Monthly General Meetings
We have a double bill at our next meeting on Wed 19 Oct!
With concerns in all our minds about the cost of keeping warm through the winter, we have asked The Green Doctors to come along and give advice on energy saving and heating bills.
In the second part of the meeting, Maria Creech will tell us Stories of Polish resettlement in Slough.
Grove Park in Iver (1946-57), was one of hundreds of resettlement camps set up by the MOD throughout the UK after the Second World War to accommodate displaced Polish soldiers and their families. Temporary accommodation in ramshackle Nissen huts extended for more than 10 years with families eventually integrating into local communities including Slough. Maria will use photographs kept by former residents and their families to offer a unique window into what daily life was like for the Grove Park community, who were among the first of many generations of Polish people to settle in Slough in recent decades.
Maria Creech is a researcher, writer and curator, currently in the second year of a collaborative PhD between Cardiff University and Imperial War Museums. “I was born into and raised in Slough’s multigenerational Polish community. In my curatorial work, I use vernacular photographs to explore hidden histories and spotlight themes of diasporic identity, displacement, survival and belonging”.
We meet at 2pm in St Andrew’s Church Hall in Merton Road, Slough SL1 1QW. The meeting is open to both u3a members and non-members – guests and potential members are always welcome. Refreshments are served at the end of the meeting, and it’s an ideal opportunity to find out more about the u3a and our activities.
Future meetings and talks: –
- Wed, 16 November Kay Wathen – candle making
- Wed, 14 December Christmas Celebration (Bring & Share)
Slough U3A Groups News
The U3A Lunch Club has relaunched, with Beverley at the helm. During September we enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Red Lion in Stoke Green Our next outing during October will be at another Red Lion, this time the one in Langley Park Road, SL2 0JZ ( a Chef and Brewer restaurant). Please email Beverley Edwards on groups@sloughU3A.com or phone 01753 971938 if you would like to find out more about this group.
Members of the Art Appreciation Group popped over to Bristol for a few days during September to sample the art, culture, and history of this historic port and trading centre. Highlights included the SS Great Britain, the Van Gogh experience, and Banksy as well as the town’s galleries and museums. Many thanks to Alex and Anna for helping with the bookings. Please contact Bob on 07903 021711 or chair@sloughu3a.com if you’d like to be informed of future plans.
Our Ukulele Group, Herschel Ukes, entertained a visually impaired group at the Berkshire Vision Social Club in Langley earlier this month, with a medley of popular singalong songs. Their next project will be to work on their repertoire of seasonal songs ready for Christmas.
U3A Events Elsewhere
Courses and Seminars: National and regional U3A groups are continuing to organise courses and seminars for U3A members – some are online, others are in person. Book quickly to avoid disappointment!
Third Age Trust • Using an Android device • Marc Chagall
U3A Thames Valley • Civil War in Wallingford • Namibia •
London Region • Conan Doyle • London seen through Painters’ Eyes
Health and Support
‘Fighting the cost of living’ is a resource pack with information on how to get help with energy bills, heat your home and support with debt and welfare. Details of organisations working in Slough to support residents with food, furniture and clothing are included plus general links for employment, health and council support
The Active Slough programme has returned, with a mixture of exercise and activities, some of them especially suited to those of us with limited mobility. Click here for the full program or else click here to register
Yoga sessions with Daniela – A casual drop-in session suitable for all abilities, provided free by the charity Sport in Mind for the benefit of local people. Kingsway United Reformed Church, 11 Church St, Slough SL1 1SZ every Monday at 1:30. Yoga mats are provided.
What’s on around Slough?
Windsor and District Ramblers are holding a series of walks to celebrate the life of Viju Chhatralia all starting from Upton Court Park on Sunday, 23 October. Viju was a keen walker and also an enthusiastic member of Slough u3a. Three walks of different lengths will start at varying times, all aiming to finish at 2pm. Booking is essential – call Joyce on 07887 375 322 or email windsoranddistrictramblers@gmail.com to find out full details.
The next Global Cooking session will be on Saturday, 15 October 2022 – venue Langley College in Station Road Langley SL3 8BY! Join Abene to prepare Egusi Soup, and discover more about her story from 2pm onwards. Later, you can join the Global Cooking Restaurant for a taste of African cuisine prepared by Abene and our chefs for the day. Click here to register for these events. We are offering the restaurant tickets on a pay-what-you-can basis; you can pay anything from £1 to £10 per ticket to attend, but the choice is yours.
Slough’s Libraries are temporarily reducing their opening hours Click here for the new hours which are effective for the remainder of this year. Langley and Cippenham will each be open for only two days every week; Britwell and the Curve will have reduced hours. We sincerely hope that they will return to normal hours in January.
Datchet Women’s Institute are having a quiz evening on Saturday 29th October at 7.30pm. All proceeds will be going to Thames Hospice. The cost of the evening is £5 per person, including light refreshments. Teams can be any number up to six. The venue is the WI Hall in Datchet and we are governed by space, so recommend early booking. Please reply to Betty Madden email – elizabethmadden54@gmail.com
Concerts & Films
Orchestral concert by Slough Philharmonic – 5.30 pm, Sunday 20th November at Braywick Leisure Centre, featuring music by Arnold, Arutiunian, Franck, and Sibelius. We open our 2022-23 season with Malcolm Arnold’s scintillating suite from his official coronation ballet of 1953 – Homage to the Queen. Click here for more information and tickets.
Tea and Jazz. Windsor u3a have booked Gambit Jazzmen, a professional 6-piece band, to play live jazz for us on Tuesday 22nd November at 2:00pm in Datchet Village Hall! Gambit Jazzmen play great New Orleans style jazz regularly in clubs across the south of England. There is no need to book, just turn up and all U3A members are welcome. There is a small increase of the usual charge to £7, to cover the costs of hiring the hall, providing refreshments and to contribute towards the cost of hiring the band. Plenty of free parking is available close to the hall which is a short walk from Datchet Railway Station.
U3A Principles, Membership and Current Activities
Slough U3A is a co-operative of older people; most of our members are fully or part retired. Our members enjoy and share educational, creative and leisure activities. We are proud to be a dynamic group; we have built up a range of activities and groups enabling our members to learn new things and enjoy active retired life.
We welcome enquiries from potential new members – you are very welcome to come along and find out what we are doing! Here’s a list of what we are currently doing in Slough.
| Art Appreciation | French (Intermediate) | Poetry in Action |
| Badminton | Gardening | Practical Philosophy |
| Book Club | German (Elementary) | Scrabble |
| Bridge for Fun | Local History | Table Tennis |
| Create and Craft | Lunch Club | Ukulele |
| Current Affairs | Outings | Walking |
| Drawing & Painting | Play Reading | Wine Appreciation |
Click here to subscribe to future editions of our newsletter.
Find out more: www.sloughU3A.com
Slough U3A 
