Membership Card
All members joining now must revert to the full subscription of £15 for a single person and £25 for a couple following the subscription holiday in 2011-12.  The card for 2012-13 was light blue and for those joining from 1 April 2013 the card is pink is valid until 31 August 2014..

New Computer Course anyone ?

Beginners’ Computing Course
Subject to demand, Bristol U3A is considering running a Beginners’ Computing Course using the Get IT Together learning materials. The Course would run at Henleaze Library on Monday afternoons from 2.00 until 4.00 for a period of 5/6 weeks. If there is sufficient interest, we would envisage a start date early in February. If you are interested, please contact Raymond Gallery on 07790904589.

Science
Those interested in Science might like to visit the Science Cafe website which is :

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0dd1b7fd6c10ccbe4656885c1&id=5298a5c385&e=ac8c49cdd4

Nous sommes tous étudiants
The author of this website and his wife were in France in August 2012.  At the house of Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise the entrance fee was 18.50 euros with no reductions for older people.  However students could get in for 8.50 euros.  Our U3A cards did the trick.  Net saving about £16 !
Take your cards with you.

Annual General Meeting
The 2013 AGM  will be held on the morning of Tuesday 18 June 2013 at Broadmead Baptist Church (where the monthly meetings are held, see below).  The members of the Executive Committee can be found by following the links on the About Us page (with link from the Homepage).  Details of the nomination forms etc can be found in the members' News Sheet February 2013 (No 51).  We would welcome some new blood for the Committee and there are a few other jobs that need to be done.  If you think you can help please contact a member of the Committee,  Names and e-mail addresses are in the News Sheet 51

Change of Venue and Day for Monthly Meetings
The current  venue for monthly meetings is Broadmead Baptist Church, Union Street, Broadmead for better ease of access by bus and better accoustics,  The current day is the third Tuesday in the month.

Grants for Groups
The Executive Committee has decided to offer some financial help with the cost of one-off activities which contribute to group learning, not social trips.  For full details of this please see page 1 of the Annual Bulletin.

Some New Groups in mind
We have a new leader for a Supper Club group.  The group meets at about 6pm to enjoy an early evening meal on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday once a month.  If you are interested please see Page 11 of the members' News Sheet No 51 Februay 2013 or write to groups@bristolu3a.org.uk.

We also have leaders for new group for modern jive, LeRoc or French Jive.  Appartently it is very easy to learn and you don't need a partner.  If you are interested please see Page 3 of the members' News Sheet No 49 October 2012 or write to groups@bristolu3a.org.uk.

If you want to join a group and it is full please write to groups@bristolu3a.org.uk and our group co-ordinator will try to find a solution for you.

Points for the Web
If anyone has amendments to be made to any page of the website, pictures to insert or notices to post on this page please e-mail with full details to the webmaster at web@bristolu3a.org.uk. He can be addressed as Dear R.  Thank you. 

Big Print Documents
Big print extracts of the News Sheets and Annual Bulletin are available, please contact the Secretary to receive them.

News Sheets by email

Would you be prepared to receive your News Sheets by e-mail rather than by post? They would come as attachments which can be printed off (you need Adobe Reader).

If you would, please contact the membership secretary: membership@bristolu3a.org.uk ASAP.

What's on at Bristol University
On our Events page (see menu at the top of the page) you can find a link to the University's brochure and read it online.

New groups
The members' Annual Bulletin published July 2012and issued to members contained the news at the beginning of the new year 2012-13. If you are interested please see the Annual Bulletin and contact convenors or write to groups@bristolu3a.org.uk.   The following are looking for people interested: Bridge, Concert Goers, Computing for Beginners, Cycling, Digital Photography, Poetry Reading, Theatre Group, Mindfulness, Spanish, Watercolours, Who Rules Us, The Art of the Poet .  Some of those groups already exist and have pages on this website, others may be looking for new leaders/convenors.  Bridge, Digital Photography, Mindfulness and Poetry Reading (in Bishopsworth, South Bristol)  have now started,  A Spanish Conversation Group is now being set up and you might also look at THEODORA, The Art of the Poet and a new Supper Club.  All in the December (No 50) and the February (No 51) News Sheets.

Science anybody ?

We now have an  Energy Group.  For details please contact groups@bristolu3a.org.uk.   For those with a mathematical bent there is a Mathematics for Pleasure group.  Another may be starting soon.
For full details contact the same e-mail address  .

Issue 92 Autumn 2010 of the national U3A News has a U3A Sources supplement on science in the U3A nationally.  This may give people ideas on new activities in the sciences for U3A members.

The  British Science Association Bristol and Bath Branch invites our members to join their activities free of charge.  For details of their programme please see their websitet: http://BSciA-BSBA.org

The Cabot Institute also holds scientific events and lectures.  Their website is http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/
,and Bristol University has the following two websites

http://www.bris.ac.uk/science/events/2011/23.html

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/events/2011/96.html

There is also the Christians in Science Bristol local group.   We publish details of this when received.

You may also be interested in The Bristol Scientific Club.  For further details please CLICK HERE

Do you live outside Central Bristol?    If so, you will be well aware that the great majority of activities take place two bus journeys away in BS8 or BS9.

The Executive Committee is working hard to set up "satellite" U3As in (at present) two areas of greater Bristol that have substantial membership, but which are as yet poorly served with groups.SOUTH BRISTOL   particularly serving BS3, BS4, BS13 and BS14 and NORTH EAST BRISTOL  serving BS15, BS16 and surrounding areas.

If you want more U3A group activity in these areas contact the secretary@bristolu3a.org.uk The committee will need to know what you want, where the groups can meet and who can help with the organisation.  

Small groups can meet in private homes, but for larger groups suitable rooms will need to be found.

 
The ANNUAL BULLETIN was published at the end of July 2012 and has been circulated to members.  This Bulletin gives details of all courses and potential courses starting in the Autumn 2012 and the  website has been updated to include the information in that Bulletin.  The next will be late in July 2013 giving details of all courses starting in the Autumn 2013 and the website will be updated soon afterwards..

The  News Sheet  No 50 was published at the beginning of December 2012 and No 51 in February 2013. The next is due in mid May and the deadline for copy is Monday 6 May 2013.

The Virtual U3A

The Virtual U3A (vU3a), which went live in January 2009, is an online-only U3A, affiliated to the Third Age Trust. One of its principal aims is to provide the U3A experience for those who are isolated in some way by circumstances or geography and unable to play a full part in a terrestrial U3A. More information is available on the public website www.vu3a.org  where one can also apply for membership. Why not pay it a visit? And if you know of anyone who might benefit, please pass the information on,

The National U3A

Its next AGM on 13th to 16th of September 2013 in Nottingham. Precise details are in the members' News, published in February 2013 (No 51).   Please also see the National U3A's website which is on our Links page.

Bristol Anglo Italian Circle

This society holds monthly meetings on matters Italian.  The meetings are held at BAWA Leisure Centre on the Southmead Road, Filton on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30 for 7.45 and the lectures are in English on all things Italian, literature, science, art, film, cuisine etc. The circle would like to recruit more members.  For those interested please contact the membership secretary, Wendy Fraser at fraserwendy151@gmail.com or on mobile 07889093509.. The cost for the year beginning September 2012  is £15 per person or £25 for a couple. To see their programme for the current year in Adobe please click here.   Their website is www.bristolangloitalian.org.uk but if this does not work type into Google Bristol Anglo-Italian Society and it should find the website for you.

Free Lectures at Bristol University
The following website gives access to lectures given by the University's public engagement department.
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/public-engagement/pdfs/whatsonguide.pdf/

U3A Sound Equipment
The U3A has microphones and amplifiers.  If any group woud like to use it please phone 0117 935 4880. If there is any interest the Chairman, John Littler, is prepared to arrange a session to show how to set it up and use it.

U3A Secure Storage
We now rent space in a secure storage facility where equipment etc used for U3A acitivities or U3A equipment no regularly used can be stored .  Anyone who wishes to use this space please phone 0117 3020074. For further details please members' News Sheet 44 (Octobe 2011).

Do You Enjoy Singing ?.
The One Life programme is looking for volunteers over 50 to be trained to lead activity sessions using music and singalongs  to help older people stay active.  Full training is given and enthusiasm is more important than a good voice.  You might even be able to revive Singing for Pleasure for the U3A. For further details please the members' News Sheet No 48 (May 2012) Page 7 or write to groups@bristolu3a.org.uk

 

Last update 28/04/13 R