The local WEA was formed 40 years ago this year
A group of locals formed the WEA West Bergholt Branch nearly 40 years ago on Tuesday 20th October 1981. They launched their first ‘season’ of lectures in spring 1982 on the topic of “The Citizen and the Law – criminal, family, and consumer”; local lawyers presented the course.
They started their most recent series on “Imperial China: Land and People” in spring 2021 was curtailed because of the Covid 19 lockdown 1; they did manage to complete nine of the ten weeks of this excellently presented subject though.
Over the years subjects have included:
- architecture,
- film,
- history,
- industry,
- literature,
- music,
- poetry,
- climate, and many more,
… and have been well supported. Now, with an aging membership, attendance has steadily reduced year by year and ,the branch is no longer viable unless more people come forward to help run it.
Under Threat
So, “Imperial China” might be the last course held here unless a way is found to keep the branch running. Organising local courses is not difficult and much support is available from the local WEA Education Coordinator, Debbie Young. If you are interested in keeping this valuable asset to the community alive beyond 40 years, please contact Debbie at [email protected].
Links to Past Courses
These show what a diverse and interesting range of courses the WEA has put on over the past few years!
- After nearly 40 years… - The local WEA was formed 40 years ago this year A group of locals formed the WEA West Bergholt Branch nearly 40 years ago on Tuesday 20th October 1981. They launched their first 'season' of lectures in spring 1982 on the topic of “The Citizen and the Law - criminal,… …
- Imperial China – Land & People: A WEA Course - Imperial China - Land & People The first WEA course of the decade is on the subject of Imperial China. China, as one of the oldest continuous civilisations, is currently undergoing dramatic change; it has emerged as a major world economy. David Prynn investigates more than 4,000 years of China's… …
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- Ten Britishers of Note – a WEA Course - Ten Britishers of Note After a long spring/summer break the subject for the autumn course is “Ten Britishers of Note”; the course will be led by tutor Edward de Maunsell. The last two courses at the WEA were on Jazz and Popular Music and were very well received by all… …
- Zero Night - Zero Night Zero Night the greatest untold escape story of World War II. The scene is set in Oflag V1-B the prison camp in Warburg. It tells of 40 British and Commonwealth officers who hatched the most original and daring escape from deep inside Nazi Germany. Months of meticulous planning… …
- The Jazz Century – Cakewalk to Culture - The Jazz Century - Cakewalk to Culture After its summer break, the West Bergholt Branch of WEA is welcoming the return of popular tutor Graham Platts with a Jazz theme. Members enjoyed Graham's previous courses: “The Sultanate of Oman” and “Perspectives of Pakistan”. For this course, Graham’s subject is “The… …
- Gardens in British Art follows Pakistan Perspective - Gardens in British Art The most recent WEA course, Perspectives of Pakistan, is coming to an end and has been well received, read about it below. The new year sees a new course starting led by Sue Pownall. It will address “Art Appreciation: Gardens in British Art in the 19th… …
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- Perspectives of Pakistan – 1847 to Malala Yousafzai - Perspectives of Pakistan - 1847 to Malala Yousafzai Led by Graham Platts, Perspectives of Pakistan is title of the next course being run by the WEA. Pakistan is both an old and a new country. Its people are hospitable yet sometimes wary of outsiders. The course explores some fascinating contradictions… …
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- Films & Literature - Films & Literature Films & Literature is the topic of the upcoming WEA course starting at 8pm on 13th September. The course will investigate the way books & cinema have influenced the other as David Read, the tutor, says: From the early days of cinema to the present day… …
- Shakespeare’s Villains - Shakespeare's Villains - A WEA Short Course Not “done” Shakespeare since you left school? Do you think his works are not for you? This autumn in West Bergholt we are looking forward to welcoming Ron Marks who will be our tutor on “Shakespeare’s Villains”. This will be an exploration of Shakespeare’s insights… …
- Inland Waterways – Past & Present - With the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation not that far away we have a real local model to add context and flavour to the WEA's next course. Inland Waterways, starting on January 13th at 8pm in the Methodist Church Hal, is described by the WEA as follows: Our next subject is… …
- The Great War: Fact, Myth & Memory - How appropriate that in the centenary year of the beginning of the Great War, acclaimed at the time as the war to end all wars (or was it?), that the WEA have provided details of their next course: The WEA (Workers Education Association) runs 2 courses each year the first… …
- Introducing the Sultanate of Oman - The local branch of the WEA welcome all who would like to join this course in the Methodist Hall. Graham Platts, who has lived in Oman and will lead the course "An introduction to the Sultanate of Oman", says: The Sultanate is a rapidly progressing country in the Arabian Peninsular but still… …
- Coastal Ecology & Conservation - This autumn the WEA will be running a ten-week course on the subject of ‘Coastal Ecology and Conservation’. Being really quite close to some of the most recent experimental approaches of coastal management (see picture right), this course has a real local flavour as well. Fred Boot is a well-known… …
- Conflict in the 19th Century Essex Countryside - This subject of the WEA's next 10-week course is led by tutor, Ted Woodgate who intends to use Essex newspapers of the time to help investigate such areas as: the drama of the West Bergholt fires, the Swing riots, the formation of a national farm workers’ union, and the birth… …
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