Welcome back! We hope you are well and are looking forward to the new term.
This is rather a long Update PLEASE DO READ IT ALL!
The timetables for the week
The full timetable, the Town Hall room timetable and the Zoom timetable are available in the Office and on our website.
Monday Morning Talk
We start the term with a talk by a new coordinator, Yvonne Dove. She will be talking about ‘Ovid’s Metamorphoses – the Artists’ Handbook’.
From Gilli, Sue and Dalia – The 2023 Summer Break Programme
We plan to hold 2 morning lectures and one 4pm lecture each weekday from 7 – 31 August, including a 2-day workshop on The Short Story. Lectures will be given on zoom, though some will be delivered from the Town Hall, and it will be possible to listen to lectures from room 2.21. The current schedule is attached but programme details may change before the Summer. We welcome more contributions.
The Drama Group
We intend to put on our first live performance since the pandemic, in room 2.21 on Thursday May 4th at 11:00. We will present a light programme lasting about 50 minutes, featuring Catherine Osborn’s adaption of The Pot of Gold, by Roman playwright Plautus, and a few other pieces.
An Important Reminder
Remember that if you would like to contribute in any way to the weekly Update, you should be contacting Alan Milward who has volunteered to take over from Amalia in compiling it. Email: alanmilward53@gmail.com.
Linda Shannon’s Funeral – from Jane Harvey and Mushtak Macci
The funeral will take place on Wednesday 26 April 2023, at 3.00 p.m. atSt Marylebone Crematorium, East End Road Finchley London N2 0RZ.Mourners are invited to wear a sprig of rosemary for remembrance as a tribute to Linda’s passion for the history and customs of the Tudor period. For those unable to attend the funeral, it will be streamed live. You are warmly invited to join the family for refreshments afterwards, venue tbc.
For details and enquiries, please contact Cooksey & Sons, Funeral Directors.
From Nigel Hathway – London Visits
Please find attached details of the 4 Visits planned over the coming months (May to July) where there are still some vacancies. As always, numbers are limited on each visit, so places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. If you are interested in going on any of the visits, please respond directly to Nigel.
Painting the Common Room – from Valerie Wilson Trower
I thought we might improve the common room, it always seems rather narrow, and I hope that this will make it seem warmer and welcoming. I’ve rearranged the tables and chairs too and hope to create a picture wall – very trendy – on one wall. Let’s give this a try to see if it is easier for everyone to use.


INFORMATION ABOUT CLASSES
We have some exciting new classes for you this coming term.
Tuesdaysat 10.30 – 11.30 in Room 1.30. A new member, Jane Green, has come forward to take Linda Shannon’s Shakespeare Class. Please note the new time. Jane writes: “How do we take a play from the page to the stage? We shall find the answer by exploring story and character, themes and issues, language and theatricality and historical and contemporary relevance. We shall start the term with Romeo and Juliet so please ensure that you have your own copy of the text. Everyone, who would like to, will have the opportunity to participate as we read aloud from each scene”.
Wednesdays at 12.50 –13.50 in Room 1.30. Linda Trew will offer an Introduction to the Chinese Language. Linda writes, “Introduction to Chinese. A beginners’ class that shines a light on how the Chinese language works. You will master simple everyday phrases, discover how the written script works and in doing so, gain an understanding of Chinese culture”.
Thursdays at 15.10 – 16.10 in Room 1.29, Yvonne Dove presents an Art Appreciation course on Secular and Mythological Art. Yvonne writes, “This course covers the history of secular and mythological art from ancient Greek and Roman statues and mosaics to twentieth century political propaganda posters. The sessions will be highly participative and include discussions and comparisons of Renaissance mythological paintings and sculpture, English landscapes, artists’ use of self-portraits to project their image, the Victorian Pre-Raphaelites and French impressionism in between”
Thursdays at 15.10 –16.10 in room 1.26 Ruth Freeman ls offering a ‘drop-in’ and ‘self-help’ class for iPad and iPhone users.
Fridays 12.00 – 13.00 in Room 2.26 Des Marshall and Geoff Garfield have set up a fortnightly 1950s 60s and 70s Music class to play music from those eras. We welcome people’s requests. The first meeting will be on Friday 28th April. “The weekend starts here” – remember that slogan?
These classes will not take place in this coming term:
Monday: Readings from your Favourite book.
Monday: Stories Behind the Headlines
Wednesday: Art Appreciation.
Wednesday: Intermediate supervised Bridge
Wednesday: Classical Music Appreciation.
Wednesday: Quantum Theory for the Terrified
Thursday: iPad and iPhone
Thursday the Law and the Elderly
Thursday Spanish Philology
From Wally Howard
Welcome back! Information re next week’s film classes – a short season of Russian Films, all in room 1.22.
Monday April 24 th at 2 pm
One of the most important films in world cinema by Sergei Eisenstein
THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
Wednesday April 26th at 2 pm
One of the most enduring classics of Russian Cinema
THE CRANES ARE FLYING
Winner of the Palme D’OR
Thursday April 27th at 2pm
Oscar winner Best Film in Foreign Language
A film by Nikita Mikhalkov
BURNT BY THE SUN
From Paul Plant
Politics and Current Affairs. My first class this term will be in the Town Hall on 24th April. The next class will be on the last Monday in May
From Alan Morton
My Energy and Climate Change class will take place as usual at 11.40 on 2nd May but after that there will be no more appearances until the Autumn term. (The timing then will change to 10.30 – 11.30 and the fortnightly sessions begin on 26th September).
From Elisabeth Fantino
My Dutch class on Wednesday at 14.00 – the first class starts on 26 April.
From Barbara Alden
My two classes, Voice Matters and Qi Gong, won’t resume until Tuesday June 6th.
Coordinator needed for French for Absolute Beginners
We need a new coordinator to lead a beginners’ class for next September. Our present class on a Thursday afternoon has made good progress with Sharon and members are no longer beginners! This often happens with language classes.
From Ken Baldry
EUROPEAN HISTORY Wed 11.40 – 12.40 (Room 2.21) We start the term with Talk 99: The Baltic & East from the later 16th Century. More Astronomy, Sweden & Poland & Russia’s Time of Troubles with 81 slides. The following week is Talk 100 Art in the later 16th Century: Corregio, Anguissola, Fontana, Longhi, Galizia & Caravaggio with 179 slides & contemporary music. The full programme is on http://www.art-science.com/history-talks.html
From Valerie Wilson Trower
The Design History group visiting the Baroque section of the V&A recently. We are in front of the Meissen ceramic table decoration, designed for use at a buffet for chilled desserts. We decided that today it would make a perfect chocolate fountain…. 🙂 from Valerie.

Calling all Music Classes (and users of room 2.26)
You will be pleased to hear that our generous donor has arranged for her keyboard to be transported to the Town Hall. We have put it for now in the storeroom at the back of room 2.21. However, as most of our music classes now are based in room 2.26, I wonder if there would be room for it in that room in order to make good use of it. What do the users of room 2.26 think?
‘Room Service’ – a production, about hotels – the good, the bad and the bizarre
A recent Monday morning speaker, Chris Howe, wishes to invite you to the next Blacktooth Production which includes readings, live music and anecdotes about Patti Smith, Grace Kelly, Harpo Marx, Mick Jagger and other high and low-ranking guests. The venue is the Green Rooms, a celebrated arts hotel and social enterprise, opposite Wood Green tube station. The performance starts at 7.30pm on April 29 at the Green Rooms Hotel, 13-27 Station Road, London N22 6UW
Used Postage Stamps
Sue Kwok has taken over collecting used postage stamps which can be left in the office at the Town Hall.
Summer Coach Outings
Before the pandemic one of our members used to organise 3 coach outings every year as part of the Summer Programme. These were very popular and it would be great if they could be restarted, maybe with just 1 or 2 this year. If you would be willing to take over the organisation of these events please email the office. at office@u3alondon.org.uk
To make you smile

Best wishes from the team



