Our lead photo shows some members enjoying refreshments at The Mill on 21^st April, while attending to view Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever”.

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Annual General Meeting

Thank you all who turned up! Despite drenching rain, the meeting was more than quorate, and business was able to proceed smoothly, leaving plenty of time to socialise over afternoon tea with many friendly faces, old and new. Special thanks go to the team who provided afternoon tea, served in the kitchen and cleared up afterwards. Gary Jordan provided a musical interlude playing classical guitar and we thank him for stepping in at short notice.

Peter Todd, our chairman, emphasised our need to recruit more committee members. If you would like to come along to a committee meeting or two, as an observer with no commitment, to see how we operate and to decide if you have skills to offer in some capacity, please contact him for information on where and when we meet.

Monthly Speaker Meetings

Wednesday, 10^th May
2-00 pm at Gardeners Hall
213 St Leonard’s Road, Windsor, SL4 3DR

My Year in Russia

by

Gerald Seaman

A well-known author and lecturer, specialising in Russian music, Gerald lived for a year in Russia, meeting Shostakovich and other leading figures in the field of music.

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We have a varied programme of speakers for 2023 and hope you will enjoy listening to their talks.

• Wednesday, 14^th June: The Earth’s Fragile Beauty, by Doug Kennedy, a photographer who is passionate about nature and our environment.
• Wednesday, 12^th July: Walking the Beat to Nirvana by Mervyn Evans, a police dog handler.

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Outings and Events

Events

On Saturday, 21st April, 20 members enjoyed a delicious lunch and a well-produced and very entertaining performance of Noel Coward’s ‘Hay Fever’ at The Mill at Sonning. We arrived early enough to enjoy a pre-performance drink together and tables were reserved for our group in the restaurant. This visit was suggested by Pauline Harlow, who was sadly unwell and unable to join us! We wish Pauline well.

The Christmas production at The Mill is “High Society”, a Cole Porter musical. and the audience is encouraged to dress up and afterwards join the ‘swelegant, elegant party’ in the bar, drink champagne and cocktails and enjoy live music. The combined cost of the meal and theatre is £85-00. I am investigating the cost of booking a coach with local pick-ups.

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Diary Dates

• Tuesday, 23^rd May 2023 at 2-00pm – The Traditional Jazz Quartet, organised by Tea and Jazz
  No need to book, just turn up at Datchet Village Hall at 2-00pm. All u3a members are welcome.
  £7 pp on the door. Put the date in your diary. More details below.
• Wednesday, 31^st May 2023 – A Guided Coach Tour through Midsomer Murder Country (1)
• Wednesday, 6^th June 2023 – A Guided Coach Tour through Midsomer Murder Country (2)
• Thursday, 13^th to Monday, 17^th July – u3a holiday to Yorkshire

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Local Coffee Mornings

All members are welcome at each venue. Coffee Mornings are very informal, and their organisation varies. Seating and service depend on the venue. They are proving useful for members to get to know others in different Interest Groups and to make suggestions and discuss ideas for activities. If you have a query about using your mobile phone, it is possible that there may be a member present who could help you. In true u3a fashion, members can learn from and teach each other.

Old Windsor

The Bells of Ouzeley, Straight Road, Old Windsor, SL4 2SH
These are held on the 1^st Wednesday of each month. Next on 3^rd May 2023

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West Windsor

The Running Man Café, All Saints’ Dedworth, SL4 4JW
These are held on the 3^rd Wednesday of each month. Next on 17^th May 2023

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Ascot

The Restaurant, Hilliers Garden Centre, off A30 between Sunningdale and Bagshot, GU20 6LQ
These are held on the 4^th Tuesday of each month. Next on Wednesday, 23^rd May 2023

Look for a u3a sign on Olwen’s table. If anyone living locally needs a lift, Olwen is willing to do pickups.

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Datchet

The Bridge Café, The Village Green, Datchet, SL3 9JH
These are held on the 4^th Wednesday of each month. Next on Wednesday, 24^th May 2023

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New Members who have joined Windsor u3a this year

Please make them welcome when they come to your groups.

44 names visible to logged in members

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Interest Group News

Colds, Flu and COVID-19 are still with us, please be considerate – stay at home if you are feeling unwell.

Explore London 1

In April the group visited a Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge. The exhibition traces the development of the UK’s air defence system from the First World War to the end of the Second World War and follows the historical events of Britain’s air defence that led to the construction of the bunker.

Link to the Battle of Britain Bunker website

Alan Wheeler our well known u3a photographer was there to record their visit.

They also visited the Design Museum in Kensington. Alan shares his photographs taken there, below.

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Gardening 1

Thursday 18^th May, 2pm – The first NGS visit of 2023. We will be visiting Bridge End Cottage, Ockham Lane, Ockham, GU23 6NR. There will be a guided tour and tea; £8.50 payable on the day. Please let Carole know as soon as possible for catering purposes.

Contact details are visible if you log-in.

April’s meeting was plant swap with refreshments, which was very well attended on a sunny afternoon, as you can see from some of Joanna Wattis’s photos.

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Local History

This group meets in Windsor Methodist Church Hall in Alma Road, Windsor, SL4 3HH. Talks begin at 2-30pm. Admission is £3.00 on the door. No need to book. New members are warmly welcome.

• Monday, 29^th May, there is no talk as it is the late spring Bank Holiday.
• Monday, 26th June we welcome for the first time Jackie Bryans, Development Manager of the Theatre Royal Windsor. She will reveal the fascinating history of the theatre which dates to 1706, though legend has it that strolling players performed in a courtyard off Peascod Street as far back as Elizabethan times

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Music groups

David Oldcorn’s Show Music Group cannot meet on the usual date in May; an alternative day might be arranged so potential new members please contact David.

Ballet and Classical Music will be on their usual days in May, the 1^st and 25^th respectively.

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Tea and Jazz

Meet at 2-00 pm, Wednesday, 26^th April in Datchet Village Hall. We have booked the Gambit Jazzmen to play. There will be a charge of £7.00 toward costs of hall, refreshments and band. There is no need to book – just turn up at 2-00pm. We are an open group, all u3a members are welcome.

On Tuesday, 23^rd May, The Traditional Jazz Quartet’s concert will start at 2-00pm in Datchet Village Hall. No need to book. £7.00 pp (in cash please) towards cost of hall hire refreshments and band. Please note that the drummer in the photo will not be included as he still has a day job! The bass player at the back of the photo is Jim Saunders who is a member of the Windsor U3A Ukulele group.

On 27^th June, we will listen to a lovely jazz singer called Fleur, together with a great professional guitarist and possibly another professional musician, too. In July, we hope to welcome back the Woodhouse Jazz Band, including singer, Catherine. We feel sure you will enjoy the above groups.

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Walking Groups

u3a Amblers

The group next meet on Thursday 4^th May, we’re planning for a walk along the Thames from Windsor Leisure Centre car park to the lock at Romney Island, returning via the Home Park road, followed by a coffee stop. This walk postponed from April. Please note the group now ambles on the first Thursday of the month.

Convenor contact details are visible if you log-in.

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Shorter Walks

Please contact Pat Oldcorn for details of this month’s walk.

Contact details are visible if you log-in.

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Windsor Area Walking Group

The May walk will be led by Roy Battison.

Logged in members can see contact details.

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Find out what is happening in other u3a

Many of you read ‘Third Age Matters’ a periodical magazine which keeps members in touch with national developments in the u3a movement and reports on significant events in local groups. A relatively new channel of communication, a blog, has been established to showcase events and activities in local u3a groups. This is to be found online in ‘Sources’ https://sources.u3a.org.uk/

“What is a blog?” I can hear some of you asking. A blog is a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.

Try it. The articles are interesting and easy to read. Some are inspiring.

If you don’t know how to access ‘Sources’ on your computer, tablet or phone, then find out by visiting Dedworth Library, where there are regular sessions for acquiring and developing digital skills.

learn – laugh – live

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Committee Contact Details

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