The kids are back at school, students are getting into their stride for the new college or university year – education is in the air.
And if youve got a hankering to put your grey cells to work but don’t want to commit to a full college course, there are still lots of options thanks to the Workers Educational Association.
It’s been busily organising courses across the country for 110 years, and the branch based in Kings Langley offers an eclectic mix of subjects for knowledge-seekers in the Dacorum area.
The WEA is the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education, delivering 9,500 part-time courses for over 74,000 people each year.
There are 400 local branches, 3,000 volunteers, 2,000 part-time tutors and 60,000 members, and you do not need any previous knowledge or qualifications to join most of the courses – just a willingness to share with others your curiosity, ideas and experience.
And there’s no shortage of big subjects to get your teeth into – one course, which starts on Wednesday at St Mary’s Church in Hemel Hempstead’s Old Town, is titled Heaven and Earth – How Our Planet Evolved.
Over six lunchtime sessions you can find out about the expansion of our universe, its history since the big bang, the formation and evolution of the planet, how our natural resources were formed, and what we can look forward to in the future.
Creative writing might be more for you – there’s a 20-week course kicking off at Leverstock Green Village Hall next Monday, with a 10.30am start time. Tutor Susan Curran aims to provide a relaxed and friendly class for anyone and everyone who has ever dreamed of writing creatively.
History buffs might be more attracted to a Caroline Ellwood’s 10-week course about the history and culture of the 18th century, which again starts on Monday morning and is based at Kings Langley Community Centre.
Other courses beginning next week include David Peacock’s 10-week introduction to jazz and blues at Leverstock Green Village Hall on Tuesday evenings, a Tuesday morning history course looking at the history of Russian from Stalin to Putin which is based at All Saints Church Hall in Kings Langley, and John Winter’s 10-week Tuesday afternoon course about the relationship between monarchs and musicians, at the same location.
There are courses available in Berkhamsted, Abbots Langley and Harpenden, too – there’s a full programme of what’s starting over the next few weeks, as well as the charges for each course, available at www.wea.org.uk.