FOCUS
Spring 2012
Dundee Blind and Partially Sighted Society
Thomas Herd House
10-12 Ward Road
Dundee DD1 1LX
Telephone: 01382 227101
E-mail:
Website:
HelloSandra here again
Already we are moving into spring and thank goodness it was not the severe winter that we all endured last year.
I hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year. I had a lovely break and it is so nice to see the joy and excitement on Scott and Gracie’s faces as they opened all their presents on Christmas Day.
It was great to see so many of you at the special activities over the Christmas period. Many of you have been saying how much you miss the summer outings. I hope it won’t be too long before we get them started again, possibly March if the weather does not turn nasty.
The Lunch Club is proving to be very popular with many clients attending. We had a lovely Christmas lunch with all the trimmings for only £5 and it was nice that the Ladies Group joined in for this. We also had a nice Burns lunch with an ‘ode to the haggis’, a wee dram and a couple of poems.
If you have not tried the outings or the Lunch Club I think you would be very surprised if you gave it a go, we would love to see you.
Well that is all my news for now
Love Sandra
Editor’s Bit
Haven’t we been lucky with the weather so far, what a change from last winter?
During the Christmas break though I caught the flu so was feeling very sorry for myself. I only went out once during the New Year week to visit my Mum and spent the rest of the time in my pyjamas. Never mind I got over it in the end.
I had some very good news at the beginning of the year. One of my cousins, Karen Graham, was nominated for The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2012 and we were all thrilled when she won. She was nominated for the work she did as a matron/nursing services manager in Tripoli while gunfire and shells rained down on the hospital. You may have heard her being interviewed by the BBC at the time. She is home for a well deserved holiday at the moment but knowing Karen she will be back in Tripoli very soon.
Natalie and I took our dog Danny for a haircut at the weekend as he was starting to look like a woolly bear. Maybe it is the wrong time of year to do this but it was badly needed. After his haircut he was trotting around as if he knew he was looking very handsome, it was quite funny.
Is there something that you would like to be included in the newsletter? Please let me know, your ideas are always welcome.
Well that is all of my news; I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year.
Chat to you soon.
Diane
Calibre Talking Books
As from 1st January 2012, Calibre have been charging a one off joining fee of £35 for all new adult members and £20 for children. Because of lack of funds the changes will help cover administration costs.
They are also phasing out cassettes next year and will only be offering audio books in digital format e.g. MP3, CD and USB memory sticks.
Calibre also offers their service for Kindle users so anybody interested in accessing this service, please let us know and we can give you more details.
A word in your ear
I have been chatting to our friends at ‘Bonnie Dundee’; its posh name is ‘Dundee Tape Newspaper for the Blind’ and they have asked me if I could give them a mention.
Every month they send out two free cassette tapes in separate wallets. One is the Newspaper while the other is the Magazine; both cater for visually impaired listeners in Tayside and beyond.
The Newspaper is brimful of news from the local area, forthcoming football fixtures are covered and its ‘celebrity interview’ feature has been enjoyed for quite a few years now.
The Magazine is produced with women listeners in mind (ok the editor is a man but you can’t have everything!) and carries a mix of stories, features, horoscopes, general chat and anything of special interest to women.
If you are already a Bonnie Dundee listener that’s fine – carry on enjoying the tapes. If you are not yet a listener and would like to receive any of the tapes, or maybe you have a friend who would like to receive them, then why not give your name and address to the lovely ladies at reception.
Alternatively, you could telephone Graham Tarbet on 01382 810266.
Once you have listened to your tape please pop it back in its wallet, turn the address label and send it back or hand it into reception.
Like the FOCUS newsletter it is all free. Happy Listening.
Passport Application Forms
Have you tried to complete a passport application recently? It was brought to Sandra’s attention who agrees that they are very poorly designed with little contrast and tiny boxes for completion. We have tried to access a large-print version but to date have been unable to do this. Sandra has written to their Customer Services Manager for help in this matter and will keep you informed in the next FOCUS newsletter.
Food Train
Do you need help shopping? Are you aged 65 or over with mobility problems that affect you getting your grocery shopping? If so then Food Train may be able to help. They are supported by Dundee City Council and is run by volunteers.
Food Train will pick up your shopping list, collect your messages and bring them straight to your door; they will even unpack and put your shopping away if you wish.
They have just arrived in Dundee and for the moment will be working with Morrisons. As the service expands other superstores will be brought into play.
There is a delivery charge of £3 which is much less than using a taxi and means you won’t have to carry heavy bags home.
If you are interested in this service give them a call on 01382 459202.
Disabled Go
Have you found this website? Fiona, Senior Care Manager thought it might be of interest to you.
You can find detailed information about access to all kinds of places - hotels, restaurants, colleges, tourist attractions, libraries, hospitals, leisure centres - the list goes on! All access information has been collected in person by DisabledGo’s team of surveyors.
You can also use DisabledGo to find a job, catch up on the latest disability news, advertise events, post articles and join discussions on their forum.
You can find the website at
Activity Timetable
There have been no changes to our activities but please have a look and let us know if you would like to come along and join in.
There is transport available most days and costs only £1 in each direction.
Monday(these will restart in April 2012)
Walking Group (Fortnightly during summer months) / No Transport from home and back / 10am / / 3pm
Bring Lunch
Summer Outings for the elderly (Fortnightly during summer months) / Transport Available / 10am / / 5pm
£10 cost
Tuesday
Manicure / No Transport / 10:45am / / 1pm
£5 cost
Bingo / Transport available / 1:30pm / / 3:15pm
£3 per card
(24 games)
Wednesday
Reminiscence Group / No Transport / 10:30am / / 12 noon
Free
Lunch Club / Transport Available / 12 noon / / 1:30pm
£3 for lunch
Aromatherapy / No Transport / 1:30pm / / 3pm
Free
Ladies’ Club / Transport Home / 1:45pm / / 3:15pm
50p
Thursday
Hairdressing / No Transport / 10am / / 1pm
Costs Vary
Craft Group / No Transport / 10:30am / / 12:30pm
Free
Deal or No Deal / Transport Available / 1:30pm / / 3:15pm
£2.50
Friday
Tea and Chat Group / Transport Available / 1:30pm / / 3:15pm
£1
This timetable can be subject to change you will be notified of changes through this quarterly newsletter.
Lunch Club
Have you tried our Lunch Club yet it is a great way to meet people. It starts at 12 noon where you will be served a tasty two course meal for only £3.00. One week there will be soup and a main meal and the following week it will be a main meal then a pudding; there will also be tea and coffee available.
We can also pick you up and take you home again in our minibus for only £1.00 each way.
If you would like to join us for lunch and a chat please let the reception staff know a few days beforehand so we can buy enough food.
Walking Group
The Walking Group will be back in April so if you would like to join in please let the reception staff know.
It is not a strenuous walk but it is for our more able clients. Our volunteer Brian Williamson is very knowledgeable and knows a lot about the areas the walks are in.
They are planning some new walks this year, and returning to some old favourites. The walk on a particular day will always be decided with the attending clients in mind, and the weather forecast – soggy sandwiches are never popular!
The Walking Group are thinking about the following walks, but there will be others: Loch Leven from Kinross on part of the new Heritage Trail to Burleigh Sands; Balmossie to Carnoustie along the cycle path; around Forfar Loch; a beach walk from St. Andrews to Out Head; Den of Alyth.
The most important thing is to bring a snack/packed lunch with a drink in a light-weight back-pack, dress in wind-proof clothing, warm headgear and gloves and sensible shoes with good gripping soles (sometimes it can be a little wet or muddy so white trainers are not ideal) it may be colder than you expect that day. If you are not sure what to bring, ask Marion for advice a few days before.
The minibus always leaves on time, so if you are unexpectedly delayed please give us a call so you are not left behind.”
Monday Outings
Hi Marion here, it is nearly time for our Monday outings to start again. These outings are for our more fragile clients who don’t get out of the house very often. We have wheelchairs available and lots of helpers so please don’t think you would not manage.
It is a great day out where we will stop for a coffee, often near some shops while at lunch time we will enjoy a two or sometimes three course meal all for only £10.
Over the warmer months some of the places we will be visiting are Abernyte, St. Andrews, Arbroath, Forfar and Perth so why not contact the reception staff and add your name to the list.
We can also collect you from home and take you home again at the end of the day.
Puzzle Pages - Crossword
How did you get on with theword search puzzle in the last issue? I find them much easier than crosswords but I thought you might like a change this time so here is a crossword for you.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 67 / 8 / 9
10 / 11
12 / 13 / 14 / 15
16 / 17 / 18
19 / 20
21 / 22
Here are the clues for the crossword, good luck.
Across
7 / Missed (7)9 / Spotted carnivore, said to have a call like a laugh (5)
10 / G8 member initials (3)
11 / Russian space traveller (9)
12 / Conceptions (5)
14 / Flimsy bedwear item (7)
16 / ...Byrne, star of The Usual Suspects (7)
18 / Dissatisfied (3, 2)
19 / Mars (3, 6)
20 / Spoil (3)
21 / Passionate (5)
22 / Fantasist (7)
Down
1 / Giving a guarantee (8)2 / ...of Lambeth, W Somerset Maugham’s first novel (4)
3 / Dust particles (6)
4 / Multitude (6)
5 / Separated from the sediment (8)
6 / Verruca (4)
8 / Loath (11)
13 / Inlaid (8)
15 / Rulers (8)
17 / Ornamental insertions (6)
18 / Garage mechanic (6)
19 / Neck-frill (4)
20 / Parents (4)
Sudoku
How did you get on with the Sudoku puzzle in the last newsletter? I have been told that many of are enjoying it so I have added another one this time. It requires no calculation or arithmetic skills. It is a game of placing numbers in squares, using very simple rules of logic and deduction. It can be played by children and adults and the rules are simple to learn.
The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple rules to follow.
Every row must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order.
Every column must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order.
Every 3 by 3 subsection of the puzzle must include all digits 1 to 9.
Once you get the hang of it I think you will enjoy Sudoku.
I have gone for a slightly easier puzzle this time I am sure you will manage it. The answer is at the end of the newsletter.
8 / 3 / 14
6 / 4 / 2
1 / 6 / 9 / 7
5 / 9
1
2 / 9 / 1 / 5 / 6
8 / 4 / 9
3
This puzzle is printed with permission from
Magic Words of Yesteryear
Thanks go to Fiona, our Senior Care Manager, for this although how I am going to say this for the cd version I don’t know!!!.
When Dundee folk sit doon thegither,
Hiv ye noticed in among their blether,
That those magic words of yesteryear,
Have slowly begun to disappear?
So, for today let’s reminisce,
On some Dundee words that’s ta’en a twist.
It’s cupboard noo, that once was press,
And a mirror was a lookin’ gless.
A purn is now a cotton bobbin
And pilfering – we called it dobbin!
A laundrette was aye a steamie
And an overall wiz jist a peeny.
The tansad’s now a baby buggy
And it’s sparrow now that once was spuggie
The pigeon though, remains a doo,
But the lavvy’s changed , now it’s a loo.
Breaking wind, we yased tae ruft;
And a broken date pal, ye wiz duffed!
For training shoes our word was sannies,
School caretakers then, they were jannies,
Tight fisted now, we said just gruppy,
And it’s kilo now, no a half-a-luppy
A paper bag was aye a poke,
And nayseated meant ye’d ta,en the boke!
Folk now gibber, who once would haver,
And trousers zips then were a spaver.
A dog-end used to be a doupie,
Riverside Park was aye the coupie.
But I’m glad to say that in Dundee,
A drain is still a plain cundie.
There are many words I must have missed
In fact, there’s still hunners on meh list.
But my time here has now elapsed,
So eh’ll love ye a by saying chaps.
Diamond Jubilee Quiz
As the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee this year I thought I would try a royal quiz mostly related to the Queen, hope you like it.
- In what year did Queen Victoria celebrate her Diamond Jubilee?
- What was Queen Elizabeth II christened?
- Where was our current queen born?
- Which Prime Minister greeted the Queen when she returned after her father’s death?
- On what date in 1953 was the Coronation in Westminster Abbey?
- Who was the Archbishop of Canterbury who crowned Queen Elizabeth II?
- News of what event reached the UK in time for the Coronation?
- Launched in 1953, the Royal Yacht Britannia was built by which Clydebank shipyard?
- What is the official title of the Queen in the Channel Islands?
- How many rooms does Buckingham Palace have?
Happy Birthday
Here are our birthday greetings for those celebrating a special birthday this issue.
Debbie-Leigh Drakeley will be 18 in Junewhile in May Ronald Hunt will be 100 and Lorna Coxon will be 101.
Congratulations and many happy returns from everyone at the society.
Dates for your Diary
Here are the dates when the society will be closed for holidays for the first half of the year.
Monday 2nd April
Monday 7th May to Friday 11th May
Monday 4th June and Tuesday 5th June
If you have an emergency when the society is closedyou can contact the Social Work Out of Hours Team on 01382 432270.
How did you get on with the crossword? Here are the answers for you to check. If you would like a larger print copy of the answers please let me know.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6A / L / S / T / D / W
7 / K / I / P / P / E / 8 / 9 / Y / E / N / A
S / D / H
S / Z / E / I / R / C / R
10 / S / A / 11 / O / S / M / O / N / A / U / T
U / C
R / K / I / N / N
12 / D / 13 / A / S / 14 / I / G / H / T / I / 15
I / E / N / E
N / M / C / E / M
16 / A / B / R / 17 / E / L / 18 / E / D / U / P
G / I / F
E / N / I / I / E
19 / E / D / P / L / A / N / E / T / 20 / A / R
R / M
U / D / A / E / T / U / O
21 / I / E / R / Y / 22 / R / E / A / M / E / R
F / D
F / D / S / R / S / S
Did you manage the Sudoku puzzle? This one was a bit easier that the last one. Here is the finished puzzle for you to check.
4 / 8 / 2 / 9 / 3 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 13 / 7 / 5 / 1 / 2 / 6 / 9 / 4 / 8
9 / 1 / 6 / 4 / 5 / 8 / 2 / 3 / 7
1 / 6 / 3 / 2 / 4 / 9 / 7 / 8 / 5
7 / 2 / 8 / 5 / 6 / 3 / 4 / 1 / 9
5 / 4 / 9 / 7 / 8 / 1 / 3 / 2 / 6
2 / 9 / 7 / 8 / 1 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 3
8 / 3 / 4 / 6 / 7 / 5 / 1 / 9 / 2
6 / 5 / 1 / 3 / 9 / 2 / 8 / 7 / 4
Diamond Jubilee Quiz
Here are the answers, how did you get on?
- 1897
- Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York
- 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London
- Winston Churchill
- 2nd June
- Geoffrey Fisher
- The first ascent of Mount Everest
- John Brown & Company
- Duke of Normandy
- 775