Dear Settlement Members and Friends,
Happy New Year, 2025! I hope you all enjoyed a good break over recent weeks!
Roy Evans
There are some notices to bring to your attention. First of all, I must announce that Roy Evans, died on the 2nd January. Roy was the last ‘Warden’ of the Settlement, a position he held for a staggering 37 years, from 1963 to 2000. For the first twelve years of this time, Roy and his family lived upstairs in the main Settlement building before moving, in 1975, to a residence on Nevells Road directly opposite. Once confirmed, I will tell you about the funeral arrangements. There will, of course, be much more to say and to think about on this.
AGM
To proceed with this newsletter, minutes from the recent Settlement AGM, currently in an unapproved status, are now available on the website:
Settlement Prize Draw
We have taken the decision to close the Settlement Prize Draw and the January prizes, the last ones of the Draw’s year, were drawn yesterday morning.
The Draw started in March 1996, and in the 29 years it has been running it has raised £24,000 for the Settlement. However, over the last few years the number of shareholders has been reducing, from a high of 198 in the early years, to less than 100 now. It seems that such fundraising schemes are not as popular as they used to be and the time spent on doing the administration could be used more productively in other areas.
A number of shareholders pay their annual subscription by bank standing order and if you are one of them, we will be contacting you shortly to ask you to cancel your standing order with immediate effect.
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the Draw since it started.
Spring Term 2025
For Spring 2025 we have arranged a wonderful programme of courses just about to start! If you haven’t already booked your places please do so now. Is this the term that you will try a new activity?
Many courses are now full, so we know we can all look forward to a busy, exciting term ahead! However, there is still some availability, and still time, to enrol on any of the courses listed below. Many of these courses have only one or two spaces left.
STARTING MONDAY 13th JANUARY
Perceiving the World 10am – 12pm; 5 weeks; psychology with Sue Woollard PerceivingtheWorld – Letchworth Settlement
Writing Your Memoirs 1 – 3pm; 5 weeks; with Dr. Sharon Priestley WritingyourMemoirs – Letchworth Settlement
Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality 1–3pm; 5 weeks; with NEW tutor, Dr. Lisa McNulty, who recently gave a free introductory talk in the Brunt Room on aspects of adult education. Lisa will explore, and discuss with you, a different topic each week as follows:
1: What is ‘Philosophy’?
2: How Do We Know Anything?
3: What is Reality?
4: The Problem of Consciousness
5: Personal Identity
Introductionto Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality – Letchworth Settlement
STARTING TUESDAY 14th JANUARY
Drawing for Beginners / Drawing for Improvers EMAIL COURSE 11 weeks; with Suzy Drake Drawingfor Beginners EMAIL COURSE – Letchworth Settlement Drawingfor Improvers EMAIL COURSE – Letchworth Settlement
Chinese Brush Painting Techniques 10am –12.30pm; 5 weeks; with Marion Dearlove ChineseBrushPainting Techniques – Letchworth Settlement
Tai Chi & Qigong 10 – 11am; 10 weeks; with Stephen Lyall TaiChi& Qigong – Letchworth Settlement
Expressive Watercolours – Intermediate ONLINE COURSE 10.30am– 12.30pm; 10 weeks with Suzy Drake ExpressiveWatercolours– Intermediate ONLINE – Letchworth Settlement
Applied Arts 12.30 – 3pm; 5 weeks with Chantelle Stephenson AppliedArts– Letchworth Settlement
Traditional Upholstery 6.30 – 9pm; 10 weeks with NEW tutor Maria Willis TraditionalUpholsteryEvening – Letchworth Settlement
Woven Tapestry 7 – 9pm; 5 weeks with Lucy Sugden WovenTapestry– Letchworth Settlement
STARTING WEDNESDAY 15th JANUARY
Contemporary Basketry Improvers 10am – 1pm; 5 weeks with Hazel Godfrey ContemporaryBasketryImprovers – Letchworth Settlement
The Poets of the Second World War 1 – 3pm; 5 weeks with Steven Pollard ThePoetsof the Second World War – Letchworth Settlement
The Sketchbook 1-3pm; 5 weeks with Chantelle Stephenson TheSketchbook– Letchworth Settlement
Life Drawing 1.30 – 3.30pm; 5 weeks with Suzy Drake LifeDrawing– Letchworth Settlement
Patchwork and Quilting 7 – 9.30pm; 10 weeks with Sheena Roberts PatchworkandQuilting – Letchworth Settlement
STARTING THURSDAY 16th JANUARY
Contemporary Basketry Beginners 10am – 1pm; 10 weeks with Hazel Godfrey PatchworkandQuilting – Letchworth Settlement
The Arab Israeli Dispute since c1900 1-3pm; In-depth analysis over 10 weeks with Andrew Bamford TheArabIsraeli Dispute since c1900 – Letchworth Settlement
Landscape in Acrylics 1.30 – 4pm; 10 weeks with Mike Rollins LandscapeinAcrylics – Letchworth Settlement
STARTING FRIDAY 17th JANUARY
Woven Tapestry 10am – 12pm; 5 weeks with Lucy Sugden WovenTapestry– Letchworth Settlement
Friday Flowers 10am – 12pm; 8 weeks with Helen Allen FridayFlowers– Letchworth Settlement
Expressive Watercolours Beginners EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE 10.30am – 12.30pm; 10 weeks with Suzy Drake ExpressiveWatercoloursBeginners EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE – Letchworth Settlement
Printmaking: Playing with Print 1 – 3.30pm; 5 weeks with Carly Simmons Printmaking:Playingwith Print – Letchworth Settlement
Greek Myth: The Labyrinth of Myth 1 – 3pm; 5 weeks with Paul Drew GreekMyth– The Labyrinth of Myth – Letchworth Settlement
STARTING SATURDAY 18th JANUARY
Exploring Interior Design 10am – 12pm; 5 weeks with Laura Halsey ExploringInteriorDesign – Letchworth Settlement
Making Books from Waste Materials 10am – 12pm; 5 weeks with NEW tutor Andrea Burden. This innovative course will recycle newspaper, cardboard, packaging paper and scraps of wool/string!
MakingBooks from Waste Materials – Letchworth Settlement
Abstract Drawing 10am – 12pm; 4 weeks with creative artist Callum Abbott AbstractDrawing– Letchworth Settlement
Art Jam! Mixed Media Sketchbook Club 10am –12pm; the launch of a new workshop series with Settlement Artist-in-Residence Nade Simmons ArtJam!Mixed Media Sketchbook Club – Letchworth Settlement (more session dates, each bookable separately: 15 February; 22 March; 26 April; 24 May;21June)
STARTING THURSDAY 23rd JANUARY
Portraiture 10am – 12.30pm; 4 weeks with Komathy Cumarasamy Portraiture–Letchworth Settlement
STARTING SATURDAY 25th JANUARY
Still Life Drawing Club: The Power of the Pencil 10am– 12pm; the launch of the next workshop series with artist Vanessa Stone StillLifeDrawing Club: The Power of the Pencil – Letchworth Settlement (more session dates, each bookable separately: 1 March; 29 March; 3 May; 7 June; 5July)
Languages
If you are thinking about joining a Settlement language class for the first time, in French, Italian, Spanish, German, or Chinese, at whatever level, please email [email protected] and we will pass your contact details to the appropriate tutor – who will then get in touch!
All courses are here:
All workshops are here:
Workshops–LetchworthSettlement
All events are here:
See you soon,
-Nick
