Ver-Colne Valley

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Ver-Colne Valley U3A Groups

20th Century History     

Meets 3rd Wed of month
Details 

Antiques & Collectables     

Meets Variable
Details We have a programme throughout the year of in-house meetings and visits to relevant places of interest e.g Antiques & Collectables Fairs and Centres

Badminton     

Meets 2nd Thurs & 3rd Fri of month
Details 

Ballroom Dancing     

Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays
Details 

Book Discussion     

Meets 1st Fri of month
Details Members decide which book to read each month, ready for discussion at the next meeting. The reading list is planned a few months in advance so readers have time to beg, borrow or buy the chosen book. The aim is to introduce members to books that they personally might not have considered reading themselves and so discover new authors and different kinds of literature. Books are analysed and thoughts and opinions about the work in question shared - although members are not always in agreement. The group meets in the afternoon of the 1st Friday of the month.

Bookworms     

Meets 3rd Monday of month
Details 

Bridge 1     

Meets Tuesday - weekly
Details Meetings are held on most Tuesday mornings at Greenwood Park Community Centre The group endeavours to cater for all levels of ability, from beginners to those who currently play or have done so in the past. This is a joint group with South West Herts (SWH) U3A

Bridge 2     

Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays
Details Joint with SWH

CAMEO     

Meets Various
Details 

Card Making     

Meets 4th Wed of month
Details This very popular hands-on group meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month to create greeting cards for every occasion, with a wide variety of materials and methods of presentation used. The cards produced by the group are occasionally offered for sale at the VCV's monthly general meetings.

Chess     

Meets 4th Thurs of month
Details 

Classical Music Appreciation     

Meets 3rd Wed of month
Details 

Creative Writing     

Meets 2nd Fri of month in afternnon
Details Whether your interest is poetry or prose, whether you're a Keats or Shakespeare in waiting (or a would-be McGonagall or Cartland) our Creative Writing group could unleash your talent. Joint with Chiswell Green

Croquet     

Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesday in playing season
Details Joint VCV and SWH group made up of members who enjoy a friendly and lively rivalry whilst endeavouring to improve our skills at this fascinating game. We play Garden Croquet and Golf Croquet on 1st and 3rd Tuesday mornings from May to September, depending on weather. We are lucky to have the use of The St Albans Croquet Club courts at Clarence Park.

Current Affairs     

Meets 1st Friday of month
Details 

Cycling     

Meets Variable
Details Our posse of 'Pedal Pushers' rides once a month, but does take a winter break from December to February. Rides are in the region of 15 - 20 miles, with stops for coffee and lunch, and the group normally pushes off from either Bricket Wood or Park Street stations on the Abbey Flyer line. The group tries wherever possible to keep off busy roads and use cycle paths. Cycling is a VCV 'Open Group', enabling all members to participate.

Digital Photography     

Meets 1st Wed of month
Details 

Engineering (1)     

Meets Variable
Details The group's purpose is to learn about the role that engineering has played and continues to play in manufacturing over the centuries. In this very wide subject it is intended that visits will be made to both heritage and modern sites and ,where possible, invite specialist speakers to our meetings. On our visits we will endeavour to have a knowledgeable guide to explain objects more fully. The group consists of a mixed group of engineers of various disciplines together with those just interested in seeing how things are made and work.

Engineering (2)     

Meets 
Details 

Event Organisers     

Meets 
Details Group organising events

Family History     

Meets 2nd Thurs of month
Details The progress of this group owes much to one member's 30 years of experience in the fascinating and addictive area of tracing ancestry. At its monthly meetings (held on Thursdays) members report progress from their delvings - have they found the missing link yet? Although, as the group has realised, it can be costly with subscriptions to web sites and fees for certificates, it is undoubtedly cheaper than the option of outings to far-flung areas of the country to look at church registers and visit graveyards. But, of course, one can still do both. Joint with Chiswell Green.

Fitsteps     

Meets Weekly on Wednesday
Details This Group combines dancing and exercise

Fitsteps (2) beginners     

Meets Weekly on Friday
Details 

Flower Arranging     

Meets Variable
Details As the title suggests, this group (we call them 'The Petals') gains ideas and learns about the art of flower arranging through a mix of demonstrations of quite varied styles. It's hoped that group members will progress to hands on activities as their confidence grows.

Folk Dancing     

Meets 4th Wed of month
Details This joint study group with South West Herts U3A meets on the afternoon of the 4th Wednesday in the month. Dances are mostly in the Anglo-American country dance tradition - the sort of dancing that you may have done in primary school or at a barn dance or seen in adaptations of Thomas Hardy or Jane Austin novels (though we cannot claim to be as elegant!). Dances are 'walked through' before trying it to music. Sessions are open to all, from the totally inexperienced to those who go folk dancing on a regular basis.

French (advanced)     

Meets Every other Thursday afternoon
Details One of the VCV's language groups, this one for would-be Eurostar attendants, caters both for beginners and for those with a more advanced grip of French, meeting weekly on Thursdays at members' houses.

Garden Allotment     

Meets Variable
Details Joint with Chiswell Green. Although known as 'The Green Fingers Brigade', this group's main activity centres on developing and maintaining its allotment in Park Street, where it digs in on Tuesday mornings (rain Gods permitting).

Garden Appreciation     

Meets Variable
Details This is a social group interested in gardening, where monthly activities are organised by group members, but there is no regular meeting day or time. Events are notified in advance by email to group members. We visit local garden centres and gardens and arrange talks on gardening topics, as well as visiting members’ own gardens. This is a social rather than a “hands on “ gardening group and we usually enjoy tea/coffee as part of our event. There is currently a waiting list to join the group.

Geology     

Meets 1st Wed of month
Details Joint with SWH

Golf     

Meets Fortnightly on Monday pm
Details Joint with Chiswell Green

Holidays     

Meets 
Details Interest list for VCV holidays

Intro to Japanese Embroidery     

Meets 4th Tues of month 9:00-12:00
Details As from February 2020, meetings are held in the Pavilion at Greenwood Park. Any member, male or female is welcome with or without embroidery experience. Beginners start with a simple kit, available from Brenda, that contains all the threads, fabric and needles you will need. Just bring along a small, sharp pair of scissors.

Italian (Intermediate)     

Meets Weekly every Tues morning
Details A friendly and sociable group who enjoy having fun while learning to ‘Parlare Italiano’. The objective of the group is to get to grips with basic ‘Holiday Italian’ - nothing too intense, no exams, not seeking formal qualifications, just making themselves understood by the locals and ensuring that they can read menus, ask directions and the like.

Keep Fit     

Meets Weekly on Mondays
Details Group 1 starts at 10:45 Group 2 starts at 11:30

Knitting and Sewing     

Meets 1st Wed & 3rd Fri of each month
Details One of our more hands-on groups (known as the 'Scissor Sisters'), members are able to develop and hone their skills by learning from (and teaching) their fellow members.

Line Dancing     

Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays
Details Joint with SWH

Local History     

Meets Last Fri of month
Details 

Luncheon Club     

Meets last Wed of month
Details 

Mah Jong     

Meets 2nd Wed of month
Details 

Philosphy     

Meets 2nd Mon of month
Details For those wishing to exercise mind over body, our group of deep thinkers meets monthly to ponder the meaning of life and related issues.

Poetry & Play Reading     

Meets 1st Mon of month
Details 

Racketball     

Meets twice a month on Wed
Details 

RUMs     

Meets As required
Details Group of volunteers who regularly help running VCV

Sailing     

Meets 2nd Tues & 4th Wed of month
Details Joint with Croxley

Sequence Dancing     

Meets 1st and 3rd Tues of month
Details Joint with SWH

Singing for Fun     

Meets 1st & 3rd Tues of month
Details Currently we number about twenty-six, but would welcome new members across all types of voice,from soprano to bass. Our repertoire is varied and we perform occasionally for outside organisations, such as Age Concern. If you enjoy singing and would like to join us, please contact the Group Organiser (see Groups Directory) or come along to a rehearsal.

Singing SWH/VCV     

Meets 2nd & 4th Fri of month
Details Joint with SWH.

Spanish     

Meets 2nd & 4th Tues of month
Details Just the job for those wishing to communicate with the locals when next visiting the Iberian Peninsula.

Table Games     

Meets 1st & 3rd Wed of month
Details As the name suggests, this group enjoys the conviviality of tactical, 'across the board' pursuits, with Triominos, Yahtzee and Bananagrams being among the favourites. Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at members' houses.

Table Tennis     

Meets Weekly on Thurs
Details The Table Tennis Group (TTG) commenced in March 2012 using the excellent facilities at Orton Hall, Greenwood Park. Membership has varied over the years but there is a core of players who have been in the group from the start. New members are welcome and the emphasis is playing for enjoyment; if you win, even better. All abilities are catered for, bats are provided and advice is available for those who wish to improve their skills. Table tennis is a fast game and is stimulating physically and mentally.

Tai Chi     

Meets 2nd & 4th Wed of month
Details 

Theatre Goers     

Meets 
Details Theatre Goers Database and Theatre infomation

Ukulele (1)     

Meets Tuesday - weekly
Details 

Walking 1 - Amblers     

Meets 4th Friday of month
Details Known as Joy's Jaunters, this group caters for those wishing to take gentle strolls through the Hertfordshire countryside, although it has been known for them to venture further afield on occasions. It meets once a month, usually on the 4th Friday, and walks are generally a maximum of two miles, typically starting and finishing at a local hostelry or tearoom. Amblers is a VCV 'Open Group' in which all members can participate.

Walking 2 - Short walks     

Meets 
Details This Group usually meets on the 4th Friday morning of the month, although the date moves occasionally due to the availability of a walk leader or a clashing Bank Holiday. The groups's walks are around four miles or so, meeting at a pub and ending up there for lunch, for those who wish to stay on. This is a 'Dog Free' group and members take turns to lead walk.

Walking 3 - Middy walks     

Meets 2nd Tues of month
Details One of the VCV's long-standing groups, this Group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. The Group is intended for those who enjoy circular walks around five to six miles through local lanes and paths...regardless of the weather. members take turns to reconnoiter and lead walks, which normally start at 10am from a convenient hostelry - perfect, should time permit, for staying to enjoy a post-walk drink, lunch and gossip with fellow walkers.

Walking 4 - Longer Walks     

Meets Bi-monthly on 4th Fri of month
Details 

Walking in London     

Meets Every 2 months in 1st week of month
Details The VCV has a full programme of walks around the Capital designed to cater for a wide range of interests and tastes. Every two months a walk is selected, with our personal Blue Badge guide, with three optional dates, allowing members to select the one most appropriate to their schedule. Walking in London is a VCV 'Open Group'.

Water Colours     

Meets 2nd and 4th Monday of the month
Details Our Water Colours group features a range of creative talents, from novice daubers to more experienced practitioners, with the latter more than ready to help (and sometimes rescue) the former when needed. Brushes and palettes are engaged and skills honed every fortnight.

Wine Appreciation     

Meets Monthly 3rd Friday
Details Joint with SWH

World Wars     

Meets 4th Wed of month
Details