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This month we discussed which were our favourite books we read when we were young and these included anything by Enid Blyton, Louisa M. Alcott, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Steven-son, amongst others.

Our set book was “Those Who Are Loved” by Victoria Hislop, which had mixed reviews. Most of us have read her other books and in the main really enjoyed them. A favourite was The Thread which also includes political division in families. Those Who Are Loved covers the time from the 1930s – The political changes. The story follows a family through this time, the division, the brutality, the fear of various political regimes including the Nazi invasion. Two of the family left home to fight for Greek freedom from oppression, which follows are harrowing stories. We thought much of the first half was a list of misery and ill treatment. It is more a book to inform, not enjoy.

Our set book for this month is “Com-monwealth” by Ann Pratchett which we will review in the next newsletter.
Just for fun, what was the strangest book you were ever given or ever read? Please contact Sandra, the group leader, using the form below:-

I should have liked the choir to be able to meet on Zoom, perhaps to sing together, even if it couldn’t be properly coordinated. Optimistically, I attended the Zoom meeting for group leaders, or those hoping to host a meeting, and learned it couldn’t reasonably happen. I should have realized, as obviously only one person can properly be heard at a time. It seems our only hope would be to have meetings with, in effect, a soloist and a muted backing group! I’m sorry to say to the few who responded expressing an interest, that it isn’t going to happen. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to sing alone, or indeed appear to fellow choir members to be miming! (previously, it has cruelly been suggested that some members have mimed over difficult bits, but that couldn’t be true, I don’t believe it and shouldn’t want it to appear that way).

We’ll wait, practise at home and sing with much more energy when we finally get together again. With that in mind, and to enable us to actually remember songs in our repertoire, can I remind members that some of us will be practising, alone, ‘All That Jazz’ on 4th November, a usual meeting date, at or around our usual time of 1.30 pm if they want to join us, and of course, anyone else is welcome. If you know it, join in, you can pretend to be Catherine Zeta Jones, and consider yourself a choir member for the duration.

As I write this it has been announced that Nottingham will be in Tier 3 from Thursday, although by the time you read this I assume it will be a well-established fact. Not cheering, but nothing we can’t cope with. Our parents and grandparents went through a war, some through two, for prolonged periods with little or no control over whether they lived or died, to some extent we have choices. Do make use of our Ring and Sing service if it helps, I intend to when my birthday comes around!

Good wishes, take care and stay safe,
Christine

Unfortunately this month, I thought I had sent out the Reading Group notes but I hadn’t; consequently group members didn’t know what set book to collect from the library – many apologies. The set book was to be “Those Who Are Loved” by Victoria Hislop, whose previous books we have very much enjoyed. If the library is open, then could Reading Group members please ask the librarian for this book which they have put aside for us. The set book we hope to read for November should also be available for collection – to save yourself an extra journey during these virus restrictions.

To contact Sandra, the group leader, please use the form below:-

Last month a choir member carried out our first sung greeting, to mark a birthday, using our new Ring and Sing service. Apparently it was enjoyed by both the recipient of the good wishes, and the singer. Well done to our brave first singer, it takes courage to sing alone into a telephone, to what could be an unknown U3A member. Feel free to request a greeting if you’d like it, or know someone who would, there is an email form for requests below (we would need to know a date, reason for the celebration, any greeting you would like conveyed, the recipient’s telephone number, and your ‘phone number would be helpful, for speed in case of queries). We would give the name of the sender with a greeting. It appears our celebrations may be quiet affairs for a while longer, so a friendly voice with a happy greeting could be welcome.

If choir members would like to practise something from our repertoire we have at least one very suitable song for the season, Autumn Leaves. We haven’t done it recently (for a long time before the lockdown) so perhaps we could all have a go. We can think of each other as we make plenty of noise singing alone. Take care, and we’ll see each other when we can. Nothing lasts forever, even if it begins to feel a little like it.

To contact Christine, the group leader, please use the form below:-

Because the Library was closed, we had not been able to pick up a set book to read during August so the suggestion was for another Classic book from our personal bookshelf. Those who chose to read a Classic again included the following books:-

Cider With Rosie – Laurie Lee; Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte; The Old Man & The Sea – Ernest Hemingway; Persuasion – Jane Austen and although not really a classic – Forever Amber – Kathleen Winsor, which was one of the first of its type many years ago.

This month, if the library is open, then we hope to read any Alan Bennett book or if not, our favourite crime writer. Reports on these next month.