Medium Walks Group

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Annual Photo Quiz

28 members of our Medium Walks Group recently took part in our City Centre Photo Quiz.  This has become an annual fixture for our January walk and this year we had 4 teams who each set off with a list of 26 streets and 28 small photos, the object being to locate each of the building features pictured.  Some of these are quite small and can be 3 floors up in some cases.

This year, the weather was less cold, but also slightly damp after the start, and could have been a problem for writing down the locations; we had pencils, so we were prepared. One team suffered a slight delay when they found that their chosen Wetherspoons, for planning their route (and coffee), was closed all week!

Mark Jackson was in charge of the winning team, pictured, with 17 features located, and unusually we needed two tiebreaks to decide the team placings.

As in previous years, we retired to the Three Crowns pub opposite the Theatre Royal for a buffet lunch, while our organisers worked out the scores. Thanks go again to John Saunders and David Jackson for all the organisation and planning involved.

Our next walk will be on Monday, 16th February, and will be another City walk, taking in areas around the City centre which people may not be familiar with. New members are always welcome, just make contact via the tab on our website.

John Tedstone

An invitation to all members to join the Science Group Visit Friday May 15th

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There are spaces available for non-science group members to join us on this visit.

The venue is the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds, which is the UK’s largest independent medical museum, offering immersive galleries that trace the evolution of healthcare from Victorian street life to modern medical breakthroughs.

A real highlight is “Disease Street”, a smelly, grimy depiction of what life used to be like in the slums of Leeds

Visitors can explore reconstructed historical settings, watch 19th‑century surgical demonstrations, and engage with interactive exhibits designed to inspire curiosity about medicine and public health.

Located beside St James’s University Hospital, the museum reopened in 2021 after major refurbishment and continues to host talks, workshops, and community events.

Cost and Itinerary

Travel by Vallances coach

Pick up: Ogle Street at 9.00am       Return to Hucknall by approx. 5.00pm

Options

There are 3 options

A. Coach travel and an independent visit to Leeds:         £15.00

B. Coach travel and museum entry                               £24.00

C. Coach travel, museum entry and a group talk entitled

‘Bloody Barbers and Splattered Surgeons’                     £30.00

Please contact me if you are interested specifying which option A, B or C

science@hucknallu3a.org.uk

David Rose       (I will also be at the February monthly meeting)

Science

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Our January 16th meeting was mainly dedicated to medical developments since the Middle Ages and included an introduction by John Tedstone who talked about a recent visit to the medical history section at the very busy Science Museum in London.

Next was me to talk about a famous early Doctor/Surgeon John of Arderne

John of Arderne (1307–1392) born in Newark, was a pioneering English surgeon often regarded as the father of English surgery. He honed his skills as a surgeon supporting John ‘o Gaunt in the 100 years war in France and more formally at Montpellier University.

He developed effective treatments for anal fistulas, created early anaesthetic mixtures using hemlock, henbane, and opium, and wrote influential surgical texts. His work blended practical skill with ethical guidance, shaping medieval medical practice.

There is a Wetherspoons pub in Newark which is named after him.

Science Group Visit Friday May 15th.

Our Science awayday is a visit to the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds. It is housed in a beautiful building adjacent to St James’s University Hospital.

The Thackray is the UK’s largest independent medical museum. Two floors of exhibitions span galleries on the history of public health, medical innovation, the theatre, response to crises and living with disabilities (and so much more), and various events, activities and workshops bring it all to life, including one called “POO!”. A real highlight is “Disease Street”, a smelly, grimy depiction of what life used to be like in the slums of Leeds.

Preference for this visit is given to members of the science group; it will then be open to all u3a members. Details are in the February Newsletter.

Finally, we considered ‘small’ inventions since about 1850 and each group member has a chosen invention to research and prepare for a ‘3-minute talk’. Our next meeting is on Friday February 20th 10am to 11.45am

David Rose

Short Walks

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In January we flashed our bus passes on the 9.39am 141 from Linby village. It was on time and the driver seemed pleased to see an extra 22 passengers who got off at Larch Farm.

We started a linear route on the path alongside Kirkby Road before taking the woodland footpath towards Newstead Abbey.

Following a toilet and refreshment stop we continued back to Linby via Papplewick.

Our next walk is on Thursday February 19th

The location currently depends on conditions underfoot. It will be about 4 miles (rather than the 5 we did in January)

Details will be sent to the group w/c February 9th.

David Rose

Long Walks

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Our January walk ably led by Steve Evans was a varied 8.5 miles circular which began at Parfitt Lane car park in Farnsfield.

We set out along quiet paths toward the elegant grounds of Hexgreave Hall. The route continued through open countryside to Edingley, with wide views and peaceful but slightly frozen farmland. From there our route led toward the Farnsfield Bomber Memorial, a poignant spot commemorating the crew of the crashed Halifax III (MZ519, LK‑U) of 578 Squadron.

All seven crew members were killed when the aircraft crashed near Farnsfield on 6 July 1944 after returning damaged from a raid on a V1 launch site.

The Parfitt Lane car park is fittingly named to remember Pilot Officer Reginald Parfitt, aged only 22 and his young crew.

Our final stretch returned through woodland and field paths, back to the car park.

The next walk is on Tuesday February 3rd.

During the period of short daylight hours and wet winter months we tend not to travel too far and try to avoid muddy agricultural routes as much as possible.

So, we are staring from The Nabb Inn in Hucknall.

It will be led by Angela Francis who has extensive knowledge of the area as she frequently walks it with her two lively greyhounds.

Currently the Long Walk Group Leader Mark Thornley is recovering well from a recent knee replacement and should be back in action around May or June.

David Rose