Due to a lack of numbers turning up for the last meeting and also the Coronavirus problem, Brian Siddown has suspended the Table Tennis group for the time being and will try again later in the year. He will be letting people know and will be at the venue today in case one or two turn up.  Any money collected has been given to the church for the hire of the hall and the equipment.

Philip took us on an amazingly zealous whistle-stop tour of his diverse career which started when he left school in 1966 aged 16. Men who lived in Barrow in Furness at that time were almost duty bound to work in the shipyards, so Philip’s dad was a bit taken aback when he announced that he wanted to be a chef instead. Fortunately for him, his obvious passion overcame any family opposition and, after qualifying, he moved on to gain experience in the Lake District, then Harrogate, then Cheshire, then the Ritz, then Paris. He eventually returned to Barrow to work as head chef in a local hotel and it was here that he met his wife.

After several years of working very unsocial hours for seven days a week, his canny wife suggested he move into hotel management so, he successfully gained a position in Aberdeen however, after three years, he was back in Barrow as a general manager. By now it was the late ‘70s and life was good but Philip was becoming bored so, his canny wife suggested he apply to be a chef on a North Sea oil rig. After only a year of being based in Aberdeen, he was promoted to chef manager, then facilities manager then he joined the BP management team where he stayed for 17 years. By now, Philip was financially stable, his kids had flown the nest and, encouraged by his canny wife, he looked for a new mission in the oil and gas industry; it came in the form of a job offer as a project manager in the Algerian desert. The fact that it was also tax free might have spurred him into accepting although not surprisingly, he did such a good job, he was asked to split his time between there and carrying out a similar role in the Nigerian jungle.

By now it was the early ‘90s and his reputation for getting the job done successfully went before him so, he was headhunted to take on a lucrative assignment in Kazakhstan in the hydrocarbon industry. Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet Republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Philip’s role as Operations Director brought him into ‘dodgy’ (his words not mine) contact with the KGB and the Moscow mafia, both of whom he worked closely with.

On the back of his ongoing success in Kazakhstan and Russia, Philip resigned his role, combined with a colleague and went into the hotel industry again however, sadly his success was short lived as the business failed and left him somewhat financially embarrassed however, his phone rang. On the other end was a friend offering him a job in post war Baghdad overseeing the building of US military accommodation for 31,000 marines. During the seven years he spent working for the American coalition managing this project, he recouped his finances then stepped down.

He went on to spend the next four years successfully running oil services companies in Dubai and Iraq but by now it was 2014 and his canny wife decided it was time for him to retire. To put it bluntly, he did not take to it like a duck to water so, he decided to fill his time writing about his work experiences disguised as thriller novels and, also undertaking public speaking and, aren’t we glad he did. Forty-five minutes whizzed by as he laid bare his thirty-five years’ experience of operating projects across three continents in remote and hazardous locations. From Barrow to Baghdad is not a travelogue as you might expect from the title, but a frank and passionate account of Philip’s career told in a very down to earth manner.

On Saturday April 4th there is a unique visit to Denby Transport at Doddington where their training officer will teach West Wolds U3A members to drive their Fork Lift fleet and take part in a skills competition for fun.

Denby have never granted permission for this type of event before so it is a true ‘one off’ experience.

There are only 3 places left so if you would like to take part please email Sharon or visit the Unique Events table at next weeks meeting, the last date to sign up.

As this is a commercial company and staff have to come in on a Saturday to run the event, we have to cover their overheads hence the fee of £31.

sharonrupp@hotmail.com

What’s the risk of catching coronavirus in the UK?

The NHS and Public Health England are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

The UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. But the risk to individuals remains low. If you have arrived back to the UK from mainland China and other specified areas, follow the advice for returning travellers.

Read here for Latest Advice in full from Healthwatch

Just to remind all you keep fitters that Dawn’s class resumes this Thursday 20th. Kwik-Fit fitters are also welcome to join in!

See you there.

As chaplain for the Hull and Immingham ports, Jake delivered an in-depth presentation on the history and work of the Mission to Seafarers, an organisation for whom he has worked for several years.

This little known welfare charity serving merchant crews has its roots in the work of John Ashley, an Anglican priest, who in 1835, recognised that the loneliness and spiritual needs of seafarers were not being catered for. His offer to help to meet the practical and mental health issues of the seafarers was based on Christian principles and so inspired others, that eventually The Missions to Seamen (as it was known then) was established.  With the rapidly expanding British maritime industry, The Mission recognised that when ships docked at quaysides, the facilities were very limited so, over the years, it has opened land-based centres where seafarers can access light refreshments, cheap accommodation in which they can rest and relax and a chapel.

In 2000, the charity changed its name to The Mission to Seafarers and now operates over 250 centres in the world caring for over 1.5 million seafarers of all ranks, nationalities, gender and beliefs. Not only has it moved with the times and is open day and night for 365 days a year, but it has also grown to become one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world where seafarers can receive counselling, mediation, communications  and transport services.

It is now recognised that those who work at sea can be affected by a number of problems including money worries, mental health issues and loneliness to name but a few, and this is where Jake, in his capacity as a chaplain can make such a difference. When a ship docks at a port, it is subject to numerous visits by ‘officials’ however, when Jake boards a ship it is as an unofficial visitor. It is easy to forget that the crew have often been at sea for many months with little or no contact with the outside world or their loved ones so, once on board, Jake is someone the crew can chat to in complete confidence; he can lend an ear or a helping hand as well as give the pastoral, spiritual and emotional support they may require.

Throughout its long and distinguished history, the role of The Mission to Seafarers has adapted and changed. Nowadays they are able to give free advice regarding employment issues or personal problems, connect the seafarers to other organisations or, speak on their behalf as well as offer help in maritime emergencies. Sadly today though, there is also an ever-increasing modern-day threat to the shipping industry of piracy, shipwreck and abandonment however, The Mission is now able to step in to get food, power etc on board and even help negotiate a solution.

The Mission to Seafarers was set up to cater for the welfare and pastoral care of merchant crews however, its continued success is very dependent not only on the work undertaken by its chaplains, but also by its many dedicated volunteers. None of this would be possible though without financial donations and fundraising events which sustain and pay for the practical support The Mission offers. The need for a welfare safety net for those who work at sea has never been greater as 80% of seafarers now come from the developing world; this has encouraged exploitation and abuses ranging from non-payment of wages to dangerous working conditions so the need for chaplains and volunteers to do the unsung work of maritime welfare has never been more necessary.

PS …The supply of knitted hats, gloves and scarves for seafarers around the world is a long held tradition with MtS so any donations are always gratefully received. They are taken on board by chaplains when ship-visiting and the seafarers are always very grateful.

The Government and NHS have issued advice for members of the public following the confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.
Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

The UK Chief Medical Officers are advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.
More information about the virus, as well as symptoms and advice is available to view at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronaviris-information-for-the-public
Or on the NHS England website at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/02/statement-from-nhs-england-and-nhs-improvement-on-coronavirus/

On a cold but sunny January 28th morning 18 shivering members of the 3 Mile Walking group congregated at the Pyewipe Inn outside Lincoln and set off on the mile and a half walk along the river into Lincoln, only stopping once we reached the Square Sail Wetherspoons on the Brayford.

Once fortified with Coffees and Teas we then returned along the towpath back to the Pyewipe in time to have Lunch before wending our ways home. Some of our members complained that the food was not as hot as it could have been, we felt that the pub did not have enough staff on to get all the meals out at the same time keeping them hot.

Our thanks to Ken Howitt for organising the morning.

The table tennis group is up and running.  Brian Siddown has arranged a meeting on Monday 27th for those interested.  The venue is the Methodist Church in Welton.  There is already an established table tennis club there.

The venue is available on Monday afternoons.  There are four tables, plus bats and balls.  Brian thinks they can accommodate up to 20 members.

There are only 8 people attending the initial meeting so the charge is going to be £2.50 per head for the rent of the hall and the use of the facilities.  Presumably that will change if the group expands.

Start time – 2.30pm

Brian Siddown’s contact details – 01673 860433;  southdown01@outlook.com

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