InterestGroups

Cycling July ride

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our ride this month due to the forecast rain and the road conditions following the flooding during the week.
Instead, 8 of us met for coffee which we all enjoyed.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.
Mary

Family History Group

The Family History group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30 pm. 
This month we spent time looking at the various sources of information, Irish and Scottish naming patterns and variances in names that can confuse the person doing the research. We reported on where we are at as we individually pursue  our area/s of interest.  We have room for more members or anyone wanting to find out a little more about their ancestors.  If you are interested in coming along  please email me.
Carole

Quarry Group

The Halswell Quarry Group are waiting until the weather is more settled in the meantime.
Lynne

Scrabble Group

Sorry you can’t join us, but our capacity is limited, and complete. 
Vivienne

Theatre Appreciation Group

Theatre Appreciation Group     We will not be meeting in August and so our next get-together will be on Thursday 22nd September at 1.15pm at our place.
All welcome and enquiries to David.

Urban Explorers

Our July walks were a wash-out with heavy rain on both days so this month we will be attempting the Merivale walk again.  New ideas on interesting walks/leadership offers would be gratefully received.
Ngaire

To send an email to an Interest Group Leader visit the Interest Group Page. Select the group you are interested in, fill the form and submit it.

• By admin
• Posted on August 6, 2022November 5, 2022

Book Group

This month we read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  Synopsis – Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles – and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.  This book is sure to get the group into a good discussion. Can still take 2 more members. Ros  

Cycling June ride

This month we met a week earlier as the last Friday of June was Matariki.We started on Ashgrove Tce near PMH and cycled on the Nor’West Arc cycleway to Wigram Rd then along the path beside the Southern Motorway to Aidanfield. We travelled through Aidanfield and came out onto Dunbars Rd near Halswell Rd. Then we cycled on the Quarrymans Trail, through the Sparks Rd Wetlands onto Cashmere Rd to our coffee stop at Urban Eatery, Oderings. Some then biked home while others went back to their cars. It was a cool grey day but 7 of us enjoyed getting out on our bikes even though the drizzle did set in before our coffee stop.
Next month we planned to ride from PMH to Ferrymead following the river. 
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.  Mary

Family History Group

We are a small, friendly group of lie- minded people who are tracing their family history and recording their efforts for their descendants (or any other interested parties) to read. At our last meeting on Tuesday 5th July, we shared our discoveries and discussed ways of finding more about our ancestors.  We have space for anyone who is interested or who simply wants to find out a little more about their predecessors. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30pm.  If you are interested in your family history do come along and meet with us.  Contact Carole

Halswell Quarry Group

With unsuccessful attempts to run this group over the last few months a decision has been made to wait until the weather is warmer and start again in September. We meet on the first Thursday of the month at 10.00 am. Lynne

History Group

Current course via U3Aonline is Property to Partner.  This Course looks at the various theories of why women have not been treated as equals and then trace the development of the movement towards equality in the Western world from ancient times to modern day.  The members of this group enjoy plenty of discussion both on and off the topic.
We are up to unit 6 – 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ros

Scrabble Group

We have an active home-based group of 10 players twice monthly.   
We share hosting our games and setting game-based challenges to keep our playing, and our players, competitive and interpretive spirits alive.
We also take the opportunities to share our ideas and plans to sort out our troubled world issues. 
Sorry you can’t join us, but our capacity is limited, and complete. 
Vivienne

• By admin
• Posted on July 10, 2022November 5, 2022

U3A Cycling May ride

This month a small group of us rode from Kaiapoi to Rangiora on the Passchendaele Memorial Path. It was a beautiful morning and lovely cycling alongside the paddocks and away from the traffic. We had a nice coffee stop at Mega Mitre 10 Garden Café before returning to Kaiapoi.

Next month we will be cycling in Christchurch.

We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary

• By admin
• Posted on June 6, 2022

Reports from Special Interest Groups

U3A Cycling April ride

We had a beautiful still morning for this month’s ride from Lincoln to Motukarara on the Little River Rail Trail. It was lovely biking through wetlands and farmland away from traffic and houses. There were 7 of us on this ride, 5 on e-bikes. We had to ride longer than normal before our coffee break as there was nothing in Motukarara! We stopped along the way to read the information boards and have a chat then a welcome stop at The Pantry in Lincoln on our return for coffee and food.

We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome. Mary

Family History Group

We meet on the first Tuesday of the month.

This month we discussed how individual research was progressing before hearing the surgeon’s log from a female convict ship from Ireland to Tasmania. The treatments of the times for varying ailments certainly raised eyebrows!

if you want to find out more about or join this enthusiastic group of amateurs   please email Carole or Julia

Scrabble Group

We have been continuing our carefully managed meetings with our maximum 10 members.   We are unable to enlarge our home-based group at this time.

Members who have been unable to join us may wish to enquire at the Halswell Community Hub in the old Library, where a scrabble group has now convened. Vivienne Kane

Wool and /or Knitters wanted

Wool wanted – any size balls for pre-school jerseys and other garments for local charities.ALSO any knitters or crocheters who could help or anyone who could piece together Peggy squares Phone or see Naida at meetings

• By admin
• Posted on May 6, 2022June 6, 2022

Reports from Special Interest Groups

Cycling Group March ride

This month our group of 8 cyclists biked from Hagley Park to Northlands on the Northern Line then back to Hagley Park via the Papanui Parallel. Coffee at Meshinos on Rutland St was great, but it was very busy so quite a long wait.
No firm decision was made about next month’s ride but probably one out of town.
We ride on the last Friday of the month, usually meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.

Family History Group

We have just had our second meeting for this year, and we spent a couple of hours sharing our discoveries and our frustrations. An article from Papers Past has helped solve a family mystery and we reminisced about how much things have changed in our lifetime and how important it is to share these with our children and grandchildren. Julia

Mah Jong group

The Mah Jong group is on hold until the Covid cases drop further. Naida

Quarry Group

The Quarry Group meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Coffee Cart at the Kennedys Bush Road entrance to the quarry. We meet at 10.00 am then work for 1 to 2 hours. We do not work if the weather is unsuitable, like last week.  Lynne

Scribes

The Scribes group is ready to start again for 2022.The group meet on the first Monday of the month at the Halswell Library. Time 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm.

• By admin
• Posted on April 8, 2022June 6, 2022

U3A Cycling September ride

After missing out on our August ride due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions we were all keen to get together this month.

We met in the Pioneer Stadium car park at 10am and rode on the Nor’west Arc to the University then on Uni-Cycle cycleway to meet the Northern Line cycleway to our scheduled stop at The Coffee Club in Northlands. Our group of 10 enjoyed cycling on such a beautiful morning covering about 29 kms.

Our ride next month is through the Red Zone to New Brighton.

We ride on the last Friday of the month meeting at 10am. New members are always welcome.

• By admin
• Posted on September 28, 2021September 28, 2021