Cam, Dursley & District u3a: Events

Events

The Branch

The Cam, Dursley and District branch hold regular, general interest monthly meetings at Dursley Methodist Church on the third Thursday starting at 10.30 a.m. We usually host an invited speaker , preceded by a little bit of business, and followed by tea and biscuits and socialising.

The groups

Then of course there are the special interest group meetings. You can find more details about where, what, when and how much by clicking the relevant group on the "Groups" page.

Plus we occasionally organise one-off activities or outings which all members are welcome to join.

Brief details of all forthcoming general branch meetings and group activities are listed below.

Dates for your Diary
May 2024
Thu May 2nd	Science & Engineering	Visit to Aerospace Bristol, Hayes Way, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5BZ. 11.00am. Concorde is the star attraction, but there are hundreds of other exhibits and interactive displays to enjoy. The venue has ample free parking, including 15 disabled parking bays, or it can be reached by bus or taxi from Bristol Parkway. This will be a public transport or car share visit. If you are willing to give a lift, or require a lift, please let the organiser know. Assemble in the Admissions area for 11.00 am. We will be served with tea/coffee and teacake on arrival. This will be followed by a choice of 45 min guided tours of either: a) the Concorde Tour: Take a journey from Concorde’s beginnings in the 1950s to its final flight in 2003, including the chance to step aboard the last Concorde ever to fly. Or: b) the Bristol Heritage Tour. Take off on a journey through more than 100 years of Bristol’s remarkable aerospace history. Find out how a small, pioneering company manufactured some of the earliest aeroplanes at Filton, evolved over the decades to influence the course of aviation history and shaped the world we see today. The price is £26.95 per person (£14 group rate + £5.95 refreshments + £7 guided tour). For those who want to continue exploring, the museum is open until 4.30pm. The onsite café serves a range of meals and snacks. If you would like to come, please contact the organiser Kath Hudson via the Bluebird link by 19th February, stating your preference for the Concorde Tour or the Bristol Heritage Tour. Payment will be required in full by 8th April, and once paid, will not be refundable unless someone else can take the space. NB Date changed to 2nd May.
Thu May 2nd	Floristry	Monthly floristry group meeting
Fri May 3rd	Historic Places	A walk has been arranged by Lechlade historical Society for the morning I have arranged a meal deal at The Trout Inn for lunch and a visit to Buscot Park for the afternoon Numbers are limited to 48
Thu May 16th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Motor Neurone Disease Charity" Graham Powell In aid of the MND charity
Thu May 16th	Science & Engineering	An architectural tour of Woodchester Mansion. Arrive in the car park at 10am. Following the successful architectural tours of Gloucester Cathedral during 2023, we are arranging a similar tour of Woodchester Mansion. The tour will be led by John Goom who was for many years the consulting architect for the Mansion and remains a trustee. He will concentrate on the unique architecture of the Mansion and the challenges of preserving and restoring the structure. Since the mansion was never completed, it provides some fascinating insights into the methods used to build such a neo-Gothic masterpiece. The tour will take about 90 minutes and will be followed by tea/coffee and cake. A minibus will be available to transport members to and from the Mansion from the National Trust Buckholt car park. The entrance to this is on a minor road that runs from the B4066 (Stroud to Dursley road) to Nympsfield. The turning to Nympsfield is close to the Coaley Peak viewing point. The entrance to the car park is on the left, about 250 yards from the junction with the B4066. There are brown signs to the Buckholt car park. The NT Buckholt car park is free to NT members but the fee is £3 for non-members which must be paid in cash. Members should arrive at the car park around 10.00am to allow time to walk or take the minibus to the Mansion. There will be stone steps to climb and some of the floors are uneven, so please wear suitable shoes. There are toilets at the Mansion. Members will be free to explore Woodchester Park and the lakes after the mansion tour. Woodchester Mansion is a unique and amazing Grade 1 listed Victorian Gothic house hidden in a beautiful Cotswold valley. It is an unfinished masterpiece. Building started about 1857 but stopped in the mid-1860s so floors and ceilings are missing, walls not plastered and windows unglazed. All the secrets of the construction of the Mansion are visible - something visitors will never see in another country house. The Mansion was designed by a young local architect, Benjamin Bucknall from Rodborough. He produced a unique Gothic Revival house which blends the local traditional work in limestone with the ideas of the French architectural thinker Viollet-le-Duc. The quality of the stone carvings in the Mansion is outstanding: some are inspired by the plants in the surrounding valley and others are life-like images of animals. There are also real mammals to be seen as the Mansion houses breeding colonies of Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats. Owned by Stroud District Council, the Mansion is managed by the Woodchester Mansion Trust (it is not a National Trust property). The cost of the tour is £18.50 which includes the cost of tea/coffee and cake. There are 20 places available, which are fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Tony Wooldridge via the Bluebird link. Payment details will be sent on booking.
June 2024
Thu Jun 6th	Floristry	Monthly floristry group meeting
Fri Jun 7th	Historic Places	A visit to Stourhead House has been arranged
Wed Jun 19th	Science & Engineering	Visit to Didcot Railway Centre, c/o Didcot Parkway mainline railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire. Great Western Society's collection of steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and small relics. 200 years of railway heritage to explore across 21 acres. There will be a coach. To book, please contact Carol Tipper via the blue bird. NB revised date.
Wed Jun 19th	Historic Places	Didcot rail museum. There is a coach The date has had to be changed because there would be no trains in service on the 21st.
Thu Jun 20th	Meeting	AGM at 10.00 am followed by Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 9.30 a.m. "Nepal" by Brian Whetton
July 2024
Thu Jul 4th	Floristry	Monthly floristry group meeting
Fri Jul 5th	Historic Places	Caerlon Roman fortress, baths and museum then Tregagar House
Thu Jul 18th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Life and Works of Elizabeth Gaskell" by Dr. Keith Hooper
Thu Jul 25th	Science & Engineering	Visit to National Waterways Museum, Llanthony Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester GL1 2EH. The museum will take you on a journey, charting the 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. With fun, interactive exhibits, café and museum shop you'll discover the stories of the communities that lived and continue to thrive here. The day will involve a guided tour of the museum. This will take approx. 40 mins max with free time then to go around again at your leisure There will also be a 45 minute trip on the historic pleasure cruiser and Dunkirk Little Ship, Queen Boadicea II. Timings are yet to be finalised but the museum opens at 10:00 am and the boat trips are 12.00 and 1.30 pm. Museum entry group rate is £7.50pp. Boat trip group rate is £8.50pp. If you would like to come please contact the organiser Myron Burak via the blue bird.
August 2024
Fri Aug 2nd	Historic Places	I have arranged a walking tour of Stratford on Avon for the morning and a boat trip for the afternoon. There is a coach
Thu Aug 15th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. On the 72nd anniversary of the Lynton and Lynmouth flood disaster one of our own members, Paul Sheppard, will be giving his own account of this disaster based on his personal experience of the worst flood in English history
September 2024
Fri Sep 6th	Historic Places	Newport Medieval ship,the museum and the transporter bridge with another item to be finalised
Thu Sep 19th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Walking the Coast" Steve Tilley In aid of Mind
Thu Sep 26th	Science & Engineering	Visit to Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, Baginton, Warwickshire, CV3 4FR. The Midland Air Museum is a unique aeronautical collection. The Museum's collecting policy centers on the story of aviation in the Midlands and the Coventry area in particular, but also the story of Sir Frank Whittle and development of the jet engine. Over 45 aircraft on display; Vulcan guided tour; sit-in Meteor cockpit. There will be a coach. To book, please contact Carol Tipper via the blue bird.
Thu Sep 26th	Historic Places	Midland air museum
October 2024
Fri Oct 4th	Historic Places	Oxford Castle and prison
Thu Oct 17th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Great Unwatched" A comedy presentation about 20th century radio by Bob Sinfield
November 2024
Fri Nov 1st	Historic Places	A tour of Cheltenham has been arranged for the morning. I have a choise of three places for the afternoon yet to be finalised.
Thu Nov 21st	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "My Grandmother's Legacy...Life in British India" by Jenny Mallin
Thu Nov 28th	Science & Engineering	A talk by Dr Richard Erskine, Education Lead, Nailsworth Climate Action Network. Greening Our Energy: How soon? There are many opinions on how realistic it is for the UK to be self-sufficient with renewables for its energy needs, and this aims to answer some key questions: Firstly, could all of future energy demand be met by wind and solar? Secondly, what are the opportunities and hurdles on this journey? Thirdly, how soon could it be done? The talk does not discount other forms of low carbon energy, but if it can be shown that we could produce all our energy with wind and solar alone, then any other forms of low carbon energy that are available will make that goal easier to meet. For example, nuclear has met about one fifth of our electricity generation needs over recent decades, with an ageing fleet of reactors. With new projects on the drawing board, it might continue to meet around 20%, and given the climate crisis many would say it would be foolish to stop current projects. Although, of course, some would dispute how ‘green’ we can say nuclear is. The talk includes some demystifying of energy, power and energy efficiency to help in the understanding of some of the numbers flying around in the media debates. The talk will be about 40 minutes with plenty of opportunity to ask questions afterwards. Following the talk there will be free refreshments (Volunteers required please). The leadership team will be available to discuss ideas for the group. Although this talk is organised for Science and Engineering group members, all Cam & Dursley members are welcome. The meeting is at 10.30am in Dursley Methodist Church. Please bring £3 to cover the cost of room hire, speaker and refreshments. There is no need to book. The meeting is being organised by Tony Wooldridge who may be contacted via the blue bird.
January 2025
Thu Jan 16th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Science on the Severn, Berkeley Nuclear Labs" by Malcolm Wootton, one of our own members.
February 2025
Thu Feb 20th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Driving Safely in Winter" by Nigel and Alexandra Lloyd Jones from Gloucestershire Older Drivers' Forum.
March 2025
Thu Mar 20th	Meeting	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Piper Alpha Disaster" by Paul Barnett, Maritime Historian.

Dates for your Diary
Meetings
Thu May 16th	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Motor Neurone Disease Charity" Graham Powell In aid of the MND charity
Thu Jun 20th	AGM at 10.00 am followed by Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 9.30 a.m. "Nepal" by Brian Whetton
Thu Jul 18th	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Life and Works of Elizabeth Gaskell" by Dr. Keith Hooper
Thu Aug 15th	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. On the 72nd anniversary of the Lynton and Lynmouth flood disaster one of our own members, Paul Sheppard, will be giving his own account of this disaster based on his personal experience of the worst flood in English history
Thu Sep 19th	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Walking the Coast" Steve Tilley In aid of Mind
Thu Oct 17th	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Great Unwatched" A comedy presentation about 20th century radio by Bob Sinfield
Thu Nov 21st	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "My Grandmother's Legacy...Life in British India" by Jenny Mallin
Thu Jan 16th 2025	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Science on the Severn, Berkeley Nuclear Labs" by Malcolm Wootton, one of our own members.
Thu Feb 20th 2025	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "Driving Safely in Winter" by Nigel and Alexandra Lloyd Jones from Gloucestershire Older Drivers' Forum.
Thu Mar 20th 2025	Monthly branch meeting to be held in the Dursley Methodist Church. Doors open 10.00 a.m. meeting starts 10.30 a.m. "The Piper Alpha Disaster" by Paul Barnett, Maritime Historian.
Floristry
Thu May 2nd	Monthly floristry group meeting
Thu Jun 6th	Monthly floristry group meeting
Thu Jul 4th	Monthly floristry group meeting
Historic Places
Fri May 3rd	A walk has been arranged by Lechlade historical Society for the morning I have arranged a meal deal at The Trout Inn for lunch and a visit to Buscot Park for the afternoon Numbers are limited to 48
Fri Jun 7th	A visit to Stourhead House has been arranged
Wed Jun 19th	Didcot rail museum. There is a coach The date has had to be changed because there would be no trains in service on the 21st.
Fri Jul 5th	Caerlon Roman fortress, baths and museum then Tregagar House
Fri Aug 2nd	I have arranged a walking tour of Stratford on Avon for the morning and a boat trip for the afternoon. There is a coach
Fri Sep 6th	Newport Medieval ship,the museum and the transporter bridge with another item to be finalised
Thu Sep 26th	Midland air museum
Fri Oct 4th	Oxford Castle and prison
Fri Nov 1st	A tour of Cheltenham has been arranged for the morning. I have a choise of three places for the afternoon yet to be finalised.
Science & Engineering
Thu May 2nd	Visit to Aerospace Bristol, Hayes Way, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5BZ. 11.00am. Concorde is the star attraction, but there are hundreds of other exhibits and interactive displays to enjoy. The venue has ample free parking, including 15 disabled parking bays, or it can be reached by bus or taxi from Bristol Parkway. This will be a public transport or car share visit. If you are willing to give a lift, or require a lift, please let the organiser know. Assemble in the Admissions area for 11.00 am. We will be served with tea/coffee and teacake on arrival. This will be followed by a choice of 45 min guided tours of either: a) the Concorde Tour: Take a journey from Concorde’s beginnings in the 1950s to its final flight in 2003, including the chance to step aboard the last Concorde ever to fly. Or: b) the Bristol Heritage Tour. Take off on a journey through more than 100 years of Bristol’s remarkable aerospace history. Find out how a small, pioneering company manufactured some of the earliest aeroplanes at Filton, evolved over the decades to influence the course of aviation history and shaped the world we see today. The price is £26.95 per person (£14 group rate + £5.95 refreshments + £7 guided tour). For those who want to continue exploring, the museum is open until 4.30pm. The onsite café serves a range of meals and snacks. If you would like to come, please contact the organiser Kath Hudson via the Bluebird link by 19th February, stating your preference for the Concorde Tour or the Bristol Heritage Tour. Payment will be required in full by 8th April, and once paid, will not be refundable unless someone else can take the space. NB Date changed to 2nd May.
Thu May 16th	An architectural tour of Woodchester Mansion. Arrive in the car park at 10am. Following the successful architectural tours of Gloucester Cathedral during 2023, we are arranging a similar tour of Woodchester Mansion. The tour will be led by John Goom who was for many years the consulting architect for the Mansion and remains a trustee. He will concentrate on the unique architecture of the Mansion and the challenges of preserving and restoring the structure. Since the mansion was never completed, it provides some fascinating insights into the methods used to build such a neo-Gothic masterpiece. The tour will take about 90 minutes and will be followed by tea/coffee and cake. A minibus will be available to transport members to and from the Mansion from the National Trust Buckholt car park. The entrance to this is on a minor road that runs from the B4066 (Stroud to Dursley road) to Nympsfield. The turning to Nympsfield is close to the Coaley Peak viewing point. The entrance to the car park is on the left, about 250 yards from the junction with the B4066. There are brown signs to the Buckholt car park. The NT Buckholt car park is free to NT members but the fee is £3 for non-members which must be paid in cash. Members should arrive at the car park around 10.00am to allow time to walk or take the minibus to the Mansion. There will be stone steps to climb and some of the floors are uneven, so please wear suitable shoes. There are toilets at the Mansion. Members will be free to explore Woodchester Park and the lakes after the mansion tour. Woodchester Mansion is a unique and amazing Grade 1 listed Victorian Gothic house hidden in a beautiful Cotswold valley. It is an unfinished masterpiece. Building started about 1857 but stopped in the mid-1860s so floors and ceilings are missing, walls not plastered and windows unglazed. All the secrets of the construction of the Mansion are visible - something visitors will never see in another country house. The Mansion was designed by a young local architect, Benjamin Bucknall from Rodborough. He produced a unique Gothic Revival house which blends the local traditional work in limestone with the ideas of the French architectural thinker Viollet-le-Duc. The quality of the stone carvings in the Mansion is outstanding: some are inspired by the plants in the surrounding valley and others are life-like images of animals. There are also real mammals to be seen as the Mansion houses breeding colonies of Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats. Owned by Stroud District Council, the Mansion is managed by the Woodchester Mansion Trust (it is not a National Trust property). The cost of the tour is £18.50 which includes the cost of tea/coffee and cake. There are 20 places available, which are fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Tony Wooldridge via the Bluebird link. Payment details will be sent on booking.
Wed Jun 19th	Visit to Didcot Railway Centre, c/o Didcot Parkway mainline railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire. Great Western Society's collection of steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and small relics. 200 years of railway heritage to explore across 21 acres. There will be a coach. To book, please contact Carol Tipper via the blue bird. NB revised date.
Thu Jul 25th	Visit to National Waterways Museum, Llanthony Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester GL1 2EH. The museum will take you on a journey, charting the 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. With fun, interactive exhibits, café and museum shop you'll discover the stories of the communities that lived and continue to thrive here. The day will involve a guided tour of the museum. This will take approx. 40 mins max with free time then to go around again at your leisure There will also be a 45 minute trip on the historic pleasure cruiser and Dunkirk Little Ship, Queen Boadicea II. Timings are yet to be finalised but the museum opens at 10:00 am and the boat trips are 12.00 and 1.30 pm. Museum entry group rate is £7.50pp. Boat trip group rate is £8.50pp. If you would like to come please contact the organiser Myron Burak via the blue bird.
Thu Sep 26th	Visit to Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, Baginton, Warwickshire, CV3 4FR. The Midland Air Museum is a unique aeronautical collection. The Museum's collecting policy centers on the story of aviation in the Midlands and the Coventry area in particular, but also the story of Sir Frank Whittle and development of the jet engine. Over 45 aircraft on display; Vulcan guided tour; sit-in Meteor cockpit. There will be a coach. To book, please contact Carol Tipper via the blue bird.
Thu Nov 28th	A talk by Dr Richard Erskine, Education Lead, Nailsworth Climate Action Network. Greening Our Energy: How soon? There are many opinions on how realistic it is for the UK to be self-sufficient with renewables for its energy needs, and this aims to answer some key questions: Firstly, could all of future energy demand be met by wind and solar? Secondly, what are the opportunities and hurdles on this journey? Thirdly, how soon could it be done? The talk does not discount other forms of low carbon energy, but if it can be shown that we could produce all our energy with wind and solar alone, then any other forms of low carbon energy that are available will make that goal easier to meet. For example, nuclear has met about one fifth of our electricity generation needs over recent decades, with an ageing fleet of reactors. With new projects on the drawing board, it might continue to meet around 20%, and given the climate crisis many would say it would be foolish to stop current projects. Although, of course, some would dispute how ‘green’ we can say nuclear is. The talk includes some demystifying of energy, power and energy efficiency to help in the understanding of some of the numbers flying around in the media debates. The talk will be about 40 minutes with plenty of opportunity to ask questions afterwards. Following the talk there will be free refreshments (Volunteers required please). The leadership team will be available to discuss ideas for the group. Although this talk is organised for Science and Engineering group members, all Cam & Dursley members are welcome. The meeting is at 10.30am in Dursley Methodist Church. Please bring £3 to cover the cost of room hire, speaker and refreshments. There is no need to book. The meeting is being organised by Tony Wooldridge who may be contacted via the blue bird.