February
“February Fill-Dyke”, it used to be called. Some parts of the country have already had more than their fair share of rain in recent weeks: let’s hope we continue to come off relatively well. I’ve seen daffodils and aconites as well as snowdrops in flower already, so looking forward to some spring weather doesn’t feel too ridiculous!
Our Drop-in this month will be on Thursday the 6th, from 10.00am until 11.30am as usual at Burnby Hall. Do come along for tea, coffee and friendly conversation.
More of these will also be on offer on Saturday 8th February when we are holding a new event, a Games Day. This will take place at Burnby Hall from 2.00pm until 4.30pm. It’s a social event for all u3a members, with friends/partners if you’d like to invite someone.
Come along and join us for Board Games, Scrabble, Chess, Dominoes, Boggle, Card Games, Whist and Whatever you like. Tea and coffee will be available too. For further information, please contact Margaret on 01759 303683
The Arts and Crafts exhibition on January 18th was a great success – it was lovely to see so much skilled work on show. This has helped to show off u3a presence in our community – we have so much talent and experience among us to share. Thanks and congratulations to all involved!
You will already have received a message reminding you that our annual subscription renewal season has come round again. Our Membership Secretary Christina has sent full details of the different ways you can choose to pay your subs, which remain at a bargain £12.00 this year. Can we ask, please, that if you are coming to one of the Drop-in sessions to pay, you bring plenty of patience with you as well as your money and your current membership card? The team work fantastically hard at these sessions, but a bit of waiting around is inevitable.
The refreshments at our meetings are always greatly appreciated, and the team who so cheerfully supply them are hugely valued. However, a couple of these team members are no longer able to make the commitment. Could you help fill the gap? We need two people who are willing to help serve the tea and coffee, and can make a regular commitment to attending Drop-ins. Send me an email, or come to Drop-in on Thursday and talk to Jean, if you think you’d enjoy this role and are willing to help.
At our Group Leaders’ meeting this week, commitment was a word that kept cropping up. So many of our groups run so smoothly that members are hardly aware of the guiding touch of the leader. We value the effort and commitment of all our group leaders – as we often say, the whole u3a runs entirely on the goodwill of our members. It doesn’t have to be an onerous responsibility, or one for a longstanding member, and many groups share the running of meetings between members. It is excellent news that Simon Eggleston has taken over as Leader of the Garden Wildlife Group, and we are hopeful that someone will step forward and agree to be the new face of the Pub Lunch 1 group – a vacancy caused by the sad loss of Ted House this month. Please consider it, if you’ve enjoyed the meetings of this popular group! The Croquet Group is also hoping to restart soon for the summer season, so if you played last year or are interested in starting, please get in touch with Jean through the contact link on the website.
And now for something completely different!
CASTELLANO AVANZADO - PARA LOS QUE YA LO HABLEN (o HABLABAN) ASI, CASI CON FLUIDEZ DE TODO DIA.
Nos encanta el idioma castellano, charlando a velocidades casi diarias y sobre temas cotidianos. Entre nosotros hay quienes una vez o fueron amas de casa, o profesionales de comercio, o profesores. Ya que nos apetezca agrandecer el número de miembros semejantes en nuestro grupo, quisiéramos dar un fuerte bienvenido a los que como nosotros sepan el idioma – o una vez lo dominaran bien – sin necesitar aprender nada más de nuevo. Para evitar que no surjan malentendidos, debes saber que nos reunimos sin ofrecer cualquieras clases avanzadas de técnica – se atenta solo de recordar, 'resucitar' o 'salvar' lo que sí se sabía bastante bien en el pasado.
Un gran saludo y ‘ta luego.
If you read and enjoyed that, and would like to know more, contact David Burn through the Group Leader Contact link on the website.
February brings us not only Valentine’s Day and Shrove Tuesday, but also a range of gastronomic festivals: Yorkshire Pudding Day, Pizza Day, Chili Day, and Chocolate Day (which conveniently is the same date as World Toothache day!). And the 22nd, as well as celebrating St. Cecilia as the patron saint of music, is Thinking Day. If you were ever a Cub, Brownie, Guide or Scout you may remember wearing your uniform to school on February 22nd, to mark the shared birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell who founded the movement. Incidentally, Lord B-P used to get so annoyed with his name being mispronounced that he made up a little rhyme:
“Man, matron, maiden,
Please call it Baden,
And as for Powell,
Rhyme it with Noel.”
I read that in a Brownie annual years ago!
So, sticking with the Scout movement theme, Be Prepared for whatever February brings to you: take care, and stay safe.
Rosemary Waugh - Secretary
