2023 Talks - Ealing

WINTER TERM 2023

The WINTER term started on Thursday 12th January with the meetings held as 'hybrid' meetings, with some members attending the talks in Ealing Green Church whilst many other members watched from home over Zoom. For this term we had talks on 3 weeks of the month with a Coffee Morning on the other week. A list of the talks and speakers this term is shown below, whilst full details of the talks can be found in the Winter Term 2023 talks document. Most of these talks were recorded and this is indicated by a sign, after the talk name. The Recordings are available on our Ealing u3a YouTube channel; if you would like to view any of these recordings, please contact the Webmaster. All speakers were present in Ealing Green Church, unless otherwise shown.

Thur 12th Jan (EGC + Zoom) - The Welsh Poet Dylan Thomas % (famously housed in Laugharne) by Mike Perry, Ealing U3A Member who moved from rural West Wales to urban West London in March 2021 and joined Ealing U3A.
Thur 26th Jan (EGC + Zoom) - The Story of Paper % by Alan Donnithorne, Ealing U3A Member. Alan had a career in paper conservation, working at the British Museum and latterly at the Royal Collection, Windsor Castle.
Thur 2nd Feb (EGC + Zoom) - From Rags to Riches to giving it all way – the Story of Andrew Carnegie, the world’s richest man % by Jeremy Holmes, a trustee of the Carnegie UK Trust for many years. Jeremy has now retired, but is a non-executive director and a trustee of several bodies and gives regular talks to U3A and other groups.
Thur 9th Feb (EGC + Zoom) - Filming for BBC Television at Ealing Studios with Bill Dudman, an Ealing U3A member who joined the BBC in 1965 as a trainee engineer and went on to work in Radio Links at BBC Outside Broadcasts in Acton, he then transferred to the BBC Film Dept at Ealing Studios where he became a Film Cameraman before taking early retirement in 1997. Due to copyright issues with the clips from BBC programmes, we are unable to make the recording of this talk available.
Thur 23rd Feb (EGC + Zoom) - The Art of Underground Travel % by David Burnell who has a life-long interest and enthusiasm, and some university study, relating to the London Underground and has given talks to many U3As, National Trust local branches and local history societies. David has also tutored a course at City Lit on the history of the Underground.
Thur 2nd Mar (EGC + Zoom) - Treatment, teaching and research in Cleft Lip and Palate in UK and the developing world % by Dr Michael Mars, the former Lead Consultant Orthodontist, at the Cleft Lip and Palate Centre, Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London from 1983-2011. Dr Mars has also held many senior roles in Sri Lankan medicine.
Thur 9th Mar (EGC + Zoom) - Enjoying Light Verse % by Catherine Osborn, who has been a schoolteacher, actor, model for book-jackets and charity worker for Voluntary Service Overseas. After retiring, Catherine joined the U3A in London and with the help and encouragement she had there, published her autobiography followed by a book of Light Verse.
Thur 23rd Mar (EGC + Zoom) - Ealing U3A AGM % (included the Chairman's report for the last year along with the Treasurer's report and our annual Accounts, plus the election of the Committee for the next year) followed by a talk on Fire Prevention in the Home by Firefighter George Korischar along with other members of the London Fire Brigade, including the Station Officer from Ealing Fire Station.
Thur 30th Mar (EGC + Zoom) - Exploring Neurodiversity: Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and Dyslexia % by Dr David Grant who in 2012, at the age of 68, was formally recognised by HCPC as an Educational Psychologist. David is still working as an Educational Psychologist and is the author of ‘That’s the Way I Think’: Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Dyscalculia Explained (3rd Edition, 2017, Routledge Press).

SPRING TERM 2023

For the SPRING term 2023, our Thursday morning meetings continued to be held as 'hybrid' meetings, where many members attend the talks in Ealing Green Church whilst we also broadcast them over Zoom for members to watch from home. We continued to have three talks per month, with Coffee mornings at a number of locations on the other week in the month. A list of the talks and speakers this term is shown below, whilst full details of the talks can be found in the Spring Term 2023 talks document. Most of these talks were recorded and this is indicated by a sign, after the talk name. The Recordings are available on our Ealing u3a YouTube channel; if you would like to view any of these recordings, please contact the Webmaster. All speakers were present in Ealing Green Church, unless otherwise shown.

Thur 27th April (EGC + Zoom) - The Significance of the Bayeux Tapestry % by Professor Gale R. Owen-Crocker who is the Prof Emerita of the University of Manchester, having formerly been Prof of Anglo-Saxon Culture and Director of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies.
Thur 4th May (EGC + Zoom) - The Mercenary River - the story of London’s water from the Tudor era to the 20th century % by Nick Higham, a journalist, interviewer and author, and a former BBC News reporter.
Thur 11th May (EGC + Zoom) - Three Jewels in Feltham’s Crown by Angela Parton, who has lived and worked in Feltham since 1988. Angela has Been a member of Feltham History Group since 2016 and became Chair of Friends of Feltham Green in 2019 to present day.
Thur 25th May (EGC + Zoom) - Women’s Pioneer Housing – our legacy of providing, safe and affordable homes for single women % by Tracy Downie, who has worked in the social housing sector for over 25 years, primarily in London-based Housing Associations and with a significant commitment to community, resident engagement, and is currently Chief Executive of Women’s Pioneer Housing and Chair of Ekaya Housing Association.
Thur 1st June (EGC + Zoom) - An introduction to The Selborne Society and Perivale Wood Local Nature Reserve % by Sarah Hadland, who has lived and worked in Ealing for over 30 years. She became a trustee of the Selborne Society in 2016 and is currently Treasurer and Membership Secretary.
Thur 8th June (EGC + Zoom) - The history of St Mary’s church, Perivale % by Dr. Hugh Mather, who was a Consultant Physician at Ealing Hospital from 1982 to 2006, specializing in Diabetes. He was trained as a musician and is a pianist and organist and has been Chairman of the Friends of St Mary’s Perivale since 2005 and has organized over 1250 concerts there.
Thur 22nd June (EGC + Zoom) - Lille and its Renaissance % by Pierre Thomas, who is half French and whose family was for many years based in Lille. He has been visiting the city since 1947 and has witnessed the movement to preserve and completely change its character over the last 50/60 years.
Thur 6th July (EGC + Zoom) - Regent’s Park: From Tudor Hunting Ground to the Present % by George Martin former Ealing U3A Chairman who has a degree in English and English Literature and a Diploma for the teaching of English to Foreign Students.
Thur 13th July (EGC + Zoom) - The Royals and Richmond Palace % by Vicky McGrath who is the Learning Officer at the Museum of Richmond and has over 20 years of experience of working in Museums and Heritage Education, designing workshops and resources for school and families, and delivering talks, tours and workshops for adults.

AUTUMN TERM 2023

For the AUTUMN term 2023, our Thursday morning meetings continued to be held as 'hybrid' meetings, where many members attend the talks in Ealing Green Church whilst we also broadcast them over Zoom for members to watch from home. We continued to have three talks per month, with Coffee mornings at a number of locations on the other week in the month. A list of the talks and speakers this term is shown below, whilst full details of the talks can be found in the Autumn Term 2023 talks document. Most of these talks were recorded and this is indicated by a sign, after the talk name. The Recordings are available on our Ealing u3a YouTube channel; if you would like to view any of these recordings, please contact the Webmaster. All speakers were present in Ealing Green Church, unless otherwise shown.

Thur 7th September (EGC + Zoom) - Animal Rescue in West London and beyond and how we can help causes we support % with Dr Marion Garnett, who has lived in Ealing since the mid-1970s and has organised the Ealing Animals Fair annually in Ealing, for thirty years. In 2017, Dr Garnett formed the Community Interest Company, 'Thinking of Animals CIC' - a CIC exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.
Thur 14th September (EGC + Zoom) - Long ago in the Congo: Tales from the Rainforest % with Jordan Campbell, Outreach Officer with University of West London (UWL) who freelances as a storyteller and educational programme facilitator.
Thur 28th September (EGC + Zoom) - For Your Freedom and Ours – The Polish Air Force in the West % with Richard Kornicki who is the Chairman of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee – the successor body to the veterans’ organisation of the Polish Air Force. He works closely with today’s Polish Air Force and with RAF Northolt to preserve the memory of Polish airmen in the war. The website of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee can be found through this link and there is also a 30-minute video to commemorate the Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary and the part the Polish Air Force played in this.
Thur 5th October (Zoom) - Morality and Melodrama in paintings % with Colin Lomas, Ealing U3A member who had a career in education, as teacher and lecturer in maths and computing. He studied art history at the V and A museum and began giving lectures on art history. A copy of Colin's notes for this talk can be found at Morality and Melodrama Handout.
Thur 12th October (EGC + Zoom) - The History of South-West France % with Eve Cowell, who is French, from Toulouse, married to an Englishman and has lived in the UK for over 30 years.
Thur 26th October (EGC + Zoom) - Photographic Competition 2023 Results % with Ian Richardson, a long-time Ealing U3A member presenting the prizes. This was followed by a short talk Photography - Is it Art? % by Jill Thumpston, a long-time Ealing U3A member who often leads discussions in our Art Appreciation Group.
Thur 2nd November (EGC + Zoom) - How London was built – an engineer’s viewpoint % with Alan Browne, Ealing U3A member and a Chartered Civil Engineer who, during his career, focussed on the design and construction of buildings, the majority of which were in London.
Thur 9th November (EGC + Zoom) - The Customs and Traditions of the City of London % with Mark Lewis, a freelance artist, designer-silversmith, semi-retired university lecturer and public speaker. He is also a folklorist and has been a member of the Folklore Society since 1987.
Thur 23rd November (Zoom) - Of Crowns and Coronations with The Rev Dr Nicholas Henderson who was formerly bishop-elect for the Diocese of Lake Malawi, Central Africa. He has lectured widely and has a particular interest in relating history to the present time.
Thur 30th November (EGC + Zoom) - An American President in Ealing – the diaries of John Quincy Adams %with Mary Woods, member of the Little Ealing History Group.
Thur 7th December (EGC + Zoom) - Rubber - a stolen resource % with Jean Brewster, Ealing U3A member and ex-University of West London lecturer in Linguistic Science.
Thur 14th December (EGC + Zoom) - A Seasonal Entertainment %, a Musical quiz of all types of music presented by Ealing U3A Members Sylvia Stirling and Juliet Edwards. The answer sheet to the quiz can be found here : Musical Entertainment Quiz