CLUBS & SOCIETIES
Zoom has brought us alive again Marston Montgomery WI
WHEN we last met for our monthly meeting in February 2020, we had no idea it would be our last gathering for several months.
We are a small WI of only 20 members and, during normal times, enjoy our time spent together at meetings, going on outings and helping out at village events.
When the first lockdown was announced, we fully expected things to be put on hold for a few weeks at most but it soon became apparent we were being far too optimistic.
Some of our members are elderly and live alone so, after much discussion, we decided to drag ourselves into the 21st Century and try out Zoom.
What a blessing it has turned out to be! With help from our group co-ordinator, we can now hold our meetings every month, which is as much a social event as it is a time for conducting business.
Our oldest tech-savvy member, aged 92, said: “The very first time I used Zoom I thought it was brilliant. It was great seeing old faces again, almost as though we’d woken from a deep sleep”.
We’ve also been very fortunate in that our invited speakers are happy to continue informing and educating us on Zoom.
We’ve had talks on prison rehabilitation, China, across California in a campervan, free sanitary products in schools and the work of the Associated Country Women of the World, a charity supported by the WI nationally.
We even held our Christmas party via Zoom, which was almost as much fun as the real thing, helped along by the glass of sherry and mince pies sitting next to our computers.
Our WI have also instigated virtual coffee mornings every Friday, where anyone from the village and surrounding area is welcome. These have proved to be very popular.
Of course, we are all very much looking forward to the time when we can meet up again, and when we do, I’m sure that we’ll look back with a sense of pride at our accomplishments during these very difficult times.
Jo revisits days of regal splendour Arts Society Dove Valley, Ashbourne
ON Wednesday, April 14, at 2.15pm, Jo Mabbutt will bring us “The Field of Cloth of Gold: how did they do it?”
In June 1520, Henry VIII and Francis I met in the Pale of Calais to ratify an Anglofrench alliance and celebrate the betrothal of Henry’s daughter Mary to the Dauphin.
Each brought an entourage of 6,000 to a field south of
Calais in France for 18 days of various entertainments staged to display the skill and splendour of each king and country. The English logistics for this spectacular event are staggering.
How was it all achieved?
Jo is a decorative artist who hand-gilds antique and vintage lace and crochet, working to commission, selling through galleries and exhibitions and collaborating with other designers.
She divides her time as a designer/maker, lecturer and tutor running specialist workshops.
A Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-stainers, Jo was recently awarded Honorary Membership of City & Guilds for services to education and training.
The lecture will be held online via Zoom. If you are interested in accessing this and other lectures on our programme, please contact Andrew Bownes, e-mail andrew@bownes.uk.net for joining instructions.
There will be no cost involved and no obligation to join the society.
Our society provides monthly lectures by accredited speakers, on topics related to a variety of subjects related to the arts.
These are normally held in Ashbourne Town Hall on the second Wednesday of each month.
More information on the above and the society can be found on our website at artssocietydovevalley.weebly. com
Rotary tees up charity golf day Ashbourne Rotary Club
AS the nation begins to pick itself up and venture outside after this latest lockdown, so it is time for charity events over the summer and The Rotary Club of Ashbourne is very pleased to announce its Golf Day on the June 4 at Ashbourne Golf Club.
The Samaritans in Derby and Derbyshire are the chosen charity, which the club feel are very worthy of support in this post-covid period, and the club is seeking a good level of entry to what over the years has been established as a well organised enjoyable day.
For an entry form and more details please email johngriffiths547@hotmail.co.uk or make contact with any member of the club.
Group kicks off with online meet U3A Natural History Group
THE inaugural meeting of the U3A Natural History Group was held recently by Zoom.
We were fortunate to have with us, on this special occasion, Tim Williams, the U3A adviser on natural history.
Tim’s talk was very much appreciated by members for several reasons. He spoke in most encouraging terms and gave much practical advice on how the activities of the group could be developed in the months ahead.
His approach was very much hands-on, and was based on his experience leading a similar group in Nottinghamshire.
Observing and recording the natural world in our local environment was advocated by Tim throughout his talk. In addition, it is vitally important to share findings, and make full use of the expertise available within the group. Tim gave us many helpful reference sources to help with our understanding of natural history.
Developing links with other organisations working in the natural world was strongly advocated.
As the present situation improves, suitable visits to sites of special interest will form part of the group’s programme, as will the use of highly qualified guest speakers.
The social aspect will not be overlooked when we can resume such activities.
Tim gave us helpful guidance on the use of the digital microscope, trapping insects, and offered his services in identifying rare specimens that may be “discovered” during our activities. For those members with limited experience he advocated detailed work to identify specific groups of plants or animals, so as to build confidence.
Tim proved to be a very enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable speaker. The word inspirational is often over used, but not in this case. Judging by the Q and A session, members took to heart much of what Tim had to say, and will no doubt take forward many of Tim’s ideas and techniques into our natural world.
In addition to the help Tim has already given us, he has kindly agreed to facilitate the circulation of his superb nature diaries.
It was agreed that further Zoom meetings would be held in the months ahead. A suitable slot was agreed as the third Thursday of the month.
On April 15 a members’ meeting by Zoom will be held, based on our own field studies. Full details of this meeting will be circulated well in advance.
The group leader, Arthur Williams, thanked Tim and the officers of The Ashbourne U3A for making such a worthwhile meeting possible at this difficult time.
Curious case of murder in France Ashbourne U3A
SIXTY-FIVE to 70 members joined a Zoom presentation on Friday April 2, given by Vivien Tiano, entitled “Anglofrench True Crime Story“.
This concerned the shocking and mysterious murder of three British holidaymakers in Provence in 1952. The three victims were Sir John Drummond, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter.
Sir John was a prominent biochemist who had worked for the British government. The two adults had been shot with a rifle and the little girl had been bludgeoned to death. The bodies were found by a French farm worker, Gustave Dominici, on August 5, 1952, near a remote farmhouse in Provence, La Grande Terre.
Following an incompetent investigation by local gendarmerie and Marseille police, the elderly farm owner, Gaston Dominici, the father of the aforementioned, was tried, convicted and sentenced to death for the murders.
But the prosecution case was so flawed and left so many unanswered questions that the conviction was regarded as unsafe and the sentence was subsequently commuted to a lengthy term of imprisonment. Dominici was released after a few years and died soon afterwards.
Since then, several books and a film have appeared and the crime has remained an object of fascination.
Rumours of espionage and the possible involvement of various intelligence services have circulated. On balance it would seem most likely that the murders were the result of a bungled armed robbery.
The next monthly meeting will be on Friday, May 7.
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