Events
Monthly meetings
The meetings are held typically on the second Monday of each month between 10:00 and 12:00, although there may be an occasional change of date if there is a clash with another function. These changes do not happen at short notice. Members should just turn up at the Winston Churchill Hall, Bury Street, Ruislip before 10am on the day of the Meeting.
We have now made the Monthly Meeting a Hybrid meeting where we can now offer a Zoom connection into the meeting. So if you can't make it to the hall then you can still keep up to date with all the news and our guest speaker from you home. We will send out an email to all our members before the meeting with all the Zoom conncetion details on.
| Dates for your Diary | ||
|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | ||
| Mon Oct 7th | Workshop | Jagdish Jethwa: The New Scramble for Africa, Talk: Starting at 5:30pm to 6:30 pm Online via Zoom By the 19th century European countries were venturing into Africa and competing for spheres of influence. To prevent inter-European rivalries, in 1884 Otto Von Bismarck summoned 14 European countries to meet for the "Kongo Conference” in Berlin where they agreed the Berlin Act 1885 and the rules that would dictate the carve-up of Africa. Their stated aim was to introduce the 3 “Cs” to Africa i.e. Christianity, Civilization, and Commerce. As Cecil Rhodes said, "We happen to be the best people in the world with the highest ideals of decency, peace and liberty and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for humanity". Do the 80+ years of colonial rule before independence bear this out? In the last 20+ years things appear to be changing with new "actors" on the horizon, several coups etc. The IMF says that 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. We will explore what is afoot. It's free and is available to any member of a London u3a but requires booking. Link to the booking site is here........Scramble for Africa |
| Wed Oct 9th | Study Day | London Region u3a's Autumn Activity A Wellness Event with Peter Chung Cost: £41 (includes lunch and refreshments) 30 places available Meet: At 10-10:30am at 'LIFT Islington' Dance Studio London, N1 9PW. Closest Tube: Angel on the Northern line. A day of talks and practical taster sessions led by qualified instructors in Yoga, Pranayama, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Pilates. We will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding on the different aspects of:- - Yoga with an outline of its brief history, Yoga philosophy and a brief description of the different styles of Yoga in the present day. - Pilates exercises will be presented as contrast to Yoga including its basic principles and a brief history of its development. - Introduction to Tai Chi and Qi Gong will be presented, before moving onto the practical movements and forms. Requires booking and is available to any member of a London u3a. More details and the booking link is here........Activity Day |
| Mon Oct 14th | Meeting | Monthly Meeting - in the WCH and on Zoom Presentation : Tony Eaton "Invasion 1940 - What If?" Table of the Month - 'Backgammon' |
| Thu Oct 17th | Outing | Peek Freans Biscuit Museum 100 Drummond Road, SE16 4DG Cost: £4. Make your own way to meet outside Bermondsey Station at 1:45pm. Nearest Underground station is Bermondsey (Jubilee Line). 13 places available on TryBooking. This small museum is a treasure trove of biscuit heritage. Peek Frean pioneered the modern biscuit and it was they who introduced the Bourbon, Custard Cream, Marie and Garibaldi to the world. On our visit we’ll have a talk about the history of the company and the products made. There is a full-size replica of the Peek Frean Wedding cake made for the late Queen and Prince Philip back in 1947, along with many artefacts to do with the company. The link to the TryBooking site is here .... Peek Freans. For more information contact Janet Perry. |
| Thu Oct 17th | Outing | A London Region u3a Autumn Walk Tyrants, Colonialism and Slavery walk with Caroline Mongan Cost: £10 20 places available Meet: At 11am at Churchill’s Statue in Parliament Square, Westminster. Nearest tube: Westminster on Circle, District and Jubilee Lines. A unique walking tour around the Westminster area for Black History Month where we'll visit some statues and places that have a significance to tyranny, colonialism and slavery. For example, at one statue we hear about the explorer who had a very dark secret, we stop at the Treasury to hear about a huge debt (the largest ever in British history that had to be paid to end slavery but where did it end up). The savagery of a man called “Lord Vulture” and how did he meet his end. The rather bigoted views of a famous war time leader plus others. Requires booking and is available to any member of a London u3a. Link to the booking site is here........Tyrants |
| Thu Oct 17th | Outing | A London Region u3a Autumn Walk Black Presence in the National Gallery with Caroline Mongan Cost: £10 15 places available Meet: At 2pm at the Statue of George Washington, to the right of the pillars of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Nearest tube: Leicester Square (Piccadilly and Northern lines or Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern Lines). This guided tour reveals some varied and interesting Black presence in the paintings and work on display in the National Gallery. This presence takes many forms, from figures depicted as musicians, as kings, slaves, servants, saints and sometimes as ordinary people and as artists in their own right. We will hear about plantation and slave owners and the fascinating story about the life and times of some of the brilliant artists Requires booking and is available to any member of a London u3a. Link to the booking site is here........National Gallery |
| Tue Oct 22nd | Rambling | The next Ramble is Perivale station to Northolt station. Meet at Perivale Station at 10:45am (Central line). This will be a linear walk of just under 6 miles with a halfway stop. We will start from Perivale station, walking up and over Horsenden Hill, admiring the views. We then join the Grand Union canal towpath and walk to Northala Fields, where there is an option to climb another hill! We will stop for refreshments at the café there, before making our way via historic Northolt to the tube station. The café at Northala Fields is quite small, so I suggest you bring a sandwich, as they may be overwhelmed with food orders if we have a large turnout. The route is uphill at first, but then mostly flat (with an optional hill later). Horsenden Hill may be muddy, but after that it is all on hard/gravel paths. The overall distance is approx. 6 miles (including both hills), with the refreshment stop at 4 miles. Jasia needs to know the numbers so please let her know if you will be coming. For more details contact Jasia via the website |
| Tue Oct 22nd | London Walks | London Walk - A Tour of Medically Important Locations Meet: Russell Square Underground Station (Piccadilly Line) at 10:45am Cost: £10 per person (plus booking fee). 70 places available A tour of the very streets (and buildings) where it happened. Sites where medical history was made, sites which commemorate significant medical events such as the first vaccination, anaesthetic antibiotic, antiseptic, artificial insemination, free health service and the discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. Booking site is here ........LW Medical Contact Brian Carse for more details. |
| Sun Oct 27th | Sunday Concerts | Sunday Concerts Grieg, Outi Tarkiainen & Sibelius Starting at 3pm at the Royal Festival Hall Cost: £39 (includes Ticket/Coach/Drivers Tip). Coach pick up 12:30pm in Ickenham and 12:45pm from Uxbridge. Return departs from the hall at approx 5:30pm. Programme is; Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Outi Tarkiainen - Mosaics Sibelius - Symphony No. 2. Application form will be here once published |
| Mon Oct 28th | Social | Coffee Morning and Chat Meet at the Good Yarn in Uxbridge between 10am - 12 noon For more details contact Adele |
| November 2024 | ||
| Mon Nov 4th | Workshop | Secrets of the Human Brain with Dr. Bob Pullen Starting at 5:30pm to 6:30pm Online via Zoom The talk starts with a simple description of the structure of the brain, how nerves work and how different parts of the brain do different things. Next is an interactive section which allows the audience to test how left or right handed they are. He also explains how men and women’s brains are different. It's free and available to any member of a London u3a but requires booking. Link to the booking site is here........Our Brain |
| Mon Nov 11th | Meeting | Monthly Meeting - in the WCH and on Zoom Presentation : Graham Laurie "Royal Flying Doctor Service and the $20 Note" Table of the Month - 'TBA' |
| Tue Nov 12th | Study Day | London Region u3a's Autumn Activity A Series of Talks about the Wallace Collection Cost: £38 (incl registration refreshemnts but not lunch) Meet: Registration from 10:30am at The Wallace Collection (Theatre), W1U 3BN Treasures of the Wallace Collection: a day of talks by experts on different topics relating to this prestigious national art gallery. Includes an opportunity to visit the collection. Link to the details leaflet is below. This will require booking but is available to any member of a London u3a. More details are here..........Wallace Collection Details Booking link is here ............Wallace Collection. |
| Thu Nov 21st | Rambling | A date for your diary - The next Rambling Ramble. Details will become available during July so keep an eye on this website page. |
| Mon Nov 25th | Social | Coffee Morning and Chat Meet at the Good Yarn in Uxbridge between 10am - 12 noon For more details contact Adele |
| December 2024 | ||
| Sun Dec 1st | Sunday Concerts | Sunday Concerts Shostakovich, Glazunov & Prokofiev. Starting at 3pm at the Royal Festival Hall Cost: £43 (includes Ticket/Coach/Drivers Tip). Coach pick up 12:30pm in Ickenham and 12:45pm from Uxbridge. Return departs from the hall at approx 5:30pm. Programme is; Shostakovich - Moscow Cheryomushki Glazunov - Saxophone Concerto Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet (excerpts). Application form will be here once published |
| Mon Dec 2nd | Workshop | A Woman Travelling Alone with Jayne Forbes Starting at 5:30pm to 6:30pm Online via Zoom I love travelling and have been very lucky to visit large parts of the world on my own as a woman. It is a fabulous way to travel and I have picked up a number of tips and ideas from my experiences which I will share. It means I can do it in a more environmentally friendly way by using local transport and locally run accommodation. I have met lots of different people and had wonderful experiences I would never have had if I hadn't been alone. The main thing I have learnt is that people are so friendly and helpful. I have visited the Americas, Africa, Europe, India and SE Asia, even Siberia, on the trans-Siberian train. Yes I have seen some spectacular places, but even more importantly, been privileged to stay with families who have opened their doors to me, to enable me to see other people's lives, something that would never happen any other way. It's free and available to any member of a London u3a but requires booking. Link to the booking site is here........A Women Traveling Alone |
| Thu Dec 5th | Theatre Visits | Guys and Dolls Bridge Theatre Cost: £53.50 includes the coach. 50 places available. Performance starts 2:30pm. Coach pick up at 12am in Ickenham, 12:15am in Uxbridge. The Theatre Visits group have announced the next outing to see Guys and Dolls Musical. Vibrantly set in 20th-century New York City, Guys & Dolls jumps from the streets of Times Square to the cafes of Havana and Cuba. No-good Nathan Detroit is desperately searching for the money to fund his illegal dice games, all whilst eluding law enforcement and his impatient fiancée Miss Adelaide, who demands that he quit his antics and relocate to the suburbs. When Nathan meets infamous gambler Sky Masterson, a man with an insatiable appetite for raising the stakes, they make a bet, that Sky cannot persuade any woman to go to Cuba with him, the nominated woman - Sergeant Sarah Brown of the Save-A-Soul-Mission, a woman with a heart of ice, probably the hardest to charm… surely this is one bet that Nathan can’t lose? Application form is here.....Guys and Dolls Contact Carol or Margaret Smith for more details |
| Mon Dec 9th | Meeting | Monthly Meeting - in the WCH and on Zoom Presentation : Eliza McClelland "A Christmas Party" Table of the Month - 'TBA' |
| Mon Dec 9th | Other | London Region u3a's Autumn Activity- A Christmas Concert When and where: 2pm to 4pm at St Margaret Pattens Church. Cost: £27 (incl light refreshments) Christmas Concert with the Brandenburg Camino Singers. Mulled wine and mince pies included. St. Margaret Pattens Church, Eastcheap, a Wren church in the City of London. This will require booking but is available to any member of a London u3a. More details to follow and when available, the booking link is here..... LRu3a Christmas Concert |
| Thu Dec 12th | Outing | Afternoon Tea and Bus Tour of London Cost £45 Make your own way to meet at Victoria Train Station at 11:00 to ensure we have time to walk to Victoria Coach Station for a 12pm tour. 40 places available. As you sip your tea, you'll soak in the vibrant culture, iconic and marks, and rich history of London. Our London Routemaster bus will treat you to breathtaking views of renowned attractions like Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James's Park, Hyde Park, The Royal Albert Hall, Marble Arch, Nelson's Column, Downing Street, and many more. It's not just a tea; it's a journey through London's heritage. Savour the sweet and savoury flavours of France with a selection of scrumptious finger sandwiches, including classics like smoked salmon and cream cheese, and mouthwatering cakes and pastries, all expertly crafted by our executive pastry chef to enhance your tea experience. And of course, no afternoon tea would be complete without scones with jam and clotted cream. The link to the TryBooking site is here..... Tea Bus Conatct Pauline Rees for more details. |
| Thu Dec 19th | Rambling | A date for your diary - The next Rambling Ramble. Details will become available during July so keep an eye on this website page. |
| April 2025 | ||
| Sat Apr 12th | Social | The Hillingdon u3a Quiz and Supper Night ** A date for your diary ** Details will follow later. |