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DAYTIME COURSES IN MAIDENHEAD 2008 |
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LITERATURE: LOVE AND LONELINESS
John
Still
We
will discuss literary works that explore problems of loneliness
and isolation and different kinds of love including the vanity of
romantic attraction, love that involves power and self-delusion,
and moving experiences of compassion and altruism.
The texts are: George Eliot’s Silas
Marner,
Stendhal’s The
Charterhouse of Parma,
Henry James’s Washington
Square,
Flaubert’s A Simple
Heart,
Elizabeth Taylor’s Mrs
Palfrey at the Claremont,
Iris Murdoch’s The Sea,
the Sea,
and Andrea Levy’s Small
Island.
N.B.
Students
may pay in two instalments, both in the first term or enrol for
one term only. Fee:
£68.
20
meetings on Mondays, starting 29 September and 19 January
Fee: £136
Venue:
Community Centre, 4 Marlow Road, SL6 7YR.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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LONDON: DOCKLANDS
Val
Pretlove
In
the nineteenth century the old fishing villages of Wapping,
Shadwell and Limehouse and the pasturelands on the Isle of Dogs
changed and grew to meet the needs of the huge growth of river
trading. In the
twentieth century these places changed again and from the 1980’s
the whole area had another great regeneration.
During this course we will study these enormous changes and
developments.
N.B.
No meeting November 25 (Study Day London in Art - see page 5).
9
meetings plus 1 visit on Tuesdays, starting 23 September
Fee: £68
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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NORTH AMERICAN ART
Peter
Scott
The
art of the United States and Canada is often startlingly powerful
and original. We
shall start with the mid-eighteenth century, but focus
particularly on how art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
reflects the enormous geographical expansion and social and
cultural change.
N.B.
No class on 4 November.
7
meetings on Tuesdays, starting 23 September
Fee: £53
Venue:
St Joseph’s Centre, Cookham Rd., SL6 7EG. Time: 10.30 am to
12.30 pm
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LATIN: TERM 5
Stephen Kershaw
This
course is aimed at those who are starting to move beyond the
beginner level. It
will concentrate on developing the fundamentals of the language,
and explore aspects of the Romans themselves and some of their
literature. This will
involve a light-hearted yet rigorous exploration of the Latin
language, to include grammar, vocabulary, syntax and background
material.
N.B.
No classes 24 September to 29 October inclusive.
10
meetings on Wednesdays, starting 3 September
Fee: £105
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.15 am to 12.15 pm.
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SEASONAL GARDEN VISITS
Carolyn
Foster
A
course for garden enthusiasts.
We will visit some local and some more distant gardens, one
per month. In
addition to viewing a range of garden styles we shall be able to
note the seasonal changes of the plants.
Some extra cost for entrance to gardens will be incurred
but car sharing will be encouraged.
Garden visit dates: 17 September, 22 October, 11 February,
22 April, 3 June, 24 June, 15 July.
7
visits on Wednesdays, starting 17 September
Fee: £53
Venues:
to be advised. Time:
10.15 am to 12.15 pm (February 1.30 to 3.30 pm).
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THE ENGLISH COUNTRY ESTATE: 1500-1950
Adam
Smith
Great
estates have been a feature of England since the Middle Ages.
This course will examine how these estates operated and
created today’s countryside.
Topics covered will include the estate owner as
agricultural innovator, industrial magnate and creator of
landscapes.
N.B.
There will be a visit on 1 October.
8
meetings plus 1 visit on Wednesdays, starting 24 September
Fee: £67
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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MAKERS OF NINETEENTH CENTURY EUROPE
Carl Wade
This
course will introduce the development of Nineteenth Century Europe
through the prism of eight leading personalities of the time:
Napoleon Bonaparte, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Klemens von Metternich,
Otto von Bismarck, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Emile Zola and Queen
Victoria. The study
of their contribution to European society will illustrate the huge
economic, social and political changes of that century and the
legacy which it bequeathed to subsequent generations.
10
meetings on Thursdays, starting 27 September
Fee: £85
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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BRITAIN’S SMALL WARS 1946 - 2006
Mark
Radford
Since
the Second World War there has been just one year, 1968, when a
British serviceman has not lost his life on operational service.
From 1946 until the present, British military personnel
have been almost continuously engaged in a series of conflicts
which merit the sobriquet ‘small wars’.
We will examine the reasons behind the hostilities, their
successes or otherwise, and comparisons will be drawn, where
appropriate, with the contemporary situation in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
10
meetings on Thursdays, starting 25 September
Fee: £105
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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FURTHER STUDIES IN ACRYLICS
Lydia
Dean
Gain
inspiration and confidence in your artwork while discovering the
versatility of acrylic paint.
We will develop ideas and experiment with acrylic
techniques, working from direct observation and second-hand
sources.
10
meetings on Friday mornings, starting 26 September
Fee: £68
Venue:
St Joseph’s Centre,Cookham Rd., SL6 7EG.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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LITERATURE: COMEDY
John
Still
We
will look at how different comic conventions and various kinds of
humour, irony and wit can be used in drama to illuminate the human
condition. We will
discuss Shakespeare’s Much
Ado about Nothing,
Noel Coward’s sophisticated and inventive comedy Private
Lives,
and T S Eliot’s The
Cocktail Party
which uses the conventions of drawing-room comedy to explore
problems of love, misunderstanding, and religion.
10
meetings on Fridays, starting 3 October Fee: £68
Venue:
Community Centre, 4 Marlow Road, SL6 7YR.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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DAYTIME COURSES IN
MAIDENHEAD 2009 |
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TWENTIETH CENTURY ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE
Kaye McArthur
What
does architecture tell us about life in twentieth century England?
This course will examine buildings designed by some of the
leading architects of the century, from cathedrals to corporate
headquarters, from public spaces to high-rise housing.
10
meetings on Tuesdays, starting 13 January
Fee: £68
Venue:
St Joseph’s Centre, Cookham Rd., SL6 7EG.
Time: 10.15 am to 12.15 pm.
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DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITISH POETRY: MILTON TO BLAKE
Stephen
Andrews
A
look at how British poetry developed after Shakespeare,
concentrating on accessible works by major writers including
Milton, Dryden, Pope and Blake.
To provide context we will also examine changes in society
and other relevant literature.
9
meetings on Tuesdays, starting 20 January Fee: £67
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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PROBLEMS IN PLANT IDENTIFICATION
Michael
Keith-Lucas
Plant
identification used to, and still largely does, depend on
recognition of diagnostic features such as leaf shape or numbers
of floral parts. This is the basis of Linnaeus' classification of
flowering plants. However,
one often only has small fragments of plants to identify, such as
on archaeological sites, or in forensic science.
This course aims to introduce some of the techniques that
have been developed to help in the identification of plants and
plant fragments, and the far-reaching consequences these new
techniques have had on the whole of plant classification.
There will be a visit on 15 April.
8
meetings plus 1 visit on Wednesdays, starting 14 January
Fee: £67
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ. Time:
10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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ANCIENT GREEK: TERM 3
Stephen Kershaw
This
course is aimed at those who have had a little, or rather distant,
exposure to Ancient Greek. It will concentrate on building the fundamentals of the
language while introducing the Ancient Greeks and their
literature. It will
involve a light-hearted yet rigorous exploration of the Greek
language and its influence today, including basic grammar,
vocabulary and background material.
Students should begin to read, understand, and make an
informed personal response to the original language.
Only very basic previous knowledge is necessary (or
desirable): this course is designed for almost total beginners.
10
meetings on Wednesdays, starting 14 January
Fee: £105
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 1.45 to 3.45 pm.
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EMPIRES: GLOBAL POWER IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Jonathan
Powis
Empires
are out of fashion: the modern United Nations recognises over 190
more or less ‘free’ peoples.
But imperial power has shaped a lot of the world’s
history. Many of today’s trouble-spots reflect old imperial
conflicts and fault lines and in the ambitions of China, or the
United States, or even the European Union, we might glimpse some
imperial stirrings. This
course will offer a lot of history, from Rome to the Raj; a good
deal of current affairs; and some cautious glances at the future.
10
meetings on Thursdays, starting 8 January
Fee: £68
Venue: Methodist
Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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TECHNIQUES IN WATERCOLOUR
Lydia
Dean
A
course that is both practical and inspirational.
Building on weekly sessions you will learn some of the main
watercolour techniques while working from observation and
second-hand sources.
10
meetings on Fridays, starting 16 January Fee: £68
Venue:
St Joseph’s Centre, Cookham Rd., SL6 7EG.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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LITERATURE: TRAGEDY
John
Still
Is
Shakespeare’s Hamlet
a wonderfully subtle tragedy about how a complex character made up
of many conflicting selves learns how to integrate them and affirm
his being? We will
discuss different interpretations of this fascinating and moving
play. In the second
half of the course we will study the themes, style and structure
of one of the great modern tragedies, Eugene O’Neill’s Long
Day’s Journey into Night.
10
meetings on Fridays, starting 16 January Fee: £68
Venue:
Community Centre, 4 Marlow Road, SL6 7YR.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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## ART OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Sandra
Smith
This
course will explore the major monuments produced in the ancient
Near East, Egypt and Greece.
We will discover spectacular remains of buildings,
beautiful objects and monuments to the power of early empires.
We will use this information to discover how people in the
ancient world lived, worshipped and died.
7
meetings on Fridays, starting 30 January Fee: £53
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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| STUDY
DAYS IN MAIDENHEAD
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STUDY DAY
2008
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LONDON
IN ART
Peter
Scott
In
the eighteenth century, and for much of the nineteenth, London
was the largest and wealthiest city in the world.
Naturally, artists were keen to make their reputations
there. They
portrayed not only the great and the good, but also the life
of ordinary people.
The
aim of this study day is to explore that rich artistic legacy
from the sixteenth century to the present day, looking at
aspects of the city, the River Thames, the street-life,
Londoners at work and play and London during and after World
War Two.
Tuesday,
25 November 2008, 10 am to 4 pm.
Fee: £27
Venue:
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood
Road,
SL6 4PF.
N.B.
Fee includes tea and coffee.
Lunch can be pre-ordered from the café-bar.
Peter
Scott is a popular WEA Tutor and experienced Tate
Guide/Lecturer.
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STUDY DAY
2009
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MUSIC AND THE BRAIN
Gillie
McNeill
Humans
have been making music for more than 30,000 years.
Today, not only do we enjoy listening to music at
concerts, films or at home but we are also surrounded by music
wherever we go, be it in shops or at work or play.
This
study day starts with questioning what music is and
investigating its historical origins.
We then focus on how the human ear and brain hears and
processes music; see how studying bird brains and birdsong can
shed light on how our own brains work; and finish by looking at
how music and emotion are intertwined.
Thursday
12 March 2009, 10 am to 4 pm.
Fee: £27
Venue:
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, SL6 4PF.
N.B.
Fee includes tea and coffee.
Lunch can be pre-ordered from the café-bar.
Dr
Gillie McNeill has enjoyed lecturing for many years on aspects
of neuroscience and human physiology for both Oxford Brookes
University and Oxford University Department for Continuing
Education. She has
recently run several very successful courses for Maidenhead WEA.
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DAYTIME
COURSES IN MAIDENHEAD 2009 |
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REGENT’S CANAL FROM PADDINGTON BASIN TO REGENT’S PARK
Val
Pretlove
The
development of the canals and the impact of the coming of the
railways created enormous changes in and around Paddington Basin.
During this course we will look at the work of Brunel,
Telford and others who used their engineering skills to develop
this part of London. From
Paddington Station and the Basin we will explore Little Venice and
follow the course of the canal through Maida Vale and into
Regent's Park where there are splendid examples of eighteenth and
nineteenth century buildings.
4
meetings plus 3 visits on Tuesdays, starting 21 April
Fee: £53
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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AN INTRODUCTION TO INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Philip
Morris
This
course defines Industrial Archaeology, examining artefacts and
structures associated with eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth
century rural and market town manufacturing, transport and service
industries in central Southern England.
There will be a field visit to the ‘Milestones’ History
Centre in Basingstoke.
4
meetings plus 1 visit on Wednesdays, starting 22 April
Fee: £38
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
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## KEEPING
A SKETCHBOOK - A CREATIVE PROCESS
Lydia
Dean
A
course that helps students appreciate the use of a sketchbook for
evolving ideas from start to finish. Sketchbooks are an ideal way to assess your progress while
building your confidence to experiment with other dry mediums.
5
meetings on Fridays, starting 24 April Fee: £38
Venue:
St Joseph’s Centre, Cookham Rd., SL6 7EG.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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PLAY
READING AND DISCUSSION GROUP
As
a supplement to the Friday morning literature classes, a play reading
and discussion group will meet without a tutor in the summer term.
The plays will be chosen by the literature class in March.
The group is open to all who wish to enhance their appreciation
of the playwright’s art and the theatre.
5
meetings on Fridays, starting 24 April
Fee: £11
Venue:
Methodist Church, Allenby Road, SL6 5BQ.
Time: 10 am to 12 noon.
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EVENING
COURSES IN MAIDENHEAD 2008/2009 |
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PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY
John
Goff
In
the midst of life we are required to act, but what guides our
actions? Philosophers, from ancient to contemporary times, have
proposed answers to the ethical and political dilemmas of living
and acting. What is
the relevance of their answers today?
10
meetings on Mondays, starting 22 September
Fee: £68
Venue:
United Reformed Church, West Street, SL6 1RL.
Time: 7.30 to 9.30 pm.
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GREEK MYTH REVISITED
Stephen
Kershaw
What
are Greek myths? How
did the Greeks tell and interpret them?
Why did they tell them?
In what context? Did
they believe in them? How
should we understand them? By
confronting mythical tales such as those of Oedipus and Perseus,
as well as more modern interpretations of the stories, this course
will attempt to make Greek myth more accessible and
comprehensible. It
will concentrate on the presentation, development, function and
subject matter of a number of Greek myths, along with the
acquisition of an understanding, in its historical context, of the
civilisation studied through its mythology.
Emphasis will also be placed on relevant social, artistic,
philosophical, political and religious contexts.
The course will be illustrated with slides, video and
handouts. This could
be the start of a lifelong interest in the culture of Antiquity.
10
meetings on Mondays, starting 12 January Fee: £105
Venue:
United Reformed Church, West Street, SL6 1RL.
Time: 7.30 to 9.30 pm.
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EVENING
COURSES IN COOKHAM DEAN |
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ASTRONOMY: OBSERVING THE LIVES OF STARS
Guy
Hurst
The
frantic pace of astronomical discoveries is widening our knowledge
of the stars in our Galaxy and the planets that evidently attend
most of them. Now
amateur astronomers can observe them with the aid of
remotely-based telescopes. We
will study the properties of stars in the Galaxy to discover how
they were born and their evolution.
Students will also be able to observe selected stars
(weather permitting) using the naked eye, binoculars and even use
robotic telescopes in remote locations to secure images.
N.B.
There will be a class in half term week.
7
meetings on Thursdays, starting 2 October Fee: £53
Venue:
Cookham Dean Village Hall, Church Rd, SL6 9PD.
Time: 7.30 to 9.30 pm.
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THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF VENICE
Dalila Castilijn
The course
examines the extraordinary art and architecture which flourished
in Venice from the sixth to the eighteenth century.
Paintings by Bellini, Titian, Tiepolo and Canaletto,
palaces and churches will be set against the political rise and
decline of the Venetian Republic.
N.B.
No class 19 February (half term week).
7
meetings on Thursdays, starting 29 January
Fee: £53
Venue:
Cookham Dean Village Hall, Church Rd, SL6 9PD.
Time: 7.30 to 9.30 pm.
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PRE-RAPHAELITE WOMEN AS MUSES AND ARTISTS
Kaye McArthur
We
all know about the Pre-Raphaelite painters, but the women who
inspired and encouraged them and who became artists themselves
have nearly disappeared from history.
This course aims to rediscover some of these women and give
them the credit they deserve.
5
meetings on Thursdays, starting 23 April
Fee: £38
Venue:
Cookham Dean Village Hall, Church Rd, SL6 9PD.
Time: 7.30 to 9.30 pm.
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DAY SCHOOLS RUN
BY OTHER WEA BRANCHES
WINDSOR
WEA – contact Len
and Pam Cook 01753 545604 or e-mail lenpamcook@aol.com
for details.
FOUR
EMINENT VICTORIANS REASSESSED
Lawrence
Goldman
Saturday,
18 October 2008, 10 am to 4 pm. Fee:
£35
Venue:
St Georges School, Windsor Castle, SL4 1QF.
DON
CARLOS: UNDERSTANDING AND ENJOYING VERDI’S MASTERPIECE
David
Thomas
Saturday,
14 March 2009 (provisional date), 10 am to 4 pm.
Fee: £35
Venue:
St Georges School, Windsor Castle, SL4 1QF.
WOKINGHAM
WEA | | |