News and views from Soar Valley u3a: reports of Group activities, thoughts on how we can benefit our members, useful information, and more ...
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A Most Prolific Man
Sir George Gilbert Scott, the acclaimed Victorian architect, was the subject of January’s general meeting talk by our guest speaker, Nigel Lowey. Nigel painted an interesting picture of the huge cultural shifts in the nineteenth century that helped propel Gilberts Scott’s career forward. The Industrial Revolution, the advent of the railways and social reforms presented
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Keep your brain active with a cryptic crossword
The Cryptic Crosswords group meets on alternate Thursdays whenever at least three of us are available. We usually spend an enjoyable 90 minutes or so solving a few puzzles, often smiling and groaning at the same time as a penny drops and the solution to a clue becomes apparent. The approach is strictly collaborative, not
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Membership tops 400!
For the third year running East Leake Village Hall was the venue for a ‘free coffee and cake’ event open to members and the public. Providing a showcase for some of our activities, the primary purpose was to recruit new members. Turnout was good and 16 people signed up on the day, bringing our total
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Walking 2 - From Thurcaston to Cropston
On 23 January, Walking Group 2 started their 6 mile walk today from Thurcaston. The village has existed since the 8th Century AD and is listed in the Doomsday Book. Its first stone church was built just after 1066. Leicestershire’s only Viking coin hoard was uncovered here and contains Viking coins minted in York, Anglo-Saxon
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History Explorers Visit Taylor's Bell Foundry
On the 21st January 2026, 22 members of Soar Valley u3a attended the John Taylor Bell Foundry for a tour and to discover how bells were made and how the Loughborough bell foundry was born. It all started in the 18th century when Robert Taylor started his apprenticeship at a bell foundry in St Neots