GEORGE NEWS - U3A opens its programme on Thursday 4 April with another anthropological talk by Dave Jones titled 'Who were the ancient Etruscans?'.
Tuscany in Italy is very much in flavour with many books being written by people buying up old properties and restoring them.
The name of this Italian province gives a clue to where the ancient, pre-Roman, Etruscan civilisation was located. But apart from stories of this ancient civilisation and of Etruscan relics being dug up in the gardens of Italian villas under restoration, little seems to be known about them.
Dave and Fay Jones were exposed accidentally to what is left of the Etruscan culture when attending an Alpine Associations conference in the historic town of Orvieto in Umbria, just south of Tuscany.
As something of interest to do for their visitors, the organisers of the conference invited them on a two-day hiking tour arranged by the Club Alpino Italiano through an incredible wealth of Etruscan ruins and tombs in the surrounding provinces of Umbria and Lazio.
Dave will explain what was revealed on the hike and what their subsequent research into the Etruscans has taught them. This talk starts at 10:30 and is one that should not be missed.
On Wednesday 10 April in Armchair Travel, well-known George personality Prof Raymond Auerbach will talk about 'The secret heart of China' and the trip he took in September 2023. This meeting starts at 10:30.
On Friday 19 April, Hartog Blok will talk about 'The death of the Shackleton 1716'. The South African Air Force used Shackleton long-range maritime aircraft until the planes were eventually withdrawn from service in November 1984.
In 1993, the Shackleton 1716 was refurbished and then departed for an extended tour of the United Kingdom. Hartog was the mission commander of the crew and he will speak about this final mission of the aircraft. Tea is at 10:00 and the talk starts at 10:30.
At the general meeting on Wednesday 24 April, Dr Joan Louwrens will talk about 'Navigating the Northwest Passage'.
She was the ship doctor on a huge German-owned yacht that managed to negotiate the Northwest Passage, following the tracks of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition of the 1850s.
Louwrens is a medical doctor with extra qualifications in family medicine, anaesthetics and tropical medicine that have led to her working on land and sea the world over. Tea is at 10:00 and the talk will start at 10:30.
To end the programme, on Monday 29 April, Case Rijsdijk will lead anther session of International Affairs. The meeting starts at 14:00.
All meetings are held at Emmaüs in Memorium Street and visitors are always welcome.
Hartog Blok was the mission commander of the crew of the final mission of the Shackleton 1716 of the SAAF.
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