MemNewsApr2020

1 of 4  Website:​ ​www.flintshire-u3a.co.uk​   Volume 15 Issue 2 ​Newsletter:​ [email protected] April 2020 Diary Dates: 30th April C​ offee Morning at St David's Church Hall in Mold 10am till noon. Free event. A big welcome  and lots of information for new members.   17th May ​ Closing date for submissions to the June Newsletter.        Archaeology    On Monday 27th January, the Archaeology Group listened to a fascinating  presentation by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann. It was entitled 'The Archaeology and  History of Northumbria.' What was particularly interesting was the  administrative and even fiscal links to the monastic community in Wales! We  learned a lot and it has inspired me to complete some further research of my  own.    Our next meeting was on Monday 24th February when we had a presentation  from Ray Bailey on 'The Quest for Offa's Dyke.' Let me just explain. About  eighteen months ago, we had a talk from Keith Ray, Director of Nexus  Archaeology, on Offa's Dyke. He had spent most of his career as an  archaeologist, researching this topic. He suggested that the dyke finished at  a certain point. However, attending this talk was Ray Bailey. Ray is a keen  amateur archaeologist and a member of a number of heritage groups. After  the talk a group of us went for lunch at the Beaufort. During that time, Ray  was able to discuss with Keith that he knew of two further sections of the  dyke, unknown officially, and unexcavated! That was exciting news and  subsequently the two men met up, with Ray able to take Keith to the  unresearched sections of the dyke. Ray's talk explained all this and what  happened following on from that.    The Archaeology Group enjoys a range of talks and presentations on a wide  variety of archaeological topics and time periods and I endeavour to find  speakers that reflect the varied interests of the group. We have some  exceptional, nationally renowned speakers who give up their time to come to  see us. Any contacts or ideas would be gratefully received so that the  programme can continue to reflect the members' interests.​ I​ look forward to  seeing the members and any new faces that care to come along.  Julie  Backgammon  The Backgammon Group would like to see more people joining as we have space for  several more. It's very enjoyable and not rocket science! Meetings are held on the 4th  Thursday of the month between 2pm and 4pm in Buckley.  Jill   1 

2 of 4  Chairman’s Report  Seems unbelievable that 12 months have passed by since the last AGM. A lot has happened in that time  with the development of the new website. Once again I have to congratulate Steven Ridpath on the vast  amount of time he has given to installing the software and tuition of members. I am very much aware  that this is a very big change for some members but please allow the time for others to show you how to  access and use the new website.​ ​Over the next year I hope that Flintshire U3A can go forward under the  banner  ‘Learn, Laugh and Live!’  ​Colin  Adroddiad y Cadeirydd  Mae'n ymddangos yn anghredadwy bod deuddeg mis wedi mynd heibio ers y CCB diwethaf. Mae llawer  wedi digwydd yn yr amser hwnnw gyda datblygiad y wefan newydd. Unwaith eto mae'n rhaid i mi  longyfarch Steven Ridpath ar yr amser helaeth y mae wedi'i roi i osod y meddalwedd a hyfforddi aelodau.  Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn bod hyn yn newid mawr iawn i rai rai aelodau ond rhowch gyfle i eraill ddangos i  chi sut i ddefnyddio'r wefan newydd. Dros y flwyddyn nesaf gobeithiaf y gall U3A Sir y Fflint symud  ymlaen o dan y faner  ​ ‘Dysgu, Chwerthin a Byw!’    ​Translated by Jane Owen  Colin ​ AGM  The FU3A AGM was held at the Civic Centre, Connah’s Quay on  Thursday 5th March. Pictured is our Chair Colin Lewis and Vice  Chair John Hornby.     Reports were made by the chair and treasurer. Lynne Ingham  read the secretary’s report in the absence of Stuart Murray. All  matters were approved by members attending. Colin thanked  Steven Ridpath for his efforts in delivering the website in an  exceptionally short time and also retiring members of the  committee for their contributions.      Points Of Interest  Committee: New membership secretary, secretary, treasurer and committee members approved.  Finances: Funds are more than adequate to meet our financial commitments.  Membership: The final membership total at the end of 2019 was 845 - a net increase of 38.  Coronavirus Advice - An Update From Healthwatch - the NHS consumer watchdog.     How is coronavirus spread?  Like the common cold, coronavirus (also known as Covid-19) infection usually occurs through close  contact with a person with coronavirus via coughs and sneezes or hand contact. You can also be  infected by touching contaminated surfaces if you do not wash your hands.    How to avoid catching or spreading germs?   • ​Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.    • ​Put used tissues in the bin straight away.  •​ Wash your hands with soap and water often - use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.  • ​Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.  • ​Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.    Symptoms of coronavirus  The main symptoms of coronavirus are: a cough, a high temperature, shortness of breath.     This information was extracted from a document issued to the Chair and Secretaries of branches by the  U3A for dissemination to members.  2 

3 of 4  FU3A Website    It has been asked why have we moved from the old website  and what was wrong with it?     The main reason for the new website, and something that  should have happened a few years ago, is down to the  General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which came  into force in 2018.    The existing website used software that was at least 10yrs  old and could not be made compliant with GDPR. So new  software had to be found which would make our website  both secure and compliant. It was decided to go with  U3AWeb for this endeavour. The old website had, in the  weeks before it was closed, been reported as giving cause  for concern about its safe and secure use. That is why there  is a need for password protection. There are no limits as to  the number of attempts you take to log in. The initial  password will contain odd characters and look something like this Bc3%~0T Being able to \"copy\" and  \"paste\" the password will greatly help in accessing the site to ensure no mistakes are made. When on the  site please change to a more suitable password (click on the change password option along the top bar).  It has been set at \"medium\" strength as even we could not cope with it set to \"strong or excellent\"!    If when trying to enter the site it reports an \"invalid email/membership number\" then it will be due to the  original email list the site was given to be built with, which shows your email address incorrectly. Please  email me on [email protected] or our new membership secretary on  [email protected] for help to resolve this issue.    It will now be the responsibility of the Group Leaders, and/or their Deputies, to control their groups’ own  page. In the past I have received emails which should have been sent \"BCC\" which means you only see  the senders email address, not everybody else's addresses. Group Leaders will be able to send \"Group\"  emails through the new website which will stop this happening. But you can send emails through the site  just by knowing the other person's name, nothing more is needed.    It has various levels of \"authority\" built in such that ONLY the Membership Secretary and Website  Administrator can see any personal details. Not even other committee members can see your details.  There is a committee page which only they see. Depending on the “authority” you have, this dictates what  side Menu buttons you can see. For instance, the Group Leaders have a suite of “tools” on the group  page helping them to manage their group; they see them, and you will not.    The Group Leaders over the past couple of weeks have been adding their group members so that when  members enter the website, they will have their Groups List and Yearly Programme all ready to view. By  clicking on the button on the left hand side called \"My Information\" you will be able to see this and we  believe this will become the most popular visited area.​ I​ hope this article allays any concerns you may  have about the need for a new website.   Steven - Website Administrator  AGM-Membership  It's very pleasing that more people are enjoying the benefits of membership, but it also brings  challenges. The levels of interest and active involvement of the membership as a whole are very  variable, and effective communication with everyone can be difficult. This is the last membership  renewal period using the present system. The new website will be appreciated and used by many, but I  would also hope that the needs and wishes of members who are either unable or unwilling to access  information or carry out tasks using a computer will be respected, and appropriate provision made.  Thank you all for your friendship or acquaintanceship and very best wishes for the future.   Leslie - Retiring Membership Secretary  3 

Open Meeting  4 of 4  Following the AGM, Philip Chidell gave a talk on his learning to play and  perform with the violin during which he played seven pieces of music  concluding his presentation with Nessun Dorma.   Philip began studying the violin aged six. Two years later, he was offered a  place at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, at the time becoming their  youngest pupil. Philip was soon performing around the UK, and at 13 played  for the first time as a soloist with an orchestra. He has performed as a  member of various ensembles and orchestras, in venues including  Manchester Cathedral, Chester Cathedral, the Bridgewater Hall, the Royal  Festival Hall and Windsor Castle. He plays regularly at concerts and social  events. He has recorded a number of albums, teaches and even busks. Philip  received a standing ovation at the end of his performance.  Social History    FU3A member Michelle Francis is pictured next to our guest speaker Martin  Wood at the meeting on 2nd March at Ewloe Social Club. Martin, at 7feet  2inches tall, holds the record as the tallest town crier in the world. He started  over 35 years ago and is still going strong as the town crier for Shrewsbury.  Over the years he has entered a number of competitions with many notable  successes including being the Wales champion for seven consecutive years  and also fifth in the world at a competition held in Canada. In Britain the town  crier or bellman can be traced back at least to 1066 as two bellmen appear in  the Bayeux Tapestry.    St David’s Day was marked with bara brith and welsh cakes in addition to the  usual cups of tea and coffee served by members of FU3A Welsh Language  Improvers Group.    Future events include:-  ‘Chester Uncovered’ a talk by Stephen Shakeshaft on 11th May  ‘The Beautiful Witch! (The Cutty Sark)’ a talk by Derek Arnold on 1st June.  Hawarden Wine Group  Our favourite wines this month are:-    Best Red Masso Antico Primitivo 2018 14.0%  With its Intense red colour and its complex bouquet and fine aromas of mature red fruit and spicy notes,  it pairs perfectly with grilled meat, stews and mature cheeses.   From: ASDA £7.50 (reduced from £9.00)      Best White Vanita GRILLO 2018 12%  For those of you who like Albarino or Gavi, you should try this lesser known wine! A compelling palate of  stony, lemony fruit with a zesty acidity - one taste and you will be smitten! Good with fish, appetisers and  snacks. Also suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan  From: COOP £7:00  John   This edition of the newsletter was edited by Martin Hampstead, Helen Lloyd and Muriel Vernon.    Don’t forget to submit your group’s news and photos to ​[email protected]​ by 17th May.    4