We meet at Dean Court Community Centre,
which
has excellent facilities.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN –
Beverley Birmingham
Happy New Year. I hope that you have all enjoyed the festive
break and have made New Years resolutions.
Last year seems a long time ago but I am happy to say that we have had
lots of positive feedback once again as to the quality of our speakers and only
one or two minor problems with equipment.
Our new tea team are settling in nicely
and providing a wonderful array of refreshments; mince pies and Christmas cake
were thoroughly enjoyed.
The special interest groups have again
been very busy, never lacking members. I
must point out, though, that to belong to a group you have to be a member of u3a.
I hope that you are all now familiar
with our Newsletter and website. Do
remember these are for your benefit so that we can keep you up to date with
news and events. However, if you wish to
contribute we will be pleased to hear from you – Inga Martin is the lady to
contact.
Looking
forward to another busy year that will no doubt fly by. See you on 13 January.
Beverley
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUR NEWSLETTER
from Elizabeth Stevens Please send all contributions,
notices, etc. for the next issue covering April/June 2025 to Elizabeth
Stevens, 104 Kennington Road, Kennington, Oxford OX1 5PE (01865 739252) not
later than Friday, 7 March 2025.
MONDAY TALKS IN DEAN COURT COMMUNITY CENTRE,
PINNOCKS WAY – EVERYONE WELCOME Meetings are normally held on the 2nd
and 4th Monday of each month from 2.15 pm onwards. There is always an opportunity for tea,
biscuits and a chat from approx. 3.15pm.
All are welcome, and we extend an open invitation to any visitors who
might like to come along and meet us. Visitors are asked to make a small
contribution of £3.00.
We now have a full diary of talks for this
season, September 2024 - June 2025. These are detailed in the 'Talks' section
of this website and the talks for January, February and March 2025 are covered in more detail here.
13
January: Melanie King – “Whatever did the Romans do for us? The introduction of Bathing for Pleasure”
In
ancient Rome public baths were major centres not only for bathing and personal
hygiene but also for socialising. They were so important in Roman life that not
only were there many facilities in Rome itself but the Romans introduced them
throughout the Empire. Any town of significance would have its baths, and
these, with their remarkable plumbing and heating engineering, are often among
the most prominent Roman remains. Romans, men and women, spent a lot of time in
the baths, and the process of going to the baths could be described as a cross
between working out at the gym, going to the spa, meeting friends for social
activities, and bathing.
Local
social historian Melanie King is the author of a number of books, most recently
The Secret History of English Spas. In this talk she will give us an
entertaining account of the bathing experience in public baths in ancient Rome. 27
January: Richard Sills – “Russia: Aggressor or Victim? A Thousand Years of Invasions and Expansion”
Living on an island with unchanging borders it can be
hard for us to appreciate the impact of loss of territory, expansion of
territory, forced migration, forced assimilation and the disruption, hatred and
fear which they generate. But this is the experience of much of Eurasia over
generations and to this day. Our
speaker for this talk is local member Richard Sills who will focus on Russia.
Richard writes: "Western powers regard Putin
as a threat to European security. Putin declares the West to be a threat
to Russian security. This canter through more than a Millenium of Russian
history sheds light on Russian views on its security and its relations with its
neighbours."
This
will be a challenging and thought-provoking talk.
Ivan the Terrible,
1530-1584 (Grand Prince then Tsar 1533-1584)
10 February: Paul Bullivant – “Faces of Ethiopia
and other Encounters” In
2004, following a career in architecture and social housing, Paul Bullivant
graduated with an MA in documentary photography. He writes: “In this talk I
will show and discuss examples of my photography, in particular portraits which I made during a
journey across Ethiopia in 2020. Most of my portrait photographs are made
spontaneously during brief encounters with strangers who I meet on my travels.”
24
February: Ascott Martyrs Ed. Trust – “The Event of 1873 in Ascott under
Wychwood”
The Ascott Martyrs were 16 women from the village of
Ascott under Wychwood, who were imprisoned for their role in founding a branch
of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. The women, whose ages ranged
from 16 to 45 years, were sentenced to
imprisonment with hard labour.
Carol
Anderson, who is Chair of the Ascott Martyrs Educational Trust, will tell us
about the background, the details, and the aftermath of this event, which is
also often referred to as “The Chipping Norton Incident”.
10
March: Jeff Evans – “The History of TV Quiz Shows”
At
this meeting Members will be welcoming back Jeff Evans, a journalist and author
in the field of pop music and TV entertainment. He last spoke to us three years
ago via Zoom which luckily took little from his presentation of 'Pop on the
Box'. This time he will be with us in person to test our memories when 'The
History of TV Quiz Shows ' is his subject.
24
March: Bill King – “The River at War”
Our
experienced speaker on 24th March will be Bill King who, since retiring from
the world of Management Consultancy, has
devoted himself to research into various aspects of Britain's history, ranging
from the Iron Age to the Second World War, which is his current focus.
Bill has written, broadcast and appeared
on TV concerning the military and political history of that war, with
particular reference to the British Resistance Organisation. His talk, 'The
River in War', is relevant to this.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TVN
Contact:
Beverley Birmingham (07799413110)
After the sudden
death of Sussie Berry, who was very much a leading figure of Thames Valley
Network, our last meeting was cancelled, the next being in February.
The team have managed
to supply an interesting mix of study days/events which I hope some of you have
been interested in. These are usually on
Zoom and well publicized in advance. Do
look at the board and their website for details.
As
with any organization, a plea has gone out for new committee members. There are four meetings a year and anyone
interested should contact Fal, the Chairman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DETAILS OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIG)
MEETINGS
More information about
the SIGs, including recent activities and photographs, is available in the
'Groups' section on this website.
BRIDGE
Contact: Membership Secretary
U3A Bridge Group looks after itself. It has 8-9
regular players of Intermediate level, meeting on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of
each month at the invitation of whoever will be hosting in their home. Players
respond directly and make up tables at each session. We are a social, learning
group - exploring elements of bidding and play each time we meet and having tea
together. Bridge players interested in meeting us for an
introductory session or two should please enquire, initially, of Liz
Jones, Membership Secretary, membership@westoxfordu3a.org.uk, 01865
202227, who will put you in touch with the next host for an invitation to
join us for a trial visit or two. We would be very pleased to meet you. CHURCHES
AND PUBS
Contact Lis Froggatt (01865 249828)
This group meets on the first Friday of the
month; if coffee is offered by our hosts, we meet at 11
and if no coffee then at 11.30. A
guide is available to talk for a while before further time at the church and
lunch afterwards at a convenient venue, with the meal pre-ordered. As the visits are arranged by members of the
group there is an obligation on each member to arrange a suitable visit, for
which ideas and support are readily available.
A collection for the church visited is made at the meal. As the churches are throughout the county it
is necessary to make certain that travel arrangements are in place.
CINEMA
GROUP
Contact:
Mary Chait (07342964870) We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at
Tumbling Bay Café, at 12.00 noon At the
moment we decide what topic we would like to watch e.g. favourite male actor or
favourite female actress. Recent topics have been European foreign movies,
films featuring Maggie Smith, and cartoons.
We chat about the movies we have seen over a lovely lunch. If you would like to join us please contact
me, Mary on 07342964870.
DISCOVERING
MUSIC (7 members – new members welcome) Contact: John Grimshaw (01865
861949)
This
friendly and sociable group meets in members’ homes during the third
week of each month at 2.15pm. The host introduces and plays
recordings of their own choice, of broadly classical music, usually on
CD or DVD. Thus, we have made many delightful musical
discoveries, have learnt much, and we freely express our
reactions. We often finish with something of lighter mood.
GARDENING GROUP
New Members always
welcome Contact:
Mary Gregory (01865 865887)
Members of the Garden Club have been busy
putting their gardens to bed for the winter, but with the earliest spring bulbs
already beginning to peep through it will not be long until it is time to think
about further garden visits. The Group has completed 50 “group events” since
it started in 2016. To celebrate, Members enjoyed a garden party - what else? –
on a cool but pleasant late-summer afternoon. The venue was Mary’s lovely
garden and the occasion was marked by a special cake and celebratory drinks. mary@nandmg.me.uk
LUNCH
CLUB
Contact:
Beverley Birmingham 07799413110
September saw us meeting at The Fishes in North Hinksey
for a very enjoyable post summer get-together.
In October we decided to try The Windrush pub in Witney. This was a new venue for most of us and was
well worth the visit. We will be
visiting again some time in the New Year.
In November we were back in Witney, but this time at
Bella Italia for a change of cuisine which was enjoyed by all.
Most
months see our usual group of 10/12 people attending and we are always happy to
see new faces if you feel like coming along.
We pay for our meals independently, so no hidden costs. New venues are
always welcome as are any suggestions from friends/relatives.
READING
GROUP
Contact:
Lis Froggatt (01865 249828) On the third Monday of each month we meet at 2pm
at the Botley Library, who provide multiple copies of the book we discuss, so
we finish the meeting (after about an hour) and exchange one book for a new
one. The number of members is just about
at the maximum, but depending on the number of new applicants another group can
be started. The library service provides
a list of the many books of which multiple copies are available and we choose
from this an unlimited number. This
means that there is no identification of the person who chose the book which is
discussed.
SCRABBLE
Contact:
Margery
Dent (01865 862534)
We continue to meet on the 3rd Monday of the month from
2.00-5.00 pm.
Contact Margery Dent (01865 862534).
WALKING
GROUP
Contact: Mary Chait (07342964870)
The weather this autumn was so dreadful that our intrepid Walking Group
were forced to cancel several of their scheduled Friday walks. However, things
improved and they were able to do some lovely walks in the grounds of Blenheim
Palace; through Christchurch, where they enjoyed taking in the beautiful autumn
colours; and around Farmoor Reservoir.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRISTMAS
LUNCH 2024
The
Christmas lunch was held on 9th December, at the Bell in Ducklington, and was a
great success. Thirty-four members braved the horrible weather – cold and wet in
the aftermath of Storm Darragh – and received a warm welcome in the Pub. The atmosphere
was friendly and cheerful and the food
was tasty and plentiful. A Big Thank-you to Beverley for organising this lovely
final event of the u3a season.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
