The University of the Third Age
U3A Cycling October
We meet on the last Friday of the month and ride on dedicated cycleways as much as possible. New members are always welcome.We had a coffee catch-up again this month as the forecast was for rain.
We are going to trial cycling twice a month from November so hoping for more settled weather. Mary
Book Discussion Group
We are currently reading This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman.
Set in 1950’s New Zealand it is reminiscent of that time of major social change when capital punishment was the law and youth sub-culture were pushing the boundaries. Remember bodgies and widgies? Ros
Report from History
As our course has now finished, we have decided to share some historical novels and non-fiction that we have enjoyed for our next session. The following month to be decided.
U3A Cycling September
We meet on the last Friday of the month and ride on dedicated cycleways as much as possible. New members are always welcome.
We had a coffee catch-up this month as the forecast was for rain.
We are hoping that the weather will be better next month. Mary
Family History Group
We met on Tuesday 4th October spending our time reporting on the progress of each member in their research or writing up of their research. We had a brief look at an article explaining the varying types of graveyard memorials as well as the differing types of Irish buildings and the terminology used. A lively discussion followed before the meeting finished.
When do we meet? The first Tuesday of each month.
Time? 1.30 pm.
Contacts: Carole or Julia
History Group
As our course has now finished, we have decided to share some historical novels and non-fiction that we have enjoyed for our next session. The following months topic is to be decided. Ros
U3A Quarry Group
The next session at the Halswell Quarry will be on Thursday 3rd of November at 10.00 am. We hope for fine weather! Lynne
Theatre Appreciation Group
Last meeting, we introduced the 2023 season for The Court Theatre, a most interesting array of plays. For our October meeting (Thursday 27th at 1.15) we will be taking a look at some interesting aspects of Shakespeare. Also reviewing the Elmwood Players’ production of ‘Ladies Day’ which a group of our members are attending together.
Book Discussion Group
11 members meet on the second Monday each month at 10.00am at Ros’s place.
This month’s book is ‘Bad Blood – Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup’ The writer John Carreyrou investigates Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her startup which promised to revolutionize the medical industry and proved to be one of the biggest corporate frauds since Enron. Ros
Cycling August ride
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our ride this month due to the weather. Instead, we met up for coffee at Suburban Rascals which was lovely.
We were sad to lose one of our members to cancer this month, Alison Gallant. Alison loved being part of our cycling group and we will miss her.
Next month we hope for better weather and plan to cycle to Lincoln.
We meet on the last Friday of the month and new members are always welcome.
Mary
Family History Group
We meet on the first Tuesday of the month in the afternoon. This month, as well as discussing progress being made in research or documentation of indings as well as individuals’ life stories. We also had fun working out the various levels of cousins in a family. First cousin once removed, or second cousin 8 times removed?? It now has become a little clearer as we gained greater understanding of these terms. If you are interested in further information about this group, please contact Carole or Julia
History Group
We have finished the current course and next meeting we will discuss our own perspectives of the current climate for Women’s struggle for Equality.
Group will decide on what course to do next year.
12 members
Meet on 3rd Thursday at 10.00 am
Theatre Appreciation Group
Our next get-together will be on Thursday 22nd September at 1.15pm at 45 Muir Ave. All welcome and enquiries to David.
Urban Explorers
New ideas on interesting walks/leadership offers would be gratefully received. Ngaire
Cycling July ride
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our ride this month due to the forecast rain and the road conditions following the flooding during the week.
Instead, 8 of us met for coffee which we all enjoyed.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.
Mary
Family History Group
The Family History group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30 pm.
This month we spent time looking at the various sources of information, Irish and Scottish naming patterns and variances in names that can confuse the person doing the research. We reported on where we are at as we individually pursue our area/s of interest. We have room for more members or anyone wanting to find out a little more about their ancestors. If you are interested in coming along please email me.
Carole
Quarry Group
The Halswell Quarry Group are waiting until the weather is more settled in the meantime.
Lynne
Scrabble Group
Sorry you can’t join us, but our capacity is limited, and complete.
Vivienne
Theatre Appreciation Group
Theatre Appreciation Group We will not be meeting in August and so our next get-together will be on Thursday 22nd September at 1.15pm at our place.
All welcome and enquiries to David.
Urban Explorers
Our July walks were a wash-out with heavy rain on both days so this month we will be attempting the Merivale walk again. New ideas on interesting walks/leadership offers would be gratefully received.
Ngaire
To send an email to an Interest Group Leader visit the Interest Group Page. Select the group you are interested in, fill the form and submit it.
Book Group
This month we read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Synopsis – Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles – and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. This book is sure to get the group into a good discussion. Can still take 2 more members. Ros
Cycling June ride
This month we met a week earlier as the last Friday of June was Matariki.We started on Ashgrove Tce near PMH and cycled on the Nor’West Arc cycleway to Wigram Rd then along the path beside the Southern Motorway to Aidanfield. We travelled through Aidanfield and came out onto Dunbars Rd near Halswell Rd. Then we cycled on the Quarrymans Trail, through the Sparks Rd Wetlands onto Cashmere Rd to our coffee stop at Urban Eatery, Oderings. Some then biked home while others went back to their cars. It was a cool grey day but 7 of us enjoyed getting out on our bikes even though the drizzle did set in before our coffee stop.
Next month we planned to ride from PMH to Ferrymead following the river.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary
Family History Group
We are a small, friendly group of lie- minded people who are tracing their family history and recording their efforts for their descendants (or any other interested parties) to read. At our last meeting on Tuesday 5th July, we shared our discoveries and discussed ways of finding more about our ancestors. We have space for anyone who is interested or who simply wants to find out a little more about their predecessors. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30pm. If you are interested in your family history do come along and meet with us. Contact Carole
Halswell Quarry Group
With unsuccessful attempts to run this group over the last few months a decision has been made to wait until the weather is warmer and start again in September. We meet on the first Thursday of the month at 10.00 am. Lynne
History Group
Current course via U3Aonline is Property to Partner. This Course looks at the various theories of why women have not been treated as equals and then trace the development of the movement towards equality in the Western world from ancient times to modern day. The members of this group enjoy plenty of discussion both on and off the topic.
We are up to unit 6 – 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ros
Scrabble Group
We have an active home-based group of 10 players twice monthly.
We share hosting our games and setting game-based challenges to keep our playing, and our players, competitive and interpretive spirits alive.
We also take the opportunities to share our ideas and plans to sort out our troubled world issues.
Sorry you can’t join us, but our capacity is limited, and complete.
Vivienne
U3A Cycling May ride
This month a small group of us rode from Kaiapoi to Rangiora on the Passchendaele Memorial Path. It was a beautiful morning and lovely cycling alongside the paddocks and away from the traffic. We had a nice coffee stop at Mega Mitre 10 Garden Café before returning to Kaiapoi.
Next month we will be cycling in Christchurch.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary
Reports from Special Interest Groups
U3A Cycling April ride
We had a beautiful still morning for this month’s ride from Lincoln to Motukarara on the Little River Rail Trail. It was lovely biking through wetlands and farmland away from traffic and houses. There were 7 of us on this ride, 5 on e-bikes. We had to ride longer than normal before our coffee break as there was nothing in Motukarara! We stopped along the way to read the information boards and have a chat then a welcome stop at The Pantry in Lincoln on our return for coffee and food.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary
Family History Group
We meet on the first Tuesday of the month.
This month we discussed how individual research was progressing before hearing the surgeon’s log from a female convict ship from Ireland to Tasmania. The treatments of the times for varying ailments certainly raised eyebrows!
if you want to find out more about or join this enthusiastic group of amateurs please email Carole or Julia
Scrabble Group
We have been continuing our carefully managed meetings with our maximum 10 members. We are unable to enlarge our home-based group at this time.
Members who have been unable to join us may wish to enquire at the Halswell Community Hub in the old Library, where a scrabble group has now convened. Vivienne Kane
Wool and /or Knitters wanted
Wool wanted – any size balls for pre-school jerseys and other garments for local charities.ALSO any knitters or crocheters who could help or anyone who could piece together Peggy squares Phone or see Naida at meetings
Reports from Special Interest Groups
Cycling Group March ride
This month our group of 8 cyclists biked from Hagley Park to Northlands on the Northern Line then back to Hagley Park via the Papanui Parallel. Coffee at Meshinos on Rutland St was great, but it was very busy so quite a long wait.
No firm decision was made about next month’s ride but probably one out of town.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.
Family History Group
We have just had our second meeting for this year, and we spent a couple of hours sharing our discoveries and our frustrations. An article from Papers Past has helped solve a family mystery and we reminisced about how much things have changed in our lifetime and how important it is to share these with our children and grandchildren. Julia
Mah Jong group
The Mah Jong group is on hold until the Covid cases drop further. Naida
Quarry Group
The Quarry Group meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Coffee Cart at the Kennedys Bush Road entrance to the quarry. We meet at 10.00 am then work for 1 to 2 hours. We do not work if the weather is unsuitable, like last week. Lynne
Scribes
The Scribes group is ready to start again for 2022.The group meet on the first Monday of the month at the Halswell Library. Time 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm.
Cycling Group February ride
This month we rode on the Quarrymans Trail from Halswell into the city. There were 11 of us meeting at various points along the way. It was windy and cool to start with but turned into a beautiful day. We enjoyed coffee at the Arts Centre before heading home via the same route or along the Southern Motorway cycleway.
We have decided to bike from Hagley Park to Northlands on the Northern Line then back to Hagley Park via the Papanui Parallel for our March ride.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary
Family History Group
The Family history group met on Tuesday 1st March. Discussion centred around what each of us hoped to pursue through the year and ways of recording our findings. Family personalities are being written about for future generations to read, mystery family members are about (hopefully) to be located and accounts of family events are going to be researched. Anyone interested in joining this group would be most welcome. We met on the first Tuesday of the month in the afternoon. Please contact either Carole or Julia.
Quarry Group
The Quarry Group meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Coffee Cart at the Kennedys Bush Road entrance to the quarry.
We meet at 10.00 am then work for 1 to 2 hours. Lynne
Book Discussion Group
The Book Group meet on the 2nd Monday of the month to discuss the book supplied by the Book Discussion Scheme from our selected list.
The next meeting will be on 14th February when we receive book 8 from the current subscription of 10 books. For anyone interested please contact Ros about when the new year’s sub begins.
Ros
Current Affairs Group
We have had a small number of resignations from this group and will be able to add 2-3 new members. If you are interested just email me and I can send you details of how we operate/when we meet, together with the draft programme for 2022.
Graeme
Cycling Group January ride
To start 2022, we met at the beginning of Old Tai Tapu Rd and rode towards the Raspberry Café. We continued on Rhodes Rd, Otahuna Rd and onto Cossars Rd before stopping for coffee at the café. There were 11 of us who enjoyed the beautiful garden setting. It was lovely to meet up again and we all look forward to some good rides throughout the year.
Next month we will ride on the Quarrymans Trail into the city and back via the Southern Motorway.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.
Mary
Family History Group
The Family History Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30 pm.
Whether tracing back your family tree, record your findings in a variety of ways, delving into the times that could have been instrumental in your ancestors immigrating and recording memories of some of your ancestors we are there to support and assist each other as well as providing relevant information.
If you are interested in coming along contact
Carole or Julia
History Group
New U3A online course for 2022 – 10:00am on 3rd Thursday starting on 17th February. This course is available for all club members to log in and follow the units by themselves or meet as a group to discuss each unit
Property to Partner – A History of Women’s Struggle for Equality
This Course looks at the various theories of why women have not been treated as equals and then trace the development of the movement towards equality in the Western world from ancient times to modern day.
Ros
Movie Group
The Movie Group will be getting together for our first outing on Tuesday 25th February. Choice of film as yet is unknown as is the venue. Our last outing was to the luxury Silky Otter cinema in Wigram which everyone enjoyed. Who knows it may become our local choice.
Pam
Quarry Group
The Quarry Group meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Coffee Cart at the Kennedys Bush Road entrance to the quarry.
We meet at 10.00 am then work for 1 to 2 hours.
Lynne
Scrabble Group
10 members are meeting twice monthly in each other’s homes for 3 games of scrabble and afternoon tea.
We are unable to increase our group size due to space limitations.
I have the names of three people who would like to play scrabble in a group, and I am happy to pass these to any person who would like to arrange a new group.
Vivienne