Monthly Meetings Programme
Meetings are usually held at 2.30pm - 4.30 pm at Bridges, Drybridge House, Wonastow Road, Monmouth
However, due to the current Health and Safety regulations in place for Covid-19 the monthly meetings are currently being held via Zoom. As it is currently uncertain when we will be able to return to Bridges the meetings are only being scheduled one month in advance.
2020 - 2021 - No advance programme (please see above)
October 20 The Scudamores of Kentchurch and Holme Lacy Heather Hurley (on Zoom)
Local Historian, Heather Hurley, will introduce the background of the research and publication of her latest book ‘The Scudamores of Kentchurch and Holme Lacy’. The story follows two different branches of the Scudamores, a prominent and important family domiciled in the shadow of the Welsh borders at
Kentchurch in the Monnow valley, and at Holme Lacy in the Wye valley.
The two contrasting families reflect their own personalities and characteristics with the more liberal ‘quiet and home-keeping people’ who took little activity in national affairs at Kentchurch becoming overshadowed by the prominence of the ambitious and powerful family at Holme Lacy.
Although primarily about the Scudamores the book has been written as a local history, introducing people and places set against a background of both national and local events that occurred in Kentchurch and Holme Lacy. Heather’s talk will feature some of the stories from the past.
November 17 The Loch Ness Monster Gareth Williams (on Zoom)
The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most celebrated mysteries of the last 100 years. Is the Monster an evolutionary wild card, a hoax, a series of misidentified natural phenomena or just wishful thinking? Professor Gareth Williams has been intrigued by the story since childhood but only dared to dig into and write about the topic after retiring from a reasonably respectable career as a medical researcher. Using five exhibits from the saga of the Monster, he lays out the evidence that persuaded him to reach his own conclusion - but will it be the same as yours?
December 15 The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park Don Brown (on Zoom)
Bletchley Park was the wartime home to a unique group of individuals, including geniuses like Alan Turing, Bill Tutte and Gordon Welchman. Here the German’s ciphers were broken, shortening the war by two years or more and saving millions of lives. You will hear how this incredible organisation evolved from the codebreakers of WW1, the systems that produced ‘Ultra’ intelligence, the men and women who worked at ‘BP’, and the role of Winston Churchill. Don Brown is a Director of the London Society and a Blue Badge Guide. If you would like to join this talk please email Mike Saunders (mikesaunders.mjs@gmail.com) by 13th December and he will send out an invitation nearer the time.
January 19 Great British Eccentrics Paul Robbins
Have you ever wondered why Britain has had so many eccentrics? Great British Eccentrics & Rogues is a highly amusing talk which looks at some of the World’s great eccentrics & Rogues who just happened to be British!
Paul takes you on a light-hearted journey that looks at some of the great characters from our past like the Lord who lived in a converted fish tank, a unique singer, a UFO obsessed peer and then to more recent times and some of the great eccentrics of the last 30 years.
February 16 From Jenner to Wakefield: The long shadow of the anti-vaccination movement Gareth Williams
In 1998 a medical furore broke out when The Lancet published an article by Andrew Wakefield questioning the benefits of the MMR vaccination which was being given unquestioningly to children throughout the UK.
Coming 202 years after the first vaccination by Edward Jenner, which led to the eradication of smallpox throughout the world, this recent incident is only the latest in a long history of questioning the benefits of vaccination.
From early irrational fears born of outdated medical understanding through to the latest medical research and findings, Professor Williams traces the history of the anti-vaccination movement and its long tail, reviewing the social settings in which the fears were found and offering a balanced assessment of vaccination as we find it today.
March 16 Power to the People Roger Evans
Power to the people - but not all of them, and not just yet! The fight for our modern democracy and a fairer voting system. How Britain came close to its last revolution and the Duke of Wellington was finally beaten, but not on the battle-field. It's hard to campaign for justice without offending the unjust.
April 20 From Roads to Rails … and back again, ie transport in Wales over the past 500 years Rowena Williams
As we struggle to find an effective solution to our travel and transport needs in the 21st century - and Wales can feel like a ‘poor relation’ when it comes to improvements - it is worth reflecting on some of our past achievements. This talk will explore the evolution of land travel and transport and celebrate a number of ‘firsts’ for mid and south Wales through the industrial heydays.
May 18 Trek to Everest Base Camp Lynn Joseph
On October 2018 I ventured to Kathmandu Nepal, to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. I had a four week slot to discover the sights, sounds and experiences of the Himalayan mountains, together with a small group of friends. I would love to share my experiences and photographs with you, especially at a time when none of us know when we would be able to travel safely in the near future!
June 15 France's Missing King Kay Blackwell
Kay tells of how a chance holiday visit led to her discovery of a 200-year-old history mystery. But beware - this talk's not for the faint-hearted!
July 20 Mary Shelley and Frankenstein Simon Durrant
Most people know about Frankenstein, the story in which a mad scientist develops an artificial man, who then runs amok. The name has become a metaphor for scientific irresponsibility. However, far fewer people have actually read the original novel and fewer still understand how its genesis was rooted in the intellectual debate of the time and arose out of the particular personal circumstances of its author. Simon is a former Secondary Head of English and wrote his MA thesis on Frankenstein
August 17 A Beekeeper’s Year Val Vivian-Griffiths
I have been a beekeeper for 22 years and now run only one apiary at my home on the Kymin. Together with my husband, Jim, we have 20+ colonies. Both of us are qualified Master Beekeepers and, until COVID 19 hit, were the Trainers for Dean Forest Beekeepers. We are assessors for various qualifications for the British Beekeeping Association. We both give lectures, talks and demonstrations, although since last year many are on zoom.
I delight in introducing bees, their wonderful natural history and the care required to keep them healthy and safe throughout the years. They reward me with honey, a sweet but very sticky gift!
In order to keep bees one needs to have a knowledge of their complicated natural history and the requirement to keep them healthy and safe, just like any other form of stock.
This takes a lot of care and attention, and in this talk I explain the tasks that I, as a beekeeper, have to do throughout the season.
September 20 AGM and talk on "The River Usk" Alan Bowring
The Usk, the longest river wholly in Wales, initially weaves its course through the spectacular landscapes of the national park to Abergavenny but its interest doesn’t stop there. Alan Bowring will describe its onward journey to its meeting with the Severn estuary at Uskmouth. Its many crossings take centre stage but we’ll look too at other historical features on its banks, its tributaries, the naming of parts, wildlife and the ice age legacy.
Previous programmes
However, due to the current Health and Safety regulations in place for Covid-19 the monthly meetings are currently being held via Zoom. As it is currently uncertain when we will be able to return to Bridges the meetings are only being scheduled one month in advance.
2020 - 2021 - No advance programme (please see above)
October 20 The Scudamores of Kentchurch and Holme Lacy Heather Hurley (on Zoom)
Local Historian, Heather Hurley, will introduce the background of the research and publication of her latest book ‘The Scudamores of Kentchurch and Holme Lacy’. The story follows two different branches of the Scudamores, a prominent and important family domiciled in the shadow of the Welsh borders at
Kentchurch in the Monnow valley, and at Holme Lacy in the Wye valley.
The two contrasting families reflect their own personalities and characteristics with the more liberal ‘quiet and home-keeping people’ who took little activity in national affairs at Kentchurch becoming overshadowed by the prominence of the ambitious and powerful family at Holme Lacy.
Although primarily about the Scudamores the book has been written as a local history, introducing people and places set against a background of both national and local events that occurred in Kentchurch and Holme Lacy. Heather’s talk will feature some of the stories from the past.
November 17 The Loch Ness Monster Gareth Williams (on Zoom)
The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most celebrated mysteries of the last 100 years. Is the Monster an evolutionary wild card, a hoax, a series of misidentified natural phenomena or just wishful thinking? Professor Gareth Williams has been intrigued by the story since childhood but only dared to dig into and write about the topic after retiring from a reasonably respectable career as a medical researcher. Using five exhibits from the saga of the Monster, he lays out the evidence that persuaded him to reach his own conclusion - but will it be the same as yours?
December 15 The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park Don Brown (on Zoom)
Bletchley Park was the wartime home to a unique group of individuals, including geniuses like Alan Turing, Bill Tutte and Gordon Welchman. Here the German’s ciphers were broken, shortening the war by two years or more and saving millions of lives. You will hear how this incredible organisation evolved from the codebreakers of WW1, the systems that produced ‘Ultra’ intelligence, the men and women who worked at ‘BP’, and the role of Winston Churchill. Don Brown is a Director of the London Society and a Blue Badge Guide. If you would like to join this talk please email Mike Saunders (mikesaunders.mjs@gmail.com) by 13th December and he will send out an invitation nearer the time.
January 19 Great British Eccentrics Paul Robbins
Have you ever wondered why Britain has had so many eccentrics? Great British Eccentrics & Rogues is a highly amusing talk which looks at some of the World’s great eccentrics & Rogues who just happened to be British!
Paul takes you on a light-hearted journey that looks at some of the great characters from our past like the Lord who lived in a converted fish tank, a unique singer, a UFO obsessed peer and then to more recent times and some of the great eccentrics of the last 30 years.
February 16 From Jenner to Wakefield: The long shadow of the anti-vaccination movement Gareth Williams
In 1998 a medical furore broke out when The Lancet published an article by Andrew Wakefield questioning the benefits of the MMR vaccination which was being given unquestioningly to children throughout the UK.
Coming 202 years after the first vaccination by Edward Jenner, which led to the eradication of smallpox throughout the world, this recent incident is only the latest in a long history of questioning the benefits of vaccination.
From early irrational fears born of outdated medical understanding through to the latest medical research and findings, Professor Williams traces the history of the anti-vaccination movement and its long tail, reviewing the social settings in which the fears were found and offering a balanced assessment of vaccination as we find it today.
March 16 Power to the People Roger Evans
Power to the people - but not all of them, and not just yet! The fight for our modern democracy and a fairer voting system. How Britain came close to its last revolution and the Duke of Wellington was finally beaten, but not on the battle-field. It's hard to campaign for justice without offending the unjust.
April 20 From Roads to Rails … and back again, ie transport in Wales over the past 500 years Rowena Williams
As we struggle to find an effective solution to our travel and transport needs in the 21st century - and Wales can feel like a ‘poor relation’ when it comes to improvements - it is worth reflecting on some of our past achievements. This talk will explore the evolution of land travel and transport and celebrate a number of ‘firsts’ for mid and south Wales through the industrial heydays.
May 18 Trek to Everest Base Camp Lynn Joseph
On October 2018 I ventured to Kathmandu Nepal, to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. I had a four week slot to discover the sights, sounds and experiences of the Himalayan mountains, together with a small group of friends. I would love to share my experiences and photographs with you, especially at a time when none of us know when we would be able to travel safely in the near future!
June 15 France's Missing King Kay Blackwell
Kay tells of how a chance holiday visit led to her discovery of a 200-year-old history mystery. But beware - this talk's not for the faint-hearted!
July 20 Mary Shelley and Frankenstein Simon Durrant
Most people know about Frankenstein, the story in which a mad scientist develops an artificial man, who then runs amok. The name has become a metaphor for scientific irresponsibility. However, far fewer people have actually read the original novel and fewer still understand how its genesis was rooted in the intellectual debate of the time and arose out of the particular personal circumstances of its author. Simon is a former Secondary Head of English and wrote his MA thesis on Frankenstein
August 17 A Beekeeper’s Year Val Vivian-Griffiths
I have been a beekeeper for 22 years and now run only one apiary at my home on the Kymin. Together with my husband, Jim, we have 20+ colonies. Both of us are qualified Master Beekeepers and, until COVID 19 hit, were the Trainers for Dean Forest Beekeepers. We are assessors for various qualifications for the British Beekeeping Association. We both give lectures, talks and demonstrations, although since last year many are on zoom.
I delight in introducing bees, their wonderful natural history and the care required to keep them healthy and safe throughout the years. They reward me with honey, a sweet but very sticky gift!
In order to keep bees one needs to have a knowledge of their complicated natural history and the requirement to keep them healthy and safe, just like any other form of stock.
This takes a lot of care and attention, and in this talk I explain the tasks that I, as a beekeeper, have to do throughout the season.
September 20 AGM and talk on "The River Usk" Alan Bowring
The Usk, the longest river wholly in Wales, initially weaves its course through the spectacular landscapes of the national park to Abergavenny but its interest doesn’t stop there. Alan Bowring will describe its onward journey to its meeting with the Severn estuary at Uskmouth. Its many crossings take centre stage but we’ll look too at other historical features on its banks, its tributaries, the naming of parts, wildlife and the ice age legacy.
Previous programmes
2019 - 2020 Programme
The text and photographs on this website must not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder Monmouth u3a. The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only, and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and suitability of this information, neither Monmouth u3a nor the website hosts can accept liability for errors or misinterpretation resulting from its use, and any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever including without limitation and indirect or consequential loss or damage arising from use of this website. January 2014 ©