GUISBOROUGH U3A NEWSLETTER – APRIL 2021 University of the Third Age Registered Charity No. 1125829 Hello everyone, this is your twelfth Alternative Newsletter from the Committee, to keep in touch with you during the government’s continuing restrictions. Chairman’s Blog May 21 You will be happy to know that booking of venues for indoor activities is being pursued in anticipation of restarting in line with the roadmap out of lockdown. As you may remember, the Third Age Trust had a plan to hold a “u3a Day” celebration last year and this was postponed until 2nd June this year. They want outside activities as well as advertising. This has been discussed at length by the Committee. Whilst we hope to do some limited publicity on the day, we have decided that we will not try to organise any physical activities until we are released from all covid restrictions. Active celebrations are therefore being considered for a July date. As I have stated before we will not hold our AGM in May, as is the norm, but plan to hold it later in the year when it can be held traditionally. We do not see the need at this stage to adopt a new Constitution released by TAT which is designed to facilitate hybrid meetings which can also be attended remotely over the internet. Our venue of the Parish Hall does not have the infrastructure to facilitate this. We do propose to adopt some changes to our constitution ie 10% quorum for AGM and also to increase the maximum term of Chair from 2yrs to 3yrs. Since as Chair I have reached our current limit in May, under clause 7.4 of our Constitution I have been asked, and agreed, to stay on as Chair for a third year. The following members are retiring from their previous roles, Peter as Group Leader for Boules, and from Excursions, Janet, Edith and Margaret who have served us well for a long time and I thank them all on your behalf. So we are looking for volunteers to take over these and other roles. The positions are listed elsewhere in this newsletter and we are hoping to be inundated with offers 爛爛. Let us hope that by the end of this year the problems we have all faced are fading in our memory. John If you’d like to raise any points for consideration by the Committee, please send them to the Secretary. An introduction to the Ancient Craft of Temari. In December 1994, The Guisborough Embroiderer's Guild, (now called Random Stitchers of Cleveland) invited Mary Wood from West Yorkshire to give a workshop on Making Temari.This is a Japanese craft thought to have originated in China. "te" means hand and "mari" means ball, thus we have handball. In the 8th ©, a game called kemari, meaning kicking ball was played by Japanese noblemen. The ball was made of tightly wound deer skin which was kicked in the air and caught by hand. In the 14© to the 16th© street performers juggled with Temari. Also, at this time, ladies of the Samuri class would be married to the clan lord and carried many miles to his home in an enclosed chair, like a sedan chair so that they could not be seen. To allay their boredom and sadness at leaving their families, the ladies' servants would make balls of wrapped silk, competing to make the best designs, embroidered with silk threads. These were called himi (princess) mari. By the 19th©, lower class ladies were making Temari for their children. These were so firm they bounced. They used the best pieces of worn-out clothing and anything else available. Later, they embroidered them with cotton thread. The designs became geometric and more elaborate, varying in pattern in different areas of the country. By the 20th©, rubber balls were invented and the craft of Temari was less practised. However, in the 1960s-70s it made a come back and there is now a Temari Association of Japan, with thousands of members. It was introduced to Yorkshire by Suzuki Anai, a Japanese lady married to an Englishman, living here. She met the craft, back in her home town on a visit to Japan, and then taught her English friends. Mary Wood became one of her pupils. Now follows a short description of today's Temari. A round ball base is used. This can be made from strips of material, tights, polystyrene balls, cotton wool or table tennis balls, etc. Personally, I prefer rolled up tights into which a needle can easily be inserted, making the whole ball more permanent. Equipment and materials can be easily acquired, such as needles, coloured pins, scissors, narrow strips of stiff paper for measuring geometric shapes, knitting wool (4ply is best), sewing thread, Perle embroidery threads and optional beads and sequins. To make Temari, roll the tights into a ball, wind tightly with wool and then matching cotton thread. Your ball-making skill will improve with practise. Then using the paper strip, the ball is divided into quarters, eights, tenths with a line round the centre (the equator). The base colour is very important as some colours reduce the colour of the embroidery threads, grey for example. I like black, red and dark green but I have used pink, white and yellow as baby wool comes in 4 ply. Gold and silver threads can lift the design. The four Temari on the top right are named patterns such as rose garden, chrysanthemum and spindles. The red based one is a wrapped design. The lower four are themed as the seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. There are two common methods of using the thread to make the designs. 1) Herringbone stitch in varying lengths and density, 2) Wrapping threads round the basic ball and then securing them. This method was used because poorer ladies had to join shorter lengths of thread with a knot. Finally, the complexity of the designs and the size of the "mari" have grown. They are now given individually as gifts for anniversaries, birthdays and weddings. Several of the Guisborough U3A members can make these Temari but Diana Wardill is the expert with a vast and varied collection. The local embroidery group, Random Stitchers of Cleveland, who introduced the craft of Temari to this area, has also changed. Traditional stitches and patterns are still taught and used but art influenced techniques are incorporated into their work. Thus varied, wide ranging and interesting designs of embroidery are available to those who join our meetings. We welcome new members. Jean -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- If you’ve not tried these activities yet, it’s not too late to start. The Group Coordinators would be pleased to hear from you. You don’t have to be a Group member to try your hand at Flower Arranging, Creative Writing/Poetry, or Tai Chi. No previous experience is necessary, and there’s no commitment to continue if you find you’ve too many other things to do when we get back to ‘normal’. Flower Arranging Group . The Group has a new programme for the remainder of the year and all U3A Members are invited to join in. The theme for May is a Maypole. Please consider joining us and create something that’s different, fun and will take your mind off other things for a while, at a time that suits you. The next Zoom meeting at 2pm on 11th May. Please contact Pat for advice or to let her know what you’re doing. Creative Writing/Poetry Groups . John invites contributions on the following topic: “The door was open. The room was empty. Yet it seemed to be telling me so much.” Could this be the beginning of a ghost story, an adventure, recalling fond memories? Entries may be in handwriting or typed in the style you prefer. Your Dep. Sub. Ed. could collect and deliver as part of her daily exercise route. The Photography Group is very active (not face to face) with members taking photos at home and increasingly further afield, or using their archives. In April the theme was ‘Open’, giving the opportunity to share some of our favourite photos; in May the topic is “Water”. Some of April’s photos are at the end of this Newsletter for you to enjoy. Please contact Margaret if you’d like to get involved. If you don’t wish to join the Group at the moment and would like to share a special photo(s), please send them to your Dep. Sub. Ed. for the next Newsletter. Tai Chi. Dorothy and John very generously provide three practice lessons a week. It’s uplifting to see them and others on the screen. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are calming, soothing, provide an excellent gentle workout, and promote good health in mind and body, physical flexibility and improve balance. Classes are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11.30am - 12.10pm. They’re free and it’s not essential to attend every time. The exercises involve bending, twisting, stretching, and balancing. It is a standing exercise and space restrictions at home limit us to taking 2 steps in each direction. Practicing in the home environment means that the exercises are simplified so they are suitable for beginners. The mind has to be present and cannot wander during practice so many people experience stress relief. If someone already practices a physical activity such Pilates, Yoga, dance, or are a member of one of the Walking groups, they should be good to go.