27 AUGUST 2026, DAY TRIP TO THE SEVERN TRENT WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
Eighteen of our members braved the weather and visited the Severn Trent Water Treatment Plant in Minworth on August 27th. This is one of the biggest sewage treatment plants in Europe serving 1.8 million people. We saw how sewage and run-off water flows into a hugh inlet before it is filtered to remove debris, litter and fats and then treated before it is let back into the environment via rivers and water sources. Photos explaining the tour are below:
TRIP TO NORTHEAST OF ENGLAND WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
44 participants thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the Northeast of England on 6-10 August 2026. The trip was well-organised by Pam G and Sandra T. Highlights of the trip included a walking tour of Durham, a visit to Bamburgh Castle where an enthusiastic guide gave us an hour-long talk covering 1400 years of history, a guided tour of the Poison Gardens at Alnwick Gardens, a full day at Beamish Living Museum, and a visit to Harrogate where many people visited Betty Tearooms. The main highlight of the trip though was our evening at Kynren - a massive, outdoor live-action theatre spectacular that brings 2,000 years of British history to life across a 7.5-acre stage with over 1,000 volunteer actors and crew, stunts, special effects, horses, sheep, and well-behaved geese. We stopped at The Angel of The North for a group photo.
GIN COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS - 20 JUNE 2026
Twelve members of the Gin Tasting Group went into Birmingham on a Saturday afternoon to attend a "Gin Cocktail Masterclass" at The Gin Vault in Gas Street Basin.
Free IT Advice
The National u3a Organisation recommends a charity called AbilityNet for free IT advise services for PCs, Laptops, iPads, Phones, etc. For help, you can ring them on 0300 180 0028 or email them on enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk
Every volunteer working with Abilitynet has been disclosure-checked and can help with all sorts of IT challenges, from setting up new equipment, fixing technical issues, showing you how to stay connected to family, using online services and much more. If they cannot assist you over the phone, their volunteers can make a free home visit,anywhere in the UK.
Established in 1998, AbilityNet is a pioneering UK charity transforming the lives of older and disabled people to build a digital world that is accessible to all.
SILHILL u3a BENEFITS FROM YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH RIVIERA
Before you book your next holiday with Riviera, please consider partaking in their FREE Affinity Program, which gives 9% of your holiday cost back to Silhill u3a! It costs you nothing, but you must tell them you are a member of Silhill u3a at the time you book.
Click the BLUE BUTTON to read all the 'fine print' about this program
FREE LEGAL ADVICE
ARC LEGAL ASSISTANCE in partnership with IRWIN MITCHELL SOLICITORS are offering FREE legal advice to all u3a Members,
Telephone No 0344 770 1040 Quote - U3A Legal ~Helpline
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY -- ICE
As we enjoy so many outings and visits, the committee thought it would be a good idea for us all to have an emergency contact number on our mobile phones. Add ICE and a name, eg ICE Fred and the contact's telephone number to your contact list on your phone. ICE is recognisable as "In Case of Emergency" In case of an accident or emergency your chosen person can be contacted. Owners of iPhones may wish to download the "iEmergency+" app from the Apple app store, which will enable you to give fuller details.
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