The monthly meetings of the Crouch End & District U3A are held at the Union Church and Community Centre, Weston Park, N8 9TA. Doors open at 10.00 a.m for tea and coffee. Talks begin at 10.45 a.m.

Coming up …

Thursday 12 December 2019

Oonagh Gay : The pioneer women MPs
 

 
After a long struggle, women over 30 gained the vote in 1918, but little thought had been given to the prospect of women MPs. The first few women who managed to be elected were resourceful and brave. Nancy Astor is well known, but have you heard of Margaret Wintringham or the Duchess of Atholl? In 1929 only 14 women were elected out of a House of over 600 men, and it took until 1957 for Hornsey to get its first woman MP, Muriel Gammans. This talk will bring to life some of these early pioneers who had to navigate a Commons not designed for them.
 
Oonagh Gay retired from the House of Commons Library after 30 years in 2015, having researched for MPs on constitutional subjects. She retrained as a tour guide and now leads history walks around London, focusing on women and radical themes. She runs the CEDU3A Shorter Walks Group

Thursday 9 January 2020

 
Andrew Ellis : Art UK: Democratising Access to the Nation’s Art
 
Andrew Ellis will give an illustrated talk about an ambitious project to catalogue and digitise the nation’s art collection from over 3,000 venues across the UK, describing what has been discovered, telling the stories behind a number of the nation’s paintings and sculptures and explaining how people can get involved. At least 80% of the nation’s art collection is in store or in buildings without routine public access.
 

 
Before Art UK started its work, much of this art had not been photographed. This project is opening up the national collection of art, making what is publicly owned, publicly accessible.
 
Andrew Ellis has been Director of Art UK since 2003, with responsibility for the overall strategic planning and direction of the organisation. Previously he worked at investment bank Robert Fleming, working in London and Tokyo. He is a Trustee of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. He read Economics at the University of Cambridge.

Thursday 13 February 2020

James M. Taylor : Brilliant British Humour in the Forgotten Art of the Picture Postcard, 1840-1950s
 

 
Artist-drawn postcards were the most popular art form from the Edwardian era to the outbreak of World War II. They entertained, inspired, instructed, motivated, persuaded and lifted up the spirits. Discover the popular themes and styles by the masters of the medium such as Mabel Lucie Attwell, Donald McGill and Fred Spurgin; and the reasons why their popularity waned with the British public.
Dr James Taylor MA (Hons) FRSA studied at the Universities of St. Andrews, Manchester and Sussex. He is a former specialist in Victorian paintings at Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers and curator of paintings, drawings and prints, and contributor to various exhibitions and galleries at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and from 1999 an independent author, lecturer and exhibition organiser.

Thursday 12 March 2020

Dave Clarke : Untangling the web – demystifying spiders at ZSL London Zoo
 
🕷 Spiders are a much maligned group of animals, but vital to our continued existence (and really nice once you get to know them!). This talk will illustrate the way ZSL London Zoo aims to redress the balance, by educating people about the positive side of spiders, presenting innovative displays to the public, direct conservation initiatives, and even curing arachnophobia on the Friendly Spider Programme
 
Dave Clarke is Head of Invertebrates at the Zoological Society of London

Thursday 2 April 2020

Dr Kat Jungnickel : Bikes and Bloomers

  2019 monthly meetings
 
  2018 monthly meetings
 
  2017 monthly meetings