Weekly Online 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.
The Monday Talks
This week’s Monday Talk at 10.30 is ‘Probation in Walthamstow – It’s a crime! It’s crazy! 10000 miles of walking.’ Jeremy Cameron reflects on his former life as a Probation Officer in the light of the 5 crime novels he has written about North London. To set the scene, he has set a quiz about the meanings of rhyming slang and expressions. Hopefully, he will also talk a little about his other passion – walking!
Next week: Richard Henderson, talks about ‘Monarchy on Screen’ – looking at how the royal family has been depicted in films over the years. He is a royal commentator, film critic and public relations consultant featured on TV and radio around the world.
From Naomi
Last Monday the committee zoomed in, as we do each month, to gaze into our crystal ball and try to plan. It is a fantasy that each of us are playing at the moment. When will lockdown end? When will we return to the new normal, whatever that is? Our committee of 15 are trying to do the impossible and predict the future. What we do is to decide on what we think is the most probable scenario, make plans to fit, then devise a second or even sometimes a third plan in case the probable does not materialise. As the government so far has not given much advance warning of changes to take place, we want to be ready when the brakes are finally removed.
Our best guess is that we will be back in Belsize Park in September and are planning accordingly. We intend to start our Autumn term on Monday 20 September. I’m waiting to learn if Wac Arts has accepted our bookings for the Main Hall on Friday 3 December for our Xmas Party and for our Easter Conference 2022 on Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 April. Please don’t try to book yet!
Meanwhile, our AGM will have to be postponed– there will be an extra contribution instead on Monday, 22 March from the popular Morris Peckman. The Spring Term will end on Friday 26 March. This April there cannot be an Easter conference and Sue is organising an Easter Programme on Zoom from Monday 29 March until Friday 16 April. The Summer Term will start on Monday 19 April and end on Friday 17 July. This will be followed by the Summer Programme, starting on Monday 19 July, which the indefatigable Sue will have arranged.
This predicted start could be delayed or may be brought forward. Amalia firmly believes that even a seemingly impossible timetable can be achieved with luck, good planning and, above all, enough warning. Rest assured, as soon as it is safe to do so, we will endeavor to welcome all of us back to the Town Hall.
Stay well, Naomi
For the fans of Wally Howard
Links to Wally’s talks below:
The first video is a miscarriages of Justice – Part One of Joe Hill:
The second is Memories at 95 – Part 25:
The third is Memories of Haridwar:
From Pieta Ruck Keene
Your homework is to shrink your pain every time you feel a twinge and to use your words and images to create “glimmers” not “triggers”. This week’s recording on neurotags is:
Best wishes, Pieta
From Stanley Volk
The meeting on 28 February at 12.00 will be a Contemporary play reading of Arthur Miller’s “Incident at Vichy”.
On Thursday 4th February, “Singing Workshop for all levels” will include 10 minutes fun warm-up exercises, singing in Harmony etc. To be followed by a good old sing-along, including The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel, Come along to sing or just listen.
Other Events:
Aspects of Japan
In two weeks, a little known but very interesting story about the British attempts in 1945 to take over from the Japanese in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Burma, and how they dealt with Ho Chi Minh and others.
Wine Tasting
3rd February 6pm. Contact Martin Rayboulds
From John O’Sullivan
‘Making The Most Of Your iPad / iPhone’ class,
The class is now full and we currently have two people on the waiting list as of Thurs 1st Oct.
U3A Members are asking for the Zoom Meeting link, and I am of course replying and informing them that I’ve placed them on the waiting list etc. However, I think it’s appropriate to ‘flag up’ that the class is now full – as I think members would expect to be made aware of it from the outset.
To Make you smile
Should I Really Have Joined Facebook?
To be perfectly frank am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven’t worked out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to dig under chair cushions and check bathroom laundry baskets when the phone rings.
When I bought my mobile phone, I thought it might be useful for my business. And then my grand children signed me up for Twittter and Facebook. My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything my grandchildren were doing. I am not ready to live like this, so now I keep the phone in the garage in my golf bag.
Then the grandchildren bought me a Satnav for my last birthday because they said I got lost going to the supermarket or library.It looked good on my dash board but the lady inside it was a most annoying person. Every 10 minutes, she would say, “Re-calc-u-lating”. She would then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then what happened if I made a right turn instead? Well, it was not a good relationship.I now keep the Satnav in a box under my tool bench.
When I get lost now, my wife tells me how to get home.
A Poem by Hilary Roodyn
Oh for a bubble!
For those of us who are “bubble-less”
With isolation, misery and much distress
A kiss and a cuddle re certainly history
Masks obligatory for protection, not mystery.
Imagine touching another human being.
The shock and horror could send us fleeing.
We British are known for our extreme reserve
Encountering no one must lessen our verve.
Bubble and squeak might not be our favourite food
But a squeak with a bubble would brighten our mood.
To all who are bubble-less remember, the vaccine is here
Despite the calamitous distribution, the end must be near.
Puzzle for today
What common English word is 9 letters long and each time you remove one letter you are still left with a complete English word right down to the very last letter?
Answer next week (clue – it starts with “s” and ends with “g”).