Welcome to
The Year (1910)
What can be said in New Year rhymes, That’s not been said a thousand times? The new years come, the old years go, We know we dream, we dream we know. We rise up laughing with the light, We lie down weeping with the night. We hug the world until it stings, We curse it then and sigh for wings. We live, we love, we woo, we wed, We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead. We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear, And that’s the burden of the year.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
From the Committee …
We would like to wish all our members a happy and healthy 2023.
Culm Valley u3a are looking forward to a great New Year with our fantastic new web site, a great list of speakers, booked by Gill Sole, for the monthly meetings, and our new projector screen which hopefully will arrive before the February meeting.
Our thanks to Willand Village Hall Committee who have reduced our monthly charge for the hall as many of you are residents of the village; which together with our increased membership numbers through all your efforts, bring a friend etc., means we are now in a stronger position financially enabling us to give something back to our members.
For 2023 the annual membership fees will be £10 for Full Membership and £6 for Associate Membership for the next 9 months 1st April - 31st December 2023. The following year will then be 1st January to 31st December 2024. The change to 1st January for renewals is due to the fact that we have to pay our Capitation fees and Beacon fees for the number of members we have on the 31st March; meaning that we can easily pay fees on the 31st March for members who do not renew 1st April.
The increased cost of Associate membership brings their contribution to Culm Valley funds in line with Full membership. From the Full membership fee £10 we pay £4 Capitation and £1 Beacon fees, but for the Associate membership fee £6 we only have to pay the £1 Beacon fee, so both Full and Associate members contribute equally to the Group.
As from the February meeting all members, in future, will pay £1 to attend the monthly meeting.
It has recently been brought to the attention of the Committee that some of you paid £3 in 2020 for a National u3a Day Cream Tea which was never held due to Covid restrictions. If you bring the ticket you received to the February or March meeting we will refund the £3.
I have tried to explain the changes we are making clearly, but if you have any questions please contact me at cvu3achair and I will do my best to answer your query.
Please aim to arrive at WVH from 1.15pm, meetings will begin at 2.00 pm with the speaker. If you arrive in good time you will have time to look at the Interest Group tables before the speaker. After the speaker there will be a 10 minute break for you to get your tea/coffee, after which we will give any announcements.
Thank you, Margaret Chumbley, Chair
News from the Interest Groups
Theatre/Cinema/Music
The Andre Rieu show was a real treat, thoroughly recommended. He really
knows his stuff, brilliant orchestra, top drawer singers, certainly gets into your
soul and not many dry eyes at times. Incredible really, the power of music. All in
all very, very entertaining and a real tonic on a wet Sunday afternoon in the
middle of Winter.
Quizzing
At our December meeting, Christmas jumpers and attire was donned by some of
the group and as well as enjoying a very interesting quiz, that included some
Christmas themed questions, we enjoyed mince pies and other Christmas fayre
with our teas and coffees.
Lunch Out
We all enjoyed our lunch last month at The Martlet Inn, with lots of laughs and
good conversation.
Games
Twelve of us met on yet another dark and dingy Monday morning. Inside things were much brighter and it was lovely to see two new smiling faces. It was well worth coming out in the rain, as we all had a brilliant time, playing board games and cards, with lots of laughter to be heard around the room. Amongst the games played were Backgammon, Scrabble, and an excellent card game called S**t Head, which you may have played or heard of before! I can highly recommend it! Some of the group played Perudo, a game using lots of dice, which was played by Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean Film. I hope to play it next time we meet, as from the laughter and groans, it sounded very intriguing.
Craft
We started this new year on the 4th January with a new project - decoupage on glassware, which we will continue on the 18thJanuary. Everyone seemed to have a good time and it was fun to be back together crafting.
Jazz Appreciation
We have enjoyed visiting live jazz music venues in Langford Budville, ( where Willand’s own keyboard boogie star, Jeremy Huggett, raised the roof! ), Uffculme with the Algiers Strutters + red Santa hats, and West Hill near Ottery St Mary, with the City Steam Band + vibrant vocalist Jaqs Price-Hughes!
Find out more about the Interest Groups by clicking on the Interest Groups tab at the top of the page.
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