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Activity Groups
Art Appreciation Group
Group co-ordinator: Judith Johnston and Andy Simmonds
Time: 2nd Wednesday each month, 2pm - 4pm. No meeting in December.
Place: Members' houses or visits, see newsletter.
Price: Free except for visits, see newsletter.
We are a small friendly group who enjoy viewing and discussing paintings, whether old masters, impressionists, contemporary works or one particular artist. We have visited a number of galleries in London and the south east. We are currently watching a series of lectures on the paintings in the National Gallery in London, which will be followed by Treasures of the Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York, and then the Louvre.
Astronomy Group
Group co-ordinator: Malcolm Case
Time: 4th Monday each month at 7:30pm - 9:30pm.
Place: Chigboro Fishing Club, Chigborough Road, Heybridge CM9 4RE
Price: £1 per session.
The group covers a wide range of topics including the Solar System, the stars and their galaxies, and man’s exploration of the heavens. We generally have a short presentation which is followed by a discussion on the subject and during the winter months, we usually manage to observe, through members’ telescopes, the stars and planets. All members of the U3A are very welcome at the meetings.
For information on past events, click here.
Aviation Group
Group co-ordinator: Chris Samson
Time: Last Friday each month at 11am.
Place: Woodham Mortimer Village Hall, Post Office Rd, Woodham Mortimer, CM9 6SY
Price: £3 per session except for visits, see newsletter.
Programme for 2025:
31st January: The film 'Murphy’s War',starring Peter O’Toole as a lowly air mechanic who learns to fly in taking his personal quest for revenge on the U Boat and its crew who sank his ship and killed his comrades off South America during the latter part of WW2.
28th February: Illustrated talk by Dave “Flash” Davies 'Photography ABC', with an emphasis on the infancy of photography from the air and its evolution from WW1 to more recent times.
28th March: A considered evaluation of the air disasters that befell the Boeing 737 Max.
25th April: We will show a film of the flight by 3 members of the AUSTER Club who took their aircraft to Normandy to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-day last June and to commemorate the contribution made by the AUSTER AOP (Air Observation Post) to the success of the landings.
Thursday 22nd May: Trip to RAF Museum, Hendon.
Thursday 26th June: Trip to the Spitfire Factory at Biggin Hill airport for a guided tour of the facility where 12 or more Spitfires are undergoing complete rebuilds to full flying status
25th July: A 'Show and Tell' event when members brought along items of interest or family stories to tell.
All things aviation-related are catered for, whether your interest be early aircraft, modern fighters, airliners, space flight, model aircraft or some other aspect. Speakers and videos will be arranged throughout the year with the possibility of trips to places of interest such as museums etc.
Suggestions for subject matter are always welcome!
Balti Night
Group co-ordinators: Bob Gowers & Graham Evans.
Time: Last Monday every two months (except December) at 6:30pm.
Place: Balti Bhujon restaurant, Mill Road, Maldon.
Price: Your choice from their menu.
To add your name to the list, please contact the co-ordinators by phone or text beforehand.
Bird Watching Group
Group co-ordinator: Peter Gaywood & Mike Bagshaw.
Time: 10am unless stated otherwise.
Place: Various - see below
Price: Free (except for car parking).
We have a regular group of birdwatchers who meet on a monthly basis to spend approximately two hours on a “watch”. We visit many different venues in Essex using our own/shared cars.
Experience is useful, but not essential; also, a pair of binoculars would be an advantage.
All rendezvous times are 10am unless otherwise stated.
The programme for 2025 is:
January: No meeting
1st February: Abberton Reservoir - Meet in the car park.
2nd March: Heybridge Basin. Meet in Daisy Meadow car park.
5th April: Landguard Point, Felixstowe. Meet in the car park at the end of View Point Road (TBC).
3rd May: Fingringhoe Reserve - Meet in the visitor centre car park.
8th June: Blue House Farm, North Fambridge. Meet in the car park.
5th July: Walton-on-the-Naze. Meet in the visitor centre car park..
30th August (September meeting brought forward): Chigborough Lakes. Meet in the car park opposite Chigborough Road entrance (TBC).
September: No meeting
5th October: Wallasea Island. Meet in the reserve's car park.
1st November: Hanningfield reservoir. Meet in the visitor centre car park.
7th December: Langdon nature discovery park. Meet in the the visitor centre car park.
Bridge Group
Group co-ordinator: Gill Cory.
Time: 1st, 3rd and 5th (if there is one) Wednesdays at 9.30am to 12.15pm.
Place: West Maldon Community Centre - main hall.
Price: £3 per session.
No partner necessary – we make up tables according to numbers there. We do not teach from scratch so do come having knowledge of bidding etc. We are of all abilities and like to discuss the hands. Informal and friendly – you even get a cup of tea!
Canasta Group
Group co-ordinator: Iris Slaney.
Time: Alternate Fridays at 2pm - 4pm. No meeting in August. See the calendar in the newsletter.
Place: West Maldon Community Centre (Linton room).
Price: £2 per session.
We are a friendly group and play in pairs at tables of 4 people. You do not need a partner as pairs are randomly selected at the meeting. We play a form of Canasta called Boliva and use 3 packs of cards. We may have space so please contact me for further details. We are willing to teach anyone who would like to join us and learn the game.
Cribbage Group
Group co-ordinator: Pat Clements.
Time: The last Friday each month at 2 - 4pm
Place: Members' houses
Price: Free.
Most of us have played before and we are certainly not experts. Our group is full at the moment but we are willing to put your name on a waiting list.
Croquet Group
Group co-ordinators: Shirley and Geoff Macro.
Time: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 2pm - 4pm. The season starts in mid-April and runs until the first week in October. Please arrive promptly so you can select a mallet and be ready to start on time.
Place: Hatfield Peverel Bowling Club, The Keith Bigden Memorial Ground, Wickham Bishops Road, Hatfield Peverel CM3 2JL.
Price: £7.50 per session which includes the use of all equipment and refreshments at the end of play.
We play with the kind permission of Maldon Croquet Club ('MCC').If the weather is wet, we do not normally play.
It is a game of strategy and skill; men and women play on equal terms, and people of all ages and abilities can compete.
Please note that flat-soled footwear with closed toes (no sandals) should be worn.
Discussion Group
Group co-ordinator: Pat Jones.
Time: 2nd Mondays at 2pm - 4pm.
Place: Blue room at the Blue Boar.
Price: Free, but you should purchase a drink at the bar.
We are a friendly and informal group where there is room for agreement and disagreement, laughter and serious views and anything is up for discussion.
We welcome new members.
Engineering and Inventions
Group co-ordinator: Tony Groves.
Time: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 2pm - 4pm.
Place: My house in Danbury.
Price: Free.
Each meeting, we watch 3 half-hour talks: one on the design of buildings and bridges, one on inventions that had major impacts on subsequent history, and the last on structural failures that changed the rules.
Film Group
Group co-ordinator: Shirley Macro.
Time & place: Zoom on the last Wednesday each month at 7:30pm
Price: Free.
Each month, we choose two films that are available on free-to-view channels to watch individually. At the meeting, we discuss the films and give them a score between 0 and 10.
French Conversation Group
Group co-ordinator: Ann Lester.
Time: 2nd & 4th Thursday each month at 2pm
Place: Member's house in Tolleshunt Knights.
Price: Free.
We are a friendly group all keen to converse in and improve our French. We usually begin by talking about where we have been and what we have done since our last meeting. We then read and translate an article or two from a French magazine, often accompanied by a recording of the article by native speakers. Help is always on hand as I am an ex French teacher.
Garden Group
Group co-ordinator: Theresa Byles and Kris Taylor.
Time: Varies - see the newsletter.
Place: Varies - see the newsletter.
Price: Varies - see the newsletter.
The main purpose of this group is to visit local gardens of note, and larger national gardens further afield.
The programme in 2025 is:
Tuesday 8th April: Visit to Feeringbury Manor, Feering, CO5 9RB. £12.00 including tea and cake.
Tuesday 29th April: Visit to Ulting Wick, Crouchman’s Farm Road, Ulting, Maldon, CM9 6QX. £12.50 including tea and cake.
Thursday 22nd May: Trip to Capel Manor Gardens, Enfield. £39, coach sharing with the Aviation Group.
Thursday 26th June: Trip to Hever Castle. £tba, coach sharing with the Aviation Group.
Geology Group
Group co-ordinator: Sylvia Cousins.
Time: 3rd Wednesday each month at 2pm.
Place: Various.
Price: Varies - see the newsletter.
We enjoy a varied programme of visits to local museums, visiting speakers and film. None of us is an expert and our levels of knowledge vary widely, but everyone is keen to know more and with such a wide-ranging subject, there is something for everyone.
German Conversation Group
Group co-ordinator: Howard Broadbridge.
Time: Alternate Tuesdays each month at 2 - 4pm. See the calendar in the newsletter
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Free.
We will be looking into written material e.g. magazines etc, together with as much German conversation as possible. The main objective is to improve simple conversational German – and have some fun in doing so.
Handicrafts Group
Group co-ordinators: Marian Manning and Brenda Heal.
Time: 2nd Monday each month at 10am - 12 noon.
Place: A member's home, usually in Cold Norton
Price: Free while we are not meeting in hired venues (apart from costs relating to your own projects).
A small group of ladies who are planning to teach members how to crochet over the next few sessions, but we are prepared to cover a wide range of projects related to any form of handicrafts. New members will be very welcome.
History - Royal history
Group co-ordinator: Kathy Goff
Time: 2nd Thursday each month at 10am. (No meeting in January)
Place: West Maldon Community Centre.
Price: £2 per session.
We are a very friendly group who meet monthly. We will be moving on to discuss society and culture in the Edwardian period, both in the UK and worldwide. Do come and join us.
History - Local and General Group
Group co-ordinators: TBC.
Time: 4th Monday each month at 2pm. No meeting in December.
Place: Maldon Town Hall - see the monthly newletter for details.
Price: £2.00 per session but could be more for some speakers
The group meets throughout the year to hear speakers and presentations on various historical subjects from a local and general perspective. This is interspersed with visits to museums and places of interest either by coach or car share.
All members are welcome – come along and share an enjoyment of history.
For information on past events, click here.
`Just Jazz Group
Group co-ordinators: David Coombes and Peter Condon.
Time: 3rd Monday each month at 7:30pm from Spring to Autumn.
Place: Maldon Little Ship Club in the downstairs room.
Price: £3 per session.
We play mainly "TRAD", but if anyone has something that they want to share with the group then bring it along on CD or memory stick. Please itemise the tracks you want to listen to as this helps us to plan the evening. There is a bar available and the evenings are very enjoyable.
London Walks
Group co-ordinator: Julie Lake.
Time: 3rd Tuesday each month except January and February, starting at mid-morning.
Price: £12 per walk, payable in advance, with your own arranged transport to London, and refreshments being additional.
The walks are in central London, accompanied by a professional guide provided by the company 'London Walks'.
Each walk has a theme, as set out below. Note that the guides require a minimum number of people.
The programme for 2025 will be:
Tuesday 18 March 25: 'Publish and be Damned'. Meet at Temple Underground station.
Tuesday 15 April 25:'The History of Medicine'. Meet at Russell Square Underground station.
Tuesday 20 May 25: 'Old Westminster'. Meet at St James Park Underground station.
Tuesday 17 June 25: 'Brunel’s River Cruise'. Meet at Embankment Underground station. This will incur an extra charge for the boat trip, payable on the day, and the tour will last 3 hours. More details will be provided nearer the time.
Tuesday 15 July 25: 'The Inns of Court'. Meet at Holborn Underground station.
Luncheon Group
Group co-ordinator: Joan Cummins ('Meet and Eat')
Time: 2nd Wednesday each month at 12:15 for 12:30pm.
Place: Various venues.
Price: Varies.
The Group keeps to a limited membership and visits a different ‘fine dining’ restaurant or bistro pub each month. Every member takes a turn in organising the venue, the details being decided the month beforehand.
MahJong Group
Group co-ordinator: Mags Pell
Time: Alternate Fridays each month at 2 - 4pm. See the calendar in the newsletter.
Place: West Maldon Community Centre - Linton room.
Price: £2 per session.
We meet alternate Friday afternoons for an enjoyable two hours. We are now a group of fifteen members, more always welcome.
Maritime Group
Group co-ordinator: Malcolm Case
Time: 1st Monday each month at 10am - 12 noon autumn to spring. In the summer, we usually go on outings.
Place: The Blackwater Sailing Club, Basin Road, Heybridge CM9 4SD.
Price: £2 per session except for trips - see the newsletter.
During autumn to spring we generally have illustrated talks at The Blackwater Sailing Club on subjects with a Maritime interest, such as sailing around the world by yacht, the role of the Merchant Navy in times of peace and conflict, information on specific ships, both Merchant and Royal, amongst many other interesting nautical topics. During the summer months the group generally visits places of Maritime interest.
All members of the U3A are very welcome at the meetings.
2025
Monday 6th January – Talk by Ian Kirby on 'My River Thames'.
Monday 3rd February – talk by Alison Mainwood on 'the history of navigation from lodestones to GPS'.
Monday 3rd March – Talk by Jimmy Byam-Shaw on 'ship development in Spain and England during the time of the Armada'.
Monday 7th April – talk by Julie Ann Miller of the Combined Military Services Museum, Maldon on the 'Cockleshell Heroes of Operation Frankton'.
Monday 5th May – no meeting – bank holiday.
Monday 2nd June – Trip to the Thames Barrier.
Monday 7th July – Talk by John Johnson-Allan on the HMS Truculent, a British submarine of the third group of the T class.
Monday 4th August – tba
Monday 1st September – Possible trip with Groups Direct to Ware and Hertford for a tour and a river cruise along the picturesque flood plains of the river Lee. Enroute to Hertford we will pass through two original locks.
Monday 6th October – Talk by Roger Butler on the Treasure Islands- exploring the Hebrides looking at islands, ferries, wildlife, etc in the Hebrides as well as travelling out to far-flung St Kilda.
Monday 3rd November – Talk by Richard Pusey on 'Antarctic exploration' (Scott v Amundsen v Shackleton).
Monday 1st December – Talk by Kris Taylor on the Cable & Wireless super yacht and its race around the world in 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes.
All meetings start at 10:00 am on the first Monday of the month.
Click here for information on past events.
Music Appreciation Group
Group co-ordinator: tba
Time: 4th Thursday each month at 2 - 4pm.
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Free.
Mostly classical, some jazz, sometimes a musical, other times – comedy. Short extracts, the full works, popular and obscure, and always members’ choices. Discussions – animated and often provocative. This is a very friendly group with an average attendance of eight or nine. Oh yes, and always a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Padel Tennis Group
Group co-ordinator: Ken Hazell
Time: Every Wednesday at 2:30 - 4pm.
Place: Go Padel, Maldon CM9 5UR (off Park Drive, behind Park Drive Health Club)
Price: £3 per session, including hire of a bat.
Padel is a cross between tennis and squash, designed to be suitable for older people. All equipment is provided. We play social doubles on covered outdoor courts. As with any sport, a reasonable level of mobility is required and you play at your own risk.
Petanque (Boule) Group
Group co-ordinators: Jack Veash and Geoff Macro
Time: Thursday afternoons at 2pm. from 10th April to autumn.
Place: Petanque terrain, Promenade Park.
Price: Free.
It's very easy to learn the basics of Petanque and complete novices will be up and running in a short space of time. Before you know it, you will be pointing and shooting and getting that first win under your belt.
We play on the Petanque terrain opposite the Marine Lake at the Promenade Park, Park Drive, Maldon Essex CM9 5JQ. No charge is made to play but of course you must be a member of the Maldon & District u3a (or of another u3a in our cluster group).
Car parking is available at the park, but please note that Maldon District Council make a charge.
We will be able to loan you some boules to get you started to see if you like it, but you will need to purchase some of your own to play regularly. We play only if the weather is dry. The season runs from April and takes a break once the colder weather arrives, usually in November.
For pictures of past events, click here.
Photography Group
Group co-ordinator: Tony Groves
Time & Place: Zoom on the 3rd Wednesday each month at 7:30pm.
Price: Free.
Share your photographs with other members. This is for everyone who has a camera or smartphone. It's not a competition nor only for expert photographers. Each month we will choose a topic and you can send up to six photos to me. I will host a Zoom meeting so we can all see and chat about them. I will then put them on this website.
Click here to see this month's subject and pictures from previous months.
Poetry Group
Group co-ordinator: Jo Robson
Time: 1st Thursday each month at 2pm - 4pm.
Place: Members' houses, or a hall if numbers require it.
Price: Free unless a hall is hired.
We are a like-minded group who enjoy reading poetry. We have found, by dedicating ourselves to just one poet or occasionally two each session, that we learn a lot about the actual poet, and this has proved very interesting to us all. We do, however, sometimes have a theme to follow up and are always flexible and open to new ideas.
Rummikub Group
Co-ordinator: Janice Martin
Time: 1st and 3rd Thursdays each month at 10am - 12 noon.
Place: Plantation Hall, Heybridge.
Price: £2 per session.
We are a very friendly group. This easy-to-learn game uses numbered tiles to make runs and sets, similar in some ways to Rummy. Come and join us - you will be made very welcome.
Russian Conversation
Co-ordinator: Irina Vahonina
Time: to be decided.
Place: members' homes.
Price: Free.
I am Russian and I also speak Polish, so I am also able to teach that. The emphasis is on conversational language - beginners are welcome.
If you would like to expand your knowledge of foreign languages, please contact me for more information.
Sing For Pleasure Group
Group co-ordinator: Sue Garnham
Time: 2nd & 4th Fridays each month at 10am - 12 noon.
Place: Plantation Hall, Heybridge.
Price: £3 per session.
We enjoy singing a variety of songs and rounds. The group is led by two of our members. Visitors and new members are always welcome, but please telephone the co-ordinator to check that there is room in the group.
Strollers Sunday & Tuesday Groups
Co-ordinator: Malcolm Case
Time: 3rd Sunday and 4th Tuesday meeting at 10:00am for 10:30am start.
Place: Various - see the monthly newsletter for details.
Price: Free.
The walks are around 4 to 5 miles at a steady pace which cover many different locations. The main format is to start the walk at a pub, have a circular walk, which lasts approximately 2 hours, then arrive back at the pub for lunch. Members are asked to provide walks throughout the year, this way we find we have different leaders and new locations.
Tenpin Bowling Groups
Group co-ordinator: Alan Buck. Deputy: David Coombes
Time: Every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:45am - 12 noon.
Place: Maldon Heights Bowling Lanes, Maldon.
Price: £8 per session: this includes shoe hire and a cup of tea or coffee plus a biscuit.
All those who come along know that the actual bowling is just an excuse to get out, have some fun, meet a lot of nice people, make new friends and have a little exercise. The scores are not important – there are no teams, leagues or tables! It’s all very friendly and there are no inquests at the end of each game.
We meet every Wednesday and Thursday morning at 09.45 at Madison Heights. You choose which you prefer. In total between 30 to 50 of us play each week.
Theatre Outings Group
Group co-ordinators: Rosemary Case and Sheila Childs.
Time: Various.
Place: Various.
Price: Varies.
This group organises theatre visits to London by coach throughout the year to a variety of shows. All visits are open to all members and are very popular and usually oversubscribed. Please contact Rosemary Case by email if you want to be added to the notification list. We email them as soon as tickets are put on hold.
Wine Groups
Wine Group 1 has now closed.
Wine Group Two
Group co-ordinator: tba
Time: 4th Wednesday each month.
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Varies.
Members take it in turns at our monthly meetings to do a presentation. These have been wide ranging and very varied, but always interesting and informative, and of course, with plenty of tasting. We look forward to more of the same in the coming year.
Wine Group Three
Group co-ordinator: Mary Burd
Time: 4th Thursday each month.
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Varies.
This group has been running since 2013 but currently has no vacancies. Members take it in turns to host, do a presentation on wines of their choice or provide a 'surprise' bottle to be identified. After almost 12 years we are still trying to learn more about a fascinating subject!
Wine Group Four
Group co-ordinator: Ann Goody
Time: 4th Tuesday each month at 7:30pm.
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Varies.
This wine group started in mid-2014 due to demand that could not be satisfied by the other three wine groups. However, it too is full. We take a less formal approach than the first three groups. We meet in members’ houses and the host(s) decides what form the meeting will take. Suffice to say we drink, and talk about, a lot of wine; an endlessly fascinating subject worthy of serious study.
Writing for Fun Group
Group co-ordinator: Patrick Forsyth
Time: 4th Wednesday each month. Meetings are at 12 noon and last about a couple of hours.
Place: Members' houses.
Price: Free.
We are a small but dedicated group of writers who enjoy creative work of many kinds. The most frequently produced is the short story: perhaps humour, mystery, ghost, historic etc. of about 1000 words, this being a suitable size to allow each person to read aloud at our meeting. We also write non-fiction, autobiography, poetry and plays.
Each year we choose a new programme of titles, each of which can be widely interpreted, as its aim is to encourage and inspire, rather than to constrict in any way. The writing is composed at home and brought to our monthly meeting, where each member in turn reads his/her writing aloud. There are never two pieces remotely alike and all are much enjoyed. Each one is commented on by fellow writers, with suggestions, if necessary, for enhancement. This year we will also continue to explore methods for publication and, some of us, more ambitious projects such as writing a full book.