Two Dates for Your Diary

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Two dates for your diary
It’s been a long time coming but we have two events planned for 2021.

Quiz Night
On Friday October 1st we have a Quiz night
Team size: a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 6 people. You may pre plan your team and we can also place individuals into teams on the night. Entry fee £2.50 per person – pay on the door. More details will be in the September Newsletter

Christmas Event
On Monday December 6th instead of the traditional Christmas Lunch there will be a Christmas themed Tea, Cake and Savoury event. There will be two sessions, morning and afternoon, for about 100 members at each session. More details nearer the time.

Social Committee

3rd Age Trust -Push Back Ageism Campaign

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Have you or any of your friends and family had to use a walking frame? If so you may have some observations to share about their design and use. How to do that is explained in the following article.

One of the aspects of the Trust’s Push Back Ageism Campaign, working in partnership with the Design Age Institute, is to challenge the designers of products and services which will make life easier for older adults to design products which are appealing and attractive to use, rather than just being based on need.

One initiative within the Design Age Institute is ‘This Age Thing’, which was set up to bring together a community of designers, businesses, service-providers, researchers, policy makers and older adults to celebrate ageing and amplify positive stories about getting older, but also to challenge designers. They are currently gathering information about the design of walking frames and being able to quote from peoples lived experience and real-life situations adds strength to the challenge. Also, as part of that, the Helen Hamlyn Trust has issued a challenge to young designers at the Royal College of Art to design a walking frame that will look good, but also be fit for purpose. Apparently, 87% of falls in the USA are caused by people falling over with their walking frames, which are very similar in design to those, available in the UK.

Do you have a story to tell about walking frames, either their use or their design? Would you be happy for us to use your story? We will, of course, ensure that you remain anonymous; we will never reveal your name or any contact details.

If you have a story that you would be willing to share, please send it to me by 20th August: sandi.rickerby@u3a.org.uk
Thank you.

Sandi Rickerby
Trustee for the North East
Chair of the Push Back Ageism Working Group

Science Group 2

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On July 16th we had our first non virtual meeting since February 2020. We met at Bestwood Country Park near the Winding Engine House which is the last remaining part of Bestwood Colliery – once one of the busiest coal mines in Nottinghamshire.

The winding engine lowered colliers, pit ponies and equipment into the mine shaft, and winched mined coal up to the surface. The tall brick building houses a huge winding engine. Originally it was powered by steam, the only vertical winding engine left in England still in its original location. Today the massive engine is moved by an electrical motor which we were able to see in action.

The engine dates back to 1876, the heyday of Victorian industrial engineering. For the explanatory tour we split into two groups and had the expertise of Bob Gow and his colleague Malcolm to show us round the impressive building and to provide a potted history of its history and development.

Following the tour we enjoyed refreshments on the lawn outside the Dynamo House which houses a community cafe run by ‘Friends of Bestwood Country Park’ which is open at the same time as the winding house both open to the public on Saturday mornings between 10am and 12noon all year. If you have never been a visit is recommended.


Volunteer Malcolm and part of the vertical steam engine

Thanks to Bob for arranging the visit and to Bob and Malcolm for being our knowledgeable guides.

Next Meeting: At the John Godber Centre Friday, 17th September, 2021 10.00 am to 11.45 am

David Rose

Short Walks Group

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Our 15th July walk was a 4.6 miles predominantly riverside route initially along the River Trent from Ferry Farm before following the Dover Beck to Hoveringham Mill. This dates from 1778 and was a corn mill driven by the flow of the Dover Beck. We then followed footpaths looping back towards Hoveringham village via the cricket pitch which made a convenient drinks stop.


Top walker Ken Carlin still leading the way at 90 plus

Our next Walk is on Thursday August 19th,2021 which is our annual summer walk in the Peak District. 4.6 miles starting from Whatstandswell, details tbc

David Rose

How do we know if something is a scam?

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One of the most important things to remember is that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Other warning signs are:
• Someone you don’t know contacts you out of the blue
• You’re asked to give away personal information like passwords or your PIN
• You’ve been asked to transfer money quickly, often to solve a problem you didn’t know you had
• Someone refuses to confirm the company or organisation they are contacting you from
• Email addresses or links within an email don’t look right

How do scammers dangle bait to fish (phish) for information?
Phishing – a term coined in the mid-1990s to describe how scammers dangle bait to ‘fish’ for passwords and other sensitive data – is still the most effective line of attack. Fake emails, text messages (referred to as smishing) and phone calls (vishing) aim to trick you into thinking you’re dealing with a genuine company.

Examples:

David Rose