Members Open Meeting: Thursday 13th August St Ives Corn Exchange 1.20 for 2.00pm MEDICAL DETECTION DOGS Speaker: Dr Dereck Wheeldon The Amazing Charity that trains dogs to diagnose human disease and to provide bio detectors with ﬂuffy tails to people with life-threatening conditions. Presented by Dr Dereck Wheeldon – a retired Medical Scientist. Articles and features for the September magazine should be sent to Anne by 17th august: editor@u3aivo.uk Newsletter August 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.

Theatre Trips 2 The Choir of Man Friday 18 th September Cliffs Pavilion Southend £43.75 plus travel TBA 4pm performance WAITING LIST ONLY There’s a few coach places available for anyone who fancies a day out in Southend. Review of Operation Mincemeat How well did this work as a musical? A little known (until recently) secret operation to deceive the German military in moving its army away from Sicily for an allied invasion to take place. It did follow the story authentically of a tramp dressed as a Marine carrying secret papers washed up on a Spanish beach for German Intelligence to ﬁnd. Gender reversal of the characters bar one added an interesting twist that didn’t detract from the story line, although a predominant male cast may have added a touch more drama to the proceedings. A high-energy fast-moving musical performed with a minimal cast and set, excellent acting with the staging and lighting adding to the atmosphere of the musical. Clever lighting enhancing the scenes and the choreography of the dance sequences. The only criticism I would level at it would be with the sound balance between the vocals and the backing music. This made it difﬁcult to hear the words that were being sung apart from the solos. Overall, an enjoyable show that at times was a cross between a musical and a modern-day opera. Graham Emmett The Magic of Christmas Show Thursday 17th December WAITING LIST ONLY Brick Lane Music Hall Including three-course lunch Approx £80

3 Outings Hatﬁeld House and Gardens Thursday 20th August Hatﬁeld House is a Grade I listed country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of Hatﬁeld, Hertfordshire, England. Cost £39 (Includes driver’s gratuity) Visit to Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park Tuesday 15 th September Join us for a day out on the Farm, at Wherstead Cost £36 (Includes driver’s gratuity) Holkham Hall and Gardens Thursday 15 th October Join us for a day at Holkham Hall! Arrive in time for coffee (own expense) On arrival we will be met by the Holkham Visitor Team who will give us a brief introduction. Then free time to visit Holkham Stories, an interactive exhibition which includes tales of the estate’s 400-year-old heritage, and Holkham Hall to see its incredible treasures and architecture. Time for lunch (own expense) About one hour before our departure, using our coach, the Visitor Team will take us to their beautiful 6 acre Walled Garden Café and gift shop on site Cost £39 (includes driver’s gratuity) Waiting Lists

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 - See article re. online payment on page 5 • 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 Events 4 Our next planned event was to be a Treasure Hunt in September, however due to a clash of dates with the St. Ives Jazz Festival, we thought it best to postpone the event as St. Ives is likely to be very busy that day. However, we will plan the event for early next year. Our next event will be Friday 16th October, when we will be featuring our very own u3a members as they present a Night of Culture. This promises to be an excellent evening and please put the date in your diaries - more details to follow on the u3a events page shortly. In November we are planning a Wine Tasting Evening. We will again put details on the u3a events web page shortly. Also on Thursday 26th November we are delighted to advise we will be hosting another Quiz Night at the Corn Exchange. The quiz night has become incredibly popular and a great fun night. Bookings will be via the u3a events webpage and we advise that teams and individuals book when the link becomes available as this event is likely to sell out! Ian Pask

5 Annual General Meeting Thursday 10th September 2pm As a charity we have Trustees who take responsibility for ensuring that we carry out the purposes for which we have been set up. Our Trustees, including our ofﬁcers (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer), will be elected at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday 10th September to serve for a year. Signed nominations must be in the hands of a Committee member by 23rd August. We have a few nominations already, but need more. Please consider whether one or two members you know (or even yourself) could become a Trustee. If you want to discuss the possibility, ask a Committee member or email chair@u3aivo.uk. I will be available at the August Members' Open Meeting to answer any questions (with nomination forms). We especially need a Chair and Secretary. Attached to this newsletter are papers for the AGM: • Notice and Agenda • Nomination form • 2025 Minutes • 2025 Accounts • Minutes of SGM There is a special page on our website for the AGM (u3aivo.uk/agm) and all the documents are there as Flip Books. Peter Cooper, Chair A new option for paying for Theatre Trips In addition to our usual method of paying for Theatre Trips via BACS, we are starting to offer a new way called "SumUp" which will enable you to pay online using a debit or credit card if you wish. When Kathy and Sheila send you a request to pay in future, they will offer the usual instructions but include a special SumUp link for that particular Theatre Trip. If you want to use a card, you would be able to click on that link and it will take you to a simple SumUp webpage where you can "Pay as guest". All you then need to do is enter your name and card details, click on "Pay", and confirm in the normal way your card issuer requires. If you want to continue to pay using BACS, instead of a card, that is perfectly fine. Unfortunately, we cannot yet offer to take card payments using a machine. If you have any questions about any of this please ask Kathy. u3aivo.uk/theatre Sum Up

Group News 6 Masters of Modern Art Trip to Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge We looked at the work of Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Alfred Wallis (all included at Kettle’s Yard) a few weeks back and it was great to see the actual work up close. Some of the group had never been to Kettle’s Yard before and it’s inspired people to return. It was a private tour and the guide, Phil, was very informative about the owners of the house (Jim and Helen Ede) and the artists they collected. We ﬁnished the day with a lovely lunch in The Mitre. Neil Hopkins Environmental Matters Come and join us discussing …. The Environmental Footprint of the Football World Cup.... "Ninety minutes on the pitch ....but what is the environmental score ? From fans ﬂying across the globe to giant stadiums and mountains of merchandise, we will ask whether the beautiful game comes with an ugly carbon footprint." ...on Thursday, 3rd September at 2pm at St Ives Methodist Church. We are looking forward to our lively topical series of Autumn meetings - all details are on the website. u3aivo.uk/env Mary Gatehouse Beginners Latin Group ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE? This year’s Beginners Latin group of ten meets weekly, and can now tackle simple translations with some conﬁdence. What are the sessions like? In the words of some of its members, they are: • really interesting • a wonderful learning experience • challenging, fun • a great brain workout It would be possible to start another group in the autumn, at 2.00 pm on Tuesdays in the Free Church. Three people have already expressed an interest, but a few more are needed to make a group viable. Please make contact through the website if you would like more information. u3aivo.uk/latin Pippa Body

Group News 7 Indoor Bowls Group I am pleased to announce that the Indoor Bowls Group will be running again this coming season starting with two taster sessions on Wednesdays 16th and 23rd September starting at 4.20pm until 6.15 pm at Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club. All you need at this stage will be some ﬂat soled shoes to change into. All other equipment and help/guidance if needed will be available. The full season will start on Wednesday 30 September at 4.15pm until 6.15pm and run every Wednesday. There will be a £4 rink fee payable each week and in addition you will have to join Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club (HIBC) where the fee for your ﬁrst season is £30 (£60 for returning members). You must bring your u3a membership card/details to the ﬁrst meeting. HIBC operates a dress code which we abide by and is white or club/ bowls manufactured polo tops and grey trousers or approved shorts. Jumpers or jackets should also be primarily white. Bowling or ﬂat soled shoes must be worn and changed into on arrival. The Group is liable to be very popular this year and there will be a maximum number we can accommodate so if you are interested then please register in advance by contacting the group leader Barry Ward on barry.ward30@hotmail.co.uk New Group Food for Later Life This course explores how food, appetite, and nutritional needs can change as we get older, and how to respond in a practical, enjoyable, and realistic way. Sessions combine short introductory input with group discussion and shared ideas. The emphasis is on understanding, conﬁdence, and maintaining enjoyment of food rather than following rigid rules or diets. The course is not a substitute for medical or individual dietary advice. Aim of the course: • Understand common changes affecting eating in later life • Feel more conﬁdent about everyday food choices • Maintain strength, independence, and enjoyment of food • Share experiences and practical ideas in a supportive group Cromwell Room, Slepe Hall 10am—12noon Second and Fourth Tuesdays of the month starting on 13th October. As the venue is a hostelry a drink purchase is expected. Nicole Madden u3aivo.uk/food

8 Philosophy on Trial St Ives Library We have the Summer Reading Challenge which is a summer event that encourages children to read. Lots of u3a members are grandparents so they might like to bring their grandchildren into the library. They can come in anytime Monday to Saturday. Last year we got 6000 children on the Reading Challenge in Cambridgeshire . There is a medal and a ceremony presentation at the end of the challenge . So we are hoping to get grandparents to participate . https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/ Engage Event 2 nd September 2.00 pm till 3.00pm with Dr Marta Camacho - Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge. Her research is into the role of gut health in the progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinsons Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. This is a free event but donations are welcome. Booking is advisable - call 0345 0455225 or email StIves.Library@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call in and ask at the Library. St Ives u3a Philosophy Group Presents ‘Philosophy on Trial’. A play about the rivalry that produced the modern world. Book your free tickets for the 5th September at the Corn Exchange now. https:// www.thecornexchange.org.uk/ events - page/