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Registered Charity 1001662

May 2020 The Lockdown Issue

http://u3asites.org.uk/lowestoft

Chairman’s Report

Inside This Issue:

Dear Members, What a changed world we live in. No face to face meetings, no gatherings. I am overwhelmed by the number of groups that have found ways to contact their members and are keeping some the activities going in the face of adversity. The committee is using Skype. It helps to bring us together and helps to keep U3A Lowestoft running. I am also grateful for Bridget and Paul for their creativity and industry in putting together this newsletter. We all need some communication and news that proves we are not alone or only linked to family. U3A is able to fulfil this function, even if we have to struggle with new fangled technology. How many of you have taken that small computer out of the cupboard and started to use it in order to connect with others? Have you used ‘WhatsApp’? A few groups are into this. Will the use of all this technology bring more members into our technology groups? Have a good summer and keep safe.

Harold Waterman

During these crazy times, many of our groups are carrying on, using technological solutions such as Skype or Zoom meetings, and you have to wonder if this might not be a way to extend our way of doing things for the future “new normal”. One such group is - Gardening: The former leader of the U3A Gardening group, which was disbanded last year, is inviting you to participate in a WhatsApp closed group called Lockdown Gardens. This is a place to share pictures of plants and gardens that bring you joy during lockdown, also a site to share gardening chat. If you wish to join, please text Dorn Edwards on 07749240622.

Groups News

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who responded to our request for input to this newsletter. We have been almost overwhelmed by your response. Even though we are not restricted to the usual number of pages, as we are in our normal newsletters, we are still restricted in the size of file we can upload to our web-site, so we still have some content we were unable to squeeze into this issue. Never fear! We shall save it all and carry it over to future issues and, if this lockdown situation continues, that may be sooner rather than later.

Just remember:

If you enjoy a quiz, or a puzzle, they are on Pages 10 & 11. Don’t spoil your fun and look at the answers first, they come somewhere near the end of the newsletter.

Editor’s Note

Group Contributions Pages

Art for all 7, 12, 14, 15, 18, 22, Back

Bookworms 3, 7

French 3

Mixed Crafts 17

Writers 2, 6, 13,

21

U3A Lowestoft Newsletter

QUESTIONS THAT HAUNT ME! 1. Can you cry under water? 2. How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated

instead of just murdered? 3. Why do you have to 'put your two cents in'... but it's only a 'penny for your

thoughts'? Where's that extra penny going to? 4. Why does a round pizza come in a square box? 5. What disease did cured ham actually have? 6. How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea

to put wheels on luggage?

Maureen’s Funnies - To Make You Smile

It is with regret that we must mark the passing of two of our former members:

Olive Jenner Christine Penson

They will be sorely missed by their families and all who knew them.

With Regrets

A Day in the Time of Lockdown

Wake early. Always wake early these days. Try to convince body back to sleep but no good. Switch on Radio 4. Farming today. I am becoming an expert on live-stock prices and milk yields. Not much opti-mism amongst farmers. Milk being poured away by the 1000s of litres, no European market for the spring lambs and crops set to rot in the ground if we cannot get pickers. Plane chartered for Romanian pickers flies into Stansted. Social distancing while picking asparagus and sleeping in shared accommo-dation? How is that going to work? Tea in bed listening to ‘Today’ programme. Miss John Humphries but he would be self isolating anyway in the current climate. Think about what to wear.. Mustn't become known as the bag lady of Worling-ham on my solitary social distancing walks, so choose proper trousers instead of elasticated comforta-ble joggers, reasonable top instead of shapeless tee shirt from the mists of time.

Breakfast. Find some very elderly rice crispies lurking at the back of the cupboard. Would normally dispose of these but a quick crunch test shows they are still edible so eat them I will. Bit of fruit to liven them up, last dollop of yogurt.

Then the day. Skype, phone, email and now Zoom. Social media no longer a menace threatening the very existence of conversation and shared ideas; now a necessary tool to frame the day and give and receive contact and comfort.

Writing and reading. Once a pleasure to take up and put down; now a means of retaining sanity.

Walking. So much pleasure to be had from walking and talking to strangers. Feel strong desire to mug random people – at an appropriate social distance, of course – just for the joy of a brief conversation.

Meals thoughtfully prepared and eaten. No grabbing a snack to see me through as I dash from one place to another.

TV and radio, another lifeline, a link to an increasingly detached world.

Then to bed, more reading, little sleep, wake early….

Irene Sergeant

May 2020

We are having a weekly Skype session with our French group. The session lasts for two hours, as does our class in normal times, with a brief pause in the middle when we collect our coffees/teas/biscuits/gin.....actually haven't seen anyone reaching for alcohol to see them through the session!! Peter Riches very kindly and efficiently signed us all up and gets the session going every Thursday and Richard Allen leads with French panache from his sofa. We have so far covered ‘extraits’ from Guy de Maupassant – ‘La Nuit’ and two chapters from ‘Le Petit Prince’ by Antone de Saint Exupery. A guide book of Paris, published in 1948, with black and white prints of the city has also been used. Richard has supplied us with pronunciation practice, which has it's strange moments on skype, a list of French idioms, which were fun, and links to the BBC Bitesize French. The very best thing about our Skype sessions is seeing everyone in the group looking and sounding so positive. We have hiccups with the technology, with members fading in and out at times but the overall experience is brilliant. Vive la France and vive le U3A.

Irene Sergeant

The U3A French Group in Lockdown.

Our Top 10 Good Reads for Lockdown We asked our members for suggestions that you might enjoy during lockdown and planned to offer you our top ten; which was much more difficult than we initially thought. It has actually ended up with our Top 13 . A varied assortment of books from our varied assortment of members. So in no particular order.

‘Remarkable Creatures’ by Tracy Chevalier This is the story of Mary Anning the fossil hunter of Lyme Regis and Elizabeth Philpot, also fascinated by fossils, who comes to Lyme Regis to live. Set in the 19th century, it is written as a historical novel which draws on the true story and interweaves it with characters and relationships in an imaginative recreation. Very interesting insight into the male dominated world of science at that time. ‘The Last Pilot’ by Benjamin Johncock An historical work of fiction set against the backdrop of one of the most emotionally charged periods in American history, the Last Pilot is about an Air Force test pilot who becomes an astronaut. A mesmerizing debut novel about loss and finding courage in the face of it all. ‘Wolf Hall’ by Hilary Mantel An award-winning historical novel about the life of Thomas Cromwell. ‘Jamaica Inn’ by Daphne Du Maurier A classic. Set in Cornwall in 1820.The plot follows a group of murderous wreckers who run ships aground, kill the sailors and steal the cargo. ‘Small Great Things’ (or ‘My Sisters Keeper’) both by Jodi Picoult Both books are easy reads and are about social, ethical and moral family dilemmas. ‘I am Pilgrim’ by Terry Hayes An exciting action, adventure spy novel, that maybe too close to the truth to really be a novel. 'The Matchmaker of Perigord' by Julia Stewart A novel about a village barber who is losing all his trade and decides to be a matchmaker instead. Unfortunately, all his clients are villagers who all know each other very well. 'Narrow Dog to Carcassonne' by Terry Darlington A very funny travelogue. ‘The Sunrise’ by Victoria Hislop An interesting story with a background of the traumatic times of the Greek and Turkish bloody conflict on Cyprus in the early 1970s. ‘The Island’ by Victoria Hislop A daughter visits Crete wanting to find out about her mother’s past and uncovers a sensitive and absorbing story of war, tragedy, and passion. ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama Enjoyable autobiography based on her family life rather than politics. ‘Our Betty’ by Liz Smith Scenes from the life of ‘Royal Family’ actress Liz Smith.

Brenda Slight

Bookworms in Lockdown


Coronavirus is all over the place So stay indoors to keep us all safe With lots of communication today Use them all, but keep people at bay Talk on the phone, or use video call Check out ‘YouTube’ and have a ball ‘Catch up’ too for old TV shows Or Indulge your passions, no one knows If you binge on re-runs, Friends or even Star Trek Or real old movies, starring Gregory Peck Bet there’s lot of books on your bookshelf Now’s the time to indulge your self

Coffee table books, to roam the seas Or Nigella Lawson’s recipes Fly the world, explore some space No interruptions, to make you lose your place We might be stuck indoors for a while So we need all these things to make us smile Keep up our spirits and look after our health Remember if we’re not going out, we’re saving our wealth!

Patricia Smith

Coronavirus.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having culti-vated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial pol-icies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an un-ruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly chil-dren. It declined even further when schools were re-quired to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not in-form parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, af-ter a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, - by his parents, Truth and Trust, - by his wife, Discretion, - by his daughter, Responsibility, - and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 5 stepchildren; - I Know My Rights - I Want It Now - Someone Else Is To Blame - I'm A Victim - Pay me for Doing Nothing Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Submitted by: Bill Evans

An Obituary printed in the London Times

May 2020

MY UNSMARTPHONE

I have an Unsmartphone. I wish it wasn’t, because people with Smartphones get such a lot of marvellous things out of them. I suspect that it might be a case of an Unsmart Smartphone operator. My first problem is to switch the bloo--ming thing on. I press the little button at the side. Press!! Press!! Nothing!! Look there’s some writing by the switch; what does it say? “SOUND”. Oh dear, wrong switch. Try again. Press!! Press!! Eventually a table cloth of 28 small coloured boxes appears. Bottom-left is a white phone on a green background. My phone is black, but never mind, onward, ever onward!! I press the phone picture and up comes something called “App Store“. People have explained “App “to me 500 times, and I still can’t understand it. Careful next time, I have bought a small white stick to assist hitting the correct picture, but that keeps slipping off. At last, a series of very small numbers appears and I punch out the ones that I want -- “Good Morning, Sunderland Public Library, can I help you? “SUNDERLAND!! I wanted Auntie Lil in Southwold!!! Perhaps, it has something to do with the heavy armour casing that I bought to protect the phone. Unfortunately, I dropped the phone and a chip fell off beside the aperture for charging the bloo—ming Unsmartphone. In using superglue to stick the chip back on, I accidently let a drop fall into that aperture. I wonder why I can no longer charge the bloo—ming Unsmartphone?? I don’t suppose that Paul Newbery will be able to help me?

John Butler

During lock-down, Marian my neighbour and I have walked about two and a half miles each morning, leaving about 9am. We walk at a safe distance, chatting and noticing all around us. From these walks we know our immediate neighbourhood a little better. We wave to people in their lovely houses as we walk along and now they look for us and wave back as we walk past. The birdsong cheers us, we have noticed beautiful blossom, flowers and butterflies. We notice our sea changes every day, sometimes very rough, the next day calm and smooth. Misty, nothing to be seen, then clear so we can see the wind-farm off Great Yarmouth, the 5 tankers moored off Lowestoft. All these things we would probably have been too busy to notice before our lock-down. To everyone, keep safe until we meet up again soon.

Joan Porter

Walking

Paul says “No chance if it’s superglue”. Ed.


Lockdown begins. What we will do with ourselves for three weeks, six weeks or even months? The government has handed down an indeterminate sentence. Short of civil disobedience we must do as we are told which is to stay at home. I open my diary. Everything is cancelled. I draft a daily schedule. I fill the day with worthy activities like, admin, writing, housework and gardening ( if not rained off, hopefully!) and writing. I sit back with satisfaction. I notice one tiny snag. When am I going to do all those tasks that have been on hold? I must sort out my wardrobe now that I have conceded I can no longer squeeze into most of my clothes. The possibly rat-infested dumping ground, a.k.a. the shed, must be tackled. However, I appear to have no time. I soon discover that I have less than no time and that I have forgotten to schedule the nights. My days are filled with chortling over scurrilous videos and hilarious cartoons, usually of Donald Trump, responding to people who have been silent the past ten years, joining in WhatsApp conversations, playing Bridge, doing puzzles and attending Zoom meetings. I have entered a virtual world dreamt up by authors of science fiction. Their fantasy is now our reality. Everything has changed. Take shopping. Who could have guessed that half the British public would now be bequeathing their children a lifetime supply of Andrex or that Italy’s whole year’s production of tinned tomatoes would be crammed into our cupboards? We congratulate ourselves for producing delicious meals from the most unlikely of ingredients? The only tin left on the supermarket shelf is a can of pickled Samoan frogs. I grab it before the next shopper spots the potential. You can curry anything can’t you? We must have bread. Hey ho there is no flour, or none that is recognisable, nor yeast. Never mind, we find substitutes and are soon swapping our recipes. All this culinary wizardry requires shopping. I decide that I am not going to join the bandits with scarves tied round their faces shuffling from two metre square to two metre square. It will require dedicated night work. I wake at intervals in the night, no alarm needed. I log onto my chosen store. Only 7029 in front of me in the queue, I watch little blue man move up the line. Hurrah. I’m in, only to be greeted by a cheerful message informing me that there are no delivery slots available today or any other day for the next three weeks. A miracle happens and I have a click and collect slot at Lowestoft. A bonus – an outing in the car. I begin to order but eggs, butter and other essentials are out of stock. Never mind they have wine and egg-custard tarts. Collection day arrives I am both excited and nervous. Will the car start, can I remember how to drive? After donning surgical gloves and armed with a disinfectant spray I load the bags into the car. I return triumphant and unpack with glee. Now where are those egg- custard tarts? I find the invoice. “Out of stock”. I must have something sweet. I know for a fact that there is not a flake of chocolate in the house after a desperate search into my deepest cupboards a week ago, when the meagre haul consisted of a mini Father Christmas and a dust covered chocolate button. Nobody’s looking, are they? Where’s that green and gold tin? I dip in my spoon, close my eyes and let the glorious, golden, sticky stuff circulate my mouth before gliding down my throat into my grateful stomach. With my helpers all in their own homes I must fend for myself. I must master, or mistress, the new, uncooperative vacuum cleaner. It either sprints off with me running behind or stubbornly refuses to budge. Cobwebs are whisked away with the feather duster. Sorry spiders. Toilets must be scrubbed and all surfaces disinfected. Luckily a friend has borrowed my iron. Then there is the garden. An acre of untamed greenness glowers at me from the windows. The weather cheats on me and is relentlessly dry and even hot. Gardening like house work is never done. The minute you have finished weeding one end of the garden you must start again at the beginning. I feel that the thistles have a grudge against me. They shoot up six feet overnight. Likewise, the nettles, which seek out a patch of bare flesh and release their venom with alacrity. So, to all who usually support me, I miss you and salute you. I promise on your return I will listen intently to your stories of night fishing in the rain. I will really try to understand your explanations of how the boiler, plumbing etc. work and will praise your superior skills in all things domestic. More than that, I will stay home so that I can pour you copious cups of tea and force feed you cake. As to technology, I so often maligned, we are bosom buddies now as I learn to Skype and Zoom. How else can I see and talk to my granddaughter? I must learn how to play hide- and- seek, capturing the possible hiding places on my iPad as I run around the house then, “discovered” turn the camera on myself. I must pretend to be an angry sheep or a laughing cow and I must dress up with my bouncing rabbit ears. I must provide entertainment or else she will get bored of virtual Granny and turn me off. I exercise daily. I jump into the ditch to avoid the wobbling cyclists, shuffle sideways to create a

ISOLATION BLUES

May 2020

two-metre gap when other walkers approach and I march behind my companion. ( I know it’s illegal, but…). We criss-cross our little world. We beat paths through overgrown undergrowth, lose our way only to find it again and risk the farmer’s wrath when we unwittingly trespass. We rarely meet a soul. What will we do when there are no new paths to discover? But the sun is shining and the sky is as blue as blue. Red Admirals dance in the breeze, brilliant bluebells bob in the woods and untroubled birds sing blissfully. For an hour or so I occupy a bubble and glory in our beautiful world.

Ros Lyons

Chuckle Corner

1. I have a chicken proof lawn… It’s impeccable! 2. Two men are lost in the desert. One of them sees a tree in the distance that’s draped in bacon.

“It’s a Bacon Tree! We’re saved!” He runs to the tree and is immediately shot by an arrow. His partner cries “It’s not a Bacon Tree you fool… It’s a Ham Bush!”

3. If anyone is going to make a face mask from an old bra, make sure you use the left cup. You don’t want to go out looking like a right tit!

Submitted by Annie Pearce 4. Confuse your doctor by putting on rubber gloves at the same time he does. 5. Therapist: “Your wife says you never buy her flowers, Is that true?” Him: “To be honest, I never

knew she sold flowers!” 6. I went line dancing last night. Well, it was a roadside sobriety test… Same thing. 7. Me: (Sobbing my heart out, eyes swollen, nose red)… “I can’t see you anymore… I’m not going to

let you hurt me like this again!” Trainer: “It was a sit-up. You did one sit-up!” 8. I asked my Grandpa, “After 65 years, you still call grandma ‘Darling, Beautiful, and Honey.’

What’s the secret?” He said, “I forgot her name 5 years ago and I’m scared to ask her.” Submitted by Maureen Showell

Bookworms

Like many of the other groups, our last meeting was in March. The 9th March, which as of now is eight weeks ago. At the time we weren’t really prepared for what was about to happen, but we have managed to keep in touch with the members of the group as best we can. We are lucky that all our members have and use their email address. The reviews of the book we are reading are submitted to one member, who collates them and sends them out to the whole of the group. Some of the members have joined our own WhatsApp group which has been an excellent way of passing messages, jokes, shopping news and generally supporting each other . When the time came to review this month’s book, some of the members were brave enough to try Zoom ( a video meeting app), even some of our technophobes joined in. It was really quite an experience. It was lovely to see the faces that we’d been missing, and we were able to have a discussion in a similar way to our usual meeting; although perhaps not interrupting each other as much as we usually would. We are aware though that this is no substitute to our usual get-togethers and that there are still members of the group who are either unable or reluctant to join in with our new technological experiences, and so we continue with a group email and our written reviews. We are also still able to recommend books and authors to each other and, as most of us are avid readers, we are consuming more than our fair share of literature. Under normal circumstances, we are able to exchange books amongst ourselves. This, in the ‘lockdown’ world we are now living in, is difficult. Lots of the group are reading books that they already have and have been sitting in a ‘waiting until I have time to read’ pile or re-reading books they have already enjoyed, others are using their electronic devices to borrow e-books from the library or buying e-books or hard copies on-line. For U3A members who are not aware (there may be one or two), if you have a tablet, Kindle etc. you are able to borrow e-books from the Suffolk Library Service using your library card . It really is very simple. Take a look at https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/elibrary/ But most of all, just ‘Keep Reading’. Brenda Slight


Hello. My name is Ron Hemp, age 92, self-taught artist living in Pakefield, Suffolk. I looked after my wife, Megan, for 8 years 24/7. During that time, to relax I converted our dining room into my studio and started to paint. It recharged my batteries and I was ready to take on the world. I lost my Megan in July last year, 7 weeks before our 70th Wedding Anniversary. The Registrar said that it was a record and the Queen was informed. No royal card this year! I accumulated about 10 paintings and decided to sell them through word of mouth to donate 100% to ’Help for Heroes’. I raised £2500 and received 2 gold medals. I paint more now when in self-imposed isolation and I have decided to have an exhibition and give all the money to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston. I have over 40 paintings ready to sell. If these paintings go on sale in Southwold, Suffolk, they would cost in the hundreds of pounds, but because I do not have their heavy overheads I can sell mine for £50 - £80, framed and ready to hang and they make lovely presents. I lost my son, Martyn, who died in Jakarta, Indonesia, age just 60. You should not outlive your children. (Lots of thinking and tears in my eyes.) Alison, my daughter, lives in Watford, some 140 miles away and my daughter-in-law, who is Javanese, lives in Indonesia. My day starts at 7.45am. I say ‘hello’ to Megan’s photo on the cabinet on her side of the bed. Wash, dress, tidy the bedroom and make my breakfast. I put on the radio to get the headlines only and switch off, thinking that I’ll await my newspaper, ‘The Daily Express’ – the days do not start until I’ve read my newspaper and completed two crosswords (I hope) by 9.30-10.00am. It is things like this that we take for granted, which are most important. (Today, I have been thinking a lot. I am alone and sometimes scared, wondering if I am going to make it.) At coffee time, I clean toilets, sinks and hoover where I can. I find that I have been reading a lot, thanks to Lee Child and David Baldacci. I came across the U3A Lowestoft writers group booklet, dated 1998 – 20 years ago. At that time, I was somebody in the U3A, today only an Honorary Lifetime Member #167 (lots of thinking). The stories, poems etc. are very good. I wondered if any of the writers were with us today and, if so, would they survive. Somebody suggested Skype to me. Now, there’s a funny name! I have not a clue what it means, so I called my U3A friends, Bridget and Paul Newbery. They are in isolation, like a lot of other people, learning more about each other every day. However, with instructions via emails, Paul set me up with Skype, and on Easter Monday I linked up with Alison and all of my grandchildren, husbands and partners. I felt ‘not alone’ but peaceful and fulfilled. It was lovely. Thanks Paul, you made my day. Thinking about what I should have for lunch, vacuum packed, frozen or salad, I opted for salad. The ham had no taste in it and the tomatoes tasted terrible. I think I will have fish pie today with a glass of wine, must keep up standards. Plus a pancake. Put on the radio at noon, listen to the headlines and switch off thinking. The post arrived early, two brochures on cruises and my car insurance. What good is that? It’s in the garage going nowhere. If this was normal time, Karen, my lovely carer (half my age) and I would be in the Far East today, but cancelled in February. We re-booked to go in the opposite direction, USA – Hawaii plus helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon – all cancelled. Thinking it’s time for my daily rest, about one and a half hours, to recharge my batteries. Time to paint. I am doing a portrait of the Queen, and thinking about whether I should send it to Los Angeles to Prince Harry – show him what he’s missing. Thinking it’s time to listen to the daily briefing. Switch off. It’s tea time – chicken wrap (3/4 chicken wing), coffee, a few biscuits, then go into the lounge and put on the TV at 6.30 for BBC Look East. If Susie Fowler-Watt or Julia look at some of my pictures, I can hear them saying that they like this one, or that. It’s Thursday, so I go outside to clap for the NHS, as its 8pm. Meet the neighbours for the first time, talked at a distance to a young lady with her dog. Back inside, the lights are off, curtains drawn, on my own again, lonely – sometimes scared and confused, thinking that I don’t want an evening like the night before. I fell asleep watching TV….as you do…but woke up confused, lost, alone, felt like being in prison, in solitary confinement. My brain was saying ‘go to bed, rest up’, but my body was not going anywhere. Feeling scared, I wondered if I should phone Alison, 140 miles away. No good, because I am in isolation and it would also worry her and her family, and she does enough for me as it is. Thinking that I should pull myself together and go to bed, my body responded. As I walked into my bedroom, I saw my Megan’s photograph. I grabbed it, cuddled it, and kissed it, explaining. All of a sudden, my body felt light, it’s burdens all gone, thinking ‘now what?’ I will do this if it happens again. Time for a snooze, rest, watch TV, have a coffee, time for bed 10.00ish. Check computer. One message from car insurers “how did we do?” Who cares, deleted, thinking I must wash, clean my teeth, talk to Megan. She is in a better place than us. “Goodnight my darling”. No reply, thinking I

MAY 2020 – In Lockdown And Thinking

May 2020

In Lockdown And Thinking (cont…)

must say my prayers. Tomorrow is Friday, which is a bonus. I get my Lowestoft Journal with my Daily Express, must not forget to keep it for Stephen and Sarah. Then, it’s Saturday, the best day of the week. Karen brings me my weekly fish and chips and collects my order from Morrison’s on Monday. “Good night and God Bless.”

P.S. Don’t forget to buy my paintings to help the NHS! Ron Hemp

Above: Spitfires Over Devon Coast Left: African Elephant Right: Her Majesty The Queen

Ron Hemp

A Life Remembered - In parts - part 3

I was born. I grew. My first studio photo was, aged eight months, lying, in the nude, on my tummy on a rug. My next photo was as a teenager, as the family did not possess a camera. On my first day at school, I spent the morning bawling my eyes out. I can visualise Grampy telling my Mum that she was to take her two boys away from the Blitz in London to live in his cottage in Naphill, on the Chilterns, over-looking High Wycombe. We had a wind-up gramophone – problem was, we had only two records – “Sir Roger de Coverley” and a multi-tracked disc, that played different tunes, depending where the needle started. We glued a map of Europe on the back of a door, and stuck little flags in it, as our troops ad-vanced or retreated. My gang comprised Teddy Tapping, who lived opposite, Jimmy Brown, who lived next door to him, and, occasionally, Barbara, who lived next to Jimmy (my younger brother was “black-balled”.) Mr Thompson, the village barber, lived next door: every fortnight I would take six pence through the hedge to his shed, at the back, for a “close-back’n’sides”. Every Sunday, at midday, I was sent up the road to the Black Lion, to tell Grampy that lunch was ready, and stay for a fizzy lemonade in a glass with bubbles. One day, Dad brought a banana from London, which we placed on the mantel-piece, until it turned black, when we mashed it down and ate it with custard. Another day, a V1 flew over, followed by a twin-bodied Lightning Fighter. It cut out; the gang ran on to the Common to inspect the crater. The plane had tipped the V1 over with its wing. Mum asked me to take a marrow down to the Village Hall to go on the WI stall at the Village Fete. Imagine her surprise, when she turned up to discover that it had won first prize in the vegetable competition. The gang was playing on the Common, one day, when I threw a stick, which hit Jimmy in the eye – after that he wore a glass eye. Roger and I slept in a double bed on the ground floor, which had a counter pane with swastikas on it – they were supposed to be a good luck sign. One day, we stood at the window to watch column after column of sol-diers march by – something to do with “D-Day”, we were told.

John Butler


1 How old do you have to be to legally buy a lottery ticket in the UK?

2 If a dish is cooked Florentine, what is it cooked with?

3 Who married Timothy Lawrence in 1992?

4 In which year did Tony Blair first become British Prime Minister?

5 What is the name of the character of the cultural attaché portrayed by Barry Humphries?

6 What does `D.C.` in Washington D.C. stand for?

7 Who wrote the novel `Fantastic Mr. Fox`?

8 How many yards long is a furlong?

9 How old does a road vehicle need to be to be described as a classic?

10 What is the official name of `the Old Bailey`?

11 Which is the largest country in the world with only one time zone?

12 Which is the only town name in Britain to end in an exclamation mark?

13 On which subject does Monty Don write and broadcast?

14 What does RAM stand for in computer terminology

15 On what day of the year is St Georges day held?

16 In motoring, what does MG stand for?

17 According to Edward Lear`s poem, how long was the sailing trip undertaken by the Owl and the Pussycat?

18 What is the only word in the English language that ends in the letters "mt"

19 In the game Cluedo, which room can be accessed via the secret passageway from the Study?

20 Which sign of the zodiac is represented by the Ram?

21 In Greek mythology, which beautiful youth fell in love with his own reflection?

22 In which city were the 1940 Olympic Games scheduled to take place before being cancelled due to war?

23 Born in Budapest in 1874, by what name was Erich Weiss better known?

24 What type of material is produced in a ginnery?

25 A pony is slang for what amount of money?

26 A sheet of A4 paper is 210 mm wide, but how long is it?

27 February is the shortest month in the year, but which is the longest?

28 What is the dot on the letter `i` called?

29 What name is given to the cabin below an Airship?

30 Which line on the London Underground stops at more stations than any of the other lines?

31 In a standard set of playing cards which is the only king without a moustache?

32 What name is given to a matador on horseback?

33 What is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury?

34 Barwick Green is the name of the title music to which show?

35 If you were born on Burns night, which star sign would you be?

36 In 1985, which entertainer made the first ever mobile phone call in Britain?

He was one half of a famous double act.

37 What is the main language spoken in Chile?

38 What colour is the cross on the flag of Finland?

39 How much liquid does a flagon hold?

40 If it is 2 P.M. in London, what time would it be in Greece?

Submitted by: Alan Spencer who is also a member of Gt. Yarmouth U3A

A Quiz from Great Yarmouth

Answers to this puzzle can be found on page 20

May 2020

Where am I ??

As we are not able to go on any outings or theatre trips under lockdown, Ros, our trips coordinator has provided the following:

A virtual outing to somewhere in East Anglia. This small town, with its long main street wandering down to a piece of water, was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and was an important Saxon port. The fierce battle, fought against the Vikings, was commemorated in poetry and bronze. The local hero, who died at the scene, had to wait until 2006 for an appropriate statue to be raised in his honour. He now overlooks a small island, the scene of the battle and can watch the passing of sailing craft both aged and modern.

There are two buildings in the vicinity of town with literary associations. The first is a library housed in what was once a church. The tower was retained but the rest was rebuilt in the seventeenth century by the owner of the library to display his collection. It is preserved until this day by a charitable organisation dedicated to the project.

The second building is a twelfth century abbey, just on the outskirts of the town, which has been a family home in more recent years and its sometime owners were very influential in literary circles.

This place’s main claim to fame is its involvement in the production of a commodity which has been important for thousands of years and has been significant in religious rites and rituals of many of the world’s religions.

What is the name of the town?

Whose statue overlooks the small island?

Whose library is housed in the former church?

What is the name of the family who once occupied the abbey?

What is the commodity?

Ros Lyons

Men and Women of the Moment (Anagrams)

I pelt a prat Risk his Una John Iron sobs O Arabic mind Email mistily Rich shy twit Dump old rant Merits raker One rues fling Large man leek User breaks a lung Thwack Totem Chan

Books and Their Authors (Missing Vowels)

TH MRRR ND TH LGHT ND HLRY MNTL PRD ND PRJDC ND JN STN GRT XPCTTNS ND CHRLS DCKNS WTHRNG HGHTS ND MLY BRNT TH TSSTMNTS ND MRGRT TWD THS S GNG T HRT ND DM KY NRML PPL ND SLLY RNY TH VRY HNGRY CTRPLLR ND RC CRL TH S TH S ND RS MRDCH TH D VNC CD ND DN BRWN FFTY SHDS F GRY ND LJMS ND THN THR WR NN ND GTH CHRST

7. Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up like every two hours?

8. If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing? 9. Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV? 10. Why is 'bra' singular and 'panties' plural? 11. If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Maureen’s Funnies - To Make You Smile (cont…)

Answers to the puzzles on this page can be found on

page 20


“Lockdown Solitude” Pastel by Bridget Newbery

Art for All group

LET’S KEEP IT INDEFINITELY. !!!!!! I wake up every morning, and do not have to remember where I should be going. I know what I will be doing, as Bridget and I have to produce a Work of Art, weekly. I have plenty of time to do anything. I am SO relaxed. It doesn’t matter. All my milk, bread and groceries are delivered. I have “ Meals on Wheels “. I phone my friends – they are always in. I’ve joined a Book Club. My son and daughter phone me every evening – we have such a lot to tell each other. I have been in touch with friends, to whom I usually only send Christmas cards. Clapping every Thursday gives us great community spirit. I talk to my neighbours. Best of all -- SILENCE – no traffic rumble – I’ve seen house sparrows -- wonderful. So, I say : -- VOTE FOR LOCKDOWN !!!!! LONG MAY IT STAY !!!!!

John Butler.

I’M ALL FOR LOCKDOWN !!!!!!

Together but apart! Dorn Edwards and Sandra Delf Obeying

the Lockdown rules.

Quilling entries for John and Bridget’s “Weekly Work of Art” lock-down” project. Left: John But-ler’s “Blueish Bird”. Right: Bridget Newbery’s “Chaffinch”

May 2020

My Home Town: Leytonstone – East London

I was born just before the end of the second world war in the middle of an air raid, [so I am told] in the back bedroom of the house where I was to live until 1966 when I married. My parents had moved to the house – a three bedroomed semi detached house with a bathroom and a front and back garden - in 1938.They had come from the heart of the east end of London; my Dad from a tenement building in the Brick Lane area and my Mum from a tiny two up, two down, outside toilet, terraced property by Victoria Park, which housed parents and seven children, two of them dying there of TB. So, the house in Leytonstone, on the edge of Epping forest and a stones throw from the open spaces of Wanstead park and the salubrious suburbs of Wanstead and Snaresbrook, must have seemed a dream. There was a caveat. My mother's brother-in- law paid for the house on the condition that my Grandma live there also, as he and my mother's sister were off to India and a career in the Forestry Commission of the Raj. That was not a problem, there was plenty of room. Things changed as six children were born over 19 years; no, they were not catholic, my parents, more careless! In 1947, doing well as a cabinet maker after the war, my father bought the house from my uncle for £850, not much more than he paid for his first new car! In 1999, after the death of my mother, the house sold for £140,000. The last time it was sold, in 2018, it went for £¾ million. How time changes!

The Leytonstone I remember as a child had quiet roads where we played without fear of being run over, a bustling high street, and one posh department store, Bearmans. Here we would go, very occasionally, to buy knitting wool and material for dressmaking. I remember going to buy a christening dress and tiny white silk shoes for my baby sister. Even more occasionally, we would have tea and a cake in the restaurant. That was such a treat. My grammar school was just over a mile away and I walked there and back four times a day. It never occurred to anyone that I might have school dinners. My mother told me, much later, that five shillings a week was too much to find on a Monday morning. During the 21 years I lived there, things must have changed but it's difficult to pinpoint. Certain things stand out. Front gardens being turned into parking spaces; bomb sites being cleared. Tower blocks being built; houses being subdivided into flats. Supermarkets arriving. Every year, usually in May, my siblings and I get together and meet at the City of London Crematorium where our parents ashes are interred – although not this year, of course. We sometimes drive to the house. Smart cars, PVC windows, trendy coffee bars as Leytonstone becomes gentrified. It is a different world and, after this pandemic, it will be a different world again. Different but, hopefully, better.

Irene Sergeant


12. Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

13. Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway...

14. Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

15. If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

16. Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

17. If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

18. If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

19. Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? 20. Why did you just try singing the two songs above?


Art for All

Hi folks in the U3A art group. What have you been painting whilst hidden behind doors in Lowestoft and its surrounds? To keep my sanity, I’ve been doing jigsaws and painting, even looking out the window and dreaming sometimes. I wish I was a bird sometimes, like in the picture I’m painting. Have you all been painting too? Did you finish your fruits or homage to your favourite artist? I’ve sent Bridget some of mine, what about the rest of you? Are any of you a budding Gainsborough or Van Gogh? Who has been selling a painting on-line to raise funds?

Valerie Waterman … and the answer is below and all over this issue! (Ed.)

Above: “Beach Hut”

Below: “Sailing Boat”

By Les Prettyman

Above: “Permitted Visitor”

Below: “Lockdown Through the Window”

By Valerie Waterman

May 2020

Art for All (cont…)

As a new U3A member, I was very sad when all U3A group activities necessarily had to be suspended due to COVID-19. Just as I was getting to know new friends in the art and walking groups. However, these are two activities that I’ve been able to continue solo – nowhere near as much fun, but still better than nothing at all.

First, many thanks to Les, Bridget and William for setting up a programme of art projects for the year. Taking inspiration from this, the theme for April 20 was Movement – Speed. One activity a lot of people are doing in lockdown is sorting out computer files and I’m no exception. In doing so I came across a stunning photo of Usain Bolt competing for his 2012 Olympics gold medal and I couldn’t resist having a go at a painting for the Movement – Speed session. Here is the result.

Second, on my daily solo walks, I have noticed the exceptional beauty of all the hedgerow blos-soms this year. Right now the hawthorns take centre stage but in March the blackthorns were superb – every tiny flower so exquisite. Such sights really lift the spirits when things look grim. So I brought nature indoors with a close-up study of a blackthorn twig – one of the brilliant things about art is that it really makes you look at what is around you. Here is my effort. In the meantime, like everyone else in U3A, I’m really looking forward to the time when we can all get together again and hope it won’t be too long. Best wishes to everyone.

Jane Harrington


This has got to be one of the cleverest E-mails I've received in a while. Someone out there Must be "deadly" at Scrabble. (Wait till you see the last one)!

Submitted by Maureen Showell

Maureen’s Anagrams

Music is More Beautiful than Art I maintain that U3A is founded on three “E”s:- Education, Entertainment and Exercise. I used to do a lot of exercise (38 consecutive annual holidays climbing the Cumbrian Fells), but, re-cently, I have developed a bone in my leg, so, exercise is now out. For many years, I have attended Music Appreciation and Art Appreciation Groups, and learnt a bit about both. Nowadays, facts go in one ear and get lost in the ether, so, I am left with Entertainment. Define “Beautiful” – Delighting aesthetic senses. What is the most beautiful Art vision? Venus de Milo? The Birth of Venus? The Mona Lisa? How many of those have you seen? How long did it take you to appreciate their beauty? What is the most beautiful Music? Dvorak’s Largo? Elgar’s Nimrod? Rachmaninov’s Symphony 2? Jessie Norman, singing Amazing Grace? How many of those have you heard? Did they give you tingles down your spine? How long were you in ecstasy, listening to those?

I REST MY CASE!!!!!!! John Butler

Music & Art Appreciation - A Personal Perspective

PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the letters:

BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER: When you rearrange the letters:

MOON STARER

DESPERATION: When you rearrange the letters:

A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES: When you rearrange the letters:

THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH: When you rearrange the letters:

HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE : When you rearrange the letters:

HERE COME DOTS

DORMITORY: When you rearrange the letters:

DIRTY ROOM

SLOT MACHINES: When you rearrange the letters:

CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:

When you rearrange the letters: IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS :

When you rearrange the letters: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS :

When you rearrange the letters: ALAS ! NO MORE Z'S

A DECIMAL POINT :

When you rearrange the letters: I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:

When you rearrange the letters: THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:

When you rearrange the letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW: When you rearrange the letters:

WOMAN HITLER

May 2020

21. Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

22. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

23. Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?

24. Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

25. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? 26. Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection? 27. Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard? 28. Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?


Mixed Crafts

I have been very busy making Busy Bee cards and I have just finished my lockdown crochet blanket. I was watching the news one evening and saw the rainbows the children had been making, so decided to make a rainbow edge on the blanket. Hope all is well with you and yours. Hope to see you and everyone else soon, Ann from the craft group.

Left: a selection of Cross-Stitch cards

By: Ann Johnston

Right: Crochet Blanket

By: Ann Johnston


The greatest miracle in Christendom is when two people produce another human being. To see the head of your child appearing from within the mother’s body is miraculous. I be-lieve that extra children add only 10% to the burdens and pleasures of parenthood. So, we feed, water and fertilise our off spring and it gets bigger. We get pleasures cuddling it and making it smile. As it grows, it becomes more expensive, culminating in teenage years. At last, it graduates and leaves home to become an adult. Then, it is merely interesting, but when it produces a child, itself, we take closer interest. Occasionally, we are allowed to cud-dle and spoil our grandchild. You watch your child make the same mistakes that you made, but you daren’t interfere. It is sometimes possible to buy children, who become nearly as close and cuddly as a natural child. The final stage of our children comes when one is old, like me. My son has helped me add a few years to my life. He is paying back in full what I was one third (I’m a man) responsible for produc-ing, in the first place.

John Butler

Above: “Pakefield Church from the Beach” By Anne Burden

“Children”

Above: “Country House” in acylics By John Butler

May 2020

29. Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

30. Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'? 31. If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes? 32. Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always

white? 33. Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale? 34. Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something

new to eat will have materialized? 35. Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner,

then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

36. Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try? 37. How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures? 38. When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart

then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?'

39. Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

40. In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

41. How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

And my FAVOURITE.........

42. The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons are suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

43. Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the first place?

A few more from Maureen... 1. It’s been a bit of a strange day! First, I found a hatful of money. Then I was

chased by an angry man with a guitar… 2. A recent article in the Daily Post reported that a man, Dave Harper, has sued St

Paul’s Hospital saying that after his wife had surgery, she lost all interest in sex. A hospital spokesman replied: “Mrs Harper was admitted for cataract surgery. All we did was correct her eyesight.”

3. Told my wife I wanted to be cremated. She made me an appointment for Tuesday. Submitted by Maureen Showell


From “English Traits” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘I feel in regard to this aged England .... pressed upon by transitions of trade and competing populations, – I see her not dispirited, not weak, but well remembering that she has seen dark days before; - indeed, with a kind of instinct that she sees a little better on a cloudy day, and that, in a storm of battle and calamity, she has a secret vigour and a pulse like a cannon’.

Submitted by: Olive Risebrow.


1. Maldon, Essex

2. Bryhtnoth, Ealdorman of Essex. Sculptor is John Doubleday

3. Thomas Plume

4. Christina Foyle, owner of Foyles Bookshop, the largest bookshop in the world, lived at Beeleigh Abbey

5. Salt

Ros Lyons

Answers to ‘Where am I ??’

1. 16 years of age. 2. Spinach 3. Princess Anne 4. 1997 5. Sir Les Patterson 6. District of Columbia 7. Roald Dahl 8. 220 9. 25 years old 10. The Central Criminal Court 11. China (It actually spans 5 zones) 12. Westward Ho! 13. Gardening / horticulture 14. Random Access Memory 15. 23rd April 16. Morris Garages 17. A year and a day 18. Dreamt 19. The kitchen 20. Aries 21. Narcissus

22. Tokyo 23. Harry Houdini 24. Cotton 25. £25.00 - 25 pounds 26. 297 mm 27. October, because the clocks go back so it

lasts 31 days and 1 hr 28. A tittle 29. Gondola 30. District 31. The king of hearts 32. Picador 33. Lambeth Palace 34. The Archers 35. Aquarius 36. Ernie Wise 37. Spanish 38. Blue 39. Two pints or one quart 40. 4 P.M.

Answers to ‘A Quiz from Great Yarmouth’

Men and Women of the Moment (Anagrams)

Priti Patel, Home Secretary Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary and Emily Maitlis, Presenter of News Night

on BBC Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Adviser Donald Trump, US President Keir Starmer ,Leader of the Opposition Neil Ferguson, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany Laura Kuenssberg, Political Editor of the

BBC Matthew Hancock, Health Minister

Books and Their Authors (Missing Vowels)

The Mirror and the Light and Hilary Mantel Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austin Great Expectations and Charles Dickens Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte The Testaments and Margaret Atwood This is Going to Hurt and Adam Kay Normal People and Sally Rooney The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Eric Carle The Sea, The Sea and Iris Murdoch The Da Vinci Code and Dan Brown Fifty Shades of Grey and E.L. James And Then there were None and Agatha Chris-

tie

May 2020

Lockdown Life

Zoom, WhatsApp, email, and Skype

Phone calls, online orders too

That's the way the day goes.

Writing, reading, daily walk

Cooking, eating, drinking wine


Jigsaw puzzles, crosswords too.

Sorting cupboards, cleaning shelves,


Garden clearing, weeds and pond

Outside work to clear the mind


Cyber French and cyber quiz

Words and games in time and space,


Online friends and family chat

Virtual hugs and virtual tears


Irene Sergeant

Gardening

I hate gardening! I love gardens and will happily sit in them, visit them and read about them but gar-dening…Nah! It’s akin to housework. In the house you spend hours hoovering, washing and dusting the knick - knacks only to spot a spider who has the temerity to spin its web in the most out unreachable spot. So, it is with gardening, you perform herculean tasks slashing, spraying and shovelling. Then you ease your weary body down onto the recliner, pour a glass of Sauvignon and open your book and before you’ve taken a sip, you spot it, a giant thistle. Behind your back, when you were showing the nettles what you thought of them, a prickly beast’s roots have excavated your rose garden and stuck fast, spoiling the view. I have been the armchair critic, sitting on the side lines, of several gardens created by my late hus-band. Our first was a long thin neglected patch at the rear of a modern-town terrace. He grew no flowers just fruit and vegetables, the more exotic the better. Gourds and squashes of all shapes and colours rampaged over the whole plot. Tiny alpine strawberries peeped out from under their foliage and peppers and chillies struggled in grow bags on what any sensible person would have had as a patio. It was a cook’s dream. In Essex there was 1 1/3 acres of virgin garden to be created. An orchard was planted, a hedge full of Christmas trees was established and there was space for a badminton net and a suntrap terrace where I deigned to take charge of a few pots. In Norfolk we scoured the countryside for a house with at least an acre of garden, my husband’s de-mand. Many perfectly suitable properties were rejected because the garden fell short of the magic acre. Thus, we ended up developing a barn and its garden. It was a big job, so extra pairs of hands were required. My neighbour, observing three bodies, bottoms in the air, crawling across the soil pick-ing stones, remarked, “It looks like prison work.” Foolishly the garden was designed so that a marquee could be erected if required. I fantasised about a wedding in the garden for my daughter, with pergo-las dripping with purple wisteria and buttonholes plucked from our flowerbeds. Of course, the wed-ding has never happened in the garden or anywhere else. Instead I have a large area of grass that by no stretch of imagination could you call a lawn. The wild-life has been allowed to run rampant. Moles and rabbits have created a labyrinth of tunnels and holes – just perfect for getting your foot stuck in, should you attempt to play badminton. The pond, once designed to be graced with water lilies, is duck central. They make their presence felt everywhere. I am in charge of the garden now. I have help, but my reluctant input is required. I like mowing. I sit on the ride-on and dream. I’m a snatch and grab gardener. Unlike my daughter who methodically re-moves every weed from one patch before moving on, I go for big wins. I hack down a stray bramble, mow a patch of grass in view from the road to deceive passers-by that a real gardener lives here and net the soft fruit so I might cheat the pigeons on perpetual guard duty and enjoy a few bowls of rasp-berries. I would hate to be without a garden and I would love it to be a thing of beauty, but that requires proper knowledgeable gardening. It’s not me.

Ros Lyons


Committee Contacts

Due to the current lockdown restrictions, the A.G.M. has been provisionally moved to the September meeting.

Annual General Meeting

Sept 23 Members only Annual General Meeting

Chairman Harold Waterman [email protected]

Secretary Cathy Craig [email protected]

Treasurer Peter Riches [email protected]

Membership Secretary Irene Creevey [email protected]

Groups Coordinator William Rouse [email protected]

Minutes Secretary Julie Hogg [email protected]

IT Manager Michael Weston [email protected]

Newsletter Editor Bridget Newbery [email protected]

Committee Member Georgina Connelly [email protected]

Trips Coordinator Ros Lyons [email protected]

The outings programme is suspended at the moment. It will restart when it is safe to do so. Members with theatre tickets will receive refunds in due course. I hope it won’t be too long before we can all meet again and enjoy some fun times together.

Ros Lyons

Theatre Trips & Outings

We, in U3A Lowestoft, are painfully aware of how isolating the current lockdown circumstances can be. Therefore, we are currently in the process of identifying people who we believe have no access to the internet, or who do not belong to a specific group. While this is being achieved, we are looking for volunteers to assist in ringing this group of people to ensure that they have enough social contact to help them through this period. If you would like to help with this project, please contact Ros Lyons on 01502 677355 in the first instance.

Keeping in Touch

Painted in Lock-down

Left: “Seascape”

in pastels Bridget Newbery

Right: “Elephants” in oils.

Valerie Waterman

May 2020

Monthly Meetings: Last Wednesday of month (not July, Aug, Dec) 10 for 10.30 am London Rd Baptist Church

Contact Groups Coordinator - [email protected] - for more information.

Lowestoft U3A Programme May 2020

Writers’ Group 10.00-11.30 Colville House 2nd & 4th Monday

Photography 10.00-12.00 Homes (telephone for details) 1st & 3rd Monday

Scrabble 10.00-12.00 Colville House Weekly

Social History 10.00-12.00 Colville House 3rd Monday

French (proficient) 10.30-12.00 Homes (telephone for details) Fortnightly

Art for All 13.30-15.30 Colville House 1st & 3rd Monday

Bookworms 14.00-16.00 Colville House 2nd Monday

Table Tennis 14.00-16.00 United Reform Church Weekly

Play Reading 10.00-11.30 Wesley House Weekly

Country Dance 10.00-12.00 St Marks Church, Oulton Broad Fortnightly

Spanish 10.30-12.00 Homes (telephone for details) Weekly

Bridge 13.15-15.45 Colville House Weekly

Canasta 14.00-16.00 Seagull Theatre 2nd & 4th Tuesday

Family History 14.00-16.00 Homes (telephone for details) 2nd Tuesday

Carpet Bowls 10.30-12.30 Colville House 1st & 3rd Wednesday

Computing - Living w. Tech 10.30-12.30 Colville House Not last Wednesday

Chess 14.00-16.00 Colville House 2nd & 4th Wednesday

Computer Clinic 14.00-16.00 Colville House Weekly

Mixed Crafts 14.00-16.00 Colville House Weekly

French Improvers 10.00-12.00 Colville House Weekly

Music Appreciation 10.00-12.00 St Margaret’s Small Hall Weekly

Rambling / Walking 10.15-12.00 Various 2nd & 4th Thursday

Science 14.00-16.00 Homes (telephone for details) Weekly

Tai Chi Lite 14.00-16.00 Colville House Weekly

German 14.30-16.30 Homes (telephone for details) Weekly

Quiz Group 14.30-16.30 Trinity Methodist Church 2nd Thursday

Art Appreciation 10.30-12.00 Colville House Weekly

Luncheon Club 12.00-14.00 The Hotel Victoria 1st Friday

Bridge & Rummikub 13.30-15.30 Colville House Weekly

World History 13.45-15.00 Telephone for details Last Friday

Singing 14.00-16.00 St Margaret’s Small Hall Weekly

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Lowestoft

Above: “Hedghog” Lower Right: “Bamboo”

By Annie Pearce

Above Right: “Heron” in Oils By Valerie Waterman

Below: “Pansies”

Watercolour by: Anne Burden

Art for All (cont…)

Chairman Group Updates Photographs Chairman s Report · Or Indulge your passions, no one knows If...

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