Literature, Theatre & Film

What do we do?

Our aim is to promote friendship through reading. Our book choices are suggested by members for an annual reading list. We try to cover a wide range from the classics, thrillers, historical novels, biographies, detective fiction, as well as current best sellers. Members volunteer to lead the monthly review. We also recommend and chat about other books we’ve been reading.

Read our latest book reviews here

Click here for a picture of our group

What do we do?

Our Group members decide on a range of books that they would like to read and discuss over the coming months. This results in a wide and enjoyable selection.

Open to two more members.

What do we do?

Our aim is to promote friendship amongst u3a members through reading.
The group does not have a formal leader, but functions as an informal co-operative. Each monthly meeting is led by the member who suggested the book for that month.
At the moment we are holding our meetings using Zoom, but once it is more Covid safe a convenient face to face meeting place will be established.
A quarterly reading list is assembled from suggestions submitted by members of the group. Over time a wide range of genre is covered. This includes old and new classics, historical novels, biographies and autobiographies, thriller and crime novels, factual and fiction. Current best sellers are included once they are available in paperback or on Kindle.

What do we do?

With a shared obsession and love of reading, we are a small group who thoroughly enjoy discussing a diverse range of books.
We have no set genre.
One of the joys we find of being in a book group is reading books we wouldn’t necessarily choose.

Read our latest book reviews here

Unfortunately, this group is currently full. However please contact the group leader Jennifer if you’d like to be added to the ‘interest/waiting’ list and also email secretary@u3aburystedmunds.co.uk so that when there are enough numbers you can be contacted to learn how to start another book group – all support and help provided.

What do we do?

This is a taught course that will cover the context of Chaucer’s life and times, with a different topic each session, followed by the reading and translation of The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.

We recommend the textbook of the same name published by Cambridge University Press.

You might be familiar with Chaucer or have no prior knowledge of him at all – we are simply Chaucer enthusiasts who will enjoy sharing him with you.

We do still have a few places available for new members.

What do we do?

We choose one or two films to see independently and then we discuss them at the following meeting. Normally one person gives a short presentation on each film.

We do not have any vacancies at present but we have a short waiting list.

What do we do?

We are a group of like-minded people who enjoy movies. Meeting once a month, over a cup of coffee, we have the opportunity to share what movies we have seen and what is coming up.

Due to the difficulties over the past 18 months, we have expanded our viewing to include streaming platforms such as Netflix.

Time is also given for individuals to make a presentation to the group on aspects of the world of movies that are of particular interest such as favourite directors, actors, music etc.

Spaces available for members to join. It’s a great way to spend a Thursday morning.

What do we do?

Writing and story-telling have played different roles in our lives, but we share a common love of words and stories, and a wish to improve our writing abilities.

Each month, we write approximately 1500 words on an agreed topic, which we then read out at our monthly meeting. We are starting to feel comfortable enough to ask for and give feedback on the work.

We don’t feel able to take in new members at the moment, but we would be very happy to support any new groups that form by sharing our experiences. Please email secretary@u3aburystedmunds.co.uk if you’re interested in starting a new group.

What do we do?

This is a new group, where we will be looking at the work of 3 Irish writers of the modern period (19th century through to mid 20th century).

We’ll devote a term to each.

Sept – Dec: W.B.Yeats Selected Poems

Jan – April: James Joyce (Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man)

May – August: Seamus Heaney New Selected Poems 1966-1987

What do we do?

We are a lively, informal group who meet fortnightly to read poems aloud over a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Each person chooses a few poems on a pre-agreed topic and a brief discussion follows a reading.

Topics include individual poets (Jackie Kay for example) or particular themes (Sun, Moon and Stars for example).
And sometimes we try to read a longer poem ‘in the round’ (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner for example.)

A waiting list is now open for enquirers. Please also email secretary@u3aburystedmunds.co.uk where you can be added to a list for a second group.

What do we do?

We read and study selected works of Shakespeare.

No previous experience of Shakespeare necessary and all members are encouraged to contribute in any way they wish.

New members welcome

What do we do?

We read, study and discuss a selection of Shakespeare’s plays. The idea is to have some intellectual stimulation and plenty of fun.

Our group is full for the foreseeable future (total of 12), however please send your interest by email to the Group Leader, John Byrne.

What do we do?

The theatre group is up and running again managed by a small Committee comprising of Angie Roques, Pam Colebourn, Mary Blaseby and Helen Crowthers who all assume different responsibilities for running the group.

There are currently around 100 plus members but with a core group of around 40/50 who attend the various productions staged in a range of theatres across mainly East Anglia and to a more limited extent London.

The Group meets 5 times a year at the Horringer Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds with an early Christmas celebration following the November meeting.

The purpose of the group is to join like minded people who enjoy a range of theatre productions including plays, musicals, ballet and where feasible opera. We also visit Abbey cinema.

A coach delivers you door (Ram Meadow car park Bury St Edmunds) to door for the performances and the timings of the journeys always allow opportunity for eating together or visiting the local shops or markets prior to the start of the performance.

However, given the number of our membership, theatre tickets are allocated on a first come first serve basis following agreement by the membership of the productions to be booked.

If anyone is interested in joining or requires more information then please contact Angie Roques.

What do we do?

We have read through, in translation, Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy, and are moving on to glance at Sophocles’ Electra, then to read Euripides’s play of the same name. We plan to go on to read some further plays with characteristically strong female characters, and some plays based on other aspects of the Trojan War.

At our last session, we welcomed a visitor able to share more detailed knowledge of the Greek theatre and dramatists, and able to give us some examples of the original Greek!

This is an open group and we would welcome some new members.