Bookham and District U3A

Most of our 60 groups have remained active during the winter and now the summer groups are preparing their programmes. The croquet group has started two weeks earlier than usual and has 60 members with several on a waiting list. The group is planning to have matches with other local U3s now that Polesden Lacey have provided an extra lawn. A programme of coaching both at Polesden and Surbiton croquet club is being planned., together with sessions of golf croquet and “one ball”.

The Ornithology and Botany groups have also begun their activities. The first of these has spent an afternoon near Juniper Hall admiring some fine Stinking Hellebores and Wild Candytufts, which are fairly scarce in the wild. The second group tends to go further afield and has already been to Pagham Harbour to study estuary birds..

One wine appreciation group has reached its 9th birthday. They have recently been led through a range of Portuguese wines, culminating in the tasting of a 60 year old port. A visit to an English vineyard has taken place. This vineyard has been making wines for 40 years and has won many medals for its sparkling wines.

In  early March, the five Bridge groups were represented at an event in the Waterfield room . This competition was organised by Rosemary Coleman and  Ian Pearson and enabled members of the groups to play against pairs outside their own group.

Shiela Pomfret is arranging numerous visits. Two opportunities exist for members to see developments at HRH Prince of Wales’ magnificent private gardens at Highgrove. In June some tuneful musical revivals at the Woking Theatre will be enjoyed and a day out in August is planned to visit the Chichester Festival Theatre for Cole Porter’s “Kiss me kate” and a tour of the town with lunch in the beautiful gardens of the Cathedral.

The monthly talks started with Michael Anderson’s presentation of “Bookham in the War”, followed in February by Paul Whittle’s talk on “The Hill Stations of the Raj.” Paul raises money for chidren's charities in IOndia and Burma and is vice-chairman of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society.  An Emeritus Professor of food technology gave us food for thought about the safety of the food we eat, with bacteria introduced at every stage of growing, harvesting, packaging, transporting and retailing!  Our own Chris Pullan returned in April to inform members of the links between eminent residents and the fate of buildings in the neighbourhood.