News Items
MORPETH AND DISTRICT u3a
NEWSLETTER APRIL 2024
Welcome to your April newsletter. Plenty of rain at the moment but our garden is a riot of colour and the local birds are nest building like there’s no tomorrow. Here in our u3a there’s a Spring like feel with lots of interesting events coming up – done by members for members.
This month we have Andrew Thwaite - a Chocolatier from York talking about My Life in Chocolate – a must for chocolate fans. This is at 2.00 on Tuesday April 30th at St James’s. Coming up we have our AGM on Tuesday June 24th with entertainment from The Recorder Group – we have had them before and they were excellent. Further AGM information will be in your May Newsletter.
Please remember to bring a cup if you are staying for refreshments.
Steve Morris, Chair
News from the Groups – April 2024
Art Group:
We meet at Pegswood Community Hub, Longhirst Road, Pegswood NE61 1XF most Monday afternoons during the year between 1.30-3.30 pm. During the summer break we usually work outdoors at various local venues. There is some car parking on the site and facilities to make tea/coffee etc.
The Art Group continues to thrive, enriched by the contributions of new members who have joined recently. We would welcome others who would like to share their talent. (The two pictures above were painted by some of our members, although not all of us are as talented!)
If interested please contact Cuthbert Regan
Art Appreciation Group: Sally Keith
We meet on the penultimate Thursday of the month at 2.00pm at Morpeth Methodist Church and look forward to welcoming new and existing members. The talks are followed by tea or coffee and some lively discussion.
Last month we had a full house for an entertaining illustrated talk by Brian Hannaford on Artemisia Gentileschi, a fascinating Baroque painter and early feminist.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 18th April at 2pm in Morpeth Methodist Church when four of our own members will be talking about their favourite paintings by artists as varied as Ralph Hedley, John Ruskin, Gustav Klimt and Anton Sulek.
On June 21st we are heading out to the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Galashiels. The Tapestry tells the story of Scotland’s history, heritage, innovations and culture and members who have been all say how stunning it is. The cost of the bus is £15 and there is an entry charge of £9.50 at the Visitor Centre. The deadline for payment of £15 is Tuesday April 30th at the General Meeting.
Please let Tony or Sally Keith know if you would like more information.
Book Group 4: Jennifer Cryer
Our group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 2pm in one another’s homes.
Our March meeting centred around “Army Girls” by Tessa Dunlop. All the members thoroughly enjoyed this book because the spirit of the now very elderly women, who contributed their reminiscences of war service, shone so very brightly. In spite of having lived mainly domestic lives, it was noticeable that no one wanted to work in the kitchen. They took on the huge challenges of technical war work and achieved things that they had never imagined possible. And at the same time they had fun, leaving home and exploring new horizons, much as university students do now, and made a difference in so many fields. We could only admire their resilience and determination to play their part.
Next month’s book “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus has a different sort of “woman in a man’s world” theme, exploring the place of a woman in science and science in the kitchen. An interesting juxtaposition.
Book Group 5 Barbara Bisset
Book Group 5 has 5 members. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 2pm at a member’s house. There we spend a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, discussing the book and other things that interest us. Our books are all fiction and are borrowed from the Northumberland Reading Groups Lending Library. This month we are reading “Mr Rosenblum’s List” by Natasha Solomons and next month it will be Magnusson’s “The Sealwoman’s Gift”.
Book Group 6: Jean Haworth
Our group is quite small at present and we would welcome one or two new members.
We meet at 2pm on the second Friday of each month, usually in one another’s homes, although sometimes we change the venue. We read mostly modern fiction, taking turns to choose the book to be discussed. If you would like more information, please contact Jean Haworth
Craft Group: Jennifer Sinton
The Craft Group continues to meet on a Monday at 2pm in the Sun Inn. Things on the go at the moment include starting knitting things for the Xmas shoe boxes, doing a cross stitch picture and knitting things requested by family members.
Foodies Lunch Club: Pam Turner
Members had a most enjoyable lunch in March at the Morpeth Golf Club. Our April lunch was held on Monday 15th April at The Beresford Arms in Whalton. The May lunch is being arranged for the 20th May at Barluga in Morpeth. If you would like to join us in the future, you can sign up at the monthly speaker meeting or contact Pam Turner. Looking forward to seeing regular Foodies and new members at the next and future lunches. Pam Turner
French Conversation: Lena Walsh
If you would like to keep up your French or improve it in a friendly atmosphere, the group meets at 10.30 am on the first Wednesday of each month at the Methodist Church in Morpeth.
To learn more, please contact me Lena Walsh
Garden Group: Sally Ennis
Our meetings take place at 2pm in Hepscott Parish Hall on the second Wednesday of each month with the exception of June and July when we usually plan some garden visits and August when there is no meeting. Everyone is welcome, so please come along and join us.
Our April meeting was a talk by John Hartshorne about Northumberland peatlands and their role in carbon capture.
Our next meeting on Wednesday 8th May will be a plant swap and Ruth Marshall will be telling us about her time in China.
The visit for 12th June is now confirmed - to Cresswell Walled Garden and Pele Tower which have both been recently restored following Heritage Lottery funding.
If you need further information, please contact Sally Ennis
German Conversation: Erika Fox
Our group meets once a month at my house. We use a mixture of material available on the internet to improve vocabulary and understanding and finish with either general conversation or a member talking about a topic. It is not a class, it is light-hearted and a fun way of improving language skills. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact me, Erika Fox,
History Group: Irene Foggett
In March we had a talk and discussion about St Wilfred, a 7th century Bishop who became a local saint and also travelled to many parts of Europe. The image is of St Wilfred’s crypt Hexham.
Our group is full at the moment but, if you are interested, please let me know and I will put your name on a waiting list.
For more information, please contact
Music for Pleasure: Anne Van Der Willik.
We meet in a member’s home on the 3rd Monday of the month at 2pm and choose music from different genres to play and discuss. Each member picks their own take on the music, which makes for an interesting afternoon sometimes!
If you are interested, please contact me
Play Reading Group: Lena Walsh
If you think you would enjoy reading plays aloud simply for amusement, the group meets at 2pm on the first Tuesday of each month at the Methodist Church in Morpeth for about an hour. To learn more please contact me
Quiz Group: Moira Quinn
Our group meets every month on the second Thursday of the month at 2pm at St. Christopher’s Morpeth.
We have a light-hearted approach to quizzing and are always happy to welcome new members. Do come along and see if it suits you. For more information, please contact Moira Quinn
Scrabble Group 1: Shirley Helman
We Meet every Tuesday at 2pm at St. Christopher's except when it would clash with the General Meeting. We are a small, friendly group and would welcome new members of all levels of ability in Scrabble.
Scrabble Group 2: Kathy Smith
The Monday Scrabble group continues to meet every alternate Monday at 10 am. We have just 4 players, so new members will be very welcome.
Please contact Kathy Smith if interested
Tai Chi Group: Steve Morris
Our group has just completed this 12 week block and we start another on May 1st. We do a mixture of Tai Chi and Qigong focusing on health and relaxation. The group is full for the next block but I can add names to a waiting list. We meet every Wednesday at 10.30 am at St Christopher’s at Kirkhill. Contact Steve Morris
Theatre Group:
The next theatre group trip is on Saturday 18th May at 7.30pm at the People’s Theatre, Jesmond to see “Constellation”, a play with lots of romantic twists. Tickets and transport is £28. I need numbers as soon as possible and payment is due before the April General meeting.
Also, payment is needed in April for “Lipstick on Your Collar” which is on 6th September. Tickets are £26 and payment for the coach will be confirmed later.
Many members have expressed an interest in a “Day Out” in the summer and I am hoping to organise a trip to the Auckland Project on 11th July. The Project is centred in and around Auckland Castle, once the home to the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham, and includes the magnificent St Peter’s Chapel, the Bishops’ apartments, the faith museum, art galleries, gardens and parkland. More details will be provided later, but I would welcome an expression of interest at our next monthly meeting.
Valerie Macalister
Walking Groups:
Longer Walking Group (approx. 8 miles)
The longer walking group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the Morpeth Rugby Club car park for a 9.30am start. Our walk on 16th April was led by Jane Cadman and our next walk on 21st May will be led by Karin Jackson. Further dates and leaders will be published in future newsletters. Our walks are approximately 8 miles long and take place in Northumberland and the Tyne Valley. You will need waterproof clothing, walking boots and a picnic lunch and drink. For further information please contact Jenny Ellis.
5 Mile Walking Group
The 5 Mile Group meets at Morpeth Rugby Club car park for a 9.30am start on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. We are a friendly group and one member each month is responsible for the walk. Walking shoes and a light snack are recommended. Everyone is welcome. Why not join this friendly group for a morning’s walk?
Contact Eileen Harber on 01670 517829.
Amblers
Our friendly group normally meet on the first Thursday of each month at 10am at Morpeth Rugby Club and share cars. This photo was of our last walk around Newbiggin.
New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Jackie Jones.