THIS PAGE IS FULL OF TIPS AND ADVICE FOR OUR U3A GROUPS AND MEMBERS
The NT have produced some free virtual backgrounds for Zoom, so you can vary your settings. Here is the link
And here is a link to a variety of online puzzles, including wordsearch, soduko and crosswords.
Some of you may remember the fascinating talk that Mary Smith gave us called ‘A schoolgirl’s War’, about the air-raid shelters at Maidstone Girls Grammar school and the wonderful illustrated book that accompanied it. The story of school life during WW2 in Kent is told in this book through a unique combination of the testimonies of wartime pupils and a fascinating set of contemporary artworks. Helen Keen, a wartime art teacher in Maidstone, documented the lives of schoolgirls and their teachers in paint and pencil as the war unfolded. The record provided by her exquisite paintings and drawings is enhanced by the memories and anecdotes of those at school at the time. The book would be of interest to anyone, of any age and from any part of the country, who is interested in life on the WW2 home front. Copies are available through the website of Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School, https://www.mggs.org/war, at a cost of £10 each plus p&p. The sale of the books is helping to fund the exploration of a second air-raid shelter uncovered at the school, and the development of a dedicated wartime classroom for educational visits.
Finally, ARTscapades is a new charity for those who love the arts, presenting special opportunities to enjoy talks, virtual visits and walks, and on-line courses by expert curators and speakers. Here is the link to their online newsletter containing details of the lectures they are running for the rest of the year and booking details. All events cost £10 each and will be hosted on Zoom and can be watched live, or on-demand for one week afterwards.
And here is a link to a variety of online puzzles, including wordsearch, soduko and crosswords.
Some of you may remember the fascinating talk that Mary Smith gave us called ‘A schoolgirl’s War’, about the air-raid shelters at Maidstone Girls Grammar school and the wonderful illustrated book that accompanied it. The story of school life during WW2 in Kent is told in this book through a unique combination of the testimonies of wartime pupils and a fascinating set of contemporary artworks. Helen Keen, a wartime art teacher in Maidstone, documented the lives of schoolgirls and their teachers in paint and pencil as the war unfolded. The record provided by her exquisite paintings and drawings is enhanced by the memories and anecdotes of those at school at the time. The book would be of interest to anyone, of any age and from any part of the country, who is interested in life on the WW2 home front. Copies are available through the website of Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School, https://www.mggs.org/war, at a cost of £10 each plus p&p. The sale of the books is helping to fund the exploration of a second air-raid shelter uncovered at the school, and the development of a dedicated wartime classroom for educational visits.
Finally, ARTscapades is a new charity for those who love the arts, presenting special opportunities to enjoy talks, virtual visits and walks, and on-line courses by expert curators and speakers. Here is the link to their online newsletter containing details of the lectures they are running for the rest of the year and booking details. All events cost £10 each and will be hosted on Zoom and can be watched live, or on-demand for one week afterwards.
Local walks booklets
Last year, when life was very different, we announced that we were going to update and reproduce the local walks booklets that had been produced 12 years ago. The launch was delayed by the pandemic, but they are now available. Having a series of short self-guided walks is ideal when it’s hard to meet up with friends.
The profits will go towards the conservation of the Georgian Court Dress, which The Friends of The Museum are raising funds for.
Book 1 covers Mount Sion, the High Street and Grove Hill Road.
Book 2 covers ‘Calverley New Town’, Camden Road and the Town Centre.
Book 3 covers Mount Ephraim, The Boyne Park Area and London and Inner London Road.
We can arrange to have them posted directly to you. They are £4.50 each, but if you order all 3, we will send them post free. Please email me for details of how to order and pay.
Last year, when life was very different, we announced that we were going to update and reproduce the local walks booklets that had been produced 12 years ago. The launch was delayed by the pandemic, but they are now available. Having a series of short self-guided walks is ideal when it’s hard to meet up with friends.
The profits will go towards the conservation of the Georgian Court Dress, which The Friends of The Museum are raising funds for.
Book 1 covers Mount Sion, the High Street and Grove Hill Road.
Book 2 covers ‘Calverley New Town’, Camden Road and the Town Centre.
Book 3 covers Mount Ephraim, The Boyne Park Area and London and Inner London Road.
We can arrange to have them posted directly to you. They are £4.50 each, but if you order all 3, we will send them post free. Please email me for details of how to order and pay.
Joy Podbury, who was a previous chairwoman of our u3a, is now Mayor of Tunbridge Wells. Her chosen charity is Porchlight, which supports homeless, vulnerable, and isolated people in Kent. Joy says that the demands for their service has increased enormously over the last few months. It is impossible to arrange fund raising events, so if members feel able to make a donation, it would be very much appreciated. Donations can be made online by visiting porchlight.org.uk/donate. Please remember to reference “Mayor” in the comments box.
Sadly, the pandemic has seen an increase in the number of scams in operation. The Guardian has listed the current ones here, which include fraudulent emails and phone calls about HMRC, Amazon Prime, TV Licence and many more. Do always be careful and don’t automatically click on a link without checking first.
Sadly, the pandemic has seen an increase in the number of scams in operation. The Guardian has listed the current ones here, which include fraudulent emails and phone calls about HMRC, Amazon Prime, TV Licence and many more. Do always be careful and don’t automatically click on a link without checking first.
Walking ideas. There are local walks on www.visittunbridgewells.com.
The Amelia has a free audio app called Tales of Tunbridge Wells that you can download to your smart phone.
The Amelia has a free audio app called Tales of Tunbridge Wells that you can download to your smart phone.
TRANSPORT SURVEY
Councils across the UK are asking residents to tell them what they think of transport and roads services in their area.
The National Highway and Transport Network have provided six independent surveys. We do not have to take them all but it is an opportunity to express your views on any of the topics that impact you.
Each survey will only take a few minutes of your time and covers:
Councils across the UK are asking residents to tell them what they think of transport and roads services in their area.
The National Highway and Transport Network have provided six independent surveys. We do not have to take them all but it is an opportunity to express your views on any of the topics that impact you.
Each survey will only take a few minutes of your time and covers:
- accessibility
- roads maintenance
- public transport
- road safety
- tackling congestion
- walking and cycling
Gayna Pelham is offering Coffee Time Art Talks at 11oc on Tuesdays and Fridays from June 9th at a cost of £5 per session (2 for £8). For details of this and future talks check here.
As promised in the June newsletter, here are 2 guides to using Zoom produced by the National Office. They are relevant if you want to set up a Zoom account but you don't need to do this to join our Zoom meetings. Using Zoom on a desktop and using Zoom from a tablet or phone.
As promised in the June newsletter, here are 2 guides to using Zoom produced by the National Office. They are relevant if you want to set up a Zoom account but you don't need to do this to join our Zoom meetings. Using Zoom on a desktop and using Zoom from a tablet or phone.
One of our members has recommended Duolingo; a free language learning site, with lots of languages available. The free version has adverts, which help pay for it, or you can switch to a paid version. You can join at different levels of knowledge and decide how many minutes you want to do daily.
Many of you attended our talk on Power of Attorney last year. Gaye is currently offering a virtual tea and chat. This can take the form of a telephone call, conference call with family or video call. The purpose of the call would be to clarify exactly what Lasting Power of Attorney is, what it will and won’t do for you, answer questions and confirm options to put these important documents in place. Her contact details are 020 3633 0110 or [email protected]
You can still use library facilities online, providing you have a compatible tablet or Kindle. Download the Libby app, find your library and enter the details on your library card. Books or audio books are downloaded from the library for a limited period, just like borrowing a book from the library. When you first download Libby type Kent County Council into the 'search for your library' option and then select your library. You can also download magazines and newspapers. Here is the link to their website for more information.
Third Age Trust has created a dedicated page on the national website to keep you up to date with the latest guidance and advice - both general and specific to U3A. You can find it here.