1

Welcome to the fourth edition of our newsletter.

The winner of our newsletter title competition is Rhoda Malloy. Our committee members

were sent the anonymous entries and asked to vote on their favourite. As both Rhoda and

her husband Alan are members of the committee they were not involved in the selection

process. A huge thank you to everyone who sent in an entry and a big well done to

Rhoda!

It’s been a busy week with lots of you sending in contributions for the newsletter – which

is fantastic! If your contribution doesn’t appear in this issue, it will appear in an upcoming

edition. Please share your experience of these challenging times and let us know how you

are keeping busy.

Please send any contributions to Karen: abbott111@talktalk.net

Edition 4 Monday 13th April 2020

Don’t forget we now have a private Facebook Group just for our U3A

Members. If you are on Facebook then find us

https://www.facebook.com/groups/536568943638578/?ref=share

Also there is now a new Facebook Group for any U3A member in

Scotland – this is a great way to get to know members from other

groups and share news and ideas just search for ‘U3A’s based in

Scotland’

I know Facebook isn’t for everyone but if you would like to know

more please get in touch.

f

Please note

To open any of the links in the newsletter press the Ctrl (Control) button and click on the link.

2

From our Chairperson, Franca Well that's the end of my fourth week of isolation and I have to say I'm not really finding it too arduous. Other than missing my grandchildren in the flesh so to speak and of course our various U3A chats face to face it's ok. I have been excpetionally busy walking the dog, doing the garden and chatting to lots of you via email. Thanks to all those who have been in touch - as usual I always enjoy a blether!! Of course the other great benefit for me (I've never been a dapper dresser!) is that I can slob around in my gardening gear all day! I even sank to the depths today, by putting away my washing away without ironing it! My daughters never iron anything and I'm always saying to them that there are certain standards - but now look what this crisis has made me do! Un-ironed T-shirts!! Really what am I doing!! Of course I may yet decide I have to iron them before I actually put them on!! I hope all of you are coping in these unique times but remember if any of you want help with shopping, dog walking, a chat or anything just let me know as we have a number of folk who have volunteered to help and they're champing at the bit!! Franca

Music Inspired by Birds by Alan Malloy

Over the past few days, we’ve had some new visitors to our garden. While it’s too early to see the housemartins yet, we have seen a pair of wonderfully marked mistle thrushes, pied wagtails and most welcome, a charm of goldfinches. The goldfinch is so distinctively marked, with its red and white face, with broad yellow bar across its wings. Like many of you, I’m sure you’ve heard the Blackbird singing its melodious song: mellow, loud and undulating, almost in a major key either at the start or end of the day. To celebrate the arrival of our ‘feathered friends’ may I suggest two pieces of music: Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Goldfinch” Flute Concerto Opus 10, number 3. This version is played by James Galway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3d7cKCyssA My second recommendation is very different and far more modern: The Blackbird. Performed by The Beatles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo Hope you enjoy these and apologies for the commercials at the start.

Music in Our Time Hopefully this will be a regular item so if you have a relevant piece of music

which reflects either the season, an event or our wonderful land please

email abbott111@talktalk.net

3

Karen’s Crafty Corner

These are the instructions on how to make beautiful roses from an egg box. This is easy to do and uses items you will hopefully have at home. It is worth sticking with this to the end as I nearly gave up at No.7 as the rose looked very tatty! However the finished rose is amazing.

See my attempt in picture 15

Here are the materials and tools you will need:

Egg box Scissors (I also used a craft knife) Glue (I used my glue gun but any contact glue would do) Paint (I used acrylic paint but any paint will do as long as not too watery as

the egg box is very absorbent)

Instructions

1) Take the egg box and cut out the sections to give you 12 ‘cups’(picture 1, 2 & 3).

2) Take four of the cups and trim each cup to level the cup (picture 4).

3) Cut four slits down the sides of the cup - to the base to give you five petals (picture 5)

4) Trim the edges of the five ‘petals’ to make them more ‘petal shaped (picture 6).

5) Carefully open out your flower (picture 7).You will need four cups to make one rose.

6) Paint both sides of the flower (picture 8) and allow to dry (picture 9)

7) Gently pull the sides of one flower up towards each other to form a bud. Overlapping each petal (picture 10) and carefully glue into place.

8) Put a drop of glue into the base of the second flower and place the bud inside. Press

down firmly (picture 11)

9) Put a drop of glue in to the bottom of the third flower and repeat (picture 12)

10) Repeat again so all four layers are complete (picture 13)

11) You may need to touch up your rose with paint. You can use pipe cleaners or wooden plant stick as a stem or use some fresh leaves (picture 14)

Please remember to

send in your craft

ideas!!

Egg Box Roses

4

10

07

10

07

1

2 3

4

7

6

4

5

4

8

8

9

10

07

11

07

12

07

13

07

14

15

5

No 1 Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison As a student at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland this record was always playing at break time in the common room-such fun. No 2 Hey Jude by The Beatles Working as a bar maid in Kevelaer, Germany, the patrons would sing this to me - such happy times. No 3 Something inside so strong by Labbi Siffre Played when playing pool with teenagers in a children’s home - ‘singing’ together. Full of hope. No 4 American Pie by Don Mclean Singing songs round the campfire whilst working for P.G.L.(Peter Gordon Lawrence adventure holidays) in the Ardeche -France. No 5 Imagine by John Lennon ‘The Dream’ No 6 Do you hear the people sing from Les Miserables Uplifting and full of hope. No 7 Inspiration by The Gypsy Kings Sitting with a wine abroad in the warmth, beside the sea and watching the sun go down. Awakens emotions - magical. No 8 Time to say goodbye by Andrea Bocelli Just wonderful. My luxury item would be a framed photo of my children

The book I would choose to take with me is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It evokes many different memories. If I had to choose just one record it would be Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen This song helped me stay strong when life was hard.

Each week we will be publishing a member’s

Desert Island Disc choices

This week it’s Judith Adam’s selection

6

Gardening Tips from Nettie Mewha

our Gardening Group Leader

As so many of us from the Gardening Interest Group are finding we are not as fit as we would like to

think we are. The sun comes out and we rush out into our gardens and do too much and then need a

couple of days to recover from aching muscles!

However, it’s Spring and there is so much to do and now so much time to do it in.

Those of us that didn’t do a full ‘bed the garden down for winter’ suddenly realise there are lots of

tidying up jobs. Especially, if we want to put in new plants this year, the beds need tidying, digging

over, cutting back and weeding.

Suddenly the grass is growing and needs mowing. If yours is like mine it’s more moss than grass and

the birds are frantically pulling it up for nesting. So, raking it over and putting seed in is good now, but

keep it covered else the birds will have the seeds too.

It’s probably too late to really cut things back but if you didn’t do that in the autumn a little light pruning

would not hurt if necessary. I have even just moved some roses that I really meant to do in the autumn

but I have only just dug out the new beds. With some feeding they are putting out new shoots and

growing. If there are things you need to take cuttings of now is a good time for that too. I have just cut

back a rosemary bush and the cuttings only seem to have got their stems in water and they are

rooting.

And, of course, you really should have all your seeds in trays somewhere warm. The problem as

pointed out by Alan Titchmarsh, no garden centres, no potting compost, and probably no seeds. Seed

companies have been inundated as everyone seems to be turning to their gardens for something to

keep them occupied. If you got your seeds in early then you should be pleased you were ahead of the

game.

Then, if you are really adventurous you could find a corner of the garden to redesign. It has taken three

years but I have finally cleared a corner of the garden, taken down a fence, pulled out various plants

and opened up the view to the sea. Stones and pebbles have gone down and some alpine plants. Now

if I can just repair the bench I have a great spot to actually sit in the sun, have a cuppa and watch the

world go by. I think we should remember we are actually allowed to enjoy our gardens too!

7

I arrived at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the summer of 1973 as newly qualified pharmacist,

full of trepidation and clutching my registration certificate.

The oil boom was just starting and the hospital had lost many technicians to the oil industry.

Their new salaries were at least double what they could earn in the NHS.

It has been a constant theme in my career, never enough staff to carry out what was asked of

us.

The winter of 1973-74 was very harsh, deep snow and gales. Another new recruit had moved

up from Dorset to take over our radiopharmaceutical department. Aberdonians are a bit like

their granite buildings, very stern and uncompromising but once you see what is inside you

can be surprised; they are loyal with a very, very dry sense of humour. Our new pharmacist

blew in on a blizzard one day and said “I’ll never get used to this city”. He had been waiting at

a bus stop in the blizzard and said to an elderly chap who was hanging on to the bus stop,

“What terrible weather”. He received the reply “Aye, it is a wee bit fresh!”.

The most memorable character during my stay was the chief technician. We had a locked

alcohol safe, the key being held by our chief technician. Patients on the geriatric and

psychiatric wards were offered their favourite tipple instead of a sedative to help them sleep.

Glenmorangie was the whisky of choice and at the annual stock take we were 13 bottles

short. Our key holder was a grumpy so and so in the mornings but as the day wore on he

became much cheerier. We deduced that accounted for the loss of approximately a bottle per

month.

My then fiancé, now husband was working in Farnborough. Once a month I used to take the

Friday sleeper service to London, spend the weekend then travel up on the Sunday service

and get in to work on time on Monday morning. I used to be so exhausted after a week in the

overwhelmed pharmacy department that I slept through a nun with a bottle of sherry on the

top bunk and a storm so bad that the train reversed back off the Tay Bridge.

One trip sticks in my mind. I did not have a sleeping berth and had to sit up all the way to

Aberdeen. A squad of Gordon Highlanders returning from a tour in Northern Ireland were on

the train. They stumbled on with crates of beer. By the time we reached Aberdeen the

carriage and toilets were awash with alcohol and various bodily fluids. Two of their sergeants

sat beside me, ensuring I arrived in Aberdeen safe and sound. I think they had suffered

losses and I was very impressed with how the sergeants managed to curb the soldiers while

still allowing them fun.

My time at Aberdeen ended in the summer of 1974 when I left to get married and moved to

Guildford to work in a small pharmacy group. My pharmacy was on the Onslow Road across

from the police station. The troubles in Northern Ireland burst on us on 5th October 1974 when

the IRA blew up two pubs in Guilford. I grew up quickly.

Life of a Pharmacist - by Catherine Vass

Part 2

The Wandering Pharmacist

8

Pets Page

This week’s pets

car drivers get out of their car and catch him for us. We have had lots of helpful advice regarding Max and many friends assured us that he would settle down as he got older – apparently two years is the magic number! Max is now just over two and a half and we still live in hope!

Max is a very reactive dog and likes nothing more than to sit at the gate and bark at anything or anybody who goes by. He has several different barks and we can always tell by the bark if there is another dog in vicinity. If he is restricted to the house (usually because he is driving the neighbours mad with his barking) his favourite position is on the bedroom window sill. There he barks at everything he sees – even the neighbour’s cat at 500 yards away. To try to stop this I bought some film for the window so he couldn’t see out. Little did I realise that the film had clear stripes – very conveniently placed at ‘lying down’ level, ‘sitting up’ level and ‘standing’ level.

Max & Benji

Have you got a photo of a pet that you

would like to share?

Please send your photos with details of

your pet to:

abbott111@talktalk.net By Karen

Abbott

These are our two dogs Max and Benji. Max is a Border Terrier cross (apparently there is some Bichon Frise in there somewhere!) who we adopted when he was five months old. Max’s first few months of life were not happy ones, he had had six homes – no fault of his own – before we adopted him from KWK9 Rescue. But he soon settled in and made himself at home.

Max is the Houdini of Hilton – and he escapes at every opportunity and just runs and runs and thinks the whole thing is a great game. We often have to stop the traffic as he has no road sense and it’s a common sight in Hilton to see Tony and myself running up and down the road trying to catch him. More often than not one of the

We adopted Max as a companion for Benji. Benji is another rescue dog who has lived with us for the last six years. We were told he is a Shih Tzu but he is very pug-like. Benji is now 12 years old and totally deaf and he can’t see that well either. His favourite occupation is sitting on Tony’s lap and his second is sitting at the top of the garden barking at the moon. We lost Benji’s best friend, Mishka, two years ago and Benji was bereft (and we were too). Mishka was a Northern Inuit which is a husky breed and she and Benji were inseparable. Our vet said Max would not fill Mishka’s shoes but he would fill different shoes. So true.

Max enjoying the view

Mishka & Benji having a cuddle

9

LANCE THE BOIL by Linda Jane McLean

I was 19 years old when I started my A&E placement.

It had been a quiet start to the morning, and I had been ruminating on the pleasant events of

the night before and daydreaming of the hours I had spent with my boyfriend. This meant

that I had been slightly distracted – and I was caught unawares as Matron approached. As a

second year Nurse, my antennae had obviously not been fully in tune. The fear, the

trepidation that rose within my teenage frame, is difficult to describe. With the magical

disappearance of all trained personnel, I stood in A&E with Matron, apparently alone. I felt

very exposed – like a rabbit in the headlights; the last member of staff visible on this

Tuesday morning. I was rooted to the spot.

Was my uniform clean? Was my cap straight? These were questions that rushed through my

head as I quaked and tried to welcome the most powerful person I knew. I mustered the

strength to smile (a compulsory part of the uniform, I had been told) and say: “Good

morning!”

Matron responded to my salutation graciously, before saying:

"I was wondering if you could help me, Nurse?"

I was astonished. Nothing seemed less likely: how was a junior Nurse going to be able to

assist someone of her rank?

I told her that I thought that this was most unlikely and gestured hopelessly to the empty

space around me, where so many staff had been just a few seconds ago.

“I have a boil on my hand, Nurse” said Matron gently.

“I’m only in second year” I told her stupidly, as she would have known by my uniform, and

the two stripes on my cap. “There are Doctors and Sisters here who would look after you.”

“I would like you to lance it.”

Time stood still. I had never lanced a boil before – I had seen it done, and I understood the

principle – but to attack my Matron with a scalpel was unthinkable.

“I’m sure you would be better with someone more senior,” I tried again – not wanting to

admit that I really had no idea what I was doing.

“You don’t understand, do you, Nurse?”

10

She put the question kindly.

“I am training you – I need to know that you are competent before I send you out into the

world.”

Casting one last, despairing look at the vacant surroundings – realisation dawned: I would

have to bite this bullet. Quickly, I cleaned and set up the trolley with swabs, antiseptic,

scalpel, and dressings. I cleaned her skin, and then I said to her, almost unbelievably: “This

will just hurt for a second…” as I had heard my seniors say. The offending boil was

pierced. Then I expressed the pus, cleaned the wound and dressed it. She thanked me

profoundly, congratulated me

and said it had been virtually painless. Amazed at my achievement, I watched as she strode

silently away. She carried with her all the confidence of rank. I wondered at her bravery.

To put herself in the care of someone so junior, simply to evaluate the training, was

extremely courageous.

No doubt she left with an impression of her student nurses. I hope it was of competence

and caring. And it empowered me – it gave me confidence. If I could deal with a Matron, I

could cope with anything.

And I wonder, as I see the managers of hospitals increase – both in number and remoteness

– whether they understand what can be achieved by such a simple exercise. Is competence

or caring among their vast array of targets?

Do they see that by tackling these two issues, that results would follow?

Maybe someone is needed to lance the “Target Boil” – and let the managers see that it is

competent practice and practical caring, combined with dignity and respect, that will bring

results that they seek.

Now we have so many targets that they are conflicting, and everybody is merely running

around doing the best they can in the chaos.

The target boil has caused septicaemia – and the patient is now very ill. The root of the

problem has been neglected.

Can the Health Service fully recover from not having addressed the basic issues?.

© Linda Jane McLean

11

A Brief History of Hector Malloy by Rhoda Malloy

Episode Four

We discovered extremely quickly that Hector's main priority in life, like all Labradors, was food. He

simply could not get enough of it. Every meal time we would watch incredulously as he inhaled the

contents of his bowl in a matter of seconds, belly swelling visibly, inflating like a cartoon dog, then look

up at us as if to say, "Where's the rest?"

In order to prove to us that he was still hungry, he would try to eat anything that was within his reach,

from tissues, newspaper and books to absolutely anything to do with clothing. He developed a

particular penchant for socks and bras, many of which had to be extracted from his throat just before

he was about to swallow them whole. In the garden he was attracted by daffodils dancing in the breeze

and would unceremoniously rip off their heads and eat them on the run as we endeavoured to grab

him, having learnt that daffodils were poisonous to dogs.

Washing blowing on the line was another favourite of his. He would race over to the lower hanging

articles, clamp his jaws onto, say, a trouser leg and swing back and forth in the air. Needless to say

many items of clothing were 'hectored' in this way and ended up in the bin.

From day one, Hector hated being on his own. He had to be with one of us at all times and was very

interested in whatever it was that we were doing. One evening I left the tv remote control on the sofa

and when I returned I discovered that he had very precisely pierced the on/off button with a needle-

sharp tooth and rendered it useless. He did the same to my mobile phone screen, despite it being

placed up high on the mantelpiece.

He used those puppy teeth to terrorise us, nipping at our heels as we walked from room to room, and I

remember on several occasions, finding Alan crouched upon the kitchen work surface with Hector

barking in frustration, unable to reach him! (Even after he lost his puppy teeth, they continued their

torture when one tiny canine hidden in the carpet, became embedded in my foot!) He would attack the

Hoover, sweeping brushes and mops, clinging on for dear life as they moved backwards and forwards,

consequently all such cleaning jobs had to be carried out when he was either asleep or in the garden.

Working outside, whether planting or weeding, was totally impossible. He would steal any tool he came

across, scatter weeds from the bucket, try to eat plant pots and identification labels and dig up

anything newly planted in an effort to eat the blood, fish and bone powder we had used to give the

poor plants a good start in life!

We all developed great powers of observation. Nothing could be left to chance. For beneath that

undeniable cuteness lurked an opportunistic object-disposal unit on legs, constantly ready to pounce

on and ingest whatever lay in his path.

.

12

Hector at 14 weeks

13

Just for fun

Last week’s ‘Guess the Object’ was, of course, a stapler!

Many thanks to Anne Fenech for this

Can you guess what this object is? Answer will be in next week’s edition!

Thanks to Rhoda Malloy for this interesting photo!

14

Our member Peter Smith sent in the following:

Just for fun

Continued

The Washington Post's Style Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter

it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

The winners are:

-Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.

The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

-Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an

indefinite period.

-Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

-Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

-Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

- Karmageddon (n): It's like, when everybody is sending off all these Really bad vibes, right? And

then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

- Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

- Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a

spider web.

- Caterpallor (n.): The colour you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

Can anyone identify this tree?

Please email me

abbott111@talktalk.net

Asking for a friend!! (my husband

really!!)

15

Anything is Possible

All things are possible, let me tell you why . . . .

Once upon a time, in a small fishing village on the East Coast of Scotland lived a little girl.

Let’s call her Alison. Now this little girl wanted a kitten very badly, but her daddy had said

no because their last two cats had been killed on the road outside. Alison was very

upset, and her daddy said “all right, if a black kitten arrives at the back door in a storm,

you can keep it” thinking he was safe.

Well, Alison went to bed happy. She just knew she would get her kitten, after all, hadn’t

her mummy told her “all things are possible”.

A few weeks later she was sitting in the living room with her mummy and daddy listening

to the terrible storm raging outside and hoping that the power would not go out when she

heard outside an almost non-sound, like a little bird! She said, “there is something at the

back door” and ran to open it and look.

There on the back step was a very small, very black, very, very wet kitten!!!! He had one

paw raised as if asking for permission to enter and his little mouth was opening and

closing sounding a very croaky Miaow.

Alison picked him up and took him

inside where her mummy towelled him

dry and gave him some warm milk

with a wee drop of brandy in it.

They made a bed for him out of an old

box and a bit of blanket. He was very

happy kitten and slept all night.

Alison’s daddy didn’t believe this had

really happened and thought he had

been set up but said she could keep

the kitten. She was so happy and

called him Sunshine.

Sunshine lived with this family for 13

years but never, ever went out of the

garden.

So, you see – all things are possible.

By Ann MacKenzie

My Sunshine

16

This contribution was sent in by Sheila Hall who receive d it from friends in Australia

TAE A VIRUS:

Twa months ago, we didna ken, yer name or ocht aboot ye But lots of things have changed since then, I really must salute ye

Yer spreading rate is quite intense, yer feeding like a gannet Disruption caused, is so immense, ye’ve shaken oor wee planet.

Corona used tae be a beer, they garnished it wae limes But noo it’s filled us awe wae fear, these days, are scary times.

Nae shakin hawns, or peckin lips, it’s whit they awe advise But scrub them weel, richt tae the tips, that’s how we’ll awe survive

Just stay inside , the hoose, ye bide, nae sneakin oot for strolls Just check the lavvy every hoor,And stock-take, your, loo rolls

Our holidays have been pit aff, noo that’s the Jet2 patter Pit oan yer thermals, have a laugh,And paddle ‘ doon the waater ‘

Canary isles, no for a while, nae need for suntan cream And awe because o this wee bug, we ken tae be..19

The boredom surely will set in, but have a read, or doodle Or plan yer menu for the month Wi 95 pot noodles.

When these run oot, just look aboot, a change, it would be nice We’ve beans and pasta By the ton, and twenty stane o rice.

So dinny think yell wipe us oot, Aye true, a few have died Bubonic, bird flu, and Tb, they came, they left, they tried

Ye might be gallus noo ma freen, as ye jump fae cup tae cup But when we get oor vaccine made, Yer number will be up.

Poets Page

Please send us your poems, either ones you have written yourself or let us know of a special favourite which we can publish

Can you think of a word or picture that would

inspire members to write a poem?

Please send me your ideas

The Woodpecker

by Judith Adam

Standing so still,

I listen to what sounds like a drill.

A bit rusty I thought.

It will be naught.

No vehicles about. I hear no-one shout.

What is this strange sound? Nothing was found.

Then all of a sudden,

And on something wooden,

A beautiful sight,

In the daylight.

It was so amazing, Some feathers were blazing.

It had white spots.

A series of dots.

Grasping a tree, Drumming, Tapping,

Drilling,

Pecking,

Busy as a bee.

Communicating,

Eating invertebrates,

Young chicks to nurture,

Building a future.

17

IT Tips from our IT Group Leader Alan Malloy

Staying Safe It goes without saying, that in these troubling times we need to be extra vigilant. With a few simple steps you can strengthen your security. Some Advice: 1. Your bank will NEVER ask you to transfer money out of your account. If you get a phone call claiming to be from your bank HANG UP. Bona fide phone numbers for banks are printed on credit or debit cards. 2. The first time you pay a new person or firm using bank transfer (BACS), don’t pay the full amount, as it’s easy to mis-type in numbers. Pay a nominal sum e.g. £5. Ask the recipient to confirm they’ve received this, then pay the balance. Make sure your software is up-to-date This is important, as Microsoft and Apple regularly update their programmes to stop new malware (viruses, ransomware, etc) attacking our computers. If you do nothing else, check your software is up to date and is automatically updated. How do I know if my software is up-to-date? The ‘Checks and further reading’ section at the end of this article shows you how. Internet browsing and shopping Always look for the ‘https’ letters at the *start of a website. The ’s’ stands for ‘Secure’ - these websites encrypt messages sent between you and them. Note, the https system doesn’t guarantee the actual website is secure, but it’s a help. (*click on the address bar at the top of your browser to reveal the full internet address of a website) E.G. Greens Restaurant: https://greensmarketrestaurant.wordpress.com Make sure your firewall is on The firewall on your computer is like the walls of your house, it stops thieves entering. Almost certainly this should be switched on, but it makes sense to check. (See below) Anti-virus and other malware Modern machines running Windows and Apple have some anti-virus software included. Consider additional protection. Excellent paid-for programmes are available, but all of the big firms also offer free, anti-virus software which gives extra protection. While these programmes can be fiddly to install, they will make you more secure. (See below) Checks and further reading 1. Checking you’re up-to-date and have automatic updates turned on Windows: Start>Settings>Update + Security>Windows Update> Advanced options > Automatic Update Apple: System Preferences>Software Update -‘Automatically keep my Mac up to date’ 2. Firewall Windows: Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall>Firewall Status - should be ‘On’ Apple: System Preferences > Security & Privacy>Firewall - should be ‘On’. 3. Anti-virus and malware For Windows Users: https://www.techradar.com/uk/best/best-antivirus For Apple users: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-mac-antivirus-software

18

Highland Council Free Helpline Number: 0300 303 1362

To Stay Safe

19

All Bran Loaf

recipe by Anne

Franklin

All Bran Loaf Ingredients 1 cup of All Bran 1 cup of Sugar 1 cup of Sultanas 1 cup of Milk 1cup Self Raising Flour 1 egg (the size of cup doesn’t matter as long as it’s the same size for all ingredients) Method Soak the All Bran, sugar and sultanas in the milk over-night. Beat the egg and add to the mixture together with the selfraising flour. Stir together. Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin. Bake at 190c for 1hour 15 minutes

Raspberry & Coconut Cake

Ingredients 3 Eggs 75g Desiccated Coconut

210g Butter 210g Sugar 260g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder ¾ tsp Vanilla Essence 6 tbsp Milk 210g Frozen Raspberries

Cream cheese and icing sugar for

filling

Method Beat all the ingredients together

apart from the raspberries.

Fold the frozen raspberries into the

mixture.

Split the mixture into two sandwich

tins.

Bake in the middle of the oven at

170c for 30 minutes

When cool, sandwich together with

a mix of cream cheese and icing

sugar.

We have two recipes this week

– both look delicious!!

Raspberry and Coconut Cake

recipe by Morley Meinertz

20

The Show must go on

Beat the Boredom!!

The National Theatre is streaming NT Live shows for free on YouTube each Thursday at 7pm

Thursday 16th April: Treasure Island by Bryony Lavery

Thursday 23rd April: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Just google: You Tube National Theatre

The Globe Theatre is screening past productions for details go to:

https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/#free-youtube-premieres

Dan Skinner has recommended on-line lectures by the Arts Society

https://www.connected.theartssociety.org/

Have you read any good books lately? – or seen

any good films? Please let us know what’s good

to read and watch and perhaps write a review

Here is a fabulous competition for the over 70’s

Due to the current Coronavirus outbreak across the world, many people in the UK are staying at home

and are not able to go out for social gatherings. Our greatest writer, William Shakespeare, was faced

with a similar situation, with outbreaks of the plague throughout his career, and in particular in 1605-06,

when he wrote his King Lear. We have launched the King Lear Prizes to encourage ordinary people,

who have never been published before and are not professional writers, musicians or artists, to create

new works of literature, poetry, music and art during the time they are quarantined. As you will

remember, King Lear went increasingly mad during Shakespeare’s play. Perhaps entering the King

Lear Prize competition will stop you doing the same in quarantine! The short-listed and winning

submissions will be made public on this website and in our email newsletter, and we hope to be able to

present online performances by eminent actors and musicians.

The categories are: Short Story, Poetry, Solo Musical Composition, Short Drama and Art

The prize is £1,000. The competition is only open to the over 70’s

For more information go to: https://www.kinglearprizes.org.uk/

The Show Must Go On

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals are available on You Tube on Friday

evenings for the next few weeks – for more information go to:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag

21

Brenda Spreadborough sent me this

poem saying it makes her smile!

The Bunny Rabbit by Pam Ayres

I am a bunny rabbit

Sitting in me hutch

I like to sit up this end

I don’t care for that end much

I’m glad tomorrow’s Thursday

Cause with a bit of luck

As far as I remember

That’s the day they pass the buck

How are you ‘Beating the

Boredom’?

Please send in your tips to

abbott111@talktalk.net

22

Community Hub

Munros Fruit Merchants in Tain are offering a collection service and a delivery

service. They deliver from Alness to Brora 7 days a week. There is a £5 delivery

charge for deliveries outside Tain town. They sell a large range of fruit and

vegetables together with a range of groceries including, milk, butter and eggs. See

their website for further details.

Telephone: 01862 893131

Website: https://munrotain.co.uk/

I am sorry if this doesn’t cover all the areas where you may live but if you

have any information about services in your area and other community

news please let me know: abbott111@talktalk.net

All information is correct at the time of ‘going to press’

For information on Waste & Recycling:

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1054/rubbishandrecycling/905/rubbishandrecycling_

guidance-coronaviruscovid-19

Please let me know of any community information for your area

Coming Soon

The Balintore Inn is starting a meal delivery service

covering the Seaboard Villages and Fearn – watch this space

01862 850328

23

Coming in the Next Edition

Frances Douglas’s Desert Island Discs

More IT Tips

Hector’s next instalment

More of our members poems

As well as lots of interesting news and features I would welcome feedback on your thoughts and ideas about this newsletter and let me know if there are any items you would like

to see in future editions, Please remember when sending in items for inclusion in this newsletter, make sure you let me know if you are happy for your name to be added.

Many thanks The Editor (Karen) abbott111@talktalk.net

Just a thought to end on