ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Now that Crouch End & District U3A is a registered charity, we will be holding our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 11 April at 12 noon at the Union Church, directly after our April monthly meeting. From that date the Steering Committee will become an elected Executive Committee that will ensure the smooth running of our U3A. At the AGM you will be asked to elect officer and non-officer Trustees (Executive Committee members) and approve the accounts, and will hear a brief overview of progress to date and plans for the future. Calls for officer and non-officer Trustee nominations will go out in early February. Please watch the website and emails for further information. The AGM should last no longer than one hour. It is very important that as many members as possible attend, as we need a minimum of 60 for it to be quorate. You do not need to attend the monthly meeting preceding the AGM (all you need is to be a member) – you can come along at 12 noon.   We look forward to seeing you there.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Renewal notices were sent out in November to members whose membership was due to expire on 31 December 2018. A final reminder was sent out in January after which membership will lapse at the end of February.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

These are held on the second Thursday of the month at Union Church and Community Centre, Weston Park N8 9PX.
 
Thursday 14 February 2019
John Withington: Living to 100 – The secrets of the Centenarians
 
What is it like to live for a century and which of us will survive to find out? Drawing on his acclaimed book Secrets of the Centenarians, John Withington will examine: Why are there 90 times as many centenarians as there were 100 years ago? Why do women outnumber men by about 5 to 1? What determines who will make it to 100 and who will fall by the wayside? And can we go on expanding human lifespan or have we reached our limit?
 
John will also tell the stories of the oldest people who have ever lived and the famous people who made it to 100 – the celebrity centenarians.
 
John Withington is an award-winning television producer and reporter and the author of a number of books, including London’s Disasters, A Disastrous History of the World and Storm: Nature and Culture.
 
Thursday 14 March 2019
 
Sandra Clark: Singing witches, authenticity and innovation: Macbeth on the Victorian Stage
 
Macbeth was one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays in the nineteenth century, and all the major actors, including Samuel Phelps, William Macready, Sir Henry Irving, Helen Faucit and Ellen Terry, tried their hand in the main roles. Productions were characterised by music and spectacle, including large numbers of singing witches. One of Shakespeare’s shortest plays often took more than three hours to perform. This talk will consider the range and variety of the productions and the innovations some performers introduced.
 
CE&DU3A member Sandra Clark taught early modern literature including Shakespeare for many years at Birkbeck, University of London. She has written a number of books and articles on the literature of the period, the most recent being Shakespeare and Domestic Life: A Dictionary (Bloomsbury, 2018).
 
The monthly talks are open to all members (please bring your membership card), and you are welcome to bring a guest: it is possible to join at the meeting. Talks start at 10.45 am, tea and coffee is available from 10 am. Union Church is a plastic-free zone, so please bring your own cup or mug.

SCIENCE OF HEALTH SEMINARS

Monday 25 February 2019
 
What happens when genes go wrong in the skin: Professor Irene Leigh, Dean for Global Engagement and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Dentistry
 
Professor Leigh’s talk will bring together her research and experience in dermatology, spanning a period of nearly 50 years, and her research in molecular medicine, since 1981. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of skin cancer, genetic tissue and tissue engineering and she is recognised as an international leader in those fields, holding positions in Prevention Research in London, Dundee, Lyon and Tanzania.
 
Science of Health seminars are held between 11.30 am and 1 pm at the Union Church and Community Centre at the junction of Ferme Park Road and Weston Park, N8 9PX. Refreshments are provided.
 
The next Science of Health meeting will be on Monday 25 March 2019.

FIRST MONDAY PUB LUNCHES

As the name suggests, our pub lunches are held on the first Monday of every month, at the Mossy Well in Muswell Hill. They provide an opportunity for members to meet each other and chat in an informal and social atmosphere.
Members will of course have to pay for their own food and drinks.
 
If you are interested in coming along to the next pub lunch on 4 March 2019 at 1pm, please email crouchendanddistrictu3a@gmail.com, so we have some idea of numbers intending to join us.

COFFEE MORNINGS

These monthly get-togethers, held in people’s homes from 11 to 12.30, are a great way to meet other members. The next two mornings are Tuesday 12 March (limited spaces) and Friday 12 April, both in Crouch End. To book for either, or if you would like to host a coffee morning (we need hosts from May onward) please contact Jacki on https://cedu3a.org.uk/coffee-mornings/. Expenses can be reimbursed.

QUIZ NIGHT

Wednesday 27 February 2019
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The quiz can now be booked via the website (https://cedu3a.org.uk/quiz-nights/). Entrance is only £7.50, and you are welcome to bring along a guest – or come along on your own: tables will be allocated when you arrive. The price includes nibbles in the break – but please note that this is not a full meal Previous quizzes have sold out so hurry to book your place.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Our Facebook group page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/300181150556772/) is a wonderful forum for sharing photos, comments and announcements relating to our U3A. Recent posts have shown members enjoying Birdwatching, Singing for Fun, a Pub Lunch, Walking, Outings, Feltmaking, Pétanque and Textiles, but there is obviously scope for a wider representation of what we do. The aim of the Facebook page is to encourage existing members’ interest in groups they may not have considered and show the wider public the diversity of what we do. So we would love it if you could post some photos (with group members’ permission, of course) and help provide a record of our U3A story. The only proviso is that posts must be directly related to U3A activities as there are other forums for events of local interest.

GROUP NEWS

Feminism – this is a new group. Please see https://cedu3a.org.uk/feminism/.
 
Ukulele – A couple of spaces have become available in the ukulele group. Everyone started as a beginner but quickly mastered enough chords (ie 3) to play a variety of well-known tunes. If you’d like to give it a try, or to find out more, contact Helen/Jacki via https://cedu3a.org.uk/ukulele/
 
Strings – This small chamber group is looking for a violinist to join them – level grade 3-4. Further details can be found here https://cedu3a.org.uk/strings/
 

There is the possibility of a Mental Health Group. If you are interested please contact groups2@cedu3a.org.uk

CURRENT GROUPS

The 1960s
Architecture
Art Appreciation 1
Art Appreciation 2
Art – Beginners
Art – Intermediate
Badminton
Birdwatching
Book Group 1
Book Group 2
Bookbinding
Bridge
Crime Fiction Book Club
Crochet
Current Affairs
Decluttering
Economics
Exhibitions and Galleries
Family History
Felt Making
Feminism
Films
Foreign Films
French Book Club
French Conversation
Futurology
Gardens
Gentle Exercise (Feldenkrais)
Geology
History
Italian Conversation 1
Italian Conversation 2
Jazz and Improvised Music
Latin
Local History: Introductory Course
Local History: Further Research
London Loop Walk
Longer Walks
Music Appreciation
Opera
Outings
Pétanque (Boules)
Philosophy
Photography
Play Reading
Poetry for Pleasure
Polish Conversation
Recorder
Relaxation
Science and Technology
Scrabble
Shorter Walks
Singing for Fun
Singing: Part Songs and Harmonising
Spanish Conversation
Strings
Table Tennis
Textiles
Theatre Visits: Fringe
Theatre Visits: West End
Ukulele
Wine Appreciation
Wine … and more
World Literature
Writing
 
For details of all groups see https://cedu3a.org.uk/interest-groups/
For those without email ring Jane Clarke on 020 8341 1239 or 07948 27396

GROUPS’ ORGANISER

David Pashley, our Groups’ Organiser from the inception of Crouch End and District U3A, has done a remarkable job as evidenced by the 65 groups which are now running. David will be standing down at our AGM in April and so we are looking for a replacement person (or people) to take the role forward. The Groups’ Organiser is a very rewarding position, at the very heart of CE&DU3A. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic about what our groups are doing and who are keen for CE&DU3A to be successful. No experience is necessary. You will be actively supported by other members of the Executive Committee, in particular the Chair and the Vice-Chair, and would not be expected to work in isolation. The tasks could be carried out by one person, but as that would be a considerable commitment, we are very happy to explore a team-based approach, sharing the various tasks. No more than a one year commitment would be required. To express an interest please email vicechair@cedu3a.org.uk.

NEW MEMBERS’ SOCIALS ORGANISER

We are very pleased to welcome Llorett Klempen to our team as organiser for our new members’ socials.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY ASSISTANCE

CE&DU3A now has over 600 members and our membership secretary Ed Allen would welcome some assistance with the consequent administration. If you can spare some time to help please get in touch with him at membership@cedu3a.org.uk.
 
Remember that if you have would like to offer ideas or help in any other way do get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator. You can contact her by email: jenny@dreamcountry.org. The phone number for non-emailers is 020 8340 0681

CE&DU3A WEBSITE

Our excellent website is already an invaluable source of information on every aspect of our U3A. It now includes an easy-to-read scroll-down calendar of our weekly and monthly events so that you need never miss a thing. To keep up-to-date with groups, talks, social events, outings and much more take a look now at https://cedu3a.org.uk.

OTHER NEWS

Magnificent Women: A Panel Discussion on the First Female Engineers
On 20 February Royal Holloway’s Bedford Centre for Women’s and Gender History  is hosting a panel discussion on the history of women in engineering in collaboration with the Women’s Engineering Society. The Women’s Engineering Society (WES) was established in 1919 and continues to promote gender diversity and inclusivity in engineering.  Tickets for the event are free but please register at www.magnificentwomen.eventbrite.com.

CENTENARY CONGRATULATIONS

Very appropriately in view of our talk this month, we are delighted to celebrate the birthday of a new centenarian who is also an active member of our U3A. We offer our very warmest congratulations to our member Betty Romary who reached her 100th birthday on 1 February 2019.