IGO November News Extra
Welcome all, particularly if you are one of the over 100 new members who joined IGO following our October fair. If you are one of the new members it would be great to hear from you. How have you enjoyed the experience of becoming a member? And what groups have you already joined? Email me the editor with your thoughts at
This month we highlight activities from the new Science and Technology Group and from Coffee and Conversation. You’ll also find some quotes from members of QuizZoomers, including a couple of brain teasers.
And finally – The Christmas Bauble Competition! For our December edition we would like you to send in photographs from your own phone/camera. No doubt over coming weeks you will be dusting off your festive decorations and we want you to capture pictures of your favourites and send them to me at
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
"Everyone has made me very welcome, and we have lots of fun, the questions being a good mix of the common and more eclectic. I love questions about films and their directors."
Here’s a little brain teaser for you as it’s getting near to Christmas: Who directed It's a Wonderful Life?
Ann from Quiz Zoomers
"I like the format of the Quiz Zoomers - as it always tests your individual knowledge but with the back-up of your team if you don't know the answer. We play every Monday night, all levels of quizzers, we are competitive but try to have fun and a chat along the way. It's a good mix of people."
Note from the editor: Sean is a great cricket fan, so here’s a question he’s sure to know the answer to, but do you?
Regarded by some as the finest English batsman of the 20th century, he played over two decades for Yorkshire and his knock of 364 against Australia in 1938, is still the highest individual score by an England cricketer in Test history. Can you name him?
Sean from Quiz Zoomers
"The online Science and Technology Group had its first meeting in October.
We went to Germany to learn about Nuclear Fusion. Almost. Our first speaker, presenting from Germany, was Klaus. Klaus took us on a tour of magnetic fields, stellarators, tokamaks and the power of the Sun. Unveiling the differences between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
Group members of all, including very little, understanding of science, learnt a lot. Klaus set the bar high including faultlessly presenting in his second language, English. The topics for the next three meetings are:
- Dec 4, 2023 - Neuroscience and the Brain
- Jan 8, 2024 - Nano Technology
- Feb 5, 2024 - Artificial Intelligence
If you want to find out what things like this do sign up for the Science and Technology Group."
Janette Parsons – joint group leader
New start-up groups
Start-up groups are available to join on Beacon. Once there is enough interest and thereare enough members, these groups get up and running. Would you be interested in any of the below groups?
Wines of the world
Probably once a month around 4pm – participants could take turns to highlight a specific wine of their choice – the grape variety, where it is produced, how it is produced, what eats well with the wine etc
All about Whisky
Similar to wines of the world – participants taking turns to highlight aspects of a particular distillery, method of production, taste, or even famous people known to love whiskey.
The Novels of Nevil Shute
Again probably once a month – participants to take it in turn to suggest a book for the group to read then discuss at the next meeting… Shute wrote 24 standalone novels. They come in roughly three sections – early pre-war flying adventures; Second World War tales; and stories set in Australia.
Tennis News
The players, the courts and equipment, the grand slams, the Davies and the Billie Jean King Cups and other tournaments of note around the world – how long will Djokovic reign supreme? – and what’s happened to Radacanu?