Group News July 2020

Here is some news from Groups who are being 'active' during lockdown!
CREATIVE WRITING
Some of this group have been writing stories monthly and then sending them to each other by e-mail . It would be great if some of their stories could reach other members?
SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
Many members have been enjoying monthly sessions on Zoom with slide shows given by members. These have been great learning sessions in a variety of scientific fields.
CURRENT AFFAIRS 3
Some of this group have been discussing topics online. Guy Barnes hopes that more members will contact him to join as soon as we are ‘allowed out’!
LITERATURE
At present members are emailing opinions of the book they are reading but this will come to an end after July for the summer. Guy Barnes is retiring as co-ordinator of this group in July after nearly 10 years of leadership, during which the group has read 65 books. We thank Guy for his commitment over all this time. Frances Barter has agreed to take it over in the Autumn and we thank her and wish her well. Frances says “One of our members has offered the use of her garden for our next meeting on July2nd.  We are going to discuss Jude the Obscure, one of Hardy's famous
novels. We will be observing the 2 metre distance and taking our own drinks.  So far there are only 5 of us going, but I am hoping there will be 1 or 2 more. Barring thunder, lightning and rain we will be there!  I also intend to use the session to discuss the venue for Sept and the choice of reading material. Depending on the weather, it will also be a good opportunity to chat more widely on what we've all been doing with our time during lockdown and the books that have kept us sane.“
ARCHAEOLOGY
This new group was established just as we went into lock down and it has 11 members so far, They have started to communicate on online video links on the First Friday of the month at present at 3pm. Members are mainly interested in the prehistoric and Roman periods in Britain and the near continent. The group also plan to visit local sites and participate in fieldwork when the lockdown restrictions allow. The Group Leader is Maggie Davidson,   If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Maggie, through the Archeology page link. She will give you the link for the next online meeting on 3rd July.
FRENCH CONVERSATION
French Conversation goes ahead each Tuesday via Zoom. There are 12 of us and no one has yet dropped out despite the difficulties of online conversations (in French!).
FRENCH FOR FUN
We are continuing to 'meet' fortnightly on Zoom (running two sessions with a coffee break in between, to keep to the 40 minute limit on Zoom) and we're all enjoying the chance to see each other - and do some French, of course!  Articles and discussions range from Winter holidays in the French Alps, 'what we will do first when the lockdown is over' to an article about a year as an international 'Erasmus' student in a French university.  Particularly popular was a touching story about an English and a Belgian family who recently celebrated 100 years of friendship since a young British soldier was billeted with them at the end of the First World War !
SEAFRONT GARDENS
Merry Bolton is hoping to restart work on the garden after the 4th July. She will contact members of the group once she has the go ahead from the Council.
CURRENT AFFAIRS 1 AND 2
Several members from both current affairs groups are collaborating to hold a meeting using Zoom.  This takes place on 2nd July. If you are interested in joining this, please contact Iain Paterson though the Current Affairs page.
TENNIS
This group has been in communication by email throughout the Lock down and are meeting currently – not on the Tennis court but in each others gardens socially distanced and in careful groups of six, ably arranged by Joyce Beadle, their leader. Below is one photo showing that all are behaving as they should!
SCOTTISH DANCING
During this epidemic The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society has developed There have been lots of initiatives including music, history, technology and new dances often for a small number of people in confined spaces.However the standout events have been weekly zoom classes at 7 pm BST.  Normally over a thousand dancers join the class with a teacher in their kitchen or sitting room from anywhere in the world.  People on the western Pacific rim get up very early to join.  This week the class came from British Columbia in Canada.It has been great to spend some time on unusual steps or sequences and many of us have had a go at Highland dancing and Highland Step dancing for the first time. 
Highland dancing, includes sword dances, demonstrates stamina and is generally considered to be for men.  Highland Step dancing is a delicate and nimble form of display, until recently for women.  Of late men and women do both and we have had elements of both Step Dancing and Highland dancing in this summer’s Online weekly classes.
All the classes have been recorded and are available to watch on YouTube.  Look up ‘Way tae Fife – a Scottish lady’s step dance.Just clear a little space and have a go.  All classes are quite progressive and start slowly.  Of course we are all desperately looking forward to be able to dance together again.  Lucky New Zealand are already back on the floor.
BADMINTON
The Tuesday Badminton group did a zoom together a couple of weeks ago. It was good to see everybody again and was enjoyed so much we’re planning another soon!