Sedgefield News - January 2025
Atypically our members take it easy in January, recovering from Christmas and trying to safely avoid the worst of the winter weather. However, almost 50 of them attended our first meeting of this new year when Keith Simpson talked to us about the history, constancy and changes that have occurred in Tudhoe village. We were fascinated to learn of the Edwardian Orphanage, the earlier Dame School, the numerous farms and the possibility of a tunnel connecting two of the larger houses in the village. And did you know that they boast the longest Village Green in County Durham – at just over a quarter of a mile?
Following the success of their Pantomime broadcast on Radio Tyneside just before Christmas, our Creative Writing Group is now concentrating on a new topic and on liaising with other groups to share and exchange writing and to connect with the wider world through a Word Press blog and greater use of social media. A couple of years ago they produced a short book of stories based on local myths and legends which was illustrated by our Photography group. Before Christmas they sent a copy of this publication to u3as in the further reaches of the UK; copies were sent to Jersey and Guernsey, to St Just in Cornwall, to the Orkney and Shetland islands and to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. Internationally a copy winged its way to Sydney in Australia. We’ve recently learned that there is a u3a in our sister town of Sedgefield in South Africa, so we’ll shortly be posting off a copy to them too!
In February the Group will be hosting another visit by Lucy Brownlee who will be expanding on her October talk on Prose Writing. Non-members are very welcome to attend this meeting. Please see the Events page of our website for further details.
Our next meeting will be on Friday, 7th February in the Parish Hall from 2-4pm when a representative from the Durham Wildlife Trust will be telling us about their vital work in the various nature reserves in Co Durham, the visitor centres at their conservation bases at Rainton Meadows and Low Barns and how best to discover, protect and conserve local wildlife - from the Tees to the Tyne. If you are retired or semi-retired, you are very welcome to join us then. We look forward to meeting you then.