Our U3A returned to the Corn Exchange with a fascinating talk by Alison Mees, “Living the African Dream”.  Her talk was presented in a hybrid form, to the audience in the Corn Exchange and to those members at home, via Zoom.  Those members in the Corn Exchange enjoyed watching her amazing photographs and listening to her tales of life in Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania.  We had not met formally since March 2020, but today was a great afternoon and everyone commented that it was so nice to see friends face to face again. At the end of an excellent talk, we all enjoyed tea/coffee and superb cakes from Sadlers, which was an unexpected treat.

Hand sanitiser was available and everybody felt comfortable with the social distancing measures in place.

Next month will be organised in a similar style – come and see for yourself and catch up with friends, although we cannot guarantee cakes every time!  We are aware that not everyone feels comfortable or able to come out for such events, so, for those people, please continue to join in on Zoom from your own home.
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The speaker will be Alison Rees who has spent 16 years in Zambia “Living the African Dream”.  Alison has worked on reservations and has had the opportunity to follow her wildlife photographic interests and conservation passion.   She has been involved in the Serengeti Cheetah project, learning about individual cheetahs.  The talk will include many photos, especially of cheetahs but also information about Alison’s conservation and community work.

After considerable debate the committee has decided with great regret and prudence NOT to hold a summer party in August. The general feeling was that there would be some reluctance to attend any large social event this summer. No other meeting in August will be held.

Plans for a meeting in person with a speaker at the Corn Exchange in September are being made at present, and will be published at the end of the month.  Special refreshments will be provided.
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Speaker Ian Gunn talking on Here Comes the Failed Bank Manager! on Thursday 8th July at 2.30pm.  Ian is a former senior banker and prisoner governor.  Living in Dunblane, using technology, he present his talks to many groups including cruises;  his speciality is prisons and crime.   In his second career he was a Governor-in-Charge of four contrasting prisons in Scotland.  Ian will take you “behind bars” and tell you about the intriguing culture of prisons, introduce you to some of the very interesting characters he met, his biggest mistakes, and why he had to ban his mother-in-law from visiting one of his prisons!  Find out more!

Government and Covid permitting

We are hoping to hold our Summer Lunch at the Braithwaites on Thursday 12th August.  This may be subject to any restrictions imposed and numbers are likely to be restricted so respond quickly to any e-mail sent out in July about this event.

The meeting will start at 2.30pm.  The speaker will be Dr David Jones who will talk about The Ecology of Earthworms.  Dr Jones is one of our most popular speakers; working at the National History Museum in London, he lectures at Imperial College.   As an entomologist he specialises in soil ecology; during this talk he will address issues such as how many native species of earthworms there are in Britain, what do they eat, and how do they contribute to soil processes and the ecosystem health.  He will reveal some of the fascinating secrets about earthworms and their role in temperate habitats.
U3A members will be sent the Zoom link a few days before the talk.
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Zoom talk on Thursday 13th May ’21 at 2.30pm
 
May’s speaker will be Al Sylvester on the RAF Mountain Rescue Service.  Al, a renowned RAF Rescue Service leader with over 20 years of service, has attended more than 400 rescue operations including the recovery and rescue of downed aircrew of military fast jets and civilian aircraft. Thankfully the majority of his rescue missions involved successfully searching some of the most hostile environments of the British mountain ranges.  His talk will be about these experiences and is bound to be exciting.
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Thursday 8th April  at 2.30pm  Timothy Walker will talk about Gardening in the 21st Century.  The talk has been devised to meet the many requests of the future of gardening in the UK.  This has been stimulated by the changes in our weather and climate.  This talk looks at the many ways that gardeners can reduce their impact on the world’s natural resources and at the same time help those plants whose habitat is evolving faster than they can.  The talk is about much more than global warning and using peat!

The meeting will be held on Zoom on Thursday 11th March at 2.30pm.  Link details of the meeting will be sent in advance if you are a U3A member.  Follow the screen instructions to attend the meeting. The speaker is Dr Richard Fisher.  His topic is Three Choirs and a Reformation: The Cathedrals of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester under Henry VIII.

The survival of the cathedrals through the turbulent years of Henry VIII’s reign is one of the anomalous features of his peculiarly English version of a reformed church.  Despite his determination to dissolve all the monastic foundations across the nation Henry inaugurated six new cathedrals in former large abbey churches.  What happened in three cities in the west of England?  Dr Fisher now teaches medieval art-history at Bristol University will explore this topic.

Mike St Maur Sheil will give a talk about World War One by Zoom.  Mike is a professional photographer who collaborated with the late Professor Richard Holmes to produce a major photographic exhibition  “Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace.  This considers every theatre of war  except Iraq.  The exhibition was viewed by 13 million people in 9 different countries, and resulted in the creation of an award winning book for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  This talk can be viewed by Zoom ;   details will be sent to every U3A member a few days before 11th February.  If you are unsure whether you have received the link, search through your computer, including spam and junk mail.  It will be there somewhere!  NO luck  - contact Ricky Cunningham on 01367 242 626 for help.