IGO June 26 News Extra
This month, we remember David Hockney, one of our foremost modern artists, who died on the 11th June aged 88.
Please email the editor, Helen, on:
with any articles for inclusion in the next issue.
New Group – Mindfulness now
This 8-week rolling mindfulness course offers an opportunity to explore the origins of mindfulness, understand the theory behind its many benefits, and develop a personal mindfulness practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each session includes guided practices and practical techniques that participants can continue to build on at home, helping to bring greater awareness and balance into everyday life.
Mindfulness has been shown to support wellbeing in many ways, including helping to reduce stress, improve focus, encourage relaxation, and promote a greater sense of calm and resilience. Whether you are completely new to mindfulness or looking to deepen an existing practice, this course provides gentle guidance and encouragement to help you move forward at your own pace.
1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 1pm
Sue Bishop Group Leader
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This group will explore how American politics works, from the Constitution and the separation of powers to the roles of the President, Congress and the Supreme Court. We’ll look at how elections are run, why the two‑party system dominates, and how issues such as civil rights, federalism and public opinion shape political debate. The aim isn’t to take sides but to understand the ideas, institutions and history behind today’s headlines. Everyone is welcome to bring questions, share views and explore the topics that interest them most.
4th Monday of the Month at 4pm.
Group leaders are Peter Grimes and Imogen Hal
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We are now taking names on a 'first come, first served basis' for our next Beginners Bridge Course starting in June 2026.
The online course has been developed over the past 4 years to ideally suit those u3a members who have never played Bridge before.
The course consists of lesson handouts, videos, quizzes and exercises that you study at home at your own pace.
The course consists of lesson handouts, videos, quizzes and exercises that you study at home at your own pace.
We have weekly Tuesday afternoon online meetings where key points are discussed and questions are answered. This is followed by supervised practice sessions where you play hands with other class members to reinforce the lessons you have learned.
The course lasts for 24 weeks and you should be prepared to devote approx. 7 hours per week to complete the course.
By the end of that time, you will be able to enjoy Bridge games with friends and play in a novices Bridge Club.
Bridge is recognised as one of the most popular u3a activities because it is fun, it keeps you mentally active, it is sociable and a great way to make new friends.
Our Beginner’s course gets you off to a great start, but you will continue learning, improving and developing your Bridge for the rest of your life – it’s a never-ending and rewarding journey - sign-up today !!!
Tuesdays at 2pm.
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New group - Science fiction novels
An informal group meeting each month to discuss science fiction novels of all types and from all eras. It is a chance to share favourite books and authors whilst trying to get to grips with time travel, alternative histories and life on other planets. From Brian Aldiss to Roger Zelazny, the sci-fi universe is out there for us to explore.
Second Tuesday of the month, at 2pm.
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New group - Ab initio lingua Latina pro tironibus
Have you ever wanted to read Martial's tales of the 100 days of games mounted at the opening of the Colisseum, Ovid's account of the ill-fated lovers Pyramus and Thisbe, Caesar's recounting of the Gallic Wars, the incomparable odes of Horace, or Vergil's epic tale of Aeneas, but in the original Latin. Maybe you just want to decipher old plaques in country churches and cathedrals. Here is your opportunity. In this group, you will be taken from the very beginning to a good understanding of classical Latin through learning the fundamentals of grammar, translating simple sentences (to begin with!) and tackling original Latin literature.
Mondays at 11.30.
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New group - Meditation
The meditation will be about 30 minutes long , it consists of beginning with a very short gentle breath work, followed by going on a guided inner journey sometimes experiencing removing negative energies and obtaining good energies, journey will be to create harmony and inner peace , then returned back again.
Fortnightly on Wednesdays at 16.00
Ersoy Mehmet - Group Leader
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New group - Italian upper-intermediate conversation
An Italian group to improve speaking/listening & conversational skills. We will be taking turns to speak throughout the session. I will not be teaching grammar etc. You should have studied all the tenses (apart from passato remoto & conjiuntivo) but may not be able to speak well using them. Making mistakes is good as that's how we learn. We will have differing topics of conversation in each session, with the chance to study vocabulary/tenses & do some listening beforehand. I, your course leader, am not a native speaker but i have taught ESOL and I know we can help each other to improve and gain confidence. If you're not sure of your level, please contact me and we can check it.
First and third Tuesdays of the month from 1.30pm.
Angela Wilshin - Group Leader
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1. How old was Elvis when this picture was taken in June 1958.
2. What are the coloured lights on this building celebrating in the month of June?
UK Ministry of Defence, OGL 3, via Wikimedia Commons
3. This picture of the Goddess Juno was discovered in which world famous site close to the Italian volcano Vesuvius ?
4. Which June zodiac sign is depicted in this picture?
5. What are these two Julia butterflies drinking?
amalavida.tv, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Answers are at the end
Existing group - Neville Shute books
After having a mad moment I volunteered to set up and run the Nevil Shute Books group. At the moment we are quite a small group with only 12 members and we read at least one book each month.
For the first meeting we looked at the first book Nevil Shute published in 1926 - Marazan. We thought the book was of its time and there were some terms and terminology within the book that came across as quite dated - his conversations about women for example and the idea that if he wanted to fly anywhere he would just get in a plane and go - we didn't think it was as easy at that today! Several of us thought it was a bit "boys own" style but after discussion agreed that may just reflect a style of writing that was quite popular at the time - there was a conversation around the similarity in style to 39 steps and other John Buchan books. We are interested in exploring how his writing develops in later books and how the events of the 20th Century affected and influenced his writing and characters.
If you are interested in Nevil Shute books - or just interested in investigating an author you may not know much about then please join our friendly group. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2pmand for the next meeting we will be looking at So Disdained which is the second book that was published. If we have time and enough people have been able to read them we will also look at Stephen Morris and Pilotage which are actually the first books he wrote but weren't published until after his death.
Jane McKenzie
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Existing group - English: the first 4000 years
Our group "English: the first 4,000 years" studied how three keywords from three Semitic languages have entered English. Loanwords are nearly always transliterated rather than translated, so that the meaning is lost.
An important example is "shahid", which meant "witness" to the original Aramaic-speaking Christians, either "saw a crime" or as "declared their faith". This was translated into Greek as "martyros", but some Christians became Arabic-speaking Muslims after 632 CE. The Greek was then transliterated into Welsh as "merthyr" ( e.g. Tydfil) and English as "martyr".
We complied a glossary, "from Adam to Armageddon", which allows a single narrative to be written about the three religions. Do IGO members think that dialogue between the three Semitic-speaking languages would reduce conflict?
Ed Conduit
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The u3a Essay Competition 2026
The u3a Essay Competition 2026 is here and the theme is The Most Incredible Journey. In 1,000 words or fewer, members are invited to share the story of a real, non-autobiographical journey. This might be a famous expedition, a scientific or medical breakthrough, a historical voyage that changed lives, or a cultural, intellectual or spiritual journey. The emphasis is on telling a true story in an engaging and accessible way. What remarkable journey will you uncover and share?
Submit your essay by Friday 31 July at 12 noon for the chance to win prize books kindly donated by HX Expeditions.
