www.u3asites.org.uk/bam Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014
Bearsden and BEARSDEN AND MILNGAVIE
Milngavie U3A Issue 2, November 2014 Newsletter
Report from the Chair
Garden Visits Group on a trip to Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute earsden and Milngavie U3A is almost a year old now and what amazing progress we’ve B made. Over 220 members and 32 interest and ac vity groups. It’s been an exci ng voyage of discovery for those of us in the steering group! And a big thank you to everyone who has joined us to make the venture such a success. BaM U3A is now well and truly established and flourishing.
We’ve had a busy second half of the year. We didn’t know if the monthly mee ngs would a ract people over the summer but in fact we con nued to get 70 to 100 members at each mee ng – so you, the members, voted with your feet.
A special thank you to all our group coordinators, who have taken a leap into the unknown by se ng up so many groups so quickly; you are all much appreciated by your group members if the feedback that I get is anything to go by!
New interest groups that have started recently include Theatre Visits, which already has a varied programme, and Carry On Singing, for any and all voices. The Cycling, Garden Visits and Outdoor Pain ng and Sketching groups In this issue have paused for the winter a er many successful ou ngs with Work of steering group .... 2 enthusias c regulars. The Walking groups plan to con nue undaunted News from the groups ..... 3 through the winter months when possible. U3A Clydesiders ...... 7 For our first anniversary mee ng in December we are holding a Heritage Trail ...... 8 Christmas meal – another first. I hope to see you there! Commi ee ...... 8 Janet Holland Contact details ...... 8
Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam What does the steering group do?
ur hard-working and commi ed steering group has been central to the smooth running of O BaM U3A, so I thought members might like to know more about what we do. We meet formally once a month and the minutes are available to any member if required.
One of our most important regular tasks, which involves all the steering group, is organising and running the monthly mee ngs . These have turned out to be a vital focus and mee ng place for our U3A and many people have appreciated our diverse speaker programme. If you a end regularly, then you know that we have varied the ming to try and fit in speakers, announcements, mee ngs and tea- and coffee- me. There is no perfect solu on!
Among the background work that goes on all the me are collec ng fees , paying bills and keeping records . Our Treasurer and Membership Secretary have done sterling work se ng up the systems needed. The group have had to decide on an annual subscrip on, and we are currently considering equipment such as our own projector and laptops. We have also had to address issues about data protec on and sending emails.
Another vital regular task is informing members about our ac vi es . The website is the main source of informa on about what is going on in our U3A. The Third Age Trust supplies us with basic web- building so ware and our Communica ons Officer ensures that the website is kept up to date. We also produce the monthly Informa on Sheet and Bulle n to back up the website, provide contact informa on and tell new members what we do. Our Secretary holds the BaM U3A phone and fields many ques ons. We have produced leaflets and posters that can be used by members wishing to tell others about BaM U3A, and for special events such as the Bearsden Fes val in August. We have also addressed how to work with other U3As in order to expand opportuni es for our members to join in wider U3A ac vi es. Janet and Sue at the Bearsden Festival We spend much me trying to encourage, facilitate and help establish interest groups , in par cular, finding coordinators and premises for new groups. The interest groups are the lifeblood of all U3As and we are very grateful to all those coordinators who have jumped in and started a group – we would be nowhere without you! We are s ll looking at various ways of giving financial help to some groups, as all have different needs.
The steering group members are very conscious of being the trustees responsible to all the BaM U3A members, not only for how the money from subscrip ons is spent, but also for ensuring that we follow U3A principles and charity regula ons. We all agree that we wish to keep costs and red tape to a minimum for all members.
Soon we have to start thinking about our first AGM, which will be in April 2015. It will be the opportunity for all members to discuss how we operate as an organisa on. I’m just extremely grateful that we have had the good fortune to find such a fantas c group of people to see us through the first year!
Janet Holland
2 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014
News from the Interest Groups
Cycling he Cycling Group has had a very successful season. Our first run was on 26th March and we T have had one every fortnight since then un l the end of October. We've had a variety of runs – along old railway tracks and canal banks, and beside rivers, lochs and mountains. La erly we've been to Balloch, Luss, Tarbet, Callander to Strathyre, Loch Katrine, and round Loch Venachar to Brig O'Turk.
Our first run was six miles but we now regularly do 18–20 miles and stay out for the day, having a packed lunch. There has been good feedback from the people who have come – everyone's very enthusias c.
Photoshoot beside Loch Lomond Sixteen people have contacted me about joining the group, but many of them have never actually come on a run as a lot of them found they had joined too many groups, and have had to back out! Seven people regularly cycle and we've just got a new member recently. However, around six people is actually a nice number to have at any one me. Everyone gets on very well and we've had some good laughs. Helen Lane
“There has been good feedback from the people who have come”
Genealogy Group 3 e meet the first Tuesday of the month from 10 am to 12 noon, in my house in W Bearsden. Everybody brings their own laptop or iPad. There are usually between six and eight of us. Some of us have been working on our family tree for years, others are new to this me-consuming, compulsive but very sa sfying hobby. We are best described as family tree researchers who eat cake. We begin each session with a chat about how we've progressed since the last mee ng and pass on ps, new websites etc. We then go online and do our own research, but s ll cha ng and helping each other, for fied by coffee and cake. There is so much informa on online nowadays. I have found a poem wri en by my great great grandfather in 1796 on the death of two of his children from smallpox; a le er from a great great uncle wri en on the eve of the Ba le of Waterloo, and much more, some of it ordinary but all adding to my family history. Everybody has an interes ng family tree, it just needs pa ence and dedica on to discover it. Sally Mudge
3 Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam
Photography ompara vely, we are a small group of seven plus myself, with six members a ending almost C every mee ng. We have had a couple of gaps in our regular fortnightly schedule due to my holidays and another commitment which le me unavailable.
Projects have been varied from reflected selfies with a DSLR to images star ng with ABCDE and shoo ng from the hip, plus a summer image and now an autumn image for the web page. The purpose of these projects is to encourage members to get the most from their equipment and to see the world around them as an ar st.
Technical and ar s c progress of all group members has been outstanding and very gra fying.
Frank Fisher Outdoor Painting and Sketching er an ini al chilly start in May, this summer’s weather has made for some wonderful A ou ngs. The first were based at Mugdock Country Park, where we chose to paint and sketch at Craigend Castle, Mugdock Castle, the ducking pond and Craigend Pond. Then as the park, and par cularly parking, got busier during the school holidays we migrated across to Dumbrock Moor to paint the view towards Dumgoyne. Our last three ou ngs, with kind permission from Lady Edmonstone, were to the gardens and grounds of Duntreath Castle, where we were spoilt with the peace and quiet and choice of subject ma er both in the close views of the beau ful gardens and the castle in its magnificent se ng.
A er iden fying our general and individual loca ons, we usually 'sat' for about an hour and a half, or more if weather and mo va on permi ed. As well as developing our skills, what we mainly le with was a happy ‘in the moment’ experience imprinted for Taking record photos at Duntreath future use, as well as a pain ng and/or sketch to perhaps finish later from photographs or to use as the base for a future piece of work.
Over the winter months we aim to keep in touch through occasional exhibi on visits and ou ngs.
Ann Neve Music Appreciation Groups – MAG A and B ur mee ngs are held in group members’ homes and we find pleasure in listening to music O together in a small group se ng. Our sessions are informal with a focus on friendship as well as enjoyment of classical music.
None of us has a depth of musical experience, although we are considering arranging occasional addi onal tutorial sessions rela ng to concert a endance. This year we are aiming to no fy one another of concerts that we might a end in pairs, or small or larger groups, depending on individual taste and availability. The majority of these concerts are local to Bearsden and Milngavie though some members have also expressed an interest in a ending concerts and opera in Glasgow.
Anne Barr
4 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014
Garden Visits e held five mee ngs this year and visited six gardens in all. We were amazingly lucky with W the weather: blue skies and brilliant sunshine made the gardens even more spectacular. Picture vast rhododendron trees in full bloom against an azure blue sky in Glenarn in May, or the splendid hanging gardens of Culross Palace in June, crammed with flowers, fruit and vegetables (not to men on some very cute hens), the blue sea in the distance, the terraco a roofs of the houses and, again, the brilliant blue sky.
We stayed local in June and visited Duntreath Castle where Lady Edmonstone gave us a warm welcome and where the gardens were, like the weather, wonderful. Our visit to Mount Stuart in August was a very pleasant adventure with, again, the beauty of plants and trees enhanced by sunshine and blue skies. Although it was overcast for our last visit, in September, to Greenbank followed by Holmwood House, we had a lovely and informa ve me. And, what really made the summer, our fellow U3A Water nymph statue at Greenbank members were so cheerful and suppor ve that we feel we’ve made a group of new friends whom we’re looking forward to seeing again next spring, to start all over again. (Ruth and Peggy are handing over to Mary Brailey and Morag McIntyre for 2015.)
Peggy Cruikshank and Ruth Long
“Our fellow U3A members were so cheerful and supportive that we feel we’ve made a group of new friends …”
Current Affairs he Current Affairs Group has been running monthly (last Friday of the month) since January T this year. We met in Milngavie CEC un l the summer, when numbers reduced and allowed us to meet in members’ houses. We are now mee ng in the Inn at Bearsden, where, for the price of tea and cake, or even a cup of coffee each, we can use the cosy li le room upstairs.
The format of the mee ngs has changed over me, but at present the idea is for the first half to be a brief ‘presenta on’ from a volunteer. This can be as simple as the presenter reading an ar cle from a recent newspaper and saying a word or two about their thoughts on it, or as involved as giving a mini- lecture! This is followed by a discussion of the issues raised. Then the second half is open for people to raise any other issues to explore other people’s opinions.
Subjects discussed are wide and varied, and have included the Independence Debate, various aspects of the situa on in the Middle East, ageism, sexism, and the implica ons of the Transatlan c Trade and Investment Partnership, as well as many others. We have had a visit to the Sco sh Parliament in Edinburgh, which was very interes ng and informa ve, and we hope to have the opportunity to inves gate local poli cs soon.
Elaine Miller
5 Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam
Line Dancing rom small beginnings while in St Andrew's Church Hall, the Line Dancing Group is now quite at F home in Milngavie Lesser Town Hall. A group of 10 to 14 ladies regularly a end, despite suffering injuries and flu! Others, including some gentlemen, have had the opportunity to try a session but decided it was not for them, perhaps due to joint or health problems or just because they preferred other types of dancing. Talk now is of prac sing and watching video clips online if a week is missed, and some have been encouraged to go to local classes for more prac ce! The sessions are seen as a sociable couple of hours, and the group are grateful to East Dunbartonshire Council for a concessionary let and to Doreen and Caroline who keep the floor in good condi on and clear up a er the group has le . At present the group meet every Tuesday (except the third Tuesday of the month, when the U3A mee ng occurs) and plan to con nue to do so. Those who had never line danced before are no longer beginners and are moving on to more challenging dances. Hopefully they will have confidence to try an organised social ou ng and use their newfound skills. Be y Wilson Carry on Singing his group has only had a few mee ngs so far, and so is T very much in its infancy. All people who like to sing (no ma er how experienced or accomplished) are warmly welcomed to come along to Westerton Parish Church Hall to join in with our wide range of songs: Sco sh, from the shows, war me songs, popular modern songs, folk songs, etc … whatever you like, as it is hoped that people will come along with sugges ons too! We sing from song sheets which are emailed out beforehand, and we also do a bit of learning and trying out new songs. We have an accompanyist on the piano, and we sing some of the more ‘folky’ songs unaccompanied; also we are toying with the idea of having a wee bit of guitar backing for some songs …! We also stop for a tea break halfway through (much needed!), and have a chance to have a good blether. All very light-hearted, and good fun! Elaine Miller Theatre Visits ver the last four months the group has been at a diverse range of events – A Play, a Pie and O a Pint at Oran Mor once a month, NT Live at the cinema, a memorable Midsummer Night’s Dream from the Globe, and Madama Bu efly from Sydney Opera. Top Hat at the Theatre Royal coming up in December!
There are no group mee ngs as such – instead we keep a mailing list and circulate everyone with upcoming possibili es – like the Slab Boys at the Ci zens in March and Vincent and Flavia at the King’s in April. We make arrangements to meet in the foyer of the theatre before the show.
If you’d like to join the mailing list contact the coordinator via the website or at the monthly U3A mee ng. Everyone welcome. Pamela Davidson
6 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014
U3A Clydesiders
Kathleen and Richard Lord are members of Broxbourne U3A in Her ordshire. A er being accepted as volunteers at Glasgow 2014, they had difficulty finding somewhere to stay, so sent an email request via our website to find out if any of our members could offer accommoda on during the period of the Games. Here is Kathleen’s account of their stay in Scotland. aving spent a wonderful 10 days working as Gamesmakers in The Olympic Park during the H London 2012 Paralympics we were keen to join in the fun at Glasgow 2014 so applied to be Clydesiders and were thrilled to be accepted. Our rosters arrived just before we went away for a two-week holiday in Italy so it was mid-June before we could start to search for accommoda on. We were needed from 19th July for rehearsals, and we were able to book the first three days in a central Glasgow hotel, but a er that prices shot up once the games got under way!
We knew we could stay with Richard's god-daughter in Cathcart for our last three nights but that le us with three nights when we needed a bed. A er trying loads of Glasgow hotels, guesthouses, hostels to no avail, a friend suggested the U3A and a quick internet search brought up Bearsden & Milngavie U3A so I sent a message. A very prompt response saw my email posted on your website and within a few days Sandra Brown had very kindly offered to put us up. She made us very welcome and we really enjoyed our stay in Milngavie. She put up with our erra c hours – arriving home every night a er 12 and she even got up to see me off for an early shi at 6.30 am on Tuesday! Coincidentally, some family friends live close to Sandra so Richard we even managed to squeeze in a lunch with them and I enjoyed a walk along the start of the West Highland Way while Richard went off for his first shi at Hampden Park.
Our du es were many and varied – from welcoming spectators along the Last Mile and collec ng lots of High Fives with our foam fingers, ripping or scanning ckets, giving direc ons and informa on outside or inside the venues to pushing wheelchairs or manning restricted access points. When we were not too busy we were some mes allowed to pop into the stands for a few minutes to catch some of the ac on – that was an unexpected treat! We had a wonderful me and found everyone we met really warm and welcoming. We were very impressed with Glasgow's rail network and although there were Kathleen huge crowds to cope with at various places such as Ibrox subway and Par ck train sta on on the nights of the Rugby 7s, everyone was in a good mood and we all got 'home' eventually!
Overall it was a wonderful experience to be part of Glasgow 2014, and staying with Sandra in Milngavie worked out perfectly. Kathleen Lord
Carol MacLean MacLean Carol Betty Wilson Betty Wilson Two of our Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Clydesiders at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games
7 Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Newsle er Issue 2, Nov 2014 www.u3asites.org.uk/bam Heritage Trail for Bearsden
arlier this year the Local History Group agreed on the produc on of a Heritage Trail for E Bearsden. Ini al research revealed that there are 44 listed structures in Bearsden and a possible route of about three miles has now been iden fied. This will include over 30 items of interest such as art deco houses, churches, public buildings, parks, burial grounds and the Roman bath-house. Gathering informa on and photographs on each item is progressing with over half now completed. The hope is eventually to publish the trail to promote Bearsden's heritage and also U3A, and to include the final produc on on our own website. A copy of the dra route is shown here and the members of the Local History Group would be pleased to receive any addi onal historical informa on that other U3A members can provide. John Gair
The main proposed route starts at Bearsden Railway Sta on and is shown with a solid red line and is approximately 3.1 miles in length. Addi ons to the route around Kilmardinny Loch and along Boclair Road are included as op onal and shown with a do ed red line.
1 Bearsden Railway Sta on 2 Bearsden Cross Church 3 Bearsden Primary School 4 War Memorial 5 1–11 Roman Road 6 Bearsden North Church 7 Bearsden Burgh Hall 8 All Saints Episcopal Church 9 Schaw Hospital 10 New Kilpatrick Church and Churchyard 11 6 Kilmardinny Crescent 17 Milepost 12 White Lodge, Kilmardinny 18 156 Milngavie Road 24 27 Boclair Road Crescent 19 Boclair House 25 New Kilpatrick Cemetery 13 Kilmardinny House 20 Glasgow Reformatory for 26 36–38 Roman Road 14 Kilmardinny Loch Girls 27 Roman Baths 15 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 Carse 21 24 Boclair Crescent 28 Bearsden Bap st Church View Drive 22 19 Boclair Road 29 6 Roman Road 16 Kilmardinny Lodge 23 18 Boclair Road 30 St Andrew's Church
Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Committee Janet Holland Chair Jane Bex Programme Coordinator Sue Walker Secretary Anne Mar n Programme Coordinator Mar n Blackwood Treasurer Val Perman Communica ons Officer Jane Mar n Membership Secretary Aileen McDonald Commi ee Member Elaine Miller Groups’ Coordinator Carol McKean Commi ee Member Anne Barr Groups’ Coordinator
Bearsden and Milngavie U3A Contact Details • Website: www.u3asites.org.uk/bam – send us an email via the Contact page or group pages. • Telephone: 07592 501648 – leave a message and we will ring you back.
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