There are now 5 members interested in this group. Is there a U3A member with a sound knowledge of the language who would be willing to get this group off the ground? If so please contact our Groups Coordinator

Likewise if you wish to add your name to the list of those interested then please contact the Groups Co-ordinator

Do you enjoy good company and good food and like to get out and about on a Sunday?  Then you'll be pleased to know that we are aiming to get a second Sunday Lunch group running.  The idea is to meet up for a reasonably priced Sunday Lunch and catch up with the week's events over an hour or two once a month.

Interested?  Then please contact our Groups Co-ordinator and get your name down.

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.

The group have a list of artists for each month. Members do some research on the artist they choose and give a brief talk while we look at their paintings on a projector. Some of us attend U3A days at the National Gallery which are very interesting along with visiting the Mall Gallery to see the Portrait Exhibitions. It is a friendly group, none of us having any prior knowledge of the subject.

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 the Bridge for Beginners group underway. Currently there are no spaces in the group but if you are interested in playing this fascinating card game then please register your interest by contacting the group contact and getting your name added to the waiting list. Once we have enough names, plus someone to teach, we’ll start a second Bridge group.

If you already know the game and would be willing to share that knowledge by teaching others how to play then please get in touch.

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.

VISITING ESSEX CHURCHES GROUP

This group is for people who are interested in church architecture and history and comparative religion. 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.

This group is now up and running and they enjoyed their first cinema outing to see Red Joan at the Odeon, Southend.

If you are interested in watching a film with like minded people or want to see a live cinema screening of a event such as opera, a National Theatre production or ballet then please make contact with Pamela or Marilyn by using link above.

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 meets at a members home and is currently full.  We take it in turns to choose the book and try to limit ourselves to those written before 1940 excluding War & Peace (too long), Virginia Woolf and James Joyce ('streams of consciousness' too baffling)

Sadly this group will be closing in the late autumn.  If there is anyone willing and able to take on then please contact the Groups Co-ordinator

Ravenshead U3A have kindly shared their useful computer guides. Click on the *Computer Help Guides* link here.

We have lively discussions (very loosely based on some discussion questions/issues that I email before the meeting). We usually get between 8 and 12 people attending. People often do a bit of research on issues that have interested the group so there is a bit of information sharing that goes on between sessions.

I hope people are enjoying themselves - I know I am - lovely group and very interesting discussions (and lots of laughs!)

So far this year, the Contemporary Novels group have read:

January - 'Arthur and George' by Julian Barnes
February - 'Where My Heart Used to Beat' by Sebastian Faulks
March - 'The Little Red Chairs' by Edna O'Brien
April - 'Hagseed' by Margaret Atwood
May - 'The Poisonwood Bible' by Barbara Kingsolver
June - 'Notes from an Exhibition' by Patrick Gale
July - 'The Stranger's Child' by Alan Hollinghurst
August - 'Deaf Sentence' by David Lodge

To see the books that we have read since we started, please see the Reading List in link above.

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 2 - 4 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.

Creative Writing for all abilities. Using memory and imagination and encouraging each other with our writing. For examples of our work click link above.

Please contact Lynda for details.

A new Creative Writing group welcoming beginner writers as well as writers with more experience. Sessions will feature short story writing, autobiography and poetry. Optional homework and additional resources provided and your suggestions for writing topics always welcome!

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 group consists of 14 members and are asked that, if possible, everyone bring an article from the media or write out a subject that they would like discussed and these are put into a bag and pulled out at random. We do not discuss religion or politics (very wise) but the topics are varied and can be anything from space travel, state/private education, the pros and cons of medical science etc. and of course we also have light hearted topics such as "talking is the best way to beat winter blues" (no problem for us) or life begins at 60 not 40 (very encouraging). Each meeting is different so it is not possible to be specific on the topics but the most important thing is that obviously everyone has their own ideas but there is never any bad feeling however diverse opinions maybe.

We end with tea and biscuits and the satisfaction that we have put the world to rights - leaving as the same friendly group that arrived.

A friendly group which encourages members to talk about any subjects that interest them. This creates added stimulus and variety in other areas besides our news reviews.

We are pretty full right now but please let me know if you are wanting to join us and I'll let you know once a space is available.

The title says it all!

The group will enjoy 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.

UPCOMING TRIPS (please click on trip name for more details when available)

Monday 21st October - Greenwich Ahoy

Tuesday 19th November - Queen Victoria and Afternoon Tea

Tuesday 10th December - Festive Lunch at Prested Hall

Monday 6th January - FROM THE DEVIL TO THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Wednesday 12th February 2020 - A Brief History of Jazz

The Mansion

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  (usually, we feed our bodies too!).

Our 2019 programme follows:

• tba

Other dates to be arranged....

This is a newly formed group which had their first visit to the Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch on October 29th, 2018.

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.

A new group just getting underway so please get your name down before the gate shuts by contacting Heather using the button above.

The group held their inaugural meeting on Monday 30th September.  We discussed a number of activities over the coming months, outline details below; please contact me for more information.

• 22^nd November at 7.00pm Fashion Show by Evie Bleu for the Southend Soroptimists.  Venue -  Leigh Community Centre.  £7.00 a ticket.  Tickets to be bought in advance from me please – just let me know.  As this is NOT primarily a U3A event, you can have tickets for family and friends – the more the merrier, just let me know.
• Tuesday 3^rd December at 1.30pm  -Our Christmas lunch at Cucina’s in Leigh – opposite the library.  Please let me know by the end of next week (11^th October) whether you can attend and then I’ll get it booked.

• Jan / Feb Mary Quant at the V&A Museum date to be confirmed

• April ‘Out of the Blue’: 50 Years of Designer Guild £8.80 – date to be confirmed, but it will be a Wednesday 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd or 29^th.

• 10^th June meeting at Jenny’s house.  Contact me for address.

Fashion Matters. To the economy, to society and to each of us personally. Faster than anything else, what we wear tells the story of who we are - or who we want to be. Fashion is the most immediate and intimate form of self-expression.

Please click on "News & Events" button above for a write up and pictures on events we have had so far.

Our latest Autumn and Winter 2019 Programme can also be found on the "News & Events" button.

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'.

This group had its last meeting on Monday 29th July 2019

If you would like to see the group continue then we need someone to take over the role of Group Leader/Contact.  Please get in touch with our Groups Co-ordinator if you can help and keep this group running.

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

The group aims to enhance our knowledge of the works of this theatrical duo by talking about one of their operettas and where possible play a DVD or YouTube performance at each meeting. There may also be outings to performances of their work.

Gilbert & Sullivan Group are meeting Tuesday 17th September at 2.00 pm at Leigh Community Centre. Fancy escaping for an afternoon. We will be watching a DVD recording of The Sorcerer. Sit back and enjoy Sullivan's sparkling music and Gilbert's marvellous wit and cutting humour.

The villagers of Ploverleigh are preparing to celebrate the betrothal of Alexis Pointdextre, the son of the local baronet, and the blue-blooded Aline Sangazure Alexis reveals to his fiancée his plans that love should unite all classes and ranks. He has invited a representative, John Wellington Wells from a respectable London firm of sorcerers to Ploverleigh. Aline has misgivings about hiring a real sorcerer. Nevertheless, Alexis instructs Wells to prepare a batch of love potion, sufficient to affect the entire village, except that it must have no effect on married people. The village gathers for the wedding feast and the potion is added to a teapot. All of the villagers, save Alexis, Aline and Wells, drink it and, after experiencing some hallucinations, they fall unconscious. What can possibly go wrong!

The group's first meeting takes place on 17th October 2019.  The group comprises mostly members who have not played guitar before, a couple played in their youth, and a couple have been playing for many years.  These latter members will be helping to get the group to a standard where they might even undertake a public performance, but maybe not the Albert Hall just yet!

There are spaces so if interested in learning guitar and being involved from the start then please contact David using the button above for further details.

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.