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The speakerfor ourMarch

meeting wasBarbara Meyer, awildlifephotographerwhose initialinterests were inendangered bigcats like theAmur Leopard,but found a

commonality in the problems that face them in thewild with those facing British species, - loss ofhabitat, disease etc. which brought her to study inSherwood Forest. She was permitted to set up trailcameras in the Sherwood Forest National NatureReserve which is managed as an open woodlandarea, attempting to replicate its medieval past,and which was designated Site of SpecialScientific Interest in 1954. Woodland birds areplentiful, especially at the feeding stations, butmuch of the animal life is less easy to spot, beingeither naturally timid or nocturnal such as badgers.Grey squirrels are abundant as well as many birds- Blackbirds, Nuthatches, Chaffinches , TreeCreepers, Jays and Tawny Owl, Buzzards,Redwings (in season) and various Tits, all feedingon the woodland floor or in the nesting season,gathering nest building material.

Four types of deer have been recorded oncamera - Fallow, Red and Roe as as well asMuntjac, a non-native species,but now widelydistributed. Cattle are allowed into areas of theForest by ancient right, and can cause damage tothe ecosystem detrimental to deer, but whichbenefits badgers by breaking up the ground.

The Badgers in the forest do not appear tohibernate and are active through the year. Theyare very sociable, separating only to forageindependently. They use middens and replacetheir bedding regularly. There was fascinatingfootage of young cubs playing under thesupervision of attentive parents.

The local foxes seem to be on good termswith the badgers, at times re-using former badgersetts and being in close contact withoutaggression. There was further footage of youngfox cubs playing while their mother foraged.

In summary, Sherwood Forest still retains adiverse variety ofwildlife, but it is crucialto maintain theextensive areas ofundisturbedenvironment, andwhen used as aresource by the publicto keep dogs undercontrol never (please!)leave litter.

Nick Clark

NewsletterThe

Issue No.59 April 2017

http://u3asites.org.uk/carlton-gedling/home

Guest Speaker

NEW MEMBERS MEETINGThis is an opportunity for new members, and anyone wishing to find out more about the U3A, to meet and

have a chat to some committee members and group conveners in a smaller less formal setting than themonthly meeting. Coffee is for sale along with the usual range of beverages and the meeting will take

place at the Willowbrook Pub at 10:45 - 11:45 am on Thursday 27th AprilConvenor - Sally Bailey

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Notices

Next month’s general meeting is on Thursday 20th April at the Richard HerrodCentre. The Speaker is Judith Wright, - The History of Boots.

New and potential members especially welcome.

General Meeting

As promised last month here are the arrangements for therenewals for the 17/18 Membership which is due in June.

There is no need to print your membership form out as Iwill have a complete set of all forms due for renewalavailable as from the April meeting, but I would begrateful if you could double check your details. It is veryeasy for mistakes to occur, usually these are simple

typos, but sometimes we do have old home or emailaddresses, so please do double check.For the next couple of months, I (with my merry band of helpers)

will have the renewal forms and the new membership cards available for collection, eitherbefore the General Meeting, during coffee break or for a short while after the meeting. I will alsotake them to the New Members Meeting at the Willowbrook on the Thursday after the GeneralMeeting, if you can’t get to the General Meeting but you can join us for a quick cup of coffee then.You can pay the £20 either by cheque (made payable to Carlton and Gedling U3A) or cash.

Tricia Terndrup

MembershipRenewal

Do you know of anyone who would like to join the U3A but isunable to get to meetings? There is a Virtual U3A

accessible online which has a huge number of interest groups. An importantaim for the VU3A is to reach older people who are isolated through location,illness or immobility - but all are welcome – and from all around the World.Google Virtual U3A, or access the website on VU3A.org.

Lynne Jaremczenko

Did you know that theBroadway Cinema offers adiscount to U3A members

for the Thursday Silver Screen performances at10.30am or 1.30pm ? It’s only £3.50 instead of £5.00(with a free cup of tea or coffee and biscuits!) You mustshow U3A photo ID to qualify.

Virtual U3A

Cinema Discount

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Change of Dates and VenuesDue to the forthcoming bank holidays the Drama Group meetings will be asfollows:

Next meetings- 24 April at the Fire station15 May Richard Herod Centre as normal

Pat Downing

Have you noticed how elaborate our GeneralMeeting Display Table is becoming? In the last

three months alone we have had Wine, French Baguettes and model railways – I think theremust be a secret competition going on amongst the convenors for “best in show”. The centralDisplay Table, however, is only one small example of all the hard work that the GroupConvenors put into the Market Place in order that you can see what happens in their individualgroups – fabulous posters, examples of work made, glorious photographs and detailed plans ofmeetings ahead.If the Market Place is new to you – do explore it at the next General Meeting. On the wholegroups stay in the same place each month – for instance, The Raffle is always next to the door,the Newsletters are always at the back of the room next to Textiles and the biscuits. So if youare curious about Drama but holding back from turning up at the next meeting – go along totheir table and chat to the convenor. If you cannot work out if you should be going to ClassicalMusic, Music for Fun or Music Appreciation – talk to the convenors. Ditto Textiles, Craft andSewing – I could go on through all our Fabulous Fifty Groups.And don’t forget that on the wall that you pass on the way to coffee, other groups – particularlythe sporty ones have their posters – sadly there isn’t table space for everyone.So thank you Convenors, yet again, for all your hard work. No pressure, of course, but overthe next two months the Display Table is manned by Cycling and then Science.Lynne Jaremczenko

DramaGroup

The Canasta group are pleased to say that an additional two sessions will nowoperate. They will be on the first and fourth Friday in the month, starting withimmediate effect. Members are invited to join, whether experienced, lapsed or

total beginners. Training can be given.If you are interested please contact Andrew on 9875263.

The sessions will run from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and will be at TheWillowbrook.As The Willowbrook do not charge us, it is appreciated if you buy adrink. Good food is also available.Andrew Merriman

Canasta

The Market Place - meet your Convenors

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TheatreThree new offerings this month and several other visits still available. Chekhov’s play Ivanov isabout a man who struggles to get his life back on track and regain his former glory. When his firstwife dies he is publicly accused of marrying his second just for her generous dowry. Guys andDolls is perhaps the finest Broadway musical ever written. Both Tony award winner for bestmusical and Pulitzer prize winner for drama this is a hilarious mix of gambling and religion, sexand innocence. If you’ve never seen it, you should; if you have seen it, for a mere £13, youshould see it again! Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, the Olivier award-winning West Endshow is coming to Nottingham as part of its first ever UK tour!

Cinderella – the Pantomime - is possibly the most exciting panto of all so, have a ball!Cinderella – the Dance theatre – is a thrilling and evocative love story, set in London during theSecond World War, which forms part of the Matthew Bourne Company’s 30th anniversarycelebrations. Phew, that’s it. So bring your diary and cheque book with you to the generalmeeting – and it really does help us if you can give us cheques. Paul Martinez

Pick Up Tickets: East is East, The Perfect MurderSold out: Marie Lloyd and the Music Hall Murder.Trips on offer:New Drama Ivanov 2.30pm Saturday 24th June, Lace Market Theatre, (£10) Organiser CarolynBroadhurst Sign up and pay for ticketsComedy The Play that Goes Wrong Wednesday 5th July 2pm Theatre Royal (£24.50)Organiser Linda Spencer Sign up and pay for ticketsClassic Thriller Dial M for Murder Wednesday 12th July 2pm, Nottingham Playhouse (£15)Organiser Linda Spencer Few tickets leftClassic Thriller Dangerous Corner Wednesday 19th July 2pm Nottingham Playhouse (£15)Organiser Linda Spencer Few tickets leftMusical Guys and Dolls Saturday 29th July 2.30pm Lace Market Theatre, (£13) Organiser JanetWhitchurch. Sign up and pay for ticketsMusical Beautiful – the Carol King Musical, Theatre Royal, Thursday 19th October, 2pm(£39.50) Organiser Anne Porter. Sign up and pay for ticketsNew Pantomime Cinderella, Friday 1st December 7.30pm and Monday 4th December 2.30pm.(£7) Max 4 tickets per family. Organiser Basia Arch Sign up and pay for ticketsNew Dance Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, Thursday 8th March 2018 2pm, Theatre Royal, (£31)Organiser Anne Porter Sign up and pay

Madama ButterflyTwenty four members went along to the cinema on the evening of 30 March to watch a live performanceof the well-known Puccini opera Madama Butterfly. Having eventually found our seats in the dark (theyforgot to switch the lights on!), we settled down to a very enjoyable performance of this tragic opera set inJapan and sung in Italian. It is an easy opera to follow and the sub-titles may have been a distraction.Madame Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) enters into marriage with a visiting American sailor Lieutenant Pinkerton(Marcelo Puente) whose intentions are not all they seem to be. The American Consul tries to dissuadePinkerton from the marriage, saying it will end unhappily, but Butterfly falls in love and renounces herJapanese religion and family. Pinkerton returns to America with his ship.Three years pass by and Butterfly tells her maid, Suzuki (beautifully sung by Elizabeth DeShong), that shehas not given up hope of Pinkerton returning to her. Meanwhile Prince Yamadori arrives, offeringmarriage and a certain future to Butterfly, but she rejects him. The Consul appears with aletter from Pinkerton, who is on his ship in the harbour, whereby Butterfly tells him that she

Theatre reviews

.Cont…

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The Newsletter is published by The Carlton, Gedling & District U3A. (Reg. Charity No. 1157211)Views expressed are not necessarily those of the U3A or Editor

Put the date in your diary – digout your teapots again please –

and plan to wear your poshfrock with hat – the more

elegant and extravagant thebetter.

Can you guess the theme for thisyear ?

has a child by Pinkerton, and that if she has been deserted she has twooptions – to become a beggar or die. Suzuki tells her that Pinkerton hasan American wife who will care for her child. Butterfly says goodbye toher son and then, taking up a ceremonial dagger left to her by her

father, stabs herself, dying without seeing Pinkerton again. Madama Butterfly was played by ErmonelaJaho who gave a truly passionate and convincing performance, I was entranced by her. Margaret Martin

Di, Viv and RoseThis was a three hander in the Lace Market Theatre Studio (aka the bar area). The audience of some 50people were entranced by the life stories of friends who met at university and lived and loved over the next20 years. The play was compelling, with a believable story line and plenty of twists and turns. The actingwas fabulous. We were entranced by women whose lives we felt we were sharing – in fact I completelyforgot that they were actors in a play. The whole experience was all the more enthralling, because wewere only a couple of feet away from the acting area. If you haven’t yet attended a play at the Lace MarketStudio, you should give it a try. Paul Martinez

Theatre reviews cont.

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Trips & Visits

THE YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARKWEDNESDAY 28th JUNE

PRICE £17

This includes transport, entrance to the park and a tea/coffee andpastry on arrival, plus an introductory talk.

Leave Richard Herrod Centre at 9.00, to arrive around 10.45.

HOUGHTON HALL AND GARDENSWEDNESDAY 24th May 2017.

PRICE £29

As well as the hall which has the most magnificent state rooms, Houghton Hall will be hosting amajor exhibition by Turner Prize-winning British Landscape artist, Richard Long.

After the tour of the house you will be able to wander around the walled garden, the Sculpturegarden, the stables, the soldier museum and St Martins Church. Bring a picnic or eat at the

Stables cafe.

Houghton Hall

Tickets for the following trips will beon sale at the April general meeting

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

BLISTS HILL VICTORIAN TOWNTUESDAY JULY 25th 2017

PRICE £22

Go back in time on a visit to Blists Hill. part of the IronbridgeGorge Museums in Staffordshire. The site covers nearly 60

acres with displays of many traditional skills from candlemaking to steel forging and printing presses. There are alsoa wide variety of shops (including fish and chips) where youcan spend a penny - quite literally - provided you exchange

your plastic modern notes at the bank first.

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Harlaxton and Downton Manor

Thanks to Jen and Melv for leading a lovelywalk taking in Denton Reservoir and the

Grantham Canal. They even built in a short stop forrefreshments at the Gregory Arms.

Those not on the walk enjoyed looking around Boundarymills and Downtown. It was a good job we were upgraded toan executive 69 seater coach or there would not have beenroom for all our shopping

Up to 190 American students study towards their degreein Harlaxton Hall surrounded by amazing architecture.Nowadays people go to Ikea to furnish their homes, GregoryGregory toured Europe, bought items that he liked then builta house around them. The archways were made to fit thedoors, the fireplaces were made to fit the pillars and thesideboard was just any old bit of Italian marble. His philosophywas “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” and this was opulence onsteroids. Gregory even wrote in stone above the grandentrance the Latin for “ Gregory Gregory built this rather well”

Sue Fairweather

Interest Groups

This month I'd like you to pause to remember Helen Goodliffe inyour prayers.She was a founder member of Carlton & Gedling U3A and also

of our little music group. She was a very happy person and enjoyed playing and singing.We shall miss her.I'm pleased to say that several members of the U3A and of our group were able to celebrate her life at aservice at Bramcote Crematorium on Friday 24th March. Rest in peace.And while we're talking about celebrations I must congratulate two of the MMfF group on their GoldenWedding Anniversary.Husband and wife, Allan and Gwen Woolley,celebrated 50 years of marriage and typically did sowith a family musical extravaganza at Burton JoyceVillage Hall complete with a drum roll and solo by themaster.Congratulations to Allan, Gwen and all the family.Looking ahead to our next meeting, we shall try ourhand at an arrangement of "Any old time", by JimmieRodgers as sung by Maria Muldaur.We shall also revive a couple of older tunes from ourrepertoire viz. "Doctor Jazz" by Jelly Roll Morton and"T'ain't no sin to take off your skin" as played by RobinRichmond on the BBC programme, "The organistentertains".

Charles Cracknell

Making Music for Fun

Trips

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Well, we hada bumperbundle ofmembers

attending today, with 15 of us, including acouple of new faces.Doing what comes naturally to us atour age, grumping, we once againdealt with a wide range of matterswhich we felt were worthy of ourattentions.We started early, discussing someof our health conditions andexperiences (well, the early arrivals did),and progressed through; the rage thatfills us when we see the sameadvertisement repeated, seeminglyendlessly, between TV programmes; theapproach to some definitely non-PCgames; seating on planes; the MarriedPersons Allowance; a novel approach to

pedestrian crossings in Australia; some extremelyfunny complaints made to the travel company,Thomas Cook’s; then the good news stories whichcheered us.Then it was back to the grumpiness with; the lack

of investment in British inventions which end upbeing exported and then we have to buy

them back; the cost of renovating thePalace of Westminster; monumental ITschemes failures; Overseas Aid; Healthand Safety excesses; our colonial friends

from over the pond and the doings of theirleader; and ending with some more good

news and a round-up of more of theThomas Cook’s complaints.We had our usual lunch break, withexcellent fayre supplied courtesy of

The Willowbrook’s kitchen at about halftime and drew stumps a little earlier than

usual, but still exhausted after our grumblingsand moanings, - oh, and our laughter too!

Grumpy Old Men

We had a great ridelast Thursday,thanks to Mike'smeticulous planning,

the glorious sunshine and the fact that the windwhich had blown us to Bleasby, tended to lessenrather than strengthen as forecast, for the return.My attempt to improve the ride still further byadding a bridleway from Gibsmere proved a bitsticky (ie muddy) but we all made it. We cycledaround 25 miles (26 for those who cycled back theslightly longer route).In the tea shop, we drafted the followingprogramme for the next few months. All ridesstarting from Ranmoor Road Car Park at 10am onthe second Thursday· April 13th me to lead a ride via East Bridgford -

around 20-25 miles· May 11th Kath Robins to lead a ride which will

involve taking bikes on bike racks on cars. Thiswill need a bit of organisation, with peoplecommitting to bringing cars and racks if wehave them.

· June 8th Sue Oliver to co-lead a ride ifsomeone else is willing to plan and recce it withher.

· July 13th Chris Birch to lead a ride.So, if you fancy stretching your cycling legs, pleasejoin us.

Paul Martinez

Cycling for Fun

This month’s very successful meeting covered the subject of cables andtraveling stitches in knitting. The initial excellent talk on origins of differenttypes of Aran design was given by Lynne. This was followed by a talkgiving information on techniques for producing cables and travelingstitches, given by Gill. Participants were then able to practice their skills bymaking a sample following a pattern prepared by Lynne.The next meeting will be on Friday 5th May at Gedling Road MethodistChurch and will cover techniques of embroidery to embellish knitwear.

Lynne & Gill

Textile Crafts

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Choice for March -The Green Roadby Anne Enright

This novel is based on the adult membersof a rural Irish family who have all gone theirseparate ways, leaving their neuroticand self-centred mother alone in theold family house. Each chapter istold in the voice of one of thefamily and many of us, havingenjoyed the first chapter, foundthe voice in the second chapter sodifferent we thought it was a book ofshort stories. Each chapter could be astory in its own right but was bound togetherby family dynamics.

There was a very positive reaction to this novel,and the individual voices in each chapter kept ourinterest going throughout. Most of us agreed it isa great read with excellent descriptive writing andcomplex characters. Members who knew this

area of Ireland said it captured rural islandvery well. The controlling mother made

one member think of King Lear andwe had a lively discussion aroundwhat defines a dysfunctional family.Some of the group felt it was the best

choice in a year although theenjoyment for a few was spoiled by not

liking some of the characters.

Maggie Martinez

Next month: Reader’s choice

Reading Group

Just three of us again this month.The first author wrote a short letter home from the trenches of WW1. He

sees the signs of spring which remind him of the places and people ofhis past.The second author wrote of usual spring weather – snow. His carsuspension is damaged and he needs a new spring (see what he didthere). Luckily all is put right and the weather will soon change.The third author wrote of the signs and dates of spring – weather,pancakes, mothers day and more. However her spring was full ofaccidents and incidents!We need more writers! You don’t need to write much, just a page or so,and we will not criticize your spelling or grammar. It can be prose orpoetry. To read some of the stories go to the Creative Writing Grouppage and click the “stories” link on the right.We meet on the Friday after the General Meeting in the bar area of theRichard Herrod Centre. Next month the theme is “Three”.

Lynda Shelton

Creative Writing

Our March

Our April meeting saw the return of Stuart Dixon with aseasonal talk. The meeting listened to topical tips andamusing anecdotes. We learnt that the chinese

exported camellias to the United States where it had been hoped to start teaplantations. However the chinese did not want to have competition against theircrops so they sent the variety that produced lovely flowers and not the leaves fortea. Stuart brought a range of plants from Hilltop Nurseries to talk about andthey were available to buy afterwards. It is planned to hold an eveningevent in October so that Stuart can give a talk ilustrated with slides.We are resuming our monthly 'tidy up' visits to the Garden for the Blind onCarlton Hill. The next visit will be on Monday 15th May from 10am.Thereafter it will be on the second Monday of the month.Nicola Dandie

Green Fingers

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Our March Meeting was a verydifferent one to last month, withmost members contributingsomething on our subject of

Magic, Mystery and Witchcraft.We covered a lot of ground from pagan times to the 13th

century when such things were thought of as folklore,harmless superstition or healing through to medievaltimes by when witch hunting and trials were prevalent.And then not long after Charles II came to the throne thepersecution of witches in Britain stopped (and worldwide

the last “witch” to be hangedwas in 1795 in Switzerland).We heard about the GreenMan (after whom many pubsare named) and the story ofthe Witches of Belvoir. We looked at various ways that people in Medievaltimes protected themselves and their houses and churches - apotropaicmarks carved into timbers as well as charms like witch bottles, shoes anddead cats under the floorboards. And we also looked at various myths –why carve a cross in a Brussel sprout, the fear of No 13, a brides garter etc.Local things you might wish to go and see –the inscription to the Earl ofRutland in Bottesford Church says “In 1608 he married ye lady CecilaHungerford, daughter to ye Honorable Knight Sir John Tufton, by whom hehad two sons, both of which died in their infancy by wicked practises andsorcerye". This refers to the Witches of Belvoir.

And then at the Northampton Shoe Museum they have an index of over 1900 “hidden shoes” foundconcealed in buildings as talismen.Next Meeting : - 3rd April. Talk by Hazel on Finding Stefan: Colin's Story (1918 to 1945).

Lynne Jaremczenko

History Study

This months subjectwas Brexit. Thereare so manyaspects that it was

impossible to cover them all. We agreed that thefuture is a great unknown and that details of thenegotiations will come out (hopefully) over the nexttwo years. The issue of immigration seems to havebeen the major one which influenced the vote .Early noises coming out of the EU show that freemovement of labour is to be a major bargainingchip if the UK want any sort of preferential trade

agreement. This could be very unpopular. We alsodiscussed the effect on the present open border inN. Ireland; increase in cost of living if import tarrifsare revived with Europe; the social problemsassociated with sudden immigration in areas notequipped to deal with it. A good stimulatingdiscussion as always.Next meeting is on 24 April and the subject will be'Fracking'. We will meet at John Berry's house 3Violet Road off Cavendish Road.

Brian Thomas

Discussion Group

Ten members of the sewing groupventured out of their usual firestation venue this month and droveto the ‘Fabric Guild’ in Leicester to

see what was on offer. The Fabric Guild is a USstyle ‘Warehouse Club’ mainly targeted at quiltersbut also of interest to sewers and crafters. Itcomprises a large warehouse on an industrialestate with loads of all the kinds of sewing relatedsupplies and haberdashery. A bit of an ‘Aladdin’scave ‘ for sewers.

We all enjoyed our visit and left with heavier bagsand new projects in mind. Do come to one of ourregular Sewing Group meetings if you have anyinterest in Sewing or fancy learning a bit moreabout it with a sociable and knowledgeable bunchof sewers. We meet at the Fire station from 10 amto 1pm on the fourth Monday of the month.

Christine Cracknell

Sewing

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Rufford Abbey Country Park. Friday 10th March 2017.Cool, cloud/sun, wind 1-2 (S)

14 members plus 1 visitor.Rufford Abbey Country Park with its 12th century Cistercianmonastery, gardens, meadows, lakes and woodlands has lots tooffer everyone, we birders in particular. And, with spring loomingand courtships in the air, of the avian kind mind, prospects lookedpromising. Backtracking from the car park up Lime Tree Avenuehopeful of catching a late glimpse of a Hawfinch or two, we turnedright skirting the wilderness woodland and headed towards the IceHouse. Everywhere the trees were resonant with the calls andsongs of birds either holdingterritory, seeking partners orjust glad that Spring hasarrived.

On reaching the Ice House, aural overloading was forgotten withexcellent sightings of Treecreeper, Nuthatch and Goldcrest. The groupmust have remained in that same location a good twenty minutes totallyunaware of the historically important Ice House behind them. But thiswas a rare 'historical moment' for some, their first really good sightingsof these captivating creatures.

A change of direction took us tothe lake and on the way moreexcitement when a malepheasant in exotic breedingplumage entertained us all inreturn for a handful of sunflowerseeds.Rufford Mill was a good place to lunch, and as lattes were beingsipped, five Buzzard directly above put on a stunning performancegliding the thermals.Having completed a full circuit of the main lake, checked every aldertree for Siskin, and path margins for Marsh Tit, neither were seen,

unlike on the recce only two days earlier. However, as we neared the car park along the Queen Mothers Walkthe group were happy as sparrows, having had another great outing with great companions.Greylag. Canada, Egyptian, Goose. / (C) Pochard, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe.Grey Heron,Common BuzzardBlack Headed Gull / Songthrush, Fieldfare /Goldcrest, Wren / Great, Coal, (Ep) Blue, Long Tailed Tit (Es)Nuthatch (Es) TreecreeperJoan Miller

March Walk. We returned to Derbyshire in March and 18 of us enjoyed our first walk infine spring weather. The route was a lot less muddy than earlier in the month and weenjoyed good visibility and magnificent views across the Derwent valley. We were

disappointed to find that our planned watering hole at the Poet and Castle was closed for refurbishmentbut most of the group returned to The Willowbrook for refreshments.

April Walk. We are venturing further into Derbyshire this month for a walk in an area we visited in May2015. The walk is about 7.5 miles long and is in the area around Ashford in the Water, The Magpie Mineand Upper Haddon. It involves a couple of steep climbs and as it is Derbyshire there are a few styles butas Neil says, more styles mean less miles.On a clear day, the views across limestone country are magnificent and there are toilets at the start andat the lunch spot. (I know I am spoiling you!) Meet in the car park on Ranmoor Road at 9.00am on 27h April. Bring a packed lunch and some changefor the parking.

Convenor Brian Shield

Bird Watching

Striders

Goldcrest

PochardPheasant

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Romeo and Juliet.

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet borrows from anancient tradition of love stories and family feuds,however, it is Shakespeare’s play that is, almostcertainly, the most familiar to us today and MaggieMartinez’s musical tour concentrated on thisversion as seen through the eyes of threecomposers.What better place to start than with an overture;probably the best known to lovers of classicalmusic is Tchaikovsky’s overture to his ballet whichis also widely recognised by cinema and TVaudiences as theme music for such diverseproductions as Columbo, The Jazz Singers,Scrubs, Tiny Toons and South Park to name but afew.After this gentle well known introduction we weretaken down two stylistically divergent paths; one,Sergey Prokofiev’s ballet , full of well knownmelodies and musical pictures, the other revealingthe monumental Romeo and Juliet symphony ofHector Berlioz.

It is more thanthe one hundredyears separatingthe premieres ofthese works thatmakes them sodifferent. Theearlier, Berlioz,is a choralsymphonycalling upon theresources of afull orchestra,vocal soloists, achamber choirand a large choir. The title roles of Romeo andJuliet are given, not as might be expected to thevocalists but to the orchestra whilst the narrative iscarried by the soloists and choirs. This is in starkcontrast to Prokofiev where the music and dancecarry the whole plot. In the recording used byMaggie we were spared June Whitfield’s narrationby the DJ skills of Paul Martinez. Thank you both.David Dobbs

Classical Music Appreciation

(or a pub lunch)On a sunny Spring morning over 30 of us set offfrom The Admiral Rodney pub inCalverton for the March walk.The ascent beside Ramsdale Golf course wasworth it to enjoy the expansive views

from the top of Cockpit Hill. More sweeping vistaswere glimpsed from Spindle Lane,which eventually took us to the fortifiedearthworks of Fox Wood, which is alwaysworth a detour.The descent back to Calverton along rathermuddy paths, but in warm sunshine,completed the walk. We were welcomed cordiallyat the pub and enjoyed heartyportions of lunch to reward our efforts.Maggie Doherty

5 Miles and a Cup of Tea

In April the Art AppreciationGroup had a guided talkaround the Djanogly Gallery'slatest exhibition, the works of

Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981). The exhibition was entitled,The Liberation of Colour. Nicholson was known for her use ofstriking colours, which is particularly apparent in her flower stilllives. Her work however covered a number of various genres,and here we saw landscapes and portraiture, as well as anumber of abstract works. Winifred Nicholson was married tothe artist Ben Nicholson, and like her husband was part of theEuropean artistic scene in the mid part of the 20th Century. Theexhibition was curated by her grandson Jovan Nicholson, andincludes many rarely exhibited works.Our next visit is to the Harley Gallery in Worksop. Anyone interested please contact ChristineRussell at christine@businessoffices.co.ukChristine Russell

Art Appreciation

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This month’smeeting wasentitled ElNino and La

Nina. However, but as we saw there is very littlereporting on these weather systems now that we knowit is a natural occurrence and not caused by globalwarming. The effects on the fishermen of Chile havebeen reported since the 17th century.We viewed a Met Office video which detailed how theweather patterns change from normal state to El Ninoand La Nina. El Nino or La Nina conditions tend tooccur around Christmas time In La Nina conditions thetrade winds are stronger pushing the warm water overto Northern Australia causing heavy rain to fall overNorth Eastern Australia and droughts over the westernAmericas.Sea surface temperatures are now monitored bysatellites but they still find it hard to predict how severe

each event will be as was evidenced by the newsreports we viewed from the United States.We then looked at the major world ocean and seacurrents, particularly the Gulf Stream. The main GulfStream runs northwards just off the eastern coast ofAmerica. The Gulf Stream splits near Newfoundland.The main branch crosses the Atlantic towards Europe,but several loops split south easterly and re-join eachother south of the Gulf of Mexico.We explored the Coriolis Effect. This is what causesstorms to rotate counter clockwise in the northernhemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere(but has no effect on water going down plugholes).Finally we watched a presentation by Gavin Schmidt inwhich he explained that you can't understand climatechange or weather patterns in pieces. It's the whole, orit's nothing. The next meeting on Friday 21st April will explore worldpopulation statistics and predictions.

Steve Cliffe

Science group

Bonjour.The French Conversation group continues to thrive. Perhaps it iscoincidental that the U3A organisation was origininated by a Prof.Pierre Vellas, at Toulouse, France in 1973. We`re glad to have just aslight connection.The progress madeby the groupmembers since westarted just two yearsago is reallyimpressive, andeveryone hasimproved so much.We do enjoy oursessions and have a

such a good time. Isn`t that what U3A is all about?.Perhaps we should contact Toulouse to let them know howthey`ve inspired us and how we`re getting on.

A bientot - Brian

French Conversation

In March we tasted wines made fromRiesling and Primitivo (akaZinfandel) grape varieties. Tableswere quite divided in their

preferences and it was a rare wine that appealed to everyone.For once, however, the two favourite wines were also the mostexpensive: the Trimbach Riesling (Wine Society) and thePrimitivo di Maduria (Waitrose).In April we have our grand, annual, sock, blind tasting where theidentities of the wines are concealed and you have to work outwhich is which. CLUE: they will all be wines we have tasted in thelast year. I will provide the wines and the charge will be £7. Newmembers are always welcome.Paul Martinez

Wine Tasting

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Once again we hada thoroughly entertaining afternoon, discussingour latest reads and then having a more detaileddiscussion about the recent “Spying on theRoyals” TV programme.

This time history was a topic that attractedseveral of us, and this severely tested ourknowledge of our Kings and Queens! We startedwith a book about the history of WentworthWoodhouse and its owners; through a light-hearted comedy about the life and love of adivorcee cum family carer; to a futurist thrillerabout the future of health care in America; then tothe Restoration for murder mystery; a plod througha Danish sea story saga; another plod through thesiege of Leningrad; a new genre, in sci-fi involvingintergalactic travel and the secrets of some of thecharacters; a novel about inter-familyrelationships, which was not to the author’s usualstandard and the last in a series of Tudormysteries; to a book described by the reader as“light drivel” which is a sort of prequel in the life ofJames Bond; an unusual choice in an Americanclassic, set in the deep south as well as a weightytome about a Britain

taken over by the Nazi’s; then to a reader puzzledby the audio book listened to, about the Wars ofthe Roses and how it sat with the recent TVprogramme giving an alternative view, the lighterside of life with further experiences of a SchoolsInspector and the life of the Curzon Family ofKedleston Hall.Phew! This last book led to our discussion aboutthe connection between the Curzon sisters,Oswald Mosely, Hitler and the Windsor’s.

A more detailed version is on our webpageand we are still keen to see moremembers to take part.

The Scribbler

Alternative Book Club

Our last Meeting, on Thursday 6th April, we walked around Gedling Country Park,a total distance of about 3.25 miles (5.2 Km.)Thirteen members took part.

We walked from the Car Park across the grassy park surrounding it, down to the track of the old railway,which serviced Digby Collery to the back entrance of the Country Park, then following the pathcircumnavigating the whole site, we passed a number of house estate developments being built on theperiphery of the park. On reaching the Car Park off Spring Lane, some of our members purchased icecreams from an ice cream van. Passing the Visitor's Centre (in the process of being built) we reachedthe banks of solar panels occupying the highest elevation of the park, before descending back to theLambley Lane Car Park.

Strollers

This month’s meeting was a presentation by our very own AndrewMerriman on the history of Toton Marshalling Yards. Well, it was tohave been a presentation, but the gods of misfortune decided that

they would arrange for a download to be necessary on the laptop,starting ½ hour before the start, and running until 11.00. With a littlehelp from his friends, the start was suitably delayed but, as time wasmarching along, and we had a visitor from Long Eaton U3A, Andrewgot into his stride by working off his “script”. A half time break enabledthe presentation to started proper and everyone was able to see thevarious illustrations which were supposed to have accompaniedthe talk. Our smaller than usual group received the talk well and therewere some anecdotes from Andrew, which brought a smile topeople’s faces. Our visitor, who expressed his pleasure at thewelcome he received and the presentation itself, was impressedenough (if impressed is the right word) to ask Andrew to repeat hispresentation at the Preview Night for an exhibition about Toton to beheld over the next few months at the Erewash Museum in Ilkeston.A fuller version of the presentation is available on the webpages forthe group.

Display table at March GeneralMeeting

Railway Enthusiasts

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For our March meeting we enjoyed a visit to the Bromley House Library, anindependent library funded by member subscriptions. The library wasfounded in 1816 and celebrated 200 years last year. The library spent itsfirst five years in Carlton

Street before moving to its current site in 1822 andcurrently has 1500 members.We were treated to a reading of a paper written byprevious librarian Joan Taylor, the original being held bythe University of Nottingham. Joan was the librarianbetween 1969 and 1987 and during her tenure thelibrary almost closed down twice, but was saved by theincome received from tenants on the ground floor.

We heard that thecurrent house was builtin 1752 by George Smiththe grandson of ThomasSmith, the founder ofSmith's bank. The househas had a bit of a chequered past. Their son George who occupied thehouse was jailed in 1791 for two years. During his time the house had areputation as a location for rowdy parties. After this time the family mainlyoccupied their country houses. In 1819 the house was occupied by twocompanies of yeomanry who were evicted for causing damage andpresented with a bill. The house then became derelict which enabled thelibrary to purchase it for the sum of £2,500 in 1820. After a period ofrenovation thelibrary moved in in1852. In the 1950sthe house becamegrade II listed and

in the 1990s the committee decided that the libraryshould become a charity.After the talk we had an extensive tour of the librarywhere we saw among other things, the meridian lineand photographic studio. For more information onthese and other aspects of the library, please seethe January 2017 Trips and Visits report .Our May meeting will be on Tuesday 16 May at2pm and will be a guided walk around Gedling.Please see our calendar for further details.

Graham Palmer

Local History

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Time Group Meet at Details Contact11 Tue 10:15 Photography Brian Clough Statue Uni and Lakeside by tram Tom on 0780 094 939611 Tue 13:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170711 Tue 13:30 Local History Church - Rock Cemetery Tour of Rock Cemetery Graham on 0115 956 179111 Tue 14:30 Canasta The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195711 Tue 14:30 Poetry Apprec. A member's house Rene on 0115 841 848112 Wed 10:00 Music For Fun Netherfield Baptist Charles on 0115 915 752512 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 278012 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195713 Thu 10:00 Cycling For Fun Ranmoor Road East Bridgford and beyond Tom on 0780 094 939613 Thu 11:00 Coffee Morning Top Spot Club Maggie on 0115 955 928513 Thu 12:00 Ten Pin Bowling MFA Bowl Brenda on 0115 962 575714 Fri 9:30 Bird Watching Meet at Richard Herrod Netherfield Lagoons Joan on 0776 307 165514 Fri 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Bethesda Ministries Allan on 0115 911 304514 Fri 12:00 Grumpy Old Men The Willowbrook Ian on 0115 911 468114 Fri 13:00 Crafts Friday Carlton Fire Station Beading jewellery with Pat Rofie on 0115 955 447115 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 78019 Wed 9:30 Trips and Visits Meet at Richard Herrod Trip to Renishaw Hall Maggie 0795 129 911319 Wed 10:00 Bonsai A member's house Pinching out Paul on 0115 955 928519 Wed 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Netherfield Baptist Allan on 0115 911 304519 Wed 10:30 Drawing Carlton Fire Station Alyson on 0115 847 809419 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 278019 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195720 Thu 10:30 General Meeting Richard Herrod Centre The History of Boots Tom on 0780 094 939620 Thu 19:00 Int. Dining Eviva Taverna Pat on 0791 866 532220 Thu 19:00 Theatre Nottingham Playhouse The Who's Tommy Basia on 0115 953 978021 Fri 10:00 Science Richard Herrod Centre World population statistics Steve on 0784 111 143521 Fri 14:00 Creative Writing Richard Herrod Centre Theme - Three Ian on 0115 998 880321 Fri 17:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170722 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 78024 Mon 10:00 French Conv. Mapperley Golf Club Brian on 0115 926 505324 Mon 10:00 Sewing Carlton Fire Station Pam on 0115 926 002624 Mon 10:30 Discussion A member's house Fracking Brian on 0115 987 829324 Mon 14:00 Richard Herrod Centre Committee Meeting Tom on 0115 955 447124 Mon 14:00 Tea Dancing Richard Herrod Centre Helen on 0115 955 472324 Mon 16:15 Drama Carlton Fire Station Play reading Pat on 0791 866 532224 Mon 18:30 Wine Lovers 4 Burton Road C.C. Sock Wine Tasting Paul on 0115 955 928525 Tue 9:30 5 Miles + tea Ranmoor Road Oxton and Windmill Hill walk Maggie on 0115 955 928525 Tue 13:00 Badminton John Carroll L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170725 Tue 14:00 Music Appreciation Richard Herrod Centre Theme - Dates or Years Eric on 0115 847 809426 Wed 10:00 Music For Fun Netherfield Baptist Charles on 0115 915 752526 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 278026 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195727 Thu 9:00 Striders Walking Ranmoor Road Ashford in the Water Brian on 0115 956 767027 Thu 10:45 New Members The Willowbrook Sally on 0778 754 114527 Thu 11:00 Coffee Morning Top Spot Club Maggie on 0115 955 928527 Thu 13:00 Crafts Thursday Carlton Fire Station Beading jewellery with Pat Rofie on 0115 955 447128 Fri 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Bethesda Ministries Allan on 0115 911 304528 Fri 14:00 Canasta The Willowbrook Andrew on 0115 987 526328 Fri 14:30 Art Appreciation Harley Gallery A guided talk on Worli art Christine on 0115 953 672528 Fri 17:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170729 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 780

Carlton & Gedling U3A Diary of Events:April 2017

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Time Group Meet at Details Contact1 Mon 10:00 Railway Enth. Richard Herrod Centre Midland Railway, Butterley Nick on 0115 987 25941 Mon 14:00 History Study Richard Herrod Centre Traitors and Spies Brian on 0115 987 82932 Tue 14:00 Book Club Carlton Fire Station The President's Hat Maggie on 0115 952 31852 Tue 16:30 Indoor Bowls Richard Herrod Centre Mick on 0115 987 42393 Wed 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Netherfield Baptist Allan on 0115 911 30453 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 27803 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 19573 Wed 16:30 Richard Herrod Centre Group Convenors Meeting Lynne on 0777 180 19574 Thu 10:15 Tai Chi Richard Herrod Centre Sally on 0778 754 11454 Thu 10:30 Strollers Walking Broadmarsh Bus St. Beeston via the canal Lynne on 0777 180 19574 Thu 14:00 Alt. Book Club The Willowbrook Andrew on 0115 987 52635 Fri 10:15 Textile Crafts Gedling Road Meth. Embroidery for garments Lynne on 0777 180 19575 Fri 14:00 Canasta The Willowbrook Andrew on 0115 987 52635 Fri 17:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 17076 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 7807 Sun 18:00 May Newsletter Deadline Nick on 0115 987 25948 Mon 10:00 Classical Music St. A member's house Early Music - the 17th C. David on 0115 955 47268 Mon 10:00 French Conv. Mapperley Golf Club Brian on 0115 926 50538 Mon 10:30 Greenfingers Gedling Road Meth. Favourite bedding plants Nicola on 0115 940 15078 Mon 14:00 Tea Dancing Richard Herrod Centre Helen on 0115 955 47238 Mon 18:30 Wine Lovers 2 Burton Road C.C. Paul on 0115 955 92859 Tue 9:45 Photography Ranmoor Road Rufford Abbey Tom on 0780 094 93969 Tue 13:00 Badminton John Carroll L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 17079 Tue 14:30 Canasta The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 19579 Tue 14:30 Poetry Apprec. A member's house Rene on 0115 841 8481

10 Wed 10:00 Music For Fun Netherfield Baptist Charles on 0115 915 752510 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 278010 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195711 Thu 10:00 Cycling For Fun Ranmoor Road Organised by Kath Tom on 0780 094 939611 Thu 11:00 Coffee Morning Top Spot Club Maggie on 0115 955 928511 Thu 12:00 Ten Pin Bowling MFA Bowl Brenda on 0115 962 575711 Thu 13:00 Luncheon Club Contact Ian for details Ian on 0115 998 880311 Thu 14:00 Art Appreciation Mansfield Museum Old prints of Mansfield Christine on 0115 953 672512 Fri 9:00 Bird Watching Meet at Richard Herrod Padley Gorge Joan on 0776 307 165512 Fri 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Bethesda Ministries Allan on 0115 911 304512 Fri 12:00 Grumpy Old Men The Willowbrook Ian on 0115 911 468112 Fri 13:00 Crafts Friday Carlton Fire Station Decoupage - 1 of 2 Rofie on 0115 955 447112 Fri 17:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170713 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 78015 Mon 10:30 Family History Richard Herrod Centre Brenda on 0774 201 748215 Mon 16:15 Drama Richard Herrod Centre Drama workshop Pat on 0791 866 532216 Tue 14:00 Local History Gedling Miners Mem. Historic Gedling walk Graham on 0115 956 179117 Wed 10:00 Bonsai A member's house More pinching out Paul on 0115 955 928517 Wed 10:00 Singing for Pleas. Netherfield Baptist Allan on 0115 911 304517 Wed 10:30 Drawing Carlton Fire Station Alyson on 0115 847 809417 Wed 14:00 Bridge and Whist The Willowbrook Ken on 0115 956 278017 Wed 14:00 Indoor Games The Willowbrook Lynne on 0777 180 195718 Thu 10:30 General Meeting Richard Herrod Centre Vince Eager Tom on 0780 094 939619 Fri 10:00 Science Richard Herrod Centre Steve on 0784 111 143519 Fri 14:00 Creative Writing Richard Herrod Centre Theme - TBA Ian on 0115 998 880319 Fri 17:00 Badminton Carlton Forum L.C. Tricia on 0115 940 170720 Sat 10:00 Rusty Wheelers Colwick Rec. Ken on 0115 9562 780

Carlton & Gedling U3A Diary of Events: MAY 2017

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