Fun with Languages

by WebmasterFun with LanguagesPosted on Comments are Disabled

Our February meeting was the last of this session on French. We had a lovely meeting and shared pieces we had composed about our imaginary day at work or leisure. It was such an encouragement to see how people were developing in their spoken language skills, so well done all. We also answered questions orally in French on a magazine article about Celine Dion; showing again the development of understanding.

Our next meeting will be Thursday 11th March at 10.30 am on Zoom and we shall be starting back on our Spanish sessions. We will begin with some revision of our drama Mi Vida Loca.

We hope to see you then. The usual zoom ID applies and I will send out a reminder nearer the time. Keep safe and hopefully many will have been vaccinated by now.

Liz and Ann xx

High Street Project

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The U3A High Street project was originally designed, in 2018, to research and report on the history and current state of shops in each U3A’s local area. Local groups would then be able to identify trends and speculate on what the future might hold for their High Street.

The project was ‘ready to go’ by March last year, but then of course it was derailed by the arrival of Covid-19, which meant that no on site survey work could be done. By July, it was decided that a national survey was achievable in September, and I went out and photographed all the premises on Hucknall High Street near the end of the month. All the photos, along with descriptions of the use of each frontage, have now been uploaded to the national database. The thinking was that it was a good time for the snapshot; as well as being ‘legal’ to be out and about, it was before the end of the first furlough scheme, after which it was thought that more shop closures would be likely. There are currently some 20,000 premises on the database.

114 individual U3As took part, and a progress report went to the U3A Board last month. This was followed by a national Zoom session for all those who took part, and it was going well until it went slightly wrong, which will be a consolation to all of us who have encountered all sorts of glitches when using Zoom!

The plan is to resurvey all the High Streets during this September and then produce a final report in 2022, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the U3A. As well as producing a comprehensive national baseline of High Streets, it is hoped that individual U3As will be encouraged to run spin-off projects in their own areas. Examples so far include producing new ‘Town Trail’ leaflets and ‘Urban Sketching’ in Manchester. I was pleased to learn from the Zoom session that the East Midlands is well represented, with 69 members of 33 U3As taking part.

For anyone interested, the new Progress report is on the national U3A website.

John Tedstone

History Group Calendar 2021

by WebmasterHistory GroupPosted on Comments are Disabled

Meeting dates: 3rd Wednesday of the month except July August & December.
Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church.
Time: 2.00 pm prompt.

This year, early meetings do depend on the Covid situation, government tiers and vaccines. All dates have been booked.

March 17th 2021 – Attempting to re-schedule this visit at present for later in the year. July, August or November?

April 21st 2021 – Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’.

May 19th 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee)Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

June 16th 2021 Visit to Doddington Hall & Gardens. Leave Hucknall 9.30 am: Leave Doddington 4.00 pm. Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish) Cost £20 Price cut to the bone.

July & August 2021 – holidays.

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 if there is a problem.

November 17th 2021 – Members Meeting – Christmas theme.

December 15th 2021 No meeting. Close to Xmas.

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

History Group

by WebmasterHistory GroupPosted on Comments are Disabled

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. At present I am not sure when indoor meetings will restart – but – watch this space!

I decided to re- set the visits due in 2020 to 2021 which meant Richard lll WAS set for March 17th 2021 – but I am now discussing with them about re-scheduling it for later in the year. Remember money already paid for the trip is safe in the U3A bank. Please cross fingers, toes and anything else you can that the visits will go ahead. Doddington Hall will be on 16th June. I am still waiting for Sharpes Pottery to reply. I look forward to seeing everyone but in the meantime please take care and stay safe.

I have been catching up with my reading have you? In a recent Local History News from BALH there was an article which intrigued me. (Bear with me while I explain) I don’t know how many members have looked at the VCH (Victoria County History) books in a library. They are lovely red books beloved by local historians covering every county in England and founded in 1899. There is an ongoing project to re-write each county from the earliest times to the present day. People I know volunteer at Nottingham Archives Office researching for this project. I went to a meeting myself but decided that I had enough to do without joining the team and starting something new. As 2019 was the 120th anniversary of the VCH the project organisers decided to send each team of volunteers in every county a red box file with an interesting challenge attached. Could each team fill their box with objects which told the story of their county to fit into an A4 box file? When the boxes were opened they revealed fascinating objects for instance in the Nottinghamshire box was ‘sheet music for Eric Coates Dam Busters March stamped as property of the Boots Orchestra and a glass bottle from Boots the chemist’. Just think – something from Hucknall got into the Notts. box! WOW. I can’t wait until I can visit the archives to see what else was inside the box.

Now here is where you come into the picture. If I gave you an A4 box file and challenged you to include articles and items of what Hucknall meant to you from historic times to the present what would I find when I opened it? Would I be surprised? How many of these imaginary boxes would I get? Perhaps this is a thought for one of our meetings later in the year.

BALH = British Association of Local History – (Hucknall Heritage Society is a member)

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

Choir Group

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January isn’t usually a cheerful, sunny month, and the one just past was no exception, although it was brightened in our home by tuneful and kind choir members. David celebrated a birthday, and I had arranged a Ring and Sing call for him, so on the day left him to answer the ‘phone when it rang. On being told it was someone from the choir he began to call for me, then stopped. I saw him begin to smile, as presumably they began to sing the greeting, and by the end of the call he was beaming. He was full of praise for the singer, and I was pleased that he had enjoyed it, if a little surprised at the extent of his pleasure.

However, I appreciated how he felt a few days later, when my own birthday occurred. I organize the Ring and Sing requests, so a surprise call couldn’t be arranged for me, instead, I explained my predicament in one of my regular emails to choir members, and invited calls from anyone who would like to Ring and Sing on the day. What a great group our choir is, several members responded, and it was super. Family singalongs always occur and are appreciated, but I couldn’t tell you quite how nice it was to pick up the ‘phone and be surprised by cheerfully sung birthday wishes instead of someone trying to sell me something.

One of the singers gave me her details and a request, so I shall arrange a happy call for her too. I recommend it, I can’t recommend it enough, it is surprisingly cheering and pleasing, and had me smiling all day. Feel free to request a call for someone, or treat yourself. (You would need to know that the recipient wouldn’t mind you divulging their telephone number or birthday) The request form is on the website under ‘Choir’.

Just February to get through now, then it’s Spring! Spring! Spring! (Oh, the barnyard is busy …)The bulbs are shooting and growing fast, it won’t be long before we can sing all the lovely Spring songs. Continue to take care everyone, the vaccine doesn’t provide immunity, it only gives us some protection from Covid, stay in good health, then hopefully we’ll see each other at our u3a meetings at some time in the future.

Cheers, Christine.