Witney

Meetings and Outings Information

Meetings are normally held the first and third Thursday at the Methodist Centre, High Street, Witney at 2.p.m.

The café will be open from 3.00 to 4.00 p.m.

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We welcome prospective members visiting us for the first time and would like to offer two free Speaker meetings prior to joining; please come along to the Methodist Church, 40 High St, Witney OX28 6HG prior to the talk.

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See the Outings page for details of their program. These visits can normally be booked at the Methodist Hall on Meetings days. Please note our Refund and Cancellation Policy (see link opposite).

See the TVN Website and National u3a Events for details of many interesting talks run by the u3a Thames Valley Network and the u3a National Office

See below for our own and selected TVN Events. Please note: If you experience difficulty in joining an on-line TVN Event for which you have booked, please contact the TVN organiser listed in the event flyer directly. Witney u3a is regrettably unable to help in this situation.


Dates for your Diary
Meetings
Thu Mar 21st "Destination Utah" (The USAAF in a Typical English Village) by Brian Fernley
Brian spent most of his working life in the telecommunications industry, eventually becoming the UK Technical Training Manager for Siemens Communications. Throughout his career Brian enjoyed giving presentations and it was something he wanted to continue into retirement. After moving from his native Nottingham to Devon he became aware of the South West Airfields Heritage Trust where he is now an enthusiastic volunteer and speaker.

This talk features Upottery Airfield in Devon, illustrating the impact of around 1500 American servicemen taking up residence in a quiet English village. The talk looks at the impact on the local population, the role of the airfield and the men stationed there in the second world war and the D-Day related missions undertaken. The airfield gained international recognition as being the departure point of Easy Company in Steven Spielberg's "Band of Brothers".
Thu Apr 4th 1.45 pm Special General Meeting to adopt the updated u3a Constitution. See Background to Special General Meetingfor more information. Followed by
Speaker Meeting: Elizabeth Gaskel, Her Life, Her Work,Her Genius by Keith Hooper

Keith was awarded a doctorate from Exeter University for his thesis on Charles Dickens and Religion. After his graduation he was commissioned to write a biography of Dickens.
Following the publication of his book he undertook a lecture tour in which he appeared at seventy venues across the country. Currently, he is writing his second book on Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell.
He has gained a reputation for being both informative and entertaining with over 14,000 viewings on Youtube and various radio broadcasts
On Thursday 4th April he will be providing an illustrated lecture on the life and work of Elizabeth Gaskell. Though, at present, somewhat in the shadow of the Brontës, Jane Austen and George Eliot, Keith will be championing her work and her ability to successfully manage her responsibilities as a mother, wife and writer.
Thu Apr 18th Speaker Meeting: Astronomy Past and Present by Mary McIntyre

This talk covers the history of astronomy, from prehistoric cave paintings to robotic telescopes. It includes stories about important people who were pivotal with their contribution to astronomy, the changes in theory and science behind the subject and how modern life has benefited from space science.

Mary is an amateur astronomer, author and astronomy communicator. She is a keen astrophotographer and is passionate about astronomy outreach; she was awarded the 2021 Sir Patrick Moore Prize by the BAA for her outreach activities. She is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the British Astronomical Association. She writes for Sky at Night magazine and the Yearbook of Astronomy and is also a co-presenter of the Sky at Night Magazine “Star Diary” podcast.
Thu May 2nd Speaker Meeting: The Questionable History of the TV
Quiz Show
by Jeff Evans
Thu May 16th Speaker Meeting: Talk by Tom Way, Wildlife Photographer.
Thu Jun 6th AGM and Speaker Meeting: Solo walk across Africa by Fran Sandham
Thu Jun 20th Speaker Meeting: A Guides Guide: Working in historic Houses in 21st Century by Sarah Somerville
Thu Jul 4th Speaker Meeting: Ooh Matron: A history of the Carry On Films by Steven Dimmer
Thu Jul 18th Speaker Meeting Grace Darling and the Fine Art of Saving Lives At Sea by James Taylor
Thu Aug 1st Speaker Meeting Six Warrior Women of the English Civil Wars 1642-51 by Stephen Barker
Thu Aug 15th Speaker Meeting: Afternoon Tea Talks by Shaun Todd
Thu Sep 5th Speaker Meeting: A Grandmothers Legacy by Jenny Mallin
Thu Sep 19th Speaker Meeting: Tribal King and I by Sue Hadley
Thu Oct 3rd Speaker Meeting: Queen Victoria: A Life in Portraits by Dr Gillian White
Thu Oct 17th Speaker Meeting: Titanic by Sean Callery
Thu Nov 7th Speaker Meeting: To the Roof of Africa- Climbing
Kilimanjaro
by Graham Horn
Thu Nov 21st Speaker Meeting: Working with some of the most
Dangerous Men in the Country - 7 Years
Inside
by Janine Kilroe
Thu Dec 5th Speaker Meeting: Royal Jubilees - George III, Victoria, George V and Elizabeth II by Sarah Slater
Thu Dec 19th TBA
Thu Jan 2nd 2025 Speaker Meeting: Chef to Four Prime Ministers by Alan Lavender
Thu Jan 16th 2025 Speaker Meeting: Playing with Knives-paper cutting, some history, culture, techniques, my own
paper cuts, influences and a demo by Christine Green
Thu Feb 6th 2025 Speaker Meeting: The Joys and Perils of Being an Author by Colin Wade
Thu Feb 20th 2025 Speaker Meeting: Talk to be agreed by Mervyn Edwards
Thu Mar 6th 2025 OPEN DAY - No Speaker
Thu Mar 20th 2025 Speaker Meeting: Kino and Kinder: A family's journey in the shadow of the Holocaust by Dr Vivien Seiber
Outings
Wed Apr 3rd Ideal Home Exhibition - see the Outings page