Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Rainham
London Region Events Team has decided to try something new this year instead of the conventional 2-3 day Summer School. We are offering an exciting programme of 31 guided walks and visits to museums and galleries around central London between May 21st and July 23rd.
There will be a choice of guided walks in areas such as Westminster, South Kensington, Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, Camden, Regents Park and The City. In addition, there will be guided tours or lectures at visitor attractions such as the National Portrait Gallery, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Guildhall Art Gallery and Natural History Museum
Bookings will be launched Friday 22 March. We shall upload the Programme to the Events page of the London Region website. We’ll send a reminder, but this advance notice is to help you plan your summer and get ready to book.
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The London Borough of Havering is made up of the towns of Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large areas of protected open space. Romford's urban centre is a major metropolitan retail and night time entertainment centre and to the south the borough extends into the London Riverside redevelopment area of the Thames Gateway. The name Havering is a reference to the Royal Liberty of Havering which occupied the area for several centuries.
The objectives of Havering U3A are –
To advance the education of the public and in particular the education of middle-aged and older people not in full –time gainful employment in the London Borough of Havering and its surrounding localities.
The provision of facilities for leisure time and recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for the above persons in the interests of their social welfare. We are a mutual self-help organisation, neither awarding nor requiring qualifications.
One of the strengths of the U3A comes in the various interest groups and the many subjects covered. Under the NOTICE BOARD tab information may be seen about the recent changes to our group coordination activities and the introduction of a ‘welcome and information point’ at the monthly meetings held in the Romford Baptist Church, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BL. There is also information about possible new subjects and groups for which member’s interest is being sought.
Under the GROUPS tab many of the individual group entries have been extended to include not only the basic contact information but also descriptions and illustrations of their activities.
The U3A has a slogan – ‘LEARN, LAUGH AND LIVE!’ – the ‘third age’ being the time to make the most of your life; giving you the chance to develop your interests, make new friends and enjoy yourself.
LONG TIME MEMBER, JAN WHEAL, MADE HONORARY LIFE MEMBER OF HAVERING U3A ON HER RETIREMENT FROM LEADING HER GROUP.
Jan was awarded life membership of Havering U3A at the AGM in October in recognition of leading the French Intermediate interest group for some 24 years.
Unfortunately Jan was unable to attend the AGM so Secretary John Gordon read out how Jan had said she came to join the U3A.
“Jan lived in Central Romford and taught French for a while at St. Edwards Comprehensive, before taking up a career as a Secretary, sometimes using her French. On her retirement her boss said “My mother is in the U3A and you should join”, a friend Bridget Radford had already mentioned the U3A to her, that was 25 years ago, she joined the French Intermediate group.
After a year she took over the running of the group, Jan said the lady before her was an ex school teacher and did everything on the blackboard; she quickly abandoned that idea, and did it through magazines, and went on to say that they used to meet at Doris Hays house, and she remembers Chris Beal was one of her members, she also said that when she joined Kate Frith was the Chairman, and said she became a member of Alan Tomlin’s Garden Group.
Jan said that at the start of the lockdown she was determined to keep the group going, but as time went on, the group got down to 4 or 5 members through people moving and illness, so she decided to call it a day, but said running the group over the years, were very happy times”.
Marjorie has been Membership Secretary for 26 years; she was almost at the start of Havering u3a.
During her working life she was a librarian in Newham before taking early retirement due to health reasons. She went to the Robert Beard Centre to listen to a talk on “Leisure Time “and at the meeting in question and answers Marjorie asked does anyone know about an organization called the u3a, and a women said she was a member, having told her about it she joined and after a couple of years she agreed to join the committee.
Jim Dallison who was the Membership Secretary decided not to stand at the A.G.M, and at the first meeting afterwards, Marjorie offered to take on the job, her first Chairman was Eric Wade who some of you might remember.
When I asked her what the first group she joined was, Marjorie said the swimming group and then literature.
Talking to her she modestly said she hasn’t done very much over time, on the contrary to have done the same job for 26 years is a great achievement, I think Marjorie would have still been Membership Secretary, but she said “modern technology had caught up with her”.
A big thank you from all your friends at the u3a.