newsletterMarch 2026 Reg Charity No.1177826HORNCASTLEHorncastle -‘holme’ to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
March 2026 2 u3a HorncastleWelcome to the March edition ofthe newsletter. As you’re readingthis, it means I’ve succeeded ingetting my first edition together!Last December saw the verysuccessful trip to the Christmasmarket at Beverley in Yorkshire –and there is an upcoming trip toIreland. This is a 5-day coach trip,staying at a hotel in Enniscorthy, CoWexford, in the south-east of theRepublic. The price is £550 perperson, which includes all ferrycrossings and a free bar in thehotel. There might be a few seatsleft, so contact Marilyn Makinsthrough the website if you’reinterested.Your committee is always lookingfor things that are of interest to ourmembers, so if there are any tripsor events you’d like us to arrange,do let us know – through thewebsite or at any of our monthlymeetings.u3a is a national organisation, andthere is inevitably a committeestructure that goes with this. It’srecently been changed to separatethe legal and organisationalresponsibilities. A new Board hasassumed the legal responsibilities,while a new Council is charged withensuring that u3a as a whole givesits members what they want. Noparticular expertise is required –you just have to be a u3a member.The time commitment issignificant, estimated at 1-2 days aweek. If you are interested inputting yourself forward forelection to the council, please getin touch with any committeemember.Talking of committees, severalpositions on our main committeewill become vacant in the comingmonths, as long-serving membersstand down. If you’re interested inhelping run our group, please get intouch.We have a great programme ofspeakers lined up for our monthlymeetings, covering all tastes andinterests. Do come along – it’s agreat chance to chat to othermembers, apart from anything else!The January meeting with SirJonathan Van-Tam was a particularhighlight, and there’s a report aboutit in this newsletter.Mark Ogilvie (Editor)From the editor...
u3a Horncastle 3 March 2026In this issue...To contribute to this magazine please contact Mark Ogilvie email: [email protected] and print:Woodhall Photo Print & Copy, Station Road, Woodhall Spa LN10 6QL Tel: 01526 354949Financial &MembershipFinancialThe main current account balanceat the end of 2025 was £3,915.The social account closingbalance for the year was £789.This includes income andexpenses for the BeverleyChristmas trip in December 2025.The funds accrued are yours – themembership of our Horncastlegroup. The committee do theirbest to spend this wisely, butplease let us know if there isanything in particular you wouldlike us to do with your money.MembershipHorncastle u3a had 215 membersas of December 2025. 36 newmembers joined the group duringthe year. 4 New members5 Creative Photography6 Sir Jonathan Van-Tam7 Tech talk – Linux8 Pilates Group9 Croquet Group10 Mad About Marquetry!12 The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust15 Profile – Derek Smith16 New Beginnings16 Music Appreciation Group18 A Trip To Cyprus!19 Awakenings20 Supper Club21 Games Group22 Readers Group22 Upcoming Speakers23 Group Listings
March 2026 4 u3a HorncastleNew members’ thoughtsIn the ‘Straight Story’, Alvin explains to the girl hitchhiker how hedemonstrated family to his kids by asking them to break a bundle of twigstied together. They couldn’t, too strong to snap. But if that sounds tooHollywood, then here’s what some new family members have to say…“I was aware of u3a for some years, but having been on my own for fouryears I decided to take a serious look at what it had to offer. My motivationwas to meet new people and learn new skills - but what skills I had no idea!Since joining, I’ve enjoyed sessions of New Age Kurling and MOTO, enjoyinga warm welcome at both groups. I was impressed that u3a could secureSir Jonathan Van-Tam as the January speaker, a real highlight. I’m lookingforward to my first outing with the Strollers, and have volunteered toassess the route for the next walk. Everything so far has been extremelypositive. As a new member, I feel reasonably ‘engaged’, and I’m lookingforward to exploring the diverse range of groups available.” — RobinMy introduction was purelyby accident, as the class I hoped toattend was only open to u3amembers. I subsequentlyjoined u3a and waswarmly welcomed andintroduced to a widerange of other activitieson offer. I was particularly impressed by thefriendliness of themembers. It was clear that u3a isnot just about learning,but also about community, support, and enjoying new experiencestogether. — LesleyIn 2020, I had two heart attacks and a ministroke, and now have six stents. It's taken alot of recovery, and going back to croquetthis last couple of years has really helpedwith my fitness. I’m always looking for waysto pass away the miserable winter months,and u3a seemed the ideal solution. NewAge Kurling is proving a very enjoyablecouple of hours every other week, and themonthly talk is very interesting and social. Iam really enjoying my membership andthank everyone for making me feel sowelcome and helping me regain myconfidence after a rough few years.” — Enid
u3a Horncastle 5 March 2026The Creative Photography group continuesto meet each month, and we have recentlybeen experimenting with the use ofartificial intelligence (AI) in photo editing.This may sound a little daunting, and givensome of the recent news stories about it we weresomewhat apprehensive. However, it really is quitestraightforward to use, and can have dramaticresults - see the series of three photos below.The first one is the original image. It shows thegroup’s founder and longstanding leader, AndyMathieson, drinking his tea after a u3a meeting acouple of years ago. Sadly, Andy died last year,so we include these pictures as a tribute to him.(I’m not sure what he would have made of theuse of AI in photography, though!)If you search Google for ‘chatgpt’, you caneasily access the ChatGPT AI system, free ofcharge. A text box appears on opening, intowhich we copied and pasted the image - andthen simply typed in ‘make the person in thepicture be playing a ukelele’. Click on the ‘go’button, and in about 30 seconds the secondimage was created!Those of you who knew Andy will recall that hewas very much a part of the Horncastle UkeleleGroup (HUGS), so we decided to make his dreamcome true and asked ChatGPT to make it looklike he was playing at Wembley Arena - see thefinal image. I am sure that you will agree that this is apowerful tool with many and varied uses, and Iwould encourage you to have a go.— Mike HarrisonCreativePhotography
March 2026 6 u3a HorncastleThe speaker for ourJanuary meetingwas Sir JonathanVan-Tam, who became afixture on our TV screensduring the Covid pandemic. Sir Jonathan gavea fascinating talk, covering his early life as wellas the experience of becoming one of the regular figures guiding andupdating us all duringthe crisis. He describedhow his childhood influences gave him a kindof databank of values –something to draw onwhen the time came forhim to step up to themark. His grandfatherwas the Prime Ministerof Vietnam, and his unclewas chief of staff of theVietnamese army – bothduring the French colonial period. His uncle wasthe first Vietnamese toreach the rank of general. Sir Jonathan saidthat their titles meantnothing when he wassmall, but he grew torealise what they hadachieved as he got older.This helped him realisethat he, too, could takeon onerous roles – andcould cope with the attention and exposurethat is a natural consequence. He joked thathe wasn’t in awe of senior politicians – after all,when he was four yearsold, he’d regularly sat onthe knee of a real-lifeprime minister!He went on to recounthow the scientific teamgot on top of the data,working with the vaccineteam as they rushed tosave us all. A private celebration – a bottle ofchampagne shared withLady Van-Tam – was theturning point for him,when he received thefirst test data confirmingthey had a solution toinject in us all.He finished with somereflections on how headvises young people toget as wide a range ofexperiences as possible.Perhaps our members inHorncastle u3a are agood advertisement forthat advice!During a short round ofQ&A, one lady thankedSir Jonathan and thewhole science team forthe wonderful job thatthey had done – whichattracted a spontaneousround of applause fromthe whole audience. Perhaps this moment, morethan anything said, crystallised what we all wentthrough, and how muchthe work of people likeSir Jonathan is appreciated. — Mark OgilvieSir Jonathan Van-TamLeading through the pandemic
u3a Horncastle 7 March 2026Most people’s computers usethe Windows operating system. Windows 11 is the latestversion of the operating system, butmany computers just a few years oldwill still be using Windows 10. This runs perfectly well, but unfortunately Microsoft stopped providingupdates and security patches for Windows 10 in October 2025 - they wantusers to upgrade to Windows 11. But not all computers can be upgraded, due to restrictions imposed byMicrosoft - leavingmillions of peoplewith functioningcomputers unableto upgrade toWindows 11.So what if you’restuck with Windows 10? Well, yourcomputer will stillwork, but withoutregular security updates, it will become vulnerableto hackers andspam. Some software on your computer may stop working. Basically, thecomputer industry wants you to purchase an expensive new computer,with thousands of fully functioningcomputers going to landfill. But there is another way. Windowscan be completely replaced byanother operating system – Linux. Linux is ‘open source’ software, andcan be installed at no cost, totally free.It takes about an hour or two to install,enabling you to continue safely usingyour existing computer. It was started by a Finnish computerstudent in 1991 – but as it isn’t ownedby one big company, developersaround the world have all contributedimprovements. Linux is now the dominant system for large internet serversand Android smartphones.If you’d like to install Linux and carryon using your old PC, there are somechecks and backup steps to do first,which might involve buying an inexpensive external drive (say £50-100).But apart from that, it’s free. Once installed, Linux is safe, stable and reliable. There are plenty of YouTube videosexplaining what’s involved, but if thereis sufficient interest, I’d be happy torun a workshop on how to install Linuxonto personal members laptops. — Derek SmithTECH TALKLearningLinux...
March 2026 8 u3a HorncastlePilates is a gentle form ofexercise suitable for men andwomen of all ages. It isbeneficial for everyday living, and willhelp keep you mobile and functioning.Part of the Pilates philosophy is‘listening’ to your body - becomingaware of which muscles you are usingduring the movements. This can takea bit of doing, but is really beneficial.Tracey modifies exercises foranyone who needs an alternative, andinspires pain-free movement throughself-awareness. The aim is to create asense of freedom and ease in ourmovement, enriching everyday life.There is a group exclusively forHorncastle u3a members taught byTracey Job. It’s at the MethodistChurch Hall in Queen Street onWednesday mornings at 11am. Thecost is £5, paid to Tracey on themorning. Availability of placeschanges, but there are usually a fewspare places for any newcomers.You’ll need to bring an exercise mat,head support block, towel or smallcushion and chi ball (a small inflatableball used in some balancingexercises) - readily available in placeslike GO Outdoors or online.Here are a few comments fromgroup members:“I enjoy the Pilates because ourTutor, Tracey, is so good! Shedemonstrates, explains and talks usgently through each move in a calmand cheerful way. No two classes arequite the same. I always feel goodafter each session and look forwardto Wednesday mornings.” - Jean“I’ve had sciatica for 6 years, duringwhich I’ve been seeing the physio atthe Horncastle GP practice. Sherecently commented that I’m movingmuch more easily since I startedPilates.” - JuliaAnd your newsletter editor canvouch for the improvement in a nigglyleft shoulder since he’s been going toPilates, too!If you would like more details or areinterested in joining us, pleasecontact the group leader, YvonneMcKay – details are on the u3awebsite.Pilates Please!
9Croquet GroupCroquet: six hoops, four balls, a pairor two of mallets, and a patch ofgrass. Sounds easy enough!But croquet is a game of skill andstrategy, angles, tactics, and guile. Abit like snooker on grass, if you onlygot one shot at a time, and youropponent could knock your ball tothe far end of the table, or jump overit to score before you! It offers sport,friendship, fun and competition.Croquet is played on equal termsby men and women, young and old.The basic skills are easily learned, butthe tactics evolve and change withyour physical skills. It keeps you onyour mental toes, with some gentleexercise thrown in.Woodhall Spa (WSCC) is the oldestand largest croquet club inLincolnshire, and the u3a section haslong been an important part of it. Theclub provides the equipment - all youneed are flat shoes. We have fourqualified coaches who will quickly getyou playing at a level where you cancall yourself a croquet player.The playing fee is £5 per session forthose members of the u3a who aren’tmembers of WSCC. The u3amembers who have also joined WSCCwill enjoy complimentary play. Theseason’s fees are collected and paidinto WSCC’s account, which goestowards upkeep of the lawn and loanof the equipment.The club prides itself on beingfriendly and welcoming, with laughsas plentiful as the tea and biscuits.The new season will be starting againin April, depending on weather andlawn conditions. But come rain orshine, the Group Leader will be inattendance, every Tuesday morning10am to 12am, and we will bedelighted to see you on our lawns inJubilee Park, Woodhall Spa. If youcan’t join us on a Tuesday morning,do drop by any of our Sundayafternoon meetings for anintroductory session.For further information (includingWSCC membership) please contact:Wendy Cotton on 07504 401878.
March 2026 10 u3a HorncastleItaught craftand designfor over 30years, andwhen I retired Iwanted to usethe skills andknowledge Ihad acquired.But how? I hadalways likedworking withsmall, fiddlyprojects - I’dpreviouslymade modelsteam engineswith my GCSEclasses, but theequipmentneeded for this was specialised andexpensive. So I decided to try usingwood, instead. Marquetry seemedsufficiently challenging, and I onlyneeded the hand tools I already hadto get started – so my journey began!Marquetry is the art of preciselycutting very thin leaves of wood, andgluing them onto a base to makeeither a pattern (parquetry) or apicture (marquetry). It’s a bit like anupmarket jigsaw puzzle! It needspatience, accuracy and the righttechnique to achieve good results. It’sa slow process, requiring patienceand many hours. The technique wasonce very popular, being used todecorate all sorts of fine woodenfurniture - tables, desks andsideboards –but has sadlyfallen out offashion inrecent times. My first foraywas making abox for mychess pieces,using a cheapready-madebox as the base.I decorated thetop with chesspiece designson abackground ofblack and whitesquares. I waspleased with itfor a first attempt - but I thought Icould do better. My brother is a keenchess player, and of course hewanted a similar box. Then followedboxes for friends and family, eachdecorated with scenes reflectingtheir particular interests – includingfishing, seafaring, yoga and jewellery.As with all skills, the more I made thebetter I got at it, and I became happierwith what I was achieving. But I wasstill buying standard base boxes oflow-quality softwood. It was time tostart making the whole thing myself –base and patternwork together. Ibought a router, sander, table-saw anddrill press. And all that woodworkingneeded better dust extractionequipment, too. If a job’s worth doing,Mad AboutMarquetry
u3a Horncastle 11 March 2026it’s worth doing well!I’ve since made manytables, boxes, letterracks, coasters,bookmarks, chessboards and key-racks– and started sellingthem, too. At first, Iused Folksy (a website similar to Etsy,but UK-based). Butthis was timeconsuming andexpensive, as I had to do all thepacking and postage, and paycommission. Selling at local craft fairsproved time-consuming and ratherunrewarding, too. But in 2016 we moved to Horncastleand I discovered Damselfly Living - ashop in Louth that sells onlyhandmade items from local artisansand artists. It’s much more rewardingfinancially, as their customersappreciate exceptional design andcraftmanship, and are prepared to pay a fair price – plus I don’t have to worryabout packaging. The only drawback ishaving to keep up with demand, butthat’s a nice problem to have.Believe it or not, I find most of thewood for the bases in skips! – but Ionly pick out hardwoods, such as oak,beech and mahogany. I buy the woodveneers online - walnut, sycamore,maple and many others, includingzebrano or zebrawood which hasdark, wavy streaks against a goldenbackground. It’s important to usecontrasting woods, so that thepattern stands out.I find the infinite variety of grainsand figures of the different woodsvery inspiring. I really enjoy workingwith these to create products thatare useful, decorative and of a highquality. I like to make unique andindividual pieces, and no two willever be the same.And if someone likes it enoughto buy it, all the better. — Vaughan McKay
March 2026 12 u3a HorncastleWalk from the Market Place alongManor House Street, passing St Mary’sChurch and the community centreuntil the road comes to an end. Aheadis the driveway of a large, attractive18th century house known asBanovallum House. The houseoriginally formed part of the Revesbyestate, owned by the explorer andnaturalist, Sir Joseph Banks. Legendhas it that he himself planted thewalnut tree in the grounds. It has alsobeen a doctor’s house and surgery,and a garden centre, but since 1993has been the headquarters of theLincolnshire Wildlife Trust. By the start of the 1990s, the Trusthad outgrown its accommodation inthe Manor House in Alford; its homesince 1965. The location ofBanovallum House was ideal,reasonably central in the county andin the middle of Horncastle. Theproperty also included a walledgarden, a large paddock and about200 metres of the River Bain. As well as providing the offices andmeeting rooms for the Trust staff,Banovallum House is also one of theTrust’s nature reserves and itsymbolises, albeit in a smaller scalethan many reserves, some of theTrust’s aims and purpose. At the heartof the Trust’s work, are the naturereserves: places that protect wildlifeand natural features. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trustin HorncastleThe wildflower meadow behind Banovallum HousePriority - ducks!
u3a Horncastle 13 March 2026No reserve is the same as another:each has different habitats andwildlife, and different levels of access.Some reserves have waymarked trailsand birdwatching hides. At others,access is best left being visual: thesmall meadows where walkingthrough them would mean tramplingthe important wildflowers includingrare orchids or at Willow Tree Fenwhere you look out over a rich vistafilled with life and possibly with a pairof cranes and their chick.From Gibraltar Point, the first Trustnature reserve in 1949, the LincolnshireWildlife Trust has expandedconsiderably and now has over 27,000members and 100 nature reserves.These nature reserves amazing places,teeming with wildlife. The mostprecious habitats and species in thecounty are found within them andthousands of people visit every year.In terms of biodiversity, BanovallumHouse is ranked 16th out of all theTrust reserves (pretty impressive,considering its small size) with a totalof 1,439 species recorded. Undoubtedly, having staff based there,recording the species they see onlunch breaks in the grounds hasboosted this total. The river providesregular sightings of kingfisher, greywagtails, banded demoiselles andtantalising indications of otters. Inspring and summer, the meadows aredotted with the colours of wildflowersand butterflies. Kestrels hover overhead and buzzards are often seenhigh above. As well as the wildlife, BanovallumHouse shows how the Trust looks foropportunities to make more space forwildlife and work in partnership toachieve more. From the initialpurchase in 1993, Banovallum HouseHarrison's Holme - the new reserve for Horncastle
March 2026 14 u3a Horncastleas a nature reserve has expanded twice. First in1995, with the purchase of the adjoining meadowknown as Staunch Field. Then, in 2025, to thesouth of the A158, on land bordered on two sidesby the River Bain and River Waring calledHarrison’s Holme. Working with East Mercia RiversTrust, the area will be re-landscaped creating aseries of microhabitats that will support a diverserange of plants, insects, reptiles and amphibians,small mammals and birds. Harrison’s Holme is being designed to allow forthe more natural movement and storage of water.It’s not unique for the nature reserve to storewater at times of flood or to slow the flow ofwater through the landscape. And theundisturbed soils of woodland, grassland, wetlandand peatland are locking away carbon. Carefullymanaged and monitored, nature reserves couldalso help us face the climate crisis.Beyond the reserves, the impact is expandedstill further by working in partnership with otherlandowners and organisations. AcrossLincolnshire, land is being managed with nature inmind and wildlife surveys are being carried out.All from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’sheadquarters in Horncastle.— Rachel Shaw, Lincolnshire Wildlife TrustDerek has been amember ofHorncastle u3a formany years, and is thecurrent Chairman. Nowretired, he enjoyed avaried career whichstarted for him inUxbridge at the age offifteen, when he walkedout of school. He found anapprenticeship with anelectrical contractor, andafter five years moved onto the RAF where heserved for twelve years.Derek, with his wife andchildren, lived in severalplaces with the RAF, andeventually wanted a moresettled life for the family.Stints at Marconi and thePrudential followed, inChelmsford, before a lifeand career change ledhim to become a PrisonOfficer, where he neededmany skills, includingcommunication andpeople-handling.Asked to describehimself in three words, hechose (after somehesitation) Christian,Caring and Empathetic.He is a born-againChristian and says thatBanovallum House
u3a Horncastle 159 March 2026this guided him into work in semiretirement in Devon, which led to hisundertaking courses in counsellingand leadership, and supportingpeople who needed help with drugand alcohol abuse. A three-year semi-retirement inSpain, also involving voluntarycommunity work, followed by the illhealth and the sad loss of his wife,led him to Lincolnshire, where hehas family. He moved to Louth,where he volunteered at theMuseum, before a mixture ofchance and divine intervention ledhim to Horncastle. He likes our townfor its character, interesting smallshops and regular bus services andfeels the downsides are theincreasing heavy traffic andworsening of the road surfaces dueto potholes.A main interest is photography. Heis obviously very good at this,judging by some super images in hishome, but his Louth Photographyevening unfortunately clashes withthe meeting of our own CreativePhotography Group. Derek alsoenjoys leading the HorncastleCooperative Wellbeing health walks,where he chooses from a variety ofshortish (2 -3 miles) routes aroundthe town.He enjoys the u3a Games Groupand MOTO (Members On TheirOwn) which seems to be developinginto a dining club. He wouldgenerally sum up his u3a experienceas Supportive, Friendly andEncouraging and enjoys theopportunities for socialising.When asked to list his greatestachievements in life, so far, he citedhappiness, an enjoyable life, a variedcareer and rewarding volunteeringroles. Asked for his advice, on Lifethe Universe and All That, he listed“Don’t be stubborn, don’t be shyand don’t think you are always in theright.” Sound advice. — Yvonne MathiesonProfile on: Derek Smith
The time had arrived. One lastlook back at the house – shouldhave dug up some Japaneseanemones to take with us, sadly toolate, now we are pulling away from thekerb, saying goodbye to our familyhome of 43 years.Goodbye to Staffordshire, afterpacking all our possessions ourselves,in one nightmare week, all ourfurniture, piece by piece, lowereddown the narrow staircase, children’stoys and clothes (should have beendisposed of, but never could), downfrom the attic, loaded onto a large vanoutside and driven away in batchesinto storage some eight miles away,lifted out again at the other end upthe lift, into storage units, first one,then another – finally a shippingcontainer. It’s beyond ourunderstanding, lookingback, how we did it. Wasthat really us? Were wethat clever? Were wethat stupid?We can’t recall wherewe parked for our firstnight of homelessnessin our campervan, but itwas a wet miserablenight, even for August,somewhere on avergeside, in a postmove daze. That firstmorning afterwards,sitting in McDonalds with the laptop –the search for a new home hadbegun. Where to go? The Lakes,Cotswolds, North Norfolk, Yorkshire,each with its own particularattractions. But Lincolnshire seemedthe most affordable.How come we knew so little ofLincolnshire? Even though welltravelled, somehow we had missedthe Lincolnshire Wolds. It was arevelation to find such a beautifularea. In all we viewed over 60properties, from old dilapidatedfarmhouses to bungalows andcottages. We at last settled on aproperty in a village close toHorncastle and spent over twomonths on negotiations, but had topull out on the last day of October,due to an unsurmountable problem.March 2026 16 u3a HorncastleNEW BEGINNINGSJust over two years ago, Jeff Jones (ourMembership Secretary) and I formed a MusicGroup to give members the opportunity tolisten to and appraise music in its myriad forms.Jeff has a formidable music collection and a stateof-the art music system, and other memberssupplement the music offerings as required.The Group explores not only classical music butalso ventures into many other genres, includingjazz, popular music, opera, film scores and evenprogressive rock. Each piece of music isintroduced and its story told. At the end, it is Music Appreciation GroupKris and Mike Stanley
u3a Horncastle 17 March 2026Our hope of being in a newproperty in time forChristmas now looked likean impossibility. Two wholemonths lost, and storagecosts mounting.Looking back, this wasour lowest point - adisappointing blow, andcampervan conditionswere beginning to take atoll, with winter conditionslooming. But that’s whensomething amazinghappened! Walking into aHorncastle estate agentone morning, we spotted alovely farmhouse, whichwe had previously seenadvertised as sold, buthad loved at first sight.Now it was back on themarket, and we couldmake a cash offer.discussed and assessed, and judgedon its merits. We have had someinteresting comments! Of course, noteverything is universally popular - wetry to cover all tastes, and sometimesget ‘nul points’ from some members!We are fortunate in that we live in acountry where music is a prominentpart of artistic and general life, fromthe international success of popularbands to the works of our greatcomposers. Each has their place inour repertoire. Music stirs anddelights us, whether it is Classic FM,BBC Radios 2, 3 and 6, or evenKerrang! Radio. What would life bewithout music to cheer us?So the Group flourishes.Unfortunately, we don’t have room foradditional members at present, butwhen a vacancy arises we shall behappy to welcome you. Do email us ifyou are interested in joining us in thefuture! — Neil CarterAt last! We got the keysto the house, arriving verylate with two huge removalvans in tow. After fourmonths on the road,surviving some prettychallenging conditions andsetbacks, we had finallyfound our house - andright in the heart ofTennyson country, too. Anextract from his ‘Ulysses' ispinned above the door –“Come..., ‘tis not too late toseek a newer world, for mypurpose holds... to strive,to seek, to find and not toyield.” Turning the key inthe lock we couldn’tbelieve all our efforts hadpaid off so spectacularly…new county... new house...new neighbours... newbeginnings... n
March 2026 18 u3a HorncastleWe flew just before Easter,wondering what adventuresawaited. We arrived at ourfriends’ house to find fruit-laden orange and lemon trees, a garden bursting with salad crops, and strawberriesin abundance - in March!Preparations for Easter were in fullswing. Butchers in the local marketwere doing a roaring trade, with customers carrying off whole sides oflamb. Easter inCyprus is areal familycelebration aswell as a religious festival.We joined thefray at a stallselling wonderfully marinated lamb,cooked kebabstyle andserved in pitta bread, and fresh saladwith Greek dressing. Delicious! Thiswas our introduction to souvlaki andladolemono, a classic oil and lemondressing. Greek cuisine is not boringnor complicated - just mouthwatering.It was too early for the sea to bewarm, but the right time to see a carpet of wild flowers bloom before succumbing to a scorching sun. Wetravelled to relatives in Lefkara, a smallvillage west of Larnaca renowned forintricate lacemaking, a true home industry handed down through generations. They lived in a traditional housebuilt around a shady courtyard with alovely cool fountain. Once inside, wewere served Turkish coffee and softdrinks, preserved grapefruit, and invited by the menfolk to sample theirzivania, a mightily strong grape spirit -“Stin iyia mas!” (to our health).As Easter approached, our hosts’reverence for the Greek OrthodoxChurch became more evident, and wewere happy tojoin the localcommunity incelebrations. Itbegan in thetown with thelocal priest, insurplice andcarrying a largegolden cross,leading thecongregation.Everyone circuited the church to the sound offirecrackers! These were apparently tosignify breaking open the tomb whereJesus’ body had lain.There followed a solemn service inthe church, and on leaving everyoneexchanged the greeting “Christosanesti” (Christ is risen), to which theresponse is “Alithos anesti” (I believehe is risen). The sincerity, love and acceptance of those people was moving. Three months later the Turkish invasion began…— Graham HuttonA trip to Cyprus!
u3a Horncastle 19 March 2026The pheasants have beendisposed of. The brutal soundsthat have punctuated the air forthe past four months have finallyceased, and the guns have fallensilent. As if to celebrate the fact, thesun is shining, and the sky, a palewinter blue, is stretching as far as theeye can see, disturbed only by theoccasional brush stroke of a cloud.Amazingly, the birds are alreadyreturning to the lake. Striding alongthe top of the banks are theimperious, pink footed geese. In tightformation they swing first this wayand then that, checking that nothinghas changed since the last time theywere here. The mallard ducks areback on the water, steering clear ofthe still-frozen sheets of ice, that laylike cracked and broken panes ofglass, fracturing into intricatepatterns. Even a passing seagull hasparked himself on one of thesecounterpanes, happily surveying thescene. A few scoters glide silentlypast, no doubt also driven in from thecoast by the cold weather, and heredippers are busy disappearing andreappearing from beneath the water,searching for food.The air is still, and unbroken, mypresence being the only other beinghere. A rare and precious time toexperience the last of nature’s longsleep before gearing herself up forthe tasks of Spring, when once againthe lake will burst with the noise andactivity of a new year.— Brenda MumfordEditor’s Note: The velvet scoter(Melanitta fusca) is a large sea duck,which breeds over the far north ofEurope and the Palearctic west of theYenisey basin. The genus name isderived from Ancient Greek melas\"black\" and netta \"duck\". (Wikipedia).Image: Richard Crossley, WikipediaAWAKENINGS
March 2026 20 u3a HorncastleThe u3a Supper Club is a reallysimple idea – once a month, wemeet up to enjoy good foodand a chat! We are a mix of couplesand singles. The thing we all have incommon is we like eating out atdifferent restaurants and pubsaround the county. We meet once a month, 11 times ayear, in the evenings. To make surethings go smoothly, we pre-order ourfood choices a week in advance. Thishelps the eateries to be ready for us,and means we’re not waiting ages forthe food to come – just long enoughto have a chat and catch up on news!We meet on the 2nd Wednesday ofeach month, at the venue at 6 pm for6.30 pm. Our group is currently full,but I would help set up anotherSupper Club for someone else to run.Here are some of the places wewent to in 2025:• Montebello Ristorante (Horncastle)- lovely Italian food in January witha return visit in September• The Abbey Lodge Inn (WoodhallSpa) - a roaring log fire in February,ice cream sundaes in August• Agra Tandoori (Coningsby) – agood warming curry in March• The George & Dragon(Hagworthingham) - steak nightfor meat-lovers• The King’s Treasure (Horncastle) –a great traditional Chineserestaurant. I even managed abanana fritter!• The Blue Bell Inn (TattershallThorpe) - a traditional inn with agreat war time history (see thecoins pressed into the rafters) • The Nelson Butt (Spilsby) - ahidden gem offering great foodand value for money• Flair Bistro (Coningsby) – anexciting restaurant to end our year.The owners worked under GordonRamsay & Angela Hartnett.Amazing food and a specialevening.I took over the group in 2023 fromLynn Urbanowicz, who was anamazing group leader. If you’d like tocome along, do get in touch.— Carolyn LyleSupper ClubOur Gastronomic Year 2025
u3a Horncastle 21 March 2026The Board Gamesgroup has beenrunning successfully now for a few years,but due to the interestin card games, we’ve renamed it ‘The GamesGroup’.Many of the traditionalgames - Chess, Backgammon, Scrabble andUpwords – are still verypopular. Most peopleare familiar with themand know how to play,and they are as muchfun to play as ever.However, there are lotsof other games - suchas Rummicub, Bananagrams and Quirkle –that don’t require aboard at all. These arecard-based games thatrequire little or no setting up, and it’s quickand easy to learn thebasics of how eachgame is played. Ofcourse, mastering themore subtle points cantake a lot longer! – butthen this is the real funof playing these games.The important thing isthat you can join instraight away.The group meets inthe Lounge area of Ancaster Court, which isthe retirement complexjust off the Wong – turnoff South Street by theBig Chair Company. Wemeet on the 2nd and4th Monday afternoonsof each month, from2pm until 4pm. There isa minimal charge of 50pto cover refreshments.Many people used toenjoy playing cardgames and boardgames with their family- but often these gameshave been left forgottenin cupboards under thestairs or in the loft, asfamilies grow up andmove away. But they’restill great fun – so whynot rekindle your interest? Come along andhave a go!If you have a favouritegame that you wouldlike to play, feel free tobring it along and introduce it to the group. It’salways good to give theold grey matter something new to learn. Ifyou’d like to give it a go,contact me at [email protected].— Vaughan McKayGames Group
What could be moreenjoyable on a cold andgrey winter's day thansnuggling up on a sofa and losingyourself in a good book? But we alsoput on our coats and gloves, andventure out to gather with our fellowreaders for a discussion about thebooks we read.We read one book a month. Theyvary in length and content, all chosenby us from a good list of options. Hereare a few:\"The Long Call\" by Ann Cleeves.Written by the ‘Vera’ creator and setin Devon, a body bearing a tattoo ofan albatross is found on a quietbeach. Detective Matthew Venn'sinvestigation will gradually unveil thedeadly secrets that lurk just out ofsight. Well received, and the majorityenjoyed it.\"The Way of All Flesh\" by AmbroseParry. Surprisingly well received,bearing in mind its gruesome content.In 19th century Edinburgh, Will Ravenis medical apprentice to the brilliantDr Simpson, a pioneer of anaesthesia.Sarah Fisher, housemaid to theSimpson household, has all of Raven'sintelligence but none of his privileges.In a twisting plot involving gangs andmurders, Will and Sarah combine toinvestigate! The book highlighted thelimited opportunities for women atthat time, while detailing a fascinatingperiod of medical history. All enjoyed.\"The Coffin Path\" by KatherineClements. In a time when witchcraftand the Devil featured in everyday life,Scarcross Hall stands on an old coffinpath high on the moors. Home toMercy Booth, it has a reputation forevil - shadowy figures, mysteriouswatchers, ancient coins going missing- an unsettling book, but one enjoyedby the group.So why a reading group? Well, weenjoy discussing and comparing ourfeelings about the books – anddiscovering different views whichhadn't occurred at all. It also broadensyour reading horizons. Both thereading groups are full at themoment, but if there is enoughinterest we could form a third group.— Janet DisneyMarch 2026 22 u3a HorncastleReaders Group Date Speaker TopicApril 7th Rosanna McGlone The Feisty Females of Medieval LincolnshireMay 5th Evie Kimsen Communities and Voluntary ServiceJune 2nd TBA Speaking in PublicJuly 7th Jan Wright Mary’s Meals (school meals charity)August 4th TBASeptember 1st Chris Jones Long distance walking for CharityOctober 6th Joanne Lyon Hearing impairmentNovember 3rd TBA Visual ImpairmentDecember 1st Xmas Party No speaker
u3a Horncastle 23 March 2026Group When Time Group leader and contact detailsThe Art Enthusiasts 3rd Wednesday 2-4 pm Anne Calvert-Tinsley (07598) 372825 [email protected] and Biodiversity 4th Thursday 10 am Peter Irons (07939) 575611 [email protected] Game Group 2nd-4th Monday 2-4pm Vaughan Mackay (01507) 527318 [email protected] (07724) 078967Book Worms 2nd Monday 2-4pm Brenda Mumford (01507) 522447Creative Photography 1st Thursday 7-9pm Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 [email protected] Writing 3rd Tuesday 2-4.30pm Helen Peters [email protected] (summer only) Every Tuesday 10am-12pm Wendy Cotton (01526) 352885Dog Walking 1st Saturday 10am Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 [email protected] Gardening 1st Monday 2-4 pm Robin Wilmshurst (07729) 875937Exploring Churches 3rd Tuesday 10am Jeff Jones (01507) 588421 [email protected] Forum 2nd Thursday 10am-12pm Neil Carter [email protected] Milers 4th Thursday Morning New leader required immediately Contact Marion Prickett if [email protected] Ringing 1st &3rd Friday 10-11am Anne Willows (01507) 343964Knitting for Charity 2nd-4th Thursday 2pm Marilyn Makins [email protected] Group 3rd Monday 2pm Jean Preston (01507) 239761 [email protected] (07930) 039712MOTO 3rd Wednesday 2-4pm Derek Smith (07526) 718253(Members on Their Own)New Age Kurling 2nd-4th Friday 2-4 pm Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 [email protected] Occasional Marilyn Makins [email protected] Every Wednesday 11-11.50 Yvonne Mackay (01507) 527318 [email protected] & Poetry 1st Thursday 2-4 pm Phyll Durow (01507) 522356Strollers 2nd Thursday 10.15 am Marilyn Makins [email protected] Lunch Club 4th Sunday 12.30pm Margaret Harrison (01507) 588298 [email protected] Club 2nd Wednesday 6 for 6.30pm Carolyn Lyle (01507) 523738 [email protected] Tennis Every Tuesday 2-4 pm David Smith (01526) 353955 Malcolm Baxter (01507) 522220Thai Chi for Wellbeing Monday & Tuesday 2-3pm Alison Carter (01507) 525471 6 week course [email protected] Discussion 2nd Wednesday 2-4 pm Stephen Holdaway (01507) 526565 [email protected] Gardens 3rd Wednesday Afternoon Ann Willows [email protected]