Redbridge & District

National and Regional Events

Please note that some events tend to be booked up very quickly, so you will often have to be quick off the mark.

WEDNESDAY 24th APRIL at 2.00 - 3.30 pm on ZOOM: SECRETS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN: TALK FOUR: THE BLOOD - BRAIN BARRIER
Presented by The Third Age Trust. This is the fourth in a series of seven interactive talks which cover many aspects of our amazing brains. The series starts with a simple description of the structure of the brain and subsequent talks include subjects like sleep, dreams, behaviour, pain, the spinal cord, brain scanning and more. In this talk, Dr Bob Pullen explains that there is a major barrier between our circulating blood and brain. This barrier stops many substances in the blood crossing into the brain which has advantages and disadvantages!
Register here: BloodBrain

THURSDAY 25th APRIL at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: STAYING SAFE ONLINE (REPEAT TALK)
Prsented by The Third Age Trust. Keeping you safe in an electronic age: A repeat talk by Barry Linton of Thorpe Bay u3a. Cybercrime and related frauds have been growing at an alarming rate for the past few years and during the COVID pandemic has escalated exponentially. Many of the scams originate overseas and there is little chance of identifying or arresting the perpetrators. This is international organised crime. The UK Police Strategy is to educate us on how to identify all manner of scams and to help prevent you from falling for them. The talk will include some video clips that in equal measure will entertain and alarm you and will also discuss some of the very latest threats that are particularly aimed at the u3a generation. There will be a Q&A session afterwards. You do not use a Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone? You are still at risk as will be demonstrated to you.
Register here: StayingSafe

FRIDAY 3rd MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: OSTEOPOROSIS AND BONE HEALTH. THE WORK OF THE ROYAL OSTEOPOROSIS SOCIETY
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Susan Doyle from the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) will review the condition of Osteoporosis which affects 3.5 million in the UK. Osteoporosis is a disease of ageing affecting over three and a half million people in the UK. Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because of hormone changes at the menopause directly affect bone density, but some men over age 65 can also develop osteoporosis. People can have the condition unknowingly, as the disease often goes unnoticed until a bone fracture occurs. The work of the Royal Osteoporosis Society will be reviewed along with new advancements in treatment, but will not include health or medical-related advice to individuals.
Register here: BoneHealth

TUESDAY 7th MAY at 10.00 am - 12.00 noon on ZOOM: 110 YEARS OF AVIATION HISTORY IN HERTFORDSHIRE, 1913 - 2023
Presented by The Third Age Trust. In this meeting of Flight Inspirations, u3a Aviation group, Guy Thomas will speak on 110 years of Aviation Heritage History in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire aviation has influenced culture and society in various ways, serving as a catalyst for technological innovation, fostering a sense of pride and identity within the local community and contributing to the broader narrative of human achievement in flight. Iconic aviation heroes from Hertfordshire include Frederick Handly Page, who in 1929 bought land at Radlett and developed Handley Page Aircraft Ltd. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland set up de Havilland Aircraft at Stag Lane, Edgware in 1920.
Register here: AviationHertfordshire

THURSDAY 9th MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Join Irene Kiffin, London u3a, for a talk on the Harlem Renaissance movement - a movement that included poetry, novels, essays, theatre, visual art, dance and music. Artists focused on themes such as the influence of slavery, Black identity, community, and the everyday experience of Black people. Art of the Harlem Renaissance includes photography, paintings and sculptures that expresses their culture. This talk covers its early days from the 1900s to the 1940s, the time it was at its height.
Register here: HarlemRenaissance

FRIDAY 10th MAY at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: AI CHATBOTS, A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Would you like to learn how to use an AI Chatbot? This is a workshop event with time to chat, discuss, and ask questions. After the ‘Introduction to Chatbots’ event people were asking for a repeat event that would go at a gentler pace. More time to chat, discuss, ask questions and Show and Tell what they had achieved with the help of an AI Chatbot. This is that event. A workshop event. If you feel confident enough then register for an account with Microsoft Copilot, either by going on the web and searching for copilot.microsoft.com or going to the app store on your digital device and downloading Microsoft Copilot app. If you do not feel confident to register for a Copilot account before the event then we will help you register for an account during the event. Hosted by Barry Claydon, u3a Subject Adviser for AI.
Register here: ChatbotBeginners

MONDAY 13th MAY at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: EXPLORING WORLD FAITHS: RELIGIOUS MYSTICISM
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Mysticism is an important part of many religions, but what is it? We will explore the part played by mysticism in the Christian, Hindu and Islamic traditions. Talks by Dr Bilqees Khawaja, Muslim Sufi, Joint Secretary, Birmingham Council of Faiths, Fr Julian Sampson, Vicar, All Saints Church, Small Heath Birmingham, and Deepak Naik, Hindu, United Religions Initiative.Hosted by Exploring World Faiths subject adviser Dr Peter Rookes.
Register here: ReligiousMysticism

TUESDAY 14th MAY at 10.00 - 11.00 am on ZOOM: TURNER'S TIMELESS TREASURES
Presented by The Third Age Trust. This is the first in a series of talks by Catherine Stevenson of Newcastle u3a featuring some of the National Gallery’s treasurers being exhibited in museums and art galleries in Britain to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Join us for a glimpse into the ‘Turner: Art, Industry and Heritage’ exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery. Explore Turner’s vision of the beginnings of the industrial age from Waterloo Bridge to the North - East of England's industrial heritage with a focus on his iconic masterpiece 'The Fighting Temeraire', a National Gallery treasurer. The talk will include related works in the exhibition by other artists such as L.S. Lowry, who also contributed towards depicting the development of industry. Please note this presentation is animated. Catherine uses powerpoint animations to bring her words to life. If you do not like an animated presentation then this may not be to your taste.
Register here: TimelessTreasures

WEDNESDAY 15th MAY at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: ANTIBIOTICS - DISCOVERY, MECHANISMS, AND FUTURE ISSUES
Presented by The Third Age Trust. This is the fourth talk by Mike Trevethick of Thanet u3a about advances in public health. In this session we will discuss the history of the discovery of antibiotics which begin before the discovery of penicillin! Subsequently we will discuss how antibiotics work and antibiotic resistance and what this might mean for treating bacterial infections.
Register here: AntibioticsDiscovery

FRIDAY 17th MAY at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: THE STORY OF THE WORKHOUSE - WELFARE IN ENGLAND BEFORE 1948
Presented by The Third Age Trust. This illustrated talk looks at the story of the workhouse, and the poor relief system of which it formed a part, from the 17th century until 1948, when Britain's welfare state came fully into being. As well as workhouse architecture and the institutional regime, it will look at topics such as the treatment of pauper children and the workhouse's contribution to public medical care. The presenter Peter Higginbotham has written many books on the subject and has appeared on a number of TV programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are?, Heir Hunters and The Great British Dig.
Register here: WorkhouseWelfare

FRIDAY 17th MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: THE STORIES OF EVA & ISTVAN WIRTH
Presented by The Third Age Trust. David Wirth, a speaker from Generation2Generation, tells the story of Eva Wirth 1923 – 1997 and Istvan Wirth 1916 – 1982. Eva Szepesi was born in Miskolc, Hungary, a town with a pre-war Jewish population of around 10,000. Following the German invasion of 1944, Eva and her parents were deported to Auschwitz, where her parents were murdered. After liberation, and several months of wandering through Europe, she arrived back in her hometown to find hardly anyone that she knew still alive. David's father was taken to the Budapest Ghetto together with his family, and subsequently sent to work as slave labour in Germany. Following liberation, he spent over a year recovering in a military hospital before returning to Budapest, to find that, out of his whole family, only his mother remained alive. Eva and Istvan first met in Budapest and married in 1952. But antisemitism led Istvan to flee Hungary, followed later by Eva. They were accepted as refugees in the UK.
Register here: EvaIstvan

TUESDAY 21st MAY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALKS
Striding The Strand with David Lloyd
Quirky London with Simon Parkinson
Out of the Shadows LBGT+ with Phil Scott
Women in Westminster with Paul Waddams
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

TUESDAY 21st MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: MASTERING ONLINE SAFETY: EXPERT TIPS FOR YOU AND OTHERS
Presented by The Third Age Trust. As our lives increasingly shift online, navigating the digital world safely becomes crucial. Unsure what to click, what to avoid? Join us in our webinar as we delve into protecting yourself and others from prevalent online scams. What should you look out for and where can you go for trusted information to avoid falling victim to scams and misinformation?Anyone can become a victim of digital scams. In the webinar we discuss how to protect yourself and others from the most common online scams. With scams on the rise in the UK, criminals are using social media, email, and messaging services to target their victims. Your host for this event is Chris Grant, Community Relationship Officer for AbilityNet.
Register here: OnlineSafety

TUESDAY 21st MAY at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISITS
National Portrait Gallery – Tudor Times to the Present with David Lloyd
National Portrait Gallery – Quirky London Portraits with Simon Parkinson
National Portrait Gallery - From the Tudors to the 21st Century with Phil Scott
National Portrait Gallery – Westminster Women with Paul Waddams (3.00 - 5.00 pm)
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY at 9.30 am - 12.15 pm on ZOOM: SCIENCE NETWORK EVENT
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to systems/machines which display intelligent behaviour, act autonomously, and learn over their lifetime. Global investment in AI by corporations is currently about $100 billion per year. We consider applications of both generative AI, which produces new content, and analytic AI, which uses existing data to promote efficiency, innovation and transformation. Examples are taken from healthcare, transport, climate change, finance and education. We also take a look at the social implications of AI including its effect on employment and personal power.
Register here: ScienceNetwork

WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY at 3.30 - 4.45 pm on ZOOM: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NEWS: MAY
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Are you interested in learning about AI? Join others discovering the world of AI, hosted by Barry Claydon, u3a AI Subject Adviser. Members are invited to visit the AI for everyone online library of AI articles written by u3a members.
Register here: ArtificialMay

THURSDAY 23rd MAY at 10.00 - 11.30 am on ZOOM: CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS FOR BEGINNERS: 6 SESSION COURSE
Presented by The Third Age Trust. This six-session course led by Henry Howarth will teach you how to solve cryptic crosswords. It starts with the simplest ideas and easiest types of clue and gradually builds to the more advanced aspects of clue solving. At the end of the course you will understand how cryptic clues work, be able to solve clues at an intermediate level of difficulty and know how to develop your skills further. This is a stimulating course that can lead you to an enjoyable new pastime. The course will run on six consecutive Thursdays, ending on 27th June. You will need a laptop, iPad or tablet computer, a broadband connection and a copy of the course book Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners. Registration closes on Monday 6th May.
Register here: CrypticBeginners

THURSDAY 23rd MAY at 2.00 - 4.00 pm on ZOOM: DEAFNESS AND BEYOND: THE TRIBULATION AND TRIUMPH OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Presented by The Third Age Trust. The third in a series of four talks by Professor Christopher Dowrick, illustrating how the creative arts, including literature, poetry, classical music and contemporary folk/rock, can enhance our wellbeing. Beethoven experiences intense anguish in his early 30s when he realises he is becoming profoundly deaf. In his Heligenstadt Testament he debates whether or not to continue with his life and his art. In this talk I show how his compositions during this period reflect his distress (for example La Malincolia and The Tempest); and then how he sublimates his suffering, creating some of the most profound music we have ever heard.
Register here: BeethovenDeafness

WEDNESDAY 29th MAY at 2.00 - 3.30 pm on ZOOM: BRAIN, PAIN AND ANAESTHETICS
Presented by The Third Age Trust. The fifth in a series of seven talks by Dr Bob Pullen which cover many aspects of our amazing brains. This talk explains how we sense touch and pain and how anaesthetics work. It describes how ‘touch’ and ‘pain’ use different pathways on their way to the brain and how there is a ‘Pain Gate’’ in our spinal cord. It also explains how different anaesthetics work and how sometimes they don’t work ! It also covers some strange phenomenon like 'phantom limb’ pain.
Register here: BrainPain

FRIDAY 31st MAY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
Mews Monuments and Museums with Marilyn Greene
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

FRIDAY 31st MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: MUCH ADO ABOUT NUMBERS
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Join author Rob Eastaway as he explores the surprising connections between Shakespeare and – of all things - maths, in this highly engaging talk. Find out how Tudors multiplied, why Shakespeare never ended a line with the word orange, why playing dice games was hazardous, and why the number seven was such an important part of Elizabethan culture. With historical asides about astronomy, games, optics and music thrown in, you might never think about maths or Shakespeare the same way again.
Register here: MuchAdo

FRIDAY 31st MAY at 2.00 - 3.00 pm on ZOOM: DRIVING ON COUNTRY ROADS
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Join Richard Gladman from IAM RoadSmart as he shares hints & tips for driving on rural roads and what the Highway Code means in the country. You can never be sure what you’re going to find around the next corner of a country road. They may be quieter but that can lull drivers into a false sense of security. Potential dangers like blind bends, concealed entrances, surface water on the road, tractors and herds of sheep always seem to appear when you’re least expecting them. All of this is combined with changing speed limits and specific highway code rules. During this webinar Richard will offer advice on how to approach country roads and how to share them with locals and wildlife.
Register here: CountryRoads

FRIDAY 31st MAY at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
Cultural Highlights of the Victoria and Albert Museum with Marilyn Greene
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 5th JUNE at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
Regent’s Park: Fantasy Terraces and Secret Gardens with Richard Cohen
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 5th JUNE at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
The Wallace Collection with Richard Cohen
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

FRIDAY 7th JUNE at 2.00 - 3.30 pm on ZOOM: HELP US REMEMBER WITH THE WAR MEMORIALS REGISTER
Presented by The Third Age Trust. Callum Brogan, Digital Volunteering Project Manager at Imperial War Museum’s War Memorials Register (WMR) will be introducing the work of the WMR and providing guidance on how you can help to record the unique historical details of the UK’s war memorials. The session will give historical context to the UK’s war memorials and provide information on how you can help to ensure that the War Memorials Register remains the most comprehensive and accurate public record. We are keen that anyone interested in war memorials, their importance to family and community history and the preservation of this information joins us. The Imperial War Museum’s War Memorials Register works to record and make freely available to the public, information about war memorials in the UK. This information is used by over 700,000 people each year and is available for free on our website to military, family, regimental and community researchers.
Register here: MemorialsRegister

THURSDAY 13th JUNE at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALKS
St Giles to St Georges: a tragi-comic walk with David Lloyd
Politicians, Philanthropists and Physicians with Sue McCarthy
Walking the Wild Side of Bloomsbury with Rebecca Walker
East Bloomsbury in 3D with Carla Zoso
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

THURSDAY 13th JUNE at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISITS
British Museum Highlights with Daniel Hausherr
British Museum Highlights Tour with Alison Seabrook Moore
Highlights of the British Museum with Jo Wilkinson
Discover the British Museum Treasure House with Aaron Hunter
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 19th JUNE at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
The Squares and Gardens of Bloomsbury in Springtime with Richard Cohen
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 19th JUNE at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
The Hunterian Museum of Anatomy with Richard Cohen
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

MONDAY 1st JULY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
Rebel Girls and Wicked Women with Christine Wilkins Molloy
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

MONDAY 1st JULY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
Constable and the British Landscape Tradition at the V&A with Marilyn Greene
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

MONDAY 1st JULY at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
Guided visit to Guildhall Art Gallery with Christine Wilkins Molloy
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

FRIDAY 5th JULY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK/VISIT
Walk along the Thames followed by Tate Britain tour with Hazel Beale
£10.00 per event. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

FRIDAY 5th JULY at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK/VISIT
Walk along the Thames followed by Tate Modern tour with Hazel Beale
£10.00 per event. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 10th JULY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
The Islamic World in London with AbdulMaalik Tailor
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

WEDNESDAY 10th JULY at 2.30 - 4.30 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER VISIT
Islamic History in the British Museum with AbdulMaalik Tailor
£10.00 per visit. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

THURSDAY 18th JULY at 11.00 am - 1.00 pm: LONDON REGION SUMMER WALK
St James’s -- Gentlemen’s London... with Pernille Ahlström
£10.00 per walk. For full programme and booking links, click here: LRu3aSummerWalks

TUES 23rd JULY at 1.00 - 3.00 pm: NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: MEET THE SCIENTISTS
Presented by The London Region of u3as. Two one-hour lectures by scientists working at the museum. More details to be publicised later when information available.