islington
NEWS
iU3A in the News
We featured in the Islington Tribune recently. Read the article here.
Coronavirus
We hope all our members stay healthy through this difficult time. We will try to support them in various ways. See the latest Government advice here and summarised here.
Advice
The Bulletins will carry a number of internet links covering medical advice, exercising advice, support advice.
Learning
With the cancellation of all normal Interest Group activity we've been encouraging groups to move to online learning. Several links for self learning are provided in our recent Bulletins — see the links above. We are also encouraging groups to continue with shared learning by using online group meetings. To support this there are two Guides available and these can be accessed here:
Zoom Guide for Meeting Hosts
Zoom Guide for Meeting Participants
The Third Age Trust has now also produced guides for online learning methods. Read them here.
If you are looking for online learning opportunities have a browse through this list of suggestions here.
Support
We have also set up a support or 'buddying' system, arranged on a postcode basis. So in each local area there is a grouping of iU3A Members who have asked for support, networked with those iU3A members willing and able to provide support. If you missed out on the original invite and want support please just contact Judith at: groups@islingtonu3a.org
Last Monthly Meeting
For information on our last monthly meeting and all our previous monthly meetings see here.
New Members' Teas
We've been running
these for a number of years now with a variety of formats.
The intention is to offer a direct welcome to new members to
iU3A and they have always proved to be a great success. The
new members appreciate the individual invite and the
opportunity to meet some new members in the same posi
tion as themselves, learn a bit more about iU3A
from the attending Executive Committee member(s), discuss
their interests and what groups they may sign up for. Due to
Covid restrictions these have had to be held outdoors and
with few people attending.
Courses: iU3A's Second Round with the Mighty MOOC
A small group of members have just completed a stimulating six week online learning course entitled Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism. This was the second such weekly online course which iU3A members have followed together. MOOC stands for 'Massive Open Online Course' and is the generic term for the vast array of online courses generated by universities all over the world. As eager learners, each of us completed the weekly online learning sessions independently and we all met via Zoom on Tuesday afternoons to compare notes and discuss our reactions. Some of us had followed MOOCs before but for others this was a first and the verdict was generally very positive.
Lockdown or no lockdown, we found that this online group learning experience has a great deal going for it and some of our group are looking forward to studying another hot topic with other members of iU3A very soon (see the Groups page for current courses or the New Groups page for others on their way).
Pub Quizzes 2020
These are becoming regular events. A further one was held in November 2020. Another one is scheduled for December 2020.
We held another of these popular pub quizzes in February 2020, again in the Canonbury Tavern (just before lockdown). As always it was well supported, with 58 members buying a ticket for the event. A number of members met beforehand to eat at the Tavern and then we took up our team places upstairs.
Again we were using Jez Worsnip as our professional quizmaster for the evening. Jez designs the questions especially for iU3A and of course the judges' word is final! As always it's a great opportunity to test the grey matter and get to know other members.
Ten teams
battled it out with mixed
fortunes. The first half's
musical round had caused
some pains to most teams and
there was a clear leader. In
the second half the
favourites lost ground. The
winning team was the Steely
J’s. They got 37 points. It
was a close contest with
only seven points between
the first and last
teams:
another successful event
enjoyed by all. Thanks to
Mary W and Margaret O for
organising the event. We are
all looking forward to the
next one in the Autumn.
We've now held a few of these 'Pub' quizzes in
2020.
The first was
held online on
Zoom in May
2020. Covid-19
has caused
some of our
activities to
be cancelled,
so this was a
replacement
activity,
working much
like our
previous
'physical' pub
quizzes. It
was run by our
usual
quizmaster
Jez, in
'virtual'
teams which
communicated
with each
other through
WhatsApp,
Skype, phone
or other
means. Each
team had one
electronic
scorecard,
which was then
sent to Jez
electronically
for marking.
50 took part,
over 10 teams.
It was
different! But
it was enjoyed
by all.
Team K, which consisted of Helen Wright (quizzing from loc
kdown
in Italy),
Norman and
Jean Wilson,
Jayne Forbes
and returning
member Rob
Townsend, won
with a score
of 32 points
out of a
possible 42.
Well done to
them! And
thanks to Mary
White for
organising!
AGM
On 28 November 2020 iU3A held its AGM. The annual accounts were presented and two new members elected on to the Executive Committee. You can see all the subjects addressed here.
Open Day
We were
due to hold one of these in 2020 but due to the
Covid pandemic we had to postpone this to 2021.
We didn't hold one of these in 2019 but in October 2018 our Open Day was also our fifth birthday celebration. Again this proved very popular and enabled non-members to meet us and find out about all the things iU3A does. As in previous years there was an excellent turnout with over 200 attending (151 members and 50 non-members). Out of the 50, 23 joined iU3A on the day and many others took away forms, so we hope to hear from them again soon. The existing members who turned up used the chance to see what other groups were on offer and sign up to them. Everybody also enjoyed our delicious birthday cake and had a good natter. This year the 'star' who cut our birthday cake was our acting Vice Chair, Ruth Gee.
With over 60 interest groups on
display there were many great displays. Eight
potential new groups were also being
advertised to gauge interest and support.
Visible and audible displays charmed the
audience as they strolled around. All the
existing Group Coordinators and their helpers
did an excellent job of explaining what their
group did and hence encouraged many to sign
up. Hopefully this exercise also encouraged
more members to be brave enough to volunteer
to be Coordinators.
A special thanks must go to the sub-committee which organised another successful day, particularly to Sue Welsford, Diane Austin, Margaret Wearing and Isabel Dickson for coordinating the whole event. The Open Day is our major showcase for members and to the public who might be interested in joining.
Summer Parties
Again this was another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic and our 20202 Summer party had to be cancelled. Hopefully we can hold one in 2021.
In June we held
our annual Summer Party for
all members. The venue was the
Olden Gardens and it was looking its best —
particularly the rambling rose. This tranquil haven is a
glorious backdrop for our jolly party. This year we sold
108 tickets allowing us to just about cover the costs.
The weather forecast had threatened rain — again. However, it held off, but it wasn't that warm.
The booze lasted well this year so all were happy,
in fact the
challenge was getting people
to vacate the gardens at the
end when our time was up.
There was much socialising, chatting to friends and making new friendships. Thanks to Lesley Delacourt for again bringing the bubbly back from France at a very low cost allowing us all to benefit from the low ticket price.
Thanks also to Diane Austin and other volunteers for organising this event.
Group Coordinators
These are becoming more frequent. In 2020 with lockdown and other restrictions these were all held online through Zoom.
In April 2019 we held the annual Group Coordinators' meeting: a good turnout, over 60% of coordinators attending. As usual there was a full agenda and plenty of healthy debate. The Chair kicked things off with a welcome and then some feedback from recent surveys and initiatives. The full presentation can be viewed here.
In January
(2019) we held a 'thankyou' lunch for all our Group
Coordinators. 45 attended, a good majority of the
total we have. They were all thanked for the efforts
they provided in running their groups. Our activity
groups make up the majority of what we offer in iU3A,
so we are highly dependent on these volunteers. Unlike
the annual Group Coordinators' Meeting this was not
about training but merely a thankyou. However it still
provided an opportunity for the Group Coordinators to
exchange ideas amongst themselves and learn about
other group activities. While the service was a bit
slow the conversation flowed.
It was also an
opportunity to put a face to a name on an email. All
seemed to enjoy the event.
A big thank you to Sue and Judith for organising the event.
Results from the recent (June 2018) Group Coordinators' survey can be read here.
iU3A Outings — Previous Visits
These were suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully we can re-start them in 2021.
December 2019 — Bath Christmas
Market: on a sunny Monday morning in early December,
nineteen members of iU3A set off from Paddington for a day
out at the Bath Christmas market. It turned out that much
was on offer in addition to opportunities for Christmas
present buying, and food and mulled wine tasting at the 100+
pop up chalets in the centre of town. Some of the more hardy
set off for a walking tour taking in the Holbourne museum
(Raphael and Matisse exhibitions currently), 
the
Royal Crescent, a quick look at the outdoor ice rink,
frequent reminders of Jane Austen and Persuasion, all of
course in the setting of the stunning honey-coloured
sandstone of the Georgian architecture. Others looked round
the Abbey and then the Roman Baths for what turned out to be
a highly recommended, fun guided tour. In the late afternoon
as the Christmas lights were at their best we all met up for
a delicious supper before a dash to the station for the
journey home. (Lisa Crispin and David McPhail)
To see more of our previous events and outings follow the links below:
For 2019-20 look here.
For 2016-18 look here.
Theatre Visits
Archive
To see more of our previous events and outings follow the links below:
For 2019-20 look here.
For 2016-18 look here.
Or you might want to read about 'Our iU3A Story' which maps our development over the years: Our Story.
We featured in the Islington Tribune recently. Read the article here.
Coronavirus
We hope all our members stay healthy through this difficult time. We will try to support them in various ways. See the latest Government advice here and summarised here.
Advice
The Bulletins will carry a number of internet links covering medical advice, exercising advice, support advice.
Learning
With the cancellation of all normal Interest Group activity we've been encouraging groups to move to online learning. Several links for self learning are provided in our recent Bulletins — see the links above. We are also encouraging groups to continue with shared learning by using online group meetings. To support this there are two Guides available and these can be accessed here:
Zoom Guide for Meeting Hosts
Zoom Guide for Meeting Participants
The Third Age Trust has now also produced guides for online learning methods. Read them here.
If you are looking for online learning opportunities have a browse through this list of suggestions here.
Support
We have also set up a support or 'buddying' system, arranged on a postcode basis. So in each local area there is a grouping of iU3A Members who have asked for support, networked with those iU3A members willing and able to provide support. If you missed out on the original invite and want support please just contact Judith at: groups@islingtonu3a.org
Last Monthly Meeting
For information on our last monthly meeting and all our previous monthly meetings see here.
New Members' Teas
We've been running
these for a number of years now with a variety of formats.
The intention is to offer a direct welcome to new members to
iU3A and they have always proved to be a great success. The
new members appreciate the individual invite and the
opportunity to meet some new members in the same position as themselves, learn a bit more about iU3A
from the attending Executive Committee member(s), discuss
their interests and what groups they may sign up for. Due to
Covid restrictions these have had to be held outdoors and
with few people attending. Courses: iU3A's Second Round with the Mighty MOOC
A small group of members have just completed a stimulating six week online learning course entitled Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism. This was the second such weekly online course which iU3A members have followed together. MOOC stands for 'Massive Open Online Course' and is the generic term for the vast array of online courses generated by universities all over the world. As eager learners, each of us completed the weekly online learning sessions independently and we all met via Zoom on Tuesday afternoons to compare notes and discuss our reactions. Some of us had followed MOOCs before but for others this was a first and the verdict was generally very positive.
Lockdown or no lockdown, we found that this online group learning experience has a great deal going for it and some of our group are looking forward to studying another hot topic with other members of iU3A very soon (see the Groups page for current courses or the New Groups page for others on their way).
Pub Quizzes 2020
These are becoming regular events. A further one was held in November 2020. Another one is scheduled for December 2020.
We held another of these popular pub quizzes in February 2020, again in the Canonbury Tavern (just before lockdown). As always it was well supported, with 58 members buying a ticket for the event. A number of members met beforehand to eat at the Tavern and then we took up our team places upstairs.
Again we were using Jez Worsnip as our professional quizmaster for the evening. Jez designs the questions especially for iU3A and of course the judges' word is final! As always it's a great opportunity to test the grey matter and get to know other members.
Ten teams
battled it out with mixed
fortunes. The first half's
musical round had caused
some pains to most teams and
there was a clear leader. In
the second half the
favourites lost ground. The
winning team was the Steely
J’s. They got 37 points. It
was a close contest with
only seven points between
the first and last
teams:
another successful event
enjoyed by all. Thanks to
Mary W and Margaret O for
organising the event. We are
all looking forward to the
next one in the Autumn.We've now held a few of these 'Pub' quizzes in
2020.
The first was
held online on
Zoom in May
2020. Covid-19
has caused
some of our
activities to
be cancelled,
so this was a
replacement
activity,
working much
like our
previous
'physical' pub
quizzes. It
was run by our
usual
quizmaster
Jez, in
'virtual'
teams which
communicated
with each
other through
WhatsApp,
Skype, phone
or other
means. Each
team had one
electronic
scorecard,
which was then
sent to Jez
electronically
for marking.
50 took part,
over 10 teams.
It was
different! But
it was enjoyed
by all. Team K, which consisted of Helen Wright (quizzing from loc
kdown
in Italy),
Norman and
Jean Wilson,
Jayne Forbes
and returning
member Rob
Townsend, won
with a score
of 32 points
out of a
possible 42.
Well done to
them! And
thanks to Mary
White for
organising!AGM
On 28 November 2020 iU3A held its AGM. The annual accounts were presented and two new members elected on to the Executive Committee. You can see all the subjects addressed here.
Open Day
We were
due to hold one of these in 2020 but due to the
Covid pandemic we had to postpone this to 2021.We didn't hold one of these in 2019 but in October 2018 our Open Day was also our fifth birthday celebration. Again this proved very popular and enabled non-members to meet us and find out about all the things iU3A does. As in previous years there was an excellent turnout with over 200 attending (151 members and 50 non-members). Out of the 50, 23 joined iU3A on the day and many others took away forms, so we hope to hear from them again soon. The existing members who turned up used the chance to see what other groups were on offer and sign up to them. Everybody also enjoyed our delicious birthday cake and had a good natter. This year the 'star' who cut our birthday cake was our acting Vice Chair, Ruth Gee.
With over 60 interest groups on
display there were many great displays. Eight
potential new groups were also being
advertised to gauge interest and support.
Visible and audible displays charmed the
audience as they strolled around. All the
existing Group Coordinators and their helpers
did an excellent job of explaining what their
group did and hence encouraged many to sign
up. Hopefully this exercise also encouraged
more members to be brave enough to volunteer
to be Coordinators.A special thanks must go to the sub-committee which organised another successful day, particularly to Sue Welsford, Diane Austin, Margaret Wearing and Isabel Dickson for coordinating the whole event. The Open Day is our major showcase for members and to the public who might be interested in joining.
Summer Parties
Again this was another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic and our 20202 Summer party had to be cancelled. Hopefully we can hold one in 2021.
In June we held
our annual Summer Party for
all members. The venue was the
Olden Gardens and it was looking its best —
particularly the rambling rose. This tranquil haven is a
glorious backdrop for our jolly party. This year we sold
108 tickets allowing us to just about cover the costs. The weather forecast had threatened rain — again. However, it held off, but it wasn't that warm.
The booze lasted well this year so all were happy,
in fact the
challenge was getting people
to vacate the gardens at the
end when our time was up. There was much socialising, chatting to friends and making new friendships. Thanks to Lesley Delacourt for again bringing the bubbly back from France at a very low cost allowing us all to benefit from the low ticket price.
Thanks also to Diane Austin and other volunteers for organising this event.
Group Coordinators
These are becoming more frequent. In 2020 with lockdown and other restrictions these were all held online through Zoom.
In April 2019 we held the annual Group Coordinators' meeting: a good turnout, over 60% of coordinators attending. As usual there was a full agenda and plenty of healthy debate. The Chair kicked things off with a welcome and then some feedback from recent surveys and initiatives. The full presentation can be viewed here.
In January
(2019) we held a 'thankyou' lunch for all our Group
Coordinators. 45 attended, a good majority of the
total we have. They were all thanked for the efforts
they provided in running their groups. Our activity
groups make up the majority of what we offer in iU3A,
so we are highly dependent on these volunteers. Unlike
the annual Group Coordinators' Meeting this was not
about training but merely a thankyou. However it still
provided an opportunity for the Group Coordinators to
exchange ideas amongst themselves and learn about
other group activities. While the service was a bit
slow the conversation flowed. It was also an
opportunity to put a face to a name on an email. All
seemed to enjoy the event.A big thank you to Sue and Judith for organising the event.
Results from the recent (June 2018) Group Coordinators' survey can be read here.
iU3A Outings — Previous Visits
These were suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully we can re-start them in 2021.
December 2019 — Bath Christmas
Market: on a sunny Monday morning in early December,
nineteen members of iU3A set off from Paddington for a day
out at the Bath Christmas market. It turned out that much
was on offer in addition to opportunities for Christmas
present buying, and food and mulled wine tasting at the 100+
pop up chalets in the centre of town. Some of the more hardy
set off for a walking tour taking in the Holbourne museum
(Raphael and Matisse exhibitions currently), the
Royal Crescent, a quick look at the outdoor ice rink,
frequent reminders of Jane Austen and Persuasion, all of
course in the setting of the stunning honey-coloured
sandstone of the Georgian architecture. Others looked round
the Abbey and then the Roman Baths for what turned out to be
a highly recommended, fun guided tour. In the late afternoon
as the Christmas lights were at their best we all met up for
a delicious supper before a dash to the station for the
journey home. (Lisa Crispin and David McPhail)To see more of our previous events and outings follow the links below:
For 2019-20 look here.
For 2016-18 look here.
Theatre Visits
We hold these at least once a year. These
are in addition to our two Theatre Groups that we have
(for more information see the GROUPS
page. Thanks are due to Sue Welsford for organising these
events.
Clues Trails
We are pleased to be
able to announce the restarting of these after lockdown.
This one in October 2020 was in the King's Cross
area (one of the benefits of London still being quiet is
that we can hold these midweek). Three teams battled it
out around a mixed area —
starting in the redeveloped Granary Square but then
through the refurbished gasometers, across to the old St
Pancras Gardens where so many famous dissenters are
buried. Then we completed the circle through King's Cross
and St Pancras stations before returning to Coal Drop
Yard. The scores were very
close:
68-67-67.
Thanks again
to Elizabeth
Mansbridge for
organising
another of
these
successful
events. The
trail can be
read here. Try it out yourself!
In
2019 we held two of these popular
events. The first was held in June and was in
the Hoxton/Shoreditch area with a street art
theme. We gathered at the beginning point for
food and drinks, then six teams
of four or five set off from Great Eastern
Street in a radial direction on the circular
three-mile route. Teams used their observation
skills to follow directions, use the clues
provided to spot features (often street art)
and also to spot the location of provided
images. All teams avoided the late-back time
penalty and final scores were close. However
there was a clear winning team. While the pub
made it awkward for us, all had a great time.
You can do this trail by yourself at your own
time. The trail can be read here.
The second was held in August and was around the Tower of London area. While quite a tourist hot spot, even on a Sunday morning, there were amazing quiet hidden pockets that were a delight for the four teams that puzzled their way around the course. We were lucky with the weather and had just enough sun to make it a pleasant stroll round this just under three mile course. However, there wasn't too much time to dawdle as there was a time penalty if you were late back. As always, it was the round of photo images that provided the difference between the first and last teams. Thanks go to Elizabeth Mansbridge for organising another great event (and to Isabel for doing the tickets and team selections).
In 2018 we
held two of these popular events. The first of these
was held in June and the second in September. For
the June one a warm Sunday meant a very pleasant
event with three teams this time (numbers a bit down
from the last one). This one was based again around
the city and followed byways and alleys that most
people didn't even know existed. Great views over
the river at one point. Most teams got the majority
of the clues and got back to the starting &
finishing point pub in good time. However the photo
images were the differentiating aspect. No team
spotted all the images during their route but the
'Poached Eggheads' saw the most and hence were the
winning team.
The September one (arranged by Elizabeth Mansbridge) saw us in a new area for this Clues Trail — Canary Wharf. While the image might be of tall skyscrapers and not much else, we discovered an amazing collection of street art, historic corners, and interesting architectural features. Numbers attending were a bit disappointing considering the effort put in to organise these events. But maybe a Friday just coincides with too many other iU3A activities.
In 2017 — in August on the day 22 members turned up to form five teams, then followed the trail to seek out the clues. Additional points were awarded for spotting the location of some photographic images during the trail and a special round at the end back at the pub tested teams' knowledge of the London Guilds. Again everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event. Thanks to Elizabeth Mansbridge for organising this one — and we all look forward to the next one.
Clues Trails
We are pleased to be
able to announce the restarting of these after lockdown.
This one in October 2020 was in the King's Cross
area (one of the benefits of London still being quiet is
that we can hold these midweek). Three teams battled it
out around a mixed area —
starting in the redeveloped Granary Square but then
through the refurbished gasometers, across to the old St
Pancras Gardens where so many famous dissenters are
buried. Then we completed the circle through King's Cross
and St Pancras stations before returning to Coal Drop
Yard. The scores were very
close:
68-67-67.
Thanks again
to Elizabeth
Mansbridge for
organising
another of
these
successful
events. The
trail can be
read here. Try it out yourself!In
2019 we held two of these popular
events. The first was held in June and was in
the Hoxton/Shoreditch area with a street art
theme. We gathered at the beginning point for
food and drinks, then six teams
of four or five set off from Great Eastern
Street in a radial direction on the circular
three-mile route. Teams used their observation
skills to follow directions, use the clues
provided to spot features (often street art)
and also to spot the location of provided
images. All teams avoided the late-back time
penalty and final scores were close. However
there was a clear winning team. While the pub
made it awkward for us, all had a great time.
You can do this trail by yourself at your own
time. The trail can be read here.The second was held in August and was around the Tower of London area. While quite a tourist hot spot, even on a Sunday morning, there were amazing quiet hidden pockets that were a delight for the four teams that puzzled their way around the course. We were lucky with the weather and had just enough sun to make it a pleasant stroll round this just under three mile course. However, there wasn't too much time to dawdle as there was a time penalty if you were late back. As always, it was the round of photo images that provided the difference between the first and last teams. Thanks go to Elizabeth Mansbridge for organising another great event (and to Isabel for doing the tickets and team selections).
In 2018 we
held two of these popular events. The first of these
was held in June and the second in September. For
the June one a warm Sunday meant a very pleasant
event with three teams this time (numbers a bit down
from the last one). This one was based again around
the city and followed byways and alleys that most
people didn't even know existed. Great views over
the river at one point. Most teams got the majority
of the clues and got back to the starting &
finishing point pub in good time. However the photo
images were the differentiating aspect. No team
spotted all the images during their route but the
'Poached Eggheads' saw the most and hence were the
winning team.The September one (arranged by Elizabeth Mansbridge) saw us in a new area for this Clues Trail — Canary Wharf. While the image might be of tall skyscrapers and not much else, we discovered an amazing collection of street art, historic corners, and interesting architectural features. Numbers attending were a bit disappointing considering the effort put in to organise these events. But maybe a Friday just coincides with too many other iU3A activities.
In 2017 — in August on the day 22 members turned up to form five teams, then followed the trail to seek out the clues. Additional points were awarded for spotting the location of some photographic images during the trail and a special round at the end back at the pub tested teams' knowledge of the London Guilds. Again everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event. Thanks to Elizabeth Mansbridge for organising this one — and we all look forward to the next one.
Archive
To see more of our previous events and outings follow the links below:
For 2019-20 look here.
For 2016-18 look here.
Or you might want to read about 'Our iU3A Story' which maps our development over the years: Our Story.
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