News of general interest to all members

From Page to Stage: At the Lyceum Theatre

The Ambassador Theatre Group’s West End Creative Learning team presents a one day U3A bespoke Directing event on November 12th. Ever watched a play and thought 'I can do that'! Well now here's your chance. Under the guidance of three extraordinary directors, Harry Burton (Pinter documentary, Dumb Waiter Trafalgar studios etc.), Lisa Spirling (Artistic Director of Theatre503) and Jane Moriarty (The Birthday Party at Harold Pinter, Queen Anne at Her Majesty’s). You will be given the opportunity, in groups to direct a scene under the watchful eyes of one of these wonderfully thrilling directors, putting into practice valuable lessons learnt earlier on in the day and culminating in a performance involving professional actors, bringing your scene to life.

Click here for more details and a booking form.

U3A group event programme

Dear group leader,

We are coming to the end of the U3A year so it's time to review the group event programme we keep on the web site. This note sets out the procedure for doing that. It also suggests a way to get around the latest email anti-spam 'feature' that has the potential to irritate our members.

The online event programme allows people to:

  • See forthcoming meetings and events:
    • on your group page
    • in the web site's calendar
    • in members' personalised calendars in the web site
  • Automatically include your events in their electronic diaries
  • Look for times to arrange new meetings and events that minimise clashes with existing ones

If your group has regular meetings and they do not each need separate descriptions, I can add them for you. If I don't hear from you by Friday, September 28th I'll assume you are happy for me to do that. I will, however, exclude dates that are close to Christmas or New Year. I'll add dates up to September next year. Next September I'll ask again about dates through to March 2020 so we realign the review with the new HIU3A year start date.

If you have specific information you would like to record for each meeting, there's information for how to do that here or, if you let me have the details, I will add the events for you.

Companies that process emails fight a continuous war against spam. Unfortunately some of that activity gets in the way of legitimate emails.

As a result of previous blockages we now ensure that all emails sent from our web site use 'haylingu3a.org' email addresses. If you send an email to your group with your personal email address, we send it from emailer@haylingu3a.org and instruct the recipient's email software to send replies to your address. Unfortunately some software developers have chosen to ignore this feature and replies are going to emailer@haylingu3a.org, not your address. When that happens we send the member an email explaining the problem and asking them to use your address as provided in the original email. That is obviously irritating, and you might be hearing some negative feedback as a result.

To get around the issue, I can create a 'haylingu3a.org' email address for you. When you send your group emails, there will be no conflict between the 'from' and 'reply to' addresses. When we receive replies to your new email address we will forward them on to you existing email address automatically. There is nothing for you to do at your end, and no cost to HIU3A. Just let me know if you would like a 'haylingu3a.org' email address.

Andy Henderson
Web site editor
Hayling Island U3A

Music, art & history

Join U3A members on Tuesday, October 9th for a bespoke afternoon of talks, local music, history and art at the National Museum Cardiff. With talks on the renowned Davies’ Sisters Art Collection, from a speaker at the National Museum Cardiff. The Welsh National Opera will give a talk on Margaret Haig Thomas and the Suffragettes, along with a very special performance from some of the Welsh National Opera singers. A presentation will be made from Dr Mark Rednap on the 30m 'Redevelopment project' at St Fagan's National Museum of History in Cardiff.

For more details, including a programme and booking form. click here.

Unravelling the Whitworth

Join U3A members on Thursday, October 4th at the Whitworth in the Grand Hall for a day of discovery and hands on fun as we unravel the secrets of the fantastic textile and wallpaper collection. The Whitworth holds one of the largest global collections of textiles and wallpapers dating from the 1st century AD to the present day. U3A members will hear from curators and experts and learn about creative processes, methods and ideas behind some of the work. There will also be a tour of the Highlights of both the exhibitions and the building itself as well as a hands on have a go session facilitated by an Artist. Welcome refreshments on arrival.

The day will finish with a Panel discussion in the Grand Hall with Textile and Wallpaper curators on the following exhibitions; Four Corners of One Cloth; Textiles from the Islamic World, Bodies of Colour: Breaking with Stereotypes in the Wallpaper Collection and Alice Kettle's new solo exhibition.

Click here for more details and a booking form.

After the impressionists...

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… post impressionists to Picasso at the National Gallery.

Join National Gallery experts for a day of talks exploring the radical diversity of late nineteenth and early twentieth century-painting. From the blazing visions and emotional intensity of Van Gogh to the quiet stillness of Hammershoi, discover the art that followed in the wake of Impressionism.

Tickets are £25 per person.

Click here for more details and booking form.