Group News

Tonbridge u3a is a valuable part of our Tonbridge Community. As you all go about your busy lives, do remember please to publicise all we do in a spirit of fun and friendship. If you can help in any way, please do - together we are Tonbridge u3a! 

Hello from Johanna 

Autumn is here and with it the start of our new u3a year! This is always a time of fresh beginnings and new possibilities. What new ideas and activities are you going to explore this year?

We invite you to come along to the Open Afternoon with an open mind and plenty of curiosity. It is a wonderful chance to talk to Group Leaders about what is involved in running a group and find out more about the activities already on offer. We have more than 80 groups. Can we make it 90 by Christmas? 

Stitchers and Beyond 1 are looking to recruit. They are happy to widen their remit to anyone doing anything with stitches, yarns and needles. Knitters, quilters, weavers and dressmakers plus any other skills are all welcome. Come and chat to Mary McCrae and her friends. stitchersandbeyond@tonbridgeu3a.uk 

Discovering the Far East is also welcoming new members. Come and find out more from Patrick Hart and Friends.discoveringthefareast@tonbridgeu3a.uk 

Care to improve your Chess Skills? Join the Chess Group! chess@tonbridgeu3a.uk 

What about our other fairly new fun activities: Wildlife Gardening - recruiting now! Art and Craft for Fun, Film Group, Trips for All. There really is something for everyone and there is more. 

Sally Morton is offering to run an iPad users group, if other helpers could join in, and a venue can be found with internet access (We are working on this). Frequency and content will depend on requests. Advice from those who ran this kind of group some years ago would be welcome. 

Sally would also like to run a weekly zoom meeting using free access to FamilySearch.com for genealogy where members’ family trees can be grown and data copied to RootsMagic.com or trees online elsewhere, adding in details from other free sources eg FreeBMD including GRO index. Contact:Saly Morton (details in your Journal and Handbook)

Pat Daniels has proposed a Flute group. Mollie Brewer is looking for help to revive the successful Musical Appreciation Group. In the past Mollie recalls having great fun and appreciated having had the opportunity to share and discover more music to love. Jazz Appreciation is another group that is being missed so if Jazz is your style come along to Open Afternoon and register your interest. 

21 Lessons for 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harare explores how humanity can find clarity, purpose and resilience in a fast changing world shaped by technology, politics and global challenges. This book is excellent. It really makes you think yet is so well written it is a page turner! Mike Lauerman is proposing a limited time discussion group. 

Art and Craft for Fun - Correction to timing in the previous journal - The group meets 10am until 12.30pm on fourth Thursdays in Tudeleyl. 

Contact Sue Blair for further information. artandcraftforfun@tonbridgeu3a.uk

We hope that the Open Afternoon will be the start of something special for each of you. Remember u3a is an mutual society. We live, laugh and learn together. We support each other, share our skills and interests. Every member matters and your contribution can help make this year even more rewarding for all of us. So do come along, join in and make this a year full of discovery and friendship. If you really cannot be there on the day but are interested is any of the above please register your interest with me.

Johanna Kiernan groups@tonbridgeu3a.uk 

Reading Shakespeare

Every three months, approximately 10.00 am. 

Next dates: Thursday 23 October/ 30 October 2025. 

Joyce Graf

Poetry for Pleasure 2 

Poetry for Pleasure 2 The purpose of this group is to read poetry that they enjoy on a theme chosen in advance of the monthly meeting, which is held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 10:30 am October is Shakespeare; November is Christmas. There is no meeting in December. Jennifer Hughes 

Galleries, Exhibitions and Museums

Friday 3 October - Visit to the British Museum to see the Exhibition about India and its history. 

Meet at Tonbridge Station at 9.40 am for the after 10am train to Charing Cross. Please remember to bring your bus pass with you. 

Friday 7 November - Visit to Tate Britain for the Turner and Constable Exhibition. Please let me know if you are coming. 

Margaret Pavlidis galleriesmuseumsandexhibitions@tonbridgeu3a.uk