The local group, Whitby Whaler (Whitby Activities Learning and Education in Retirement) offers more than 700 activities as diverse as wine tasting, amateur dramatics, lectures, philosophy, music and singing groups, walking and photography to name a few. There is no need for anyone to feel isolated or lonely, so come along to one of the group’s activities and try things out. Once a year, groups and members meet for a social event which can take several forms. This year, the spring social was organised to take place on St George’s Day (April 23), which is also the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and death, and was held in the Northern Lights Suite at Whitby Pavilion. The ceilidh and barn dancing group led by Ian and Gaynor Wilkin provided a band and caller who led the initial dancing, and which was enjoyed by all as a pre-dinner activity. During the meal, a quiz based on Shakespeare and St George was distributed and this provided some good teamwork and healthy competition between the tables. It was won by the Third Age Stagers, the amateur dramatic group of Whitby Whalers, who then went on to deliver a series of tongue-in-cheek sketches, loosely based on the bard. Beginning with All the World’s a Stage, seven would-be thespians portrayed the ages of man from the baby ‘mewling and puking in the nurse's arms’ to ‘second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything’. Other items included Romeo and Juliet performing Love Story, three very spooky witches from Macbeth, Cleopatra and her sand dance, and Richard III. They ended with ‘I came, I saw, I congaed’ and many people in the audience joined in. The evening concluded with a lively disco which the members enjoyed. The Whitby Whaler group has something for everyone. Find out more at www.u3asites.org.uk/whitby or come along to one of the monthly coffee mornings held on the third Saturday of the month from 10am, usually in the Rifle Club, when committee members will welcome you and tell you more about the organisation. The next coffee morning will be held on Saturday, June 21, 10am to 11.30am, and will be the last in the Rifle Club until the start of the new year in September. However, there will be a final one in the Rugby Club on Saturday, July 19, 10am, where there will be a short concert. You will find a warm welcome.