Newslink. Buxton & District. Issue 65 - June 2015

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1 Newslink Buxton & District Issue 65 - June 2015 Editor s Welcome It s definitely time to start seriously getting into the Summer spirit.booking some (even more) holidays and short breaks. Let s hope it s another good one! I hope you enjoy this Issue. Thank you for your contributions, please keep them coming. Happy Reading Trish IN THIS ISSUE Editor s Feature Group News Members Contributions Local Events National Office Miscellaneous Dates for your Diary Comments Your Committee hard at work in May!! 1

2 EDITOR S FEATURE The Long Walk by Simon Rogerson (dedicated to the memory of Ken Parker) The murmur of voices rises to a cacophony The start of the walk is imminent Boots laced, sticks at the ready, rucksacks on backs The human train heads for the hills The ascent begins along a rocky track Poles in ones and twos offer support to experienced legs Step by step, breath by breath Ever upward they climb The viewpoint beckons the leader to stop Birdsong competes with the drone of traffic far below The invisible elastic stretched to the limit Recoils as the back marker arrives An organic modern art display On the golf links mown grass canvas Slate soldiers stand to attention Patrolling boundaries between field and heath At the Druid circle café lunch is free A hare freezes on seeing the newcomers before speeding away A sheep baas its resentment of the intrusion Refuelled the human train regroups for the onward trek Nature s palette of wildflowers announces spring The coconut aroma of gorse confuses the mind Yet out at sea the mechanical springtime is permanent Windfarms harvest the invisible crop Conta Buzzards, skylarks and house martins fly the moorland airspace While curlews, wagtails and oystercatchers hug the water s edge Wild ponies roam the moors, foals shadowing their mothers A bleating lamb separated from its maternal security is reunited Red shell markers turn to blue Coastal route goes shoreline Manicured lawn paths morph into a paving slab jigsaw As walkers reach the finale And then finishing line crossed Weary satisfaction after eighteen thousand steps Boots off that moment of ecstasy The long walk achieved! 2

3 GROUP NEWS Model Railway Group Contact: Henry Kukiewicz Six existing U3A members recently set up this new Interest Group (and as a result have already signed up a new U3A member in the process). Most of the group have their own layout up and running or work in progress or have a model railway packed up (from 40 years ago) and just looking for an excuse to getting it out and running again. The layouts range through various gauges (N, TT, OO and O). The Group meets on the second Tuesday of the months of September to May, meeting at member s homes on a rotational basis (but there is already talk of meeting up during the summer recess as by the kind donation from a U3A member (non model railway) at the AGM, of railway track, buildings and rolling stock, we are now looking to build a U3A model railway layout and use it to promote the U3A and the Group at local displays/fairs/agm etc. A typical meeting is tea/coffee and a piece (or two) of cake over a discussion of all things model railways (and even the real thing) and then retire to operate (not play) the onsite resident layout. To date we have had visits to N gauge, OO gauge, O gauge layouts as well as a visit to a Buxton based 5 gauge Garden Railway layout (with 2 live steam and 1 battery powered shunter) which you can ride on a seating car and operate the loco. There is an ongoing exchange of information between members of local model railway exhibitions, steam excursions coming through the area, local railway points of interest, articles of specific interest etc Surplus items of stock have been swapped around some of members and if anyone has any model railway items they no longer require.they can be found a new revitalised home! Details of the group are on the U3A Buxton website. MEMBERS CONTRIBUTIONS Adam Henson (BBC Countryfile) at Haddon Hall Care Home From: Trish Kukiewicz A number of U3A members attended Haddon Hall Care Home for an informative talk given by Adam Henson. He told interesting stories about growing up on a farm, the rare breeds his father first rescued and why the Cotswold Farm Park tourist attraction came about. He described how he won the position of presenter on BBC Countryfile as well as some of his experiences and the many places visited through filming for the BBC. 3

4 LOCAL EVENTS Flower Festival From: Pam Woodroffe The U3A Flower Arranging Group are once again decorating St Anne s Church on Bath Road during the Buxton Carnival week. All money raised is for St. Anne s Church. It is a beautiful building and probably the oldest in Buxton..and needs our support. The theme this year is Art in Flowers. It opens on Wednesday 9 th July Sunday 12 th July 10am 4 pm. There will be light refreshments. U3A Stall at Buxton Spring Fair From: Jean Evanson jeancomputer@btinternet.com The day was a great success due to the energy and support by all the Helpers. 4

5 A Local History Day at Matlock: Record Society From: Mary Wiltshire, Treasurer The Record Society and VCH Trust have for several years held successful joint annual general meetings at the Imperial Rooms, Matlock, on a Saturday in July. This year, as an experiment, we are enlarging the scope of the event and inviting all local historians, and local history societies, to come along whether or not they are members of either group. There will be a buffet lunch. We are also inviting all local history societies in the county to bring along material to display (including publications to sell) and so the event will be on the lines of a small-scale local history fair. There is no charge for the day for members of the Record Society and VCH Trust but we would ask nonmembers who come to make a contribution of 5 a head towards lunch and other refreshment. This can be paid in cash on the day (or you can use the same 5 to join the Record Society for a year!). If you would like to come, would you please the Record Society treasurer, Mrs Mary Wiltshire (treasurer@derbyshirerecordsociety.org) to let her know so that we have a reasonable idea of numbers for lunch. NATIONAL OFFICE Contact: If you are interested in any of the events below contact: National Office Tel: Photography Competition 2015 This Year s Theme : British Wildlife The closing date of the competition is 31 st August Photographs must be in colour and submitted digitally. Contact National Office for full Competition Rules. The winning photographer will receive a year s subscription to Amateur Photographer and a gift token. Three runners-up will also receive gift tokens. The photographs will be featured on the website and announced in the November issue of Third Age Matters. Register your interest for a forthcoming event U3A at the Ri 5 th October 2015 Exploring Elgar 7 th October 2015 Theatre Workshop 4 th November 2015 National Institute for Medical Research 19 th November2015 National Gallery Study Day 26 th November Diaries 2016 Diaries are now available from the U3A Shop. MISCELLANEOUS Thank You Aileen O Connell would like to sincerely thank all her friends in the U3A for their good wishes, kind thoughts and deeds at this time in her life. It is very much appreciated. 5

6 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Monthly General Meetings (Mondays) th September Architecture and Architects of Buxton 12th October Ways of Thinking 9 th November The Restoration of Elizabeth Gaskell s House, Plymouth Grove, Manchester. 9 th December Walkers Christmas Lunch. New Venue: High Peak Golf Club 14 th December U3A Christmas Lunch at the Leewood Hotel for 1.00pm COMMENTS Deadline for receipt of items for inclusion in the next issue of Newslink, Issue 66, (October 2015) is 1 st October 2015 Contact trishkuknewslink@hotmail.co.uk or 50 St Peter s Road, Buxton, SK17 7DX Tel: For a large print version of Newslink telephone Trish Kukiewicz on