Annual Review 2020 Welcome to Derby U3A

Derby U3A Annual Review 2020 Welcome to Derby U3A

This Review gives an account of Derby U3A activities over the past year and provides a flavour of what we do. We hope it will encourage our members to consider joining other groups and non-members to join us.

Derby U3A is part of a world-wide movement for people in their third age, where we participate in learning, social and recreational activities. It is run by our members for our members, and we are all volunteers which means that our costs and charges are very low.

We have nearly 400 members with 44 interest groups. Indoor meetings are generally held at city centre venues. Our membership has been growing over the past few years.

There is a general meeting every month with an outside speaker, also at a city centre venue, and we run a Christmas buffet lunch. Outings to places of general interest are organized about once a month. Non- members can attend up to two interest group meetings and also two general meetings as a visitor to find out more about what we do and how we operate.

There is information about many of our groups in this review.

How much does it cost

Annual subscription

£15.00 January to December £8.00 September to December

Interest group meetings at venues which are paid for: £1.50 per meeting, no charge for other meetings

Monthly meeting charge: £1.50. Includes tea/coffee and biscuits.

How to join

Phone: 07866 078 180 Website: http://u3asites.org.uk/derby Email: [email protected]

General meetings

We have a general meeting on the last Thursday of the month (August and December excepted) when we normally have a talk given by an outside speaker or occasionally by one of our own members. The range of topics is very varied, so there should be something for everyone.

Chris Vasper gave us a fascinating presentation about his participation in the Marathon Des Sables in 2016 and 2018. This event takes place in the Moroccan Sahara every April when about 1200 „hardy‟ or „fool hardy‟ souls run the equivalent of 6 marathons in 7 days. As well as facing the scorching heat, the runners carry all the food and gear they need. Chris talked us through the strict rules of the event – e.g. the amount of water they carry and consume at check stations is stipulated and penalty points given if exceeded, their backpacks are checked for required supplies and weighed to ensure they are adequately equipped and risk of injury reduced from carrying too heavy a load. What an achievement when you succeed and even more so the second time when you reduce your time, having learnt from your mistakes first time round.

John Hawkins gave a very interesting talk on Plant Hunters. This started with the importance of Carl von Linn푒 (Linnaeus) whose taxonomic classification of plants using a binomial system became universal across the natural world We followed the adventures of four of his followers in their hunt for plants throughout the world, encouraged to bring back anything that might benefit the country. Robert Fortune, who smuggled tea from China to start the tea industry in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and India, Joseph Banks who is credited with bringing back 30,000 plants and establishing Kew Gardens, David Douglas who the Douglas fir is named after and who died at the age of 35 in Hawaii and Ernest Wilson who introduced many plants from China as well as travelling to the Americas.

We also had talks on: Mastermind The wildlife of Namibia Magic Theatrical costumes Birding in the USA Derbyshire Life photography The history of brass bands. 3

Outings

My objectives regarding trips are that they should be varied, interesting, enjoyable and in part educational. I hope that the 8 trips in the last year fulfilled these parameters.

From late autumn to early spring the venues must incorporate plenty of indoor interest in case of inclement weather. Summer venues can have a greater outdoor bias. Always there must be the provision of eating facilities which can cope with the influx of a hungry coach party.

My estimate of cost is based on a number around 30-35 people taking up the offer. Since trips must be, by U3A ruling, a non-profit making venture then if many more members attend this may reduce the cost of the coach and I may be able to make a small refund on the day.

One difficulty is in organising Normanby Hall the timing during a trip. License CC BY-SA 2.5 Interests vary so the balance between the times spent at different locations on a single trip will never suit everyone.

I try to find less well known venues or one off special exhibitions. New venues are becoming more difficult to find within the range of a day trip. I am always open to suggestions.

Places visited:

February Collection and Usher Gallery, Lincoln March Beverley April Styal Mill May Little Morton Hall and Lion Salt Works, Cheshire June Normanby Hall, Lincs September Winterbourne and Selly Manor, Birmingham October Temple Newsam, Leeds November Pompeii Exhibition, Ashmolean, Oxford.

Poetry

We are a newish group, who held our first meeting in February.

Although small in number, our meetings are enjoyed by all, and some excellent work has been produced.

Poetry is sometimes seen as élitist, but it really isn't. With imagination and a pen or pencil, wonderful things can happen! Some of our most modest members have revealed astonishing talent.

We have had readings of our favourite poets, and of our own work, and we always make sure we do some writing. And most importantly, we have a cuppa and treat at breaktime. Poets can't function without a cuppa.

We would welcome new members. Details can be found on the website, so don't be shy.

We are in the process of producing an Anthology of some of our work, which will be revealed to all on publication - so watch this space.

I would personally like to thank all our members for their dedication, hard work, wonderful and sometimes hilarious poetry-making, and above all their excellent tea-making skills (and I'm fussy about my tea!)

Bron Rees (group organizer)

Badminton

The weekly badminton sessions have been most successful. Over the last year numbers have risen from 7 to 12 so recently two courts rather than a single one have been booked in advance. New players have varied from those who have never played before to those who have not played for some time. The standard of play is variable but everyone is able to join in during the sessions.

Photography

This new group held an inaugural start up meeting in February. A further nine meetings have been held on the fourth Wednesday of each subsequent month.

Each month a topic for photography has been chosen (these are normally chosen two months in advance to enable notification in Bits and Pieces). Members have submitted two for the group to review, and from these, two are chosen to go on the Groups page on the Derby U3A Website. Topics covered have been Spring, Gates and Fences, Derby, Elvaston Castle, Rivers and Canals, Animals, Still Life, Transport (Mechanical), the Knife Angel and Autumn.

A photography discussion topic is chosen for each indoor meeting and has included Exposure Controls, Histograms, Composition, Still Life and Macrophotography.

Additional to the monthly meetings, photoshoots have been organized. The first was in Derby which covered the topic for the May meeting. The second to Canalside Heritage Centre, Beeston, which coincided with an exhibition of photos from members of The Beeston Camera Club and was attended by four members of the group. National Memorial Arboretum The next was to Calke Park, again four members attended, and a variety of pictures of the park and house were taken. The final one of the year was to The National Memorial Arboretum where seven members met and after a session of photography, met in the café to review the morning.

A selection of photographs taken by the group can be seen on the Derby U3A website (go to groups and click on Photography)

Ukulele for Pleasure

Ukulele groups seem to be one of the success stories of the U3A movement – they are spreading everywhere! Perhaps they serve as a counter-balance to more cerebral groups. The joining of playing and singing seems to suit many, and there are plenty of choir members in our number at Derby. For others, the pleasure and challenge of acquiring a musical skill is a driving factor, and the levels that some members are reaching is reflected in a rich tone of playing (on a good day!). It may also have something to do with the availability of cheap electronic tuners for our instruments, so all our chords should sound the same.

Attendance numbers are steady around thirty, and that leaves space for one or two more in the group. Our meeting place at Chester Green Community Centre will accommodate more, but at full throttle the sound level can be quite high – there‟s a pyramid shaped roof which throws it round, but we are comfortable for now.

Our repertoire now covers 120 songs with two dozen more for Christmas, and we try to vary the playlist for each meeting, to cover all tastes. The hot drinks break at half-time is always welcome, and a cheerful band of helpers ensures there is as much chatting in the kitchen as in the hall, where useful tips are often passed around, and latest instruments inspected. Two notable trends this year – an increase in the use of digital tablets for storing music (it transfers from our store in the „Cloud‟ without the need to print); and the acquisition by some members of very sophisticated ukuleles to match their growing skills and playing techniques.

We have performed at twelve charity concerts this year, helping to spread the word about what the U3A has to offer. The fortnightly gathering seems to be good for us all - try us if you like!

Duncan Smith (group organizer)

Gardens

The Gardens Group has continued to meet on the first Friday of each month, except January.

This year, we visited Hodsock Priory for snowdrops, Hardwick Hall for spring flowers, and we discovered a new garden, The Burrows in Brailsford, which we visited twice. We also went to Lea Gardens, Newstead Abbey, Thornbridge, and Darley Park Hydrangea collection. Finally we went to our favourite garden, Felley Priory.

In November we were invited to Max and Christine Maughan‟s house to see their garden and a video. Thanks go to them.

The December meeting is always at Malcolm and Jenny Warner‟s house where we discuss the programme for the next year. We are pleased to welcome more members to the group and we can be contacted through the U3A website.

Everyday Science & Technology

This Group discusses topics of everyday interest chosen by members and we try and keep it at a level that the audience needs no requirement for previous knowledge of the topic. To give a flavour of the diversity of subjects we discussed this year, we have:-

In Environmental Science we revisited the topic of global warming, covering its physics & latest status; we examined sea-level rise; & we took a look at where hydrogen power might or mightn‟t, be helpful. In Biology & Chemistry we continued describing the logistics of the body, now looking at the delivery of oxygen to where it‟s needed, & the removal of carbon dioxide from where it‟s formed. We explored the methods of providing fresh air in submarines submerged for months at a time. We also looked at how some women have super- colour vision; how circadian rhythms are related to light cycles (even in those totally blind!), & discussed Chinese & Indian body meridians; we dismissed „Biorhythm Theory‟ as suspect.

In Physics, we discussed how fast objects fall, from a beautiful argument of Galileo showing it shouldn‟t depend on their mass, to corrections for buoyancy, drag & air viscosity. We look at topics at many different levels – e.g. in the physics of spinning, we went from asking why bubbles go to the middle when you stir your tea – the lowest point of the surface, when they usually rise to the highest point of any liquid; why it is easier to stop a hard-boiled egg spinning than a soft-boiled one; why atomic weapons rely on centrifuges, & why a spinning wing-nut on a Soviet Space Station led them to get so worried they thought the world might tip over! It won‟t!

We have „Any Questions” sessions where people raise whatever pops up at the meeting; these cover many topics large & small; sometimes we‟ve been able to come up with answers on the spot - e.g. “How do they get the caffeine out of coffee?” & “Is Alzheimer‟s going down anywhere?” but sometimes we are still baffled - e.g. “How does an old piece of coal keep lettuce in the fridge fresh and crispy?” & “Why does a knob of butter get much hotter in the centre when heated in a microwave oven?”

Table Tennis

Two table tennis groups are now up and running. We meet every Monday from 2 to 3pm and Tuesdays from 11am to 12 midday at the Springwood Leisure Centre in Oakwood (very near the main shopping area).

All standards of players are most welcome to join us including total beginners.

If you are interested in table tennis, or indeed would like to be, do come along. We are a friendly bunch and our sessions are informal and fun. No pressure - you are welcome to just come along and see what we are about. If you have a table tennis bat please bring it along, otherwise we can lend you one.

Lunch Group

Friendly, welcoming and providing an opportunity to socialise and get to know other members. This year, we met for lunch at:

The Hollybrook, Littleover: The Cosy Club, Derby: Bistrot Pierre, Derby: The Seven Wells, Etwall: The Bull‟s Head, Repton: The Newdigate, West Hallam: The Spread Eagle, Rolleston-On-Dove: The Ashford Arms, Ashford-In-The-Water: Littleover Lodge Hotel, Littleover.

All venues, which are suggested by Lunch Group members, are usually accessible for members with limited mobility, on a bus route if out of the city centre. Excluding August and December, the group meets on the fourth Friday of the month.

Daphne Mee (Group Organizer)

Psychology

We are a new group that started in March. We choose a topic for the meeting and one of our members offers to lead the discussion. The topics we have looked at are :- Child and Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Approaches to Counselling, Moral Maturation, Cognitive Neural Science, Abraham Maslow, Jung, Acquisition of Language, Memory, The Paranormal.

Psychology, the study of human behaviour, is a huge subject and the topics we have chosen so far are so big that they will warrant a revisit as our two hour sessions often only give us time to summarise. We have in depth discussions with everyone contributing. One common theme has emerged which is: “what is the mind?”

There are 13 on the list and we have an attendance of 11 on average. We will be meeting on the fourth Monday of the month this year. Cinema Group

We went to see many films in the last year including The Favourite, Yesterday, Rocketman, Mrs Lowry and Son, and Judy. So far this year we have been to see Little Women.

Members are encouraged to suggest film choices. We generally meet at Quad and occasionally at the Showcase Cinema, and often have lunch or coffee beforehand. Chess

The Chess group meets regularly at 2pm on the first and third Thursdays of the month

The group will suit anyone with at least some basic understanding of the game. If you enjoy a game of chess in the family or played a few games when you were at school and fancy giving it a go with some new opposition in a friendly atmosphere, come and join us.

Wildlife Group

The group meets on the third Thursday of the month all year. We visit nature reserves and other wildlife areas within a reasonable car journey from Derby. We take an interest in all forms of wildlife.

There were many highlights this year. At Wollaton Park in March we watched Stock Doves, Treecreeper and Red-crested Pochards. The Little Gull flying with Black-headed Gulls at Willington Gravel Pits in April was a new bird for the group. Our usual May walk at Padley Gorge produced a good list of birds including Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Jay and Tree Pipit. Green Hairstreak butterflies were also observed on the bilberry. Below Burbage Edge a nice pair of Whinchats and also Stonechats were seen. Despite the poor weather we had good views of Little-ringed Plover at Pleasley Pit in June. Our visit to Coombs Dale in July concentrated mainly on butterflies and eleven species were noted, including Brown Argus and Dark Green Fritillary. In September we visited a new venue, Rutland Water, and added a number of waders to our year tally: Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Snipe and Ringed Plover. Hobby and Marsh Harrier were also seen, and an amazing number of six Great White Egrets as well as the more usual Little Egrets were observed on one of the lagoons. The day ended with a very confiding Brown Hare at the side of the track as we walked past. The year finished with a very productive visit to Attenborough Nature Reserve where two Cattle Egrets and a Slavonian Grebe were seen, both rare visitors in winter.

Our total species list of birds for the year was 101, and 16 butterfly species were recorded.

Max Maughan

Table Top Games

In Table Top Games we usually play 'Scrabble' and 'Upwords' depending on the number of people attending. 'Upwords' is a form of 'Scrabble' but you are allowed to put letter tiles on top of each other up to a maximum of 5 tiles. New members and rank beginners are most welcome. We do keep a score but if anyone is stuck then others will make suggestions if required. This is a social group and we play for fun. If you can find a word in an English dictionary then it is acceptable.

We always meet in Derby City centre and some of the members stay for lunch afterwards.

Advanced Maths & Physics

This small Group, formed this year, is still finding its feet in the matter of defining just what level it wants to pitch its discussions at. Around half the membership have studied maths and physics at undergraduate level a long time ago, but have not used it since in their careers and so wish to start by reviving long lost memories and skills. Those of the other half have been practitioners in various ways throughout their careers.

At the moment most of what we discuss is at a level suitable for the aims of the first half of the membership, and in this regard we have presented refresher discussions on basic calculus; 1st-order differential equations, and how one might use them in population growth; matrices, and how they act as operators on vectors.

We have also looked at a simple use of applied mathematical thinking in the form of Lanchester‟s Laws of Combat, and a simple application of matrix eigenvectors to describe the climate-relevant vibration modes of the carbon dioxide molecule.

At a little more advanced level we have had a look at deriving the conservation laws of classical physics simply from the symmetries of space and time using the postulate that any macroscopic physics must satisfy an Action Principle.

Short Walks

We are a small, friendly group which walks approximately every other Thursday in the morning. Our walks are between 3 and 4 miles, often with a coffee stop in the middle.

Our shortest walk is the first one in the year to Pride Park from the Council House in Derby. This starting point enables those without transport to join us and is one of a few walks in the year to do this.

The starting point of most of our walks is near to Derby but we occasionally do walks, such as Carsington and Attenborough Nature Reserve, which are further away.

In August we visited the hydrangea exhibition in Darley Abbey Park after walking from the Council House.

Our other walks include Elvaston Country Park (see photo above), Duffield, Draycott, Trent Lock, Markeaton, Littleover, Shardlow, Swarkestone, Shipley Park, Findern and Ticknall.

Our last walk of the year is followed by a Christmas lunch, after which we have a break until later in January

French Conversation Group

This year, the French Conversation Group met regularly to speak French and to enjoy learning new phrases and vocabulary. At the start of the year we followed the adventures of a seventy-two year old French man who was trying to cross the Atlantic in a specially converted barrel. One of our group provided regular updates and maps and we were thrilled when he completed his adventure!

French and English politics and national situations have also been debated with much discussion about Brexit and also the actions of the „Les Gilets Jaunes.‟ In April we were saddened to hear about the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral and we talked about the plans for its reconstruction and how the money that has been raised would be used. As Summer approached we talked about plans for holidays and the most beautiful villages that we have visited in France. One member of our group talked about a village in Brittany and described his holiday home there.

History has also played a part in our conversation and we talked about the First World War and on another occasion about the reign of King Louis X1V. One member of the group is fascinated by this period of French history and gave an interesting talk. We have also been creative this year and read some poetry and also attempted to write some simple acrostic poems. We all shared our favourite poems and then made a compilation for each member of the group.

As the year drew to an end we enjoyed French food and drink as we celebrated Christmas and had fun trying to guess some French riddles. There has been much laughter and enjoyment throughout the year and we are looking forward to the new year and more French conversation!

Tania Sanders (Group Organiser)

Painting

We are a friendly group working together or as individuals. Unfortunately we do not have an instructor but support each other through discussion. Usually we use watercolour but any medium is welcome, members providing their own materials. Do give us a try, beginners and experts are welcome.

Book Group 2

Our chosen books are nominated and chosen by members. Each book is presented by one of us- this usually involves providing information about the author, and then an initial description of the book. We all then chip in with our opinions, leading to a lively discussion with, more often than not opposing views being put forward. We end our meetings with a snap vote, where is everyone asked to give a mark of between 0 and 5 which is then averaged. The results of these can be found on our website page.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama is an autobiography in three parts, tracing Michelle‟s childhood and education; meeting Barack Obama and their relationship; and finally their life at The White House. Most of the group found this very readable and her writing inspirational, and felt there was a lot to be admired in her energy and commitment to the causes close to her heart. Some found it too long and detailed at times, and autobiography wasn‟t everyone‟s choice of genre.

The group found “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett to be a very divisive book. A 5 star rating by those that gave it a chance and found it to be hilarious, and 1 star rating by those who did not finish it and missed the point of the integral footnotes. It is a satirical and humorous exploration of good and evil, nature versus nurture, free will, war, pollution and organised religion. The tale is orchestrated via an angel and a demon who have been on Earth a long time, and have developed a grudging fondness for it, its inhabitants and even each other. Their tetchy but co-operative and affectionately teasing relationship is central to the plot (preventing Armageddon), the philosophy, and the humour of the book.

Other books we read this year were “A manual for cleaning women” by Lucia Berlin, “The Conductor” by Sarah Quigley, “ Betrayal” by Helen Dunmore, “Cold Comfort Farm” by Stella Gibbon, “The tenant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Bronte, “The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge, “How to stop time” by Matt Haig, “The Slaves of Solitude” by Patrick Hamilton and “Enduring Love” by Ian McEwan

After our meeting, we normally repair to a local cafe for a drink and a chat.

Longer Walks

This has been a very successful year for the Longer Walks who managed to beat the number of walks in 2018 by 2, with a total of 44 walks out of a possible 52. Fortunately during the very wet autumn we were blessed with dry Wednesdays.

As a result the total mileage for the year also increased from 325 miles in 2018 to 350 miles for the whole year. The average distance per walk was 7.96 miles.

The number of walkers in the group is 24 with the average number of members per walk being about 12. The number varies throughout the year. Often in the summer people are away on holiday but in the

winter a good weather forecast frequently results in a good t urnout. Numbers have varied from 5 to a maximum of 20.

Our walks have covered a large area from Margery Hill and the Longshaw Estate in the North to Calke Abbey in the South and from Bradgate Park in the East to Cannock Chase and the Roaches in the West. Many walks are much more local.

We rounded off our yearly performance with a Christmas Lunch at the Bentley Brook Inn near Ashbourne attended by 17 members after the usual 5 mile Christmas walk.

Architecture

From the first meeting of interested members, it became clear that a definition of the group‟s title was going to be a challenge. Perceptions of what architecture implied were varied; whether it was an “art” or a “science” and what was its end product raised more questions than the instigators of the group had imagined!

One thing was clear – we all wanted a better understanding of the built environment around us. Did certain styles give clues to the date of construction? How far did function dictate form and profile?

Derby‟s group has found it best to study the local built environment to answer some of our questions. This ensures convenience of access and helps the planning of our short time together as a group. One thing in our favour is the knowledge some members have gained from other Derby U3A groups like Local Studies, Geology & Geography, and even Discussion Groups where inevitably built environment topics are touched on, and can be followed up in Architecture.

In case it sounds as though we are restricted to the Trent and Derwent valleys, we are also transported to distant countries via members‟ photographs from trips and holidays. With commendable skill and an eye for the interesting and significant, they capture images that we can screen and discuss at our indoor meetings during winter. The warm colours of crumbling Cuban cityscapes; the adventurous New Zealand city rebuilt in an Art Deco style after a catastrophic earthquake; exciting Scandinavian affordable housing. Members sometimes forget to take family memento‟s in their search for the interesting shot!

We try to organise our study around a series of themes, so that members can put forward issues that interest them. These have varied from Prefabricated Buildings (ancient to current) to Environmentally Friendly Buildings, via Bridges and Railway Architecture, reminding ourselves about Monumental Architecture and unusual houses that we pass regularly and have never given much thought to before! One topic that is guaranteed to raise the temperature of debate is each person‟s choice of a good/bad piece of built environment that the rest of the group probably know! One thing is certain – not much significant change goes on in Derby that members do not notice and think about – thank goodness! 19

Singing

Anyone who enjoys singing any style of music from rock, country, ballads will find it very enjoyable, and it is a fact that it‟s good for you. We would be pleased to see you, all you need is a voice, words of all our songs are available.

Wine Appreciation

We meet the 2nd Friday in the month. We each put £5.00 into the kitty, for wine to be purchased for the following month. We take it in turns to buy the wine and also the cheese and baguettes.

This year we have again tasted many different wines from a variety of countries, some good and some not so good.

We have visited Halfpenny Green, near Stourbridge for a day out, which included Tasting Halfpenny Green wines and given a talk by one of their representatives. Then lunch, after which we had free time to visit their shops and craft centre.

We have also had Tom from Majestic wine on three occasions, bringing Majestic wines and giving interesting talks on the grape varieties and where they are grown, and Tasting notes.

Here‟s to another interesting year!

Discussion Group

We have had many lively discussions this year which have been well attended. We meet on a regular basis throughout the year. Members suggest topics six months in advance and we have a new topic each month. We try to vary the topics so that some are light-hearted and some are more serious. The second meeting in the month is an open meeting with members choosing current topics of interest.

This year we have discussed Memory, Equality between the sexes, Influences in our lives, Brexit, How much control do we have over our lives, Facebook, useful or not, Privacy, would you mind if you didn‟t have it any more, Sport and its benefits and Stereotypes, are they useful? A different member of the group introduces each topic. There is no pressure to lead a topic and it is all credit to the friendliness of the group that so many members volunteer to do so.

We have about thirteen regular members and all shades of opinion are represented and welcomed.

Writing for Pleasure

Writing for Pleasure is a new group this year and would welcome new members including absolute beginners. There's no critique but we write short stories which provide us with lots of anecdotes, memories and laughter. No experience or existing written material required.

This group meets on the third Friday each month.

Art Appreciation

The Derby U3A art appreciation group enjoyed another good year.

In January Paul Sandford gave a presentation on William Holman Hunt entitled "true to his principles". He remained a committed Pre- Raphaelite all his life.

The ever industrious Stuart Hancock gave two interesting and informative presentations during the year. In February he brought us "pioneers of pop art" and in October "native American art".

In March the vivacious and knowledgeable Lucy Bamford, senior curator of the Gallery, introduced us to the Leonardo exhibition.

In May Julie Tanner spoke to us about "Berthe Morisot" an important impressionist who used to be overlooked because of her female gender.

In June Jim Bosworth gave us a fascinating presentation on Lucien Freud.

In September many of the group went to Derby Museum and Art Gallery for the talk given by the curator of the Ashmolean Museum about the Japanese woodcuts. And then in November we were given a guided tour Portrait by Berthe Morisot of them by Matt Edwards Curator of Public domain Visual Art and The Joseph Wright Study Room.

Finally, I am told that West Bridgford U3A also got Matt to give them this tour. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then we can be encouraged.

Music Appreciation

This Group, which concentrates on classical music, meets on a fortnightly basis on Tuesday mornings. This amounts to about 21 meetings a year with Christmas, Easter and Summer breaks. Eight of our members take it in turn to play their choices from their CD collections.

We listen to a variety of music, mainly orchestral and chamber but also choral – pieces from the classical composers such as Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorak, Chopin and many more. These would always appeal to someone new to classical music. Music from more modern composers also features, such as Finzi, Arvo Part, Philip Glass, Takemitsu, Ginastera, Shostakovich, Strauss for example.

One of the problems of presenting a programme is to get the timing right in choosing pieces of music of a suitable length within the allotted two hours, bearing in mind brief introductions to them and of course allowing for the coffee break! This rather precludes the long symphonies by Bruckner and Mahler for example. The last meeting before Christmas is always a request programme where all members are encouraged to bring small pieces of music and give reasons for their choices.

We are always in need of new members. You don‟t have to be an expert, just an interest in classical music is all that is required. There is plenty of room in our large meeting room – you would be very welcome.

Theatre

The group arranges visits to Derby Theatre. The performances attend this year were;

Noughts and Crosses Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat My mother never said One man two guvnors Much ado about nothing The lady vanishes The remains of the day Two trains running The turn of the screw A Christmas Carol

Geology Group

The Geology Group comprises up to 12 regular members and we meet on the first Tuesday of the month.

The subjects presented are decided by the group and members volunteer to give a presentation in turn throughout the year.Two of the members have experience in Geology and give guidance on subjects that can be pursued.

Last year: the Periods of the Geological Timeline

This year: the Earth‟s Resources including: Geothermal Power, Oil, Water, Gold, Coal and other mineral resources of the UK.

From September presentations were given on the geology of areas of the world where members themselves have visited and included some stunning photographs.

Areas visited: Arizona including the Grand Canyon (below), New Zealand, The Azores.

In previous years we have done a field trip in the summer instead of a group meeting but were unable to organise anything this year.

From now on, the group will be known as “Geology and Physical Geography”. This will allow us to expand into landscapes, ecosystems and weather/climate.

Book Group 1

We meet monthly for two hours on a Thursday morning.

Our book choices are those of the members with an introduction by the presenter to start off the discussion, then over to the group. The most recent book chosen for our February meeting is “Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin. Over the last year, some titles chosen were:-

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr “The Lost Man” by Jane Harper “Persuasion” by Jane Austen “The Painted Veil” by Somerset Maughan “Falling Angels” by Tracy Chevalier “The Bookshop” by Penelope Fitzgerald “Autumn” by Ali Smith “The Photograph” by Penelope Lively

This is not an exhaustive list but gives, I hope, a flavour of the books discussed – all fiction. If anyone wishes to come along on a book group day, please contact me beforehand either vi the website or by phone - my phone number is in the current programme card. Archaeology and History

The group covered a wide range of topics presented by different group members.

We had a talk on Irish history to provide an understanding of “why border matters” and then rolled back the clock to examine Bronze Age Ireland. We learnt of the development of feudalism in Europe, how it worked for people at different levels in society and how it died out. We also heard about the archaeology of the dead, and learnt who the Greeks were.

We attended a talk at Nottingham University on the Cresswell caves rock art, and subsequently visited Cresswell to see this. We also went to the “History and Archaeology” Festival at Nottingham.

Creative Crafts

October saw the Creative Crafts Group reach its 5th birthday and the plan is to produce some sort of booklet listing all the crafts which we‟ve tackled during that time, from painted rocks to knitted snowflakes, and from peg fairies to embroidered hangings.

The past year has continued to be very full and busy with a core of keen members who enjoy getting together and making.

We sewed fabric poppies in white, red and purple as part of the Remembered Together project, in conjunction with Derby University and other community groups.

This year‟s projects include: Christmas decorations, gift bags, paper bead jewellery, bookmarks, magic Poppies wallets, woolly sheep, Remembered Together project „stained glass‟ window decorations, needle felted thistles, as well as fabric and paper tulips.

Sometimes we meet in Derby City centre for lunch/coffee where we‟ve visited the Pickford‟s House. Upcycling often figures in our sessions as, now that we are known for making, we are often given materials.

There is an atmosphere of concentration as learning takes place, alongside the buzz of enjoyment at acquiring new skills and delight at our own creations. Ours is a meeting of new experiences teamed with social interaction and exchanging of individual skills.

Local History Group

This Group has changed its format since the beginning of the year. It now meets monthly on the second Monday of the month, Bank Holidays permitting for generally two hours concluding with tea and biscuits

It relies on individual members giving presentations using either power point or illustrated talks which naturally throws up discussion. As the title indicates, we concentrate on Derby and Derbyshire although exceptions are always welcomed.

We have had presentations on the Lost Houses of Derbyshire, Elvaston Castle, Bolsover Castle, the village of Shirland, the history of cinemas and of churches in Derby and on Wirksworth including the history of lead mining. The one exception to Derbyshire so far was a talk on Wentworth Woodhouse, a large house in South Yorkshire.

Visits are an option that has been discussed but costs and transport are a consideration. Amusing Quiz

We offer a couple of hours of light-hearted quizzing with time for tea, coffee, biscuits and chat. There is no black chair and there are no spotlights!

The questions are varied and based on general knowledge and are "always easy if you know the answer"! You are never put on the spot and teams are drawn by lots at the start of each session. If you fancy yourself as a Quizmaster there is always a chance to come prepared with a few of your own questions Sketching

This is a friendly Group for those who enjoy sketching outdoors or want to learn. Barbara who leads it does give some help and guidance to those who want it. We have 6 outdoor meetings at various venues around the county and 5 indoor meetings indoors where we set up still life arrangements to draw and paint. We use these sessions to experiment and try different media.

We usually meet at 10.30 on the 4th Monday of each month. 27

Uke Extra

Uke Extra as it stands now started last September. It is an hour long session on alternate Tuesdays.

We are of mixed abilities, but I have found since we started that everyone has made a significant impact on the group. I am pleased to see everyone having a go at playing solo, even the less able, and the more able have been very supportive and played a significant role in helping us along in our learning sessions.

We generally spend 15 minutes at the start of the session learning some theory, after that the first session of the month is spent learning to play as an ensemble using different playing methods within a piece, and the second session of the month is dedicated to our solo performances.

Our aim is to build our confidence and increase our knowledge of music in connection with the Ukulele. As time goes by we hope to be able to perform

Janet Hopton for others, once we have enough (group organizer) material in our portfolio that we feel happy with.

If anyone feels that they could benefit or be beneficial to a group like ours, then please contact me. Other Derby U3A groups

Bowls, Bridge, Current Affairs, Family and Social History, Ideas in Society, Spanish Conversation, Spanish for Beginners, Traditional Music, Walking Football. Editors Note

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