Monday 20 January 2:00 – 4:00 – Chat with the Chair, Philip Stott, in the U3AC Social area
Tuesday 21 January at 1 pm – Film Group screening will be Wild Strawberries
Wednesday 22 January at 2.15 pm – Wednesday Lecture – From Shed to Destination: The story of Scotsdales Garden Centre’s growth and vision by Johnny Critchley-Salmonson
Booking is now open to attend in person in the Pink room – please email the Office
Do we really have enough Water?
Speaker: Cameron Adams, U3AC Environment Group
Date and time: Thursday 20 March, 10:00 – 11:00
Venue: U3AC, Pink room
Places: 30
Only 2.7% of the water on our ‘blue’ planet is freshwater – essentially a ‘common well’ which we all ‘drink’ from either directly or indirectly. Crucially, our water intensive lifestyles in tandem with a growing population, agriculture, economic growth, the ongoing impacts of climate change and our ageing and outdated water infrastructure is putting this vital, life supporting resource under ever increasing pressure both locally and globally. It’s therefore vital Cambridgeshire plays a full and meaningful part in meeting these challenges. I will examine the need for a more forward-thinking, joined up and proactive approach towards how we source, manage and use water in order to protect and improve our natural environment. There will be an opportunity for questions and further discussion.
About me: I recently retired from the Environment Agency where I undertook secondments with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the then Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Having worked in academia and for various environmental NGOs, I was previously the Sustainability Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council.
Matthew will be delivering another wine tasting session will be on Wednesday 12 February at 5.30pm. Please arrive after 5.15pm. Cost is £17 per person. Places can be booked via Eventbrite (who charge a non-refundable booking fee): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1145367417779?aff=oddtdtcreator or in person at the U3AC Office, or by Bank Transfer:
Payee: U3AC no2 account
Sortcode 08-92-99
Account Number 65863363
Reference: your surname and wine tasting
GEO 04: Public rights of way and access in England – history, legal basis, rights and responsibilities 2 (Spring term)
Tutor: Jill Tuffnell
Day and time: Tuesday 15:45 – 16:45
Venue: U3AC (Orange room)
Length of course: 1 term. Spring (5 weeks)
Places: 8
Start date: 11 Feb
This course is a repeat of GEO 02.
Format: Taught course or activity
About me: I have been a keen walker for over 40 years and am Secretary of the Cambridge Group of the Ramblers and vice-chair of the Cambridgeshire Local Access Forum.
Please note the title of the Wednesday Lecture to be given by Tim Bartlett has been changed to A Small Town in Belize – Cahal Pech
The Photography Forum has mounted an exhibition on the first-floor gallery in the Bridge Street premises. The photographs are exhibited in pairs, one representing a local scene at some time in the past and its equivalent contemporary photograph. In some cases the scenes have changed out of all recognition, while in others they’re virtually unchanged over half a century and more. Proof of the old axiom “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Cases of winter flu and colds are rising and as U3AC members are a high-risk demographic group we politely request you to consider your fellow U3AC members and if you feel unwell, particularly if you have a temperature and display symptoms of a respiratory infection, please do not attend your courses or enter the Bridge Street premises or any of our external venues used for courses and activities.
As we increasingly rely on virtual platforms like Zoom to stay connected, it’s important to be mindful of a few basic etiquette tips.
Privacy and respect: Remember, even if you’ve chosen not to view other participants, your own camera may still be on. It’s essential to be mindful of your appearance and surroundings. Dress appropriately, as you would for any other virtual meeting. Avoid engaging in distracting activities, such as eating or drinking, which can disrupt the flow of the conversation.
Active listening: When others are speaking, give them your full attention. Minimize distractions and avoid multitasking. This shows respect for the speaker and helps create a more engaging and productive sessions.
By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure a positive and enjoyable Zoom experience for yourself and other members.
Zoom app
If you are doing courses on Zoom, please make sure your Zoom app is up to date before term starts.
HIN 01: Hindi for beginners (Spring term)
Tutor: Narinder Kumar
Day and time: Friday 09:45 – 10:45
Venue: U3AC (Orange room)
Length of course: 1 term. Spring (10 weeks)
Places: 8
Start date: 17 Jan
Learn to write and read Hindi from absolute beginners’ stage. The course will include learning the alphabets, their formation, pronunciation and grammar. It is meant to be a fun project as well as an informative one.
Format: Taught course or activity
About me: I grew up in India studying and speaking Hindi. Since my move to the UK about 44 years ago, I miss it, hence the decision to teach to like-minded people.
HIS 43(z): Anti-Slavery Advocacy in early-Victorian Britain (Spring and Summer terms)
Tutor: Paul Donohoe
Day and time: Alternate Thursdays, 14:15 – 15:15
Venue: Zoom
Length of course: 2 terms. Spring (5 weeks), Summer (4 weeks) Places: 20
Start date: 16 Jan
Slavery in the Southern states of America continued long after it was banned in the British Empire. The course is about (1) the slaves who escaped the cotton plantations and found their way to Britain to build funds and support for the anti-slavery campaign and (2) the individuals who provided them with sustenance while they were here. In detail, we will look at the work of black abolitionists William Wells Brown, Henry Hyland Garnet, J W C Pennington and Alexander Crummell who toured the country lecturing against chattel slavery and drew large audiences from across British society. Also on our agenda are their predecessors Moses Roper, Charles Lennox Remond and Frederick Douglass. The slave Narratives of which there are many provide a basis for the course. Prior reading, in no way obligatory, would include the first two volumes of the autobiography of Frederick Douglass.
Format: Lecture
About me: I was educated at Cambridge University, spent most of my career in the food industry, travelled extensively and participated in U3AC courses for years.
LEI 30: Beginners’ Bridge (Spring and Summer terms)
Day and time: Thursday 13:30 – 16:00
Venue: St Mark’s Community Centre (Large Hall)
Length of course: 2 terms. Spring (10 weeks), Summer (8 weeks)
Places: 36
Start date: 16 Jan
This course is aimed at complete beginners – people who are interested in playing Bridge but have not yet learned the basics of the game. People who are not complete beginners but who would like to revise their bridge skills would also be very welcome to join this class. We will start by learning how to play a more basic form of the game. We will then gradually learn the bidding and playing of the game of bridge, using Acol, which is the main bidding system used in the UK. In each session there will be a short lecture, followed by tutored play. Bridge is a challenging game, but is great fun and quite addictive! There is bike parking and limited car parking in the church grounds. If this is full, there are other parking places nearby. However, please do not park in Millington Road, which is a private road.
Format: Taught course or activity
About us: We are all moderately experienced bridge players who have played with U3AC for some years. We all love playing Bridge, and would like to share our love of the game with the members of this class.
If you are interested in applying for additional courses, there is a Vacancy list on the website showing all courses with current spaces; this is regularly updated.
If you are unable to attend one of your allocated courses, please let us know so that the place can be offered to someone on the waiting list. Thank you.
The recent newsletter listed the wrong speaker for the lecture on 28 January. The lecture entitled Is ageing modifiable? will be given by Professor Kay-Tee Khaw. We apologise for any confusion.
This visit is now full, we are taking names for a waiting list in case anyone cancels their place.
A visit to Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Norwich Theatre Royal has been arranged for Thursday 20 March 2025. Cost £68. Application forms are now available on the Trips and Visits page of the website or in person from the Office.
As many U3AC members will know, my predecessor as organiser of the U3AC Film Group, David Jakes, died in June 2024. David instigated the Film Group and remained as organiser for very many years until he asked me to take over in October 2013. David had a tremendous enthusiasm for all kinds of cinema and indeed was extremely knowledgeable about a wide variety of films. Naturally David had his favourite films, and in particular he had a penchant for classic “Film Noir”. As a tribute to David, and the way in which he ran the Group for very many years, I shall be including some film noir films in both the Spring & Summer Term programmes, together with a few of the fine choices he made from world cinema. [Film noir refers to a type of film or a style of film making which shows the world as a dangerous or depressing place where many people suffer, especially because of the greed or cruelty of others. It’s also a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylized Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasise cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s & 1950s are generally regarded as the “classic period of American film noir]
Jeremy Buncombe – Organiser
U3AC supports other local organisations by listing their activities on the Other organisations page of our website https://www.u3ac.org.uk/news/other-organisations/
Remember to check out our Facebook page to see the latest photos – shared with permission – of U3AC courses, activities and events. Facebook does not replace our Weekly Bulletin and will not be used for communicating directly with members about courses or cancellations. Please follow, like and share U3AC’s Facebook page if you have a Facebook account.