A new group starting very soon.  Numbers will be limited so please contact Tricia to reserve your space or to find out more details.

It is expected the sessions will take place on the first Thursday of each month at 10:00am.  It will be held in a private house on the Marine Estate in Leigh.

Plans are a foot to start up a Scrabble group, numbers will be limited so if interested then make sure you contact Tricia quickly to express your interest. For more details please send a message to Tricia using this link.

It is expected that the sessions will take place on the third Monday of each month at 2pm.  Meetings will be at a private house on the Marine Estate, Leigh.

Do you enjoy Portrait Painting or maybe want to give it a go?  Then from 28th October we have a new Portrait Painting Group underway.  Derek, one of our members, who is an accomplished artist, is there to guide and help you along.

Meetings  take place from 2:00pm to 4:00pm in room 4 at the Leigh Community Centre on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the the month.

Art for Pleasure is a relaxed friendly meeting for anyone who is interested in coming together to paint and draw using a variety of suitable materials. We improve our skills and knowledge through discussion, books, handouts etc.

Each meeting has a ‘theme’ which members can interpret in their own way.

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

New members are very welcome
The group is suitable all levels of ability
The ‘themes’ are merely to provide some ideas
Members ideas and input is valued
Please contact me if you need more information or wish to join our group.

Bumblebees are in decline and conservation efforts  can be supported and enhanced by understanding the populations and distribution of the various species.  The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) has developed a national surveying process which we plan to join.  This will involve a small group undertaking a self-selected monthly walk of a set route and identifying and recording all the bumblebees we see.

We are especially lucky that the Thames Gateway is home to two rare species, the 'Brown-banded' and 'Shrill' carder bees, both of which have been seen on Two Tree Island.

We'll arrange for members to be given training to help you identify the bees you see.

If you want to be part of this exciting piece of work, have the chance to learn more about bees plus get a little bit of exercise each month or if you just want to learn a little more about what's involved, then please contact Richard using the button above.

We are a small friendly group and we like to read a variety of books, ranging from classics to biographies to thrillers -- in fact anything goes! We take it in turns to come up with a list of books and decide between us which one we are going to read next, which seems to work well.

Why play Bridge? Well in the words of the novelist W. Somerset Maugham “Bridge is the most entertaining and intelligent card game the wit of man has so far devised”.

As a social game, bridge is unparalleled and a great way to meet new people. Bridge is good for the mind – a mental workout that stimulates both halves of the brain in equal measure. Playing bridge develops both logical and lateral thinking, it helps short and long term memory among many benefits.

At the start of 2018, we were able to get a Bridge for Beginners group underway. After two years of learning and playing, the group acknowledge they are far from complete but decided they are no longer beginners so a name change to "Bridge for Improvers" might better describe where they are.  If you want to join please contact the Group Leader to check level reached and see if it might fit with your standard of play.  Beginners are also welcomed.

Leigh Estuary U3A Canasta Group has been going strong since November 2017 and meet at a members home on the first Thursday of the month. We have 12 members and we usually get 8-12 members attending. It is a very friendly group and although we did start with 2 or three beginners and a few who hadn't played for some time, everyone is of a reasonable ability now.

Bearing in mind that usually Canasta is played in fours, we do sometimes have to adapt to three-handed Canasta!

Of course we do have varying rules of Canasta within the group which is interesting but we ask that everyone plays the same as the majority and the people we have taught.

This group is now up and running and intended for those members who have played Canasta before. Please contact Duncan if you are interested in joining.

Already play canasta and looking to improve then contact me using button above to see if spaces.

VISITING ESSEX CHURCHES GROUP

This group is for people who are interested in church architecture, history and comparative religions. Members share organising the visits to places of worship. The group has visited many Essex churches of a variety of Christian denominations. We have also visited two synagogues, a mosque and a Sikh gurdwara along with Hindu and Buddhist temples.

We are hoping to see this group up and running once again now that Lockdown is behind us.  Mavis has kindly volunteered to take over its running so if you love watching a film then contact Mavis for details and to get your name on her list of interested members.

This group explores Classical Music together.  The group has restarted now with a new group leader so please contact John using button above if interested in joining.

This group is currently on hold.  If you are willing to take on the reins and get it going again please contact our Groups Co-ordinator using the button above, thank you.

Meetings having been put on hold over the period of Lockdown are recommencing on Wednesday 10th November at 10:00am at the Community Centre, room 3.

We have decided to change our group name from vigorous walking to Country Walks as this better reflects what we do.

Apart from the name change everything else remains the same.

Click on News & Events above for details of our walks.

This group has proved very popular with members wanting to get out and exercise and although the group is currently full with some 50 members, if you are interested please let Dave know using the button above and he will add your name to the waiting list.  Then again, maybe time to start another walking group - if you want to get another group going do shout.

The Craft Group is a very friendly, informal group which welcomes members with an interest in any craft, whatever their level of ability.

In keeping with the spirit of the U3A, we are all willing to share our skills with each other. Although we generally work on our own individual projects, which include knitting, crochet, quilting, card making, embroidery etc, we also, on occasion, try a new skill as a group, led by one of our own members. Member-led sessions to date have covered Chicken Scratch, Quilting, Iris Folding, Gift bags and boxes.

We meet at Leigh Community Centre, from 1.45 - 3.45 pm on the second Tuesday of the month. To enjoy a sociable afternoon and maybe feel inspired to try a new skill, please contact the Group Organisers via  the link above.

Great News, whilst it is early days, Richard has come forward to take on the running of this group.  If you are interested then please make contact with Richard for more details.  You can contact Richard on rimoco@aol.com.  If you tried to contact Richard previously, it seems the link was not working so please make contact using his email address.

Richard tells us - "I took a Creative Writing course 3 or 4 years ago. I enjoyed it and recently rediscovered most of my notes.  I am happy to start a new group but once it’s up and running I will cede control should a more suitable candidate emerge."   Richard J H Moore

This group needs someone to take it forward, if interested and willing to help please contact the groups co-ordinator.

NB: Days/times/location are not set in stone and can be changed to suit members if necessary.

The Cryptic Crossword group aims to support members to improve their skills at completing Cryptic Crossword clues (i.e. those which are not just straight definitions).
Both those with existing skills and those who want to learn how to do crosswords of this type are welcome to join the group.

Group members bring along crosswords they are working on and blank crossword grids are provided for those who are beginning to learn.

More experienced members of the group support new learners.

We also have general discussion on the different types of clues and how they can be solved
Members are invited to nominate a Clue of the Month which they have found particularly clever, challenging or amusing!

The venue for the meetings is generally at cafes in the Leigh area. At present it is at the TruLeigh Scrumptious, (opposite Leigh Library), Broadway West.

Your Group Contact will e-mail members each month to confirm the meeting date and venue.

Please check with Pat before attending.

The title says it all!

The group will enjoy bi-monthly(ish) visits to interesting venues using scheduled coach trips from local coach companies. Destinations will be within approximately two hours journey time.

I will be using Cooks Coaches for transport on all excursions, all their vehicles are air conditioned with a toilet. The pick-up points will be Chalkwell, Leigh Elms and Thames Drive, although if sufficient demand for other pick-ups these could be added.

I will also be using two companies with guides, Greatdays (www.greatdays.co.uk) and City and Village Tours (www.cityandvillagetours.com). Both companies have very good websites, so do take a look.

Please note: Payment arrangements:  I will be taking a non-refundable deposit of £5 per person at the time of booking, with the balance being due about six weeks before departure.  I will also limit each trip to a maximum of 40 people, and I will only do about six trips a year

Although the group is full, I do keep a waiting list and in the event numbers are down on any trip I do make contact to try and ensure our coach is full.  So if interested in Days Out then please do make contact using the link above.

The Mansion

This second Sunday Lunch group got off to a start with lunch at the Southchurch Park Dining Rooms.  Some wonderful home cooking that was enjoyed by everyone.  Plans for 2020 were also discussed and organised.

February's lunch will be on Sunday 16th February at The Trading Rooms pub on corner of Crowstone Road and London Road for 12:30.  Contact Trevor for more details.

This group does exactly what it says so if you want to enjoy lunch on a Sunday along with friends then please contact Trevor who will keep you informed of where and when.

Discovering Essex does what it says on the tin. We are a group keen to learn about the people and places of our County by visiting or, very occasionally, having a speaker. Essex, despite its reputation, is rich in history from the dawn-of-time right up until yesterday and we intend to discover some of it.

One month there might be a guided tour of a historical building, on another, a trip on an ancient vessel or we might find ourselves watching someone practising an ancient Essex skill or craft.

We all take turns suggesting and organising an event of interest which means there is something for everyone and we all enjoy ourselves whilst continuing to feed our brains a little  (and usually, satisfying our bodies too!).

Sadly, Covid-19 put and end to our activities early in 2020 but we are looking to restart with a planning meeting in early in 2022.

Here is a list of our previous trips....     Previous trips_20211209

Members of the group are now organising the sessions. Our objectives are explore and discuss people and their occupations, history events and locations that make up the area East of London. We do not restrict ourselves by looking at London’s East End only but will be exploring South East and North East districts as well as London’s sprawl into Essex.

This group is for everyone who is interested in family history matters in all its many facets. It is not solely for research into ancestry but covers any matter which is related, however loosely, to family history generally.

If you have a family history matter/mystery that you would like the group to research for you please get in touch with the group contact mentioned above. Derek will be able to indicate what may be possible and talk to you about what information you already have or need to find to enable the research to commence.

Fashion comes quite high on the list of interests of lots of women, with this in mind we could see the need for another group dedicated to inspiring and furthering our knowledge. Meetings are taking place on the 4th Friday of every month. Alternate months 'AT HOME', an hostess from the group members at 2.30 pm to discuss future events. The other alternate months we will endeavour to have an' AWAYDAY' to anything fashion related that catches our eye.

This promises to be a valuable and informative time for us which will hopefully enable us all to make the most of ourselves and not fall into the trap of 'looking old'.

If interested in finding our more about any of our planned trips then please contact Heather using link above.

• Mary Quant at the V&A Museum date to be confirmed
• ‘Out of the Blue’: 50 Years of Designers' Guild £15.50 or less if 9+ members attend – Wednesday April 5^th 
• 10^th June meeting at Jenny’s house.  Contact me for address.
• We are planning a "Behind the Seams" Tour in June/July to see what goes on and how they create those wonderful outfits for Strictly Come Dancing.  If interested then contact Heather using button above to check on availability etc.

For details of past trips please see our News & Events page

October 2020 - the group has been renamed Fashion & Lifestyle to reflect the wider range of topics we cover.  If you want to know more please contact Mary using the link above.

Our "News & Events" page (link above) provides write ups and pictures of events we have visited or topics discussed.

Our latest Programme can be found on the "News & Events" button.

Learn a second language like you always promised yourself you would.

The group's initial meeting was on the 17th October 2019 and is being well supported.

The group mainly comprises members who have no previous experience of the guitar although a few have been playing for many years.

The intention is to gradually learn the basics of playing melodies and simple chords to reach a reasonable standard and have fun doing it. There are a few spaces available so, if you are interested, please contact Jim using the above "contact me" link for further details.

As at teh end of 2021, this group is currently on hold due to covid isolation requirements of the group leader.  If interested please still contact Liz or Neil to let them know and they can also give you an update on the latest situation regarding meetings restarting.

This is one group, but divided into two consecutive sessions, sharing the same programme. This means we can listen - and (hopefully)- learn of the history and development of Jazz from its origins to the present day in the comfort of our home. The programme is not chronological, but an eclectic mix to appeal to all tastes.
No live music, but we would typically have a mixture of DVDs, CDs and LPs.

The aim is for an enjoyable and sociable evening which runs from 7.30 until 10.00 - 10.30 pm with a halfway interval for refreshments and chat.

Although a new group this quickly filled after its announcement. If interested and want to get your name on the waiting list then please contact Jim using the link above.

Meetings currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Stay safe everyone.

During this pandemic, Jim is very kindly producing the Local History Link which is emailed to group members.  If you have stories to share or just want to comment please contact Jim.

Local History is an opportunity to find out more about the town and surrounding area where we live.

Previous Talks:

Our talk on 12th March 2020 was "Paintings of our town from the Beecroft Art Gallery Collection" a very interesting talk for both local history and art lovers, thanks to Jim and Tony.

We have been taken on an illustrated tour of some of the town's notable buildings outside of those that are listed, thanks to Jim for that  interesting look at a few buildings that are often overlooked.

In September 2019 we had Jim Gaillie from Battlesbridge Antiques visit and not just tell us a bit about the Centre, how it started etc but set us a fun quiz showing us a number of unusual objects and asking us to work out what they were.  If you missed the meeting and want to have a go then details are on our News & Events page, link at top.

At our July meeting, and following a bit of research undertaken, a number of members gave brief talks on the history of a few local Essex villages.  Some fascinating facts were unearthed.

At the May 2019 meeting the group were delighted to have Ken Crowe (ex head of Southend Museums) come and talk to us on the 2003 discovery of the Anglo-Saxon grave at Prittlewell.  The tomb is reckoned to date back to around 580AD.  Many of the excavated artefacts are now on show at the Southend Central Museum.

A fascinating insight into the discovery and work around recovering what turns out for the UK some unique Anglo-Saxon artefacts.  The talk was very well received and if you have not yet seen the exhibition then you must get along to the Museum.

When Liz Simmons sadly gave up her role as GC of this group, after an illness, the members got together and decided that they wanted the group to continue but in a slightly different way.

Although I am Group Contact, the members run the group themselves, taking turns to organise and contact the other group members. This has been working extremely well and everybody seems quite happy with the arrangement.

We have also extended our range of walks by going out as far as Danbury and Rettendon, very adventurous for us, but the tea cakes were good. The tea cakes are mandatory, of course, but only after we've finished the walk, usually a maximum of three miles.

Our latest walk was around Rochford via Stambridge Mills and alongside the river Roche (see photo). As we came back, we met the proprietor of our coffee stop who turned tail and rushed back into the shop to put the kettle on.

We are full at the moment but join the waiting list anyway.

Victor

This group is currently on hold.  If you want to get it going again then please contact the groups co-ordinator using the button above.

Thank you.

The London Visits Group travel by train to London and then may take a tube or bus to the selected venue.  The group intend to hold a meeting before Christmas to discuss trips for 2022.

If you are interested in joining the group and visiting places of interest in London or just want further information then please contact Allison.

The group organises monthly trips by train to London. The group uses tubes, buses or short walks to get to the various locations.  Contact Lorna for further details of any trips or with ideas of where you might want to visit.

The main aim of the group is to ‘do what it says on the tin’.

Although we had to stop eating out during Lockdown, we are slowly getting back into the routine and seem to average around 25 members at each lunch.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to find new restaurants who can cope with the numbers successfully so for now we have had to close our list to new members.

If you enjoy eating good food and sharing some friendly, interesting company then we are the Group for you. We aim to eat at restaurants that offer a good variety of different cuisines at reasonable prices. I took over in November 2018 and we now have a list of restaurants from which group members can make a choice. We aim to eat in the local area and have been to a variety of venues including Leigh Bistro (European), Damak (Turkish), Il Palazzo (Italian), and the Peterboat (Pub Grub).

After some 18 months of Covid restrictions I am delighted that the Club resumed in July 2021 and again meets on the last Thursday of each month for lunches. Since July we have eaten at Turkish, European and Italian restaurants.

I am currently looking for a venue for our Christmas meal. At the moment the group is full with some 20 members which is about the limit for booking a restaurant especially if everyone wants to come!  However, I will be pleased to hear from U3A members who are interested in joining the waiting list - please use "Contact Me" button above.

I can hear you questioning yourselves … how can maths ever be fun?

But did you know that the writers of The Simpsons included numerous high-brow maths references in the show, on account of how many of the main writing staff had a detailed knowledge of maths.

Think about that … the most popular TV show in history, an animated comedy, had a writing staff packed with maths experts. The fact that mathematicians are behind the most successful comedy in history does somewhat annihilate the stereotypical view that maths, and by extension mathematicians, are no fun, or "humourless".

So, if you can see past the stereotype, if you like exercising your brain, if you enjoy figuring things round and round till the penny drops; then join us for some fun solving and discussing of mathematical, logic and other puzzles.

A current affairs group for everybody to discuss, deliberate, consider, moot or address the issues of the day. It is quite delightful. A great way to start each month.

If you love to chat about things going on then please get in touch, look forward to meeting you.

Our Monday Pétanque group is now in full swing with two sessions every week on a Monday.  If you are interested or wish to know more then please get in touch with Peter using the 'Contact Me' link above.

Please note that after playing on a couple of occasions you are required to join and pay membership to the Whitehall Bowls club, where we play.  This currently costs £20 per annum and is in addition to the weekly fee.

We have a great time and there is help on hand if needed. Boules are provided.

This is only a small group and, whilst currently full, please register your interest with Pamela if you like the idea of joining as soon as vacancies arise.

We do play on an outdoor rink and play every week, weather permitting, we aim to keep meeting throughout the Winter months and you can always warm up with a coffee in the Club House.

Please note that after playing on a couple of occasions you are required to join and pay membership to the Whitehall Bowls club, where we play.  This currently costs £20 per annum and is in addition to the weekly fee.

We now have this Thursday group up and running.

If interested then please contact Victor using the button above.

Please note that after playing on a couple of occasions you are required to join and pay membership to the Whitehall Bowls club, where we play.  This currently costs £20 per annum and is in addition to the weekly fee.

This group has been going for several years now.

We started an OU syllabus more recently.

If this interests you then please get in touch.

   (Photo submitted by Sue in the Leading Lines category for the January 2022 submission. Click on photo for larger image.)

We are a small group of keen photographers of varying experience and equipment. Our informal monthly sessions include a mixture of external 'shoots' and internal meetings when we review our efforts, cover technical issues and sometimes just chat (strictly relevant subjects, of course). You can view some of previous shoots via the "News & Events" button above.  During Lockdown, we have been meeting online and hope to revert back to our meetings at Leigh Community Centre in the New Year.

We also have a closed (i.e. private) Facebook page (administered by Graham) where members can post pictures. Please get in touch via FB to join and request to join the group

We welcome new members of all levels of ability (and kit!) and we do have spaces so if you wish to join us, in which case please get in touch using the "contact me" button above.

A newly formed group that held their first meeting on Monday 1st April.  Spaces available so if you want to get involved please contact Steve.

We do what it says on the tin!

Since we began in June 2013 we have read a variety of plays, some suggested by members, some well known, occasionally favourites of mine. We started with J. B . Priestley's " Dangerous Corner", then Agatha Christie's, " The Mousetrap". Several of us had never seen it. "Ten Times Table", an Alan Ayckbourne was next, then Rattigan's "French Without Tears", and Paul Doust's "Cold Comfort Farm". Rather more serious was Wesker's "Chicken Soup and Barley". Then for Christmas a one act version of "Scrooge the Miser", an excellent read and time for festive goodies. "Darling Buds of May" by H. E. Bates was a fun afternoon and my favourite last week was Noel Coward's "Waiting in the Wings".

Next month we await Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. Variety is definitely the spice of our lives!

We are now fully subscribed and have a waiting list. If you would like to be added, or are interested in becoming part of a new, similar group, please get in touch and let us know.

The subjects for the next three meetings of the Psychology Group are:

tba

Anyone interested in joining please email.

For those with an inquisitive mind. You hear something, or read something, and you wonder why it is. It intrigued you to the extent that you want to find out more. You look it up on the Internet, or look it up in a book, perhaps in the library. One thing leads to another and suddenly you come across some obscure fact or event of a historical nature, probably not the sort of thing you would read in a conventional history book. It's "Quirky History" and you want to share it with someone. And that's exactly what we do in the group. Meeting during the afternoon on the first Wednesday of the month in the informal setting of the home of one of the group, we talk, we discuss, and we share, the topics we have discovered.

You might like to join us just to see and hear how it all works out. You might like to make it a monthly commitment!

After some 20 months delay due to covid, Peter can at long last present his next quiz at our first face to face meeting on 11th October 2021.  We look forward to seeing everyone in October.

We meet on the ground floor room of the Stables at the rear of Leigh Road Baptist Church; accessed via Chalkwell Park Drive at south end close to Leigh Road.

If you love the challenge of a quiz then join us on the second Monday of each month for a fun session of questions and answers. Don’t worry, you are not left to answer questions alone as we play in teams, mixing the teams for each session. Members volunteer to set the quiz and we share that load throughout the year. Whoever is setting the quiz, sets the format for that session so we get a variety of ideas coming through. This is not University Challenge and we keep it at that fun level.

It is a great way to meet new people at the same time as learning something new (or maybe a reminder of something you have forgotten).

We currently have spaces so please get in touch and join in the fun.

Sadly, we have put this group ON HOLD and really would like to find a new Group Leader/Contact to take over what has been an exciting and popular group.  If anyone is willing to help out then please contact the Groups Co-ordinator

In the meantime, members can continue to enjoy previous events via the "News & Events" button above and remember:

Serendipity - A happy accident or pleasant surprise – specifically, 'the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it'.

Objective: to explore and have fun!

The idea: To visit places of interest ideally unusual, that the majority of us haven’t visited before. No coach trips. We will jump on the train at Leigh/Chalkwell and have a fun and informative day, may be London, may be anywhere! To be serendipitous and be prepared to change our plan and take advantage of an opportunity that occurs.

Our days are variable, sometimes on a Saturday, usually every 2 months unless something occurs to take advantage of more frequently.

Please click on News & Events above for the adventures we have had so far!

Spanish for beginners is for those who have some knowledge of the language but want to learn to speak and write useful Spanish. We are a fun group who support one another and would welcome a few new members. At present we meet on Zoom once a fortnight.

It would be nice to have a member assist Corinne with the group.  If anyone would be willing to help out then please contact Corinne or alternatively contact the Groups Co-ordinator, thank you.

John Poland is helping this group to improve their Spanish.

If you are willing to undertake the co-ordination role for this group please contact Sally (Groups Co-ordinator)

Like food and good company then come and join us.

We must emphasise that you do not have to be a good table tennis player to join. The emphasis will be very much upon enjoying the game, having some fun whilst at the same time having some regular exercise and keeping active.

If you are interested or would like to know more then please contact Dawn.

We must emphasise that you do not have to be a good table tennis player to join. The emphasis will be very much upon enjoying the game, having some fun whilst at the same time having some regular exercise and keeping active.

Although currently full, we do keep a list of members wanting to join and accept them in order of registration once a space becomes available.  To register your name on the waiting list please use the 'Contact Me' link above.

If you would like to know more then please contact Marilyn.

Please contact us for more information.

We are hoping to restart after Lockdown very soon, once building works at the meeting venue have been completed.

No previous experience of tap dancing is necessary. Meetings fall on second and fourth Friday of every month.

(We are currently full and have a pretty long waiting list so apologies but not accepting new names at the moment.)

I am hoping to get this group back into full gear now that Lockdown restrictions have been removed.  Keep watching for news.  Trevor.

Ticket Conditions

When indicating interest in a show, payment by the deadline will guarantee you a ticket. Please include a stamped addressed envelope with your cheque.

Please note that all tickets booked and paid for are your responsibility to sell in the event that you can no longer attend. I will of course direct any enquiries in your direction.

See our News & Events page for details of future trips planned.  A few details of trips in near future are included below.

Forthcoming Trips:

Advance notice of planned trips (contact Trevor to get your interest booked in early):

Details to Follow

If you'd like to join the group to be kept informed of any future trips, then please contact me.

Lorna

Our aim is to learn simple chords to accompany popular songs.

This group comprises a mixture of abilities ranging from well seasoned musicians to complete novices. We meet twice a month for a session that is guaranteed to be fun and always very uplifting to the spirits. As Plato said “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

Music, especially that of a ukulele, can be very uplifting so if you want to raise your spirits come and join us.

We occasionally put on performances for local events such as the celebration of 400 years at the Dutch Cottage (Canvey), to performing at Nazareth House (Southend), and for the Home Sweet Home Care Group in Leigh.

Contact Marion if you are a beginner, want more experience, or are just after more information.

Notation for the music we play can be downloaded via links you will find by clicking on from links on the 'News & Events' page.

Our first visit was in April 2018 to Warley Place, formerly a famous garden, but now managed as a nature reserve by the Essex Wildlife trust. After a pub lunch most of the group visited the "Arts and Craft" church as it was only a mile down the road and open that afternoon. I attach a picture of the group outside the church.

In May there was no organised visit but a number of members went to Writtle Agricultural College on 24th, as they were open under the National Open Garden Scheme.

Our June visit was to Beeleigh Abbey Gardens near Maldon, where roses were one of the main features.

In July we visited South Shoebury Hall and enjoyed a fine display of agapanthus.

In August we went rather further, visiting Marks Hall Arboretum. This was a very large, interesting site so we were unable to see all of it in one tour.

Our final visit was to Horkesley Hall in September where we had a lovely tour, followed by homemade soup and cake.

In October there was no organised visit, but members were notified of free open days at Beth Chatto's garden and RHS Hyde Hall.

We have enjoyed lovely weather for all our visits and most places provided refreshments. Many thanks to all who organised a visit during 2018.

On our wildlife walks we look at the natural world, taking short, fairly slow walks round local open spaces such as the parks, the woods, the marshes, even the streets. We are looking at nature in every form - animals, birds, trees, flowers, insects, and little things like fungi and lichens. We share any knowledge and identifications, and use books when this fails. The aim is to enjoy the wildlife, increase our knowledge, maybe find new places, take photos and generally get the most out of our precious open spaces.

We usually finish up having coffee together.

Our last walk was to a chilly Chalkwell Park.  Our next walk is in Belfairs Woods.

No walks during lockdown but to see the photos that members have been sharing please see the News & Events page.

This is a small group and currently full.  Please use the contact me button above to add your name to the waiting list.

The group is very warm and friendly, with each person contributing in a different way. We have lots of laughs, not necessarily from the consumption of alcohol, so don't get the wrong idea!