newsletter June 2024 Reg Charity No.1177826 HORNCASTLE Making a Pollinator Friendly Garden Friends and Friends Extra Have you signed up yet?
June 2024 2 u3a Horncastle Welcome to the summer edition of the Horncastle u3a newsletter. | would like to wish a very special welcome to those of you who have only recently become aware of the benefits of joining the u3a. We have had quite a few new members join us over the past few months and our membership is getting close to the level that it was pre pandemic. We are hoping to introduce regular coffee morning style events for new members, probably every six months, to allow new members to chat with group leaders in an informal setting over tea and cake to ensure that they are aware of all that Horncastle u3a has to offer. Please continue to use your influence as members to promote the benefits of membership to your families and friends to keep us going from strength to strength. We have again maintained our membership fee at £15 this year, which | am sure you must agree represents fantastic value. For this you get 12 open meetings with free refreshments. Not to mention the chance to participate in as many of the active interest groups on offer. These now range from walking groups through dining groups to reading, new age kurling and classic cars groups. The offering is massive, so please do take advantage of what is out there. | hope that you enjoy this publication, which is entirely for the benefit of you, the members. So if you have any contribution that you wish to make to future editions, please come forward. Similarly, if you have any suggestions for what you want to see in the newsletter, then also do let us know. | look forward to meeting you all at future meetings. Very best wishes. Mike Harrison Message from the Chairman
u3a Horncastle June 2024 3 In this issue... To contribute to this magazine please contact the editor Dee Fletcher at deewaite@gmail.com Design and print: Woodhall Photo Print & Copy, Station Road, Woodhall Spa LN10 6QL Tel: 01526 354949 Calling all dog owners The dog walking group has been going for over a year now as a joint group with Woodhall Spa u3a. It is a really friendly group walking with dogs on the first Saturday each month. It is always a reasonably gentle walk taking around an hour and sometimes finishing at a dog friendly cafe for coffee and cake. The uptake from Horncastle has been quite disappointing, so please, if you have a dog and fancy joining us contact me and come along. Mike Harrison 3 Calling all dog owners 4 5 Milers Home & ‘Abroad’ 6 Board Game Group 8 Literary Group 9 Woodhall Spa and Horncastle Croquet Group 10 Friends and Friends Extra 11 Creative Photography Group 12 Making a pollinator friendly garden by Stephen Thompson 14 Trish Stokes - Horncastle u3a Publicity Officer 16 Have you been to the library recently? 17 Peter Irons - The Graveyard 18 Art for Leisure and Pleasure 18 Monthly meeting dates 19 Group List COVER PHOTO BY KIND PERMISSION OF MARK SAUNDERSON
March Twelve members of the 5 Milers met in Potterhanworth for a lovely walk in spring sunshine. We soon left the main road through the pretty stone village on a good quality track and then a soggy headland path beside Neville Wood, enjoying the sight of masses of blackthorn blossom, before taking more good tracks to reach the Car Dyke. We continued along the waterway, dug by the Romans, until a footbridge took us over to Potterhanworth Wood. We heard chiffchaffs, which are usually among the first summer migrants to arrive in the UK, and plenty of other bird activity as we walked through the trees until we reached Barff Road and a short walk back to Potterhanworth. It was a varied five miles of walking in lovely scenery. We had parked at the Chequers Inn and on our return went in for lunch, which everyone declared to be delicious. 5 Milers Home & ‘Abroad’ by Pam Browne June 2024 4 u3a Horncastle The 5 Milers at Potterhanworth Wood.
u3a Horncastle June 2024 5 And Abroad... April/May It has become an annual tradition for the 5 Milers to escape for a short spring break and this year the group chose to visit the beautiful Northumberland coast at the end of April. An effortless train ride from Lincoln meant we arrived at Alnmouth station by lunchtime. After settling into a very warm and comfortable hotel in nearby Warkworth, we were soon walking beside the estuary of the River Coquet to the next coastal village, Amble, with its countless yacht moorings and boat yards. Most of us enjoyed a hot drink in a sea food café before walking back to Warkworth, with its unmistakeable castle on a hill always in our sights. The next day we all took a 30- minute bus ride into Alnwick. We set off on a 5-mile route from the town centre, through the delightful Well Abbey area and then mostly close to the River Aln and always with the dramatic backdrop of Alnwick Castle. No visit to Alnwick would be complete without browsing the shelves at Barter Books, in the old railway station building, and we enjoyed lunch there as well as plenty of time for reading and buying books. On our third day we took the bus to Alnmouth to explore yet another lovely stone village, this one clustered close to a long sandy beach and links golf course. That evening we caught the train back to Lincoln after a lively and energetic three days away. Top left: Some of the group near the start of a 5 Mile walk from Alnwick. Right: On the medieval fortified bridge over the River Coquet in Warkworth. Bottom left: Pauline, Debbie, Diana and Pam at the top of a steep lane down to the golf links and beach in Alnmouth.
June 2024 6 u3a Horncastle Atypical Monday afternoon at Ancaster Court. The room is full of chatter as friends meet up for the Board Game Group. The atmosphere is warm, friendly and convivial as members meet others to swap stories of the comings and goings of the last two weeks. There is certainly no hurry to start the planned activities any time soon! Eventually calm descends on the room and people decide who they are playing with and what game they want to play. It's all very relaxed and unhurried. On one table the game of UNO is underway which involves much calling-out , laughter and hilarity. | have no idea what is going on or how the game is played but they seem to be enjoying themselves! In contrast, on the next table are four members locked in a power struggle for the title of Chess Champion of the World. Or so it would seem from the earnest expressions on the faces of the players. They are utterly engrossed in their game to the exclusion of all distractions, despite some minor grumblings. Whoever said they don't mind losing never played the game of chess! On other tables games such as Quirkle, Quiddler and Rummikub (| swear | am not making this up) are taking place. (See below for a list of games on offer). They are played in an atmosphere of quiet determination, competitive but friendly. Soon it is 4 o’clock and the games are drawn to an amicable (mostly) conclusion. The games on offer include strategy, word, number, colours and card games. They tend to be the more traditional games where the rules are minimal, and the play is selfexplanatory. We meet at Ancaster Court at 2—4 pm every second and fourth Monday. At present the Group is full but for more information contact Vaughan or Yvonne Mckay on 07724078967. The games currently on offer are (in order of popularity): WORD GAMES Upwords — A 3D version of Scrabble. Scrabble — a word game with strategy and vocabulary. Quiddler — a word game with cards. Bananagrams - a word game with tiles, fast and furious. STRATEGY GAMES Rummikub — a game of numbers, be the first to get rid of all your tiles. Backgammon — be the first to get all counters home. Board Game Group by Vaughan and Yvonne Mckay
u3a Horncastle June 2024 7 Chess — simply the best and most varied game in the world. Be the first to checkmate your opponent. Pentago — 5 marbles in a row, easy. But the board is in 4 parts, and each can be rotated 90 degrees. Quirkle — match the colours, and shapes on the tiles. Viking Game — a battle game like chess but the pieces only move up, down, left and right. Boku — a five-in-a-row game with added rules for good measure Othello/Reversi — trap your opponent's tiles to change them to your colour. Sequence — another five in a row game with cards and a board. Draughts — a simple version of chess. Chinese Chequers — move your pieces across the board to occupy your enemy's camp. Uno — quickfire card game. Games are played in an atmosphere of quiet determination...
June 2024 8 u3a Horncastle The Literary Group meets monthly in the house of one of our members. We obtain sets of books from the Lincolnshire Collections Team and the size of the group is limited by the fact that the majority of the sets comprise just 10 books. Some members use a Kindle. However, now that Lincolnshire Library has a link to the Libby App it is sometimes possible to obtain free e-versions or audio-versions which is very useful to those with vision problems. We are a very sociable gang - with, luckily, wide preferences for reading genres. Most books provoke good discussions - not only on the book itself but also how it relates to actual life or our own experiences. During the last months we have read: • The Foundling by Stacey Halls. • The Carer by Deborah Moggach was very relative to our ages at first and then gave way to a wonderful twist. • The Chess Men by Peter May was, the final book of his Isle of Lewis trilogy. • Once upon a River by Diane Setterfield. If you love tracing your family tree then The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl is just the book for you. It has many twists and historical references. We are currently reading Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior. I can’t say what everyone will think of it but I feel sure we will all read it and most will certainly enjoy it. Great fun. If you love penguins or if you are experiencing items going missing and then turning up in the fridge, you will know how Veronica McCreedy feels. Literary Group by Jean Preston
u3a Horncastle June 2024 9 Put simply Croquet is a sport played outdoors on a lawn using mallets to hit 4 balls through 6 hoops. There are several versions of the game of croquet, the traditional game is Association Croquet but the more popular game is Golf Croquet, there is also Short Croquet, Garden Croquet and, of course the Americans have their very own 6 and 9 wicket versions! The joint u3a group plays Golf Croquet but there is always a chance that you may wish to move on to Association Croquet in the future. In Golf Croquet you have 2 teams competing, either as individuals or teams of 2. There are 4 balls and these are played in order, blue, red, black and yellow. The idea is to hit your ball with a mallet to get your ball through the hoops in the correct order. Sounds easy? This is where the fun begins... Whilst you are trying to run through hoops to reach the magical 7 hoops and win the game your opponent is also trying to do the same! In doing so he will be blocking your shots, using his ball to knock yours away and even jumping his ball over your ball to win a hoop! The Woodhall Spa Croquet Club offers coaching, equipment and their lawns for the u3a to use on Tuesday mornings, 10-12, for £5 a session. If you are an absolute beginner you are most welcome to join us but we do ask that you contact Robert via email secretary@woodhallspacroquetclub.co.uink order that he can ensure a coach is available for you. *** As further enticement your first session is free of charge **** Woodhall Spa and Horncastle Croquet by John Cotton
June 2024 10 u3a Horncastle Friends extra, launched in the u3a April enewsletter is a members discount scheme. This new offer significantly increases the range of services available to u3a members. It’s a genuine opportunity to access a wide range of discounts, offers and services which are exclusive to members of the u3a friends enewsletter community. Make sure you have signed up to receive the enewsletter. So …… what is Friends Extra? …….. It’s a benefits website and is completely free to access as long as you have signed up to the u3a Friends enewsletter. You can make savings on well-known brands, shopping, travel, days out and more. Offers and services on friends extra include: • Health and well-being • Shopping savings on major brands and retail discounts • Travel and holidays • Leisure offers, like family days out trips to the cinema and theatre • Insurance offers on car, travel and medical insurance • Access to financial advice and a legal helpline Each issue of the Friends enewsletter will include a link to the Friends extra benefits website and highlight one of the offers. This is just one element of the u3a F riends enewsletter which also brings together stories from local u3a groups all over the country, learning opportunities and news of upcoming events to highlight the fun and learning within the wider u3a community. Remember Friends Extra is exclusively available to anyone who signs up to receive the u3a Friends enewsletter. You can sign up here: https://www.u3a.org.uk/news/newsletter When someone signs up to the u3a enewsletter for the first time, they will receive an email with a link to the Friends Extra benefits website. Sign up and see what savings and offers you can access. You may have read in the last issue of the our newsletter about Friends and Friends Extra, the two new initiatives from u3a which aim to widen the community and offer a whole range of benefits to members. They are now live!
u3a Horncastle June 2024 11 One of the topics taken on recently by the creative photography group was ‘Juxtaposition’. Thank you so much Trish for giving us this challenging topic. As always the group were up for the challenge and some fabulous photographs were presented. These are just some examples of the results. Creative Photography Group
June 2024 12 u3a Horncastle Many people are probably aware of the huge decline in insect populations in recent years but especially important pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths. You don’t have to visit a nature reserve or local park to see any of these, everyone can do their bit to encourage pollinators into their own garden, big or small or even if you live in a flat and only have a balcony. You could use a window box or a few small plant pots and fill them with wildflower seed or plant them with nectar rich flowers like lavender. One of the simplest and cheapest things you can do in your garden for Stephen is a conservation specialist, he has had a lifelong interest in birds and all wildlife. In his working life he has worked with RSPB before moving on to John o -Gaunt Golf Club in 1990, and now Woodhall Spa Golf Club. He is passionate about wildlife and conservation and loves communicating that passion to people. Take a look at his website www.theconservation buddha.co.uk/the-buddha Making a Pollinator Friendly Garden by Stephen Thompson
u3a Horncastle 13 pollinators is absolutely nothing. As the weather is warming up during May you could let your whole lawn grow or maybe just a small patch of it and plants like clover, dandelions and daisies will grow and flower and provide much needed early nectar for bees and other Insects. This is known as No Mow May! Apart from the lawn it is perhaps a good idea to have a “Wild Patch” somewhere in the garden where you can sow some wildflowers to encourage pollinators, or maybe a “weed patch” where plants like thistles can be left to grow and provide an important nectar source for bees. If you have a larger garden and have room for small trees try planting Rowan or Crab Apple. Rowan/ Mountain Ash is a vital food source for many Insects when it flowers in early May. It also hosts many more the rest of the year and the birds of course like the berries in the winter. Crab Apple trees can support ninety different species of Insects, providing more food for birds and other creatures as well as the fruit. Plants for the garden to encourage pollinators: • Red Valerian – Dense clusters of deep pink/crimson flowers attract lots of different insects, good for attracting the Hummingbird Hawkmoth. • Honeysuckle - Good for all wildlife, nectar for Insects, prey for bats and nest sites for birds • Night phlox and Night Scented Stock – Both are highly scented at night to attract nocturnal Insects such as moths • Nicotiana plants have tubular flowers which are not suited to British moths but do attract the migrant Convolvulus Hawk Moth • Verbena Boriensis is good for butterflies and Hummingbird Hawk Moths • Lavender is a fantastic plant for the garden with its familiar scent and purple flowers, it is a fantastic plant for bees and moths. Perhaps one of the most well known plants for nectar loving insects like butterflies is the Buddleia, (often Continued overleaf...
June 2024 14 u3a Horncastle I took on the role of Publicity Officer at our u3a a short while ago, the role is intended to raise awareness and the profile of our u3a group in the local area. I started with the aim to try and ensure everyone who is interested knows about us and are welcome to join. The more people that know of our group the better, if they don’t know we exist they can’t join in! I made a start by designing a poster in keeping with the u3a branding. All our information is on our website so it was easy enough to copy over the dates of the Monthly Meetings and the all interest groups. I was itching to get the poster out so I signed up to as many local village FaceBook pages as I could, so far I have joined eleven and I’m posting to them once a month. I have also put up a poster in my local village West Asby. Next came a small booklet with a smaller version of the poster on the front page. Inside it explains who we are aimed at, about referred to as the Butterfly Bush). On a hot summers day with the Buddleia in full flower it will be covered with numerous different species of butterfly, bees love it too and moths will utilise its nectar at night. But all is not as it seems, the Buddleia is in fact an invasive non-native species and can be detrimental to local ecosystems. In my opinion when it is in your garden as a single plant It can be easily controlled and maintained and therefore not be a problem. There is so much that we can and should do for pollinators in our gardens and beyond. Pollinators of all kinds are important for a balanced ecosystem and for our food security e.g. broccoli, carrots, parsnips, apples and raspberries depend on bees for pollination. No Bees – No Fruit & Vegetables No pollinators will result in less food available across the world. We can all do our bit, get busy like a bee and get planting. From previous page
u3a Horncastle June 2024 15 the meetings and groups and how much this year's subscription is. These have been distributed along with a few of our newsletters to all four Estate Agents and several shops in Horncastle. Nobody had heard of us before but listened with surprise at how much we do. They were happy to use the items I gave them for customers to read. Some were even being read as I walked out of the door. At the moment I’m designing a banner with a matching theme for the railings by the traffic lights and Bridge over the River Waring displaying our upcoming meeting. Other sites for banners are also being considered. With a bit of luck using this multiple visual approach will allow us to get noticed and hopefully create more members. The more members we have the more, as a, group we can offer. If you are reading this and thinking, ‘It’d be nice to have a poster on our village noticeboard or a few booklets in our shop’ I’d love to hear from you. Trish Stokes Horncastle u3a Publicity Officer Email: publicity.horncastleu3a@gmail.com
June 2024 16 u3a Horncastle Did you just go to your usual shelves; search for your favourite author; have a little wander and perhaps sit down with an interesting looking non-fiction book? Do you know that you can have so much more fun at the library emporium in Wharf Road? How about stepping along there, allowing yourself an hour or so to investigate what else you could be doing? As a gentle introduction how about: Connecting over a Cuppa (and a biscuit) - every Friday 10-12 noon. Meet strangers who may become friends, learn of a new author you've never heard of, or just relax from your usual Friday routine. If you feel you'd like something more: Games Morning on Saturdays 10-12. There's loads of board games available. If you are the crafty type: Free Adult Craft Wednesdays 10.30-11.30 Knitters who like to Natter Last Monday of the month 14.00 – 15.30 Or, need to entertain younger people: Playdough Thursday 10.00 -11.00 Lego Club Thursday 16.00 - 17.00 Story and Rhyme Time for pre-schoolers Monday 10.30-11.00am. There is also Learn My Way. A free basic IT beginners course. These are held every Thursday morning 10 -12.30 although be aware that they are by appointment Have you been to the library recently? by Jean Preston Cartoon by Andy Mathieson
u3a Horncastle June 2024 197 Peter Irons inspired at the Creative Writing Group referencing the work on the East Street Chapel Graveyard. The Graveyard The meadows alive with colour wide Through which the people stride Bees drinking the nectar dry Compete with myriads of butterfly The larks rise above the fray Heralding yet another day Was this the bucolic sight of yesteryear That overwhelmed eye and ear? Frogs in ponds across the flushes Girdling the hills beyond sang love songs in the spring Below the heath with swathing ling. If these should wake and rise Is this the world they would recognise Bereft of flower and insect now The meadows lost beneath the plough The homeless larks search for place For seeds and insect to feed their race For habitat secure Where their children will endure. Will eye and ear search for familiarity Will they look on us with growing pity That we have destroyed the worth Of living on our amazing earth? Perhaps in this graveyard now They might be reminded of how they sang and danced their sweet lives Perhaps we can recreate that place. only. Ask any member of staff for more details when you're next in the library. Last but not least if you can download the Lincolnshire Libraries App on either your computer or phone it will open up a whole new book world for you. Ask a member of the library staff if you need some help to do this. You could be reading ebooks even if you haven’t a Kindle or enjoying listening books even if you haven’t a CD player - these are all available through the Libby app. Libby is a free app where you can enjoy e-books, audio books and – amazingly – magazines – direct to your phone or tablet through your public library. All you need is a library card and online access. Ask the lovely ladies in Horncastle Library who would be happy to help you or you could book a place on the Learn My Way Basic IT Course.
June 2024 18 u3a Horncastle Horncastle u3a Monthly Meeting Dates and Speakers 2024 July 2nd: David Gilbert Researcher for International Bomber Command Centre August 6th: Sue Cox Welfare and Benefits advice We are a group of people who enjoy painting or drawing in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We are interested in art generally and help and encourage each other with our diverse projects. We would welcome new members and if you came along perhaps you would be inspired to try something new or even a different media, perhaps watercolour, pastels, oils or acrylics. We meet every 3rd Wednesday of the month for 2 hours in the Methodist Church Hall, on Queens Street. There is excellent parking available and access for wheelchair users. If you are interested in wanting to enjoy a little time with like minded people, contact me, Grace Barrett on 07759384295. Art for Leisure and Pleasure by Grace Barrett September 3rd: Richard Harries Potted History of Radiology **Please note we are delighted to let you know that our Handbell Group who played so beautifully at our Christmas meeting will be playing a short programme after the speaker
Group When Time Group leader and contact details Art for Leisure & Pleasure 3rd Wednesday 2-4 pm Grace Barrett (07759) 384295 Biodiversity 4th Thursday 10 am Peter Irons (07939) 575611 peterirons48@yahoo.co.uk Board Game Group 2nd-4th Monday 2-4pm Vaughan Mackay (01507) 527318 vaughan@madasafish.com (07724) 078967 Book Worms 1st Monday 2-4pm Brenda Mumford (01507) 522447 Classic Cars 2nd Wednesday 2pm Peter Ellis peterrellis@msn.com Creative Crafts 2nd Thursday 2-4pm Shelagh Carter (01507) 523585 Creative Photography 1st Thursday 7-9pm Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 michael.harrison9@sky.com Creative Writing 3rd Tuesday 2-4.30pm Helen Peters helendpeters@yahoo.com Croquet (summer only) Every Tuesday 10am-12pm Wendy Cotton (01526) 352885 Dog Walking 1st Saturday 10am Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 michael.harrison9@sky.com Edible Gardening 1st Monday 2-4 pm Robin Wilmshurst (07729) 875937 Exploring Churches 3rd Tuesday 10am Jeff Jones (01507) 588421 etijeffrey99@gmail.com Financial Forum 2nd Thursday 10am-12pm Neil Carter neil637carter@btinternet.com Five Milers 4th Thursday Morning Debbie Ridyard (01507) 534111 Handbell Ringing 1st &3rd Friday 10-11am Anne Willows (01507) 343964 ann.dawsonwillows@gmail.com Knitting for Charity 2nd-4th Thursday 2pm Marilyn Makins marilynmakins@hotmail.co.uk Literary Group 3rd Monday 2pm Jean Preston (01507) 239761 prestonsjyg21@gmail.com (07930) 039712 New Age Kurling 2nd-4th Friday 2-4 pm Mike Harrison (01507) 522674 michael.harrison9@sky.com Pilates Every Wednesday 11-11.50 Yvonne Mackay (01507) 527318 yvonnemckay315@gmail.com Prose & Poetry 1st Thursday 2-4 pm Phyll Durow (01507) 522356 Strollers 2nd Thursday 10 am Sue Stevenson (01507) 524211 Sue Taylor (01507) 533478 Sunday Lunch Club 4th Sunday 12.30pm Margaret Harrison (01507) 588298 linkspastures@gmail.com Supper Club 2nd Wednesday 6 for 6.30pm Carolyn Lyle (01507) 523738 carolyn.lyle@tiscali.co.uk Table Tennis Every Tuesday 2-4 pm Malcolm Baxter (01507) 522220 (07788) 618290 Thai Chi for Wellbeing Monday & Tuesday 2-3pm Alison Carter (01507) 525471 6 week course alisoncarter65@yahoo.com Topical Discussion 2nd Wednesday 2-4 pm Stephen Holdaway (01507) 526565 stephen.holdaway@btinternet.com Visiting Gardens Summer only New group leader required - contact Marion Prickett (marion.egp@gmail.com) if you are interested.
info@printandcopyshop.co.uk Tel: 01526 354949 Open: Mon 9am-5pm | Tue 9am-5pm Wed 9am-4pm | Thur 9am-5pm Fri 9am-5pm | Sat 9am-12.30pm Station Road Woodhall Spa LN10 6QL Instant photos for Blue Badges Driving licences Passports We can apply online for you too! • Instant printing of photos from your phone or memory stick • Business cards, flyers and posters • Seating plans and place settings • Invitations for any occasion • Personalised stationery • Wide format scanning and printing up to 42in • Frames and Albums • Orders of Service • Photocopying Have you written your memoirs or researched your family history? Let us design, print and bind your document in book form to create a family keepsake No printer at home? Email us your documents and we will print them for you. Send us your returns labels, forms, policies and documents. Company stationery Picture frames Posters & A-boards Office stationery Save the Date cards Wedding invitations Seating plans