Welcome to the Bookham & District U3A Website

*************Coronavirus************* This 'Home' page has been changed on a temporary basis to provide information that may prove of use during the lockdown period. The normal 'Home' page can be found by clicking on Home/About us on the red menu bar above. *******Membership Renewal******** Membership renewal, which normally takes place in July/August will be delayed for an as yet unspecified period of time until it is clearer when we can start to resume group activities. This was announced in the Chairman's May newsletter,  which can be found in the 'News' section of this website.

 

Introduction

This page will be updated on a regular basis with new information or ideas that may help members during the period of lockdown and self-isolation. The information will fall into a number of categories: 

1. Details of local services, including shopping and help for those unable to leave home;
2. help for those members who wish to use videoconferencing to take part in 'virtual' group meetings, or to impress children and grandchildren with new found skills;
3. suggestions for activities to while away the time before restrictions are eventually lifted.

New pages have been added to the website to hold this information and can be found by clicking the Covid-19 menu item on the menu bar above.

Where appropriate, use is also made of the ' Useful Links '  section to hold 'Live Links' to appropriate websites; by 'Live Links' I mean where a single click will take you directly to the relevant site. These links are always in blue. On occasions there may be so many suggestions being made that a link to a website if preferable to copying the information in our pages. it has the benefit that this information can be updated  by the originator, not me!

Updates to the Website

14th September - The Chairman's September newsletter has been emailed to all members with an email address, and is also available in the News section.

29th August - the 2021 U3A calendar is now available. Instructions on how to get a copy will be posted in the news section very soon!

The full calendar can be viewed  by clicking the image below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 7th August - The Social History group have spent part of the lockdown period researching the history of the familiar pink cottages at Nos 28 and 30 Bookham High Street. Formerly known as Victoria Cottages and now used by the England's House Dental Practice, the cottages date back some 500 years and the story of their more recent occupants is fascinating. Learn more by clicking here.

18th June - Issues may arise when taxing a car due to the extension of validity of MOT certificates by six months. Colin Jackson has provide some guidance on this, which can be found in the 'News' section.

15th June - Following the success of the Zoom meeting last week, we are are now planning to resume regular monthly meetings using Zoom. Details of the July meeting have been posted in the 'Diary' section and Frank will soon post details of the remaining talks up to December.

29th May - We are trying a Zoom based meeting on June 9th at 2.30 when Roger Mendham will talk on The Greatest Engineering Project in Victorian London. More information on the talk and how to join can be found in the Diary section of this website. Don't forget to book a place - it is likely to be popular! We hope to hold more meetings whilst we are remain in lockdown.

22nd May - News of Michelle's work must have spread! I received an email from the the organisation running 'The Great British Sewing Bee'. They are now looking for the sewers to take part and are keen to hear from both male and female sewers of all ages. Click here for a copy of the email and here for a flyer. 

20th May - Michelle Howes is now producing face masks in a range of stunning colours for friends and acquaintances in anticipation of them becoming mandatory in due course. For more information, email her at Howes@bookhamu3a.org.uk. 

We are always keen to hear from members of how they are  spending the lockdown. Email webmaster@bookhamu3a.org.uk with your news.

5th May - The Chairman's May newsletter has been posted as a news item.

30th April - The Iliveinbookham website has been updated with current information on shops and services in Bookham. New screen shots are available in the Covid-19 page, or click on the link in blue.

30th April - The latest copy of Senior Moments has been added to the website. It can be found in Documents/Senior Moments.

30th April - Further links have been added to the entertainments section, Covid-19/Entertainment.

Not an update to the website but a reminder of the many U3A pages on Facebook. One in particular is of interest -  u3a: keeping in touch. This is, as Michelle Howes comments - 'really interesting and fun'.

Have you Zoomed today? The Creative Writing group have - read about it here!

A link to the Open University is now included on the  Learning page of Covid-19.

What do you think these are?

 

Click here to find out, and how you could help carers and nurses.

*******Check out the Chess! Link is on the 'Useful Links' page. You can play against a friend, the computer or against a random person on the Internet!*******

Information on entertainment sources included in a recent mailing from Leatherhead Theatre are included on the Entertainment page. These have been copied from the email and may duplicate other entries. 

Updated instructions on the use of Skype have been added to the Skype page as a result of the issues encountered when setting up a group session.

New entries have been added to both 'Useful Links' and 'Covid-19' pages.

These include links to online chess, brain yoga, National Theatre, Sherlock, and entries on the Learning, Entertaining and Humour pages. Also pasted is a link to a short video by Tom Way, the wildlife photographer who gave an enjoyable talk to us a couple of years ago. Enjoy and keep the suggestions coming!

Added recently is information and links to Marquee. Marquee TV offers a very wide range of Theatre, Opera and Ballet performances - see more on the Covid-19/Entertainment page.

News

A number of groups have been run successful Zoom meetings. One of the walking groups held a meeting today - my observation 'I am not sure whether they used smartphones and spent the time walking around their gardens!' produced a stinging rebuke from Chris Middleton.

It has become a tradition with this walking group to start our expedition around London with a coffee stop and so that is what we did from the comfort of our own chairs. We had been due to visit the Aga Khan Centre at Kings Cross, so after checking everyone on the call was alright, I shared my screen and showed them all a video tour of the Centre live streamed from the Centre website. It went down a treat and so for our next video call I will be presenting the photos that were taken on the recce just before the lockdown with commentary by another member.

An excellent example of what can be achieved!

If you want to have a go, there is plenty of material on the Covid-19 pages, on the Internet and YouTube.  If you need help feel free to contact webmaster@bookhamu3a.org.uk. I will try to get one of the experienced Group Administrators  to provide help. We are building the knowledgebase quickly,  with a bit of trial and error long the way!

These pages are open to all members without the need to sign into the website, although Bookham & District members are encouraged to set up passwords if they have not already done so.

If any members have  ideas on interesting  websites or another  thoughts on keeping mentally or physically active during periods of self-isolation, I am happy to consider including them in some of the new pages or in the 'Useful Links' section of this website.Links to these suggested ideas can be found in the ' Useful Links  page. 

More ideas please to webmaster@bookhamu3a.org.uk

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Registered charity number: 1036386