Dear Friends
Our coach trip to Beamish proved to be a great day out for all thirty-eight members and non-members. The weather was better than expected, which always is a bonus in this country. Our next outing is the theatre trip to Keswick in October-see flyer in this newsletter.
The August meeting will be for Coffee and Chat but may I remind you that this is an opportunity for you to renew your membership for the coming year (the annual fee is likely to remain at £7.50). This means that you are able to register, following the AGM at the September meeting, for the groups starting in the autumn.
This year we will be issuing a membership card with the list of speakers for the full year and details of the officers and committee; this will be available at the October meeting. We do need new members for the committee-please consider yourself or somebody you may feel would be willing to serve.
Sincerely Janet
The meeting on Thursday 11 August will be "Coffee and Chat".
The autumn programme will be in your August newsletter. Most of the established groups will be continuing, but as always, a few will not. As far as I know, we will have:
If this list doesn't contain what you want, don't grumble. Come and see me
about it. There are sure to be others interested in your favourite subject.
Alison Tyas, Quaker Garth, Kirkgate, Settle, (01729) 822313
All group leaders are invited to arrange for reports of their group's activities to be sent in for publication here.
French: Our group goes from strength to strength, meeting weekly on Monday mornings throughout the autumn and winter. Summer time meetings are less often, in order to give class members time to go to France (and elsewhere).
One or two of our members have French in-laws, and as a bonus, we had a visit from one such in-law, who also recorded some French literature for our use; spoken a little more slowly than is often the case with native French speakers.
We have also had Edith Piaf (on CD, not in person), French recipes, and lots more subjects. Our forays into French journalism have continued, all of which can be found on the web site. The subjects have ranged widely, including Charles and Camilla; 10 years of Chirac; Smoking in restaurants; Weather forecasts, and George W Bush's inauguration.
As well as giving us a taste of the French view of culture and world affairs, we get quite good lessons in colloquial French. We even had a lesson on French profanities; only for dealing with the possibility of hearing them, never with a view to speaking them.
Ann Richer and Olwyn Bolger continue to do a sterling job in keeping us in touch with our closest neighbour in Euroland. David Holdsworth
Heraldry: The last meeting for the group this
year will be a trip to York Minster on Thursday 21 July. I have arranged for
a guide with a particular knowledge of the heraldry to take us round so we must
be at the Minster at 11.00am prompt. If anyone prefers to travel by car please
meet us at the main visitor entrance just before 11.00am. Those coming by train
will catch the 7.57am train from Giggleswick station and get a day
return to York (about £12 with rail card). Some prefer to walk from the
station but there will be taxis to take us if preferred. Entrance to the Minster
is about £3 for "concessions"! It should be a really good day.
Hilary Baker
Line Dancing: is now closed until the third Thursday in September. PLD
Sunday Lunch: On a pleasant Sunday in May a rather depleted lunch group took a trip into Wharfedale to visit the Priests' House Restaurant at Barden Tower. After ooh-ing and ah-ing at the wonderful setting and the lovely old buildings we went inside and were ushered upstairs to our own "private" dining room-the Blue Room. The table setting was immaculate. Beautiful blue and crystal glasses on the table-the whole ambience was rather special. The service was excellent without being overly fussy. There was a limited choice-3 starters, 2 roasts and a vegetarian option, and 3 sweets, which was quite adequate. Most of us had the carvery and opted to have a mix of both roasts on offer. One member had the vegetarian choice and we all agreed the food was excellent: well cooked, well presented and enjoyed by all. Most of us could not manage a sweet so opted for coffee instead. We have already booked to go again later this year.
Two-course Sunday lunch was £11.95 and 3 course £14.95.
The Priests' House is a lovely setting for a special meal. They do both lunch and dinner with more choice during the week and I can assure you the welcome makes it well worth the drive over, but ring first to check times. Unfortunately the restaurant is not suitable for people who cannot manage stair.
The next Sunday Lunch is on 17 July at Copy Nook-12.30 for 1.00pm. Helen Williams
is in charge ('phone 824730). Hilary Baker
Thursday 28 July is the Planning Meeting for the next term. We will meet at Smithy Croft, Rathmell, at 11.30 am, have the usual planning session and then, hopefully, enjoy a wonderful Jacob's join lunch in the sunshine. Can't guarantee the sun though! Shirley Wolfenden
Wine Appreciation Group 1 - June meeting: The Wine group soldiers on heroically through the summer and recorded yet another full attendance! The theme for the evening was "varietals" - wines made from a single grape type, and an attempt had been made to find grapes which were new to our experience.
The wines were all greatly appreciated, interesting new flavours and characters were detected in each-much to the relief of the proposers to whom they were also novel! (The star ratings are based on an unscientific assessment of the group's reactions)
The wines were:
Whites Gavi, Italian, Cortese grape, (£7.99) - an inspiring discovery
*****
Tahbilk, Australian, Marsanne grape, (£6.99) - quite heavy for a white
****
Reds Terre de Paladiane, Italy, Montepulciano grape, (£4.29) - fully bodied
***
Apaltagna, Chilian, Camenère grape, (£5.99) - smooth ****
Deen de Bortoli, Australian, Petit Verdot grape, (£6.75) -
darkest red and much appreciated ****
GHP
SPEAKERS FOR THURSDAY MEETINGS
The following are the speakers we plan to have at forthcoming Thursday meetings (but see the posters each month in case there have to be changes):
If you have any ideas or suggestions for whom you would like us to invite as future speakers, do please let Hilary know.
U3A News is now sent direct to all Settle District members by U3A central office. If you haven't already received the Summer issue, or if you suspect you may not be on the mailing list, please contact either Alison Tyas or Pat Dewey.
Copy date for next issue of Newsletter
All copy for publication in the next issue should reach the Editor
(Pam Servant, Brayshaw Cottage, 23 Duke Street, Settle) by Sunday 31 July 2005.
Settle U3A website
The website address is www.SettleDistrictU3A.org.uk and if you want to post a notice, please contact Frank Woodhams on fwdw@cmp.uea.ac.uk or phone 01729 824458.
Middle age is when broadness of mind and narrowness
of waist change places .
If I'd known grandchildren would be so much fun, I'd have had them first..
