The January competition “Clocks” resulted in 1st Diane – Musee d’Orsay, Paris; 2nd Walter - Durham Markets; 3rd Walter - Astronomical Clock, Old Town Hall, Prague. All the pictures were excellent, and it had been very challenging to decide the best. It was agreed to show 6 of the pictures at the AGM meeting, and Jeff presented the display. It was also agreed to sound out opinion on a 2019 calender, on a similar theme, but perhaps including pictures just a little further afield. The survey at the AGM suggested a 2019 calendar would again be popular.
The March meeting on sculptures gave us a judging dilemma, as we found it hard to separate the different pictures. In the end we had a triple tie for first place with Ram(New Zealand) – Bob; Frog(Middlewood Way) – Jeff; and Hands(Gretna Green) – Derek. We also had a quadruple tie for fourth place with Horse Column(Woodbank Park) – Derek; Young Couple(Giethoorn, Holland) – Walter; Horse Rider(Owain Glydor, Wales) - Bob; and Female Buddha(Thailand) – Bob; We also decided to revise our programme slightly to our assist our choice of pictures for a 2019 calender.
In May a small group explored Marple in a photoshoot, Walter by the canal, Derek around Etherow, and Jeff in the town centre, then we gathered in the Azda cafe to judge our Monthly Competition - Music. Bob’s pictures Middle East Musician and Marching Guards were 1st and 2nd; while equal 3rd were Walter-Trombonist, Prague, Derek -Yamaha Keys, and Derek - Banjo.
At the end of June, Marple Scenes was the competition, with Derek 1st (Boats at Etherow) and 2nd (Etherow Weir), and a triple tie for 3rd, with Walter (Bargee), Walter (Canada Duck) and Bob (Barges in Lock). In the remainder of the meeting, a selected list of 70 local pictures was viewed, and favourites chosen and agreed. These were then whittled down by discussion in subsequent days to 13 views to use in a proposed 2019 u3a High Lane Calender We believe the final choice should be as attractive and interesting as was this year’s calender- and hopefully as popular!
The July meeting competition was “Seaside”, with 1st Diane - Statue, Opatje Croatia; 2nd Derek - Lulworth Cove; 3rd Bob - Sunset India; 4th = Walter - Cala San Vicenta and - Puerto Pollensa; Bob – Devon beach.
The September Competition on Butterflies was won by Derek (Speckled Wood), with Walter 2nd and 3rd (Red Admiral, Peacock). We also discussed possible topics for next year, and looked at some minor printing issues with the 2019 calendar.
After welcoming Bryan, a prospective new member, November’s Cottage Competition saw an outright winner from Derek – Thomas Hardy Cottage, Dorset; with Bob second – Irish Cottage, and a cluster of equal thirds, Diane – St Martin’s church cottage, Marple Bridge Bob – Flintstone Cottage, and Walter– Anne Hathaway’s Cottage Stratford and a Bramhall Cottage.
Group Leader Walter Mason photographygroupleader@highlaneu3a.org.uk
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