SEE THE EVENTS PAGE FOR 'DATES FOR YOUR DIARY'
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Greetings and welcome to our May Newsletter.
As the years go by our needs and wishes change, especially after retirement. This often means that we require more help and support in our daily lives, either from family, friends or neighbours. This is particularly poignant if we have moved away from an area in later life. I have seen much support in our own u3a membership when needed due to illness, bereavement or just getting older!
But getting older is only a state of mind, a meaningless number. My mum will be 101 yrs old next month and she is active in her u3a regularly going to garden visits and Singing For Fun! An example to us all!
See you soon,
Richard Lewis
Chair
Richard Lewis Chair Furness u3a
AS OF MAY 1st 2026, FURNESS u3a RENEWALS HAVE NOW CLOSED
During the seven-week renewal period up to the deadline date of 30 April 2026 members have been sent information about the various ways to renew, reminder emails and reminders in the monthly newsletters.
Those members who have not renewed by now are no longer members of Furness u3a and will not be entitled to attend any group activities (the Group Leaders will have been informed) nor the monthly meetings.
If you wish to re-join you can do so online through the Furness u3a website or in person, at a monthly meeting using card, cheque or cash. PLEASE DO NOT RE-JOIN BY BANK TRANSFER.
Linda Marshall Membership Secretary
COMMITTEE UPDATE
Furness u3a 20th Anniversary Celebration
As you are probably aware, this year sees the 20th anniversary of our U3A branch. It is an anniversary definitely worth celebrating, as the organization goes from strength to strength, with 50 active groups and over 600 members.
So how are we going to celebrate this momentous achievement?
On September 29th at the Coro, there will be memories shared, group displays and performances.
There will be a Jacob's Join lunch, wine, coffee and a very large cake!
As our total membership approaches the maximum number of people allowed in The Coro, we will need to limit the number of tickets issued.
Tickets will be free, and we hope in great demand. We will let you know when the tickets will be available.
Please let any ex-members you know, hear about the event and they will be most welcome to come along. They will also need tickets.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Duncan Platts Groups Liaison
GROUP NEWS
For help and support with starting or running groups, please contact
Duncan Platts Groups Liaison
To All Group Leaders
You should have received an email invitation to attend a get-together on Tuesday 26th May at the Aldingham Parish Hall (Malt Kiln) LA12 0PF, in Scales Village (not Aldingham).
Please reply to the email so we have an idea of numbers.
Group Leaders are the life blood of the u3a and this is an opportunity to learn from and support each other, ensuring our groups thrive and grow.
If you haven’t received an email and think you should have done, please get in touch with me, Duncan Platts
Duncan Platts, Group Liaison Officer
Dawn Morris, Welfare and Inclusion Officer
Adrian Morris, New Members Helpdesk
SEQUENCE DANCING
Strictly Special trip to Blackpool Tower Ballroom
A group from the u3a Furness Sequence Dance Group enjoyed a trip to the world-famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom recently. Dancing in the footsteps of champions to the exceptional sound of the Wurlitzer organ was a wonderful experience for all. The opulence and grandeur of the ballroom was complimented with a scrumptious afternoon tea, with the added bonus of all dietary requirements catered for.
Whether the dancers had visited the ballroom many times, or it was a first-time visit, it is special and joyous to dance in this iconic ballroom.
It’s never too late to start dancing, so if you fancy giving it a try, get in touch with us.
Dawn and Adrian.
Mardi Français 2
Veronique Bonnard is a founder member of our u3a from 2006 taking on the role of treasurer on the committee.
As a native Parisian, she started the first French Conversation group over twenty years ago and since then has set up three more groups. This year she has decided to step down as group leader.
At the end of March, members of Mardi Français 2 met for lunch at Ulverston Golf Club to mark the occasion.
Veronique, who is a keen gardener, was presented with a David Austin rose, 'The Lady Gardener' in recognition of all the hours of support that she has given to our u3a over the years and in particular her ability to act as a group facilitator .
We all wish to thank her for her commitment and for the lasting friendships that have developed during her time as group leader.
Maureen Houliston
QUESTERS
A really interesting visit was made on 16th April by 16 questers to Dalton Castle.
Many thanks to Jo' White for making the arrangements and to all the volunteers who made this visit so enjoyable.
We learnt that Dalton Castle was built through Royal Command in the latter part of the 1300s.
The building itself is rich in history, with typical "middle age" agendas of the powerful, retaining power and severe punishment for those that transgressed the law!
We heard a very enthusiastic and entertaining talk from Neil McLaughlin-Cook about the history and significance of Dalton and its rise to local if not national importance.............until the reformation and its decline!
Exploring the castle after our talk, tea, coffee and biscuits, was just as interesting with fabulous works of art and all sorts of exhibits associated with the history of the castle.
A truly memorable visit.
Our Next Questers Visit...........
Will be on Thursday May 21st and is a visit to Hutton in the Forest, near Penrith. Thanks to Sue Whibley and Jo' White for making the arrangements.
Our visit is to a grade 1 listed country house which has been occupied by one family from 1605 until1931. It showcases a range of decorative styles from the 17th century to the present day and is well worth a visit! The current owners have restored the beautiful gardens, including a walled garden originally built in the 1730's. There are terraces and topiary restored in a manner expected of the 19th century. Truly beautiful!
A guided tour of the house and the gardens have been booked for us. Afterwards, the gardens are free for us to wander around at leisure.
The cost of the visit is £16.00 which will be collected on the day and the petrol contribution will be £12.00.
If you would like to join this visit, please contact Sue Whibley
It would be great if you would indicate if you will be driving or require a lift. If you intend to drive, please let us know how many passengers you would be willing to take. Most importantly, there is a cafe in the house that serves light lunches, all homemade food, including jacket potatoes, sandwiches, scones cake ...........the sort of lunch we will most certainly enjoy!!
Sue and Tim
Please see the Questers Group page for details, or contact Tim Evans
ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE
Just a reminder.....
LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
Furness U3A – Local History Group – Meeting 13 April 2026
Speaker – Stan Aspinal
Subject – Ticking Over
A history of the Broughton in Furness Town Hall and its Clock.
Another well attended meeting welcomed, including new members by Group Leader Geoff Holme.
Stan opened his talk by explaining his long involvement in local history, of the Dudden Valley and particularly Broughton in Furness, its community spirit, characters, and notable families. But today was he was focusing mainly on the Town Hall and its historic clock.
The Town Hall is located on the Georgian Market Square laid out in the 1760’s by the Lord of the Manor John Gilpin Sawrey who lived at Broughton Tower.
The Hall predates the Square and consists of seven arches to accommodate market stalls, the clock a later addition was built by William Shepherd of Millom and is dated 1766.
The clock contains its original movement and has to be wound twice a week by a villager who only retired this year at the grand age of 90. This task involved climbing a ladder to maintain the works.
A short video was shown depicting the clocks mechanism in motion.
Today the Hall houses the locally run post office and tourist information centre, but it has seen many occupancies over the course of its history.
There is a bell tower on the roof line which has a weather vane depicting a hunting scene.
The obelisk at the centre of the town square was erected in 1810 to commemorate King George 111 Golden Jubilee. The village stocks are sited close by.
An early picture of Broughton’s Charter Day celebrations held outside the ‘Kings Head,’ now the ‘The Manor’ complete with brass band in the Square was shown.
Notable people include Sir Robert Phillipson (1916–1992), Branwell Bronte for a short while in 1840, R.A.Cross 1st Viscount of Broughton-in-Furness (created 1886), Home Secretary, twice and the story of the family who settled from Wednesfield in Staffordshire in the 1890’s and their struggles.
Broughton in Furness is mentioned in the Domesday book of 1066 and received a Royal charter in 1575. There is a well-illustrated leaflet entitled ‘A Walk into the Past,’ Broughton in Furness about the turn of the century available from the village Post Office for 75p.
VISITING GARDENS
This is the last reminder of the garden trip to the Himalayan Gardens, Ripon, Yorkshire on the Tuesday 26th May
..pick up times start St Paul's, Barrow 8am. Tudor Square, Dalton 8:10. Lindal, bus shelter 8:15. Ulverston, Red Rose 8:20. Greenodd 8:30 ..wear sensible footwear
..card payments only at the gardens
..picnics are allowed
..wish for lovely weather
Sabina.
Another sunny fine day with a chilly wind dawned as our smaller group this month headed off to Sizergh Castle gardens, a National Trust house, garden and estate, the home of the Stricklands since 1239. Coffee stop to start in the welcoming café before exploring the seven-hectare garden. White blossom on the trees stood out against the blue sky and all shades of green and early bluebells. Some vibrant yellow trollius called ‘Lemon Queen’ seemed appropriate for what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday. Late flowering large daffodils lined the pathway to the rock garden and greenhouse where the aroma from the jasmine was quite exotic. The acers in the rock garden were spectacular with the new leaves backlit in bright sunshine. Walking around the mirror lake the view of the castle was as good as it could be on such a day especially with a glimpse of orange tulips on the terrace. Lunch in the café finished off the visit well as we said farewell to Sizergh, an ancient Scandinavian name meaning dairy farm or summer pasture. Thank you to Barbara Turner and Carole Hendry for organising the trip. Report by Mave Clerey.
Our next visit will be the coach trip to the Himalayan Gardens in Yorkshire on 26th May. All members going on this visit will have already booked their place and paid for the trip. Sabina Garnett has kindly organised this visit. Please see the details of the trip at the top of this section.
Jeni Sarson Visiting Gardens
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY GROUP
Industrial History Group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum
On Thursday the 23rd of this month, eighteen members travelled up to Scotland to the Devil’s Porridge Museum located in Eastriggs which was built at the same time as Gretna to house munitions workers during World War One.
The ground floor of the museum tells the story of the 30,000 women and men who worked at HM Factory Gretna, making cordite explosive for shells. In 1915, Allied soldiers were having to ration ammunition. Minister of Munitions, David Lloyd George, created HM Factory Gretna, the greatest munitions factory in the world. Explosive experts from all over the world came to help the war effort. 10,000 Irish navvies were recruited to build hundreds of buildings spread over nine miles to manufacture800 tons of cordite a week. Workers were first housed in timber huts and later in red brick houses.
We saw two examples of “porridge pots”, or Thomson Nitrating Pans, to give them their correct name. These stoneware basins were used to mix waste cotton and acid to make nitro cotton, the first stage of making cordite. The toxic mixture was blended together by young women using wooden paddles or their bare hands. It was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who coined the phrase “the devil’s porridge” after watching this process.
In the grounds of the museum, we saw one of the 14 fireless locomotives used to transport the volatile devil’s porridge paste five miles to Mossband in England where it was processed into cordite propellant. Fireless locomotives do not produce their own steam. They were charged up with steam from an external boiler. Regular steam locomotives were used to transport the finished cordite to shell filling factories across Britain.
As a result of the contact with the chemicals involved, many girls suffered a kind of jaundice which coloured their skin and the whites of their eyes yellow. Some also lost their teeth.
Galleries on the upper floor of the museum informed us of the continuing story of conflict in the region by looking at World War Two and including the Cold War. RAF Annan and Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station were included.
A big thank you to Jo for organising the visit, all of our car drivers and Arna who welcomed us to the museum and organised our lunch.
Our next outing on May 28th
There is a small railway museum at Ravenglass station. No need to book this and free entry. We then travel on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway to Dalegarth. We need to book seats. We take a short stroll along the road into Boot village (approx. 500m). Here we visit Eskdale Mill. We need to book and pay for entry. There is a nice pub in Boot and a good picnic area around the mill. Please do let Jo White
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.
