Monthly Meetings

Monthly Meetings and Open Days

We meet at 2pm on the first Wednesday of each month (except August and December) in the Angel Centre, Tonbridge (map). We invite interesting speakers and always follow the talk with the chance to chat over a tea or coffee.

Once a year this meeting is dedicated to an Open Day where there is the opportunity to talk to many group leaders. Details of these meetings are given on the Events page.

We have had positive reports from most of those that joined the January monthly meeting over zoom. We will be making the February meeting available over zoom. The meeting id is published in the February Journal. These meetings are for members only. Please don’t circulate these details outside the u3a.

If you would like to be sent an e-mail with the link to these meetings each month or have any questions about this new service, please e-mail me at zoom@tonbridgeu3a.uk The zoom service is being provided for those members that cannot join us in the Medway Hall for whatever reason. 

Do come to the meeting if you are able; you would then hear the speaker live and enjoy meeting other members after the talk over a tea or coffee. 

IT Coordinator David Bell itcoordinator@tonbridgeu3a.uk

Wednesday 5 November
Astronomy, From the Ground Up - Brian Mills FRAS

Our speaker for November will be Brian Mills, who will give an illustrated presentation on the basics of astronomy, looking at the Sun, Moon and planets (why there are only 8 of them now), how they move and how they were formed. We'll also see what units we use for distance measurements in astronomy and apply them to see how big the Milky Way is. We look at how events such as eclipses

occur and consider how likely it is that we are alone in the universe.

Brian has been interested in astronomy since he was 13 when friends of his parents bought him a Patrick Moore book as a birthday present. He was lucky because at around the same time a new boy joined the school who was also interested in astronomy. Since then, astronomy has taken up most of his leisure time. From his home observatory he has contributed, for more than 50 years,

observations that are used in solar research to track changes in the size of the Sun. He belongs to the Wadhurst and Tunbridge Wells Astronomical Society as well as the British Astronomical Association

(BAA). In 2011, he was honoured to be elected as a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Can’t think of a better time of year to learn more about our universe - so why not come along and, hopefully, be inspired to stargaze after dark.........

2026

Wednesday 4 February

Walk Tonbridge - James Pavlou

Wednesday 1 April

David Devant, England’s Greatest Magician - All Done by Kindness - Ian Keable

Wednesday 3 June

The Magical Mystery of Houdini - Joe Mendell

AUGUST

No Meeting - Summer Break.