WHAT'S ON

iU3A Monthly Meetings: for the two iU3A talks each month see the details below.
iU3A IT Support Meetings: once a month, see the group page for details here: IT Support Group
u3a 40th Anniversary Dates: watch out for our programme details that will be advertised here.

Monday 6 June, Picnic in the Park, from 2.00 until 5.00pm: to support the national programme of the u3a's 40th Anniversary celebrations, we'll be holding this birthday party on Highbury Fields. While soft drinks will be provided, food will be on a basis of 'bring and share'. We hope you will come along for part of the afternoon to meet other members for a natter and catch-up. We can't guarantee the weather but should be able to guarantee a bit of fun. We have 7 members now planning the event but if you want to help on the day please let Derek know (at events@islingtonu3a.org). We are also looking for a couple of large garden umbrellas for shade on the day. If you can provide (and transport to Highbury Fields) please let Derek know.

July, Outing to Rochester: the Romans built a bridge at Rochester across the River Medway on the route between London and Dover. Later, a cathedral was founded in the late 6th century by a follower of Augustine which was remodelled by the Normans soon after the Conquest. At the same time, a large castle was built to guard the important river crossing; it has a well-preserved keep. Dickens grew up in Rochester and the city is closely associated with his writings. Although incorporated into the unitary authority of Medway in 1998, Rochester still proudly calls itself a city. The Outing members will travel to Rochester by train from St Pancras. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs £18.90 return or £11.90 with Senior Railcard. We are booking a walking tour of the city covering the castle grounds, cathedral precincts and the fine main street. The tour will cost £5.00 for each member.
We look forward to escorting members on the Outing to this interesting small city.

Summer Party: details to follow
u3a Open Day: details to follow


Monthly Meetings, Speakers Programme
See below (left-hand column) to see if the Monthly Meetings is in person only, or a 'hybrid' form (ie you can attend in person at Resource for London Centre, 356 Holloway Road, N7 6PA or online through Zoom) or only online. The main Talk will start at 10.30 am and run to 11.30am and it's suggested you are present at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. There will only be the one topic, the main speaker. When relevant the Zoom invitation for that meeting will be sent to all members via the Bulletin.
As a trial the end of the Month talks will be live (in person) only (not hybrid).

DATE	MONTHLY MEETING PROGRAMME:
26 May live only	Robin Nicholson CBE: The Impact of Climate on Architecture: 40 years working with Ted Cullinan. Robin has lived in Islington for 50 years and worked here for 30 years at Cullinan Studio where he is now a Fellow. He is Convenor of the multi-disciplinary built and natural environment think-tank, The Edge, chairs the Cambridgeshire Quality Panel and is an Hon. Prof. at the University of Nottingham. We are at another point of major transition in architectural practice thanks to climate change, Grenfell and the economy. Robin will take you on a journey from Ted's House (1965) in Camden through some major projects to explain how our understanding has grown, with some pointers for the future, illustrated with a few recent projects (including the pioneering GreenSCIES research project in Islington).
9 June online only	Veronica Cecil: Drums on the Night Air: Veronica has had a very varied career. She was originally an actress, and after getting married wrote satirical plays based on fairy stories for children. She then wrote a  couple of radio plays before making and presenting features as well as writing scripted stories for the BBC. Drums on the Night Air is her first book but there are more in the pipeline. The presentation is about a year spent in the Congo not long after Patrice Lumumba, the democratically elected prime minister was murdered, culminating in giving birth during a war, placed in the political context of the history of colonialism in the Congo and the reason for the mayhem since Independence.
23 June live only	Lloyd Peck: How do animals adapt to survive in the coldest, driest, windiest and most isolated places on Earth? Professor Peck is a physiologist and scientist at the forefront of investigation into animal adaptation in extreme environments, especially cold polar marine systems. He leads a dedicated, innovative team of polar biologists evaluating how species live in the coldest, driest, windiest, most isolated place on earth. He has conducted 19 field trips to Antarctica and three to the Arctic. Lloyd is an Individual Merit Scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, holds visiting Professor positions in Portsmouth and Sunderland Universities and is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2004 and has published over 330 science papers, book chapters and books.
7 July online only	Caroline Bressey: Living together in Victorian London. Dr Caroline Bressey is a historical and cultural geographer at University College London and in this talk will be speaking about part of her current book project, which focuses on the multi-ethnic communities among which Black people lived and worked in Victorian England. She works with a number of archives, from the national census to asylum patient records. The lives of Black people found in these documents become a path along which to re-examine working class culture and the lives of their white mothers and grandmothers, their Caribbean brothers and African grandfathers as well as individuals whose families came from Asia and the Indian Subcontinent to give us a sense of how people in England lived together in an earlier time. Her research focuses upon the Black presence in Victorian Britain and the diverse histories of England as represented in heritage sites and she has co-curated exhibitions with the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of London Docklands and Tate Britain. Her first monograph, Empire, Race and the politics of Anti-Caste examined the anti-racist reading community established by Catherine Impey in 1888 and won the Robert and Vineta Colby Scholarly Book Prize 2015. Her current book project explores the multi-ethnic working-class communities of Victorian England.
28 July live only	Susan Friesner: Interpreting Shakespeare. Until retirement Susan was a Senior Lecturer in the Drama Department of St Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, and taught courses which considered the work of a number of different playwrights. She was also responsible for directing student productions. Interpreting Shakespeare will consider some of the different approaches made to Shakespeare’ s plays since they were first produced in his own day.

The full year's schedule can be viewed here: Monthly Meeting Dates

Outings
While these have been limited recently due to the pandemic we hope to start a fuller Outings programme in 2022. Outings are organised from time to time by members to places of interest in London and the Home Counties. Destinations are varied and can always be reached by public transport, usually within the Freedom Pass Zone, but occasionally a bit further afield. If you want to arrange a visit, please contact Judith at outingscoord.iu3a@gmail.com Have a look on our Recent News webpage for a brief report of our visit to Audley Retirement Village. Forthcoming Outings are advertised in the Members' Bullletin.
 
Coffee Mornings

These are back to meeting physically again now. Our iU3A coffee mornings are a popular way of getting to know other members. They are on varying days of the week and are free to iU3A members. See the latest Bulletin for date of next coffee morning.

Our coffee mornings are organised by Sally Fox. To book up for any of the coffee mornings please email Sally here. She will then advise you that you are booked. If you can't attend a coffee morning you've booked for, please let us know by emailing Sally (same link as above) to say you can't now make it.
 

iU3A's pub lunches provide an opportunity for members to meet each other in a social atmosphere. They take place monthly, around Islington. If you are buying a lunch the cost is around £10 to £12 with drinks being extra. If you'd like to come along to one of these please email Andy Watson here for more information or to reserve your place.

Each of our lunches held so far have attracted about 15 iU3A members who've enjoyed some good chat. While originally conceived to attract more male members there has been good support from women members. Do come along and join us.

Details of the Pub Lunch Groups schedule can be found in Beacon or in the Bulletins.