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26 January 2020

We had a splendid  ‘cabaret’ of sketches, songs🤣🎤, and all-round entertainment provided by our Drama group!   Refreshments 🍪 midway,  of course.

23 February 2020 

We held a  special ‘Quiz on Ormskirk’ ✍  courtesy of Bill & Sue Watkinson, then a presentation by Peter Gateley on ‘Trips by the U3A Bird  🐦🕊🐤Group’

The session:

Followed on the theme of Black Dogs and Boggy beasts with other similar beasts.

1/.  These occur all over the country and vary from being extremely scary and dangerous, through mischievous, to being helpful.  Although they have similar features to black dogs they are considered as different creatures and occur in the same areas.  They tend to be more than sightings, with more of them having detailed folktales attached.

2/.  We looked at a wide range of examples.

These included:-

• Monstrous creatures called the Baobhan Sith:- which were vampire like, in the form of beautiful women; haunted lonely countryside in the Scottish Highlands; trapped unwary men and drank their blood.
• Boggle:- amorphous glowing shape; haunted a lane at Orton, Kirkby Stephen, after dark
• Buckies:- haunted lonely roads at night in Lowland Scotland
• Madame Pigott:- haunted lonely lanes around Chetwynd, Hereford & Worcester, jumping up behind horsemen and strangling them with long boney fingers.
• “The White Bucca and the Black” folk tale from Cornwall where a feisty old Cornish woman gets the better of someone playing tricks upon her. A good example of an entertaining story.

Common themes occurred in the tales and characteristics of the beings.  Long boney fingers, shape shifting.  Locations were frequently lonely, dark, late at night, near to water, abandoned castles, scary places.  They often preyed on travellers.

3/. Ignis Fatuus (Foolish Fires)

Includes: – Lantern Man, Shiner, the Shiners, Jack O’ Lantern, Will o’ the Wisp, Hobby Lanthorn, Kit with the Canstick.  These used false lights to tempt travellers off the paths and into marshes, bogs & other dangerous countryside.  These were linked to marshy places and had a very direct link to the geography of the area so frequently occur in Dartmoor, The Somerset Levels, East Anglia.  Originating as explanations for the ignition of marsh gases before these were understood.

In Northern Europe bogs were special places, seen as the boundary between this world and the other world.  Beautiful Bronze and Iron Age artefacts have been found in bogs and are thought to be offerings.  There is also a history of bog bodies.

We looked in detail at the folk tale of the dead moon, the story can be found in ‘British Folk Tales and Legends: A Sampler Katharine M Briggs London, Granada/Paladin, 1977 pp 21-23’.  We discussed the rituals they had to perform for protection and in order to free the moon.  This tale took place by boggy water a dark and scary place.  The moon is personified as a beautiful woman.

4/.  We started looking at an example of a mischievous being.  The Hedley Kow:- a hob that appeared in various forms and pestered people in Hedley, Northumberland.  This was a shape shifter frequently playing tricks on servant girls in farmhouses whilst they were away from their tasks tangling their knitting, letting the cat at the milk and similar tricks.

Next time we shall continue with more on the Hedley Kow and mischievous creatures and household creatures which are friendly to humans if treated properly.

The session:

Continued the topic of the black dog in Folklore.

1/.  Black Dogs as Guardians

We looked at many examples across the country.  Guiding people across difficult terrain, protecting from thieves, saving them from cars.  They appear and disappear mysteriously.

2/.  In Classical and Celtic Mythology

Dogs acted as hunting companions to the gods and were also protectors and healers.  Celtic healing shrines have been found with images of dogs.  Dog licks have been associated with healing.

3/.  Black Dog and Bogey Beasts

These are always mischievous, malicious, scary or dangerous.  They have little or no regard for humankind.  They are not always black.

They occurred in forms other than dogs, most often an animal but not always.  They are sighted across the country and are often seen in places which are subject to misty, gloomy conditions.  Again the common themes for these were sightings at bridges, crossroads, graveyards etc. which are mystical crossing points to the otherworld.

The other forms include a cross between rough-coated dog and monkey, a donkey and monkey, a small horse, a headless duck, a bag of soot, white rabbit.

They can be shape shifters.  We looked in more detail at the Pelton Brag County Durham and that was reported to have taken more than one form: like a bushy tailed calf, a white sheet, a naked man without a head, a galloway.  (ref Westwood & Simpson, “The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, Penguin Books, 2006)

Some of the stories start as legends and become folk tales with detailed back stories. One such example is The White Rabbit of Crank from Lancashire.  (ref Terence Whitaker, “Lancashire’s Ghosts and Legends” Robert Hale Ltd ,1980)

It is possible that the references to rabbits may originally been hares, as rabbits were introduced by the Romans.

Next time we shall continue with boggarts.

A huge Thank You to all members who have contributed to this festive webpage. It has now expanded from the original idea of a gallery of  ‘Christmas Cards’ to include seasonal short stories (and a poem) and some relevant links to the National u3a website.  Read on!

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The session:

Started the topic of the black dog in Folklore, these occur all over Britain and Continental Europe.   Some just have sightings and some have stories added.

1/.  Black Dogs as Portents of Death and Disaster

We looked at many examples including Formby Merseyside, Bunbury Cheshire, Portland Dorset, Norfolk, Ely and more.

The common themes for these were sightings at bridges, crossroads, graveyards etc. which were places associated with being the boundaries between the world and the afterworld, places of transition which feature heavily in Celtic Myths.  In Greek Myths Cerberus is a hound which guards the gates of hell to stop the dead from getting out.    Mythology bleeding into folklore.

The black dogs all have a similar appearance, they are large, shaggy, black and have big eyes.  They are portents of death or disaster.  Many people believed ordinary dogs could predict death.

2/. Black Dogs with Mischievous/ Scary/ Malign Intentions

Examples were from Beetham in the old Westmorland, Manchester Old Church, Peel Castle, IOM and more. Not all the examples were from quiet places, some were in the centre of cities.

These dogs are not portents of misfortune but are scary, may make physical attacks and there is a need to keep a distance from them.  They have more in common with the supernatural bogey which appears in many forms.  They may let the horses out, are mischievous, cause you to go off the path.  They may have no links to the first group of black dogs.

3/.   Black Dogs linked to the Devil

We looked at a case from Bungay, Suffolk of an attack by the Devil in the form of a black dog in 1577.   A this can be found on the internet by looking for ‘A Straunge and Terrible Wunder’ by Abraham Fleming.  It manifested itself inside the church during a terrific thunderstorm, killing two people, injuring others and causing strange damage.  On the same day there was also an incident in Blythburgh and the claw marks remain on the church door there.  Here is a link to online article with photograph of the Blythburgh church door:- https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/weird-suffolk-black-shuck-folklore-1-6503598

This could be an explanation/interpretation of ball lightning from the severe storm.

Next time we shall look at Black Dogs being examples of supernatural creatures such as bogles and as harmless or guardians.

References:-   Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson ‘The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys’.

Reconvened remotely after a long break due to Covid-19.

The session:

Completed the topic of Scandinavian Mythology

1/.  Recapped the last topic from March covering the origins of Thor and his accessibility to both the gods and ordinary people.

2/.  Freya the Bride – Another battle of wits with the Frost Giants which started with the Mjollnir (Thor’s hammer) which was held for ransom for the hand of Freya.  This involved Thro dressing up as Freya and Loki dressing as Freya’s bridesmaid.  A tall tale where Thor in the guise of Freya eats an ox, eight salmon and drinks barrels of mead.  Thor eventually gets Mjollnir back and slays the giants.

3/.  Thor’s Visit to Utgard.  Another confrontation with the Frost Giants.  A tale you could imagine being spun around a roaring fire.  Whilst on a peacemaking visit to Utgard, Loki and Thialfi and Thor are challenged to contests in eating, running and drinking which are not what they first appear.  At first it seems that they have failed but they have not.  The eating contest was against fire, the running contest against thought and the drinking contest was an attempt to drink the sea.  Far from failing Thor had caused the sea levels to drop and the first ever tide.    The Frost Giant respected them for their efforts and there was a guarded truce.

4/.  The Lay of Hymir – starts with a crisis in Asgard as they have run out of ale and mead.  To brew the ale and mead they need a vast cauldron.  Tyr, part giant, with a father with a cauldron five miles deep travels with Thor to get it.  Cunning is used and great feats of strength.

5/.  In a number of creation myths the forces of chaos are pushed to the edges during creation.  These are represented by the Frost Giants in the Scandinavian myths.  Thor’s role is in keeping this chaos at bay.  There is a need to be alert as chaos could return.  The myths are larger than life but always presented in an understandable way.  The magic and mysticism are low key.

6/.  Discussed what our next topic should be.  We decided for our next topic we should shift away from far away places, “big” mythology and gods & goddess, to folklore that is closer to home.   We shall be looking at Black Dogs and other similar supernatural creatures, including boggarts, bogles, bugganes et al.  Legends and folktales concerning these creatures are common all over Britain, and it will be interesting to speculate as to why they were so widespread. We can also think about possible origins and meanings behind the stories.

The sessions are now taking place remotely and will be the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of the month at 10:00.  If you would like to be involved, please contact June Jones

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Before the Covid19 pandemic caused group activities to be suspended, two visits had taken place in 2020.

Thursday 12th February – Pennington Flash Country Park

The visit had been postponed from the Tuesday because of the atrocious weather conditions on the Tuesday.  The Thursday morning was a bright cold and windy Winter morning with just one short sharp hail shower.  Six members of the group attended and a total of 38 species were recorded.  A particular highlight was the large number of Goosander seen (c.15).

Tuesday 10th March – Martin Mere WWT

One of our regular visits, on this occasion seven members of the group attended and a total of 49 species were recorded.  It was a cloudy morning with some showers and strong winds.

As a result of the Covid19 restrictions the planned visits for the rest of the year were all cancelled.

The visits that had been planned were:

• 14th April – Lunt Meadows LWT, Sefton
• 12th May – Sizergh Castle NT / Leighton Moss RSPB
• 9th June – Yarrow Country Park, Chorley
• 14th July – Rivington Country Park, Bolton
• 8th September – Brockholes LWT, Preston
• 13th October – Speke Hall NT
• 27th October – Burton Mere RSPB & Dee Estuary
• 10th November – Marshside RSPB, Southport
• 8th December – Mere Sands Wood LWT, Rufford

Click ‘Continue reading’ for the full list of species seen on the February and March visits:

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U3A ACTIVITIES  – From your Chairman, Alan Starkie

You do not need me to tell you about the restrictions that have been placed upon us during the Covid pandemic. The restrictions have also put a halt to our normal U3A activities, which we have all previously enjoyed.

Your Committee and Trustees have, over the last six months, endeavoured to formulate a plan that would allow certain groups to re start under the prevailing rules at the time. As the rules are changed and the virus increases in severity, any plans for face-to-face meetings in the near future are now very much on hold.

Meanwhile, the way forward is for us to be a “Virtual” U3A.

Some groups have already started Zoom meetings in order to keep in touch with their members.  In order to facilitate this and to broaden its use by more groups, we have now purchased a 24/7 Zoom licence.

This means that instead of meetings lasting for about 40 minutes, as per the personal channel, they can now last for as long as is required.   Group leaders will be informed how this will work and they will no doubt contact you in the near future to encourage you to participate.

Our Treasurer, Derrick Fewings, using experience gained throughout his working life, has formulated an approach to restarting activities and the associated risk assessment.   This will enable the restarting of face-to-face activities as circumstances change in the future. Again, Group leaders will be heavily involved in this process and they in turn will keep you fully informed.

Things will change.

We cannot expect to continue, “as was” before all this upheaval started in March.

We may have to change our meeting venues and times and how we run our meetings under stricter hygiene precautions but…

…  WE WILL RETURN

Footnote – from Chairman of Trustees, Sue Watkinson

Our members who are now ‘Zooming In’ are leading the field.  All over the country u3a members are developing creative ways of keeping in touch and moving their group activities forward.  I’ve been enjoying the Creative Writing Group via a private 40 minute link since early on in lockdown and we’ve now taken up a two-hour slot on the new  u3a system.   At the moment it’s free for members.

Among others,   Italian groups have kept up their language skills, Musical Theatre and Drama are active and some monthly groups are meeting for discussion, poetry, book reading and Shakespeare.  Congratulations to all group leaders and members who have kept contact during these long months whether it is by email, digital meetings or the good old fashioned telephone.

Zooming In can give great social contact.   Our new licence gives 24/7 access so why not have an evening or weekend meeting?  It gives time to catch up, share experiences, plan and get ready to start up again.

I’ve always been proud of our u3a and I still am.    It has meant so much to me in retirement.   If there’s an opportunity to try a new technique for you to enjoy it in a different way, why not say yes.

Keep safe, stay well and see you all soon.

Following a request in the September enews, members have sent us a great selection of fine photos taken in their gardens and on local walks. Many, many thanks to all contributors.

Now, to set the scene, here is a timely poem from our resident poet, Judy Ingman.

To run this gallery as a presentation of full-size photos, click or tap on the U3A Logo.

As an extra treat of a seasonal music and photos, check out this YouTube video suggested by CXLVII.

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ACTIVITIES BASED IN HIRED PREMISES     –    MINIMISING THE RISK

Prior to hiring rooms, the Premises providers will have certified that the premises are classed as ‘Covid-19 Secure’. The Premises providers will have provided a risk assessment confirming the steps taken to minimise the risk of transfer of Covid-19. However, while some of the actions are on the provider of the premises there are many actions required on the hirer and now figure in the terms and conditions of hiring.

CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS

If you have any Covid-19 symptoms or have been advised to isolate, do not participate in U3A activities. If you are from a location known to be subject to special measures, do not participate in U3A activities. Your health and safety and that of other members are paramount.

Assuming the above does not exclude you from attending, please take note that the onus is on you to assess the risks associated with participating in the offered activities. The premises owners and your management team will have taken all reasonable steps to minimize threats to the wellbeing of members and communicate the good practice described here. However, the acceptance of risk is inevitably a personal matter.

By the way, the Third Age Trust advises that members avoid car sharing to and from activities.

CLEANSING

The premises will be cleaned by the premises provider at the start of each day but NOT between sessions. As a condition of the booking, any party hiring the premises must commit to themselves cleaning all surfaces with an appropriate household product. Typically, this means wiping chair frames (not fabric), tables, door handles window handles and toilets. The group leader will be responsible for supplying the cleaning products; with the cost covered from attendance fees.

If equipment is used, clean that equipment with an appropriate sanitizing product between sessions.

Keep the room well ventilated.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Attendees are encouraged to clean hands with a sanitizer or soap/water prior to and throughout the session.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Attendees must adhere to the Govt guidelines on social distancing. Ideally, a standard of 2 metres should be adopted. The room provider may assist in this matter by floor markings. Wherever practical, sit side-by-side rather than face-to-face. If 2 metres is not viable (e.g. card and board games), a distancing of 1+ metres must be adhered to and face masks must be worn throughout the session.

If the activity involves synchronized movement that may cause an individual to inadvertently move into the space of another individual, a social distance necessary to avoid inadvertently breaching the 2 metres must be adopted.

The premises management will have advised the maximum capacity of each available room. The Group Leader must ensure that the imposed maximum attendance is not breached. This could entail putting potential attendees on a rota or splitting a session.

Avoid congestion within corridors. The room provider may designate separate entrance and exit routes. These must be adhered to.

If the activity has recognized national guidelines (e.g. table tennis), comply with those guidelines.

CATERING

Excepting access to a sink, kitchen facilities will NOT be available. You must not touch the hall’s cutlery or crockery. Bring your own refreshments. Do not share refreshments or associated utensils.

GOVERNMENT ‘TEST AND TRACE’ SERVICE

Leaders must maintain an accurate register of attendees at each session and ensure that a contact telephone number is recorded on the register against each attendees’ name.

Leaders must retain the register and be prepared to pass the details of any specific session to the Secretary and to an agent of the Govt ‘Test and Trace’ service.

Derrick Fewings,
on behalf of the Management Committee

Many of you will be aware that a survey of Group Leaders and approx. three hundred members chosen at random has taken place.

This was undertaken to give the Committee an indication of member’s feelings with when our U3A activities should continue. The dates of 1st September, 1st October and 1st January 2021 were used as a time indicator rather than fixed proposals for reopening.

The results of the survey revealed a fifty-fifty split between October and January, but with the proviso “as soon as it is safe to do so”.

At a Zoom Management Committee meeting, on 10th August, the survey results were considered. It was also accepted that there are Covid-19 spikes in Preston, Greater Manchester and Liverpool at present. There is also speculation about whether or not the re-opening of schools etc. will affect the situation…

Given this scenario, and as the health and wellbeing of our members is our number one priority, the decision to restart our U3A activities was deferred until the New Year 2021.

The committee will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and will take heed of Third Age Trust and Government advice, and will keep you informed of any progress that can be made.

This is of course disappointing to many of us, but it is better to be safe than be sorry.

Alan Starkie

Chairman

Aughton & Ormskirk U3A

A poem for this time of social distancing – penned by Ballroom Dancing and Keyboard Music Group member, Margaret Hobson

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During this time of various levels of social distancing,  Gardening Group has been sending out excellent newsletters to the regular members of the group via email.

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Although our group is for the time being having a rest due to Covid 19, Peter LLoyd – Leader of  Beer Appreciation group – has taken the opportunity to raise some much needed funds for our local hospitals. He cycled almost 80 miles in consecutive days calling at Alder Hey, Royal Preston and Southport Hospitals where he is also a volunteer.  A magnificent total of £920 was raised which will be disbursed to Alder Hey and Southport, both of which have issued Urgent Appeals.  Peter would like to say a sincere thanks to all of his U3A Friends who donated following his Bike Ride: ” You have been simply amazing, I cannot thank you enough. Best Love to all”.

The Cathedral Church of Saint Alban, Saint Alban’s, Hertfordshire, 23 November 2021

Although we are not currently meeting for talks by the three Peters, we can see a taster of what is to come once lock-down is over.

In 731, the Venerable Bede had this to say: ‘A beautiful church worthy of Alban’s martyrdom was built, where sick folk are healed and frequent miracles take place to this day’

Nothing remains of the chapel built where Alban was martyred in 209, but he was executed for sheltering the Christian priest Amphibalus, so Christian worship was taking place in and around the city of Verulamium by that time. The earliest church was destroyed by Saxons in 586. Offa is said to have founded a double Benedictine monastery in 793, replacing the building of Bede’s time. This later building was, in turn, sacked by Danes around 890, after which the monastery hit hard times and there was no abbot between 920 and the 970s. However, Abbot Ealdred began to rebuild in 1005, but this work stalled under the pressure of Viking raids from 1016 onwards.

In 1077 when Paul of Caen was appointed the first Norman abbot, by his uncle Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury, he set about building a new church straight away, starting with the crossing tower. There was no good building stone near the site, only flints, so some stone was imported from Caen but the major part of the building was constructed from Roman tiles, found in abundance in the nearby ruins of Verulamium.

Today, the crossing tower, two western bays of the chancel and the transepts survive from the late 11^th century. Eastern parts of the nave and much of the north arcade and aisle are also Norman work, of the 12^th century, and four Western bays of the nave are Early English from the early 13^th century, the presbytery, and retro-choir date from a mid-13^th century rebuild and the Lady Chapel from the late 13^th and early 14^th century. The south arcade and aisle of the nave were rebuilt in the mid-14^th century, documented 15^th century work has been mainly replaced under later (Victorian) restorations.

After the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, practically all the claustral buildings were demolished for their building materials and the main church abandoned and neglected. In 1553 the citizens of St Albans bought the old abbey to use as their parish church, but repair and maintenance of such a large ancient building was beyond the means of the parishioners and by 1832 the main building was reported to be in a sad state of disrepair. But from 1871 remedial work was done under Sir G.G. Scott: to the nave clerestorey, the South aisle roof, stonework of the Lady Chapel and the structure of the crossing tower, but funds ran out after his death in 1878. This laid the way open for a local lawyer, Lord Grimthorpe, also an amateur theologian and an amateur architect to step in. He was a wealthy man and overall spent £130.000 of his fortune on his own ‘improvements’ and repairs to the structure, mainly in a version of Victorian Gothic. The whole West front was replaced by him and the roof heightened to a steeper pitch and well as other restorations throughout the structure. There is a carved portrait of him, represented as St Matthew, in the West porch.

The see and bishopric of Saint Alban’s was inaugurated in 1877 and the old Abbey church became the cathedral, whilst also remaining the parish church, dedicated to St Alban.

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U3A Garden Group – April 

Hello Everyone. I do hope that you are all staying safe and well and enjoying your garden or outdoor spaces. As we are no longer able to meet I thought of keeping touch – and hopefully have a bit of fun. We all need this in the current situation.

Fun quiz:

1. Conceal the guide.
2. blue dilly,dilly.
3. Material for sundress.
4. Mrs.Bucket.
5. Overworked girl.
6. Sugary Prince.
7. Remember Me.
8. German wine for Ivy’s partner.
9. The shepherds friend and the bakers ingredient.
10. Line up for the dolly.
12. Colourful accommodation.
13. Instrument has roof support.
14. Crustation combines with Adams downfall.
15. Weight of gold.
16. A taxi for an era.
17. A Foppish feline.
18. Cold fall.
19. Stan.
20. This is more than a saga.

Answers to be revealed next month.

Fun quotes

A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man’s work, saying, “May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!” A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it’s a completely different place. The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. “Amazing!” the preacher says. “Look what God and you have accomplished together!” “Yes, reverend,” says the farmer, “but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!”

God made rainy days, so gardeners could get the housework done.

A toddler who was found chewing on a slug. After the initial surge of disgust the parent said, “Well, what does it taste like?” “Worms,” was the reply.

A Few Jobs to do now

• Start to direct sow hardy annuals, eg marigolds, poppies, dill, cerinthe, nigella, etc.
• Harden off seedlings that have been started off indoors on warm still days. Place them outside during the day, but take them in again late afternoon, and do this for about a week or so. This way they will get used to the cooler conditions before being planted outside. Start planting out half-hardies, eg.cosmos, in sheltered spots at end of the month.
• Pot cuttings of tender perennials, eg. perlagoniums taken late last summer or autumn. They’ll be well rooted now and will benefit from some fresh compost and more space for root formation before planting in their summer position.
• Plant out sweet peas– two plants to each upright. Dig a good, deep hole and fill the base with farmyard manure. Tie them in to the base of the arch or frame and water them in well.
• Create new plants from last year’s pelargoniums – take cuttings now and they’ll be ready to be replanted in a couple of months and be in full flower in four.
• Keep on top of the tiny annual weeds emerging with a hoe. Only hoe on dry days – this way any weeds that you hoe will die off and wilt quickly. Run the blade back and forth over the soil to break it up and cut down any of the newly sprouting weeds. You can save so much back-breaking work later on if you do this every other day for a few minutes.
• Perennials such as bindweed will start to appear big-time now. Dig them out, tracing the roots as far as you can, or train the tip up a bamboo cane and then treat with a suitable weedkiller.
• Cut back the last of the perennials and lightly fork over the soil carefully without damaging emerging shoot.
• Lavender plants need cutting back now to prevent them from looking sparse. Give the plant a short back and sides with secateurs to snip off old flower stems and shoot tips. Don’t prune hard into old wood, as this will prevent new growth. While you are pruning, shape the plants into domes and remove any leggy or unwanted stems. Give the plants a weekly liquid feed during the summer, to encourage growth.
• Last chance to cut back shrubs, especially those grown for colourful winter stems (eg dogwood or willow). Cut back to buds about knee height, then feed and mulch.

Ibrahim Hamato lost both his arms as the result of an accident when he was 10. He plays table tennis better than most people!

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Here’s another short quiz, 10 more questions – again, don’t google the answers – at least not until you’ve tried the quiz!

Do let us know how you get on by email to u3amedia@gmail.com.

To get you started, here’s a short quiz, just 10 questions – why not try it without googling the answers?!

Let us know how you get on, whether you enjoyed it, whether you want more of them. You can email u3amedia@gmail.com.

The session:

Continued the topic of Frey and Freya the twin gods of fertility in Germanic and Scandinavian mythology.

1/.  Frey – means lord

According to Snorri Sturluson he was good, gentle, beautiful to look at, had power over sunshine and rain.  He had a boar which pulled his chariot.  Frey was venerated particularly in Uppsala in Sweden where there were great celebrations including wild dancing, men dressing as women, laying down of weapons. The people doing it believed it was vital to do or Spring would not be able to come again.

We had a look at the story of Gunnar Helming where Gunnar due to a twist in the plot impersonated Frey.  Olaf Tryggvason the King of Norway who has a role in this story features in historical records.

Frey was married to Gerd the daughter of a Frost Giant.  There is a tale about how their marriage came about where gifts were offered and threats given before she gave in and married Frey.  This can be seen as Winter marrying Spring after a confrontation.

2/.  Freya – means lady

Freya is a female version of Frey and they are very similar but Freya also has influence over love and affairs of the heart.  She visited the world of men regularly.  Some say she was married to Frey but in other myths she is married to Odr in perfect happiness.  However she was insatiably lustful and had a passion for jewels.  Loki said that she had worked her way through the men of the nine worlds.  She had a chariot pulled by cats.  She travelled in her chariot to every battle scene.  Odin took half of the fallen to Valhalla and Freya took half to Asgard.  There is some of the Great Goddess Mythology life and death, responsibility for wnter/spring, creator destroyer.

In the story of Dvalin and his Three Brothers, who were dwarves, she is tricked into buying a beautiful necklace in exchange for marrying each of them for a day.  Dwarves were seen as very low status in these myths.  When Odr finds this out he leaves and she wanders the world looking for him, shedding tears of pure red gold.

3/.  Thor

Thunor the Germanic weather god and Thor the Scandinavian weather god are much the same thing.

Thor is a god of the people and a way of explaining the world around them.  He was a huge red haired figure, boaster and drinker, ruler of thunder lightning and storms and by extensions a god of battle.  A powerful protector of the gods.  Protector of humans, giver of good weather for agriculture.

His chariot was pulled by 2 goats.  Thunder rumbled as Thor passed by.  He was married to the goddess Sif who had golden hair like a field of corn.  If brute force was needed they called on Thor, for cunning Odin and Loki.

He had three treasures, a magic strength doubling belt, iron rock shattering gauntlets and a mighty hammer Mjollnir.  If the hammer was thrown it would return to his hand and was his thunderbolt.  The hammer was the most important as it kept the universe safe and secure.

The Greeks, Romans and Celtic people viewed oak trees as sacred, in Germanic myths oak trees are linked to Thor.

When people travelled to live in new places they would take soil from beneath his shrine to scatter on the newly tilled fields to ensure a good crop.

There are lots of tales of battles with the Frost Giants.  These were not presented as monumental battles, much more down to earth and humorous.  We started looking at three tales recorded by Snorri Sturluson’s Prose.

i/ Thor’s Duel with Hrungir where Thor was brought in to use his strength to fight the strongest of all the Frost Giants.

When we re-convene after the covid-19 break we shall look at ii/ Freya the Bride and iii/. Thor’s Visit to Utgard.

References:-

The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson – A 12 century Icelandic historian – there are translations and reference books of his work available online and good bookshops.

The session:

Continued the topic of Odin and Frig in Germanic and Scandinavian mythology.

1/.  Odin –

We covered the tale of The Lay of Grimnir in more detail.  In this story Odin visited the world of men under one of his many disguise.  Odin and his wife Frig were very competitive and Frig warned Gerrod, King of the Goths, to beware of a magician who would visit.  This caused Gerrod to seem to break the rules of hospitality and lead to him coming to a bad end but as Gerrod was a cruel and tyrannical king that would have gone down well with the audience.

2/. Frig

Nerthus was venerated as the Earth Mother by the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples.  Frig was originally the earth mother worshipped by the Angles and Saxons.  Borne of the earth itself and married to the sky god so linked back to creation mythology.

Over time the fertility element moved over to Frey and Freya who started out as the children of the Earth Mother Nerthus.  Frig became the goddess of marriage and married love.

The Legend of Baldur

Baldur was the favourite son of Odin and Frig.  He was the best of gods, bright, beautiful and shining, kind and wise.  He was very happy with his wife Nanna.  Baldur had a twin brother called Holder who was the opposite of Baldur to look at; he was dark and blind.  They loved each other.

Baldur could tell the future and started to have bad dreams full of dread, of a shadowy world.

Odin went to the Hall of Hel (the goddess who ruled in the Realm of the Dead) to find out what was going on.  The Hall was set out for a special guest.  Odin was told that Baldur would be killed by Holder.

Frig went to see each and every substance to gain its commitment not to harm Baldur, and this was agreed.

They decided to test Baldur’s new found invincibility and threw things at him, much fun was had and Baldur was unhurt.

Everyone was happy apart from Loki who was consumed with jealousy.  He shapeshifted into the form of an old woman and visited Frig to see if there were any flaws in the plan.  He checked that everything had been covered by asking lots of questions and identified it covered everything that grows out of the earth so it did not cover mistletoe.

Loki made a dart out of mistletoe, gave it to Holder to use, helped blind Holder sight up and the dart went right through Baldur and killed him.

Frig sent an emissary to Hel to negotiate a ransom for Baldur’s life.  The condition of the ransom was that everything must weep for him.  Everything wept apart from an old woman (Loki) so Baldur stayed in the hall of Hel.

This shows some evidence of the earlier role of Frig.  Baldur has a lot of the characteristics of the spring god, but in this story he does not come back, reflecting that the fertility role had already been taken over by Frey/Freya and the concept of an inescapable fate.

3/.  Frey/Freya

We touched very briefly on this and will take it further at the next session.

T!   Bottles   click for slideshow

1st Syd Hughes

2nd Ann James

3rd Ginny Salkeld

4th Colin Ratcliff

T2  Gold  click for slideshow

1st Bill Soens

2nd Mike Williams

4th Alan Starkie

3rd Hazel Anderton

Our next show will be in May at The Civic, Ormskirk and will be ‘The Magic Of The Movies’. Songs from Movies and Musicals from the last nine decades, including Kiss me Kate, Wizard of Oz, Me and My Girl, My Fair lady, Greece, Evita, Singing in the Rain, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and some that might be not known such as Bugsy Malone,  Moulin Rouge, Hairspray and Billy Elliot – so there should be something for everybody. Book now to ensure your place for this magical night of song.

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1. Birds of the Galapagos Islands

Bill Hale gave a very interesting one hour talk on ‘Birds of the Galapagos Islands’. No one in the group except Bill had been there, and we were treated to Bill’s photographs of over 55 species, most of which are not seen in Great Britain, (except the Turnstone, the Sanderling and Cattle Egret).

Many of the birds seen are native to the Galapagos: G. Penguin, G. Hawk (the only bird of prey), 13 species of G. Finches including 2 species of G. Warblers, G Flycatcher, G. Dove, and G. Cuckoo, etc.

Other memorable birds seen were Short Eared Owls who predate the local Petrels, Albatross, Mocking Birds, Shearwaters, Oystercatchers, Blue Footed Booby, Masked Booby and Red Footed Booby, Flightless Cormorants and the Magnificent Frigate Bird, Flamingos, Herons (4 species) and the delightfully named Vermillion Flycatcher, etc., etc.

Bill’s immense knowledge of the ‘bird world’ made it an enthralling session, and he can rightly claim to know more than Darwin having visited all 16 of the Galapagos Islands, that’s 12 more than Darwin achieved!

2. Proposed venues for 2020

Peter Hatfield presented his list of proposed venues for birdwatching in 2020.  Seven of last years reserves are revisited in the year ahead but in different seasons, two sites not visited by the group in the last 4 years (Rivington CP and Sizergh Castle*) and three more venues not seen last year will be seen this year, (Speke Hall NT, Yarrow CP and Brockholes LWT).  (See ‘continue reading’ below for the full list.)

*Please note that Sizergh is an optional extra for seeing Haw Finches from 8.30 am. The rest of the group will start at 10.30 at Silverdale. The Sizergh group will aim to reach Siverdale by 11.00am.

3. Review of 2019 visits and sightings

Peter Banks presented the summary of visits and sightings for 2019.  Two of the visits planned for 2019 had to be changed and the December visit cancelled due to bad weather.  All of our group sightings are recorded on the group’s web pages and also logged at BirdTrack a national project run by the British Trust for Ornithology in partnership with RSPB (and others) that records distributions and migration movements of birds throughout Britain and Ireland and also is linked to global records.

4. BirdTrack update

Peter Banks reported that, because the group submits records to the online BirdTrack system, we receive a regular monthly email from the BTO.  As well as information about bird populations they also have useful links to other information and bird identification videos.  Peter has long felt these emails should be made available to other group members but unfortunately the U3A’s Beacon email system does not allow forwarding of emails received.  He suggested that an email group could be set up so that these emails could be forwarded from the group email address to members of the bird group who would like to receive them.

5. AOB

Peter Banks introduced a discussion about ways in which members of the group might be able to share information about local bird sightings.  (One of our group members who was not able to be present at the AGM had emailed to suggest such a group that people could ‘opt in’ to.)  Again this would need to be outside the U3A Beacon system as only group leaders can send Beacon emails.  Peter showed a few examples of the sort of sightings that could be shared:

The suggestions are:

• A WhatsApp Group that members could opt in to so they could share information (requires a smartphone).
• A group page where members who opt in could share photos of birds seen locally or on group visits.  Ideally this should have a link on the group webpage so everyone can view.  This will be investigated further to determine the best platform to use.

Attendance:

Thirteen members of the group attended this year’s AGM, and apologies were received from one other.  The list of attendees is recorded on the group’s database.

Peter Hatfield and Peter Banks, joint leaders.

Click ‘continue reading’ for the full list of planned visits for 2020 and the summary of visits and sightings for 2019.

Continue reading →

The session:

 We agreed an earlier start time of 9:50 to avoid congestion in the car park, with an earlier finish.

Continued Norse Mythology covering Germanic and Scandinavian mythology with the topic of Odin.

1/.  Odin –

Odin became the Sky God, creator of the Universe, King of the gods.  He provided rules which had to be followed to protect against the chaos which still existed outside the organised world.  He visited Midgard, the world of men, to make sure the rules were being followed.

Over time he took on many attributes, physical appearances and roles, and had many aliases.  He also had magic skills and was a shape shifter.  He was a majestic figure with gravitas and dignity.  He was capricious, lustful and quick tempered and a rule breaker when it suited him.  He was also arrogant and boastful as related in the Song of Harbard.  A god but one with flaws.

He was very successful with women apart from in The Myth of Billing’s Daughter who outsmarted him.  She is portrayed as being duplicitous and treacherous for not wanting to have a relationship with him and using her wits to avoid him, a view which is much less acceptable now.

This was all in the context of a world where gods and men are doomed.  Great warriors would go to Valhall to await the final battle (Ragnarok), to qualify for this they would need to show their skills to Odin but the Norns (the three Fates) had already set down the fates of the gods and mortals.

We looked at two tales The Myth of Mead of Poetry where Odin gains a magic mead from giants by means of shape shifting, cunning and deceit and The Lay of Grimnir where again he did not reveal who he was.

Oden was married to Frig and they had a tempestuous relationship with neither being faithful to the other.

2/. Frig

Originally Frig was the goddess of fertility but her attributes changed over time too and she became the goddess of the home and protector of women whilst Freya became the goddess of fertility.

In February we shall continue Norse Mythology

Further Reading

There is a lot of information available on the internet by using simple searches.  These books are not in print but may be available second hand or from a library.

References:-

Brian Branston ‘The Lost Gods of England’ Thames and Hudson

‘Encyclopaedia of World Mythology’ Octopus Books

Wednesday February 12 :  Yes, we have no Galanthus – A talk by Steven Halliwell.

An interesting talk with a ‘poetical’ twist and some lovely photos of mass plantings of snowdrops from Banks Hall, Gresgarth Hall, Dunham Massey, Lytham Hall, Brantwood, Parcevall Hall and Hornby Castle. There are hundreds of varieties of snowdrop mostly developed from 3 species

Galanthus Nivalis (our native snowdrop) from Western Europe

Galanthus Elwesii from Eastern Europe

Galanthus plicates from Russia. 

Wednesday January 8:   The Walled Garden – A talk about Norton Priory 

A very interesting and informative talk given by Keith and Kathy Williams who have been volunteering at Norton Priory for about 30 years. The talk started with a brief history about the property and some interesting information about the numbers and roles of the gardening staff needed to look after the garden when it supplied all the produce for the main house. The only women working in the garden were  ‘Daisy grubbers’ which meant weeding all the gravel paths on hands and knees with special gloves which had hooks on the finger ends.   The talk then moved on to an illustrated look at how the garden has been developed and restored since the house was demolished and the garden abandoned in 1928. The walled garden is two and a half acres and has been redeveloped with reference to how Victorian walled gardens were generally arranged. The garden is divided into four quarters and includes various old varieties of apples and gooseberries as well as the national collection of quince, a croquet lawn and an orchard. The garden opens at the end of March is well worth a visit.

Firstly please accept my apologies for not posting the usual individual reports for these visits.

11th June 2019 – Lunt Meadows

Five members of the group attended and enjoyed a very good morning’s birding despite the persistent rain.  The water levels in all the lakes and ponds were much higher than we have seen before as a result of all the recent rain.  A total of 37 species were recorded and it was good to see many chicks and juvenile birds.

9th July 2019 – Burton Mere RSPB

Five members of the group attended and as on previous visits to this site we benefited greatly from the experience of guest leader Peter Twist.  A total of 51 species were recorded on this visit and a particular highlight was the large number (25 plus) of Little Egret several of which were at their nest site.

10th September 2019 – Marshside RSPB

Twelve members pf the group attended for the morning with a couple of us staying on into the afternoon.  Although we did not see as many species as on some visits to this site, a total of 31 species being recorded, the sighting of the two Ruddy Shelduck was a ‘first’ for the group.  Another highlight was the group of five Cattle Egret ‘doing what it says on the tin’ as they interacted with some cattle.

‘Record shots’ of the Ruddy Shelducks (left photo) and the Cattle Egrets at Marshside.

8th October 2019 – Martin Mere WWT

(One of a number of occasions this year when the venue had to be changed because of the poor weather to a site where there was shelter available.)

Eleven members of the group attended this visit and a total of 42 species were recorded.  Large numbers of Pink Footed Geese and a few of the Whooper Swans had arrived at the site, a little later than usual probably as a result of the mild Autumn.  There were however surprisingly few waders to be seen although 6 Snipe was a highlight.  Another highlight was seeing three Marsh Harriers hunting.

22nd October 2019 – Leighton Moss

On this occasion we were lucky with the weather but had been advised to take wellington boots as some of the paths were flooded following recent rain.  Six members of the group attended and a total of 46 species were recorded.  After spending the morning at the main reserve most of us went to visit the hides located at Morecambe Bay before returning home.  One member who remained at the main reserve was rewarded with the sighting of a Bearded Tit.  Although on the group visit we had heard a water rail we had not been lucky enough  to see it.  The photo included here was taken by Bill Hale who was not on the group visit but had visited the site the following week.

12th November 2019 – Mere Sands Wood

Another weather-related change of venue as the wind-chill and muddy conditions would have been intolerable at the planned venue of Hesketh Outmarsh on the Ribble Estuary.  Ten members of the group attended this visit and a total of 33 species were recorded.  Highlights were the large numbers of Teal and 10-12 Goosander.

The planned visit to Speke Hall on 10th December was cancelled, again because of bad weather.

Click ‘Continue reading’ for the full list of species seen on the above visits:

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Our Autumn 2019 Production

We are proud to present, in November, another new musical written and directed by our own Gill O’Flaherty.

‘Chances’ is loosely based on a true story of finding and losing love over the years, with highs and lows and modern songs that ties up and adds to the emotion of the story line.

Please click or tap on poster to view all details in  full-size.

Our Creative Writing ✍ group make a first appearance for our last session of the year.  They are very talented and and were  well received.
After early festive refreshments the ‘Sunnysiders’🎻🪕🎸🎷🎤🎧🎶 (musical variety show) entertained us further.

’REVAMPED’ returned to entertain us with their songs & guitars  🎸🎸🎼plus we had  a display by our Textiles & Quilting group🧵🧶.

22 September 2019 –

Our marvellous U3A choir 🎤🎶 performed  for us in September followed by refreshments as usual and Prize Bingo🎁

Wednesday 4th December 2019

On the 4th December we had our traditional Christmas Cheer event which started with short talks on the theme of the deep mid-winter: the effects of freezing, when is it actually winter?, the effect of day length on plants and a new slant on the birds of the twelve days of Christmas; plus a quiz and of course Christmas refreshments with mulled wine.  A good time was had by all!

The session:

Completed the Saga of Gisli and started Norse Mythology.

1/.  The Saga of Gisli

In the final part of the story Gisli became a warrior hero, honourable and true.  He would have been seen as a popular hero at the time the story originated.  Not all his killings would have been seen as good now but when he was found guilty of a crime magic had been used to prevent people from speaking for him.  His actions would have fitted the social conventions of the time.

In his final confrontation Gisli took a warrior hero’s last stand.  Eyjolf who had been paid to find Gisli discovered his hiding place.  Gisli challenged Eyjolf to attack him.  Eyjolf is portrayed to be a coward in this part of the tale and orders Helgi to attack Gisli first.  Helgi agrees knowing he will certainly die but also tells Eyjolf he must follow him.  Aud (Gisli’s wife), who is portrayed as being strong and brave, attacks Eyjolf injuring him.  Gisli cuts Helgi in two and Eyjolf behaves in a cowardly manner by hiding behind a rock.  Gisli fights valiantly against Eyjolf’s men, killing many of them, but is eventually overcome by his grievous wounds.  The wounds were so bad those there did not know how he fought for so long.

We looked at Gisli’s warrior hero qualities and had a discussion around how he fitted the criteria.  He was a northern hero, existing in an extended family, with family ties and loyalties.  The tale’s scale is more domestic, involving family feuds.

2/. Norse Mythology

This covers Germanic and Scandinavian mythology

This would have been brought to Britain in the 500’s by the Angles and Saxons and in the 800’s by the Danes, Vikings and Norwegians so the stories would have been familiar to the people of Britain.

We had a quick recap of the Creation Myths which generally start with chaos and darkness in a fluid unformed state which had existed for all time.  There was a Sky God who was the father of the gods, he formed the universe and imposed order on the chaos.

In the Germanic and Scandinavian myths little of the original mythology survived.  The Germanic god of winds and storms Woden and Odin the Scandivanian god over time took on the characteristics of the old sky god and the original faded away.

In January we shall continue Norse Mythology

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The session:

Looked at Icelandic Sagas

1/.  Around 700 survived in manuscript form.  Some are based on family history, others covered leaders and battles, early Viking exploration and heroes.  A mix of fact with storytelling.

2/.  The Saga of Gisli – this is a settler saga based on historical records from around 800-1000 AD.  It was written sometime in the C13th.

It is a story with a large cast of characters, a number of whom start with THOR as the first four letters, and is not an easy tale to relate in a few words.  If you enter ‘Saga of Gisli’ in your search engine a number of sites will give you the story in full.

It is interesting to see that the settler story based on the facts produces a cracking story with family honour, conflicting loyalties, revenge, oaths, prophecies, heroes and daring deeds.  It is also a good example of how stories grow and are embellished over time.  It is about a settler society involving families, kinship groups, protection and defence, family honour and reputation.  The society rules were there to protect the good order of society.  Oaths were very important and were seen as a call to the gods.  At the time it was believed that Odin created the universe and natural laws.  Once an oath was broken fate will have its way.

In December we shall conclude the Saga of Gisli and start looking at Scandanavian Mythology

Saturday 27 April 2019 – The National Memorial Arboretum

The 150 acre site located in Staffordshire is the UK’s centre of Remembrance and home to the iconic Armed Forces Memorial was the location for the first of the Summer outings. We took a land train with commentary to see some of the thought-provoking memorials and we listened to an introductory talk about the Arboretum. The opportunity was taken by some to hear another presentation entitled Shot at Dawn about soldiers who were executed by firing squad.

Departed 9.15am, Long Lane near S&G HQ.

Returned approx. 7.15pm.

Cost – Coach £18 – Land train £5.

Sunday 12 May 2019 – West Derby Courthouse and Speke Hall Liverpool

Firstly we visited the West Derby Courthouse. This stone built Courthouse is the only free standing post medieval court in Britain. Built in 1586 on the authorisation of Queen Elizabeth I it functioned until 1910.  We continued onwards to Speke Hall, a fine example of a timber framed Tudor house with an interesting history to be told by one of the guides at the Hall.

Departed 1pm, Long Lane near S&G HQ.

Returned approx. 6.15pm.

Cost – Coach £10, Speke Hall admission £10. National Trust members no charge. Please remember to bring your Trust membership card.

Saturday 22 June 2019 – A Day in Deva – now known as Chester

The Roman roads linking Chester with Lancashire may have passed through Aughton and Ormskirk, we do have a turnpike road and Roman coins have been found in the area. Our visit included a cruise along the River Dee with a sandwich, cake, fruit, tea / coffee lunch. After disembarking we carried on to see the Midsummer Parade that dates back to Tudor times. Led by a child, the City Drummer and a family of Giants, puppet animals, mythical creatures, hobby horses, musicians and more costumed participants added to the colourful parade as it made its way around the City centre. Later in the day there was the chance to walk in the footsteps of Legion XX.v.v with Titus , our very own Roman Legionary guide. A welcome stop for a meal / snack / comfort break was taken on the return journey.

Departed 9.45 am, Long Lane near S&G HQ.

Returned approx 8.45 pm.

Cost £28. Optional walk £4 extra.

More details and booking at Horizons.

Tuesday 2 July 2019 – A Tour of Liverpool’s Empire Theatre. Lunch at the Adelphi Hotel. A Tour of Liverpool’s Playhouse Theatre.

All the venues were optional but we started at The Empire where we met at 10.50 am for and 11am start. We had an interesting tour of the front of house areas from one of the Empire staff. Much reminiscing took place by members of U3A, remembering visits made there to see, amongst others, The Beatles and other 60’s icons! This was followed by a tour of the back stage areas.

We moved on to The Adelphi for 12:40pm where we had a three course meal and a much welcome sit down!.

After lunch we walked to The Playhouse. We were shown around all the public areas and taken onto the stage and into the backstage areas. An interesting time was had by all.

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