Surrey U3A
Study days are open to all U3A members and guests are very welcome. The days start at 9.30am with registration and run from 10.00am to 4.00pm. We now offer hybrid events so that members who wish can view the study days from home. Including coffee / tea and biscuits, each event costs £12 for members, £7 for online attendance and £15 for guests. Prior booking is necessary and attendees should bring a packed lunch.
Study days 9.30am to 4.00pm
2025
Friday 19 September:
Vulcan & Concorde: Iconic Aircraft
Presented by Guy Bartlett, Aviation Historian
Friday 17 October:
Guiding, Ghosts & Gossip at Royal Palaces
Presented by Sarah Slater, White Badge Guide Lecturer, Hampton Court Palace & Blue Badge Tourist Guide, Windsor Castle
Friday 21 November:
The History of British Industry: Iron & Rivets, to Electronics & Jets, to Robots & AI
Presented by Dr Richard Marks
2026
Friday 20 February:
The National Gardens Scheme
Presented by Clare Bevan
Friday 20 March:
Global Warming & Your Grandchildren’s World
Presented by Dr Colin Summerhayes & Prof Jan Zalasiewicz
For further information and to book your place, contact Denise Dobbs,
Booking Secretary, U3A
07964 798791 /
surreyu3astudyday@btinternet.com
Claremont &
Oxshott Arts Society
We hope you will enjoy the lectures this season when we look forward to hearing from our lecturers, all of whom offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise. If you wish to bring a guest, the suggested donation is £10 for all guests.
The Society meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 2.15pm.
Doors open at 1.45pm.
2025
Wednesday 10 September:
William Frith Powell and Paintings of the Victorian Crowd - Alan Read
From humble beginnings in Yorkshire to great success and a curious home life in London, Frith’s paintings proved so popular at the Royal Academy that policemen were posted to protect them. We explore why the study of the Victorian crowd proved so compelling to contemporary audiences.
Wednesday 8 October:
Venice and the East - Antonia Gatward Cevizli
Venice’s unique position brought the city into contact with the different powers of the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Byzantine Empire, the Mamluks and the Ottomans. This lecture explores the ways in which these interactions left their mark on the artistic heritage of the city as can be seen in Venetian architecture, painting and the decorative arts.
Wednesday 12 November:
Resurgam: The music of St Paul's Cathedral - Patrick Craig
The last time St Paul’s was deprived of music for a long period was after the Great Fire of London 1666. In 1697 Christopher Wren was able to triumphantly declare RESURGAM as the phoenix rose from the ashes. Patrick looks at music from either side of this momentous event, and guides us through the finest repertoire from across the Cathedral’s liturgical year. With photographs, music and videos he conveys the glories of 25 years of singing in this extraordinary building.
Wednesday 10 December:
A Cornucopia of Christmas Customs - Jane Tapley
The Christmas that we now celebrate is largely based on the ideas of the Victorians but many traditions have their origins in much earlier times. Who invented mince pies, Christmas pudding and cake? Where did cross dressing and slapstick and Pantomime come from? Who designed the first Christmas card? All will be revealed in this lighted and informative talk.
2026
Wednesday 14 January:
The Two Elizabeth: Bookends of Empire - Caroline Rayman
Wednesday 11 February:
The Pre-Raphaelites - Sarah Ciacci
To book, contact Patricia Corben
01932 240505 / pcorben@talktalk.net
The Arts Society, East Surrey Area (ASESA)
The Arts Society, East Surrey Area is a leading arts charity widely acknowledged for its valuable contribution to art education and heritage conservation. Members enjoy high-quality and wide-ranging lectures, special events and volunteering activities.
Please contact us at: info@theartssocietyeastsurreyarea.org.uk
Not a member of The Arts Society yet? Join any of our 14 societies in the East Surrey Area.
Check out the nearest society to you at: https://theartssocietyeastsurreyarea.org.uk
2025
Friday 14 November at 10.00am:
Johannes Vermeer and Dutch Art
Andrew Graham-Dixon has been working on a new and ground-breaking study of the great seventeenth-century painter, Johannes Vermeer, due to be published this autumn. Andrew has previously published the definitive biography of Caravaggio.
In this talk, Andrew Graham Dixon will give us a sneak preview of some of his most important new discoveries and reinterpretations of some of the most popular paintings in the world, including the Girl with a Pearl Earring, A View of Delft, The Milkmaid and The Artist in His Studio.
Tickets £35 for the two lectures, plus coffee on arrival and at coffee break.
Buy tickets – Johannes Vermeer and Dutch Art – The Menuhin Hall
2026
Friday 8 May at 10.00am:
Lecturer: Jonathan Foyle
A Paradise Garden: The Meaning of Medieval Plants in Art
Have you noticed how many medieval paintings are set in May? The language of plants evolved over the centuries to create a lexicon of creation that paved the way to Paradise, a perennial early summer where all the flowers and all the fruits emerge at the same time- but each tells us something different. We explore paintings, tapestry, manuscripts and sculpture to re-learn a lost language.
The Nature of the Beast: Animals in Medieval Art
Animals were central to medieval arts: we find birds, reptiles, mammals, insects and fabulous creatures in sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, paintings, tapestries and even wax seals. But what were the artists trying to tell us through the animals they portrayed? This talk explores a lost artistic language, to discover that the behaviours and legends of creatures enabled us to learn about ourselves.
Tickets £30 for the two lectures, plus coffee on arrival and at coffee break.
For further information, contact info@theartssocietyeastsurreyarea.org.uk