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Melbourne Area Derby U3A Groups

Art Appreciation     

Meets Monthly on Wednesday afternoon
Details Art Appreciation meetings are held monthly every 4th Wednesday afternoon (1.30-3pm) at Melbourne Assembly Rooms. £2 per person, including tea or coffee, to pay for the room hire and use of projector and screen. Sessions usually last one and a half hours. Topics for discussion to date have included American photography, German Expressionism, the Pre-Raphaelites, Joseph Wright, and Marcel Duchamp and conceptual art. We are currently exploring the 'isms' from Realism to Conceptualism. Anyone can volunteer to give a talk; we have had some lively discussions! We have also arranged trips to art galleries, including Nottingham Contemporary, Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Barber Institute.

Book Club     

Meets 2nd Thursday / month
Details We are Book Group 1. We meet from 11.00-1.00 on the second Thursday of each month (no meeting August) and read one book per month. Some recent choices have included- The Wanderers Rules of Civility The Miniaturist Someone I used to Know Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine This group is currently full. You are welcome to join the waiting list or start another book group. Contact the Groups coordinator for more details.

Book Group 2     

Meets Last Tuesday monthly 5.30pm
Details The group is very informal, meeting monthly in each-other's homes to discuss the book chosen at the previous meeting. During lockdown we continued to meet via ZOOM; we now meet in member's gardens. We read a full range of fiction, non-fiction, new releases and classics revisited. This group is currently full. You are welcome to join the waiting list or start another book group. Contact the Group coordinator for more details.

Bridge     

Meets Weekly
Details Bridge sessions take place in the Melbourne Sporting Partnership pavilion at 2.00 till 4.00 every Monday during Autumn and Spring. We play rubber bridge, and each session, suitable for beginners, improvers and experienced players, is led by Steve Hollingsworth. We change partners and opponents regularly to vary the games and help less experienced players. These sessions are very informal and great fun. Each session costs £2 per person and this includes tea or coffee. Come and join us.

COMMITTEE     

Meets 3rd Thursday / month
Details 

COMMITTEE events sub-committee     

Meets Ad-Hoc
Details 

COMMITTEE Finance SubCommittee     

Meets Ad-hoc
Details 

Crafting     

Meets First Tuesday in month from 2 pm to 4 pm
Details The Crafting Group is for all abilities and we learn crafting skills together, such as making cards, bead work, fridge magnets, calendars, Christmas decorations. Costs will vary according to the craft, but we will endeavour to keep costs to a minimum and it is usually under £5. We meet on the first Monday of the month, 2.00pm - 4.00pm, at the Senior Citizens Centre in Melbourne. From December we will meet on the first Tuesday of each month, 2.00pm - 4.00pm in Melbourne Assembly Rooms/ Lounge.

Current Affairs     

Meets 3rd Friday monthly
Details The group meets on the third Friday of the month in the afternoon, usually 2pm to 3.30pm in a local pub. The first part of the afternoon focuses on a particular topic, which members may like to read about in advance; then we have the opportunity to discuss any burning issues of the day. The meeting is very informal; members suggest topics for discussion and have the opportunity to lead on an issue. We steer clear of Party Politics, respecting everyone's views but focusing on evidence. The group is relatively new, meeting only twice before lockdown forced us onto Zoom. Previous topics discussed have included HS2, House of Lords reform, the US elections and MeToo movement. Future topics include the environment and climate change, Afghanistan, crime and justice, and local government.

Family History     

Meets 2nd Wednesday of the month
Details Since Covid we have been meeting once a month. When we are allowed to go back into the library we will resume our normal meetings again. We will keep you updated of any further developments. Our Family History group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month 2pm - 4pm in Melbourne Library. We have the use of dedicated computers to access Ancestry and Find My Past websites. Members enjoy sharing their family history stories and helping each other break down research 'brick walls' in a friendly and welcoming environment.

Festive wreath workshop     

Meets December 1st
Details This one-off workshop will give participants a tutored introduction to making their own festive evergreen wreath, using an oasis ring, locally sourced greenery and personal decorations. A small charge/deposit will cover costs, eg oasis, refreshments etc. Must be booked in advance. Use the ‘Contact’ page to email the Chair for details.

French Dancing     

Meets Last Thursday / month
Details Hi We meet in Thomas Cook memorial Hall. There is a small charge of £2 to cover room costs and tea/coffee and biscuits. Dances we learn are schotishes, bourrees, waltzes, mazurkas, gavottes and Breton dances. Steve plays melodeon (button accordion) and Peter plays fiddle so there is lovely live music to dance to. Some dances are couples dances but don't worry if you haven't got a partner - one will be found! The Breton dances are usually done in lines or circles and no partners are needed. Come along and give it a go. We are starting again on September 30th. Hope to see you then. Diana

German     

Meets Wednesday morning
Details The group will meet weekly with a view to practise and improve their german conversation.

History     

Meets Monthly on a Friday
Details We’ve just finished studying the Tudors and were so intrigued by Elizabeth I that we will continue to explore amazing women from history.

Laughter Therapy     

Meets Friday weekly 4.30 pm starting November 5th
Details Group will meet via zoom and will be informal

Members' Monthly Meeting     

Meets First Tuesday every month 2.30pm
Details A monthly all member meeting either with an invited speaker or a social event.

Photography Step-by-Step     

Meets 1st Wednesday of the Month 1400hrs
Details “PHOTOGRAPHY STEP-BY-STEP“ A peer supported self-learning group for budding photographers. The emphasis is on starting from the absolute basics; through camera operation and picture taking principles. The programme builds progressively week-on-week, towards a goal of taking more rewarding photographs. Each group member will follow a weekly on-line programme of lessons supported, as appropriate, by handouts from the group co-ordinator and advice from peers. Monthly zoom meetings will offer group members time to share and discuss both their photographs and their learning insights. Although the group meets on-line initially, members may choose to meet in person as Covid allows.

Scrabble     

Meets Monthly on last Friday
Details Meetings are held in Melbourne from 2-4pm on the last Friday of the month. Frances will be leading.

TV Art Appreciation zoom     

Meets 2nd Thurs @ 7.30pm
Details Discussion of art on tv

Walking     

Meets 2-3 times / month
Details We aim to schedule two to three walks a month. The length and difficulty of the walks varies as does the day they take place. This flexibility suits the group and we have regular planning meetings so that group members can be involved. Most walks are in the morning and in the local area. We have had a few walks further afield - a couple up in the Peak District and one around the National Arboretum. We walk at a leisurely pace and usually stop at a pub or cafe for refreshments en route or at the end of the walk. The day we walk is flexible but we walk mainly in the morning. We also support walks organised in neighbouring areas and the local monthly walk organised by the Melbourne Footpath’s Group. New members always welcome. Sharon and Frances