Southport Newsletter

July 2019 Foreword from the Chair Having reached the half way point in my term as Chairman it is, perhaps, a good time to pause to reflect where we stand as an organisation. The good news is that Southport U3A is in good health, measured not only by our finances but also by the continuous growth in membership (currently over 1,500 members), the continuous growth in the number of activities and the numbers of members enthusiastically taking part in those activities. This growth has occurred alongside an improvement in our governance, including publication of a Group Leaders’ Handbook and the delivery of a number of policies to ensure our growth and is underpinned by a consistent and prudent management ethos. To ensure that we move forward as an effective and efficient organisation we will shortly be fully adopting the ‘Beacon Management System’ to bring further benefits to our members in terms of accessibility and ease of membership payments. As a member of a committee steering our organisation, I am fully aware of the skills and commitment of the other members of that team. It is a testimony to their perspicacity, composure and mutual support that there is very little disagreement as to the way forward for our organisation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the unsung heroes of Southport U3A who often give up their time to support us with no reward and often without any recognition. This obviously includes the Group Leaders but we can easily forget those volunteers who offer their commitment and support in the background such as the Minutes Secretary. It includes the meeters and greeters and beverage servers who arrive at the monthly meeting before 9am to set up. We should also recognise those who produce this newsletter, maintain the website and produce the OHPs at our monthly meeting, consistently and to a high standard. I have no doubt that with the current level of commitment, support and enthusiasm of our volunteers and the continued support of the membership as a whole we can continue to develop as an outward looking, proactive and vibrant organisation. Neil McMillan

Let’s Go! This is a very active group which has undertaken many outings. Here are accounts of some of them. A good lunch features heavily in many of their activities. Sefton Ranger Nature Walk on the Ainsdale Dunes June saw fifteen members from the group take a truly fascinating two-hour guided tour of the dunes. Setting off from the Ainsdale Discovery Centre we were led by Ranger John Dempsey, who really was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic on all aspects of plant and wildlife; it was a real eye opener as to just what can be seen by the expert eye. Walking through the ‘slack’, which is the valley between the dune ridges, we were shown species of orchids such as the Bee Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid and the Common Spotted Orchid together with other plants including Sea spurge (a member of the Euphorbia family, as is the Christmas Poinsettia), Eyebright, Milkwort, Birds Foot trefoil, and many more. In addition to flora our guide pointed out some local fauna, such as the Stonechat and the Reed bunting, and a large and very hairy caterpillar. The little moths flitting around we now know are called White Satin Moths. We even got to listen to a Natterjack Toad on the guide’s phone (my, they are loud) and shown how to distinguish a Natterjack tadpole from a regular one. All-in-all a really educational and fascinating trip. A walk in the dunes will never be the same again! A hairy caterpillar – big, isn’t it? Stephen Birchall A Walk through the Daffodil Fields “I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils…” WORDSWORTH Yes, that was us – we chose the hottest February day ever recorded in the UK for our latest outing to Sefton Park to have a walk through the beautiful daffodil fields. We strolled in the sunshine around the park admiring the blooms. Around the lake and up on the slopes the grass was covered in magnificent daffodil blooms. Cameras and phones were put to good use as we all recorded the sights. We were led by our intrepid leader – Brenda – who seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Liverpool. Following our walk, we retired – in true U3A tradition – to Elif Turkish Restaurant for a wonderful lunch before wandering back along Lark Lane to use our bus passes and then get the train home. Jim Hay 2

Canal Lunch in Chester On a perfect sunny day in May members set sail from the Mill Hotel for a great lunch and canal cruise.

All aboard for lunch with the Captain Jacky Carter JCB Tour We visited the Worldwide Headquarters of JCB in May. Even the introduction to this visit took us by surprise. Tea and coffee in special JCB china cups and saucers in a sumptuous reception area! We were soon to realise that this visit was not to any old manufacturing plant. JCB is a British family owned business started in 1945 by John Bamford and still owned and run by the family. Employing 15,000 people around the world, it still maintains much of its manufacturing on the same site in Uttoxeter that it started on. The whole plant demonstrates their passion for quality and precision, even in such large industrial vehicles. The family also believe in looking after their employees in a whole variety of ways, from having full time doctors, nurses and dentists in the plant through to their own sports facilities. JCB visitor centre We were treated first of all to a tour around their state-of-the-art visitor centre with a whole variety of vehicles demonstrating the history and breadth of their range. They had even kept the original John Bamford office intact where he had entertained the Queen and many prime ministers as well as customers from around the world. This was a real demonstration of a truly successful British company. After all, we think of diggers as “JCBs” in the same way we think of vacuum cleaners as “Hoovers”.

Next came a tour of the huge manufacturing plant where we were able to see the whole process of manufacturing these enormously complicated vehicles. It was an extremely impressive sight (although we may not have understood all the engineering techniques!!). To see the creation of these vehicles as they moved down the production line was terrific. We were all very impressed with the attention to detail and the quality of the products that they are producing. Even the visitor merchandising shop contained a whole variety of high-quality products – some of which, of course, we felt obliged to purchase. A truly great visit. Jim Hay Hangar 42 Spitfire Museum It was a cold, wet and windy day when we set off for Blackpool in search of the Spitfire Museum. We knew it resided in Blackpool Airport, but this was a well-hidden secret from the normal airport visitors. Deep in the bowels of the airport lies Hangar 42 – until recently a derelict pre-war hangar used as a dumping ground for Jet2 and EasyJet. Yet four years ago a group of enthusiasts from the Lytham St Anne’s Spitfire Team took it over and after many hours of hard graft have converted it into the Spitfire Museum. After going through a series of gates we arrived at this old (cold and draughty) hangar which houses two Spitfires, (a Mark II and a Mark IV), a Hurricane and a replica of an American spy plane. In addition to this there is a multitude of aircraft parts and scores of things to read and photos to look at. We had a private viewing organised by Meryl Picktone-Blundell and our guide turned out to be extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the planes, both from an engineering and a flying point-of-view. She was one of the founders of the museum and was able to give us a great amount of information about the planes, their pilots and how the planes were used during World War 2. Lots of photos were taken during the visit including some of our group who were able to sit in the cockpit of one of the spitfires. The day finished off with a well- received cup of tea in the Hangar’s NAAFI canteen.

One of the aircraft on view Jim Hay

The Two Liverpool Cathedrals On a beautiful sunny day in February we visited the Metropolitan and Anglican cathedrals in Liverpool. Of course, these are two quite distinct examples of cathedral architecture and held quite different experiences for us. First, we visited the very modern Metropolitan cathedral (known to the locals as ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’). This magnificent round cathedral flies in the face of all accepted tradition and yet manages to create a wonderfully peaceful and serene space. After exploring the cathedral itself we entered the Crypt, which was built in the much more traditional style of Lutyen’s original design for the cathedral. The Crypt has been kept as a monument to his original design which was never completed. Next, we moved to the Anglican cathedral for lunch after which we had a guided tour of this much more traditional building. Our guides gave us a great insight into the history and story of the cathedral and, of course, were able to show us many things which you would never be aware of when visiting on your own. ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ For the brave, there was then a tour of the tower. After two lifts and 106 steps we emerged on the top of the tower five hundred feet up to get great views across Liverpool and the Mersey. After a lot of walking (and climbing) we retired to the famous Philharmonic Bar, a well-known watering hole for the Beatles in their youth. Some of our ladies were even brave enough to visit the gentlemen’s toilet (for viewing only!) – one of the country’s few examples of a genuine Victorian toilet still in use today (we made sure there were no ‘customers’ before they entered!). Jim Hay

Underground in Liverpool Old Dock This was a visit to the Liverpool Old Dock and The Museum of Liverpool. The Old Dock was the world’s first commercial wet dock, built in the 1700s. It was the most important development that took place in growing Liverpool into the country’s busiest port, allowing ships to enter and be unloaded at all hours. The original Old Dock was discovered underground in pristine condition during the development of Liverpool One. It has been preserved underground for posterity. We went to tour this underground cavern complete with original brick-built walls courtesy of the Maritime Museum staff. After a nice lunch we entered the new Museum of Liverpool where we had a guided tour. This featured many exhibits of Old Liverpool including much about the docks. The main reason for going there was to see a special exhibit area dedicated to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. This showed their lives from their meeting through to his death in 1980. It chronicled their artistic and musical progress through the sixties to the eighties. A very interesting and contrasting day. Jim Hay A Visit to the Talbot Hotel A very pleasant afternoon at The Talbot Hotel in Southport. The hotel runs musical afternoons for clubs and societies and provides a three-course lunch, bingo and dancing. All agreed that the food was very nice and the ladies in our party enjoyed the dancing – especially the line dancing – (we men were not allowed to do the line dancing in case we caused chaos!!). However, the highlight for me was undoubtedly the Bingo!! I have never played bingo in my life before and only joined in for a laugh – although I discovered it is all very serious. Nevertheless, I found myself in the strange situation of calling ‘House’. Of course, my wife thought I had got it wrong but low and behold I won the jackpot. Not enough for a Spanish holiday but yippee just the same. Jim Hay Tour of Anfield Stadium January saw us touring the stadium, home of Liverpool FC. During the day we got to visit the players’ dressing rooms (including their sumptuous ‘dining’ area – no ham sandwiches for these guys!). Paul had his photograph taken next to the M. Salah shirt to remind himself of his glory footballing days (in the school playground, of course). We were invited to take part in our very own press conference and our Liverpool experts, Paul and Phil took their places on the managers podium to expound some words of wisdom to us. Next it was off to see the football pitch itself with Phil very proudly pointing out to us his personal season ticket seat. Of course, we were able to touch the Anfield shield over the players tunnel as hundreds of players had done before us (as a Man U supporter myself I was not allowed to touch it – bad luck!). We wandered down to the team dugout where we were invited to take over the manager’s seat. Sharon got the job as she was

the only one who spoke German! We all got to sit on the Kop stand which gave us a great feel for the atmosphere in the stadium and Barrie impressed us all with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Liverpool FC history. Finally, it was off to the trophy room where Phil delighted in showing me the European Cup, won by Manchester United but kept for eternity by Liverpool as they had won it five times. Before leaving Liverpool we retired to Kemps Bistro in Stanley Park for an excellent lunch. It was a great day out and yet another example of the group’s freewheeling style of events.

The Club Jim Hay

Local History As ever, this group has been busy visiting places across the local area. We started our 2019 programme with a talk by local historian Ken Pye at a new venue, The Royal Clifton Hotel. Ken’s talk was on the Liverpool Overhead Railway and although there were a few hiccups on the morning, everyone enjoyed the talk. Subsequently we have travelled to St Nicholas Church in Blundellsands, visited the Wilfred Owen Story in Birkenhead where we were entertained with songs and poetry as well as learning about the life of Wilfred Owen and seeing the statue which was unveiled this year by Prince Harry and Meghan, and we have re-visited the Liverpool Medical Institute and The Unitarian Church (with an organ recital included in our tour!). More recently, we have joined Richie the ranger in St Michaels in the Hamlet and enjoyed the sunshine whilst walking amongst a lovely area of Aigburth.

Later in the year we are ‘spreading our wings’ as we have joined with the Coach Outings group and arranged to visit the BBC in Media City, Salford. We are also looking forward to our tour of the Royal Liver Building. We try to offer a varied programme so we are planning to visit Manchester Cathedral in September and places for this will be available at the August meeting. If you have not managed to join our tours, but are interested in visiting a venue, then we are happy to provide information. Please ask at our desk. Did you know: The Royal Liver Building became the first major structure in Britain, and one of the first buildings in the world, to be constructed using re-enforced concrete and given the building's radical design was considered by some to be impossible to build. Jean Berry

Walking 4 January We started 2019 walking the Rufford round. The route took us along the canal, through Mere Sands Wood, and along the River Doulas pathway. Our second walk was along field paths close to Scorton. We had a lucky escape on this walk as a tree fell down onto the road about 20 seconds after we had passed the spot. Lymm was the venue for the third walk which included the Lymm heritage trail, the canal and Lymm Dam. The proposed venue for the fourth walk had to be postponed due to the treacherous icy conditions underfoot. Instead the group did a 7.5 mile walk around the local Hillside and Ainsdale dunes having lunch near Ainsdale Lido. The final January walk around the Yarrow Valley Country Park started and ended in the rain with snow just after lunch. The tea and coffee at the end of the walk was welcomed by 19 extremely wet walkers. February The first walk of the month started at the Last Drop Village. We walked through the estate to Turton tower before having lunch at Little Turton. A detour had to made to the Jumbles CP due to icy conditions underfoot. Our second walk took us across fields and minor roads from Knott End on Sea with the return journey along the coastal part of the Wyre Way. The third walk started in Parbold. An initial climb to Ashurst’s Beacon was followed by lunch at Dalton CC. The return route was via Appley Bridge and the canal. Plan B was used for our final February walk due to the poor weather conditions. The walk was a 6.5 mile trek around the Haigh Hall area near Wigan, including the Hall’s estate and the Liverpool / Leeds canal. March We used plan B for our first walk. Starting from Longton Brickcroft nature reserve, we walked around the lakes before making our way along muddy tracks to the Ribble Way at Longton marsh. The rain came after lunch and we made our way back to the cars along field paths and road. Plan B again for our second walk, starting at Lostock Hall and making use of the old Lostock to Preston railway route and the Preston to Walton tram route on a circular walk that included Miller and Avenham Parks in Preston. With the weather conditions being very bad underfoot, plan B was used once again for the third

walk. Alighting at Hall Rd station, the group followed the Sefton coastal path to Hightown, where a young seal was sunning itself on the banks of the River Alt. The path was then continued to the Formby dunes for lunch and a return to Freshfield through the pine woods. The final March walk started by walking to Whalley town from Spring Wood and we then climbed up to Whalley Nab for lunch. We returned to the car park via Read. April In April the group went further afield on a mini-break, staying at the Shrigley Hall Hotel in Pott Shrigley where we undertook several walks around the area, including the Macclesfield Canal, the Goyt Valley and Erwood Hall. Also walked was the River Derwent on the Chatsworth estate, taking in the Hunting Lodge and passing the Swiss and Emerald lakes before returning back to the village. Despite the poor weather it was mainly dry and the break proved to be very successful.

The group in the Goyt Valley Our first walk started at Rivington. We walked through Dean Wood above the ravine and after a break at the lead mines we lunched overlooking Angelsarke. We completed the circuit of the reservoir on our return to the cars. The next walk started in Downham the attractive village which was the setting for the film ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ and the TV programme ‘Born and Bred’. We walked to the pack horse bridge and then followed the river Ings and lunched near Twiston Mill. The return route took us on the periphery of Pendle Hill. The third walk was near Warrington. We parked in Walton Hall gardens

and first walked along the Bridgewater Canal past London bridge where the barges used to pick up passengers many years ago. We left the canal to walk through the Dingle in the Lumb valley with the bluebells at their best. After lunch we followed tracks before walking round the Appleton reservoir and into the gardens of Walton Hall and back to the cars. The final walk started at the University of Lancaster sports arena. We walked along the Lancaster canal towards Preston and entered Haslam Park nature reserve, undertaking a tour of the Park before having lunch at the canal basin built to celebrate the millennium. After passing under the road and the Blackpool railway line, our route took us alongside the navigable Savik Brook, with its many locks, before crossing the Lea golf course and back to the canal. David Miley

Family History I, and about half a dozen others, are members of the Liverpool and South West Lancashire genealogy groups. Many years ago, we volunteered to transcribe Births, Deaths and Marriage records (more commonly referred to as Matches, Hatches and Despatches). This is carried out in the Registrar’s Office in St. Georges Hall, Liverpool. The records date from 1837 when it became law to register all such events. Liverpool has about seven million records and once they are on the computer it makes life easier for all concerned. Liverpool had all of their records photographed. Now if you require an old record you receive a copy of the original (complete with the ‘X’s for those who were illiterate. Until about 1870 between 70 and 80 per cent of the population couldn’t read or write.) It is signed by one of the current Registrars before despatch. Because spelling in the old days was left to each Registrar, names as recorded could be spelt differently over the years. I never had much interest in History as a schoolboy, but with genealogy you can’t avoid it. When the first national census was carried out in 1841, some people tried to avoid it as they thought it was another way of taxing them, especially after the window and hearth taxes that had been imposed. The censuses reveal how Liverpool’s population exploded at the time of the Irish potato famine. The 1881 census revealed that twenty-five per cent of Scousers were of Irish extraction and there were about 4500 prostitutes. On occasion I’ve been known to say. ‘I’ll find your Aunt Nelly who ran a ‘knocking shop’ in down town Liverpool.’ [where did the term Knocking Shop originate, I wonder – Editor] I’d like to say a few things about censuses. The first one was in 1841 and has been taken every ten years since. They are not released to the public until they are one hundred years old, the next one to be released will be in 2021. All censuses were completed by someone appointed by the local council. That is apart from the 1911: this was the first census to be completed by the head of the household, which gives people an opportunity to see the writing of their forefathers/mothers. Colin Weir

Short Walks 1 The need to offer shorter walks than already organised by the existing walking groups was first raised at the 2016 Group Leaders’ Day which Mary and I were attending as leaders of Bridge – the Sociable One and French 3 respectively. We agreed to look after the admin side of running a Short Walks group if someone else would plan and lead the walks. So, we organised a Coffee Morning at the Ramada for all those interested in joining a Short Walks group and were amazed at the number who attended. Our first outing was on 6 September 2016. Not sure how it happened but we somehow ended up as the Short Walks co-leaders in every sense of the word. Those of you who have walked with us may agree that this was not a great idea as Mary and I are both directionally challenged. We do recce all our walks but can still manage to lead our walkers off the planned route – we would never admit to getting lost – on occasions. The group meets twice a month, walking between three and five miles and travelling to our starting point by public transport. We aim to finish in time for lunchtime refreshments in some hostelry where people have the choice of eating a full lunch, a snack or just a coffee or maybe something a bit stronger. The destination is always within a short stroll of public transport for the journey home either before or after lunch. We are fair weather walkers but the number of times we have had to cancel since the group was formed because of inclement weather can be counted on one hand. Someone must love us! Steve Birchall kindly agreed to be the guest leader on one of our recent, longer and more challenging walks. Not only were we stretching our legs but we also learned some interesting history along the way. How many of you know about the Devil’s Hole (see left – a blow-out in the dunes believed to have been started by a bomb dropped during World War 2) and the Lost Resort in Formby (where you can still see the remains of the Formby-by-the-Sea promenade)? Our group, which is currently pretty much fully subscribed, walks on Tuesdays but there is now also Short Walks 2 which meets on Fridays and can accommodate new members. Ilush Bricknell

Jazz Boulevard West, Lord Street Southport U3A Jazz Group has been running monthly jazz here for more than two years. The venue has a vibe and intimacy which visiting musicians really rate. Our last four monthly gigs at Boulevard West have been sold out and very enjoyable – a real mix of jazz, which is of course the nature of the music. We have developed a very enthusiastic core of regulars and it’s also great to see a few new faces each month. Our host (and bar owner) Brian always provides excellent bar service, a good selection of beers, wines and spirits at reasonable prices and Bobbie Matthews’ interval suppers have become legendary! Our aim is to bring top professional bands (a maximum of quartet size as it’s a small space) which are on tour in the North and looking to fill a Monday night, therefore at an affordable cost! February saw the UK’s number one jazz saxophonist/composer/arranger Alan Barnes on alto and clarinet with bassist John McCormick and guitarist Andy Hulme provide a glorious evening of evergreen music from Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, A.C Jobim and Gershwin, plus the unmatchable Barnes banter. The delightful vocalist/double bassist and song writer Nicola Farnon brought her trio over from Sheffield for our March meet. Her musical talent is matched by her fantastic way of audience communication and chat and her trio, drummer (and partner) Phil Johnson and keyboard and saxophonist Pierro Tucci somehow combine to make this trio sound like a quintet! The Jamie Brownfield-Liam Byrne Trio graced April with some highly polished trumpet/tenor sax arrangements in the Chicago style; Jamie proving his last year’s British Jazz Awards top polling as most promising trumpet newcomer was well deserved. It’s also great when we can find a local band that can cut the mustard and Emma Holcroft, regular lead vocalist with the very popular Swingtime Big Band did just that in May with the able assistance of Dean Masser (regular BBC Big Band player) on tenor and George King on keyboard. The next 3 months Boulevard West gigs are on the U3A website and we have some super treats in store. No kidding though, it pays to book early as there is a seating capacity limit. The whole bar is turned over to the U3A Jazz Group for the evening on the first Monday in the month. Everyone gets an allocated seat and supper for £15 per gig. Special Southport U3A jazz events Two or three times a year the jazz group cuts loose with more ambitious stuff. For example, combining with Southport Melodic Jazz in January for over 50 of us to enjoy a very exciting Sunday afternoon concert from the Tom Sharp Big Band from Leeds with London based guest National Youth Jazz Orchestra vocalist James Hudson. In February, combining with Southport Jazz Festival for more than 70 to attend 2 concerts (at discounted ticket prices) at this annual international event (now in its 15th year) at The Royal Clifton Hotel. And what a joy that was, ‘right in our own back yard’ so- to-speak with legendary American tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton with rising New

York based pianist/vocalist Champian Fulton. Not to mention radio and TV broadcaster/song writer Joe Stilgoe singing with Swingtime Big Band. As recently as May, a coachload of U3A jazzers set off for Altrincham for an afternoon sampling the foodie delights of the market and an evening visit to Neil Hughes’ Cinnamon Club to listen and dance to the jazz, blues and rock-n-roll music of the Dominic Halpin Band.

Lunch in Altrincham Market There are more special events on the way, including our annual Party in the Park in August. Do come and join us – you might just enjoy it! For more information about forthcoming jazz events go to the Southport U3A website or call at the Jazz Desk at our monthly U3A meetings at Christ Church. Geoff Matthews

Russian Trip to the Liverpool Playhouse Chyekhov’s First Play: A Dazzlingly Strange Reworking of ‘Platonov’ by Dublin Theatre Company, Dead Centre. It is 1921 and the dead Chyekhov’s sister finds the untitled, as yet unknown but completed manuscript of one of her brother’s plays. She takes it to the fledgling Bolshevik Government for their opinion. For them it is too long and too complex; just another Chyekovian retelling of a Bourgeois life to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Fast forward to 2018 and the Dublin theatre company Dead Centre’s wonderful and technically brilliant retelling of the play which comes to be known as ‘Platanov’ (the Protagonist). Dead Centre bring all those familiar themes of Chyekhov to the disaster of the failed Celtic Tiger economy with its Laissez-Faire Capitalism. There is the decay of empire with its boredom, decadence, drunkenness, easy sex; all those elements which meant that the Russian Revolution was inevitable. All seems comfortably recognisable during the first act but you know instinctively that something is afoot because of the clever use of modern technology, with the audience wearing headphones and listening to the director’s thoughts, thus giving ‘Chyekhov’s First Play’ an astonishing feeling of intimacy and surprise. Suddenly, an unwitting, unprepared and very nervous member of the audience is literally plucked out of safety, wearing a wireless headset to play the part of the modern Platonov. ‘Chyekhov's First Play’ is something special; a dusty play is made diamond-sharp by the weight of a century's worth of failures and thwarted creative longings. It makes you think not only about current political and social issues but also those which are related in the past. I think that I must say that this is the best play which I have seen for ages. Chris Devereux

Guitar 2 The group has taken off and going really well, with lots of interest from the six regulars at the moment. Each new member receives a starter pack from me in a folder so we all work on the same material and home work.

Strumming along Arthur Blaylock

Coach Trips Quarry Bank Mill We started the year in March with an interesting visit to this National Trust property. This cotton mill was the heart of working life during the Industrial Revolution. During the visit we discovered how Samuel Greg founded his cotton empire and understood the hardships faced by the workers who toiled in the mill. The day started with a tour of the Apprentice House where we learned about the experiences of hundreds of children who worked at the mill in exchange for food and board. At Styal village, by visiting one of the cottages, we also discovered the domestic lives of the workers and the conditions that they lived in. The Mill On Monday, on our walk round Lake Bled, we first climbed up to the view point of Straza returning by chair lift. We continued round the lake only to take a very steep and challenging ascent with safety ropes and 88 very steep steps to another view point, Osjonica with beautiful views of the lake. A difficult descent was then made to the lake which we followed back to the hotel. A local bus was taken on Tuesday to the alpine village of Stara Fuzina with its flower decked houses. The objective today was to visit the Voje Valley and Slap (waterfall) Mostnica in the national park. The route took us through the 2 kilometre long Mostnica gorge where the river had carved a narrow gorge up to 20m deep in some places with the side’s only shoulder width apart. The Voje valley is used for pasture farming and is at an altitude of just over 700m with a welcome café at the end close to the 21m high waterfall.

Harrogate In April we visited this Yorkshire spa town and members did a variety of things during our visit - visiting the RHS Harlow Carr famous gardens, taking a free guided walk of the town centre and of course a visit to Harrogate is not the same without a visit to Betty’s. The guided walk that many members participated in was an interesting stroll taking in some of the incredible landmarks and features that Harrogate has to offer, including The Royal Pump Rooms where the famous “Stinking Spaw” and sulphur springs were discovered, and the great Victorian Hydrotherapy Centres to which people would flock 15

during the 19th century to seek cures for all manner of ailments. We discovered the vital role that Harrogate played during the Second World War as well as taking a light stroll through the stunning Valley Gardens. Not to mention a swift dash through a pub at the end!

Harrogate, with Betty’s Tea Rooms in the background

Haworth In May we visited this picturesque village in West Yorkshire which was hosting a 1940s event. On arrival we immediately soaked up the brilliant atmosphere and entered into the spirit of the era. Events taking place throughout the village included vintage vehicle displays, evacuee event re-enactments, speeches from Churchill, jive dancing, singing and bands playing. In addition, some members visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum, once the home of the Brontë family and famous for promoting the Brontës' literary legacy. A great atmosphere throughout the village during our stay and there were some very tired legs returning to the coach after walking on the cobbled and steep inclines during our visit.

Haworth – 40s day

We have coach trips planned for the rest of the year which include - Keswick, Saltaire, Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival and Media City (Manchester)which includes a tour of the BBC studios. We will also have a Christmas theme trip at the end of the year. Details of all these events are available on the group webpage of the U3A website. Derek Kershaw

Try Sailing In early May, despite a grey and drizzly start, thirteen Southport U3A Members were treated to a day sailing dinghies on the Marine Lake. Smiling, rosy-cheeked, with misted up glasses all were undoubtedly exhilarated as they piled back into the Club house after their first sail before lunch overlooking the lake. Members were taken out in six boats helmed by instructors, all of whom were voluntary members of West Lancs Yacht Club. A power boat was also on hand for fun trips right around the lake. In- between the sailing a great lunch was enjoyed followed by afternoon tea with home-made cakes to follow. Along with many lovely emails of thanks one read - "this special day which I will remember for a long time". Ahoy there Cap’n! The second Try Sailing group of 16 was just as much fun. We enjoyed sunshine with a fluky wind - but thankfully no capsizes and all enjoyed the day and wanted more. More Try Sailing dates will also be arranged later in the year for those unable to attend the first three. Look for details on the Southport U3A website. Chris Howorth

Astronomy Carr House A group of thirteen of us enjoyed a delightful visit to this old house in Bretherton, where Jeremiah Horrocks was the first ever to observe and record a transit of Venus in 1639. Our hostess was Mrs Jane Elphick, who has lived in the property with her husband Clive for the past 15 years. She looked after us extremely well and, after giving an interesting introduction about the history of her beautiful home, took us on a tour of the whole house and surrounds. Following an excellent ‘light lunch’ we went with her to St Michael’s Church in nearby Much Hoole, where she once again did a splendid job of pointing out and explaining the

many interesting facets it holds. The Church is very attractive and beautifully maintained, a credit to the small local community. We all agreed that this was one of the best days out the Astro Group has had to date.

Carr House and presentation to the owner Robert Mount

Cycling for Fun Woolton Park, Reynolds Park, Calderstones Park, Greenbank Park and Sefton Park Led by our guide extraordinaire, Pete Sinclair, the group tackled five Liverpool parks and spotted six spots with Beatles association along the way. We never cease to be amazed at Pete’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Liverpool! On a dull and threatening day, a group of us cycled through these parks – most which we had never heard of! They were all well-kept and obviously looked after by the council. No litter and rubbish lying about, all the edges were neatly trimmed, paths clear for us to cycle on, and the lakes were all fresh. Many with Geese and Ducks in abundance. Not many flowers about at this time though. As we wandered from park to park we were guided by Pete to a variety of Beatles historical sites. In fact, we kept bumping into the Magical Mystery Tour Bus which was obviously following the same route. We read the plaque outside St. Peter’s Church where John and Paul first met and played as The Quarrymen. We passed Eleanor Rigby’s grave and fought our way past the tour bus crowds at Strawberry Fields. Finally, we paid homage to Paul McCartney’s former home (a very ordinary semi-detached house) and stopped to have our picture taken on Penny Lane. 18

Of course, like all good tour guides Pete made sure we were well refreshed with a stop at Sudley Hall for coffee and then lunch at Pippin’s Corner in Lark Lane. All in all, a very enjoyable day’s cycling.

Penny Lane Jim Hay

Table Tennis 1 This was the first Table Tennis Group in Southport U3A, started off by Vic Baldry who has since moved off to pastures new in Shropshire. We have now been playing the game for a few years and have learned a lot about playing doubles since we started on Thursday afternoons at the YMCA. The Group is classed as intermediate and is not appropriate for complete beginners. We very much enjoy both the table tennis and the great fellowship at our Thursday get-togethers. Jennifer Boulton

Beyond the Comfort Zone Painting Workshops The group held two workshops, Acrylic in November and Mixed Media in December. Everyone had a great day and produced the great works of art illustrated below. The Acrylic Workshop required a landscape of a waterfall and the Mixed Media workshop required two paintings, one a seascape and the other an abstract from our imagination. The medium used was a mix of plaster, stuck on a collage of either plain, textured paper or pictures torn from magazines, followed by acrylic and pastels.

Future works of art indeed! Brian Mitchell Ironbridge Over two days in April twenty-one intrepid members of the group went on a trip to Ironbridge, staying at the Valley Hotel on the banks of the River Severn. On the Sunday we explored the town of Ironbridge before visiting the Museum of the Gorge and then embarking on two bright orange rafts after being fitted with life jackets. The coxswain Nigel took us through the safety instructions. He stressed that we were not allowed to fall in! [we didn’t! – Editor]. Nigel steered with some difficulty down the river as it was quite high and flowing fast due to the amount of rain that had fallen in the Welsh hills. Getting on the raft was quite easy but getting off down a narrow gangplank was fun! In the evening and after a superb meal we were treated to an illustrated talk on the history of the Ironbridge area by Richard Bifield, a local historian. After checking out of the hotel we spent the morning at Blists Hill Victorian Town. This town consists of several buildings that have been dismantled brick by brick from various places in the area and rebuilt on site. After lunch several of those who are still young at heart went on the Galloping Horses fairground ride [three rides for some of us younger ones – Editor]. We also had some laughs dressing up at a Victorian photographic studio, before finally heading home after a really excellent couple of days. Stephen Birchall