Newsletters 2024
MORPETH AND DISTRICT u3a - NEWSLETTER JUNE 2024
Welcome to your June newsletter. It’s almost Midsummer’s Day but you wouldn’t believe it when you put the heating on again! Still, there’s plenty to look forward to in the world of u3a.
On June 25th it’s our AGM – papers have already been sent to all members by email or post with the Agenda, Minutes of the 2023 AGM and current Financial Report. We currently need new Committee members and the AGM is the perfect opportunity to step forward. As a u3a we are run by members for members – if we don’t volunteer nobody else will. After the AGM there will be music from The Gaillard Concert Players – they have been with us before and were excellent .
Also at the AGM is the opportunity to buy tickets for our Cream Tea on 16th July. Tickets are £2 and are usually in high demand. Entertainment is from The Morpeth Poetry Group. Both events are at St James’s at 2pm.
Please remember to bring a cup if you are staying for refreshments at the AGM.
Steve Morris, Chair.
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 picture above was painted by one of our members, although not all of us are as talented!
If interested please contact Cuthbert Regan
We meet on the second last Thursday of the month at 2.00pm at Morpeth Methodist Church and look forward to welcoming new and existing members. We have a mixture of DVDs and presentations followed by discussions and by tea or coffee.
Our season ends with a visit to Galashiels on 21st June to see The Great Scottish Tapestry.
Our new season of events starts with a presentation by Chris Tipple on the 19th September titled “From Tyne to Tweed”. Please let Tony or Sally Keith know if you would like more information.
Reading Group 2 meet on the second Tuesday of the month at each other’s homes. The person who is hosting the meeting generally chooses the book for that month. We usually read fiction both modern and classical with the occasional biography. We have a membership of 6 but would welcome a new person as often someone is on holiday or has another commitment. Tea and biscuits are enjoyed following our discussion.
Please contact Jean Robinson
Our group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 2pm in one another’s homes.
Although May is the archetypical month of spring with blossom on the trees and birds building nests, our group read a Christmas story! It was a quiet meeting because several members were on holiday, but those present agreed that “Small Things Like These” by Clare Keegan was a beautifully written story: short without a single word that wasn’t meaningful, it describes the difficulty of making a moral decision. The protagonist considers his life and his responsibilities and chooses his course of action. We never know the consequences of his choice, as he doesn’t when he makes it and this is one of the story’s strengths. We felt that the author was very much in control of her narrative to have ended it there.
Next month we plan to return to the pandemic trope when we read “Lockdown” by Peter May – a complete contrast. Jennifer Cryer
Book Group 5 has five 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. We have been reading “Mr Rosenblum’s List” by Natasha Solomons which we all thoroughly enjoyed. A very amusing book. This month it will be Magnusson’s “The Sealwoman’s Gift”. Barbara Bisset
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
The Craft Group continues to meet on a Monday at 2pm in the Sun Inn. We usually have a very good turnout and most of us are knitting, although one member is doing a cross-stitch picture. The brightly coloured socks one member is knitting in the photo are going to charity and some of us have started scarves and hats for the shoe- boxes. We only meet in school term time so will be breaking up for the summer in July and resuming in September.
Jennifer Sinton
Our last lunch on Monday 20th May at Barluga was most enjoyable – excellent food, attentive service and good company.
We are going a little further afield for our next lunch on Monday 17th June to The Northumberland Arms, Felton. The following lunch is to be at The Cook & Barker, Newton on the Moor, on Monday 15th July. You can sign up for this lunch on June 17th or at the AGM on Tuesday 25th June. The contact for this meal is Linda Robson
Looking forward to seeing regular Foodies and new members at any of the lunches. You are all most welcome.
Pam Turner - Foodies Lunch Group Co-ordinator
French conversation takes place on the first Wednesday of each month at 10.30am for about an hour. It is held in the Methodist Church in Morpeth. We do a bit of reading, translating and chatting in French – and sometimes play games with the conversation in French around the games. If you are interested in joining us or knowing more, you can contact me Lena Walsh
Our meetings take place at 2pm in Hepscott Parish Hall on the second Wednesday of each month apart from of June and July when we plan some garden visits and August when there is no meeting. Everyone is welcome, so please come along and join us.
On Wednesday 12th July we go to Durham University Botanic Garden - £4.25
- car park is quite small (there is an overflow one – can drop off then park);
* journey is very easy and avoids the City;
- car sharing from Rugby Club car park at 10.30am – 4 drivers confirmed – email if you are able to drive please;
- drivers to input car registration when paying – free parking;
- lovely café for lunch and snacks.
Our September meeting is John Halliday “A year in the life of Roe Deer” on 11th September.
Our May meeting was an entertaining talk by one of our members Ruth Marshall about her gardening experiences in China. We had a good turnout for our plant swap. Our June outing was to Cresswell Walled Garden and Pele Tower following talks by Barry Mead during the year to update us on progress on restoration works.
If you need further information, please contact Sally Ennis
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
Our May talk was on local World War Two heroes. Richard Standard, Victoria Cross, was born in Blyth and Thomas Brown, George Medal, was born in North Shields. We are visiting the Ad Gefrin museum in Wooler. This was after our April talk about St Aidan and the Anglo Saxon palace near Wooler.
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.
We meet in a member’s home on the 3rd Monday of the month at 2pm and choose a different subject or genre of music each month. Every member brings a CD of music to fit in with the subject, so we have quite an assortment and something for everyone.
Last month we had music from, or about, Scotland, with pipe bands, folk songs and classical pieces. On the 17th June we will be enjoying Spanish music.
For more information, please contact Anne Van Der
Play Reading takes place at 2pm on the first Tuesday of each month at the Methodist Church in Morpeth for about an hour. We read plays for fun and I am trying to get interesting plays for us to read starting with an Alan Ayckbourn - “Absurd Person Singular”.
If you are interested in joining us or knowing more, please contact me Lena Walsh
Our group meets every month on the second Thursday of the month at 2pm at St. Christopher’s, Kirkhill.
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
The Monday Scrabble Group continues with four very enthusiastic members. We meet every alternate Monday at 10 am usually in the home of one of our group and are discovering new words all the time. Anyone interested in joining us would be very welcome.
Please contact Kathy Smith if interested
Our group is over halfway through our 12 week block – we finish on July 17th. We do a mixture of Tai Chi and Qigong focusing on health and relaxation. Sessions are fun, sociable and very relaxing. I will be starting a waiting list for a new block of sessions starting in September. There is an expectation that members can attend all or most of the sessions in a block. We meet every Wednesday at 10.30 am at St Christopher’s at Kirkhill. Contact Steve Morris
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 18th June will be led by Eileen & Gerry Harber and our next walk on 16th July will be led by Dave Hazelhurst. . 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
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. We would welcome anyone who would like to join us. We don’t do strenuous walks and find time to admire the countryside – and enjoy it when one of the group can tell us the name of such and such a plant or a bit of history. Come on - find those walking shoes and join us!
Contact Eileen Harber
We normally meet on the first Thursday of each month at 10am at Morpeth Rugby Club and share cars.
New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Jackie Jones