The British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Leyland

Saturday 13th May 2023

The history of commercial vehicles in the home town of truck and bus making. An indoor museum with over 50 well maintained vehicles on display, from an 1895 horse drawn steam fire appliance to the Popemobile.

Thursday 16 November:   Beethoven’s Symphony No.7.   Concert programme also includes Rossini’s Overture  – The Italian Girl in Algiers  & Walton’s cello concerto. Please check for further details on the groups’ Philharmonic web page and also for programme notes on the October’s concert.

The Philharmonic now requires booking confirmation 4 weeks in advance and there can be a demand for tickets – so book early to avoid disappointment. 

A day trip to ‘Golden Days Garden Centre at Appley Bridge’ – Monday 16th October

We will be leaving St Anne’s Social Centre at 10.40am – the Scout HQ Long Lane at 10.45am, and Aughton Village Hall at 11.0am.  For anyone who hasn’t been before – the Garden Centre also sells clothes and other articles and has a cafe where people can buy lunch.

For further details – select ‘Helping Each Other’ web page.

If you are unable to visit our weekly Horizons meetings on Thursday mornings at the Christ Church Scout & Guide HQ, you can view the slideshow which highlights events in the coming weeks along with some general notices.

A recent Speaker Meeting featured Dave Carlos (Cyber Volunteer for Lancashire Police) talking about Cyber Crime with detailed advice on passwords, scams and online security. Here are more details of his talk.

See details of the next Speaker Meeting organised by Pam Ball.

(Many Thanks Pam for your ever excellent series !)

A message from Pam Ball:

We had a very good response to the Speaker Meeting on 6^th July, between 70 and 80 members present. Dave Carlos gave an excellent talk on Cyber Crime and has since emailed some useful links, which I’ve posted on Pam’s Past Speaker Meetings page on the website.

The next Speaker Meeting will take place on 7 September.  See the Speaker Meeting page for details,

On Saturday,  8 July, the u3a Choir  look forward to seeing you at Aughton Village Hall for their next concert, commencing at 7:30pm.

The theme is quite simply ‘Joy!’  We hope to be able to raise spirits and share our ‘joie de vivre’ with you.

For further info on the flier for this event, view the Horizons slideshow which highlights events in the coming weeks

On Thursday 6th July at Horizons, we will welcome Dave Carlos, who will speak on the important topic of Cyber Crime.  See Speaker Meetings for details.

Saturday 29 July at Aughton Village Hall – 2 to 5 pm

Join us for afternoon tea and a glass of Sparkling Wine

Entertainment by our Music and Dance groups

Free Raffle

Tickets £5 (non refundable) available at Horizons or phone 01695 577614

Member, Julia Bate is Coordinator for the Health & Wellbeing Group which provides occasional talks on relevant topics for members to attend.

Additionally, Julia herself attends and reports back on regular meetings with the Patient Safety and the Patient and Public Involvement Groups attached to the North West Coast NHS Innovation Agency.  Interesting and comprehensive reports from these meetings are listed below. These meetings continue to be either face-to-face or via video-conferencing.

For further information, email Julia on: wellbeing@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk

Reports

2023

• October and November meetings

Renaming of the Innovation Agency, review of Patient Medication Review Literature         and review of new Happy Hearts website

• September meeting
  Developing a questionnaire relating to an App into which details of home-monitoring of blood pressure etc are entered and submitted to the GP practice, a new means of befriending, and more about polypharmacy reviews.
• July meeting
  Telehealth (a home monitoring service for long-term health conditions), more information on the system for recording the improvement in response to physiotherapy following knee surgery, and the link between deprivation and health inequalities.
• June meeting
  A dementia-friendly photography group, a mobile phone app for accessing GP records, a portable ecg monitor worn for 14 days, and a system for monitoring response to physiotherapy
• May meeting
  A digital physical activity hub, a system for recording clinical consultations, enabling patients to revisit a consultation as many times as they wish, and an update on a website for people with lung conditions.
  
• April meeting
  A website providing fiction and creative writing as therapy
• March meeting
  Reducing ‘addiction’ to mobile phones, update on medication reviews and reducing opioid prescribing.
• February meeting
  Musculoskeletal pain relief via an App, an agency providing independent home carers, and a flu test and treat pilot project.

  2022

• December meeting  Ability consulting, an App that demonstrates how life is for disabled people.
• November meetings Triage for lung cancer patients, new website for patients with respiratory conditions, initial management of mental health conditions.
• October Meetings Asthma reviews, blister prevention pads an update on socks for people with diabetes, and another follow-up on Endoscopy alternative.
• July meetings – A tool for detecting deterioration in patients in care homes, follow up on Endoscopy Alternative, COPD questionnaire and training for Heart Heroes on blood pressure monitoring
• June meetings – Music therapy, Genomic medicine, Endoscopy alternative, Medication review and Self-monitoring of blood pressure
• May Meeting – self-referral to consultants using an App; spotting patients with severe asthma
• April Meeting – Update on alcohol withdrawal project; Cardiac Network and Websites helping with management and prevention of heart disease; Blood pressure testing in barbers’ shops
• March meeting – Update on Back Pain Management App; Chatbot with Mental Health Advice; Patient Safety (Opioid withdrawal and Medication review)
• February meeting – Pillow with a hole; Back pain management App; Menopause Consultancy
• January meeting – Influenza; Mental Health safety; Lipid management

2021

• December meeting – re-usable medical grade PPE; diabetic socks
• November meeting – ‘Biodose’ smart medication dosage tray; diabetic socks
• October meeting – Celsium wearable thermometer; Alcohol related brain injury; loneliness aid
• September meeting – ‘Drivernet’ transport system; ‘Tiny Medical Apps’ eg for asthma management
• August meeting
• July meeting
• June meeting
• May meeting
• April meeting
• March meeting
• February meeting

2020

• December meeting
• November meetings
• October meetings
• September Meetings
• August Meeting
• July Meeting
• June Meeting

Many ancient cultures have myths about a ‘Great Flood’ and ‘Lost Lands”. That there are Flood Legends from so many parts of the world suggests there was a common event experienced by many cultures, and a global rise in sea level is a very likely cause.

Members and potential members enjoyed this Geology Group Talk by Richard Fletcher on Friday 19th May 2023.

Peter Lloyd has started up a group for electric bikers.

Peter Says:

He has had long experience with our u3a cycling groups, but he thinks now is the time to enjoy some help with the pastime for “not so young legs” – pedal power greatly enhanced, let’s say.

Usually on a Wednesday, 10:30 start, local area. Very much social rides to include a cafe stop, fun and friendship. Weather permitting, of course. Not too far at 15/20 miles, with plenty of stops.

Contact Peter on 07801 106335 if interested or for more information.

The March Helping Each Other Group (HEOG) Meeting will  place on 29th March from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in the Scout & Guide HQ (large room).

We are going to be entertained by a u3a Trio, who are going to bring along guitars and a ukulele to help us learn more about these instruments and to join in a singalong as well as enjoying light refreshments and getting to know one another.

Any u3a members who have not attended this group before are always welcome to join us.
If wanting more information, please phone Judy Ingman on 01695 423141 or talk to her at Horizons on a Thursday morning.

This event was a great success! look our for a report in the next u3a Magazine.  Many thanks to all those involved both at Edge Hill and within A&O u3a. And thanks too to all those who attended – Edge Hill staff and students, u3a members and the local community.

As a follow on from the successful collaboration with Edge Hill University on the Ageing Better Project, the leaders are holding a free Showcase Event at the University on 11th February 2023, starting at 10 am in the Arts Centre. The purpose of the event is to present and discuss the findings of the workshop series attended by a number of our u3a members. The event will feature  talks about brain and ageing and will include  dance performances and a calligraphy stall.

Continue reading →

Our u3a provides many opportunities for learning. But we also have a vibrant social dimension to our activities. They bring together people from across a wide range of special interests,  in a convivial atmosphere, simply to enjoy themselves. These excellent events are mostly organised by the Social Subcommittee.

This year, however, there was a special event to mark the 20th Anniversary of Aughton & Ormskirk u3a organised by an Anniversary Team.

There are  usually committee members at the weekly Horizons meetings from whom you can get more details on their events and book places or buy tickets.

2023 Events

• Friday 16th June 7pm at Aughton Village Hall
• Dancing to Rollercoaster

* Aughton & Ormskirk u3a 20^th Anniversary Celebration

• Saturday 29 July at Aughton Village Hall, 2-5 pm
• An afternoon tea and a glass of fizz; also free raffle and entertainment
• See the September 2023 Magazine for report and photos.

* Quiz Night

• at the Scout & Guide HQ on 29 September

* Christmas Lunch Party

• At the Christ Church Ministry Centre on 8 December
• Dancing to Rollercoaster
• Tickets now on sale at Horizons!

Note that some Groups also organise learning and social events open to all members ie not just their regular attendees.  They are usually well advertised on the run-up to their dates in the monthly enews / the occasional magazines / at Horizons / on our u3a facebook presence and  elsewhere on this u3a website such as the News page and the Front Page sidebar.   Check the various  Communication methods regularly so you don’t miss out!

Examples of Past Events in 2022

• • Vegan Lunch – 23 March

    • at St Michaels Church Hall
    • on Wednesday 23 March, 12 noon for 12:30

  • Queens Jubilee Event – 25 June

    Click on Poster to view details full-size

• • Quiz Night with Hotpot Supper – “Battle of the Groups” – 30 September

    • • Friday 30th September
      • Venue – Scout & Guide HQ

  • Christmas Lunch Party – 9 December

    

See details and photos of this very successful and enjoyable annual event.

2021 Highlights

Click on u3a Christmas Lunch  for a gallery of photos from this social event, the first for a long time due to Coronavirus lockdown and social isolation rules.

View Past Social Highlights

Pay a regular visit to  this brand new Page on our Website to avoid missing out on special Guests and Events at Horizons.

Theatre Visits are starting again!

Info @ Horizons each Thursday.

Worried about the cost of living and rising fuel bills? Would you like more information on how to save energy and find out what financial support is available?

Click on Poster to enlarge.

Age UK Lancashire held an event recently at New Church House in Ormskirk with representatives of Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Electricity North West and Lancs County Council Safe Trader Scheme able to provide information and advice on how to get through the winter.

If you missed this event, Age UK has some useful information about ways to keep well this winter on its website.

On Thursday morning 10 November our Guest at Horizons was Anne Oliver from Age UK, who updated us on the latest scams.

If you missed this event, there is an Age UK booklet called Avoiding Scams in the pigeon holes in the Aughton Room at the Scout & Guide HQ.  Please return it to its pigeon hole after reading.

Local history meetings returned to our indoor venue at the S&GHQ from Tuesday, 4 October. Please see details of future talks on our webpage Local History

On 25 Sept 2022, our u3a Choir will be entertaining at the Sunday Social with a wide selection of songs from their repertoire.  There will be plenty of opportunity to sing along too – not to be missed!  Plus, there will be a quiz, after the refreshments break.

please visit the National u3a Home Page.

Cancelled due to lack of numbers!

Helping Each Other Group  have planned a Tea Dance at the Sefton Park Palm House on 13th September. But if they do not get more people signed up by this coming Tuesday, 6th September,  it will regretably have to be cancelled.

Please phone  Judy ASAP on 01695 423141 if you would like to go on this outing. All welcome, even if you do not usually attend HEOG.

Film Appreciation has a new programme for the summer and early autumn months in its new afternoon slot at the Scout & Guide HQ. Come and join us for a relaxing afternoon.

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Social Subcommittee organised a

Summer Dance on Saturday 25 June. 

This turned out to be a most enjoyable and jolly ‘do’.  The dance floor was never empty while the excellent band – the Rollercoasters – rocked out a series of old favourites from the 50s through to the 80s. The eatables – finger food on this occasion – was very suitable, tasty and plentiful. And it was a great opportunity to reunite with u3a friends and meet some new folk. So, all-in-all, this was a very successful event, with many, many thanks due to all those Social Team members involved in making it so.

(Don’t miss out on future opportunities arranged by the u3a! Take a few minutes to check out some other events that are coming soon, as advertised via the sidebar of this Front Page and elsewhere on the website.)

Computer Advice session will be suspended for the summer months i.e. June –August. Computer Advice will still be available, during this period, at Horizon sessions, or by e-mailing elearning@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk. The reason for this suspension is that there have been very few clients to make use of these facilities. If you don’t use them they may disappear altogether. For further information contact the e-mail address given above.

There is a very good range of u3a Groups that offer opportunities to keep fit and active.  See the Groups List and the Groups Schedule for details and contacts. Some have capacity for additional members.  For example, the Web Team have recently been made aware that this is the case for:

• Aerobics Lite
• Aerobics to Music with Jo
• Table Tennis.

Next Sunday Social – all members welcome.

Sunday 26th June

Bill Evans will be entertaining us with one of his VIDEO shows. Plenty of comedy is assured, but also a sprinkle of serious stuff too. So, sit back and enjoy.

Our present Choir Group musical director, Paul Dickie has successfully led us for the past 18 months and in spite of the challenges of covid we organised and performed the u3a advent service under his direction. However, to secure continuity for the future we would like to bring in someone else with the necessary musical knowledge and creative skills to assist Paul, help take the choir forward and build on our success.

We are a very friendly, sociable group with 30 members and like to sing a wide range of music including; Musical Theatre, Folk, Sacred and Popular. We enjoy the challenge of three part singing as well as a good unison sing-a-long at most of our sessions.

We give one formal concert a year in the summer and organise the annual U3A Advent service. We are also regularly invited to sing at several local nursing homes.

We meet every Wednesday morning at Aughton Village Hall from 10 am until 12. (Broadly following school holidays). We have a well organised team who take care of admin, finances and hall bookings.

If you are interested in finding out more then please contact choir leader Ann Henders 07847 364330.

Please note there is no remuneration for this role.

Local History outdoor visits restarted on 30th April 2022. Further Information on the Local History  Group Page and from the Local History Desk at Horizons.

All members are welcome to our outdoor visits and our indoor meetings.

Margaret Gibbon (Group Leader)

Hello everyone, here we are at Christmas once again and despite Covid Aughton & Ormskirk u3a has continued to thrive through these difficult times.

Since lock down ended in the late Summer almost all our groups and activities have started meeting again, and in fact some of them are oversubscribed and have a waiting list! So thank you all for your support.

Let’s hope that 2022 sees restrictions easing and some normality returning.

I’m sure you will all enjoy the Christmas break and the opportunity to spend time with your friends and families.

Good wishes for Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

John Tomlinson

The Group Leader and Coordinator of the Gardening Group have decided to step down from their positions.

This Group has a history of being very popular over many years under several generations of Leaders and Coordinators.

Please consider if you individually or as part of a small team could take on the leadership role to ensure the future of this Group. If you would like more info on what is involved, please contact Group Support via groups@aughton-ormkirk-u3a.co.uk.

In the meantime ………many many thanks are due to the retiring Leader and Coordinator – Pam Higgins and Helen Wilson – for providing interesting, useful, fun and helpful meetings, newsletters and quizzes over recent years, including during lockdown

A report of the 20th September 2021 walk

The September Monday u3a Walking Group walk was in the Tawd Valley Park, Skelmersdale, which is an area of green open space of 65 hectares running from Skelmersdale town centre and following the line of the River Tawd as it heads northwards to join the River Douglas.

Those participating in the walk soon realised that Tawd Valley Park is a hidden jewel in the heart of Skelmersdale. The site surrounds the River Tawd as it meanders its way from Yewdale across a large section of the historic town of Skelmersdale through to Cobbs Clough Brow. The area is a haven for a wide variety of wildlife with birds of prey soaring above the meadows and Kingfishers patrolling the riverbanks.

Barry Carr the walk leader did an excellent job in explaining the history of the area, with the ruins of an old mill, millponds and capped mineshafts providing a glimpse into the area’s industrial history.

Everyone agreed it was an excellent afternoon walk in an area that was previously unknown to most of the walk participants.

The first film of the new season will take place on 25th October in the Scout & Guide HQ in the small room. The film is ‘Revolutionary Road’ with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

For more details please consult the Film Appreciation Group Page.

The film will start at 10.00am preceded by coffee. Please feel free to bring your own drinks if you wish. Our treasurer, Derek, has informed us that we will have to pay more to cover the price of the room. This means that the cost will now be £2.00. I will pay for the refreshments as I have  some spare film money from previous sessions.

Please try to come regularly as the u3a needs the funds and of course Colin and I will be pleased to see you all back at Film.

Pat Morton.

The Ukulele Group has now restarted!

If you fancy joining, then just contact Tony Crimlisk on 01695 421602 for further information.  Beginners are most welcome too, even if you can only play a few chords.

If you don’t yet have a Ukulele, then come along and sing with us anyway to see what fun it is and also that it is not too difficult an instrument to get started on.   We meet on the first and third Fridays of the month 10.00-12.00 at the Christ Church Ministry Centre (Main Hall).   Next session is 15th October.

For more info, visit the Ukulele Webpage.

Most Groups have now restarted following on from the times of  lockdown, tiers and  social isolation during 2020 and the first half of 2021. If you are a Group Leader of a Group without a Group Author, please check your Group Page and contact the Web Team as to any updates your Group Page you require to bring it up-to-date.

webteam@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk

With some Groups restarting in September 2021, your Web Manager had a notion to try out something completely new.  I was seeking a non-techie subject that I’d never before studied.  Spotting a new series of 7 introductory talks being organised by Tim Miles of the Philosophy Group, I thought this might well fit the bill, took the plunge and signed up. Thoroughly enjoying the September talk on Ethics, I am now much looking forward to the next one on Friday 1st October on Politics!

Tim has indicated there may be room for a few more participants. A handout was provided for the September talk, so it should be easy enough to catch up.  If interested, further information and Tim’s contact details are on the Philosophy Group Page.

Joyce Nolan

In case you missed reading about it in an email dated 6 September 2021 and sent to all members with email addresses on  Beacon,  here is a special  Message from the Secretary about an Extraordinary General Meeting in October:

Dear Member,

Due to the Annual General Meeting held on 26.08.21 not being quorate, any votes taken were indicative only.  It is, therefore, necessary to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting to vote on the following resolutions –

Resolution 1 – To approve the Accounts 2020/21.

Resolution 2 – JVSA to be appointed as the Independent Examiners of the Accounts for the year 2021/22.

This meeting to be held on Monday 11th October, 2021 at Scout & Guide H.Q. at 1.00 p.m.  All members are welcome but please note members attending will be quorate irrespective of the number, as per our Constitution.

Megan Tomlinson

Secretary

Help is needed to run the Gardening Group.  Please contact Pam Higgins on 0151 364 0041.

In the meantime, restart has been to defered  till New Year.

The Opera Appreciation Group plans to return on Wednesday 15 September at 1pm at the Scout & Guide HQ  with Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West.