& District U3A

Newsletter

No: 56 December 2019 Please share this Newsletter with members who do not have email facilities. - Thank you

Chairman’s Chatter

Thanks must go to Joan Woodward for organizing and displaying our U3A Christmas tree for Holy Cross Tree Festival last weekend.

As we come to the end of 2019, I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Our next meeting is on January 16th, with Kate Lamy from ‘The Daily Loaf’ café in .

Best Wishes Lynn Jones (Chair) on behalf of your U3A committee Email for any enquiry: [email protected] Website: https://u3asites.org.uk/daventry Phone: Lynn Jones on 01327 876040

Don’t forget - Daventry U3A has a Car Share scheme to help with transport to and from the monthly meetings. If you are interested in offering a lift please come and speak with us at the Thursday meeting. If you would like a lift contact a committee member or ring Lynda Moran on 07901 043309

NEWS FROM THE GROUPS

Latest group: Weekenders The first meeting was held on November 16th at 10.30 at the Coffee lounge of the Methodist Church, 6 Golding Close, Daventry NN11 4FH 10 members were able to attend then, as some on holiday, our next meeting is just before Christmas on Saturday 21st December This group is for members who would welcome the chance to meet up on Saturdays and /or Sundays to get to know each other. It can be anything from a simple coffee and chat to outings with others in the group who have similar interests. Organiser: Jean Sutton contact via [email protected]

Drawing and Painting (Art group 2) This group meets fortnightly on a Wednesday afternoon 2 - 4pm, Beginners very welcome, we all learn from each other. There are still some spaces left. Organiser: Margaret Partington

2 Creative Writing 2 The Second Creative Writing Group will be meeting on the third Fridays at 10.00am at the Icon Cafe, Daventry. There are spaces left – beginners very welcome. Organiser: William Philpott

Reading Shakespeare Group We have a waiting list of five for a second Reading Shakespeare Group. Probably the optimum number for a new group would be seven or eight to cover all the characters in the plays. If anyone is thinking of joining please get in touch so we can get a new group up and running. Sherida Mallinson

Walking with Dogs Group You and your dog are welcome to join us, we meet in car park by the ticket machine on 2nd Monday morning in the month at 10.00 Catherine Eaststaff

Bird Watching Group We have had a very successful group for the past three and a half years and we are looking for someone else to take over the group. There is plenty of scope for running it in your own way. Caroline, the current leader just needs a break! Please contact Lynda on [email protected] if you are interested and would like to know more about what being a group leader/ contact would involve.

Thursday 19th December 2019

Christmas Social A social occasion with a Christmas theme – U3A singers, food, quizzes Members only

Thursday 16th January 2020 Speaker Kate Lamy: ‘The Good Loaf’

Kate’s organisation is a cafe/bakery in Northampton running a social business aiming to provide real employment opportunities to vulnerable local women to can break the cycle of poverty, unemployment and offending.

2020 Diaries

Wendy Hall, your Treasurer has just 1 2020 diary left. Get the last none NOW Striking purple this year, yet still £2.75

3

Daventry Museum: Battle of Exhibition

The first exhibition of 2020 at Daventry Museum commemorates 375 years since the and Daventry’s Place in the Conflict. **Opening Saturday 11 January 2020 until Saturday 24 April 2020.** The museum will be closed from 8th December 2019 in order to change over exhibitions.

On the morning of 14 June 1645, parliament’s Newly Modelled Army destroyed King Charles I’s main field army at Naseby, the decisive battle of the first . Nights before this, King Charles stayed at Daventry’s Wheatsheaf Inn and his Royalist forces used Hill as a base before marching to fight at Naseby.

Daventry Museum’s exhibition Commemorating the Battle of Naseby: 375 years. Daventry’s Place in the Conflict is a first for the museum’s collaborators The Naseby Battlefield Project (NBP) and the first of a number of activities planned by the Project in the run up to the anniversary in June 2020. Many items in the exhibition will be on display for the very first time from lenders who are patrons and trustees of the NBP. Exhibits include articles such as original armour, swords and cannon balls found on the battlefield, plus contemporary paintings of soldiers and views of the battle itself. Highlights include loans from The National Civil War Museum in Newarke such as Fairfax’s campaign cup and water bottle given to him by Cromwell and a lobster pot helmet complete with ‘battle scars’ from the Naseby conflict, plus the Naseby Papers captured from the King’s baggage train. Weaponry, silk standards and replica costumes, accompanied by the sights and sounds of a battle re-enactment will immerse visitors in the rich history of the turbulent 17th century Civil War. During the exhibition there will be special evening and Saturday open day talks given by Civil War historians. We are also hoping to welcome Sealed Knot re-enactors along to the first open Saturday on 11th January.

Theatre Trips and Outings

Theatre visit

We are in the process of compiling the programme for 2020 but here is an opportunity to start your year of entertainment!

'The Boy in a Dress' RSC Stratford-on-Avon 1.00pm Thurs. 5th March 2020

You may have read of the good reviews of this new musical based on the book by David Walliams with music by Robbie Williams. It promises to be a lively show!

We have 15 tickets available at a cost of £47.50 including transport by DACT minibus. This incorporates a very generous group discount on Band A seats, normally priced at £50.

Payment with booking form must be made by17th January by cheque made out to Daventry & District U3A.

The Royal Shakespeare Company performs a varied genre of productions as well as Shakespeare, always to a high standard. This is an opportunity to experience the re-vamped theatre at Stratford. If you may be interested in 'A Comedy of Errors' to be performed throughout the summer, please let us know as shows are rapidly fully booked.

4

U3A BOOKING FORM

Event: …………………..……………………………..….…….. Date: ……..……………………....

Name(s): .…..….….…..….….….….…………...……………. .Membership number: …………...

……………………………………………….……. Membership number: …………..

Address: ...….….….….….….….….….….…...….….….….………………………………….

.….….….….….….….….….….…..….….….…………………………………………

Post code: ...…..…………………………….……….. Tel no: .….….….….….……………..……..

Email address: ....….….….….…..….………………. Emergency contact no: ……………………

Cost per ticket: ………………………………………. Number of tickets: ...….…………...…

Total amount enclosed with SAE……………….... Cheques payable to Daventry & District U3A

Jill Scott, 49 Sunningdale Drive, Daventry NN11 4NZ Tel: 01327 877923 (Theatre) Jenny Edwards, Mill Lodge, Mill Lane, , CV33 9HP (Outings) email: [email protected]

5

DAVENTRY AND DISTRICT U3A INTEREST GROUPS - updated December 2019

Monday AM Tuesday AM Wednesday AM Thursday AM Friday AM Saturday AM Sunday AM Walking with dogs Day Walks Creative writing Folk Dancing Victorian Women Weekenders (am/pm) Writers Nov 21st 2nd in month 1st in month 1st in month weekly 1st in month Rambles * German History out and Alternative Book Table Tennis Methodist 1s t or 2nd in month about Group 2nd & 4th in month Church coffee 3rd in month to fit with French 3rd in month 4th in month 11.15 -13.15 lounge 10.30 Psychology & Creative writing 2 Philosophy Discussion 2nd in month 3rdt in month My Kind of Music Reading Shakespeare 3rdin month 3rd in month Latin 4th in month 10-12 noon French Conversation * fortnightly Bird Watching Temporally halted * Monday PM Tuesday PM Wednesday PM Thursday PM Friday PM Saturday PM Sunday PM Psychology & Art Appreciation Rummikub Daventry U3A BakeXchange Philosophy Singers Discussion 2 1st in month 1st and 4th st 2nd in month 1st in month 6.30pm in month 1 in month French Rummikub French Screen Chat lunch TalkSport Lunch History out and conversation 2 Conversation * 1pm about- 1st in month 1.30pm * fortnightly 6.30pm fortnightly 2nd in month 2nd in month On occasions Spanish Friendly The Art of Painting 10 Pin Bowling * conversation * Bridge * Art Group 1 * fortnightly fortnightly fortnightly 2nd in month Needlecraft Book Group Supper Club Knit & Natter Venues varied *

rd nd nd 3 in month 2 in month 2 in month 6.30pm Card Making Gardening History

4th in month 3rd in month 4th in month Cinema Visits Photography for Drawing & U3A Monthly Pleasure Painting Meeting Art Group 2 * 3rd in month 4th in month 4th in month fortnightly ICON Book Group Various Speakers 4th in month

** Cinema visits, Walks, Rambles, Supper club, History Out and About ,Indoor bowls and Wine Appreciation Contact organiser for details of time, day and venue etc

Contact and Further Details: See the GROUP page on our website: u3asites.org.uk/daventry  Or email: [email protected]  At our monthly meeting, the third Thursday in the month, 2pm. The Community Centre, NN11 9Q Alison Torr - Editor