Newsmail York

York NewsMail No 8 August 2021

CONTENTS Page Chairman’s Message 3 Editorial 4 Groups 4 Talks 8 Membership Matters 9 Open Day 10 Travel 11 York u3a Website 11 Volunteers for Research 12 Members’ Contributions 12 Cryptic Crossword 14 Quizzes 14 Committee 16 Vacancies 16 Office Opening Hours 16 Puzzle Solutions 17 Aldborough Trip 18 Beamish Trip 20

FRONT COVER PICTURE

Our front cover picture continues to show scenes from around York which reflect the season. No prizes for guessing where this one was taken! It’s great to see York Races back in action – and on such a glorious day. If you’d like to submit a photo for the front cover of the October edition of NewsMail showing something typically autumnal in York, I’d be happy to receive it attached to an email sent to me via [email protected] by the deadline date of Monday 20 September.

Nick David, Editor

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

So, seventeen months after the first lockdown, the appointed date for ‘Freedom Day’ has finally arrived, despite the data. Speaking for myself, I can’t say I feel freshly freed, and none of our members whom I have spoken to appear to be feeling particularly liberated either. This could have something to do with the fact that daily Covid infections have reached 50,000 and are predicted to double relatively soon, with the toll of hospitalisations and deaths that will follow, including those of some doubly-vaccinated victims, and the inevitable risk of the development of new variants. Analogies with the charge of the Light Brigade come to mind.

Your u3a committee, in marked contrast to those responsible for so many other sectors, is in the fortunate position of being able to rely on the good sense – the much bruited ‘personal responsibility’ – of its members. We would all, I suspect, be inclined to endorse the African proverb: “If you escaped the lion’s den why go back for your hat?” So, while accepting overall responsibility for u3a activities, we are inclined to leave it to the Group Leaders (GLs), who know the members of their groups and the demands of the activities they lead better than the committee does, to consult their members and determine how they want to proceed when it comes to a return to face-to-face meetings. We are asking the GLs to keep us informed of what they will be doing via their risk assessments. The Third Age Trust has advised us that because of the age and consequent vulnerability profile of our members, it will be permissible in terms of equality legislation for GLs to ask the members of their groups, if they feel it to be essential, for evidence either of vaccination status or of a negative Covid test, provided they require this of all the members of the group.

We are still looking for members who would be interested in filling three roles on our committee: someone to co- ordinate the management of the office; someone prepared to manage our internet profile and someone to join Anna Baldwin in the joint role of Talks Secretary. As my own recruitment skills are obviously all too inadequate for the task, I am very pleased to say that Rosemary Royds Tree, our Groups Co-ordinator, has picked up the baton and written a brief appeal that appears later in this edition. Also later in this NewsMail, you will find an appeal from Dr Mair at the University of York for volunteers to take part in research on “how different aspects of memory, language and cognition change later in life”. This looks to be very interesting and valuable research. I think u3a should welcome links with the university and I will certainly be signing up as a volunteer myself.

As this NewsMail marks the end of our u3a year, I would firstly like to express my very warm thanks to our committee for their support and their very extensive work behind the scenes during the pandemic. By one of those ironies of fate, the irregular closing down and opening up of our activities has, thanks to Covid, occasioned far more work than full-time operations ever did. Secondly, I would like to thank all the Group Leaders who have managed, in spite of the odds, to keep their interest groups going over the past 17 months and in the process have brought incalculable benefit to the locked-down lives of their members.

As we all try tentatively to resume something approaching the ‘normality’ of our pre-Covid lives, I am sure we want to bear in mind, and try to keep in balance, the wisdom and possible relevance of two other African proverbs: “If a snake bites your neighbour, you too are in danger’’ and “If you don’t sleep because you don’t want to die, you will die because you don’t want to sleep”.

Have a good summer, and stay safe.

David Maughan Brown, Chairman

EDITORIAL

Hello and welcome to the August edition of York u3a’s NewsMail. This month I’m pleased to tell you that we will be sending out printed copies to all those members who have renewed and are unable to access it via email. It’s also a bumper edition as Groups are gearing up for the new year and Travel is back on the menu with two trips planned for the Autumn (booking forms are included). Meanwhile, if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see in the October edition, do send it to me at [email protected] by Monday 20th September for publication on Friday 1st October.

Nick David, Editor

GROUPS

With the relaxation of restrictions and the imminent start of a new u3a year, some of our Groups are planning to meet face-to-face once again so we have quite a number of notices. Up-to-date information about which groups are able to operate at present is available on the Groups page of our website which can be accessed here https://u3asites.org.uk/york/groups. Recent changes are highlighted in yellow so it’s easy to see the latest information at a glance.

Zoom Tutorials With so much of our group output continuing to be conducted via Zoom, we’re reiterating the guidance on how to operate it. The link to Zoom tutorials as provided by Zoom themselves can be found on the Lockdown page of our website here https://u3asites.org.uk/york/page/105054

Lorrae Atkins, Website and Communications Bridge for Absolute Beginners

This group is for complete beginners, no prior knowledge will be assumed and attendees need never have seen a pack of cards. The course is the official EBU (English Bridge Union) course and consists of 30 lessons and, due to holidays, will take about a year to complete and will be limited to six students. The course cannot start yet as we have only three students so if you are interested please contact Sam on 07752 801488 or email [email protected]

Choir Secretary needed

The u3a choir welcomes all who enjoy singing (without audition!) and usually stages two or more concerts each year, singing a wide range of unison and simple part-harmony songs. It meets on a Wednesday afternoon in Holgate Methodist Church rooms in the autumn and spring terms. Conductor Stephen Lusty and accompanist Nick Morrice are expecting - and very much looking forward - to meeting again in September. However, a choir secretary is urgently needed to ensure that the choir can continue. Long-serving choir secretary Monica Field is standing down and in order to continue to function we need a volunteer to come forward to undertake two main administrative duties: - keeping the register and being the main online contact - opening and closing up the church practice room Whether you are a choir member or not, if you can help with either of these activities please contact Stephen Lusty, initially by e-mail on [email protected], and he will be pleased to have a 'no-obligation' chat.

The Early Days of Cinema We are a group of devotees of the silent screen with occasional forays into early ‘talkies’. We dispel the myth that silent films are synonymous with comic actors, though we have certainly enjoyed the classics of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. It is a revelation to come across so many excellent dramas, adventures, comedies and even horror films! We have looked at several films by chosen directors (Dreyer, Murnau) and the great stars: Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish and Conrad Veidt.

Louise Brooks in ‘Diary of a Lost Girl’ (1929) Until restrictions are lifted allowing screenings at the Meeting House, we will continue as an online group. Once a month a weblink is sent out along with viewing notes, and an invitation to a Zoom meeting a week or so later to discuss the film. Films can easily be viewed on a computer screen, on a smart TV, or a television with a plug-in streaming stick.

The advantage of this is that you can watch the film at a time of your choosing during a seven-day period. Members also have the option to send in comments by email, and sharing these with the whole group is encouraged. We are largely dependent on YouTube, and currently, the group is limited to 18 members.

Conradt Veidt in ‘The Hands of Orlac’ (1924) Films will start in the first week of September. Exact dates have not yet been confirmed and members will be informed nearer the time. Richard Beaton Enquiries to [email protected]

Films Plus

We are a group who all enjoy watching and discussing films. At the moment we meet one evening each week to discuss one we've seen recently on TV. The group suggest films that are coming up soon, or are available on iPlayer. I pick one and send out a link for the Zoom meeting which will be at 7.30pm each week, alternating Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In the autumn we hope to return to seeing new films at City Screen and meeting afterwards at a local bar. However, we may keep the Zoom meeting going as well. We would welcome new members. There is no obligation to come to all the meetings, just come to the ones that interest you and fit in with your timing. We have members who come very frequently, others who join in only occasionally, those who know lots about films and those who know only a little. All are equally welcome.

Elisa Main Phone: 01904 438976 Email: [email protected]

God’s Amazing Book This is a fascinating course that brings to life the Bible and explores the sites in the Holy Land where it all happened.

In just 7 weeks we lead you through a simple and easy to understand overview of the whole Bible. It is led by Robert and Lesley Lockwood who are members of St Michael le Belfrey church in York. The course is run only on Zoom and will be available to anyone who has a tablet, smart phone or computer. Simple instructions will be given on how to use Zoom.

The videos each week will be given by our speaker Steve Gaukroger who has had 40 years in Christian leadership and has taught in over 50 countries.

The course is open to everyone with or without a faith and highlights what a timeless an amazing book this is. Course material is £5.00 per person and it will be necessary to have access to a Bible. The course will run for 7 weeks commencing on Tuesday the 19th October from 10.00am to 11.30am. Do contact me on 07823 470379 or [email protected] and I will be pleased to answer your questions or send you a link to sample the 1st session.

Exploring the Bible

This is a friendly study group, now in its 7th year. Our aim is to look at books, themes or personalities in the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. People of any faith, or none, are welcome to join. Our aim is to find out more about this fascinating and important book, or group of books, and to enjoy hearing each other’s opinions and thoughts. Our meetings are from 10am to around 11.45am on Monday mornings weekly (apart from holidays). We recommence on September 13th, 2021. Our meetings will be held in the Fell Room in the Friends’ Meeting House, Friargate. (Enter from Clifford Street.) We’re going to start with the hilarious book of Jonah, the prophet who thought he knew better than God. We’ll then go on to study ‘The Bible of the Early Church’ - the parts of the Old Testament that were used in the churches of the people who wrote the New Testament. After that we’ll study the history of the formation of the Church’s beliefs, in the f irst few centuries AD, about the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, basing our discussions around extracts from the New Testament. Topics are chosen by the members. Proposals for later sessions include Ecclesiastes, Hebrews, Esther, and Prophecy.

Leader’s contact details: [email protected]; 07871478891 or 01904422414

Revisiting the Classics

Do you have a favourite book? One that you turn to again and again and in which you can lose yourself in a delicious way? Or perhaps you remember enjoying well-known novels when you were younger but felt quite differently about them when you re-read them later? Or were you obliged to read certain books for school exams, and have deliberately never looked at them again? Or perhaps there are books you’ve heard of but never really got round to reading?

Totally immersing yourself in a novel and identifying with a particular character or period is quite common but it is also quite refreshing to come out of your comfort zone and read books new to you. Reading is certainly not a passive experience and there is so much to discover!

Revisiting the Classics (those books everyone has heard of) gives us the opportunity to share our favourite books with others but also to widen our repertoire and gain new insights through discussion and listening to others’ views.

As the American essayist and reporter Anne Fadiman put it: “...the reader who plucks a book from her shelf only once is as deprived as the listener who, after attending a single performance of a Beethoven symphony, never hears it again.”

If you’re interested and would like to know more, please contact the leader on: [email protected]

We meet on the 4th Friday afternoon of the month and hope to be able to meet again face-to-face starting on 24th September 2021.

Margarete Wells

Possible New Courses Peter Jarman is prepared to facilitate a new course on one or two of the following topics:

1. The Short Story : Looking at examples of this literary form by various authors and possibly by members. What makes a good short story? 2. Conflict Resolution : The theory and practice of negotiation and mediation using examples from members’ experiences and in the wider world. 3. Memories and Reflections of each decade of members’ lives : Best with no more than eight participants prepared to meet six to eight times. 4. The Principles and Practice of Nonviolence : As shown in the lives and teaching of people like Thich Nath Hahn, Vinoba Bhave, Gandhi and Dorothy Day.

Would members please advise him on [email protected] if they would like to join. The courses could be held at Hartrigg Oaks in New Earswick or possible centrally.

Possible New Groups

In our recent questionnaires we asked both our members and current Group Leaders to let us know of any topics that might be offered to u3a members. We received a fascinating list of possible subjects. Here they are:

Pastimes, Creative, Walking and Sport : Gardening for beginners; More walking groups or more spaces in existing groups; Outings by public transport; Sailing; Tai Chi; Folk dancing; Playford dancing; Hand bell ringing; Chess for complete beginners; Scrabble for fun; Patchwork and quilting; Crafts; Flower arranging.

Learning and Studying : Researching family history; Training in computing and Zoom; Literary fiction book group; Play readings; Railways - growth and history; Veteran and vintage cars - history, collection and restoration; The art of public speaking; Architecture; History of architecture; Art appreciation; Learning about antiques; Economics studies; Current Affairs; Dementia Awareness.

Languages : Advanced French on Zoom; More beginners’ language groups; Spanish; Portuguese; History of the English language; Reading and studying Spanish literature.

If you think you might be able to offer a group on one of these topics you can be assured that there are u3a members out there who will want to join you! You can get support to scope or develop a session from one of the u3a’s 80 subject advisers who can help you with useful information and advice. Go to u3a.org.uk under the Learning tab, or see our own web pages at https://u3asites.org.uk/york/page/109970 Here’s how to do it:

1) Have a bright idea, a passion or expertise you want to share with others.

2) Read the Group Leader’s Handbook at https://u3asites.org.uk/york/page/109970

3) Draft a paragraph about what you plan to do in the class, maybe add some details about dates, location and timing (not essential), and provide some contact information so interested members can get in touch.

4) Send it to the Groups Co-ordinator at [email protected] who will post it on the PROPOSED NEW GROUPS page. Set up your webpage when the time is right and send it to the NewsMail editor to attract new members.

5) When you are ready to start, BEGIN!

Rosemary Royds Tree, Groups Co-ordinator

TALKS Saturday Talks for September and October

These will resume in the Methodist Central Church Hall as soon as it is safe to do so. However, the September and October talks will be by Zoom. In due course, blended talks may be possible that enable simultaneous talks to be held in the hall and by Zoom.

Saturday September 11th : Is Vaccine Hesitancy Anti-Science? with Sanjoy Bhattacharya

Drawing on detailed research into the implementation of smallpox control and eradication efforts at different levels of Indian administration, and examining interactions between international and national officials and complex societal structures, this presentation asks who and what was sometimes resisted? Was it the vaccines, the vaccinator or those considered to be responsible for designing immunisation campaigns? What role should the World Health Organization play? Sanjoy Bhattacharya is a Professor of the History of Medicine and the Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Health Histories at the University of York.

Saturday October 9th : Flowing through History: The Rivers and Bridges of York with Neil Moran

This is an account of the influence the rivers of York have had on the city’s siting and development. The talk describes the bridges in order of their construction and will discuss the floods that have affected the city throughout its history.

Neil is a retired doctor who has worked for many years in York. Many will know Neil from his excellent historical walking tours given to the Haxby and Wigginton u3a. He also runs one of their birding groups.

If you’re thinking of other speakers or topics you would like us to arrange or that you might come forward to join the Talks Team as indicated in the Chairman’s Message, please contact [email protected]

Anna Baldwin and Peter Jarman, Joint Talks Secretaries

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Renewals

Thank you for supporting York u3a during a difficult year. It is membership renewal time and we hope that you will renew your membership for 2021-22. The fee is £15. This year there will not be a Groups Brochure and the status of all groups will be shown on our website, yorku3a.com. The Saturday Talks will be listed on our website.

At the end of July Renewal Reminder Emails and Renewal Forms will be sent as follows:  Members who renewed or joined online – Renewal Reminder Email  Members who did not renew or join online and have email – Renewal Reminder Email and Renewal Form  Members who did not renew or join online and do not have email – Renewal Form. These members will also receive the current Groups List and the Saturday talks list. When they renew their membership they will receive a printed copy of the August NewsMail.

We currently have 1,520 members. 802 of these members either renewed or joined online. If you did not renew online last year please consider renewing online this year. The instructions will be in your Renewal Reminder Email. York u3a’s costs are considerably reduced when members renew online.

Please note that membership cards are not mailed to members who renew online unless they make a request for a printed card. Membership cards are attached to confirmation emails and should be printed at home.

Sandra Mason, Membership Secretary and Beacon Administrator

Renewals and Gift Aid As Sandra has indicated, it’s the start of a new operational year for York u3a and membership renewal time. We reduced the annual subscription from £17 to £10 for the year to July 2021 to cover the costs we still had to meet even though we were not able to operate normally. This year we are asking for a £15 subscription from each member as we restart our activities and we very much hope that you will renew your membership for 2021-22.

Whenever we can we claim Gift Aid under the Government scheme which enables charities to obtain an extra 25p for every pound you pay, either as a subscription or a donation, so that’s £3.75 extra for every standard £15 subscription. Gift aid is available provided

 you have to pay tax on your income/ pension; and  you have paid for the subscription from your own funds. Because of this second requirement we are asking two members living together to help us by paying separately.

Year End for Group Leaders

As you are aware, we have to include the financial impacts of running our Groups both in our accounts and in the return we make to the Charity Commissioners and The Third Age Trust.

Sadly, our activities were so curtailed that many of you will have nothing to report in terms of either income or expenses for our current financial year (1st August 2020 to 31st July 2021). Once we get to the end of July, please confirm if this is the situation for your Group by emailing [email protected]

If there have been financial transactions in the period please send details of what occurred and values involved once you are sure everything to end July is noted.

Are you holding any monies for your Group at 31 July? If so it’s likely that the sums involved are exactly the same as you notified to us as part of the Group Leaders questionnaire but please confirm.

For those who operate a bank account for the Group please send a copy of any statements covering the period to 31 July that have not already been passed to the Treasurer – either a scanned copy by email or a paper copy to the Clifford Street Office.

Thank you.

Ren Buss, Treasurer

OPEN DAY Showcasing York u3a : Open Morning on Friday September 10th The City of York is putting on a festival for all the organisations which offer adult and community learning during the week beginning September 6th. Both the Universities, York Learning (which is the host), the Museums, the Minster, the Archaeological and the Civic Trusts etc. will be showing what they can offer to the residents over the coming year. York Explore (the Central Library) will have leaflets and guides to inform you what is going on and we will circulate the name of the appropriate website when it is open.

As our contribution, we are holding an Open Morning on September 10th from 10am to 12midday at Friargate Meeting House on the main floor. This will be an excellent opportunity to recruit Group Leaders and new members after some of them have not renewed their membership. It should be an energising and enjoyable occasion and we will make sure it is Covid-safe by requiring everyone to wear masks and by keeping doors and windows open. Some of it can even be staged in the garden.

We will begin at 10am with short presentations (repeated at 11am) on the u3a and some of its groups and some interactive sessions e.g. on mindfulness, folk tales and how to select the right group for you. Throughout the morning many Group Leaders will be available to talk to and there will be displays about gardening, travel and walking groups, musical performances, and a robot. Would you like to come along to talk about your group to the visitors, or to offer them refreshments and a friendly chat?

Your presence and warmth would be much appreciated. Please contact Anna Baldwin if you would like to help at [email protected] or [email protected]

TRAVEL

Your Travel UK group are pleased to announce that our day outings are planned to resume in September. With conditions easing and venues opening, we are planning the following trips: Tuesday September 14th : Aldborough, Ripon and wine tasting £23.00 We’re going to kick start the travel group with a wonderful trip to Aldborough, free time in Ripon and ending up with a wine-tasting at Dunesforde Vineyards. September, think wine harvest!

The booking form and full details can be found on pages 18 and 19 of this NewsMail.

Trip organiser : Lis Jackson [email protected] Telephone: 01937 842477

Wednesday October 6th : Beamish, The Living Museum of the North £21.50 The outing will be visiting Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, located in the heart of the Durham countryside near the small town of Stanley.

The booking form and full details can be found on pages 20 and 21 of this NewsMail.

Trip organiser : Philip Dearle [email protected]

Future Trips

Tuesday November 30th : A tour of the Royal Hall in Harrogate and some time for Christmas shopping. Thursday December 9th : Christmas Lunch at Hawkhills. Please note that all the events in the Travel section are open to ALL members of York u3a. More details about times and prices will follow in the October edition of NewsMail. Keep watching this space!

Hilary Davies, Travel Group Representative

YORK U3A WEBSITE

Our website (yorku3a.com) has always been our go-to place for up-to-date information for current or prospective members and that remains even more important in the current situation. Groups and Events are fully up-to-date and groups with any changes to their details in the last months are highlighted. You can also find out about our programme of Saturday Talks here. We’ve also updated our appearance in line with our new branding. We hope you like it. If you have any comments please email [email protected]

Lorrae Atkins, Website and Communications

VOLUNTEERS FOR RESEARCH

We have received the following contact from the Department of Psychology at the University of York. They are currently looking for people over the age of 65 to take part in research investigating how different aspects of memory, language, and cognition change later in life. Their research aims to improve the understanding of how these functions change through healthy ageing, and they hope this will aid them in developing better support and treatment for clinical groups, including stroke survivors and people with dementia.

“We are reaching out to you in the hope that you might be willing to help us raise awareness of our research among u3a members in York – perhaps through a newsletter, on your website or at one of your events. If appropriate, we would be very happy to visit some of your groups, to give a quick presentation about our research and provide an opportunity for interested members to ask questions. At the moment we are looking for people who are generally interested in taking part in our research, and who would like to join our participant panel in order to be notified of upcoming studies.

Participation will usually involve one or more visits to the University of York’s main campus in Heslington, though for some studies we may be able to visit participants at home, and other studies may be conducted entirely online. For some of our studies, dependent on the funding source, we are able to offer payment of £10 per hour for participating in our research. Whether the opportunities are paid or not will be made clear at the time of inviting people to participate. We only use non-invasive research methods (usually computer-based tasks; no medications or medical procedures), and participants typically find the experience rewarding.

After joining our participant panel, volunteers can choose which studies they participate in; there is no minimum requirement. In addition, panel members can have their contact details removed at any point if they no longer wish to be contacted about our studies. A short description of two current studies which may be of interest to your members is available to give you an idea of the sorts of things we are doing.

We are able to say thank you to the organisations we are in contact with by giving their members educational talks about our research (or cognitive psychology in general), if this is something that might also be of interest to you.”

Interested members can find out more about taking part in these studies by contacting Angela de Bruin directly at [email protected] or by phone on 01904 322902.

MEMBERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

Sparkling Red Wine

“It’ll be the honeymoon we never had! Just think. A week in Sorrento. It’ll be just like in the song.”

Bert was not convinced. “I bet it’s a proper rip off place. Let’s go to Blackpool like we always do. We know where everything is there.”

But Maggie was having none of it. After all this was their fortieth anniversary coming up.

Maggie had been going to Italian night school classes with her friend Cath for five years now and her teacher, Chiara from the Naples area, had recounted at length the romantic magic of Sorrento. The others in the class had already been to Rome on a weekend class trip and made her jealous with their tales about La Bella Italia and she was desperate to have her own tales to tell. Richard, another late starter in the Italian class, had already been to Sorrento some years ago and recommended a particular hotel, right at the water’s edge, within easy walking distance of lots of excellent fish restaurants. “It’s really special, the dining room is carved out of the cliff- side, very unusual.”

The hotel did not disappoint – in fact nothing disappointed. Perhaps everything was a bit larger than life. True, the town was teeming with Americans fulfilling the American dream of getting married in Sorrento. This offered a wonderful free spectacle of their joyful extravagance. One of the clichés was the bride posing for photographs overlooking the bay of Naples with her long veil caught in the sea breeze. At one stage there was almost a queue forming! It did create a wonderful image though.

The town centre was indeed very touristic. A lot of the pavement cafés had a table set out and reserved for Sophia Loren and versions of “Torna a Surriento” could be heard most hours of the day and night. The visiting Brits were well catered for by places offering English fish and chips. In spite of all this, the place still managed to have a very special charm.

Richard had mentioned that the hotel was very clean (if a bit on the shabby side) but when Maggie and Bert arrived it was not at all shabby. It had recently been refurbished and everything was gleaming and sparkling white. Maggie was enchanted by their room with its almost ascetic plain white walls and white lace curtains and bedspread. It even had a little fridge so you could have a cold drink without venturing out. Even Bert agreed it was one up on their usual place in Blackpool and surprisingly it was about the same price.

Chiara had told Maggie about Gragagno, the sparkling red wine unique to the area. Bert was more of a beer man and thought that sparkling wine was a bit poncy and in any case, everybody knows sparkling wine should be white. “I think you’ve got that wrong there, love.” When they were shopping in the supermarket for some beer to stock up the fridge, Maggie spotted it. It was incredibly cheap (it was local after all) so they bought a bottle to try. Wow, once chilled off, it was amazing! Dry, crisp and yet full. Bert was converted.

Next time they were passing the supermarket, Bert suggested picking up a few more bottles so they could stock up the little fridge. It was a boiling hot day and they arrived back their little white room shattered.

“I bags first shower,” said Maggie and Bert gratefully dropped the shopping bags on the bed. From the shower Maggie heard a very loud pop of a cork and shouted, “Don’t open it yet, love. It needs chilling off.”

She emerged from the shower and was greeted with a scene of apocalyptic devastation. Unbelievably, the warm wine had forced the cork from one of the bottles and spewed its contents into every available location. The white lace curtains were transformed into a polka dot version; the pristine bedspread and sheets were maculated with pseudo Rorschach test blots; there were red drops falling spasmodically from the lamp shade; even the hotel issue oil painting over the bed had been ravaged.

To be continued… Barbara Hull August Agonies Academic and amateur actor Aubrey Anson ardently adored acclaimed Australian actress Adelaide Ashton. Alas, Adelaide abhorred actors’ artificiality and all Aubrey’s approaches and appeals, Adelaide absolutely avoided.

Aubrey approached Aberdeen Argus’s acclaimed agony aunt, Avril Allworthy. Avril always attempted answering all appeals appropriately. Aubrey anxiously awaited August’s Argus.

“Abandon all attempts,” Avril advised. “Alternative angels await all around.”

Aubrey agonised all August and absolutely accepted Augusta’s advice.

Autumn arrives and Aubrey ardently adores American actress Augusta Andress. Brian Waddington

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12

14 15

16 17

18 19 20

22 23

24 25

ACROSS

1. Devious animal (6) 4. Truthful tin acted (6) 9. Mad parson gets nothing for the singer (7) 10. Emits weird paper (5) 11. Twisted nose lasts ages (4) 12. Able containers give the artist things to work on (8) 14. City priest gives an eye for his cathedral (4,7) 18. Watches gossip for an ocular extension (8) 19. Ripe fairy (4) 22. Muslim lawyer in plain clothes (5) 23. Scoring for fishermen (7) 24. Horizontal stretches (6) 25. Rattle around the second (6)

DOWN

1. Arthur’s old kingdom (6) 2. A southern writer’s tree (5) 3. Lane with style (4) 5. Campaigner may perform four first (8) 6. The Lord’s land (7) 7. Princess’s purpose leads to neglect (6) 8. Novel from the reef (5,6) 13. Lively Sikhs include a single abstainer (8) 15. Bloated amongst undercover Federal Agents (7) 16. Gull suggests the ship’s cat (6) 17. Tailor’s musical tool (6) 20. Live former winner (5) 21. Sicilian hotspot (4)

Brian Waddington

The solution is given on page 17. QUIZZES

General Knowledge

1. How many balls are there on the table at the start of a game of snooker?

2. What colour is the cross on the flag of Sweden?

3. Who holds the record of being the longest-serving presenter on Blue Peter?

4. How many acres are there in a square mile?

5. Which country was formerly known as Abyssinia?

6. Who played the title character in the film version of Educating Rita?

7. What is the French culinary term for when something is soaked in a spirit and set alight?

8. What was the surname of the England fast bowler nicknamed ‘Fiery Fred’?

9. Ouagadougou is the capital of which country?

10. Carnival of the Animals is a work by which composer? (Extra points for his full name spelt correctly.)

11. Which brand of male toiletry products shares its name with a genus of wild cat?

12. Which layer of the Earth’s atmosphere comes between the mesosphere and the troposphere?

13. Which Tom Stoppard play is set in the country house of Sidley Park in Derbyshire in two time periods, the early 19th century and the present day?

14. In medicine, for what is ECT an abbreviation?

15. In which book of the Old Testament does the story of Samson and Delilah appear?

16. Which member of The Monkees played the drums?

17. What word meaning an unexpected drawback is also Australian slang for a sausage?

18. From which country does the kitchen appliance company Smeg come?

19. José Saramago is the only writer from which country to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

20. How many men have won all four tennis Grand Slam singles titles in the same year since 1945?

Word Wise

Using the given letters, make as many words as possible of four or more letters. Capitalised words and plurals are not allowed and you must always include the letter D.

M C E I L A A C There is one word using all nine letters.

17 words – Average 23 words – Good 29 words – Very good 35 words – Well done. Now go and lie down in a dark room.

Howler

Only one this month, but it’s a cracker. Complete the following table:

XX Female XY Male YYY ? Answers to this, and the far more sensible questions preceding it, are given on page 17.

YORK U3A COMMITTEE

Chairman David Maughan Brown [email protected] Secretary Mike Barnard [email protected] Treasurer Ren Buss [email protected] Membership Secretary Sandra Mason [email protected] Groups Co-ordinator Rosemary Royds Tree [email protected] Newsletter Editor & Regional Rep Nick David [email protected] Website & Communications Lorrae Atkins [email protected] Equipment Manager Quinn Smith [email protected] Joint Talk Secretaries Peter Jarman / Anna Baldwin [email protected] Travel Group Representative Hilary Davies [email protected] Minutes Secretary Janis Oxtoby n/a Assistant Treasurer Steve Russell n/a Office co-ordinator (Vacant) n/a Assistant Membership Secretary Mo Sandland n/a

Committee members can be contacted by email as shown in the table above. Messages can also be left by telephone and will be returned as soon as we can.

Vacancies

As you will know, your u3a is supported by a small group of volunteers from among the members who contribute to the running of the activities and the administration by means of a Committee.

All the current members of the Committee are very congenial and supportive of each other, and work together as a high-functioning team on some interesting projects, both within York and across Yorkshire. It's also a lot of fun and a good chance to meet lots of the lovely members of our u3a.

At the moment we could really do with an Office Manager to support our return to The Friends’ Meeting House classes, and we need someone with Web and Communications skills to take over from Lorrae Atkins as she takes up a new volunteering post elsewhere.

The Talks Secretary role is actually a shared post and it might be possible, if you have a friend or partner who might be interested in working as a team in either the Web/Communications post, and, in particular, the Office Manager's role, for it to be shared between you.

Job descriptions for the posts are available, but if you would like to have a chat first about what is involved then contact our Chairman, David Maughan Brown on 07554862197 or [email protected].

OFFICE OPENING HOURS

The office remains closed for general purposes. There is no access for members and no office services are available. Some committee members and volunteers will be using the office during August in order to manage the renewals process. Those Group Leaders who have keys and need to access the office to obtain equipment for classes may do so but care must be taken to clean touch points and ensure the safety of other users.

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Cryptic Crossword

ACROSS 1. Weasel 4. Candid 9. Soprano 10. Times 11. Eons 12. Canvases 14. York Minster 18. Eyestalk 19. Peri 22. Mufti 23. Netting 24. Widths 25. Latter

DOWN

1. Wessex 2. Aspen 3. Elan 5. Activist 6. Demesne 7. Disuse 8. Coral Island 13. Skittish 15. Overfed 16. Seamew 17. Singer 20. Exist 21. Etna General Knowledge

1. 22 (Don’t forget the white!) 2. Yellow 3. John Noakes 4. 640 5. Ethiopia 6. Julie Walters 7. Flambé 8. Trueman 9. Burkina Faso 10. Camille Saint-Saens 11. Lynx 12. Stratosphere 13. Arcadia 14. Electroconvulsive therapy 15. Judges 16. Mickey Dolenz 17. Snag 18. Italy 19.Portugal 20. One (Rod Laver, 1962 and 1969)

Word Wise

Acclaimed, academic, medical, declaim, decimal, claimed, camelid, alcaide, medial, mailed, macled, cicada, calmed, acedia, medic, media, medal, limed, lamed, laced, ideal, decal, clade, amide, aimed, ailed, mild, meld, mead, maid, made, lied, lead, laid, lade, idle, idea, iced, dime, dice, dial, deli, deal, dame, dale, dace, clad, cedi, cadi, cade, amid, aide, acid, aced .

Howler

Delilah

Terrible, I know. If you have any better ones, do send them in to [email protected]

In the meanwhile, keep safe and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Best Wishes

Nick David, Editor

Visit to Aldborough on Tuesday 14th September 2021 Details

Tuesday September 14th : Aldborough, Ripon and wine tasting £23.00 We’re going to kick start the travel group with a wonderful trip to Aldborough, free time in Ripon and ending up with a wine-tasting at Dunesforde Vineyards. September, think wine harvest!

Aldborough (Isurium) was the capital of the Romanised Brigantes, a British Celtic tribe that occupied the largest territory in Ancient Britain. It was established sometime after 74AD when the Romans established themselves in Northern Britain. One corner of their defences is laid out and you can see two mosaic pavements. There is also a fascinating museum. We will have a guided tour and the English Heritage site completely to ourselves. We travel on to Ripon where there is free time for coffee and lunch. After lunch we meet up to go to Dunesforde Vineyards which also has a strong Roman heritage. You will be given a tour and talk and then invited to taste their wines on their lovely new open-air terrace overlooking the vines hopefully laden with grapes in September. Soft drinks will also be available. Then we will make our way sleepily back to York for around 5pm.

The booking form can be found on page 19 of this NewsMail for you to print off and use. Members of English Heritage may deduct £3.80 but please be sure to bring membership cards.

Trip organiser : Lis Jackson [email protected] Telephone : 01937 842477

Risk Assessment Our trips will be organised following the current Government guidelines. Each member has a duty of care to their fellow members and therefore please do not travel if you have Covid-19 symptoms or have been near anyone who has had them within the two weeks before the trip. We will TRUST that members have had the vaccinations or a negative lateral flow test within the last 24 hours. There will be a forehead temperature check as you board the coach and if it shows an unusually high temperature then you will be asked not to travel. Coaches will be fully sanitised before departure. Masks are recommended to be worn inside buildings and on the coach, out of consideration to others.

Visit to Aldborough on Tuesday 14th September 2021 Booking Form

I/We will join the coach at (circle as appropriate) Fulford Main St. opp. Pavilion Hotel 09.30am: York Memorial Gdns 09.45am: Middlethorpe Grove/corner with Tadcaster Rd 10.00am Please reserve ………. place(s) at £23 per person English Heritage members reduce by £3.80 Please tick here ………….. I/We enclose a cheque payable to York u3a Travel UK for £ ……….…..

Name(s)…………………………………………………………...... …

Membership Number(s) ………………………………………………………………….…….….….

Address…………………………………………………………………………………………....……

Telephone number ……………………………………….Mobile ……………………………...... …

Email……………………………………………………………......

Emergency contact name……………………..………………Telephone….….…………….……..

If the trip is fully booked you will be contacted by phone and put on a waiting list. If a place becomes available, you will be contacted again. Please send booking form and cheque (payable to York u3a Travel UK) to: Lis Jackson, 3 Thorp Arch Mill, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, YO23 7DZ If you wish for confirmation of a place, please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope. u3a mobile number on the day: 07432 793641

Visit to Beamish on Wednesday 6th October 2021 Details Wednesday October 6th : Beamish, The Living Museum of the North £21.50 The outing will be visiting Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, located in the heart of the Durham countryside near the small town of Stanley.

Beamish Museum is an open-air museum whose guiding principle is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early 20th century. There are many exciting exhibits to see, both static and moving, further information can be obtained on their website: www.beamish.org.uk We will aim to leave by 4pm.

The booking form can be found on page 21 of this NewsMail for you to print off and use.

Trip organiser : Philip Dearle [email protected]

Visit to Beamish on Wednesday 6th October 2021 Booking Form

Please complete legibly! Please reserve place(s) at £21.50 per person. I/we enclose a cheque for £ payable to York u3a Travel UK. I/we will join the coach at (please circle as appropriate): Fulford 08.00am: Memorial Gardens 08.15am: Middlethorpe Grove 08.30am

Name(s)

Membership Number(s)

Address

Special Dietary Needs

Telephone Number

Email address

Emergency Contact Name & Tel No

If the trip is fully booked, you will be contacted by phone or email and put on a waiting list. If a place becomes available, you will be contacted again by phone or email. Please send booking form and cheque to: Philip Dearle, 33 Windmill Way, Haxby, York, YO32 3NH in an envelope marked ‘Beamish’.

Trip organiser Philip Dearle. Telephone on the day 07432 793641 [email protected]