SEE THE EVENTS PAGE FOR 'DATES FOR YOUR DIARY'
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Greetings and welcome to our July Newsletter.
Last month I mentioned that our u3a is evolving and thriving with change, as indeed we all change over time. This also applies to individual groups, some expanding whilst others may get smaller, for many natural reasons. The same happens to groups outside the u3a. For those groups who may be struggling, we can help them by encouraging them to join our u3a and thus secure their future with the benefits and support of being part of the u3a family!
Our friends over in South Lakes u3a are having a promotional stall at the Westmorland Show on 9/10th September, any member wishing to join them to promote the u3a movement should contact Samantha Ridgway, their Chair, at chair@southlakesu3a.org.uk
REMEMBER to keep your house secure and safe during the hot weather by not leaving accessible windows open!
See you soon,
Richard Lewis
Chair
Richard Lewis Chair Furness u3a
GROUP NEWS
New Group - Coming soon a new Art and Craft group.
Look out on the website for details soon.
Anyone interested please contact Groups Liaison
For help and support with starting or running groups, please contact
Duncan Platts Groups Liaison
ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
June visit to Halecat Nursery
The Environment group headed to Halecat Nursery, Witherslack for our June meeting, continuing our theme of outdoor spaces. Abi and Tom Attwood are at the helm, having taken on the challenge of overhauling and redeveloping the neglected plant nursery back in 2009.
It was Tom who showed us around, sharing his knowledge and passion for the love of plants and gardening.
Halecat is not your traditional nursery. As Tom explained, ‘the aim has been to create a fusion of traditional nursery values with modern approaches to the display, growing, use and experiment of the plant material’. Plants are grown from seed and cuttings taken on the nursery, propagated, nurtured and grown in the natural, outdoor conditions we have in Cumbria.
What sets Halecat apart however, is that as you wander around the site, you are treated to a series of mini garden environments, from gravel garden to shady retreat. Living on site, Abi and Tom regard the nursey as an extension of their home, and hope that visitors feel they are in someone’s garden as well as it being a working nursey.
At the end of our tour, having had our many questions answered, we gathered in a lovely secluded self-service refreshment space before exploring further and, of course, making decisions as to which of the many plants were to be taken home to enhance our own gardens!
A truly delightful spot for any gardener to visit and it is worth noting that as part of the National Open Garden Scheme charity, Halecat will be opening its full site – including propagating areas, stock beds and family garden normally closed to visitors - on Sunday, 9th August.
VISITING GARDENS
Himalayan Gardens 26th May
At the end of May, approximately forty members of the group and guests set off on a coach on a beautiful sunny day, with the first heat wave of the year in full swing and headed towards Ripon via the A 66 route to The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park. On arrival, after the driver negotiated a narrow road in, most of us enjoyed a coffee and lunch before setting off on the various paths, maps in hand. The name Himalayan conjures up steep gradients, and it turned out to be somewhat of a replica. Pathways were good and steps were safely negotiated by the majority. Access was made easier with the availability of a Tramper, a battery driven self-drive buggy which one member used.
The exhibition of sculptures aims to explore the intersection of art and nature and there were almost two hundred sculptures spread across the garden, and apparently available to purchase from £45 to £35,000. They were certainly eye catching amongst the luscious brightly coloured azaleas in many shades, and the occasional blue poppies peeping out between the shrubs. Some of the sculptures were thought provoking, others inspired a closer look. Indeed, one large scale installation of blue poppies (reminiscent of the red poppies at the Tower of London) got us going over to check whether they could be real.
Three lakes were visible at the bottom of the valley, with planting extending around and up the hillsides. A family of ducklings were spotted and the reflections on the water were beautiful. The planting was at its glorious best in May and there were lots of paths to explore it all.
On our way home after the obligatory ice creams, we stopped at a farm shop for more drinks, cake, and plants. A gorgeous day, and again the weather was on our side.
Thanks to Sabina Garnett for organising the day, it was one to remember for a long time.
Report by Mave Clerey
Unfortunately, our June garden visit had to be cancelled, due to too few members being available.
Our next garden visit will be to Crumble Cottages, Cartmel on 21st July. This is a wildlife friendly garden with borders, a veg plot and re-wilded field with a pond. We will meet at Victoria Road at 9.45 for car sharing. The cost will be £11 (includes tea/coffee and biscuit) and £3 payable to drivers.
To book your place please contact Jeni Sarson by 13th July.
Jeni Sarson Visiting Gardens
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY GROUP
Visit to Oxley, Priory Park, Ulverston
Several members were unable to attend the visit to Oxley last year, so Jo arranged a second visit to Priory Park this month. She escorted the group to the reception area with its brand-new visitor log in and badge production. The receptionist was ably assisted by Rosemary who was kept busy pushing buttons to keep the process flowing smoothly. Joanne then appeared and whisked everyone away to start the visit. Over lunch afterwards, several members of the group said how much they appreciated the time that Darren Cavan, Oxley Group CEO and Jayne Moorby, Head of Marketing, gave to them during a busy working day.
Founded in 1942 and now a world leader in its field, Oxley designs and manufactures panel mount LED indicators, EMI suppression filters and precision-machined connectors for military and industrial customers who require quality and reliability.
A group photograph completed the visit.
These are comments from three members of our group:
Very many thanks for arranging the fascinating visit to Oxley on Thursday. The presentations, guided tour and hospitality we received there were exemplary, as was the enthusiasm shown for their work by all the staff we met.
I was most impressed by the way that even tiny components could be produced at the firm with such high quality control. The next time I fly I'll be hoping that every piece of the plane has been as meticulously crafted to do its job perfectly!
We especially enjoyed the air conditioning, given the temperature outside.
Future visits are:
July 23rd – Alan is leading us to Silver Howe Rifle Range and Cathedral Cavern
August 27th – Julia and Neil are leading us around Arneside and Silverdale
September 24th – Threkeld Quarry and Mining Museum
If you would like to join us on any of our visits please let Jo White know.
Barbara and I are already gathering ideas for next years programme, so if you could lead a visit or have an idea please let Jo know.
Jo White Industrial History Group
WORLD HISTORY GROUP
June Meeting: The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 18th century in Europe which led to a whole new world view. At the end of the eighteenth century European culture underwent a profound and far reaching change.
The effects of it are still felt today.
It grew mainly out of new methods and discoveries from the Scientific revolution. There was a shift to the importance of knowledge and away from what some saw as superstitions, including the doctrines of religion. It was thought everything needed to be examined in a rational way.
Enlightened Monarchs included Frederick the Great (1740- 1786). When Louis X1V stopped freedom of religion for Hugenots, in 1685 Frederick William offered his "co-religionists, who are oppressed and assailed for the sake of the Holy Gospel and its pure doctrine…a secure and free refuge in all Our Lands"
Around 20,000 Huguenot refugees arrived in an immediate wave and settled in the cities, many more arrived later.
The Hugenots had a big impact in Prussia and Germany more widely. The nobility and the educated middle-class of Prussia and the various German states increasingly used the French language in public conversation in combination with universal cultivated manners. At the beginning of the 18th century, Prussia had access, like no other German state, to the skill set for the application of pan-European Enlightenment ideas to develop more rational political and administrative institutions. The princes of Saxony would carry out a comprehensive series of fundamental fiscal, administrative, judicial, educational, cultural and general economic reforms.
Immanuel Kant -German Enlightenment Philosopher
Probably the best known of the German Enlightenment philosophers was Immanuel Kant. His most important work is called Critique of Pure Reason. He thought people should act rationally and that we would be morally right if we acted according to a universal moral code.
In time there was some reaction to the Enlightenment which was expressed in Romanticism. Whilst accepting many Enlightenment ideas, Romanticism also put forward the idea that; the connection between people and the natural world, free will and independence of thought, are also important. This was expressed in the writings of Johan Fichte.
Kant argued that it is the human mind and experience that shapes our understanding of the world, rather than any rules written and imposed by God.
Fichte extended this idea: Fichte wrote that the “Ich” alone is the foundation of reality and creates itself as well as the external world.
He extols the ideas of free will and self-determination.
The Jena Set was a group of free-thinking writers and philosophers, from the University city of Jena in Saxony, who influenced Romanticism. Coleridge much admired their ideas and although he never actually found his way to Jena he did learn German in order to read their works and returned to England inspired by them.
Some of these ideas led to a rise in Nationalism in Europe. Some selective ideas from the Romantic movement are also thought to have influenced Hitler. However, Romantic ideas are mainly linked to writers and thinkers such as Coleridge, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Later they were also an inspiration for Marx, Nietzsche, Joyce, Borges and Freud.
We have now finished our study of German History and now turn to a study of Korean History. If this interests you why not join us.
If you are interested in joining the group please contact Rosie Kyles or via World History Group on the Furness u3a website.
QUESTERS
Questers made yet another super visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum at Blackbarrow on 18th June.
There were so many cars and motorbikes to look at, from really old models to not-so-old models.All of them were in first class condition with no signs of rust and the engines in some of them are so basic! (Unlike their modern counterparts - fortunately).
There were also some very interesting items on past local manufacturing establishments, such as the gun powder plants in Haverthwaite and Bouth, which were of national significance, right up to the early part of the last century.
Also, items about past trading routes that existed between local seaports, West Africa, America and the bringing of cotton back to Cumbria for distribution to the Lancastrian mills.
If you've never visited the Lakeland Motor Museum, it really is worthy of a visit. Thanks so much to Win Postlethwaite and Dawn Elsworth for making all the arrangements.
It really was a day to remember!!
Above is a photo of just 8 members of the 19 that made the visit. (The others had already gone to the Cafe Ambio for lunch)!
Our next Questers visits takes place on Thursday 16th July. Two visits are planned for the same day at the moment. One is to the Biffa Recycling Centre in Barrow, and one is to the Dock Museum, also in Barrow.
Questers have been to both places in the past, and because demand was so high, we decided to put the two visits back onto the programme.
There is no admission fee to either of the venues.
A big thank you to Catherine Hindle for making the arrangements for us to visit the Biffa Recycling Centre and to and Netty Garforth for making the arrangements for our visit to the Dock Museum.
Would you please contact Catherine or Netty to let them know which visit you would like to attend, Catherine for the Biffa Recycling Centre and Netty for the Dock Museum. If in doubt, contact Sue Whibley or Tim Evans and we'll pass your name on.
Sue and Tim
Please see the Questers Group page for details, or contact Tim Evans
WELFARE AND INCLUSION UPDATE
As summer has well and truly arrived and the temperatures rise, the message this month ia a reminder to take care of yourself by keeping cool, protecting yourself and drinking plenty of water.
Whatever your summer plans are, when having fun in the sun remember to wear a hat, put sun protection on and always have a drink available.
It doesn’t matter if you are a glass half full or a glass half empty person as long as you’re drinking the water!
Take care of yourself.
Dawn Morris Welfare and Inclusion
SOME OTHER SOURCES OF WIDER U3A NEWS
There are several places where you can catch up on U3A news from further afield.
There is a U3A Friends Group who send out a regular newsletter. You can see the June edition here, and if you would like to subscribe there is a link at the bottom of their newsletter.
There is a U3A YouTube channel U3A
The North West Region of the U3A have their own website, and a quarterly newsletter.
This is the May - July 2026 copy.
You can access the national Third Age Matters magazine on line here, including screen read editions.