The U3A trip on 16^th January to “ We Will Rock You” at Hull New Theatre

The trip was organised by Brian Ward.

The coach  collected us at Market Rasen then Middle Rasen at 10.0 am. We arrived at Hull with time to shop before the 2pm afternoon performance.

Some of us met up at the friendly Greek Restaurant near to the theatre where we passed the time with several litres of red wine and excellent Greek food and lively conversation.

The show was superb and the audience was packed and  enthusiastic.

It started with a blast of  breath-taking vocals from the  two main characters, Galileo Figaro and his female lead Scaramouch.

Ben Elton has woven his story around 20 of Queens greatest songs. It tells of a group of  “Bohemians” who, living in a Big Brother sort of the future,  who are trying to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion and live music.

The show is fast-paced and the songs are blasted out. All the main characters have extremely strong vocals.

When the show was over we were all left wanting more. After the final curtain call the words came up, asking did we want to hear Bohemian Rhapsody. (This song had not been sung during the play).

Of course we did , the whole audience roared YES.

The final rendition was both emotional and heart-breaking. Many of us were in tears.

The whole day was a really wonderful experience. Thank You Brian.

Catherine Whelan

Due to a last minute cancellation, there is one place available on the coach to go to Hull New  Theatre to see the matinee performance of this show tomorrow.  £58.00 pp.  We depart Tesco Filling Station at 10.00.

The show is sold out so this is a great chance to get travel and Circle seat all together!  Queen fans come and join us …

Brian. 01472 852273.

A new series of showings are now available and can be viewed by clicking here…

For further details please contact Irene and Roger Dixon 01673844648 or 07716805107

home@rsimdixon.plus.com

Richard hasn’t actually rowed the Atlantic as yet but is due to do so in November if all goes to plan. Although now retired, this hasn’t stopped him from participating in a number of taxing physical challenges which include cycling, running marathons and triathlons, white water rafting, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, undertaking a five day Bear Grylls type survival course and most recently walking from Land’s End to John O’ Groats. His more than normal thirst for adventure has resulted in him now deciding to row the Atlantic solo and, if he is successful, he will be the oldest person to do it aged 70.

With no sailing experience whatsoever, some would call him foolhardy but, as he says, when the bug bites, he just cannot resist the personal challenge and, he’s hoping to raise £50,000 for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance in the three months it will take him to row the 3,000 nautical miles. He is apprehensive about  having to cope with crossing perilous shipping lanes in a small rowing boat, the likelihood of encountering severe climate conditions and dangerous sea life such as sharks, as well as the possibility of unforeseen technical problems arising, yet his biggest concern is being seasick although as a medical doctor, he can self-medicate with complete confidence!! He is also well qualified to deal with the extreme physical hardships that rowing for 10 to 12 hours every day will bring such as blisters, sores and chaffing however, he recognises that sleep deprivation, a limited diet and being on his own for so long may be more difficult to handle.

There have been approximately 150 successful east to west route Atlantic crossings to date, and Richard’s boat has already completed the journey victoriously with a previous owner so, he has every confidence in it being able to do it again. He himself, is in the process of building up his own strength and fortitude so he too will complete this gruelling voyage triumphantly. To maintain his sanity on the ‘cruise’, Richard intends to keep in contact with the outside world on a daily basis via a satellite phone; he also has all the other necessary electronic equipment (powered by solar panels) to ensure he can be identified and rescued should the need arise as he has no ‘back up team’.

Richard openly admits that the first reason he is embarking on this arduous task is because he can’t resist a challenge however secondly, he has personally worked alongside the doctors and paramedics who fly the ambucopter so is keen to raise as much money as he can through sponsorship and donations to maintain this valuable service.

If you would like to get updates on Richard’s progress, he has his own website entitled oldmanontheocean.co.uk where you can also make a donation; he can also be found on Facebook. We wish him the best of luck.

One of our recent members has a hidden past.

Helen Andrews was one of the youngest at Bletchley Park when she arrived from South America. A brilliant mathematician at 17, her family had been told that she had a place at Cambridge. She travelled back to the UK on a lightly guarded Atlantic convoy of ships which took almost four weeks. Three ships in the convoy were sunk by U-boats – as the convoy was not allowed to stop, she witnessed many women and children drowning.

When she docked at Tilbury, she was invited to the captain’s quarters, where she was told: “A man is waiting for you. Get in his car and don’t ask any questions”. She was driven to Bletchley, not Cambridge.

At 92 she has only just started talking about her experiences.

To learn more follow this link to a BBC news video…

WEST WOLDS WARBLERS

WWU3A SINGING GROUP

NEW CONVENER, NEW VENUE

Come & join us for a singalong to

50s/60s/70s/etc popular songs

as we exercise our lungs & brains

Normally 1^st Wednesday of the month

2pm – 4pm

IN THE EDEN ROOM AT THE

NEW LIFE CHURCH, SEPENTINE STREET

But we are restarting for the new year on

the second Weds 8^th JANUARY 2020

£2.00 per person to include refreshments

Contact: TERRY FRANCIS

07840975547/01673842088

Email: terryfrancis22@gmail.com

Today we were accorded a very, very entertaining talk by the multi-talented Mark Walsh who, believe it or not, started his stage career at the tender age of eight. Since then, he has worked alongside many of our most well-known stars including Danny la Rue and June Whitfield to name but two and yet he is still under forty!!.

It is very hard to categorise Mark as he straddles the varying genres of acting, speaking, singing, comedy and ukulele playing, the latter of which he is world renown for however, he’s also pretty good at all the others as we soon found out. He honed his skills whilst working under the exacting eye of Danny la Rue for ten years so he is an extremely accomplished stage performer and a consummate ‘ad liber’ but, not only were we privy to both these talents, we were serenaded as he sang a couple of very well known ‘music hall’ songs accompanied by either his ukulele or banjo ukulele.

After the demise of Danny la Rue, Mark’s career changed direction somewhat and he entered the world of radio. He is a regular guest performer on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night which is broadcast live from different theatres and concert halls throughout the UK and, in addition to this , he has swapped performing on the stage at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds for banging the gavel and now introduces the acts as its Chairman.

Although Mark was billed as a ‘Ukulele Sensation’, it was a delight to listen to his tales of the theatre which he told in such an engaging manner. These were interspersed with his ukulele prowess and we were invited to join in with some very old songs from years gone by – the words of which we can still remember after all the years. Mark is a relaxed and competent speaker and the epitome of a true all-round professional; Danny la Rue would be very proud.

The regular Thursday morning Keep Fit class in the Festival Hall (except when the Monthly Meeting takes place) is temporarily suspended due to our Dawn having sustained a broken wrist after falling from her horse on Wednesday this week.  We will try to talk her into taking the class from her chair so that we do not put on extra pounds in the Festive period!!!

The Keep Fit group Christmas Lunch will go ahead as planned on the 19th December.

It’s an age thing ….  or was she drunk in charge of a horse at the time?

Understanding Grief And Loss
Thursday 12th December 13.30
Caistor Arts and Heritage Centre
A short talk by Jenny Oyston, MBACP

We will look at questions such as;

• What feelings might I experience?
• What is ‘normal’?
• Will I ever feel better again?
• How do I help someone who is bereaved?

Everyone experiences grief at some time. Some people manage well, and have lots of support. However, others struggle and find it difficult to cope. Whether your loss is a bereavement, a separation or any major change in your circumstances, you may benefit from meeting others in a similar situation.

Why not come along to learn more about the process of grieving?

There will be a chance to participate in a discussion afterwards and there will be an opportunity to consider forming a support group following this meeting.

No need to book a place, this is a free open talk

Here are some photos  I took at the AGM of Steve congratulating Brian on many years sterling work  and the excellent entertainment from the Recorder Group.

Lookout for the Digital Photography Group 2020 Calendar, showing themes taken throughout the year by members of the Group. This is a very colourful calendar and will brighten up your life every time you turn over a new month. Cost of the calendar is £5.00. Contact Allen Forster if you are interested on 01652 678034. He will be selling some at the December general meeting and taking orders for any others.