WTU3A Newsletter – February 2019
The February newsletter is now available and this month the newsletter is packed full of information about new trips planned, Thames Valley Network events and much more from our Groups! Read it in full here.
UPDATED: The speaker at the February meeting, Bernard Lockett, who gave us a most enjoyable talk about Gilbert & Sullivan has let us know that the G&S Festival shows will be taking place in Buxton (24-29 July) and Harrogate (7-18 August) this year. Details can be found at www.gsfestivals.org. Also details of the National G&S Opera Company 2019 Tour can be found at www.ngsoc.org
Historic Buildings – Polesden Lacy – 9th May
Although it’s been a little while since there was a Historic Building visit, Janet Campbell and Eileen Langford are planning to arrange some in 2019 and say ‘thank you’ to Ceinwynne for arranging all the previous visits.
The first visit is to Polesden Lacy, Great Bookham, Surrey on Thursday 9th May. The Cost is £16 for the coach plus entry charge on the day for non NT members. The visit includes a stop for coffee/shopping in Guildford in the morning before visiting the house. (Not a guided visit). Further details can be found on the diary page of the WTU3A website.
Trips – March to December 2019
The trip organising team have been very busy putting together a busy programme for 2019, and hopefully there will be trips of interest for everyone.
With the first trip on 22nd March to Adam Henson’s farm in the Cotswolds 
now fully booked – the schedule has got off to a flying start!
For those that missed out on the March trip you can find the full schedule of the events planned for later in the year below, including a trip to London in December to the Tutankhamun exhibition and the Christmas lights.
This will be a trip exploring the Essex countryside as well as various vintage vehicles and coaches including Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. Details to follow.
An exploration of the history of the Cliveden set and the surrounding countryside. Lunch can be bought there or you can bring a picnic. Full details to follow.
This will be a visit to William Morris’ house in North London, to include a cream tea and a river cruise.
This event features a visit to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. This is the largest collect of King Tut’s treasures ever to come to London and the last opportunity to see the treasures before they go to their permanent home in Egypt. The trip will include viewning the Christmas lights and a fish and chip supper. The provisional cost for the trip is £50 (exact price confirmed nearer the time) with a £35 per person deposit to secure your place.
Garden Visits – Mottisfont, Romsey – 13th June
Bookings are now being taken for the garden visit to Mottisfont (NT), Romsey in Hampshire. The cost is £20 for the coach and £12.70 for non-NT members.
This property has walled gardens are filled with the fragrance and colour from thousands of roses as it’s home to the National Collection of pre-1900 old-fashioned roses, which reach their peak in June.
Visitors flock to see this world-famous display from over five hundred varieties, so booking early is a must.
Extreme Visits – Microlight flight – 20th June
The Extreme Team have negotiated the exclusive use the Microlight Flight School and its instructors for the day.
There will be an opportunity for 30 aviators to take the controls for 20 minute flights. There is a weight restriction on pilots of 100kg. 
We can also commandeer the airfield BBQ for lunch and we may attempt to have a game of Petanque…..
A £49 cheque to “Weston Turville U3A (Travel) to secure your booking. All the details can be found in the attached flyer here.
Visiting Churches – April to October 2019
The schedule for this year has almost been finalised and full details of the first visit are below.
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Tuesday – |
The present building dates from the 14th century although there has been a church on the site since the 12th century. There is a lot of history connected to the church including the rood cross being a place of pilgrimage. During the Civil War Cromwell’s troops camped in the church (some graffiti can still be seen) and in 1799 the first penny savings bank in the country was started in the vestry. We will meet at the church at 2pm. For more details contact Odette Harris at churches@wtu3a.org.uk. |
The rest of the schedule is listed below:
WTU3A Local History Group – March to August 2019
Hopefully you enjoyed the first 2 talks of 2019 and will find something to interest you in the forthcoming programme. Full details can be found below.
One of the many lessons I have learnt in putting together the programme for the group over the past years has been that if you have a good speaker ask them back to give other talks. In August 2018 we had a talk from Bernie Knill on the role of Hughenden in the Second World War. I have been in touch with him and he has agreed to give us a talk on the “History of Hughenden Manor”. I am sure many of you have been to Hughenden Manor but a talk on the subject will increase our understanding of its history. We can follow this talk up with a guided tour of the Manor and its grounds later in the year. Meeting is in the WT Chapel Room from 10.30am – 12.30pm. Entrance will be £3.
I was kindly given the name of John Hockey after he had given talk to the Aylesbury National Trust. The topic concerns heraldry and John has told me that the talk contains a little about the history of heraldry but mainly is about what you can learn from studying a coat of arms (specifically a funeral hatchment – much more interesting than it sounds!). He will then go on to explore lots of other aspects of heraldry along with a few quirky examples. It ends with some heraldry to be found at Ashridge House where the Egerton and other families lived.
“Aspects of Heraldry”by John Hockey.
Meeting is in the WT Chapel Room from 10:30 – 12:30am. Entrance will £3.
I have had some email correspondence with Marlow History Group, and they are willing to provide a guided walk around the historical parts of the town. Having been to Marlow on many occasions it will be an ideal opportunity to find out more about its history and some of the older buildings. They have said they will have 3 guides and so we can have 3 groups of 10 people. I put a sheet out at the February meeting and the uptake has been great and we are nearly full. We may be able to squeeze in one or 2 extra per group so if you have not expressed interest let me know.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CORRECT DATE IS TUESDAY 28THMAY not 22nd as previously advertised. If you signed up but are now not able to make the 28thMay please let me know. I will provide details of meeting place in WT and Marlow, for those who go direct, at the March meeting.
“Guided Walk around Historical Marlow” with Geoff Wood.
The cost will be £2.50 which is payable on the day.
At the March meeting I asked if people would be interested in going to the Pitstone Museum. They have revamped the museum and increased the number of exhibits. There is also an excellent website if you wish to have a look for yourselves. http://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/ . They do open for groups and I am exploring a visit on this day. The cost would be £6 per head to include coffee and biscuits and they can take up to 40 people. Further details as I get them.
NO MEETING.
I have earmarked this down for a guided tour of Hughenden Manor and Gardens. I will be arranging details with Bernie Knill at our March meeting. So, watch this space.
Food Appreciation – 27th March
Our next Food Appreciation lunch will be at the Ellesborough Golf Club on Wednesday 27th March.
National U3A Newsletter – February 2019 ❤️
Here is the ❤️ February ❤️ newsletter from The Third Age Trust.
For previous editions of the national newsletter, see the newsletter archive. Did you know that you can sign up to receive the national U3A monthly newsletter direct to your email inbox? If you wish to do this, please complete the form on the U3A website here.
🎭 Theatre Group 🎭
Below you can find details of 3 more shows that have been booked for the Theatre Group. If you are interested and would like to book a place, please see the group leader, Melanie Evans at the monthly meeting or contact her at theatre@wtu3a.org.uk for further details. Pricing details are below: read more …
