Hello to all members,
In what seems like no time at all we have reached August. The school holidays are in full swing and for many of us it means spending time with and entertaining our grandchildren. Many of you will be experts on White Post Farm, Wheelgate, Rufford and other country parks, Crich Tramway Museum and many more places where youngsters can run free. Little wonder that by September we are ready for a holiday.
I recently read a book called ‘Tales of Old Nottinghamshire’. One of the chapters is about Sir Thomas Parkyns who lived in Bunny Hall. He was born in 1663, and educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied law at Gray’s Inn, was a lover of Latin, and had knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, and architecture. A fine athlete, he never had a day’s illness until he was 78, and even in middle life he was a good runner.
But his fame lay in his love of wrestling. He is remembered as the Wrestling Baronet; he called himself Sir Thomas Luctator. He established an annual wrestling match in the village for which the prize was a gold-laced hat, and the practice was kept up for nearly a hundred years after his death. The last competition took place in 1811 – and this is what caught my eye. A man named Butler from Hucknall Torkard was the last winner of the prize.
u3a Monthly Meetings
Many of you will be aware that we can no longer meet at the leisure centre. September 8th will be our first live meeting since March 2020 and it will be at the John Godber Centre (JGC). The committee are meeting there on Wednesday 1st September and one our objectives is to finalise the meeting arrangements. Full details will be in the September Newsletter. It will be an opportunity to mingle socially whilst maintaining some level of social distancing, ventilation and hand hygiene.
Maureen Newton has kindly agreed to do an interactive presentation with a local flavour where your questions and contributions will be most welcome.
Finally – there is no formal meeting in August but do zoom in to Melvyn’s arranged talk on Wednesday, 11th August ‘What’s the problem with sugar’.
David Rose