We meet at Dean Court Community Centre,
which
has excellent facilities.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN –
Beverley Birmingham
Welcome
back to another interesting year ahead.
I
hope you have all enjoyed the summer break, whatever you were doing. I just don’t know where the time goes.
Thank
you to our previous tea ladies who have decided to take a well-earned rest and
I am happy to say that Lis Froggatt will now be in charge. As usual, all help is gratefully received.
Please
remember that the subscription fee is now £20.00, due to rising costs.
Please
continue to read the notice board as this is where you will find up-to-date
information. Any questions or queries,
do ask a Committee member.
Beverley
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MEMBERSHIP
The
online membersip application form can be found in the membersip section
of this website. This is a convenient and quick way to apply or renew
your membership.
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YOUR NEWSLETTER
from Elizabeth Stevens Please send all contributions,
notices, etc. for the next issue covering January/March 2025 to Elizabeth
Stevens, 104 Kennington Road, Kennington, Oxford OX1 5PE (01865 739252) not
later than Friday, 29 November 2024.
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 September, October and November are covered in more detail here.
09 September: Phil Holt – “Donald Campbell:
Across the Lake”. At our first meeting of the season we welcome
back Phil Holt. Last year his account of being an on-duty air traffic
controller on 9/11, when al-Qaeda planes flew into the Twin Towers, totally
gripped his audience. His subject this
time is Donald Campbell, the famous speed merchant, whose story promises to be
another thriller. 
Donald Campbell with
Bluebird CN7
23 September: Julie Ann Godsone – “The Water Gypsy” This is the story of Betty Ridge, a poor girl who became a
Viscountess. (Please
note that the planned talk for this date by Steven Bruce entitled
"Buying and Selling at Auction" has been postponed for personal reasons. 14 October: Dr James Taylor – “Grace Darling and the Fine Art of Saving
Lives at Sea”
Grace Darling’s daring
rescue of steamship passengers off the Northumberland coast in 1838 brought her
international fame. Dr James Taylor, author and historian, will tell us about
her bravery and achievements during her short life; she died aged 26 years.
The talk is timed to
coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution (RNLI).
Photo
RNLI Grace Darling Museum
28 October: Two Spoons Tea - “ Tea, the Journey from Bush to Cup”
Two Spoons Tea is a local tea company,
run by professional tea tasters. In their talk, they discuss where tea comes
from, how it is made, and how it is drunk.
It
is an interactive session, including a quiz and a tea tasting, showing the
audience “how the professionals do it”.
11 November: “Great Ormond Street
Hospital”
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is one of
the world’s foremost specialist hospitals for the care and treatment of
children with major medical conditions.
It takes in seriously ill children from across the UK and abroad, and
also carries out an extensive programme of related research. Implementing and supporting this requires
skills, dedication, and also money. GOSH
Children’s Charity conducts extensive fund-raising campaigns to support new facilities for the hospital, the purchase
of equipment, research projects, and financial assistance towards accommodation
for children’s families.
A country-wide team of ‘ambassadors’ publicise
and support its work. One of its
volunteers will tell us about GOSH and the role of its Children’s Charity in
supporting and enhancing the work of this outstanding children’s hospital.
25 November: Caroline Jackson-Houston – “Fungi in your Garden and
Further Afield”
It has long been known that for humans fungi can
be friend or foe, deliciously edible, crucial agents in leavening and
fermentation and some antibiotics, but also major sources of crop damage and
even fatally toxic. But their role in the ecosystem has been an area of
spectacular advance in knowledge over recent years. Fungi, it is now
acknowledged, underpin life on earth and have done so for billions of years.
Their underground communities are complex and sophisticated, nourishing and
supporting each other and the rest of the ecosystem, transmitting information
and messaging warnings. Caroline Jackson-Houlston who teaches at Oxford Brookes
University, is a student of literature, a botanical artist and a student of
fungi. In this talk she shares with us insights into the amazing world of
fungi, in your garden and further afield.
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TVN
Contact:
Beverley Birmingham (07799413110)
Thames valley network
and national office continue to try and streamline their services to make u3a a
more accessible network for all. Please look at their website for any updates.
The events team are
still holding meetings mainly via zoom and these are bookable via Ticket Source
at a reasonable £2 per booking. Again look at the web site for details.
Forthcoming events
include:
Wednesday
11th September 10.30 The Music of the two Niels
Monday
23rd September 10.30 Virtual tour of CERN
Friday
4th October 2.30 Autumn Quiz
Monday
7th October 10.30 Mark Lovett - US presidential election 2024
Friday
25th October 10.30 TVN Reps at Benson
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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)
On the first Friday of each month the group
visits a church, enjoys the talk given about it and then repairs to a pub close
by for lunch. Members of the group take
it in turns to arrange these visits, help with which is always available, and
at lunch a collection is made for the church.
Recently we have been to Standlake, Hook Norton, Ducklington, Sutton
Courtenay and Freeland and have a good list of planned visits, two of which are
subject only to the opening of the Oxford Railway station access.
CINEMA
GROUP
Contact:
Mary Chait (07342964870) We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at
Tumbling Bay at 12.00 pm. At the moment
we decide what topic we would like to watch e.g. favourite male actor or
favourite female actress. Our next topic
is European foreign movies. 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)
Over the summer the Garden Group have had a very
successful series of group visits to local gardens where guided tours by the
owners – and tea – were much enjoyed.
New members are welcome. Contact Mary Gregory. mary@nandmg.me.uk
LUNCH
CLUB
Contact:
Beverley Birmingham 07799413110
The lunch group continues to meet on the first
Monday of the month and we regularly have a group of between 10 and15 at each
meeting.
We
have recently lunched at The Merry Miller in Cothill, made a return
visit to The Maybush in Newbridge, and visited Bampton Garden
Plants. All very nice venues and enjoyed by everyone.
We have had a
break in August and the next lunch will be on Monday 2nd September at The Fishes, North Hinksey Village.
READING
GROUP
Contact:
Lis Froggatt (01865 249828) Botley Library provides multiple copies of the
book we read, which is picked by the library from a list we have supplied. We meet for about an hour to discuss the
chosen book and relevant topics, and also bring books to give or lend to the
other members. The third Monday of each
month at the library is the arrangement, which is working well. We do not know who has chosen the monthly
book, so there are no recriminations!
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)
We have done some lovely walks from going to see
the Bluebell Woods at the Arboretum, walking down Port Meadow which was led by
Sally and also along the Electricity Park. We always end the walks at the
pub where we enjoy good company and a delicious meal. Members of the
Oxford U3A occasionally join us. Joanna helps me to organise the walks
and helps out when I am away. Unfortunately, as most of our members
have been unable to participate, we have had to cancel some of our walks this
summer. We are taking a break during August but will return again in September.
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