Woodley and District

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Woodley and District U3A Groups

Afternoon film group     

Meets 1st and 3rd Mon pm
Venue Members Home
Contact Film@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The group will meet at members’ houses to watch and discuss films. Films will be chosen from members’ suggestions and usually come from members’ collections on DVD or Blu-ray. Films can be classics or recent “must-see” and could come from any country or any genre, but probably not recent mainstream films.

Art History and Appreciation     

Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday am
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This discussion group is for anyone interested in looking at and talking about art. The topics we focus on and what we talk about will be in the hands of the members, but to get the group underway we will probably start with some aspects of European painting. You do not have to be an Art expert to take part just a desire to want to work with others to learn more about Art. There may be opportunities to co-ordinate with visits by the Galleries and Museums group. The first meeting is scheduled for November.

Badminton     

Meets Fri pm
Venue Woodford Park Leisure Centre
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details An opportunity to play friendly, sociable games of badminton. We are currently looking for enough members to make this viable.

Beginners Ballroom/Latin Dance     

Meets Alternate Mondays pm
Venue Coronation Hall - map
Contact ballbeg@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details We will cover a variety of different ballroom and latin dances in a friendly and sociable environment. You are welcome to come along if you have some proficiency or if you are an absolute beginner as some guidance and tuition will be provided. Bring a partner if you can but single people will be matched up when possible. This group is held fortnightly and alternates with the Modern Jive group.

Book group for book-lovers     

Meets 4th or 5th Wed pm
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details In this monthly group for bibliophiles, members share the novels they love, either quality contemporary fiction or literary works of the past, and tell us why they are such favourites. A member champions a book for us to read over the following month and we all bring along our own recommendations for what to read – or perhaps not to read! Meets on last Wednesday of the month. It’s a great excuse to revisit a classic and also a way to discover exciting new authors and new releases from well-loved authors that we may have overlooked.

Bridge for Beginners     

Meets Thurs pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A course for people who want to learn to play bridge but have never played before or have very limited experience of playing. The course will last for between 6-8 weeks depending on the group. The group will start in mid-October.

Card Making     

Meets TBC
Venue Members Home
Contact Cardmake@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This group is for members who enjoy card-making and want to learn new skills in a friendly and supportive environment. The group will start up in January.

Cooking For Friends     

Meets 3rd Thurs
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Join our group of home cooks to share a sociable lunch once a month. We take it in turns to play host and each of us brings a pre-agreed contribution to the meal so no one has to do too much. Dig out your copy of Delia, then come and share some good food and company.

Creative writing course     

Meets Mon pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The course will enable members to get started on writing and develop confidence in their writing, by practicing techniques such as creating credible characters in appropriate settings and context, developing tension, suspense and drama, writing from different points of view, using showing and telling and planning and shaping the hero or heroine’s journey. A wide range of genres will be covered including short-stories, romantic fiction, fantasy and science-fiction, horror and ghost stories, historical and local history, writing for young readers, crime, mystery and detective fiction. It will also cover writing for a wide variety of mediums including radio, television and stage and magazines. 10 week course.

Crochet     

Meets Tuesday pm
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details For members of all abilities to learn how to crochet and for the more experienced members a chance to show off their skills and support the beginners.

Discovering Science     

Meets 1st Fri pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A monthly group to discuss a topic of current science. The group may also attend public lectures, exhibitions and visit museums. More members would be very welcome.

Fabric Creations     

Meets 2nd and 4th Wed pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The Fabric Creations group encompass a wide variety of projects that can be created in fabric. These can range from Applique, Tapestry, Patchwork, Dressmaking (on small scale) through to Quilting, etc. All levels are welcome and more experienced members will offer help and support when they are able to.

Family History for Beginners 1     

Meets Varies
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Famhistory@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This group is for members who are absolute beginners in using the internet to do research family history.

Family History for Beginners 2     

Meets 2nd Wed pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Famhistory@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Come and learn how to trace your ancestors back to the late 1700s through the use of a variety of records. Members must have their own laptops or tablets to bring to the sessions. The course meet once a month for 6 months but there will be no meeting in December.

Family History Research Group     

Meets 4th Wed pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Famhistory@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A group for people who have already researched much of their family history, who meet to help each other with problem solving. The groups provides mutual support and investigates ways to get past problems that are blocking further progress. Members will need to have their own laptops or tablets to bring to the sessions. The group will not meet in December.

French Conversation - Group 1     

Meets 1st & 3rd Wed am
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Develop your French conversation in a friendly and supportive group. Topics for the conversation will vary between meetings and will be decided at the previous meeting.

French Conversation - Group 2     

Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Develop your French conversation in a small, friendly and supportive group. Topics for the conversation will vary between meetings and all members will be encouraged to suggest ideas.

Galleries & Museum Visits     

Meets Varies
Venue Varies
Contact Gallvisits@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The group will offer excursions to art venues, special exhibitions and museums in the South East region using own and public transport. Members will contribute ideas and then select from the options suggested to produce a programme. There will be a monthly planning meeting.

Guitar for Beginners     

Meets 1st and 3rd Thursdays am
Venue Members Home
Contact Ballbeg@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details We are not Spanish or Classical guitar, we are mostly strumming with some of us singing. We will have a go at anything including Buddy Holly, Abba, Eva Cassidy and much more; we have even tried Ed Sheeran – we will try anything any of us in the group come up with.

Indoor Table Games     

Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact indgames@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details If you enjoy playing board games then this is a great way to spend an enjoyable afternoon, especially as the days get shorter. The games will include well-known ones but also give you the opportunity to play ones that you might not have played before. The group has space for a few more people. Members are welcome to bring along and/or suggest games to play.

Jazz Appreciation     

Meets 2nd and 4th Tues pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A group for people who enjoy music and would like to have an understanding of jazz and related music. We currently have space for a few new members to join us. We will listen and discuss a wide range of jazz. We will also consider other music, in particular improvised music, which has a relationship with jazz. People who love jazz but also people completely new to the music would be equally welcome. We are taking a break over Christmas but will resume meeting in January.

Kitchen Table Bridge     

Meets 1st and 3rd Tuesday am
Venue Members Home
Contact Ktbridge@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Are you a occasional bridge player who would like to play with others in a sociable friendly group? If so then this could be the group for you.

Knitting & Wool Craft     

Meets TBC
Venue Members Home
Contact Cardmake@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details For members of all abilities to enjoy a relaxed time knitting charitable items or projects that you may have started and to help each other with any issues and learn new skills. We would love to have more people join us to make the group viable long-term but plan to start up in January.

Local trips out     

Meets Varies
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A group that will visit local places of interest via public transport or members' cars. Venues can include gardens, NT houses, museums. Members will be responsible for paying for their own admission and transport costs. There will be a monthly planning meeting to propose and agree trips.

Mah-jong     

Meets Tues pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details An opportunity for experienced Mah-jong players to play in a sociable and friendly group. Players will be expected to be familiar with scoring and know at least some of Mah-jong’s “special hands”.

Mah-jong for Beginners 1     

Meets 1st & 3rd Thu am
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The course will introduce members to the fascinating game of Mah-jong – explaining the tiles, how to make a mah-jong hand and how to score. Once members are confident in playing with ordinary hands and scoring them, the more advanced special hands will be introduced. By the end of the course all members should be able to play mah-jong competitively with more experienced players. The rules we use are the ones used by most U3A groups.

Mah-jong for Beginners 2     

Meets 2nd and 4th Thu am
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A short course of eight sessions to introduce you to the basics of Mah-jong. The course will include how to score and some special hands. The course will start in Jan 2020 and is now fully subscribed but if you are interested email to add your name to the waiting list. If there is sufficient demand there will be another course in April 2020.

Maths Topics     

Meets 2nd & 4th Wed am
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Maths@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The aim of the Group will be to start with the current GCSE as a base level, with a view of heading towards the current A level. The content will be modified to suit the group’s interests and backgrounds.

Medicine in the News     

Meets 2nd Tues pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Medical@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details By picking up on medical topics in the news and discussing them, together with the associated problems of understanding and implementation, we can we achieve a greater understanding of current medicine in a friendly non-medical environment

Modern Jive     

Meets Alternate Mondays pm
Venue Coronation Hall - map
Contact ModJive@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A Partner Dance to modern music for all ages. A fantastic, fun way to keep fit and meet people. Easy to learn with no step sequences to memorise. No partner needed. We move you around. Absolute beginners welcome. You will be dancing some basic moves by the end of your first lesson. This group runs fortnightly and alternates with the Ballroom and Latin dance group.

MOTO 1     

Meets Varies
Venue Varies
Contact Medical@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This group offers members on their own (MOTO) an opportunity to go out to local venues, meet for coffee, share meals together. The events available will depend on what members want to do and are willing to arrange. There will be a monthly planning meeting where members will contribute ideas for activities during the next few weeks.

MOTO 2     

Meets Varies
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This group offers members on their own (MOTO) an opportunity to go out to local venues, meet for coffee, share meals together. The events available will depend on what members want to do and are willing to arrange. The first planning meeting where members will contribute ideas for activities for the following weeks, will happen in late January/early February.

Nature Walks     

Meets Thur 3rd pm
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Slow walks in and around Woodley taking time to enjoy what we see on the way. Stops to watch birds, identify fungi and photograph flowers, etc. Expect to spend 1½ - 2 hours and walk less than 2 miles. It may not be obvious but Woodley has an interesting range of public open spaces and good networks of footpaths. There are 2 walks a month over the same route. One will be on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Day and week of the 2nd walk will vary. Suitable for anyone wanting a little fresh air and exercise who enjoys the countryside. Please leave your pet/s at home so that they do not disturb wildlife we are watching.

Photography     

Meets 3rd Wed am
Venue Members Home
Contact Chairman@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The intention of the group is to encourage its members to take a wide variety of themed photos based on an agreed theme for the period, and for each of the members to review the output so we can all learn from each other. The intention of the group is not to be focused on the technology of taking photos so any camera type is welcome and all levels and abilities are welcome.

Play reading     

Meets 4th Tues pm
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Reading through a variety of plays by both well-known and lesser known authors. No dramatic performances are required!

Poetry Writing     

Meets Monthly
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details More people are needed to make this group viable so please email the contact to find out more. This will be an informal group for people who already write poetry and want to learn more about writing poetry and for people who would like to start writing poetry. For each monthly meeting a subject would be chosen and then the group would listen to the group members’ prepared contributions. There is no right or wrong way of writing poetry as each person has their individual style, but writers would be encouraged to try different poetry forms and learn about meter, rhyming, and rhythm and to explore their uses. In addition as part of the learning process, the group would read and discuss the work of published poets.

Rummikub     

Meets 2nd Mon pm
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details An opportunity to play the popular game of Rummikub in a friendly and sociable group. Beginners as well as more experienced players are equally welcome.

Rummikub 2     

Meets TBC
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details An opportunity to play the popular game of Rummikub in a friendly and sociable group. Beginners as well as more experienced players are equally welcome. It is hoped to start up this group early in 2020.

Scrabble     

Meets 2nd Tues pm
Venue Members Home
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Sociable games of Scrabble for those who can already play or want to learn to play the game.

Singing for Pleasure     

Meets 2nd and 4th Thurs pm
Venue Long Room, St Johns Centre - map
Contact singing@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details An opportunity to sing in a group. No experience needed, no need to read music and no audition just a love of singing with other people. Range of music will be very wide and can range from Pop/Gospel/Folk/Jazz/Swing/RnR/Country perhaps even Classical if that suits the group. Members can make suggestions of songs they would like to sing, and I will arrange them if I think it is a piece that lends itself to harmonisation. The group will work towards performing pieces in public, perhaps at a U3A monthly meeting? I have around 150 assorted arrangements that Woodley Singers sang down their 25 years of operation and most have backing tracks to accompany them with my guitars.

Spanish for Beginners     

Meets Fri pm
Venue Convenor's Home
Contact Modjive@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details This is for people who want to start learning Spanish but whose knowledge of English grammar is limited. The course will make sure everyone understands basic English grammar before moving onto basic Spanish lessons explaining the different sentence construction and pronunciation. The current course started in October but you can enroll for a new course starting in 2020 if you missed this one.

Sunday Lunches     

Meets 1st Sun pm
Venue Varies
Contact slunches@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The group will visit local eating places to enjoy a sociable Sunday meal. This group is particularly suitable for members on their own. Members will pay for their own meal and drinks.

Sunday Rambles     

Meets 3rd Sun am
Venue Varies
Contact indgames@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details A ramble at a location within 20 miles of Woodley. The walk would be between 4-6 miles and although the pace would be kept slow enough for the slowest walker, members would need to be reasonably fit and be able to climb over stiles and cope with some inclines. Walks would vary from easy walks along the Thames to more challenging ones in the Chilterns. There would be a refreshment stop at some point in the middle of the walk and with some walks pub visits after the walk would be possible. Members need to attend in appropriate clothing for the weather and wear proper walking boots.

Ukulele     

Meets Alternate Thursdays pm
Venue Chapel Hall
Contact Ukulele@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The group will offer the opportunity to sing and play the ukulele in a small group for personal enjoyment and possible amateur performance. Participants will be given the chance to learn the instrument from scratch as well as develop and contribute their musical knowledge, working from strum-along songs to more sophisticated arrangements. This will be very much dependent on the group’s abilities and interests.

Walking For Pleasure     

Meets 3rd Wed am
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details Circular walks of up to 6 miles in the local areas using well used footpaths and routes in a small and friendly group. The walks will be at a moderate pace but may involve some short climbs and stiles so members should ensure they are fit enough to do the walk.

Walking with Cameras     

Meets 2nd Fri am
Venue Varies
Contact Groupsco@woodleyu3a.org.uk
Details The group is open to anyone who enjoys walking and taking photographs. All abilities would be welcome and you would not need to have a fancy DLR camera - anything goes even a camera phone. The walks would end at a pub so members can enjoy a pub lunch together.