From Gilli The Autumn Timetable
As usual, we have sent you the timetable as a separate document so that you may access it more easily. You may also see it if you click here. Also click here for an up-to-date description of all the current classes.
The Monday Talks
It is with enormous pleasure that we invite Brian Biggs back to the Monday Morning Talks programme. You will recall that Brian spent his working life on the tugs servicing the Thames, initially as boy and subsequently as Master. This Monday he tells us of his adventure being shipwrecked on the way to the Falklands. Definitely not one to be missed!
Next week Chris Rees discusses the ‘Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ AI is all around us – should we regard it as a blessing or a threat, perhaps a bit of both? Chris is the past President of The Computer Society, and the Chartered Institute for IT. In the past he has worked for BAE systems and in senior management positions in Logic, Deloitte Consulting and Charteris.
Recordings
Recordings of the Monday Morning Talks are available for a week or two afterwards. If you would like to have the link to a recording – or of that of an outside contributor – please email the Office. Recordings of some other talks may also be available. Please check with the coordinator to request a link.
From Naomi
Just a reminder that the only way for you to renew your membership at present is to email the Office and ask for your pre-printed form to be emailed to you. (If you have printer problems, ask for it to be posted to you.)
One day – we wish we knew when – you should be able to re-join on line. In the meantime, we are delighted that so many of you are showing your loyalty to our U3A.
Take care everyone.
Our Digital U3A
Many members have written to say how much they enjoyed seeing and hearing Ralph Blumenau in full flow again, Typical is this email from Christine Bye, ”Wonderful hour yesterday with Ralph – huge thanks from me to everyone involved – really enjoyed it. Clapping at the end was just like the good old days. We must keep our spirits up so – keep smiling. Love to all.
Zooming is now part of our lives, but – and it’s a big but – it takes a bit of getting used to. The “host” misses the presence of an audience to question, contribute, react to any (possibly pathetic) jokes and, in short, to create a friendly atmosphere. Talking to a coffee table is just not the same – it’s like trying to conduct an orchestra without any players. But gradually, those of us in the virtual audience recognise our friends, learn to unmute and ask questions and generally relax.
We now have 93 classes on Zoom, with more in the pipeline, which is wonderful! Gilli and I intend to celebrate with a glass of wine – maybe champagne – when we reach 100 classes!
Some of us are better at it than others but we are getting the hang of it. To those coordinators who haven’t tried it yet I say, “Have a Go!” Gilli is a miracle of helpfulness and will guide you through the sticky patches. And to those members who don’t feel like bothering to log on – well, you’re really missing out!
Sadly, we still have no idea when we’ll be able to go home to the Town Hall but you can be part of our U3A family on Zoom. There are also some advantages; with no restriction on room size, you can take part in as many classes as you like from your favourite armchair. The weather doesn’t matter and you don’t even have to get dressed if you switch the video off. I’m sure we’ll carry on with some classes on line side by side with our regular programme even after we get back to Belsize Park.
From Wally Howard
Next week’s talks: Part 5 of The Morata Affair in the Miscarriages of Justice series; and Part 11 of Wally’s Reflections at 95. No digressions this week!
Watch “The Morata Affair – Part 5” on Vimeo:
Watch “Reflections at 95 – Part 11” on Vimeo:
Class News
Don’t forget that Design History is starting on Thursday 5 November at 15.30 with Valerie Wilson Trower. She writes: “Design history proposes that artefacts from a given period are related to the social, political, economic, technical, and aesthetic conceptions of that period. The talks will start in 1851 and work towards the present day”.
From Mickey Yudkin
lease note the new date and time of my class:“Psychoanalysis Story Telling and Feelings” is on Thursdays at 4.30pm, starting on 12 November.
From Maureen Bett’s Thursday Art Class.
More samples next week
From Sheila 
From Jelena 
From Heather
From Pieta Ruck Keene
m starting a new block of classes and so the zoom link has changed.These classes will focus on the anatomy of breath and all of the components that make breathing easy.
The link is below:
Every week on Tue, until Dec 15, 2020, 7 occurrence(s) as below:
Nov 3, 2020 11:30 AM; Nov 10, 2020 11:30 AM; Nov 17, 2020 11:30 AM; Nov 24, 2020 11:30 AM; Dec 1, 2020 11:30 AM; Dec 8, 2020 11:30 AM; Dec 15, 2020 11:30 AM.
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83422701872
For Followers of Michael Baum’s Medicine/Art Class
Here is a list of the titles for the rest of this term’s talks.
November 3: The history of surgery through the eyes of the artist from Ancient Egypt to the modern day.
November 10: No lecture
November 17:Art as therapy.
November 24: The art of anatomy, the beauty of health and the ugly face of cancer.
December 1: The Hazards of screening for cancer.
December 8: The Golden Ibex of Santorini
December 15: Breast Cancer-Time for a paradigm shift
From Irene Fine
I would be happy to play bridge with anyone on BBO or to mentor anyone with any Bridge queries. Please feel free to contact me via the Office.
From John O’Sullivan
Sadly I am letting you know that Robert Balazs’s daughter has written to me to say that he died recently. Robert had been attending my iPad class for over a year and I have written to her expressing our condolences.
From Martin Green
Hi Gilli, Thanks for mentioning exercise snacking but you have given no details about how it works. If members browse Bath University Exercise Snacking they will find the necessary information there. Best wishes, Martin
To Make you smile
Some alcoholic funnies:
A Scotsman walks into offices of Coutts & Co in the Strand, London (Bankers to the Royal Family since 1820) and asks to speak to the manager. He informs him that he is going abroad on business for two weeks and needs to borrow £5,000. The Manager tells him that Coutts & Co would only be delighted to meet his requirements, but that he should understand that since he is not a client of the Bank, it would need some modest security for the loan.
So the Scotsman takes out the keys and documents of a brand new Ferrari parked in front of the bank and hands them to the manager saying “Will this do?” He also produces the car’s logbook and after a phone call everything seems fine. The manager agrees to accept the car as security for the loan; the cashier hands out £5,000 while bank’s porter drives the Ferrari into the bank’s underground garage for safe keeping.
Over lunch the manager tells his colleagues the amusing little story of how a simple minded Scot from North of the Border secured a loan for £5,000 offering a £120,000 Ferrari as collateral and they all enjoy a good chuckle as they sip their port. Two weeks later, the Scotsman returns, repays the £5,000 and the interest, which comes to £15.41. The manager says, “Sir, we have been more than happy to have had your business and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are just a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are in fact a wealthy property investor. What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow £5,000 from us?”
The Scotsman replies: “Where else in London can I park my Ferrari for two weeks for only £15.41 and expect it to be still there when I return?”