BARNSLEY AND DISTRICT U3A - Send info. and photos to: Internet: Barnsley U3A / Charity no. 1077654
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BARNSLEY AND DISTRICT U3A
Internet: Barnsley U3A / Charity no. 1077654
Send info. and photos to: bu3anews@outlook.com
1
These are very difficult and challenging times for everybody and none more so than for our particular age group.
However, despite this and the present U3A closedown, we have been absolutely overwhelmed by your response to
our membership renewal process. Over 1,150 of you have renewed your subscriptions. Our concern now, though, is
that with such support from our members, we have very little to offer by way of our normal activities. I know that a
lot of you are having virtual meetings and using the technology to good effect but this is not what we are really about.
The need for physical interaction is what the U3A movement is founded upon. However, video conferencing is a helpful
substitute in the circumstances within which we find ourselves, and many members are building up new found
knowledge and confidence in the technology, which will potentially also prove beneficial in the longer term.
Like many of you, I had never heard of ‘Zoom’ prior to March of this year but now I am logging in to it on a regular
basis. The Executive Committee is meeting every two weeks on ‘Zoom’ and we are having regular Coordinators’
meetings. In addition, we have started to run the monthly meetings in this way. The July meeting got us off to a good
start with around fifty members joining in. Then, at the August meeting we had over sixty tuning in to keep up to date
with the latest news and to listen to a brilliantly interesting and entertaining presentation from two of our members,
Andrew and Sue Green. You can read more about their presentation on pp 6, 7 & 8 in this ‘Buzz’.
Three months have passed since our last ‘Buzz’ was produced and, as I write in mid-August, we are still very restricted
in our ability to open up our activities. With the exception of one or two outside groups, we are still in U3A lockdown
but one sees that Government rules are gradually beginning to change and we want to be ready to set our groups
‘free’. In order to ensure our members’ safety and security, we are working to the advice set out by our U3A National
colleagues after their lawyers have considered the impact of the Government’s rules. This helps us to ensure that we
retain the necessary third-party insurance cover. All these issues provide new and complex challenges that all U3As
will have to manage. This has consequently led us to decide to build our own local expertise so that we can support all
groups in the preparation of the necessary formal risk assessments. The good news is that we have now appointed
Trudy Atkinson as our Risk Assessment Officer to support all Group Coordinators through the process.
Another very important appointment that we have made recently is into our Development Officer position vacated by
Joanie Tollerfield. Lynn Maloney has taken on this role and has got straight into action. You will be able to read an
article setting out some of Lynn’s thoughts and ideas on pp 4 & 28 of this ‘Buzz’. I need, at this point, to propose a big
vote of thanks to Joanie whose energy and commitment enabled us to create a number of new groups during her time
in the role.
Can I also thank Robert Green and Sue Button for their years of outstanding leadership of Family History at Dodworth
Library. They are now standing down but watch this space. Please see Page 46 for a new Coordinator request.
I started this message talking about the wonderful support we have received from all of you who have renewed your
membership subscriptions. Such commitment ensured that, unlike a number of other U3As, we have remained open
for business and we are intent on keeping in touch with you and telling you the latest news at regular intervals. In
addition to our Beacon Messages and the interim newsletter, we have what is generally regarded as the best printed
U3A newsletter around. I believe that our ‘Buzz’ is the best of the best and we want to ensure that every member
receives their copy in a timely manner. This is why we have decided that it is appropriate to again post this new edition
in preference to trying to arrange a collection process, which would be a logistical nightmare. I know that you will
enjoy this latest edition; the response to the Summer edition was wonderful. Thank you!
I truly hope that when I am writing my next message, there is a lot more good news to talk about. In the meantime,
we will post Beacon messages to keep you informed about any re-opening progress.
Take care, everyone, and keep safe and well.
Alan Swann
2
Buzz Editor and Vice-chairman: Derek Bacon CONTENTS
P2 Chairman’s Message
Welcome to the P3 Editorial / Contents / Winter Buzz deadline
Autumn 2020 ‘Buzz’ P4 Re-opening of groups. Development Officer.
I hope that you enjoy P5 Mary Brook at 100. Happy birthday!
reading it P6-8 August Monthly Meeting; Sue and Andrew Green
‘Lockdowns of the Past’ and ‘Eyam’
P9 The Alan Swann Advice Page
Once again, ‘The Buzz’ comes without its P10-11 Indu Kumar: My Covid Days
usual group activities articles so is dependent P12-13 Our photographers in Lockdown: Norman Creighton
on fewer contributors, but those articles P14 Mac McKechnie
written for us to read have required much P15-17 Writers of The Third Page / John Hines poem
effort and I believe that they merit your time. P18 Sue Rowley: My Dad’s War
I am hoping that many groups will be offering P19 Birdwell Buddies / The Bun Run
‘post-lockdown’ articles for the Winter Buzz. P20 Table & Board Games / Upwords advert
The articles range from the very deep and P21 Conversational French
moving to the stunning, to the humorous. To P22 Book Forum 2 / UW advert
every contributor, my huge thanks. P23 Spine-tingling moment: Passchendaele 2017
P24 Don Smith: The Match of a Lifetime
The front cover is by Janet Simpson of our ‘Art
P25 Mary Melling / Travel / Walking Cricket
for Beginners’. Look closely; it combines P26-27 Our Artists in Lockdown: Margaret Hall
humour, the pesky 2020 virus and our desire P28 Associate Member: Colin Hermitage
to get back to activities. Thank you, Janet! P29 Stitches in Lockdown
This quarter we feature two of our greatly- P30 Two U3A Projects: Making Memories & High Street
valued Associate Members, Mary Brook on P31 Spine-tingling moment: The Valley of the Fallen
her 100th birthday and Colin Hermitage. P32 Advert: Barnsley Municipal Funerals
The themes of ‘Humiliation’ and ‘Real-life P33 IMPORTANT: Guidance on Re-starting BU3A groups
P34-38 BU3A Activities Calendar Sept - Dec (once permitted)
Spine-Tingling Moments’ were suggested to
P39 Venues & Buses
me. I’ve tried writing one of each. Go on, you
P40 27 Figures of Speech
get writing, join in, let it all out! It’s cathartic!
P41 Tuesday Walkers
At Priory, in March, the man from the Co-op P42-43 Yoga
advised us to pay NOW for our funeral and P44 Advert: BIADS
then not bother dying! A new advertiser with P45 Theatre
us, Barnsley Municipal Funerals, must have P46 Two humiliations (one, really!)
been listening! Another new advertiser, UW P47 Easyfunding & SmileAmazon
(Utilities Warehouse) could save you money. P48-49 Robert Green: A Scrap of Paper
It comes recommended. P50 Development Officer / Cookery Corner
At my request, Don Smith has updated his P51 Jo Kasparek: Money Makes the World Go Round
2010 ‘Buzz’ article for us.
Some members are now meeting up in
person as friends, abiding by government
rules. Walking Cricket is underway as a U3A DEADLINE FOR THE
activity with a full risk assessment completed.
Norman Creighton and Margaret Hall’s WINTER ‘BUZZ’:
artistry is pretty special. Such talent in BU3A!
The back cover shows a few photos of BU3A FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
members meeting up as friends.
3
RE-OPENING OF BU3A GROUPS POST-COVID
Owing to the Covid situation, we have to comply with government rules and the
consequent National U3A's guidance before we re-open any of our 130 groups.
THAT GUIDANCE IS ON PAGE 31 OF THIS ‘BUZZ’, AHEAD OF OUR GROUP ACTIVITIES PAGES
The Committee is pleased to have appointed Trudy Atkinson as our Risk Assessment Officer.
Before re-opening a group, every Coordinator must contact Trudy Atkinson (see Contact Sheet)
so that we can be satisfied that the Covid Risk Assessment procedures are being followed
and that NO BU3A member will be exposed to unnecessary risk at future meetings.
FROM THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Lynn Maloney
Since the beginning of Lockdown, life has certainly been strange. Being a member of BU3A has helped but life is still
challenging. Many groups have been able to continue online through various platforms such as Zoom and it was good
news to hear that some groups were finding ways to meet in gardens whilst following social distancing rules. A few
weeks ago, I decided to take up a new challenge and offer to become the new Development Officer for our U3A. It is
a good time to take on this role as I have time to gather my thoughts about the job and get a team together, though
in that respect I am lucky that John and Ingrid Colley agreed to stay on.
I want to take this opportunity to ask everyone to think about our groups and what new groups might enhance our
U3A. We are already very successful and I am confident that we will get back to regular face to face meetings and get
togethers. I wish I knew when, but it will happen. This is a great opportunity to think about how to improve an already
vibrant organisation. Please give me a ring with any ideas you may have.
We all know that any organisation such as ours needs volunteers to make things work. Volunteering does not have to
mean taking on a role that daunts you. There are so many things members can do to help, from taking on the
responsibility for tea/coffee breaks to deciding to become a Coordinator. I have always felt that our tea breaks are as
important as the session. It is part of the social side of a U3A. It gives us chance to catch up and simply have a chat.
A few months ago, Alan Swann created a diagram for the Buzz which illustrated just how many people are involved in
the running of BU3A. We need to add onto that number the people who help out in groups; taking the blue box
subscriptions or helping out the Coordinator by presenting some of the sessions. I attend Beth Rudkin’s hugely-popular
History group and a few members there give us the benefit of their expertise.
Don’t let this virus stop us thinking. Don’t let it stop us challenging ourselves. Don’t let it win!
Pop-up Groups
Most of BU3A’s groups run continuously throughout the year. Some have a holiday, particularly in August, but we also
have groups which run for just a number of weeks, such as Posh Puds. I like the idea of short-term (pop-up) groups.
Not every idea can be sustained for months or years but that does not mean they are not viable ideas or that members
would not be interested in them. A few years ago, I ran two sessions on Mindfulness and Relaxation. The members
who attended enjoyed them, but it was not a subject for a long- term group. I suppose I just did not have enough ideas
to run more than two sessions.
If you have an idea that would suit just a few sessions, please give me a ring and we can chat about it.
Some people just They say we’re now allowed to play sports with members
call it lockdown of the same household but my wife is s**t at football
because they can’t and I don’t want her on my team. How do I tell her?
spell kwarunteen
4
MARY BROOK – 100 YEARS YOUNG!
Two years ago Barnsley U3A was the first U3A to launch Associate Membership as a pilot scheme for U3A, nationally;
this allows those who have been our members for at least seven years to continue their relationship with BU3A when
they are no longer able to join in with our activities. We are pleased and proud to now have 20 Associate Members;
they pay nothing but they remain part of us by receiving ‘The Buzz’ every three months.
A very significant milestone has just been reached by
our Associate Member, Mary Brook, who, on 28th July,
reached her 100th birthday and, as tradition dictates,
received a card from The Queen (left). All Barnsley U3A
members add their congratulations now.
Mary was the subject of a ‘Buzz Portrait’ in the Summer
2019 edition, which is still available to read online on our
website. Until quite recently, Mary was attending BU3A
groups but she fell and broke her hip in April this year and had to undergo
hospital treatment at the very height of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Unsurprisingly, she came through the many inevitable difficulties and
problems that followed and has now settled into Eboracum House in
Barnsley.
The pictures to the left show her with her treasured card, receiving flowers
(not the ones sent by BU3A) and having a celebratory drink!
Mary was born on 28th July 1920. She retains many fond
and sometimes vivid memories of her childhood in
Balby, Doncaster, of the school she attended, of the
friends she made and of how her feisty younger sister,
Betty, (top right) often stuck up for her. She finished
school at 14 and her first job was ‘home help’ to a local
lady with a new baby; she then worked in a dress shop.
While in her teens, the family moved back to Barnsley
where she learnt shorthand and typing at the ‘tech’. At
home, she learned to sew and made her own and later her children’s clothes.
Mary went out with Harry, who organised a youth group where they listened
to classical music, had topical discussions and went hiking. Then came the
war and she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, spending time in Catterick
and Prestatyn. She was desperately homesick and missed Harry very much.
In 1943, she married Harry at St. Mary’s in
Barnsley and they had four children, Sandra,
Roger, Susan and Adrian. When all the
children had ‘flown the nest’, she had
various part-time jobs until she later worked
full-time for the council.
Sadly, Harry passed away in 1984. A huge
shock to her; but ever resourceful, she
looked after students at home and also worked as a carer. She now enjoys
the great love of her children, 8 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
5
2020 BU3A ONLINE MONTHLY MEETING PRESENTATION via ‘ZOOM’, Monday 5th August
‘LOCKDOWNS OF THE PAST’ written and presented by Sue and Andrew Green
We are certainly living in unprecedented times. Delivering our presentation via
‘Zoom’ to the monthly meeting (computer image of Sue, left) is certainly
testimony to that. However, being in ‘lockdown’ is not unique to us. People have
gone into quarantine or ‘lockdown’ throughout history and it is something our
ancestors will have experienced throughout the centuries.
They will have felt vulnerable as they faced diseases with no known cure, no
effective treatment or access to any vaccination that would prevent them from
catching it. They knew that face coverings would help, as would keeping socially
distanced and meeting outdoors. Sounds familiar?
It is interesting that with Covid-19 we are also experiencing this same
vulnerability and that can make us feel closer to our distant ancestors, who faced
the Black Death in the 14th century and plagues in the 16th & 17th centuries.
The Tudor and Stuart periods were punctuated by outbreaks of
the plague. Looking back to ‘lockdowns’ of this era it is easy to
find similarities and parallels which link them to us today. Queen
Elizabeth I, for example, left London for safety and took up
residence in Windsor Castle. Elizabeth II has done the same,
although her name sake ordered gallows to be erected by the
castle gates to deter anybody from following her to Windsor!
Past pandemics, like the Black Death, resulted in great social and economic upheavals, but they also inspired creativity,
progress and discovery, which can be illustrated by the lives and work of Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare.
Isaac Newton was studying at Cambridge University at the time of the Great Plague in 1665. Due to this plague, the
universities, like today, were closed and students were sent home to work. Newton returned to Woolsthorpe in
Lincolnshire to study in private. During this ‘lockdown’, Newton had an astonishing
burst of energy and insights which formed the basis of his later work, including his
work on calculus and optics. This is also the time when the falling apple (the actual
tree, left) provided the lightbulb moment on gravity. Newton himself recognised this
time as being pivotal in his discoveries, writing, “All this was in the two plague years
of 1665 -1666. For in those days I was in the prime of my age for invention and minded
Mathematics and Philosophy more than any time since.”
Plague also ran through the life of William Shakespeare (right). As an infant he
survived an outbreak which carried away a large portion of the population of
Stratford-upon-Avon. This throws up an interesting ’What if…’ question. The world
would certainly have been much poorer for not having his work to enjoy. Plague
outbreaks saw theatres closed, like today and this would have affected
Shakespeare’s income, but scholars have also recognised that these closures
provided a time for Shakespeare to be creative and write.
The 1590’s was a time of huge creative burst for Shakespeare (1564-1616). In just 12
months, the Chamberlain’s Men performed for the first time, A Comedy of Errors,
Richard II, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost and
possibly the ‘lost’ Shakespeare play, Love’s Labour’s Won. Scholars believe all must
have been partly written during the theatre closures of mid-1592 and mid-1594. Likewise, Antony and Cleopatra and
King Lear are thought to have been written in 1606 which saw further closures.
6
Before this, Measure for Measure, Othello and All’s Well that Ends Well were products of theatre closures in 1603 -
1604. An order from James I in the spring of 1603 closed the theatres as once again plague was rife. Going to the
theatre was the pre-eminent form of leisure activity at the time with 20,000 people attending weekly. The tickets were
cheap and the attendance high; 3,000 spectators was not uncommon with all levels of society represented. The
closure of the theatres like today led to actors becoming unemployed. Our present Chancellor has put together an aid
package of £1.57 billion to support the theatre, including furloughing staff.
In 1603 King James I had a ‘Rishi Sunak moment’ to support the
theatre. Shakespeare and Burbage were co-opted to become part of
the ‘King’s Men’. The King knew that the plague would eventually
recede and the world would return to normal, when the theatre
would be needed again. The King, through royal patronage, provided
for the King’s Men financially. Burbage’s accounts show how he used
this money to ‘furlough’ his actors so they would be able to return to
the stage once the theatres had re-opened. Indeed, the very word
‘furlough’ which we’ve become familiar with over recent months has
its origins in the 17th century. It is a Dutch word of a military origin,
meaning ‘leave of absence’.
Eventually, in the spring of 1604, theatres re-opened with the following announcement, which makes interesting
reading, “We think it therefore fit, the time of Lent being now passed, that your Lordships do permit and suffer the
three companies of players to the King, Queen and Prince publicly to exercise their plays in their several and usual
houses without any let or interruption except there shall happen weekly to die of plague above the number of 30
within the City of London and the Liberties thereof, at which time they cease and forbear any further publicly to play
until the sickness be again decreased to the said number.”
As we look at the R rate and the weekly death toll of Covid 19, so they looked at the weekly death toll, too. Over 30
deaths and theatres closed, 30 and under then they could re-open. Theatres did re-open and there were audiences so
they must have felt safe to attend. However, an unforeseen consequence was that new theatres built were indoor
theatres so the season could be extended, and loss revenue recouped. This meant fewer people, so ticket prices went
up and audiences became more elite, changing the demographics of theatre for the next four hundred years.
It is interesting to ponder what the long-term consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020 will be. Future
historians, in several hundred years’ time, will look back to 2020 and debate the consequences of the social and
economic changes that were made, but also discuss the creativity, progress and new discoveries it generated. I wonder
what they’ll find. I wish I had a crystal ball, don’t you?
THE PRESENTATION CONTINUED WITH A TALK BY ANDREW GREEN ABOUT EYAM.
The Hadfields lived in a cottage near the church on the main street in the
Derbyshire village of Eyam. He was a tailor. In the house with them was a
lodger, an apprentice tailor George Viccars. Mr. Hadfield ordered cloth
from London for him to make clothes for the people of Eyam. It arrived in
the late summer of 1665, but it was damp. George hung the cloth over a
clothes-horse in front of the fire to dry. Unbeknown to them, the cloth
contained fleas from the city of London. As the cloth dried, the fleas
multiplied in number. If fleas can’t find rats they find people to feed off.
George Viccars was bitten by at least one of the fleas and soon showed signs of the plague. These symptoms were
some or all of: shivering, vomiting, headaches, pain in the back, a persistent cough and a strange sweet smell in the
nostrils. Within days George had died.
Over the next few weeks many more villagers died of the plague. Apart from the symptoms already mentioned,
infected villagers had nasty sores on their neck, armpits or groin in the form of a red ring. People with the plague
carried a small bunch of flowers up to their nose to ward off the evil smell; thus, the nursery rhyme ‘ring a ring of roses
a pocket full of posies, atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down’.
7
The new rector, William Mompesson, and the previous rector, Thomas Stanley,
discussed what to do. They decided on three courses of action:
1) Services to be held in the open air, with the congregation standing 12 feet apart.
2) Graves in the owner’s garden or on the moors, 6ft deep, not in the churchyard.
3) Nobody to leave the village until it was clear of the plague.
Much praise must go to these men for making these vital decisions so early on.
Boundary stones were made and placed at the boundaries of Eyam and its surrounding villages. Holes were drilled in
the top, large enough for a penny and vinegar was poured into them. Outside villagers donated food, left it by the
stones and picked up the disinfected coins as payment.
These actions really worked. Only a couple of residents tried to leave and no one outside Eyam contracted the disease.
So the sacrifice that everyone made was immense, especially as the deaths increased. During the winter months the
number of deaths diminished but with the Spring of 1666, the deaths increased again; 78 died in August (below).
One evening, when Catherine Mompesson, the rector’s wife, was walking
back to the vicarage with her husband, she started to cough, but dismissed
her husband’s worried glances. She said, “there’s a lovely sweet smell in
the air tonight isn’t there?” Her husband knew what that meant. Sadly,
Catherine died a short time later. Her grave is in the churchyard (the only
one allowed) but the stone mason spelt her name wrongly. If you visit, can
you tell where the spelling mistake is?
One woman decided that she was going to leave the village. She walked to
the nearby village of Tideswell. However, a guard on duty there stopped
and questioned her. She denied she was from Eyam but the guard saw through this deception and shouted to the
villagers of Tideswell where she was from. Hearing this, they shouted at her to clear off, threw rotten vegetables at
her and saw her off back to where she’d come from.
The Talbot and the Hancock families lived a mile from the village and thought they were safe. But one of the children
contracted the virus, which was caught by the children of both families and the husbands and Mrs Talbot. Only Mrs
Hancock survived; every night for weeks she was seen digging graves for all who had died.
Margaret Blackwell had buried all her family, except her brother. One morning she felt dreadful. She had coughed all
night, had been sick and felt cold; her brother thought she wouldn’t survive the day. But before going off to work, he
cooked some bacon for a sandwich and then drained off all the fat into a jug. When he returned that evening, his sister
was up and about, cooking his tea. Astonished, he asked her about her day. She had felt unwell but in a delirious state
drank the jug of ‘milk’ and felt better almost immediately. Her brother replied that it wasn’t milk but bacon fat.
The population of Eyam was 700 and 260 of them died. However, few women died. Why was that, considering it mostly
befell to them to do the caring and grave digging? Research on the ancestors of the surviving women of Eyam shows
that their bodies had a gene called Delta 32 which prevents destruction of certain body cells.
Here is a 1666 treatment for the plague from the college of physicians:
If there do a sore appear, take a live chicken or pheasant, pluck the feathers
from its bottom, set its bottom to the sore and draw out the venom
till the chicken or pheasant dies.
Great drama during our ‘Zoom’ meeting (right) when Sue applied
a dead chicken’s bottom to her husband’s neck; a stunning,
frightening moment! Andrew had plucked the chicken before
the meeting and, thank goodness, there was no need for a pheasant plucker!
Finally, the message Sue and Andrew would like you to follow is:
STAY IN THE VILLAGE KEEP 12 FEET APART
DRINK BACON FAT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF CHICKENS.
8
THE ALAN SWANN
BU3A ADVICE PAGE
1 Alan has many concerns about
BU3A members’ lack of computer
skills and misunderstanding of
computer terminology. He hopes
that the diagram (left) will help you.
2 Good etiquette is important so
when Alan invites you out for an all-
expenses-paid meal, please note the
new correct mobile phone place
settings at table.
3 On a zoo visit in August, Alan
photographed this camel checking
one of its options for lunch. Alan now
advises us never to take little boys to
zoos.
4 If you buy Corona(virus) beer, Alan
advises that all other food and drink
in your fridge must be kept 2 metres
away and must wear face masks.
Helpfully, he has taken a picture of
his own secret beer fridge that Anne
knows nothing about.
5 Alan took the amazing photo of
two Great White sharks in the field
opposite his house in July. He dealt
with them in typically calm and brave
fashion with his fishing rod. If you get
invited to dinner, shark steaks are
likely to be on the menu.
9
MY COVID DAYS Indu Kumar
The beginning I, like every Barnsley U3A member, have had to face a new, unique,
very different challenge – Covid-19 Pandemic. It started at Christmas while the world
was celebrating. Little did we know what lay ahead of us! There were bits of news
filtering in showing people being ruthlessly dragged away on the streets in Wuhan. I
was having a break from my many BU3A groups and enjoying Christmas and New Year
with family in New York. We were all thinking, perhaps logically, ‘This will not happen
to us’. Even seeing pictures of people in full protective gear and people dying, we thought “That’s in China. It won’t
affect us.”
Reality And then the world suddenly woke up to the reality. The World Health
Organisation declared a pandemic. This propelled us to panic-buy; hand-wash, soaps, toilet
paper and flour. I desperately rushed to my supermarket only to find empty shelves. That
was the last time I would drive there for many weeks. Then we were ‘staying at home’ to
be safe and, basically, to stay alive. Life suddenly changed for everyone.
What it meant for me I’m used to driving to lots of groups: Tai Chi, Zumba, Choir, Ukulele, Walking, Creative Writing,
Magic, Photography, Sequence dancing. How would I cope with ‘staying at home’? I don’t do that.
The worst days Then, tragic images of front-line workers. Having worked in A&E as a senior
doctor, it was worrying to see colleagues being so brave on the front-line. Then, at the peak,
the daily deaths of many of these vital workers. Senior doctors and nurses in emergency,
intensive care and Covid wards; bus drivers and care-home patients quickly became victims.
Heart-wrenching images and stories of no Personal Protective Equipment and family members
unable to be close to the last moments of loved ones. Nightingale hospitals were quickly
constructed and staff recruited. The care homes deaths leapt
tragically. I was tempted to go back to work. But this would put me and a lot of people
at risk. In the end I was on standby, would help if needed. BU3A members made face
masks and bags for staff to carry uniforms etc safely home for wash. Then came the
Thursday clapping. I’m told that that was a real morale booster. I live in a cul-de-sac
close to BDGH. For 10 weeks, we all clapped and chatted. It was fascinating to see it.
Ray of sunshine Then, something to look forward to, VE Day. Our cul-de-sac decided we’d all bring our own coffee
and cake. We sat on the dwarf walls opposite our houses and laughed in the warm afternoon sunshine. Afterwards, I
went for a walk with my daughter to see how others were celebrating. I can honestly say we were the only ones sober!
Taking action For me, body-coach Joe Wicks is a life-saver. His simple daily 10-minute
exercise regime with encouraging words like “Come on you can do it”, “It will lift your spirits”,
“Let’s finish this together”, “It will make you healthy and happy” got me through the day and
made me feel much better. Thanks, Joe! Doing the work-out outdoors had its added benefits.
Fresh air made it easier and somehow quicker, too. The cotton-wool-white clouds floated by
overhead and the sky seemed bluer and clearer than ever. No planes were visible or heard.
The birds had the sky all to themselves and were happily singing and safely flying.
Help from nature Strangely, the birds now seemed to sing louder. Blackbirds on my rooftop
and in my trees gave solo performances with full-throated melodies for the neighbourhood.
Two goldfinches showed off their beauty, twittered away and were a feast to the eye. The two
red-breasted robins sang their high warbling songs on my clothes-pole every evening. That was
a performance to look forward to every day. At the peak of the pandemic,
the roads were almost silent and the bird songs took over. My big back
garden with conservatory proved a godsend. I spent all day here with my
daughter, reading books, writing stories, listening to the radio and watching and admiring nature.
Now I truly understand the meaning of what it means to ‘smell the roses’; never have I felt so
relaxed and stress-free. Weekly Tai-Chi, slow and calming for body and mind really helped me. I
tried to do a painting (with help from YouTube) and make an item of jewellery, on a regular basis.
Again, the satisfaction of seeing the completed item is very rewarding at times like this and gives
me a sense of achievement!
10My favourite group Writing has always given me great pleasure. Our Creative Writing
group decided to keep up the fortnightly writing online, with a topic from our Coordinator.
That kept me well occupied and got my grey cells active. It was a treat to read others’
exciting stories and to get feedback on my contribution. I looked forward to this a lot. I
entered a National U3A writing competition just for the sake of participating and, of course,
to fill my time. There is only one winner but as they say ‘It is the taking part that counts’.
Again, this gives me a thrill to be doing something on a national level! I had to be very
disciplined about the writing, which was a challenge.
I borrowed lots of books from my local library at the start of the pandemic. But before
long I’d finished them all. After rummaging through my spare room, I found more un-
read books bought from charity shops. I read fiction, crime, thrillers, romance, the lot;
I read anything I can lay my hands on. As I write now, I’ve nothing left to read. Might
have to go begging round my neighbours! Now I can’t sleep without my favourite
companion - a bedtime book!
TV helped too! After an hour of afternoon Classic Corrie (can’t miss that), it’s time for our ritual daily walk. The first
week, I walked with my daughter on the local streets. Then we ventured further onto the main road which was eerily
quiet. The motorway traffic which I can hear day and night from upstairs rooms remained virtually silent, too!
Walks galore We were surprised to find a field just round the corner with ponies in. Then, two more fields were
discovered, just a bit further on. The scenery from these was spectacular,
showing the Barnsley green belt. I never knew about these at all in the 40 years
I’ve lived in my house. A walk down the main road took us alongside Penny Pie
Park which, sadly, despite much opposition is being transformed into a
controversial roundabout. Noisy, well-hidden workmen behind tall fences. We
often ‘bumped into’ (social distance 2 metres) neighbours and local friends
doing the same as us. A lot of chatting on drives, too, and even some shouting
across the road (definitely more than 2 metres!)
Corner shops Grocery shopping became a rare event. I’ve not done a weekly shop in a supermarket for over two
months. Thank goodness for corner shops. For milk, when down to the last drop, and bread, when the last slice was
eaten. Strangely, I didn’t really miss a big shop. We didn’t starve or even miss anything which begs the question, do
we really need most items?
Discovered Zoom Early on, our BU3A ukulele ‘Stringalongs’ started Zoom meetings. Why not, I thought, and gave it
a go. Best thing since sliced bread! You can see everyone but not necessarily hear them (ideal, I thought!) It’s a very
good way to keep in touch, well a virtual way. Barnsley Singers met on Zoom, too, and even had a virtual concert in
place of the real one which was cancelled due to Covid. We managed to learn new songs and had lots of fun.
Reflection I think I’ve pushed myself to do more during this time. I had a tick box at the end of every day which was
challenging, fun and got me through the days. If someone had said to me at Christmas that something invisible would
take over the whole world, keep us indoors and away from each other, I
would have told them they were insane. But it did and we survived!
Unfortunately, not all made it. The daily briefing with the deaths was heart-
breaking. For me, the encouraging words of Joe Wicks, the hands-on
hobbies, the writing, the virtual singing and ukuleles and the daily walks got
me through it. I used to think I would never cope without going out to all
my activities. It is definitely not the same as actually meeting friends from
BU3A but if that is not possible, I now know that I will still survive!
FACEBOOK EXPLAINED JUST FOR YOU!
Facebook helps you to make friends and get people to ‘follow’ you.
Try it! Just go outside and tell people you meet what you’ve just eaten, how you feel, what you did last night,
what you’re doing later and who with. Give them photos of your family, dog, holidays (very important), garden,
car, meals out and so on. Listen to their replies, and tell them you like or love them. Just like on Facebook.
It works! I’ve already got four people following me: two police officers, a social worker and a psychiatrist.
11OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS IN LOCKDOWN: NORMAN CREIGHTON
Norman Creighton is one of our newest members. He joined specifically when he found that we were starting our
Geology group, Barnsley Rocks, but just one meeting of the group and then, bang! lockdown! Maybe he’ll tell us more
about himself and the career he had before retirement in a later edition but I asked him to let us see some of his
exquisite photography. He has written interestingly about photography, just one of his many passions. If you like what
you see on the next couple of pages, you could go to https://normsnotesnumber2.blogspot.com to see much more.
He writes:
My left foot appeared, unexpectedly, in my first “serious” photo.
A low level shot of my Dad leaning against his pre-war Vauxhall
14/6 taken on a Kodak folder with an iffy viewfinder. I was
twelve. Things have not changed much and I am still wowed by
the accidental nature of photography. Of mine anyway.
I don’t try to capture the ‘perfect image’ as that’s for those with
more patience and deeper pockets. My guiding principles are
‘visual ambiguity’ and Stieglitz’s ‘The Equivalent’.
There is a story of the legendary Alfred Stieglitz (husband of
painter Georgia O’Keeffe) talking to a man about one of his
photographs:
Man (looking at a Stieglitz Equivalent): Is this a photograph of
water?
Stieglitz: What difference does it make of what it is a
photograph?
Man: But is it a photograph of water?
Stieglitz: I tell you it does not matter.
Man: Well, then, is it a picture of the sky?
Stieglitz: It happens to be a picture of the sky. But I cannot
understand why that is of any importance.
Basically, I believe (with Stieglitz) that the subject is largely
irrelevant and it’s how the viewer (generally me) sees, or feels
about the image that is important. It’s a licence to blur, distort,
invert, flip, saturate or sharpen.
There is no “truth” in photographs; there never has been. The
world was not black and white before Autochromes and Madame
Yevonde magically made photographs coloured. Angus McBean
and Man Ray did their best to distort reality while the f64
movement in America falsely promoted pure photography. A
mere glance at an Ansel Adams enlarger will make the point.
In these days, where there are more photographs taken each day
than in the previous history of photography I feel that there is just
no point in recording another scene. Try to take an image that
makes people think. If no one is bothered, never mind!
Forty plus years ago, I (misguidedly) hoped to get my wife
interested in photography and invested heavily in Minolta film
and digital cameras. I have naturally moved on to Sony and
possess an unnecessarily large number of old Sony cameras of
which the RX10 III is my current favourite.
1213
The U3A’s national magazine is called ‘Third Age Matters’ (TAM).
This article on our ‘Mac’ is taken from the Winter 2019 edition; it should have been in an earlier ‘Buzz’. (Editor)
‘ANY QUESTIONS?’ A MAGICIAN AND A CRICKETER: MAC MCKECHNIE
I've heard you described as a 'mover and shaker' in the U3A. How do you
feel about that?
Well, you have to be, don't you! I'm not wonderful, I'm just doing the best I
can.
So how did you become a magician then?
In the 1980s there was an employment crisis. I lost my job as a warehouse
manager three times in four years. I said never again would I work for
anyone else and decided on the spot to be a magician.
What, just like that?
Yes. I was also a DJ and I got a booking to do a children's party. The organiser
asked if I could I do anything else, such as magic. I said "Of course I can",
even though I couldn't. So I charged double for the event and booked a
magician. On the day of the party, I was setting up my DJ kit and the magician
did his bit, and I thought, "I can do that".
Walking cricket has taken off big-time with groups all over the country.
How did you get involved with that?
I played cricket in the Army to quite a high level. It's been my great love. But
as you get older, you can't keep up with the youngsters and you have to hang up your bat. Then, last year I was very
ill with e-coli and nearly died. When I came out of hospital, I was overweight and, after some gentle prompting
(earache) by my wife, I joined Barnsley U3A's walking football group.
How did that go?
I didn't like football. It's a contact sport and I kept falling over. After I'd picked myself up off the floor for the last time,
I thought, "I wish this was cricket". So I searched online for walking cricket, but there wasn't any as such.
So you made up the rules, then?
Yes, together with Darren Talbot of Twenty20 Community Cricket in Surrey. I bought plastic bats on eBay and we
played our first game on January 9 — all wearing coats!
Is it only played by men?
No. Walking cricket is suitable for any gender or age. Our oldest player is Eric, and he’s 92. You don't need any previous
experience either — women who played rounders find they have transferable skills for cricket and really enjoy it.
What's next for walking cricket?
I'm working with ethnic communities in Bradford to set up walking cricket groups the Pakistani and West Indies
communities adore cricket. On U3A Day next June, I have arranged with the England & Wales Cricket Board a Yorkshire
U3A vs Surrey All Stars team - I'm trying to get Lord's for that!
I hear you got an OSCA (Outstanding Services to Cricket Award) for the northern
region and as a result were at the finals at Lord's. How did it go?
I didn't expect to win and felt humble against finalists who had spent their lives
painting their local cricket clubs or tending to the grounds, while all I do is wave
a plastic bat around. But if someone invites me on a tour of Lord's, with a three-
course meal and the chance of mingling with cricket's elite, I'm not going to say
no!
Is your wife Maureen in Barnsley U3A?
Oh yes. She does a number of classes — Yoga (I call it kung-fu to wind her up),
History, Spanish.
Is Mac your real name?
No, it's the name I go by.
Can you tell me what it is?
Absolutely not.
14‘WRITERS OF THE THIRD PAGE’ IN LOCKDOWN
Our dynamic, magical, cricketing Mac McKechnie formed our third Creative Writing group just before lockdown and
decided to open it up temporarily to U3A people beyond our own Barnsley U3A as many U3As are ‘resting’. It’s been
a huge success. Mac asked for some mini portraits and the following people responded enthusiastically.
JACQUELINE KNOX Knox U3A, Western Australia
My name is Jacqueline Knox and I live in the Dandenong Ranges (above)
in Victoria, Australia. I belong to Knox U3A and as a volunteer manage
their Facebook page and Website. I had belonged to the Craft U3A
Facebook group for some time and after we were all suddenly forced
into lockdown in March 2020, I was on Facebook and saw a link to a new
U3A Facebook group: Keeping in Touch. I joined this group and from
there found the creative writing group at Barnsley U3A that we now
know as ‘Writers of the Third Page’. With some extra free time on my
hands I thought it would be great to try some creative writing. I was so
warmly welcomed and since I joined have loved the weekly challenge of
creating stories from such a diverse range of ideas. I have found my
creative thinking has been stretched at times, which is a good thing, and
I am feeling more and more confident with my ability. Everyone who is
part of Writers of the Third Page has been encouraging and supportive.
We all enjoy reading each other’s stories and sharing our ideas. While my
own U3A in Australia has been closed it has been great to explore
Dandenong Botanic Garden
something new and make new friends in my original homeland. It is
strange how in life, one thing leads to another and you never know where it may end.
Hello, Buzz readers. I’m Yvonne McGowan, a member of Doncaster U3A. I joined ‘Writers of
The Third Page’ because I like to absorb myself in fiction to keep my mind active and escape
from reality. When I saw the Facebook page for Barnsley U3A Creative Writing Group, I realised
this was just the activity for me. I enjoy writing but have never had the opportunity to test my
ability and have it evaluated by my peers. The feedback given after each assignment is
invaluable to help you improve or recognise your strong points. Reading other members’ work
based on the same theme but with completely different story lines is interesting and thought-
provoking. Writing the first chapter from a picture is quite challenging and gets the grey cells
working. We all vote for the best ‘Author of chapter one’ and that is used for the chapter two
assignment. Everyone has a different perspective with humour, excitement, sentimentality or perhaps a fast-paced
mystery with an intriguing twist. We then provide constructive feedback and vote for ‘Author of the Week’. It all builds
self-confidence and self-esteem to try something different next time. It’s good fun and educational as facts need to be
researched to provide knowledge as well as fiction. It has kept me busy during the last few months and I hope it will
continue. Thanks to Mac for building this group and growing it to create a wide-ranging diverse membership.
15Hello. I’m Carol Barton, a member of Cam and Dursley U3A in Gloucestershire.
I joined U3A when I retired three years ago, hoping to find a writing group. As there was no
such group, I started 'Writing for Pleasure'. We meet monthly and have continued to meet via
Zoom throughout Lockdown. I read about 'Writers of the third page' on the U3A Facebook page
and got in touch with Mac straight away. I have been a member for eight weeks and it is a great
group with members from around the world, growing daily. The group has encouraged me to
write more regularly (weekly) on a wide variety of subjects, including cows! I look forward every
week, to reading all the different stories we come up with, starting with the same stimulus.
Everyone in the group is kind and supportive. I hope to continue to be an online member even
when we get back to 'normal'. Thanks to Mac for opening up the Barnsley group to us all.
Hello, BU3A Buzz readers. I’m Miall James; I live in Coggeshall, Essex, and I am a member of
Witham (Essex) U3A. I joined your ‘Writers of The Third Page’ Creative Writing Group because
I enjoy a writing challenge.
I’m an Essex man, of Welsh ancestry. Grew up in Essex then went north to Sunderland EVER
so many years ago to study pharmacy. As well as that qualification, I gained a wife, a
Lancashire lass, who was studying teaching there. I enjoy wine, my family, travelling, creative
writing, draught beer, cricket, and the U3A (not in any particular order). Three children, seven
grandchildren and a granddaughter-in-law. Eldest granddaughter is about to start a PhD
course at Sheffield Uni.
I worked in community pharmacy for about twenty years, then moved to the NHS, where I
was involved with services to the elderly, especially in Care Homes. Other than the U3A, I’m a Committee member of
the local WEA and of our local museum and was for many years a trustee of Citizens Advice Bureau."
Hello, Barnsley U3A Buzz readers.
My name is Linda Bettridge, I am a member of Cam & Dursley U3A. I joined ‘Writers of the Third
Page’ Creative Writing Group because I love words and writing.
Until moving to Gloucestershire most of my writing was designed to be spoken and I was a regular
attendee of “open mic” nights. I joined this on-line group because I love and appreciate writing
and words. Having the opportunity to become a member of this group was a very positive thing
during the lockdown. The discipline of a deadline makes me focus and, given a subject, I am
constantly amazed how my fellow writers can develop it. We’re a friendly and supportive lot!
Hello, ‘Buzz’ readers, my name is Pauline Blackmore, from Stafford U3A, but originally a Yorkshire lass from Leeds who
moved south on marriage in 1970.
When looking for Magic Groups in the U3A, seeking someone to entertain us at our Christmas
Lunch, I came across multi-talented Mac. He invited me to join the ‘Writers of the Third Page’
from many U3As, including Australia. This has enabled us, during these odd times, to spend useful
hours engaged in writing, and in reading the stories which the members produce.
Having always worked, the last 27 years in Jobcentres, retirement to me was a revelation. The
freedom not to get up at early hours is a very cherished one. The U3A was something about
which I had read, but didn’t join until I was widowed. It would have been lovely to have both
participated, there are so many ways to be involved and participate. After joining, I was
encouraged to form a lunch group for people who live on their own. After three years, it was so successful that in April,
if it had not been for lockdown, we would have welcomed our 100th active member to “Lively Lunches”. As we are
often nearly 35 people for lunch, we have spread to twice a month and make lots of noise and chatter wherever we
meet.
As one does, I became more drawn into U3A, joined the Committee and also greatly enjoyed initiating and running
the New Members’ Coffee Morning. Sadly, like Monthly Meetings, they are all now suspended. As our Publicity Officer,
I now feel the weight of trying to make sure that as we all hopefully return to some semblance of normality, we can
still attract new members to this wonderful, vibrant group of people that is the U3A.
16Hello ‘Buzz’ readers, I’m Sandi Rickerby. I joined U3A 12 years ago when I retired. I’m in three
U3As and fervently believe in lifelong learning. I’m a member of 10 groups and run three of them.
I am also the U3A Regional Trustee for the North East, so I am a member of the Board of Directors
at the Third Age Trust and also look after the interests of all 53 U3As in my area. I live in Morpeth,
a small market town in Northumberland. I have two children and two grandchildren, though they
all live over 200 miles away from me.
I love to be busy, so, apart from the U3A, I am a member of the National Women’s Register, the
WI and a Research Group connected to Newcastle University. I sing in two choirs, play steel pans
in a group and play ukulele in a blue grass band. Outside of all this I lead a Circle Dancing Group.
Another love is travelling and since I retired I have visited 57 countries. One highlight was when I flew to America with
a female friend, hired a car and drove Route 66 from Chicago to LA, without booking anything in advance. It was an
amazing adventure! I am totally dedicated to successful ageing and have a very positive attitude to life, a ‘can do’
attitude and, of course, my glass is always half full. Cheers!
Hello Barnsley U3A Buzz Readers. My name is Sue Skelton and I am the wife of the current vice-
chairman of Epsom & Ewell U3A. I joined ‘Writers of the Third Page’ in order to have an outlet for
the creative part of my nature that was thwarted by lockdown. I'm fairly new to retirement so I
was just getting into the swing of activities.
I was in the process of writing up the notes for our next ‘Exploring Walk’; it was our turn to lead the
walk in April. We like to write a story about the lives and times of the people in the part of London
we're going to visit and the start of our April walk was to have been to China Town near Leicester
Square, and we'd been up there just the week before lockdown.
Creative juices totally thwarted, I turned to the U3A ‘Keeping in Touch’ Facebook page. Mac was setting up a writing
group, irrespective of which U3A you were in. The rest, as they say, is history; I'm thoroughly enjoying every minute,
even though this week's assignment was a story about two ladies having a picnic in the middle of a field of cows!
DON’T WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS BREATH
JUNE MORNING, EARLY John Hines
Useful Acronyms for YOU?
I woke ...heart ... thumping ... from an awful dream.....
GGPBL – Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low
.... relieved that I was safe ... in my own bed ...
GGLKI – Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking in
still gasping, as I tried to calm myself.
LMDO – Laughing My Dentures Out
Then ..... Mother Nature offered me her balm. BFFT – Best Friend’s Funeral Today
A blackbird started with his morning song, OMMR – On My Massage Recliner
(fit to impress a royal audience). ROFL – Rolling on Floor Laughing!
My heavy thoughts dissolved and soon were gone, DWI – Driving While Incontinent
IMHO – Is My Hearing-Aid On?
unable to exist in that same space.
BYOT – Bring Your Own Teeth
................................
WNO –Wheelchair Needs Oil
I let him entertain me as he chose, FWIW – Forgot Where I Was
a luxury no sane man could refuse. BTW – Bring the Wheelchair
A fool might close a window on ‘the noise’ WTP – Where’s the Prunes?
and throw away a charm worth more than sleep. GHA – Got Heartburn Again
TTML – Talk to Me Louder
He freely gave his splendid repertoire,
IWTF – I’ve wet the Floor
as maestros sometimes will for charity, FYI – Found Your Insulin
and then fell silent .... having work elsewhere. OMG: Ouch, My Groin!
............................... TOT – Texting on Toilet
Too ‘charged’ I could no longer stay in bed. ATD – At the Doctor’s
At 4 o’clock I started on my day... OMG – Oh My! Gas!
glad I’d been woken .... glad to be alive.
17MY DAD’S WAR Sue Rowley
This year is the 75th Anniversary of V-J (Victory over Japan) Day, which marked the end of WWII.
I have written this memory of the part my dad, George Money, played in the war.
My dad was born in London in 1921. After leaving school in
the 30’s, he trained to be an electrician. World War II broke
out when he was 18.
In April 1940, he joined the RAF’s 84 Squadron. While still
training, he was sent as part of the British Expeditionary
Force to fight the Italians who had invaded Greece. The
subsequent German invasion of Greece in April 1941
forced 84 Squadron to pull out to Iraq and then briefly to
the Western Desert in Egypt.
The attack on Pearl Harbour in December, 1941, signalled the entry of Japan into
the war. In January 1942, 84 Squadron were moved to the Far East. My father was
in Java on the eve of the Japanese invasion in February, 1942. They knew about the Japanese treatment of prisoners
of war and were determined not to surrender. So they set out from Java in two lifeboats and a motor launch for
Australia; the engine on the motor boat soon broke down. There was no chance of 50 men getting to Australia in
two lifeboats, so they landed on a nearby island. The decision was made to take 11 men on one lifeboat and try to
get to Australia and ask the authorities there to come and rescue them. George stayed on the beach for two months.
Surveying the island, the airmen discovered the Japanese already had a garrison at the Western end of it! They
returned to their beach and laid low, living off meagre rations and whatever else they could find. However, after
seven weeks they were so hungry and ill that they had no choice but to surrender. What followed the surrender left
my father with bitter memories.
The Japanese had had no idea that the British airmen were on the island but their initial astonishment quickly gave
way to frustration and anger. For the first two days, the airmen were locked in a hut with no food. Every now and
again one of the Japanese soldiers would come in and shout at them.
Meanwhile, after 47 days, the lifeboat had made it to Australia and a rescue was
planned. The American submarine, Sturgeon (right), was sent to the Javanese
beach but arrived too late, five days after the airmen’s surrender. So, George and his comrades spent three and a
half years in captivity, always wondering if that lifeboat had made it to Australia.
After a spell in notorious Changi Jail in Singapore, my
dad was forced to work on the infamous Burma
railway and was one of the men who built the bridge
over the river Kwai. Of the 1,200 who left the jail with
George only 720 were to return. Those left behind
died from ill-treatment, neglect or malnutrition.
George’s parents learnt in July 1943 that he was in Japanese hands and in September 1945 they received a telegram
saying that he was safe in Singapore. During his time as a Prisoner of War, there was no communication with fiancée
and future wife, Pat (top, right). He was allowed to send just three cards to his parents. He
returned home in October 1945, worked as an electrician and became a successful
consultant engineer. He part-founded a branch of the Far East Prisoner of War Association
and organised a visit to war cemeteries in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand. He was also
a member of the Royal British Legion, the RAF Association and the Java Club. My sister and I
are proud to have often marched past the Cenotaph in the annual Remembrance Parade in
London.
My father died in 2012, aged 91. He never forgave or forgot the brutal treatment meted out to him and his companions
during those dark days as prisoners of war of the Japanese, and in the real sense of the word he was a true survivor.
18BIRDWELL BUDDIES – from strange beginnings … Coordinator: Joanie Tollerfield
It is quite bizarre! I can honestly say even though none of the members of
Birdwell Buddies have met each other in person due to the fact that our first
meeting was to be on 26th March, 2020, the start of the
UK’s Coronavirus lockdown, we have already built up a very
special friendship with each other and I don’t think that we
will ever forget ‘The Birdwell Buddies Covid-19 Lockdown
Group 2020’.
As originator and then Coordinator of Birdwell Buddies, I
decided to start a WhatsApp group for all our Birdwell
Buddies on the 22nd of March 2020. Thirty-eight BU3A
members had signed up for the group and as I write on 5th
June, sixteen of us are chatting every day. Daily, there are
well over 60 posts from members! We have shared ideas, swapped jigsaws, photographed and
made videos of our walks and have posted them for all those who are shielding or self-isolating to
see. There are photos of our gardens and plants, we have shared cooking ideas, recipes, crafts,
quizzes and lots more over the past 12 weeks.
So, thank you to Mary for your
wake-up call every morning and
for tucking us all up in our beds
at night. To Dianne, Sue, Renata,
Margaret V, Margaret W, Val,
Mary and Barbara for your
videos and photos of your local
walks, stunning flowers and
gardens. Also to Joan for her brain exercise quizzes every day, to all who have listened and watched, and to everyone
else who has posted to keep us entertained.
We celebrated St George’s Day, VE Day and D Day together in lock down but the biggest party yet will be organised
for when we have our first meeting at Birdwell Community Centre as soon as we feel safe enough to do so, hopefully
not too far away. I am so looking forward to getting together and putting faces to names.
ANYONE who wishes to join us will be very welcome; just give me a call via Contact List details
THE BUN RUN and CHARLES ELLIS at 80 Jo Kasparek
At the start of lockdown, Marie Rusling of Monk Bretton Chapel, who is also
our teacher at U3A Sequence Dancing, kept in contact with several isolated
and vulnerable members of the Chapel and the Sequence Dancing group by
phone.
Marie loves to bake so her next step was to deliver a selection of scones and
cakes to these people on a regular basis. I joined her in this ‘bake and take’
venture and between us we now bake and deliver goodies to some 20
households across Barnsley.
On 4 July, Charles Ellis of the Sequence Dancing group celebrated his 80th
birthday. He is pictured with a fabulous cake baked and decorated by Elaine
Wright, also of the Sequence Dancing group. Marie and I delivered this cake
to him and joined his family in wishing him a Very Happy Birthday. Our group
Co-ordinator, Lynda Gensavage, had publicised his birthday on our Facebook site and lots of members posted cards to
Charles, who was quite overwhelmed by such a wonderful surprise.
19You can also read
