Blackwater

Welcome to BLACKWATER U3A [Maldon]

WE HAVE A WONDERFUL LIST OF EVENTS - CLICK THE EVENTS TAB ABOVE TO SEE GREAT IDEAS!

Further to the below information about the proposed closure of St Peter's hospital see a link from Maldon Nub news. https://maldon.nub.news/news/local-news

Mid and South Essex ICS website have more information
https://virtualviews.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/changes-to-services

The consultation period has been extended and you can complete the survey until April 4th
Survey link here https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/MSECommunityConsultation2024/

BLACKWATER U3A NEEDS YOU POSTER IN THE NOTICES AREA - We need a Newsletter editor. Please go to the NEWSLETTER page and follow the link to the JOB SPECIFCATION which explains what is required.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

April 3rd Mike Fogg DODGY SCALES AND DELIVERING THE MAILS - PART ONE

MAY 1st A G M.

June 5th Linda Cook from RNLI , Saving Lives at sea.

Our monthly meeting took an unexpected turn when Steve Lester's talk about the Titanic sunk unexpectedly!
Over 80 members attended for a last minute presentation "RECENT HISTORY OF ESSEX" provided by John Hayes. Most people found some memories and were keen to share them and see it to the end.

Our monthly meeting was very well attended and many people enjoyed the entertaining trip down memory lane provided by the speaker, Brian Carline. Brian Carline took us "down our street" and memory lane, with a lovely selection of anecdotes memories and images, delivered without a microphone! All present showed their appreciation with a lengthy round of applause.

Consultation events for St Peter's Hospital
"As I expect you have noticed that there has been a lot of local communications and meetings and fast moving headless chickens, particularly in the last couple of weeks concerning the closure of St Peters Hospital and the transfer of its current resources to other locations such as Basildon, Brentwood, Braintree, Broomfield and some other places that begin with different letters of the Alphabet such as Danbury, that actually have functioning health facilities.

Considering after some 5 years and 3 business cases the first Phase was supposed to be ready to take patients on the 1st March 2024 but as you can see from the posters below "the consultation has started".

This is of course a different "consultation" to those previously conducted going back to 2019 and beyond therefor as we the members of the U3A are users of these services the committee felt we should make sure you were aware of your options to express your opinions (printable or otherwise) to those responsible."

Please click the link for details and see the weblink below for more ways to have your say at future meetings.

https://maldon.nub.news/news/local-news/town-hall-will-hold-hospital-consultation-event-219561

Thank you to all who attended our monthly meeting today.
The theme could be called memories as the film gave us lots of pleasure recalling the various parts of Maldon. The nostalgia session that followed was well received with numerous contributions from members with their memories.
Thank you to John Haynes and Roger Smith for entertaining us all.

Hello everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR

Yes despite any rumours to the contrary tomorrow's monthly meeting is on, although it might be a very simple affair, or it might not.

So if you feel like getting out and about; come and tell us your stories of Christmas, how the New Year is going so far for you, or practise some conjuring tricks from "the how to be a magician" book you received for Christmas, or in your case Sholto, bring your joke book.

See you there, or be square Allen

Dec 6th We had a great time, thank you to everyone who helped, joined in and had fun.
Please click on the blue link on the right for details.

Wed Nov 1st Meeting

November's speaker Tim Turner, spoke on "From coffee houses to Clarice Cliff, Auctions over the past 300 years". A really entertaining and interesting talk, several members spoke to me afterwards, saying how much they had enjoyed it. He spoke without slides or notes, also answering questions from our membership. John Hayes.

Tim Turner talking with the provisional title ‘History of Auctions through the ages’
In the past Tim Turner, formerly of Sworders Auctioneers, has spoken about their history. The business was started by William Ramsey in 1782 with the local Sworder’s family becoming involved in 1840’s. In the 1950’s the family sold out to senior staff and the firm has evolved thereafter. Livestock sales fell away in the latter part of the 20th century as supermarket sales increased and local butchers buying livestock ceased. In the 1980’s Tim did the egg/vegetable auction in Saffron Waldon but it was closed down following a 5 year loss making period.
There is even a Youtube video with a Tim Turner presenting a New Zealand auction! I'm not sure our speaker will be travelling that far... come to the meeting and find out!

"The u3a movement is run by volunteers with the exception of a few paid personnel at head office. Blackwater u3a, like all the other u3a's is run by the members for the members. The whole ethos of the movement is of self help and mutual aid and every member has a part to play in the running of our u3a. People join the movement for many reasons not just "education and personal development" although these were part of the original concept but also to meet people and combat loneliness. What ever your reasons for joining u3a there is still an onus "to do your bit", I am convinced there are very few members who have nothing to offer. If we are to continue to offer a full programme we need your help!

Please consider very carefully what you are able to offer your u3a so we can continue to offer the activities that our members want and not only maintain the high standards that have been set since 2005 but also improve upon them.

Click on the LINK on the right to see our facebook page

Readers of this site are advised to click the link to our Latest Newsletter which holds the information about our groups and all other Blackwater U3A activities.

We are a friendly U3A group of about 240 members that meet in Maldon, Essex, UK. We hold a regular monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of the month at the West Maldon Community Centre, this is a super venue [ Sunbury Way, Maldon, CM9 6YH, signposted from Maldon's Southern bypass road- Limebrook Way.]
We usually have a guest speaker. Each month, there is a lively programme of meetings, activities and visits coordinated by over thirty different interest groups. Any member can start a new interest group, so it's a great place to share your knowledge and experience with others.

Our U3A was formed in 2004, and is one of four groups in the Maldon area. Maldon U3A instigated the opening of the Blackwater U3A, and then, in turn, we kick-started both the Heybridge U3A in 2009 and the Limebrook U3A in 2011. These local developments reflect the growth of U3A groups nationally.

We are a registered charity - Registration Number: 1113334

Click on a picture below to see it full-size with more details.