September 2018 “Inspiring” Doreen receives a National Cycling Award Doreen Lindsey, a long term member of Porthmadog U3A, is part of Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling 2018 list for being a fantastc club volunteer over many years. Doreen has been cycling for an incredible sixty-fve years, and at present rides with Chester and North Wales Cycling Touring Club (CTC). She has worked trelessly to promote CTC Eryri’s Thursday rides in partcular, which ofen cover quite harsh terrain for cyclists. She also travels far and wide to promote Cycling UK and her club and its events and actvites. In 2014, Doreen won Cycling UK’s Wales Volunteer of the Year award in recogniton of this fantastc work. Doreen says her favourite part of riding is seeing other women enjoying cycling as much as her, and despite being in her eightes now, there’s no sign of her slowing down. Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling is an annual list celebratng inspiratonal women who are encouraging others to take part in this wonderful and life-enhancing actvity. All Aboard for Eisteddfod in Llangollen Our Social Secretary Christne Bird organised a day trip to Eisteddfod in Llangolllen in July and even managed to arrange glorious weather as well. It was an enjoyable day with plenty of entertainment, food and stalls to keep us occupied. Chairman’s Report Hello to everyone and hope you have all enjoyed the break and the good weather and you are now ready to partcipate in all your group actvites. To all our new members, our U3A is a self help charitable organisaton whose members have fun contnuing to learn and socialise, meet others with similar interests and develop a purpose to their retrement. The U3A is inclusive whatever your circumstances or abilites. So, have the tme of your life with the U3A. Perhaps a new slogan for us? Our grateful thanks go to Christne Bird for organising a great day at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in July and the fab weather too. I have had lots of correspondence about diferent things going on in our area, so do check out the community page on our web site. I was recently told by a non U3A member that our web site is very impressive, for this our thanks go to Myra Poyser and her daughter Annete. Our grateful thanks also go to a retring group leader, Peter Rogers who has taken the Pastel Art group for several years and also served on the commitee in its early days. Ros Bissell will now be in sole charge of this group although Peter hopes to join it with his easel and paints to do a bit of paintng for himself. We contnue to try and start new groups, especially as some of the old ones are now full. If there is anyone of our 296 members who can share their expertse, do get in touch with our Group Liaison ofcers, Pat Cook or Carol Brown, who can advise and help on startng one. I hope many of you will join us at our general meetng (26th) as we are lucky to have a very eminent speaker in the world of veterinary practce. Peter Harlech Jones has served on many medicine commitees all over Europe and America including the Animal Health Centre. He has also been High Sherif of Gwynedd. Enjoy the Autumn, taking in all the changing colours of nature. The Blackberries hang heavy on many a weary fence, And an afernoon of picking brings a tasty recompense! If your pickings been successful, there’s always blackberry jam; There are many folks a fan of that, as undoubtedly I am! Yet some would say the blackberry is just a noxious weed- But regardless what we call it, it provides a decent feed! Philip R. Rush Pastels Plus Peter’s Pastels Plus has now become minus, as at age eighty-nine Peter has decided to take a back seat - he will stll be popping in to see us but will no longer be running the group. This task has fallen to me (the Plus bit!) and I will contnue to teach the beginners group and help the pastel group as much as I am able. The beginners group is full and I hope the Pastel people will contnue to come, but if you fancy coming and doing your own thing art-wise then there is room in Pentrefelin village hall for one or two more..... I'm sure everyone who has been atending Peter's sessions would like to join me in thanking him for his generosity in passing on his extensive understanding and knowledge of pastels; I know many who have learned the use of pastels with Peter’s guidance and inspiraton and who have atained great ability working in the medium. Rosalie Bissell - 01766 522254 Table Tennis in Cardiff This was the second U3A 'Wales' championship to be held in Cardif, on June 26th. There were nine towns/cites represented from Wales and also on this occasion some of the English border areas took part too, comprising thirty-two teams altogether all in doubles matches. Porthmadog U3A was again the only representatve from North Wales. We had seven teams. We started at 10 am and played all day with an hour's break untl 6.15pm! We played and/or umpired in a 'round robin' competton, the fnals taking place in the afernoon. It was hard work. Gruelling at tmes. We were competng in a non air- conditoned environment, on a very hot day: nevertheless it was enjoyable on the whole as well as challenging! Unfortunately, we didn't win any trophies but our best eforts brought us 13th and 17th place in the tables but more importantly, we enjoyed the Cardif experience. I would like to thank all those members of our Porthmadog U3A club that took part: Pat King, Paul Smyth, Christne Bird, Robert Saward, Michael Bird, Mary Collard, Leslie Kyfn, Melanie Smith, Lin Mountord, Mel Covington, Ken and Rosie Humphreys, Roger Mountord and myself ! Georgie Tomkins Garden group - Carol Brown 01766 523052 We had a delightul morning in Lynda and Keith Hamlet’s garden. Keith gave a talk on his Sculptures and Ted Roocrof’s samples of both sculptures were in the garden for us to view, among roses, water lilies and Chinese lanterns. Vegetables were on display beans, peas and onions. Trees were another delight - Pig Snort Apple, Figs, Cherry and Nectarine. Tea was provided. Then yet one more delight. Lynda showed us the glass ship she had made, all glintng green in the sun alongside other glass wonders. Chess Club - Paul Smyth 01766 513213 The Chess Club have been meetng over the summer break and on one of our meets three of us spent some tme working out the puzzles Roger has been supplying for the newsleter. We wish our member, Colin MacDonald, well with his sight problem. We meet at Bryan Grimston`s house at Bryn Derwen, Borth y Gest, LL49 9UH at 6:30pm on the last Thursday of the month. FREE INTRODUCTORY TENNIS LESSONS! Tennis Wales/Tenis Cymru are ofering North Wales U3A Members fve free Tennis Lessons during October and the beginning of November. Porthmadog U3A can take advantage of this ofer at Criccieth Tennis Club , Lon Fel, Criccieth. The lessons will take place from 11am - 12pm on Wednesdays 3rd, 10th, 24th, 31st October and 7th November. For further informaton contact Leisha Keane - 07800942185 Benefts of Tennis include: reduced risk of heart disease and increased bone health, improved fexibility, balance and co-ordinaton, weight maintenance, socialisaton, and fun. People who exercise on a regular basis tend to experience less stress, anxiety, and depression. Geology Group News Robbie Rickard - 01766 514089 At our July meetng we of limestone and shales with many dinosaur fossils. discussed 'Iconic locatons' Dob's Linn is a feature in the Southern Uplands of provided by Dewi. These Scotland where fossils (of graptolites) can be used to were: identfy the strata of the rocks. It is here that the division Siccar Point on the East between rocks of Ordovician age and the younger rocks Lothian coast, which shows above can be clearly seen. It is internatonally recognised the excellent Huton's as the global base of the Silurian system. unconformity, a stratum of tlted faulted Silurian shales In September, three members met at Paul Smyth's home with Devonian sandstones, showing a gap in the ages of as our usual venue was not available. We inspected the rocks. Paul's amazing collecton of rock specimens from his John Smith's surveys for canals in the 18th century, many travels and discussed the formaton of a polished before O.S. Maps came into existence. He used his piece from the Lake District, deciding in which directon knowledge of the rocks of England to produce a the various layers had formed and their succession. They remarkably accurate geological map of the country, were volcanic debris from several eruptons down the having only the Admiralty charts of the coastline as a ages, some layers with large pieces and some with fne basis. fallout, with a larger clast embedded in one side. The Giant's Causeway of Tertary volcanic hexagonal We also admired a piece composed of shell and tree basalt formed from a lava sheet. This runs contnuously fragments. Lyn then showed us slides of a dig she took down the west coast of Scotland to Northern Ireland. part in, unearthing many carboniferous era trees, leaves, Fingal's Cave on Stafa is associated with this. ferns, cones and spores.