EARLY DAYS OF PENRITH-N-LAKES U3A
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Following requests from those without access to the u3a website, each Early Days article will be published, with pictures, in the newsletter. For technical reasons and timings I have held over the item on Howard Simpson featured in the last issue.
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Robin Acland - u3a member since 1996 (Read Full Article)
Robin will be our last ‘Early Days’ story, and he told me that although he was not a founder member of Penrith & North Lakes u3a, he did become very involved almost from the start.
Robin taught at Whitehaven Grammar School then Caldew School in Dalston, afterwards becoming an educational advisor with Cumbria County Council. On taking early retirement, he taught evening classes at Ullswater College, something he enjoyed very much. This connection led to him being introduced to Pat Winn, the u3a Chairperson at the time. Very soon Robin became heavily involved in the publication of the Newsletter, which had been handed on from John Dixon. Together with Chris Wilkinson, Robin worked on the Newsletter for over 20 years until relatively recently, when the task was passed on to Ron Lyon.
Jack Wilson - u3a member since 1996. (Read Full Article)
Jack is a retired policeman and in 1996 was a member of the 4 person steering group who progressed the formation of U3A in Penrith. The steering group quickly arranged two information meetings and, after the second, a committee was established and he became the acting secretary. He can remember a lot of discussions with the other committee members focusing on membership, groups and information which led to the monthly meetings we enjoy today. The creation of a newsletter was agreed how to fund and pay for fees and memberships, and how frequent and what to include in a Newsletter. Jack said that they all ‘hit the ground running’, as there was always plenty of work to do and things to organise but, the members worked as a team with Pat Winn and Don Lord on hand to help. The enthusiasm of group convenors made the task so much easier.
'And did those feet….?' U3A Penrith &North Lakes. (Read Full Article)
Within this booklet are some details of five walks undertaken by the Walking Group of the Penrith and North Lakes U3A during 1999
These walks are centred around Penrith, and were selected because each of the routes enjoyed aperiod of significant importance, but for adifferent purpose and at adifferent time during the last 2000 years. As became apparent during our investigations into their history, however, routes such as these had very long, varied and useful lives, often both before and after their heyday.
Early Days Pat Winn - Penrith and North Lakes First Chairperson in 1996 (Read Full Story)
Pat, together with the late Don Lord, were the founder members to establish a u3a group in Penrith back in 1996, but two years prior to this, Pat had been approached by a friend who asked if she would visit u3a in Dumfries, and the seed was planted.
The First Newsletter. (Read Full Article)
Welcome to the very first Penrith and North Lakes U3A and Newsletter! What a historic occasion. We began (unofficially) as a U3A group in June with a fascinating talk by Susan Denyer from the National Trust on Traditional Buildings and Life in the Lake District.This was followed by a day
Howard’s Story: (Read Full Article)
The first person I was able to speak to was Mr Howard Simpson. I already knew Howard as a formidable opponent on the badminton court. Howard explained that, initially, he met with the late Don Lord who was Head of Further Education at Ullswater Community College at the time. It had been agreed that, once a committee had been formed,
John Upson - u3a member since 1996
John’s Story: (Read the Full Story)
John was taken by surprise when he entered the sports hall at Penrith Leisure Centre last year. He thought he had arrived for his usual game of Thursday afternoon table tennis but, instead, was presented with a glass tumbler etched with table tennis bats,