u3a Core meetings allow all members to meet together as a single group, develop friendships, catch up on news, exchange ideas, and feel valued as part of a local community.
Our Core meetings take place on the second Monday of each month. We meet at at 13:45 for a prompt start at 14:00 in the Bentley Heath Community Centre, finishing by 16:00 at the latest.
The meeting starts with a welcome from our Chair, followed by the main topic of the meeting; a talk by a guest speaker on a topic chosen to be of interest to our membership. Over the years we have had a very wide range of talks and presentations, exemplified by some of the reports of ‘Recent meetings’ below. On some occasions, particularly in December, we have a more social party instead. We always break for refreshments partway through the afternoon, and this provides an opportunity for meeting other members.
Potential new members are always encouraged to come along for a ‘taster core meeting' and we have a good reputation for making them feel very welcome.
Note: The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and should not be taken as representing the views or position of South Solihull u3a.
Forthcoming meetings
Recent meetings
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A trip to the Holy Land – visiting the sacred sites
Speaker: Howard Robinson
Howard's talk to us in July 2022, Our Precious Planet was well received, and so was this one. He is a retired Science teacher who lives in Worcestershire, with a strong interest in history. He described his trip to the Holy Land, and illustrated the many sites with excellent graphics.
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Overview of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.
Speaker: Simon Durk
The talk covered the history of Wildlife Trusts and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust in particular. It gave us information about some of their reserves; what can be found there and how they are managed. Details of their campaigns were included. It also referred to the climate and ecological crisis (locally) and how we can work together to find answers.
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Frost Fairs
Speaker: Nigel Metcalfe
Nigel is a retired librarian and records manager who lives in the West Midlands. and has a life-long interest in social and industrial history. In August 2023, Nigel gave us ‘A Nostalgic Trip down the High Street’. He returned to talk about ‘Frost Fairs’."Flushed-faced revellers drinking, dancing, flirting, and gorging around glowing braziers on a frozen River Thames. We can almost smell the ox being roasted, and the apples being toasted in this merry vision of Olde London Towne; and perhaps incredibly for such a romantic notion, it is largely true. Between 1309 and 1814, the Thames froze on 23 occasions, five of which saw ice thick enough to bear a full-on, traditional frost fair."
This talk used contemporary paintings and prints to explore the fairs. The Little Ice Age was considered, as were the reasons why there have been no more frost fairs since 1814. The talk was fully illustrated.
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The Secret Life of Barcodes.
Speaker: Charlie Plain-Jones
Bar codes seem to have been with us for ever, but this is not so. How did they begin? Charlie showed us the origins of barcodes, described how they have developed and showed how they have become an essential part of modern life.
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2023 Archive
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2022 Archive