
IGO Jan 25 News Extra
Happy New Year to one and all - hope you are managing to keep warm in the wintry conditions - I have recently acquired a battery heated gilet - it’s heaven - I can have it on low, medium or high and it’s particularly effective on my back and around the neck.
This month we have a short quiz for you , an air-fryer interlude and news from the following groups:
- Justice and the Law
- Coffee and conversation
- Small steps
- Womankind
- What are you Reading 5
- Wine Appreciation
Helen Titherington, Trust Volunteer – IGO News Extra Editor

New Groups and Potential Groups
Potential Groups
As you may know, ideas we receive for new groups, are added to the list as POTENTIAL GROUPS. Once around 10 members have joined, we have an initial meeting to decide what will be the group's focus, how often it will meet, etc. You can join these potential groups on Beacon to show your interest.
Introductory Meeting
- Historical Writers. An introductory meeting to get the group started will be held on February 1st at 11am. You can join this group on Beacon.
New groups
This month, we hear from some IGO Group Leaders...
Are you interested in Justice?
These discussion groups explore a range of topics about the law and our justice system, from a contemporary and compassionate viewpoint. Topics for discussion includes; Juries, Human Rights, changing models for prisons and rehabilitation therapy, miscarriage of justice, the new legal frontiers of social media platforms, restorative justice and much more.
If those things sound like issues you would like to get into conversation about, then head to the beacon portal to join. Spaces are currently available with both groups.
The groups have a maximum size of 14 members, so that everyone gets to participate in conversations, some of which is within break out rooms. Topics are introduced with context information for about 15 minutes before group discussion begins.
Note, that no prior knowledge of the law is necessary.
Group 1: meets 4th Wednesday 5pm – 6.30pm
Group 2: meets 3rd Wednesday 5pm – 6.30pm
Coffee and Conversation
Coffee and conversation on the First Monday at 10am, the first for Fergus as our joint group leader – handling the breakout groups went like a dream!
Our opener was our reactions to the festive season – good and bad – but we soon digressed as is usual for the group – I’m hoping I can catch up with Margaret next time so that I can hear about the rest of her exploits in the Gambia!
Next time is the last Thursday at 3pm when the opener will be favourite comedians and comedy shows…. Join via beacon.
Small Steps to Save the Planet - Jayne Holmes, Group Leader comments
"Although still a relatively new group, we are all committed to do what we can to preserve our planet. Great trees from small acorns grow, hence our approach to do our bit through small steps. Our enthusiastic members will be considering several issues over the coming months including how we can reduce our environmental footprint by considering and discussing a different theme” - why not join via Beacon to find out what it’s all about
Quiz
Five events in January through the ages for you to puzzle about …
- In what year did England's first parliament take place in Westminster Hall?
- When was Rabbie Burns born?
- John Logie Baird first demonstrated his Television at the Royal Institute in what year?
- In what year was the Common Market formed with Belgium, France, W. Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands as its members and in what year did Britain join?
- When was Elvis born?

Answers at the bottom of this News Extra!
Womankind
This is a discussion group, made up of 6 topic led sessions, meeting twice monthly for 3 months.
It is for anyone interested in issues relating to women’s lives today.
Contact the Group Leader or join the Womankind Group on Beacon, to find out when the next series of sessions begins. Meetings are 1st and 3rd Tuesdays in the scheduled months, 5pm – 6.30pm.
Topics will look at issues such as:
- How important data about women is absent in everyday products design.
- The changes that have taken place since #MeToo began.
- Overturning banishment from roles in faith leadership, and assessing women’s centuries of defiance and protest, around the world.
Group size is maximum 14, so that everyone gets to participate in conversations, some of which is in break out rooms.
What Are You Reading - Group 5
Here’s a flavour of our group What are you reading 5. Notes of our meeting in January should give you an idea of what we’ve been up to lately! Our members take it in turns to highlight their reading over the previous month – join via Beacon.
Evelyn:
- An Evil Cradling by Brian Keening (b.1950) published in 1992. About his four years as a hostage in Beirut
Helen G:
- Exposure by Helen Dunmore (b.1952, d.2017) published in 2016 Guardian review said it has a tightly wrought plot with complex and challenging characters making for a surprising and fulfilling read.
David:
- Annihilation by Michel Houellebecq (b.1956) published in its English translation in 2024 excellent Wikipedia review
- The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (b.1943) published in 1992 won the Booker. Beautiful sensual prose an exploration of love
- Giovanni’s room by James Baldwin (b.1924 d.1987) published in 1956.Set in Paris a ‘classic of gay literature’

Carole:
- Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst (b.1954) published in 2024. His finest novel yet according to a Guardian review, depicting gay life in England from the 1960s to the pandemic. Hollinghurst novel The line of Beauty won the Booker in 2004.
Clare:
- The luminaries by Eleanor Caton (b.1985) published in 2013 won the Booker. Set on the South Island of New Zealand in 1866. The novel's complex structure is based on astrology - each of 12 local men represents one of the 12 signs of the zodiac and another set of characters, the planets of the solar system.
Helen:
- The Tracy Crosswhite novels by Robert Dugoni (b.1961) published from 2014 to date. Tales of homicide cops in Seattle - there are over ten in the series - fast moving reads featuring the sharpshooter Tracy and her team of detectives.
World History
The IGO group, World History, is starting 2025 with a detailed exploration of Indian History, from the earliest archaeological evidence through to the arrival of the British in the form of the East India Company. We plan to take most of the year over this, with monthly meetings and by sharing our ideas on a Padlet.
Our format for this year will be a series of foundation presentations/lectures by Alan Freeland, bimonthly, with the intervening month being for group members to make short contributions on topics around Alan's previous monthly talk. In our first monthly talk, covering the Harappan civilisation and the Vedic period, we have the opportunity to explore further the archaeological discoveries in the Indus Valley and beyond, the Vedic texts and the origins of Indian religion and civilisation.
The group is still open for new members.

Air-fryer Hasselbacks
I am a newcomer to air-frying so pardon me if you already know all about this tip - but I had the best hasselback potatoes I've had for a while.
- I peeled 4 medium potatoes - not sure what variety they were but let’s call them whites cut them in half around the middle not length ways
- Then taking a sharp knife I made a series of thin slices across each piece being careful not to go all the way through to form the Hasselback.
- I placed them in my air fryer drawer and added salt and pepper together with batons of carrots and four or five shallots.
- I sprayed oil all around them and put the on high for 15 minutes, et viola, perfection!
Did you also know that the hasselback name comes from the restaurant Hasselbacken in Stockholm …

This is John, looking for golf balls on the golf course after having his lunch of air fried hasselbacks.
Wine Appreciation - February Meeting - Wines of Australia
For our February meeting we will be discussing the wines from Australia - since our recent inception we have taken a look at wines from Spain, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. We each scour our local supermarkets, wine merchants, our own shelves and wine cellars and choose a wine of our choice to highlight. We look at the price, the alcohol content, the flavours, and the food to pair with our wine of choice.
This time I’m going to research Chardonnay - which is not a grape I usually favour but I hope to learn more and maybe, I’ll be persuaded. The group can post their choices on a padlet which we all share. I’m looking in particular at wine growing regions in an around the Gold Coast where my nephew has his home and Adelaide where our old friends Russ and Ali live… join on Beacon.
Helen – group leader.

Chardonnay Grapes
We have introduced our first welcome meeting for new members which was held @3pm on the 15th May – the items on the agenda were:
- Welcome
- An Introduction to IGO
- The Beacon members portal – how to use as a member
- Waiting lists – how do they work
- An introduction to the IGO pages on our u3a website
- Time for questions
- How to contact us for more help and assistance
Around 40 members attended and when polled they told us they both enjoyed the meeting and found it very useful.
If you are a new member, don’t worry if you couldn’t make this meeting – watch out for the next one on the schedule or email
Quiz Answers
How many did you get right?
- 1265,
- 1759,
- 1926
- 1958 and 1973
- 1935.