Important Message for all Members from the Chair
Summer Closure of the U3AC Bridge Street Offices and Facilities
As you may know, our Bridge Street building will be undergoing major constructional work during the summer months, especially on the roof and the terrace.
This message is to inform you that, following the last day of the Summer Term on Friday 13 June, the building will be CLOSED TO ALL MEMBERS AND VISITORS from MONDAY 16 JUNE ONWARDS. The building will be scaffolded for much of the time. Do NOT therefore try to visit the building during the summer months. We shall inform you in good time when we know the precise date for the completion of this important remedial work and when we shall be allowed to re-open the building.
You will be able to contact staff in the usual way either by email or telephone.
A note to those OFFICIALLY involved in the Open Day on 1 July: we have a short dispensation from the builders to open the building for the morning of this day, but only for those officially involved and for the Open Day visitors.
I should accordingly be deeply grateful for the understanding of all members when dealing with staff throughout the period of the closure of the building. Thank you.
Philip Stott
Thursday 5 June, 14.00 – 16.00 – in the 2nd floor social area. Do feel free to come along to raise any issues about U3AC, or indeed simply to ask questions, no booking required.
Friday 6 June, 11.00 – 12.00 – U3AC, Pink room – An opportunity to listen to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston. See further down for full details.
Tuesday 10 June at 1 pm – Film Group screening will be Letter From an Unknown Woman
Friday 13 June – end of Summer term and academic year
Due to last minute cancellations, there are 2 places available for the above trip. Cost £65, which would need to be paid in advance.
If you would like to go, please ring the Office on 01223 321587 today by 12.30 pm.
We will be holding our Open Day for prospective members on 1 July from 10 am to 1 pm.
This is an important recruiting opportunity at which we showcase the range of courses and activities we offer members and is a chance to meet some existing members and tutors/organisers.
Your help in promoting U3AC is both necessary and appreciated, as we need to recover our membership to pre-pandemic levels. Open Day posters are available from the Office or you can print them yourself HERE. We would be grateful if members could arrange to have these put up in their local GP surgeries, village halls, village poster sites, gyms, community centres, libraries, Marketing Suites of new housing developments etc.
Please note, the event is for prospective members only – we regret we will not be accepting membership forms etc for processing at the Bridge Street premises on this day.
Unfortunately, we need to use the second floor social area to prepare a mailing, so we regret it will be closed for the above three days. This means there will be no access to the coffee machine, sink etc. The gallery area on the first floor will still be available for water, seating etc. We apologise for the inconvenience.
If you are thinking of joining a badminton group in the new U3AC year but are not sure which one is right for you, you are welcome to have a taster session with one of the Wednesday groups. In particular, a taster might be useful if you are not sure if you are a better fit for the softies or one of the other groups. (All the groups are mixed standard, but for the non-softies you are expected to be able to play at least a basic game.)
If you would like to take this up, or to discuss this further, please contact Richard from the Wednesday morning group or Sarah from the Wednesday 12:00 (softies) group. Contact details are under FIT01 and FIT04 on the U3AC website.
A trip has been arranged on Thursday 9 October to this major exhibition featuring more than 350 exhibits charting the evolution of Cartier’s legacy of art, design and craftmanship since the turn of the 20th century.
Application forms are now available on the Trips and Visits page of the website. Cost: £38. Places allocated on a first come first basis.
A programme of Summer Events is now on the website: https://www.u3ac.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Summer-Event-final-MAY.pdf
Thank you to everyone who has helped organise one of the many events which are part of the Summer Events Programme. There are over 30 events available. Places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. You may initially request 3 events and places will be confirmed on application. If you request further events (up to a maximum of 6) you will be placed on a holding list and be contacted if the event still has places, about a week before the date.
Do you regularly attend the Zoom Wednesday Lectures? Would you be interested in joining the team of moderators who put the chat questions to the speaker at the end of the session? A list of speakers is circulated to moderators before each term so that they can decide if they want to attend in person or are free to moderate at home. For further information please contact Nicholas Russell or Suzan Griffiths at lectures@u3ac.org.uk
Neutron Stars – nature’s most extreme objects
Organiser: Alan Richardson
Date and time: Friday 13 June, 10.30 – 12.00
Venue: U3AC (Pink room)
Places: 30
Neutron stars are the densest matter we can see and as such are the densest laboratories for high energy physics. They feature wild conditions with extremely fast rotation and unimaginably strong magnetic fields. Their cores may be home to unique states of matter not seen since the early universe. They are fundamental to life since most of the elements heavier than iron were created in neutron star mergers. The talk will cover their properties, theories about their composition and the observations that inform our knowledge of them.
An opportunity to listen to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston
Speaker: Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston
Date and time: Friday 6 June, 11.00 – 12.00
Venue: U3AC, Pink room
Places: 30
An introduction – Darryl was re-elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the county on 3rd May 2024 for a second term in office. Having served as both a front-line police officer and a senior detective for 30 years (10 years in the Met and 20 years in Cambridgeshire), Darryl’s knowledge, skills and experience enable him to progress his Police and Crime Plan through holding Cambridgeshire Constabulary to account for its performance. This includes bringing agencies together and listening to the views and concerns of the public and local communities. Darryl is currently the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) Lead for forensics and biometrics.
Darryl will talk about his role and will also introduce the content of his current Police and Crime Plan – published in December 2024, the Plan sets the strategic direction for policing and has at its heart community safety.
Sea shanties, summer songs, spirituals, and some Burt Bacharach for good measure: all will be part of this summer’s free concert by the U3AC Choir, directed by Brian Watkins. All are welcome, so come along to hear your U3AC friends and colleagues and bring your guests too. The concert is on Thursday 19th June, starting at 11.00am, at St James Church, Wulfstan Way, CB1 8QJ (on the Number 2 bus route), and will last about an hour. Light refreshments will follow, donations towards costs are welcomed.
Thursday 11 September.
This visit is now full, we are taking names for a waiting list in case anyone cancels their place.
Tuesday 8 July.
This visit is now full, we are taking names for a waiting list in case anyone cancels their place.
We have been approached to run a whisky tasting session, much like our wine tasting sessions, but we will need to know if there is enough interest for it, it would cost approx. £35 and be held at Bridge Street on one evening in the Autumn term. If this is something you would be interested in, please could you email the Office by 6 June. (No obligation to attend if the date does not suit you).
We have a number of items in the lost property box which will all be donated to the charity shop at the end of term. If you feel you may have mislaid something please do check with the receptionist.
With the new U3AC 2025-26 Programme launching in July, we want to make sure you receive your copy! Please take a moment to check your contact details on ‘Your account’ are correct. This will help ensure your programme reaches you without delay.
The Locker cafe in King Street, Cambridge, is showing paintings and digital prints by U3AC member Colin Whitworth. Until the end of June, on both floors.
U3AC supports other local organisations by listing their activities on the Other organisations page of our website.
