Noticeboard

REDBRIDGE AND DISTRICT U3A

www.u3asites.org.uk/redbridge

WINTER 2015/16

Holiday 2016

I am excited to announce our 2016 tour organised by Crusader Holidays

on behalf of Redbridge & District U3A to

Manchester Ship Canal Tour & Liverpool Sightseeing

The holiday takes place on Monday 6th June 2016 to Friday 10th June

2016. Accommodation will be at the 4* Copthorne Hotel, Salford Quays

in Manchester on a half board basis.

The holiday includes a guided

tour of Liverpool; a guided tour

of Port Sunlight and Garden Vil-

lage; the Manchester Ship Canal

Cruise which travels through to

Liverpool and a guided tour of

the Lowry, Manchester which is

set in the redeveloped Salford

Quays. Liverpool is an exciting

city to visit and was voted the

European Culture City of 2008.

The cost of the holiday will be £399 pp with a single supplement of £54 –

please note there is a limit on single rooms.

For further information please contact Susan Whiterow on 020 8262 6319

or by email at susan.whiterow1@ntlworld.com.

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Season’s Greetings Hi, Wishing all our members Season’s Greetings and don't

forget that our New Year special social afternoon is being

held at the Gearies adult institute on Monday 4th January.

Best wishes Trudy Simons

Committee News

In the spring, the committee appointed a sub-committee to work out a pro-

posal for a new constitution for our U3A, as the present one does not con-

form to the standards required by the head office and the Charity Commis-

sion. The intention was to present the proposal for approval by the AGM

in February but at the time of writing it is still being reviewed by the Cha-

rity Commission and they seem to be taking their time. So in short, we

may not be able to have it ready in time for the 2016 AGM.

Since the last issue of Noticeboard, there have been a few changes to the

committee itself. In October, sadly Liz Sadler passed away, and recently

Betty Porte moved away from the area.

On a happier note, Denise Kaye and Jill

Playford have been co-opted onto the com-

mittee. Denise will be in charge of Outings,

and she will also be taking over Theatre Vi-

sits. As well as being on the committee, Jill

is running two successful Psychology

groups and has agreed to be our minutes

secretary. A warm welcome to our new

committee members. Jill Denise

THANK YOU

Due to health problems I have been unable to take my usual Discussion

Group since the beginning of June.

I was very concerned that this group would cease to meet after building up

such a good rapport with everybody, but to my sheer delight it has continued

and flourished due to the support and help of Maurice & Maureen Nieberg

and Doris Osen.

It just shows you how strong this group is and has also become an informati-

on point, in fact after the discussion ends at 15.45pm members continue to

socialise with each other after the close.

I am now officially back to host the group. Harvey Sharpe

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Group News

Liz Kite, tel. 020 8478 1450

lizkiteu3a@gmail.com

NEW GROUPS:

DRESSMAKING for beginners and intermediates.

Meetings will take place in Chig-

well, but dates are still to be ar-

ranged. Ring Jo Dias on 020

8500 4578 for more information.

GENEALOGY Are you hooked on the BBC’s

Who Do You Think You Are?

Ever wondered about your own

family? Do you really believe

aunt Maud’s story about being

descended from royalty? Find

your ancestors, and discover

your family history—and you

don’t need to have a computer!

The group will meet monthly –

likely on Monday or Wednesday

afternoons - in Central Ilford.

If you are interested please con-

tact Madeline Seviour – 020

8553 5940.

INDIAN COOKERY The group will meet on the first

Monday of every month from

2pm to 4pm in Gants Hill, star-

ting in February. Contact the

group leader, Guddi Panesar,

on 020 8554 0405.

ITALIAN FOR HOLIDAYS Nicholas Levin has kindly

agreed to lead and host this new

Italian group which will meet in

Snaresbrook—time and dates

still to be determined. Contact

Nicholas on 020 8989 0413

GROUP LEADERS

URGENTLY WANTED

Would anyone feel capable of

leading a group on one of

the following subjects for

which we have waiting lists:-

GARDENING

HISTORY

PSYCHOLOGY

SPANISH

Help would be available with

setting up and determining the

content of the courses, and we

can also run a shared leader

scheme whereby two or more

members can take it in turn to

lead the group.

The Book Circle C group run by

Leila Platt has room for new

members. The group meets on

Mondays in Chigwell once a

month - or sometimes every six

weeks, depending on the book

currently up for discussion. Call

Leila on 020 8501 2676.

Allons, enfants...

Report from the FRENCH CONVERSATION group; I must share with you the pleasure that leading this group gives me. We

meet fortnightly at my flat on the Goodmayes/Barking border, which is

pleasant in itself, as I don’t run a car and it saves me a convoluted jour-

ney by public transport.

We're a mixed bunch: some are flu-

ent, some not so fluent, but all are

committed. We always learn some-

thing from Phil's contribution - did

you know, for instance, that the head-

quarters of the Metropolitan Police at

Scotland Yard is so called because in

the days when England and Scotland

were separate countries and each had

an embassy, the Scottish embassy

was situated on that site and the name

was kept after the two countries

amalgamated? We didn’t either until

Phil told us. We also learned some

interesting facts about whales from

him, and the reason why actors tell

each other to “break a leg” before

they go on stage. I have a large col-

lection of CDs of French songs and

Warran chooses one, prints off the

words from the net and prepares a translation. I talk about something

topical; others stick to domestic matters.

I do some teaching, but it's incidental. I point out colloquialisms, inter-

esting constructions and the need to avoid assuming that a French word

means the same as an English word it resembles: actuellement for exam-

ple, means current not actually, and assister means to be present, not to

help. But the atmosphere is relaxed and fun, not academic.

At a meeting after the Paris atrocities, we sang La Marseillaise to show

solidarity with our French neighbours. It's very stirring, if more than a

little bloodthirsty. As a national anthem, it beats God Save the Queen

into a cocked hat, in my opinion. Hèléna Newton

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Photo: Florent Audebert

Concerts Spring 2016

Barbican Sunday 3rd April at 7.00 pm

Note earlier start time!

(Book by 1st March) £ 8.00

Nielsen Overture: Masquerade London Symphony Orchestra

Sibelius Symphony No. 3 Alan Gilbert - Conductor

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Joshua Bell - Violin

Cadogan Hall Wednesday 9th March at 7.30 pm

(Book by 6th January) £ 11.25

Note latest Booking Date!

Glinka Overture: Ruslan & Ludmilla Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Sibelius Violin Concerto Eduard Portal - Conductor

Barber Adagio for Strings Matthew Trusler - Violin

Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Barbican Tuesday 16th February at 7.30 pm

(Book by 13th January) £ 12.80

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1 London Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream Sir John Eliot Gardiner

- Conductor

Monteverdi Choir

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Booking requests with cheque payable to Redbridge & District U3A to-

gether with stamped addressed envelope to:

Sidney Sanders, 454 Clayhall Avenue, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0SH

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CHRISTMAS SCAM

A victim had a phone call from a

courier service asking if somebody

would be at home to receive a

package that required a signature.

A uniformed delivery man turned

up with beautiful basket of flowers

and a bottle of wine.

Because the gift contained alcohol,

there would be a £3.50 charge,

payable by credit or debit card only

as the couriers were not supposed

to carry cash. A mobile card reader

was used for this, but it captured all

the information from the card inclu-

ding pin number, and the informati-

on was then used to make a dupli-

cate card.

If you receive unexpected gifts or

packages that involve payment by

card - it is probably a SCAM. So

beware!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT At our November social, Renee

Bravo gave us all something to

think about. In her talk she was

critical towards hardline feminists

for breaking down the structure of

society without having an alternati-

ve in place. At the

same time she ap-

proved wholehear-

tedly of equality

between the sexes—

equality mening that

although different,

things still having

equal value. Well

spoken!

U3A EVENTS

On Tuesday,

15th March,

at 1.45 pm

there is a spe-

cial screening

for U3A

members at

The Odeon,

Covent Garden, of the theatre pro-

duction of The Importance of Being

Earnest with David Suchet as Lady

Bracknell. Filmed live at The Vau-

deville Theatre, tickets are £15 and

can be booked through our website.

-

On Thursday, 17th March, at 1.45

pm, The Royal Institution invites

U3A members to a meeting in

Mayfair with talks on a variety of

scientific topics selected especially

for U3A. Tickets are £20, and de-

tails of how to book will be publis-

hed on our website as soon as they

become available.

-

Finally, on Monday, 11th April, at

2.30 pm, at Birkbeck College’s

campus in Stratford, professor Ian

Crawford will give a talk to U3A

members about The search for life

in the universe—The new science of

astrobiology. Further details on our

website when available.

NOTICEBOARD

The Spring issue of Noticeboard

will be distributed to members from

14th March, and the deadline for

contributions will be 28th February.

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Theatre visits

SATURDAY 27th FEBRUARY at 3 pm:

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Havering Music Makers' production of the

well-loved operetta, The Pirates of Penzan-

ce, by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan,

tells the story of the orphan Frederic, who is

about to be released from his apprenticeship

to a band of pirates ... until his nursemaid,

Ruth, reveals a life-changing detail! Take the

fantastic music, add a rollicking band of pirates, a policeman's lot (and not

a happy one), and a very model of a Modern Major General and his daugh-

ters (all of whom are beauties). Price £13.00, bookings by 5th February.

SATURDAY 19th MARCH at 3pm: FAME THE MUSICAL

The screen sensation of the 1980's is the

stage sensation of today! Fame follows

the journey of a group of vibrant and

energetic young people studying at New

York City's High School of Performing

Arts, who discover it takes more than

just dreams to achieve their ambitions.

Not everyone makes it, though. Price

£13.00, bookings by 16th February.

Booking request with cheque made payable to Redbridge and District U3A,

together with SAE to:

Elsa Schwarz, 49 Grange Crescent, Chigwell Essex IG7 5JD.

Outings

Look forward to outings in 2016: We shall visit places of interest in Lon-

don (travelling by London Underground), go on summer coach outings,

and enjoy the December xmas lights with a fish & chips lunch.

Look out for details in the March edition of Noticeboard & info given on

Monday socials and on our website. Denise Kaye

REDBRIDGE AND DISTRICT U3A Registered Charity No 1061549

Chairman: Trudy Simons 8257 3264

Membership: Sharon Cohen 8508 5444

Groups Co-ordinator: Liz Kite 8478 1450

Secretary: Susan Whiterow 8262 6319

Noticeboard and website: Lennart Christensen

u3anoticeboard@gmail.com / 8478 1450

Dates for your diary

MONDAY 4th JANUARY—NEW YEAR SOCIAL AFTERNOON

WITH ENTERTAINMENT AND REFRESHMENTS AT GEARIES

At the New Year Social Jodie Beth Meyer will perform

some of the songs from the shows she has appeared in

over the last years. Her credits include High School Mu-

sical Live On Stage, Les Miserables in Concert, Aspects

of Love, Imagine This, The Pirates of Penzance, The

Glorious Ones and Chess. In October 2015 she played

Petra in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music at Ye

Olde Rose and Crown Theatre in Walthamstow.

Note that this year's New Year Social will be held at

The Redbridge Institute for Adult Education (Gearies Centre),

Gaysham Avenue, Gants Hill, Ilford IG2 6TD.

TUESDAY 16th FEBRUARY - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Gardens show the relationship between cul-

ture and nature, and gardens and their mea-

ning is the subject of the talk by our guest

speaker at the AGM, Henry Goldstein.

We have invited the Mayor of Redbridge,

councillor Barbara White, to preside over

the formal proceedings.

Note that only members of Redbridge & District U3A are allowed to

participate in the AGM, which is also being held at Gearies.

Our Social afternoons are arranged by Suhas Suhasini and start at 2pm.