London Region of U3As    Online Talks January – March 2023

17.30-18.30 (Log on from 17.00) on Zoom To register please click on the links for the talks that you are interested in below.

One application only per person per talk. After registration you will automatically receive a Booking Confirmation email. Please retain this as a reminder of your booking details.

Two days before the event you will be sent an email with the Zoom joining instructions.

NB: If you think you have not received either the booking confirmation or Zoom meeting link, please check your spam/junk folder before emailing the contact below. Further information: Talks.lru3a@gmail.com

January Monday 16 th 17.30-18.30 Log on from 17.00 Hilary Stone: London’s Waste – Past, Present and Future London has had a problem with waste since the thirteenth century. This talk will look at waste and its management through the centuries, at energy generation from waste and briefly at the issues posed by the Edmonton incinerator. It will then consider how environmental law changed during our membership of the European Union – to the benefit of the population of London, what may happen now and finally consider different types of wastes and what the best ways might be to recover their value. Originally a lawyer, Hilary joined the Centre for Environmental Research at Brunel University in the late 1990s. Now an Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College, London, her interests span both environment and renewable energy – where that energy is derived from novel waste treatments. She currently chairs REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technologies) Gasification and Pyrolysis Group, its Energy from Waste Forum and is a member of the REA Policy Board. She is an independent environmental consultant and a member of Islington u3a Green Issues group. Register here https://u3alondonregion.wufoo.com/forms/z1md4d521o0vgg3/

February Monday 20 th 17.30-18.30 Log on from 17.00 Hazel Beale: Cézanne An illustrated talk on the life and work of the French artist Paul Cézanne, childhood friend of the great French writer Emile Zola, and forerunner of Cubism, Picasso and abstract art. This talk is in conjunction with the Cezanne exhibition at Tate Modern. Hazel has lived in London for the past 23 years after moving from her home town of Bath. Her hobby is guiding in London where she is a volunteer guide with the British Museum, Tate Modern and National Trust as well as leading walks as a City of London guide and with her local U3A (Member of London Southeast u3a). Register here https://u3alondonregion.wufoo.com/forms/zh9r6u609g628s/

March Monday 20th 17.30-18.30 Log on from 17.00 Jo Livingston: Changing London A look at some of the areas of London which have changed over the centuries or in some cases much more rapidly than that – St. Paul’s and Kings Cross – along with a few brash newcomers such as Crossrail and the current fashion for roof gardens and pedways, as well as the tradition of hospitality close to London Bridge over 2000 years and the eruption of some very strange buildings in the Square Mile. In an earlier life Jo was a librarian and later taught basic IT skills to adults who’d missed out on it at work. A member of Bexley u3a, she has given many talks about London and a variety of other subjects to most London U3As, and online to other groups across the UK. She is the u3a Subject Adviser for Living History (life stories, oral histories). As a member of the u3a Research and Shared Learning Committee, she manages the u3a research database of over 1000 projects undertaken by u3a members. Register here https://u3alondonregion.wufoo.com/forms/z1ushhsz087a06t/

Sustainable Design – Kingston u3a members have been invited to take part in an exciting new project with our local university. The Senior Lecturer involved, Dr Jakob, has sent the following summary: During this autumn term, students studying for a Masters in Sustainable Design at Kingston School of Art, Kingston University, will be asked to develop design projects with the older population in mind, generating solutions that have benefits for this particular age group.

Questions to raise include:

• How might we revolutionise the way homes and communities are designed so the needs of older people are considered? • How might we enable the best possible quality of life when we grow older?

• How might we create more social opportunities for all, including those who are older?

To inform the development of the project, we are keen for students to engage directly with their target audience for primary research, to learn about lived experiences and gain insights about individual challenges in connection with growing older. We hope that relationships and collaborations will emerge between our students and members of Kingston u3a during the course of the project. This will include further meetings to provide feedback on the design development and opportunities for participation in the design process. For us it is immensely important that we don’t design for but with the end user.

Further information The researchers need about 10 volunteers who are able to attend the first meeting at the new Town House, Penrhyn Road, Kingston at 11am on Friday, 14 October. There will be about four further meetings, all on university premises, between then and Christmas, all on Fridays. If you are interested, please email Linda Foreman at linda@foto.co.uk.

Anniversary Quilt Competition

The 40^th Anniversary quilt competition was launched for members to create blocks for a quilt on the topic of Positive Ageing. The Anniversary Quilt competition has been judged and 40 squares on the topic of Positive Ageing have been selected for the quilt which we hope will be revealed on as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Find out more

Picnic in the Park | June 2022

Over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, u3as are encouraged to hold picnics to celebrate not just the Queen’s Jubilee and the Green Canopy but also our 40th Anniversary. We hope to make a splash with the reveal of the Anniversary Quilt at this time.

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U3a Science Network webinar | July 2022

The u3a Science Network will host an anniversary meeting, Futures, Foresight and Horizon scanning, in July which we hope will be open to the public as well as to u3a members. There are plans to attract an eminent scientist to open the July science network meeting. Two additional meetings for u3a members will be held during 2022, in April and October.

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Conference on Research and Shared Learning | July/August 2022

Conference featuring a wide range of topics and sessions about u3a Research and Shared Learning. A planning meeting in January will decide on the projects to be included and we are seeking a significant scientist to open the meeting.

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One Foot in the Future | September /October 2022

The aim of this project is to engage older people from across the UK in telling real or imagined stories about older people taking positive steps to make a better future for themselves and others. Themes are all about Reimagining the Future in Older Age, raising awareness of the u3a movement as well as the fun you can have as you get older.

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A week-long celebration of u3a | September 2022

Hundreds of members took part last year in the first ever u3a Day – an annual event showcasing the activity, learning and fun which takes place across the movement every day. u3a members wanted to extend this annual event and showcase positive ageing over a whole week. In 2022, our 40th anniversary, our u3a Week will take place between 17 and 26 September – come and join us as members across the UK hold events and demonstrate just what u3a is all about. u3a Week will showcase members’ lived experience of what it means to have a good later life.

Art Group 2, mixed media in these COVID times we are meeting online with a combination of zoom, emails and telephone calls, in more normal times we meet in the United Reform Church Kingston on Tuesday afternoon.

We are a happy group who have a real love of putting pen, pencil, brush and more to paper. Our tutor is Pat Boyle who challenges and educates us with well thought out projects and is always encouraging and supportive, whatever our individual level.

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