Yate and Sodbury District U3A

U3A is the University of the Third Age - a self-help group with members sharing learning experiences.

U3A membership is not related to a specific age, but to a period in one's life (the third age) after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility.

Anybody in their third age can join U3A and this includes people who are working part time. There is no lower or upper age for membership.

All U3As are different, dependent on the skills and talents of the membership.

Newsletter

March 2010 newsletter

"South Gloucestershire" Archaeological Society

A fact finding mission is currently being undertaken to see if there is sufficient interest in a "South Glos" archaeological society and if you are interested, please contact Jenni Craft at or by phone on 01454 314147 in the evenings.

The following gives a flavour of the aims for the new society:-

• A summer walks programme where local people offer to walk the group on a guided tour of their locality or a place of interest. Perhaps an hour on a walk and then convene in a local pub to add a social element to the group.
• A series of lectures during the winter months
• It is hoped that there will be access to state of the art geophysics equipment so members could get involved in "hands on" fieldwork in the area.
• As well as geophysics we would also hope to give members the chance to get involved in excavations.

Current Groups

Art Appreciation

Backgammon

Basic Computing
We run eight week courses at Yate Library. Total cost £15 to be paid in advance to ensure commitment. We are looking for new people for future courses, which will run dependent on sufficient numbers coming forward. The library PCs are Windows XP but uprated to 2007.

Board Games
This new Group meets 6.30-9pm on the first Sunday of the month at 100 Blaisdon, Yate. £1 charge for refreshments. With a few hiccups we are finally getting a regular group of approximately six members. We try different games and have lots of laughs! Any new members would be warmly welcomed.

Book Club
A new Book Club has begun meeting on the first Tuesday of each month. Please note both groups are full, but please let us know if you are interested in joining as there may be a need to set up another group - of course we would need a leader. Please get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Bridge
The group meets at The Shire Way Community Centre on Mondays at 1.30pm. If you fancy a game just turn up with a partner and you're on. We charge table money at £1.30 and the Centre provides very reasonably priced drinks and snacks. If you think it might be too high powered for you just drop in for a preview, the amount of laughter could well change your mind - we're a very sociable group. Lessons are available! We can also arrange a Partner!

Cards for Fun
We meet on the 1st Thursday of each month unless notified of any change.

Cinema
See the calendar for dates. Venue: Brimsham Green School, Broad Lane, Yate. Meet at School Reception at 3.45pm. There is a £1 per person charge to cover expenses. Tea and coffee provided free of charge. Come and enjoy an afternoon at the cinema!

Computer Workshops
Recent workshops have covered buying and selling on Ebay, and using Paypal. See the calendar for future events.

Cycling
Somewhere between four and ten cyclists are in the habit of meeting at Chipping Sodbury Clock Tower at 9.30am in Summer and 10am in Winter on the first and third Thursday of each month. Most rides are not very strenuous, with the Bath to Bristol cycling track proving quite popular. The mileage covered is usually more than 20 but less than 40, and always includes a refreshment stop or two. For example, the parish church in Sherston serves coffee and cakes and makes a convenient stop on our way to the Cat and Custard Pot. We wait for members who need to dismount on hills, although now that the group have been to places such as Bath, Bristol, Castle Coombe, Shipton Moyne, Tetbury, Hawkesbury Upton and Grittleton, we are getting fitter.
So, come and join us for the Winter rides - cycle maintenance has been covered and there is a discount available at a local cycling shop for cycling members.

Drawing and Painting Group
The group meets weekly to share studio time supported by several artists. Every so often we have a different professional artist/tutor to run a workshop, so that all aspects of painting are covered. There is currently a waiting list to join. The group holds an annual exhibition of work for sale - see the calendar for details.

Folk Singing
We currently have around 25 regular singers and are always happy to welcome new members. DO join us if you enjoy singing - we sing a wide range of folk songs and all words are provided. We meet at 10am each Monday at the Holy Trinity Church, Church Lane, Rangeworthy, so wear warm clothing!  We look forward to welcoming YOU.

French
The French group meets at Brimsham Green School from 4-6pm on Tuesday in term time. We are primarily a conversation group with an optional module of Grammar at the end which Mary, our tutor, manages to make quite fun. If anyone is interested in dusting off their rusty French, they are welcome to come along for a trial session.

Gardening Group

Unfortunately this Group is no longer operating due to low turnout, but if any U3A member wishes to revive it – please contact any member of the Committee!
One idea is to start up a Working Party to help some of our less able bodied members with light gardening work during the summer and then ‘Autumn Clear-ups’. If you are interested please contact us.

History and Social Studies Group
All meetings are held 10.30am-12noon at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. See the calendar for details.

Latin Group

Latin/Line Dancing Sessions
2-3.30pm on Mondays in the RidgeWood Community Centre, Yate, and Wednesday in Shire Way Community Centre. Just pick whichever day you feel is appropriate and join us for some fun and gentle exercise – no pressure! Just pay £3 per session. These classes will run each week until further notice.

MOTO (Members On Their Own)
We are a social group that meets on the 3rd Friday of every month at the Ridgewood Community Centre, Yate, 7–9pm. There is plenty of parking space. Come and join us to have a “natter and a cuppa” and make new friends. We try to do different things every month to cater for all tastes. Enquiries to Janet Stanton on 01454 317645.

Music Appreciation
Held in The Old Grammar School Room, Chipping Sodbury - at 2pm on the last Friday of the month. See the calendar for details.

Poetry Group
This is a small, but friendly group that meets at 10.30am on the last Wednesday of the month in the Old Grammar School. Are you a lapsed member who would like to come back? We would welcome you with open arms! Or are you new to U3A and didn’t know we existed? Just a little shy? Take the plunge and give us a try; you might discover a new interest! We now have 4 male members who cope very well, but would love more masculine back-up!!
Come on, all you budding poetry readers, remember the maxim - USE IT OR LOSE IT! Please note that all themes are chosen by the members themselves and we now include prose readings, by popular request.

Playing Music for Fun
After three very successful Christmas Carol Concerts, (Our U3A Wine Club, Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church & St Peters Church, Frampton Cotterell), it now can be said that our band has “Arrived”. We play music from Bartok to the Beatles. Our two new members, Jackie on Alto Sax and Cherry on Flute, enable us to now play all four parts or voices of our music.
BUT we still need more playing members, so dig out that old instrument and come and join us! Although our standard is improving, if you are grade 2 or 3 we have the music especially for you. We meet during term time in the Music Centre at Brimsham Green School, each Thursday 4-5.30pm.

Spanish

Supper Club

Theatre Group
See the calendar for details of our programme.

Travel Group
An important note from Mike Ryder:

Now that the dates for this year's trips have been finalised, the only way to book a seat on any of the trips is to write to me and enclose a deposit of £10 per person per trip. No bookings will be taken over the phone, via email or verbally at events.

Please state your name, address, phone number, email address if you have one, and your membership number (this is especially important after the renewal of your membership in April). Also state which trips you are booking. If you are booking for a number of people, please state their names, addresses and phone numbers, membership numbers (and email addresses if they have one). U3A members will always take priority, but non-members are always welcome if seats are available. However, non-members are only allowed 2 “taster” trips so I must know their names and addresses. Non-members will have to pay an extra £2 per trip.

It would be helpful if you could state where you will catch the coach. We pick - up at Chipping Sodbury car park, Yate bus terminus, Yate Windows on Station Road Yate and at St Saviours Church Coalpit Heath. As requested by the coach company we will NOT be stopping at the Willy Wicket, Downend in the future.

Please only pay by cheque, made payable to “Yate & Sodbury District U3A Travel Group” and send to me at 8, The Avenue, Yate, South Gloucestershire, BS37 4PN. Please write on the back of the cheque what the cheque is for (preferably in pencil).

Please note that the cost of the coach may have to be altered, if circumstances change, ie. fuel prices rise or the number of passengers does not meet the cost of the coach, at the advertised price.

NB As we make the decision to run a trip at least 6 weeks beforehand, it is in your interest to book early. Please be assured that you will not loose money by booking a trip early. If the trip is cancelled by us, your money will be refunded.

However, if you cancel a trip you will lose your deposit, unless you find someone to take your place. Please contact me if this is likely to happen as I sometimes have a waiting list for some trips.

I hope many of you will join us on our excursions. If you have any comments please contact me. Many thanks, Mike Ryder 01454 882067 or

Walking Group
The Group enjoys a number of interesting walks, such as The Snowdrop Walk through Ozleworth and Newark Park, and an Autumn walk through the magnificent colours of Westonbirt. New members are always welcome - Walks programme available.

Wine Appreciation Group
The Wine Appreciation Group meets monthly to enjoy tasting new wines from all around the world, often with a wine expert to present the wines. We have different types of evening - tasting a particular grape variety, sampling wines from a single country or comparing similar wines from different countries. We also try to visit a vineyard once a year and hold a few social events such as our Summer Party, Christmas Social and an annual dinner. We hope to be able to invite a few more from the waiting list soon.

We need your help to start new groups

We are always open to your comments, suggestions and ideas and we would welcome and are always open to anyone who has a skill and is willing to run a 'New Group'.

Please contact us if you feel you have something to offer and our Committee will be happy to discuss options and venues for your particular skill.

If you have any knowledge of Latin and you feel you would be happy to share this with a small group, please contact any member of the committee. Thank you.

First Assist

This is a legal service available to all U3A members. The telephone number and code required are available on request.

Find out more

For more information about Yate and Sodbury District U3A, please contact Rosemarie Hughes at 4 The Stable Yard, Petty France, Badminton, South Gloucestershire GL9 1EG, on 01454 232928 or by email:

For more information about U3A nationally, visit: www.u3a.org.uk