Our monthly meetings are again attracting over 80 people at the West Maldon Community Centre (WMCC). We have successfully run all of our groups this year and are planning an exciting programme for the coming months.

John Salisbury leads the Social Sciences Group. These are lively and interesting discussions held at the WMCC. Recent talks have included the role of the monarchy and the role of the church in society.

Mike Stringer organises the History Group and has used Zoom sessions with speakers from within our members and some guest presentations from other u3as. They have covered a wide range of subjects and topics. It is intended to return to face-to-face meetings again in the near future. Plans have been made for trips to Bury St Edmunds in May and Saffron Walden in June. Both of which will include guided tours of the towns and places of interest.

Theatre trips have recommenced with tickets and coach bookings for the play Come from Away, and the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Singing in the Rain have been snapped up.

As well as arranging these trips, John Salisbury makes restaurant bookings close to the venues as this makes the events after each show a very sociable occasion before the coach trip back to Maldon.

The Weekenders, organised by Chris Payne and the Weekend Companions, which is led by Maureen Leatherdale, are two groups that enable people on their own to enjoy trips to places of interest, meals, lunches and coffee meetings. They are very friendly events and new members will be very welcome to join in their activities.

Family History is run by Chris Stringer and she has over 30 years of experience to help members research their family and relatives. Now that the 1921 Census is available, this will open up new opportunities for research. Chris plans to restart the Needlecraft Group later this year. There are spaces available for those interested in these subjects.

The Photography Group are now meeting at the United Reformed Church Hall in Maldon where an excellent turnout reviewed the photographs taken in the month. Graham Churchill organised the meeting and Paul Madge was voted to have taken the best picture. Brian Harris came second with Edwina Ord in third place. Paul gave a presentation on the use of Affinity software. This allows images to be changed and improved by use of a computer. The meeting then had Phil Davies providing a slideshow of images from the United Portfolio's Photographic Group. These presentations will help us to improve the quality of our images and open our minds to new opportunities.

We are planning an open day at the Maldon Town Hall on 14 June. Limebrook u3a will celebrate our 10th anniversary with a social evening on 18 June at the WMCC.

At the monthly meeting on 11 March, we shall have Emma Boyd with us and she will be talking about the life of Thomas Gainsborough.

Further ahead we look forward to seeing Tony Tuckwell, who was the headmaster of KEGS in Chelmsford, who joins us on the 8 April to talk about The Only Coastal Way is Essex.

I hope this has given you some idea of the activities and interests we have planned for the coming months.

To learn more about us or if you would like to be a guest at one of our meetings, please contact our membership secretary Tim Stubbins on 01621 855158 or me at [email protected].

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