April – spring, Easter break, clocks gone forward, and a real feeling that winter is over! The weather forecast is offering steadily warmer days, and maybe at last we shall see green grass in fields which have been underwater since about Christmas.
I hope that none of us have been sent to the shops for a long stand or a tin of striped paint this morning! April Fool jokes seem to survive eternally, and the press and media invent something new every year. Although, given the current state of the news, it can be hard to distinguish truth from invention. The origins of April foolery have been attributed to the ancient Egyptians, the Romans, the French and the Scots, among others: whatever the truth, it’s certainly a tradition going back hundreds of years. It seems every civilisation throughout history has needed a bit of light relief!
This month’s Drop-in will be this Thursday, April 4th, from 10 till 11.30 in the Community Hall as usual. We hope to see many of you there, especially those who have still to renew membership for the year. Our efficient team, headed by membership secretary Christina, will issue your new card as quickly and easily as possible. We can now take credit card payments at all three desks, which speeds things up considerably!
When you have your new card – with a swan on – please will you make sure to take it with you to your next Group meetings? To keep our insurance in order, your Group Leaders need to check current membership of all their group once a year; this is a central u3a requirement, not Group Leaders being fussy! Thank you for cooperating with this.
Another date for your diary could be the Pocklington Town Meeting on April 17th. All members of the public are welcome, and it is expected that there will be further discussion or information about the future of Burnby Hall, amongst other issues of local interest.
The new and revitalised Croquet Group is hoping to start meetings this month, at the Rugby Club. Croquet can be a game of cutthroat tactics, but don’t be alarmed - our Group will be highly civilised! If you might be interested in a bit of gentle outdoor exercise, contact Gerry at hutch03bag@yahoo.co.uk
If indoor sport is more appealing, the Whist Group would be pleased to welcome you on the second and fourth Fridays each month from 1.15 pm to 3.45 pm. No previous experience is necessary, and the play is strictly for pleasure. For more details contact barbarajohnson@live.co.uk
The Archaeology Group is hoping to organise a trip to Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, where amongst other attractions there is soon to be an exhibition on a recently discovered Iron Age settlement. The trip would be open to all members, not just the archaeologists. The date and details are yet to be arranged, but if you’re interested please contact Glynis Moorhouse at g.moorhouse10@btinternet.com or 01759 388282.
A slight change of tone now. All of us have suffered bereavements in our life, and they can hit very hard. Managing grief is something very personal; friends and family can help a great deal, but sometimes one needs more support to get through difficult times. We have decided to put a new link in the Community section of our website, to the bereavement association Cruse which offers support and comfort for all who need someone to help. We hope that, if you’ve suffered a loss of someone close, you may find this useful. Visit the website for further information www.cruse.org.uk/.
A pile of exercise books in the paper-shop this morning reminded me of the old ones with all the tables of measurement on the back. Bushels and pecks, rods, poles or perches, hogsheads, grains and pennyweights – remember? Since 1974, children in school have been taught only the metric system of weights and measures – and yet still, if you ask the birthweight of a baby, the parents are more likely to say, “Eight and a half pounds”, than, “Three kilos 90”!
However you measure it, I wish you a happy April!
Rosemary Waugh (Secretary|)
