CHEADLE AND GATLEY U3A Registered Charity Number:1172853

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE

JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER

Monthly Open Meetings

TheSecondWednesday:1:15foraprompt1:30startattheURC,ElmRoad,Gatley.

TheMonthlyOpenMeetingiswheretofindoutaboutallofouractivitiesandvisits,andtohearspeakerstalkonawiderangeofsubjects.

SpeakersforFebruarytoJuly2020

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

February12th LiverpoolCowkeepers DavidJoy ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

March11th ToyTowntoBuckinghamPalace JohnStirling ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

April8th TheGreatAmericanSongbook RogerBrowne ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

May13th TheRideforYourLife BloodBikers(t.b.c.) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

June10th AGM ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

July8th HerbsforHealth(HerbalMedicine) JohnTaylorB.Sc. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some of the Painting and Drawing Group on a visit to Salford Art Gallery.

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Weareconscious,though,thatwewereunabletoaccommodateeveryoneandthatleftsomepeopleunhappy.Duetohealthandsafetyreasons,thechurchhallcanseatonly100peoplesafely,andticketswereavailableonafirstcomefirstservedbasis.Asacommitteewewilladdressthisissueandwouldbegratefultohearfromyouifyoucanthinkofasolution.

TheChristmasraffle,organisedbyDorcasFlowerandherteamraisedthewonderfulamountof£320forourchosencharity,Pip’sPlace.Thischarityisaimingtosetupadrop-incentreinManchestertooffersupportandguidancetoindividualsandfamilieswhoareaffectedbyeatingdisorders.

AnewInterestGrouphasbeenformed,EarlyChristianity,convenedbyTomFanning.Fromthestartithasattractedconsiderableinterestandisflourishing.Itispleasingandasignofactivelifeandwellbeingthatwecontinuetogatherandenjoylearninginwhatarenow33InterestGroups.IncasesomeofournewmembersfeelthatthereisroomforotherInterestGroups,whynotstartone?Youcanalwaysspeaktoustobounceoffideas.

Lookingaheadtowhatissurelygoingtobeahighlightoftheyear,hereisadateforyourdiaries:on14thOctober2020wewillbeholdingourRememberingtheSixtiescelebrationday.InterestinthisenterprisehasbeenstrongfromthebeginningandlastOctobernearly30membersgottogethertodiscusspossibilities.IdeashavebeencirculatedtoallmembersandallwhoareinterestedareinvitedtocomeandhelpfirmupplansonThursday,16thJanuary,at12noonatURC.

LookingforwardtosharinganexcitingU3Ayearwithyou,

Batsheva Samely

It has been another busy six months for Cheadle and Gatley U3A. Our membership has increased to 250 and we now have 32 Interest Groups, with two new ones recently started.

The afternoon tea and information session for new members and Coordinators in March was very much appreciated by all who attended.

We amended our application and renewal forms in line with the new GDPR regulations and have also included a Gift Aid form for members.

At the AGM a resolution was passed to change the Object Clause in our constitution to bring it in line with the Charity Commission requirements.

It has been another busy six months for Cheadle and Gatley U3A. Our membership has increased to 250 and we now have 32 Interest Groups, with two new ones recently started.

The afternoon tea and information session for new members and Coordinators in March was very much appreciated by all who attended.

We amended our application and renewal forms in line with the new GDPR regulations and have also included a Gift Aid form for members.

At the AGM a resolution was passed to change the Object Clause in our constitution to bring it in line with the Charity Commission requirements.

Message from the Chair

IwishyouahappyandhealthyNewYear!

Lookingbackover2019,ithasbeenabusy,activeandlivelyyearforourU3A.Wehadinterestingandinformativespeakersatourmonthlymeetings;weheardamovingaccountfromourchosencharityforthisyear,Pip’sPlace;andwehadafabulousChristmasMeeting,organisedsoablybyMarySharples.

IanEwingandtheUkuleleGroupplayedupliftingmusicforusalltoenjoyandBarbaraWingardandtheChoirdelighteduswithmusicfromMyFairLadyandwealljoinedinsingingOCome,AllYeFaithful.SharonRichardsonentertaineduswithstoriesandsongs.ThesepresentationstogetherwiththeChristmasTea,offeredbyGinaGibsonandherteam,madeforatrueChristmashighlight.

LastyearwesupportedtheprojectofGatleyUnitedReformedChurchtopurchaseadefibrillator.Ithasarrivedandisnowinplaceinthefoyerofthechurch(seepicture).Giventhatallagesattendthechurch’spremisesonaregularbasis,itisparticularlyreassuringthatthelifesavingunitisalsosuitableforchildren.

Weintendweholdtrainingsessionstoensurethatmanypeoplewillbeabletooperatethedevice.Ifyouwouldliketoparticipateinthetraining,pleaseletmeknow.

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Images of the Christmas Meeting

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Thank Hallé It's Friday Helene Adam

OnFriday12thJulythisyear,severalmembersoftheCheadleandGatleyU3ASingingforPleasuregroupenjoyedawonderfulexperience.WesanginanearlyeveningconcertwiththeHalléOrchestrainTheBridgewaterHall,Manchester.

TheprogrammeinwhichweparticipatedincludedBeethoven’s‘OdeToJoy’fromSymphonyNo.9,Choral,the‘DiesIrae’fromVerdi'sRequiem,‘TheHeavensAreTelling’fromHaydn'sTheCreation,thetraditionalAmericanfolksong,‘Shenandoah’,and‘Somewhere’fromWestSideStory.

Havingbeensentonlineaccesstotherespectivepieces,we,alongwithseveralhundredenthusiasticsingersofallages,attendedapianorehearsalontheTuesdaypriortotheconcert,whereweweregiventhesheetmusic(onloanonly!)andsatintheauditoriumtopractisethesongs.Wethenwentaway,ideallytorunthroughthemusicathome,andreturnedontheFridayafternoonforfurtherrehearsal,initiallywithpianoaccompanimentandthenwiththeHalléOrchestra.

Finally,thebigevent,withanaudience,tookplaceontheFridayevening.Wesangwiththefullorchestra.Itishardtoputintowordsjusthowupliftingthisexperienceofsingingwithaworld-renownedorchestraand600+voiceswas.Forme,personally,singingthe‘OdetoJoy’withthefullorchestraandsingersoftheHalléChoralAcademywasparticularlymovingandmemorable.Thetotaleventwasveryspecialandpeoplewhotookpartwouldhavelovedtorepeatthisinfuture.Unfortunately,thiswastobethefinal‘ThankHalléIt'sFriday’,astheeventwasfundedbyCreativeEurope.Thoseofuswhoparticipatedinthiseventwilltreasurethememoryofaveryspecialexperience.

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Art by the Painting and Drawing Group

ThankstomembersoftheGroupforpermissiontoreproducethefollowingworks.

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Christine Healey Janet Davies

00 Christine Healey Mavis Wynn

000 Pam Allen Pam Allen

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Swansea Coach Holiday 16th-20th September Janet Farrall

TuesdaywasavisittoTenby,whichhastwobeautifulbeachesseparatedbytheharbourandCastleHill.Wefollowedthelittlecobbledstreetswithshopssellingnecessary‘seasidey’thingsandprettilypaintedhouses,alongthequaintnarrowlanesdowntowardsthebeach.Overlunchwesharedchipsandhappymemoriesoftimesspentonsandybeaches.

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Wefoundtheremnantsoftheoldtownwallsandarchwaysandadmiredtheabundanceofflowersplantedoutinbordersandbaskets,stillshowingnosignsofgivinguptheirglory.Ithadbeenquiteaclimbsosomeofusreturnedtothehotelbytaxi.

OnWednesdayweheadedtotheGowerPeninsula,thefirstplaceinBritaintobedesignatedanAreaofOutstandingNationalBeauty.ForitssizetheGowermustbethemostprizedandprotectedpartofBritainwithover30wildlifeandnaturereserves,almost40conservationareasandawealthof‘bestbeaches’.Its26milesofcoastisinthesafehandsoftheNationalTrust.

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Monday WeboardedthecoachatGatley,werewelcomedbyPhil(ourfavouritedriver)andmadegoodprogress,arrivingatourhotelinthelaterpartoftheafternoon.

WewereastonishedtoseealargeredDragon(sadly,plastic)perchedontheroofofourhotelandlooking,justasforlornlyasus,atallthebuildingparaphernalialyingabout.Therewasabigregenerationschemebeingundertakenallaroundus.

WevisitedtheGowerHeritageCentre&RuralLifeMuseum,welcomedbyalargebear–(thatnailpolishlooksfamiliar!)Itwasfullofsmallinterestingareasofdifferentcraftworkshops,someshowingtheartofweaving,andcheesemaking.Thecentrewasbasedarounda12thcenturyspinningwaterwheeloriginallybuilttopoweracornmill.Theoldairraidshelterbroughtbackmemoriesofitbeingused‘properly’orplayedin.Itcertainlybroughttherichruralhistorybacktolife.Timetogo–decisions:buyaglassofhomemadecider,ahomemadeicecreamorcallattheBakery. WecalledatMumblesforlunchonthewayback.ItislocatedonafivemilestretchofSwanseaBayandretainsitsVictorianseasidecharmwithitspiersandlongpromenadebeforecontinuingroundarockyandsecludedpeninsular.WefoundanenterprisingMethodistChurchthatsoldthebestcoffeeandhomemadecakes.

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ThursdaygaveusachoiceofeithervisitingSt.David’sCathedralorexploringSwansea.

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TheDylanThomasCentrewasalsoexploredandenjoyed.Hewasoneofthe20thcentury’smostsignificantwritersandthecentrehadinteractivedisplaystellingthestoryofhislifeandwork.(Ithinkabitofretailtherapywasalsoinvolved!)

Fridaywassadlyourlastdayandwepackedourcasesandreturnedhome,reflectingonwhataninterestingtimewehadhadandhowluckywehadbeenwithwall-to-wallsunshineeachday!

*****************************Weweredelightedtowelcomenewpeoplefortheirfirsttimetoourcoachingholidays.Ifyoufeelyouwouldliketoknowmoreaboutourholidays,orjoinus,docontactBrendaWard(9436095)sowecanputyournameontheHolidayListandtellyouwhatvalueformoneyholidayiscomingup.Wecannotpromisewall-to-wallsunshineeachtime,butwecanpromiselotsofinterestingplacesforyoutosee,atyourownpace,andwithgoodfriends.

Photographs Margaret Rowland & Stephanie Harrison

ForthosevisitingtheCathedralitmeantanearlystart.TheCathedralwasbegunin1181andisatleastthefourthchurchtohavebeenbuiltonasitereputedtobethatonwhichSt.Davidhimselffoundedamonasticsettlementinthe6thcentury.Theoutstandingfeaturesofthebuildingarethemagnificentceilings,oakinthenaveandtheslopingfloor.TheCathedralhasbeenanimportantplaceofpilgrimagefornearlyfourteencenturies.In1124PopeCalixtus2nddeclaredthat2pilgrimagestoSt.David’swereequaltoonevisittoRomeandthat3wereequaltoonevisittoJerusalemitself.

ThemedievalShrineofSt.DavidisinthepresbyteryandwasrestoredanddedicatedonSt.David’sDay2012.TheCathedral’streasuresincludecroziersandringsfromthemedievalbishops,illuminatedmanuscripts,textilesandsilver.ThosewhowenttoSwanseahadaveryinterestingtimetoo.Somewentonaboattripandsawthecoastlinefromadifferentperspective.SwanseatrulycameofageduringtheIndustrialRevolutionwhenitsdockswerethrongedwithshipscarryingcargoacrosstheglobe.Thelocalspecialitywascopper,smeltedandexportedinsuchhugequantitiesthatSwanseabecameknownasCopperopolis.

TheNationalWaterfrontMuseumwasvisitedwithitsfascinatingblendofthepastandfuturewithhigh-tech,hands-on,exhibits.

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News from around the Groups

AnyoneinterestedinjoiningaGroupshouldinthefirstinstancetelephonetheConvenororspeaktothemattheMonthlyMeeting. Archaeology Lois Evans 428 4373

ForthepastfewmonthswehavebeenattendingacourseinDidsburyAdventurersinArchaeology.Ourgroupiskeptintouchwithallthearchaeologyeventsinourareaviaemailandwehavebeenabletojoininwithsome.FromJanuarywewillbemeetinginmyhometoviewsomeofthebroadcastsonarchaeologyonTVandlaterintheyearwewillresumeourprogrammeofvisits.

ThisyearandnextwewillbesupportingSMART(SouthManchesterArchaeologyResearchTrust)intheirworktoexcavateawarehouseandfarmhouseonGatleyHill.AndreaGrimshawofSMARTgaveatalktotheU3Amonthlymeetingaboutthiswork,explainingthatagrantwillbeappliedforfromtheHeritageLotteryFundforafullfortnight’sdigonthesite.AllU3Amembershavebeeninvitedtobecomeinvolvedandsomeofusparticipatedinthethreetestpitsthatweredugonthesitein2019. Monday Book Group Lesley Witton 428 1522

WefinallyturnedourattentiontoGeorgeEliotinJulyandweallfeltthatithadbeenveryworthwhileperseveringwithsomechallengingreading.TheMillontheFloss,AdamBede,MiddlemarchandDanielDerondawerethenovelsdiscussed.OursubjectforAugustwas‘Memoirs’andbothcontemporaryandhistoricalfiguresfeatured.MichelleObama’sbookBecomingwasreadbytwoofourgroupandwasconsideredinteresting,thoughnotverywellwritten!PoisonintheBloodisthestoryofLucreziaBorgiaandisafascinatingreadwitheachchapterendingonacliff-hanger!EdmundGosse’sFatherandSongivesanintriguinginsightintothenatureoffaith.TheJourneybyTonyBlairrevealsthebackgroundtosomeofthekeyeventsatthetimeofhispremiershipandJohnSimpson’sAMadWorld,MyMasterstellsaboutthelifeofaBBCforeigncorrespondent.

September’sthemeof‘RussianShortStories’gaveusplentyofscope.StoriesbyChekhov,Gogol,DostoevskyandPushkinwerereadwithvaryingdegreesofenjoyment!OurchoiceofauthorforOctoberwasJamesBaldwin.GoTellItontheMountain,Giovanni’sRoomandNotesofaNativeSonwereallconsideredtobepowerfulreadsdealingwithlife’sbigquestions.WeallagreedthatBaldwinwasanintelligentandthought-provokingwriter.

D.H.LawrencewasourchoiceforNovemberandthereweremixedresponsestohiswork.Somefeltheunderstoodtheindividual’sstrivingforfulfilmentthroughrelationshipsandthathewrotewithgreatsensitivity;otherssawhimasamanwhobecamedisillusionedbytheworldaroundhim.OurthemeforDecemberwas‘Myths&Legends’andNorsemythologyfeaturedstrongly.Wealsonoted,however,thatmythsfromallovertheworldhaveagreatdealincommon.WeheardthestoriesoftheMahabharata,anancientIndianepicpoem,BeowulfinthetranslationbySeamusHeaneyand‘TheWooingofEtain’and‘TheDreamofOengus’fromEarlyIrishMythsandSagas.JosephCampbell’sbookMythstoLiveByproposesthatmythsareessentialforustounderstandtheworld.

Wearenowfocusingourattentiononnovelspublishedinthe1960sinpreparationfortheU3A’scelebrationofthisdecade. Tuesday Book Group Tina Kelly 376 7909

WenowmeetonthefirstTuesdayofeachmonthatthelibrary,whichisfreetobookgroups.Duringthissemesterwehavediscussedandawardedratingsoutof5*toeachofthebookschosenandprovidedbythelibraryasfollows.

TheLastTudor PhilippaGregory 3*ChildrenofFire PaulC.W.Beatty(localauthorfromMarple) 0*BladeofLight AndreaCamilleri 4*BirdcageWalk HelenDunmore 4*TheBoywholivedwiththeDead KateEllis 2/3*

Pleasecontactmeifyouwouldliketojoinusforatastersession.

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Bowling Anne McCarty 437 9900

WemeetattheURC,ElmRoad,GatleyonthefirstTuesdayafternooninthemonthfrom1.00to3.00withashortbreakforrefreshments.Weareasmallandfriendlygroupwhoenjoyplayingbowls,andarelearningthetechniquesrequired.

Therearelimitedfacilities,whichmeanswenowhaveawaitinglistfornewmembers.Ifyouareinterestedinjoiningandwishtobeputonthewaitinglistthenpleasecontactme.

Bridge Linda Ewing 312 5072

WecontinuetomeetatSt.James’ChurchHallat1.30onthe1stand3rdWednesdaysofeachmonth.Weusuallyhave3or4tablesandthecompetitionis(not)intense.Aboutonceevery6weeksanexperiencedplayercomesalongtocoachusonthefinerpointsofthegame.NewplayersarealwayswelcomeandwedoprovidethebestbiscuitsintheU3A.

Bus Pass and Explorers Janet Farrall 428 7883 Pat Ayaydin 428 1917

AnyoneisalwayswelcometojoinusonthethirdThursdayofthemonthandhaveacatchupoveracuppa.Ifyoucan'tmanageourmeetingsdon'tworrywewillemailyouoryoucancatchupwithusatthemonthlymeeting.WealwaystrytogoplaceseachmonthusingourBusPassorExploreviaacoachtrip.

Coach Holidays Brenda Ward 943 6095

We are pleased to say that our friendly Coach Holiday Group is proving very successful, as you can tell from the article about our recent holiday in Swansea.

Computing Peter Bayley 282 3468

Ratherthanbeingaregulargroup,theComputerGrouphasbecomemoreofaHelpdesk,wherememberscanmakecontacttoobtainpracticaladviceonparticularissuesthatconcernthem.Thisapproachenablesmemberstobecomemorecomfortableintheuseoftheirowncomputersandabletoprogressindependently.Membersshouldfeelfreetocontactmebytelephoneoremail.

OneofourrecenttripswastotheChurchwiththetwistedspireinChesterfield.Itwasbuiltinthelate13thcenturywithlocalstoneanddecoratedintheGothicstyle.Itsheightis230feetanditisthelargestChurchinDerbyshire.Wealsolearntthatthespirewastwistedwhenunseasonedwoodwasusedduringitsconstructionand32tonsofleadtileswereplacedontop.Asthetimbersdriedouttheweightoftheleadtwistedthespire.AmongstthebeautifullydecoratedChristmasTreeswasonefromtheirU3A.Wenotedthattheydidn'thaveaBusPassGroupbutdidhaveaDogWalkersGroup!

WehadafulldaytriptoAppleby-in-Westmorland.WeweremetandgreetedbytheformerMayorwhoescortedustotheCouncilChambers,"MootHall"(Mootmeans"tomeet").Itisdated1596.ItwaswheretheTownCouncilmetanddiscussedlocalaffairs-apractice,weweretold,thatcontinuestothisveryday.Afteragoodsliceofhistory,seeingphotographsofformerMayors,andaccessories,stillbeingused,itwasexplainedthatitisonlyoneoftwoMootHallsinEnglandstillbeingusedforitsoriginalpurpose.

AfterourlunchbreakweweredelightedtoseethattheMayorhadcometowaveusoffonourwaytoSettleforashortstoponthewayhome.PatandIappreciateyourcontinuedsupport.

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Craft/Sewing Josephine Haynes 491 2382

The Craft Group making Christmas cards.

Creative Writing Nigel Bann 491 6835

At present the group is seven strong, and we all prepare a piece of original writing some 600-800 words long, on any subject we like. We each read out our offerings at the meetings and receive constructive and encouraging comments from the rest of the group. We write stories, poetry and reports; anything goes.

Halloween Story by Nigel Bann

Bobleapedoffthebusandjoggedacrossthemarketsquare,oblivioustothecarstootinghimandswerving around him. Heading for the opticians, he took one of themany alleys that radiatedfromthesquare.ItwasatypicaldullOctoberday,makingthealleyevenlessinvitingthanusual.Halfadozenstepsdownthealleyandintheeeriehalf-light,Bobnoticedalargebundleofragsstackedagainst thewall.Ashecamecloserherealised that itwasabodyslumped in thealley,backagainstthestoneworkandlegssplayedacrossthealleyfloor.Feelingslightlyunnerved,Bobcautiouslyapproachedthestillform.“AreyouOK?”Bobventured.Noreply.Bobbentdowntogetacloserlook.Itwasamanforsure,oldtrainers,joggingpantsandscruffyanorak,outofthehoodofwhichstaredadistinctlygreyandunwell-lookingface.“It’sprobablyanoldtrampthat’sbeenatthemeths,”Bobthought.“Heymate,areyouOK?”Bobtriedagain.Nothing.Bobgentlybrushedtheface.Itwasneitherhotnorcold,almostabitstifftothetouch.Noreaction.

Bobthoughtbacktothedimanddistantpastwhenhehadsporadicallyattendedfirstaidclasses,andputhisheadontheman’schest.Itgavealittle-withamysteriousrustle.Bobwasn’tactuallysurewhathewassupposedtohear,buthecouldn’thearanybreathingnoisesorheartbeat.Hepickedupaglovedhandandfeltforapulse.Bobreeledbackinhorrorastheglovedhandcameawaywithacracklingnoisewhichsoundedlikeverydrybonesbreaking.”Wellthat’ssettledthat-he’sdeadalright-Iwonderhowlonghe’sbeenhere–that’stypicalofthecouncilstreetcleaners–whatdoIpaymycounciltaxfor?”Bobthoughtaloud.

Hereachedforhismobilephonefromhisinsidepocketandstartedfiddlingwithit.”WhoshouldIring,ambulance,nah-nopoint,funeralparlour,nah,bettermakeitthepolice”.Hehadahabitofthinkingaloud.“It’snogood, I’llhavetogetanewmobile, Ican’treadthenumbers- they’reallrubbed off and blurred”. Bobwas poised on his haunches by the body,messingwith his phonewhen he suddenly had a queasy feeling. Threeweak shadows, caused by the lights from officewindowsoverlookingthealley,slowlyappearedonthestonewallabovethebody.Bobfroze,notdaringtolookaround.“I’mgonnabemuggedformyphone–ohno-didtheykilltheoldman?”ThoughtsrushedthroughBob’sbrain.

Ashadowspoke.“Anycopperstospare,mister?”Bobwhirledroundtoseewhatappearedtobethreeyoung lads standingoverhim,8or9–ishatmost.He lookedat thekids,and then lookedreally closely at the corpse, and it finally dawned on him, October 31st. He’d been trying toresuscitateaHalloweendummy.Bobsheepishlygavethekidsafewloosecoinsandstartedoffonhisway down the alley to collect his repaired glasses from the opticians. “That’s it, I’m gonnaorderasparepairthistime“,hemutteredunderhisbreath,andscowledatthelargebillboardonthewallattheendofthealley.Hecouldreadthatalright.“Should’vegonetoSpecsavers”.

This is a small but enthusiastic group of people who have interests in sewing, knitting and general fabric and paper crafts. It's a really friendly group of like-minded people and we bring our own ongoing projects to the group and share skills and experience with each other over refreshments. There is no set programme of events but there is lots of friendly chatter and exchange of ideas.

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Dining Lois Evans 428 4373

Early Christianity Tom Fanning 428 8666

We meet at Elm Road on the 3rd Monday of the month at 10.30 a.m. Since the Group was established in September 2019 we have had an average attendance of 14 members. So far we have discussed the following aspects of Christianity:

The Greek-Roman background to 1st century Palestine; Judaism; the background to the Gospels and the first Christian communities in Palestine and the early life of Paul.

After Christmas we plan to study the missions of Paul to the non Jewish world, the Gentiles, and the later spread of Christianity. Environment Peter Briggs 485 6871

Aprogrammeof5localvisitswasplannedduringthesummermonthsof2019bytheArchaeologyandEnvironmentOpenInterestGroups.MembersofourLocalHistoryGroupwerealsoinvitedtoparticipateaswereU3AmembersoftheNECheshireNetwork(NECN).Threeofthese1-dayvisitswerepopularandwereenjoyedbyupto13memberswithcar-sharingbeingapracticaltransportsolution.

ThethemeofourvisitsthissummerwasurbanisationofNorthCheshireasaconsequenceoftheIndustrialRevolutioninNWEnglandduringthe250yearperiodof1769to2019whentherewerehugeexpansionsofindustries(especiallytextiles,chemicalsandcoal)andoftransportation(duetoinnovationsincanalsandrailways).ThisperiodalsobroughtsignificantchangestothesociallifeofthelargelyagriculturalpopulationofNorthCheshire.

Visit1on21stMaywastotheNationalWaterwaysMuseumatEllesmerePort.Thisopen-airmuseumprovidesanexcellenthistoryofinlandnavigation.Itiswell-situatedatthejunctionoftheShropshireUnionandManchesterShipCanalswithgoodviewsacrosstheMerseyEstuaryandtowardsthenewMerseyBridgenearRuncorn.Themuseumhasalargefloatingcollectionofinlandwaterwayscraftaswellasfascinatingexhibitionsintraditionalwarehousesanddockbuildings.

By Stephenson’s Rocket.

TheGroupmeetsonthethirdWednesdayofeachmonth.Wewelcomenewmembers.Eachmonthwechooseadifferentplacetoeat–usuallyatlunchtime.Ifyouwouldliketojoinourhungry,friendlygrouppleasecontactmeandIwillputyouonourmailinglist

Visit2on24thJunewastotheCastlefieldregionofManchester.WestartedattheScience&IndustryMuseumtoseeGeorgeStephenson’ssteamlocomotive‘Rocket’andtheworld’soldestsurvivingpassengerrailwaystation,whichopenedin1830tolinkManchesterandLiverpool.WethenwalkedaroundtherebuiltRomanfortofMamucium(establishedinAD79toguardtheroadbetweenChesterandYork).WefinallyhadatourofthecanalbasinwheretheBridgewaterCanalmeetsthestartoftheRochdaleCanal.Inthisscenicarea,thewell-preservedmerchants’warehousescontrasttodaywiththenewluxurytowerblocksthatarenowsproutingneartothecanalbasin.

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Visit3on2ndSeptemberwastoWorsley.Thisvillagehasmorethan50listedheritagebuildingsandisafinereminderofthewealththattheDukeofBridgewaterandhisfamilybroughttotheWorsleyDelphareabasedontheDuke’scoal-minesandonthetransportdistributionsystemmadepossiblebythesupportingBridgewaterCanalandthelocalrailwayloop-linesinthelate18thand19thcenturies.WeproposetoextendourknowledgeoftheheritagearoundWorsleyareawithanothervisittherein2020.

000 The Packet House with the long stone steps (1769) On the arched footbridge (1907) over the for passengers going to Manchester. Bridgewater Canal.

Family History Linda Corry 428 4094

ThegroupmeetsinmyhouseinGatley,offStyalRoad.Wearecurrentlyasmallgroupatvaryingstagesinourresearch.Fromexperiencegainedweareabletoadviseeachother,andhelpeachotherbylookinguprecords.WeusetheInternetforourresearch,tryingtousefreewebsitesasfaraspossible.Somegroupmembershavenowmovedontotakingoutasubscriptiontoapaid-forwebsite.Thesamedataisavailableforfreeinlibraries,butitisstilloccasionallynecessarytobuyacertificate.Iamalwayshappytogiveadvicetoanyonewhodoesn’tknowwheretostart. Gardening Heather Wilkinson 428 9278

TheGardeningGroupdoesnothaveaConvenorbutisruncollectivelybythemembersofthegroup.

Ourplansfor2020includevisitstoRHSBridgewater,TattonPark,aswellastheusualvisitstomembers’gardensandplantswappingsessions.

WevisitedNortonPrioryMuseumandgardensononeofthehottestdaysinJuly.Wemanagedtokeepcoolmovingfromshadetoshade,treetotree!OurAugustmeetingwasatCholmondeleyCastleGardenswherewewanderedaroundthemagnificentgroundsanddifferentgardens.MembersboughtspareplantsandcuttingstoSueCook’shouseforaswappingsessioninSeptemberandagainreapedthebenefitofherhusband’sgrapevine!InOctoberwewenttoBent’sGardenCentrewhereeveryoneenjoyedsomeretailtherapy.WefinishedourgardeningyearinNovemberatPiccolo’sinGatleyforacelebratorylunch.

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German Lee Fairlie 428 4791

WeaimtoencourageconversationandfluencyinGerman.Groupmembersplanandshareavarietyofactivitiesandexercises.Wemeetmonthly,onthethirdTuesdaymorninginamember'shome.Newmembersarewelcome. History John Houghton 428 2892 Tom Fanning 428 8666

TheGroupisfinishingourreviewofChinesehistory,ourlastsessiononthistopicwillbeinthesecondweekinJanuary.Wehaveenjoyedlookingatacountryofwhichmostofushadonlyahazyrecollectionofaveryextensivehistory.Nextyearwewillembarkonanewsubjectareatobedecided. History of Art Mary Sharples 428 4901

ArtHistoryisapopulargroupthatwelcomesnewmembers.Youdonotneedanypriorknowledgeandeachmeetingcanbeanindependentlearningexperience.WeplantocontinuestudyingartintheeraofLouisXVandtheRococo:ThenwemoveontostudyNeoclassicismandtheBirthofRomanticism.Therearefrequentopportunitiesforvisitsandguidedtourstoartexhibitionsinthearea.AtriptotheWhitworthGalleryisplannedforSpring2020. Local History John Pollard 428 2150

ForourlastmeetinginJulybeforethesummerbreakwehelda‘Members’Afternoon’,afreeopendiscussionofideasforfuturetalksandvisits.Fromthiswehavebeenabletoconstructourprogrammefor2020.TheautumnsessionbeganinearlySeptemberbyseveralmembersjoiningPeterBriggs’OpenU3AvisittoWorsleycanalbasinandtheBridgewaterCanal.Thisgaveusafascinatingglimpseoflate18thand19thcenturyindustriallifeandtransport.RecentrestorationoftheareawithnewexplanationboardsbySalfordCityCouncilmadethevisitwellworthwhile.

Worsley Canal Basin showing the entrances to the Duke of Bridgwater’s underground coal canals.

The silhouettes are of the unique shaped coal barges which navigated these tunnels. They were called ‘starvationers’ because of their exposed internal ribs.

OurofficialSeptembermeetingwasavisittothePorticoLibraryinManchestertoseetheirPeterlooExhibitionbasedonbooksandcontemporarypressreports.WelearntthatmembersofthePorticolibrarywereonbothsidesinthemassacre.HughBirleywasincommandoftheVolunteerCavalryandgavetheordertochargethecrowd,whileHubertGreggofStyalMilltestifiedagainstHughBirleyatthesubsequentpublicenquiry.WhileatthePorticomemberspresentdecidedtosponsortherebindingofaVictorianbookofeitherlocalornaturalhistory.

InOctoberwereturnedtoCheadleLibraryforatalkbyoneofourmembers,TomFanning,onhis’FurtherResearchesonJohnBarnesofBarnesHospital’.JohnBarneswasamajor19thcenturybenefactorinManchester,providingsuchsocialbenefitsaspublicdrinkingfountains.WehadseenoneofthesepreservedinthegardenofClaytonHallwhenwevisitedthereinJune.

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AtourNovembermeetingweenjoyedaninformativeandentertainingtalkbyJohnHartleyonlife,personalitiesanddeprivationsofGatleyinWorldWar1basedonhisebookGatley:avillageatWar1914-1918,publisheddigitallyin2018.InappreciationwepresentedhimwithacopyofCheadle&GatleyRollofHonour1915,whichhadbeendonatedrecentlytoourgrouphistoricarchive.Johnhasresearchedthisrollandadded25namesofmenwhoserved,bringingtonearly200menintheforcesfromavillagepopulationofabout900,anamazingproportionofthepopulation.

WedonotmeetinDecemberorJanuarybutwehavepreparedaprovisionalprogrammeoftalksandvisitsfor2020.Thisincludestalkson“MenofWarrington”(DianaLeitch,February)and“VictorianPlantHunters”(PamCorpsofSouthManchesterU3A,April).VisitsareplannedtoManchesterPoliceMuseuminMarchandVictoriaBathsinJune.InMayweareencouragingmemberstosharetheirMemoriesofWorldWar2incelebrationofthe75thAnniversaryofVEDay8thMay1945.AtourJulymeetingwemaybeconfirmingourindividualorgroupcontributionstotheU3A‘Celebrationthe60s’eventintheautumn.Lunchtime Concerts – for free Barbara Wingard 428 5922

Althoughitisconcertswiththefullorchestrathatweenjoymost,occasionallywelistentosomechambermusictowidenourmusicalexperience.Composedusuallyfortwotofourplayersandperformedinaspacesmallerthanaconcerthall,thismusicismuchmoreintimateinstyleandsound.Dvorak’strioforpiano,violinandcellowhichweheardinNovemberisoneofthebestexamplesofthisgenre.Let’shopethatinthecomingtermtherewillbeanotheraccessibleexampleofthistypeofmusic.Ourprogrammewillbeemailedtoyouandputonourwebsitebymid-January. MOOCs – The Online Learning Group Batsheva Samely 428 6030 07722 026 278

MOOCsstandsforMassiveOpenOnlineCourses.Thereareliterallythousandsofsuchcoursesoneveryconceivabletopic,offeredonlineandfreeofcharge.Ifyouliketofindoutnewthingsandshareyourfindings,thisgroupisforyou.

Sometimeswechooseacoursethatwestudytogether(eachintheirownhome,intheirowntime,andattheirownpace)butusuallyweallchoosedifferenttopics.Onceamonthwemeettotalkaboutwhatwelearned,exchangetipsandgenerallyhaveagoodtimeoveracuppaalongwithgooddiscussions. Painting and Drawing Pat Marsden 428 7820

Wehaveabouttenmemberswhoworkindividuallyonavarietyofsubjectsusingpencil,chalksandpaints.Thereisaninformalatmospherebutweworkwithconcentration,seekingadviceandinspirationfromeachother,makingitanenjoyableandfruitfulexperience.Newmembersarealwayswelcome.

ThankstomembersoftheGroupforpermissiontoreproducetheirwork.

000 Pam Allen. Val Davison.

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Poetry Tina Kelly 376 7909 cmk45@live.co.uk

WecontinuetomeetinaquietpartoftheURCanddecidemonthbymonthwhetherweadoptathemeorapoetforthefollowingmonth.Itisaninformalgroup.Sometimesamemberwillleadasessionandsometimesamemberwillwriteapoem.Wearedelightedandmuchenrichedbyboth.Ourrangeisbroadandaspoetryandsongsometimesoverlap,weuseaudioequipmentwhennecessary.Pleasecontactifyouwouldliketocomeforataster.

Scrabble Ann Gane 428 0204

Singing for Pleasure Barbara Wingard 428 5922

SomemembersofthechoirhaverecentlytakenpartinsingingdaysarrangedbyotherorganisationsoutsideourU3A.Ofthese,themostoutstandingwasThankHallé,it’sFriday,whichisaveryspecialexperienceofnotonlysinginginalargechoirofsixhundred,butwiththeHalléOrchestraaswell.

Asever,interestedinanniversariesandtheirmusicalassociationsIspottedin2019the80thanniversaryoftheoutbreakofWorldWar2asanoccasiontorecallsomeofthepopularsongsofthetime.WithLilliMarleneandThere’llalwaysbeanEnglandplusafewothersstilltogoweshallcontinuethisthemeforafewweeks.Ifyouareinteresteddocomeandjoinus.

Spanish Elaine Bowker 437 8480

Ourfriendlyandnon-competitiveScrabbleGroupisflourishing.Wenowhaveninemembersandusuallygetbetweenfiveandsevenatourfortnightlymeetings.Wecanstillaccommodatenewmembersandwouldwelcomeanyoneinterestedinjoiningus.

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WehaveenjoyedworkingatMyFairLadywhichiswithoutdoubtoneofthemostinterestingpost-warAmericanmusicals,notonlyformemorabletunesbutalsotheunusualstorylinebasedonGBShaw’sPygmalion.

InthenewyearourfinalchoicefromtheworldofmusicaltheatrewillbeTheSoundofMusic.BasedonthetruestoryoftheTrappfamily,thismusicalhasawidevarietyofsongsthatwillbefamiliartomostofus.

TheSpanishgroupcontinuestoimproveandgaininconfidence.NotonlyarewemeetingonceamonthonaThursdaymorning,butwenowaregatheringtochatandhaveaglassofwineonaMondayevening.LastOctoberwemetsomeofPeter’sSpanishfriends;MiguelandEvafromPanxon.Evamadeusawonderfultortillawhichwasenjoyedbyall.

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Theatre Visits Chris Bester 376 7909

Newsystemsarenowinplaceatourlocaltheatresandwhenbookingaseatforaplayoneisrequiredtopayimmediately.Thismakesblockbookingsaproblem.SoinfutureIwillsendyouinformationaboutplaysatourlocaltheatresandyouwillthenbeabletochoosewhichandwhenyouwishtosee.

InthenewyearthePlayersTheatreinCheadleHulmearepresentingKindertransportfromMarch7-14andPrivateLivesfromMay9-16.HealdGreenTheatrepresentTheHauntingfromFebruary18-22andBarefootintheParkfromApril21-25.ChadswillpresentIronfromJanuary25-February1andNoMansLandfromFebruary18-22.TheGarrickinStockportareputtingonDearLupinfromJanuary25-February1andSilverLiningfromMarch7-14.

Thisisasmallselectionofwhatourlocaltheatresareofferingus.AsyetIdonothaveNorthenden’sprogramme,butwillletyouknowwhenIdohaveit.Ifyouwouldlikemoreinformationpleasecontactme.

Ukulele Ian Ewing 312 5072

Thegroupisnowwellestablishedandcompetent(exceptforthetwoorthreewhopretendtoplay–youknowwhoyouare).However,everyoneenjoysplaying(andsinging)ourevergrowingrepertoire.TheperformanceattheChristmaspartywaswellreceivedandwemanagedtosqueeze4songsintoourallottedtime.Fromnowonwewillconsolidateandcontinuetolearnnewsongs.Newplayersarealwayswelcomebutanyabsolutebeginnersmightliketocontactmeforacoupleoflessonsinthebasicsbeforejoiningthevirtuosiintheband.

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Walking (Long Walks) Allan Witton 428 1522

TheLongWalksGroupcontinuestothrive,andweoffervariedwalkstosuitavarietyofabilities.

Jul: AwalkintheBollinvalley,cutshortbecauseofheavyrain. (4miles–easy)Sep: Mellor,LinnetClough,RomanLakes. (6½miles–easy)Oct: LongdendaleReservoircircuitfromHadfield. (9miles–moderate)Nov: AgloriousdayonRivingtonMoorandalongRivingtonreservoir. (7miles–moderate)Dec: Ourshorterwinterwalk-alongtheBollinValley (3½mileseasy) followedbyafestivelunchattheRedLion,Cheadle.

000 Cheerful in spite of the rain in the Bollin Valley. A much sunnier day above Mellor.

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CarsharingfromGatleyHillHouseisthenormalarrangement.Ifyouwouldliketojoinusforfreshairandexerciseinmarvellouscountrysidewithconvivialcompany,thenregisteryouremailtoreceivemonthlydetailsoftheforthcomingwalks,andfeelfreetocomeonasmanyorasfewasyouwish.

By the reservoirs in Longdendale.

0 By the Pigeon Tower on Rivington Moor. Short and muddy walk in the Bollin valley.

0

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Walking (Short Walks) Stuart Forsyth 491 3592 stuart.forsyth4@gmail.com

The Short Walks Group have undertaken 5 walks in the second half of the year which included Nether Alderley, the Goyt Valley and the Anderton Boat Lift. We currently have 17 members and have averaged 11 per walk.

000

At Nether Alderley. On the Roman Bridge in the Goyt valley.

Nextyear’swalkswillincludeDelamereForest,HolcombeMoor,PilsburyCastleandNewMills.Ourwalksareabout5milesandifyouwouldliketojoinusthenpleasecontactme.

Walking (Strollers) Marianne Owen 491 3323

OurStrollerswalksareheldonthefirstandthirdMondaysofthemonth,startingat10.30atElmRoad.Theyareneverlongerthanaboutanhour(or5km-timetogometricasit’s48yearsagothatBritainofficiallywentmetric)that’sexclusiveofthecupofcoffeeafterwards.

OccasionallyweusethetrainorabusandmostofthetimewewalkinparkssuchasAbney,BramhallandBruntwood.Sometimesourwalksareevenmorelocal,suchasGatleyHill,orGatleyCarrs.Weareafriendlychattybunchandwouldwelcomeanynewmemberswhowishtojoinus. Wine Appreciation Peter Bayley 282 3468

Theraisond’êtreforthegroupistoenjoyeveningsoflivelyconversationinaconvivialatmospherewhenwecanshareandaddtoourknowledgeandappreciationofvariouswines.

Enjoying wine with our festive meal hosted by Peter and Susan Bayley.

Parking near Elm Road Church

PleaseremembertobeconsideratetolocalresidentsandnotcauseanobstructionwhenparkinginElmRoadornearbystreets.

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Chair Batsheva Samely 428 6030 07722 026278 Business Secretary Lesley Witton 428 1522 Treasurer Allan Witton 428 1522 Membership Secretary Brian Green 428 8535 Speaker Secretary Mary Sharples 428 4901 NE Cheshire Network Mary Sharples 428 4901 Trustee Heather Wilkinson 428 9278 Trustee David Wrigley 915 5337

Heather Mary Brian Batsheva David Lesley Allan Wilkinson Sharples Green Samely Wrigley Witton Witton

North-East Cheshire Network

TheNorthEastCheshireNetworkofU3As(NECN)comprisesCheadleandGatley,Bramhall,CheadleHulme,Poynton,Macclesfield,andWilmslow.Wehavecontinuedtomeetwithourfellowcommitteemembersfromthenetworktoworktogetherandsharegoodpractice.

SomeInterestGroupswithintheNetworkhavebeendesignatedas‘OpenGroups’.ThesecanbeattendedbymembersofotherU3AsintheNetworkprovidedtheyarecurrentmembersoftheirownU3Aandpayforattendanceatthemeeting.MemberswhoattendameetingofanOpenGroupshouldshowtheircurrentMembershipCardfortheirownU3A.C&GOpenGroupsare:Archaeology;Bridge;Environment;German;andMOOCs.Thereare27OpenGroupsacrossthewholeNetwork.ThefollowinglistincludesjustthoseforwhichC&GdoesnotcurrentlyhaveaGroup.IhavebeennotifiedofnochangesatJanuary2020,sothelistremainsasbefore. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bramhall Embroidery Scottish Country Dancing Line Dancing Video & Film Making __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cheadle Hulme Art Appreciation Photography __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Poynton Film Discussion Geology Hallé Concerts Needlecraft __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wilmslow Cycling English Country Dancing __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Furtherinformationaboutall27GroupsisgiveninalinkfromtheWelcomepageofourwebsite,andyoushouldusethecontactdetailsprovidedthereifyouareinterestedinjoininganOpenGroup.

Liaison with members

Pleasegiveanynoticesaboutyourgroup’sactivitiesoranythingelseofinteresttomemberstoLesleyWittonsothatthesecanbedisplayedonthenoticeboardatWednesdaymonthlymeetingsandemailedtomembersafterwards.

Wewillcontinuetosendcardsonbehalfofthecommitteetoanyonehavingaspecialbirthdayorundergoinganoperationorillnessorsufferingabereavement,sopleaseletamemberofthecommitteeknowofanyoneappropriate,preferablybyemailsothatwecanactpromptly.

Your Committee

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Cheadle and Gatley U3A emails

Sendingemailsisanimportantmethodbywhichwecommunicatewithourmembers.AnexpandededitionofeachNewsletter(thesameasonthewebsite,withadditionalimagesallincolour)issenttoallmembersforwhomwehaveanemailaddress.AnemailcontainingallthenoticesannouncedattheMonthlyMeetingissentshortlyafterthemeeting,andothernoticesofinteresttothemembershipasawholearealsocirculated.Ifyouacquireanew email,orchangeyouremailaddress,pleaseletoneofthecommitteeknowsothatwecanupdateourrecords. Online Management System: Beacon

TheCheadleandGatleyversionofthisU3ANationalsystemisnowbeingusedtoenablemanyaspectsofourmembershiptobemanagedcentrallyonline.EmailstoallmembersarenowsentviaBeacon,andGroupCoordinatorswhowishtocannowusethesystemtomaintaintheirgroup’smembershiplistandtocommunicatewithmembersoftheirgroup. Cheadle and Gatley U3A Website

Ourwebsiteisfullyupdatedtwiceayear,inJanuaryandJulyonthepublicationoftheNewsletter,withminorupdatesatothertimes,andweencouragethoseofyouwhoareonlinetolookatitperiodically.Thesimplestwayistodoawebsearchfor‘CheadleandGatleyU3A’,andthensavethesitein‘favourites’oronyourdesktopforeasyaccess.

Inadditiontosummariesofallouractivegroupsyouwillfind,amongstotherthings,linksto:

•thetwolatesteditionsoftheNewsletter,withadditionalimagesallincolour; •membershipapplicationandrenewalformstoprint; •aNewMembers’LeafletwithanoverviewofourU3A; •theNorth-WestregionandtheNationalU3Awebsiteswithdetailsofcoursesetc; •variousotheritemsofinformationandinteresttoourU3Amembers. Membership

We would be delighted to welcome any new members to join our U3A. Please pass this Newsletter on to anyone you think might be interested.

People are welcome to attend one Monthly Open Meeting or one Interest Group meeting before being required to join the Cheadle and Gatley U3A.

ThefeetojoinCheadleandGatleyU3Ais£12peryearpro-rata,ApriltoMarch;e.g.someonejoininginSeptemberwouldpay£7(forSeptembertoMarch).Inadditionthereisachargeof£2foreachMonthlyOpenMeetingandasimilarchargeformostgroupmeetingsinahiredvenuetocoverroomhireandrefreshmentswhereappropriate.RenewalsaredueeachApril,and it would be most helpful if renewals were made at the March or April Monthly Meetings or

by post by the end of April at the latest.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Editor’s Notes

Plea for help: ThanksverymuchtothosewhohavesubmittedphotographsforthisNewsletter,Ihavehadagoodselectionforthisedition.Photographsbreakupthetext,addconsiderableinterestand,bythefacilityofre-sizingthem,giveflexibilitytopagelayouts.PleasebearthisinmindforthenextNewsletter, especially those groups that go out-and-about. It doesn’t have to be the Group Convenor who takes and submits the photos! ThesimplestwaytosendthemistoreplytoanyU3ABeaconemailyoureceiveandattachthephoto.

SincestartingtofeatureanimageofoneofourgroupsoreventsonthefrontcoveroftheNewsletterinJune2013,Ihavechosenadifferentgroupeachtime:LongWalks;LunchtimeConcerts;Gardening;Strollers;LocalHistory;MediaCityTour;Archaeology;ChristmasLunch;ShortWalks;Singing;Environment;CraftandSewing;CoachHolidays:andforthiseditionPaintingandDrawing.

Technical note.IproducedthisNewsletteronanAppleiMacdesktopcomputerusingWord.IfanyoneisinterestedinlearningorimprovingtheirimageeditingandDTPskillsIwouldbehappytohelp.

Allan Witton _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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DETAILS OF INTEREST GROUPS At 1st January 2020

The 4 changes are in bold blue. Open Groups are in bold orange

GROUP CONVENOR CONTACT DATES TIME VENUE Archaeology Lois Evans 428 4373 3rd Tuesday 1:30-3:30 URC Book Group 1 Lesley Witton 428 1522 1st Monday 7:30 House Book Group 2 Tina Kelly 376 7909 1st Tuesday 1:30-3:00 Cheadle Library Bowling Anne McCarty 437 9900 1st Tuesday 1:00 URC Bridge Linda Ewing 312 5072 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 1:30 St James’ Hall Bus Pass and Explorers Janet Farrall 428 7883 3rd Thursday 10:15-12:15 St James’ Hall

Coach Holidays Brenda Ward 943 6095 Periodically as arranged Various Various Computers Peter Bayley 282 3468 As arranged Various House Craft Josephine Haynes 491 2382 3rd Tuesday 10:30-12:00 St James’ Hall Creative Writing Nigel Bann 491 6835 2nd Monday 2:00-4:00 St James’ Hall Dining Lois Evans 428 4373 3rd Wednesday Various Various Early Christianity Tom Fanning 428 8666 3rd Monday 10:30 URC Environment Peter Briggs 485 6871 Periodically as arranged Various Various Family History Linda Corry 428 4094 1st Tuesday 9:30 House French Conversation See note below Gardening Heather Wilkinson 428 9278 4th Thursday 2:00 Various German Lee Fairlie 428 4791 3rd Tuesday 10:00-12:00 House History John Houghton 428 2892 2nd and 4th Fridays 1:30 URC History of Art Mary Sharples 428 4901 Last Wednesday 1:30 URC Local History John Pollard 428 2150 1st Wednesday 1:30 Cheadle Library Lunchtime Concerts Barbara Wingard 428 5922 Periodically as arranged Various Various MOOCs Batsheva Samely 428 6030 3rd Wednesday Various Various Painting and Drawing Pat Marsden 428 7820 1st and 3rd Friday 10:30-12:30 URC Poetry Tina Kelly 376 7909 1st Monday 1:30 - 3:00 URC Scrabble Ann Gane 428 0204 Fridays Fortnightly 2:00 House Singing for Pleasure Barbara Wingard 428 5922 2nd and 4th Tuesdays 1:00-3:00 URC Spanish Elaine Bowker 437 8480 1st Thursday 10:00-12:00 House Theatre Visits Chris Bester 376 7909 Monthly as arranged Various Various Ukulele Ian Ewing 312 5072 2nd and 4th Tuesday 3:15 URC Walking (Long) Allan Witton 428 1522 3rd Friday 9:30 Meet at Gatley Hill (Up to ~8 miles) House car park Walking (Short) Stuart Forsyth 491 3592 3rd Thursday 10:00 Meet at (4 - 5 miles) URC Walking (Strollers) Marianne Owen 491 3323 1st and 3rd Mondays 10:30 Meet at Easy local walks URC Wine Appreciation Peter Bayley 282 3468 Monthly as arranged 7:00 House Ifanyonewouldliketobeinvolvedinre-startingtheFrenchConversationGrouppleasecontactLesley(4281522)orBatsheva(4286030).PleasenotethatoccasionallydatesortimesdochangebetweenupdatesoftheInterestGroupList.AnyoneinterestedinjoiningaGroupshouldinthefirstinstancetelephonetheConvenor,orspeaktothemattheMonthlyOpenMeeting.DetailsofforthcomingeventsforGroupswhichmeet ‘periodicallyasarranged’canbeobtainedbycontactingtheConvenor.IfyouareinterestedinsettingupanewGroup,pleasecontactanymemberofthecommittee.