Wendover Buckinghamshire

Main Meeting

Next of Kin Remember to Bring Your Coffee Cup Graham Dawson Photographic Competition
Always wear yourTake a cup toEnter the Graham Dawson
Next of Kin card the Main Meeting Photo Competition

"Main Meetings continue to be streamed on YouTube and can be accessed via the link “Main Meeting Live Link” and select u3a Main Meeting. Recordings can be accessed for about a week after the meeting. In order to set up the equipment safely we ask members not to attend before 9.45 for a 10.00 start.

Meetings begin with a brief welcome and introduction from the Chair followed by the opportunity for Group Convenors and Committee Members to make announcements about forthcoming events and activities."

During the meeting members can meet Group Convenors to find out more about Wendover u3a’s various study groups and activities. Wendover u3a currently has about 60 study groups offering a wide range of subjects to learn and enjoy. Members can also sign up for regular outings and holidays organised by the Travel Team. To learn more, simply click on the buttons at the top of the page.

We have invited speakers on a wide variety of topics and dates of forthcoming meetings and speakers are listed below.

Parking at the Church

Parking near the Church is restricted due to the narrowness of Church Lane from the London Road end and large vehicles often have to use the Lane to deliver goods to the school. To ease congestion on Main Meeting days, we suggest that a one-way system is used i.e. entering Church Lane from the London Road and when leaving the meeting, to continue in the same direction to eventually turn left into Hale Lane to drive back into Wendover.

For members with accessibility needs, there is space opposite the Lych Gate where up to four cars may be parked. If no space is available, drive a little further down Church Lane where there is a right-hand turn into a car park situated at the back of the Church. This car park provides limited space for parking and easy access into the Church.

Our Monthly Speakers are:

Dates for your Diary
Wed Apr 3rd English as She is Spoke - Speaker Val Brown

An entertaining ramble through the story of the incredible English language
Wed May 1st The Amazing Mr. Dickens! - Speaker David Allen

An affectionate romp through the 'rags to riches' life story of the world’s greatest storyteller from his early childhood working in a factory, to his illustrious life as a writer and social reformer, including his scandalous affair and daring escape from a train. With dramatic readings from some of his most popular works, including Oliver Twist.
Wed Jun 5th Barrow to Baghdad and Back - Author Speaker Philip Caine

Phillip’s career developed in the oil industry and during the course of 30 years he worked in places such as the North Sea, Algeria, Nigeria, Kazakhstan and Russia. From 2003, he spent seven years in post war Baghdad working with the American coalition and a further three years running oil services companies in Dubai. Having retired in 2015 Philip began writing and public speaking and to date has written nine adventure thrillers.
Wed Jul 3rd The Wit, Wisdom and Lyrics of P.G. Wodehouse - Speaker Tony Ring

While there can be few people who have not heard of Jeeves, Bertie Wooster and the Drones Club, their adventures only account for about one-sixth of his novels and short stories. Long before the first Jeeves and Bertie novel appeared, he had established himself as a great lyricist for musical comedy both on Broadway in New York, and in the early 1920s, in London. Furthermore, at the end of the 1920s, he would have three non-musical plays running (also simultaneously) on London’s West End stages, still many years before publication of that first Jeeves and Bertie novel! And all the time, he was busy with providing humorous fiction for the magazines.
Wed Aug 7th Open Meeting
Sat Sep 7th The Open University - Speaker Jim Ellis

Conceived by Harold Wilson’s Labour government, the Open University launched in 1969 and has successfully taught more than 2.3 million students. All of these studied at home by ‘distance learning’ and around two thirds worked full or part-time while doing so. Jim describes how the OU has evolved over 50+ years, coping with many social, economic and technological changes, to become one of the largest universities in Europe.
Wed Oct 2nd The Healing Power of Plants- Speaker Timothy Walker

Timothy read Botany at University College, Oxford. After a long and successful career as a horticulturist, working at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Askham Bryan College, York, Savill Garden, Windsor and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, he was awarded, in 1995, a Master of Horticulture by the Royal Horticultural Society of London. Since 2014 Timothy has held the post of lecturer in Plant Sciences at Somerville College, Oxford, and now holds similar positions at Pembroke College and Hertford College
Wed Nov 6th Guerrillas in the Mist Keith Muras

In a distinguished British Diplomatic Service career spanning 23 years Keith focused on the security and intelligence dimensions of international issues. In late 1999 Keith retired from active government service, moving to a new role in corporate security, working for multi-national businesses in their efforts to protecting against international threats. In the early 2000's Keith's was appointed to the position of Global Security Director of a major international corporation
Wed Dec 4th Walking into Grandma’s Kitchen in 1940s Madras Speaker- Jenny Mallin

Jenny is an author and winner of "Best in the World Cookbook" for 2017 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Society. Jenny has given 100s of talks both on cruise ships and to U3As, WIs and Family History Groups. Jenny’s talks are based upon her own life experiences and her travels around India. Many of her talks are based on the subject of her published book "A Grandmother's Legacy" which covers five generations of her family who lived in British India.

Click on a picture below to see it full-size with more details.