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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Financially, we are healthy and secure, which is essential as we approach a period of uncertainty at home and abroad.

Speakers for our meetings have been booked well into 2025 and contain a rich mixture of interesting and entertaining subjects and attendances are increasing.  Our Drop-ins are an invaluable source of new members and show Group displays to promote their activities. They also help members like me, with technical problems such as IT- all with a cup of tea and a biscuit!

Strangers are the friends that we have not met yet, so if someone looks a bit lost, then say “Hello”- it happened to me and look where I am now!

I believe that the u3a ethos of “Live, Laugh and Learn” should include “Fun and Friendship”.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Richard Lewis Chair Furness u3a 

      

GROUP NEWS

It's been really great to see The Cumbrian Singers, Friday Walkabouts and Birdwatching, all take control of their groups, produce programmes of activities and become successful u3a groups of people out doing what they love and contributing to their Group’s success.

In contrast, it has been hard to watch the Craft 2 group come to a halt. Two members of the group stepped up and organised the first group meeting, but it was not supported, leaving the two group members at a financial loss. Understandably they have stepped down.

I would like to thank the Crafty Folk group members who gave their time and expertise to help get Craft 2 get off the ground.

Read your Heart Out has not moved forward, due to the lack of involvement and support from its members. I would like to thank the one person who did volunteer.

We are a voluntary organisation and rely on people stepping up to get involved - it's the only way anything happens. You may feel shy, have some trepidation, but step forward and you will be supported by more experienced members until you are up and running. Without you plunging in, groups and the organisation fail.

Due to the lack of support from people who expressed interest in Craft 2 and Read your Heart Out these two groups can be taken off the list and will not run. 

Julie Wilson Groups Liaison

ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

It will be interesting to see the statistics from our group members. We had many visitors to our stand and quite a lot of interest in the u3a as a whole.

At our next meeting, we are welcoming a representative from the Barrow Recycling Centre, prior to a visit in April. 

LOCAL HISTORY

There was an appreciative audience for our speaker in March. Jennifer Snell gave a memorable insight into “Characters, Concerts and Children in Georgian and Victorian Ulverston” Her memories came from her time when she worked in the Mail Office in Ulverston, when she by chance found old newspapers from those times and started reading the little articles and snippets that became the focus for her talk.  With no need for extra technology, Jennifer kept us all very engaged with some of the archaic ideas, laws and behaviour.  In 1808 all Ulverston news went to the Lancaster Gazette, and it opened up the characters who lived and worked in town and the environs. William Moore from Flookburgh sold flukes, Marjorie Wilkinson had a sweet shop and sold ginger horses, and William Jones had a cellar full of birch rods for beating children! Leeches were on hand to sell, and there was also a shroud maker. Natty Clark won the world record for running backwards in King St, and in Market St there was a barber who was also a bird stuffer!  How things change. George Fox even had a detrimental mention. He caused uproar in the Parish church and was attacked and handed over to the constable to be whipped.

In 1850 onwards, there were various theatres in Ulverston, one now being the Emmanuel Centre.  But the plays and songs may not be to our taste, one song titled ‘The Dying Child’ and another ‘The Drunkard’s Looking Glass’. Above the theatre in Theatre St, was the Assembly Hall for the more influential members e.g. Myles Kennedy, Schneider and Hannay.

However, there were a great many public houses, more than anywhere else in the county! This was because of the many seamen, miners, farmers etc. who regularly visited.

Children then worked, so were not educated as it cost too much and were taken on from the age of 9 to do a 10-hour shift. The feeling was, if they didn’t work they were just surplus population. They worked in the many mills in Ulverston and Backbarrow, and also in the mining, quarrying industries and at sea. Children from the workhouse were especially badly treated; they were overworked, underfed and many ran away. Even children from wealthy families suffered; they were beaten by nannies, locked in cupboards, or were tied up. There was a note discovered written by a 14-year-old girl who was beaten by her grandmother and another who in 1833 after the Christmas dinner was sent with some string to the closet out in the field for the rest of the afternoon, to make up and tie newspaper toilet paper. Both said they cried.  So much for the good old days.

Our next meeting is on Monday, April 8^th. Ruth Sutton, a local author who has written several local thrillers some of you may have read, is coming, not to talk about her writing but about the demise of Millom Ironworks. 2.15 in Croftlands Community Centre.      

Sue Lydon

QUESTERS

On Thursday the 21st of March, the Questers group had a very interesting visit to the Judge's Lodgings Museum in Lancaster. There were 25 of us and we had 2 guides, with a group each, who took us round and explained the history of the house and showed us all the wonderful paintings and beautiful Gillow's furniture. We could see the old Gillows’ workplace just across Castle Hill, from the first-floor window. 

We learned something of Lancaster’s involvement with the slave trade. The museum has some striking pictures, painted by a local artist, of figures representing some of the slaves whose histories are known. 

After our tour, we had tea and biscuits before catching the train home.

It was a very worthwhile and enjoyable visit. Thank you to Olwen for arranging it all. Sheila Bull

VISITING GARDENS

Last month, 24 of us went to Holehird.  We were very fortunate with the weather – a rare dry day.  The gardens were lovely with swathes of daffodils.

This month, we are going to Muncaster Castle on Tuesday 16^th April.  Meeting at 9.45am in the cul-de-sac at the end of Victoria Road for car sharing and payment, and leaving there at about 10am.  The costs are £6 for a lift and £14 for the gardens.  Members of the group must book their place by 10^th April by contacting Diane Hill Please note that I am away from 3^rd – 14^th April so DO NOT ring my home phone.  More information about payment will be in the group email which I will send out soon.

THEATREGOERS

WORLD HISTORY

March Meeting -The Roman Games

Gladiatorial games offered their sponsors, although very expensive, effective opportunities for self -promotion particularly when seeking to influence fellow Romans. The Emperor Trajan celebrated his Dacian Victories with a reported 10,000 gladiators and 11,000 animals over 123 days.

As part of our fascinating study into Roman History, we had a comprehensive presentation on Gladiator combat. The Games were a key part of Roman Culture given that Rome had at its core, a landowning military aristocracy and military service was a citizen’s duty. There was an ethos of “Devotio” a willingness to sacrifice one’s life to the greater good. This was taken to extremes with the Gladiator’s oath essentially if he lost to die well, never ask for mercy, and never cry out. We learnt how the Games started as funeral rites and lasted nearly 1,000 years, eventually dying out in the 5^th Century AD with the rise of Christianity. Most Gladiators were slaves trained in very harsh conditions, a few were volunteers.

Gladiatorial games offered their sponsors, although very expensive, effective opportunities for self -promotion particularly when seeking to influence fellow Romans. The Emperor Trajan celebrated his Dacian Victories with a reported 10,000 gladiators and 11,000 animals over 123 days.

 The presentation went through the different types of Gladiators and the types of weapons and armour they used. There were even female Gladiators. Anyone who has ever watched a film on Ancient Rome such as Ridley Scott’s ‘The Gladiator’, will be familiar with some of them such as the Retiarius with his net and three-pronged Trident.

The Games were well promoted giving the number of paired Gladiators and other attractions such as executions, music, door prizes, beast hunts. Most Gladiatorial bouts lasted a maximum of 20 mins and bravado and skill were much admired. Bouts were refereed and Gladiators expected to observe the rules of combat. The match was won by the Gladiator who overcame or killed his opponent. A defeated Gladiator could appeal to the referee to stop the combat. The final decision rested with the Editor of the Games, whose decision was influenced by the crowd. If a Gladiator had fought well, he might be granted mercy but if it was death he had to face it with bravery. The risk of death from these combats to a Gladiator was 1/5 to 1/4.

There are re-enactments of Gladiatorial combat from time to time, but for most of us the closest we will come is the revived BBC Programme The Gladiators.

If you want to know more about our current topic of Roman History, then why not email our secretary: Rosie Kyles

OTHER NEWS

Liz Thackray, current Chair of the Third Age Trust to speak to us about “u3a and the future.”

On 20th June 2024, Carlisle & District u3a welcomes Liz Thackray, current Chair of the Third Age Trust to speak to us about “u3a and the future”. Liz has requested that this meeting be open to all Cumbrian u3a members and, to ensure that we don’t exceed room capacity and for catering purposes, there will be a booking system in place. To do this you can either email Hilary Farrer: secretary@carlisleu3a.org.uk or telephone no. 01228 599742.
Place: Harraby Community Centre, Edgehill Road, Harraby, Carlisle, CA1 3SN
Time: 2.00 pm – but please arrive early to park cars and walk to the Theatre where we hold our meetings.

NB: To email members of the Committee, go to the Commitee page

It's for anyone who likes to sing, whether or not they belong to a singing group. For full programme see: www.u3asites.org.uk/north-west  

Registration Form: https://forms.gle/EY9hUmvagdTJQzqQ7

Please note that in the March newsletter the item about Southport and the Flower Show says free parking. This should have read free COACH parking. Individual cars will not be included in this offer.

Regards, Gill