The University of Leeds Ladies' Club

Spring 2022

For the review of 2021 please consult President Carole's letter in the Autumn Programme.

Below you will find extracts from the May Newsletter giving dates for your diary for the spring term.

The next newsletter will be 1st June. 

If you have any items to submit please could you let Carole have them by no later the 28th June. 

 

 Above, the Engineering Block. Below April in Kirkstall.

march letter box kirkstall

Monthly Newsletter     -    May 2022.

Please read below the newsletter for further details regarding events.

 

 

 

Welcome to the May edition of the monthly newsletter.

 

News of Members.

I haven’t heard any news of any members’ illnesses and I hope that this means that everyone is keeping well and looking forward to the better weather and the Jubilee weekend festivities.

 

 

 

Forthcoming Events

‘Sparkling’ Jubilee Afternoon Tea.

 

All members will have been advised that the ‘Sparkling’ Jubilee Afternoon Tea due to be held on Wednesday 1st June has had to be postponed to Wednesday 8th June.   The date has had to be changed because of staff shortages at the Headingley Golf Club which I am assured was not Covid related. Therefore, they were unable to commit to hosting a large gathering on 1st June with a full complement of staff.

 

Several members have found that, with the change of date, they are now unable to attend but this number has been matched by members who have found that they are now able to attend. 

I hope that this change of date has not caused too much inconvenience and that we all have a most enjoyable if belated afternoon.

 

Informal Coffee Mornings

 

The next Informal Coffee Morning is to be held at the Lawnswood Arms on Tuesday 14th June at 10.30am as before.  There is no need to book in advance so do ‘Drop-In’ if you can.

 

As the Coffee Mornings continue to be popular we have booked for the second Tuesday in each month over the Summer.

 

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held at the Headingley Golf Club at 2pm on Wednesday 22nd June. To ensure that the meeting starts on time, members are requested to arrive at 1.45pm.  A formal invitation will be sent to all members two weeks before the meeting.

 

Refreshments will be served on arrival and will consist of a choice of tea or coffee together with strawberry tarts. There is no charge for the meeting itself, however we do now have to charge for refreshments as we are ourselves being charged by the Golf Club.  The cost of refreshments will be £6 and is payable on the door.

 

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Annual Subscriptions

At the recent committee meeting, the issue of the Annual Subscription was discussed. 

 

As members are aware, for the session 2021/22 the committee felt that a reduction of 50% in subscription rate was appropriate because the Club was not then able to meet on a regular basis due to the Covid restrictions and therefore costs were not as high as in a more normal year.  It was agreed that this saving should be passed on to members for one year only and that this decision would be reviewed at the end of the academic session 2021/22.  

 

However, with the easing of the Covid restrictions and the recommencing of more normal activities, coupled with the increases in costs for hospitality, postage and printing, it is felt that the subscription rate for the forthcoming year (2022/23) should now return to that of previous years. 

 

 It is proposed therefore that the subscription rate for 2022/23 should be £10 per annum. 

 

This item will be raised at the AGM on 22nd June.

 

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Book Group 2

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, the book group meeting in April, which was held on the 30th, was too late in the month for any report to be incorporated in the April newsletter so the report of that meeting together with a report of the May meeting are shown below.  My thanks to Chris Roy for convening the meetings and for sending such concise and informative reports.

 

April Report of the meeting of Book Group 2 held on Thursday 28th April 2022

The April book was The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz and thanks to Carole for her summary and introduction.  Our opinions were divided on this book with some finding it rather shallow and improbable while others appreciated the creation of tension and the metaphorical nature of Otto Silberman’s many train journeys around Germany just prior to World War Two.   However, the conclusion of our discussion meant we did have some appreciation of each other’s point of view. Some felt that Otto, as a successful businessman and veteran of World War One, came across as unworldly, naïve and foolish in his actions.  Others felt that the circumstances in which he was living would explain this.  Apparently, this book was a Sunday Times best seller late last year and it became apparent that those of us reading the kindle version had the original unrevised version which also had a different Afterword than the more recent publication.  The modern afterword gave far more information about the author and how he had drawn on his own experiences.  This led to considerable discussion about the author who had left Germany in 1935 in his late teens.  Thanks is due to Val for her valid reminders that we were meant to be discussing the book, not the author. One thing we were all agreed on (again!) is the unsatisfactory nature of the final chapter.

 

We were sorry to miss Jennifer.  Thanks again to Carole for choosing and introducing the book.   Thanks, also, to Candy for hosting us.

 

May report of the meeting of Book Group 2 held on Thursday 26th May 2022

The May book was The Colour by Rose Tremaine, introduced by me so I hope these notes are not too biased.  I pointed out that this novel is slightly different from other of Tremaine’s historical novels in that there are layers of mystery and myth as well as historical accuracy. I had liked the characterisation in that there was some reason to sympathise with even the weakest (Joseph).  Harriet was really the only character to really embrace the new world where the family had hoped to create a new life.  There was some interesting discussion arising from whether or not the characters change and even whether it is essential to the success of a novel that there should be change.  I had enjoyed the descriptive writing, both of the scenery and of parts of the plot such as the sea voyage and the work of the prospectors.  However, some had found these tedious and would have preferred the plot to move more swiftly.  The fact that I couldn’t decide whether I had found the “supernatural” elements annoying or that I just lacked understanding led to an interesting discussion on whether they pointed to a contrast between civilisations (such as the Māori) who regard themselves as part of “Nature” and our western civilisation which seeks to impose itself on the world with our buildings and tombs.  Needless to say, we did not reach a definitive answer!  Jean had found an interesting article by a New Zealand reviewer which added an interesting perspective.

 

Many thanks to Anne (and Alan) for hosting us.  The cheesecake and tray bake were delicious.

 

Garden Group

I received the following from Heather Harrison, the Convenor of the Garden Group and I am pleased that they have been able to meet again in person.

 

Report of Garden Group meeting:

 

I'm later than ever this time with the Garden Group report but I've little to say, so missing the deadline won't be a huge disappointment!  Not much horticultural content . . .  

 

The Garden Group meeting in May was attended by half of the members, many being away on holiday.  As it turned out, having a reduced number of attendees was fortuitous.  Having discussed a wide range of topics, ranging from the use and benefits of nematodes to the soil testing technique dubbed, "Plant your Pants", it was time for tea.  I headed for the kitchen.

  

Returning to the meeting empty handed I had to announce something reminiscent of, "Please, Miss, the dog ate my homework".  After almost four years of fooling me into thinking my dog is not a thief, I discovered that while the meeting was in progress he had helped himself to at least half of the cake I had baked.  We managed to cope with the situation by making do with what was left. Had all the group members been present we would have been on very short rations. I shall confine the dog to barracks next time.

 

Heather

 

. 

 

Vale of York Hoard

I have received the following note from Dr. Diana Wetherill concerning the Vale of York Hoard.

 

I thought you might like to know that yesterday, as I happened to be in York, I went to the Yorkshire Museum to view the Vale of York Hoard.  Alas! It is not there!  On enquiring, I discovered that it is on loan to the British Museum for the next 18 months and has been there for the last couple of months!  I do not remember Prof. Joyce Hill mentioning this.  

 

There is the Rydale Hoard of Roman artefacts to be seen and much else, and of course the Middleham Jewel, if you can find it.  We had to ask!

 

Diana Wetherill

 

Words of the month

Tabaret A stout silk upholstery having stain stripes and used for furniture. 

 

Wamble The rumbling or growling of a stomach.

 

Ambivium The spot where two roads meet.

 

Spatterdash Leather leggings worn to protect clothing from mud when riding.

 

And Finally

 

The next newsletter will be sent out on 30th June.

 

If you have any items for inclusion, please could you let me have them by no later than 28th June.

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this newsletter.  

 

Take Care and Keep Safe

 

Carole

 

University of Leeds Ladies’ Club

Monthly Newsletter     -    April 2022

 

Dear Ladies,

 

I hope that you are keeping well and have had an enjoyable Easter holiday. 

 

As we enter May we have two events arranged as follows:

 

Forthcoming Events

On Tuesday 12th April we held another coffee morning at the Lawnswood Arms and although only 14 members were able to attend, perhaps due to the proximity of the Easter long weekend, it was enjoyed by all those who were there.  

So, we have arranged another Informal Coffee Morning, this time for Tuesday 10th May from 10.30am onwards.

As Tuesday seems to be the most popular day on which to hold these coffee mornings, in addition, we have made a further booking for Tuesday 14th June also from 10.30am. 

These coffee mornings will be held at the Lawnswood Arms on the Otley Road as before and we hope as many members as possible will be able to attend.  As this is a drop-in session no payment is required in advance, just pay for what you have on the day.

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Wednesday 1st June 2022 - A “Sparkling” Afternoon Tea at 2pm  to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.   

 

The afternoon tea will consist of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, small cakes and a choice of tea or coffee.  In addition, we will offer a ‘Sparkling’ Toast with a choice of either a glass of Prosecco or, as a non-alcoholic alternative, a glass of diluted Elderflower cordial, in which to raise a toast to our longest serving monarch.

 

A Flyer advertising the event, together with a booking form, will be sent out separately to the newsletter, so watch out for it in your inbox in the next couple of days.  Places are limited and, if you wish to attend, we recommend early booking to avoid any possible disappointment.

 

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Annual General Meeting

The restraints of the last two years have meant that we have been unable to hold our Annual General Meeting in the normal way.  However, with the easing of the restrictions, we have been enabled to do so this year. Accordingly, we have booked the TV lounge at Headingley Golf Club for the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd June from 2pm.  Further details will be sent out at the beginning of June.

 

Quiz Results

I hope you enjoyed the April quiz.  As I mentioned in my email the quiz was sent in to me by Dr John Lydon who had devised it as the Christmas Quiz for the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. My thanks go to him once again for giving me his permission to send it on to ULLC members. 

The next quiz will be sent out on 15th May and will be another from the Tabbron stable.   

If anyone else has a quiz they would like to submit please let me know, I will be delighted to receive any contributions.

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Garden Group

Heather Harrison has sent me the following report of the recent meeting of the Garden Group.

Dear All, 

In early April I was delighted to host an indoor meeting of the Garden Group.  This was our first gathering since September, when the approach of less clement weather made the prospect of further sitting outdoors rather unappealing.  

There was so much to talk about after such a long break, that time passed too quickly as we welcomed Spring into our lives and gardens, before moving on to the return of the tea and cake ceremony.

We now look forward to our next meeting in May.

Heather

Book Group

This month’s book group meeting was too close to the deadline for submitting items for inclusion in the newsletter and therefore I haven’t been able to include a full report of this month’s meeting.  However, I do know that the group met at Candy Arber’s house on 28th April and most of the group were present, although Jennifer was greatly missed.  

The April book was ‘The Passenger’ by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz and brought forward a mixed reaction.  I will include a review of the meeting in the next newsletter but I think that this book further enhanced the notion that one of the advantages of the book group is persuading us to read a book which we would have been unlikely to choose for ourselves. 

Thanks go also to Candy for hosting us once again and for the excellent tea and cakes.

 

********

 

And finally!

 

Gillian Roche writes

 

0n-line games, in case you still have time on your hands and if, like me, you find Wordle (https://www.nytimes.com/games.wordle) infuriating but do-able, why not try Quordle, in which you have four words to solve at the same time, but with 9 goes allowed. And once you've done the daily game you can continue with practice games! (https://www.quordle.com) 

 

There is also a game where you have to guess a country or territory from its outline (https:/worldle.teuteu.fr).  After each incorrect try, you’re given the distance your guess is from the actual country and its proximity. Perfect for geography buffs!

 

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The next newsletter will be 31st May.  If you have any items for inclusion, please could you let me have them by no later than 28th May. 

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading the newsletter and I hope to see you at some, or all, of the forthcoming events.  

 

Take Care and Keep Safe,

 

Carole

 

March Newsletter 

Dear Ladies,

Can it really be two years since we were plunged into the first of the several lockdowns we have endured. How quickly that time has passed and what a huge impact the whole Covid pandemic has made on our lives. Thankfully, with the vaccines, and the boosters, life has started to return to a more normal pattern or rather a ‘new normal’ as Spring approaches.

 

In light of that easing of the restrictions even further we have arranged a number of events in the coming weeks.

 

Forthcoming Events

On Thursday 7th April at 2pm - a talk on the Vale of York Hoard.  

We are pleased to welcome Professor Joyce Hill who is to give us a talk on ‘The Vale of York Hoard’.  The talk is to be held once again at the Headingley Golf Club from 2pm and the cost is £6.00 per person to include refreshments.  The charge is payable on the day but must be booked in advance. 

It promises to be a most interesting talk, as are all talks by Professor Hill. The talk has proved very popular however numbers are limited.  Therefore, to avoid disappointment, if you wish to attend, we would encourage you to contact Gillian Roche as soon as possible to see if there are any places left. 

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As in previous months we have arranged another Informal Coffee Morning, this time for Tuesday 12th April from 10.30am onwards.

As Tuesday seems to be the most popular day on which to hold these coffee mornings, in addition, we have made further bookings for Tuesday 10th May and Tuesday 14th June also from 10.30am. The coffee mornings will be held at the Lawnswood Arms on the Otley Road  and we hope as many members as possible will be able to attend.  As this is a drop-in session no payment is required in advance, just pay for what you have on the day.

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Sunday 24th April 2022 Sunday Carvery Lunch at 12.30pm for 1pm.

 

We have booked the, by now, traditional Sunday Carvery lunch at the Headingley Golf Club.  The lunch will consist of 3 courses (with a choice of dishes at each course) plus coffee at a cost of £17 per person, payable in advance.   A flyer for this event has been sent out together with a booking form to return to Gillian Roche (details as above) and, once again, we would encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

 

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Wednesday 1st June 2022 - A “Sparkling” Afternoon Tea at 2pm to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.   

 

The afternoon tea will consist of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, small cakes and a choice of tea or coffee.  In addition, we will offer a ‘Sparkling’ Toast with a choice of either a glass of Prosecco or, as a non-alcoholic alternative, a glass of diluted Elderflower cordial, in which to raise a toast to our longest serving monarch.

 

Further details, with costs and a booking form will be sent out in April

 

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Quiz Results

I hope you enjoyed the March quiz.  The quiz was sent in by Diana Wetherill and my thanks go to her once again for all her efforts in supporting the quizzes as she does. 

The next quiz, was compiled by Gill Lydon’s husband, John, initially for the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society at Christmas 2021, and he has given me his permission to send it out to the Ladies’ Club members.  It is a very interesting quiz and I send my thanks to John for allowing me to use it. It will be going out on 15th April (or thereabouts) and I hope it will give you all food for thought, other than chocolate, over the long Easter weekend.  

If anyone else has a quiz they would like to submit please let me know, I will be delighted to receive any contributions.

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Book Group

Thursday 23rd March 2022

The March book was The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, probably better known in the UK for her Moomin children’s books.  

Thanks so much to Jennifer for her excellent introduction which did a brilliant job of identifying the humour as well as the reflective nature of the novel.  Those who had read it more than once agreed that they had seen more in the novel in the second reading.  Some of us (myself included) had found it difficult to categorise the book as a novel as it seemed more like a series of related short stories or accounts of incidents.  A good point was made that this was probably because we have a tendency to think of a novel as plot driven.  

As Jennifer highlighted, this is about 3 closely related intergenerational people in the very confined setting of a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland over one summer. Occasionally other characters are introduced which does widen the perspective a little. There were mixed feelings over the characters of Sophie and her grandmother. I recognised Sophie as a six-year-old who rarely speaks but only “wails”, “yells” or “screams” but others found her irritating.  Grandmother’s resourcefulness in warding off Sophie’s hysteria was also appreciated, especially by those grandmothers present!  

I think we all agreed that one of the advantages of a book group is persuading us to read a book such as this which I for one would have been unlikely to find for myself.  Thanks to Jennifer for not only introducing the book, but for hosting us and providing excellent refreshments.

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Subscriptions

 

Thank you to all those members who have renewed their subscription.  If you have not yet paid, Margaret Bradbury, the Membership Secretary, would be pleased to receive your payment of £5. If you prefer to pay by cheque, please make your cheque payable to ‘The University of Leeds Ladies’ Club’ and send it to Mrs Margaret Bradbury.It would be very helpful if you could let her know if you have paid by BACS. and do please check with Margaret if you can't remember whether you've paid or not! 

 

And finally!

 

The next newsletter will be 30th April.  If you have any items to submit please could you let me have them by no later than 28th April. 

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading the newsletter.  Take Care and Keep Safe,

 

Carole

 Events and Dates for your Diary

As in previous months we have arranged another

Informal Coffee Morning

 Tuesday 15th March from 10.30am.

 We have made further bookings for:

Tuesday 12th April

and

Tuesday 10th May also from 10.30am

The coffee mornings are held at the

Lawnswood Arms on the Otley Road 

(see Home Page and in Autumn Programme for details)

 and we hope as many members as possible will be able to attend. 

As this is a drop-in session no payment is required in advance, just pay for what you have on the day.

*****

*

On Thursday 7th April at 2pm - a talk on the Vale of York Hoard.

York Hoard

  We are pleased to welcome Professor Joyce Hill  to give us a talk on ‘The Vale of York Hoard’. 

The talk is at the Headingley Golf Club

(Back Church Lane, Adel, Leeds. LS16 8DW)

from 2pm   and the cost will be £6.00 per person to include refreshments. 

 

Please note that for catering purposes, attendance must be booked no later than 

Thursday 31st March 2022

The charge is payable on the day but must be booked in advance. 

It promises to be a most interesting talk, as are all talks by Professor Hill, however as numbers are limited to a maximum of 40, we would encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

We suggest that face coverings should be worn whilst moving around in the Golf Club and unless seated at the table. There will be a number of separate tables in the TV room to allow for good social distancing and the premises are well-ventilated.  However, if you feel that extra ventilation is required please ask a member of staff to open windows.

In addition, although it is NOT a legal requirement, we would encourage you to self-test if you are able to do so, perhaps the day before, and if you have any symptoms, we would ask you to not attend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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Sunday 24th April 2022

Spring Carvery Lunch

at 12.30pm for 1pm.

Headingley Lunch

We would like to continue with our, by now, traditional Spring Carvery Lunch and accordingly we have booked a Sunday Carvery lunch at the

Headingley Golf Club

  The lunch will consist of 3 courses (with a choice of dishes at each course) plus coffee at a cost of £17 per person, payable in advance.   A flyer for this event will be sent out in a couple of weeks and, once again, we would encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

********

Wednesday 1st June 2022

 A “Sparkling” Afternoon Tea at 2pm

to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

tea at Janet"s

Above, a past ULLC tea - a lovely reminder.  

The afternoon tea will consist of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, small cakes and a choice of tea or coffee. 

In addition, we will offer a ‘Sparkling’ Toast

with a choice of either a glass of Prosecco or, as a non-alcoholic alternative, a glass of diluted Elderflower cordial,

in which to raise a toast to our longest serving monarch.

Further details, with costs and a booking form will be sent out in April.

********

Wednesday 14th December 2022

 Christmas Lunch

To be held at Headingley Golf Club with all details yet to be confirmed.

Christmas  golf club 2021

This is just a date for your diary at this stage but members may wish to know of the date so that they can ‘pencil’ it into their diaries and avoid any potential clashes nearer the time

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News of Members.

I hope that you received my earlier emails about the sad death of Gwynneth Owen on 11th February. She was 98.  Gwynneth was a stalwart of the Ladies’ Club for many years, having served in a number of capacities including as President in 1998/99.  She was a much loved and respected member of the club. I myself found her excellent company with wise advice and an impish sense of humour.

She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

********

 

Report from Book Group 2

The February book was The Second Sleep by Robert Harris.  

We found plenty to discuss and it proved to have been a popular choice.  We all enjoyed it as a story although with our somewhat customary proviso that the ending was disappointing.  (If any of us ever writes a novel, we’d better make sure we spend time polishing the ending!}  It was interesting to discuss the way Harris uses his dystopian novel to underline how dependant our present society is on a technology which could be so easily destroyed, taking our civilisation with it along with our liberal concepts of law and order. 

As in other dystopian novels (e.g., The Handmaid’s Tale) a dogmatic fundamentalist church had emerged to establish its own laws.  There was humour in the characters’ fascination with the surviving relics with their bitten apple motif. There was also discussion about whether or not the characters were sufficiently three dimensional. It was felt that Fairfax abandoned his inculcated faith rather too easily.

Thanks to Tina for hosting us.

Chris Roy

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Words of the Month

Weal Welfare, prosperity, good fortune. (c900)

Bricolage A construction from any available materials. (c1960s)

Quiddity The essence of something. (c14th century)

Glabella The space between the eyebrows. (c1820s)

Williwaw A sudden violent, wind blowing offshore from a mountainous coast. (c1840)

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I hope you have enjoyed reading the newsletter.

With all good wishes to you and your families,

Carole

Monthly Newsletter     -    January 2022

 

Dear Ladies,

Welcome to the January edition of the monthly newsletter.  I hope you are all well and in good spirits now that spring is on the way. 

Can we really be in the New Year and have the easing of restrictions?  It would seem so and as we return to a more ‘normal’ way of life I am delighted to be able to report that we were able to hold the first of our more ‘normal’ events,   

Below I include a short report on this event,

History of Chocolate Talk

On the afternoon of 27th January 37 members and guests attended a talk on the History of Chocolate which was given by Heather Harrison. to whom we send our sincere thanks for giving us such an enjoyable afternoon.  

Heather gave us a most informative and entertaining talk when we learned about the origins of chocolate (or Cacao as it was called then – Cocoa as it is now) and how it was discovered by the Mayans and Aztecs who were the first to realise its value both for health and pleasure purposes.  We learned how the Cacao, or Cocoa beans, are farmed, the type of trees on which they grow and the drying process by which the beans are turned into the dried product with which we are all familiar.  We learned how the drinking of hot chocolate became popular outside of South and Central America. How it encouraged the growth of coffee houses in Europe and the rest of the world and how western manufacturers perfected the technique of tempering to achieve the final product that we know and love today. Finally we learned how to best enjoy the experience of eating chocolate…..with samples!

The afternoon was greatly enjoyed by all who attended and our sincere thanks go to Heather for giving us such an interesting and enjoyable afternoon.

**********

As this talk, which was held at Headingley Golf Club, proved to be very popular with some excellent feedback, we are hoping to hold another talk, with suitable refreshments, in the next couple of months and details will be circulated in due course.

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News of Members

I am pleased to say that I have not heard of any member being taken ill this month although I do know that several members, and their spouses, have on-going chronic health issues and to them we send our best wishes.

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I have heard on the grapevine that Doreen Smith will be 93 on 10th February and we send her all our good wishes for a very happy birthday.

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Forthcoming Events

Lawnswood Coffee Morning

Tuesday 15th February at 10.30am onwards at the Lawnswood Pub/Restaurant, Otley Road, Adel.

Our first get-together of 2022 was deemed to have been a great success, with 32 attending for morning coffee and a number staying on for lunch. By request therefore, we have arranged for another ‘Drop-In Coffee Morning’ to be held at the Lawnswood Arms on the Otley Road in Adel on Tuesday 15th February from 10.30am onwards.   

As before, we have arranged for a section of the restaurant to be reserved for our exclusive use for as long as we wish to stay.   Coffee/Tea and other drinks are available to purchase at own cost and for those who wish to stay on and have lunch afterwards this also can be purchased, again at own cost. 

For those who do not know the Lawnswood it is a very friendly and welcoming Pub/Restaurant and we will have sole use of one, private, section of the dining room. There are no steps to this section of the restaurant and it can be accessed through the main doors at either end of the building. There is plenty of free parking with a number of blue badge spaces and for those travelling on public transport, the Numbers 8 and X84 buses stop outside.

As this is a ‘drop-in’ session there is no need to book in advance but I hope as many members as possible will be able to attend.  I and other members of the committee will be there to welcome you all.  If you would like more details please don’t hesitate to get in touch, my contact details are at the end of the newsletter.

Please note:

It has been brought to my notice that several members are unable to attend meetings at our current venues, the Lawnswood Arms and Headingley Golf Club, because of transport problems.  They either do not have a car or find it difficult to negotiate public transport.  If any member is aware that someone who lives near them would like to attend but is not able to get to the venue, please could they consider offering a lift if they are coming themselves.  

 

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Book Group

Chris Roy has sent me the following report about the recent meeting of the Thursday Book Group.

Amazing to think that this is the start of another year of our book group and we still seem to be going strong.

The book this month was Excellent Women by Barbara Pym and was generally liked and there was admiration for Pym’s perceptive observations of human behaviour. We liked the humour and there was considerable sharing of favourite scenes.  We acknowledged the debt to Jane Austen but I think we generally agreed that Austen’s characters were generally more universal whereas to a certain extent Pym’s characters were more bound to their own time.  Although Val was unable to attend, she was able to tell us that some of the characters reappear in other Pym novels and Jean and Jennifer were able to expand on this.

Many thanks to Jean for hosting us.

**********

Quiz Results

I hope you enjoyed the January quiz and my thanks once again to Diana Wetherill for sending it in.

The next quiz will be sent out on 14th February with the answers going out a week later.

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On a lighter note.

 

WORDLE

Gillian Roche writes:

If you still have time on your hands (after doing the jigsaws) what better way to exercise “ze little grey cells” - as Poirot would say – than to try the new online word game Wordle, which has now gone viral. Once a day you are challenged to find a five-letter word in six attempts, the only clues being that if you get letters right, but not in the right order, the letter tiles go yellow or green if they’re right and in the correct place in the word. 

It’s a really enjoyable way to pass 5-10 minutes and it’s addictive. Just google Wordle.        

PS It’s free, there are no adverts and it isn’t capturing your data. 

 

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As I am only able to include the information I have received from members, if you have any other news or any items for inclusion please let me know.  

 

I will be sending out each month’s issue on the last day of the month with the next issue due on 28th February.  If you have any items for inclusion please could you let me have them by no later than 26th February.

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading the newsletter and send all my good wishes to you and your families,

 

Carole

Monthly Newsletter     -    December 2021 

 

Dear Ladies,

Welcome to the December edition of the monthly newsletter, the last of 2021.  We hope that you all had an enjoyable Christmas despite the restrictions and that you are keeping well and Covid free.   I have not had any reports of illness amongst members and so I start this newsletter with news of forthcoming events

 

Forthcoming Events

 

Tuesday 18th January 2022 at 10.30am at the Lawnswood Arms, Otley Road, Adel

 

Following on from the popularity of the ‘Drop-In’ coffee mornings in 2021, we have arranged to meet again at the Lawnswood Arms on Tuesday 18<su< div=""> </su<>