880273
25 April 2013
The group started by tackling a fairly difficult crossword puzzle in French. Several of us had brought delicious-sounding recipes which we then presented in French.
The next meeting will be on Thursday, 23 May, when we plan to discuss food and drink.
Four members of our group are going with Lutterworth Twinning to stay with families in Chambourcy, near Paris for a weekend at the end of May. We hope to be able to practice our French!
GERMAN CONVERSATION
Co-ordinator
Sue Hicks
01858 880273
16 April 2013
As usual we continued the CD course. Alan had kindly prepared some photos of beautiful and interesting places in Germany which we then enjoyed watching. The next meeting will be at Alan’s house on Tuesday, 14 May, a week early again to suit participants.
PUB LUNCH
Co-ordinator
Jill Graham
01455 557117
email grahjill@hotmail.com
Tuesday 4th June at The Glebe Garden Centre, Countesthorpe
Future Wednesday Lunches
Wednesday 5th June – Kilworth Springs Golf Club (by popular request) where they are putting on a Special Menu for us.
Please sign up on the sheets at the Monthly Meeting if you are interested in this Lunch, and take a slip giving details.
Sample Menu’s available for some venues.
CARD GAMES
Co-ordinator
Cynthia Griffith
01455 554308
We are meeting every other Monday ( 1st & 3rd) during the summer. We would be glad to have new members join us. We play mainly various games of Whist, Rummy, group patience and Uno.
Do come along.
TRIPS
Joint Co-ordinators
George Robertson
01455 559725 email:george9high@hotmail.com
39 Steps report
21 of us attended a performance of The 39 Steps at The Belgrade Theatre. In the programme the writer was asked “What makes this show work best?” His reply “The faster and tighter it is played, the more the story will work.” Well it was far from as fast or slick as the performance seen at the Curve couple of years ago. This meant that although some thought it was good, most opinions varied from ok to not at all funny. As the organiser, I was disappointed, I had hoped that everyone would re-join the coach with sides aching from laughter. George Robertson
Sandringham Trip
The coach leaves Broughton Astley from Orchard Rd opposite the co-op car park at 9.00am , then picks up at Lutterworth Leisure Centre off Coventry Rd at 9.15am. There will be a loo stop at Peterborough Services (out and return).
Sandringham has a restaurant and a cafe but you might like to take a picnic and choose your own time and place to eat. The main house is 10-15 min walk from the coach park but there is a shuttle service for those who need it. The church is near the coach park and is worth a visit. No guided tours are offered for the main house but each room has a guide to help you with added information. This allows you to choose your own timing between house and gardens. The coach will leave for the return journey at 5.00pm. I will be away for most of May, please give any outstanding payments (£19 per person) to Christine who will have the passenger list at the May meeting, at the Theatre and Trips Table in the schoolroom.
It is important to have your boarding point added to that list. I will assume Lutterworth if there is no choice indicated.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the day! George
BIRD WATCHING
Co-ordinators
Mary & Peter Rolleston
01455 209156
This month ten members of the group enjoyed a visit to Paxton Pits Nature Reserve. The weather was a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers, but we were rewarded with the sound of willow warblers, chiffchaffs and snatches of the beautiful melodic singing of the recently arrived nightingales. There were herons and cormorants nesting in trees near the pools, and we spotted gargeny and tufted ducks. We had a pleasant walk around the reserve, stopping off at some of the hides. After being caught in a hailstorm we headed off to the village pub for a delicious lunch.
THEATRE Co-ordinator
Eddie Hemsley 01455 554564 (edwardhemsley@btinternet.com )
Please pick up your tickets today for
“My Fair Lady” at Kilworth House on 16th June
from the Trips & Theatre table in the schoolroom
RSC tickets 2013.
A provisional booking for 12 tickets has been made for the RSC production of ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ on September 25. If you would like tickets, please see me at the May monthly meeting.
Cost per ticket is £34. The performance begins at 7.30pm.
The tickets for ‘Hamlet’ on May 14 have now been allocated. Any payments due can be given to me at the May meeting.
Please note that the performance begins at 7.00pm, and NOT at 7.30pm as is more usual for RSC Shakespeare productions. Anne
Book &/or Pay Anne at the Trips & Theatre table
QUIZ GROUP
Co-ordinator
Sylvie Curtis
01455 554504
Seven members met in April to answer questions set by Bob, with supplementary questions supplied by Sylvie. These all proved stretching as usual and all members present enjoyed their morning.
We would welcome new members, so if you would like to join us for just one meeting to see what we do, we would be very glad to see you.
We meet in the porch of the Methodist church at 10am on the first Tuesday of every month.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Co-ordinator
Mick Curtis
01455 554504
We had a good response for our theme this month, with some interesting studies in black and white. We saw that some subjects lent themselves to a monochrome presentation very well although no one felt confident enough to attempt any portraiture. There was just one image that included people as the subject, but the snow was a help for some of the images on show.
Our next meeting will be on June 27th and our theme will be people at work.
SNAIL’S PACE WALKING GROUP
Co-ordinator
Sheila Eggleton
01455 554387
sheilaeggleton@yahoo.co.uk
MAY 17th WALK
Our walk will start from the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre. We will leave their car park at 11.30a.m for the walk. The address is Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Sutton Cheney. CV13 0AD. Tel 0116305 7374. There is a fee for parking on site. There will be the opportunity to purchase refreshments or look around the exhibits at the end of the walk, Anne Dean will be leading this walk.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE JUNE 21st WALK:
Mandy is planning a blue badge walk around Leicester. It will have a historic theme and will be led by a guide. At the moment we do not know the time of the walk; however there will be a charge for this walk, which if we can generate sufficient interest should be £3-4. We do however need to collect the money at the May (or at the latest the June) meeting. Unfortunately we may not be able to refund monies if people do not go. We will be available before and after the meeting to collect monies should you be interested.
APRIL WALK: WISTOW
The twelve regular members of the group who set off from the rural centre at Wistow enjoyed lovely weather for this walk. The walk was across fields, along side roads/streets and along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. We enjoyed the sight on young lambs playing and Daffodils in bloom – a sense that Spring had finally sprung! Whilst this was not intended as a Historic walk, we did learn a little about the History of Wistow Hall and the local Church. If you were unable to accompany us on this walk but would like to do it on your own details of this and other walks can be found on the Leicestershire County Council Parish Walks sheet for Wistow.
BOOK CHAT
Co-ordinator
Mick Curtis
01455 554504
Fame is the Spur by Howard Spring was our book for April. The central character, Hamer Shawcross, starts as an aspiration all working class boy in Manchester, becomes a socialist activist and a career politician, who eventually is absorbed by the upper classes he had begun by combating.
This book was written in 1940 and gives a fair impression of the growth of the Labour Party in Britain and historical figures such as Kier Hardy occasionally appear. Although the author's sympathies obviously lie with the working classes, he nevertheless portrays the middle class and aristocratic characters sympathetically.
Because of difficulties in obtaining copies of this book some members were not able to finish reading it before the meeting. All members who had read the whole book reported enjoying it and those who were still to finish felt it was well written and well worth reading to the end.
LIVELY DISCUSSION
Co-ordinator
Dot Barnard
01455 208190
Report on April Meeting
Has the BBC and other media dumbed down?
It was felt that in general the BBC had dumbed down as had other stations and some newspapers, but with more channels and greater competition there was a move to appeal to a wider audience. Also are there too many media outlets? The most glaring example of poor quality was the commentary on the Diamond Jubilee Regatta, which attracted over 2,000 complaints. Many of the soaps are trying to find more and more sensational stories which most of the group abhorred.
The objective of the BBC is to educate and entertain. In its favour - during a week in March the only news programme listed in the top 10 viewing figures was BBC 10 O’clock News. It should be remembered that the BBC is funded by the public and not as a commercial company and therefore should not chase ratings.
Quality programmes will be watched. Examples of these are Call the Midwife, various Attenborough documentaries, Ian Hislop on Beeching etc. There is a plethora of cooking, house improvement and following celebrities across the media including newspapers. Strictly Come Dancing was very good at the beginning but now is becoming sillier as the audience is allowed to shout and scream and the presenters seem to have lost their dignity. Even children’s programmes seem to be worse than previously.
Sensationalism can cause real harm as with the coverage of the MMR research which was not true, but the media did not cover the refutation as enthusiastically as their original reports.
Nevertheless compared with TV in the US, New Zealand and Australia the media here is much better. When travelling abroad the BBC News and Hard Talk programmes are much appreciated as ‘a little bit of home’. Group members recommended Channel 4’s 7 O’clock News and ITV’s News as often being much better than the BBC – we don’t need to see flat caps flying across the screen when economic caps are being discussed!!
June Topic – Does coalition government work?
1st WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP WYCLIFFE U3A Joint Co-ordinators:
Roger Watmore 01455 552431 and
Julian Hargreaves 01455 557704
WEDNESDAY 5th June 2013
Walk Organiser: Peter & Jean Child 01788 811765.
Meeting Point: Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 9.10am to leave at 9.15am.
Starting at 10 am from The Boathouse Inn Braunston NN11 7HB. NOTE START TIME.
Directions to the start: Take the M1 south to Junction 18, turn for Rugby A5 & A428. Turn south A5 to Kilsby. A361 SP Daventry. After crossing the M45 turn right SP Willoughby. Turn left on to the A45 SP Daventry. Just after crossing the Oxford canal turn right into The Boathouse Inn.
Route and Distance: Just under 5 miles. The walk will take us to Sawbridge returning via the bridleway by Willoughby House to Braunston.
Lunch at The Boathouse, with a special rate of two meals but only pay for the dearest meal. Book meals before the walk and toilet facilities are available before the walk.
April Walk: 26 walkers assembled at The Queen’s Head, Saddington. Some were justifiably suspicious to see the leaders in wellies! We set off more or less due south, and the first quagmire was encountered within five minutes. We walked through hilly country , enjoying sunshine, beautiful views, open meadows, the sound of new born lambs and the smell of muck-spreading, before turning west at Laughton towards Mowsley. Here we took a welcome coffee break in the Church porch before carrying on northwards towards Saddington. The bracing north-easterly wind had dried the ground out appreciably. There were, however, still a few muddy patches, with the snow slowly melting, just leaving some drifts along the hedgerows. It was rather a challenging course, gamely completed by all, and 20 stayed for an excellent lunch at The Queen’s Head. This walk of 5½-miles was new for many people, even Julian!
John and Sue Hicks
Date of Walk: Tuesday 21st May
Co-ordinator: Gordon Jones Tel. 01455 556192
Walk Organiser: Dave and Sue Beaumont, 01455 553341
Meeting Point: Meet at the car park by the Leisure Centre
Meeting Time: 09.20 to leave at 09.30.
Route and distance: From the Chequers Inn at Ullesthorpe, about 7 miles on easy paths.
Lunch: Two meals for £11.00 from the menu or sandwiches. Choose before the walk.
Directions to the Starting Point: From Lutterworth through Bitteswell to Ullesthorpe, the pub is on the right.
Return Mileage from Lutterworth: 8 miles
4th WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP Co-ordinators:
Sue & Peter Creeden
01455 557888
WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY 2013
Walk Organiser: Keith and June Whiting: Tel: 01455 209066
Meeting Point and Time: Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 9.25 am to leave at 9.30 am. The start of the walk is 10.00 am from the Wood Farm Brewery, Coalpit Lane, Willey CV23 0SL.
Directions to the Start: From Lutterworth take the road to the A5 roundabout at Magna Park and leave by the 3rd exit. The Brewery is on the right about one and a half miles after the turning to Willey. Park in the car park.
The Walk: This is an easy circular walk of approximately 6 miles with some road walking at the beginning and end, but it is mostly over lanes, tracks and field paths with only two stiles. It goes into Willey and does a circuit of Newnham Paddox.
Lunch is at Wood Farm Brewery.
April 2013 Walk
A whopping turnout of 38 walkers enjoyed a very easy walk along footpaths and towpaths around the countryside just north of Rugby. Fortunately, there was only one stile. There were two highlights. The first was Peter Moore finding a toad and kissing it! Neither changed so that`s the end of that myth. The second was the Newbold canal tunnel with its coloured illumination and stalactites. Lunch at the Bell and Barge was abandoned because they were changing the menu that lunchtime and the tills had not been re-programmed so they felt that they would be unable to cope with the large numbers.
Sue and Peter Creeden
Joint Wycliffe Lutterworth
and Lutterworth U3A Groups
And LU3A Groups open to WLU3A members
TUESDAY WALKING GROUP Co-ordinator:
Gordon Jones (Lutterworth U3A)
01455 556192
Date of Walk: Tuesday 21st May
Co-ordinator: Gordon Jones Tel. 01455 556192
Walk Organiser: Dave and Sue Beaumont, 01455 553341
Meeting Point: Meet at the car park by the Leisure Centre
Meeting Time: 09.20 to leave at 09.30.
Route and distance: From the Chequers Inn at Ullesthorpe, about 7 miles on easy paths.
Lunch: Two meals for £11.00 from the menu or sandwiches. Choose before the walk.
Directions to the Starting Point: From Lutterworth through Bitteswell to Ullesthorpe, the pub is on the right.
Return Mileage from Lutterworth: 8 miles
JOINT GOLF GROUP (with Lutterworth U3A)
Co-ordinator (Lutterworth U3A)
Peter Moore
01455 552594
Result of latest Joint Golf Day at Lutterworth Golf Club, Thursday 18th April 2013.Winner:- Chris Dodd - WLU3A who takes the Hartopp Trophy Second :- Peter Moore - LU3A Third :- Eddie Helmsley - WLU3A
There was a total of 18 Golfers on the day, including 5 new Ladies. Conditions were quite tough with a very strong wind but a very enjoyable time was enjoyed by all. What a wonderful friendly bunch. We were joined by extra guests for dinner making a total of 24. Our *special guest* was the donator of our Trophy, June Hartopp .Many thanks to June.
The next Golf Day will be at Hinckley Golf Club on Thursday 6th June 2013 competing for the Hartopp Trophy and Prizes.
Meet at 12.00 Hrs for 1.00pm Tee Time at the *new* halfway house (by 10th Tee)
Food and Drink can be purchased as required. To book please contact Peter Cost approx. £32.00 To include Green Fee, Prizes and Dinner.
Guests can join for dinner at 6.30pm . Cost £12
Forthcoming Golf Days.
Ullesthorpe Golf Club on Thursday 15th August 2013.
Whetstone Golf Club Early October DTBC
Away Day. Friday 25th October 2013. Wollaton Park Golf Club, Nottingham.
Another top class venue not to be missed. You must attend this event or you will really miss out on a treat.
Full details in future newsletters.
AM I OLD NOW?
I sit in front of the fire and knit with rainbow coloured wool. I am like a child enjoying the intensity of each colour and surprised at what happens when the next one comes along. As the threads run through my fingers it is like my life’s experiences – the blue and mauve of the Mediterranean Sea, the green of wild flowers in the meadows, the orange of a Cornish sunrise, the red of sunsets. I have loved them all. The jewel – like flowers in the garden, everyday something new to see. My paint box is full of possibilities – Cerulean blue, Quinaquadrone Majenta, Rose Madder. When I can’t remember their names I shall still love them. I open the drawer, it is full of threads – cotton, linen, silk. I learned to knit and embroider from my mother and grandmother and I have saved some of their work to hand on to the next generation. It is not just materials I am passing on, it is the pleasure of making beautiful textiles. Piecing things together like a patchwork quilt.
Am I old now? I value the love I have been given throughout my whole life. The privileges I took for granted – good food, comfortable homes, education, jobs I loved, and many precious friends. I am most grateful. My children are the most precious of all. Their fun and laughter stays with me always. I hope I they will be as happy and as fulfilled as I have been. My life has been full of colour and pleasure, the rainbow wool has reminded me.
As I sit knitting I listen to the birds – what song is that? What wild flowers were in those meadows? I need to look at the sea again.
I haven’t time to get old! Anne Hearn
MONTHLY
This month, Tony Butler gave an interesting illustrated talk on his Life in Aviation. He started out working for High Duty Alloys in Redditch. There he was a metallurgist working on aerospace components for many well know aircraft. These included the Vulcan, well known to Lutterworth residents as well as others like the Harrier jump jet, the Tornado fighter bomber and probably the most famous, Concorde. He also showed pictures from much earlier times at High Duty Alloys. One of their notable achievements, again with local relevance, was the development of high temperature alloys for the Whittle jet engine. These gave Whittle the technical edge of similar developments in Germany. Following his time at HDA, he then moved on to become an aviation historian and writer with 21 books already published on different aircraft. This has involved him in seeking out many old photographs in colour and black and white including some of the first on the original Kodachrome slide film.
Everyone found the talk most interesting.
Note from the Photography Group
If you want to see more aerial photos, go to:-
www.britainfromabove.org.uk
It’s a website sponsored by English Heritage amongst others and you get free access to over 25,000 images that are high resolution and easy to access and download.
XMAS LUNCH ADVANCE NOTICE— New Venue for 2013
Please make a note in your diary that the 2013 Xmas Lunch will be held at
Lutterworth Golf Club on
Tuesday, 10th December.
3 course meal inc coffee and mince pies
Cost £16.50
FRENCH CONVERSATION
Co-ordinator
Sue Hicks
01858 880273
25 April 2013
The group started by tackling a fairly difficult crossword puzzle in French. Several of us had brought delicious-sounding recipes which we then presented in French.
The next meeting will be on Thursday, 23 May, when we plan to discuss food and drink.
Four members of our group are going with Lutterworth Twinning to stay with families in Chambourcy, near Paris for a weekend at the end of May. We hope to be able to practice our French!
GERMAN CONVERSATION
Co-ordinator
Sue Hicks
01858 880273
16 April 2013
As usual we continued the CD course. Alan had kindly prepared some photos of beautiful and interesting places in Germany which we then enjoyed watching. The next meeting will be at Alan’s house on Tuesday, 14 May, a week early again to suit participants.
PUB LUNCH
Co-ordinator
Jill Graham
01455 557117
email grahjill@hotmail.com
Tuesday 4th June at The Glebe Garden Centre, Countesthorpe
Future Wednesday Lunches
Wednesday 5th June – Kilworth Springs Golf Club (by popular request) where they are putting on a Special Menu for us.
Please sign up on the sheets at the Monthly Meeting if you are interested in this Lunch, and take a slip giving details.
Sample Menu’s available for some venues.
CARD GAMES
Co-ordinator
Cynthia Griffith
01455 554308
We are meeting every other Monday ( 1st & 3rd) during the summer. We would be glad to have new members join us. We play mainly various games of Whist, Rummy, group patience and Uno.
Do come along.
TRIPS
Joint Co-ordinators
George Robertson
01455 559725 email:george9high@hotmail.com
39 Steps report
21 of us attended a performance of The 39 Steps at The Belgrade Theatre. In the programme the writer was asked “What makes this show work best?” His reply “The faster and tighter it is played, the more the story will work.” Well it was far from as fast or slick as the performance seen at the Curve couple of years ago. This meant that although some thought it was good, most opinions varied from ok to not at all funny. As the organiser, I was disappointed, I had hoped that everyone would re-join the coach with sides aching from laughter. George Robertson
Sandringham Trip
The coach leaves Broughton Astley from Orchard Rd opposite the co-op car park at 9.00am , then picks up at Lutterworth Leisure Centre off Coventry Rd at 9.15am. There will be a loo stop at Peterborough Services (out and return).
Sandringham has a restaurant and a cafe but you might like to take a picnic and choose your own time and place to eat. The main house is 10-15 min walk from the coach park but there is a shuttle service for those who need it. The church is near the coach park and is worth a visit. No guided tours are offered for the main house but each room has a guide to help you with added information. This allows you to choose your own timing between house and gardens. The coach will leave for the return journey at 5.00pm. I will be away for most of May, please give any outstanding payments (£19 per person) to Christine who will have the passenger list at the May meeting, at the Theatre and Trips Table in the schoolroom.
It is important to have your boarding point added to that list. I will assume Lutterworth if there is no choice indicated.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the day! George
BIRD WATCHING
Co-ordinators
Mary & Peter Rolleston
01455 209156
This month ten members of the group enjoyed a visit to Paxton Pits Nature Reserve. The weather was a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers, but we were rewarded with the sound of willow warblers, chiffchaffs and snatches of the beautiful melodic singing of the recently arrived nightingales. There were herons and cormorants nesting in trees near the pools, and we spotted gargeny and tufted ducks. We had a pleasant walk around the reserve, stopping off at some of the hides. After being caught in a hailstorm we headed off to the village pub for a delicious lunch.
THEATRE Co-ordinator
Eddie Hemsley 01455 554564 (edwardhemsley@btinternet.com )
Please pick up your tickets today for
“My Fair Lady” at Kilworth House on 16th June
from the Trips & Theatre table in the schoolroom
RSC tickets 2013.
A provisional booking for 12 tickets has been made for the RSC production of ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ on September 25. If you would like tickets, please see me at the May monthly meeting.
Cost per ticket is £34. The performance begins at 7.30pm.
The tickets for ‘Hamlet’ on May 14 have now been allocated. Any payments due can be given to me at the May meeting.
Please note that the performance begins at 7.00pm, and NOT at 7.30pm as is more usual for RSC Shakespeare productions. Anne
Book &/or Pay Anne at the Trips & Theatre table
QUIZ GROUP
Co-ordinator
Sylvie Curtis
01455 554504
Seven members met in April to answer questions set by Bob, with supplementary questions supplied by Sylvie. These all proved stretching as usual and all members present enjoyed their morning.
We would welcome new members, so if you would like to join us for just one meeting to see what we do, we would be very glad to see you.
We meet in the porch of the Methodist church at 10am on the first Tuesday of every month.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Co-ordinator
Mick Curtis
01455 554504
We had a good response for our theme this month, with some interesting studies in black and white. We saw that some subjects lent themselves to a monochrome presentation very well although no one felt confident enough to attempt any portraiture. There was just one image that included people as the subject, but the snow was a help for some of the images on show.
Our next meeting will be on June 27th and our theme will be people at work.
SNAIL’S PACE WALKING GROUP
Co-ordinator
Sheila Eggleton
01455 554387
sheilaeggleton@yahoo.co.uk
MAY 17th WALK
Our walk will start from the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre. We will leave their car park at 11.30a.m for the walk. The address is Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Sutton Cheney. CV13 0AD. Tel 0116305 7374. There is a fee for parking on site. There will be the opportunity to purchase refreshments or look around the exhibits at the end of the walk, Anne Dean will be leading this walk.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE JUNE 21st WALK:
Mandy is planning a blue badge walk around Leicester. It will have a historic theme and will be led by a guide. At the moment we do not know the time of the walk; however there will be a charge for this walk, which if we can generate sufficient interest should be £3-4. We do however need to collect the money at the May (or at the latest the June) meeting. Unfortunately we may not be able to refund monies if people do not go. We will be available before and after the meeting to collect monies should you be interested.
APRIL WALK: WISTOW
The twelve regular members of the group who set off from the rural centre at Wistow enjoyed lovely weather for this walk. The walk was across fields, along side roads/streets and along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. We enjoyed the sight on young lambs playing and Daffodils in bloom – a sense that Spring had finally sprung! Whilst this was not intended as a Historic walk, we did learn a little about the History of Wistow Hall and the local Church. If you were unable to accompany us on this walk but would like to do it on your own details of this and other walks can be found on the Leicestershire County Council Parish Walks sheet for Wistow.
BOOK CHAT
Co-ordinator
Mick Curtis
01455 554504
Fame is the Spur by Howard Spring was our book for April. The central character, Hamer Shawcross, starts as an aspiration all working class boy in Manchester, becomes a socialist activist and a career politician, who eventually is absorbed by the upper classes he had begun by combating.
This book was written in 1940 and gives a fair impression of the growth of the Labour Party in Britain and historical figures such as Kier Hardy occasionally appear. Although the author's sympathies obviously lie with the working classes, he nevertheless portrays the middle class and aristocratic characters sympathetically.
Because of difficulties in obtaining copies of this book some members were not able to finish reading it before the meeting. All members who had read the whole book reported enjoying it and those who were still to finish felt it was well written and well worth reading to the end.
LIVELY DISCUSSION
Co-ordinator
Dot Barnard
01455 208190
Report on April Meeting
Has the BBC and other media dumbed down?
It was felt that in general the BBC had dumbed down as had other stations and some newspapers, but with more channels and greater competition there was a move to appeal to a wider audience. Also are there too many media outlets? The most glaring example of poor quality was the commentary on the Diamond Jubilee Regatta, which attracted over 2,000 complaints. Many of the soaps are trying to find more and more sensational stories which most of the group abhorred.
The objective of the BBC is to educate and entertain. In its favour - during a week in March the only news programme listed in the top 10 viewing figures was BBC 10 O’clock News. It should be remembered that the BBC is funded by the public and not as a commercial company and therefore should not chase ratings.
Quality programmes will be watched. Examples of these are Call the Midwife, various Attenborough documentaries, Ian Hislop on Beeching etc. There is a plethora of cooking, house improvement and following celebrities across the media including newspapers. Strictly Come Dancing was very good at the beginning but now is becoming sillier as the audience is allowed to shout and scream and the presenters seem to have lost their dignity. Even children’s programmes seem to be worse than previously.
Sensationalism can cause real harm as with the coverage of the MMR research which was not true, but the media did not cover the refutation as enthusiastically as their original reports.
Nevertheless compared with TV in the US, New Zealand and Australia the media here is much better. When travelling abroad the BBC News and Hard Talk programmes are much appreciated as ‘a little bit of home’. Group members recommended Channel 4’s 7 O’clock News and ITV’s News as often being much better than the BBC – we don’t need to see flat caps flying across the screen when economic caps are being discussed!!
June Topic – Does coalition government work?
1st WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP WYCLIFFE U3A Joint Co-ordinators:
Roger Watmore 01455 552431 and
Julian Hargreaves 01455 557704
WEDNESDAY 5th June 2013
Walk Organiser: Peter & Jean Child 01788 811765.
Meeting Point: Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 9.10am to leave at 9.15am.
Starting at 10 am from The Boathouse Inn Braunston NN11 7HB. NOTE START TIME.
Directions to the start: Take the M1 south to Junction 18, turn for Rugby A5 & A428. Turn south A5 to Kilsby. A361 SP Daventry. After crossing the M45 turn right SP Willoughby. Turn left on to the A45 SP Daventry. Just after crossing the Oxford canal turn right into The Boathouse Inn.
Route and Distance: Just under 5 miles. The walk will take us to Sawbridge returning via the bridleway by Willoughby House to Braunston.
Lunch at The Boathouse, with a special rate of two meals but only pay for the dearest meal. Book meals before the walk and toilet facilities are available before the walk.
April Walk: 26 walkers assembled at The Queen’s Head, Saddington. Some were justifiably suspicious to see the leaders in wellies! We set off more or less due south, and the first quagmire was encountered within five minutes. We walked through hilly country , enjoying sunshine, beautiful views, open meadows, the sound of new born lambs and the smell of muck-spreading, before turning west at Laughton towards Mowsley. Here we took a welcome coffee break in the Church porch before carrying on northwards towards Saddington. The bracing north-easterly wind had dried the ground out appreciably. There were, however, still a few muddy patches, with the snow slowly melting, just leaving some drifts along the hedgerows. It was rather a challenging course, gamely completed by all, and 20 stayed for an excellent lunch at The Queen’s Head. This walk of 5½-miles was new for many people, even Julian!
John and Sue Hicks
Date of Walk: Tuesday 21st May
Co-ordinator: Gordon Jones Tel. 01455 556192
Walk Organiser: Dave and Sue Beaumont, 01455 553341
Meeting Point: Meet at the car park by the Leisure Centre
Meeting Time: 09.20 to leave at 09.30.
Route and distance: From the Chequers Inn at Ullesthorpe, about 7 miles on easy paths.
Lunch: Two meals for £11.00 from the menu or sandwiches. Choose before the walk.
Directions to the Starting Point: From Lutterworth through Bitteswell to Ullesthorpe, the pub is on the right.
Return Mileage from Lutterworth: 8 miles
4th WEDNESDAY WALKING GROUP Co-ordinators:
Sue & Peter Creeden
01455 557888
WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY 2013
Walk Organiser: Keith and June Whiting: Tel: 01455 209066
Meeting Point and Time: Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 9.25 am to leave at 9.30 am. The start of the walk is 10.00 am from the Wood Farm Brewery, Coalpit Lane, Willey CV23 0SL.
Directions to the Start: From Lutterworth take the road to the A5 roundabout at Magna Park and leave by the 3rd exit. The Brewery is on the right about one and a half miles after the turning to Willey. Park in the car park.
The Walk: This is an easy circular walk of approximately 6 miles with some road walking at the beginning and end, but it is mostly over lanes, tracks and field paths with only two stiles. It goes into Willey and does a circuit of Newnham Paddox.
Lunch is at Wood Farm Brewery.
April 2013 Walk
A whopping turnout of 38 walkers enjoyed a very easy walk along footpaths and towpaths around the countryside just north of Rugby. Fortunately, there was only one stile. There were two highlights. The first was Peter Moore finding a toad and kissing it! Neither changed so that`s the end of that myth. The second was the Newbold canal tunnel with its coloured illumination and stalactites. Lunch at the Bell and Barge was abandoned because they were changing the menu that lunchtime and the tills had not been re-programmed so they felt that they would be unable to cope with the large numbers.
Sue and Peter Creeden
Joint Wycliffe Lutterworth
and Lutterworth U3A Groups
And LU3A Groups open to WLU3A members
TUESDAY WALKING GROUP Co-ordinator:
Gordon Jones (Lutterworth U3A)
01455 556192
Date of Walk: Tuesday 21st May
Co-ordinator: Gordon Jones Tel. 01455 556192
Walk Organiser: Dave and Sue Beaumont, 01455 553341
Meeting Point: Meet at the car park by the Leisure Centre
Meeting Time: 09.20 to leave at 09.30.
Route and distance: From the Chequers Inn at Ullesthorpe, about 7 miles on easy paths.
Lunch: Two meals for £11.00 from the menu or sandwiches. Choose before the walk.
Directions to the Starting Point: From Lutterworth through Bitteswell to Ullesthorpe, the pub is on the right.
Return Mileage from Lutterworth: 8 miles
JOINT GOLF GROUP (with Lutterworth U3A)
Co-ordinator (Lutterworth U3A)
Peter Moore
01455 552594
Result of latest Joint Golf Day at Lutterworth Golf Club, Thursday 18th April 2013.Winner:- Chris Dodd - WLU3A who takes the Hartopp Trophy Second :- Peter Moore - LU3A Third :- Eddie Helmsley - WLU3A
There was a total of 18 Golfers on the day, including 5 new Ladies. Conditions were quite tough with a very strong wind but a very enjoyable time was enjoyed by all. What a wonderful friendly bunch. We were joined by extra guests for dinner making a total of 24. Our *special guest* was the donator of our Trophy, June Hartopp .Many thanks to June.
The next Golf Day will be at Hinckley Golf Club on Thursday 6th June 2013 competing for the Hartopp Trophy and Prizes.
Meet at 12.00 Hrs for 1.00pm Tee Time at the *new* halfway house (by 10th Tee)
Food and Drink can be purchased as required. To book please contact Peter Cost approx. £32.00 To include Green Fee, Prizes and Dinner.
Guests can join for dinner at 6.30pm . Cost £12
Forthcoming Golf Days.
Ullesthorpe Golf Club on Thursday 15th August 2013.
Whetstone Golf Club Early October DTBC
Away Day. Friday 25th October 2013. Wollaton Park Golf Club, Nottingham.
Another top class venue not to be missed. You must attend this event or you will really miss out on a treat.
Full details in future newsletters.
AM I OLD NOW?
I sit in front of the fire and knit with rainbow coloured wool. I am like a child enjoying the intensity of each colour and surprised at what happens when the next one comes along. As the threads run through my fingers it is like my life’s experiences – the blue and mauve of the Mediterranean Sea, the green of wild flowers in the meadows, the orange of a Cornish sunrise, the red of sunsets. I have loved them all. The jewel – like flowers in the garden, everyday something new to see. My paint box is full of possibilities – Cerulean blue, Quinaquadrone Majenta, Rose Madder. When I can’t remember their names I shall still love them. I open the drawer, it is full of threads – cotton, linen, silk. I learned to knit and embroider from my mother and grandmother and I have saved some of their work to hand on to the next generation. It is not just materials I am passing on, it is the pleasure of making beautiful textiles. Piecing things together like a patchwork quilt.
Am I old now? I value the love I have been given throughout my whole life. The privileges I took for granted – good food, comfortable homes, education, jobs I loved, and many precious friends. I am most grateful. My children are the most precious of all. Their fun and laughter stays with me always. I hope I they will be as happy and as fulfilled as I have been. My life has been full of colour and pleasure, the rainbow wool has reminded me.
As I sit knitting I listen to the birds – what song is that? What wild flowers were in those meadows? I need to look at the sea again.
I haven’t time to get old! Anne Hearn
MONTHLY
