Edwalton, Gamston & District U3A are seeking new members to join their group of lively and friendly people who engage in a wide range of exciting and fun events.
They are part of an international self-help educational movement for people from all walks of life who are no longer in full time work.
Recent events include a visit this summer by 16 members of their Science & Technology group to the Grade II listed pumping station in Papplewick near Ravenshead.
Group member Carol Shuttleworth who organised the visit said: “It just felt as though we were coming out of a long, dark tunnel. This was the first time since the start of lockdown when any of us had been able to talk to each other except for regular Zoom meetings.”
Led by volunteer Peter Nicholls the group heard about the very harsh working conditions at the pumping station.
Early death awaited not only the men who stoked the boilers but also the women who painted the ornate flowers which decorate the supporting columns in the pump house as the paint they used contained arsenic.
The engineering genius of the Victorians however was unbelievable, from the 200-foot shafts dug into the ground to extract clean water to the enormous 13 ton beam engines which are steam driven.
The pumping station was built in the early 1880s when two beam engines were installed. They then built a Gothic revival building around the beam engines and, because the project had come in under budget, they splashed out on stained glass windows for the pump house!
From September onwards it is all systems go for the group as monthly meetings begin with an AGM followed by a fascinating talk on the £30 million restoration of Nottingham Castle.
For more information about Edwalton, Gamston & District U3A, including how to join, please visit http://edgamu3a.weebly.com
