Exmouth & District

Member News

EXCITING NEWS! WE NOW HAVE A NEW WEBSITE. THIS MEANS THAT THE WEBSITE YOU ARE NOW ON WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED. PLEASE GO TO OUR NEW WEBSITE BY CLICKING OR TAPPING ON THIS LINK IMMEDIATELY BELOW:

New Exmouth & District u3a website

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This page is for notices from members. There are four items under the 'Links' heading to the right. The rest of the items are below. You can use this ‘pinboard’ to publicise local events and news of interest to other members - all items submitted will be posted at the Website Manager’s discretion. Please use the CONTACT button above and then click or tap on 'Website' to send notices and to respond.

Current topics shown here are:

- Weekly Zoom Coffee & Chat – and live streaming
- Happy Feet Walking Group
- Website Developers Group
- Zoom Short Films Group
- Interest Groups Online
- Consultation on Exmouth Active Travel Improvements - Exmouth Gateway

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Weekly Zoom Coffee & Chat – and live streaming

All members of Exmouth & District u3a are VERY welcome to join us on Thursday mornings for our Zoom Coffee & Chat sessions. Sometimes this includes live streaming. They are very friendly, informal sessions held every Thursday morning. They start at 10.30, but we suggest everyone logs in from 10.15.

There is no limit to the number of members, so you can always join in using your smartphone, iPad/tablet or computer. Coffee & Chat sessions (C&C’s) last for about an hour but you can always leave a meeting if you have to be somewhere or do something else. It’s very free and easy but don’t take our word for it, sound out our members you may know. You don’t have to attend each C&C either. Some of our C&C members have told us it is a unique opportunity for those who are pretty much housebound.

Once connected, and you have the Zoom App (or computer program) installed, it’s easy too. It doesn’t require lots of technical knowledge but advice about getting started is available if wanted.

You may have something you would like to ask about or share, examples being u3a activities you have participated in as a group member, films, TV or Radio programmes seen or any topic which might be of interest to others. A weekly coffee & chat (C&C) is a very good opportunity for a ‘newsy’ item, make friends, get to recognise and know members' names, share a few photos, tell short stories (real and imagined), share art and craft work or just enjoy a Thursday morning by listening and, when you want, yourself adding to all the “Chattering”. It can be a great opportunity to discuss local events or matters of concern or interest.

In addition, from time-to-time we experiment with some live 'outside broadcasts' from other places just for interest and for fun! Examples being members sharing their Smartphone’s Zoom link from train journeys, holidays in England, even a holiday walkabout of sights in a medieval town in France. Yes, the C&C can be surprising and unexpected, thoroughly enjoyable and include all manner of sharing!

So why not make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and join us; you will be most welcome. The Zoom login (connecting) details always remain the same. However, a reminder email of these details is normally sent to members the day before who are on our email circulation list. Also, a follow up Summary email is sent including any useful internet links or contact details etc., arising during a C&C.

If you would like to join our C&C Group so that we can introduce you to the other members, and most importantly give you the Zoom link or want to receive a reminder email about this the day before, please use the email address shown in the current edition of the members' newsletter to contact Ian or Bryan, or send a message to 'Other Enquiries' via the CONTACT button above.

If the speakers at our monthly meetings in the Exmouth Pavilion are willing for their talks to be streamed live to members at home and if the technology permits, we aim to stream these talks live at the same time as our regular C&C sessions.

If in doubt, just give your Coffee and Chat Group a taster-try. We think you will like the taste of our online chat. As for the brew of coffee or tea (or drinking chocolate) well, you already have that choice sorted!

Ian McLauchlin & Bryan Webb, Joint Group Organisers

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Happy Feet Walking Group

John Ingham, who is a u3a member, is looking for more people to join his Exmouth-based Happy Feet Walking Group.

Happy Feet are a small walking group established in 2007 of 30 plus members. We walk every Friday, usually for around 10 miles. Over the years we have walked in a large number of destinations, many within East Devon, others further afield on Dartmoor, Exmoor, Somerset and Dorset. We are currently looking for a few more members.

Walkers can opt to travel by themselves or participate in a car pool, where costs are shared. It is a friendly, relaxed group with plenty of banter within the structure of some basic walking rules. Members are mostly but not exclusively retired and from a wide range of backgrounds.

If you would like to give us a try then please contact in the first instance John Ingham via the Website button in the CONTACT section.

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Website Developers Group

This is a newly-formed group. Our priority is to offer the opportunity for members to have free training in WordPress - a vital skill for our own new website when it becomes operational later this year (and useful also for creating and/or maintaining other websites). This is a great chance to learn a new and very useful skill with full support being given. If you wish to join us or if you would like any further information about this, please contact Graham Wood, Group Organiser, by email or via the Website button in the CONTACT section.

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Zoom Short Films Group

For the past 3 winters I have run a film group on Zoom. It has its similarities to a book club.…each attendee choses a short film clip of around 5 minutes in length and explains the reasons for their choices. Since we are a small number we watch each short film and all make comments. The content is always diverse. We get together only during the winter months one evening a month on Zoom.

For some reason Exmouth & District u3a members have shown little interest in this group which saddens me. Even though it is an evening group it does not mean leaving one's home.

Why not give it a try? Our next meeting is Thursday 19th October at 7pm. It lasts for about an hour and a half

Short films can be found in many places (I suggest you also use your search engine to look up Short Films), e.g
www.YouTube.com
www.shortoftheweek.com
www.vimeo.com

If you are interested in giving it a try please email me and I will send you the link.

Lesley Stacy-Marks, Group Organiser

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Interest Groups Online

The national u3a organisation (Third Age Trust) held the Interest Groups Online (IGO) Fair in October. The IGO Fair was an opportunity to try out u3a's online learning community for free.

To find out more about the large range of interest groups available and for further details on how to join, click or tap on this link - Interest Groups Online - https://www.u3a.org.uk/learning/interest-groups-online/igo-online-fair-schedule

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Consultation on Exmouth Active Travel Improvements - Exmouth Gateway

There has been a new consultation asking people what they think of proposals for change to improve Exmouth active travel in the area around Exmouth railway station. The consultation period is now over, but details are on the Devon County Council website which shows a map of the revised proposals and links to related documents. The closing date for submitting comments was Friday 5 January 2024. The website is Exmouth Active Travel Consultation (https://www.devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay/consultations/exmouth-active-travel-improvements/).

This is what John Petty, one of our active members, has said about it:

Are you aware of the £4.5 million grant from the Levelling up Fund to improve the Exmouth Gateway, the area around the station and the sports centre? I think that the proposed layout is flawed to the extent that it could well result in a worse situation than at present and it totally ignores the real black spots.

Knowing the way things work, I think the only way to rescue the situation is to organise a massive reply that cannot be dismissed. If you are able to support this attempt to get the best outcome for the town, please take part.

I have carried out a detailed analysis on this, but I feel it best to concentrate on three key issues which I feel are most likely to receive widespread support:

Proposal to fill in the underpass. Although the crossing is the preferred way there are still a surprising number who use the subway; it is the only way to go to and from the town without interfering with the traffic and those of us who are slower can take their time without feeling they ought to be hurrying across the waiting traffic. This is clearly of considerable benefit to a significant number of people, especially those with disabilities, the elderly, parents with child buggies and those with shopping trolleys. If we take the council's figures from its survey on the underpass usage it's estimated that it is used around 200,000 times per year, or once every 80 seconds. Why fill it in when it is clearly in demand, removing all the attractive landscaping, only to have to re-landscape it afterwards?

Proposal to increase the centre of the roundabout and also alter the pavement layout to reduce lane width. Surely any motorist is going to say that this is a recipe for complete stagnation and why?

There is NOTHING proposed for the area which offers great scope for real improvements, both visual and functional. This comprises the passage between the station and M&S, the Stagecoach offices, the public toilets (surely vital for such an important part of the town), and the car parks beyond. This area could certainly provide a much better access to the car parks, a visible taxi rank, a well defined free parking area for pick up and drop off, with decent shelter for all these and the possibility of providing cycle and mobility hire.

I have produced a version of the plan which Devon County Council provided in which I have added all my comments and suggestions. You can see my version of this plan by clicking or tapping on this link: Plan with comments from John Petty