East Lothian Summer 2015

Newsletter

The Annual General Meeting took place on 17 June at the Town House Haddington. Almost 80 members attended and it was all ‘done and dusted’ in about 22 minutes. (Is this a record?) All resolutions were passed unanimously and no ques-tions were raised from the floor. So we now have a new Constitution which will be available soon for reference in the members section of the website. I am pleased to announce that the committee for 2015/16 will be:

Alison Rogers – Chair Irene Hopkins – Secretary Malcolm Morris – Treasurer

Pam Hepburn – Membership Secretary

Peter Cleat – Groups Co-ordinator

Tove Gameljord – Lectures Co-ordinator

Mary Alexander – Lectures Co-ordinator

Annie Rayner – Hospitality

Tony Reeves – U3A in Scotland liaison

Joy Clark Whilst we have our full compliment of 10 elected Committee Members, we can still co-opt a further two members if so required. We really need members to join

the Committee for a year or two with no specific responsibilities other than to observe and offer opinions, with the intention of taking over Office-bearing roles, especially Chairman in future years. If there is anyone out there willing to ‘have a go’ please contact a member of the Committee. The format of the afternoon was a little different this year. Instead of a lecture, the formalities of the AGM were followed by demonstrations from two ELU3A Groups. The Ceilidh Dancing and More Group performed a traditional Scottish Country Dance followed by The Lambeth Walk, a particular favourite of mine as it never fails to put a smile on my face. The Folk Music Group then sang a few fairly well known ‘folky’ songs which had us all foot tapping and singing along to. Well done to all those who performed as I am sure it was outside the ‘comfort zone’ of some who had not performed in public before. Well done also to Tove, our Lectures Co-Ordinator for coming up with the idea and pulling it all together.

Alison Rogers Chairman

AGM 17 June 2015

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Open Lecture September 2015

Use of iPads in education Speaker Jenny Revolta

Jenny is an art, maths, and drama teacher in a small independ-ent school in west of Scotland. She will give a brief overview of the use of iPads in education with emphasis on how the iPad can be used in art, firstly as an art medium in itself and secondly as a tool to support more con-ventional artwork and traditional media.

2.30pm, Wednesday 16 September The Town House Haddington.

Surprise, surprise at the AGM A ‘Surprise Entertainment’ followed the AGM. First we had a demonstration of two dances from the Ceilidh Dancing and More group. The Piper and the Penguin was composed to commemorate the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-4, and then audience participation was called for in The Lambeth Walk. Next the Folk Music Group tuned up their guitars and ukuleles - and one fiddle - and gave us a lusty rendering of several well-known songs.

The Piper and the Penguin. Quite how the dance relates to its title is a mystery, but the dancers clearly enjoyed themselves..

Singing is obviously a serious business.

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“The University of the Third Age costs nothing to attend and does nothing for your job prospects. But in some senses, it’s the only real university left in Britain.”

The Guardian 11 April 2015

As you may know our esteemed and hard working Museum Group leader Julie Murphy has been unwell for some time. It was good to see her back at the AGM on the 17th June. On behalf of the group I would like to give her a big thank you for all she has done for the group, and wish her continuing improvement in her health. After 5 years as group leader she has reluctantly decided to pass on the baton to someone new. Colin Mackie, a regular attender at our varied and interesting visits, has offered to take on the leadership, but he desperately needs your help.

We now have over 40 members on our group list and new members are always welcome, but in order for Colin to plan a programme for 2016 it would be helpful to know which members wish to remain on the list and which would prefer to come off for the time being. Please contact Colin to let him know whether or not you wish your name to be kept on the group list so that he can be ready to plan the new session in 2016. Tel: 01875 341844 Email: colin@horncliffe.com

Attention please, all you keen museums and places of interest visitors From Margaret Gordon

If you can understand the following you might be interested Le groupe de français du mercredi matin aimerait accueillir un/une francophone enthousiaste pour partager les joies de la langue française en s'amusant. S'adresser à Valérie McAdam: mcadam39@virgin.net; Marie-Florence MacDonald: mfmacd@btinternet.com Si le lundi après-midi serait plus commode, vous adressez-vous à Alison Craven: alison.craven@gmail.com

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Walk to the Musselburgh Lagoons by Sylvia Fraser of the Simply Strolling Group

On the 8th of May this year our walking group met at the Musselburgh Lagoons, where we were joined by Nick Aitken, the Countryside Ranger who would lead us round the Lagoons. It was a lovely day with a cool wind blowing of the sea. The walk started along the mouth of the River Esk and in the space of 100m many different birds were spotted. Quite a few of us had brought binoculars and Nick had a powerful telescope which gave excel-lent views of more distant birds. Among the birds which were iden-tified both at this point and further in-land were widgeon, teal, oyster-catcher, gadwall, goosander, mallard, redshanks, several different gulls and the wonderfully named bar-tailed god-wit. There were also a number of what Nick called LBJs – ‘little brown jobs’, indistinguishable from a distance.

We then turned inland to go round the lagoons themselves. These were created by the ash from the adjacent power station, thus reclaiming the land. They are supported financially by

Scottish Power and other bodies and are a well-used and attractive facility. At the time of our walk some of the ‘scrapes’ ie, very shallow areas of water used by the wading birds were being drained as has to be done once a year to clean them in case there are any substances which might harm the birds. We sat for a while at the viewing point which gave us closer look at some of the wading and nesting birds, and then walked further, listening to the sky-larks. One of the deeper lagoons is used for training children in canoeing and the whole area as a recreational facility for the public as well as being a sanctuary for the birds and smaller animals. Some of the areas are set aside as having special scientific interest and dog walk-ers are requested to keep dogs on leads, a request not always respected. The dogs may be perceived as just having fun running free, but in so doing, they can disturb the nesting birds and frighten young animals. Indeed Nick told us that one young deer was chased by a dog over the sea wall, broke both legs and had to be destroyed. The walk lasted about two hours and was made much more interesting by having Nick with us. It is worth looking up the Countryside Rangers website – Countryside Ranger Service – East Lothian Council, where details can be found of planned events and opportunities to volunteer as a Ranger.

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Last April’s Open Lecture: a report from Annie Rayner

MOOCs

Dr Leah Marks treated us to a fascinating talk about MOOCs at the open lecture on Wednesday 15th April at the Town House, Haddington. Fired up with enthusiasm, I signed up for a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) when I got home. It was a simple process - I googled FutureLearn, read through the courses offered which appealed to me, and signed up for World War 1 - A History in 100 stories offered by Monash University in Melbourne, which had just started. I raced through the course in a couple of weeks, in time for ANZAC day. FutureLearn have just announced new courses starting soon, one of which is the one developed by Dr Leah Marks and colleagues at the University of Glasgow which she spoke about at our talk: Cancer in the 21st Century - The Genomic Revolution. Guess what? I've signed up for that too. So have a go, but beware - it's addictive! Oh, did I mention, there's one about addiction too...?

All Recorders Great and Small

If you ever thought that playing the recorder meant the descant, think again! This is a photograph of the two U3A recorder groups playing together recently, and you will be hard put to find the descant. There are basses, tenors, trebles and even a great bass awaiting its turn. The occasion was a work-shop with Marg Hall from Winton in East Lothian. Marg is an experi-enced recorder teacher as well as a composer for the instrument, so the group got plenty of advice about technique during an afternoon of convivial ensemble playing. The groups will continue to meet over the summer and some members are looking forward to going to the Scottish Recorder Course in September at Tulliallan.

Celia Coulson

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How many pages can you read in 15 years? Liz Strachan reports on 15 years of ‘Contemporary Fiction’

The Contemporary Fiction group has now been going for 15 years. Five of its current twelve members have been with it right from the start and some of the others for over ten years. Roughly another twenty have come and gone, so there has been a steady stream of new members to bring in new ideas. Over the years we have read and discussed 120 books and recommended many more to each other. We started in 2000 with a survey of 20th century literature, choosing novels which represented some of the main developments in and influences on contemporary literary fiction. Since then we have stuck mainly to current publications, but may go back over 20 years and have recently taken to reading one work of an earlier notable 20th century novelist by way of comparison. Our method of selection is very democratic. Everyone is free to make suggestions and a final list for the following year is drawn up after dis-cussion and voting. This ensures that no one person has to feel responsible for their choice and discussions can be

frank and uninhibited without causing offence. Although most of the books are serious and literary we look for variety and balance and generally include at least one crime or other ‘genre’ novel. It cannot be denied that over the 15 years we have encountered some miseries and shocks on the way, but who knows? perhaps being shaken out of one’s comfort zone is an aid to longevity! Of the books read last year the follow-ing were on the whole the most enjoyed:

Phil Hogan: A Pleasure and a Calling (gripping psychological thriller about a creepy estate agent) Mohsin Hamid: How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (hard-hitting satire, very readable) Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Love in the Time of Cholera (strange story of love, masterpiece by Colombian Nobel Prize Winner) E. M. Forster: Howard’s End (clash of cultures in early 20th century) John Williams: Stoner (subtle portrait of quiet American academic) Tom Rob Smith: The Farm (another psychological thriller set in Sweden and London)

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Group news

Ballroom Dance

From Di Harris

This Ballroom Dance group had its first meeting in January of this year. We have a core of keen, dedicated members, two of whom, especially, have provided us with patient (very!), good-humoured instruction. We enjoy the music, the movement, the foot/brain co-ordination (better some days than others!) not to mention the tripping - of the “light fantastic”! It would be wonderful if more U3A members could come along armed with their dancing boots, to join us. (Actually, softish, slightly slidey-soled shoes are probably best, with a small heel for the ladies.) Beginners would be especially welcome; even those of us who have had some dancing experience have to be reminded of the steps of any dance every week so beginners would be a great help. We meet weekly on Thursday mornings from 10.30 until 12.00 in Haddington Corn Exchange. Our next session will start on September 17th during which, on a fortnightly basis, some professional tuition will be available.

Please contact me for further details Tel: 01620 843178 or Email: harco66@yahoo.co.uk

Mindfulness

From Chris Roberts

Since March, the new Mindfulness Group has had nine meetings on Wednesday afternoons, in the Upper Hall, the Bridge Centre, Haddington, testing the waters in a relaxed atmosphere. As well as sitting together, always a good experience, we have listened to guided practices by Mark Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach and Rob Nairn. After the summer break, a more structured course will be offered for those who are interested. Contact Chris with any queries: Tel: 01368 863299 Email: cpmroberts1@gmail.com

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Newsletters are published by East Lothian U3A Communications Team, Sheila Shillitto, Nicola McNeill, Margaret Gordon, Rosemary Brannan, Richard Morton and Colin Legg, who is webmaster of

www.eastlothianu3a.org.uk

Contact the editor at news@eastlothianu3a.org.uk, telephone 0131 6579918 or write to: 40 Coillesdene Avenue Edinburgh EH15 2JR

The East Lothian University of the Third Age

Scottish Charity SC 028953 Supported by East Lothian Council

The next issue of East Lothian U3A Newsletter will be published in September 2015. New notices and diary dates will be shown on the notices page of www.eastlothianu3a.org.uk Please send your articles, notices and photographs to the address below.

U3A in Scotland

Philosophy Study day, Perth This year's Philosophy Study Day will again be led by Marianne Talbot, Director of Studies in Philosophy at Oxford University. It's at the Soutar Theatre, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP, from 11 am to 3 pm. Cost is £17.50. Cheques payable to The U3A in Scotland should be sent to E. D. Link, The Rowans, 14A High Road, Auchtermuchty, Fife KY14 7BE. Email Ed Link at: edl.perthu3a@gmail.com or telephone him on: 01337 827637.

See our website for full details