The Claremont Project We went to the Friday afternoon concerts as before. Ken has offered our Lecture programmes & we await a verdict from the new organiser Phoebe, Kiri having left.

The U3A in London

Finally, Ken complete the full series of European History talks with Talk 259, “Last Things”, which takes history up to September 3rd 1939. Now, revision has started on earlier talks, as new information from more archaeology but especially, from fossil DNA, appears all the time. They are now getting DNA out of skeletons from 50,000BC. For example, we now know the builders of Stonehenge & other stone circles, were dark skinned & were largely wiped out by the Black Death, to be replaced by the Beaker People at around 2,300BC.

In the U3A Summer Programme Ken only gave one talk, about “The Enlightenment” but he also gave “The Cross-Swiss Walk” as the first of the Monday programme of fairly random talks by visiting speakers. Ken continues to trundle Avis round art shows in the gallery wheelchairs but not so much this year. We have attended all of our friend, Maiko Mori’s recitals in London this year & finally met the husband Hiro she had not revealed. Hiro took our Xmas Card image. All Ken & Avis' talks are available to any club in London that wants them. However, the talks will all be given by Ken, owing to Avis’ condition but in any case, he prepared them. It was his knowledge of Modern Art that nailed their relationship 41 years ago.

Maiko Mori

Ken's reading list of books for the year

“The Story of Russia” by Orlando Figes. Puts Putin’s thoughts in the context of Russian history. Taught Ken nothing.
“Elizabeth Finch” by Julian Barnes. Strange tale of a lecturer.
“Soft City” by Jonathan Raban. Although written in 1974, much of this guide to City life is still relevant & fascinating.
“Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” by Cho Nam-Joo. A howl of rage at the condition of Korean women.
“The Likes of Us” by Michael Collins. A Biography of the white working class, his ancestors. Brilliant. Also a powerful condemnation of the middle-classes doing & building for the workers, without consulting them.
“Bloody Panico” by Geoffrey Wheatcroft. An analysis of the 2010-2024 Tory governments, written with his usual panache.
“The Soldier who came back” by Steve Foster with Alan Clark. About a WWII escape that nearly came off. Ultimately, one survived (author’s father) & the other did not. Then, there was a difficult search for his grave.
“Baumgartner” by Paul Auster. His last book & very good in his un-American style. Surprise ending.
“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. Amazing, witty feminist tract. 390 pages read rapidly.
“The Ink-Black Heart” by Robert Galbraith (J K Rowling). Complex crime story & unputdownable. 1221 pages read in just over a week.
“One Question” by G.P. Ireland. Attack on organised religion wrapped in a fantasy about a bloke suddenly remembering every humans’ thoughts. Given by ? for my 80th.
“Living Dangerously” by Katie Fforde. Feminist chick-lit for relaxation.
“An Uneasy Inheritance” by Polly Toynbee. Fascinating musing on Class & some stuff that shocked even me.
“Politics on the Edge” by Rory Stewart. Revelatory tirade about the workings of Parliament.

Similar limited reading list as last year, owing to much historical research again. Avis usually reads the same books after me.