Live, Laugh & Learn with Wellington u3a

OPEN DAY - 8th September 2025

I think we can say that our first Open Day was a great success. Everyone worked so well together to make it such a lovely occasion. Most of our interest groups were represented with a few new ones launching this month. Our website was flooded with viewers after the event and many folk took the new leaflets to help raise awareness. Here are a few images from the day - I'm afraid I didn't get time to capture things at their busiest as I was on registration and a group table but we did have over 100 people through the door! Well done everyone.

In case you didn't get to see it, here is Anne Dearness's report in the Wellington Weekly

"What a morning! Rarely have we seen our u3a meeting so busy, buzzing around as this is. Lots of interest groups, some already in being, as mine is, Current Affairs, but also new ones forming. Books, for instance,(and who doesn’t enjoy a good story) so popular that a second Book Group is being set up. A Local History Group is also setting up with around 40 potential members already signed in. I saw a sewing group ( not something of which I’m capable, limited as I am to turning a hem and stitching on a button) with a very full sign-up sheet. All were busy and we didn’t look up from answering questions. Remarkable.
We welcomed 64 members who were renewing their membership and exploring new interest group possibilities. Also 44 visitors, an unprecedented number, who came along to find out what we can offer and many of whom gave us good, positive feedback.
 Our u3a website, www.wellington.u3asite.uk, today (Tuesday) showed there were 31 visits with a massive 178 views yesterday as a result of leaflets taken and followed up. I hope that all of you who visited will join us and find a new expression for spare time.
I would like to expect our next monthly meeting, that takes place in the Rugby Club, Corams Lane at 10 15am on Monday 13th October, where our presentation will be the Tale from Wassail to the Glass, a talk on Cider and it's associated traditions, given by Mike Highfield, to be well attended.  Here’s hoping.  Positive thoughts…
Our fee for the Year holds at only £15. Many groups are free to attend and a few charge only £1 per session if in a rented venue; very good value for money. We only ask you to bring along yourself, an open mind and a cup to enjoy coffee/tea and biscuits at your leisure. I look forward to meeting you."

February Meeting - Laurence Shelley: - "How to find a new direction at any age

Our speaker, Laurence Shelley, came to give us some very useful tips on how to change direction – at any time of life. We all know how easy it is to get stuck in a rut and not to have thee inclination to try anything new, but Laurence had plenty of tips on how to get out of that rut. He certainly managed it with feats like hitchhiking from Lands End to Dunnet Head (the most northerly point of the UK), perhaps not such a good idea these days, and hiking the length of Hadrian’s Wall, in newly purchased boots, definitely not a good idea! He also gained a Fine Arts degree in his 80s!
He introduced us to several authors whose life had certainly taken a new direction, and advised us to take time out, go somewhere we had never been, and observe a flower, a colour or a leaf, perhaps what we would call mindfulness today.

Lots of members eagerly awaited our speaker, author Michael Malaghan, at the November monthly meeting on Monday. He did not disappoint in giving us a very amusing and entertaining account of some of his many exploits and experiences over a very diverse career - a journey from cub reporter in Scarborough to today’s success as author, screen- and script writer. Michael found he had an affinity for small children and wrote stories and screen plays for many successful children’s programmes, which morphed into books for teens and young adults, but his love of history and travel has engendered a new series, skilfully mixing historical events with modern day adventures A long queue formed after the talk to buy signed copies of his latest book “A song of Pompeii”. Although his books are mostly aimed at teenagers, apparently adults love them too!

We were treated to an amazing talk at the October monthly meeting! Dr Karen Stead-Dexter (PhD, MSc, BSc Hons, Dip) wowed us with her story of how she came to her present role as a therapist helping people improve their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing, in a lasting way, by inspiring deeper relationships with the natural world. Although hawks have been used for hunting for over 2,000 years it might have come as a bit of surprise to many of the audience to discover that these birds can connect with humans on a therapeutic level. For this she works with a variety of birds of prey who are all rescues. We were all enchanted by the 4 fabulous birds – a barn owl called George, a kestrel called Inca, a Gyrfalcon (crossed with a Saker falcon) named Kalil and Ela, a Harris Hawk she had brought along to share with us. She has had great success in helping people from all walks of life, including those with trauma, PTSD, autism, anxiety and chronic illness, with methods honed over 30 years of experience.
Explaining that one cannot make a hawk do something it didn’t want to do, Dr.Stead-Dexter admitted that one who was supposed to attend this afternoon’s talk had declined to enter it’s travelling box, deciding that it preferred to stay at home! Also the smallest bird (the kestrel) would not enter it's usual small box but would only travel in the largest box! Among many interesting facts, we were shown a barn owls feather, illustrating how silent flight was achieved by means of a brush-like edge to it’s feathers. As barn owls prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk this gave it the reputation as a “ghost bird”, and led to many a fright!
If you would like to find out more about Karen and her Practice here is the link to her website - Animal and Nature Connection Teacher and Practitioner | Dr Karen Stead-Dexter (drkarensteaddexter.com)

There was a real buzz at the Subscription Meeting on the 9th September! Lots of our existing members turned up to renew for another year and we also boosted our membership by a third with a host of new members – very exciting and a great success!
Most of the Group Convenors had tables to showcase their activities and were kept very busy talking to visitors and filling their registers with new members.
Our thanks go to the 3 members of The Writers Group who took the floor. Firstly, Ruth gave a lovely tribute to Peter Walter who died earlier this year. As well as convening the Writers Group Peter, who was a lovely, quiet gentleman with an often wicked sense of humour, also edited the Newsletter and held other positions on the committee in his time with u3a.
Carol entertained us with a hilarious piece she had written called “Rants” – a subject given her by Peter. Followed by a piece by the new Group Convenor, Anne, entitled “How to explain the English Pantomime to an American audience” – another very amusing concept – think about it! A principle boy played by a girl and an eccentric Dame played by a man – oh no they’re not …….!!