Click below to View Current Work
| January 2021 | ||
| Mon Jan 25th | Jonathan Lipitch: How to Control Stress in a Stressful World On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 | |
| February 2021 | ||
| Mon Feb 8th | Other | Camila Nichol: A two hundred-year Antarctic adventure: a short History of Humans in Antarctica On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 |
| Mon Feb 15th | Other | Alan Freeland: Chinese Art – Insight to the Soul of a Nation, Part 1 Part 1 Monday 15th February and Part 2 Monday 22nd February. On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 |
| Mon Feb 22nd | Other | Alan Freeland: Chinese Art – Insight to the Soul of a Nation, Part 2 Part 1 Monday 15th February and Part 2 Monday 22nd February. On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 |
| March 2021 | ||
| Mon Mar 8th | Other | Geoff Pick: Realms of Gold – John Keats, his Story, and his Poetry On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 |
| Mon Mar 22nd | Other | Tony Dayan: I Can’t Believe We Still get Medicines from Plants On Zoom. 17.00 – 18.00, Log on from 16.30. Click here for details and registration: Winter Talks 2021 |
| June 2021 | ||
| Wed Jun 2nd | Other | National U3A Day: further information on national website: U3A Day |
| July 2021 | ||
| Tue Jul 27th →Thu Jul 29th |
Summer School | LRU3A Summer School: provisional dates. More information to follow in due course. |
Online talks by the U3A Subject specialists and some bodies such as The National Gallery and the National Trust where their have been previous links.
These and many other talks can be booked whether free or paid on The Third Age Trust website https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/educational-events
Jan 22nd The Unification of the British Isles: a lesson in Geology
A Taste of Japan takes place monthly over January, February and March. There are 3 separate event dates you can book or you can book all three.
Feb 25th or March 11th Join Susan Collini, Subject Adviser for Wellbeing with Nature, for this interactive talk and discussion on spending time in nature.
Watercolour tutorials
Tony Burke, Huddersfield U3A, has run a watercolour class for many years but in March it was cut short. He undertook to complete the course, for those that were interested, via YouTube and has just posted lesson number 26. Tony is really happy to share these with U3A members across the movement.
They are really great tutorials to follow, watch them here.
Please see the Archive section on the menu bar where you can find Nomination Forms for people to become Committee members for 2020/21. This is being announced well in advance as the AGM will have to take place online with the help of ZOOM as the Richard Mayo Centre is not available for large group bookings until 2021. Further details will appear in both the Autumn Newsletter and the News Bulletins to keep you up to date with the necessary procedures.
Membership Renewal forms for 2020/20121 will be available via the Membership tab on the Menu Bar for you to download as required. The new membership year will start on October 1st 2020.
Kingston U3A – Pandemic Mode
Many Groups are trying to keep in contact during the pandemic using Zoom or other video conferencing applications (best BBC neutrality here) email, Skype or the outdoors as the weather allows e.g.the Art Groups maybe “en plein air”. Cycling and walking are being re introduced in the smaller groups now allowed as lockdown gradually relaxes. Please keep checking with Group Leaders to see the new developments for your groups.
PLEASE NOTE: This website has been left intact as far as possible, in order to display what happens in KINGSTON U3A when we are NOT in the middle of a pandemic. Anything found in these pages must be understood in this context. Thank you.
These paintings have been produced by Art Group 5 who meet on Fridays at the Cass Art Shop in normal circumstances. Rather than let Lockdown hold them back they have been holding their usual teaching sessions via Zoom and keeping each other updated by sharing their work. Please click on Read More to see examples of their work.




These are two of the more recent topics undertaken by Women in History, the talks and discussions which followed were all done using Zoom sharing illustrations and powerpoints as required. The first Women In Wine was a presentation by Pascal Strudwick (a visitor to our group but relevantly is leader of the Wine & Food Appreciation Group) about 6 women who were pivotal in the development of Champagne. The women mostly widows often from quite a young age took over small firms and made them into some of the most famous names in the champagne industry.
Presentation1 Women and Champagne
The second topic shared over 3 fortnightly meetings as we are a group of 15, was on interesting women who were born near you and ranged from the internationally famous to a very local relevance some examples are
Margaret Rutherford a Wimbledon girl and film star
Agnes (Aggy)Weston Founder of Sailor’s Rests helping serving sailors,marines and their families first woman to be given a full ceremonial Royal Navy burial
Edith Smith first woman Police Woman with full powers of arrest granted in recognition of her service during the First World War in Grantham (I come from Lincolnshire and could of course not think of any other famous women who came from Grantham)
Dorothy Day American journalist , social activist and anarchist who became a Catholic Christian a Chicago local and now part of the slow process of being canonised.
Ladies for the Abolition of Slavery in Brazil who led the movement in NW Brazil and succeeded in having their state become the first to totally abolish slavery.

Dorothy Day

Agnes Weston
Some of us who had learn’t to play Bridge via U3A classes and then went on to form our own groupings when we thrown out of the nest as it were have been keeping up with our bridge by playing online using Bridge Base Online and then adding Zoom or a Whatsapp dimension to help keep bridge a social as well as a playing occasion!
TAKE PART IN COVID-19 RESEARCH
University College London is running a study into the psychological and social effects of Covid-19 in the UK.
The results are being used to understand the effects of the virus and social distancing measures on mental health and loneliness in the UK and to inform government advice and decisions.
We’re looking for adults in UK who are happy to take part and spread the word about the study. Participation involves answering a 10-minute online survey now and then answering a shorter follow-up survey once a week whilst social isolation measures are in place.
To take part, visit https://redcap.idhs.ucl.ac.uk/
Dr Daisy Fancourt MA(Oxon) MM PhD FHEA FRSPH
Associate Professor / Wellcome Research Fellow
Department of Behavioural Science and Health
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
University College London
d.fancourt@ucl.ac.uk
With so many of us in lock down we are looking to find ways to keep as many groups as possible finding other ways to meet. Wine Appreciation are one of the leaders here transferring their meetings onto Skype. Pilates used Zoom video conferencing today, Women in History, Art Group 5 and Science and Philosophy are experimenting with Zoom for their future meetings.
Please let us know if you are using any other ways of keeping in touch.
The next three monthly meetings i.e. April, May and June have been cancelled, we will update you on the fate of July nearer the time.
All national and other area meetings have been cancelled over the same period.
Several members have asked if we have a policy on groups meeting up as regards the spread of the corona virus.
Our advice at the moment is that, until there are any specific restrictions from the government, we continue as normal, although we recognise that meetings are held at the discretion of group leaders and the members themselves.
Obviously, if you are feeling unwell and have flu-like symptoms, then please stay at home so that we minimise the risk of spreading any infection to others.
We will contact group leaders if there is any change in this.
A Study Day At The Menuhin Hall, Stoke d’Abernon Speaker – Clive Barham Carter
Tutankhamen was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th dynasty; he ruled c. 1334 – 1325 BC in the conventional chronology during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history. His father was the heretical king Akhenaten and his mother was his father’s sister, identified through DNA testing. The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter of Tutankhamun’s nearly intact tomb, funded by Lord Carnarvon, received worldwide press coverage. With over 5000 artefacts, it sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun’s mask, now in the Egyptian Museum, remains a popular symbol.
Programme
9.30 Registration
10.00 The Valley of the Kings – the Where 11.00 Coffee / Tea
11.30 Carter and Carnarvon – the Who
12.30 Lunch – Bring your own – Tea / Coffee available
1.30 The Tomb – the What
2.30 Tea / Coffee
3.00 Tut.Ankh.Amen and Restoration – and the Why 4.00 Departure
Speaker – Clive Barham Carter studied Egyptology at Cambridge (as the only undergraduate). He was awarded a scholarship with the Egypt Exploration Society to dig at Saqqara under Professor Walter Emery. Later, he joined the staff at Charterhouse as a History teacher, a position he accepted with some trepidation, having been a pupil there. He managed to maintain his interest in Ancient Egypt by lecturing at the City Literary Institute, and by sneaking Egypt into his General Studies classes. In retirement, he has returned to his enthusiasm for Ancient Egypt and now lectures at the Guildford Institute, and for U3A, local groups and museums. He is an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society.
To book send the slip below, with a cheque for £10 (non-U3A guest £12) payable to ‘Surrey U3A Network’, or bank transfer to HSBC acct 11519018 40-27-07, ref ‘Event month(s)’ e.g, Feb, Mar, to John Kennedy – U3A, 20 Greville Park Road, Ashtead, KT21 2QT, Tel 01372 273561, e-mail surreyu3astudyday@btinternet.com.
Enclose a SAE or e-mail address for confirmation. Fees are not normally refundable. Website, see the next page. ———————————————– Tutankhamun Study Day See – Nut Allergy & Other Notes on page 2 17th April 2020
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Post Code . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See page 2 if you need disabled parking, tick , or a wheelchair space in the hall, tick
Please print Confirm by ticking E-mail or enclosed SAE Cheque or Bank Transfer
Title . . . . . .First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Surname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of U3A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Apr
The Menuhin Hall
Cobham Road, Stoke d’Abernon, KT11 3QQ Map ref: TQ 132 579 on Landranger 187, Explorer 146
Telephone 07763 805046 (emergency, on day only) or Menuhin Hall Office 08700 842020
There is a Garden Centre (01932 862530), about 800 metres to the north of the Menuhin Hall where light lunches are available. Reservations not required.
The Menuhin School was founded in 1963 in London and moved to its present site in 1964. It has about 80 pupils learning to play stringed instruments including piano and is financed, in part, by the DfES. Lord Menuhin was born in New York on 22nd April 1916 and died on 12th March 1999 in Berlin. His parents had come from Russia. His first public concert was in March 1924 and his first in Europe, in Paris, in 1927. His performance of Elgar’s Violin Concerto was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in 1932. The Hall, designed by Mark Foley, was conceived as a memorial to Yehudi and was handed over to the school on 5th August 2005. The official opening was on 7th January 2006. Yehudi is buried near the stone pillar in front of the Hall. Nearby is an oak which he planted on his 80th birthday. The Hall was first used for U3A Study Days on 14th October 2005 when the Steinway grand piano was used as no other was available.
Surrey Network Website – http://u3asites.org.uk/surreyu3anetwork/ has application forms for study days & other events plus information about the Surrey Network and links to Surrey U3A websites.
Nut Allergy. The Menuhin School has pupils who have an allergic reaction to nuts and the staff have taken the decision to make the school and the Menuhin Hall a nut free environment. Please ensure that your lunch does not contain any trace of nuts.
Disabled Parking. There are six spaces behind the hall, there are more in the main car park. If you have a blue badge and need level access to the hall then tick “Disabled parking” on the booking slip. You will then be allocated a space at the back of the hall if available and sent a permit. If you can manage from the main car park (i.e. you are able to manage some steps with handrails) then please do not tick “Disabled parking”. That will leave the back of the hall spaces for those that are very immobile.
There is a “drop off” space at the back of the hall where disabled who are not the driver can gain level access to the hall.
Wheelchair spaces. If you need a seat removed in the hall to accommodate a wheelchair then tick Wheelchair on the booking slip.
Talks on aspects of SW London’s history Thursday 14th May – 10:30 at the Richard Mayo Centre, Eden St, Kingston KT1 1H2
Registration, Coffee / Tea
Kingston’s Aircraft Heritage
10:30 – 11:00
11:00 – 12:00
Tickets £8
Kingston’s Sopwith Aviation Company and its aircraft in the Great War
David Hassard – Joint Project Leader, Kingston Aviation Centenary Project
12:00 – 1:00
Sarah Gould – Service Manager for Heritage and Local Studies, Merton
Lunch (many cafes in the immediate area)
William Morris and his legacy in 21st Century 2:00 – 3:00
Cathy De’Freitas – Society Manager, The William Morris Society
Discovering Richmond 3:00 – 4:00
History of Richmond Palace, Richmond Theatre & many other buildings of interest.
Johanna Coombes – Richmond Local History society / Richmond Heritage guide
______________________________________________________ APPLICATION FORM for SW London Heritage Day 14/5/20 – Please detach & send with £8 cheque payable to Richmond U3A to Rosemary Mattock, 7 Belvedere Square, Wimbledon SW19 5DJ
The Heritage of Merton –
An alphabetical visit to historical sites across Merton
Name Your U3A Your Email
______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________
(or enclose a SAE) for confirmation of ticket(s)
Study Day at The Menuhin Hall, Stoke d’Abernon Speaker – Paul Atterbury
From the 1870s the British domestic house and its contents changed almost beyond recognition, reflecting the social and economic revolution that paved the way for the modern world of today. Many factors contributed to this change, from William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, to the rise of the department store, suburban living, the garden and the emancipation of women. After the First World War, the pace of change increased, prompting rapid stylistic development, from 1920s and 1930s Art Deco to the modernism of the 1950s and 1960s and the style wars of the late 20th century. The first two talks consider architecture, interior and domestic design and the products that reflected the fashions of the time. In the process they show how the last 150 years have determined the way we live now.
Paul Atterbury has been involved all his life in the world of art and antiques, as a writer, historian, collector and exhibition curator. The two talks in the afternoon offer an insight into his life, his enthusiasms and his time as a member of BBC’s Antiques Roadshow team of experts.
Programme
9.30 Registration
10.00 The Arts and Crafts House and Garden
11.00 Coffee / Tea
11.30 At Home in the 20th Century
12.30 Lunch – Bring your own – Tea / Coffee available
1.30 Paul Atterbury’s Desert Island Antiques 2.30 Tea / Coffee
3.00 Life on the Antiques Roadshow
4.00 Departure
Speaker – Paul Atterbury is a writer, lecturer, historian, curator and broadcaster specialising in the art, architecture, design and social history of the 19th and 20th centuries. As a writer he has written or edited over 50 books, covering art, antiques and design, travel, canals and railways, history and the First World War. Paul has curated exhibitions for the Victoria & Albert Museum and for other institutions in Britain and the United States and he has worked on the Antiques Roadshow since 1990.
To book send the slip below, with a cheque for £10 (non-U3A guest £12) payable to ‘Surrey U3A Network’, or bank transfer to HSBC acct 11519018 40-27-07, ref ‘Event month(s)’ e.g, Feb, Mar, to John Kennedy – U3A, 20 Greville Park Road, Ashtead, KT21 2QT, Tel 01372 273561, e-mail surreyu3astudyday@btinternet.com.
Enclose a SAE or e-mail address for confirmation. Fees are not normally refundable. Website, see the next page. ———————————————————– British Style Study Day See – Nut Allergy & Other Notes on page 2 15th May 2020
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Post Code . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See page 2 if you need disabled parking, tick , or a wheelchair space in the hall, tick
Please print Confirm by ticking E-mail or enclosed SAE Cheque or Bank Transfer
Title . . . . . .First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Surname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of U3A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
May
The Menuhin Hall
Cobham Road, Stoke d’Abernon, KT11 3QQ Map ref: TQ 132 579 on Landranger 187, Explorer 146
Telephone 07763 805046 (emergency, on day only) or Menuhin Hall Office 08700 842020
There is a Garden Centre (01932 862530), about 800 metres to the north of the Menuhin Hall where light lunches are available. Reservations not required.
The Menuhin School was founded in 1963 in London and moved to its present site in 1964. It has about 80 pupils learning to play stringed instruments including piano and is financed, in part, by the DfES. Lord Menuhin was born in New York on 22nd April 1916 and died on 12th March 1999 in Berlin. His parents had come from Russia. His first public concert was in March 1924 and his first in Europe, in Paris, in 1927. His performance of Elgar’s Violin Concerto was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in 1932. The Hall, designed by Mark Foley, was conceived as a memorial to Yehudi and was handed over to the school on 5th August 2005. The official opening was on 7th January 2006. Yehudi is buried near the stone pillar in front of the Hall. Nearby is an oak which he planted on his 80th birthday. The Hall was first used for U3A Study Days on 14th October 2005 when the Steinway grand piano was used as no other was available.
Surrey Network Website – http://u3asites.org.uk/surreyu3anetwork/ has application forms for study days & other events plus information about the Surrey Network and links to Surrey U3A websites.
Nut Allergy. The Menuhin School has pupils who have an allergic reaction to nuts and the staff have taken the decision to make the school and the Menuhin Hall a nut free environment. Please ensure that your lunch does not contain any trace of nuts.
Disabled Parking. There are six spaces behind the hall, there are more in the main car park. If you have a blue badge and need level access to the hall then tick “Disabled parking” on the booking slip. You will then be allocated a space at the back of the hall if available and sent a permit. If you can manage from the main car park (i.e. you are able to manage some steps with handrails) then please do not tick “Disabled parking”. That will leave the back of the hall spaces for those that are very immobile.
There is a “drop off” space at the back of the hall where disabled who are not the driver can gain level access to the hall.
Wheelchair spaces. If you need a seat removed in the hall to accommodate a wheelchair then tick Wheelchair on the booking slip.
MAIN HALL: HAMPSTEAD OLD TOWN HALL, LONDON, NW3 4QP
Freedom and its Consequences
The highly awaited and popular Easter Conference includes a fascinating, intriguing and challenging programme of talks over three days given by a range of speakers.
The subject is explored from a variety of different standpoints: art –‘Freedom and Art’, music –‘How music has been a potent force in expressing dissent and motivating social reform’ and science –‘Freedom in Medical Science’, that have all impacted on social reform and on our society today. Further topics include ‘Our Planet: Spirituality and Responsibility’ and ‘Curtailment of Freedom: Indefinite Detention of Immigrants to the UK.’
In addition, the historical background is explored in the following talks: ‘Liberalism and its enemies since the Enlightenment’; ‘Diplomacy Lessons from the 1930s’ and ‘The Fear of Freedom: Erich Fromm on the Authoritarian Personality’.
The keynote address, ‘Literature: When Literature Became Free’ given by Professor Susan Kord, a cultural historian and Professor of German at UCL, introduces the conference. She has written on many aspects of cultural and social history and will explore Patronage and Poverty in the 18th century.
The final talk ‘Overcoming Prejudice and so-called Traditional Roles.’ How Women won the fight for Freedom in Education provides a fitting end to the three-day programme for this thought-provoking conference.
Application forms are available by post (please send a stamp-addressed envelope) and phone. The cost is £50 for all three days and includes all coffees, teas and delicious lunches from the Atrium café.
U3A in London, Hampstead Town Hall, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP
Tel.020 7692 5440
What will you be doing on U3A Day?
The very first national U3A Day – celebrating the learning, activity and fun that happens every day in U3As across the country – will take place on Wednesday 3 June 2020.
Each U3A is invited to mark the day by showcasing what they do – from displays, parades, flashmobs or performances – the day will show all the learning, activities and fun that make the movement so amazing.
Coordinating the day, Regional Trustee, Sue Stokes, said, “We are so excited that from now on, every year, there will be a day dedicated to learning, staying active and having fun in your Third Age – that’s people who are retired, semi-retired or no longer bringing up a family.
“We hope this day will help to challenge negative perceptions of older adults and will bring together all Third Agers in the community to learn about the contribution U3A makes to the quality of life for retired people”.
We will post regular updates in the monthly national newsletter – which you can sign up for here
Below is a presentation to be used when raising awareness of U3A Day with your members, with your networks and with any external partners.
“If you want to find out more about organising U3A Day, and what other U3As are planning, you can join the closed (U3A members only) Facebook group. This website will also have downloadable templates and materials to assist U3As in making our first U3A Day a success.
If you are not currently a U3A member, we’d love you to come along to your local U3A event and help us celebrate the new experiences and fun we are having in the third stage of our lives. And if you want to get involved but you are not yet a member – why not consider joining? You can find more from your local U3A – find it here
Day 1: Travelling by executive coach from our designated pick-up points, our first stop is the National Trust’s Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, home of the Ferrers family for 500 years. Much of the house was built in the late
1500s by Henry Ferrers, a lawyer, diarist and antiquarian. It was a sanctuary for the Ferrers family and for persecuted Catholics who were concealed from priest hunters in its secret hiding places. We’ll continue to the 4-star Copthorne Hotel in Sheffield for our four-night stay.
Day 2: Our guide accompanies us throughout the day as we visit Bakewell in the morning before continuing to Chatsworth (home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire). One of Britain’s most famous houses and estates, it featured in the film Pride and Prejudice. With its works of art and beautiful gardens, Chatsworth is set in the magnificent landscape of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park.
The gardens at Chatsworth Photograph courtesy of A J Hall
Day 3: We visit Renishaw Hall and Gardens, home to the Sitwell family for almost 400 years, before continuing to Hardwick Hall and Gardens, another National Trust property. It was built by the famous Elizabethan Bess of Hardwick and is testament to her wealth and status. Hardwick Hall is almost unchanged since she lived there in the formality of Elizabethan courtly life.
Day 4: In the morning we spend some time in Buxton before driving to Haddon Hall, a fortified manor house dating back to the 12th century, and surrounded by terraced Elizabethan gardens.
Day 5: On our way home from Sheffield we visit the Crich Tramway Village in the heart of Derbyshire overlooking the Derwent Valley. This restored period village is home to the National Tramway Museum and its archives.
Hotel: 4 nights in 4-star Copthorne Hotel, Sheffield www.millenniumhotels.co.uk
Cost: £469 (including executive coach, hotel for four nights sharing a twin/double room on half-board basis, Blue Badge guide for days 2,3 and 4. Single room supplement: £99)
If you would like to join this holiday, please complete the enclosed application form and send it with an sae (not too small, please) to:
Gisela Zürcher-Feiß, 37 The Byeways, Surbiton, KT5 8HT Tel: 020 8399 4990
