Members Open Meeting: Thursday 8th October St Ives Corn Exchange 1.20 for 2.00pm THE LIFE, MUSIC AND INFLUENCE OF BUDDY HOLLY Speaker: Tony Tutton Articles and features for the November newsletter should be sent to Anne by 17th October: editor@u3aivo.uk Newsletter October 2026 Website: u3aivo.uk, email: info@u3aivo.uk Or call 07458 197372 All Members Open Meetings are held at the Corn Exchange, St Ives 1.20pm for 2.00pm start. Please note: We kindly ask that members wishing to discuss membership matters or to book outings or theatre trips please arrive early to avoid disruption. Committee members and the Group Support Team will be available after the meeting to answer questions and discuss any matters of concern. Tony will take you on a journey through the life of the legendary Buddy Holly from his birthplace in Lubbock Texas in 1936 to his untimely death on 3rd February 1959. The talk features many of Buddy smash hits, That’ll be the Day, Oh Boy, Peggy Sue, Rave On, Heartbeat …and lots more.

Theatre/Outings Waiting Lists 2 Holkham Hall and Gardens Thursday 15th October WAITING LIST ONLY Join us for a day at Holkham Hall! Cost: £39 including Driver´s Gratuity Rockingham Castle Thu 19th November WAITING LIST ONLY Rockingham Castle, near Corby, is a former royal castle and hunting lodge. Cost: £49 including morning coffee, lunch. The Magic of Christmas Show Thursday 17th December WAITING LIST ONLY At Brick Lane Music Hall, including 3 - course lunch Victoria Wood ’ s Dinnerladies Wed 17th March Milton Keynes AVAILABILITY TICKET FOR 2.30pm PERFORMANCE £43.88 PLUS TRAVEL Christmas Carol Goes Wrong Wednesday 3rd February Milton Keynes Theatre WAITING LIST ONLY TICKET FOR MATINEE PERFORMANCE £38 PLUS TRAVEL TBA

3 Review of the Choir of Man Booking Procedure for Outings, Theatre Trips and Events PLEASE DO NOT PAY FOR TRIPS BEFORE YOUR BOOKING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED • Bookings can be made at Open Meetings or on the website • Theatre Trips: u3aivo.uk/theatre • Outings: u3aivo.uk/outings • Events: u3aivo.uk/events • Outings: Sue Belcher (07778425052 — Strictly for members with no internet) • When booking a trip on the web page, click on the blue envelope, please DO NOT click on 'CONTACT' at the very top of the page. • ALWAYS BOOK BEFORE PAYING. All bookings will be confirmed. • BACS payment preferred please, either online or by going into your branch • Payment: St Ives (Cambs) U3A Social Account • Sort code: 40 - 16 - 08 Account: 74557352 • Ref: u3a membership number and trip name • If no alternative, cheques made payable to: St Ives (Cambs) U3A Social Account • Payment to be made at least six weeks prior to the trip Or should that be the “Choir of Men”. Nine exceptional talented, versatile performers with an incredible vocal range from baritone to soprano entertain an audience in a high energy alternative musical. Encompassing everything from folk, to rock to heavy metal. Set in a community working-man’s pub bar, the story line is loosely based on a place where people come and share their troubles. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. There’s humour, tap dancing on bar and table top, audience participation is encouraged, joining the cast on stage at the start of each act. You only know the performance is starting when they leave and the house lights dim. All were multi- talented singing, dancing, playing a variety of instruments as solos or combined, their timing couldn’t be faulted. This was complemented by excellent sound and lighting of the set on stage. If I have one criticism it is not of the show, but the seating. These were probably the most uncomfortable seats I have sat on in a theatre—a bench seat would have been better! Hopefully these will get replaced along with the rest of the renovations that are going on at the moment at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend. Graham Emmett

‘ u3a ’ s Got Talent ’ Friday 16 th October AN EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT BY OUR CREATIVE ARTS GROUPS (but no judging involved!) ST IVES CORN EXCHANGE, DOORS OPEN 6.30PM TICKETS £5 (or £3 for performers) The Corn Exchange has limited capacity so please book tickets as soon as possible. Our music groups have sometimes provided background music at group fairs, but this event is being organised in response to a request from members who said they would welcome the opportunity to sit and listen to more of their performances, without the hubbub of a group fair. Seating will be round tables with the bar open to purchase drinks, and art & craft work will be on display to view before the event and during the interval. The evening will comprise a varied programme with performances by our music and singing groups, interspersed with stories and poetry. The evening is being organised by the Events Team and needs to be self - financing, in the same way as our quiz nights and other events are, which means the cost of hiring the hall and bar needs to be covered by ticket sales. To ease administration, groups taking part have been asked to block - book tickets for their members, but other members can book via the website in the usual way. The event web page will be updated regularly, so please check there for availability nearer the date, and come along to enjoy an evening of entertainment with your u3a friends. More details on the website here: u3a ’ s Got Talent

Wine Tasting Wednesday 2nd December Broadway Cellars We have a Wine Tasting Event booked at the Broadway Cellars in St Ives for Wednesday 2nd December starting at 7pm. There will be a total of 8 wines to taste with a sparkling wine to whet the appetite, followed by 6 other wines from France, Italy, South Africa, Spain and Australia, and to complete the tasting a fortified wine from Argentina A selection of cheese and Charcuterie will also be provided. The price per person is £40. Bookings via the events page. Numbers of the event are limited so we recommend early booking. Wine Tasting Booking Diary Dates 5 Quiz Night Thursday 26th November 7pm (doors open 6.30pm) St Ives Corn Exchange Back by popular demand the u3a Quiz Night returns for all members on Thursday 26th November at the Corn Exchange. Doors open at 6:30 pm for a 7pm start. Tables of 6 are invited - either groups or individual members are welcome to come along and make up a team on the night. £6.00 per person. For bookings, please click here: Quiz Night

6 AGM/New Committee Thank you to those who came to our AGM in September, as well as to those of you who sent in proxy votes. Our new Trustees meet for the first time in October as our St Ives (Cambs) u3a Committee. Please wish them well. If you have any concerns, questions or suggestions feel free to contact any of them via the Contact page on our website ( u3aivo.uk/contact ), or our telephone no. 07458 197372. If you would like to know how you yourself might be able to help contribute to the life of our u3a please feel free to get in touch. There are lots of possibilities. Officers Brian Gilmour Chair Bob Wilson Treasurer TBA Secretary Other Trustees: Sheila Louth Anne Bannell Sue Belcher Gill Jones Roy Moyser Ian Pask Robin Carter Ian Brennand

Group News 7 Environmental Matters Thursday 1st October, 2pm at St Ives Methodist Church. Calling ALL u3a members who are interested! Are you an ethical consumer or do you want to be? Do join us for what promises to be a lively discussion on topics such as makeup, vitamins, deodorant, nappies, big tech, tea, coffee, cooking oils, online retailers, chocolate or ...the list is endless. All our info will be coming from surveys done by www.ethicalconsumer.org The next meeting is Thursday 5th November. Vic Lelliot The Joy of Travelling After much deliberation it is with sadness that Julia Bowman has decided to close this group. It has been running for over two years but with dwindling numbers (mainly because everyone is travelling all the time!) it’s now going to end. If anyone wants to start a similar group then please get in touch with the Group Support Team. gst@u3aivo.uk Sailing Group …. underway and making way Following an initial article in the June magazine 10 members of St Ives u3a came forward and expressed an interest in yacht sailing. During three days in late August nine members of the group each enjoyed a day on the water. We sailed on the estuaries of the Rivers Orwell and Stour, and a little out to sea beyond Harwich and Felixstowe. Each day was rounded off with dinner in The Ship at Levington prior to the drive home. Fortunately, the good weather held (a little damp when we arrived at the boat on the third day, but sunny by afternoon) and everyone was able to experience some good sailing. On the last day we even saw the research vessel Sir David Attenborough coming back into Harwich from its recent trip to the arctic. Sailing Group Roger Beaman

Kayaking and Canoeing Group I first paddled a kayak on a Scout camp at Bala in 1972. It’s fair to say that I have been paddling canoes and kayaks ever since, with a trip down the Grand Canyon, a week of paddling around the Isles of Scilly, a circumnavigation of Menorca and six days of Norwegian fjords and coastline being some of the highlights of the past 11 years. While I am not suggesting doing any of those trips as part of u3a, I am suggesting a St Ives u3a canoeing and kayaking group for those able to paddle and with their own equipment. If you are interested in joining like-minded people bobbing about on local (and maybe not so local) waters, then I’d like to hear from you. I have both an open canoe and several kayaks (including sea and whitewater, and even a 3-man kayak if you want to bring your partner and the dog), so happy to use a single or a double blade when on the water. This is not an invitation to have paddling lessons from me (I can point you in the direction of 3 clubs in the county that can help), although if you want a few tips and tricks, I am happy to help. And while I do have what I consider to be a reasonable amount of paddling gear, I am not a general outfitter for u3a. Initially I envisage some simple trips on the local rivers, but very happy to discuss looking further afield if people want to travel. Interested? Roger Beaman Kayak/Canoe Board Games We're pleased to announce that a new board games group will be starting in October. Whether you're new to board games, a Backgammon champion, or someone who loves a jolly good game, you're very welcome. Come along for some fun and friendly competition, traditional and new games and very good company. The first meeting will be on Thursday 22nd October at 10.30 and the November meeting is planned for Thursday 26th. To start with we are meeting in a members' home so please click on the blue envelope to join the group and get the address. Board Games New Groups 8

Group Support Team 9 The Group Support Team comprises of Anne Bannell, Joy Cooper and Alan Rogers at the moment. And although the amount of work generated by this group is not enormous, we all have other roles within the u3a and consequently, especially when one of us is away, we find ourselves a little stretched. We would really love someone else to join us. If you can answer ‘Yes’ to any of these questions—do get in touch: • Are you already familiar with how groups work? • Do you get on well with all sorts of people? • Can you facilitate? ie. Set up a meeting with others who want to start a new group? • Spare a couple of hours a month to attend the GST monthly meeting? gst@u3aivo.uk Every Month at the Corn Exchange Anyone for Bridge? Following an exploratory meeting of members interested in a Bridge group, we have two people willing to teach beginners or “rusty” players, and some who would like to play social or “kitchen” Bridge, not too competitively but aiming to improve their game. We’re still gathering interest, probably aiming to start the group in the new year. Please let us know if you might be interested, and keep an eye on the website for any developments. u3aivo.uk/possible - bridge

Digital Photography 10 After a busy Summer visiting and photographing different venues it is time for us to return to base for the Autumn. The heat impacted our visits and we did have to resort to zoom for one month. We enjoyed a trip on the electric boat at Wicken Fen, followed by street photography at St Ives. Photos by V Bonny & P Marsh

Engage Talks Wednesday 7th October 2pm - 3.30pm Talk on Energy Conservation And Home Improvement Advice by Henry Butress. How to conserve energy and prepare for winter. Do come along to see if any suggestions can help with reducing costs. To reserve your place please email stives.library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, phone 0345 045 5225 or ask at library desk. Free event, donations welcome. St Ives Library 11 Online Drop - In Sessions The Last Wednesday of Every Month 10.30am – 12.20pm Having trouble using your Laptop/ Tablet/Phone? Come down to the library to speak with a volunteer from the charity Cambridge Online and have a short one - to - one session where they can help you with queries you might have regarding your own devices and solve technical issues. Free Drop - ins, first - come, first - served. Library equipment that you can use at your local library: Scanners – Photocopiers – Printer Computers – Printing and photocopying is chargeable. Lloyds Bank, in the Library every Monday, 9.30 till 3.30 Bus pass renewals or applications for new bus pass. Booking is advised. Mondays, fortnightly from 1.15 till 4.15. New bus leaflets available explaining the new bus routes. Opening Hours: Monday: 9.30am to 7pm Tuesday: 9.30am to 5pm Wednesday: 9.30am to 5pm Thursday: 9.30am to 1pm Friday: 9.30am to 5pm Saturday: 9.30am to 4pm Sunday & Bank Holidays: Closed Crafty Crew The 3rd Monday of the month Cuppa and company 2.00 — 3.00 pm Staff member on hand to advise with craft making. We have other events not listed here so please check the Library window for posters and also the windows inside the Library by the door. For grandparents we have thing on during the school holidays so please check out the posters. I'm sure you will find something for the grandchildren there.

12 Constable Country On a very hot day in August, I decided to put on my walking boots on and head to Constable Country in Suffolk. The area of big skies, quite lanes, fabulous walking. It's the area made famous by the painter John Constable 1776 - 1837. My walk started from Flatford Mill - this was built around 1733. The building is a 3 storey water mill that was used for grinding corn. John Constable's father brought Flatford Mill in 1784. In 1943 the National Trust purchased the Mill and Flatford House. After looking around Flatford Mill and Willy Lotts Cottage (The Hay Wain) we walked across the meadows following the River Stour to the pretty village of Dedham. Passing cows roaming the meadows and cooling off in the River Stour. In total the walk is 3 miles. Alternatively, you can take the river boat or even try out a paddle board up to Dedham. This year 2026 marks 250 years of John Constable - a year of exhibitions. Please do visit this area and enjoy tea and cake in the various tearooms. Stella Joyner