By Wynne Gifford
Jennifer Godfrey was our guest speaker on 9 November, stepping in at the last minute for our scheduled speaker who was ill. Jennifer talked some more about the suffragette movement in Kent – Tunbridge Wells being its hotbed – and leading lights like Violet Tillard, Irene McCleod and the spiky young Ethel Baldock, who went into service aged 12 and was one of the Glass Breakers of 1912 who got imprisoned for their actions. At the outbreak of World War One, the suffragists and suffragettes abandoned their fight to support the war effort, and, at the end of the war, certain women won the right to vote – universal suffrage not happening until 1928.
The U3A December meeting on the 7th will take the form of our annual Christmas lunch, which will be held at Westerham Golf Club. Our meeting on 11 January 2024 will welcome Helen Fry, to talk about Bugging the Nazis, while Pat Bryer will be taking the stage again on 8 February, to entertain us with a tribute to Thora Hird.
The U3A is a charity, run by volunteers and relying on members getting involved. Membership is just £20 per year (£35 per couple).
We welcome you to join us on the first Wednesday of the month for coffee and chat (10:30) and on the second Thursday of the month at our Open Meeting (14:00); both take place in Westerham Village Hall. There are also lots of interest groups you can join from archaeology to yoga – full details are on our website, or call 01883 723207 for further information.
Learn for fun, develop an interest, meet new friends, listen to interesting speakers, join outings and events, and make the best use of your spare time!
