Speaker Programme 2024
There is an excellent speaker at most monthly meetings, these are the speakers for 2024:
Thursday May 16th - Milton Keynes to Mississippi by Saffron Summerfield
Singer, songwriter and musician, Saffron’s career has taken her from live performance on John Peel’s radio show and tv to tours abroad and playing blues guitar in the Mississippi cottonfields with black blues musicians. Her performance today will feature different styles of guitar from classical to blues.
Thursday June 20th - The Artists of Great Bardfield by Gordon Cummings
Gordon is one of the Trustees of the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden and is coming to talk about its collection.
The Stansted U3A AGM will also take place at this meeting.
Thursday July 18th - Spitalfields by David Williams
Spitalfields, the East End area adjacent to Liverpool Street once characterized by poverty and crime, has been home successively to Huguenots then Jews escaping persecution and to a vibrant Bangladeshi community today. Incomers from the arts, like Tracey Emmin, have ushered in a new wave of fashion, media and tech to add to the mix – along with sky high property prices. David, a registered City of London Guide, will lead us through it.
Thursday August 15th - “…..and Over Here”: a history of USA wartime aviation in East Anglia by Don Mobley
Don is a enthusiastic amateur who loves airplanes and anything to do with them. He speaks on a number of related topics to U3As and other organizations and donates his fees to charity.
Thursday September 19th - Gemstones and Jewellery by Jason Middleton
Women – and men – have worn jewellery in every age everywhere. Jason is a professional gemologist passionate about his subject and he will talk about the role of jewellery from the earliest civilizations until today. He will bring items for handling and a small selection available for purchase if wished.
Thursday October 17th - The Inn at the Top by Neil Hanson
Ian is an extremely witty and amusing raconteur whose amazing curriculum vitae includes editing The Good Beer Guide and running Britain’s highest inn, in a remote corner of the Yorkshire Dales. Eccentric characters, bizarre local customs and police raids by appointment all featured in his life there along with winds that could tear car doors off their hinges and winter snow that could cut the inn off for weeks on end. You will laugh!
Thursday November 21st - "The Unparalleled Necromancer” by Ian Keable
Thus did Charles Dickens headline himself as a performing conjuror, something he was for seven years of his life between writing A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield. Why? Was he any good? What part does magic play in his books? Ian, who is a Gold Star member of the Magic Circle, will describe some of Dickens’ tricks and perform them. Conjuring up Christmas starts here!
In December 2024 there will be Christmas activities. Details will be announced in due course.