SPECIAL INTEREST, RECREATION, WALKS & OUTINGS

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Backgammon
Do you enjoy playing Backgammon. Come and join us for some fun. What can you expect? Well, we don't take ourselves too seriously; we are a friendly bunch and we just want to enjoy the afternoon playing Backgammon. We are players of all standards and newcomers are welcome. 
Group Leader - George K

Badminton
Started in September 2022, playing once a week at Harrow Leisure Centre, our group has grown to 12 and our standard of play has vastly improved. If you are of an intermediate standards, and would like to be added to a waiting list please contact me.
Group Leader - Lynne
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Beginners Cookery
We are a friendly group for those new to cooking or who need some inspiration. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never cooked before, I can show you how to cook the basics making delicious everyday dishes using sweet and savoury recipes. We then all have a taster and a cup of tea! We meet in my kitchen once a month on a Monday afternoon. A nominal charge of £2 covers the cost of the ingredients and photocopying.
Group Leader - Ruth 

Bridge
Mini-bridge/Beginners will run from 10:30 - 12:15. These sessions are aimed at those who are absolute beginners or those who played a long time ago and want to play again but need to update their game.
Social Bridge session will be run from 12:30 to 2.15. The opening sessions will focus on enabling participants to join a Chicago Game and score it. Once that group is established, we will agree which types of Bridge will be played (rubber, Chicago, teams or duplicate) at various sessions. A small amount of time will be spent on a 'hint' for the week.
Group meets on Mondays. 
Group Leader - Teresa
 
Cookery
We are a friendly group with an interest and love of cooking and food. We meet on Tuesday afternoons once a month. Meeting are held in my kitchen where I demonstrate recipes of one savoury and one sweet dish. Everyone then gets to have a taster and a cup of tea! A nominal charge of £2 covers the cost of the ingredients and photocopying.
Group Leader - Ruth

Country Walks
The walks are between 6 to 8 miles in the lovely countryside within easy reach of Harrow, or occasionally in London, using public transport to get to the start and to return home. Lunch is in a pub or café. Walks take place monthly on a Thursday and all details for the term are given in the Newsletter.
Group Leader - Vivienne

Cryptic Crosswords
This group meets at 2.15pm every other Wednesday throughout the year and is for people who are competent at solving, and also capable of compiling, cryptic crosswords.   No tuition is given but resources are pooled and advice may be given as to how the compiler has arrived at the answer.
Group leader - Lucille 

Fitness Training
The aim for the group is to improve their general fitness mostly their Cardiovascular Fitness and Muscular Endurance. We all work on the same exercises but at our own pace and level of ability and fitness level. We are split into pairs and work on a circuit, 30 seconds work then 30 seconds rest, while their partner works, then the next exercise until they both complete the circuit. Then we warm down to finish. 
We always start off taking their resting heart rate so that we get used to doing that and hopefully over time the resting heart rate will get slower indicating an improved level of fitness. Then we warm up for about 10 to 15 minutes starting with a walk/jog to raise their heart rate and then a series of exercises to warm up the muscles we will use in their circuit. The warm down is similar to the warm up.
Group Leader – Tony S

Free Dance
It's exactly that. Come along, have fun and dance to all kinds of pop music from 1960's  to the current time. No instruction given, just do your own thing. This is very relaxed  and informal. You can sit down and enjoy the music if you are tired. There is no pressure to dance for the whole hour. Meets in 'Hatch End Suite 1' at HAC, 12 noon on a Thursday, once a month.
Group Leader – Angela

Garden Club 
We meet monthly in members’ gardens and exchange experience and advice.
Group Leader - Joy 

International Folk Dancing
This Group will introduce you to traditional dance and music from many countries of the world. Many dances do not require a partner and we are a very sociable group so you will not be left out if you come alone. It is a pleasant way to enjoy some company with the benefit of gentle exercise to lovely music.
Group Leader – Janet & Kathy 
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Monthly Social & Speakers Group
This group is held on the last Thursday of the month and during period of the pandemic takes place via Zoom.  We arrange speakers to speak on a very wide variety of topics which we judge to be of interest to our members.  Details an be found in our Newsletter which is sent out to our members three times a year.  Talks begin at 10.30am and members are advised to log on to Zoom 15 minutes or so before the talk commences for the talk to be downloaded to you in good time.
Speakers Secretary - Helen 

Rummikub Group
Meeting every other Tuesday afternoon. This game is excellent for meeting new friends, having fun and most of all keeping the brain active. 
Group Leader - Angela 

Sunday Group
This group usually meets on the third Sunday of each month.  There is a wide variety of outings – River trips, London walks and visiting places of interest, galleries, museums and homes.  Freedom Passes, for those who have them, mean we can travel at no cost and most outings are free.  We have four organisers, three of whom lead the group outings.
Group Leader – Judy L

Table Tennis
This groups usually meets on Monday afternoons at the Cedars Youth and Community Centre. We have players of most standards, from complete beginners to (a few) quite good players. Because it is a very popular group, we usually play doubles. The sessions last 2-hours with a (usually quite long!) tea break in the middle. There are many studies that show that table tennis is a particularly good form of exercise for older adults, and of course it’s also good fun!
Group Leader - Matthew 

Tai Chi
This group meets on Wednesday afternoons at the HES3 at the Arts Centre. Tai Chi is a 400 year old martial art, it has great health benefits and referred to as moving meditation. Practiced slowly, it helps with balance, posture, memory, helps to calm the mind and relax the body. Elliot Jacobson has been practicing Tai Chi for 46 years, is a disciple of Grand Master Chen Xiaowang, a senior instructor of the The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain and a member of Chenjiagou Taijiquan GB. He teaches Chen Family Taijiquan, the original style of Tai Chi. Each class is one hour, consists of Tai Chi warmups, standing meditation, silk reeling exercises and the TaiChi form. We learn new movements every few weeks. Refer short video:  Radlett class demo 2022
Please note there is a charge for this class.
Group Leader - Marion Grant

Tours and Visits
The Tours & Visits Committee are a small group of Harrow U3A members who arrange outings, concerts, theatres and visits etc. for U3A members.  It consists of Jack Kushner (Chairman) Judith Barnett (Secretary), Pat Bays, Mary Morgan (Treasurer), Theresa Murray-Bates, David Pashley, Sylvia & Edgar Ring, Claire Silverstone and Toni Waxman. Details of upcoming tours and visits can be found in the newsletter.
Committee Chair - Jack 
Three Different Types of Yoga

Chair Yoga
Chair Yoga Gentle exercise, meditation and breathing while seated. Ideal for members who have mobility problems. Exercises can be modified to suit your body or you can simply visualize yourself doing a particular exercise. You only do what you feel comfortable with. Meets every other Monday at 12.30 pm for one hour, in the 'Boiler Room' at HAC.
Group Leader – Angela t
 
Laughter Yoga
An opportunity to come together to bring laughter into our lives. Let go of any inhibitions and allow yourself to be guided with laughter yoga, with the benefit of greater flow of oxygen to the brain, more energy, more motivation and strengthening the immune system. It also relieves stress, is a way to alleviate difficulties and challenges, creates a positive state of mind and a better quality of life and provides a connection between participants.
Group Leader - Gill & Ian 

Yoga
This class is on Zoom, every Thursday morning. The sessions include a number of different types of Yoga, (e.g. Chi Kri Yoga) and Yoga poses which for example will improve flexibility, strength, endurance and balance finishing with relaxation and meditation.
Leader: Tony S