For the last week of term, beginning 5 December.
Timetable for week 5 December
Copies of the full timetable, the Town Hall room timetable and the Zoom timetable are available in the Office and on our website. For the Monday Morning talk this week, we welcome David Marsh who will talk about ‘Mistletoe and the Druids’.
From Wally Howard
We conclude this term with three of the greatest comedy films made by Preston Sturges. The films represent the beginning, middle and end of his career. He has been likened to a meteor that flashes across the sky and dazzles us with its brilliance before burning out. 4All films take place in Room 22 at 14.00.
Monday December 5th at 2pm
Brian Donlevy, Akim Tamiroff and Muriel Angelus star in THE GREAT McGINTY. This is the first film Sturges directed. It’s a wonderfully funny political satire about a down and out’s corrupt rise from skid row to governor’s mansion. Supporting cast includes some of the delightful character actors who were to become regulars in his movies. The film won the Oscar for best original script
Wednesday December 7th at 2pm
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake.
Preston Sturges’ brilliant satire is considered one the finest movies about Hollywood ever made. Comedy director John Sullivan decides to give up his life of luxury and set off on the road to find out how the other half lives. Sullivan’s adventures are as funny and as relevant today as they were 60 years ago
Thursday December 8th at 2pm
THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEK starring Betty Hutton Eddie Bracken.
One of Paramount’s funniest films is this classic frantic audacious comedy and was the Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
End of Year Tea Party
Have you picked up your ticket for the party on Sunday 11th December at 2.45 from the Office? Tickets are free but we need to know how many people will be coming by Wednesday 7th
Refreshments will be provided and for your enjoyment there will be contributions from Neil Titley (Dylan Thomas’s ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ – an abridged version); Catherine Osborn will offer some entertaining light verse and the beginner French group present «Douze jours de Noël». Amalia and Diana will read a seasonal offering and Stanley Volk and his singers will entertain us.
U3A London visits for Spring Term 2023
Many thanks to all those who responded to the listing for next term’s London Visits in the last Update. As a result, 3 of the 5 Visits are now fully booked and there are only a few vacancies for the other 2 Visits (Mansion House and The Oval). Places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
From Dalia Kay
There will be no ‘Pilates’ class on Monday at 11.45 in Room 2.21.
Class News for next term
Jennifer Mills will be making a welcome return on Wednesdays at 11.40 with The Dutch Golden Age
Deirdre Krymer will also be returning on Tuesdays at 12.50 with her fortnightly popular class, Making America: from Boston Tea Party to world power in the twenty first century
Anthony Gooch will be back again with Spanish Philology on Wednesdays at 11.40.
Christopher Dean returns with Aspects of European history, Tuesdays at 11.40.
John Satchwell will be back withUkulele for you, Tuesdays at 15.10
Shireen Gunasekera’s Bridge class will return on Fridays – and please note –
Shafeeq Siddiqui’s Stories Behind the Headlines on Mondays at 15.10 is postponed until the Summer term.
From Elana Gal-Edd
Due to the late start of my computer course, I plan to continue it into next term. The start of the next course will depend on when I finish this one.
From Maureen Guirdham
The Write Your Life Story class welcomes members who would like to join our friendly group. By a simple click on a link we meet in the comfort of our own homes on Zoom at 11 am on Tuesdays. Whether you want to write your memoirs for your children, your friends, the wider world or just yourself, this class will help you achieve your ambition. You will be able to read to the group what you have written during the week and there will be time for friendly discussion after the reading. Members of the group often say that listening to what other people have written encourages them and gives them ideas, You would probably find the same.
From Ruth Brook
With Christmas coming up, this book may be of interest to members who have grandchildren in their early teens. The name of the book is Zinc, the author is Sue Klauber and the publisher is Troika. It is a story about three members of an ordinary family and what they did in WW2. (One of the young men was my first husband). It is, in fact, an exciting story. Daunts can get copies very quickly and will give members of U3A a 10% discount. The published price is £8.99.
From Ken Baldry
EUROPEAN HISTORY Wed 11.40 – 12.40. This week, talk 87 is Michelangelo’s work and then the problems of replacing St.Peter’s in the Vatican, in which Michelangelo was also involved: 107 slides & contemporary music.
For the first week of the 2023 term, Talk 88 is about Henry VIII of England with 82 slides, maybe more by then
Lost Property
If anyone thinks they have lost anything at the Town Hall, please come and check our ‘lost property’ in the Office. Whatever remains will be given to charity at the end of term. Nothing new has been handed in recently.
Note: We have an Arcteryk back pack which has been here a while, with out of date items in it. Also, behind the office door there are 2 navy anoraks/raincoats which have been there for ages If you recognize any of them, please contact the office. Otherwise, they will be disposed of.
From London Region of U3As
National poetry competition is now open. Entries are open for our national poetry competition, and we’d love to see what you have to offer. Your poem should be a maximum of 16 lines (plus title), on any topic, and be submitted by 12 noon on Friday 27 January 2023. The three winning poems will be published in Third Age Matters and on the u3a website. You can find the competition rules and submission link on the Poetry Competition webpage, where you can also read previous winning entries. The competition is open to all members. To spark some inspiration, you are also invited to join author Sophia Blackwell on Tuesday 13th December at 2pm for a free 2 hour masterclass called ‘Writing Poetry for Publication and Performance’ which can be booked on the u3a’s national online events webpage.
From Luke Hull at WacArts
We are running a community choir concert with a local choir and wanted to enquire as to whether any of your members may want to perform at the event. Choirs or instrumental groups that would be interested in putting on something at the event should telephone Luke Hull, Development Officer, on 020 7692 5824for details.
From Holly Brown
Hello, I am currently recruiting participants to complete a study for my final year psychology dissertation project investigating how news media (videos) may influence memory and thinking ability. Participants are required to be age 60+ and have no previous clinical diagnosis of a Neurodegenerative or Mood disorder. A computer with a keyboard is required for the study. The study will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Ethical approval has been provided by the Research and Ethics Committee at Northumbria University.
From Louis Adebowale
Casting Elders for Fun Online Show. Reach TV, the most viewed airport television channel in North America has over 128 million viewers who watch every month for an average of 70 minutes. I’m currently casting London-based people aged 60+ for a series we’re making called “Generation Gap” with children and elders answering various questions on camera, deciphering the latest slang, giving agony aunt advice, etc. Filming would take place at our studio in West Hampstead late January/ early February next year, would take a couple of hours, and participants would be paid £250 for their time. If anybody is interested, ask for a self-tape audition (nothing heavy or personal – all fun!) so we can get a feel for personalities.
To make you smile?
This is the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn’t do it. Consequently, it wound up that Nobody told Anybody, so Everybody blamed Somebody.
Best wishes from
