2026 has certainly started with a spell of winter weather we have not experienced for a few years. It was good to see so many of you brave the icy conditions on Tuesday to attend the monthly meeting (and hear an interesting talk on the Air Ambulance – I was quite surprised to learn just how many times a day it’s called into use). Please all stay safe and look out for each other in this cold weather.
As mentioned last month, 2026 is the 20th Anniversary of Southwell u3a and we are planning a celebratory event in July. It would be nice to hear from any of you of your recollections and memories of those early days, as from all your great efforts the u3a has grown into the thriving group it is now.
Time is one of those strange concepts. To some, 20 years may seem a long time, whereas to others it can seem very recent. That can depend on our memory of events so we can put the date into context. I know I was spending a lot of time working away from home and, 20 years later, can still recall a taxi ride in Beijing that brings me out in a cold sweat thinking of it.
To try to put 2006 into context, I looked at what was happening at that time. Some things have changed significantly; phones were just for telephoning and there was nothing particularly “smart” about them (you needed a camera if you wanted to take a photo!). Social media had barely started and if you wanted to meet somebody you did it face-to- face , no Zoom video calls back then.
Sporting-wise, Nottingham Forest were in Division 3 (now League 1) and playing Yeovil and Carlisle (as compared to Arsenal and Ferencvaros this January). Of course, some things just don’t change . Notts County were still in Division 4 (today’s League 2) and England were humiliated 5-0 by Australia in the Ashes cricket series. In the wider world, the 5th series of The Apprentice was running in the US with a man called Donald Trump as host – I wonder what happened to him?!
In the entertainment world, David Tennant was making his first appearance as Dr Who and Daniel Craig as the new James Bond in
Casino Royale. The first gay wedding was broadcast in a soap opera when Adam and Ian got married in Borchester in The Archers. The Arctic Monkeys had a hit with “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” (and the answer to that hasn’t changed between 2006 and 2026 – it’s still a “No!”)
Much closer to home, 2006 was when the work first started on building the new Minster School. As such, a lot of things have happened since 2006 so as we celebrate our own 20th year it will be fun to find out just how the u3a has changed.
Lastly, there are some events of 2006 that I hope will not be repeated in 2026. That year, Lampard and Gerrard missed penalties that meant England were knocked out in the quarter finals of the World Cup. This year, I hope that Kane and Saka (or Christie and McGinn for Scotland) will prepare better and we can celebrate success.
Mike Freemantle