Group news 3

Issue 40

October 2011

STRAY NEWS

u3a.harrogate@googlemail.com

Group News (Cont’d)

History, Modern

The modern history course entitled 'UK History 1945-1997' is due to be launched in January 2012 for its third season.

Based on a now well-established formula we will be revisiting the recent past using a substantial amount of visual material to help stimulate our discussions and bring the events and personalities of the times to recall.

The course will run for seven two hour sessions taking place on alternate Mondays beginning on 9 January 2012 and ending 2 April 2012.

Timings are 1400-1600 hrs each session based at Harrogate Baptist Church conference suite, Victoria Ave.

The topics covered will include:

UK and the World Scene in 1945 The Austerity Years 1945-1951

Years of Recovery 1951-1964 Office but not Power 1964-1979

The Slaying of Dragons 1979-1990 The Grey Years 1990-1997

Contact David Davies E-mail for further details or to book a place on the course, which usually fills up by mid-November.

Do come along. It's our history and we made it!"

Poster from Flickr Commons The UK National Archive at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/3047452743/in/photostream/

Knitting

The knitting group was started last October and during the past year has made numerous articles for various charities.

We will be taking several items for premature babies to Harrogate hospital within the next few weeks. Hats, gloves and scarves, toys and cardigans will go to the Christmas Child appeal at the end of October.

The raffle for the blanket at the AGM raised £19 and a donation will go to St Michael's hospice.

Many of these items were made with yarn donated by U3A members and we are grateful for their generosity.

Thank You.

Reading for Pleasure

We have enjoyed another year – which is our 19th – when once again, we have read a good selection of books, some of which have been enjoyed, while others have received avid criticism, (well is not this what a reading group is all about?)

We have been voting throughout the year and the book which came out top this year is “The Siege of Krishnapur” by J.G.Farrell. It is not a happy tale, although there are some humorous episodes. It is well written and you can almost smell India.

We begin our new year in October with “A month in the Country” by J. L. Carr and in November we are reading “Major Pettigrew’s last stand” by Helen Simonsen. We chose our programme for the year at the September meeting, and try to include a biography, classic, crime novel and a humorous one. The others chosen are ones that have been recommended by various members of the group.

We are looking forward to reading a varied choice of books during the coming year.

Sketching on Location

The four remaining members of this group met for our planning meeting in September.

We decided that we would close the group, due to lack of interest and continually being hampered by adverse weather conditions.

I have enjoyed leading this group during the last few years. We have had some happy times, and I would like to thank everyone who has given some support to the group in the past few years.