Handbook 2014-15

Knole U3A
The Third Age Trust
Knole U3A is an educational charity
that promotes life-long learning for
the benefit of those no longer in
full-time employment. Knole is the
newer of two U3As in Sevenoaks
and works closely with Sevenoaks
U3A to share groups and events.
Knole U3A is affiliated to the
Third Age Trust, through its
National Office, and pays a
capitation fee for each member.
Benefits of membership are:-
Knole U3A is an independent
charitable organisation with its own
constitution and committee of
Trustees. Every member of a U3A
is automatically a member of The
Third Age Trust and agrees to
uphold its aims. If you wish to
understand the organisation more
fully a booklet on the Objects and
Principles is available. The annual
fee (£16 by cheque) is gift-aided.
Knole has reached a workable
capacity at 350 members, and is
putting inquiries from potential
members on a holding list. We
started new U3As in Edenbridge
and Westerham in the summer of
2013, and this has created spaces
in Knole itself. We expect to be
able to offer 20-30 spaces each
year. Interested members should
contact the Membership Secretary:
they will receive Newsletters and
be invited to a Coffee Morning
while waiting to join.
Christine Walls
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5 copies a year of Third Age
Matters and 3 of Sources
magazine, on educational
topics
Third Party Liability insurance
free legal help line on
personal or U3A matters
(01455-251500) quoting code
70494
discount on computer
software
access to Direct Learning
courses (online)
Summer Schools, Seminars,
Conferences etc, all organised
by The Third Age Trust
through National Office
use of Resource Centre:
Videos, CDs and slides on a
wide range of subjects can be
borrowed free of charge
(return postage to be paid).
Third Age Trust National Office,
19 East Street, Bromley BR1 1QH
0208-466-6139
 national.office@u3a.org.uk
Lin Jonas (Company Secretary)
Resource Centre:
0208-315-0199
Susan Radford
(Resources Manager)
 resource.centre@u3a.org.uk
Website: www.knoleu3a.org.uk
1
Committee of Trustees
Membership Secretary
Christine Walls
Chairman
Amanda Birch
Extended Committee
Treasurer
Andrew Dunk
Database
Gill Walker
Secretary
Fran Dunk
Editor Newsletter/ Handbook
Magda Sweetland
Groups Co-ordinator
John Stambollouian
Newsletter Distribution
Eileen West
Social Events Co-ordinator
Jean Paige
Website
Les Best
Peter Munro
Computer Group
Trevor Coley
Independent Examiner
Barrie Williams
Science Group
Alan Heyes
Meetings Co-ordinator
David Small
2
Knole U3A sub-committees
Extramural Committee
Science Committee
This committee runs a monthly
meeting, with a speaker on a wide
range of topics with a basis in
Science or Technology. The topics
will be advertised ahead in the
Newsletter, and the meetings are
open to all members of Knole U3A.
There is a charge of £3 at the door.
This sub-committee organises
Visits and Seminars, by advertising
with a flyer in the Newsletter.
These are kept as low cost as
possible, and may be linked to the
work of one Study Group but are
usually of general interest. The
events are becoming very popular,
and members should apply at once.
Refunds are not normally made.
Chairman
Alan Heyes
Vice Chairman
Sally Dickinson
Chairman
Magda Sweetland
Treasurer
Peter Smith
Secretary
Sandy Hull
Visits and Bookings
Jenny Smith
Michael Willsher
Wendy Willsher
Treasurer
Sheila Cutter
Secretary
Christine Walls
Lionel Parks
Richard Jolly
What does my
membership include?
____________________________________________________________________
Computer Committee
This committee runs monthly
meetings, October to June, with
talks on aspects of computing given
by the members, as a rule. There is
also a 'Buddy system' for sharing
skills on a one-to-one basis, and
some beginners' courses may be
held during the year. There is a
charge of £2 at the door.
Printed material
You will receive 6 newsletters a
year, and one copy of the current
Handbook when you join, and then
an updated version at the end of
July, once you have renewed. The
newsletter contains a copy of the
flyer for each event organised for
Knole Members, plus some run by
Sevenoaks U3A, and also for the
Kent Study Days (3 a year.)
Chairman
Trevor Coley
Equipment
Simon McIntyre
Treasurer
Hamilton Woods
Secretary
Norma Gilbert
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3
Open Events free of charge
Open means you may just turn up
without having to notify anyone.
Every member may attend the
Monthly Meeting at the Sevenoaks
Community Centre, Bat and Ball
(details on the next page).
To avoid confusion
 We suggest that when the
updated Handbook arrives in
the summer, you enter the
dates and topics of the Monthly
Meetings in your diary.
The Monthly Coffee Mornings at
The Bullfinch Pub are also open to
members.

Open Events with payment
The Computer Group and the
Science Group run talks and
presentations each month from
October to May, where members
may attend on payment of a small
fee. Full details on pp 6 and 7.
Keep a careful note of which
events you have booked. If a
receipt does NOT arrive, and
this can happen, contact the
Organiser who will send you
another.
Access to Study Groups
You may attend as many Study
Groups as you can fit in to your
schedule, but remember that some
preparation is involved, and you
will be expected to contribute to
the programme of work, and also
to the running of the group in
some way, so don't overload
yourself. See more on page 8.
Ticketed Events with prebooking and pre-payment
The Extramural committee
organises Seminars and visits,
some of which are connected.
Then Sevenoaks may offer spare
places on its visits to Knole
members, and there are also a
series of Kent Study Days which
are advertised by flyer.
When a group is full, we will try to
start another in the same subject,
but in the U3A we rely on the
members' input so there is no
guarantee that a certain subject
will have a space free at any given
time.
All of these must be pre-booked
and prepaid, as spaces will be
limited. You will receive either an
email confirmation, or a ticket.
4
Monthly Meetings
Monthly Meetings are held in the Community Centre at Bat and Ball,
Sevenoaks, usually on the 4th Monday afternoon between 2 and 4pm.
Programme for 2014 - 15
22 Sept
Open Afternoon
27 Oct
Martin Heard: Life and works of Toulouse Lautrec The lecture
will cover his private life and the ideals of Bohemian Paris.
24 Nov
Richard Filmer: Traditional Trades, Crafts and Industries This
talk captures the crafts of people in Kent.
26 Jan
Brian Freeland: Playing the Clown. This will be a ‘staged
biography’ of George Bernard Shaw who described the clown as
‘the best thing in the circus’.
23 Feb
Imogen Corrigan: Illustrated manuscripts An introduction to
manuscripts, considering how they were made and planned and
the difficulties faced by the scribes.
23 March Professor Philip Stott: The Intemperate Piano. Early Christian
music left instruments with a fixed tuning system which was less
than perfect. How have musicians treated the problem?
27 April
Michael Smith: Life of Ernest Shackleton - among the most
outstanding explorers who became a legend on four voyages of
discovery to the Antarctic a century ago.
18 May
Dr Chris Pond: Curiosities of Coronations This talk marks the
Jubilee of the 1953 Coronation, and describes the evolution of
the ceremony over the last 1000 years.
22 June
6th Knole U3A AGM
28 Sept
Open Afternoon
We like the Monthly Meeting to have several functions. Members can
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come to hear a talk by an expert in a subject of general interest
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address the meeting if they wish to start an unusual - or indeed
any - group and recruit for it at the meeting

book at once for some of the advertised Visits and Seminars

pick up the bi-monthly Newsletter

have tea and cake, and meet old and new friends

invite guests who are interested in joining Knole U3A, to see if
this is for them. No need to ask, just bring friends along.
Note - there is no charge for the meeting, but we do ask for a donation
towards refreshments and from your guests to help with the overheads.
We suggest £1 a head.
5
Knole U3A Computer Group
Programme for 2014 - 15
The Computer Group meetings are open to every member of Knole
U3A. They are held on the 4th Thursday of the month at Holmesdale
Bowls Pavilion (off Worships Hill in Riverhead) from 2-4pm. There is
good parking. There is a charge of £2 per session, which pays for the
hall hire, and any surplus will be used to buy equipment to supplement
the work of the Group. Refreshments are available. See Group entry on
page 10 for general information on the Computer Group.

We plan to take out a subscription to a monthly magazine,
Which? Computing, perhaps, and have a session discussing
issues arising from the contents

At each meeting we will have one of our members make a short
presentation on a piece of software or a website they have
found particularly interesting or useful.

Each month, we will cover a topic which a member has
suggested might be of help the group. Subjects proposed so far
include:-
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o
Social media
o
Security and maintenance – anti-virus, firewalls,
spyware protection etc)
o
Setting up and using a database
o
creating an audio-visual slide show
o
tablets or laptops?
o
composition in Word – letters, flyers etc
Open forum – Q&A session after the tea break.
6
Knole U3A Science Group
Programme for 2014-15
The Science Group talks and visits are open to every member of Knole
U3A. The talks are held on the first Thursday of the month from
October to May (except January when it is the second Thursday), at
Sevenoaks Weald Memorial Hall (situated on the edge of Sevenoaks
Weald village green, close to the post office and shop) from 2.30 –
4.30 pm. There is reasonable parking by the hall with further parking
in the roads around the Green. There will be a charge of £3 per
meeting and refreshments will be provided. The group aims to raise
awareness and discussion of a broad range of science and technology
issues with talks from a mix of invited speakers and our own members.
A number of visits of general scientific interest will be organised for the
summer of 2015 and advertised in the Newsletter. See Group entry on
page 21 for general information on the Science Group.
Talks
2014
2 October
Lynne Flower: The Flora of Kent
6 November
Prof A V Chadwick, School of Physical Sciences,
University of Kent: Nanotechnology
4 December
Dr Alan Heyes, Centre for Science and Security
Studies, King’s College, London: Cyber Security
2015
8 January
Christine Walls, Knole U3A: Biomedical Drugs
5 February
Prof Mark Caulfield, Director William Harvey
Institute: Genome Programme
5 March
Dr David Mannion: Developments in Astronomy,
Dark Matter
2 April
Dr Liz Bentley, Chief Executive, Royal Meteorological
Society: Science of Weather
7 May
Dr David Peggie, National Gallery: Science and Art
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Please read this before
you join a Study Group
 you will be expected to take your
turn with preparing material,
depending on the subject, and to
host a meeting if you can
A U3A Study Group is a collection
of (usually) between 5 and 15
people who come together
voluntarily to share a specific
interest and pool their resources
and experience, in order to delve
into a chosen subject more deeply
or pursue a creative or sporting
activity. The objective of each
Group varies with the topic.
 everyone makes a donation to
the host of 30p for coffee/ tea
 you agree to share other costs,
such as photo-copying, guest
speaker, guides and cost of hiring
a venue
 you may attend one meeting to
see if this is for you
Each Group has a Group Contact
who is the person who keeps a
record of dates, times, venues and
circulates a copy to everyone in the
group, much as a secretary would.
 if you decide to leave the Group,
please tell the Group Contact so
that someone else can take up
your space
The Group Leader, if there is one,
organises the topic, makes sure
each member has a fair turn at a
meeting, and that the subject is
covered in the time span agreed by
the Group, really acting as a
chairman. This role could rotate
from meeting to meeting or from
year to year.
The subjects:
These are listed in alphabetical
order. The main event for
joining a Group is at the Open
Afternoon in September. All
paid-up members are invited and
newcomers may also join the
U3A then, and apply to the
Study Groups at once.
One person can carry out both
roles, but there are two distinct
sides to organising a U3A Study
Group.
When a Group is full, a new
Group will be formed by
advertising in the Newsletter, or
at a Monthly Meeting.
Some basics:
 before you join a Group please
make sure you can attend most of
the meetings
Some Knole Groups are shared
with Sevenoaks U3A members,
after agreement with both of the
Group Co-ordinators.
 if you cannot attend one meeting,
ring the Contact and apologise
8
Knole U3A Study Groups 2014-15
Ballroom Dancing
A small group of Knole dancing enthusiasts are rekindling their
skills of years ago by meeting fortnightly at the Medway School
of Dancing for an hour’s tuition to go over the basic steps of
Ballroom and Latin. The cost is in proportion to the group size.
Lesley & Richard Jolly
Meetings: alternate Tuesday mornings 10.30
Bird Watching
This is a new group whose members will visit bird watching
venues and nature reserves. It's an opportunity to learn about
birds and wild life in general. Some members of the group are
novices whilst others have previous experience. All are expected
to share responsibility for researching and identifying bird
species and proposing and selecting venues.
Bill Hodkinson
Meetings: 2nd Friday
Book Group 1
We are a group of eight who take turns to choose a book
leading to a good variety of reading, some challenging
some popular fiction and some non-fiction. The person choosing
introduces the book and gives us some background information
about the author prior to discussion. Often they bring relevant
information downloaded from the internet or other sources to
circulate amongst the group.
Christine Cowland
Meetings: 3rd Monday, 3 - 4.30
Book Group 2
We are an informal and friendly group who take it in turns to
host a meeting and to choose a book. This results in a wide
range of books and some lively discussions with the added
bonus of introducing us to other people's choice of authors
which we might never have found for ourselves.
Heather Barbour
Meetings: 2nd Wednesday, 2.30 - 4.30
9
Book Group 3
This is a group of up to eight members. We decide our book
selection for a few months in advance and meet monthly for
lively discussions. Group meetings rotate around members’
homes (but there is no requirement to host).
Sally Dickinson
Meetings: 1st Monday 2 – 4
Coffee Mornings
We meet at the Bullfinch pub, Riverhead, on the 2nd Thursday
of each month at 10:30am. The Membership Secretary and
Social Events Organiser will be there to welcome members. Do
come along and bring a friend. Enjoy a coffee and a social
morning. There is ample parking.
Christine Walls
Meetings: 2nd Thursday, 10.30 at the Bullfinch, Riverhead
Computers
1. The objective of the group is to develop the knowledge and
skills of all members whether they are beginners or more
advanced users. The meetings include presentations on a broad
range of software and hardware issues as well as looking at
innovative websites. Mac users are welcome but all practical
sessions will be limited to Windows applications. Meetings are
open to all Knole and Sevenoaks members. Door contribution is
£2 to cover hall hire and refreshments.
2. We also run a 'buddy system' offering one-to-one help with
members’ operational problems. This is open to all members
and those taking advantage are requested to make a
contribution of £2 towards group funds. Initial contact, by
email, is Trevor Coley.
Simon McIntyre / Trevor Coley
Meetings: 4th Thursday, 2-4 at Holmesdale Bowls Club TN13 2AR
10
Crochet for Beginners
This short course will be of 5 or 6 sessions at roughly weekly
intervals, at a time that suits members. We will start with the
basic stitches, and learn how to control the tension of the work,
then graduate to reading a printed pattern, including increasing,
decreasing and sewing up. Members can ask for one-to-one
help thereafter, if required.
Magda Sweetland
Meetings: In Riverhead, at times to suit.
Current Affairs
The aim is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of
the underlying issues that have a bearing on current events.
Members have a range of views that enable us to have balanced
debates, drawing on our relevant life experiences, knowledge
and interests. At some meetings members present on a topic of
their choice selected in advance, while in others we discuss
news items which have caught members' attention.
David Small
Meetings: 1st Monday, 2.30 - 4.30 at the Bullfinch, Riverhead
Cycling - Rusty Riders
This is a Group for those who are perhaps returning to cycling
and who feel that they would prefer to go on rides on either
cycle paths or quiet country lanes. Our motto is 'slow and easy',
with the emphasis on fun and fellowship so refreshments and
lunch afterwards are always an essential part of our rides. We
aim to cover distances up to 20 miles.
Andrew Dunk
Meetings: 4th Friday, start 10 or 10.30 dependent on location
English Concertina
The group has been working on a varied repertoire ranging from
Cradle Song by Brahms to Nellie The Elephant. Most of our
pieces involve part-playing and, at present, we always work
from printed music. In the year ahead it is our intention to
continue to broaden our repertoire, work on technique and to
develop our playing by ear. New members with experience of
playing the English Concertina would be very welcome.
Dave Robson
Meetings: Alternate Mondays 2 – 4
11
Film Group
This is the group for everyone that enjoys watching and
discussing films. We decide our programme in advance and
each month meet in small groups to watch a film and then
gather in one large forum for discussion. The discussion group
meets at Holmesdale Bowls Club in Worships Hill TN13 2AS.
Sally Dickinson
Meetings: 4th Monday, 11.30-1.00
French For Improvers
At the moment we have nine members and would welcome a
few more. Members have a range of abilities in French, but
meetings are not suitable for complete beginners. We have a
native French speaker who helps to correct our usage and
pronunciation and also gives us a dictation. Sometimes we read
from a collection of short plays. We work with a variety of
sources and experiment with different approaches. Lately we
have been brushing up our grammar.
Lucy Hall
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 2.30 – 4
French Reader
This small group currently has four members, who share a
broadly similar standard in the language. We meet once a
month to read and discuss a text in French together. Two
members prepare a short passage beforehand, one topical, the
other more literary, and this leads to conversation in French
over a wide spectrum of related subjects.
Lesley Lee
Meetings: dates to suit members
Gallery Studies 1
We aim to develop our knowledge of artists and art history
based on visits to current exhibitions and discussions. Members
visit exhibitions (mainly in London) together on a bi-monthly
basis, meeting at members’ houses in the intervening months to
discuss what has been seen, and related points of interest.
Individual members are encouraged to research an exhibition
and to present a preliminary guide before the next group visit.
Jean Heyes
Meetings: 2nd Tuesday, 10.30-12.30
12
Gallery Studies 2
This newly formed group meets on the first Monday of the
month, (with the exception of Bank Holidays). We reach
agreement on a particular Painter/Exhibition with each
member of the group choosing one of the artist’s paintings to
explore and discuss. Our discussion is then taken forward by
a visit to the Exhibition the following month.
Anne Green
Meetings: 1st Monday, 10 -12.30
Gallery Studies 3
We aim to increase our knowledge of artists and art history by
visits to current exhibitions and subsequent discussions at
house meetings. Our choice of exhibitions (both modern and
more traditional) reflects our members’ interests and
preferences and we also share our experiences of exhibitions
and galleries which we have seen independently. We may in
the future visit some of the smaller and/or more unusual
galleries. Our discussions are informal, with everyone
encouraged to take part. We are a friendly group and would
welcome two or three more members.
Juliet Bankes
Meetings: 2nd Tuesday, 10-12 at member’s house, usually alternating
with exhibition visits.
Garden Group
Group members share a love of beautiful gardens, and we are
fortunate in Sevenoaks to be surrounded by many such. Each
year, members are asked to nominate a garden or a nursery
they would like to visit and from these suggestions, we compile
our schedule for the year, arranging a guided tour wherever
possible. Members are finding this a pleasurable way to
increase their knowledge of horticulture and garden design.
Jill Field
Meetings: 4th Tuesday, 2 – 4
13
Genealogy For Beginners
A Study Group to assist newcomers in researching and
collating data to produce 'Family Trees'. Members learn how to
use a Family Tree computer program to store their findings
and produce charts and reports. It is necessary to have either
a Desktop or Laptop.
John Phillips
Meetings: 3rd Monday, 2-4
Getting To Grips With Homer
Why not join our lively group as we read Homer's Iliad in a
modern English translation? This early poem is a gripping tale,
powerfully expressed, and it is providing plenty of opportunity
to discuss Greek myth, ancient society and its vivid language.
Christine Spillane
Meetings: 4th Tuesday, 10 – 12
Golf
This group of over 30 members is well established, with women
and men players of varying standards. Starting times depend
on the time of the year. In the summer it is afternoons and in
the winter mornings. The group is open to everyone and new
members are welcome. The more we are, the better deal on
green fees. We play on different courses around the county.
Trevor Coley
Meetings: 3rd Wednesday
Industrial Heritage
The aim of this new group, which will commence activities in
October, is to study Kent’s industrial heritage through field
studies, talks and visits to sites across the county. The group
plans to widen its scope in due course outside Kent once it has
covered the principle industrial sites in the county. Subjects
planned for the first season include Kent’s economic geology,
Broadcloth industry, Papermaking, Silk industry, Windmills,
Cement, Gunpowder and Copparas.
Alan Heyes
Meetings: 2nd Wednesday, 2-4pm for talks, and half day-day for
technical visits
14
Italian Conversation
This is a friendly group whose members enjoy the opportunity
to improve their Italian. All have some knowledge of basic
Italian grammar and different levels of experience of learning
the language. Members are encouraged to participate with
discussion, reading and helping each other when we get stuck.
We meet for 2 hours every month in each other’s houses and
sometimes over a pub lunch. It is an informal but supportive
group and the meetings are most enjoyable.
Lesley Lee
Meetings: mornings to suit the majority
Jewellery Making
We make necklaces, earrings and bracelets etc. using beads,
wire and thread. All tools and materials can be provided. Please
bring any items you would like to adapt or redesign.
Beryl Mancuso-Marcello
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Thursday, 10-12
London Studies 1
This friendly group welcomes members who are interested in
extending and sharing their knowledge of the history, culture,
architecture and development of London and its people. We
arrange 9 visits a year and meet in London at the station
nearest the venue. Last year we visited Walthamstow Village,
Camden Lock and the Brunel Tunnel and Museum at
Rotherhithe. We hold a planning meeting in August when
members come with ideas and offers to organise, research and
lead and our itinerary for the coming year is then agreed.
Pat Jones
Meetings: last Wednesday, all day
London Studies 2
We formed in 2011 and our membership remains at 20. We
normally meet at about 10.15 at Charing Cross or London
Bridge for onward travel by bus. We visit London 11 times a
year and in January we hold a planning meeting where pairs of
members choose a month and venue and organise our outing.
We try to be cost effective and avoid booking charges by
casually joining in free gallery tours and making our own
smaller individual bookings. No outing is complete without a
pub lunch or a picnic.
Amanda Birch
Meetings: 2nd Wednesday
15
London Studies 3
This too is a friendly group comprising 20 members of mixed
gender. We hold a summer meeting to plan the year ahead.
One or two members organise the visits according to their
interests and expertise. They draw up an itinerary that
typically includes travel details, meeting places, coffee and
lunch venues as well as background information. This year's
visits included Carlyle’s house, the RNLI and the Institution of
Civil Engineers but each with new and interesting knowledge.
Where possible or appropriate we include a guided tour.
Val Wilson
Meetings: 3rd Friday
London Studies 4
We have formed a fourth lively group with visits each month,
usually starting from a London mainline station. We meet
annually to exchange ideas and plan an agenda for the year.
Each outing is organised by one or two members who carry out
the planning, booking, emails, tour etc. Inevitably they are
already enthusiastic about their chosen venue, which we all
benefit from! What we also share in this friendly group is an
enthusiasm to investigate the countless fascinating and diverse
destinations London offers.
Deb Stower
Meetings: 4th Thursday
London Studies 5
We are a relaxed and friendly group, newly formed this year.
Each month one or two members provide the day’s itinerary of
their chosen venue. This includes travel, meeting place, coffee,
lunch, background information and a guide if available. A
typical visit is to visit Leighton House Museum in the morning
and then, after lunch, join London Walks for a tour of old
Kensington. New members would be very welcome.
Pat O'Brennan
Meetings: 4th Thursday
16
Lunch Group
Each member takes a turn in arranging a relaxing meal in a
pub near to where they live. Any Knole U3A member is
welcome to come along. Pre-booking is essential.
Valerie Parker
Meetings: last Thursday, 12.30 for 1
MahJong
We meet monthly in the Holmesdale Bowls Club. We have
been meeting for two years now and would welcome new
members - beginners or more experienced.
Judith Davies
Meetings: 3rd Thursday 2 - 4
Map Reading
The map reading course will consist of 4 sessions within one
calendar month. We will be covering: signs and symbols; grid
references; orientating the map; and use of map and compass.
There will be one theory session and the other three sessions
will be practical, out walking using the map and compass.
Janice Smith
Meetings: Alternate Tuesdays and Thursdays within one month.
Medieval History 1
This group is currently studying Marco Polo, his voyage to China
and the impact on European society of the 12/13th century.
Joint meetings are sometimes held with Knole (2) and
Sevenoaks Medieval History groups.
Geoffrey Dalton
Meetings: 2nd Monday, 2 – 4, Bar Room at Community Centre
Medieval History 2
Formed in 2012, our group has studied the 14th and
15th centuries so we will be returning to the 11th century for our
2014/2015 programme — commencing with Edward the
Confessor and moving on to the Battle of Hastings. We meet at
Holmesdale Bowls Club in Worships Hill TN13 2AS.
Sally Dickinson
Meetings: 2nd Monday, 2 – 4
17
Money Matters
We focus on trying to make sense of developments in UK &
International monetary affairs basing presentations and
discussions on current articles and books.
Geoffrey Dalton 01732 457822
 geoffrey@geoffreydalton.com
Meetings: 2nd Thursday, 10-12, Bar Room at Community Centre
Moral Maze
This is a new group whose aim will be to promote lively freeflowing discussion on the moral and ethical aspects of both
topical and historic issues. A facilitator, chosen each year from
within the group, would moderate discussions and plan a
programme of subjects which would be varied, challenging,
topical and stimulating.
Sylvia Tillotson
Meetings: Bi-monthly to be agreed; in members’ homes or at an
agreed venue depending on numbers
MOT 1 (Members Out Together)
This small friendly group holds a monthly coffee morning on the
1st Thursday to plan outings and activities. We have a varied
programme including Theatre trips, visiting historic houses,
local concerts as well as meals at various venues including The
Clink an HMP Restaurant which was most enjoyable. We will
help a new group to start if there is enough interest.
June MacNorton
Meetings: to suit members
MOT 3 (Members Out Together)
Like to go out but would like company? This group arranges
visits to theatre, gardens and exhibitions and days out to places
of interest. We meet monthly on a Friday morning to plan
activities, aiming for at least one each month and take it in turn
to organise an event, collecting ticket money where necessary.
The Group Contact keeps the contact list and notifies members
about meetings.
Margaret Nicholson
Meetings: to suit members
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Music Appreciation
The group’s focus is the development of European music.
Composers are chosen who contributed to the development of
music by their innovative approach to composition and
arrangement. We will also listen to national schools which show
how music developed in various countries with styles of their
own. Development of the concerto, the symphony and other
forms will also be examined. The latter part of our meetings is
given over to a discussion of the recordings that we have heard.
Alan Burfoot
Meetings: 3rd Tuesday, 2.30 - 4.30
Painting And Drawing
This group is a friendly group who enjoy all types of painting
and drawing. We have a whole range of capabilities from the
experienced to novices. There is no agenda other than to
enjoy yourself. So if you would like to discover that hidden
talent – come and join us. Each session costs £2 to cover the
cost of the hall. We meet at the Holmesdale Bowling Club.
Peter Smith
Meetings: 2nd Thursday, 2 – 4
Philosophy Matters
Our group enjoyed the first year's meetings, reading about the
early Greek philosophers and have moved on to consider
philosophers in the middle ages. In February, an editor from
Philosophy Now, Anja Steinbauer, came to speak about
Socrates versus the Establishment. We have planned our first
debate for the month of July when we will be discussing the
idea and value of democracy. We have space to take on new
members. No prior knowledge is needed.
Stella Tickle
Meetings: 1st Monday, 10 30 - 12 30
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Photography Groups all meet at Holmesdale Bowls Club
Digital Image Manipulation First Year
For beginners who want to learn how to manipulate and adjust
photographs. The first session will be on moving photographs
from your camera to the computer and organising them. We will
work through a new hand-out at each session. To get the best
out of this course you will need to practice between sessions.
Janet Austin
Meetings: Monthly TBA
Digital Image Manipulation Second Year
This is a continuation of the 1st Year Course or for members who
already know the basic manipulation skills. We will begin by
learning about ‘Layers’ and their many uses. We will work
through a different hand-out at each session. To get the best
out of this course you will need to practice between sessions.
Janet Austin
Meetings: Monthly TBA
Digital Image Manipulation Plus Third Year
This is a continuation of the 2nd Year Course. There will be a
variety of input including, more Tools, Panoramas and Restoring
Old Photographs plus opportunity to share the group members’
knowledge and experience.
Janet Austin
Meetings: 3rd Tuesday, 10 – 12.30
Digital Camera (Year 5)
This group has experience of Digital Manipulation. Our activities
this year will vary according to the group members’ requests
and may include learning more about our cameras and going
out to take photographs. We hope to continue our learning by
experimentation, discussion and input from our members.
Janet Austin
Meetings: 2nd Friday, 10 - 12.30
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Poetry 1
Our text for the year will be Michael Schmidt's The Harvill Book
of Twentieth Century Poetry in English, a book rich in works by
both well and lesser-known poets. Our 10-strong group explores
poetry through detailed consideration of carefully selected
poems, within the context of the formative background of the
poets themselves.
Jean Shepherd
Meetings: 3rd Tuesday, 2 - 4.30
Poetry 2 – First Lines
This small friendly group was started in 2012 and most of us
were new, or fairly new, to studying poetry. We have adopted
a biographical approach, currently based on the eclectic mix of
poets featured in The Rattle Bag anthology.
Val Rea
Meetings: 3rd Wednesday, 2 – 4
Poetry 3
We are a relatively new group of 9 poetry readers who enjoy
coming together to think and talk about poets, poetry and the
language of poetry. Some have more experience than others
but all contribute thoughts and feelings in a relaxed and happy
atmosphere! We are currently working from Andrew Motion’s
anthology Here to Eternity which is set out in themes so we
have considered for example ‘love’, ‘home’ and ‘self’.
Fran Tulett
Meetings: 1st Wednesday, 2-4
Science Group
The Science Group is an open group for everyone who is
interested in science and technology matters with discussion
and debate stimulated by a portfolio of talks and visits. All the
talks and visits will be designed to be of general interest with
the intention of making science issues more understandable to
a wide cross section of our members.
Alan Heyes
Meetings: 1st Thursday, Sevenoaks Weald Community Hall, Weald
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Singing For Pleasure
A group where people enjoy sharing the singing of a wide
variety of songs ie folk, blues, jazz, country, popular, etc. We
also learn harmony where possible to enhance our songs. We
have a small group of musicians who accompany the singing
which provides the backing to our songs.
Pam Button
Meetings: last Friday, 2 - 4
Spanish
We are a group of eleven and have one member who is a native
Spanish speaker who helps us get to grips with the language.
We still use the BBC publication Sueños 2 but spend most time
in conversation, listening to recorded Spanish and reading and
translating (at present El Sombrero de Tres Picos). We have a
waiting list for those wishing to join.
Roy Jones
Meetings: every Friday, 10 – 12
Songs from the Shows
We are hoping to establish a singing group to sing songs from
various shows and musicals working on, say, 3 or 4 songs per
session. This would be a great opportunity for anyone who
loves show music and a good sing! We are currently exploring
the possibility of having a keyboard or piano player to
accompany the group. Any help in this would be very welcome.
Sue Johnson
Meetings: to suit members of the group
Sugar Craft
This small group is working on different aspects of icing and
decorating cakes. It has focused on the making of decorations,
either moulded fruit or flowers from marzipan, or sugar flowers
of different types, using everyday materials and equipment.
Sandra Cork
Meetings: to suit members
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Theatre Studies
We alternate theatre visits with discussions. At the meetings we
critically discuss the play/show we have seen the previous
month and then decide on what to see the following month.
There is a small annual charge for the hire of the hall.
Jenny Burton
Meetings: 1st Tuesday 2.30 at Holmesdale Bowls Club
Travellers’ Tales Extended
As a group of 8 we determined to meet only 6 times over the
autumn and winter to read and share our views on six travel
books. We ventured down the Congo River, we went on foot in
Laos; we searched for Robinson Crusoe in the islands of the
South Seas; we travelled through Afghanistan and Turkey and
finished criss-crossing pre-1914 Europe to avoid the catastrophe
of War. We enjoyed our travels so much that we are setting off
again in the autumn for another six months of adventure.
John Stambollouian
Meetings: October 2014 – March 2015, 2nd Tuesday, 2-4
Understand Your Camera
This group shares practical knowledge of basic photography to
compare the use of AUTO setting and the various mode dials
and buttons on your camera. All types of camera and abilities
are welcome, so come along and share your camera questions.
Richard Jolly
Meetings: 4 sessions Mondays or Fridays to suit the majority
Village Studies 1
This group explores villages around Sevenoaks, looking at
interesting and historical buildings and local churches, usually
followed by lunch at a local pub. Members, sometimes working
in pairs, arrange visits and carry out some basic research
beforehand to share with the group. We meet in the village,
arranging lifts where necessary.
Eileen West
Meetings: 1st Tuesday of each month, mornings + lunch
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Village Studies 2
This friendly group enjoys visits to various Kentish villages.
Each visit is planned and researched by two members who then
advise on the meeting place, time and lunch venue. They also
provide outline notes, for members to keep, on the history of
the village. Sometimes a guide is arranged to give a short
informative talk before a drink/ light pub lunch (optional).
Olivia Lewis
Meetings: 3rd Thursday
Walking Groups
Amblers
A morning walk of 3-4 miles with a few stiles and gentle
ascents, walking at a moderate pace and ending with an
optional lunch or coffee.
Lesley Allum-Jolly
Meetings: 2nd Monday
Circular Walk
A drop-in walk of about 5 miles. We usually meet in a pub car
park within easy reach of Sevenoaks and stay for lunch. We
take turns to lead a walk and well behaved dogs are welcome.
Please contact me to add your name to the mailing list.
Lionel Parks
Meetings: 4th Thursday, 10am
Day Walking 1
We are a small group of walkers and have enjoyed some
variable and enjoyable walks of approximately 10 miles. Most
walks will include a pub lunch (we do our best).
Janet Willcox
Meetings: 3rd Monday
Half Day Walking Group 1
This is a half day walk of 4 to 5 miles, which involves some
stiles and gentle ascents, walking at a reasonable pace, with the
option of a pub lunch at the end.
Janet Willcox
Meetings: 1st Thursday
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Half Day Walking Group 2
This is a half day walk of 4 to 5 miles, which involves some
stiles and walking at a good pace. At the end there is the option
of a coffee or a pub lunch.
Janice Smith
Meetings: 2nd Monday
Strollers
A gentle, flat walk of approx 2 to 3 miles ending with an
optional coffee or pub lunch
Jackie McGauley
Meetings: 1st Monday
Wine Tasting
The group samples 4-5 wines, in a member's homes, and that
person usually chooses and introduces the wines. We are not
experts; but all want to learn more in good company with glass
in hand. You need to be prepared to do a bit of research when it
comes to your turn, and ready to say what you think of a wine
even - if no one else agrees. The group has mainly tried wines
from different regions such as Chile and Piedmont. Occasionally
there are blind tasting, quizzes and comparing a single grape
across countries.
Michael Stokes
Meetings: 2nd Wednesday evening at 7.30
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Shared groups
These groups are run by Sevenoaks U3A and they may have spaces
available to Knole members. Please contact the leaders directly. Some
aspects of organisation, or custom and practice are different,
and Knole members should be prepared to fit in.
Apple Group iMac+iPad+iPhone
Dave Simmons
Arabic Galal Fahmy
Bridge For Pleasure
Colin and Mary Butson
Bridge – Teams Bridge
Chess
Pat and David Wells
Magda Sweetland
Circle Dancing Sandie Wade
Consort Recorders Pat Wells
Cycling
Jim Purves
Drama & Cricketts Farm Writing Group
Pamela Murphy
Industrial Heritage
Janet Jones
Jazz and Blues 2 Harvey Mahn
Military History 2 & Science Discussion 2
Bob Ruffles
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NOTES:
New Groups formed and their contact details during 2014-15
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The aims of Knole U3A are:
To advance the education of the public and in particular the education
of older people no longer in full time gainful employment in Sevenoaks
and its surrounding locality. For this purpose education includes both
learning and leisure.
(Section 3 Constitution)
These aims are amplified in the Objects and Principles issued by
The Third Age Trust:
To encourage and enable older people no longer in full-time paid
employment to help each other to share their knowledge, skills,
interests and experience.
To demonstrate the benefits and enjoyment to be gained and the new
horizons to be discovered in learning throughout life.
To celebrate the capabilities and potential of older people and their
value to society.
To make U3As accessible to all older people.
To encourage the establishment of U3As in every part of the country
where conditions are suitable and to support and collaborate with
them.
To these ends:
U3As collaborate with each other to share expertise and facilities and
offer systems of support. They may form themselves into regions or
neighbourhood associations.
U3As work, individually or together, to establish and support new
U3As.
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