News and Reports

Aughton and Ormskirk U3A has much to be proud of in its 15 years of existence. To this end, a party was arranged on 19 May where speeches, nibbles, and meeting and chatting to fellow members were much enjoyed and appreciated by those who attended. See Let’s Celebrate.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was on display in its  fine new casing.

The wonderful 10th Anniversary Quilt also made a reappearance at this celebratory ‘do’!

Please click or tap to run this gallery with captions.

Lynn Chute, Eileen Evans, Barbara Littler and Barbara Brookfield with the 10th Anniversary Quilt

The letter that Alex McMinn received from Buckingham Palace in respect of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

In a year when Britain celebrates a Royal Wedding, our U3A has two Anniversaries to celebrate, one with a royal connection.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, 2008

• It’s 15 years since the founding of the Aughton & Ormskirk U3A.
• And 10 years ago this U3A won the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
• And just 5 years ago, we were commemorating the 10th birthday with a very special quilt made by talented members.

Val Bullen, Chair of the Social Subcommittee has sent the following message to be published on the U3A Website:

Let us extend a big thank you to all those who helped make the  Anniversary Celebration on 19 May 2018 a success.  As well as the  Anniversary Working Party who planned and coordinated the event (Val Bullen, Linda Burden, Peter Trigwell, Jane Astles, Bill Evans, Alex McMinn, Jeff Roberts), many others also played their part including other members the Management Committee,  our Trustees and  the Social Subcommittee, plus quite a number of U3A members not on any committee   –  THANK YOU all for your contributions!

Here are two galleries of photos from the recent Anniversary Celebration event held in the Christ Church Ministry Centre on 19 May 2018. Some of these photos feature a number of long-standing members including our founder Chairman, Alex McMinn, member number 1. Click or tap on any photo in a gallery to run that gallery as a slideshow.

Queen’s Award 10 years on

Photos by Geoff Roberts

Photos by Bill Watkinson

Earlier this year we held a competition, open to non-members, for the best story or poem on the subject of Home. Though the number of entries was not overwhelming, the quality was excellent! The best entries are listed below. The overall winner was judged to be the story The House by Sue Watkinson. Congratulations Sue and everyone else who entered.

(If the writer of The Wren will get in touch I can reattach your name to your poem!)

The House by Sue Watkinson

The See-Through House by Megan Tomlinson

Home Counties Home by Joan Potter

Houses and Homes by Joan Ridout

The Wren by ????????

Brian Yates (Writing for Fun Group Leader)

A member from Oundle U3A  – Kathryn Baird, a former resident of Aughton – has contacted the Web Team as follows:

I was born and brought up in Aughton but left in 1980.  I am a member of Oundle U3A where I belong to two Creative Writing groups.  Inspired by those U3A groups, I have published my family’s memories of Aughton Parochial School and added the Aughton memories of Miss Marjorie Holmes which she wrote in 1978.  To make it available to as many people as possible, I have published it as a website:

https://aughtonmemories.wordpress.com/  

I wonder if this is something you could publicise to your members?

Do take some time to check out this website.  I’m sure it will be of great interest to long-time residents of the parish, as well as members of groups such as Local History and Writing or Fun and those members on the Writing Your Life Story short course.

Joyce Nolan (Web Manager)