Waltham Forest

Events

Waltham Forest U3A holds regular monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at the Methodist Church Hall, Winchester Road, Highams Park, E4 9JP. We start promptly at 2pm, doors are open from 1.30pm. Access is only directly from Winchester Road. It is step-free and buses 212 & W16 stop almost outside the building.

Please note that if there is no-one in the Hub who can monitor people entering, the main doors are normally closed shortly after meetings have started. This is in order to maintain security. But if you have been delayed and you find them shut, please just press the bell on the column outside the door. This sounds within the building and someone will come and welcome you in. N.B. Leaving the building through these doors is easy at at any time.

Download the membership form from this live link or go to the CONTACT page for more information.


Dates for your Diary
Meetings
Tue Mar 19th Fascinated by programmes like 'The Detectorists' and 'Digging for Britain'? Roger Mintey, national u3a subject adviser on Metal Detecting, will be giving us today's talk. He is particularly well qualified to do so, having been the discoverer of the famous 'Reigate Hoard' in 1990. That comprised 6,705 medieval gold and silver coins dating from 1272 and over 300 of them are now in the British Museum.
Wed Mar 20th Film Club Home Viewing The film will be “Carmen Jones”. Contact Arthur Russell if you would like a place.
Wed Mar 20th Birdwatching Our first outing of Spring will be on Wednesday, 20th March, meeting at 10.30 a.m. in the car park at Walthamstow Wetlands. New members are most welcome but please contact Lesley in the first instance.
Thu Mar 21st Outdoor Sketching The Outdoor Sketching Group meets every 3rd Thursday from 2 - 4pm. Contact Jackie for more information.
Mon Mar 25th Classics Group is now well embarked on looking at 'The Twelve Caesars'. Today we'll be focusing on Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. For anyone who ever watched the BBCTV series 'I Claudius' they will be forever etched on our brains as George Baker, John Hurt and Derek Jacobi of course. Who could ever forget George lounging around in Capri, John Hurt with blood around his mouth, or Derek Jacobi's limp and stutter? But we shall try to look at the evidence...
Tue Mar 26th Group Leaders' Annual Meeting at Winchester Road. Coffee from 9:45, Meeting starts at 10:00 and there will be the usual offer of a free buffet lunch together afterwards. Lesley has sent out invitations and an Agenda will follow in due course. Please let her know as soon as possible whether you will be coming and whether you would like to stay for lunch. Don't forget to be bring a brief report on what your group has been doing over the past year. Jane would very much appreciate a written copy of that on the day.
Wed Mar 27th Gardening Group will be visiting Myddleton House and possibly nearby nurseries. Barbara is suggesting that members aim to get there by 10:30am and meet for coffee first. She may be able to help you arrange a lift if you need one but you can obviously do that independently too.
Thu Mar 28th Book Group 1 will meet on Thursday, 28 March 2024, from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm, to discuss the book The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
Tue Apr 2nd Cinema Visits These take place on the first Tuesday of the month in the afternoon. Hania Franek will inform those on the mailing list which film she intends to go to. If you wish to be added to the list, contact Hania on: haniafranek@hotmail.com
Tue Apr 2nd Poetry The subject on Tuesday, 2 April, will be war.
Tue Apr 9th Epping Forest Walk The next walk will be on Tuesday, 9 April. We will meet outside the Harvester Pub in New Road, Chingford (buses 357, 444, 657, W16) at 1.30 pm. We will walk around Larkswood and Ainslie Wood in the hope that we will not be too early to see the bluebells and anemones. This spring seems to be earlier than last year so we might be lucky. The May walk will be five weeks later and probably too late for bluebells. We will return to the Harvester Pub for refreshments at the end. There is no regular membership of this group. Please just turn up. The walk will be led by Ruth, Andy and Val as Alan will be unavailable. The walks last about one and a half hours, and are approx. 3 miles long. Members should be fit enough to walk at a reasonable pace and to tackle some slopes. Suitable (waterproof) footwear should be worn.
Thu Apr 11th Committee Meeting at Winchester Road at 10am. Any Member of WFu3a is very welcome to observe a committee meeting and/or to receive a copy of the Minutes afterwards. Just contact Jane Harrington for more details.
Thu Apr 11th Book Group 2 Our next meeting will be on Thursday, 11 April, at 1.00 pm. The book will be Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski.
Tue Apr 16th Bee-Keeping - a talk by Eric Beaumont who is a local beekeeper from Hackney. He manages fifty colonies in London and Essex and will be bringing some produce with him.
Thu Apr 18th Walking Cricket If the weather stays fine we hope to begin Walking Cricket again on Thursday, 18 April, at Ridgeway Park, Chingford, E4 6XQ meeting by the cafe at 2.00 p.m. Existing group members will be notified individually but anyone is welcome to come along and give it a go. For more information contact Trevor Farnes or contact Lesley.
Thu May 16th Committee Meeting at Winchester Road at 10am. Any Member of WFu3a is very welcome to observe a committee meeting and/or to receive a copy of the Minutes afterwards. Just contact Jane Harrington for more details.
Tue May 21st Our 2024 AGM. And after that (which usually only takes 15-20 minutes!) there will be a talk by Gary Matthews on Easton Lodge, whose gardens are an idyllic haven (Historic England, Grade II registered) and have been partially restored to their former glory by a team of dedicated volunteers.
Outings
Wed Apr 24th Visit to Kew Gardens by public transport. Meet at Walthamstow Central at 10.00 am at the top of the escalator to travel there. Barbara is arranging this trip using the new special u3a Kew Gardens scheme and she has the form to allow us entry as a group. She will need definite bookings by 17th April at the latest. Everyone will travel together until we reach the entrance, as Barbara will have to show the form to the desk listing names. Barbara will take a maximum of 20 people. Once inside everyone can do their own thing. If you put your name down for a free visit to Kew and want to join this group for a day out, please let Barbara know.
Sat May 25th Roots And Shoots Coach Trip Roots and Shoots is a Walthamstow based gardening club. A coach trip is being organised to Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire on Saturday, 25 May. There may still be some spare places on the coach. The cost is £30, (£20 for the coach, £10 garden entry). Coach picks up from Forest Road at the bus stop where Homebase used to be at 9.10am. Please contact Barbara Humm if you would like to come. Barbara will have a waiting list, although obviously Roots and Shoots members will take priority. Waterperry has many attractions, including a nice cafe, shop, museum as well as the lovely gardens.
Wed May 29th Outing to Copped Hall Following the very good talk on Copped Hall last month Barbara is prepared to arrange a visit. This will be on 29 May, subject to agreement with their volunteers. The total cost for a visit of at least 20 people is £300, (£15 per head) but the more people who come, the less each person will have to pay. There is no public transport to Copped Hall, which is off the Epping Road, so we will need to have enough car drivers willing to offer lifts to those without cars. Let Barbara know if you would like to go and whether you need a lift or can offer one. We will have a guided tour plus refreshments. The gardens are on a slope, and there are stairs in the mansion, so visitors need to be fairly mobile.
Wed Jun 5th Coach Trip to Bury St. Edmunds Wednesday, 5th June, Cost £18, including driver’s tip. Pick up 9am from The Larkswood Harvester, New Road Chingford E4 9EY. Payment when booking please. Bury St. Edmunds is a town in Suffolk best known for its Abbey and Cathedral. People came from all over England on pilgrimage to visit the Shrine of St. Edmund. The Abbey Gardens are on the site of a Benedictine abbey, one of the most powerful monasteries in England. 20,000 plants are bedded out for summer displays. There is a bustling market on Wednesdays, dating back to before William the Conqueror. The 60 stalls include fresh locally sourced produce as well as clothing, pottery and plants. To book contact: Joy jjpankhurst@btinternet.com mobile 079521 42232 or Val lordval99@btinternet.com mobile 07806 093533
Other Events
Fri Mar 22nd Waltham Forest Music Society Present a recital by Jill Kemp on recorder, accompanied by Aleksander Szram at All Saints Church, Church Ave, E4 9QZ on Friday, 22 March, at 7.30 pm £15 (£10 members)
Fri Mar 22nd
→Sat Mar 23rd
Waltham Forest Festival of Theatre Five one-act Plays, plus expert adjudications. Friday, 22 March-Saturday, 23 March, at Forest Community Centre, Guildford Road E17 4EA. Two plays on Friday by Woodhouse Players and CADOS starting at 7.30 pm, and 2 plays by Youth Theatres, plus one play by Wadham Players on Saturday starting at 7 pm. £9 per session at the door.
Sat Mar 23rd Roding Players The Roding Players Orchestra present their Spring Awakening concert on Saturday, 23 March, at St. Mary's Church, High Road, Loughton at 7.00 p.m. Tickets on the door £10 or £9 concessions including refreshments.
Sat Mar 23rd South West Essex Choir SWEC will perform Verdi’s Requiem on Saturday, 23 March, at 7.30 pm in Chingford Parish Church, E4 7EN. Tickets £16 (£14 in advance before 1 March). www.southwestessexchoir.org.uk
Wed Mar 27th Music in the Village at St. Michael & All Angels, Northcote Road, E17 6PQ. Wednesday, 27 March, at 7.30 pm. François Couperin Leçons de Ténèbres Emily Atkinson & Gwen Martin sopranos, Nicholas Parle organ, PeterMcCarthy bass viol. No refreshments and Free entry - but donations gratefully received!
Sat Apr 13th Free Talks “All the Single Ladies” at the Old Church Hall, opposite Chingford Cemetery. 10.30 to 12 noon. The talk will be on Evelyn Underhill.
Sat May 11th Free Talks “All the Single Ladies” at the Old Church Hall, opposite Chingford Cemetery. 10.30 to 12 noon. The talk will be on Dorothy Sayers.
Sat Jun 8th Free Talks “All the Single Ladies” at the Old Church Hall, opposite Chingford Cemetery. 10.30 to 12 noon. The talk will be on HFM Prescott