Newsletter from your Chairman October 2022
Hi everyone,
I am writing this newsletter with the heating on. Yes, Autumn has arrived and the two cold nights recently have started the change in colour of our deciduous trees. This is my favourite time of the year – it’s a time to be both looking up and down! Up to enjoy the wonderful Autumn colours, and down to spot the fungi.
Also the clatter of acorns onto our neighbour’s shed roof acts as a timely alarm call in the mornings – it certainly seems a good year for acorns. We have a grey squirrel who is rushing backwards and forwards burying acorns all over the place as its ‘larder’ for Winter, including acorns in my many pots!
I am sorry that I missed Tony Harris and his talk on King Henry VIII ( or should I say his acting performance as Henry). I have received so much positive feedback from those who were present – so much in fact that we have re-booked him to be at our Christmas event in December. (Date for your diary MONDAY 19th December at Crockham Hill!) Well done to Maureen who has booked all our speakers for this coming year. If they all turn out as good as Tony Harris we will have a wonderful year of monthly meetings!
Thank you to those of you who have got up to date with your membership payments. You don’t have to be at our monthly meetings to pay your annual subscription – you can pay by bank transfer (BACS) or by cheque. If you don’t come to the monthly meetings but you are a member of a group, remember that you still need to be a member of our u3a. I will be asking group leaders to check on their group members at the beginning of November to make sure everyone has paid their subscription – so please check that you have renewed your membership before that date!
This month, on the 26th October, our guest speaker is Christopher Lloyd. Chris will be no surprise to many of you – he has spoken to us on several occasions. He is known as the man with a ‘coat of many pockets’ and has revolutionised history books by producing them as a wallbook – a timeline publication that links the history of the time to scientific discoveries, inventions and so much more. This month he is talking about ‘Magna Terra’. We are set for another super afternoon!
More good news – I am pleased to announce that two new groups are in the process of being set up:
- MOTO (members on their own) – the aim is to meet fortnightly to get together and discuss all sorts of issues /topics. Meetings could be in a coffee bar or pub, and could include lunch or a snack. This is an opportunity to be with members in a similar situation to yourself, and a chance to put the world to rights. The day the group will meet will be decided by the members. The Group Organiser is Christine Byrne.
- French Discussion Group – already 12 members have expressed interest in this group. Meetings will be fortnightly on a Thursday or Friday, and will take place in the Café Pronto. The Group Organiser is Dennis Ward.
And finally, apart from our committee, we do have many volunteers who help with setting out chairs, preparing the tea and coffee, and setting up the microphones, amplifier and data projector ready for our monthly meetings. At the moment we need someone to help with the latter, i.e setting up the sound system etc. If you would like to volunteer, speak to Ken or myself at the next meeting.
See you all on the 26th! Meeting start time 2pm
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Previous editions of our newsletter can be found in the Newsletter archive