Art History & Appreciation

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Art History”

We explore the social, cultural, political and economic context of Art through history. Everyone is encouraged to do a little 'mini-research' and contribute to ensure enjoyable and stimulating sessions.

Meeting Area: Swansea      Meeting Day: Mondays PM

Family History

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Family History”

Meetings held on varied topics.  Presentations on a variety of Family History topics - the audience are welcome to contribute from their knowledge and ask questions.

Workshops - members are encouraged to share their research and help each other by asking questions, making comments, raising difficulties etc.  Introductory talks on how to get started in Family History when sufficient interest is shown.

Meeting Area: Sketty     Meeting Day: Fridays AM

Film Studies

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Film Studies”

The format of the group will be as follows:

• Focus on historical period beginning with 1930’s and 1940’s.
  
• One or two films to be discussed in each session.
  
• A brief session outlining the social/historical background of the film and its time, an introduction to the director and reception of film.  Viewing of extract of film followed by group discussion.
  There is no waiting list for the Film Studies group at the moment, everyone is welcome.
  

Meeting Area: TBA      Meeting Day: Thursdays PM

Industrial History

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Industrial History”

What we do:

In this group, we will meet for talks and visits on an ad hoc basis. Links with the Morfa Copperworks Heritage Lottery Fund project will open up chances to learn new research and archiving skills through online archaeology workshops.

If you are interested in being listed for this group, contact the convenor using the link above.

Meeting Area: Various       Meeting Day: TBA

Literature

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Literature”

What we do:

The Literature Group, having finished reading Marcel Pagnol's "Jean de Florette & Manon of the Springs" is presently reading Anthony Trollope's "The Way We Live Now". A rich story of life in England in the 1870s; a period where life in England is rapidly changing, affecting rich and poor.

Meeting Area: Newton       Meeting Day: Tuesdays PM

Philosophy

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Politics”

Most common sense thinking stops at some conventional and comfortable point. Usually only annoying children keep asking ‘why?’. Philosophers are a bit like these annoying children and like to dig deeper, questioning received wisdom or ‘common’ sense.

Doing philosophy involves critical reflection and discussion, and that’s what this group is about. The questions we tackle will be relevant to living in the 21st century. There is no fixed agenda - this will develop according to the interests of the group, but examples of topics might include: fake news; gender equality; historical sex abuse; mental illness, is beauty in the eye of the beholder?; nationalism; freedom of expression on the internet…

Be prepared to have your preconceptions challenged. And to the question ‘why’ the answer cannot be ‘because I say so’!

Meeting Area:  West Cross                             Meeting Day:  Thursdays PM

Politics/Citizenship

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Politics”

What we do

We meet on the second Tuesday of the month at the West Cross Community Centre, Linden Avenue, from 2.15- 4.15 pm. 

The aim of the Group is to hold informed and friendly discussions on a variety of topics of British, Welsh, International and local interest. Topics for discussion are decided from month to month. Usually a member of the Group volunteers to research, prepare and introduce the subject. Everybody is encouraged to contribute and his/her views are heard. We aim to strike a balance between burning political issues of the day and questions of a more philosophical or moral nature and issues that concern us as citizens of Swansea.Once a year we  invite an outside speaker with particular expertise to address us. We also visit places of interest in and around Swansea. In the most recent past we sat in a Swansea City Council meeting, visited the Crown Court, the Coast Guard Station before is closed and the new Lifeboat Station and enjoyed  conducted tours of the new Bay Campus of Swansea University and the newly refurbished Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. We have travelled to Cardiff Bay a number of times to attend sessions of the National Assembly of Wales. A convivial meal before or after the visit contributes to make these very successful events. 

Meeting Area: West Cross      Meeting Day: Tuesdays PM

Research 1 & 2

To find out more about this Group, Email
With the subject as “Research”

What we doNo meetings until April due to maintenance.The group’s last piece of original basic research projects was the publication of "Swansea Markets - A Chronological Index, 1194-1900". This is now part of the search records of Swansea Museum.  We were then invited to study old documents of the Royal Institution of South Wales, based at the museum.This work continues, under the guidance of museum staff, and often involves newly acquired subjects when members of the public contact the museum staff, perhaps after the death of a near relative.  For example, one of the ongoing projects concerns a firm of photographers set up in Morriston in the early years of the 20th century by a female family member.To restore the age balance in a group which has existed for more than two decades, I am pleased to say that we have recently recruited four new members, two male, two female, from the current generation of retired people!Because of restricted space in the Research room at the museum, two teams of four attend on alternate Wednesday mornings.

Meeting Area: Central Swansea      Meeting Day: Wednesdays AM