So, put away the pumpkins, batten down the hatches, and get used to the shorter days and longer, cosier evenings.  I hope you are entering the month in a more cheerful frame than Thomas Hood who wrote, “No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! — November!” And if you’re one of those who don’t like the autumn and winter months, I hope you’ll find something to cheer you among the thoughts and invitations in this letter.

First of all, of course, there will be our November Drop-in, on Thursday 6^th November , from 10.00am until 11.30am as usual, at the Community Hall. Come for a coffee and stay for the company!

We were delighted that so many members had such a good time at our very first u3a Disco on October 17^th – plans are already underway for a repeat event, and the date is January 9^th. If you came last time and want some more, or you didn’t and want to find out what everyone’s been talking about, book your place on the floor by contacting Pauline “Dancing Queen” Slater: paulieslater@hotmail.co.uk.

With the disco, and the second successful Games afternoon last weekend, we are hoping to plan a series of open events over the next year. These might be social, performance events like our upcoming Midwinter Music, or learning opportunities like Neil Barrett’s very informative talk on AI earlier this year. Have you any ideas or thoughts about what you and others might enjoy? Please let us know! The more input there is from members, the more chance we have of being able to plan a wide-ranging programme offering ‘something for everybody’ beyond the scope of all our regular groups. Get in touch with any of the Committee to share your ideas – we look forward to hearing from you!  

Returning to Midwinter Music, I hope you have already marked December 11^th in your diary, as we’ll be in All Saints’ Church from 2.00pm till 4.00pm with festive performances from all our musical groups. Last year’s concert was a very joyful occasion; this year we have more space, so please feel free to bring a partner or friend.

And if thinking about music strikes a chord (sorry!) with you, you might be just the person to be interested in one of these invitations:

Sunny Skies are looking for a bass player. We are a lively group and play songs from many genres. We like to vary our songs and include harmonies, call and response, flute, recorder, clarinet and cajon. We would like to include a bass player within the group to add depth and rhythm. We use electronic copies so ideally you would need to be comfortable using a tablet. We practise on Wednesday afternoons at the Gliding Club. If you are interested, please contact the Sunny Skies group leader at https://www.pocklingtonu3a.org.uk/ukulele-sunny-skies--group-2.html 

The Instrumental Ensemble group, currently ten enthusiastic players, would love to find a second violinist. You don't have to be a Yehudi Menuhin  and can rebuild your skill gradually. We play music from all genres and enjoy each other's company twice a month. Find out more from Jenny Hastings, at  midgehastings@gmail.com

The Caves Singers, a new group in the Caves u3a, are looking to increase their numbers. There are no auditions, and no technical knowledge needed, just a chance to enjoy all the benefits of singing familiar songs and carols together.  Contact David at dwr098@hotmail.com

Giving out email addresses for contact brings me to my next point; yet again, we have concerns about ‘phishing’ scams and online safety. Many of us have received emails which show a familiar name as the sender, but are not really from this person. If you look carefully at the email address, you’ll usually see that the name is followed by a random assembly of letters and numbers which are NOT the correct address for that person. If you see this, or if you don’t recognise the name at all, don’t open the message: if you open it in error, don’t click on any links, and don’t reply. If you are in any doubt at all, contact the supposed sender at their real address to check. This horrible area of crime seems to be growing rapidly, and twists and turns more quickly than it can be caught. Please do all you can to keep yourself safe. We will never ask you online for your personal banking details or for any money other than your annual subscription.   

November is a month full of well-known festival days of various sorts – maybe to distract us from the changes in weather! We have All Saints’ Day today, and All Souls’ tomorrow; Bonfire night, of course, then Remembrance Day on the 11^th, and a cheer for all with Scottish connections on the 30^th for St. Andrew’s Day. The 20^th is International Philosophy Day, and the 20^th is Hello Day - a new one to me, when we should all make a point of giving everyone we meet a friendly greeting. What a nice idea!

Keep warm, stay safe, and have a good November.

Rosemary Waugh - (Vice Chair)