Dear Member,
Quick Links: Get to Know Your Executive Committee | Around the Groups | Forthcoming Events | View newsletter as a web page
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Dear Friends,
I hear from all sides that groups are, once again, gathering together to “learn, laugh and live”. I am very proud to be your Chairman and, as always, look forward to meeting as many of you as I can over the coming months. Read on for exciting events ahead!
Thank you, too, to everyone who has been so prompt about renewing their membership for this new u3a season. If you've yet to do so and are not sure how to go about it, read this.
Warmest wishes, Doreen
chairman@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk
MONTHLY MEETING, 28 OCTOBER
Our Speaker this month is Peter Griffith, who is giving us a presentation entitled Sextant to Sat Nav, 45 years in Aviation. Peter started flying in 1967 for BOAC, the forerunner of British Airways, and his career spanned the time from when aircraft were navigated by map, compass and sextant to the highly sophisticated aircraft of today, accurate to within a few feet. More about Peter Griffith
We look forward to welcoming you to the Bat & Ball Centre for the first talk of the new season, with tea and cake being served afterwards. I do hope you will join us.
Barbara Coleyshaw meetings@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk
IT'S TIME FOR TEA!
One of the highlights of our monthly meeting is the chance to talk to fellow u3a members over tea and cake at the end. This cannot happen, however, without our wonderful team of volunteers in the kitchen. If you'd be willing to help with making tea and serving, it's a great way to get to know more people and you'd only be asked to do it once a year. Do please get in touch with Gill Clayton at teas@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk - we need you!
FROM THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Due to unforeseen circumstances the planned New Members' Coffee Morning on 16 October has been postponed. We hope to have it on 6 November instead and I'll be in touch with recent joiners shortly. In the meantime, if you have any questions about groups you're interested in, or about u3a in general, do contact Groups Coordinator Marianne Bradnock at groupdev@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk.
Jennifer Ruffles, Membership Secretary
GET TO KNOW YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Who are they? What do they do? Each month we'll be presenting a short profile of one of the six current members of the team who help run our u3a. Perhaps you'd like to think about joining them? We're kicking off, of course, with our Chairman,
DOREEN PASCALL, CHAIRMAN
I was born and brought up in Oxford, and later trained at Furzedown Teacher Training College, London. I began teaching at Rachel McMillan School, London then at Riverhead School in the Infant Department. I married, moved to Sevenoaks in 1960, became a full-time Mum (some supply teaching) and joined the Sevenoaks Players in 1965. Years of performing (later directing) musicals and plays, and supporting STAG (Sevenoaks Theatre Action Group), who acquired the present theatre of the same name; the circle of the three-screen Odeon Cinema, in 1980.
Retired and joined our u3a in 2002 and the Comparing Novels group were my first experience of this vibrant and friendly organisation. I organise a monthly Lunch Club and enjoy the Theatre Visits group, the monthly meetings and appreciate all the support I get from our EC, our members and from my beloved family.
AROUND THE GROUPS
PICKLEBALL & TABLE TENNIS
In addition to its regular Monday morning games, the Pickleball Group has now started playing from 7pm on a Monday evening. This is a more competitive workout session and more players are welcome. Contact Tim Carter at pickleball@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk if you’d like to give it a go.
Tim is also hoping to start a table tennis group in Sevenoaks Weald. It is likely to meet weekly on a Wednesday afternoon and players would be expected to provide their own bats. There would be a small charge to cover hall hire and players would register their attendance via a WhatsApp group. If this appeals to you and you'd like to find out more, email him at tabletennis@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk.
THEATRE VISITS
Our most recent visit was to a performance at the Hever outdoor theatre to see the Edenbridge Players in Abigail’s Party. Many of us had seen previous productions, including the original cast with Alison Steadman, and this production was excellent, bringing back good memories. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed a sunny but not overly hot afternoon. Some of us took advantage of the grounds afterwards to have an early-evening drink. Visit our group page to read about other productions we've seen.
EUROPE TODAY
We are a small, friendly group of people interested in all things European. We meet on the second Friday of each month to discuss a wide range of topics, usually starting with news and current affairs. We try to make our presentations interesting, but also with elements of humour and levity. If you're interested in joining or would like more information, email Stephen Armstrong at europe@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk or visit our group page.
GALLERY GROUP
In July we visited the extensive James McNeil Whistler exhibition at Tate Britain.
Our September visit to the super Schiaparelli exhibition at the V & A was a revelation. Not only innovative and still wearable designs – her lobster dress designed in collaboration with Salvador Dali in 1937, first worn by Wallis Simpson, seems to have inspired designers today.
Our next visit in October will be to the Anish Kapoor exhibition at The Hayward Gallery.
Read more from the Group Organiser, Sandy Patrick about playfulness in art and fashion...
SCIENCE OPEN MEETINGS
Our next meeting is from 2-4pm on 12 October in the Otford Village Memorial Hall. Eddie Asquith will be giving a talk entitled How big is the Universe? His talk will cover the size of the Earth all the way to the outer reaches of the cosmos itself. More details
Bob Ruffles, for the Science Committee science@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk
NEW LATIN GROUP
“Caecilius est in horto… “ Remember any Latin from your school days? Keen to brush up and learn more? Alison Hook is planning to start a new Latin group in November for those who already have some knowledge of the language. Each session would study a short poem in Latin, starting with something fairly simple. The group would translate it together and Alison would help tease out some of the grammar. The meetings are likely to be on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month if that suited enough people. If you’d like to know more, email Alison at latin@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk.
OUR INDUSTRIAL PAST
The group will be restarting for a new season on Wednesday 21 October at 2pm in the Otford Methodist Church Hall and is open with plenty of space for new members who would like to try it out. It covers the history and often contemporary aspects of industry and technology. Please let Paul Frost at industrialpast@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk know if you would like to come along. At the first meeting, there will be a talk on the Worshipful Company of Poulters led by Peter Bradnock and also an opportunity to contribute to the setting of the agenda for the coming season.
BRIDGE FOR PLEASURE
A reminder that bridge starts back up on 14 October. For more information please see our group page or email bridge@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk.
DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS
A full list of open meetings can be seen on our website at https://sevenoaks.u3asite.uk/events/. For details of upcoming group meetings, consult the relevant group page.
If you would like to include any items in the November issue, please send them to news@sevenoaksu3a.org.uk by 20 October.
The button below will format the email so you can print it. Note that it will run to several pages and will not include the additional content you get when you click any of the links.
If this doesn't show up as a link, you need to to first view the newsletter as a web page.