By Wynne Gifford
At our meeting on 14 March, Ian Currie gave an erudite and entertaining talk on Gales, Greenhouses and Global Warming. Nothing seems to be new in the world of weather as all of it has happened before and sometimes worse than our present experiences. But there is no doubt global warming will continue to be an issue and it will need united political pressure worldwide to have any effect.
There are some events over which mankind has no control, such as the movement of tectonic plates, but there are some areas where mankind can help itself. Ian is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and can be heard regularly on BBC Radio Surrey and Sussex with forecasts for gardeners and growers, and for 18 years was a columnist for the national magazine Garden News.
Stuart Robinson will be with us on 11 April to talk about Curiosities of the City of London, and on 9 May, Ray Hale will be talking about the man who lived in Darwin’s shadow – Alfred Russel Wallace – who lived at the same time as Darwin and arrived at the Theory of Evolution independently, but his importance is now forgotten.
Sarah Slater will make a welcome return after her talk on the scandals of the Royal Court and will doubtless have amusing information about Kirtles,Corsets and Curtains on 13 June.
We also have several upcoming trips you are welcome to join:
25 April – Anything Goes at The Barn Theatre, Oxted – contact valerie@villagedevelopments.com
29 April to 3 May – Coach trip to Wales. Contact garyaz100@gmail.com
16 May – Brighton day trip, with optional visit to the Pavilion
27 July: Visit to Basildon Park, Berkshire – contact valerie@villagedevelopments.com
And future visits are projected to West End musicals Kiss Me Kate, Moulin Rouge and The Michael Jackson Story – contact chrisfelgate@hotmail.com
So, there is plenty to look forward to and we shall be delighted if you can join us!
The U3A is a charity run by volunteers, which relies 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 (10:30) for coffee and chat, and on the second Thursday of the month (14:00) at our Open Meeting, both of which are held in Westerham Village Hall. We charge a nominal £2 per head for events in the hall to cover the cost of hiring.
We also have lots of interest groups you can join, from archaeology to yoga: full details of which can be found on our website, or by calling 01883 723207.
