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Monthly Archives: February 2019



Feb 27

17th May Reading: Biscuits,the Bayeaux Tapestry and a River Cruise

Join us on a walking tour to explore the Thames-side town of Reading. The ruins of Reading Abbey reopened in 2018. It is near Reading Gaol and the museum, where Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry is displayed and the history of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit factory is told.

The tapestry is a full-sized copy of the original and was made by skilled Victorian women embroiderers in 1885. The gallery explores the background and impact of the Norman Conquest by William I. His youngest son, Henry I, founded Reading Abbey in 1121 when he announced he wanted a new abbey

built there. No expense was spared in its construction and monks lived, worked and worshipped there for more than 400 years. The Abbey Quarter covers the former precinct of this royal monastery.

We meet our guide at Henley station en route to Reading, where we’re scheduled to arrive at 10.30am, in time for coffee before exploring the Abbey Quarter. On our tour we’ll discover an enormous lion in a beautiful Victorian park, and the Oscar Wilde Chestnut Walk alongside the walls of Reading Gaol. Our tour ends at Reading Museum where we’ll have time to admire the Bayeux Tapestry before buying lunch locally.

After lunch we board a boat for a two and a quarter hour cruise from Reading through pretty Sonning to Henley. There’s a bar on the boat selling tea and coffee, soft drinks or something stronger if you prefer.

We head home from Henley at 5.30pm.

Date: Friday, 17 May
Departure time/Boarding point:

  • ·  8.30am High Street, Kingston, opposite the Rose Theatre
  • ·  8.45am Ewell Road, Surbiton, bus stop: Telephone ExchangePlease arrive 10 minutes earlier than departure time to allow for checking in.Cost: £44.50 per person including coach, guide, river cruise and tips

    If you would like to join this outing, please complete the enclosed application form (one for each household or individual) and send it, together with your cheque for £44.50 per person and a stamped, addressed envelope or your email address to:

    C aire Bletcher, 17 Lower Green Road, Esher, KT10 8HE. Tel: 020 8398 7107

    If you give your email address, all information will be sent by email, including any changes to timings, so please check your inbox regularly.

Feb 15

March 11th U3A at the Royal Institution

Description

Join U3A members and explore science through a variety of fascinating talks.

Programme

1.15pm Audience arrives

1.45pm Introduction by Martin Davies, Public Programme Manager, Royal Institution.
Jo Ruxton: A Plastic Ocean – Behind the Scenes

Producer Jo Ruxton will talk about her eight year journey to make the multi-award-winning documentary feature, ‘A Plastic Ocean’. She will show clips from the film including unseen footage, talk about the lessons she learned as the storyline continued to change and evolve and why she never gave up even when there was no funding in sight to continue production and finish the film. Filming took place in 22 locations around the world and shows how the scourge of our plastic waste is affecting communities as well as every living creature in the ocean. It ends with a message that is impossible to ignore and shows the many solutions that can turn the tide on this problem and restore the balance.

2.20pm Question and answer session (15 minutes)

2.35pm Andrew Pontzen: What made our Universe

Our Universe is an astonishingly large and rich place. But how did it begin, and why has it ended up looking as it does? In this talk UCL’s Andrew Pontzen will explore how human ingenuity has been able to rewind time and uncover the origins of the cosmos.

3.10pm Question and answer session (15 minutes)

3.25pm Tea and coffee (30 minutes)

3.55pm Jennifer Rogers: Living is a risky business

Real life involves risks, whether it’s cycling without a helmet, travelling to a country with contagious diseases, or living in a house next to a river. Sometimes your perception of risk is distorted, making you think some things are more – or less – risky than is actually the case. How statistically significant are the risks that we see? What do the numbers mean? And what are own personal relationships with risk? Jen Rogers delves into the numbers to show you how statistics can help you to make better decisions about risky activities.

4.30pm Question and answer session (15 minutes)

4.45pm Thanks & Close of meeting

Date And Time

Mon 11 March 2019

13:30 – 17:00 GMT

Location

The Royal Institution of Great Britain

21 Albemarle Street

London

W1S 4BS

View Map

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

TICKETS

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/u3a-explores-science-at-the-ri-tickets-54642087956