Social & Educational Group for Market Rasen & Surrounding Area

West Wolds
University of the 3rd Age

No longer working full time and live in the Mkt Rasen Area?
Want to learn or be creative? Want to stay active & meet new people?
40+ interest groups, visits, low subscription fees.
Monthly meeting with speaker at Mkt Rasen Festival Hall
2nd Thursday of the month doors open 9.30 – Everyone Welcome

POSTS

  • Lincoln University LiGHTS Event

    A car full of members went to visit Lincoln University for the Lights research open day. It was disappointing that out of 330 members only 4 other people wanted to attend a free event.

    It was largely aimed at school children so we were advised to turn up after 1 pm when the schools would be leaving. Some of the “attractions” were overblown and a little disappointing. I did like the two lecturers who were demonstrating 3D scanning and printing. They did haven’t a printer on show. I challenged them to scan my face which they amusingly did, unfortunately the scanner cannot cope with a beard or moustache so it loses a lot in translation. Maybe a death mask?

    This external booth was demonstrating the way people became astronauts and the work that took place on the International Space Station.

    Unfortunately we didn’t see the end because it was 6pm and time to leave. We made our way back to the car and headed for home.

    As an overall showcase for the university there is room for improvement but it was a worthwhile afternoon.

    —

    by

    Chairman
    in , ,

  • University Help Required

    Lincoln University are looking for people who are living with or caring for someone with Cancer who would be happy to give a short talk to some of our Pharmacy students about their experience.

    Click here to see full details…

    Students will be keen to hear about your diagnosis, what treatment plans were put in place and some information about your ongoing medical care.
    Friday 3rd November
    10 – 1 pm
    Joseph Banks Laboratories
    University of Lincoln
    Reimbursements and car parking will be provided

    If this is of interest to you or someone you know and you would like to find out more then please contact our Participation Worker:
    Lucy Picksley on Tel: 01522 886251 or Email: lpicksley@lincoln.ac.uk

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in ,

  • NEC & National Office Appeal

    Image result for researchAre you interested in and involved in research?

    If so, we would love you to come to a meeting taking place at Carrs Lane Conference Centre, Birmingham at 11am on Friday 10th November 2017.  The purpose of the meeting is for the NEC and the National Office to discover what is happening in the U3A research field, to listen to discussion and ideas and to assist in facilitating all aspects of U3A research to go forward.

    If you wish to attend please contact the National U3A Chairman Pam Jones (pam.jones@u3a.org.uk).   An agenda and directions will be sent out in due course. Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in

  • Lincoln University Seeks Help

    Lincoln University are looking for people who are living with or caring for someone with Parkinsons or Dementia who would be happy to give a short talk to some of our Pharmacy students about their experience.

    Students will be keen to hear about your diagnosis, what treatment plans were put in place and some information about your ongoing medical care.

    Monday 27th November
    2 – 5pm
    Joseph Banks Laboratories
    University of Lincoln
    Reimbursements and car parking will be provided

    If this is of interest to you or someone you know and you would like to find out more then please contact our Participation Worker:
    Lucy Picksley on Tel: 01522 886251 or Email: lpicksley@lincoln.ac.uk

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in ,

  • U3A 2018 Diaries

    The U3A 2018 Diaries have arrived. They will be on sale at the October General Meeting. The diaries are priced at £3. The cover colour this year is “French Blue” They will be available on a first come first served basis, however, I will order more if necessary.

    David Oliver – WW U3A Business Secretary.

    —

    by

    David Oliver
    in

  • Sheffield Assay Office and Cutlers’ Hall

    A straightforward journey into Sheffield and before we knew it we were getting off the coach at the Assay Office where we were greeted by Emma the Librarian. We had coffee and then a tour of the library before being given a short presentation on the history of hallmarking and how the Sheffield Office was created.

    We were then taken down to the work area where thousands of items of jewellery – gold, silver, platinum and palladium were being hallmarked every day. Due to the value of the items it is very secure and we had to walk through a metal detector before being allowed in.

    There were low power x-ray machines and other equipment to analyse the different items so they could be hallmarked depending on their quality. Although a lot of the work was high tech there were some tasks that appeared to be very tedious for example stamping a 9ct gold mark on hundreds of items by hand. Some pieces of jewellery are so delicate that these are laser marked rather than stamped.

    After our tour we were whisked off to the city centre where we were dropped off at the Winter Gardens for lunch (baked potato or soup). After lunch we were free to wander around the art galleries within the Winter Gardens. Unfortunately two out of the four galleries were closed for a change of exhibits however the artwork presented by university students was thought provoking and interesting.

    A wet walk around the city centre, including a look inside the cathedral and then a tour of Cutlers’ Hall. The Cutler’s Company is a guild which holds the rights to the phrase “Made in Sheffield” and this can only be used by tableware makers in an area around Sheffield. For those pedants amongst we were pleased to learn that cutlery only refers to items with a cutting edge – forks and spoons are flatware. Who knew that? The building is truly magnificent with chandeliers and wall panelling from famous liners (sister ships to the Titanic). We finished the tour with coffee and cookies before heading home in the rain.

    A special thank you to Brian who guided us through the tours and made sure we didn’t get lost in the city centre.

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in ,

  • To Bee or Not To Bee?

    In 1913 Edgar Henry Thorne, a Wragby carpenter, was asked by local schoolmaster Mr. Mumby to make him a beehive.  So began the business of E.H.Thorne (Beehives) Ltd. which to this day thrives at Wragby, albeit now located in much larger premises at the aptly named Beehive Industrial Estate, at Rand.  The original wooden office and showroom is now sited in the grounds of the modern premises, as a museum to the company’s humble beginnings.

    Our gardening guru Mary had arranged for a group to tour the premises and to see just what was now made there.  And it’s not just beehives!  Whilst modern machinery saws the cedar wood (Canadian and British), and cuts the sections of beehives to shape, older equipment melts beeswax and produces sheets of this which go to candle makers across the country.  The shop sells everything that beekeepers need to care for their creatures, and to make honey.

    We were initially given an introductory talk by Rebecca Thorne, in the restaurant where we had lunched, and then after answering questions from us, she led everyone out to meet her father, and we split into two groups to make the tour, which included ladies stitching the beekeepers suits which they sell (the ladies will also make or alter your curtains!), as well as watching other ladies thread heated wire through beeswax sheets which would go into the hives.

    All in all, a very unusual afternoon, and the shop and restaurant are open to anyone to call in and visit whenever you fancy.  Thanks Mary.

    —

    by

    Brian Ward
    in

  • Visit to Cote Hill Cheese, Osgodby

    It was a typically British wet day when we all met at Cote Hill Farm in Osgodby for a tour of the now well-known cheese producing business run by Mary and Michael Davenport. We were made very welcome by Michael and, after donning the obligatory blue plastic shoe covers and mop hat, we followed him into their ‘factory’.
    Because of the layout of the buildings, Michael explained that we would be seeing the whole process in reverse order so our first viewing was of the cheese being French wrapped in waxed paper ready for distribution. As we followed Michael, his wife Mary, their son Joe and several others were soon visible through the large glass windows which allow a clear view of what is happening in the different rooms. The unpasteurised milk (so it retains its natural flora and enzymes) is filtered straight into the cheese vats where vegetarian rennet and a starter culture is added. Once stirred together, it is left to coagulate and the resultant curd is cut to release the whey. Mary was seen executing this then transferring the curds into containers where it was allowed to settle. As we moved through the building, we saw the set cheeses being washed in brine or waxed red or yellow then stacked on shelves where they are regularly turned. At two weeks old, the Cote Hill Blue are pierced by hand with a needle to allow air to get in and form the blue mould and after 8 weeks it is fully mature.

    From the ‘factory’ we moved to the milking parlour which is Michael’s domain. Around 70ish mixed breed cows are milked here twice a day starting at 6:30am. About a third of the 500,000 litres or so of the milk produced annually or 800 litres a day, is used for cheese production with the rest collected by two major dairy companies. Needless to say, the cows were back out in the field by the time we got to the parlour but the process and equipment was carefully explained whilst the crew yard outside was being ‘mucked out’ by machinery.
    Back in the assembly room, the kettle had boiled and the table was laid with plum bread, biscuits and plates containing a selection of cheeses for our delectation. Michael gave us a potted history of the business and Cote Hill Farm which has been home to the Davenport family since 1962. His father took on the tenancy and set up an accredited dairy herd which Michael eventually took over however, by 2004, low liquid milk prices forced them to ponder diversifying or giving up. Rather than throw in the ‘milking machine’, Michael decided to go on an artisan cheese making course, cascaded his knowledge to Mary and the business was born.
    Realising there was a gap in the market for a soft blue cheese, they made their first batch in 2005; it was a nail biting time as they added the penicillium roquefort (the blue mould) and then waited a month for it to mature. Fortunately, all their hard work paid off, it turned out well and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. Today the family is delighted to have no fewer than six varieties of cheese in its collection and some highly prized awards too; they also remain one of only a few farms producing a crusted soft and creamy blue cheese using unpasteurised milk. As an aside, there was cheese (and milk) available to purchase and enjoy later at home.
    Well done and thank you to Sharon for organising such an interesting and most enjoyable visit and to the Davenports for the tour and their hospitality. I for one have learnt that making cheese is a complex and time-consuming business which demands close attention to detail so, congratulations to everyone at Cote Hill Farm for their hard work, vision and determination to succeed. Long may it continue. Nadia Dawson

    —

    by

    Nadia Dawson
    in

  • Turkish Delight Dancers Woo the WI

    Following in the footsteps of our now renowned Ukulele group, our Turkish Delight Desert Dancers recently went abroad to Nettleton to perform especially for the monthly meeting of the local WI.  Those attending the meeting were met at the door by Abdul, the Dancers’ slave, who welcomed them.  The performance was introduced by leader Gillian with a talk on the history of ‘belly’ dancing (our group remain steadfastly well covered) and how she came to start this group.  Then she led Julia, Dawn, and new recruit Felicity, in a series of demonstration dances, complete with lots of jingly bits, hip undulations, tummy rolls and seductive arm movements designed to attract the Pharoahs of ancient times. Music was provided by technician Terry on the cd player.  Clarence the camel made a cameo appearance, as he tends to do!
    The ladies of the WI were delighted by the evening performance and copies of our September Newsletter were snapped up by them, so who knows, more new members may result.  This picture shows our ladies performing at the Festival Hall, but shows well how colourful they look.

    —

    by

    Brian Ward
    in

  • Photography My Way by Geoff Trinder

    At the very start of his presentation, Geoff made the point that he takes photographs for himself not for anyone else but if others like them too, so much the better. An art teacher by profession, photography is obviously an extension of his artistic ability and something he has always been interested in however, he is clearly also very technically competent and uses the rule of thirds in his compositions for example, and no end of different lenses to capture his breath-taking images.
    In his quest to pursue his hobby, he has travelled around the world to photograph some of its most fascinating, beautiful and stunning wildlife, countryside and indigenous people. Capturing the perfect shot has often required him to be in a specific location at some ridiculous hour of the morning, or lying on his stomach or deliberately positioning himself next to some of the planet’s most exotic and little known toxic organisms. He is also not averse to putting his life in his hands in order to get up close and very personal to some of our most dangerous and terrifying creatures and endangered species.
    Geoff’s ardour for photography motivated him to select some of his favourite images for inclusion in a very successful coffee table book which was sold in aid of The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, also another of his passions and today, we too were privileged to see just a small selection of his portfolio. His attention to detail is outstanding and he truly understands how to coax the best images out of a variety of environments and conditions including snow, desert, forest, wasteland and wilderness. Although he does not profess to be a professional, his amateur work is undeniably of an equal standard and it would be extremely hard to differentiate between the two.
    An hour of looking at his photographs whizzed by as we contemplated his raw vision and talent. He openly admits to not being afraid to ruthlessly edit his work and strongly believes less is more; this results in images of surreal landscapes, stunning light effects, abstract shapes and incredible colours. It was an absolute delight to listen to him explain the whys and wherefores of every photograph and marvel at his virtuosity.

    —

    by

    Nadia Dawson
    in , ,

  • Lincoln University LiGHTS Event

    Friday 29th September 10am-9pm LiGHTS

    An illuminating day exploring interactive laboratory tours, demonstrations, seminars, films and much, much more, all putting the spotlight on science and bringing learning to life.
    For more information click here… or here for the website…

    You can also email lights@lincoln.ac.uk or call 01522 837 180 for further information.
    Places are limited and based on last year’s event, it expects to be busy.

    To subscribe to Lincoln University events including free public lectures then click here…

    —

    by

    Chairman
    in , ,

  • New Activity – Pickleball

    Image result for pickleball ukA new opportunity to take part in the game of “pickleball”. If you would like to know more about the game click here…
    This is organised by somebody from Lincoln U3A but is not associated to the U3A so you may wish to check on the insurance situation.

    They play on Mondays 1 pm – 3 pm and Wednesdays 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm at Riseholme University Showground Campus, LN1 2ZR – entrance off the A1500.

    Contact R Geddes; dggeddes@hotmail.com; 01522 826814

    —

    by

    Chairman
    in

  • Car Enthusiast Meet

    The inaugural meeting of the Car Enthusiast Group took place at The Blacksmith’s Arms, Rothwell today 5th September. Despite the morning rain and the threat of more rain we spent some time swapping car stories before taking a look at the cars whose owners had braved the weather. Bravest of all was Barry Dukes who brought his topless Fraser Nash and was the star of the afternoon.

    The line up
    Lotus and Fraser Nash
    Fraser Nash gears
    Sprite Engine
    Morgan Engine
    Lotus Engine – it’s in there somewhere

    There was a Fraser Nash, Morgan, Austin Healey Sprite and a Lotus Elise. Next time we hope to coax the owners of an Austin 7 and Porsche 911 to bring them along.

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in

  • Next IT Workshops

    social-mediaThe next IT Workshops will be held on 12th and 26th September 2017. If anyone is interested in covering any IT topic please let me know using the contact form on the  IT Workshops Interest Group page. Once registered details of the venue will be emailed to you.

    You can call me on 07540 302603 or Text or WhatsApp me on the same number. If you don’t know what WhatsApp is then maybe you might like to sign up for one of the workshops.

    Workshops will be on Tuesday mornings 10:00 – 12:00 on request…

    —

    by

    westwolds
    in ,

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close