Monday Morning Talk and the Timetable
The list of Monday morning talks, the full timetable, the short summary timetable of classes taking place in the Town Hall, the checklist of the Zoom classes and the latest version of the Handbook can all be seen on our website.
From Naomi
There is a growing and worrying lack of compliance in the need to wear lanyards in the building. The response if challenged may be, “I find it uncomfortable to wear” or “If others are not wearing it, why should I?” or “I’ve left it at home.”
I would like to remind all members why we introduced this rule on our return to the Town Hall. No member is issued with the lanyard without proof of double vaccination and wearing it identifies the member as a suitable person to be in the building. It is necessary that members must be safeguarded as far as possible and this gives peace of mind to the many who have genuine concerns about the virus.
Please have consideration for others – we must accept that if we belong to our U3A, we must act responsibly and if you aren’t wearing your lanyard you are breaking our code of conduct and government regulations. WacArts and U3A have the right to insist that you should leave the building if you do not have it with you. The coordinators have also been asked to enforce this rule and some members are upset when they see someone who isn’t wearing it.
Thank you for your cooperation. I am here to help in any way I can.
Best wishes, Naomi
From Amalia
Changes this week:
- The following classes are cancelled: Ivan Rappaport’s Written English on Tuesdays at 11.40 in Room 2.26. and Philip Maher’s Mathematics in Civilisation on Thursdays at 11.40 in Room 1.33
- Meditation: Neorca will be away in the US from 15 Nov until 5th Jan 2022. This means the Town Hall class will be suspended and only Zoom is available on Tuesdays at 5.00pm.
- Shafeeq Sizziqui’s Stories behind the Headlines on Mondays in Room 1.29 and Zoom at 15.10 is cancelled for the rest of this term
- Advanced German conversation: Charles Fraser has offered to run a German advanced conversation class, starting on 23 November (see below). It will be on Tuesdays at 12.50 in room 2.26.
- Gnosticism: George Wood is starting his class again on 3 December (see below). The class is on Fridays at 12.00 – 13.00 on Zoom, starting on 3 December.
- Chair Pilates: This class has moved to Room 2.21. Still with Gilli – still on Tuesdays at 12.50
- Medical Humanities; This has moved to Room 1.29. Still with Mike Baum, fortnightly on Tuesdays at 12.50 (class this week).
- Tiki Martel’s History: Jews of Spain and Portugal (Wednesdays at 15.10 Room 2.26) is cancelled for the rest of this term and will re-start next term.
- Shirley Levy’s Monday Art Appreciation at 14.00 is not happening this week.
Two Really Heartfelt Pleas
The team is dedicated to running a successful programme but we are increasingly frustrated by these problems.
a) Zoom classes:
Site blocking: It’s as if U3A has rented 4 rooms from Zoom. Each class has an individual entry code for a particular room. If the room is busy, you will see the “host is in another meeting” message. Gilli frequently has to deal with disrupted classes because of this problem and has to be telephoned to sort things out. You can help by following these simple rules so we can all use the facility without disappointment.
- Do not log into a meeting more than 5 minutes before the scheduled start time.
- If no-one else joins you after 1 minute, leave the meeting (by clicking on the red button). Then check the timetable carefully – did you have the correct day and time?
- Try again. If no-one else joins you after the scheduled start time – leave the meeting.
- Contact the office or the host coordinator to find out what happened. Was the meeting cancelled?
- Please DO NOT stay in an empty meeting after the scheduled start time.
- And finally – please only ‘click here’ on the day and time scheduled. If used at another time you will block somebody else trying to join a meeting.
b) Town Hall classes:
Plugs pulled out of sockets:
Herbie is constantly improving and monitoring our technology which has become quite complex. However, in many of our rooms he often finds that someone has taken plugs out of sockets and failed to put them back – or put them back in the wrong places. Tracing dangling wires and plugs is frustrating and can be annoying and time-consuming.
You can help by NOT interfering with the established connections without advice and permission. However, if it has been agreed that you may do so, then make sure you leave the connections exactly as you found them when you arrived.
From Wally Howard
Back to three classes this week which are taking place on Monday 15 November, Wednesday 17 November and Thursday 18 November at 14.00.
Monday’s film, Sorry We Missed You, directed by Ken Loach, is the story of a family under financial pressure. Peter Bradshaw, writing in the Guardian said that he was “hit in the solar plexus by this movie, wiped out by its simple honesty and integrity of the performances.” This film was particularly well received by critics, one of whom said “The I, Daniel Blake director raises his game yet further with this gut-wrenching tale.“
Wednesday’s film, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an intimate portrait of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania facing an unintended pregnancy. It was Mark Kermode’s film of the week and he described it as being a “perfectly observed portrait of female friendships; a coming of age story with road-movie inflections, piercingly honest and deeply affecting“.
Thursday’s film, Sunday in the Country is a celebrated French film which explores family dynamics on the eve of WWI. Roger Ebert described the film as having a “haunting, sweet, sad quality”. “It is told by Tavernier with great attention to details and the details add up to the way life is“.
All films will be shown in Room 1.22 and I look forward to you joining me there. In the meantime, have a great weekend and keep safe, well and warm!
From Nigel Hathway
London Visits. There is a possible trip to celebrate the end of term with a tour of the Camden Brewery – home of several award-winning craft beers. It will take place around lunchtime on Friday 10th December – conditional on sufficient demand. There will be a guided tour of the production process and a tasting menu within which you will be able to sample 5 different beers. Numbers are limited so places will be allocated to those that apply and pay first. Cost is £20 per person.
Ruth Scott
Ruth’s funeral/cremation will be on Monday 15 November at 3.30pm at Golders Green Crematorium, East Chapel. If anyone is unable to attend the funeral in person, but would like to attend by webcast the details are as follows:
Website: https://watch.obitus.com
Username: xosi5474
Password: 334223
People may connect 5 minutes before the start time (but we are asked to please be sensitive in case the previous funeral has overrun).
We have a new Advanced German Conversation class
Charles Fraser has offered to run a German advanced conversation class, starting on 23 November. It will be on Tuesdays at 12.50 in room 2.26. This class is for fluent German speakers or those who have studied German to good ‘A’ level standard and/or attained level B2/C1 of the Common European Framework Reference for Languages.
We still need a class for beginners. Any volunteers?
From George Wood
Gnosticism starts again on 3 December; Fridays at 12.00 – 13.00 on Zoom. Participants can contact me for more information.
From Jo Rapkin – Christmas lunch in the cafeteria
On Thursday 2nd December, instead of our regular lunch, we’ll be serving Christmas lunch only. There will be nibbles to start, then traditional turkey meal with lovely vegetables and roast potatoes and we’ll finish with a pudding. There will, of course, be a vegetarian option, for those who’d prefer it.
I’ll be taking bookings for it from this Monday- groups or individuals can enquire directly with me when they come in for classes.
I will print out the menu and leaflets to give out, too.
The price for the meal is £16.00 per person. The seats are limited, so please book early.
From Maxine Jason
The collage Art class needs your magazines! They should be Art, Photographic or Fashion magazines, not run-of -the-mill periodicals. Please leave them in the Office for Maxine to collect.
From Ken Pullen
Where have all the recorder players gone? We had a thriving class when Valerie was alive, so come along and re-kindle your interest.
From Howard Shelter
I have added at the foot of the weekly timetable under “Other” an entry titled “Opera’s Wonderland – Exploring the World of Opera.” The link shown is to my “virtual website” which in turn supplies links to quality uploads on Youtube and other websites. My “virtual website” provides a LIBRARY of links to opera films and talks and more:
1) about 150 quality filmed complete opera performances including operas by Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Richard Strauss, Bizet, Wagner, and Italian bel canto; 2) for Verdi, also links to his personal life and times in 5 episodes with film (not musical); 3) the parental connection in his operas; 4) the History of European Opera, (to be in 34 episodes); 5) for Wagner, also an introduction to the Ring Cycle; 6) his life and career with opera excerpts; 7) Comic Strip stories of Wagner’s four Ring operas in entirety; 8) rare opera surprises and 9) operetta and more.
From Moragh Ghee
I wonder if you would like to come and see The Importance of Being Earnest that the Hampstead Players are putting on in the Parish Church in Church Row, Hampstead NW3? The performances are at 7.30pm on Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th November. There’s also a matinee performance on the 27th at 2.30pm.
Tickets online at: hampsteadplayers.org.uk and enquiries at: 020 7794 5808
Best wishes from Moragh
P.S. By the way, I’ve been cast as Lady Bracknell.
From Barbara Alden
Thank you so much for including my message about the cats. Thanks to the response from wonderful u3a members, a future home for them has been secured – photos below. So our amazing u3a has again proved a lifesaver, not only for humans!!
Exam Invigilators Needed
My name is Dawn Greengrass and I am the Examinations Officer at South Hampstead High School, NW3. South Hampstead is an all-girls’ school in NW London located near Swiss Cottage/Finchley Road. We currently have vacancies for exam invigilators and I was wondering if you would please be able to let your members know? The work is seasonal (typically two weeks in early January, ten days in February, ten days in April, all of May and June and occasionally other odd days throughout the year) and of course full training will be given.
To make you smile
Best Wishes from the Team
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Naomi
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Gilli
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Herbie
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Amalia
