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December 23 News Extra

IGO December News Extra


Welcome to the December News Extra. As always, we have news from new members and newly formed groups.

There’s a book recommendation and a Latin phrases quiz to test us all, not only those in the Latin groups. Not forgetting of course our photo competition – Christmas Baubles (and festive decorations). We hope you enjoy viewing some of the brilliant entries we've had. 

In the New Year we'll be looking for photos from members of a green energy site near them. So get your thinking caps on and email our entries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Happy holidays!

Helen Titherington, Trust Volunteer – IGO News Extra Editor

an angel christmas decoration
We are delighted to announce Margaret as the winner of the Christmas Bauble competition, with her decoration 'Chrissy'. Scroll down to read her story! 


IGO Christmas Baubles

We are delighted to share Margaret's decoration 'Chrissy' as the winner of the Christmas bauble competition. Margaret says...

"For decades now I have been collecting Christmas tree decorations and playing cards that represent the places I go on when on holiday or day visiting.  The tree (same tree) is running out of branches. 

Though this isn’t what you would normally call a bauble, it is our favourite tree decoration.  This is Chrissy, she has decorated the top of our tree for the same number of years.  She was bought decades ago at a school Christmas Fair and is so called because our youngest son couldn’t say christmas tree (he was very young) and could only say Chrissy, and,  as with many families the name stuck.   

As the years go by she has lost some of her hair, a shoe, arm and leg replacements, wings glued and trimmed, lace ruff repaired, finds it difficult to move her head, constantly loses her sequins and her dress is not as pristine as it once was. 

But we would not be without her, therefore again this year she will sit proudly on the very top of our tree."

View some of our other entries below!

Alan, Smartphone Art Group

Taken in Belfast market

Tomy, Exploring Classical Music Group

A lovely postbox topper!

Sue, Astronomy Group

A homemade bauble, it sparkles in the candlelight and looks very festive

Helen, Quiz Zoomers Group

Santa's tea party

Gelhi, Geology and Science and Technology groups

One lovely knitted santa

Alan, Smartphone Art Group

Taken in Belfast market

Fiona, Edinburgh

Three knitted santas

Ann, Smartphone Art Group

Taken in Dorchester

Liz, East Renfrewshire

Beads galore!

William, East Renfrewshire


    Groups to Join

    Do any of these groups interest you? You can join any of these groups by following the instructions on the Interest Groups Online groups page

    What are you Reading 5 is a group which takes place for an hour on the first Tuesday of the month from 1.30-2.30pm. Why not join if you're interested?

    Here’s what we looked at this month … 

    • Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove – 1985 – many pages but gorgeous depiction of the old west USA 
    • Ian Rankin’s Rebus books (24) - (1987 – 2022) - crime, cops, Edinburgh 
    • Danielle McLoughlin, The Art of Falling – 2021 – a good holiday read 
    • Sebastian Barry, Old God’s Time – 2023 – a beautifully written masterpiece 
    • Mention of the radio 4 programme - A Good Read - episodes on BBC Sounds  
    • Mention of the TV show Between the Covers – BBC Iplayer 

    New Groups 

    Browse some new groups on offer! Some have the date and time decided, others will have the meeting time decided when enough people join the group. 

    Play Reading Group

    Have a go at Play Reading. 

    Canva (Graphic Design) Group

    Learn about designing your own graphics on Canva.

    Wines of the World (start-up)

    A new start-up group - join the group on Beacon and when there is sufficient interest, the group will get started!

    Art Projects

    Join and get started on a new individual or collaborative Art Project. 

    AI for Everyone

    Learn about the fascinating world of AI and its impact on society.


    Reminder to leave groups you do not attend

    Just a reminder – if for what ever reason you wish to leave a group you are a member of – you can sort this yourself. Visit the Beacon for IGO Members page and scroll to 'Leaving a Group'. 


    New IGO members

    It's great to see so many new members to Interest Groups Online, and editor Helen has spoken to a few of them to see what they love most about their membership. Click on each of the photos below to find out more about these IGO members. 

    Meet Elisabeth

    Elisabeth lives in rural France, and joined an online recorder group as part of her Interest Groups Online membership.

    Meet Jean

    Jean joined Interest Groups Online following the IGO Fair in October. 

    Meet Linda

    Linda has joined a few Interest Groups Online groups alongside her local u3a membership. 


    January 2024 photo competition

    For our January photo competition, I would like to invite IGO members to send in their photos (taken on their own cameras\smartphones) of green energy sites near to them in a winter setting – particularly wind farms on land and sea, solar farms, green energy re- cycling plants etc etc together with some words about the location and the value and efficacy of the installation… 

    Please email these to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 


    Can you translate these Latin phrases?

    1. Veni, vidi, vici

    2. Alea iacta est

    3. Carpe diem

    4. Cogito, ergo sum

    5. In vino veritas

    6. Et tu, Brute

    7. Acta, non verba

    Answers in the next News Extra!

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