This is a section set up to replace the newsletter which ceased publication in mid-2025 when the editor stepped down and no-one volunteerd to take over. However, if anyone is interested in producing a newsletter please don't hestitate to contact the Committee.
This section will contain news items about Wirral u3a activities.
Dave Buckingham: In Memoriam
We were saddened to learn that our member Dave Buckingham has passed way. Members who come to our meetings know him well, recognising him as ‘the tech guy’. Dave was responsible for ensuring that our speakers had a good visual and sound system for their talks. But Dave was more than ‘the tech guy’. He chaired the Social Committee which included finding musical acts for our mid- and end-of-season meetings, organising theatre outings and day trips to a range of places. Dave also was the coordinator of the Walking Group selecting walks in rural and urban settings suitable for members with different capacities, often finishing near a good hostelry for lunch. Dave also made non-walkers welcome to join for lunch which reflects his commitment to ensuring that there are opportunities for all members to socialise and enjoy their retirement. He was an active participant in our bi-weekly coffee mornings at the Williamson Gallery. He will be sorely missed.
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Birkenhead Priory
Friday June 19th was our last social outing before our summer break, when 10 members visited Birkenhead Priory and enjoyed a most interesting guided tour. We learned of the Priory’s history from inception in the mid-12th Century until its dissolution in 1536. It remains today as the oldest building on Merseyside. The Black monks provided the first ferry service over the River Mersey with no charge for passengers. Also providing complimentary accommodation and food for travellers undertaking this journey. The remains of the great hall where visitors were accommodated remains to be seen. However, 5* it was not with folk sleeping on the floor covered with straw that was only changed twice yearly!!
3 P's Outing
On 30th April, a group of Wirral u3a members met at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Having been fortified by partaking of coffee, we joined a guided tour around some of the Portraits Galleries. Our guide brought to life some of the paintings and explained their history. Our next port of call was the Central Library. Some of the group ascended to the roof garden to view the rooftops of the city. The circular Picton Reading Room was amazing with its beautiful wooden shelves filled with so many books (more than 10,000). The modern part of the Library Building also had a lot of books with too many subjects to mention. I found myself in a comfy chair in a corner spending some time with a cookery book, one of a huge collection in that category. Finally, it was down the World Museum with a quick stop for a bite of lunch in their café then up to the 5th floor and our visit to the Planetarium. The projected images of the solar system and planets was an amazing sight to behold and reminded us of just how small we are here on our planet.
Jenny
Charity Shop Challenge
The first Charity Shop Challenge for Wirral U3A organised by Angela took place on Monday 26th January. The event challenged members to search the charity shops of West Kirby to find an item that best matched the chosen topic: “2026 The Year of The Fire Horse”. Members had been briefed on the significance of the topic which is linked to the Chinese New Year which starts in February and is predicted that 2026 will bring rapid changes and innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence and medicine, golden opportunities and encourage people to chase their dreams. An outlined of the terms of the challenge had been circulated to members to help them decide whether to participate. Taking part in the challenge were Ros, Linda, Jenny, Brian and Val.
Monday brought a day of grey skies and a chill wind, but this did not deter the determined competitors, searching the shops for the item they hoped would demonstrate their adherence to the brief and show their own interpretation of The Year of The Fire Horse possibilities and predictions.
After their morning activities the group met for lunch at Tanskeys West Kirby, a lovely bistro on South Parade with a spectacular view over to North Wales. [Linda told the group that the bistro is named after Tanskey Rocks, the smallest of the Hilbre Islands, literally not much more than a rock and covered at high tide.]
Angela asked each competitor what had inspired them in their choice of items. Linda displayed a lovely horse statue, maybe thinking of future riding lessons. Jenny showed a cookery book by the Chinese chef, Ken Hom, a challenge to make different meals in 2026 perhaps. Ros, discovered a red fire helmet and red candle holder, cleverly, linking the colour red and the fire aspect of the brief. Val may be learning mandarin in 2026 as she found a CD and booklet on the subject along with some natty red gloves and red scarf. Brian produced a remarkable remote-control robot, which fitted the brief of the advances predicted in bringing rapid changes and innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence and medicine.
Brian was the worthy winner of the 2026 Charity Shop Challenge, but the question is what will the year bring for all U3A members?
40 Years Young: Wirral u3a Celebrates
This year Wirral u3a is celebrating its 40th birthday. What makes this anniversary particularly significant is that Wirral u3a is one of the first u3as to be established in the UK. As part of the celebrations, members gathered in Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, to enjoy a lunch, although before they could start, they had to tackle a quiz on the theme of Food prepared by Wirral u3a’s Quiz Group. The winning table was awarded a very large bag of sweets. Ros Bremner, Wirral u3a’s chair, opened the event reminiscing about life 40 years ago - a loaf of bread was 48p and a pint of beer 75p; toys included Care Bear and Rubik's cube while fashions included the mullet hair style (at least for men!), long wide colourful skirts, spandex and cycling shorts. She was followed by Allan Walmsley, Chair of the Third Age Trust, who offered his congratulations as well as having the honour of presenting to Wirral u3a’s longest serving member an award of a beautiful cut glass tumbler.
