Tonbridge Insider

You can view the article written by Allan Broadbent featuring our U3A by clicking onto Article on Tonbridge U3A for the February edition of the "Tonbridge Insider" magazine

U3a National Conference 2008 - Swansea

Chairman Rosemary Doel attended the National Conference on behalf of Tonbridge U3A and her report can be read by clicking onto Swansea Report

Language classes at Tonbridge Grammar School

As part of its Outreach Programme, Tonbridge Grammar School is offering language classes to members of Tonbridge U3A.

The first course will be an 11-week ‘Back to Basics’ French course starting in January 2009.

It is aimed at those with some previous knowledge of the language who wish to brush up on their grammar and gain confidence in speaking. Depending on demand, a German class may be offered later in 2009.

Margaret Beston has agreed to liaise with TGS and anyone interested in the language courses should email her in the first instance on mebeston@supanet.com

New National Wiki site for Music Lovers

A new national interactive website has been developed for classical music lovers which can be found by clicking onto http://u3amusicgroups.pbwiki.com/

Tonbridge U3A Holiday in Yorkshire, 14 – 19 September 2008

This year’s holiday to Yorkshire was a great success, aided, no doubt, by lovely autumn weather, and an excellent itinerary.

On the way to Scarborough we visited the beautiful Belton House, and then went on to the Royal Hotel where we stayed. The hotel has the nostalgic charm of the Edwardian era, which included excellent service and food, and sits on the cliff above the beach and harbour and adjacent to the shops.

Places visited included the Humber Bridge (on our journey north and south), the charming town of Whitby, with its Abbey ruins sitting high on the cliff, numerous quaint shops selling jet jewellery, another selling “cakes” made of soap, and its picturesque harbour. We also went to Goathland (known to viewers of ‘Heartbeat’), and made an enjoyable ride on the steam train from Goathland to Pickering, which is a small market town with superb murals in its noted church. A visit was made to the Eden Camp museum, which housed German and Italian prisoners of war, and a very interesting day in the historic town of York, with its famed York Minster. A highlight was Castle Howard, and we have all made a note to see Brideshead Revisited, after the snippets of information from the room stewards.

We enjoyed an evening in the famous Victorian Spa Theatre on our last night, with a show of songs from the musicals, and a jolly comic who made us all laugh. On the way home we spent time in Lincoln, and arrived back in Tonbridge with many happy memories.

The whole experience was captured pictorially and can be seen by clicking onto Yorkshire Photos.

Open Day 3 September 2008

The 2008 Open Afternoon was held 3rd September and provided current and future members the chance to see what all our different groups get up to. With well over 70 groups and their leaders in the Medway Hall, there was ample opportunity to speak to the leaders and enrole for forthcoming year.

A show of work done by members of Tonbridge U3A was an added attraction this year and for a full pictorial view of the day suppplied by member Peter Tulloch ARPS DPAGB click onto open day 

The Accidental Chefs exhibited a mouth-watering display of canapees they had made at the February Monthly Meeting. After the meeting, they generously allowed some lucky members to sample them!

Following this, The Accidental Chefs were guests of Waitrose in Tonbridge. The Customer Services Manager, Andy Cook, and his team including the Home Resources Manager, and the trainee cheese connoiseur entertained the group with a video of catching tuna in the Maldives, and explaining what goes on behind the scenes in the store. Champagne and canapees were served, followed by a delicous meal accompanied by one of their best-selling red wines from France, and four different cheeses, each with an excellent introduction from Ben.