News

The latest news from our groups…..

Members are invited to participate in our “virtual group”. Below are the photos chosen for June. Others may be found in the newsletter.
Please email me ONE snapshot you have taken on your phone, or digital camera, sometime before a general meeting. I will compile an informal slideshow of the results and show them at the next general meeting. There are no themes, no prizes, no meetings, just a monthly picture gallery.
Select wisely, remember only ONE snapshot.
No people snaps! Not every one wants to be plastered all over the village hall screen and I would feel uncomfortable with personal data. So please stick to – animal (not human), vegetable and mineral please. Snaps will be deleted after 1 month, ready for the next gallery.
Let’s give it a go. What could possibly go wrong?
My special email “snapshot gallery” address is:
snapgallery21@gmail.com
Ian Hibbert

The new programme for Operas and Ballets at the Odeon is now out. I have the lists so please collect one from me. They start in October.

Also Andre Rieu is back with his summer concert VIVA MAASTRICHT! on Sunday afternoon 9th August at 2-45pm £18.50. I will be booking at the main meeting in June but let me know if interested.

Pam Berry

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

An unlikely relationship develops between on-the-shelf Greek daughter, Toula and non-orthodox Chicago guy, Ian, much to the consternation of her huge Greek family.

In this feel-good family film, the couple overcome all difficulties, true love finds a way, and they live happily ever after.

The Greek celebrations and wedding ceremony were impressive, and the in-laws induction into the Greek way of life was funny, if overwhelming at first.

Lots of colour, lots of noise, lots of music, lots of fun.

Diane and Ian Hibbert

Armchair Film Club will be back in September after a Summer break.

Strollers

The new walk undertaken recently turned out to be a success.
Having been away on holiday for a few days the previous week at Weston-Super-Mare we brought the lovely weather back with us. So on a beautiful sunny Monday morning with total blue skies we set off on the walk led by Jackie and Colin. Although the path goes through part of Tippings Wood it is known locally as the Yellow Brick Road. Nobody seems to know why it has this name, but we did pass a field with loads of dandelions growing in it!
We met a few people on the way with their four legged friends. Some of us saw a cheeky robin perched on a branch and a couple of orange tipped butterflies as well as bluebells and other wildflowers. The pond was nearly dried up, whereas five weeks previously it had contained a lot of water according to Jackie. We ended the walk down the road at the Archer Pub where we were given a very warm welcome. The refreshments were thoroughly enjoyed, especially our fish finger baguettes with crisps and salad. 

                        Andrew and Susan Goodison

Garden Visits

We were very thankful that the day we had booked to go to Lea Gardens near Matlock it was dry after all the incessant rain. What a magnificent sight as it is a rhododendron garden with established bushes in all sorts of colour. They were at their peak. After our usual coffee break we started on the walk which is basically up and down a hill! Paths easy to follow. There were so many different colour shades it was just amazing. Magnificent! Then we continued our journey to a nearby garden centre, now Blue Diamond for lunch and retail therapy. Another spectacular garden visit.

Pam Berry

There are 3 Hucknalls in Nottinghamshire- Ault Hucknall, Hucknall under Huthwaite and Hucknall Torkard. We visited the latter to see Byron’s church of St. Mary Magdalene, his burial place.

We were lucky to have the help of church guide Andrew, and Maureen Newton from Hucknall u3a and Heritage Society.

The church dates from the C11 and has been much enlarged from its humble beginnings. As well as containing the Byron family vault, it holds the largest collection of Victorian stained glass by CE Kempe.

The church had several wealthy benefactors: in the C13 Geoffrey Torkard, after whom the town is named, and Victorian Canon John Godber. A friend of Kempe, he paid for all the stained glass windows, and when room for them ran out, commissioned Opus Sectile – gilded stained glass wall panels shimmering with gold in the sunlight. The impressive porch and main door are original, of solid oak and over 800 years old.

We saw the porcelain wreath which accompanied Byron’s coffin, placed over the entrance to the vault. Also buried there are his daughter Ada Lovelace, his mother Catherine and his great uncle the Wicked Lord Byron.

Mining turned this sleepy village into a busy town. The church was expanded, a marketplace developed, and a public hall, swimming pool and library given by JE Ellis, the mine owner. The library is the only one in Notts still in its original building, with memorials outside to notables such as bare-knuckle fighter Ben Caunt, composer Eric Coates and actor Robin Bailey.

So much history left us ready for refreshments from the Cake and Coffee shop, which also sold old-fashioned sweets to take you back in time.

Diane Hibbert

June’s jaunt is to the 2 barges at Newark. Let me know if interested.

Come and see the giant sun!

I am booking tickets for the Helios exhibition at Southwell Minster on Wednesday 29th July 11am     Cost is £5.

There will also be a chance to use the solar telescopes of the Notts Astronomical Society, who will be there on the day.

Please sign up for this if interested so that I can get the tickets ordered and we won’t have to queue!

Book Group

– The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina

Last month’s book was a Japanese set international best seller based on true events following the tsunami in 2011. Yui is a Tokyo-based radio broadcaster who survives the devastating tsunami but loses her mother and young daughter in the disaster. Overcome by grief, she measures her life by how many days have passed since the tragedy.

Eventually, she learns about a unique, disconnected “wind phone” located in a garden on a windy hill overlooking the sea. Thousands of grieving people make a pilgrimage to this booth, picking up the receiver to speak to those they have lost and to share their continued life stories with the wind.

When Yui finally makes the journey to the phone booth, she finds she is too overcome with emotion to speak into the receiver. However, whilst there she meets Takeshi, a widower and bereaved father whose young daughter, Hanna, stopped speaking following the death of her mother.

Yui and Takeshi bond over their shared experiences of profound loss. Through their growing connection, Takeshi’s daughter slowly begins to find her voice again, and Yui begins the long, slow process of reconciling with her trauma and finding a way to move forward.

Betty Foster

Breakfast Group

A few of our members enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Bakers Shop cafe recently although not so many as usual due to it coinciding with the trip to Ely.

Gordon Brown

Indoor Games

This month saw a return to 12 spot dominoes, and I’m pleased to say that we all managed to win at least one game, played at a fast and furious pace.

After a tea break, we resumed with Kurling – this time an all- male match, John and Jim for the Blues versus Andrew and Ian for the Reds. Diane was the referee and scorer. Reds trailed for much of the match, but a late rally and strong attacking play saw them forge ahead to win by 82 points to 78.

Diane Hibbert

This was our third visit to Biddulph Grange Garden and it was just as beautiful as our previous trips. The rhododendrons and azaleas were magnificent and the gardens and lawns are maintained to a high standard.

The tearoom is very small so we headed off to the excellent Astbury Garden Centre near Congleton for our lunch.

If you are interested in one of our visits, let me know. You don’t have to be a member of the NT, you can pay at the entrance and the minibus fare is very reasonable.

Ann Mills

After a very interesting morning with speaker Bob Neil, a number of us went to the Sherwood for lunch. I was quite pleased that I could identify the items on our table, knife, fork, spoon which is all I needed to enjoy my lovely meal! As usual we were made very welcome and the food was up to its usual high standard. They are putting on quite a bit of entertainment in the week and at weekends and we understand they are trying to fit a quiz night in, which might be on a Wednesday.

Jackie Massey

Would you enjoy tasting wine whilst sitting and chatting with friends – old and new?  Learning about different wines – learning from each other in a cosy and friendly place?  The wine appreciation group is a small group, and since its inception, has been full, but due to ill health, we now have a vacancy for new members.   None of us are experts, but we enjoy tasting new and different wines.  We taste from 4 bottles, – most of us are driving so we only taste a little of each – and the wines come from different countries and regions.  We taste blind and evaluate the wines according to a guide, and mark accordingly.    The bottles are usually bought from supermarkets e.g. Aldi, Majestic, Tesco & Sainsburys.   It is amazing how often the cheapest wine comes top in our evaluation.  This is a chance to taste wines you may never have had before and learn about the characteristics of different grapes and regions.  It gives us a chance to taste some unusual and expensive wines which we would never normally splash out on.  We meet on the third Wednesday of the month, at 7.00p.m. and have supper after tasting the wines.  Those who are not driving having second and third glasses to compliment the food.  We usually finish between 9.30 and 10.00p.m. and go home warm and happy after a lovely evening with plenty of laughs.   The costs are shared at £5 a head.

If you like wine, and would like to experiment and taste different wines, talk to Jill Pullan  07719165800

Ringtones

The Ringtones singing group is about having fun and performs at meetings and social events.
At our monthly rehearsals at the Methodist Church Hall in Rainworth, 10am-12pm, on the second Monday of each month, we plan for any future performances and enjoy a wide range of music. We have sung celebratory songs at our 10th anniversary celebrations, coffee mornings, Christmas parties, our AGM and  Garden Parties. New members are always welcome, no audition required!

THE RINGTONES- World Singing Day video project.

The Ringtones were one of the many choirs from across Newark and Sherwood to celebrate the joy of singing by sending in a short video clip of our recent Elvis coffee morning. This year, participants from 81 host locations in 18 countries took part from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, the UK, Germany, and North America each holding their own singing event in celebration of World Singing Day. It’s amazing to know that our voices became part of that worldwide harmony. World Singing Day is a reminder that we’re part of something much larger not just a local celebration, but a global community united through song. Well done Ringtones for helping to make that vision come alive so beautifully here in Newark and Sherwood.

Ian Hibbert

Fifteen members went to The Hostess for afternoon tea. The tea was delicious and plentiful, we were all well fed. The singer, a young lady called Lily was amazing covering musical theatre, opera and songs from popular radio shows hosted by such as Elaine Page. Her voice range was incredible and she kept us entertained for an hour. A really lovely outing.

Jackie Massey

Canasta

Our Canasta group has also started and takes place in the Methodist Hall at the same time as Card Craft, Hobbies and Indoor Games, come along and join beginners at this card game with expert instruction from Enid. Three “newbies” had  mastered the rules by the end of the 1st session, another “learning curve” for our u3a!

Enid Thomas

Our numbers were a bit depleted at the last quiz night. As usual we did our best but didn’t win! If we look cold in the photo we were, the pub’s heating had broken down on the Monday, but hopefully will be fixed by the time we go again!

Jackie Massey

Hobbies

This group covers several hobbies at present but we are always on the lookout for more!
Please come along if you want to have a go at any hobby or craft. We meet on the 3rd Monday, 2-4pm at the Rainworth Methodist Church Hall.

We knit squares that are made into blankets and donated overseas, this is our latest contribution, three beautiful blankets crocheted by Linda and  squares by other members.

Some of the beautiful cards being made recently at the Card Craft group.

Why not join us – all materials are provided to make the card.  We meet on the 3^rd Monday of the month at the Methodist Hall on Southwell Road, at 2.00pm.  Interested?  Contact Jill  07719165800

Thirty four members attended the Christmas lunch at the Hostess restaurant and enjoyed the usual high standard of food, entertainment and service.

Several took to the dance floor to burn off the calories.