Ideas for new groups are popping up all the time. You will see them in the newsletter, on social media and listed below.
Some groups will disappear because they have become a group and you can look for them in the list of groups.
Others will disappear because they came to nothing.
If you want more details about any New Ideas, or you want to suggest one yourself, please contact newideas@lalg.org.uk or call the Group Support Team.
No Events
Any member of LALG is welcome to start a new group on any subject provided it is within the spirit of LALG. The Group Support Team will help to get things started and provide support until it becomes self-sufficient.
The team also supports groups that are struggling or in need of support.
Wednesday 6 March, 1pm - 3pm or 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Willian Village Hall
Cost: £25 (minimum of 15 required per session).
A 2-hour Baby and Child First Aid Class - perfect for carers, parents and
grandparents who are looking to learn some basic first aid.
AI is in the news. Its future is unknown. Is it something to worry about or will
the experts sort it out? We need at least 6 names to get a group going.
If you would like to get on the list, please get in touch.
Contact: William Armitage 01462 643537; newideas@lalg.org.uk
We are planning to reintroduce this previously popular event in the Autumn of 2024 - furt
This can include smart phones, Twitter, Facebook, dealing with banks, car parks, ordering tickets, etc. If you would like help with using any of these, please get
in touch. We also need one or two more volunteer helpers. Please contact William if you think you could help.
Contact: William Armitage 01462 643537; newideas@lalg.org.uk
Wednesday 10 January, 10.30am David's Cafe
Discussion of Olga by the German writer Bernard Schlink, including a short
introduction. The book describes the life of one woman, Olga, from late 19th
century Prussia to modern Germany. Described as 'a novel of love, passion
and history from a modern master. Available in English at reasonable prices.
This is a fairly simple two-handed card game of French origin and easy to learn. There is a more challenging variant called Auction Piquet, which is less well-known. Please get in touch if you would like to try Piquet, maybe already know it, or even the Auction variant.
Becoming a full Group, see here for further information.
Contact: Phil Rowe 07982 254463; newideas@lalg.org.uk
David’s Bookshop café, Eastcheap, Letchworth
The outcome of the last meeting was too late for this December website update.
Every age has its utopians, from Plato’s Republic (360 BC) and Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1556) to Robert Owen’s How to Run a Cotton Mill (1813) to Ebenezer Howard’s Garden Cities of To-Morrow (1898).
The group could discuss utopian beliefs, their success and failure and debate what is utopia: for example, does Letchworth qualify? Contact William to record your interest. If you prefer evenings please let us know.
Ulysses is the famous novel by James Joyce. This will be an informal reading group led by Hugh Pollock.
At an introductory meeting we will identify the best edition of Ulysses to be used and divide the novel into six to eight sections. The idea is to read one section per month and then enjoy an informal discussion. We expect to meet in the evenings.
In the future we may look at other works of Joyce.
Wednesday 13 September, 10.30am David’s Café, Letchworth. The group will meet monthly to discuss novels from around the world, each group member 'nominating' a novel and perhaps providing a short introduction 'Why I chose this novel'. Please come along for an initial chat on how we will run the group and, if you can, with a suggestion for a novel.
Contact: William Armitage 01462 643537; newideas@lalg.org.uk
Mid-week break in Durham - 11 and 12 June
We are planning to visit Durham, described by Bill Bryson as the perfect city with the best cathedral. Arriving by train in time for lunch in the Market Square.
We will be visiting the Cathedral and other historic buildings, walking one of the paths overlooking the river Wear, and visiting Crook Hall NT or the Botanical Gardens.
Total cost, excluding meals, for a couple with rail discounts is around £300, or £200 for a single room.
