Skye U3A news

Issue #21 – February 2017 web: u3asites.org.uk/code/u3asite.php?site=325&page=0

Message from the (arm)chair Contact details

First of all I would like to wish those members I the effects of alcohol on the over 55s, some Chair have not had the pleasure of seeing yet in 2017 of which you may find somewhat surprising! Mo MacQuarrie a very happy and prosperous new year! We ✆ 01470 552286; have had some very interesting speakers at the 8 [email protected] end of 2016 and if anyone missed Yasmin from Vice Chair 'Island at the Edge' in January you missed out David Hammond on one of the best yet. We also had a meeting in ✆ 01478 640733 November where some of our group members 8 [email protected] came to enlighten us as to what they get up to. Steve Terry very kindly came all the way from Secretary the other end of the island to show us some of Judy Atherton his amazing wild life and nature photographs. ✆ 01470 521815 8 [email protected] This was interesting for those members who are not able to get out and about so much for Treasurer varying reasons. The card making workshop Chad Killington I ran in October was very well attended and I ✆ 01470 582384 intend to run another in the Spring – when it 8 [email protected] finally arrives on Skye! This will be held in the Membership Secretaries Library to make sure it is being used as Barbara Macdonald much as possible as well as cutting down on ✆ 01470 521576 room hire costs. 8 [email protected] Some rather sad news is that our treasured Peggy Hunter treasurer, Chad Killington, is stepping down Then next month is our annual AGM which ✆ 01470 521324 from her post at this year's AGM in March so I won’t all be deadly serious as there will be the 8 [email protected] would like to take this opportunity to thank her usual games and a raffle. the serious part is that for all her hard work over the last seven years. annual subscriptions, which we have held at She will be sorely missed. This means that we £15 for yet another year. are due. In April I am The U3A has will be looking for someone to step into her hoping to get a representative from the police to been in existence for over shoes to handle the accounts for us. You do come to give us a talk on improving our home six years. It was originally not have to be involved with the committee if security which is becoming more important based around the island’s you do not wish to do so and the accounts are as our island becomes busier. As the summer capital, Portree, but has single entry so not too challenging. I see that (?) approaches in May we have been talking extended itself to now the national office of the Scottish U3A is also about perhaps doing some trips out to places include all corners of the looking for a treasurer so hope none of our of interest rather than our usual meetings at the island. With members possible candidates are lured by the glamour of college. scattered in remote that post! That’s about it from ‘the chair’ for now so I look locations around the island This month, on Friday 24 February, we have forward to seeing you all in the near future. travel distances present Duncan Beaton from the Skye and Lochalsh Mo MacQuarrie, Chair special challenges but Council on Alcohol coming to give us a talk on the Isle of Skye itself is a major compensation, offering rich sources of Skye U3A Facebook page interest in areas such as archaeology, geology, nature, and walking. Given A reminder of the Skye U3A Facebook page. the population of Skye we Many of you have signed-up to receive it, but will never approach the size many members may still not be aware of it. It is of city U3As but we hope to proving to be a very popular way for members grow and new members are to share information and keep each other extremely welcome. informed of events. It is a 'closed group', so only those with a Skye U3A news is published Facebook account, and an invitation to join, irregularly. Copy date for the can see the posts. next issue is 10 March 2017. If you would like to be included please e-mail Send material for inclusion Joy ([email protected]). to Ian Burn [8 vlsburia@ me.com]. Isle of Skye U3A 2017 programme Friday 27 January 2017 meeting Island at the Edge by Yasmin Milburn

What a great meeting – if you including knitting, crochet didn't come on Friday you and land-based courses missed an excellent speaker suitable for crofters and those and if you get a chance to interested in crofting and hear her speak elsewhere smallholding. – grab it. Yasmin of ‘Island at the Edge’ gave a talk that was both fascinating and amusing – from rats eating wiring and causing a house to burn down, to the meaning of intricate designs on ganseys, right through to eating live lobster in Japan.

As well as explaining how they produce the yarn, ganseys and tweed, Yasmin treated us to a very amusing travelogue about her recent visit to Japan promoting and selling her products. The amount of We meet at 2.00 pm on the last Friday of each month at the interest in Scottish products in West College in Portree. Hebridean Isles Trading Japan is fascinating. At most meetings there is a guest speaker, but now and Company – Island at the Edge again we hold non-speaker events such as quizzes, group is based on the wonderful presentations, etc. Tea, coffee, and biscuits are available at Isle of Skye. Yasmin and her all meetings. partner, Trevor, live on their Non members are welcome at any of our meetings, but we croft, Eilean Oir in , do ask them to make a small donation towards the cost of where they breed Hebridean the hire of the room (as well as for the tea and coffee). and Black Cheviot sheep producing top quality yarns Friday 24 February 2017 with the fleece. They design Duncan Beaton, and produce traditionally Skye and Lochalsh Council on Alcohol hand-knitted fisherman's Duncan Beaton be talking on the effects of alcohol on the ganseys and Tattersall and over 55s, some of which we may find somewhat surprising! Herringbone tweed which they use to produce apparel Friday 31 March 2017 and accessories. As well as Yasmin and her partner, Trevor, rearing sheep, producing Skye U3A AGM welcome visitors at Eilean Oir A mixture of the formal (review of the year, election of officers yarns and garments, they also croft where they will gladly etc) and informal (games and a raffle). deliver high quality teaching introduce you to the sheep. and learning in traditional skills A trip well worth making.

Isle of Skye U3A newsletter; issue #21 | February 2017 Isle of Skye U3A interest groups

Nature group Generally we love 'broch bagging' the right of the entrance would Uig. This is a very popular but also look at other piles of The Nature Group holds outdoor have been higher than the floor spot in the summer and one stones – mainly prehistoric. events every fortnight in the of this cell/gallery so had a few to avoid unless you want to We are all fascinated by the summer months and once a questions about this. Did it be swamped with tour buses evidence of life on Skye 2-3,000 month in spring and autumn. simply go over the entrance and and their contents! However years ago and never cease There are also outings in the no further, and where was the at this time of year it is very to be amazed at the building winter for those U3A members access? much quieter as our stroll skills and achievements of our hardy or daft enough to go with Canmore (www.canmore.org.uk/ turned out to be. We started predecessors, even when so little the dodgy weather and the site/11143/skye-dun-suladale at the Uig cemetery carpark visible evidence remains today. relative scarcity of creatures describes a door check on either and walked the length of the willing to flaunt themselves in Sadly the stones cannot tell side of the entrance – 5-6" deep recently upgraded tarmac road front of our cameras. us their stories and very little (in 1921); Mackie in 2007 (also before walking up to the Fairy excavation has been done Glen itself. A few of the more Although each event focuses on Canmore site) says: the 2015 here using modern techniques. hardy walkers clambered up on a particular area of flora AOC report says: 'We believed Nobody really knows what the to Castle Ewan and then after and fauna, we keep an eye that we could see possible bar brochs were and why they a quick lunch out of the wind, out for anything, from lichen to holes - but to date I have not got were built. Even professional wandered back through the raptors, from flowers to aquatic any photos of these'. archaeologists cannot agree but glen and then joined the road animals. Rain and wind can we have lots of imagination and back. occur quite frequently, and also Walking group have endless discussions about unpredictably on Skye so we The group's winter walks selection our own theories. are flexible enough to make last is half way through. The weather minute changes in dates where Group co-ordinator has taken a bit of a toll on the necessary. first few walks, but we are ever Joy Davies hopeful that future ones will be For the most part, events are not 8 [email protected] physically challenging and are more successful. Winter walks suitable for anyone wanting to take place on the first Tuesday and have a good day out and learn Thursday 2 February third Wednesday of each month more about the island's wildlife. Dun Suladale and are normally a maximum of four hours, including lunch, to We haven't held any nature ensure people don’t have to do A look at the forthcoming events during the winter (the too much driving in the dark at the events sees us visiting the new policy) but we will be having end. As the spring approaches Storr, another good one to do a meeting at Aros towards the this will become less of a problem. out of season. This is followed end of February to sort out a Walks are planned to vary between by an attempt to do a bit of Trig programme of events for 2017. North, Central and South Skye Point Bagging with a walk to Group co-ordinator and are usually described as all Roineval near Carbost/Struan. John Kennedy weather walks, involving solid Wednesday 22 February ✆ 01470 532765 tracks with minimal muddy/ Storr/Lealt boggy areas, wherever possible. Blog: www.u3a-skye-nature. Winter walks normally start at Tuesday 7 March blogspot.co.uk Seven souls braved the foul about 10.30 and car sharing is Roineval weather forecast on 31 January encouraged when possible with to visit Suledale. As usual the designated pick-up points on the Wednesday 15 March weather was nowhere near as way to the start. Fiskavaig/ Bay bad as the forecast. We would love you to join us and if Tuesday 4 April It had been a wet few days you would like to be added to the Souterain (Struan) previously and the route from walking group email list let David track to broch was quite muddy or Linda know. You can also follow Wednesday 19 April in places - slips were inevitable our exploits on the Skye U3A Camastianavaig on the muddy edge of the burn. Facebook page. The first person to slip went Towards the end of the winter Paleontology group back into the bank of the burn; season we will have a walk and the second (not to be outdone) meeting to discuss and arrange decided to swim backstroke in the Summer walk programme. the burn. Unfortunatley, there If you have any favourite walks are no photos of that! In spite of please let us know. being wet through before even getting to the broch, she carried Group co-ordinators on for which she gets lots and David Hammond John attached an image of a lots of brownie points. 8 [email protected] sparrow hawk taken through At the broch we could clearly the living room window in Linda Shove see all the aspects mentioned in 8 [email protected] January as, unlike the U3A Canmore/AOC report. nature group, nature does Our last good(ish) weather walk apparently carry on during the 1) there is clearly a cell to the was to the Fairy Glen at Sheader winter. right of the entrance – nicely and Balnaknock, just south of corbelled but full of rubble and it appears to have been accessed Archaeology group from the entrance passage as a Two members of the group The archaeology group's plan is lintel is visible very low down decided to explore the shore to visit sites of brochs/possible at to try and find 2) There is evidence of walling brochs and other prehistoric sties the much reported dinosaur above the entrance which the near the broch sites. There are footprints. On a wonderful AOC report describes as the also occasional indoor meetings day they spend an hour or so curved end of a cell or gallery. to review our finds or look at while the tide was out and were We felt that the roof of the cell to other aspects of archaeology. successful in finding them.

Isle of Skye U3A newsletter; issue #21 | February 2017 National U3A news and events

U3A newsletter U3A Summer Schools 2017 Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester In addition to the recently launched U3A GL7 6JS [14 – 17 August 2017] Scotland website (www.u3asites.org. Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester uk/scotland), U3A Scotland has also GL7 6JS [11 – 14 September 2017] launched a newsletter. Knitting & Stitching Show

Summer Schools 2017

Textile Galleries

Olympia, London 2nd – 5th March 2017 Royal Highland Centre, 27th – 30th April 2017 Shopping Alexandra Palace, London 11th – 15th October 2017 Simmonscourt, RDS Dublin 9th – 12th November 2017 HIC, Harrogate 23rd – 26th November 2017 Talks & Activites Bring your group to the most comprehensive craft and textile events in England, Ireland and Scotland!

The perfect group outing for all U3A members! 1 Workshops & Demos

The summer schools are a wonderful example of self-help learning with all the

UPPER STREET tutors being U3A members, who give For more information visit EVENTS

www.theknittingandstitchingshows.com Image: Louise Baldwin – Did we really Issue 2 was published in January 2017 up a significant amount of their time to and includes Scottish news and articles provide attendees with an enjoyable and We include an appeal from the newsletter participatory learning experience. The Knitting & Stitching Shows are the below and hope to be able to add the The usual pattern of a summer school definitive events for anyone with a love electronic version of the newsletter to our is arrival on the Monday afternoon with of textile based craft. The Spring Knitting website for members to access. an introductory seminar before dinner, & Stitching Show at The Royal Highland approximately five hours of seminars on Centre, Edinburgh (27-30 April 2017) U3A Scotland appeal both the Tuesday and the Wednesday champions creativity with hunderds of Due to unforeseen circumstances three and three hours on the final morning, workshops, demonstrations, interactive members of the U3A Scotland committee with plenty of breaks and opportunities features on offer as well as 150 of our have had to step down since the AGM, for socializing with U3A members from all most loved exhibitors selling specialist meaning that currently we are functioning over the UK. craft supplies. Spend a day re-stocking your yarn stash, learning to knit, mastering with only four committee members, Chair, This year, Schools take place at: Vice Chair, Secretary and one Committee the art of tailoring and more. There has Harper Adams University, Newport, never been a better excuse to get involved member. We are particularly interested in Shropshire TF10 8NB [17 – 20 July 2017] acquiring a Treasurer. At the present time in craft! Dianne Savage of Edinburgh U3A has agreed to provide email or telephone help with the accounts if necessary until we have a treasurer. Surely out of over 9500 members in Scotland there must be two or three people who would be willing to be co-opted on to the committee to help. I know there is a lot of talent amongst the members and perhaps someone with a financial background, someone with a publicity background or someone just willing to do their best to help is hiding within your membership. It does not need to be someone from your local committee. It can be any one of your many talented members. Please appeal to your members and ask anyone interested to contact me as soon as possible. I would hate to see the Scottish Committee fold! Pat Garland Chair U3A Scotland. [[email protected]]

Isle of Skye U3A newsletter; issue #21 | February 2017