MemNewsSept2020

1 of 4    Website:​ w​ ww.flintshire-u3a.co.uk​ ​Email:​ ​[email protected] Volume 15 Issue 4 September 2020 LOCKDOWN SPECIAL EDITION      Art​ I am a member of Mold U3A Art Group - did the cartoons to cheer up some friends and other  members of the group. Spent a good deal of time whilst isolating, doing paintings etc. You would think I  had nothing else to do haha!!. ​ A​ ndy Thomas  Chairman’s Report H​ ello all of you,  Would anyone have thought, at the AGM on the 5th of March, what might be in front of us all with  coronavirus and lockdown? I am sure that all of us have had our own personal problems coping with the  virus and probably still will in the future. Starting this U3A, as we knew it before, seems remote for now  but I must say it is encouraging to see how Coordinators have devised ways to keep members  connected. Well done to all those Coordinators and please keep up all your good work. The new  committee has had one meeting online with another taking place on the 20th of August. The lunch  meeting in Mold Park has been good in the fact of having face to face chats with friends and raising the  spirits of everyone. Hopefully, more members will consider joining us all in the coming weeks as we do  have some live music being played as well. Soon a vaccine will mean we can all get back as we were  before, fingers crossed! Please stay safe. ​Colin    Adroddiad y Cadeirydd ​Helo bob un ohonoch chi,  A fyddai unrhyw un wedi meddwl, yn y Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol ar y 5ed o Fawrth, beth allai fod o'n  blaenau ni i gyd gyda coronafirws a chloi i lawr? Rwy’n siŵr bod pob un ohonom wedi cael ein problemau  personol ein hunain yn ymdopi â’r firws ac mae’n debyg y byddwn yn dal i fod yn y dyfodol. Mae cychwyn  yr U3A hwn, fel roeddem yn ei wybod o'r blaen, yn ymddangos yn anghysbell am y tro ond mae'n rhaid i  mi ddweud ei bod yn galonogol gweld sut mae Cydlynwyr wedi dyfeisio ffyrdd i gadw aelodau'n  gysylltiedig. Da iawn i'r holl Gydlynwyr hynny a chadwch eich holl waith da i fyny. Mae'r pwyllgor newydd  wedi cael un cyfarfod ar-lein gydag un arall yn cael ei gynnal ar yr 20fed o Awst. Mae'r cyfarfod cinio ym  Mharc yr Wyddgrug wedi bod yn dda yn y ffaith o gael sgyrsiau wyneb yn wyneb gyda ffrindiau a chodi  ysbryd pawb. Gobeithio y bydd mwy o aelodau'n ystyried ymuno â ni i gyd yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf  gan fod gennym ni gerddoriaeth fyw hefyd. Cyn bo hir bydd brechlyn yn golygu y gallwn ni i gyd fynd yn ôl  fel yr oeddem o'r blaen, croesi bysedd! Arhoswch yn ddiogel os gwelwch yn dda.   Colin ​ ​Translated by Google   1 

2 of 4  Theatr Clwyd Group    Living in Mold I am a member of the Flintshire U3A Theatr  Clwyd Group and regularly walk up the hill to the theatre or  cinema. During lockdown my exercise of choice has been  walking. Most days the round trip up the hill takes just about an  hour, depending on the number of people met on the way for a  socially distanced exchange of greetings. The last performance  I attended prior to lockdown was Jess Gillam’s wonderful  concert. There should have been further events in the 2019/20  concert series but these were unable to be staged. While  walking on a regular route I have captured some images with my mobile phone to show the changing  landscape. This picture shows the Theatr bedecked in ribbons like so many UK theatres which are unable  to welcome visitors at present. ​Eileen Jones  New Driving Skills          Never thought I would learn to drive a tractor at the ripe old  age of 70.......    Joyce Richardson    Jigsaws  One of the things my wife and I have been doing during lockdown is jigsaws. They have been a joy to do.  My wife, with some of her work colleagues, got together a “jigsaw swap group.” Luckily, I have been able  to go out and pass them on around the immediate area.  In this set of puzzles  there are 5 decades  1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s,  and 80s.   How many items in  the shopping baskets  do you remember?    The jigsaw on the right is the most difficult one to date. I’m sure many of you will know who painted this  Starry, Starry Night. His style is so distinctive! ​Janet and Steven Ridpath. News   I understand the News Team is looking for some interesting news? I have been a professional acrobat  for over 35 years, and toured the world with my wife entertaining. In 1993 we were on a large show in  Malaysia and a young couple who were dancers on the show approached me asking if I could teach them  some acrobatics and adagio. After 9 months they had an act and like us they toured the world, when their  two children came along I taught them. For the past 6 months I have been stranded in Perth, W. Australia  staying with this family. Their careers have taken a different turn, they now run a rock climbing gym! If  this sounds interesting I have a few tales to tell about my stay here​. B​ arry Williams  2 

3 of 4  Website Update  You may have noticed that there has been an update to the website, it’s now version 7.0.9 showing in the top right  corner. Not only can you pay for your membership in the normal way and bank transfer, but now through the  website with a card payment and direct debit. Giving you the members more choice in how you pay. You have  complete control over this action.There is no time limit as you can leave the details active till you wish to cancel the  payment.The financial system could take payments for outings, but that may be some time yet as a lot must be  learnt by the treasurer and group leaders for that part of the website to work correctly. We might be going too  quickly, nevertheless it is a facility of the website.     Any group that has already found a way to keep connected, we applaud their commitment to their group. Below is  offered as a choice to those who have not yet started, giving the uncertainty of meeting face to face, or know how  to start, or not happy with the choice they have made. Obviously, there are some groups who could not take  advantage of this ability for their group, due to their activity not being compatible. By the time you read this two  groups, Family History and Exploring Science will have made presentations to their groups.    Another part of the email system which is being used by your committee, and will now be rolled out for the group  leaders to use, is Google’s MEET. This is a video conference ability through the Flintshire U3A’s email account with  G Suite. You can find out more about it by searching for it online. However, here are a few details about its abilities.  For a start, our MEET can host up to 250 participants at one time. There is NO TIME LIMIT unlike others out there  now. It works by the “Host” sending out a very secure website link to the participants who just copy and paste it into  their web browser’s search box and hit return/enter key. Then just by clicking on the Join button, the video page  opens, and you are off! But because this is through our account the host will need to be given a  @flintshire-u3a.co.uk email address to use. The account will not run out of these as the account allows up to  10,000 of them. Google has now detailed an expansive list of improvements for MEET. In fact, those with an  Android phone will have noticed the first by now. First up is the ability to use an image from your Photo Library for  a customised background. Other features planned very soon are:    Raise Hand - To increase participation in large meetings by enabling participants to “raise their hand” when they  have a question or wish to say something.  Breakout Rooms – Make it easy for large meetings to split into smaller groups, to have a chat, and then reconvene  once finished.  Q & A – Provide a channel for the audience to ask questions without disrupting the flow of the conversation.  Additional Host Controls – for muting, presenting, joining and much more.  Into the Future we go! S​ teven Ridpath (Website Administrator) [email protected]  THE LOCKDOWN BLUES    PUB LUNCH     I'm sittin’ in my favorite chair, with nothing left to do,   It’s three long months since we had a pub lunch  I‘ve polished all the furniture, I've cleaned the windows too,  And for waffles I now have a craving.  I've hoovered round so many times, I've worn the carpets  Oh, how we ponder the dishes we’d choose  through,  (Though think of the money we’re saving).  I keep on seeking one more job, I’ve got the lockdown  But those gastropubs, will any be there  blues.  When we come out of social exclusion?    Or will they have converted to take-away food  The kitchen cupboards are tidy now, everything in its place,  With culinary styles in profusion?  Of food that's past its sell by date, I can't find a trace,    Will we need to make bookings three weeks ahead  But when I came to mop the floor, I fell flat on my face,  To have lunch at a social distance?  Why can't I just sit down and rest, I blame the lockdown  Or will profitability be well out of reach  blues.     Because of consumer resistance?  My garden fence is painted, the soil has no more weeds,  Shall we cover our faces (except when we eat)  Hanging baskets full and bright, the beds are full of seeds,   And order through layers of fabric?  But I must get my hosepipe out, cos water it all needs,  Be served by a waiter behind perspex screen,  The more I do the more is left, I hate these lockdown blues.   And settle bills only with plastic?  Far from the next table, we’ll sit down for lunch,    Awaiting the house appetiser,  But where once they gave olives or bread,  Against the rules I could slip out, but I've forgotten where to  They’ll now give us hand sanitiser!  go,   It won’t be the same for a long time to come  Do I turn left, do I turn right, I hope someone will know,   And dining will then feel quite odd.  Shopping for food would be such a thrill, buy a paper for the  But in difficult times, we must all do our bit  news,  To see local hostelries restored.  But then I must get home again, back to the lockdown blues.  David Parry    Arthur Kemp  3 

4 of 4  Lockdown In The Digital Age!  A few short weeks ago the world changed. A new virus was beginning to sweep through the world and  we were told, after some dillying and dallying to stay at home. Some of us were already connected to  others through social media such a Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, but others of us watched images  on our TVs of people communicating with each other using the internet and began to wonder whether we  could continue to meet with friends and colleagues using some of these emerging technologies. As a  former Open University tutor I had used video conferencing software to teach and communicate with  students and I was interested in exploring the potential of such technology in the U3A groups to which I  belong. This interest was further piqued by an article in the U3A Trust newsletter speaking of some U3As  beginning to explore the potential of Zoom. In March, a friend and I decided to download Zoom and play  with it. I was interested in its potential for a German group and he wanted to continue making music with  others. I was immediately impressed by what Zoom offered and how easy it was to access – in fact my  impression was that it was at least as powerful as expensive commercial software I had used  previously. It did not take much effort to persuade the Flintshire U3A German group to take a look.  Several months on, I am spending several hours a week in Zoom meetings. Apart from weekly German  conversation, we are starting to use Zoom in the Philosophy group and my husband has introduced it to  the Maths group. I have become a volunteer with the U3A Trust, where together with others I am involved  in providing introductory sessions on the use of Zoom. We are now moving on to provide additional  support sessions on running group meetings using Zoom – and will soon be moving on to offering ideas  on holding AGMs and other larger meetings using this technology. In fact we have now run a number of  large group meetings (200 or so attendees at each) focusing on how such meetings might be organised  and, in particular, how U3As around the country might use Zoom for running a digital AGM. What then  does Zoom offer? Basically it is a video conferencing software that can be accessed through nearly all  computers, tablets and smartphones – I say nearly all, as some older devices cannot be used. The basic  requirements are an appropriate device and an internet connection. A webcam or the built in camera on  handheld devices can facilitate communication – it’s good to see each other – and some kind of mic and  speaker is essential for communication. Most of these are built into modern laptops, tablets and  smartphones, but some desktop computer users may find they need to acquire a headset and/or a  webcam including a mic. Once the equipment is available, Zoom is accessed through a link provided by a  meeting host. Once in a meeting, it is possible to share not only conversation, but to view photos and  videos – in our German group we regularly watch relevant YouTube videos together – and to share any  other document or media we have on our computers. The possibilities are endless and I know of groups  running exercise and dance classes through Zoom.    If lockdown has meant your group has effectively been locked out of communicating with each other in  real time, do consider using Zoom or some other internet application to meet up and continue living and  learning together – and remember support is available through the U3A to enable you to develop the  skills to run online meetings. Locally in Flintshire, I understand advice and help is available in using the  Google MEET application, which offers similar facilities to Zoom. As was indicated in a recent edition of  TMA, there are also a number of other video conferencing applications available, all offering many similar  features, but some with useful add-ons. Although I have a preference for Zoom, it is well worthwhile  looking at other options too! L​ iz Thackray  U3A National Sailing Group  Calling all sailors – As with many U3A activities our national sailing event has been postponed, not  cancelled. Now, we are scheduled to take at least 48 crew from around the country in 9 boats. The 10  day trip starts in Dubrovnik and will be on sailing boats ranging in size from 35ft to 50ft long. We already  have a waiting list and with more skippers with a Day Skipper Practical certificate or above and Short  Wave Radio licence we could take more. Why not help others to ‘live, learn and laugh’. Do you know of  anyone who is qualified and may be interested in a ten day holiday around the Adriatic Islands sometime  between 15th April and 25th May 2021. Firm dates to be decided. Also, experienced crew required to  assist the skipper. Please contact Nick Hoskins via U​ [email protected]​. Many thanks.​ Ken Archer  This edition of the newsletter was edited by Martin Hampstead, Helen Lloyd and Muriel Vernon.   Please note the new email address ​ ​to send your articles: n​ [email protected]    4