By Wynne Gifford
We had a busy and fun year in 2023 and learned a lot about Kent suffragettes from Jennifer Godfrey, Women of a Certain Age performed by Pat Bryer, our own Ann Lovelace – featuring the work of the local Orpheus Centre, founded by Sir Richard Stilgoe, Sarah Slater gossiping about the Royal Court in the 17th Century, Dudley Nichols talking about his aunt, Louie Burrows, and DH Lawrence, Michael Grillo entertaining us with music from Roy Orbison and Del Shannon and Henry VIII (aka Tony Harris) revealing some of his innermost secrets.
In June, to commemorate our 10-year anniversary, we showcased our various and varied activities and welcomed several new members; we had an anniversary tea, a quiz and rounded off the year with a splendid Christmas lunch – so enjoyable that no-one thought to take any photographs, so I have none to enclose with this article!
At the Open Meeting on Thursday, 11 January, an almost full house heard a most enlightening talk by Chris Buckwell on his Experiences of an Immigration Judge, his fee for which was a donation to Medway Queen. He ranged from the deadly serious to some funny moments and underlined the difficulty of determining what is actually the truth. He held our attention for a good hour and answered several questions from members afterwards.
In February, Pat Bryer will be taking the stage again, this time paying tribute to Thora Hird, and in March Ian Currie will be warning us about Gales, Greenhouses and Global Warming. In April, Stuart Robinson will be revealing Curiosities of the City of London and in May, Ray Hale will be examining The Man who Lived in Darwin’s Shadow. June promises another fun and informative talk by Sarah Slater on Kirtle, Corsets and Curtains.
So – why not put these dates in your diary and come and join us? You will be assured of a warm welcome, plus tea and cakes! Learn for fun, develop an interest, meet new friends, listen to interesting speakers, join outings and events, and make best use of your spare time.
The U3A is a charity, run by volunteers, 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 at 10:30, and on the second Thursday of the month at our Open Meeting at 14:00, both in Westerham Village Hall.
We charge a nominal £2 per head for events in the hall to cover the cost of hiring. There are lots of interest groups you can join, from archaeology to yoga, full details of which are on our website, or call 01883 723207 for further information.
