Please take a photograph of your group "in action." Don't forget to ask for permission from everyone for the photo to be published on the web. Then email it to the address below and we will upload it to the gallery.
Photography Group One 1st May 2024
Ten of us met at the roadside Car Park in Finstown on a day with little wind and some low cloud but with the sun trying to get through. We set off to the Community Garden where we found lots of lovely colourful flowers out as well as tree buds bursting forth. The Burn was a great source of images.
Jocky Wood was painting a new picnic bench with the appropriately titled Wood Stain! He does a great deal of the work on the garden as well as his own just up the hill opposite.
Six of us then headed for Binsgarth Woods.
The track was muddy in places but the spring flowers were out all the way. There was Pink Purselaine, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, and the invasive Salmon Berry. Since the tree leaves were not blanketing the light, one was able to get good photos close up. The Burn had lots of interesting tree roots and hanging tyres and ropes from the kids' dare devil antics. Then it was back to the shop for rolls and along to Tom's house for a cuppa and a nice piece of cake. Thank you very much for that Tom and all the stories too.
The next meeting will be going to Westray on Wednesday 29th May for the day. Arrangement will be made nearer the time.
All in all a lovely morning, taking time to look at the flowers and listen to the Wrens, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and Robins singing in the woods.
Keep clicking.
Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
Chairperson Blog 16
by Unknown - 14:26 on 28 June 2013
CHAIRMAN’S BLOG 16
28 JUNE 2013
This is really a catch up since my last blog in May and before we wind down for the summer.
The Scottish U3A held their AGM on 7 June in Stirling. The business was, as to be expected, primarily formal with a new Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer elected and a consequential vacancy for a Vice-Chairman since Tom Berney was elected as Chairman. The meeting also passed the motion below:
This AGM welcomes the continuing increase in the number of U3As and their membership in Scotland and agrees it presents increased opportunities for co-operation and exchange of ideas and information between them. We also recognise that the developing role of Regional Trustees and the introduction of regional voluntary Education and Development Contacts will also present new opportunities. The Executive Committee is therefore requested, in consultation with member U3As, to conduct a review of U3A in Scotland’s structure and activities to take account of these developments and to present any proposed constitutional or organisational amendments to the 2014 or a subsequent AGM.
We will be consulted and I will see that you have the chance to express your views.
The AGM was a good opportunity to network and among other things I was able to meet Myrtle Gillies, Chairman from Caithness face to face for the first time. We agreed it would be helpful for us to see how both U3As can work together on areas of common interest and also wherever possible present a united front from the more remote parts of the country.
The Committee met on 10 June. We noted that a few members were still to pay the subscription and they will have received a mail asking about this. We agreed to take up membership of VAO, both because we are part of the voluntary sector in Orkney and on that basis membership is appropriate and also as there are advantages to us in terms of meeting rooms and other facilities. It was also agreed to but an annual copyright licence so that we are covered if members need to make copies of anything for presentations either within groups or to the general meetings. Kate Barrett is helping us with publicity and advertising. We also agreed to hold a quiz on 5 December in the MacGillvray room so watch this space.
You may not have seen the very useful booklet HOPE – HELP AND SUPPORT FOR OLDER PEOPLE booklet. This campaign was launched by Kirsty Macdonald of Orkney CAB on 1 March 2013. The aim of the campaign is to ensure that Orkney’s older people are getting their entitlement to financial support through benefits and reductions. It is well worth reading.
Our last general meeting, before we recessed for the summer, was a talk by Rosie Wallace on her experiences as an author on 21 June. It was an extremely interesting insight into how her books were brought together from the first start in her imagination through making progress with writing them with everything else she had to do as the MP/MSP’s wife here on top of bringing up a family and doing her own job as well. It was very well received, being both entertaining and instructive for anyone who might be thinking they had a book inside them.
One final point, it might have been a senior moment on my part, but the last two meetings in the calendar have the wrong date. They are down as March 19 and it should be March 20.
There will be radio silence from me until after the summer. Our next meeting is on Thursday August 15, when Mike Whittles of ASHA will be talking of the work they do in Bangla Desh...
Have a good summer break.
Richard
28 June 2013
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