Dronfield & District

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Dronfield & District U3A Groups

60's Music     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Last Friday of the month
Venue Member's Home
Details We choose a selection of music from this decade to listen to and discuss its relevance to us or impact it had on us as well as sharing other memories we have of that time.

Art Activities     

Meets Mondays approx. fortnightly
Venue The Peel Centre, Thomas Taylor Hall - map
Details This group enjoys exploring different art styles, mediums and crafts in an easy-going, friendly environment. Each week we try out a different style or medium suggested by members. It's all good fun and we are teaching and learning together.

Art Appreciation 1     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 3rd Thursday
Venue Dronfield Library - map
Details A small friendly group who wish to learn more about the wonderful world of art. We invite speakers, visit galleries and learn from each other. THIS GROUP IS NOW FULL.

Art Appreciation 2     

Meets 4th Tuesday
Venue The Peel Centre, Dr Fletcher Room - map
Details This group is for members interested in studying works of art and artists in order to gain an appreciation of why these works are considered special. Current fees are £2 per session to cover room and refreshments.

Book 1 (Mondays)     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 2nd Monday
Venue Dronfield Library - map
Details Our group meets regularly to discuss books chosen by members in partnership with the Derbyshire Library Service,selecting both fiction and non-fiction from their extensive on line list. We enjoy the challenge of reading books by unfamiliar authors and our discussions are both lively and thought provoking. We also discuss our personal reading, encouraging members to become familiar with a broader range of authors and genres.We are not charged for the use of the venue but make a small charge to members for refreshments.

Book 2 (Fridays)     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Last Friday of the month
Venue Member's Home
Details To discuss books in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Bridge - Social     

Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays
Venue Member's Home
Details We have a few casual hands of bridge. In order to improve our play, and to help newcomers to the game, we sometimes discuss the hand as we play it.

Bridge - Social (2)     

Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesdays each month
Venue Member's Home
Details The Bridge Group-Social(2) evolved in June 2017 from the Bridge Group for Beginners which was launched in June 2016.This was a teaching and learning group using the Acol System to play Rubber Bridge, within a fun and friendly atmosphere.The players have made good progress and hope to continue to improve their skills by playing Bridge games,rather than by starting each session with a specific teaching focus as in the Beginners' group. However, there will be occasional specific teaching slots.Currently there are a limited number of places available in this group for anyone with a little previous knowledge of the Acol system.

Computing - Tablets     

Meets 3rd Monday afternoon
Venue Member's Home
Details Members bring their own iPads or Android tablets and/or smartphones, and we look at various topics each month as well as helping each other, sharing our experiences and frustrations! U3A members needing advice on purchasing a tablet may join the group on a short term basis. There is internet access and a small charge for refreshments.

Computing Support     

Meets Tuesdays
Venue Dronfield Contact Club - map
Details This group is aimed at complete beginners or those who want to build confidence and learn more about how to use their computers, tablets or phones. Members work at their own pace, and decide what they want to learn or practise, supported by more experienced volunteers. They are encouraged to bring their devices if they have them although a couple of laptops are available for general use at the meetings. Please note that the group does not have hardware expertise so cannot mend broken devices.

Cycling     

Meets Twice a month - 2nd Monday and 4th Thursday
Venue 
Details We meet twice per month, riding between 10 and 25 miles on tracks, old railway lines and very quiet roads such as the Monsal and High Peak Trails and round Derwent/Ladybower. Any type of bike is OK although a mountain/trail/hybrid bike is be best for the type of rides we are doing. Only general fitness is required.

Discussion     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 1st Thursday of each month
Venue Member's Home
Details The topics for discussion are chosen by general consent. One group member starts the discussion with a presentation of facts and/or with a statement of their opinion on the matter. Issues discussed have included:The Boundaries Commission proposals, Which is the more effective way of changing behaviour the carrot or the stick? Britain belongs in Europe, To Frack or not to Frack what is the question?, Is the quest for universal peace hopeless? How can we sustain the NHS? There is no strict protocol for the discussions. We have civilised exchanges where everyone listens to one person, then another person has something to say wanting clarification or questioning what has been said. Some members listen more than others, while others have more to say. Everyone's opinion is valued, though it may also be questioned. The discussion will normally fill the first hour, and then will be given over to items that group members bring to the table for the second hour.

Dry Stone Walling     

Meets 1st Thursday in the month.
Venue 
Details Believed to be the first and world's only U3A dry stone walling group we meet on the first Thursday of each month to work on practical Dry Stone Walling in the Peak District National Park with the help and support of National Park Rangers. There are no charges and equipment is provided other than personal protective clothing and footwear.

Film     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Tuesday Evenings
Venue Member's Home
Details Meetings to start in September on a Tuesday Evening - Dates & Times to be confirmed

French     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Thursdays
Venue Member's Home
Details This group is aimed at intermediate to advanced French speakers. We usually commence by talking in French about our recent activities and then proceed to study and practice an aspect of French grammar. We translate from English to French and vice-versa and look at a text of topical interest. We try not to be too intense!

French - Learner Level     

Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday
Venue 
Details For the learning of Basic French - based around the BBC series "Talk French".

Garden Visits     

Meets 3rd Tuesday, unless otherwise arranged
Venue Dronfield Sports Centre Car Park
Details We learn about by gardening by visiting public gardens in the region - depending on opening times these may be at different times and/or on other days of the week.Details are provided in the schedule.

Gardening Growers     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 4th Monday, 2-4pm
Venue Member's Home
Details This group is full but to see how it operates see the Gardening Growers page on the website: http://www.u3asites.org.uk/dronfield/page/50858.

Genealogy     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Second & Fourth Thursday 2pm to 4pm
Venue The Peel Centre, Dr Fletcher Room - map
Details Relaxed, friendly and with varying skills, we aim to help each other discover our ancestors and research their lives. Experienced members assist those new to research, share their knowledge and help when we're stumped. No such thing as a brick wall? It is useful for members to have access to a computer and Internet databases for their research. The Peel Centre has wifi and the group is encouraged to bring laptops and tablets/iPads to meetings in order to connect to genealogy websites. There is usually a spare laptop or iPad available and we have a projector for demonstrations or for visiting speakers.

Geography     

Meets 1st Tuesday
Venue The Peel Centre - Edwin Lucas Hall - map
Details Armchair travellers- members sharing travel experiences

German - Advanced     

Meets Every Tuesday
Venue Member's Home
Details This group has been together for more than four years. One week of each month the groups visits a local place of interest, where the coordinator pretends she doesn't speak English. Members of the group act as her tour guides, explaining the setting and relevant history to her in German. This requires some advance homework, learning about the place they are due to visit. There is currently one vacancy in the group.

German - Beginners     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Every Tuesday
Venue Member's Home
Details This is a group for absolute beginners that started on 8 August 2017. It is for people who know no German at all. There are currently vacancies for two members.

German - Experienced     

Meets Every Tuesday
Venue Member's Home
Details This group has been together for 4 years. They are very committed to learning and even to their weekly homework! There is currently one vacancy in the group.

German - Intermediate     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Every Tuesday
Venue Member's Home
Details This group has been together for over 3 years year. They can now communicate in basic German and have a lot of laughter while learning. There are currently three vacancies in the group.

History     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 2nd Monday
Venue Dronfield Sports Centre Meeting Room - map
Details This group meets in the Meeting Room of Dronfield Sports Centre on the second Monday of the month. Occasional visits to external places of historical interest are arranged. Members are asked to pay £2 per indoor meeting to cover the costs of the venue hire and external speakers' fees. Cost of visits to other places will vary according to the venue. The group is now closed.

Italian advanced     

Meets 1st & 3rd Monday of every month
Venue Member's Home
Details This group is for members that have some knowledge of the language but wish to expand, practice or just chat in Italian. We meet on the mornings of the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month at the coordinators home.

Luncheon (Sundays)     

Meets 2nd Sunday, times as arranged
Venue By arrangement at chosen Restaurants and Cafes
Details This group meets once a month for lunch and friendship. The venue for each month is chosen by members at the previous meeting. Costs vary and are payable direct to the venue.

Maths For Fun     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 1st Thursday of each month
Venue Member's Home
Details This group looks at recreational maths topics such as theories, historical aspects, the use and misuse of statistics, and puzzles to exercise our minds and examine how maths affects our everyday lives. Meetings are held at the coordinator's home. There is a small charge for refreshments.

Opera Appreciation     

Meets 2nd Monday
Venue Member's Home
Details The aim of the group is to satisfy experienced opera lovers as well as those who have little or no experience of opera. We include an introduction to operas, with illustrated talks. We listen to recordings of singers from the beginning of the recording era to the present day and we compare different singers.

Photography     

Meets 3rd Thursday or as arranged
Venue Dronfield Civic Hall, The Council Chamber - map
Details This is a group for anyone interested in photography. No skill is required to join, we are here to learn from each other. Our aim is to make more use of our equipment, improve our photography and enjoy it. Indoor workshops are used to learn the basics: use of controls, basic and advanced shooting techniques, composition, lighting and have more fun with photography. We use a laptop to view each others photos and discuss the results. Meetings are not always held indoors. Weather permitting, we have 'field events' where we can put our workshop theory into practice. Most of us learn best by seeing and doing. Venue costs are shared amongst the members either on a monthly or 6 month basis.

Photoshop     

Meets 2nd Thursday 2pm
Venue Dronfield Library - map
Details Photoshop is the de facto industry standard software for image professionals around the world because of the capabilities it provides.. As a consequence this flagship package is, and warrants, it’s expensive price tag. Also as a consequence it has spawned several cheaper variants and competitors that many prefer to use. The fundamental principles for the majority of ‘Photo-editing’ tasks remain the same. The aim is to allow members to master and control capabilities such as Layers and Masks and delve into some of the hidden but powerful features available in their image manipulation software.

Play Music     

Meets 3rd Wednesday
Venue Member's Home
Details The group was formed about two years ago. It’s intention was to enable those of us with lapsed instrumental skills to have a reason to practise and perform every month. Whilst we intend for there to be a continued emphasis on performing pieces of music on our chosen instruments or through singing, we would like to also encourage new and existing members to ‘Play Music’ by bringing a piece of music on CD or Bluetooth-enabled device, lasting up to 5 minutes, about which they’d then give some background information: the composer, history, performer, etc. We aim to broaden our musical knowledge, so you’d be free to choose from any musical genre. However, our choices will generally be music that we find particularly stimulating or even challenging, albeit emotionally, technically or intellectually. Broadening the remit of our group in this way, will enable all members to participate even more fully than at present. Please contact me at ddu3a@coirelagan.plus.com for further information. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 10.00.

Play Reading     

Meets 2nd & 3rd Thursdays
Venue Member's Home
Details The group picks a different play to read each month with members reading one or more parts depending on numbers attending each meeting. Each play is read usually over two sessions. The group meets in members' homes.

Rummikub & Canasta 1     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Every Thursday
Venue Member's Home
Details We play different games each week: Canasta on the 1st and 3rd Thursday and Rummikub on the 2nd, 4th & 5th Thursdays.

Rummikub & Canasta 2     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Monday evening from 7pm
Venue Member's Home
Details We're a very friendly group who meet Monday evenings to play different games each week: Canasta one week and Rummikub on the alternative Monday, which we follow with a chat and drink.

Scrabble     

Meets Tuesday afternoons
Venue Coal Aston Methodist Church - map
Details We meet in one of the church rooms at Coal Aston Methodist Church from 1.30 to 3.30 and pay £1 per session for tea/coffee and biscuits. There are disabled facilities. All levels of experience welcome. Boards, cards ,games etc. provided. Telephone 01246 414847 for more information

Social Studies     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 3rd Thursday of each month
Venue The Peel Centre, Dr Fletcher Room - map
Details Each meeting will have a topic, chosen in advance and visits may be arranged to places of social interest. Members share the cost of room hire.

Spanish Beginners 6     

Meets Tuesdays
Venue 
Details A 10-meeting group for absolute beginners; We work from the BBC Talk Spanish 1 book/CDs (3rd ed, Aug 2014), available from booksellers. If you intend to go on to develop your Spanish beyond this introductory course, you could also buy Talk Spanish 2; it's cheaper overall to get this as a "box set" bundle with Talk Spanish 1, or you can go for "complete", which includes both, plus a grammar book.

Spanish Conversation     

Meets Mondays
Venue Member's Home
Details Conversational Spanish to supplement and improve upon your language skills. This is an ad-hoc group which meets by arrangement to suit its members.

Table Tennis 1     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Thursdays
Venue Dronfield Sports Centre - map
Details Members pay 50p per session to cover the cost of the hire of the hall. The sports centre only has one table hence the restriction on numbers. The group is full at present.

Table Tennis 2     

Meets 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursdays
Venue Dronfield Sports Centre - map
Details Members pay 50p per session to cover the cost of the tables and equipment. No real experience is required but an innate ability to play racquet sports is necessary. Needless to say you should be reasonably mobile. You need to wear trainers and comfortable clothing. Bats can be provided.

Thursday Lunch Group     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets 3rd Thursday
Venue 
Details This group meets once a month for lunch and friendship. The venue for each month is chosen by members at the previous meeting. Costs vary and are payable direct to the venue. Unfortunately this group is full. There is a separate reserve group - see Thursday Lunch Group Reserves.

Thursday Lunch Group Reserves     

Meets 3rd Thursday
Venue 
Details This is a reserve group for the Monthly Thursday Lunch Group. In the event that there are vacancies at any lunch then members of this group will be approached first as replacements. If there are sufficient Reserve Members it is possible to start a second Lunch Group using the administrative experience of the existing Group Coordinators.

Trad International Dance     

Meets 1st, 3rd, 4th & 5th Wednesdays
Venue The Peel Centre, Thomas Taylor Hall - map
Details This is a group for anyone interested in dancing or looking for some enjoyable exercise. Traditional dances are found all over the world and we include those mostly from Eastern Europe, Israel, Russia, Greece and other European countries. We choose dances with authentic music from local villages or regions as they would be danced or performed by the communities themselves. Partners aren't needed since most of the dances are in lines or circles, neither is any previous experience because we teach and lead simple dances which are easy and enjoyable to do. The cost covering hall rent and tea/coffee varies each quarter depending on the number of sessions and group members.

Trips & Visits - Quiz Night     

Meets Friday 1st February 2019
Venue The Peel Centre, Thomas Taylor Hall - map
Details It is Quiz Night time again! Venue: Peel Centre -(upstairs) When: Friday 1st February 2019 Time:7:30 - 10:30 pm Tickets cost £2 - cash only.Tickets on Sale from October meeting Places: 4 places left. No tickets sold on the door - members only. Free Tea and Coffee. Bring your own drinks,glasses & nibbles. Raffle

Trips &Visits Halifax Hebden B     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Tuesday 21st May 2019
Venue 
Details A visit to the famous Piece Hall in Halifax (AM) and onto Hebden Bridge (PM) Date:Tuesday 21st May 2019 Places:FULL - PLEASE JOIN THE WAITING LIST Cost £11 Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From February Monthly meeting

Trips And Visits     

Meets As arranged
Venue 
Details Members of the Trips and Visits Committee plan and organise coach outings and theatre visits, that are open to all members of the U3A. We aim to provide for a range of tastes and interests, as well as varying the distance and day of travel. People going on trips and visits are asked to pay in advance as we have to commit well in advance to confirm transport, tickets etc. We collect payments at the U3A monthly meetings.We maintain a waiting list for each trip and contact members as and when places become available.

Trips& Visits City of Durham     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Wednesday 17th April 2019
Venue 
Details A day in the historic city of Durham Date:Wednesday 17th April 2019 Places:FULL - PLEASE JOIN THE WAITING LIST Cost £12 Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From February Monthly meeting

Trips&Visits Cotswolds tour     

Meets Tuesday 17th September
Venue 
Details A day tour around the beautiful villages of the Cotswolds Date:Tuesday 17th September 2019 Places:16 Cost £15 Depart:8:30 am Dronfield Sports Centre -PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER DEPARTURE TIME Booking/Payments: From June Monthly meeting We will visit 3 quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone.

Trips&Visits Castle Howard     

Meets Friday 21st June 2019
Venue 
Details A day at Castle Howard to enjoy the wonderful house and grounds Date:Friday 21st June 2019 Places:6 Cost £27 - includes £15.50 entry to house and gardens (group rate) Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From February Monthly meeting

Trips&Visits Christmas Market     

Meets Thursday 5th December 2019
Venue 
Details The traditional visit to Birmingham Christmas Market Date:Thursday 5th December 2019 2019 Places:46 Cost £12 Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From September Monthly meeting Dronfield members love a Christmas Market and the Birmingham Market can be easily combined with a visit to the National Library to admire the award winning architecture, a walk along the canal and Christmas shopping opportunities abound. Plenty of places to eat,drink and make merry before the big day.

Trips&Visits Llandudno     

  We regret that this group is full:
   
Meets Wednesday 17th July 2019
Venue 
Details A day by the sea in Llandudno Date:Wednesday 17th July 2019 Places:FULL Cost £13 Depart:8:30am Dronfield Sports Centre - PLEASE NOTE EARLIER DEPARTURE TIME Booking/Payments: From April Monthly meeting

Trips&Visits Macclesfield     

Meets Wednesday 16th October 2019
Venue 
Details A day in Macclesfield visiting Paradise Mill & Silk Museums Date:Wednesday 16th October 2019 Places:7 Cost £12 - includes entry and guided tour(£6) of Paradise Mill and free entry to Silk Museum. Group will be split into two halves leaving free time in the town. Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From July Monthly meeting A guided tour of the Grade II listed Paradise Mill takes you back in time to early 20th-century Macclesfield. The Mill houses a unique collection of 26 Jacquard handlooms – the largest known collection of Jacquard silk handlooms in their original setting.The knowledgeable mill guide will demonstrate the machinery through all stages of the silk process, including an explanation of the Jacquard mechanism complete with a weaving demonstration on a restored loom.

Trips&Visits Middleton Hall     

Meets Monday 19th August 2019
Venue 
Details A visit to Middleton Hall House and gardens near Tamworth Date:Monday 19th August 2019 Places:TRIP FULL.PLEASE JOIN THE SHORT WAITIN LIST Cost £17 - includes entry(£6) to house, museum and estensive grounds Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From May Monthly meeting

Trips&Visits Space Centre     

Meets Monday 18th November 2019
Venue 
Details A visit to the National Space Centre near Leicester Date:Monday 18th November 2019 Places:2 Cost £21.50 - includes entry(£10.50) to galleries, planetarium and SIM ride Depart:9:00am Dronfield Sports Centre Booking/Payments: From August Monthly meeting The award winning National Space Centre is an out of this world experience! With six interactive galleries, the UK’s largest planetarium, world unique 3D SIM ride and iconic 42m high Rocket Tower, there really is something for everybody to enjoy. Add to this on-site café, shop and all the facilities you would expect from a world class attraction and you have an all-weather day out in Leicester, at the heart of the UK.

Walking     

Meets A programme of walks is published each month
Venue 
Details For a detailed list of walks for the next two months visit the Walking Group page on our website: http://u3asites.org.uk/dronfield/page/98398 The Walking Group aims to foster happiness and friendship between members by virtue of a common interest in the healthy and enjoyable pursuit of walking. The Group organises a rolling programme of 8/10 walks per month designed to appeal to walkers of all abilities. All walks are classified by grade and pace. Walkers of all abilities are encouraged to meet up for lunch or a sandwich as a regular bi-monthly routine. Walking group members are asked to pay £1 a year to cover the purchase of first aid kits and walking guides.

Walking Netball     

Meets Every Friday
Venue Dronfield Sports Centre - map
Details A fun Group open to all Ladies. It is not necessary to have played netball before or to know the rules. No running or jumping is involved but a reasonable degree of mobility is required. There is a cost of between £3 and £4 for each session.

Wine Tasting     

Meets 4th Wednesday in month
Venue Member's Home
Details The wine tasting group meets monthly to learn about and explore wines from around the world. Meetings are held at Dronfield Wine World and trips are organised to visit local wine tasting venues. Meetings at Dronfield Wine World cost £12 per session and a minimum of 6 wines of different qualities are tasted together with a selection of nibbles. Members then receive a discount of 10 per cent on any wines bought at the meeting. Whilst there is normally no need to book this may change and we cannot guarantee that everyone can get in to every meeting.