Unless otherwise stated the monthly meetings will take place 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.
Forthcoming Monthly Meetings
Thursday 13 September 2018
Margaret Greenfields : Britain as a nation of migrants … A 2000 year old history of migration to the UK in record-breaking time
Margaret will present a history of known migration waves to the UK: commencing with the Roman era and concluding with an exploration of the patterns and impacts of 21st century migration, on British demographics, social engagement and ‘public trust’. Within this talk she will highlight both typical push/pull factors associated with migration (ranging from being a member of a conquering army to economic opportunities; or as a result of war in countries of origin) and invite the audience to reflect with her on how policy and public discourse have developed (or recycled) narratives and responses to the ever controversial issue of engagement with ‘new Britons’.
Before becoming an academic Margaret Greenfields trained as a lawyer, with a particular interest in homelessness and family law. Some years after becoming an academic, Margaret was appointed Founder Director of the Institute for Diversity Research, Inclusivity, Communities and Society (IDRICS) at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU). She was promoted to the role of Professor of Social Policy and Community Engagement in August 2012. As an academic Margaret has worked extensively in the field of social inclusion (with particular reference to accommodation issues and health), ethnicity, migration, equalities and social justice; with a specific emphasis on undertaking collaborative research with communities at risk of marginalisation, racism and ‘othering’. She has worked closely (in diverse roles) with Gypsy, Traveller and more recently migrant Roma (GTR) communities as well as refugees and street homeless populations, for over 30 years. She has authored/co-authored and edited a number of books and journal articles, and numerous reports for local authorities, Central Government agencies (including the UK Department of Health; Communities and Local Government and EHRC)
Thursday 11 October 2018
David Hunter : Poetry and passion on the front line – a French poet at war
Guillaume Apollinaire is now recognised as France’s greatest WW1 poet. His vivid, often highly erotic, poems were inspired by his service as an artilleryman and infantry officer on the Champagne front, as well as by two passionate wartime love affairs. In the centenary year of both the signing of the Armistice and Apollinaire’s death, this illustrated talk will explore the poet’s life and work during 1914-1918 and ask what his poetry can tell us about France’s distinctive experience of the Great War. The talk will be accompanied by readings of a selection of poems in French with English translations.
David Hunter graduated in French and History and has worked as a writer and editor. His short guide to French versification was published by Oxford University Press and more recently his biography of Apollinaire’s war years was produced by Peter Owen Publishers. David convenes the U3A’s World Literature group.
Marie-Pierre Pérez studied at both the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique in Orléans and La Sorbonne University in Paris. She has performed as a leading actor and led many French drama workshops. She has also taught French in London for the past eleven years at several higher education institutions, including City University.
Past Monthly Meetings
August 2018
Dr Roberta Cremoncini : The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art celebrates this year its 20th anniversary from the opening and it is internationally renowned for its core of Futurist works. It comprises some 120 paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and sculptures by many of the most prominent Italian artists of the 20th Century. Since opening in 1998, the Estorick has established a reputation and gained critical acclaim as a key venue for bringing Italian art to the British public. Discover the history of the Museum, located in a beautiful Georgian building in Islington’s Canonbury Square, with a talk by the Director Roberta Cremoncini.
July 2018
Carl Parker : What is Terrorism?
What was the pathway to where we are today and what risks does it present to us? An overview of what terrorism is, its historical context, what is that terrorists want, what are the differences and commonalities between ideologies, the change in the terrorist threat in the UK through the 20th and 21st centuries, the various ways that a terrorist campaign can end and concluding with some speculation on what threats may arise in the future.
June 2018
This month’s speaker was Louise Stewart, the Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust. This Grade II listed “Palace of the People” was built in 1873, its subsequent history defined by fire. It was second of these on 10 July 1980 (remembered by many in the audience) that provided the impetus for a long-term restoration programme, which, with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2013, has allowed the refurbishment of the Victorian theatre, the redevelopment of the East Wing, home to the historic BBC studios, in to a social and vibrant space fun and entertainment Louise stressed that that it was not all about the theatre, and that the 196-acre park was equally important.
May 2018
This month’s speaker was former St Petersburg university lecturer, BBC World Service employee since 1991, and Crouch End & District U3A member Alexander Zhuravlyov. The theme of his talk was the rise and rise of Vladimir Putin, and he asked the question: Putin forever? How did this former KGB agent become long-serving President of Russia? Alexander looked at Vladimir Putin as a manifestation of the major trauma that Russian society went through following the collapse of the USSR. He also challenged the perception of many people that Russia is a communist, or, at best, a post-communist country, and discussed the sociology and pychology of his mass support. Alex answered his question by opining that what Putin represents is forever. Alexander gave his views on a number of questions from the audience, including Putin’s relationship with Donald Trump, the Russian mafia and the State, and impossiblity of democracy ever being established in Putin’s Russia.
April 2018
Our speaker in April was Graham Bennett, a member of the Crouch End & District U3A who took us back to a time when an exciting and groundbreaking Dance Company came out of Russia, created and led by the impresario Serge Diaghilev. This was the Ballet Russes, which for 20 years brought together some of the greatest artists, composers and choreographers of the time to collaborate on the creation of dances that shocked, entertained and enthralled audiences and which had a very special relationship with London. The talk described the careers of two of Diaghilev’s leading dancers, Lydia Lopokova from St Petersburg and Hilda Munnings from Wanstead, whose name would be changed to Lydia Sokolova. Lydia Lopokova was to marry the leading Economist, John Maynard Keynes. Graham pointed out many places around London that had close association with the Ballet Russes, including the studio in Floral Street where Pablo Picasso painted a frontcloth for the ballet Le Tricorne, The Three Cornered Hat, and the many venues where the company performed, including the Coliseum, Royal Opera House and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The talk was illustrated with images of the imaginative sets and costumes that the company created, many of which have survived to this day, and, most importantly, looked at the legacy that Diaghilev left behind which created the dance scene we enjoy today. The founders of some of our major dance companies were all members of Ballet Russes at various times, Marie Rambert, Ninette de Valois, Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin.
March 2018
Our speaker this month was Robin Lustig, long-time presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight. He talked about his career as a newsman and the major events that he reported on – for example, the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the inauguration of Barack Obama, when he visited Alabama to gauge to reaction to this event by interviewing African Americans and white racists. He had visited over 90 countries, including Afghanistan and pre- and post-Saddam Iraq. Looking over his long career, first in print and later in radio journalism, Robin gave an insight into the how technology was revolutionized the business of reporting stories. He explained that when he first started out, there was not the immediacy of digital technology, and one of essential aids to getting information was the public telephone box! Now of course everything was now so different: the internet has totally changed the way people got their news. He warned, however of the dangers of fake news, and made a plea for people to still buy print newspapers before they disappeared. The world still needed investigative reporting. Robin recalled that his favourite interviewee was Nelson Mandela, and his most distasteful Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić. He had also been moved by interviewing young people in Africa, and learning about their ambitions. Speaking about the BBC, Robin explained that it was unable to compete with the power of FANG – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google, although for about 42p a day for the licence fee payer it represented great value, particularly in the delivery of news. One of his concerns was that budding journalists were no longer coming from all walks of life: often such people had be supported financially in the early years of their careers perhaps by family members who had the means to support them. After his talk, which was interspersed with readings from his autobiography, Robin took a number of questions from an attentive audience.
February 2018
Jennifer Bell, John Hinshelwood, Valerie Flessati and Joanna Bornat from Haringey First World War Peace Forum, described the work of the group. Since 2014 they have been researching the lives of men who resisted conscription during the First World War in what is now the London Borough of Haringey.
They shared the fascinating and hidden stories of a part of London which saw the highest proportion of conscientious objectors in Britain between 1916 and 1918, and spoke about a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid to erect a local memorial to the 350 local men who stood out against war.
January 2018
Our first meeting of the year in our new venue attracted a record turn-out of members, to hear a polished presentation on the plans for Hornsey Town Hall by the project architect, Katy Ghahremani, a director of Make Architects. Planning permission for the scheme was granted by Haringey Council in December 2017, and work is expected by carried between 2018 and 2020. The main thrust of the presentation was how an at-risk and Grade II* listed building from 1935, built to the designs of architect Reginald Uren and an outstanding example of Modernist architecture, was to be restored to its former glory. With the help of specialist conservation teams and drawing on archive sources, Make Architects will oversee the restoration of the former town hall to include workspaces, event venues and a hotel. The scheme also includes the redevelopment of the square in front of the building. The cost of the restoration will be funded by a number of residential blocks to the rear of the town hall. Judging from the questions posed by a number of U3A members, the residential element of the scheme seems to be the most controversial.
December 2017
For our final Monthly Meeting of 2017 we welcomed art historian Estelle Lovatt for her talk on Fun and Irony in Art. Illustrated with a series of paintings ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary art, her presentation pointed out the use of hidden, deceptive or playful images by the artists, and was both enlightening and entertaining. Estelle’s presentation helped many of us to better understand the work of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, advising us to “just think of it as a self-portrait” when Emin’s ‘unmade bed‘ came up on the screen. Once again this was a very well-attended event with the welcome addition of mince pies and mulled wine to finish.
November 2017
Our November speaker was historian and sociologist of economics Tiago Mata, Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies, University College London. His current research involves a study of “economic journalism”. His talk was essentially a history of The Economist magazine, and its role in disseminating and interpeting news of the economy, from both a liberal and conservative point depending on its editorship and ownership.
October 2017
At the October meeting Peter Cox read excerpts from his book Growing Up in London. The book is based on interviews with over 100 U3A members, aged between 75 and 95. For the audience of about 100 members of the Crouch End & District U3a Peter’s talk was a nostalgic trip, evoking many memories of growing up in war-time London, and the austerity period thereafter … memories of life at home and at school, illness (before the National Health Service, food, shopping, the outbreak of war, the Blitz, being evacuated from London, military service, leisure entertainment, and love and marriage.
September 2017
Inaugural meeting of the Crouch End & District U3A
