WELCOME FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
It is hard to believe just how much has happened since this year’s inaugural meeting on 6th September. During the time that we were meeting in Ballymoney, in Balmoral Castle the Queen was accepting the resignation of the outgoing Prime Minister, Boris Johnston. A few hours later she was asking Liz Truss to form a government. Although she looked frail she was still able to greet Ms Truss with that smile to which we have become so accustomed for so long. It was with profound shock therefore that we learnt a mere two days later that the Queen had died. Anyone who reaches the age of 96 is living on borrowed time and so it should not have been such a shock to be told that Her Majesty had died. Yet it was and I think that the common feeling amongst so many people, both throughout these Islands and indeed around the world, whether they be supporters of the Monarchy or not, is the sudden departure of someone of such high stature who has been with us for so long. The people (myself included) who can remember King George’s funeral and a year later watching the Queen’s Coronation on a fuzzy black and white 14” television, are now definitely in the minority. No human being is flawless yet it would be hard to find any head of state who conducted themselves in such an exemplary manner as the Queen and for so long. She will be greatly missed and for King Charles III it will be a hard act to follow. I wish him well.
It was great to be able to welcome such a large gathering at our first meeting last Tuesday and I hope you all enjoyed Charlie Gillen’s talk. I think you will agree that we have been very fortunate in securing the use of the “Connect” premises. Sadly we will be unable to “hit the ground running” as regards our published programme as we have decided to suspend the activities of BU3A during the period of mourning for the Queen. However, I feel that we will be all the more enthusiastic when we do get going again.
I would like to make an appeal to anyone who may be reading this message on our website who is not yet a member of BU3A but who may be thinking about it. Even though the new year has already started you are not too late so please come and join us. We have a varied selection of activities on offer but you may well have some different skill or experience that you could pass on to the other members and that would be most welcome.
Finally, I would just like to mention that I was at the funeral to-day (Sunday) of one of BU3A’s earliest members, Noel Shaw, who had been poorly for some time. Even so Noel, a keen musician, still managed to make it along to our June meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the music of Scad the Beggars. Our thoughts are with his wife Maureen, also a member of BU3A, and with his family.
John W D Pinkerton
Chairman
It was great to be able to welcome such a large gathering at our first meeting last Tuesday and I hope you all enjoyed Charlie Gillen’s talk. I think you will agree that we have been very fortunate in securing the use of the “Connect” premises. Sadly we will be unable to “hit the ground running” as regards our published programme as we have decided to suspend the activities of BU3A during the period of mourning for the Queen. However, I feel that we will be all the more enthusiastic when we do get going again.
I would like to make an appeal to anyone who may be reading this message on our website who is not yet a member of BU3A but who may be thinking about it. Even though the new year has already started you are not too late so please come and join us. We have a varied selection of activities on offer but you may well have some different skill or experience that you could pass on to the other members and that would be most welcome.
Finally, I would just like to mention that I was at the funeral to-day (Sunday) of one of BU3A’s earliest members, Noel Shaw, who had been poorly for some time. Even so Noel, a keen musician, still managed to make it along to our June meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the music of Scad the Beggars. Our thoughts are with his wife Maureen, also a member of BU3A, and with his family.
John W D Pinkerton
Chairman