History Group

by WebmasterHistory GroupPosted on Comments are Disabled

The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our usual meeting place is Central Methodist Church: time 2pm – 4pm-ish. This is all virus permitting because our next meeting is on January 12th when we are hoping John Tedstone will come to update us on the Hucknall High Street project but he is on jury duty at the time so that is a bit iffy. However we will have a members High Street project – see me??? If anyone can come a little earlier to help set up tables that would be great.

In December Keiran came to tell us all about the Bennerley Viaduct – brilliant. A member requested we ask him to take us on a ‘walk about’ on the viaduct next year and he agreed. Watch this space for dates and times. Thank you to those members who said they enjoyed our mini buffet – those few words made my trawl around Morrisons worth the effort.

I thought, as we have lots of new members now, I should explain how the History Group payments work as you come through the door. Speakers are usually charging at least £50 for a booking now and the room hire has to be paid. £2 per person usually covers both these payments plus the refreshments. If we have a members meeting (as in January when neither John nor I claim payment because we are U3A members) the charge is usually just £1 per person. I try to make sure we have a variety of topics to suit different history based subjects but if you have heard a speaker you think suitable please let me know; especially ones who speak about the history of other countries.

A full list of meeting dates for the group with details of speakers and visits is available below and copies can be picked up at meetings.

Bye for now, Maureen

MEETING DATES 2022
January 19th – We are hoping John Tedstone will come to tell us about the U3A High Street project but he has been called for jury service. It does depend on him being needed on the day but there is also a members’ Hucknall High Street project.
February 16th 2022 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’. (He says it is a fascinating story.)
March 16th Peter Godley from the Nottingham Historical & Archaeology Society is coming to tell us about ‘Archaeology in Nottingham’. Images, maps, etc on slides and artefacts from some of the digs will be on show.
April 20th Visit to Cromford mill. We will have a guided tour of the buildings. Plus the Arkwright Experience. Leave Hucknall 12noon. Leave Cromford 4.30. Arrive Hucknall 5.30pm(ish) Cost £16.
May 18th Stephen Flinders is coming to tell us about ‘My Kind of Paris’. He says it is: What you may or may not know about Paris and what Paris has to do with Nottingham born dancer Dorothy Frettingham.
June 15th Much delayed visit to Doddington Hall & Gardens. Leave Hucknall 9.30: Leave Doddington 4pm. Return Hucknall 5.30 (ish) Cost £20 Price cut to the bone.
No meeting July or August – Holidays
September 21st Denis Hill is coming to talk about Victorian Housing Conditions which is a century or so before most of the bureaucracy and health and safety rules came into being. It would cover the lifetimes of our great grandparents.
October 19th Visit to Derby Museum and Art Gallery. We will have a talk about Joseph Wright of Derby (Famous artist) then a self guided tour of the museum. Leave Hucknall 1pm. Leave Derby 5pm. Arrive Hucknall 5.45pm(ish) Cost £10
November 16th Trevor Lee is coming to talk to us. He usually provides us with mind pictures of entertainers; sometimes even their voices. Lots of reminiscing at this meeting.

National Trust Visit to Belton House

by WebmasterNational TrustPosted on Comments are Disabled

On Wednesday, 15th of December, 2021, a coach party of National Trust group members enjoyed an afternoon and evening visit to see the Belton House Light Trail. The weather was perfect for our visit with the sun shining as we left Hucknall Market at 2.30 pm and the rest of the day remained dry and very mild for December – even the wind stayed calm for us!!

After passing through Grantham – once described as “England’s most boring town” we arrived safely at Belton House in perfect time to start the Trail. On arrival we met up in the Courtyard at Belton House where some members took the opportunity to have a warm drink before starting on the Trail.

The Trail itself was quite amazing with glorious displays of colour centred around the buildings and the features in the grounds. There was a tunnel of white lights to pass through before we passed some beautiful displays lighting up the trees, water areas and planted areas that make up the Belton Estate. Many members took the opportunity to take photographs. While on the Trail there were further refreshment points with the chance to roast your own marsh mellows proving popular.

Once at the end of the Trail there was still time to revisit the Courtyard which included food outlets and the National Trust shop. Everyone was safely and happily back on the bus in time for our departure back to Hucknall at 7.30 pm. A big thank you goes out to our driver Paul, from JB Tours, who got us safely back in Hucknall for 8.30 pm. All the members had enjoyed what had proved to be a very pleasant visit.

The group will restart (Covid permitting ) in March 2022

Barrie

Flower Arranging Group

by WebmasterUncategorizedPosted on Comments are Disabled

Firstly please remember I am a terrified amateur at flower arranging, but I am willing to give it a go with your help.

For February 7th, 2022, 1.30 – 3.30pm please bring:-
A container – (smallish) with some oasis sticking out about 2 inches above the rim.
Spring flowers – I usually buy the pots of spring bulbs and cut the flowers off (hard I know) but then I pop the bulbs in the garden in the hope that Chardonnay the squirrel leaves a few to flower next year).
Some foliage – that will enhance the flowers such as box, privet, cyclamen leaves.
Some moss – if you have it.

Equipment
Sharp scissors or secateurs
Bag for rubbish
Something to cover the table – I have used a cut up black bag.

At the first meeting we can discuss what we want to get out of the group as I don’t want it to be a group where people just watch. I want people to go away with a creation they are proud of. Transport of creations can be arrange in needed.

Some of the thoughts I have had are:-
a) a trip to Flora Media to have a professional flower arrange show us how it is done.
b) a trip to a cathedral to see a flower festival (C19 willing)

I am sure you will be able to come up with other ideas. Please feel free to contact me, Siobhan, if you need some help with the oasis or anything else on flowers@hucknallu3a.org.uk

Message from the Chair

by WebmasterAnnouncementsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Hello everyone I hope that you are keeping well and have taken the opportunity to have the booster Covid-19 vaccine. I think summer is now well and truly behind us, but there is always the compensation of the current wonderful autumnal colours. Let’s hope that this winter isn’t going to be too extreme.

We now have the prospect of Christmas looming on the horizon. People used to write in to newspapers to report when they had first heard the sound of a cuckoo in the spring. I wish to report my first hearing of festive muzak wafting around a shop as I ambled round Wilko’s on Sunday 14th November. ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ by Slade and Noddy Holder’s ‘its Christmaaaaas’ line will be (frequently) coming your way soon…

We have previously said that there wouldn’t be a General Meeting in December; however we have decided to have a Christmas themed film show on Wednesday 8th December starting at our usual time of 1.30pm. There will also be a book sale before and after the film.

The Committee – all u3as, as independent charities, must have a Committee of Trustees who manage the charity and who are legally responsible for the safe and efficient running of the body. Most people are eligible to be on the Committee, and there are no particular qualifications needed – just a willingness to help run the u3a.

We already have some welcome volunteers coming forward but your u3a still needs you! If you wish to join the committee from April 2022 please contact me, Vice Chair Melvyn, or any of the committee members.

David Rose,
Chairman

December Scams

by WebmasterAnnouncementsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Scams – Password awareness
Whether it’s your Facebook, Amazon, or Netflix account, the explosion in popularity of online apps and services means more and more of us have to remember an increasingly long list of passwords.

Unfortunately, some of us cope with this challenge by resorting to practices that leave our data, devices and money at risk – by using the same password across multiple accounts, or by creating simple passwords that could easily be guessed by hackers.

Bad password practice is more prevalent than you might think – the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre carried out analysis of passwords leaked in data breaches and found that more than 23 million users worldwide used 123456 as a password. You can read more about it here:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/most-hacked-passwords-revealed-as-uk-cyber-survey-exposes-gaps-in-online-security

Here are three top tips that will make your life easier and your online accounts more secure:
1: Creating memorable passwords
A good way to create strong, memorable passwords is by using 3 random words. But remember; don’t use words that can be guessed (like your pet’s name). You can include numbers and symbols if you need to. For example- “RedPantsTree4!”

2: Saving passwords in your browser
Saving your password in your browser means letting your web browser (such as Chrome, Safari or Microsoft Edge) remember your password for you.
This can help:
• make sure you do not lose or forget your passwords
• protect you against some cyber crime, such as fake websites. It is safer than using weak passwords, or using the same password in more than one place.

3: Email account passwords
If a hacker gets into your email account, they could:
• reset your other online account passwords
• access personal information you have saved about yourself or your business. Your email password should be strong and different to all your other passwords. This will make it harder to crack or guess.

David Rose