Finding speakers for our monthly Wednesday general meetings can be a daunting task. To find subjects that appeal to everyone is virtually impossible. The adage “You can’t please all of the people all of the time” is very appropriate. To overcome this, I have tried to bring a range of talks to our members during the year, helped by recommendations and suggestions from our own members and from contacts with other u3a groups and similar organisation.
I hope you have enjoyed the majority of speakers, some of whom are not regular public speakers. If you are not used to addressing large numbers of people, it’s not easy to stand up in front of an audience of fifty to sixty people and speak and answer questions for an hour.
For me, the outstanding “talk” was Debra John’s performance last February as the Victorian lady held in Swansea Castle debtors’ prison. To hold the complete attention of the members for 50 minutes with a monologue, without any reference to a script, was quite an achievement. Debra has agreed to return to Cowbridge in October as an Edwardian maid. A meeting not to miss.
The programme of talks for 2027 is almost complete. Details will be published on our website in due course.
To whet your appetite, below is a sample of what to expect, I hope you will join us.
Rob Cumbes, Talks Coordinator.
October 2026 Debra Jon as an Edwardian housemaid
November 2026 Andy Seaman Excavations at Fonmon
January 2027 Ash Jones David Niven: Gentleman, movie star and war hero
February 2027 Marc Harris Wildlife, people and places in South and West Wales
March 2027 To be confirmed
April 2027 John Richardson Working in pantomime
May 2027 Robert Pickard Science and Shakespeare
June 2027 Gaynor Legall Tiger Bay and the world
July 2027 Maggie Jenkins There’s a book in everyone
August 2027 Ted Richards Ted’s tall tales.