Our lead photo, by Dave Humphries, shows members listening to Doug Kennedy at June’s Monthly Meeting.

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Monthly Speaker Meetings

2-00 pm at Gardeners Hall, 213 St Leonard’s Road, Windsor, SL4 3DR
on 2^nd Wednesday of each month.

Water Conservation

In June we heard from Doug Kennedy, an active and enthusiastic conservationist about the importance of maintaining the quality of our water ways and water supply.

• Let Thames Water know that we want them to upgrade the dirty water systems to prevent river pollution.
• Tell your MP and councillors that you want action to be taken to keep rivers, and chalk streams, in a good state.
• Install a water meter.
• Value water and not to waste it.

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Walking the beat to Nirvana, by Mervyn Edwards

Wednesday, 12^th July at 14:00

This month we will hear from Mervyn Edwards, a retired Chief Superintendent of Thames Valley Police. His talk will concentrate on a part of his career when he served as a specialist firearms officer as a member of the Tactical Firearms Team. Despite describing the serious nature of such work, there is a great deal of humour throughout.

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

• Wednesday, 9^th August: Story Writing with Cristina Loggia, a newspaper reporter turned thriller writer, Cristina will talk about how she wrote her first novel – the inspiration that came from her family history, the research required for historical fiction and the challenges she came across during her journey as a debut writer.
• Wednesday, 13^th September: My Life as a Micro-Artist, by Graham Short
• Wednesday, 11^th October: RNLI with Colin Brown

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Diary Dates

• Thursday, 13^th to Monday, 17^th July 2023 – u3a holiday to Yorkshire
• Tuesday, 25^th July 2023 – Live Jazz in Datchet. The Dixieland Swing Kings, a six-man traditional jazz band
• Saturday, 16^th September 2023: Eton Action Fair – Help will be needed to run our stall promoting u3a membership.
• Tuesday, 24^th October 2023 – The Woodhouse Jazz Band with their singer Catherine
• Tuesday, 28^th November 2023 – Gambit Jazzmen

learn – laugh – live

Local Coffee Mornings

Our coffee morning meetings are to be known as CAMEO groups.
This stands for Come And Meet Each Other and captures their purpose.

If you arrive and find the ‘u3a table’ is fully occupied, PLEASE make yourself known before settling elsewhere on your own or in a splinter group. Depending on the venue, it may well be possible to enlarge the circle, or take over/join on another table.

The purpose of holding Coffee Mornings is for members to widen their circle of friends and acquaintances, not to sit and drink coffee alone!

Coffee mornings run from 10-30am to 12-00pm, why not drop in between those times?

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 5^th July 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, excluding July and August.
Next on 20^th September 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, 25^th July 2023

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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, 26^th July 2023

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New Members who have joined Windsor u3a during June

Please make them welcome when they come to your groups.

Names visible to logged in members.

Fit For The Future

‘Fit For the Future’ is an initiative at the national level of the u3a movement. Members who are interested in its development and progress can find out more and follow its progress online at u3a – Fit for the Future. In any aspect of life, it is easy to find a formula or pattern that works and to follow it. It is easier to follow a routine than constantly think about what is coming or what to do next. Sadly, this often leads to stagnation and boredom and the depressive feelings that accompany this. So, let’s do a little self-searching regarding ourselves and to our u3a group. Did you know that every u3a operates differently to every other u3a? This may be for historical reasons, geographical location, the skillset, and mind set of the founding members, the community facilities available and so on.

Windsor and District is a very successful u3a. Our membership is continuing to grow post Covid, as it was before, but let’s not be complacent. What we have done in the past and what we do now is not set for ever. If you have ideas for new Interest Groups, for the format or content of newsletters, for the organisation of Monthly Meetings, for the way your committee works or any other aspect of your u3a, please send your ideas to newsletters@windsoru3a.org.uk

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Running our u3a

During 2022-23 many pleas were made for members to step into roles on our committee. Sadly, these pleas fell on deaf ears. Our need was and is for help with the duties of a secretary. This role can encompass many responsibilities. Some of these are listed below. Not all require attendance at committee meetings. If you would be prepared to take on ONE of these, it would be much appreciated by the whole membership.

• Take Minutes at Committee Meetings and distribute to the Committee. Keep Minutes and Committee Member Reports, if provided, filed securely and in date order.
• Communicate with Thames Valley Network (TVN) and keep the Committee and membership updated with TVN events.
• Communicate with Third Age Trust (TAT) and keep the committee and membership updated regarding TAT events and developments.
• Invite members to Monthly Meetings and other events.
• Keep copies of insurance cover notes and send any invoices received from TAT to the Treasurer.

Please contact Peter Todd, Chairman

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Action Fraud

How to protect yourself from scam emails and texts

Received an email or text that seems suspicious? Report it. Your reports enable us to remove the emails and websites criminals use to commit fraud and cybercrime.

1: Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
Send emails to this address that feel suspicious, even if you’re not certain they’re a scam – we can check.report@phishing.gov.uk . Send emails to this address that feel suspicious, even if you’re not certain they’re a scam – we can check.

2: Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 (it’s free of charge). Your provider can find out where the text came from and block or ban the sender.

3: If you’ve lost money or provided personal information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

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The Midsomer Murders Mystery Tours

Our guided coach tours through the land of Midsomer Murders were much appreciated by all on board. The pace was relaxed and although not far out of our locality, we learnt a lot from Tony Howe’s commentary and tales about the history of both specific buildings and local landmarks, as well as filming locations. Several members have returned to spend more time exploring the attractive towns and villages (and garden centre) that we passed through and visited. In Thame, some ardent Midsomer Murder fans diligently followed a trail to discover the many film locations in the town. Others thoroughly enjoyed their time round the market. Yet others discovered fine cuisine and enjoyed a relaxed lunch and good company. Some people found time for retail therapy. It is rewarding to have received so many thanks for organising these outings. Feedback is always appreciated in order to fine tune future ventures.

Photos above by Eileen Harris and Jackie Wiggins, with many more in a separate post by Jo Wattis.

learn – laugh – live

Interest Group News

Stargazers

A 25-strong team of amateur astronomers has been formed with the launch of Stargazers group. Several members are experienced in the field and would be delighted to share their knowledge with the less experienced and beginners in the group. Visits to dark-sky sites and night-sky events are planned, as well as a programme of outings to established institutions and locations.

A fixed monthly meeting will underpin those activities by providing a regular forum to share knowledge of the basics about the night sky, general astronomy, observation guidance, and viewing conditions; plus how to get the best out of different mobile phone apps, software, and telescopes members have access to. It will be held at Gardeners’ Hall on the third Monday of the month at 2-30pm.

In addition, a WhatsApp group is being planned for speedy communication when needed.

The group’s convenors are Martyn Lloyd and Martin Pritchett, please contact either of them if you are interested in joining the group.

Contact details are visible if you log-in.

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Gardening 1

Thursday 20^th July, 2pm – We will be visiting the NGS garden at 7 The Knapp, Earley, Reading, RG6 7DD. The cost will be £7.50. The cost will be £7.50. Please let Carole know if you would like to come (for catering purposes) as soon as possible.

Contact details are visible if you log-in.

In June the group visited the NGS garden at ‘Wildwood’ in Frimley. This wildlife friendly garden has a huge number of roses many of which were climbing up through trees to a height of 15-20 metres. Included in this garden was a beautifully planted wildlife pond with 3 tadpole nurseries in recycled stone containers. The garden was full of wonderful ideas we could take home, after the delicious cakes and bottomless teapots! We spent a very enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine.

You can see more photographs of this beautiful garden in a separate post here

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History of Design: Game of Thrones Photos

Our History of Design group has had a long love affair with chairs of all shapes, sizes and design so it was no surprise to find members stopping off to admire one of the most unusual carved seats that they have encountered so far, as our two photographs (by Sue White).

They are of the Bishops’ Tree in the restored gardens of London’s Fulham Palace. The seat and (hidden) images of three Bishops of London from the 16th and 18th centuries, were carved from cedar wood and fixed to the tall trunk of a Cedar of Lebanon on the palace north lawn. Fulham Palace was the country home of London’s bishops from the 11th Century to 1973 and recently benefited from £7m worth of restoration work. Although still owned by the Church of England, it is managed by the Fulham Palace Trust and houses a number of restored historic rooms and a museum documenting its long history. The garden is ranked Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. After being vacated by the Church, which leased it to Hammersmith Council, it fell into disrepair for nearly 40 years, but then received an injection of £3.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The sum was a big boost towards the total needed to restore the palace, which is a Grade 1 listed building, and its gardens.
Both are open daily and free to visit.

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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, 31^st July: We will wander through the history of places along the Thames from Oxford to Henley with Peter Halman of Berkshire Local History Association.
• August: no meeting as coincides with Bank Holiday
• Monday, 25^th September: We will get the inside track on The Life of an Auctioneer with Harry Ballin of Windsor Auctions.

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Italian

There will be no meetings in July. Meetings will resume in August.

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Tea and Jazz

On 25^th July, we will welcome the Dixieland Swing Kings, a six-man traditional jazz band. They have swing in abundance, so come and join in the fun. There is no need to book – just turn up on the day. There is a fee of just £7.00 cash to pay towards the cost of the band, hall hire and refreshments.

Live jazz is also booked already for 24^th October – The Woodhouse Jazz Band with singer Catherine – and for Wednesday, 28^th November – Gambit Jazzmen return, who were much enjoyed by our audience in April.

All performances start at 2-00pm, with a break halfway for tea and cakes and finish at about 3-45pm.
There is a car park outside the hall and when this is full, there’s a public car park a short distance back towards Datchet village centre, is also available.

Please note there will be no Tea and Jazz in August and in December.

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Walking Groups

u3a Amblers

The amble on 6^th July is to be a loop round part of Windsor Great Park, from Stag Meadow.

Convenor contact details are visible if you log-in.

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Shorter Walks

Please contact the convenor for details of this month’s walk and reserve a place.

Contact details are visible if you log-in.

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Windsor Area Walking Group

Please contact the convenor for details of this month’s walk.

Logged in members can see contact details.

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National u3a

This link will take you to the Latest Updates from the Third Age Trust

You can sign up for your own copy to be delivered by email.

learn – laugh – live

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Committee Contact Details

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