Welcome to the Ballymena U3A Group's Website
Our Monthly General Meetings are held on the first Thursday in each month from September to June, normally using premises kindly made available to us free of charge by Michelin PLC at Michelin Athletic Club, Woodside Road, Ballymena.
We meet for coffee/tea and biscuits (small charge) at 10.30 am. The general meetings commence at 11.00 am.
For 2011/2012 the Office-bearers are Brian Sims, Chairman; Les Caddlle, Vice-Chairman; Jane Shaw, Treasurer;
Sandra McWilliams, Secretary, Phone 9443 2575
The programme for the 2011/2012 year is now ready. Programme cards have been sent out to members in mid-August. This is a summary.
08 September 2011
Opening Meeting in Eaton Park Rugby Club, as Michelin need their hall. Speaker: George Busby. Subject: "The Secret Listeners of Gilnahirk".
06 October 2011.
Speaker: Jim Hunter
Subject: "William B. Yeats and Sligo"
03 November 2011
Speaker: A local representative.
Subject: "The Samaritans in their 50th Year
01 December 2011
Table Quiz and Christmas Buffet Lunch.
05 January 2o12
Speaker: Jim Flanagan.
Subject: "The Ballymena Guardian".
02 February 2012
Speaker: A local representative.
Subject: "The Citizens' Advice Bureau".
##### 08 March 2012. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE. Annual General Meeting. All members should ALREADY have received papers regarding A.G.M.
Election of 2012/2013 Office Bearers. Open Forum.
05 April 2012
Speaker: Brian Sims
Subject: "A Trip to the Holy Land.
03 May 2012
Annual Outing: "The Titanic EXhibition and The Transport Museum"
07 June 2012
Speaker: To be decided.
SHORT BREAK. Our friends in Glens and Dalriada U3A are having a 3-night break in Glasgow, departing 28th May, 2012. Cost £279, sharing. Half-board. If you are intersted in going, please phone Mary McFadden, phone no. from Aileen. Trip is organised by Travel Solutions, and we would be filling up vacant spaces
The Book Club list is now available on the website to allow members to source books for the incoming year
An important part of the work of U3A is its activity groups.
Last year's activities included: Book Club, Bowls, Bridge, Computing, Craft,
Digital Photography, French, Natural History, Spanish, Walks and Theatre Visits. (There's now a German "Taster" Group.
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A Visit to Castle Upton (Templepatrick) in Late Summer
We do hope you will plan to join in some of these interesting and entertaining activities.
The plans for each group are on separate pages (Click on SideBar top right to see them)
Encourage your friends to come along too. We presently have 120 members.
The more members we have, the more varied will be the activities we can undertake. Interested in joining?
Try phoning Aileen on 9447 3881. She's never in, but if you leave a message, she will return your call.
INDOOR BOWLS GROUP
Group meets on Thursdays in Eaton Park, 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. and continues weekly. The Co-ordinator is Gary Shaw.
BOOK CLUB
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW SESSION OF THE BOOK CLUB WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, 5TH SEPT., 2011 at 2.30 p.m. in Montgomery's Board Room.
The book for that day will be Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall".
October - "The Hare With Amber Eyes" by Edmund de Waal.
November - "A Year in The Province" by Christopher Marsh.
**December - "The Finkler Question" by Howard Jacobson. Monday, 5th Dec. We are meeting in Montgomery's restaurant at 12.15 p.m. for an informal Christmas Lunch. The lunch will be in the Board room, followed by our Book Club meeting, which is likely to start earlier than our usual 2.30 p.m.
9th January - Everyone bring a favourite poem. Note the change of date due to Montgomery's being closed for the Bank Holiday. I have contacted regulars by phone; I hope everyone has been informed.
6thFebruary - "Remarkable Creatures" by Tracy Chevalier
5thMarch - "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE IN MICHELIN SOCIAL CLUB, AS USUAL AT 2.30 P.M. BRING YOUR OWN SNACK!
2ndApril - " Blue Tango" by Eoin McNamee
7thMay - "Star-Gazing" by Linda Gillard. This is a Bank Holiday, so the date will have to be checked.
Feel free to contact Aileen Graham, 9447 3881, if you would like more information about the Book Club
French Group
Meets at 9.45 p.m. on Thursdays in Michelin Committee Room. Most classes go on to 11.00 a.m., but on days when there is a General Meeting, they stop at 10.30. Contact David Graham if interested.
David hopes to hold beginner German classes later in the year.
Craft Class
Meets on Tuesdays at 2.30 p.m. in Michelin Committee Room. It's a shared-skills class - no formal teacher, but we all help one another. You choose your own project - or perhaps resurrect a half-finished one from the cupboard! There's a cup of tea and plenty of chat.
The Craft Class continues over the summer, except for 12th July when the premises will be closed .
Possible trip abroad.
The Committee is looking at various possibilities for a group holiday. An announcement will be made at the next General Meeting.
Spanish Beginners Contact John Stuart if interested.
Secretary: Sandra McWilliams amcwilliams183@btinternet.com
Webmaster: Aileen Graham aileen.graham1@btinternet.com
Notices
I intend to record announcements made at the general meetings on the web-site, so that you can keep in touch even if you are not at the general meeting.
Digital Photography
Brian Sims is currently collecting names for a digital photography class.
Speak to Brian if interested.
French Class has started. Contact David Graham if interested.
Group Co-ordinators: Please let me have notices for inclusion on the website.
We operate a Book Swop scheme. Are you running out of book shelf space? Bring along spare books to our book table. They will be sold for 30p and theproceeds will go to charity. Some good books turn up!
Book Club announcement
The book club normally meets on the first Monday of the month, in Montgomery's Boardroom, at 2.30 p.m.
The list of books for the year is on the Book Club link. "Paper" lists of the bookswill be available from Aileen.
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