Month: March 2023
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A Journey from Storyville to Chicago
Our Jazz Appreciation Group met on Tuesday 28 March 2023 to learn about the journey from Storyville to Chicago for US Jazz Musicians. Storyville was a part of downtown New Orleans, LA, between the Business District and the French Quarter. According to Wikipedia, Storyville was the red-light district of New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1897 to…
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In u3a Art, Free Choice Works Well
This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on a selection of works brought to the session by the members of the u3a. The only constraint was that the painting should show an interior scene. There was no constraint of country, style or period, and that led to a very…
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Fungus Fighting & Plants for Drought
Our session started with a discussion on fungus problems with Bettina Red Robin and with a number of different fruit trees – especially apples and pears. Various remedies are being tested, and a report back to the group will prove very useful once the results are in. With the prospect of long hot summers, where…
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The Secret Life of the Double Agent
Our speaker at our Monthly Meeting in March was Paul Barwick, a former policeman (uniformed and plain clothes) with 34 years of service. Paul’s subject for his talk was Edward (Eddie) Arnold Chapman – a British WW2 spy and the only serving member of the British Army to be awarded the Iron Cross on the…
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Still Life in 17th Century Dutch Art
This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on the development of Still Life or “Stilleven” paintings. We started with a quick recap of where we had got to in our 12 week programme, and a brief announcement of what remains to be covered – including pictures from the audience…
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Pre-Budget visit to the Bank Museum
A group of Kenton & District u3a members took the train from Preston Road station on Monday 13 March 2023 for a Pre-Budget QUIRKY VISIT to the Bank of England Museum, located within the Bank of England in the City of London. The museum is home to a collection of diverse items relating to the…
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Rummikub and Scrabble Meetings
Our Rummikub and Scrabble group meets on alternating Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the Bar Lounge at the Harrow District Masonic Centre in Kenton. You may be wondering what Rummikub is! Wikipedia produced this answer … Rummikub is a tile-based game for 2 to 4 players, combining elements of the card game rummy and the tile…
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Busy Current Affairs Monday Meeting
On Monday 13 March 2023, our most frequently meeting group sat down to discuss Current Affairs. On the Agenda this week were the passing of Topol (of “Fiddler on the Roof” fame) and Rafael Viñoly (architect of the Walkie Talkie building). That was followed by a short discussion, at which it was agreed that an…
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Italian Influence on Dutch 17thC Art
Our course on Dutch Art from the Golden Age continued with an examination of the influence the Italian Artists of the 17th Century had on the artists working in the Netherlands. Perhaps the clearest influence to the beginner’s eye is the use of Chiaroscuro (literally light-dark) – a technique exploited in Italy by Caravaggio. Jennifer,…
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Tronjies and Merry Company
This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on the development of Group Portraits, the depiction of Merriness in bars, in places of work and in the home. Many of the portraits led to involvement and discussion, including the famous individuals pictured, like Pickled Herring, the Lute Player, the Merry…