• Message from the Editor
• Committee Reports
  • Message from the Chair
  • Message from the Groups Coordinator
  • Message from the Membership Secretary
  • Introduction to our new Webmaster
• Open Lectures
  • Next Open Lecture
  • Open Lectures Diary 2024
• Notices and Articles (East Lothian u3a)
  • Coffee Morning 
  • Brian Frost: a memorial
  • Summer Picnic 2023 
  • An invitation to Walking Football
  • A 100th birthday
  • Unsubscribe from Third Age Matters (TAM) magazine
• u3a News and Notices
  • u3a Links
    • u3a Trust News
    • u3a Networks
    • u3a in Scotland
    • u3a in Scotland Autumn Newsletter
    • u3a online across Scotland
    • Learning in the u3a
    • Found in Nature - photographic site
    • u3a-eye - photographic site
• Group Reports and Events
  • Lunch
  • Scottish Dancing for Fun
  • Gardening
  • Strollers
  • Geology
  • Science
  • Dancing for fun
  • Folk Music Singing and Playing
  • Biology
• Picture Quiz

One of our 40 special interest groups is in abeyance at the moment as a consequence of ongoing health issues. All remaining groups are active.

Following recent discussion around risk assessments and risk management, we are all still getting to grips with the practicalities. A summary of the new guidelines will appear shortly within the Group Leaders' Handbook on the East Lothian u3a website.

Group Leaders have been asked to sign a statement that they have read and will observe the guidelines. This should be done annually in September or October, or when a new Leader takes over. Leaders of groups undertaking physical activities have been asked to undertake a risk assessment and submit a written copy to the Groups Co-ordinator. This needs to be repeated annually. Completed risk assessments will be stored securely in the East Lothian u3a Dropbox.

It is recommended that Group Leaders should maintain an up-to-date contact list of their group's members and make this available to all their group members. The contact list should include the mobile phone numbers and email addresses of members. This recommendation has provoked discussion about data protection. When joining the u3a members were asked to agree to the following statement which appears on the East Lothian u3a website: See: Updated-Privacy-Statement_Nov-2022.pdf

• "We may disclose information about you, including your personal information: Internally – to committee members and group leaders as required to facilitate your participation in our u3a activities. We may share your personal information with other u3a members in order to facilitate group activities."

In addition, walking groups, or groups undertaking physical activities, should ensure that all members carry details of next of kin who could be contacted in an emergency. This could be on a mobile phone or a card in a wallet or purse. It is up to individual groups to decide how to record this information.

The next u3a Coffee Morning for the public will be on 28th October in the Trinity Centre in Haddington. Group Leaders have been asked to produce displays to demonstrate their groups' activities

Our new Webmaster (Ed Dee) has already proved helpful in constructing a group page for the (relatively) new Reading Philosophy Group which had had no web presence during the period when we had no Webmaster.

Helen Horn, East Lothian u3a Groups Co-ordinator
groups@eastlothianu3a.org.uk

My professional background from University is in databases and database systems - though I spent some years teaching computing-related subjects in what would now be called a 'New University'.  Prior to retirement I spent 25+ years at Edinburgh University doing a little teaching and working on database language standardisation but mainly building database systems, running a web and database team and latterly a team providing a national mapping service.

Non-professionally, my interests are directed to mechanical/engineering topics and I'm the Secretary of a local model engineering society.

As a u3a Webmaster it's my aim to ensure the el u3a website is reliable, up-to-date and usable, though as a relatively new u3a member, there is also a fair bit of learning about the organisation and the current website.

If you notice anything about the website which you believe is wrong, or if you are having difficulties, please email me at: webmaster@eastlothianu3a.org.uk

East Lothian u3a 

Open Lecture Programme 2023

“Avian Flu & the Scottish Seabird Population”

By Charlotte Foster, Marine Engagement Officer, Scottish Seabird Centre.

2.30 pm Tuesday 14th November, refreshments to be provided,
with a musical interlude by our Folk Music Group

St. Anne’s, Westgate, Dunbar, EH42 1JL.

Thanks to Tony Reeves

Tony has been organising the annual East Lothian u3a Picnic for the past five years. Anyone who has enjoyed these picnics will appreciate how much effort Tony exerted to make sure that the events ran smoothy.

He always managed to attract an interesting guest, with no added cost to the u3a and, somehow, attracted participation in such excitement as Egg and Spoon Races.

The picnic was one of the few events where members from across all Groups were able to mingle socially.

Tony has now stepped down so, a big "Thanks" to him.

Eunice Holt, thought to be the oldest active member of the East Lothian u3a, celebrated her 100th birthday in style on Friday, October 13, with a lunch party at The Waterside Bistro in Haddington for more than 30 family and friends.

Her great-great-granddaughter Robyn (9), grandson Todd and nephews Michael, John and Geoffrey and niece Pauline, all travelled 250 miles to be there.

Eunice joined the Pétanque Group in Haddington three years ago and was formerly a member of the Circle Dancing group.

She has latterly been forced to put the brake on activities after falling and fracturing an arm while playing pétanque on the terrain alongside Lady Kitty's Garden in Haddington in July. But she hopes to be back in action by next spring.

Eunice said that she was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of her u3a friends who gifted an overnight hotel stay and an original portrait, as well as wine, chocolates, plants and flowers. 

She is pictured with her daughter Elaine Reid, who is also a member of several groups in the  u3a. 

Elaine Reid

If you wish to stop receiving the printed copy of the u3a Trust magazine, TAM, please request to be unsubscribed by contacting:

Sandra Goodswen, membership@eastlothianu3a.org.uk

Useful links for current u3a information and initiatives:

• Networks are informal groupings of u3as usually local to each other. Representatives from each u3a meet to share ideas, events, speakers, training sessions, discuss issues, and support each other. Networks are vital links in the communication chain across the organisation and are greatly valued by the u3a Trust. To stay up to date with everything Networks-related across the UK, you can sign up to the News for Networks newsletter. You can also visit these two webpages below for information on Scottish networks.

u3a in Scotland & Online Across Scotland

• These u3a Networks provide information on the many local u3a groups in Scotland. There is a quarterly Newsletter for which you can sign up, and a website. There are also a number of Facebook pages of interest about the various groups available to join; visit the links on the Online Across Scotland website.

• OAS is a u3a aimed at those u3a members who are unable or unwilling to attend u3a groups and meetings in person because they have no u3a locally, or their u3a does not run groups for a subject they wish to study, and for those members who have disability, illness or caring responsibilities.
• OAS has an exciting programme of talks planned to which all u3a members in Scotland are invited. These will be held on the first Thursday of each month at 4pm. https://u3asites.org.uk/onlineacrossscotland/events 
• Take a look also at the groups on offer through OAS. These are being constantly added to as more groups and short courses come on line, such as Scottish Writers, Gaelic and Spanish.
• Would you like to offer OAS a group, talk or short course? Please get in touch.

        Linda Matheson, lindapmatheson@gmail.com

u3a Online Learning Events

• u3a members can join a wide range of online talks, workshops and courses, some for free with their membership. Many of these opportunities are presented by members themselves; sharing their knowledge or skills with others across the movement. Click the above link to see the range of what's available. To sign up for notifications, go here.

Latest Updates from the Third Age Trust

• I wonder if you could help strengthen the u3a movement? The Third Age Trust, together with its trading arm, serve the u3a movement by providing services and support to local u3as. The Trust has employed staff, but most of its work is done by a strong team of volunteers. They not only organise activities at national and regional level, but also contribute to overall governance and direction as members of Trust Committees and Task Groups.
• There are various opportunities to add your efforts to a great team of people, and help make the u3a movement more effective in supporting local u3as and their members. They include:

• If you are interested in learning more please email the Trust’s CEO at ceo@u3a.org.uk.  Please use Third Age Matters, Trading or Trust in the subject line of your email to indicate which opportunity you are interested in.  

• The Lunch Group meets monthly on different days of the week to accommodate members. 
• We will continue to meet throughout the year. 
• We dine at various venues throughout East Lothian. 
• Our members are friendly and new members are always welcome. 

This group used to be called ‘Ceilidh Dancing – and more’, but we thought a change of name might be appropriate now that Sheila has retired as Group Leader.

Apart from that nothing much is changing, we’re meeting same time (1 – 3 Mondays), same place (Alistair Grant Hall, Bridge Centre, Haddington) from 2^nd October to 18^th December. We hope to keep practising the ‘core dances’ which Sheila began to introduce as well as trying different ones each week. The emphasis is on fun – no experience is necessary, though useful. 

If you might be interested in joining us, please contact one of us to find out more.

Group leaders: Claire East, claireeast@btinternet.com
Sandra Goodswen, sandragoo@hotmail.com

Garden Group

We recently visited Preston Hall at Pathhead, a visit I particularly enjoyed. I took photographs and particularly concentrated on the buildings, rather than plants and flowers.

The images of the garden’s architectural framework hint at the romantic past as well as the romance of the present. Visiting it was a delight, even in the rain!

Jane Lomholt

Strollers Walking Group

On August 18th the Strollers enjoyed a walk in East Linton to Smeaton Lake and Phantassie Doocot. The 18th century Preston Mill provided a picturesque point of interest along the way. Fans of the series "Outlander" may recognise the location where the photograph was taken: at the exact spot where Jamie hid under the water to avoid capture by the Redcoats.

Kathy Fairweather and John Stuart pausing to admire the Waterwheel at Preston Mill.
Credit: Tony Reeves and Helen Adam

It has been a busy summer with local explorations along the East Lothian coast and inland. Our recent coastal visits allowed us to look at sedimentary deposits from the carboniferous period when Scotland lay at equatorial latitudes. Clearly visible and abundant fossils reveal evidence of life more than 300 million years ago in what were then shallow seas and deltas. The group has also looked at some of the plentiful evidence of previous volcanic activity inland and, by way of contrast, we had an excellent tour of the Prestongrange Museum, trying to imagine what life was like for the workers who operated the beam engine or worked in the extensive former brickworks.

With the arrival of autumn, we are about to retreat indoors to listen to talks, which will be given by group members. We will start by learning about the evidence behind continental drift and plate tectonics. as well as the personalities who developed and proved the theory.

During the colder months, we meet indoors on Thursday afternoons in Haddington where volunteers from the group give Powerpoint presentations on topics of geological interest. We are about to start on a structured 2 year programme of talks. Occasionally we have an invited outside speaker. 

There are about 30 geology group members. Most do not have any specialist geological knowledge but we are fortunate to have a small number of retired academic and industrial experts in the group who are keen to share their knowledge with those of us who are curious and interested but ignorant!

New members are always welcome. Previous geological knowledge is not necessary. To find out more, email the Group Leader.

Helen Horn, Group Leader, Geology Group
helen.m.horn@gmail.com

Autumn Programme:

• October offers a talk by one of our members, Gordon McInnes, on 'What's Happening to the Environment'.
• In November, Dr. Alan Bridger will speak on 'The Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope', further expanding our understanding of space exploration following last session's talk on the James Webb Space Telescope.

For further information, contact:
Rose Johnston, Group Committee, Science Group
rosejohnston@btinternet.com

Dancing for Fun Group

After many enjoyable years, the time has come for the Ballroom Group to move on, and at the same time our Group Leader, Bil Fulton, is taking a temporary step back from dancing. He is handing over the leadership and we sincerely thank Bil for his many years as our dedicated and hard working leader.

We are pleased to announce a new group, 'Dancing for Fun'.

We are looking for those of you who are happy to try a wide range of dancing including Old Time (sequence), Disco, Latin American, Jiving, Ceroc, Social Sequence, Ballroom, and Line Dancing.

The programme will depend on the choice of those who come along.

We are seeking both dancers and those of you with some expertise who can help others learn.

The proposed time is 10.30 am on a Thursday morning and our meetings will be held in the excellent premises of the Haddington Golf Club, either weekly or fortnightly (TBD).

Our initial 'get together' will be held on Thursday, 2nd November at 10.30 am in the Club (upstairs) 

If you are interested just come along and, to give us an idea of numbers (for free coffee).

Please email Rose Johnston:  rosejohnston@btinternet.com

The group re-started on 14th September after a long summer break. About 15 of us meet twice a month in the Star Room from 2 pm - 4 pm with a tea/coffee break at half-time. 

We have a large repertoire of songs stretching over 4 centuries of time, and are working on some recent songs too. Some members just sing, others play instruments as well - mostly guitars and ukuleles. 

We are expecting to hook up with the Recorder Group in early December, for a hooley or ceilidh - whichever! 

The group has existed for nearly 15 years, and still contains some of the original members (including me, the Group Leader). Come along and take part if you are interested.

This is about Biology, not about the Biology Group itself: What is Life? 

There are many books with that title. The question goes back in history even to the ancient Greeks. It is timeless. But the progress in understanding made over the past two centuries and especially the last 50 years has been so great and has so many implications for our lives, that the new biology as taught in every school affects much of social and political progress. Modern science has become entrenched in our thinking so much that we are now sure about what we understand. Biology has a story that seems certain. Yet for all that, ‘What is Life?’ remains a mystery. Vital questions remain unasked. So I make bold to suggest that actually we can expect another revolution in thinking. Let’s trace the recent progress and then follow it up.