Reports on Current and Past Events
Our Hertford u3a Christmas Social that was held at Sele Farm Community Centre on 4th December was a delightful festive affair enjoyed by all. With around 90 members in attendance, the event was buzzing with Christmas spirit, laughter, and friendly conversations.
To add to the festive ambiance, warm mulled wine, spiced apple juice, and mince pies were on hand, ensuring everyone felt the holiday warmth.
Kicking off the merriment was the Sock Game—a toe-tapping start that set the tone for the afternoon. The Christmas Movie Picture Quiz had members scratching their heads and laughing in equal measure, followed by brain-busting challenges like Christmas Anagrams and the Christmas
Quiz. All this was rounded off with Don’t Forget the Lyrics and a Guess the number of sweets competition, with lots of prizes being won by teams and individuals.
Last, but not least, a very big thank you to all the wonderful team of helpers. The event ran very smoothly thanks to the work of our ‘elves’ who helped set up, took care of the refreshments and assisted with the activities.
More pictures from the event can be seen in the Gallery page.
Day 1: Hertford to Sunderland via Lincoln
With Lisa from Avalon Travel and Dean our trusty driver, plus our 43 travellers assembling in good time at Hertford East station we were able to set off earlier than the planned 8:00 departure, and, despite the Sunday closure of the A602, we soon reached the A1 via Digswell and headed northwards. A pit stop at Peterborough Services for a quick coffee and necessary loo visit enabled us to reach our lunchtime destination, Lincoln, where the sun was shining.
As it was Sunday, we were unable to visit the cathedral until after 11:30, so several Hertfordians took advantage of an open top bus tour of the city. Our living guide (none of this pre-recorded business for us!) was very interesting and ‘knew his stuff’. There is much to see in Lincoln and the city and its environs are steeped in history. Then followed a visit to the cathedral, where I always marvel at how these beautiful buildings are built. For me I was intent on finding the RAF Bomber Command chapel and its memorial to my father’s friends who never returned from WWII.
Picking up a sandwich, we made our way back to the coach for the long journey to Sunderland, with a brief comfort stop in Yorkshire, arriving at our hotel, The Grand, shortly before 5:00. Everyone was delighted to be welcomed by the wonderful Colin and a cup of tea, before locating our enormous rooms with, for many, a view of the fabulous beach and the North Sea.
Happy Hour (!) between 5.00 and 7.00 prior to dinner was a treat, and Colin was there with his team to serve our meals… and our first introduction to the bullet carrots! We also had surprise entertainment from Dean, our driver, playing the piano in the restaurant!
A post prandial drink in the bar was a good opportunity to chat to our companions new and old, before retiring for the night ready for a 9:00 start on Monday morning.
Read more: Hertford u3a Summer Tour to the North East, (where the sun shone all the time).
(See photos in the GALLERY)
An early start with Golden Boy enabled us to make good progress around the M25 and on to the M3, arriving in Salisbury just before 11.00. Most of us made our way to the Cathedral café for restorative coffee and perhaps a smidgen of cake, plus the essential loos.
The Cathedral is stunning! As ever, I wonder at how these magnificent buildings are built. No hard hats, health and safety, risk assessments etc. incredible arches, stunning pillars and columns, beautiful windows, intricate woodwork, exquisitely painted ceilings and walls.
We were able to join a guided group tour, which is always a good idea as far as I am concerned.
The fourteenth Century Medieval Clock is probably the most ancient piece of real machinery in existence in original condition and still working. Unfortunately, we just missed the 11.00 chime!
The very modern font is like a mirror… but do not put your camera down on it, because it isn’t! | |
There is an enormous Cope Chest, still used to store copes. The lid is so heavy it takes three people to lift it. |
The cathedral’s foundations are not very deep, but there is a huge amount of gravel keeping it steady. We were shown how a dip stick to check the level of water underneath the Cathedral, in case of flooding.
Without our guide we would probably have missed some of the pieces of artwork placed around the cathedral, in a variety of nooks and crannies. I was particularly taken with the Antony Gormley figure titled GRIP (Net), carefully watching over the chapel from high up.
A glorious Shakespearean romp
A delightful way to spend a Monday afternoon, the Executive Committee is to be congratulated on bringing something different to the Monthly meeting. As members departed the improvised theatre, there were mutterings of: “We want more meetings like this.” Ian Nash
Twelfth Night is one of the most engaging of Shakespeare’s romantic comedies and the Festival Players International excelled in lifting our spirits and making us laugh throughout their performance to a capacity crowd at the Hertford & District u3a June monthly meeting. The delightfully silly plot ain’t simple in its focus on a convoluted love triangle. Duke Orsino is in love with Olivia. However, mourning for her brother, she has rejected all his advances. Meanwhile, brother and sister, Sebastian and Viola, have survived a shipwreck, though each believes the other is dead. Viola disguises herself as a youth (Cesario) to serve in court. Orsino sends Cesario with love letters to woo Olivia for him. Unfortunately for the Duke, Olivia is taken in by Cesario’s disguise and falls in love with him. This comedy of disguise and deception was all the more hilarious for being performed by an all-male cast, exactly as the Bard intended for 17th century audiences. It creates the ultimate conceit in theatre. Viola is a boy playing a girl playing a boy. (S)he is indistinguishable from a boy playing a boy – her brother Sebastian. Amidst this we have boys playing Olivia and Maria, the maid. Brother and sister are finally reunited and the love triangle is resolved into two couples: Sebastian loves Olivia, and Viola loves Orsino. Getting there is a delight for the audience as the plot abounds with rich characters including Olivia’s disreputable drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Olivia’s irksome servant Malvolio and her other servants, Maria, Feste and Fabia. So many moments in the Festival Players’ performance brought the house down included Feste the clown’s minstrel renditions on guitar, Malvolio’s efforts to keep smiling while sucking up to Olivia and the antics of Andrew Aguecheek’s performance as an upper-class idiot worthy of Monty Python.
Exploring London 5 visit to Armourers and Brasiers Hall, 10th October 2022
Our October visit was to the Armourers and Brasiers Hall, just around the corner from Moorgate Station.
We had a marvellous talk and tour from the Company Clerk, who is passionate about the role of this Livery Company, past and present.
You can read more about it here: http://elizabethhawksley.com/the-armourers-hall/
This is a detailed report from a previous visitor, but very much what we learned.
Following lunch at the Salvation Army Café, we strolled across the Millennium Bridge… the Wibbly-Wobbly one… to take a look at the Globe and visit the Shakespeare Shop, where, Lo and Behold!, we found a suit of armour complete with labels.
A 20 minute walk in the sunshine took us back to the station for our return journey.
Thanks to Mo Askew for organising another splendid day out.
Liz Cooper
...at the Flint Vineyard 7th September 2022
On a beautiful sunny day in September, Wine Appreciation Group 2 enjoyed an excellent visit to the Flint Vineyard on the borders of Suffolk and Norfolk…
First lunch in the garden - lovely platters of meat and cheeses with delicious sourdough bread and butter - all locally sourced and of course a lovely glass of vino
Afterwards, a tour and explanation of the vineyard
Grapes nearly ready …… |
The vines in all their glory! |
Followed by a visit to the wine making department and a tasting of all four wines on offer.
Then who could miss a visit to the shop!!
An excellent visit enjoyed by everyone.
Trish Bindefeld
On the sunny but breezy afternoon of Tuesday, 30 August a group of 40 u3a members brought their folding chairs, hats, paints and brushes to a corner of Hartham Common for an outdoor watercolour painting session. For those who didn’t possess their own paints and brushes they were provided along with a firm lap board to lean on with paper and water pots which sat on the grass. Novices who didn’t want to paint the view could choose from supplied pictures.
Members settled down, some in the sparse shaded spots and others in the brilliant sunshine, having taped down their paper as the breeze was strong enough to keep blowing over the u3a banner signalling the meeting point. It was a convivial afternoon which gave members the opportunity to meet others they had not met before and chat whilst having fun in the sun.
Casual walkers on the common wandered over and chatted with the painters and were intrigued. I must admit I had been worried about how the afternoon would pan out but two hours later we began to pack up and I was overwhelmed by the number of members who dropped by to say how much they had enjoyed the experience and the subsequent emails I have been receiving. I am Group Leader for the Watercolour for Beginners group and we have grown our numbers since the event.
Thank you to members who came to the event, especially those of you who took a leap of faith to do something new!
Rita Andrews