You may have heard from people who went to the Dec Christmas meeting about some “funny” video clips.  These were produced by Barnsley U3A and were also shown with great success at the U3A National AGM this year.The links are below for you to enjoy them either for the first time or as a repeat.

Olympic Synchronised Swimming – U3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I6pkO5gQmw

Barnsley U3A Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JypZ-jHAk4k

Are you interested in taking part in a pioneering study to explore the geography of the brain and to map this to the way we think, communicate, use our memories and make decisions?

BRAIN EXPLORATION

We are looking for healthy volunteers over the age of 60, with no history of neurological or psychiatric disorder.

£50 will be provided to compensate for the time taken for being involved in the study.

The study involves two scans, a small blood sample and some cognitive testing. All travel expenses will be reimbursed.

For more information, e-mail us brainatlas@kcl.ac.uk or call us on 07534 656 301 This study is being conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill.

As a volunteer, you are not obliged to respond to this poster, if you decide to take part in the study, you may withdraw at any time .

05 2_Recruitment-poster_AL_2

306_InformationsheetConsentform_-AL_3.2

More free ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ courses for Spring 2014

If you live in the borough of Kingston, and want to get fit, lose weight and improve your wellbeing, you can join a free 6 week course in Spring 2014.

Take your pick from gentle exercise to more vigorous activity:

Nordic Walking: YMCA Hawker Centre, Kingston, Mon 24 Feb – 31 Mar 10.30-12.30

Chair Based Exercise: Merritt Medical Centre, Chessington, Tues 25 Feb – 1 Apr 2.00-3.30

Aquacise: Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Wed 26 Feb – 2 Apr 1.30-3.00

Body Balance: New Malden Library, Thurs 27 Feb – 3 Apr 12.30-2.00

All courses include healthy lifestyle/weight loss workshops.

For more information and to book, email:  grace@ageconcernkingston.org

or ring:  020 8942 8256

Kingston U3A Singer’s Christmas Concert on Saturday 14th December will again be held at the New Malden Methodist Church, High St. opposite corner to Tudor Williams, beginning at 7.30 pm. Tickets can be obtained from Pat Young Tel: 8337 8326, at U3A monthly meetings or from any member of the choir. Come along and enjoy a varied programme and join in with many old favourites and carols. Put the date in your diary now.

The Dresden Music Festival

6 days from £949 Departing 4th June 2014

CONCERTS

4 June – Category 1 tickets at the Semperoper:

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Järvi, soloist Hilary Hahn (violin):

• Brahms – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D-Major Op. 77

• Bruckner – Symphony No. 3 in D-Minor WAB 103

6 June – Category 2 tickets at the Palais im Großen Garten:

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center:

• Schubert – Fantasy in F-Minor for Piano Four Hands D. 940

• Schubert – Quintet for two Violins, Viola, and two Celli D. 956

• Mendelssohn – Sextet for Piano, Violin, two Violas, Cello and Double Bass Op. 110

8 June – Category 1 tickets at the Semperoper: Dresden Festival Orchestra & Balthasar

Neumann Chorus: • Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis

NB: All concerts start at 8.00pm

FEATURES

• All concerts included

• Full programme of included excursions & guided tours

• Central Dresden hotel

• Direct scheduled flights from London Gatwick to Berlin & transfers to Dresden

• Professional local guide for all excursions (but not to or from our evening concerts)

• Executive coach in Germany (including to & from our evening concerts)

WHAT WE WILL SEE

• Dresden – guided city tour • Leipzig – guided city tour • Meißen Porcelain Museum – guided tour

OPTIONAL

• Pillnitz Castle & Gardens & River Elbe Paddle Steamer cruise through the Saxon Alps

ACCOMMODATION

We stay five nights on bed and breakfast at the Ibis Hotels Dresden (www.hotelterrassenufer.de) or similar in central Dresden. Located near the Prager Strasse, Dresden’s main shopping street, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and bar. All rooms are en suite and feature air conditioning, a television and telephone.

EXTRAS TO YOUR TOUR

• Insurance £36

• Single room supplement £99

• Entrance fees to places visited as part of this itinerary

• Optional excursion on Day 3 • Gratuities, meals & refreshments

Flight details may be subject to change. Price based on twin share. Minimum numbers required. Normal booking conditions apply.

For more information on this tour contact your Group Organiser

Don Moore

Tel: 020 8946 3264

Email: don.moore@blueyonder.co.uk

31 Lanherne House, 9 The Downs Wimbledon SW20 8JG

Any air holidays and flights in this brochure are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Tailored Travel’s ATOL number is 5605

Frauenkirche

TTM2228 London U3A Dresden Music Fest lo

There are many ‘starts’ to a new year – 1 January comes to mind as a natural New Year, 1 April is the NEC start to a new financial year, but it is September that, for me, feels like the start of a new U3A year. And with the start of a new year the anticipation and excitement of new adventures, new possibilities.

The kick-off to this September ‘new year’ was our National Conference and AGM from 13-16 September in Nottingham. We look to this event to be a platform, a showcase for what your NEC will be working on during the coming year. For the first time, our Standing Committee for Education (SCE), Development Sub-Committee (DSC) and Communications Committee had displays to explain their aims, activities and the resources available to support U3As. Online Learning, Research, the Resource Centre and the National Office all presented valuable up-to-date information for delegates to take away. Also capturing attention were our new website, U3A authors’ table, ‘Talking Justice’ and intergenerational debate projects. Around every corner something beckoned!

          Meanwhile there were workshops which tackled such perennial challenges as:

• Encouraging a Culture of Participation
• Talking to the Outside World
• Communications – where is your weakest link?
• Crisis, What Crisis? (growth)
• Study Groups’ Co-ordinators, the hub of your U3A?
• 10 Things your Members Should Know,
• Diversity/Social Inclusion
• Shared Learning Projects
• U3A-ery and Education
• Not in my Subject
• Making Your U3A Welcoming and Friendly
• Inter-generational activity.

And in the spirit of our Conference theme of ‘Learn, Laugh and Live’ we added

• Get More Fun out of your Ukulele
• Break into Song
• Practical Drama.

While not everyone can come to Conference, we want to make sure that everyone is included and no one misses out! So, all the handouts and mini-surveys can be found on our website: www.u3a.org.uk.  Go to the Conference 2013 icon on the home page. And while the handouts will give us all much to consider this year, we also recorded The Right Honourable John Bercow MP’s keynote speech ‘The Modern House of Commons’- his erudition still has me running to the dictionary! Be sure to catch it on our website.

And, and, and – we are also producing a DVD for you to get the overall flavour, camaraderie, and fun that Conference gives to U3Aers from all parts of the UK . We ‘Learned, Laughed and Lived’ – not a bad way to start this new U3A year. If we did not see you this year at Conference, I hope you will put 9/10 September 2014 in your diary NOW. We will build on this year’s success and I look forward to seeing you at Cirencester next year.

Barbara Lewis, NEC Chairman

October 2013

U3A SLP at the British Postal Museu

British Postal Museum & Archive, Fenton House and Bethlem Hospital

The BPMA is opening a new museum in 2016. In this exciting venue we want to tell the fascinating stories of the hidden heroes and heroines who worked for the postal service.

The aim of this project is to conduct research to find out real people’s stories. Your research will help the BPMA and visitors to understand the remarkable contribution made by individual workers to the Post Office.  The research will also be used by costumed actors to bring these people to life in the new museum.

Project:

Fenton House is a 17th-century merchant’s house in Hampstead in North London which belongs to the National Trust, bequeathed to them in 1952 by Lady Binning, its last resident.  Since then other collectors have made significant donations to the house.  The project will research the history of 4 connoisseurs (George Salting and his niece Lady Binning, as well as Major George Henry George Benton Fletcher and Peter Barkworth) who in the late 19^th & 20^th century donated their collections of ceramics, musical instruments and pictures to the house. In particular Fenton House would like to know more about what led these connoisseurs to start collecting and how they made decisions when refining their collections. In some cases we know the collections were split and bequeathed to different organisations, so we would like to know more about why National Trust and Fenton House were chosen, what expectation the donor had of the National Trust and what happened to their other items.

Bethlem Flyer – Table formatfinal

To find out more and apply to take part click  on the links above

Computer classes across Kingston Libraries for the older and in some cases more nervous user! Not free but not to expensive.

computer sessions across the branches Oct 13

swishing 4  HOOK Library –  Nov 7th

Bring along an item of clothing and swap it for another one to gain a new item for your wardrobe! Come on your own or bring a group of friends!

UPCYCLING2  HOOK Library Nov 21st  £13.00

Fancy breathing life into an old garment? Perhaps you’ve purchased something that doesn’t quite have the ‘wow’ factor? Fear not! Help is at hand at Hook Library’s clothes upcycling workshop in partnership with ThinkMakeDo. These talented ladies will help you revamp that garment and turn it from drab to fab!

If you have not seen this do watch it, the women involved are amazing and full of life and energy. “This Cutting Edge documentary meets six women with an average age of 80, who are determined to look fabulous, have fun and redefine old age.” Click on Read More to find the live link

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fabulous-fashionistas/videos/all/the-fashion-sisters ;

Free matinee showings and talks  from Sept 2013  to Jan 2014   click on the link to see the programme

BFI Seniors Programme1-2

Entitled Music of the Americas, this day is at the Bechstein Room of the Wigmore Hall, from 10 until 4.  Morning and afternoon coffee/tea is inclusive. Lunch can be taken at any of the several nearby eating houses, or you can bring your own sandwiches.  The outline programme for the day is

1000    Registration and coffee

1020    Introduction by our Chairman, Gwen Wright

1040    Paul Farren, Hackney U3A:  The sounds of Latin America

1130    Stan Freed, U3A in London:  Gershwin on the Concert Platform

1215                            Break for Lunch

1345    Karl Bettelheim, U3A in London: The Symphony in the USA in the 20^th century

1430                            Tea and biscuits

1445    Stan Clingman, U3A in London: The Great American Songbook 1920-1950

1535    Gwen Wright will lead Discussion and Summing Up

The Contributors

Gwen Wright is in her last year of office as London Region Trustee, and is Chairman of the London Region of U3A. She will chair the day and lead the concluding discussion.

Paul Farren’s background in Latin American music dates from hearing his first gramophone record – a Cuban rumba – at the age of 3. As well as amassing a huge collection of recorded material, Paul has also played the music on a variety of instruments, has helped to found such groups as Achalay, and has visited 8 Latin American countries, discovering the individual characteristics of their national music.

Stan Freed has coordinated music appreciation groups for U3A since time immemorial, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of music.  His tastes are catholic, and embrace both serious and light music.  His presentation on Gershwin today discusses the more serious aspects of this great composer, focussing on his music for the concert hall.

Karl Bettelheim will explore a vast but relatively neglected topic by focusing on 2 American composers in depth and reviewing some others. He brings to his topic a lifelong love of music, and special interest in exploring new trends. A PhD in biological sciences, his wide experience includes spells in Austria, China, New Zealand and Australia. He currently tutors a U3A London class on the symphony in the 20^th Century.

Stan Clingman leads classes on music theatre for U3A in London. He describes his hobbies as listening to jazz and classical music, playing Mozart and Beethoven on the piano, collecting antiquarian books and maps, and American fiction. His presentation today will explore the stories and songs of the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, and Cole Porter.

The Wigmore Hall is conveniently located near Bond Street tube station, and Freedom Passes rather than driving to the venue is strongly recommended. Parking is limited and expensive, and regretfully we cannot confirm disabled parking. The Bechstein room is located on the lower ground floor, and is accessible by lift.

An application form for this event, priced at £17 per head, follows this notice, and return of the form together with your cheque, will confirm your place. There are no tickets – simply turn up and register on the day.

 U3A LONDON REGION MUSIC STUDY DAY: THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA

                         WIGMORE HALL 22 MARCH 2014

                                       Application Form

I/we would like to come to this study day, and return this form together with my/our cheque (£17 per person) payable to London Region.

Name(s)…………………………………………………………………………………

Address………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………….

Telephone/email………………………………………………………………………

Your U3A………………………………………………………………………….

I understand this confirms my participation at the event; no further tickets will be issued.

Please return this form, together with your cheque, to Don Moore at 31 Lanherne House, 9 The Downs, Wimbledon SW20 8JG, or by email attachment to don.moore@blueyonder.co.uk (telephone 020 8946 3264 for urgent queries)

Important notes

*          If the event is fully subscribed when your form is returned, you will be      notified and placed on a waiting list. Your cheque will be returned if you are       ultimately unsuccessful.

*          If for any reason you are unable to attend, please notify Don Moore           immediately so that wait-listed members can be accommodated. A refund of         your fee cannot however be guaranteed.

This free history walk focuses on Quakers who were in business in the City from about 1660 to 1850.

Led by a Quaker, this walk explores the little known contribution Quakers have made to the business and commercial life of London and the United Kingdom.

We start at the Bank of England, and wander through Lombard Street, Gracechurch Street, Bishopsgate and finally along Worship Street to Bunhill Fields Burial Ground and Bunhill Quaker Meeting House.

A walk of about three miles, with frequent pauses [and a coffee stop] to hear about the people and places as we pass through.

After lunch at about 1345, your guide will take you to the Guildhall Clock Museum, where there are examples of a Quaker clockmaker’s work.

If you wish to stay for the visit to the Clock Museum, there are plenty of places to have lunch locally near Bunhill, or  bring your sandwiches to eat the in garden.  You would also be most welcome to join in a light, shared lunch with Bunhill Quakers, which starts at 1315.  We finish the walk at about 1530.

Please EMAIL   londonquakerwalk@gmail.com   to reserve your place.

Numbers are limited on each walk.

Do you think nature should be conserved for future generations, or is it a resource to be exploited for profit?

How can government policies provide economic benefit, whilst being environmentally sustainable and delivering social fairness for all those affected, even the most disadvantaged groups?

Join our free online course about the management of our natural resources and how we can make better decisions when faced with tough environmental issues.

Sign up to ‘Fairness and nature: when worlds collide’

http://futurelearn.com

Course starts on 21 October For 2 weeks, 4 hours per week

https://futurelearn.com/courses/when-worlds-collide

FREE ONLINE COURSE  created  in this instance by the University of Leeds

Sign up at futurelearn.com

More courses starting early 2014 from leading UK and International Universities.

Are you interested in the past lives of South West Londoners? Are you interested in researching and writing about them?

 Following on the success of the South West London U3As’ Shared Learning Project which led to the production of the booklet “Out and About in South West London” earlier this year, we are proposing to research the past lives of South West Londoners with a view to producing a similar booklet. The project will begin in January 2014 and will be completed by April. Meetings will be held in Kingston as before and we will proceed as follows:

• Members of the team will decide on the people who they wish to research. They will probably work in pairs and decide between them a theme such as people from politics, music, science, literature etc.
• As a team we will have to decide on the parameters of the research as there is an almost inexhaustible fund of notable people.
• The historical figures to be researched will come predominantly from people who lived in Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth.
• Each section of the booklet will be written by members of the team.
• A final section of the booklet would incorporate walks showing where the subjects lived/were born/ died, so some research into the accessibility of places mentioned will be necessary.
• We will meet fortnightly starting on 15^th Jan 2014 until 26^th March from 11am – 1pm in the Community Room at John Lewis in Kingston.

If you enjoy researching and visiting places and have an interest in the history of South West London this could be the project for you.

Access to email with some computer skills is essential – as is a commitment to attend all the meetings. As always with U3A SLPs your enthusiasm is paramount!

It is expected that the project will appeal to U3A members living in South West London but this is not a pre-condition.

For more information and an application form, please email Sue Leigh at smleigh@hotmail.co.uk . Applications close 15 November 2013.

A Study Day on  Literary SW London     Thursday Nov 7^th 2113.      Registration 10.30am.   11.00am  – 3.30pm At the Snuff Mill, Morden Hall Park, Morden

The theme of this study day is Literary South West London. It will interest those who enjoy reading a good book as well as those who want to know about the lives of local authors. The programme is varied and the three speakers have local connections.

Programme:

Talk 1    Local aspects of Virginia Woolf’s works especially the novel “The Waves”.

Speaker: Julia Courtney (ex OU lecturer)

Talk 2    The lives of some local authors including H.G Wells and Edna O’Brien.

Speaker:  Sue Rolfe of the Putney Society

Talk 3   Being a writer.

Speaker:  Michelle Paver. Local award winning Wimbledon based author whose book include the series Chronicles of Darkness and Dark Matters (a ghost story for adults)

Getting there:

Trams from Wimbledon Station to Phipps Bridge

Buses from South Wimbledon and Morden Underground Stations and Wimbledon Main Line Station.

Car parking available in grounds of Morden Hall Park (National Trust). Entrance in Morden Hall Road.

Cost for day £8  (cheque payable to Merton U3A)

Literary SW London Study Day Ticket application

First Name ………………………………………   Surname  …………………………………………

U3A ………………………………………………………………….

Telephone number ………………………………….

Confirmation of a place will be given by email OR in an enclosed self addressed envelope

Email (if needed for confirmation )  ……………………………..  [tick if appropriate]

Or

Enclosed SAE  ……………………………………  [tick if appropriate]

Cheque of £8 enclosed? ………….

Please send ticket application with £8 cheque to Merton U3A, 78 Copse Hill, Wimbledon, SW20 0EF by 25^th Oct.

 Please note that lunch is available at the cafe on the site. There is also a garden centre there, and the grounds of Morden Hall Park are well worth a wander (weather permitting)

Literary-SW-London-Study-Day-Ticket-application-3

U3A Online courses are short courses specially designed for older people and available through a partnership between Third Age Trust (the UK national U3A organisation) and the U3A Online Inc.(based in Australia).

These are courses for which no entry qualifications are required. They offer no credit on completion and are designed purely for personal interest and enjoyment.  They have been written by volunteers who are experienced tutors or course leaders in their fields.

These courses are aimed at U3A members, ex-U3A members who are no longer able to attend a U3A, and those unable to access conventional courses for one reason or another (e.g. restricted mobility, disability, etc).

Click on this web link for more information about enrolling  http://onlinecourses.u3a.org.uk/

Enrol now on the courses below which are commencing on Sept 15th 2013.

Sutton House tells a tale of change, evolving from a Tudor courtier’s house in a quiet village, to its present role as a National Trust property and community resource in a rich and varied urban area.

Built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadleir, a knight and diplomat at the court of Henry VIII, it retains much of the atmosphere of a Tudor Home.  There are many stories to be revealed in this historically richly layered house.  Hackney was then a quiet, rural village and many wealthy and powerful people had houses there including Thomas Cromwell, Sir Ralph’s employer at the time. Later the house was home to silk merchants, boarding schools, Huguenot families, a church institute, trade unions and squatters.

We will begin our visit at 11.15 with coffee or tea and a slice of gluten-free tray-bake, followed by an hour long guided tour of the house and then a light lunch in the cafe.  Lunch-time drinks are not included in the cost of the trip.  The house has no lift so the first floor is only accessible by stairs.  The stairs to the cellar are also steep and narrow.

After meeting at Waterloo we will take the Jubilee Line to Stratford and then walk for 2 to 3 minutes to the Overground Platform where we will take the train to Hackney Central. From there the walk to Sutton House is a pleasant 10 minutes through a churchyard and a street of Georgian houses.  In all the journey from Waterloo will take about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Date:      Friday 18th October

Meeting Point:     Waterloo Station outside Platform 1

Time:     10.10

Price including refreshments, talk and lunch:  £8.05 for National Trust members, £11.55 for non-members.

To obtain an application form electronically please email   gzuercher@btinternet.com