News & Group Updates

The Tai chi (Yang Long Form) Group meets fortnightly from 9am to 10am at a hall in Hatherley. They would welcome new members.

The Group started in September 2017 and have gradually worked their way through this from of Tai chi. They are now working on refining the movements, but this is a process that goes on for a lifetime. The Group Leader has been doing Tai chi for around 35 years and is still finding ways to improve. There are members who have been with the group since the start, but also members who have started much more recently.

If you think you might be interested in joining us, please contact Lynne Macedo.

To express interest, or for further details of the following groups, please contact Lynne Macedo

 NEW GROUP: THE MAGIC TRIANGLE

This will be a group for anyone interested in practising, discovering and performing magic from beginner to grand master levels.  Anyone wishing to join the group should have at least some rudimentary conjuring skills, perhaps having performed card tricks for grandchildren or something similar…and, of course, experienced magicians are very welcome.

NEW GROUP: FOLK BAND

This group is for people who have played or perhaps performed in the past. The group leader is a reasonably competent guitarist who would love to meet people who play a range of instruments – perhaps fiddle, mandolin, cello, banjo, flute, bass (standup or electric), saxophone, clarinet, accordion, percussion etc. It is understood that there are other musical groups already in Cheltenham U3A, but this would be more oriented to folk music than pop/rock or jazz/swing.  Please get in touch if you are interested in getting together to see what happens.

NEW GROUP: CROQUET

Croquet is a very enjoyable game that can easily be learnt and played, both socially and competitively, by people of every age.

Cheltenham Croquet Club (CCC) has approved a proposal to host a U3A Croquet Group and will set aside two lawns on two Wednesdays each month during the main croquet season in the morning session (between 10.00 and 12.00). The 2020 season will commence on or about the 22^nd of March and end on the last day of September. The Club will provide the mallets and balls that are needed. In normal croquet play, a lawn may be used for two games of four players each so the maximum capacity will be 16 players on the two lawns.

The CCC Committee have agreed to a reduced fee of £5 per person for the U3A Croquet Group, to be collected at each session. Members of the Group may use the Club tearooms, if they wish, and the charge for tea and coffee will be as for CCC members.

Group members will be helped to play one form of the game, Golf Croquet, which is relatively easy to learn and will be given instruction in the rules of the game, how to hit the ball and what tactics might be used in a given situation.

For more information click HERE

NEW GROUPS INFORMATION

 To express interest in the following groups, or for further details, please contact Lynne Macedo at the bottom of this page. 

Film Group

There is now quite a long waiting list for this group.  Would somebody be willing to lead a second group?  No specialist knowledge necessary.

NEW GROUP:  BEGINNERS BRIDGE

Would you enjoy playing the greatest and most challenging card game in the world? Perhaps now is the time to consider learning to play BRIDGE!

Beginners Bridge is an introduction to the card game over eight weeks. Each session would be about 1 ½ hours long and places are limited. Members who could commit to attending all eight sessions would be given preference, as each week builds on the previous week’s learning.

This new group would meet over March and April, with the first meeting on Wednesday 4^th March 2020.

Although Bridge is a partner game, individuals are welcome as the group will learn together and people can play with different partners. The group will start by learning and using the most common Bridge language – the Acol bidding system. However, at this stage card playing is more important than bridge play as is enjoyment more important than learning a bidding system, so the group would use a short form of bridge to get everyone playing cards from week one.

Please register an interest if you would like to join the group.

SHAKESPEARE AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES – NEW DISCUSSION GROUP

It is proposed to start a monthly discussion group centred around plays by William Shakespeare and, occasionally, other Early Modern playwrights. There will be an annual programme of plays to be examined, 2020 covering Shakespeare History plays.

Further details are available at this website:

http://www.john-price.me.uk/U3A/Intro.html

If you are interested in joining this group, please contact John Price at

[email protected]

We (your Committee) would like to wish all our members a very happy Christmas and a merry New Year. Please remember for the New Year to keep well, keep warm, happy and smiling.

Can I also ask all our members to keep an eye open for people on their own who may be lonely and have no company over the holidays. I know that some people like to be on their own but, for many, they have no choice, so we should all do our bit.

Now for some really good news; we have had an amazing number of replies to our request for new committee members. We urgently needed two people to shadow the Groups Co-ordinator and Membership Secretary as both are standing down at the AGM. We have co-opted Janet Ropner to shadow the Groups Co-ordinator and Chris Wardle to shadow the Membership Secretary. The balance of people needed for next years’ committee will be put up for election at the AGM. We also managed to find people who would help with the newsletter and the Meet and Greet team. What a success!

Some of you may know that Linda Hurl has had a very nasty accident and has been unwell for quite a few weeks. I am sure you will all join me in wishing her a speedy recovery and hoping she will be back to her old self as soon as possible.

For the AGM we are hoping our speaker will be Jill Nicholls, the U3A Regional Co-ordinator for the South West, who sits on the Third Age Trust organising committee. We have been trying for some time to get her along to Cheltenham, so fingers crossed.

Very best wishes for happy holidays and a great new year.

Maggie Conu

NEW GROUP: BEGINNERS BRIDGE

Would you enjoy playing the greatest and most challenging card game in the world? Perhaps now is the time to consider learning to play BRIDGE!

Beginners Bridge is an introduction to the card game over eight weeks. Each session would be about 1 ½ hours long and places are limited. Members who could commit to attending all eight sessions would be given preference, as each week builds on the previous week’s learning.

This new group would meet over March and April, with the first meeting on Wednesday 4^th March 2020.

Although Bridge is a partner game individuals are welcome as the group will learn together and people can play with different partners. The group will start by learning and using the most common Bridge language – the Acol bidding system. However, at this stage, card playing is more important than bridge play as is enjoyment more important than learning a bidding system so the group would use a short form of bridge to get everyone playing cards from week one.

Please register an interest if you would like to join this group.  See below.

There is now quite a long waiting list for this group. Would someone be willing to run a second group? No specialist knowledge required.

Many thanks,

Lynne Macedo – Groups Coordinator

A new Group:  URBAN WALKS

We all enjoy getting to know places better, and there’s nothing like first-hand knowledge of the town where you live.  To develop further our sense of place and local identity, a new group is planned, to be called Urban Walks. It’s deliberately different from the various forms of country walk already in the U3A list. It’s not for exercise. The walk would always be in a town, with no set distance but lasting a non-strenuous 60 to 90 minutes; and not just in Cheltenham but also Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Stroud, etc.

We would meet monthly, with a different leader each time.  We’d agree in advance a 6-month or annual programme, same day of the month in the usual U3A style.  The leader proposing each walk decides on the route and, as the group goes round, points out the features of interest.   The first walk will concentrate on architectural aspects such as public buildings, just as an example.  But it wouldn’t be that subject every time:  it could be schools, churches, or trees, roads, transport, or historical aspects or people, such as who had lived where, whatever the leader for that occasion decided. Group size: never more than 12, but 3 or 4 would be enough for everyone to enjoy learning. If the walk were not in Cheltenham, we could car-share or travel independently to the agreed meeting place.

Please contact Lynne Macedo if you are interested in joining.

The Church has addressed this problem to the Council.

Consequently the Council have agreed to remove the restrictive Kerb markings outside the Library.

This now means that Blue Badge Holders can park in those spaces. Remember the road is now 2 Way and parking is not allowed directly outside the entrance to the church.

Di Kyte  U3A Social Secretary

Your committee are seeking a member with experience of Health and Safety or prepared to learn.  We need someone to check meeting places to make sure they are safe for our members and report back to the committee