Study Groups and Activities
Updated for the 2010/11 season
The groups below are organised and run by the members of Fleet
U3A for the benefit of similarly minded members who wish to learn
a new skill or to share their knowledge and experience. Click on
the group title to see a description of its activities and the
day and time it meets.
(Registered members who have logged in will see
full details of the group, including dates, contact information,
etc.
)
Art 1 - Anyone can paint better
(one year)
| A group of 20 people who already paint in watercolour
but need to understand how colours, tone and composition
operate - those things that make a painting work. One term
of still life and two terms of landscape. |
| Venue |
Willis Hall, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 13:30 to 16:00 |
Art 2 - Acrylics
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
Fleet Town Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Art 3 - Painting for Pleasure
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 13:45 |
Art 4 - Painting together
in watercolours
| A small group, restricted by accommodation
but diverse of interest and always welcoming to new participants,
sharing their experience and knowledge to enhance their own
particular application of watercolours. It is intended that
one meeting each month be devoted to a particular aspect
of working with watercolours with advice/examples from an
accomplished local U3A artist. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 13:45 |
Art 5 - Do your own thing
| This group is the founder Art Group within
the Fleet U3A which, although under the general guidance
of the Group Leader, tends to be an informal group of mainly
watercolour painters where all members help, criticise and
encourage each other. |
| Venue |
Zebon Copse Community Hall |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 14:00 |
Art 6 - Explore Ways to Paint
(one year)
| A small group for those with more experience
sharing their knowledge of materials and techniques. No formal
tuition given. |
| Venue |
Willis Hall, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 13:30 to 16:00 |
Art 7 - Taking risks
| We are a friendly happy group who are willing
to share our successes (and failures!) with each other. We
work in a variety of media, for example, acrylics, oils,
watercolours, pastels, etc. We undertake an exercise every
fortnight, such as working in one colour, using large brushes,
or charcoal drawing. We are very fortunate to have someone
in our group with an art background who guides us along the
right paths. |
| Venue |
St John Ambulance Hall, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 13:45 |
Art 8 - New Painters (one
year)
| We are 12 people who do not own any old equipment
and so we really are starting. There is an initial outlay
for 9 paints, 2 brushes and paper – all bought at a
discount price! Progress is really exciting. One year only
in this group. |
| Venue |
Willis Hall, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 13:30 to 15:30 |
Art 9 - Learn to Draw (one
year)
| A very popular programme for 20 people. One
year only in this group. We cover every aspect of making
a mark, from small smudgy ink images to large charcoal drawings.
Hard work but a lot of fun. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 13:30 to 15:30 |
Art 10 - Watercolour Painting
| The class consists of a group of watercolour
artists who have various levels of experience, from beginners
to some who have been painting for quite a while. We cover
most subjects from flowers and still life to landscapes,
which we paint from photographs. We also do drawing in crayons,
pencils and charcoal. We sometimes make animal portraits
as well. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 13:30 |
Art 11 - Watercolour Intermediate & Advanced
| The aim of this Group is to take artists who
have had some experience in watercolour and then to enhance
their skills to a higher standard. At present the class is
full and there is a waiting list. |
| Venue |
Edward Hall, Hartley Wintney |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Art 12 - Moving Forward from
Basic Water Colour
| Revisiting basics - drawing, colour mixing,
tone, composition and various techniques - of which the most
important is practice! Demonstrations. |
| Venue |
Zebon Copse Community Hall |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 13:30 |
Art 13 - Starting
in Acrylics
| We are a small group learning the various ways
of using acrylics and also how to compose a picture so that
it is appealing to the eye. We cover the use of colour in
perspective as well as the usual linear perspective. Although
most of our paintings are based on photographs, we do not
copy the photos. but use them to produce a well composed
picture. |
| Venue |
Fleet Town Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Art 14 - Mixed Media
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Ballroom Dancing 
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Beginners |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 15:00 |
| Improvers |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 14:00 |
| Intermediate |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 12:30 |
Belly Dancing
| Surprise yourself and your friends (and improve
your health) by enjoying gentle Egyptian belly dancing -
don't worry, no bellies need be visible! |
| Venue |
Methodist Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:30 |
Bowls (Indoors)
| All levels of experience catered for. Appropriate
footwear required otherwise stockinged feet. Limited numbers. |
| Venue |
Farnborough Recreation Centre |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 16:30 |
Bowls (Outdoors)
| Summer only. All levels catered for. Appropriate
footwear required. Bring your own woods. |
| Venue |
Fleet Social Bowling Club |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 10:30 |
Bridge - Duplicate Bridge
Practice
| This group is for experienced players and gives
practice at playing under club conditions. |
| Venues |
Zebon Copse Community Hall |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 13:45 |
Bridge - Introduction to Duplicate
Bridge
| This is a highly structured course aimed at
those with little or no previous experience. Each lesson
gives about an hour of interactive learning followed by supervised
play. |
| Venues |
Zebon Copse Community Hall |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 13:45 |
Bridge - Improve your Duplicate
Bridge
| This is a highly structured course aimed at
those at those who have completed “Beginners” or
are of comparable experience. Each lesson gives about an
hour of interactive learning followed by supervised play. |
| Venues |
Zebon Copse Community Hall |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 13:45 |
Calligraphy
| We learn the art of writing in both broad and
narrow scripts. We cover colour, art work, illumination and
simple book binding. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Group I |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 13:00 |
| Group II |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 14:30 |
Card Games
| This Group will play card games (other than
Bridge) starting with Whist and progressing to other card
games that members of the Group can play together. Examples
could be Solo, Canasta, Crib, Clag etc., No experience is
necessary and the idea is to teach each other a variety of
card games. It is expected that initially Whist will be the
game of choice. |
| Venue |
Fleet Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 14:00 |
Computing - Digital Imaging
| Learn how to use your computer to improve your
digital photographs or to renovate those old, torn or creased
family photographs. This is a practical hands-on group using
the computers at a local school. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT3) |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 16:15 |
Computing - Digital Imaging
for Beginners
| This course attempts to cover the basics from
Digital Camera selection, camera settings through Importing
to Computer and Archiving to CDR and then on to simple Image
Manipulation on the computer. We cover resizing for e-mail,
Cropping, Using Layers, Red Eye Removal, Exposure Level Adjustments
and Cloning to remove imperfections. Each week's techniques
and tips will be demonstrated using a computer and a projection
screen. |
| Demonstration sessions |
| Venue |
Methodist Church Main Hall |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:30 |
| Follow-up Hands-on sessions |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT2) |
| Day/time |
Monday, 16:15 |
Computing for Beginners
| This group is for those who have little or
no knowledge of how to use a modern PC. You will learn all
the necessary basics together with some word processing,
etc. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT1) |
| Group A |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 16:15 |
| Group B |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 16:15 |
Computing for Improvers
| This group is for those who have a basic understanding
of how to use a modern PC but would like to know more. Emphasis
will be on getting tasks done effectively using the Microsoft
Office software. Topics covered include: Word Processing,
File Management and Basic Spreadsheets. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT2) |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 16:15 |
Computing - Using the Internet
| This group concentrates on providing its participants
with the skills needed to search and make best use of the
internet. It encompasses the most useful internet features,
such as the web, email and newsgroups. It also addresses
many of the useful and emerging technologies. All group members
have individual access to an internet-enabled PC. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT2) |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 16:15 |
Creative Writing
| For each meeting the members produce an original
piece of writing to an agreed theme and format; it could
be a poem, a play, a story, or even a chapter from some larger
piece of work. We meet and each in turn reads out their masterpiece.
We then comment with praise and constructive criticism. It
is always light-hearted and fun. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Room, Elvetham Heath Church |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 13:45 |
Current Affairs
| This is a group of some 20-30 people, comprising
both men and women. Most subjects of news that come via the
various media methods are discussed and opinions are shared.
It is, perhaps, the one time that you get a chance to air
your views on any subject. Respect and courtesy is accorded
to everyone on their particular view or opinion. This makes
for a lively discussion and much learning from the many professional
skills that have been acquired through work or hobbies shared
within the group. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church Meeting Room |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Cycling
| This Group rides out from Fleet on a Thursday
morning once every three weeks. Rides are typically 10 to
12 miles long at quite a gentle pace, with a halfway break
for refreshments and chat. The routes used comprise off-road
tracks, cycle lanes or quiet roads; however short stretches
on main roads are sometimes unavoidable. Our rides pass through
many quiet corners of countryside, many of which are hidden
away in this area. |
| Venue |
Meet at: Reading Road Canal Wharf |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 10:00 |
Europeans
| What sort of Europe do we want and why? What
should be Europe's boundaries - geographic, political and
economic? On these and many other questions we strive to
separate reality from rhetoric. All are welcome to join this
lively discussion group. |
| Venue |
United Reformed Church Room |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 14:00 |
Family History for Beginners
| This is a six-week course from Sepember to
November to give newcomers to Family History a “kick-start” in
the use of basic research areas. The afternoon sessions will
demonstrate how to use the internet to undertake research. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Church Crookham & Calthorpe
Park School |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 (Church) and 16:15 (School - Room IT1) |
Family History on the Internet
| This group is aimed
at those people who have started research on their family
history, are familiar with computers and wish to explore
the information available on the internet. Two identical
five week courses are run, A & B. |
| Venue |
Calthorpe Park School (Room IT1) |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 16:15 |
Family History Workshop
| This is a self-help group. Members exchange
their widely varying experiences on Family History topics. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 |
Financial Affairs
| The group meets to discuss items of financial
interest culled from the press and from personal experience.
We meet on the first and third Mondays of the month. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 09:45 |
Flower Arranging
| Initially there is a demonstration of flower
arranging and the techniques involved, followed by practice
in the following weeks. The theme will be "Christmas" and
the flowers used will be both fresh and artificial. Newcomers
with no previous knowledge are very welcome to this friendly
group. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 10:00 |
French (Advanced)
| This Group is for people who have sufficient
fluency to converse reasonably well in the language. At Group
meetings we read and translate items from French magazines
and talk about recent events, particularly holidays in France.
Several meetings are led by two French ladies who help us
to improve our accents and develop our vocabulary. |
| Venue |
Methodist Church Room |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 10:00 |
French (Beginners)
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 14:00 |
French (Intermediate)
| For those with a basic knowledge of French
and for those who want to improve their fluency in the language.
We use a French publication, Panorama 2, as a course book.
Sessions take the form of reading, discussion, practical
activities and practice in using the language. |
| Venue |
Methodist Church Room |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 |
Gardening
| There are talks on various aspects of gardening
and group discussions amongst ourselves. We also feature
outings to gardens, both local and further afield. You don't
need to have a garden, or even any expertise to enjoy this!
There are plant sales at meetings and also “Bring and
Buys”. |
| Venue |
Fleet Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 14:00 |
German Conversation
| A basic knowledge of German is required. We
offer a mixture of conversation about selected topics, translations
and role-playing. |
| Venue |
Private Venue |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 14:00 |
German Improvers
| We help each other to gain confidence in writing,
reading and speaking German. We use an adult learners' course
book, audio tapes, CDs, and video programmes. Grammar and
sentence construction are, of necessity, covered in our weekly
sessions but we also enjoy learning about everyday life in
Germany and covering situations which we are likely to encounter
whilst on holiday there. |
| Venue |
Kings Road Roman Catholic Hall |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 13:30 |
Gym
| For information on facilities available, please contact
the Group Leader
.
|
History
| Talks with discussions afterwards on a wide
range of worldwide social and military history subjects including
specific people, places, dynasties, cultures, political influences
and conflicts.
|
| Venue |
United Reform Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 14:00 |
International Folk Dance
| We enjoy folk and national dances from many
countries. Most of them do not require partners. The dances
are taught or revised each time. They are great fun, have
lovely music, and provide some useful exercise. |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 10:00 |
Jazz
Appreciation
| We are a group who all enjoy listening to jazz
of all types. We have some very interesting talks on various
aspects of jazz and are always pleased to welcome new members
to the group. We also have occasional visits to hear live
groups.
|
| Venue |
Methodist Church |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 10:00 |
Keep Fit
| This is a fun way to exercise to music, with
a mixture of movement and stretching. You work at your own
pace. The programme is designed to suit older people. |
| Group A |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 11:15 |
| Group B |
| Venue |
St Philip & St James Church Hall, Kings Road |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 14:00 |
Line Dancing
| We are learning various dances with a patient
and very pleasant instructor. We enjoy the “work out” and
also have lots of fun. The music is varied and the Group
members find it very enjoyable. |
| Venue |
Elvetham Heath Church |
| Advanced |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 |
| Beginners/Improvers |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 11:15 |
Mah Jong
| This fascinating game originated in the East
and a number of our members have played it in various countries
during their lives. However, full tuition is given to beginners
and, although the rules are complex, we play for fun and
make sure that the more experienced players help the novices.
In that way everybody gets a good game! |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 10:15 |
Making Greeting Cards
| A group that works together to produce greetings
cards. No previous experience is required. Everything is
provided for a small charge. Techniques will be demonstrated
and skills and equipment will be shared. |
| Venue |
United Reformed Church Meeting Room |
| Group 1 |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 10:00 |
| Group 2 |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 10:15 |
Music Appreciation
| This group aims to please all who not only
enjoy listening to classical music in its widest sense but
who also appreciate hearing something about the music, its
background and its composer. We meet on alternate Thursday
afternoons and all are welcome.
|
| Venue |
Methodist Church Main Hall |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 14:00 |
Patchwork for Beginners
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
TBA |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 14:00 |
Pétanque
| This is the game of French Boules played
in almost every town and village in France. No experience
is necessary to play this highly addictive game of leisurely
skill. All equipment is provided courtesy of Crondall
Pétanque Club. |
| Venue |
Bowenhurst Golf Centre |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 |
Photography
| The Photography Group's aim is to inspire.
We are a very friendly group and are all passionate about
our chosen hobby. The meetings consist of tuition and discussion
on a particular technique, which is suitable for both film
and digital capture. We take a break for tea and then hold
a general discussion about our latest pictures, new equipment,
new toys, etc. We also have days out to places of interest.
See some of our
photos. |
| Venue |
United Reformed Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 14:00 |
Pilates
| Pilates (pronounced pi-lah-tees) is a form
of exercise which build's your body's core strength and posture.
This is done through a series of stretching and conditioning
exercises. Think of holding your arms out to your side for
as long as you can. Or sitting down with your legs out in
front of you and raising them just above the floor. Pilates
uses these types of exercises which are great for your muscles
and help prevent injury. At first you learn the importance
of movement with breathing. As you get better, exercises
are combined to create a flowing continuous movement. |
| Pilates A |
| Venue |
Fleet Social Bowling Club, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:15 |
| Pilates B |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 09:00 |
| Pilates C |
| Venue |
St John's Ambulance Hall, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 14:00 |
| Pilates D |
| Venue |
St John's Ambulance Hall, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 09:15 |
Pub Quiz
| A group where we participate in a “pub
quiz”, in small teams, formed on each occasion that
we meet. It is primarily a social event aimed at having a
fun time. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Church Crookham |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 13:45 |
Reading for Pleasure
| A group for book-lovers who would like the
opportunity to widen their literary enjoyment through reading
a mixture of fiction, non-fiction, classics and poetry. The
group meets monthly to discuss the latest group choice of
reading. No previous experience necessary – just
a love of reading, a desire to discuss the monthly book choice
and a willingness to share your previous reading experiences.
A friendly and enjoyable literary afternoon.
|
| Venue |
Elvetham Heath Church (Crèche) |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 14:00 |
Rummikub
| This group is a response to the often heard
comment that the U3A provides activities during the week
but not at weekends or in the summer, which can be very lonely,
particularly for those who have lost a partner. Currently
the only actvity is to play Rummikub. |
| Venue |
British Red Cross Hall, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Sunday, 14:00 |
Salsa
| There are two Salsa groups, of differing abilities.
They are taken by a dance instructor, James Montgomery. Both
men and women attend. The dance rhythms are Latin American.
Salsa is good exercise and the atmosphere is one of fun and
enjoyment to pleasant music. |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Beginners |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 11:30 |
| Intermediate |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 10:15 |
Science and Technology
| A wide range of subjects are presented by both
in-house and guest speakers. These cover such diverse topics
from Infrastructure Projects on Harsh Environments to Sustainable
Development.
|
| Venue |
Fleet Town Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 14:00 |
Scrabble
| We have all levels of ability. We use both
2 and 3 letter word sheets and play in twos, threes and fours.
Scrabble boards are provided but it helps to have a dictionary.
We usually have a group of about 15 but we can accommodate
more. Please come and try your hand (and your brain)! |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:30 |
Shakespeare
We aim to celebrate all things Shakespearean
by:
- Looking at the life and times of William Shakespeare
and his contemporaries
- Reading speeches, scenes, plays, poets and sonnets
- Sharing information about productions – past,
present and future
|
| Venue |
Fleet Town Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 10:00 |
Spanish (Absolute Beginners)
- year 1
| This will start with the basics; future
lessons will depend upon the level of expertise we reach
at the end of each session. As the objective is to
give people a basic knowledge of the language and how to
speak it, anyone who already has more than a rudimentary
knowledge could find the lessons very slow. |
| Venue |
United Reform Church Room |
| Day/Time |
Tuesday, 10:00 |
Spanish (Beginners) - year
2
| This follows on from Year 1, but is still
at a fairly rudimentary level. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 10:00 |
Spanish Conversation
| No description has yet been received. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Basingbourne Road |
| Day/Time |
Thursday, 14:00 |
Steam & Transport
| A group designed for railway and transport
enthusiasts in general. Our programme consists of talks by
members and by visiting speakers. We also arrange visits
to sites of interest. Some
pictures
from
our recent visits to various venues.
|
| Venue |
Fleet Town Football Club |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 14:30 |
Table Tennis
| We play doubles and any new players are welcome.
Just turn up and pay £1 at the reception desk. Limited
numbers, so check with Group Leader first. |
| Venue |
Hart Leisure Centre, Hitches Lane |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 16:00 |
Tai Chi
| This consists of slow carefully measured movements
that help with breathing and balance. It produces a feeling
of calm and relaxation. We have a professional tutor for
this group. |
| Group 1 |
| Venue |
Crookham Memorial Hall |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 09:30 |
| Group 2 |
| Venue |
Methodist Church Hall |
| Day/Time |
Friday, 09:15 |
Tap Dancing
| A beginner’s toe-tapping class, to wonderful
timeless music, is suitable for men and women. Learn
easy steps – such as shuffles, ball changes and tap
springs – that are put together in a simple routine
at the end of the class. All you need to begin are
some hard shoes and a sense of fun! A great way to
get fit. |
| Venue |
Willis Hall, Sandy Lane |
| Day/Time |
Wednesday, 09:15 |
Travelogue
| Travelogue comprises a large friendly group,
meeting to enjoy talks about countries, people and the beauties
of nature, illustrated by films and stories of travel adventures.
Come along for ideas and advice on holiday destinations or
just to enjoy the adventures of others and the friendly company. |
| Venue |
Baptist Church, Clarence Road |
| Day/Time |
Monday, 14:00 |
Visits
| We arrange coach trips to places of interest.
These usually run on a monthly basis. In addition, we usually
have two annual breaks of four or five days, usually one
in the UK and one overseas. Bookings are taken on a first
come first served basis at the U3A monthly meetings at The
Harlington Centre |
Walking
| Country walks of between five and six miles.
Occasional longer walks lasting all day, usually with a stop
for lunch at a pub. Boots or strong footwear essential.
|
| Day/Time |
Friday, 10:00 |