1

Littleborough

May Newsletter 2021

Hello everyone!

I hope this Newsletter finds you well and able to enjoy your ‘freedom’- albeit still a little strange! The delightful pictures above were taken near Hollingworth Lake and sent in by Michael Bidny. In this month’s Newsletter we have:

1. News

2. Forthcoming Zoom events

3. News from the groups

4. Contributions from members

5. Virtual Quiz report

6. Barrie’s Photo Challenge 14

7. Answers to April puzzles

8. Puzzle time

9. Groanavirus

1. NEWS

Committee There is still time to put yourself forward to join the committee. Contact Liz Walker Lizwalker48@gmail.com or Sandra Kokocki sandra.kokocki@gmail.com if you are interested.

Groups meeting up again As the Covid restrictions gradually ease, groups may be considering meeting up again in person. Obviously, we must abide by the current Government guidelines when doing this (currently maximum 6 people outdoors), and the u3a is keen that we keep ourselves safe. Therefore, in order to keep yourself and others safe, we would advise that you look at the form below which provides guidance before attending a group in person.

2

Personal Members' Checklist (Pre-

attendance) During the Coronavirus Pandemic it is important for all U3A members planning to participate in an

activity or interest group to consider their own personal health circumstances before taking part. The

form below is to provide guidance to you in this consideration.

U3A Personal Members’ Activity Checklist – (Pre-attendance) Date of Group Activity:- _______________

1.

2.

3.

4.

All participants to review their own personal health and circumstances and refer to the NHS Website in England, Wales or Scotland for further information if you are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from coronavirus. Consider the health risk category of anyone else you are living with in your household.

Review the risk check list for the activity you intend to take part in - completed by your U3A group organiser and consider if it is the right decision for you to take part without adverse risk to yourself or household at this time.

Do not take part if you or someone else from your household have covid-19 symptoms – these include a high temperature, a new continuous cough and the loss, or a change to your sense of smell or taste.

Part 2. Personal Checklist Outcomes:

1. 2. 3. 4.

If you develop symptoms within 48 hours of the activity it is recommended that you apply for a COVID-19 test, and support NHS contact tracing if requested.

For the time being our monthly meetings will continue via Zoom.

3

2. FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Following our last entertaining talk by Colin Meredith about his life as an

actor, the title of our next speaker’s talk on Monday 17th May sounds equally

fascinating: Blessed are the cheesemakers….

Invitations will be emailed to all members before each event

Date Time Information

Monday 10th May 1.45 for 2pm BYO Coffee & Chat

Monday 17th May 1.45 for 2pm John Pearson: Blessed are the cheesemakers

Monday 14th June 1.45 for 2pm AGM

Monday 12th July 1.45 for 2pm Jim Holmes: Travelling photographer

Monday 9th August 1,45 for 2pm Phillip Cook: My family and the Titanic

Monday 13th September 1.45 for 2pm Paul Isherwood: Gamblers get the spots the families get the symptoms

Monday 11th October 1.45 for 2pm Guy Otten: Strictly die laughing

3. NEWS FROM THE GROUPS

GERMAN Anne Pickersgill would like to hear from you if you are interested in joining a new German group

(maybe even groups!) which will meet on Zoom.

If you are interested in learning German, please send an email to Anne Pickersgill

at anneatu3a@aol.com who will arrange for you to be invited to an initial Zoom meeting to discuss

the when, where, how and why. She writes:

So that we can tailor the course to the majority requirements, at this meeting we hope to hear what

sort of German you would like to learn - survival, holidays, conversation, reading, etc, discuss the

advantages and disadvantages of different books/courses we could use, find a suitable time for us all

to meet up regularly on Zoom, discover your previous history of learning German (if any) or any other

language (if any). As an example, I did German as part of my degree back in the early 70s. I want to

refresh my memory, but also concentrate on learning to converse in German (which we didn't do

much of back then). I have a working knowledge of a few other European languages, so would

describe myself as an experienced linguist.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Philosophy Group Marilyn Aldred sent this report from their last meeting held on 20th April: This time 8 of our group met and as agreed at our previous meeting, we discussed three of the founding fathers of Philosophy. Socrates the Master Interrogator,

Socrates Plato Aristotle

4

his pupil Plato who attempted to Bridge the Gap between the Human and Abstract world and his pupil Aristotle a man of immense intellect who mapped out Science and Formulated Logic.

It proved to be a mammoth task we all agreed, but we ploughed on anyway. Three hundred years before Christ these three men set out ideas which were to influence Science, Philosophy and Politics down the centuries. We looked at their influence on the Christian Church, particularly parallels can be drawn about a man like Socrates who encouraged others to think for themselves and ultimately lost his life because of it. Plato’s writings have set out an agenda which Philosophy as a whole, not only moral philosophy, can be said roughly to have followed ever since. Plato’s writings have survived the ages and it is his writings about Socrates that give us an insight into who he was and what he said. Aristotle was a prolific writer and believed unlike Plato that there was only one world that we can philosophise about and that is the world we live in, to him this is a world of inexhaustible fascination. Unfortunately, although he wrote what has been described as ‘A river of gold’ much of his original work has been lost over time. Like Socrates, Aristotle was condemned by the society he lived in and had to flee Athens in 323 BC to avoid the same fate.

At our next meeting on Tuesday the 18th of May, we will be looking at Immanuel Kant the 18th century German philosopher.

Reading Group 1 has sent a bit of good news – Alison Gavagan writes: The group has been meeting and keeping in touch via WhatsApp for some time. However, on Saturday 24 April some of us managed to meet up. Irene offered the use of her garden and four of us met in a socially distanced way. It was so lovely to see each other face to face instead of on a screen. We discussed our latest book, Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard, we had mixed feelings about the book and the man who wrote it but it was great to be able to discuss it properly with each other. We learned about long distance marathons, life in China and the difficulties and expense of bringing a homeless dog back to Scotland from China. We have decided that as there are only six group members at present that this will be the best way forward for the group for a few months until we feel safe to meet up in the library, despite any future relaxation of the Covid regulations. This felt like a small step back towards a brighter future for us as a group after not meeting up for more than a year.

***

Phil Joiner

4. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS

Here are a few ‘deep thoughts’ on the current situation from a selection sent in by Martin

Luke

5

• Day 57 of Social Distancing: Struck up a

conversation with a spider today. Seems nice.

He’s a web designer.

• Just how long is this social distancing

supposed to last? My husband keeps trying to

come in the house.

• Remember when you were little and all your

underwear had the days of the week on them?

Those would be helpful right now.

***

And my apologies to Lis Kay whose photo slipped out of sight last time. Remember the snowy

Sunday???

5. VIRTUAL QUIZ REPORT from Lynn Wild

The next quizzes will be on Thursday 13th May set by Myself. Then Thursday 27th May set by Martin Luke

Questions are emailed out at 1:00pm with the answers following at 3:30pm. The quiz is open to all members, their households and bubbles (even if these are not members).

Why not give it a try? Lynn.

6

6. BARRIE’S PHOTO CHALLENGE – Answer to No. 13

Barrie’s photos Ruth Philpott sent these:

Barrie’s photo challenge 14.

Original photos from 1953 Ordnance Survey. Can you identify the location and get a current photo from the same spot? (email: barriewatu3a@gmail.com) The first one is a bit of a challenge as the building is no longer there but those in the background still exist.

7

1

2 This view has not changed much.

6. ANSWERS TO APRIL PUZZLES

Answers for Snow Questions

1) False. 2)Hans Christian Anderson. 3) Lemonade. 4) Himalayas. 5) Nivea.

Dingbats 4b Answers

1) tally Ho. 2) Waterfall. 3) Home Stretch. 4) Count me out. 5) Makes no Difference. 6) Paralegals.

7) I Ran over Him. 8) Spitting Headache. 9) Mother in Law. 10) Back seat driver.

11) Gross Incompetence. 12) Two goes into Eight Four times

7. MAY PUZZLE TIME

Anagrams US Presidents

1) HE GREW BOGUS

2) JAM MERIT CRY

3) HERO OR THE VERB

4) HOT OVERSTEERED LOO

5) INCH MAN JOY SQUAD

6) WAR ON HE GETS GOING

7) GRANDER WAR NIGH

8) LARDED FROG

9) NOW JERK SAD CAN

10) SLY SUREST NAGS

Missing vowels Cocktails

1) M_RT_N_

2) S_D_C_R

3) L_D F_SH__N_D

4) M_RG_R_T_

5) C_B_ L_BR_

6) M_NH_TT_N

7) S_Z_R_C

8) M_J_T_

9) C_SM_P_L_T_N

10) STR_WB_RRY D_Q_R_

Ditloids A phrase, quotation, date, or fact must be deduced from the numbers & letters

in the clue, such as 7=D in a W (Seven days in a week)

1) 15= M on a DMC 6) 32= FP of W in DF

2) 18= H on a GC 7) 40= FO in a Q

3) 20= N on a DB 8) 55= B on a R

4) 24= H in a D 9) 240= OP in a P

5) 25= Y in a SA 10) 360= D in a C

8

Cryptic Clues: Animals & Birds (Contributed by Ellen Cruise)

1. A type of whistle 6. Mad in one month

2. Jewish leader has tea 7. Twist this lady at cards

3. This relation runs with long strides 8. A most tedious person

4. Used to unlock a card game 9.Part of Belgian town becomes wealthy

5.Give this for approval 10. It was wet in this place

***

Quiz - General Knowledge

1. In 1472 Scotland took possession of Orkney & the Shetland Isle’s after the King of which

country defaulted on a dowry payment

2. The Hamlet of Flatford is in which County.

3. “Scrumping “is normally used to mean the stealing of which fruit

4. Out of the 650 UK constituencies in 2014, how many were in England

a) 623 b) 583 c)533

5. Who is the only person to win the Best Director Oscar four times?

6. Name the pianist host of the TV shows – “Later with …..” and “Hootenanny”

7. Name Austria’s capital City.

8. What does the letter “T” stand for in UHT milk?

9& 10. By area which is the largest Bay in the World, and which Ocean is it in?

***

7. GROANAVIRUS

• Have you seen the price of Polos these days?? Rowntree’s must be making a

mint.

• If I wanted to buy a really expensive duck, would I have to make a down

payment??

• What did the vampire doctor shout out in his waiting room? 'necks please'

• I attempted to smuggle a rugby ball through customs. I thought it was worth a try.

• I got arrested yesterday for stealing hay from a farmer. I've been refused bale.

• The doctor has just prescribed me some anti-gloating cream. Can't wait to rub it

in.

• I was once attacked by a gang of Scottish dancers; it left me reeling.

• Have you seen the new film "The Tractor"? It had a very good trailer!

• I twisted my ankle during turbulence on a long-haul flight. I have an airline fracture.

• I've just been sacked from my hospital porter position. They've accused me of pushing

people around

• Andrew Lloyds Webber's new musical Dogs is coming out soon and I've been

offered the lead. ( That was ruff!)

9

• A tourist stopped me in the street and asked the best way to Selfridges? I told

him to put them on eBay!

• As a child my family’s menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it.” From Phil Joiner

And finally….

… we reach the end of another Newsletter. I shall now grapple with technology to save it to the

Cloud…… or will I?!

Until next time, take care. Sue (suetemperleyu3a@outlook.com)