Flower Arranging

Frosty Flowers in January, Signs of Spring in February and Easter Baskets in March. Please contact Mo Salter, if you would like to join us and for information about our future themes and activities.

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Fun with Puzzles

Members of this group would like more play mates. Please bring your favourite puzzling activity eg crosswords, word squares, Soma cubes, Sudoku, logic games and such, to share. We meet at The Bells of Ouzeley, (Harvester) at Old Windsor at 2-30pm on the 2nd Monday of each month. Contact Jane McGrath.

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Gardening 2

This group has spaces for more members. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month. In the coming months they plan to visit Painshill Park, Langley Park, RHS Wisley, Savill gardens and some National Garden Scheme properties. We are also planning to hold seed/plant swaps. Please contact Anita Roberts.

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Geocaching

Little did I realise when I set off in February on the Pirate Hunt set of puzzle caches, with the Advanced group of geocachers, that one of us would return with a peg leg! A simple slip on a muddy verge meant we all ended up in casualty and me with a dislocated ankle and four broken bones !!

Thoughts on my experience:

• We all know it happens! Life can change in a second. All my groups were suddenly cancelled and my activities ceased. My busy life is curtailed and I have a huge challenge to recover from my injury.
• The Kindness of Strangers. Two girls passing in a Land Rover took us to casualty.
• First Aid Kit – needed this to tie up my leg to the walking stick. Often, I have thought ‘I won’t bother taking this today. I’m glad I had it that day!
• Don’t go walking alone. I know this makes sense. I am so grateful I had others with me!
• The care I received at Wexham (the reduction of my ankle and then two further operations to mend my ankle) was so skilled and caring. 13 days in hospital meant I saw lots of different staff and no one fell short.
• The arrogance, sense of entitlement and selfishness exhibited by some patients towards staff and other patients was shocking and embarrassing at times!
• Although sometimes when all seems completely bonkers, there is always something to smile about; for example – being moved to the ‘Good Girls Ward’ to find they were all over 90!
• The contribution of my U3A family to my eventual, I hope, recovery is immeasurable.
• So many good wishes, flowers, gifts and cards have come my way, often from people I hardly know. Not one day without a visitor, sometimes two. So, whilst my first reaction to that day was, I’ll just give u3a up, why would I want to, when Windsor U3A is such a great group of people?
• As I expected they would, my family rallied round – with an unexpected outcome. Dave can use the washing machine now!

Adele McNally

Geocaching Advanced group resumes on Monday 14^th April (members to organise)

Geocaching Beginners group is cancelled until further notice.

International Cuisine

In January we welcomed two new members. We sampled the lunch time menu at La Russe which specialises in French cooking and planned some future ventures. In March, we cooked a typical Portuguese menu inspired by holidays and recipes researched from books and web sites. In May, we plan to visit The Mediterranean Grocery in Twickenham to explore the great variety of foods it sells and to lunch in a nearby restaurant. We would welcome new members and new ideas. Please contact Bali Gill.

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Jazz at The Hope

In January, a good crowd enjoyed a very interesting and well-presented session with Bob Parsons. We listened to tracks by Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1938, the Harry James orchestra, Pearl Bailey, Sade, Dave Brubeck, Stacey Kent, Duke Ellington, Skelton Skinner, Tina May, Charlie Pyne, Count Basie, and Ian Shaw.

In February, Peter Cheeseman used the big screen at The Hope to show us performances by various jazz bands, which was very enjoyable. This included some of the bands that have played at Tea and Jazz sessions at Datchet Village Hall.

In March we welcomed back Bob Parsons back as our presenter. Again, we enjoyed a varied repertoire including music by Dave Brubeck and Barbara Jay, finishing with Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman.
In April, Frank Tarrant will treat us to jazz performances shown on the big screen and in May we hope to have a live Jazz concert and in June, Louden Masterton will be in the chair to give us a presentation of his choice.

We meet at The Hope pub, in Alma Road, Windsor on the second Friday of each month from 10-30am to 12-30pm. Come and join us. Buy a coffee or drink of your choice from the bar and listen to jazz in convivial company, in a relaxed ‘pub atmosphere’.

Pauline Thompson

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Tea and Jazz has changed its name to Jazz in Datchet

… as this is more explanatory.

It continues to attract supportive audiences to cover the costs of booking some of the top jazz bands currently playing on the Jazz Club circuit. In January, we were entertained by the Dixieland Swing Kings. In February we welcomed back Paula Jackman’s Jazz Masters. In March we welcomed back the amazing Jake Leg Jug Band. Our audiences gave the bands a most enthusiastic welcome.

On Tuesday, 22^nd April, we will welcome back The Pete Rudeforth Jazz Club Four, with Pete Rudeforth, (top trumpeter, ex-Chris Barber band) and Julian Marc Stringle, (voted Britain’s best jazz clarinettist).

For Tuesday, 27^th May we have booked Dave Morewood’s Rascals of Rhythm and for Tuesday 24^th June we have booked The Forest Hill Owls.

All u3a members – from any u3a branch – are welcome. There is no need to book – just turn up on the day. There is a fee of just £10.00 cash to pay towards the cost of the band, hall hire and refreshments.

Performances start at 2-00pm, with a break halfway for tea and cakes and finish about 3-45pm. There is some parking outside Datchet Village Hall (SL3 9HR) and when this is full, there is a public car park a short distance back towards Datchet village centre that is also available.

Peter Cheeseman

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Local History

Monday 28^th April: Grace Evans, Keeper of Costumes at Chertsey Museum will make a welcome return and explain why The Regency period occupies a very special place in our imagination, particularly when it comes to fashion. It was a time of great elegance and innovation, which saw the appearance of daringly different dress styles for both men and women.

In May: there will be no meeting as it is the Spring Bank Holiday.

Talks start at 2-30pm in the Methodist Church Hall, Alma Road, Windsor. £3.00 is payable at the door to cover costs. All U3A members are welcome and there is no need to book. Talks last about an hour and are followed by tea/coffee and biscuits.

Jane Standley

Music Appreciation

Ballet Appreciation: In recent months the group watched twelve excellent full-length ballets. Each came from a different country, namely Austria, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Italy, Scotland, Tatarstan, Russia and Ukraine. They ranged from the very well-known Swan Lake to lesser-known works, such as Sharable and Antonio and Cleopatra. Performers included Nureyev and Fonteyn and Bolle and Nunez, as well as two young stars, De Prince and Shklyarov, who sadly met their deaths in tragic circumstances last year. In the coming months, we will continue to focus on old, new, well known and rare ballets, produced in different parts of the world, thus giving the group as wide a range of dance and dancers as possible.

Classical Music: Sessions often include a symphony, a concerto and one or two smaller works. This year each session has started with short piano pieces from Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons”. The intention is to play music that rarely features on Classic FM, but perhaps should do. Piano works remain popular; one session included less well-known pieces by Debussy, including some songs. In another session, we played music featured in the play, The Gates of Kiev, which had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Windsor.

Show Music: We have watched several full length shows in recent months including, ‘Kiss Me, Kate,’ ‘Pickwick,’ ‘Kipps’ and ‘That Day We Sang’. We also enjoyed a tribute to Jerry Herman, some Schwartz and Sondheim selections, and a concert featuring Cole Porter’s songs played for Ronald Reagan and the First Lady at the White House, as well as some compilations of musicals, from their first appearance on Broadway to the present day. These were taken from an excellent series shown on both American and British television. More of these will be shown over the next three months.

There is ample space for new members interested in any of these three music sessions which will be held on the first and third Mondays and fourth Thursday of each month, respectively.

David Oldcorn

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Music Makers

We meet twice a month at the Community Centre in Hanover Way, Windsor, SL4 5NW and at The Hope pub, Windsor, SL4 3HR. We would welcome anyone who plays any instrument at whatever level to come and have a try with us. Our members have varying levels of ability, but we all enjoy the playing together in the group. We have included piano accordion, keyboard, drums, baritone saxophone, guitar, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass ukulele, guitar and vocals from time to time in our sessions.

Please contact Peter Cheeseman.

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National Trust Outings

In January, a select group of NT Members walked with the u3a Amblers in Cliveden Woods. It was a bright, sunny, cold and frosty morning. We were rewarded with clear views across the river and valley to the Chiltern Hill in the distance.
More photos are visible here.
Afterwards, on the way home, most of the group enjoyed a sandwich at The Pineapple pub in Dorney.

Our walk to Ankerwyck planned for February was sadly called off due to excessively muddy ground, after prolonged spells of rain.

Our next outing will be on April 24^th with a guided walk round Runnymede NT. Please contact Beverley Ward to book your place on this outing.

In May, Marilyn Morgan and Cynthia Wood are organising a coach trip to Standen House NT near East Grinstead. This is an arts and crafts era house including work by William Morris. Please contact Marilyn Morgan to book your place on this trip.

In June, Pat Oldcorn is organsing a return coach trip to Polesdon Lacey to see the rose garden at its peak.

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Photography

In January, our intention was to photograph Chinese New Year celebrations. The group enjoyed a Chinese meal together in Windsor, but celebrations were subdued, so some members braved the crowds in China Town, where they were not disappointed! The dragon dancers came into the restaurant where they had taken refuge, for lunch.

In February, the group braved the cold and held a second session of ‘shots in the dark’. The weather conditions were not as good as for our first session, but our gathering enabled more members of the group to have a turn at this exciting and fun workshop enabled by Dave Humphries.

In March, we shared photos we had taken independently and planned our activities for the Spring. A challenge we have set ourselves is to gather photographs of shapes of the letters of the alphabet, for example:

You can see more of our achievements here.

The Sixties and Seventies

This group now meet at The Hope pub on the 3rd Thursday of the month, between 2-00 pm and 4-00 pm.

I would like to thank members of this group for their support at a concert given by The Ford House Band from Windsor Boys’ School. Four young musicians ably entertained their audience, but not with the music we associate with the 60s and 70s! The boys are all accomplished musicians however and form a talented rock quartet. They were fundraising towards a school trip to Paris, organised by their music department. Dads and Grandads were roadies. Jackie Wiggins

Singing for Fun

This group is on hold while Adele recovers. Adele anticipates that it will resume on Tuesday, 13^th May.

Singing with Ukes

This group will resume on Tuesday, 15^th April.

u3a Amblers

The group covered part of the Long Walk in January, enjoyed an amble around Sunningdale Park in February and in March, visited the Runnymede Memorials.

There is a more detailed report with photos of all the above ambles available here.

Thursday, 3^rd April is an amble around Bray Lake. In May, we plan to visit Cow Pond, Virginia Water to enjoy the Rhododendrons.

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Windsor Area Walks

Please contact Roy Battison regarding May’s walk (described below),
or Philip Ross for details of the walks in April and June.

In May, the group will have a walk and a talk about modern architecture. The walk will be through the main streets and backstreets of Windsor where we will learn about the different styles of modern architecture – moderne, art deco, neoclassical and brutalism. We will also learn about the thoughts of the great architect and art historian Nikolaus Pevsner on Windsor’s architecture. Our tour tour will take about 3 hours, including a refreshment stop.

Please let Roy or Philip know if you intend to join them for this treat.

Logged in members can see contact details and the meet up time and place for May’s walk and talk.