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.

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.

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.

Good 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 rimoco1945@gmail.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  

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 see someone practising an old 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!).

Richard Lytheer is stepping down. Thus a new group leader is required. If you would like to take this popular group over, there are many ready-made ideas from previous trips mentioned on this webpage. The trip to Cudmore Grove CP in East Mersea 2022 was our last trip.

If you are interested in the role, please contact Richard Lytheer via Contact Us or Sally Dickinson, Groups coordinator.

It would be a shame to see this group close.

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

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.

Local History has been meeting again since the Autumn.  Our members have been very pleased to get together again.

January meeting was a presentation by Jim on the houses on Leigh Hill followed by tea and biscuits.

Some meetings we have a speaker, other times we do research amongst ourselves. We have visited various local places.

This Group started when Leigh Estuary U3A began and has been very successful.

We meet on the second Thursday at Leigh Road Baptist Church.

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

The London Visits Group travel by train to London and then may take a tube or bus to the selected venue.

Although currently full, if you are interested in joining the group then let Allison know and she will put you onto a waiting list.  If you have questions 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.

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 Ursula in the Perceptions of Colour category for the Sept 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.  We are now meeting again at Leigh Community Centre and our field trips continue.

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 (open only to members of the Photography group)

We welcome new members of all levels of ability (and kit including phones) and we do have spaces so if you wish to join us, 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".

Variety is definitely the spice of our lives!

We currently have a vacancy for one new member to join our group, limited by space to 9. 

We do need someone to read the male roles as we only have 2 males in our group. Please get in touch if interested by using the 'Contact Me' link above.

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!

We have returned to some sort of normality with monthly quizzes taking place as pre-covid.  We do have larger tables to spread ourselves out a little more and rather than whispering answers we ask that you bring scrap paper and pass written notes when sharing team answers to questions.

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.

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.

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.

The group has started up again but due to covid/spacing requirements we are having to limit the group to a maximum of 12 members, hopefully we can change that in due course..

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:

(contact Trevor to get your interest booked in early):

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.

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!