agm gunnislake u3a held virtually via the internet on 1st ...membership secretary mark zuckerberg...

Gunnislake U3A Newsletter May 2020 2 3 Gunnislake U3A Newsletter May 2020

Welcome to the First All Digital Issue of the Gunnislake U3A

Newsletter.

I hope you are all keeping well during the lockdown and are adapting to the new normal. The Gunnislake U3A are also trying to adapt to the new circumstances and keep operating as an Organization.Peter has kindly agreed to produce our next Newsletter to share via the Internet. As usual, he needs material to fill the pages, so I am doing my bit to get things under way. It seems such a good way to keep in touch.Last Wednesday 22 April we held a successful virtual Committee Meeting, via Zoom. Following the meeting I sent out an email to members, asking for contributions to the Newsletter. The Quiz Group is working well during the shutdown, but unfortunately the other groups seem to be in abeyance. I have spoken to many members on the telephone and they seem to be doing lots of reading. Unfortunately, I can’t manage much of this at the moment as my cataract operation has been postponed. I thought I just needed new glasses but this is not the case.One thing I am managing to enjoy at the moment is re-learning how to draw in perspective and use watercolours and watercolour pencils. I visited the Art Group at the Tamar Centre just before lockdown and was really smitten. I am continuing by following the excellent art tutorials available on YouTube. The Tamar Valley is looking so beautiful at the moment; it is really worth getting to work. The difference in a month is incredible.

I do hope you are all managing to survive comfortably during this difficult time. Help seems to arrive from the most unexpected quarters. I spoke, at a distance, to a new neighbour for the first time the other day on my short walk up the lane . She had just been shopping at the stall near the level crossing before the turn down to Calstock. I mentioned that I had tried unsuccessfully to buy some eggs there. She volunteered to get some the next time she passed by, which she did. I am grateful.Having young grandchildren myself, I think one of the worst aspects of the shutdown is the schools’ closure. Two of our daughters working full time from home at the same time as home educating their children is causing a lot of difficulty. The children look happy but the mums look a bit weary. However, I suppose we are much better off than in other countries where the children aren’t even allowed out to run around. I am looking forward to reading other people’s articles in the rest of the Newsletter and hoping to see you all before long for our AGM. We shall be needing above all a new Secretary and more Committee Members. Please would you give this some consideration.I must also mention here that our expenditure exceeded income by a very small amount last year, ie £3.36, so we need to review our finances carefully. We do have money in reserve and the Committee agreed that we should pay our dues to Head Office when required. Many thanks for all the efforts you put in. Angela Start

AGM Gunnislake U3A held Virtually via the Internet on 1st April 2020.

With today’s technology it was possible to have our AGM after all and we have set out below our New Committee. We are so pleased that several new members came forward to serve. We have also created some new posts to

deal with the Corona Virus.Normally it is so difficult to find volunteers, we have been very lucky this time.

Chairperson The Queen Vice-Chair Boris Johnson Secretary Miss Moneypenny Treasurer Martin Lewis Membership Secretary Mark ZuckerbergDevelopment Manager Elon MuskGroups Coordinator Greta Thunberg David AttenboroughWeb Site Developer Bill Gates Speaker Co-ordinator John Bercow Hostess and Hosts Mary Berry Nadia Hussein Tea and Coffee Rota Dame Vera Lynn Communication Manager Philip JansenGood News Manager Fiona BruceFake News Generator Donald TrumpBad News Manager Laura KuenssbergEditor of Newsletter Ex Prince HarryDeputy Editor of Newsletter Ex Princess MeghanFund Raising Captain Tom MooreSocialist Secretary Jeremy Corbyn Medical Manager Michael MosleyGeneral Committee members Prince William Duchess of Cambridge Richard Branson David Braine

A Big Thank you to all our contributors for this Massive Newsletter.Mavis Kelly, Sonia Chapple, Claire Dibble, Caroline Hammond, Ruth Roberts,John Tunniclife, Anne Ringer, Helen Kennedy, Gillian Brown, Angela Start,

Jan Beaumont, Mary Newcombe, Diana Cook, Sally Thomas, Angela Newberry, Jean Day, Chris Barnet, Joan Veale, Jill and David Lane,

MJT and last but not least Peter Hammond.


NEWS FROM THE GROUPS The Group Co-ordinators reportHi all,Hope you are keeping well in these strange times. I’m sure like me you are missing our regular group meetings as well as the coffee mornings and speakers. Hopefully we will all be able to get together soon and before our hair reaches our knees!

The groups are currently all on hold but I think leaders are keeping in touch with their members wherever possible.

As the quiz and games group we are still ‘meeting’ once a month via the power of email. On the second Monday of the month, our usual meeting date, we send each other quizzes and puzzles with the answers sent out on the following Monday. Keeps the grey matter going and us in touch.

Shortly before the lockdown we had the first meeting of our “Beginners Cornish”: group which proved to be a great success and I look forward to that hopefully restarting later in the year.

In the meantime if you have any ideas of new groups which we could look at doing after the lockdown. Please get in touch with either Chris or myself.

Take care and hope to see you all soon.

Jean Day and Chris Barnet

ATTENTION GROUP LEADERSPlease can all the Group Leaders let me have reports, information and or times and venues where their group meet. The name and telephone

number of the contact person and whether there is space for more members to join. At the moment all the information we have is listed below.

Groups Coordinator Phone, Day & TimeArt History 1 Diana Cook 833469 1st Thurs pmArt History 2 Diana Cook 833469 1st Wed pmBook Circle 1 Charmian Dyson 832556 1st Mon pmBook Circle 2 Jenny Thomas 614114 1st Mon 2.00 pmBrush up Shakespeare Phil Dyson 832556 3rd Weds 2 00 pmBrush up Shakespeare Alpha Phil Dyson 832556 4th Tues 2 00 pmCrime Fiction Sally Thomas 832017 25th June startDance Ruth Roberts 01579 3502nd Mon 10.00 amFrench Angela Start 832597 3rd Mon 2.30 pmGenealogy Chris Barnett 01822 81st Fri 2pmItalian Sally Thomas 832017 2nd/4th Wed 2.00 pmClassical Music Freddie Robinson 833613 4th Mon pmSpanish Angela Start 832597 1st/3rd Fri amPlay Reading Charmian Dyson 832556 2nd Tues pmPoetry Reading Pam Jolly 833237 3rd Tues pmQuiz/Games Group Jean Day 07708 2272nd Mon 2.00pm Walking Sonia Chapple 832787 Thursday amWalking Claire Dibble 834188

NEWS FROM THE GROUPS

ART HISTORY – LOCKDOWN AND LEAKY CEILINGS

Last year we began a short course on American twentieth century artists, and looked at the work of Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell and Jackson Pollock, which I wrote about in my last report. Since then we have seen and discussed thought-provoking films on Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol. The plan was to complete the programme with a film about Jasper Johns, but because of a leak in the U3A DVD Library ceiling we were unable to borrow the Johns DVD which was on order. It was one of several discs affected by the damp which needed to be sent off for specialist cleaning before they could be loaned out again. Instead, we were offered a replacement: a most enjoyable full-length film about the Leonardo Exhibition at the National Gallery in 2014, and I suspect that some of us were quite grateful for the leak at U3A HQ!

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NEWS FROM THE GROUPS cont’d.

This month we should have been studying the work of the sculptor Henry Moore as part of our new and much anticipated course on modern British art. He was to have been followed by LS Lowry, then by Duncan Grant and Dora Carrington of the Bloomsbury/Charleston set. All being well, these four will now go on the list for future meetings, together with many other exciting and challenging twentieth and twenty-first century artists.

Dame Laura Knight, Dame Barbara Hepworth, Bernard Leach, Sir Stanley Spencer, Paul Nash, John Piper, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Lucien Freud, and the wonderfully quirky Plymouth artist, Beryl Cook, are all included, as well as some more controversial figures like Tracy Emin and Damian Hirst, who could well raise a few eyebrows. Perhaps we’ll come to a better understanding of the younger ones. Sadly, though, it seems that it may be a long time before we’ll be able to resume our meetings to work through this enticing programme of modern British art.

Diana Cook

FRENCH & SPANISH GROUPS

It really was a sad day when I had to cancel the French and Spanish groups. It was particularly so as we had just received an enquiry from two potential, new members from a French Group in Tavistock. I managed to order two reasonably priced reading books for them, providing lots of material to work from; they were collected just before lockdown started in earnest. The apps which accompany these books can easily be downloaded onto one’s device and are very valuable indeed. It is incredible what help is available electronically for language learning. There are all sorts of interesting things on YouTube too. My favourites though are the free versions of Le Figaro and El País. Please remember that we do have room for new members and would be delighted to hear from you in due course if you are interested in joining us.

Angela Start

BOOK GROUP 1

We’ve read three very different but equally absorbing books since our last report.

“The Salt Path” by Raynor Winn, is the inspirational true story of Raynor and her husband of thirty-two years, Moth, who walked the South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset after losing their home and livelihood, through no fault of their own. Sadly, Moth had been diagnosed with a terminal illness just before this second bitter blow, so with no home, absolutely nothing to lose and with barely enough money to live on, they embarked on what was to become an exacting but liberating experience that would have daunted many of us.

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NEWS FROM THE GROUPS cont’d.

“The Horseman” by Tim Pears, the first novel in his West Country Trilogy, is set in a valley on the Devon-Somerset border in 1911, and is a tale of country life marked by the seasons of the farming calendar. Reminiscent of Thomas Hardy, and beautifully written, it is a bittersweet elegy for the old country ways before the mechanisation of the twentieth century changed everything for ever.

“Erebus” by Michael Palin, is the story of a ship, HMS Erebus, which, in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, undertook two of the most ambitious naval expeditions of all time. On the first, she ventured further south into Antarctic waters than any ship had ever been. On the second, she vanished with her 129-strong crew in the wastes of the Arctic. Her fate remained a mystery for over 160 years until she was found in 2014. “Erebus” is her story, told with wit and assurance by a man who became fascinated by this ship, and his careful research brings her story vividly to life.

Diana CookITALIAN GROUP

We have been completing and sharing homework every two weeks via e-mail. Tasks have included writing how we are doing in ‘lockdown’, describing a secret person for the others to guess and writing a short account of something that has happened to us, which may be true or false. This was written in Italian for homework.

A secret Person to guess, here it is in English.

This lady was an actress. Her father was British and her mother was Dutch. She spoke several different European languages.She was very elegant and became a fashion icon. Her first major film was set in Italy in 1953. Her co-star was Gregory Peck.Later in her life she worked for UNICEF. Sadly she died of cancer at the age of 63.

Sally Thomas

A Big Thank you to both Sonia and Sally who have made up some very interesting Walk quizzes. I am sure that most walkers were able to fathom out the answers. It was good fun to read during one of the many morning coffee

breaks that now punctuate the time before lunch!!

COVID 19 ChecklistAre you making unnecessary trips in your car? Not Social Distancing? Not

using the Local Support Groups to do your shopping if you are 70 and over regardless of health conditions? Are you, If you are WHY!!!!!


An Ode to the World From Forty Fields

Deep in thought for all others

I am standing in one of forty fieldsNearby where I live, on top of a hill.

All I can think of is how strange it feelsWe cannot meet people, so many are Ill.

When will it end, how many will dieIt hangs in your mind, you ask just why?

The world is affected, wherever you areYou can’t take a plane or drive in your carLaws have all changed to keep us apart

To try stop this virus we have to be smartAll contact forbid please please to get ridWe’re in it together, race, colour or creed.

Where will this end, we all need to knowHow will we cope with nowhere to go.No schools are open, no cafes or pubs

The only one’s working, with all their loveAre doctors and nurses, the whole NHS

All hours they struggle to give us the best

What in return should we see them getIs kindness, thought and only respect Show only thanks for all that they do

Remember a virus can catch up with youIf this should happen, who would you callAs an abuser, if you’ve insulted them all?

You may be scared if it happens to youHow do you think they do what they doMixing with virus that they cannot seeStriving to do this, to save you and me

So try to protect them not throw out abuseDo something thoughtful, or of good use.

The whole world is in this, you and allNo one’s saying this will be a ball

So all pull together and take the advice From governors, scientists, at any priceThey’re battling hard to give us a chanceTo help protect us, our lives to enhance.

We all are worried for family and friends So stick together, who knows how it endsAll we could have, is what we may earn

By thinking and feeling for others in turnFeel that you joined in this fight together To live life happy, with all others forever.

Anne Ringer


Cats lovely cats

Do you own a cat or does your cat own you?

I have had many interesting conversations with our U3A members over the years with reference to cats. Several of us have them but here follows my experiences of cats and the interesting things that have happened to me.

Rod and I have been together for over 40 years and we have always had cats. We have never actually gone out of our way to get one but they have just come to us. We had only been together for 2 weeks when walking with friends around Burrator reservoir this tiny fluffy ginger kitten ran down the bank towards us all. Well, we had to pick him up didn’t we? He purred his socks off and rubbed his face along our cheeks. We desperately hunted for owners or a mother cat but none to be found. I decided to approach the ice cream van lady. Probably been dumped was her dour reply. Dump a lovely cat like this? We were astounded. Hence we took him home. All we had in the house was cream and trout - Rod is a fly fisherman - the kitten obviously decided to stay. We named him Tigger and he moved with us something like 7 times and lived to the

glorious age of 19 years. What a cat !

So it continued with Hackle who came from our lovely neighbours who already had five cats. Please note the fly fishing reference here . He lived happily with us in Gunni for 18 years.

Then our daughters sharing a flat in Glasgow decided to take in two puss cats from a cats home. These cats had never been out they were told and all was well until one daughter decided - much to our delight to come back home . Great and of course the cats came too. Like other U3A friends I have talked to

you just take in the pets as well as the children . Two tabbies a mother and daughter duly arrived and I swear they purr with a Scottish accent.

All well and settled but I believe that cats should be out and about. So we let them out on a cold icy morning. They had a shock. Cold paws? We thought they had never experienced the like. They shook their feet in surprise but seemed to enjoy going out and quickly adapted to the cat flap. Then it started! The mother cat who was supposed to be an indoor cat started to bring in the mice. She is a champion mouser and loves to bring her live captives home.

I was brought up on a farm and quite used to walking out of the back door to be greeted by a cacophony of animals. Cats ,dogs, geese, chickens all calling out for food, attention and the like. There was usually a few dead offerings and I took it all in my stride. But living where I do now live mice are a bit of a shock. Trying to capture a very active mouse in the middle of the night is not what I bargained for. I have chased them, thrown towels over them all to no avail. The best thing we have found is these humane mouse traps, baited with a little crunchy peanut butter. These traps are everywhere especially near all Rod’s fly tying feathers and capes. Whoops! they have been decimated in the past by certain mice trying to build nests. But through all of this my dear cat has never brought in a bird. Cats lovely cats or not? I know several of my U3A friends will be most supportive of what I do. Others perhaps think I am a little crazy .

Take care and keep safe to you all. Claire Dibble

WALKING QUOTES .

Strabo III‘When they first saw men walking for the pleasure of walking, they thought they must be mad’.

Robert Walser 1917‘A walk is always filled with significant phenomena which are valuable to see and feel. A pleasant walk most often teems with imageries and living poems, with enchanments and natural beauties be they ever so small. The more of nature and the love of the country are revealed, charming and graceful, to the sense and eyes of the observant walker, who must of course walk not with downcast eyes but open and unclouded eyes, if the lovely significance and the gay, noble idea of the walk are to dawn on him.

N.Brooke, MD 1796‘I encountered Mr Hackman, an Englishman, who has been walking the length and breadth of Europe for several years, I enquired of him what were his chief observations. He replied gruffly “I never look up “ and went on his way’.

Willie Collins 1850‘You dread, perhaps, blisters on your feet - sponge your feet with cold vinegar, change your socks every 10 miles and show me blisters after that if you can’.

Sonia Chapple


I’m normally a social girlI love to meet my matesBut lately with the virus hereWe can’t go out the gates.

You see, we are the ‘oldies’ nowWe need to stay insideIf they haven’t seen us for a whileThey’ll think we’ve upped and died.

They’ll never know the things we didBefore we got this oldThere wasn’t any FacebookSo not everything was told.

We may seem sweet old ladiesWho would never be uncouthBut we grew up in the 60s –If you only knew the truth!

There was sex and drugs and rock ‘n rollThe pill and miniskirtsWe smoked, we drank, we partiedAnd were quite outrageous flirts.

Then we settled down, got marriedAnd turned into someone’s mum,Somebody’s wife, then nana,Who on earth did we become?

We didn’t mind the change of paceBecause our lives were fullBut to bury us before we’re dead

Is like red rag to a bull!

So here you find me stuck insideFor 4 weeks, maybe moreI finally found myself againThen I had to close the door!

It didn’t really bother meI’d while away the hourI’d bake for all the familyBut I’ve got no bloody flour!

Now Netflix is just wonderfulI like a gutsy thrillerI’m swooning over IdrisOr some random sexy killer.

At least I’ve got a stash of boozeFor when I’m being idleThere’s wine and whiskey, even ginIf I’m feeling suicidal!

So let’s all drink to lockdownTo recovery and healthAnd hope this bloody virusDoesn’t decimate our wealth.

We’ll all get through the crisisAnd be back to join our matesJust hoping I’m not far too wideTo fit through the flaming gates!

Mud, Mayhem and Madness

We have many favourite walks in our walking group repertoire . The plan is to do them regularly but at different times of the year to complete the scene so to speak A very old favourite is the walk from Liskeard to Looe . In earlier days we used to walk the whole ten miles from Liskeard station to Looe itself. However nowadays some of us cheat - just a little and take the bus from the station to Duloe then walk the 5 miles to Looe from there via the West Looe river. This walk is famous for its incidents . In fact it is jinxed! We have lost our way by over 4 miles, tripped over, waded through mud, and clambered over difficult stiles and gates, certain people have missed the train back and took solace in the pub but so far we have never lost anyone!!. However the February walk to Looe was a classic. The wet weather was relentless at the start of the year and we thought the walk may be just a little muddy . However as soon as we started to walk down the lane towards the river we came across our first barrier . The whole of the road was flooded. A little muddy puddle we thought no problem. But as Jean tried to wade through it was so deep the muddy water came over the top of her welly boots. Go back already we asked ourselves ? But that it not in the spirit of our walkers so we decided to find another way. Deri strode ahead and thankfully found an alternative route via a couple of fields. After that we made our way down the steep track to the river. Then it really started. What's that song mud, mud glorious mud? I honestly think that in all my years of walking I have never encountered so much. The river bank was swamped with it and gaiters were definitely the choice of the day. We slithered, slipped, sunk up to our ankles in the sticky, sucking, glutinous stuff. We struggled to keep upright at some points and formed a chain at others to get us through and the familiar shouts of OMG were heard more

often than usual . Then we had a tricky stile with steep steps to reach it. Everyone lent a hand to others and we eventually made it back to the road. Our trousers, rucksacks, boots were well lagged and I think all of us were dreading the thought of cleaning and drying out all of our gear.

However there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. But that is Looe itself with its sandy beach and interesting shops. We also have a favourite little cafe which always gives us a cheery welcome whatever state we are in and serves excellent tea and cake. Lovely!

We catch the bus back to Liskeard and as we ride along we consider the day of mud, mayhem and madness . Will we do it again? Of course we will because WE LOVE IT!

Claire Dibble

This witty poem in the box below about Covid-19 is by Jan Beaumont from the Starts at 60 Community – and it is going viral! Enjoy and share it with your friends to lighten their weekend! It was attributed to Pam Ayres originally but she says it was not one of hers?Any more news on who wrote what would be great to hear?

**** BREAKING NEWS**** LEAKED *** Gunnislake U3A Quiz Group *** Jean Day has forwarded questions. Answers promised.


Hello U3A members and friends, this is Mavis Kelly to let you know I am still alive and kicking!!

Even in lockdown, enjoying life albeit different, I would rather be here than 6 feet under!!!.

I very much miss the company of meeting up with my friends for coffee mornings, Ladies Wot Lunch and Pam Jolly and we used to spend most of Sunday together, for coffee cake, and lots of chat.

I moved into an Apartment in Tavistock McCarthy and Stone properties in Abbey Rise on the 24th January 2020. I was so lucky to get one with a Balcony on the first floor and with plenty of shrubs and trees . The lady underneath Mary is a keen gardener, we both have an interest in the garden.

Settled in really well, with the help of my Daughter Claire and family members of Derek Price who as you know was my partner for 12 years and missed very much.But life has to move on, as we all will have to do when the Covid19 is over.

I have a pair of Jays that come on to the balcony daily, also watch the squirrels in the trees, and in the evening the bats and owls. How lucky am I.

I take a walk daily in Tavistock Park which is lovely and only a couple of minutes away. I enjoy watching the Ducks and ducklings. Shopping wise I

can get my vegetable order from Roots and Vines delivery service, and local butchers also deliver.

Thank goodness all my friends and family are well, my heartfelt thoughts go out to any of you that have lost a loved one to the Virus.

Please stay safe, and look forward to the day we can all see our families and friends againMay I leave you with this quote read in a book called “Before the Rains” by Dinah Jeffries.

If you cry because the Sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the Stars.

Mavis Kelly

Thoughts during lockdown.

I look forward to my copy of ‘Third Age Matters’ dropping through the letter box because it keeps me in touch with what other U3A groups across the country are involved in and it has improved so much in the last few editions. This issue, Spring 2020, is full of interesting news from U3A’s around the country and how they are coping with this lockdown situation, things they have done before lockdown and their plans for the future.In Lutterworth U3A they set up an Extreme Adventure group. It was started by a 79 year old who had recently trekked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,341 feet! The group’s activities have included Go-karting, white-water rafting and a day spent flying raptors. I quite fancy a day Go-karting or white-water rafting down the Tamar!! Cannock Chase U3A is organising a robot challenge day in the Midlands; possibly too far for us to travel, but what about some robot construction ideas?There is a very interesting article about naturalist Iolo Williams and his mother, a U3A member. It is about his childhood, his career and his thoughts on helping the environment. This is followed by ‘How to record the birds in your garden and help

research’, something we can all do during these times of staying in and saying safe. Do we have a bird watching group? I know sometimes

the walking group turns into one occasionally when someone spots an interesting or unusual bird, “Where’s Claire” we say, but maybe a more dedicated group helping us, (not us but me), learn about the birds we see. Something that caught my eye as I continued to flick through the magazine was a ‘Wine Appreciation’ group. I read the article without much understanding of the technicalities of the wine but my eye was caught by the Lidl’s wine tour and £7.99 a bottle and these I think I understand quite well. Anyone else enjoy drinking the odd glass and has some, any, understanding and knowledge?? In the centre of the magazine there is a section headed ‘Sources’, where they look at different subjects to Inspire and Educate. This issue is Sustainable Living and following our talk from Ali Humphries, I found this very interesting. Sue Foy at Chester U3A describes how she set up a group she called ‘A life-less Plastic’. She originally thought it would be ‘tips and tricks’ and would run for 12 sessions. It became an eye-opener for her and others about where plastic is used in our society and the damage it can do. Very interesting!The magazine of course, also contains lots of advert but this is what keeps it so cheap, paying all the production costs and most of the postage so I only pay about £3 for the 5 issues each year, good value I think. Well worth a try, delivered to your door. Contact the Membership secretary if you are interested.

Sue Kendall


Angela Newberry has written to us from Lockdown in AustraliaI write this from my cabin in a park now closed to the owners except for two others who like myself are in lockdown and unable to return home. My flight was cancelled and as I have Australian Permanent Residency am not allowed to leave the country without a permit from the government. Fortunately I am only a couple of hundred yards from the beach where I walk everyday and wave to the dog walkers. On Easter Sunday the Park manager and his wife arrived on my doorstep with a chocolate rabbit. A friend has lent me a winter coat, so there are acts of kindness and offers of help on hand. With Zoom, Whats App and email I can keep in contact with everyone I know, so life is good.I thought that your initiative for the Film Group for simultaneous watching of a chosen film was an excellent idea, I am unable to join in due to the nine hours time difference, which would mean tuning in at 4.30am.Our U3A is closed down but the Chairman suggested a diversion, a competition to submit the first lines of a book, rewritten to reflect our life as it is now. I attach a sample.Keep well, keep safe, very best wishes,Angela

This is what Angela has written for her first lines of a book competition,

CAN YOU DO BETTER?Please send the Editor your ideas there will be a prize for the Best.

LIFE AFTER LIFE BY KATE ATKINSON

A fug of tobacco smoke and damp clammy air hit her as she entered the café. She had come in from the rain and drops of water still trembled like delicate dew on the fur coats of some of the women inside……

As she approached the shuttered café, the door opened and as one customer emerged a man waiting by the door, stubbed out his cigarette and entered. She took his place on the yellow line and shivered as the rain soaked into her fleece,

when he came out she was glad to be met by a blast of warmth from the air conditioning. The place was empty the tables and chairs neatly stacked. She asked for a Chai Latte, tapped her credit card on the cash machine and watched the barista at work. He clipped the cap on the take away cup and slid it under the perspex screen from his gloved hand to hers.“Have a nice day.” He said. She thanked him, her smile hidden by her mask…….

Henrietta

There was a young girl called HenriettaWho was so naughty if you let her

She’d pull your hair and scratch your face climb and jump all over the place.

Then one day as luck would have it.Amongst her toys was a little rabbit

He thought Henrietta was a naughty girl As she stamped and shouted in a whirl

Then one day he said “Thats It”I’ve have had enough of the little twit

Rabbit, Ted and the other toysGot together to call in the boys

They all gathered together in a huddleOutside the house was a nice big puddleI think you’re getting the idea all ready

Retta’s fate is sealed said Teddy

Rabbit, Teddy and some of the boysJumped and shouted making a heck of a noiseRetta came to see what all the fuss was about

When rabbit jumped and she gave a shout

All the toys then leapt into the air Screaming at Retta and grabbing her hair

As she tumbled forward with a splashFlash mash crash bash

Covered in mud hurt and confused I think she’s learnt her lesson and she not amused.

Gillian Brown

REMEMBER YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK AT THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME

Have you put something in the FOOD BANK COLLECTION TROLLEY? It will be a great help to those less fortunate than

ourselves and make someone happy. Thank you so much......

Thank you so much for the great response to my plea for articles for your Newsletter. Why not think about doing something right

now for the next amazing Newsletter. Peter the Editor


GUNNISLAKE IN LOCKDOWN

Well, Holy Week turned out to be quite virtual this year ! Quite a lot of good news has come out of this horrible crisis. The love and support in our community – and elsewhere – has been OVERWHELMING !

So many carefully planned events have had to be postponed; the good news is that nobody was unable to attend. I’m pretty certain that invitations to delayed events will be valid....

Leafing through my diary (looking through the windows !), it occurred to me that there might have been a few problems – or not - during these events that have been avoided. Just imagine the headlines !

‘Tamar Valley Community Bus breaks down on way to Truro’‘Turner Talk in Church by Kirk defies belief’‘No Messy Church today – all kept clean in Church Hall’‘University of the 3rd Age postponed to the 4th’‘No dress competition at weddings – everyone suited’‘Nobody Drawn to the Valley’‘No Hayle for the ECB’‘GLADs not Gobsmacked’‘Garden Party held at Home’‘Litter pickers searching’‘Civil War Breaks Out Again – Critters !’‘Lorry destroys reconstructed Bridge in Gunnislake Village Hall’‘Row breaks out after Master declared in Community Choir’‘Twins seen absconding frequently with goodies from Village Stores’‘NOISE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED ON THURSDAYS AT EIGHT PM’

Cheers everyone ! Helen Kennedy

A BRIEF LEARNING CURVEIndigo - I’ve just fathomed it,Is a mixture of blue and violet !Considering a rainbow and wondering,Awaiting another and pondering -At last !Richard Red and Yellow YorkDo Orange make – and then -Yellow York and Battle BlueGive Green !Question : Do Green and Indigo give blues ?Aha ! No more than YellowMade by Orange and Green.Brave arching prisms in our skies !(I love rainbows ! )

Helen Kennedy


MOLL .....

She’d spit, swear, and drink lots of beer

Mother’s, children, farm hands, would stare, full of fear

Her breeches were stained, dirty and foul

She’d fall, drunk, off her chair, and people would howl

Then one day to everyone’s surprise

The landlord of the Mucky Duck did rise

And speak he did, not very well or articulate

I will to marry this sorry creature who’s in such a state

If only to save her from herself,

So as not to leave her on the shelf

She’ll cook, clean, sew and serve,

Oh landlord, you have got a nerve

She’ll never behave long enough to cook the stew

She’ll spit, scream and swear at you

But Moll accepted the landlords hand

It was as if someone had waved a magic wand

Her food became known all over the land

Many a gentleman came for her hand

The landlord fell sick with shame

at the way he had treated his little flame

cont’d page 23

Contd from page 22

Pretty she was, no, beautiful she was

Soon her thoughts began to roam

Who was she?

Where was her real home?

Then one day after a plate of stew

the landlord shouted “ MOLL, where are you”?

Moll could nare be found

They searched and searched but not a sound

Moll my love I grieve for you

Return to me oh! please do

But Moll was far far away She’d rode and rode on her merry steed

Not knowing where, but having the need

She finally came upon house, perched on a hill

Grand it was, tall and straight, a wonder to behold

The lake in front looked cool, and still

She rode closer, then suddenly she went cold

A man was rising from the waters edge

Like a god he was His silken vest, clinging to his chest

It was love at first sight

Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy would be just right.

Gillian Brown


Well Who’d have thought it?

Around 30 years ago two ladies moved into Gunnislake, they didn’t know each other. Many years later they joined the U3A, both joined the quiz group, the crime fiction group and the book group and became friends.They were Chris Barnett and Di CookOne day at the book group a discussion started up about where our grandparents had lived.. Di’s lived in London so did mine! Di’s lived in East London mine too! Di’s lived in Shoreditch yes so did mine!Di lent me her family history folder to look at and it turns out that Wenlock Street where Di’s grand parents lived was crossed by the street where my grand parents lived. My grand parents were market traders, we like to think their paths would have crossed but the story doesn’t end there.Di had taken out the pages from her folder of her Yorkshire side of the family as it wasn’t relevant but was it??My three times Great Grandmother was from Giggleswick in Yorkshire and at the front of Di’s book was her family tree and a name jumped out at me Thornber. I knew this name appeared in my tree but couldn’t remember where! It turned out my three times Great Granny’s brother married a girl called Margaret Thornber from Slaidburn. Di’s Thornber was from Guisburn not a million miles away. We haven’t found a direct connection but there is a very detailed website called the links between the Thornber families of Slaidburn, Guisburn and Waddington so go back far enough and I’m sure there will be one! Meanwhile my cousin Di and I are still investigating.

Chris Barnet

Calstock Parish ArchiveWe’ve all been going through difficult times these last few weeks and there are more to come. The outbreak of covid 19 has been the most momentous event to have affected the whole parish since WW2 and as such it is important that we have a record for the archive. We have memories from local people of WW2 and now we would like to make a record of people’s experience of lockdown. PLEASE could you write down your stories and comments - the highs and lows, how it’s affected you and your family, how you’re adapting. It can be six lines, it can be a page, but please, please can you support our project. It would be great to have a record for future generations. Please send your thoughts [email protected]

Committee Members as of AGM on April 23rd 2019Chairperson: Angela Start Vice-Chair: Sue Kendall Secretary: Jill Lane Treasurer: Helen Hopkins Membership Sec: Judi Bradley Groups Coordinator: Jean Day Christine Barnett Committee member: Diana Cook Web Site: Joan Veale Sue Kendall Speakers: Pauline James Christine Barnett Hostess: Judy Hughes Ruth Roberts Moira Roberts


Cont’d from page 26 Here we are in the so-called civilised world crying into our beer about the horrendous problems we face, forecasting awful consequences, and here are the people capable of ignoring the doom-sayers and just getting on with it. By and large they seem to know perfectly well who caused the problems, but are seeking their own solutions and dealing with them with whatever comes to hand. Gala Vince’s guide, when she arrived in Nepal led her thousands of metres up a mountain on foot to the first village they stopped at and even there, they had used mountain streams to operate small hydro-generators to supply the school with electricity to operate computers for the children, and especially the girls who really didn’t have much education before that. Someone once said ‘Educate a girl and you educate the entire nation.’ I’ve only just begun Vince’s book but, I’m hoping Gala Vince will show similar things happening all over the world. Peru is next I think. But considering that she accepts the new conditions brought about by mankind in the Anthropocene what she says will amaze her readers.

A Wikipedia article from Google sets as a marker for the beginning of the Anthropocene, the Trinity Atomic Bomb test in Nevada. That was the test explosion, the first bomb from

the Manhattan Project, and the immediate precursor to the one dropped on Hiroshima. There is, at least, a definite marker from that, a geophysical layer containing Strontium 90, so that future geologists will be able to identify it,

and from it, all subsequent strata and identify a particular time when everything changed.

Now we have the Corona Virus. I wonder whether there may be something it leaves behind in the soil for geologists to find in the future.

Do you remember 9/11?

We are all supposed to remember precisely where we were when that happed. Barbie and I had, the previous day, moved into where we live now, up towards the top of Chapel Street.

Well 9/11 had climatologically consequences. When America shut down its airspace, someone noticed that the skies were particularly blue and clear for the three days of the then ‘lockdown’ and for a day or two afterwards. A scientist who studies atmosphere realised that here was an opportunity to do some research, albeit with terrible cost. He realised that there was little or no pollution from contrails, and that as a consequence, global temperatures went up. Also, what’s called the ‘Pan Evaporation Rate’ went up.

Cont’d page 28

Anthropocene and Covid19

I used the title here, because of a talk I gave recently. The chap who introduced me was puzzling over the meaning of the word. It comes from ancient Greek and 'Anthro' means Man, as in Anthropology, and the 'cene' bit means time, or the Age of'. You probably know that most medical terms come from ancient Greek. This chap was a retired GP. I rest my case.

I looked up Anthropocene on Google and discovered that there are at least six organisations currently arguing the toss about whether the term can be accepted internationally as marking the start of an epoch, a start to an new age - as in Pliocene', Holocene and so on. Like other scientific communities, they spend an awful lot of time jetting to and fro, signing bits of paper, running up hotel bills and going home saying they are near a solution. Though aware of the enormous problems awaiting Mankind, none of them seems to have got further than noting that the term just might be appropriate.

Nevertheless, the Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, who discovered the hole in the ozone layer; whilst attending a conference in Mexico, and hearing another scientist referring to the Holocene (meaning that period between ice ages) jumped onto his hind legs and shouted: 'It's not the Holocene you stupid bugger it's the Anthropocene.

He is reported as saying that he dreamed the name up on the spur of the moment. However, in 1938 Vladimir Vernadsky a Soviet scientist wrote of the Anthropocene as a geological force, predating Crutzen.

Anyway, Crutzen brought the term to world attention. I first used the term about eight years ago, very late. Yet I still have to explain its meaning, even to well-qualified people who should know better.

I've begun reading 'Adventures in the Anthropocene' by Gala Vince. This is the first I've heard of her but perhaps I should pay more attention to social media, for she apparently has a regular programme on BBC Radio 4 and on various places on line.

She is an eternal optimist and has travelled the world meeting wonderful people who seem set to conquer the problems brought about by humanity, banging head-on into them and coming up with innovative solutions.

Cont’d page 27


How life has changed during lockdown.

Time to stand and stare instead of hurtling from A to B all the time. Watch swallows and swifts whirl and dive into the blue. Winter acres blossom into fresh green. On shy sunshine days we listen to buzzing insects, usually we don’t hear them above traffic noise. Last years hanging basket coconut matting liner is a ready supply of nesting material for avian visitors to our tiny garden. The dwarf juniper tree planted many seasons ago, now grown well beyond “dwarf” proves a great place for a new nest.....out of reach from cats. Yesterday we watched a pair of long tailed tits nipping a camellia bush in the bud.....they “ worked” the bush and then they were gone. We’ve never seen so many rainbows as in lockdown. Rainbows posted in windows, fabric and wool rainbows on doors. Rainbows chalked on walls and pavements along with messages of thanks to the NHS and keyworkers.....best of all, the messages of cheerfulness and hope for better days to come, when lockdown is history. Be Happy.

M J T

Cont’d from page 27

People worldwide have been measuring the amount t of water you need to top up identical pans of water each day, something which tells you the precise amount of sunlight falling on the earth’s surface where each of these pans is. Further evidence to support the phenomenon of decreased sunlight, before the contrails disappeared. They gave it a name; Global Dimming.’ The first time I spoke about the Anthropocene, Ruth Roberts asked whether polluted atmosphere might shield us from Global Warming. Well, the answer is ‘Yes’.

I just happened to have looked all that up before and I wanted to

do more work before I used it. But Ruth had asked about so I answered it as best I could. It happens that

Global Dinning has been sheltering us from Global Warming since someone invented it by burning all those fossil fuels. So they produced particulate pollution as well as heating p he planet with CO2, Ch4 and so forth. That gives

rise to a problem about whether can really fix it without roasting ourselves as well. Well, going back to a possible geological marker for Corvid; perhaps they could look for something that only occurs during a period of fine weather? Any ideas?

John Tunnicliffe

Mary Newcombe has extracted the following "Coronaverses from The Times"

Each Verse below is preceded by its alleged Author :-

Roger Jones ;

Please,doctor, your wisdom impart A family we`re eager to start

So kindly prescribe How we increase the tribe

While keeping two metres apart ?

Susie Marwood ;

A wino sent home on furlough Drank merrily near Westward Hough

Barolough and Bordough And hogsheads of Merlough

And Champers from every Chatough.

Bill Billington (A snatch from The Lady of Thatsyerlot )

She left the web, she left the loom. but then she couldn`t leave the room.

She said "I must self-isolate. Sir Lancelot will have to wait".

Jonathan Ruddle ;

"I worked hard for three years at Oxford To earn me a first-class degree,

I studied Keynes, Gladstone and Nietzsche. The subject they call PPE.

No job for two years, feeling useless, `til Hancock cried out:"Join my team".

Now I`m sewing new scrubs for key workers And living my PPE dream."

Missing your get togethers for Coffee, Tea and Cake?? Don’t cheat the lockdown and risk catching this virus

thing. Why not set up a Zoom Meeting, everyone can join in but you are all safe social distancing. Only drawback is you have to make your own drinks and supply your own CAKE!! The committee meet this way so why not you?

Pleas ask for help to set it up if you need to.


This is a true story and it is both happy and sad.

Back in January the walking group travelled to Widemouth Bay to do one of our favourite walks. The weather was kind to us and the ground conditions whilst a little muddy in places were generally pretty good considering the weather we have experienced. We walked from the car park just outside Widemouth Bay Resort along the Coastal Path

sort of northerly and arrived in Bude quite early and broke into small groups to spend lunch doing whatever we all fancied but making sure we

all met at the Information Centre by 1.15pm to ensure we were not too late returning home. A leisurely walk along the canal and then the slightly muddy fields brought us safely back to the cars. After the post walk banter and chit chat everyone departed their respective ways home. Caroline, Shirley and myself had a nice drive home, quite uneventful. We dropped Shirley at her house and got home safely ready for a nice cup of tea!!

We unpacked the car as usual, backpacks, poles, muddy boots all deposited in the mud room. Whilst checking through our stuff Caroline asked “Have you seen one of my new gloves? The ones that I recently bought in Penzance on the MincePie Train walkies. I replied in the negative as I had not been involved in that packing the car. Needless to say we searched high and low, the car was

virtually dismantled every seat was looked under at least three times. Backpacks were searched several times all without success. Caroline was quite sad and a bit disappointed having lost a glove so soon, where could it be, perhaps it got into Shirley’s backpack or boots? We were going to call her but assumed it was not there because she would have contacted us. We decided that it must have fallen out of her coat in the Widemouth Bay Car Park.

Because of previous engagements it was impossible to drive over to the Car Park and Caroline was resigned to having only one glove.A few days later Peter became free earlier than expected from a meeting and decided to combine a trip back to the Car Park with a trip to the tip!The car was stuffed full of various things that would be recycled or dumped at the tip. The journey to the tip shortened the overall journey to the Car Park. So off Peter drove hoping against hope that perhaps the glove would have been found and left somewhere conspicuous.

The weather had been pretty awful since the walk but it was still worth a chance. Peter arrived in the car park and had a cursory look around as he drove in, there were a few car cars parked but it was blowing about force 6/7 making it almost impossible to open the car door. Cont’d page 33

Cont’d from page 32Finally he managed to get out and dragged his coat from the front seat behind him, it fell on the ground just missing a big puddle. He hastily rescued it and proceeded to start searching the area. A detailed check along the south side did not produce any results apart from some discarded dog poo bags and litter. A similar search on the rest of the car park was also negative sadly. Even a search in the undergrowth did not show anything worthwhile. Finally he decided to walk a bit along the coastal path and lo and behold there was the errant glove a little worse for wear as far as mud and rain was concerned but nothing a good wash would not cure. Peter shouted a silent “Whoopee “ and headed back to the car really pleased and excited to be able to tell Caroline. He got back in the car having decided to save the surprise for later, started the car and reversed out of his space towards the main road . He had second thoughts and decided to call Caroline straight away. He stopped the car and turned off the ignition etc and went to get his phone from his coat. It was not in the usual pockets, he looked in every pocket, then on the car seat, the central console and the floor not a phone in sight. He looked

back towards where he had previously parked and with sigh of relief saw his phone laying on the ground. He jumped out of the car with a little laugh thinking” that was close”. Walked over picked up the phone and pulled it out it’s cover and suddenly

all the excitement and joy was gone. The phone had been run over and the screen smashed, of course it did not function at all. Who had run over it ? It could have even been Peter as the phone obviously slipped out of the coat pocket when his coat fell out of the car. The journey home was not quite the happy one planned.

Would the phone be repairable or have to be replaced. Once home Peter recounted his story and Caroline was pleased and of course devastated. Peter checked the cost of a replacement phone and whether it would come before leaving to go on holiday? We could not order a new phone until we knew if the phone was repairable. Luckily the next day Caroline had to travel to Plymouth and promised to take the phone to the repair shop but not until later in the afternoon.

Peter waited patiently at home for the good or bad news. The good news came that it was repairable and in fact had been repaired and was just like new again in spite of being run over by a car or something. It was a happy ending but Caroline has never told Peter how much it cost to repair the phone.

Peter Hammond


A note from The EditorIt is time for our Annual Membership Subscription again.

This is still £10 p.a. or £6.50 if you also belong to another U3A. You would normally pay this in April and our Treasurer, Helen Hopkins, has provided details of our U3A bank account. Only if you would like to pay now online, you may do

so easily, as follows:

HSBC Bank, Sort Code 40 44 05, Account Number 81549979, Gunnislake & District U3A.

Judi Bradley, our Membership Secretary, already has some cheques and money to pay in. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to the bank at the moment. Judi

will let those of you who have ordered Third Age Matters know how much you owe in due course. If you prefer to wait until we meet again, Judi will collect

subscriptions then.

Photo by Joan Veale

David and Jill Lane have been watching the Mr. Motivator sessions, which are now on You Tube for U3a members see link below. David could

have done the exercises if he had wanted to - they were

sitting in a chair and doing arm exercises. Jill has done one of the other workouts - shown

standing or sitting down. It is great fun and will be great for

your bodies in lockdown.

https://www.youtube.com/

tch?v=0UEarCoGLkg

agm gunnislake u3a held virtually via the internet on 1st ...membership secretary mark zuckerberg...

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