Lea
Valley u3a
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Interest Groups online
Interest
Groups Online (abbreviated as IGO) is an online u3a community that gives you
the opportunity to join groups, talks and courses from the comfort of your
home.
Why not pay it a visit? Click on this link:-
Interest Groups online
If you know anyone who might benefit, please pass the information on.
An Exploring London Group outing
Walk
around the Royal Parks.
Hoddesdon Heritage Weekend
Good Friday Nature Walk
Hertford Heath
Our National Office, the Third Age Trust ("TAT") issues monthly online newsletters full of great ideas on how to stay connected and involved. The TAT has asked committees to encourage members to sign up for the newsletter, which can be accessed from the link below:
Either click on the link (or type the website name into your address bar) and then scroll down to the foot of the main page. Under the heading Quick Links there is a heading "Newsletter Signup". Click on this and you are taken to a page where you can input your details and receive the newsletter.
I hope you find this helpful.
Glynis Evans, Chair
| Committee
members and volunteers had a busy couple of days last year,
manning a publicity stand in a prime spot just inside Morrisons’ store
in Hoddesdon, and at the Love Hoddesdon Midsummer
Festival. We also had a stall inside Tescos at Brookfield on Saturday 4th January 2025, where we chatted to several shoppers. 21 of our members offered their time to help advertise the Lea Valley u3a to the Saturday shoppers. With our publicity stand, various advertising flyers and some u3a merchandise we were able to promote our organisation to the public and let them know what we’re about. Many thanks to the following who helped on the day and to Lee Rayner for all her hard work in designing our publicity leaflets and flyers. A very big thank you to you all:- Dennis Bruce, Marion Barrett, Joan Underwood, John Mills, Pam Benton, Stan Benton, Sybil Hammond, Tony Crowther, Liz Trew, Glynis Evans, Tim Robinson, Lesley Robinson, Carol Beeton, Rob Beeton, Jenny Parkinson, Vicky Clarke, Sylvia Edington, Lesley Turner, Chris Murphy, Laurence Cole, Mary Cole. If you would like to help at our next publicity event or in any other way, please let us know. We hope to repeat our efforts at other venues in the borough during 2025. |  |
Our monthly Newsletter has been produced as
a downloadable (pdf) file, which should be compatible with any
computer. It contains the "Chair Corner" message, details on some forthcoming events and other information about Groups etc.
To view the latest editions please "click" on the link:-
Therefore members need to refer either to the version emailed to you, or the paper versions available at main meetings, as those versions do contain the personal contact information.
Alternatively anyone (members and non-members) can use the club's email system to make contact with us - please refer to the top of the left hand margin of this page, and go to the 'CONTACTS' page, and the email address is in the margin.
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CHAIR’S CORNER
(COPIED FROM THE FEBRUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER)
After a main meeting last month that I found particularly interesting, focusing as it did on some of the most iconic album covers of my youth, I am really looking forward to February’s speaker, Helen Fry. Dr Helen Fry is an English bestselling historian, author and biographer, who specialises in the history of the Second World War, with a particular focus on espionage and the Intelligence services of the Allies.
She will be telling us all about the secret history of Britain's World War II interrogation centre, known as the London Cage. This was London’s clandestine interrogation centre, operated by the British Secret Service from 1940 to 1948.
Helen obviously has a good reputation for her talks – I have been contacted by a number of people from other local u3as who want to come along and hear her speak on Monday 10th February.
Our Interest Afternoon this month is on Friday 28th February and is all about Rye House. I would love to be able to tell you that we have an excellent speaker, but I’m afraid it’s going to be me!
I hope what I have put together will be an interesting talk, not solely focusing on the history but I have tried to include interesting snippets and human interest.
As usual this will be at the Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon starting with drinks and cakes and the chance to have a chat with fellow members at 2pm.Tickets are available on the door priced £3 – do come along.
I hope you have already renewed your membership for 2025. If not, you can do this at our February meeting, through our website or by contacting Barbara Cordina, our Membership Secretary.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at our Main meeting at the Spotlight on 10th February and at our Interest Afternoon on Friday 28th February.
Chair
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 | LVu3a’s 20th FUN QUIZ – Mon 28th April 2025 1:30pm | |
Our next quiz will take place on 28th April, at our usual venue (St
Augustine’s Parish Centre, Broxbourne).
Tickets went on sale at our
January main meeting. As before the ticket prices are £2 for LVU3A members
and £2.50 for non-members, including tea and cake.
In order that we can set out the hall for the attendees and cater appropriately, tickets must be
purchased (or reserved) in advance; they will not be available on the door.
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Our Council Representative for the East of England Region
 | This is Ian Mathews from Sudbury u3a. In the East of England there was only one nomination for the Council, meaning there will not be an election in our area. Therefore, Ian will take up his new Council Representative role in April this year. You can find out more about him on the main u3a website. Ian will represent the voices of East of England u3a's on the newly created u3a Council. There is an additional position available on the council for the East of England. This will be opened up to candidates next year once the Council is more established. |
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On Monday 9th December we held our first Christmas social at the Spotlight. Over 140 members came together for a festive
afternoon of quizzes, singing and camaraderie.
It was wonderful to see so many of our members dressed for the part in
Christmas jumpers and other glittery attire.
We all enjoyed listening and singing along to traditional Christmas
music beautifully played by Barbara Manning on the piano. A complimentary drink
together with a buffet encouraged us all to get into the Christmas spirit! There were three lucky winners for our
festive hampers in the raffle which concluded our very entertaining afternoon.
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Exploring London 6; proposed visit to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – Hindu Temple, Neasden
I am arranging a visit to the Hindu Temple in Neasden on Thursday 13th March 2025.
We will travel by Golden Boy coach from the Spinning Wheel leaving at
9.20 a.m. for a guided tour of the Mandir Temple at 11.00 a.m. lasting
approximately 1.5 hours. We are then booked for lunch at 12.45
p.m. in the Shayona Restaurant which offers exquisite authentic Indian
vegetarian cuisine. At present, I have booked 25 places which
will cost £25.00 per head for coach and driver tip. The guided
tour of the Temple is free, but we are encouraged to make a donation
which can be done by cash, cheque or card at the donation desks or
online which you may wish to do. The cost of the lunch is per
individual at the time.
Please ring Lesley on 01992 465462 or 07985 617004 or email secretarylvu3a@outlook.com to secure your place.
For more information about the Temple you can visit the website by ckicking on the link below:-
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Neasden Temple)
_______________________________________Get to Know the Committee
| Glynis: I am the current Chair of Lea Valley u3a and have been since October 2021. I am not our longest serving committee member (and certainly not the most important!), but possibly the most recognisable, as I introduce our monthly main meetings. I retired from teaching in 2015, having taught Science in various local secondary schools (and also briefly in Australia). For the last 16 years I worked in senior leadership. My professional life equipped me with many skills which I hope I put to good use in my role in LVu3a. Having spent my whole career in education, I am passionate about the role of learning in contributing to, and enhancing, the quality of life, so joining the u3a was a natural progression for me. I continue to delight in the wonderful opportunities and experiences the u3a offers all members to enrich their later years. |  |
| Lesley: Hello, I’m Lesley Robinson, currently the Lea Valley u3a secretary. I was born and raised in Enfield and attended Southgate School. I left school at 16 with a handful of ‘O’ levels and began work as a trainee secretary at ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) at their Head Office in London. In 1982 I married Tim (our treasurer!), whom I’d met at the Enfield-Southgate Young Conservatives. Our first home was in Ware. I subsequently transferred to ICI at Welwyn Garden City as an Assistant Buyer. In 1987 I left ICI to have our daughter and subsequently our son in 1990. Once both children were at school I returned to work as a teaching assistant and later trained as a practitioner of therapeutic play skills working with children with additional needs whilst in a mainstream setting. I retired in December 2020 and immediately joined the LVu3a and haven’t looked back! I belong to the creative writing group, Exploring London 6, table tennis & French. Aside of the u3a, I enjoy Zumba, walking, reading and seeing friends. Please stop by the secretary’s boards at our SpotIight meetings for a chat. |  |
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EXPLORING LONDON 5 EVENT
On Friday 22nd November twenty six members of the Exploring London
Group 5 enjoyed a visit to Middle Temple in London for a guided tour and lunch.
We were met by our guide Marian who was extremely
knowledgeable about Middle Temple, its history and current practices.
Marian gave us so much fascinating information about the
development of the Middle Temple from the12th century to the granting of the
land in perpetuity in 1608/9 and then on to the current day, that it would be
impossible to summarise here.
After our tour of the outside of the site (on a very cold
day) we went into the Great Hall complex where Marian talked about the rooms,
the customs and the development of the buildings.
Our two-course lunch was served in the magnificent Great
Hall itself.
One of our group members summarised Middle Temple well when
she said, “what a remarkably quiet, calm, self-contained little world it is, so
full of secrets and history”!
Many thanks to Linda Williams for organising this
interesting visit.
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Sherrie
McDaid the Mayor of Broxbourne stopped to chat with Glynis, Tim and
Lesley at the LVu3a publicity table at St Augustine Church’s
Summer Fair on Saturday 13th July.
She showed a keen
interest in what we had to say about our u3a and was impressed with all
the information displayed on our publicity boards.
There are always plenty of interesting online learning events free to join to be found at:
Here are just a few:
- Mindfulness and Meditation
- Taking revenge: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Quest for Justice
- Help Us Remember with the War Memorials Register
- Laughter Yoga with Judith
- Vaccines
- London 2012 – A Games Maker’s Story
- Expert tips and Essential Apps for Effortless Online Living
- Secrets of the Human Brain: Talk Six: Your Spinal Cord
- Celestial marvels: Demystifying the Cosmos
- Darkness on the Edge of Town: Bruce Springsteen and the American dream
.
We are delighted to announce a new range of services to those who sign-up to receive the u3a Friends newsletter.
u3a
Friends Extra is a benefits website developed exclusively for members
of the u3a Friends newsletter community. The website provides access to
a wide range of offers, discounts and additional services. Friends
Extra is completely free to access. Anyone signed up to the u3a Friends
newsletter can now also make savings on well-known brands, shopping,
travel, days out and more. Offers and services on Friends Extra include:
✓ Health and wellbeing
✓ Shopping savings on major brands and retail discounts
✓ Travel and holidays
✓ Leisure offers, like family days out, trips to the cinema and theatre
✓ Insurance offers on car, travel and medical insurance
✓ Access to financial advice and a legal helpline.
It also currently offers a 25% off the price of English Hertitage membership:-
"Looking for a fun day out with family and friends? Members
of u3a Friends Extra can enjoy 25% off* annual membership at English
Heritage - giving you unlimited access to England’s most stunning
historical places, including Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire (pictured.) This offer
is exclusively for members of u3a Friends Extra - join the scheme now at www.u3a.org.uk .
*Terms and conditions apply. Offers not in conjunction with any
other offer. Only valid on new memberships paying by Annual Direct Debit.
Accompanying children must be under 18 and within the family group. Offers
subject to change without notice. u3a Friends Extra is managed and run on
behalf of u3a by Parliament Hill Ltd."
To become a ‘Friend’, simply sign up to receive the Friends Newsletter on the u3a website via the link below.
Each issue of the Friends Newsletter will include a link to the Friends
Extra benefits website and highlight one of the offers. This is just
one element of the u3a Friends newsletter, which brings together
stories from local u3a groups, learning opportunities and news of
upcoming events to highlight the fun and learning within the u3a
community.
u3a Friends Newsletter shares news from u3as, national
learning opportunities and access to u3a Friends Extra, a wide range of offers,
discounts and services.
Go to the u3a website, and sign up via the "Get Involved" tab:
www.u3a.org.uk
KEEP UP WITH OUR NEWS
 | Our
Knit & Natter group, which opened early in 2023, has been very
successful. We have all made lots of new friends, had lots of tea,
coffee and biscuits and lots of laughs! We have all learnt new skills and shared our tips with everyone. We have recently made knitted and crochet squares which have been sewn together to make blankets which have gone to the hospice department at Princes Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. These were done with the Dobbs Weir Crafty Cuppa group who also meet at the hall and knit and natter too! Gill Fowke |
 | On another crafty note, one of our members would be interested in starting a Needle Felting group. Needle felting is a creative craft that involves sculpting shapes and figures using wool and special felting needles. If you are interested please contact Glynis Evans (Chair) Click on heading to see more ideas. |
 | SECRETARY'S TABLE It’s always good to chat with you when stopping to read our notice boards in the foyer of the Spotlight at our main monthly meetings. The boards are updated each month so it’s always worth having a read to keep abreast of dates and events. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting. |
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NEWS FROM TWO OF OUR GROUPS
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SHAKESPEARE GROUP
Monday 10th February, Main Meeting - Speaker - Helen Fry - "The London Cage". A secret interrogation centre in WW2.
Friday 28th February, Interest Afternoon - Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon at 2pm. Speaker, our Chair, Glynis Evans - "Rye House" - More than just a train station, a pub, or a plot. Find out more about thislocal listed building and its surroundings. Tickets £3 on the door, includes tea and cake.
Monday 10th March, Main Meeting - Speaker - Bobbie Darbyshire - "A Beginning, a Muddle and an End". Where do authors get their ideas from?
Friday 28th March, Interest Afternoon - Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon at 2pm. Speaker Jo Livingstone - "Memory Boxes and Time Capsules" - Why collections of objects have been assembled, how they are used, and what memories and hopes they contain. Tickets £3 on the door, includes tea and cake.
Monday 14th April, Main Meeting - Speaker - Jenny Mallin - “A Grandmother’s Legacy: Memsahibs and their Servants”. Jenny's book, "A Grandmother's Legacy" won "Best in World Cookbook 2017" by the Gourmand World Cook book Society:
Monday 28th April , Fun Quiz (in place of an Interest Afternoon) (Parish Centre, St Augustines Church, Broxbourne) - See article further up this page.
Monday 12th May, Main Meeting - Speaker - Neil Hanson - “The Myths of Time”. Neil will examine the myths and legends that have grown up around some of the most important events in British history, such as the Spanish Armada, the Great Fire of London and the First World War.
Friday 23rd May, Interest Afternoon - Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon at 2pm. Speaker Lindsey Barrell - "An introduction to British Sign Language". Tickets £3 on the door, includes tea and cake.
Monday 9th June, Main Meeting - Speaker - David Williams - “Mysteries of the Estuary" - The River Thames is part of London’s 2,000-year history but downstream, beyond the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, it gradually becomes a desolate and dangerous landscap. This presentation is about early tribal settlers, shipwrecks, pirate radio stations, tragedies, drownings and the most dangerous public path in Britain.
Friday 27th June, Interest Afternoon - Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon at 2pm. Speaker Laura French - "Crossness". Tickets £3 on the door, includes tea and cake.
Monday 14th July, Main Meeting - Speaker - Iestyn Edwards “My Tutu went AWOL”. Drawing on material from his best-selling memoir, "My Tutu Went AWOL", and making full use of his background in vaudeville, Iestin tells the story of being the Combined Services Entertainment ‘experiment’, sent out to entertain British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during the conflicts. Wearing what 42 Commando called his ‘frock of many doilies’!
Friday 25th July, Interest Afternoon - Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon at 2pm. Speaker Nadene Stevenson - "The power of Magnets for Health & Wellbeing". Tickets £3 on the door, includes tea and cake.
Monday 11th August, Main Meeting - Speakers - Lou and Mike Casey are entertainers. Their show today is called “Palm Trees and Pineapples”.
Monday 8th September, Main Meeting - Speaker - Jon Mein - "Room at the Inn". Travelling through Georgian Hertfordshire.
SEE WHAT OUR u3a CAN OFFER YOU
One of our members, John Astin, produced another excellent video in December 2019 showing what happens at Lea Valley u3a. Sadly John passed away in March 2021.
The video includes comments from a few members who explain what joining us has meant to them, and an insight into what some of our groups get up to.
It is available to watch on YouTube.To view, please click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ECUfIJ7nn8
Playreading Group
.
Come along to our group on the first and third Thurdays monthly at 2pm to enjoy the world of theatre. Click on the poster for more information:-
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East of England Region of U3As
The East of England region comprises the six counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. The website can be viewed via the following link:-
https://u3asites.org.uk/east-of-england/home
"Regional News Bulletins" are published each month containing details of this month’s events and presentations both regionally and nationally. The latest edition can be viewed by going to their website. then click on the "Publications" link at the top of the Home page.
Group Sharing Agreement
The idea behind this is that where any of the other 6 u3as have groups that are keen to increase their numbers, they can open the group to members of LVU3A, and you will be allowed to attend those groups without having to join the other u3a. Conversely, where we have groups that are struggling with low numbers, they can participate and open themselves up to members of the other 6 u3as.
It is very important to note is that members of our u3a can’t just see a group in another u3a newsletter and go along and join it. Only those groups which are struggling to be viable and which have agreed to open up to members from other participating u3as can be approached.
1) Broxbourne
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Broxbourne u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
https://broxbourne.u3asite.uk/broxbourne-groups-open-for-sharing
2) Buntingford
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Buntingford u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
Please note this link is currently in draft form awaiting updating, and does
NOT show the Buntingford groups that are in this scheme:
https://buntingford.u3asite.uk/buntingford-u3a-shared-groups/
3) Cheshunt
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Cheshunt u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
https://cheshunt.u3asite.uk/cheshunt-sharing-groups/
4) Hertford & District
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Hertford & District u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
5) Waltham Abbey
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Waltham Abbey u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
6) Ware
Please click on the link to go to the relevant page on Ware u3a's Group Sharing page on their website:
https://ware.u3asite.uk/ware-u3a-shared-groups/
The groups at Lea Valley U3A which have agreed to open up their groups to the other u3a's in this arrangement (as at March 2022) can be found by opening this link:
LVu3a Group Sharing
If you have a query about the scheme, please contact me.
Lea Valley u3a's Constitution
Under the recommendation of the Third Age Trust, many u3as amended their constitutions to facilitate new methods of voting and holding AGM's and SGM's (Special General Meetings) etc both during and after the pandemic, to ensure that they could operated legally without breaking any of their own 'rules'. Lea Valley u3a's constitution was updated in August 2021. It can be viewed by clicking on the link below:-
Lea Valley u3a's Privacy Policy
Lea Valley u3a treats members' privacy rights seriously. The policy document in the link below sets out how we will deal with your ‘personal information’, that is information that could identify, or is related to the identity of, any Lea Valley u3a individual member.
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Disputes (Complaints, Discipline and Grievances)
You can view these by clicking on the links below:-
Complaints Procedure
Disciplinary Procedure
Grievance Procedure
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LISTEN TO CHILDREN READ IN LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Please visit the website www.schoolreaders.org to join or call 01234 924111 for further information, or click on this link:
BArts offers activities and events which are not usually provided by the Borough of Broxbourne's Leisure and Entertainments programme.
www.broxbournearts.org.uk
Lea Valley Discussion Group
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