At Home with Covid19
Keep in Touch, Keep Busy, Have Fun
Being in self isolation doesn't mean you can't keep in touch. As members of the U3A you are probably used to being out and about participating in group events and the current restrictions will be leaving gaps in your day that might need filling. It would be good if we could share our ideas on this page. Tell us what your group are doing to keep in touch. Have you found anything to amuse you on the internet that we can share. Email your ideas via the pigeon (If you have an attachment to send let us know and we will give you an alternative email to use)
Shrewsbury Flower Show Goes Virtual
As the Shrewsbury Flower Show has been cancelled this year the organisers thought it would be a nice idea to hold a ‘virtual’ show instead. The show will run on their social media pages, Shrewsbury Flower Show Facebook and on the Shrewsbury Flower Show website, from 12noon – 8pm on Friday 14 & Saturday 15 August.
Medieval Market
The Battle of Evesham organisers are having a Medieval Market on the 12th and 13th September. There will be medieval themed food and drinks stalls, arts and craft stalls, childrens' competitions and live music in the Church. The stalls will be on Bridge Street, Market Place, Riverside Shopping Centre, St Lawrences Church and grounds. Entry FREE.
Making Music Virtual Concerts
Making Music, the UK's organisation for amateur musicians, has been streaming Virtual Concerts made from submissions from their members. They last about 40 minutes and can be seen on the Making Music YouTube Channel
Culture in Quarantine
BBC4 finished the Sunday night broadcasting of six productions from The Royal Shakespeare Company on 19th July to provide us with some Culture in Quarantine. All six are still available on iPlayer for another month. The Tempest and A Midsummer Nights Dream are also available.
- Romeo and Juliet(2018), directed by our Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman (7th June)
- Macbeth (2018), directed by Polly Findlay with Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack (14th June)
- Hamlet (2016), directed by Simon Godwin with Paapa Essiedu (21st June)
- Much Ado About Nothing (2014), directed by Christopher Luscombe (5th July)
- Othello (2015), directed by Iqbal Khan with Hugh Quarshie and Lucian Msamati (12th July)
- The Merchant of Venice (2015), directed by Polly Findlay (19th July)
The Royal Shakespeare Company have also made a number of their shows available on Marquee TV which is offering a 14 day free trial.
Relax, Look and Imagine
A member of the Yoga group suggested this series of seven short films which were created by the University of Cambridge using artworks from the Fitzwilliam Museum‘s collection to help you to relax and look in detail at an individual painting. All seven films can be viewed at Objects in Focus
Travellers Tales
John Boon of the Travellers Tales group has been busy putting together a series of short videos documenting his Bird Watching Trip to Chile. Excellent viewing for bird watching enthusiasts, travellers and nature lovers alike. You can view them on the Travellers Tales group page and maybe they will inspire you to join the group and share your experiences.
😊'I told my suitcases there is no holiday this year. Now I’m dealing with emotional baggage'
Sing For Health
Paula Evans, who conducts our U3A Choir, has already invited U3A Choir members to join her online for Sing For Health sessions on Mondays at 10 am. It has been suggested that other members may wish to join in too. The zoom meeting ID and password which has changed recently is available from Peter Scott from the choir or you can email Paula Evans directly for the details and more information. There will be no Sing for Health on 10th and 17th August due to holiday.
'I was grounded 80% of my childhood, I've trained for this'😁
Run Group online with Zoom and Face time with Family
Zoom is free software that allows you to hold face to face meetings online with multiple participants. How to do this can be found here Run Group online with Zoom including the links for downloading the software.
'I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyardia. I’m getting tired of Los Livingroomia'.😎
Keukenhof Tulip Park
Tiptoe through the tulips with these virtual tours of the Keukenhof Tulip Park in Holland which will be posting new videos each week. Be sure to catch up on some of the earlier tours which started on March 21st. The Tulip season has ended now but the 23 videos taken between March 21st and May 10th are still available to see.
Livecams
Explore nature from honey bees to giant pandas, from nesting humming birds to osprey, from coral reefs to the African plains via Livecams set up all around the world and streaming live. You can also catch the Northern Lights or visit the NASA space Station.
Churches On-line
For those of you missing your Church services, there are many which have live web cams. You may want to find one using these timetables:
Church of England Services; Catholic Church Services
🤣'I need to practice social distancing ... from the refrigerator'.
Things To Do At Home
This site will direct you to a wide range of Things To Do At Home for FREE but beware of the advertising. With things like languages, knitting, cooking, origami, keep fit and virtual Formula 1. The virtual tour section will take you all around the world from the Louvre to the Taj Mahal or the Sistine Chapel.
'I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we’d go from Standard Time to Twilight Zone'🤣
Metropolitan Opera for Opera Lovers
The Metropolitan Opera are streaming a different opera each day. Go to Metropolitan Opera and press 'Watch now'
😒'Day 1: I have stocked up enough non-perishable food to last for months'
😌'Day 1 and 45 minutes: I am in the supermarket because I want a twix'
ChatterPack
Describe themselves as a list of free, online, boredom-busting resources. ChatterPack lists items under headings of virtual tours, on line learning, geography, music, arts, literature, skills. There really is something for everyone!
😊I’m so excited . . . it’s time to take out the garbage. What to wear, what to wear?
Audio books
Audible are offering Audio books free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. The books are graded for kids to teens and classics where you will find things like learning a language or a Shakespearean play. Thank you to the member who sent in this suggestion.
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'Day 5 of isolation: I've put a different bottle of beer in each room of the house and I'm pretending I'm on a pub crawl'
'Day 9 of isolation: I struck up a conversion with a spider. Seems a nice chap. He's a web designer! ...and the cat asked me if I'd like the radio left on while she went out!'
'The wife and I watched three movies back to back last night. Fortunately I was the one facing the TV'🤗
The Virtual U3A - vU3A
This might be a good time to try out the Virtual U3A. The activity groups from History, through art, books and lots more are all on line and they have a 'coffee shop' where you can just go online for a chat. It could be well worth the £12 annual subscription. Virtual U3A
'Tesco, good, busy later. Sainsburys, moderate to good. Asda, heavy crowds by evening. Waitrose and co-op, rough at first, easing later. That is the end of the Shopping Forecast'😎
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😌'How long is Social distancing supposed to last? My husband keeps trying to get in the house'
U3A Coronavirus Advice
The U3A has started a page on the national website to help and advise us all. The aim is to introduce as many ideas as possible encouraging members to stay active and connected. You can get involved with the 'Living History in Unprecedented Times' shared learning project by keeping a diary of personal thoughts, ideas and reflections.
'My partner purchased a world map.... gave me a dart and said "throw this and wherever it lands I'm taking you for a holiday when this pandemic is over". Turns out we're spending two weeks behind the fridge.'😎
Exercise
Don't forget to keep active with these beginners videos. Do you have a favorite to share?
10 minute Home Workout for Seniors
15 minute Morning Yoga for Beginners
15-minute Beginner Workout
15 minute Cardio Workout