Halesowen

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Halesowen u3a Groups

# Day Trippers     

Meets Approximately Monthly
Venue External venue as advertised
Details We have planned at least one trip each month for the remainder of the year. See calendar for further details.

# Educational Visits     

Meets Probably Annually
Venue External venue as advertised
Details Likely to be an organised coach trip to an agreed venue, 2,3 or 4 days, during the summer months.

Amblers (up to 1 mile)     

Meets Thursdays fortnightly
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Normally starts 10:15 to 12:30
Details We meet to do a gentle stroll of about 1 mile on easy paths, taking time to look at the surroundings and wildlife. This is followed by refreshments at a nearby cafe.

Art     

Meets We meet fortnightly on Thursday afternoons
Venue Lutley Community Centre - map
Normally starts 14:00 to 16:00
Details We meet, during term time, on Thursday afternoons from 14:00 to 16:00 at Lutley Community Centre. We are a practical art group, producing pieces of artwork in a variety of media.

Astronomy     

Meets We meet monthly, on Thursdays from 10:00 to 12:00
Venue Quinton Methodist Church Classroom
Normally starts 10:00 to 12:00
Details You do not have to be an expert to join our friendly Astronomy group, but it may help.. We meet monthly, on Thursdays from 10.00 to 12.00 at Quinton Methodist Church. Some of you may notice that it is not dark then. So we have a nice classroom where we can sit and discuss whatever we fancy. We all know something but not everything, and that's the beauty of it, we all learn from one another. Astronomy is not rocket science. Well, perhaps a bit of it is... Members are most welcome to introduce a topic of their choice, and we'll all join in and share what we know. You do not have to be a Brian Cox (although several of our group wish he would join!)… We cover a diverse range of topics at our meetings, there are so many interesting things to discuss, find out about, and view! Have a look at some Topics we have covered and more recent topics on our website to get an idea of what we get up to... Also a list of Astronomy Possible Future Topics we may be doing soon... As a bonus, we also have a coffee and biscuit break! The ones of us who are not scared of the dark and cold do look upwards in the evenings in the comfort of their own garden, and wonder when the clouds will ever clear, but when they do, they try to familiarise themselves with the stars, constellations, planets, the ISS, meteor showers etc... So we learn about star-hopping and recognising the main constellations so we can impress our friends! We are adding some links to useful astronomy websites, such as the Monthly Skymaps, NASA website, Binocular Sky ---> see Links on our Halesowen U3A website

Beading     

Meets Between 13:15 and 15:00, monthly on Wednesdays
Venue Members own home
Normally starts 13:15 to 15:00
Details We meet during term time between 13:15 and 15:00, monthly on Wednesdays that are not in General Meeting weeks, at a private residence.

Birdwatching     

Meets some Fridays
Venue 
Normally starts 10:30 to 14:00
Details 

Bridging the Gap-up to 2 miles     

Meets Monthly on a friday
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Normally starts 10:30 to 12:00
Details Gentle, leisurely walk with a distance of up to 2 miles. Cafe/pub at the end where possible.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS     

Meets 
Venue To be announced
Details Calendar of non Group-related events, e.g General Meeting/Speakers, start and end of term dates, Committee and Group Leaders meetings...

Countryside Studies     

Meets 2nd Tuesday in the month
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Normally starts 10:00 to 12:30
Details Visits are arranged to a variety of locations where a local guide, warden or volunteer can give us a tour of the site. We pursue a wide range of subjects to reflect members' countryside interests including flora, fauna, bird life, land use, farming, rewilding and geology.

Creative Writing     

Meets Held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month
Venue Quinton Methodist Church Classroom
Normally starts 14:00 to 16:00
Details To undertake and explore different styles of Creative Writing, and participate in producing some interesting and original material!

Diners     

Meets Once per month on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
Venue External venue as advertised
Normally starts 12:30 to 14:30
Details Initially intended as a lunch club, meeting at different restaurants, and alternating between European, Asian and Rest of the World cuisines. Occasionally we meet in the early evening, rather than at lunchtime for the meal. We are trialling Sunday Lunches in 2023. In the first year we have already tried English, French and Italian (European), Indian, Vietnamese and Thai (Asian) and Mexican, Lebanese, Carribean and Syrian (Rest of the world) restaurants.

Discussion     

Meets Wednesday afternoons, next is March 6th
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Small Hall
Normally starts 12:30 to 14:00
Details We meet as a discussion circle to encourage contributions. Discussions are fairly free-flowing. Currently we discuss a previously selected topic and if time permits, items from the media. Recent discussion topics have been: Gender Recognition; Can too much tolerance be a bad thing?; The Just War doctrine. The group shares the Small Hall with the History group so we alternate meeting dates, one term on General Meeting dates, the following term two weeks later. In the Autumn term 2023, we'll meet 2 weeks after General Meeting dates.

Genealogy     

Meets Monthly on Wednesday morning
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Foyer and Kitchen
Normally starts 10:30 to 12:00
Details We meet monthly in term time to share expertise and experience to help and support members with their family history research. Each meeting we aim to have a different focus as selected by members' interests.

History     

Meets Monthly on Wednesdays
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Small Hall
Normally starts 12:30 to 14:00
Details We meet monthly, during term time, on Wednesdays between 12:30 and 14:00 at Hasbury Church. The topic for the term is chosen by the group discussing ideas that members of the group have suggested. Once the group have decided on a topic members volunteer to research a particular aspect within the topic and report their findings back to the group. This term we are looking at the Histories of famous West Midlands people. Following on from this we will discuss the Histories of individual towns and cities as chosen by members of the group.

Literature     

Meets Monthly Wed 12.30-14.00
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Small Hall
Normally starts 12:30 to 14:00
Details We meet monthly 12:30 - 14.00 on Wednesdays at Hasbury (some of us after our packed lunches), normally to discuss a piece of literature we have been reading.

Meanderers (2 - 3 miles)     

Meets Thursdays fortnightly
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Normally starts 10:30 to 12:30
Details We meet on Thursday mornings, every two weeks during term time. We usually walk between two and three miles of fairly gentle paths with no or few stiles, led by a group member.

Music Appreciation     

Meets Wednesdays fortnightly
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Small Hall
Normally starts 10:30 to 12:00
Details We meet at Hasbury fortnightly on Wednesdays during term time, with coffee available from 10:00, then at 10:30 a member presents a programme (approximately 1 hour) of music of their choice. Some of us bring a packed lunch to enjoy socially before Scrabble or Literature at 12:30.

Origami     

Meets Monthly Wed 10.30-12.00
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Foyer and Kitchen
Normally starts 10:30 to 12:00
Details Our group formed in January 2022 to learn a new skill together and have fun! We meet once a month on Wednesday at Hasbury Methodist Church. The group runs from 10.30-12.00 but we meet for coffee at 10.00 with other groups using the venue.

Patchwork and Quilting     

Meets Monthly on Wednesdays
Venue Quinton Methodist Church - map
Normally starts 13:30 to 15:15
Details We meet during term time, monthly between 13.30 and 15.15 on Wednesdays that are not in General Meeting weeks at Quinton Methodist Church

Photography     

Meets 2nd Monday in the month - Afternoons
Venue Quinton Methodist Church Parlour
Normally starts 14:00 to 16:00
Details We have a list of projects which the group will choose from to pursue during the term

Puds Galore     

Meets Monthly on 3rd Monday afternoons
Venue Quinton Methodist Church Parlour
Normally starts 14:30 to 16:00
Details We meet monthly to taste and discuss puddings made by three or four of our members each time. You have to make the pudding yourself (no bought cakes allowed!) Want to see Some Puds we have made ? Then look on our own webpage on the Halesowen U3A website.

Quizzers     

Meets Once per month on a Tuesday evening
Venue External venue as advertised
Normally starts 20:00 to 22:30
Details We meet once per month at a local pub to join in with their quiz nights. A social experience for those who enjoy testing their knowledge, with a possibility to win!

Round in Circles (5 - 7 miles)     

Meets First Tuesday of each month
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Details Walks of between 5and 7 miles to include stiles & some inclines. Longer & slightly more challenging than Strollers but not the length or steep hills of Walkers.

Scrabble     

Meets Fortnightly on Wednesdays
Venue Hasbury Methodist Church Foyer and Kitchen
Normally starts 12:30 to 14:00
Details We meet at 12:30 on alternate Wednesdays during term time at Hasbury (some of us after our packed lunches) and play friendly Scrabble until 14:00. We draw tiles for our teams so get a varied experience each session.

Strollers (4 - 5 miles)     

Meets Fortnightly on Thursdays
Venue Directions to walk start point given each time
Normally starts 10:15 to 15:00
Details We meet, fortnightly during term time, on Thursday mornings. We usually walk between four and five miles of fairly gentle paths with no or few stiles, led by a group member. We sometimes have a pub lunch after the walk. You can see some of the places we have walked by clicking on the link on our website, but some are listed here along with the pubs we ended up at: 1. Churchill & Hagley (2) RW / JW (I have walk data) The Foxhunt 2. Wyre Forest (3 transect etc.) Dry Mill Lane RW / JW / GC / LJ (I have maps) The Running Horse 3. Wyre Forest Marked Butterfly trail – Dry Mill Lane RW / JW The Running Horse 4. Wyre Forest from Visitors Centre CH / PW The Running Horse 5. City canals to Fazeley St. (2) RW / JW (I have map) The Holly Bush 6. City canals to Harborne Walkway (1) RW / JW (I have map) The Royal Oak 7. Worc. Canal to Selly Oak (1) RW / JW (I have map etc.) The Royal Oak 8. Hampton Loade & Dudmaston (1) RW / JW (I have walk data) The River & Rail 9. Wolverley (3 with variants) RW / JW (I have walk data) The Lock 10. Wombourne Canal & Railway MA / DA (2) The Summer House 11. Stourport & Wilden RW / JW / Others from Common (2) The Dog at Harvington 12. Cookley & Caunsall MA / DA (2) The Foxhunt? 13. Avoncroft MA / DA (1) The Guild 14. Hanbury Hall from Hanbury Wharf RW / JW Eagle & Sun 15. Hanbury Hall inc Hanbury Church MA / DA The Guild 16. Clent RT / JT & DT / JA etc. (2) The Foxhunt 17. Bromsgrove – Christmas RW / JW (2) The Guild 18. Arrow Valley MB + others DT / JA + others(3 various) Mappleborough Green / The Guild 19. Sandwell Valley DT / CH / PW + others (3 various) The Amber Tavern 20. Malvern – All day RW / JW (1) Blue Bell Inn Callow End 21. Chaddesley Woods (First Bluebell Walk) RW / GC (1) The Dog Harvington 22. Kinver MB + others MA / DA (2) ? in Kinver 23. From Stewponey DT + others (1) Dick Whittington 24. Canal Walks from Wordsley towards Stewponey M B + ? The Glass House 25. Canal Walk from Wordsley towards Merry Hill M B + ? The Glass House 26. Netherton area (3 various) DT + others 27. Arley and Reservoirs (1) DT + others 28. Waseley Country Park (1) ? 29. Norton (1) Former member The Greyhound 30. Between Halesowen & Hagley (1) Former member The Foxhunt 31. Bewdley (2) former members The Park Gate? 32. Hillpool (1) RW / JW (Have details) The Dog Harvington 33. Belbroughton & Drayton (1) RW / JW (Have details) The Talbot Belbroughton 34. Ashwood Nursery (1) MA / DA The Navigation & The Summer House 35. Baggeridge (3) MB + others The Summer House 36. Penn Common (1) former member (Prob The Summer House) 37. Saltwells (2) MB+ others The Foxhunt? 38. Cannon Hill Park (3) DT / CH / PW & others The Amber Tavern 39. Dartmouth Park (1) CH The Royal Oak? 40. Hurcott Woods (1) CH / PW The Land Oak 41. Halesowen & Illey (1) PTB The Black Horse at Illey 42. Tardebigge ? 43. Rifle Range DT + The Park Gate 44. Little Heath Garden Centre DT + 45. Alvechurch DT + The Lock 46. Wightwick Manor DT + The Mermaid 47. Uffmoor Woods 48. Chaddesley Woods & Chaddesley (Bluebell Walk) RW/JW + The Dog Harvington

u3a PROJECTOR BOOKINGS     

Meets 
Venue 
Details Bookings requested to use the u3a Projector will be listed on this "pseudo- Group", as a convenient way of storing them chronologically. THIS IS NOT A GROUP WHICH HOLDS MEETINGS!

Ukulele     

Meets Mondays fortnightly.
Venue The Stag and 3 Horseshoes - map
Normally starts 10:00 to 12:00
Details The group meets at 'The Stag & 3 Horseshoes' by the island on the corner of Kent Road at the top of Mucklows Hill. We start at 10:00 a.m. and we usually finish at 12:00 noon but it is perfectly acceptable for people to arrive and leave at any time to suit themselves. It is normal for members to buy a drink, usually a coffee, during the break we have at 11.00am as we don't pay rent for the room. You can send a message to the Group Leader using the "Post" link on the website. The group caters for absolute beginners and for more experienced players. Members are encouraged to bring songs for the group to try out. Instruments not Supplied. The group also welcomes members who just wish to join in the singing, without playing an instrument. We perform popular songs of all types, taken from recent decades. For current songs and other information, see Stourbridge U3A Ukulele and Songs File on our Halesowen U3A website pages.

Walking (7+ miles)     

Meets Usually the third Tuesday of the month
Venue External venue as advertised
Normally starts 10:00 to 16:00
Details We do 7-9 mile circular walks approximately monthly ( usually the third Tuesday in a month), depending on the weather, meeting at the start of the walk. We takes snacks, a packed lunch and plenty of liquid. The walks involve stiles and take in variuos terrain from fields, meadows, canal tow paths and lane walking. Walks vary from flatish to more challenging ( Clent, Kinver and Malvern Hills). Remember, what goes up must come down and descents can also be challenging. We have done some linear walks as part of walking national trails. We have walked the North Worcestershire Path & had just started the Wychavon Way before we had to abandon it due to lockdown. There are no plans for restarting linear walks at the current time. The offering of lifts is now a matter for each individual driver although car sharing is encouraged where posssible.

Walking Weekend BourtonOnWater     

Meets Fri 19 April - Mon 22 April 2024
Venue External venue as advertised
Details 3 day self-guided walking weekend in The Cotswolds. Accommodation is with HF Holidays Ltd at Harrington House, Bourton-on-the-Water. For non walkers there are various places of interest in the local area. Members to make their own transport arrangements.

Walking Weekend YorkshireDales     

Meets 12 - 16 May 2025
Venue 
Details A 4 night self guided walking break staying at the HF Property, Newfield Hall, Malham, South Yorkshire Dales. Walks will be approx. 4 - 8 miles. For non walkers there are various places of interest in the local area. Members to make their own transport arrangements.