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Biddulph u3a Newsletter
January 2024
Happy New Year to all our members and welcome back!
Glancing back….
As we begin our new term, it’s interesting to look back at what’s been happening since we
came back in September….. and it’s quite a lot!
We have had 42 new members join us (total now461) and although we are still not at pre
pandemic levels, when we had approximately 600 members, we are continuing to promote the u3a
locally via newspaper articles, leaflets and exhibitions to let people know what we are all about and
to increase our numbers.
A Prize Draw club has been set up by the Committee. This is open to all members and there
are draws each month. December’s lucky winners were Tony Davis, Dorothy Wickstead and
Eileen Murphy.
Several new groups have been started, such as Pickle Ball and Art Appreciation, and Mah
Jong has now expanded to become Mah Jong Plus. There are still more groups in the pipeline,
including Calligraphy, Country Dancing and German. If you or someone you know may be
interested, please spread the word!
Chris Lloyd-Poole is now heading up a new Volunteer Group, whose members have agreed
to to join in and help on occasion with a variety of activities undertaken by the u3a. They did a
fantastic job of supporting the Group Leaders “get together” just before Christmas. It was a lovely
occasion, attended by the Deputy Mayor and it was a great way to say thank you to our Group
Leaders and show our appreciation for all their hard work.
As part of the wider community, we joined in the celebrations for the coronation of King
Charles by planting a tree in the grounds outside Lund House, and at the Remembrance Sunday
wreath laying we were represented by Ken Bailey. from the singing group.
Lund House was redecorated during the summer break, giving the place a lovely fresh look.
On the subject of decorating, a big thank you must go to our new Group Coordinator, Bill Hancock
and to Barbara Forster for making the entrance to Lund House so festive and welcoming in the lead
up to Christmas. The Committee have been getting through a list of further work to be done, such as
replacing blinds and getting arrangements in place to repaint the car park lines, as well as dealing
with the usual odd jobs that need doing. Thanks for their help in this go to our members Arthur
Ward and Andrew Knight, who have volunteered to undertake any DIY jobs that need doing.
Some of our members have organised events to raise money for various charities during the
autumn. Members of the Thursday art groups donated paintings to be sold at the Cancer Centre at
UHNM Stoke hospital. There has been a lot of feedback about the talent of our members and how
well the paintings have sold, raising money for Dr Jegganathen’s charity, which helps provide
support to people undergoing cancer treatments. Dave Boothroyd’s Acoustic Guitar group helped
raise funds for the Green Tree House when they held a very enjoyable concert in the autumn.
Despite terrible weather, the concert was well attended and a good evening was had by all. At Tony
Myatt’s Singing Group’s concert at the Victoria Centre in the lead up to Christmas an amazing £901
was raised, of which £100 was from the raffle of items created by our Patchwork and Quilting
group.
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Our Friday morning card making group continue to raise money for their chosen charity.
They have donated an amazing amount to several good causes over the years. Don’t forget that their
lovely hand made cards are available to buy in Lund House. They are on a table through the double
doors that lead to the kitchen.
So, it’s been a busy and productive u3a year so far!
Looking forward…..
All our groups and classes are back now after the festive break. There were some great
photos on our facebook page of the Walking Group out and about in the winter sunshine. Have you
considered sharing your group’s pictures? It’s a great way to show others what our members are
doing.
There are a few Group Leaders who have been in touch to let us know that they currently
have spaces in their groups and classes:
Monday afternoon bowls. The group meets from 2pm -4pm. There’s friendliness, good company
and it’s a great way to get out and join in a fun filled afternoon. Rose Holdcroft is the Team Leader.
The French Group are looking for a few more members. This is a discussion group, led by
Margaret Bamford, for people who have previously studied French (it is not suitable for beginners).
The group usually reads one article a week followed by discussion in French on the article. The
class is not too structured and grammar is taught as and when necessary.
Photography. This group meets on Fridays at Lund House and has space for 2 or 3 new members.
Barry Milner is the contact.
Art Discussion. This is a relatively new group, led by Glynis Davis. This is a group where
everyone contributes to the discussion on various pieces and aspects of art. They meet at Lund
House on Monday mornings.
If you, or someone you know, may be interested, please mention it to them. Spread the word!
You may have seen Sue McGregor’s post on the u3a facebook page. She was asking if anyone does
acrylic pour painting. Sue would consider running a class if someone who has experience could
help her. Again, if you can help, or know someone who can, please do.
One of our members, Linda Hubbert, has made us aware of a great scheme being run by
Greene King pubs. They are running a campaign called “Tub to Pub” and are collecting and
recycling the big plastic sweets/chocolates tubs, such as Celebrations, Heroes etc. All money raised
will support Macmillan Cancer Care. Chris Lloyd-Poole and her team will be coordinating this for
our u3a and ensuring any tubs we collect will be delivered to one of the Greene King collection
points. If you have any of these (many of us had lots over Christmas), please drop them to Lund
House by the end of January. There is a small room labelled “Quiet Room”, just through the double
doors leading to the kitchen, where you can leave them. Please ask friends and family if they have
any as well.
And...did you know that you can recycle all your empty pills blister packs? Superdrug in
Congleton have a box where you can take them. It’s just in front of the Pharmacy counter.
A recent article in the national u3a magazine “Third Age Matters” gave tips for embracing
and enjoying this stage of our lives:
keep on learning keep your brain and body fit cultivate a sense of humour.
It seems, based on this, that by being part of the u3a we are all well on the way to ageing better!
Here’s to a happy and enjoyable 2024!