Community News – December 2022 and January 2023

Felixstowe Speakers Club

At our September meeting we started our new educational year with a brand-new agenda. In addition to our normal speaking education, we will also be learning leadership skills. For our November meeting we focussed on gestures and body language while performing a speech. In December we will be having our Christmas dinner with a variety of games and activities and in January we will be focussing on using your voice. 

At the time of writing, we have just had our November meeting. The first part of the meeting consisted of our traditional warm-up section and the topic for this month was: What Made You Smile This Week? There was a variety of answers to this question, including seeing the grandchildren, drilling into a pipe and water spilling everywhere and tuning into Heart Radio over the Christmas period. 

This month we had two education sessions. The first was about incorporating gestures into a speech; walking around the stage, facial expressions, making and keeping eye contact and using hand gestures to enhance emotions. The second tutorial was about giving evaluations. This was in preparation for our evaluation contest which was also held during this month’s session. During the education session we were told to focus on the delivery and not the content of the speech, ensuring praise is given and if an improvement is needed, ensure an example is given on how to improve. 

Our meetings are at the Brook Hotel, Orwell Road, Felixstowe IP11 7PF, 7.30-10pm. Whatever level of speaking skill and confidence you have, the club aims to help you develop them, with both prepared and off-the-cuff speeches for entertaining or formal occasions. Please come along and see for yourself. The first session is free!

For more information and to contact us, please visit: https://www.easc-speakers.co.uk/felixstowe

Harry Larkins

Tuesday Tunes at Trinity

Starting on Tuesday 10 January and continuing for 10-weeks, we are opening Trinity Methodist Church to everyone from 11.30am-1.30pm every Tuesday for music, tea, coffee and homemade cake. There is no charge to attend and donations, which will be shared with Trinity Church and the BASIC Life food bank, are welcome. The music starts at noon and will finish between 12.30-12.45pm.

Performing musicians

10 January: Marianne (singer/songwriter)

17 January: David Leney and Friends (David performs his songs with friends)

24 January: Hattie Bennett (organ)

31 January: FelixStowaways (sea shanties)

7 February: Ukulele Band

14 February: Bold and Saucy Wrongs (Self-penned songs based on Shakespeare’s works)

21 February: Elynn Quartet (strings and bassoon)

28 February: Jax (singer)

7 March: White Horse Brawlers (folk tunes and songs)

14 March: In Tandem (folk)

For details of services and events at Felixstowe Peninsular Methodist Churches, visit: https://fpmc.methodistic.org.uk

Felixstowe Garden Club

Felixstowe Garden Club will be holding their first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday 10 January, 7pm at Old Felixstowe Community Centre, Ferry Road, Felixstowe IP11 9NB, where Michele Turner from Crafty Heffalump will visit with a talk entitled The Useful Gardener. Car parking is available, there will be a garden related raffle (£1 per ticket) and visitors are welcome at the cost of £5 cash, payable at the door.

At our meeting on 14 February, we’ll be joined by Neville Stein with Weird and Wacky Veg.

For more information, contact secretary Jayne Steele: 01394 211739 or visit our Facebook page and website: http://felixstowedistricths.onesuffolk.net/about-us

East Suffolk u3a is off to a flying start in 2023

Following its break over the festive season, East Suffolk u3a restarts in January with speaker meetings and interest groups meeting up. 

The New Year is a time for renewal and looking forward, and u3a welcomes anyone retired or semi-retired seeking something new and/or interesting. Fees are extremely modest and membership offers the opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends and fill life with stimulation and companionship. 

East Suffolk u3a has a strong local following and offers a choice of more than 150 activity groups, including discussing the arts, history and science, learning a new foreign language, walking, quizzing, dining out, short breaks and more. 

Local speaker meetings include:

Thursday 5 January, 10.30am-12.30pm at the Salvation Army Hall, Felixstowe IP11 7EL: Living with the Paranormal – a light-hearted but startling and thought-provoking talk about realising the speaker was ‘different’ and what occurred afterwards. Presented by Judith Hood. 

Monday 16 January, 10.30am-12.30pm at Woodbridge Football Club, 17 Fynn Road, Woodbridge IP12 4LS: Exploring East Anglia by Bus Pass – how to access many local sites of historical interest while travelling for free. Presented by Pip Wright. 

Monday 30 January, 2-4pm at Kesgrave Community Centre, Twelve Acre Approach, Bell Lane, Kesgrave IP5 1JF: My Life as a Hi-De-Hi Yellowcoat – an illustrated talk exploring the early careers of the Webb twins and their time at Maplin’s holiday camp in the long-running TV series. Presented by David Webb.

For more information, call the membership secretary: 0300 123 3913 or visit: https://www.u3aeastsuffolk.org.uk

Find more community news in Spotlight on Felixstowe magazine: https://www.spotlightmagazine.co.uk/category/read-online