Choir Group

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Spring is here, with snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils blooming everywhere, and things looking up pandemic-wise too. Thank goodness, although I think it may be a while before the choir can sing together again, sadly, we may be amongst the last groups able to resume meetings. It seems singing means lots of heavy breathing and potentially exhaling lots of air droplets on others, which sounds more exciting than only singing, but our choir members do put a lot into it!

Since the last Newsletter one of our members responded to a request for a sung birthday greeting, which I believe went well. It was her first time Ringing and Singing and she was a little nervous, but happy to do it. I hope her efforts were enjoyed, and the unexpected greeting gave a little additional pleasure to the recipient on her special birthday.

This sounds almost too good to be true, but it may be time to tune up folks, dust off our music and exercise our vocal chords, things may be beginning to get back to the longed-for normal (second vaccines next month). Till then, stay safe, we’re nearly there.’

History Group

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The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our indoor meetings are held at Central Methodist Church on the 3rd Wednesday of the month commencing at 2pm. Please note changes of dates for talks & visits. Due to Government restrictions regarding moving out of lockdown visiting Doddington Hall on 16th June 2021 is not possible. We have options to consider:-

1. I can rebook the visit for June 2022.
2. I could rebook for October 20th 2021 but as the garden is something special (I’m told) it might be better to go in the summer time.
3. I could rebook later this year late summer on a Saturday.
4. I could cancel altogether.

Please let me know what option you think is best.

Very recently there have been email queries and I am having a ‘ponder’ so I’m not really passing the buck but wonder if any of you have more knowledge than I. At present the Libraries and Archives Office are closed so hands on research is a bit difficult.

The first was from a lady who told me her father came to Hucknall to work for Byron Horticultural Engineering which later became Landmaster then (I think) Bonsers Engineering. It was located between Byron Street and Orchard Street.

The second, again from a lady, (makes me wonder if all women are nosey parkers like me) was asking if there was ever a church on the land close to the Police Station. There was. It was a Baptist Chapel which in fact is still there in disguise as a garage. But I’m thinking I have missed something? Is the Police Station to be demolished and the land to be cleared – again?

Third, from a man this time, was about the building on High Street which now sells take away food but is remembered by myself as a clock and jewellery shop – was it Crawleys? It was originally part of the Coffee Tavern. This building is an article waiting to be written and really aught to be at the top of the list. What do you think?

Meeting Dates 2021

Meeting dates are the third Wednesday of the month. Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church. Time 2.00 pm prompt. We do not usually have indoor meetings in July and August but this year things are different. I am really hoping all will be well for us to meet in July and August and have rebooked the speakers accordingly.

July 21st 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee) Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

August 18th 2021 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’.

September 15th 2021 Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)

October 20th 2021 Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15 pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30 pm, Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish) Cost £11. I am still awaiting confirmation from the museum and will book a visit elsewhere or have a speaker if there is a problem. Or possibly rebook the visit to Doddington Hall.

November 17th 2021 Rescheduled visit to Richard lll Centre & Leicester Cathedral. Leave Hucknall 10.30 am; Leave Leicester 4.00 pm; Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish). Cost £18.

December 15th 2021 Although the date is close to Xmas we could have a social ‘Faith Tea’ meeting if you wish. Please let me know.

I will photocopy this list for the ‘first’ meeting we can attend.

T.T.F.N. & God bless from Maureen

To contact Maureen, please use the form below:-

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Message from the Chair – March 2021

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It’s March — Happy New Year, ancient Romans!

Welcome to the third month of the year — or, if you were born before 150 B.C., the first! According to the oldest Roman calendars, one year was ten months long, beginning in March and ending in December. We can still see traces of this old system in our modern calendar: because December was the tenth month, it was named for the number ten in Latin (decem), just like September was named for seven (septem). So, what about January and February? They were just two nameless months called ‘winter.’

It is the first month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. And although March winds might blow it’s good to see the daylight hours getting longer.

The announcement of the ‘irreversible’ roadmap to bring the country out of lockdown has some key dates for our u3a. It is stressed however these are the earliest dates which could change depending on Covid transmission rates.
From March 29:
People will be able to meet outside in groups up to a maximum of 6 people who will still need to socially distance from each other. This will apply in all outdoor settings, including private gardens.
No earlier than May 17:
Further easing of limits on social contact, but gatherings of up to 30 will still not be allowed. Indoors, people will be able to meet socially in a group of 6.
No earlier than June 21:
Both the main committee and the social sub-committee will be planning a route through this road map for a gradual return to our group and social activities. Meanwhile we maintain contact with our partner venues such as the John Godber Centre –

Thanks David,
It’s great to keep up to date with what our friends are up to, we can’t wait to see everyone again soon. We’re expecting news today and hopefully by the end of the week will be able to update everyone once we’ve clarified the Government’s plans, the announcements are never 100% clear but fingers crossed we’ll have a better idea of when we’ll be able to reopen again.

Keep well and our best to all the members
Kim: John Godber Centre Manager

David Rose

Science 2 – February Meeting

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Our guest speaker was Prof Jim Turner from Beeston u3a. We had some initial Zoom problems, one of which was that Jim could not get vision which meant we could not see him but fortunately his sound and screen share facility were both working.

His talk was titled ‘What we owe to Einstein’
It was useful to have some prior knowledge to understand some of the talk but here is a short précis of Einstein’s breakthrough achievements.

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist, universally acknowledged to be one of the two greatest physicists of all time, the other being Isaac Newton. Einstein developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. His mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc² has been dubbed “the world’s most famous equation”. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect”, a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory. His intellectual achievements and originality resulted in “Einstein” becoming synonymous with “genius”.

In 1905, Albert Einstein published the theory of special relativity, which explains how to interpret motion between different inertial frames of reference — that is, places that are moving at constant speeds relative to each other.

The most famous work of Einstein’s life also dates from 1905 (a busy year for him), when he applied the ideas of his relativity paper to come up with the equation E = mc2 that represents the relationship between mass (m) and energy (E) with c being the symbol representing the speed of light.

He was born on the 14 March 1879 and died at the age of 76 on the 18 April 1955.

Next Meeting: Friday, March 19th, 2021 at 10.00 am

David Rose

Pub Quiz

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February Pub Quiz answers
1. Cinnamon comes from which part of the tree? Bark
2. A White Lady cocktail consists of which main alcohol ingredient? Gin
3. Brassica Rapa is the Latin name for which vegetable? Turnip
4. In Japan what type of drink is Matcha? Green tea
5. What flavour is the liqueur Triple Sec? Orange
6. What is another term for Vitamin C? Ascorbic acid
7. Plantain is the cooking variety of which fruit? Banana
8. Macaws, long tailed colourful parrots, consist of how many species? 19
9. Traditionally Mozzarella cheese was made from which animal’s milk? Water buffalo
10. Sharing its name with a percussion instrument, which relative of the antelope, native to
Africa, has white vertical stripes on its body? Bongo
11. The French clothing company “Lacoste” features which type of animal in its logo? Crocodile
12. The Roadrunner is a member of which bird family? Cuckoo
13. The world’s largest frog and beetle are both name after which biblical character? Goliath
14. How many stars feature on the flag of New Zealand? Four stars
15. What is the most fractured human bone? Clavicle
16. What is the most famous university of Paris? Sorbonne
17. What animal is on the golden Flemish flag? Lion
18. What is the name of the Indian holy river? Ganges
19. What is the Kabbalah? A system of Jewish mystical beliefs
20. What is the meaning of the Arab word Habibi? Sweetheart
21. What does the abbreviation GPS mean? Global Positioning System
22. What is the most spoken language in the world? Chinese
23. What does the abbreviation SMS mean? Short Message Service
24. What is another word for wall painting or mural? Fresco

March Pub Quiz
SECTION ONE – PEOPLE
1. Who rode his ‘Funky Moped’ to No 5 in the UK charts in 1975?
2. What are the surnames of the 3 tenors? (1 point for each)
3. Who wrote and illustrated the children’s book, ‘The Snowman’?
4. What was the name of A.A. Milnes’ son?
5. Who was the captain of ‘The Black Pig’?
6. What nationality was the magician and escapologist, Harry Houdini?
7. Which month in 1969 did Neil Armstrong first stand on the moon?

SECTION TWO – GEOGRAPHY
8. Which explorer discovered the Hawaiian Islands?
9. In which modern country are the ruins of Troy?
10. What TV series was set on Craggy Island?
11. Which river runs through Baghdad?
12. On what street in London would you find The Bank of England? .
13. The A1 road starts in London and finishes in which city?

SECTION THREE – GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
14. What food would a Cockney be eating if he is going for a ruby?
15. What is the colour of the black box on commercial aircraft?
16. How many old pennies were there in a guinea?
17. In which film did Raquel Welch appear in a fur bikini as a cave girl?
18. What were the first two words in the film title where David Bowie plays Mr Lawrence?
19. What is the motto of the boy scouts?

SECTION FOUR – SPORT & LEISURE
20. What is the highest bid, without doubling, in the game of bridge?
21. In a game of bowls, what name is given to the target ball?
22. Which team won the 2017 FA Cup?
23. Which sport is said to have been played for over 3,000 years?
24. What is Japan’s national sport?
25. What is an ice hockey puck made of?