isolation special number 5
TRANSCRIPT
ISOLATION SPECIAL NUMBER 5
Welcome to the latest edition of our special isolation Up2Date. Four
days ago, I thought this was going to be a noticeably shorter edition
but then a wealth of articles appeared, and this is the result. I’m
improving my computer skills as I go along, I have found and used a
very convenient cropping tool as shown in Ron Emerson’s article.
Thanks to all those who have sent pieces for this edition. Keep up the
good work and keep sending them.
Stockport U3A continues to make use of Zoom for meetings, though
nothing can replace face to face contact. In addition to Making Music,
Scatties and committee meetings, one of the book groups is meeting
next week and once I get my head round the technology the Cryptic
Crosswords and the History groups will be meeting in the future.
As far as You Tube culture, the “Shows Must Go On” contribution this
weekend, 18th June, will be the musical “Peter Pan”. The next few
National Theatre contributions will be the last free ones so maybe they
will be charging in the future.
18th June “Small Island” an adaptation of the novel by Andrea Levy
25th June “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare
2nd July “Les Blancs” by Lorraine Hansberry
9th July “The Deep Blue Sea” by Terence Rattigan
16th July “Amadeus” by Peter Shaffer
And finally Take Care and Stay Safe
MY INTRODUCTION TO THE MANCHESTER THROUGH THE NAVY
As one of the older members of Stockport U3A, I was ninety-six on the
Queen’s birthday in April 2020. My introduction to the Manchester
area in 1942 was via the Navy after spending some weeks at HMS
Royal Arthur at Skegness which was originally a Butlins holiday camp
and had been taken over by the Admiralty for ‘square bashing’ and
physical training . Skegness was a very cold place in November,
especially in shorts and vest at 6am with a very cold wind coming off
the east coast of England.
I eventually ended up Lowton St Mary’s, a small village just outside
Warrington. The camp was a series of H block constructions. Here we
were taught coding and decoding of radio signals from ship to shore.
Also, at this camp were a group of WRNs being taught signalling with
flags and lights (‘bunting tossers’) and also Morse code via radio
(‘sparklers’). Of course, us lads eyed up all the new ladies arriving at
the camp. I remember betting a Welsh mate that I would take out the
little blond who had just arrived. I shouldn’t have made bets like that
as I finished up marrying her! It was a good gamble and we did most of
our courting by mail. She was a Leicestershire girl and I was from
Hertfordshire, so neither of us knew much about Manchester. In those
days, the only means of travel was by train to reach places like
Manchester and surrounding towns or by hitch hiking on the back of
coal lorries. This was not very good because this area was still a coal
mining area and trains were filled with coal dust. This didn’t improve
the look of your white shirt fronts in your uniform on arrival at your
destination!
After completing my training, I got a draft chit to Devonport which was
my port division. This was to pick up a frigate which was designed to
protect convoys being built in Boston Massachusetts USA. We think it
was still on the drawing board when we arrived. We spent a couple of
months apple picking waiting for the ship. We finally got aboard and
then we took convoys from England to Gibraltar, the entrance to the
Mediterranean. We also went U boat hunting in the North Atlantic
which could be quite hairy.
A picture of the frigate HMS Antigua , this is the ship I joined in the
USA. The ships were all named after Caribbean Islands
After VE day, our frigate was decommissioned and returned to the
USA. My next craft was a FDT (Fighter Director Tender) which was a
converted tank landing craft fitted out with radar aerials and manned
by the Royal Air Force, but the Royal Navy supplied the crew to
operate this strange craft. The idea was that we would be employed to
go in advance of the invasion of Singapore. Thank goodness this never
happened as America dropped the atom bomb which brought an end
to the war and our services were not required; otherwise I wouldn’t be
here to relate some of my memories of World War 2 and the 75th
Anniversary of VE Day .
Geoff Blanchard
MY FAVOURITE THINGS
In July 2008 Julie Andrews turned 69. To
commemorate her birthday, she made a special
appearance at Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall
for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical
numbers she performed was ‘My favourite Things’ from the legendary
movie ‘Sound of Music’. Here are the lyrics she used (it’s especially
funny if you sing it!):
Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favourite things.
Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things.
When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favourite things.
Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short-shrunken frames,
When we remember our favourite things.
When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I’ve had,
And then I don’t feel so bad.
Found whilst ‘clearing out some stuff’
during lockdown.
Judith Sumner
BORROW BOX
Borrow box is free from Stockport libraries, with a large collection of
both eBooks and audio books to download. Just Google” Stockport
Library Borrow Box “ and follow the instructions.
Good Luck.
PERSPECTIVE : RON EMERSON
It’s often hard to have a clear during these difficult days. I recieved this
email from a friend and thought you would find it interesting.
Sometimes, its helpful to look back for a moment when trying to put
things into perspective.
Our Perspective is Everything……..
Imagine if you were born in
1900. On your 14th birthday,
World War I starts and ends on
your 18th birthday. 22 million
people perish in that war. Later
in the year, a Spanish Flu
epidemic hits the planet and
runs into your 20th year.
50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.
On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment
hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The
country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you
turn 39, World War II
starts. You aren’t even
over the hill yet. And
don’t try to catch your breath. On your 41st birthday the United States
is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthdays,
75million people perish in the war. Smallpox was an epidemic until you
were in your 40’s, as it killed 300
million people during your
lifetime. At 50, the Korean War
starts. 5 million perish. From
your birth, until you are 55 you
dealt with the fear of Polio
epidemics each summer. You
experience friends and family
contracting polio and being
paralised and/or die. At 55 the
Vietnam War begins and doesn’t
end for 20 years. 4 million people
perish in that conflict. During the
Cold War, you lived each day with
the fear of nuclear annihilation. On your 62nd birthday you have the
Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet,
as we know it, almost ended.
When you turn 75, the Vietnam
War finally ends.
Think of everyone born in the
1900s. How did they endure all of that? When you were a kid and
didn’t think your parent/grandparents understood how hard school
was. And how mean that kid in your class was. They were called upon
to endure so much more - and here we are, called to stay at home and
sit on the couch.
CORRECTION
Correction from the last edition. Christine Lant had been told that the
poem we published had been written in 1869 but she has recently
found out that it was written in view of this pandemic. Many apologies
for the mix up, it was still well worth a read.
Any contributions for next edition please send to :-
Ruth Faulkner, 14 Silverdale Road, Stockport, SK4 2RN
0161-0442-4370
4 HEATONS ZOO
My local walk for the last couple of days has been made much more
interesting as I have been spotting zoo animals!
There were numerous exhibits spread all over the Heatons so it was
impossible to see them all in just a couple of days. It was lovely to see
that so many families had been involved as there was lots of artwork
created by children. There were also plenty of families touring the
zoo, so it was motivating families to go for walks together.
Here are just some of the exhibits I saw.
Creative
use of Co-
op bags
These could
be scary
after dark!
Balloon Art
The panda and sloths were high up in the tree.
A duvet cover!
A sleepy crocodile
Children could put their head in the shark’s mouth
and be eaten!
Most of the exhibits also had an information sheet
giving lots of information about the animals
featured, just as you would find at a “real” zoo.
I really enjoyed my zoo walk and I hope that the
event has raised lots of money for Chester Zoo.
Sheila Fleming
HOW MANY OF US WOULD PASS THE CITIZEN TEST ?
Among the things you need to know……who was Sake Dean Mahomet?
Answer: the man who introduced shampoo to Britain.
What is the other name of the 1944 Education Act?
Answer: The Butler Act
When were life peerages created?
Answer: 1958
In what year was the maximum length of the working day for women
and children reduced to 10 hours?
Answer: 1847
Who was Jensen Button?
This is the first one I was sure of: A racing driver.
You can be denied citizenship if you don’t know the number of
members of the Commonwealth, who were Britain’s enemies in the
Crimean War, the percentages of people who describe themselves as
Sikh, Muslim, Hindu or Christian. The actual name of Big Ben Tower.
You even have to know things that are not true, for instance, what are
the most distant points on the British mainland? You have to say Lands
End and John O’Groats even though Cape Wrath is beyond John
O’Groats.
The test consists of twenty-four multiple-choice questions. I don’t
know what percentage you have to attain but if you do pass you get a
slip of paper saying you are certified as being intellectually fit for life in
modern Britain. Aren’t you glad you took the easy route, emerging
blinking into the light from your mother’s womb?
Joan Davies.
www.u3asites.org.uk/stockport Don’t forget keep checking the website.