For details of coach outings, call Jeanette Rothwell (01702 715005),

Pat Williams (01702 710232) or Julia Wilbrahim ( 01702 616915 )

 

There has been a change of plan for our last outing of 2009 on Wednesday 25th November.   Unfortunately the Wallace Collection is unable to take us as they already

have 2 coach parties and schoolchildren in the morning.   Therefore, I have taken 

an executive decision and booked us into the Museum of London Docklands in the

morning and the Ragged School museum, as arranged, after lunch.   The

cost is £15 for the coach or £19 including the history talk at the Ragged School

which takes place in a Victorian schoolroom.   All 49 tickets have been sold.

Obviously we will make a refund if anyone is unhappy with this arrangement.   I also have a waiting list.   There are plenty of places to have lunch near the Museum which does have a small restaurant but they like people to pre-book and pay the Â£10.

 

 

We join in royal celebrations at Hampton Court

 

 

Left: One of Britain's most famous buildings, Hampton Court Palace. Right: Who can this be? Looks pretty much like King Henry VIII...

 

A very successful outing to Hampton Court took place on 22nd July enjoyed by thirty four members.  

Thankfully the weather was kind to us and once Jeanette had sorted out our tickets, we went our

various ways.   The exhibition of Henry VIII was fascinating; his apartments being hung with magnificent

tapestries but the most enjoyable events were the celebrations for Henry VIII and Kateryn Parr's marriage.  

Various tableaux took place round the Palace either helping Kateryn choose her wedding outfit,

celebrating Henry's last hours as a single man in his wine cellar or  donning our velvet cloaks to attend

the first sight Henry has of his future bride where we all had to shout "God Save The King" and get down

on bended knee!   It was lovely to see how the children were encouraged to join in the fun.   Altogether

a most memorable day.

 

Bletchley trip reveals code-break wonders

 

 

Twenty-one members of Southend U3A and three guests travelled to Bletchley Park by coach on Wednesday 22nd April.

They found workmen busy refurbishing the Victorian mansion which formed the core of what became a major

complex of buildings housing brilliant codebreakers and their assistants during the Second World War. Just

to the left of the green crane in the picture above can be seen a lady dressed in wartime fashions. The Enigma

message-code machines used by the Germans and their allies were on show, as were the ingenious devices

created at Bletchley Park in the ultimately successful effort to crack the codes. The recently re-created

Colossus computer - the forerunner of today's PCs, Macs and laptops - is working and was demonstrated (see

Front Page). Below: some of our members await a briefing in the ornate Ballroom before visiting exhibitions.

 

 

   

In the grounds of Bletchley Park stands this Harrier jump jet. In the canteen are wartime posters, including

these urging knitters to make socks for the troops and advising citizens to avoid black marketeers.

 

Visit to St Paul's ends busy 2008 programme of outings

 

    

The last outing of 2008 was a visit to St Paul's Cathedral which was

attended by 21 members.   We were given a tour of the cathedral which

gave us a fascinating insight into the history and design of Sir

Christopher Wren's masterpiece.   Some of us climbed the hundreds of

steps to the Whispering Gallery and the others walked across the

Millennium Bridge for a brief visit to the Tate Modern.Jeanette, Pat and

Lilian will now put on their thinking caps to work out next year's outings,

which we hope will start in March.  Watch this space and please let us

have any suggestions for places you would like to visit.

 

The outing to Chatham's historic dockyard brought naval history

to life for Southend U3A members. Here treasurer Roger Saward

tries his hand on a machine used for making rope. Lurking eerily

in the background (far left) was an effigy of a hanged man.

Punishment was pretty harsh in those days.

 

The beautiful Tudor mansion Syon House was unfortunately covered in

scaffolding when branch members visited on 16th April but inside it was

a fabulous treasure trove of fine sculptures, paintings and

architectural gems.

 

 

Nineteen members of Southend U3A enjoyed a coach outing to Dover

Castle in Kent. The trip was arranged by Jeanette Behn who is pictured

(pink coat, standing) in the picture, which shows some of the party

waiting to go on a guided tour of the castle's famous wartime tunnels.

The tunnels, the earliest of which were dug in case of invasion by

Napoleon, were used for the planning of the Dunkirk evacuation.

 

 

Thirty-two branch members visited Bateman's, the beautiful Sussex

home of legendary author and poet Rudyard Kipling.

 

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