Newsletter 11 November 2020
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Newsletter No 11. November 2020 From the Chair Welcome to our 2020 Autumn Newsletter. I hope you are all well and staying safe in these trying times. As you are aware we lost our Chairman Jim Cox in July and we are all devastated by his passing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sue Dainty for coming onto our Committee as acting Vice Chair to lend all her experience and expertise to help us through this transition. Also my thanks to Ruth and Barry Vidler for stepping into the breach after our Groups Co-ordinator, Dianne, had to stand down. These two are a very welcome addition to our Committee as they know most of our group leaders from their first stint as Groups Co-ordinators and I am sure that they and Sue will ensure that, once we can resume our group activities, we can get Littlehampton u3a back to where it belongs. I cannot finish this without also thanking all the members of the Committee for their help and especially their support during this time. Thanks also to Doug Franks who is the main reason that you are reading these words, Derek Waite who, as well as ensuring that the Bulletin is sent out each week, has played a vital role in producing this Newsletter. Not forgetting Clare Crawley for administering our website. Finally, a large thank you to our group leaders who have ensured that contact with their members has continued through these times. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and that the New Year brings us good news so that, once again, we can really enjoy our Littlehampton u3a Best wishes, Pete. 1 Editorial By Doug Franks Hard times The Wicked Witch from the East blew in and, before we knew it, Lockdown, shielding for the elderly (who’s that ?) and safe-distancing (a new verb for the dictionary) became the watchwords enriching our language. Epidemiologists and politicians exhorted us to wash our hands until they were too raw to clap for the NHS. Singing became a killer because it produces aerosols, and socialising (for many what the u3a is all about these days) is probably illegal, except with people in your own household or in your support bubble. So nearly everything we do in the u3a has had to stop. However, as Sue Dainty writes on page 4, many group leaders are doing a great job keeping in touch with their members by Zoom or any other means at their disposal. And, the Committee is planning for the day the doors can be opened for some social activity. But we are in Lockdown and have been since 5 November and, until that constraint is lifted, normal meetings involving social con- tact cannot take place. The final blow, in July, was the sad loss of Jim, our well-loved Chairman whose obituary appears opposite. This was a shock to us all and we shall miss him. Apologies This Autumn Newsletter is a bit thinner than usual and a little later than planned. We’re thinner because our correspondents had less to report. Covid-19 Lockdown meant that most u3a group activities and events had to be put on hold. A shame, but essential for our safety. We’re later because of hiccups in replacing our De- signer. After preparing the Spring Issue Clare Crawley, who created our new format in October 2017 and made the magazine look so good, decided to move on ~ four years was enough. Attempts to replace Clare produced a couple of false starts, so Derek Waite came to the rescue, volunteer- ing to add the layout of this Issue to his already busy schedule preparing the weekly Network Bulletin. However, we do need another Designer for our Spring 2021 Issue. Watch out for the invitation in the Bulletin. 2 Our Chairman — Jim Cox 16th April 1946 — 27th July 2020 Following his untimely death here are a few words about Jim and the work that he did for Littlehampton u3a. Jim was a larger than life man who touched everybody that met him. His every thought was about others and how he could help or make life easier for everyone. He was a family man married to Judith, father to two sons, Mark and Ian, also grandfather to five grand- children. He brought this philosophy as Chairman of our u3a and his enthu- siasm and freshness pushed our u3a on to a position wherein all of our groups and members felt as if they belonged to his personal fami- ly. Jim would always listen to anybody who had a problem or an opinion and always have an answer for everybody. Those answers were not always what you wanted to hear but that was Jim, straight talking and honest. Jim always took everything in his stride with a little joke here and there but that in no way precluded his desire to make us a success and give the people of Littlehampton the facil- ities to enjoy in their retirement years. These strengths are now missing as we strive to fulfil his memory and take our u3a on to greater heights. God Bless Jim. Pete Wilkins 3 A Tribute to Our Leaders By Sue Dainty I always knew that Littlehampton u3a had a resourceful and dedicated team of Group Leaders but this was reinforced when I recently had the pleasure of contacting them by phone to learn how they were dealing with these very difficult times. Almost without exception I learnt that despite their own restrictions, they had continued having contact with their groups by one means or another, many using email, video links or Zoom on a regular basis. For example: Frank increased contact with the Ukulele group to a weekly Zoom session; Ruth went even further and recorded her Tai Chi session and put it on YouTube for all to enjoy and benefit from; Laurie’s Shutterbugs continued with their photography throughout the shut-down. All leaders were hopeful that eventually their groups would reopen again. As things began to improve, the u3a gave permission for groups to start again in accord- ance with Government rules. Our first outdoor group to reopen was Robin’s Country Walks and the first indoor group, Joy’s Yoga is reopening after changing premises to Littlehamp- ton Wave which has a Covid19 Secure Certificate. Group numbers will be limited but it is a great start. Other groups may need to consider alternative premises and some Home Groups are considering hiring accommodation too. It is unlikely that groups will be taking on new members at the present time because of the restriction on numbers but this is a great opportunity for other groups to start if new leaders are willing to come forward. Our Committee has been following developments closely and will help in any way possible to put our u3a back on its feet. Thank you everyone for your unfailing support. Finally, one very special Group Leader, Bea Sacks, was 100 years old on Oct 24th 2020 (see the article on page 14). Congratulations Bea and our very best wishes. Beach Cleaning Group By Barry Vidler Once a fortnight on Tuesday we meet outside the East Beach Cafe at 10.30am. We all bring our picker and/or a good pair of rubber gloves and some throwaway plastic bags. We used to reuse our bags but since Covid, it seems more sensible to use the disposable kind. Before each expedition I put an entry in the Bulletin and hope that lots of people will come along the following Tuesday. If enough people turn up, the group can split and go in both directions, towards the river and towards Mewsbrook Park. 4 The decision to make shops charge customers for plastic bags has been a great success. Walking on the beach before that, we could always find at least 5 bags floating in the water or lying on the beach. As we spread out across the beach we pick up anything that should not be there. If we find any large items that we cannot move, we notify the Fore- shore Officer and Arun Council when we get home. Sometimes we have found lots of nylon filling, possibly from disposable nappies and the like, and huge numbers of small plastic sticks from cotton buds, all entwined with the seaweed. That may be caused by filters needing to be checked and it seems to have improved since we emailed Arun Council about it. Keeping Littlehampton beach clean really works and now we are not alone. People seem to respond well to a clean beach, often picking up litter when they notice it, and it helps. that Arun Council provide plenty of litter bins. Appointment of National Subject Advisor on Storytelling By Doug Franks Keep an eye out for the announcement in the next Issue of Third Age Matters magazine. Littlehampton’s own Stella Porter has returned to the post of National u3a Subject Advisor for Storytelling. She held this position for ten years before standing down in 2017 to be- come an Arun District Councillor. Her civic duties are now ended and she is free to take the role on again. Stella looks forward to helping u3a Groups promote the ancient art of storytelling. She asks members who would like to tell stories and may need help and inspiration, or who may consider starting a group sometime in the future when we are back to normal, to contact her. In the past Stella has organised storytelling workshops throughout the UK and run story- telling courses for many u3a Groups, both in Ireland and Scotland and in the SUN u3a net- work.