Issue 33
June 2009
Group News Cont’d
The group continues to meet at the Robert Street Centre at 2.00pm on the first Friday of every month.
We are exceedingly lucky to have had so many brilliant speakers at our meetings.
Dr. Owen Green spoke about the Caucasus an area we know little about, but Dr. Green is an acknowledged world expert.
In March, the Samaritans came to tell us about their invaluable work dealing with people in crisis. In April Richard Corbett provided an insight into the work of MEPs while in June Colin Bell the headmaster of South Leeds High School (shortly to become an Academy) spoke of the challenges and rewards of working in an inner city school.
The June meeting is entitled “Why a third runway at Heathrow is a good idea”. The speaker is Dr. Andrew Carruthers, Director of Studies in Technology and Management at Bradford University.
In July, the subject is climate change which Dr. Brian Lewis the speaker is calling, “Gujarati River talks to Yorkshire Rivers”.
I am perplexed that with over 800 members we do not get more than 15 to 25 people to attend. Our meetings are lively, informative and challenging. There is a world outside Harrogate, why not come along and find out.
Brian Elias
April was an indoor meeting on a fine day when it was arranged to miss the April showers! We had a very interesting and informative talk by David Lister on Roses. David has been a rose breeder in Leeds for over 50 years and has a vast experience and knowledge of rose growing. In an afternoon he managed to pass on a great deal of information and tips about how the amateur could enjoy cultivating roses in a variety of gardens. The talk was illustrated by some wonderful slides of rose varieties old and new. Then we had the diseases and pests associated with the rose explained to us and how to deal with them.
In May there was an outdoor meeting to visit the gardens at Parcevall Hall. This day was wet and windy in contrast to our April meet. A small group of hardy individuals braved the elements and were rewarded with a lull in the weather and shelter in the valley from the high winds. The group was rewarded with a wonderful display of spring plants, many being of unusual varieties as the garden was created by a plantsman who collected plants from around the world. There were trilliums, camellias and cherry blossoms plus a whole range of other interesting plants. To round off the day and succour the inner person we retired to the café for tea, buns, cake and cream teas.
Ian Wallace
In the second half of the year of British Art, we resumed in the early Industrial
Revolution with Joseph Wright of Derby (b.1734) with his dramatically lighted scenes
of scientific experiments. Then the poet and mystic William Blake (b. 1757) who
worked mainly in prints, illuminated printed books, and drew inspiration from his
imagination, rather than copying nature. (However, Brian pointed out the influence
of Michelangelo in Blake’s drawing of bodies.) Next came John Constable (b.1776)
who we know mainly for Suffolk landscapes, and who was respected by fellow artists
for his outdoor, on-
We finished the year with caricature (from the Italian caricare, to load, eg: load with meaning). These prints were popular, and sold in print shops in the 18th and early 19th centuries. We still see a lot of these, coloured in, for sale in bookshops.
Thanks again to Brian for an informative and enjoyable course.
Judy Muscarella
After the half term break, the class continues until Tuesday 21st July, from 2-
Val Cooke
On March 31st eighteen of our Tuesday afternoon "Keep Fit" group assembled for a belated Christmas lunch at Café Rouge. Efficient Val Cooke had organised it and a gay old time was had by all. The walls reverberated with the sound of laughter as stories and happenings were told and we got to know one another a little bit better through this lovely social event.
Sandra Dalty, our gorgeous very slim and trim young instructor naturally came along and enjoyed the relaxation in the restaurant, instead of putting us through our paces. She adds new routines continually so we (or she) do not get bored. We leave her sessions having worked hard and definitely feeling the benefit thereof.
It was agreed by all to have more of these late Christmas lunches, and we also decided to have a few more lunches during the year since this one was so successful and such a happy event.
Thanks Val for all your hard work as well as Sandra's of course!
Siggie Mattison