Romsey and District U3A Bulletin No4

ROMSEY and District

Low-down in the Lockdown Bulletin No.4 - 17 June 2020 Here comes SUMMER and our fourth ‘Low-down in the Lockdown’, a few days before the Solstice.

Although the weather has changed, we’re sure the gardeners amongst you will be glad of the rain.

Thank you for more positive comments about the Bulletin & the Newsletter; it’s all about keeping in touch.

As Lockdown eases and we can gradually get out more, do Stay Safe and Keep Well.

General Meetings are back!

After careful consideration, your U3A committee has decided to reintroduce General Meetings, but for the time being, these will not be General Meetings as you know them. No refreshments or parking fees!

On Wednesday 24 June at 10.30 we will hold a 30 minute on-line General Meeting for those people who have the technology to join it. If successful this will become the new normal, at least for the coming months.

The meeting will be delivered over the FREE Zoom application, which works on tablets, smart phones and computers. If you do not already have Zoom installed on your device you will be invited to install it (allow a few minutes for this) or you can visit www.zoom.us. If you need help beforehand, email by 12pm on 23 June either John Broughall John@broughall.com OR Sylvia Croxall sylvia.croxall@gmail.com .

To join the meeting (on 24 June) click on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82024173531?pwd=ekJPYUE5KzNPRGZXMHg3cFJpeFd4dz09 Meeting ID: 820 2417 3531 Password: 377267 You will be able to join the meeting up to 10 minutes before the 10.30 start time in order to familiarise yourself if new to Zoom. You do not need a camera or microphone but will obviously need your sound on.

The meeting will be chaired by Janet Payne and our speaker will be Gordon Massie with a talk entitled ‘Sailing Down the Amazon - Cruising down the Amazon from Manaus to Bel Em’ and illustrated by slides.

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY Thank you to all the people who have already answered the members’ survey. We have some really interesting suggestions for new groups already. Do you fancy Pétanque (I do!), Croquet, Jive Dancing?

If we don’t have your ideas yet, please complete the on-line survey by 20 June.

Use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M97S29Y OR post the copy delivered to you back to Dave Lovell, 37 Horseshoe Drive, Romsey, SO51 7TP. If you’ve lost it, ring him: 01794 515316.

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Braishfield was to be Clare Goddard’s topic for our June main meeting.

We are so lucky to live ‘on the doorstep’ of 180 acres of beautiful, award-winning gardens. Their Members are now able to pre-book tickets in a phased reopening, and what an ideal time to visit the Centenary Border, the longest double mixed border in the country, officially opened by HRH Duchess of Cornwall in 2013.

Here are 3 short but interesting YouTube videos, especially if you are new to Romsey. The first one features Anne Scarborough, one of our members, talking about Volunteering: https://youtu.be/UXDRHYUmLwU She writes: “I have been volunteering at Hillier Gardens for over 12 years and really enjoy my time there. I help in the visitor reception area checking admissions and giving out information on events and happenings as well as trying to answer any queries that arise. The staff make a happy team to work with, welcoming the volunteers and show their appreciation for our help - tea and coffee always available! It can be busy, manic at times, especially during school holidays when there may be activities for the children and the weather is good. I usually know one or two visitors and have time for a chat. They’re always looking for new volunteers.”

The Centenary Border https://youtu.be/T3qqixtP9g8

Art in the Garden https://youtu.be/3tcM9cBMyRo

Would you like to share a photo of the Gardens, or a reason why it is special to you? Please send them to us!

Are you a married woman and being underpaid State Pension?

If you are: - A married woman over state pension age, who reached pension age before 6 April 2016 AND -Your husband is over state pension age AND -Your husband had a full state pension in his own right AND -You are getting a weekly state pension less than £77.45/wk. Highlighted by Steve Webb, a former Pensions Minister, now at LCP. Use this calculator https://www.lcp.uk.com/is-your-state-pension-being-underpaid/ or you may wish to contact the DWP Pension Service to get your entitlement checked.

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On VE Day I was just three years old; it was one of my first memories!

I remember my Mother lifting me out of my cot, wrapping me in a blanket and running up the street with me in her arms in the dark, to show me a large cross that had been placed on St. Hubert's Road Catholic Church steeple. It was around the corner at the top of ‘our’ street, all lit up in white lights.

It was a great day for my family. My father had been wounded at Dunkirk and returned on one of the boats. He was sent by train from Netley up to Whalley in Lancashire to recover in Calderstones Hospital.

He met my mother one summer's day when she was walking with her friend for a picnic by the river.

He was with his friend and they all ‘eyed each other up and down’ on passing. As they did so, my Mother looked back over her shoulder at them going away in the opposite direction.

She said to her friend, “Hey, they are looking. You look now.” Her friend replied, “Well they are coming back,” and my Mother said, “I hope that tall handsome one walks next to me!”

The two soldiers said, “Can we walk with you?”

They said, “You can come and have our picnic with us by the river.”

At the end of the afternoon the two soldiers walked them all the way home, about 4 miles, and Arthur the tall one said, “I would like to see you again!”

Emma replied “ Oh, I'm too old for you!” (She was 11 years older.) He said, “Age doesn't come into it.” And that was the start of such a long happy marriage. I came along a year after they were married in 1942.

Patricia Townson

Interest Groups Short Day Trips Their latest Quiz — a Crossword, should be returned to Kay Lovell by 29 June.

Current Affairs have had two successful Zoom meetings, no doubt putting the world to rights! Their next meeting is not until September.

Wine Appreciation - June ‘Lifesize’ Drinking a favourite glass of tipple and having a chat, nine members enjoyed their third virtual meeting. The winner of the wine quiz achieved 18 out of 25.

Frustration; ‘normal’; booking slots; murder mystery and Freecycle were some of the topics discussed!

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Third Age Matters (Summer 2020) has some thought-provoking content. Have you read your copy?

TAT set up a new on-line U3A in April 2020: https://u3asites.org.uk/trustu3a/welcome U3A ‘Keeping in Touch’ Facebook group is having an Inter-U3A Quiz on 24 June. Teams of up to 4!

Lockdown Blues written on a longish, solitary, early lockdown walk … meant to be sung to a blues tune, such as Janis Joplin’s ‘Hesitation Blues’.

Chorus… Lockdown blues, lockdown blues.

There ain't no end to these lockdown blues.

Got nothin' to do but hit the booze, and after that I just want to snooze.

I can't go out, don't get to choose, but at least I'm at home not stuck on a cruise.

Chorus...

I'm only allowed out to join the supermarket queues, or once a day in my walking shoes.

I gotta find something to keep me amused.

I can't do the crossword 'cos I'm stuck on the clues.

Chorus...

All the health workers, to give them their dues, are helping save lives, about which I enthuse.

But the rest of us are stuck, just like me, who's staying in lockdown till we get some good news Chorus...

Mike Tudball -------Now that lockdown is easing, how about sending in a poem with a positive outlook - Hope or Good News?

Try a three-line, ’5-7-5’ Japanese haiku, which often focuses on nature and emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression. https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem Please send them to: Clare Wikeley cewikeley@hotmail.com 23 Baroona Close, Romsey, SO51 7AE

TOWN ANAGRAMS A Quiz (part 1) © Madeley & District U3A Work out the name of the town from the anagram.

They are all in the UK and one word.

Answers next time.

1. NOTES

11. STEER CROW

2. NO TEST

12. THROW MAT

3. BALL WEEK

13. GRIND THROB

4. TOWED FLOE

14. MATCH HELEN

5. FURLINED MEN

15. ILL SCARE

6. CLEE FILMS CAD

16. HOLD RACE

7. DAM FORTS

17. SHORT DEAL

8. A NON TUNE

18. RED NOVA

9. SOW PORK

19. E.G. SINKS BOAT

10. CAR STONED

20. ICY LIBERAL

Bulletin 5 is due out on 1 July. Are you are a new member who would like the previous bulletins?

Contact Gill Hodge 01794 511529 treasurer@romseyu3a.org.uk This Bulletin will also be on our website: romseyu3a.org.uk ‘Low-down in the Lockdown’ team: Gill Hodge, Glenda Taylor, Janet Moody, Margaret Marchbank, Dave Lovell. Do you want to join us? We’re just an email away: news.copy@romseyu3a.org.uk Page 2 of 2