It’s that time of year again and it seems to start earlier and earlier! I was in Canterbury on November 16th and Christmas was in full swing with Christmas Market stalls in the Cathedral grounds and town and every shop window had a Christmas theme. When Christmas finally arrives, I  hope you enjoy all that the season brings and I echo the words of Charles Dickens’ Tiny Tim – “God bless us, one and all”

Coffee Morning –  The next coffee morning will be on Tuesday December 3rd from 10 -12. with refreshments including mince pies and stollen. If you have any questions about your U3A membership, there will be someone there who will be able to help you. Click on the Coffee Morning icon (right) for more details and parking advice. Click HERE for more details and parking advice.

Monthly Meeting – The next Monthly Meeting will be on December 17th  and the speaker will be ex-town crier Jonathon Jones, giving a dramatized reading of ‘A Christmas Carol’. Following this we will be singing a few Christmas Carols and drawing the Christmas raffle. Why not click on the Monthly Meeting icon (left) for more information?

The Members Talk – This month’s talk is on … Click HERE for more details. 

Travel and Tourism – New trips are available. Have you checked out trips? Click HERE for details of ALL our day trips and short breaks. Please note that our trips sell out very quickly so please contact the trip organizer ASAP to secure your place!

Travelogues – Our next Travelogue is on December 3rd when Murray Rowlands will present ‘The Turquoise Coast of the Turkish Riviera‘. Click HERE for more information.

Film & Media – Please click HERE for more information on upcoming Film & Media.

Quiz – Following a very successful sold-out Autumn Term Quiz in October, booking will open for the Spring Term Quiz in January. Dates and details will follow in future newsletters. For more information click HERE

Theatre Group –  ‘Joseph’ and ‘Madam Butterfly’ are now sold out so please click HERE for details of shows available.

From the Chair

At the November Trustees meeting, we discussed updates on a number of issues including:

  • The new Camberley u3a website which was then launched on 24 November
  • Plans for the Barn Dance which is to be held on the evening of 20 February
  • The New Members Welcome meeting which was held near the end of October. Feedback from the new members who attended was positive though they also gave us a number of suggestions, particularly about holding the meeting sooner after Enrolment Day and about clarifying the scope for members to attend taster sessions at groups.
  • We were also pleased to hear about the new groups that were being set up.

The Third Age Trust (TAT), which is the overarching body for the 1000+ u3as in the UK, held their AGM in October and ui3as voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposed changes to the governance of TAT.  From 1 April, there will be a new Council which will represent the views of u3as and also a smaller board.  TAT is now seeking nominations from any u3a member for these new roles.  
If you’d like to find out more about the nomination process and the role of Council and Board members, please click on https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/board-trustee-council-rep-elections#key

*** All Members ***

Emergencies in u3a groups are few and far between thankfully. However they can come out of the blue and we may have to contact someone on your behalf.

Please could YOU check that you have registered an up-to-date ‘Emergency Contact’ number with your Group leader or the Camberley u3a membership database at membership@cu3a.org.uk

Barn Dance

We are delighted to announce we will be holding a Barn Dance at St. Mary’s Church, Park Road, Camberley together with a Fish & Chip Supper on Thursday 20th February 2025.  Arrival will be from 6.45 p.m. and the last dance will be at 9.45 p.m.

Tickets will go on sale soon for Members and their partners.  There will be a limited number of tickets and these will be sold on a first come first served basis. More details will follow.
However, in the meantime, we are looking for people to make some lovely bunting for us to dress the hall and create a wonderful atmosphere!  So, if you are handy with a sewing machine, please get in touch we would love to hear from you!

We are also hoping to run a raffle so if you have anything you could donate as a prize, we would be extremely grateful.  

News from your Groups Coordinator

Thank you for the overwhelming response to the ideas for new groups promoted in recent communications.  Those members who have expressed an interest are being kept updated with progress!

Items to bring to your attention this month include:

  • A possible new Run for Fun group!
  • Spare places in our Tennis group!
  • The very welcome return of our Live Performance Appreciation Group!
  • An opportunity to try Pétanque!

Please click here to find out more. Thank You!

Ambling Group

This month, our members discovered a new walk at Sunningdale Park. Our walk took us through wooded areas and open land where we stood in amazement at a five hundred year old oak tree. We walk on the first and third Tuesday of the month in the morning and we always seem to have pleasant day to enjoy the local countryside. If anyone wants to join us we do have spaces available.

Carole Seaton

Flower arranging group 3

Every flower arranging session incorporates a demonstration which is then interpreted by our members in the following class.  The theme this year has been contemporary techniques.

These arrangements were produced under the title of ‘steam punk’. A challenging title which our ladies executed beautifully. Steam Punk aesthetic is a fusion of the Victorian-era fashion and industrial machinery and is often inspired by fashions of the Victorian era in England, the Belle Epoque in France and the Civil War era in the U.S

The Monthly Meeting – ‘Gardens in Surrey’

The garden historian, Cherrill Sands, came along to the Monthly Meeting in November to talk about the many gardens in Surrey which are worth visiting and she gave us a brief history of some of them. Cherrill talked about several familiar gardens like Virginia Waters, Painshill Park and the RHS garden, Wisley, but she also spoke about gardens with which we were not so familiar, Vann, which is an Arts and Crafts garden near Hambledon, the garden at Great Fosters near Egham which is now a hotel, Ramster Gardens near Godalming, Albury Park near Guildford, Gatton Park near Reigate, Titsey Place near Oxted and Munster Woods, near Godalming which was owned and designed by Gertrude Jekyll and has just been acquired by the National Trust. Many of these gardens are fabulous in the spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are out and in the autumn when the leaves on the trees are a gorgeous golden colour as well as during the summer months. More information can be found at www.surreygardenstrust.org.uk and www.thegardenstrust.org

Strolling Group

What a lovely morning walk our group took this month at Lightwater Country Park. Blue skies and sunshine greeted us as we strolled through the woods taking in the beautiful countryside. Twenty members took part and enjoyed the lovely views of the calm and tranquil lake and the bench donated by Netflix which appeared in the Netflix Film ‘After Life‘ 

Lightwater Leisure wrote at the time ‘We’re so pleased to be part of this excellent initiative with #AfterLife @NetflixUK and  @theCALMzone, offering a place where people can sit, think, talk & listen – like Tony & Anne in the show’

Many of us enjoyed coffee and a bite to eat at the light and airy cafeteria at the Leisure Centre – we can recommend it!
Gaye Barrett


Surrey/NE Hants Inter u3a pickleball tournament

On 11 November, Camberley u3a hosted a pickleball tournament at Lightwater.  11 u3as from Surrey and NE Hants were represented.  There were 16 teams with Camberley fielding two teams. 

Our players, from left to right in the photo below, were Paul Wilson, Rowland Bennett, Catriona Graham, Tony Thomas, Jill Mayhew, Shirley Faulkner, Jill Floyd and Alan Frost.

There was a great buzz during the day with players enjoying competitive games of pickleball as well as getting to know players from other local U3As.

 Men’s doubles gold medals were won by Elmbridge U3A who narrowly beat Camberley’s Alan Frost and Rowland Bennett, who were the silver medallists.  Bronze medallists were Tony Thomas and Paul Wilson from Camberley.

Two teams from Elmbridge won gold and silver in the women’s doubles, with Woking winning bronze.  Camberley’s women’s doubles teams played well – Jill Floyd and Catriona Graham got through to the quarter-finals while Jill Mayhew and Shirley Faulkner had a really tough draw as they were in the same group as the eventual silver and bronze medallists.  Well done to all Camberley players.

Medals were presented by Camberley U3A’s Frank Arico who is also President of the European Pickleball Federation.

Many thanks to the rest of the organising team, Alan Frost, Frank Arico and Jackie Arico for all the detailed planning and smooth running of the event.  Many thanks also to Tony Bennett, Brian Ford, Tina Fowler, Janet Kiely, Lala Harrison and Ian Magness who helped with the running of the tournament on the day.

Ian Stewart

VACANCIES  VACANCIES  VACANCIES

Did you know that we have a Volunteering Vacancies page on our u3a Website? Click HERE to access the page and see the opportunities available to help our organization and one another. 

In Remembrance

Colette Astill
John Gill
Janet Hancock
Helen  Maclachlan
Christopher Nobbs

If you are from the family or are a friend of a cu3a member who has passed away recently and would like us to mention this in our newsletter, could you please contact Maureen Lomas, our Welfare Officer. welfare@cu3a.org.uk

If you are a New (or relatively new) Member and you have any questions you would like to ask about your U3A membership, there will be someone at the Coffee Mornings who will be able to help you..

We have a new page where you can see the most Frequently Asked Questions from members and the answers to those questions. You can access the ‘FAQ page on the bottom of every page of our website.

SAFEGUARDING

The Trustees have reviewed and amended the Safeguarding Policy for our u3a. This policy is in line with national guidelines and provides a means of recognising and reporting concerns that members may have about the safety of others. These safety concerns may include such things as neglect, bullying, exploitation and mental frailty. A full description of the policy and how to report concerns can be found in “Documents” on the website.

Have you checked your JUNK/SPAM email folder recently?

Many email providers will delete junk mail after 30 days, so it should be checked at least every 2 or 3 weeks. I personally check mine daily.

If not, you may miss important communications from u3a group leaders, friends, relatives, etc. Messages are sometimes mis-filed as spam  for no obvious reason, even though similar messages from the recipients have been received correctly before.

Helping you improve your computer knowledge

Do you have an iPad or laptop, and wish you could do more with it? Do you struggle with sending an email, or are you concerned about the safety of accessing the internet? Are you baffled by the features on your smartphone?

We are living in a world in which more of our day to day services are moving online and it sometimes it can be hard to understand how to access these services. But don’t worry, there is plenty of help available if you want to learn!

There are a number of resources available free of charge which can help. The Resources page of the CU3A website lists several websites which provide information on use of iPads, and keeping safe online. Click HERE to access the ‘Help with IT’ page.

If you would like more personalised help, then Camberley Library offers one to one digital support on Wednesdays – please ring them on 0300 200 1001 to make an appointment. Also, Farnborough Sixth Form College runs “Pass it on”, a free IT help service from students for senior citizens wanting to improve their IT skills. This takes place on Tuesdays (term time only, from September to May) from 4:15pm – 5.15pm in the Dell at the College. Phone 01252 688200 the day before to reserve a space.

If you would like help with using the CU3A website, perhaps for paying group fees or browsing the Timetable, pop along to a monthly Coffee Morning – we’re planning on having someone there with an iPad and laptop who can help with your questions.

u3a Friends Newsletter, Offers and Discounts

The u3a Friends newsletter contains information about many interesting things going on at the national level.  It also has information about a scheme, called U3A Friends Extra, which provides a range of offers, discounts (including at some major retailers and supermarkets) and additional services for anyone who receives the u3a Friends newsletter.

To sign up to receive the U3A Friends newsletter click HERE.  You will then receive an e-mail explaining how you can find out more about U3A Friends Extra and how to join the scheme.

u3a Pod casts

Did you know that there is a monthly u3a podcasts on a variety of very interesting topics? They are quite varied and very professionally put together. To access the latest podcast click here 

How to find your way round the website

When you open the email with the link to the newsletter you are automatically redirected (safely) to the Camberley u3a website.

By using the top menu on the newsletter page you can move around the website without having to re-enter the password.

If you click on Prospectus you can see the whole prospectus and even which groups run on a Tuesday afternoon!

By clicking on the Members Home you will go to the Members Home page where you can pay your membership and group fees, read important documents e.g. Privacy /Equality and Diversity, find Trustee contact details, see what National U3A are doing, courses, National eNewsletter etc.

You might find it useful to have a look and become familiar with where to find information about our organisation.

If you wish to go to the website directly at any time the password is 27 red tractors. The spaces must be included when typing the password.

Riviera Travel Affinity Scheme

If a member of Camberley U3A books a holiday with the holiday company Riviera Travel and tells Riviera Travel when they make the booking that they are a member of Camberley U3A, Camberley U3A will receive a payment from Riviera Travel of 9% of the cost of the holiday.  The price that the member pays for the holiday is not affected.

Since January last year, Camberley U3A has received over £750 from Riviera Travel. This money helps us to keep our fees low.  So if you are planning to book a holiday with Riviera Travel, please mention that you are a member of Camberley U3A.  For more information about the scheme, click HERE

Message from Margaret Mace, your eNews Editor newsletter@cu3a.org.uk

Submissions for the next issue should be received before 24th December 2024.

  • Each article should be no longer than 250 words.
  • Maximum of 3 photos per article.
  • Photos to be sent separately as .jpg files and not embedded within an article.

The editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit articles submitted, or to hold them for future use.