Issue number one hundred and twentythree (March 2011) in a series of Signposts from the WorldU3A Service, sent once a month to U3A members anywhere in the world.

Please send snippets of possible interest to the editor, Tom Holloway.
Feel free to copy any or all of this information in your newsletters.

Census 2011 - everything you need to know. A census of every household in the UK will be held this March - more information here. Each person in every household will be asked for basic information about themselves to help the government plan how to deliver key everyday services.

By law you have to complete the census and can face a big fine if you don't, but if you are in England it can be completed online here.

Group visits: Compton Verney in Warwickshire is a hive of activity with many new exhibitions installed. We've been visited by 19 artists and curators who have selected the works to be repositioned.

To find out more about what's coming up download our new What's on guide. To book tickets call 01926 645500. Booking opens at 11am on Saturday 26 March. You will find works from our Folk Art collections in unexpected places throughout the gallery when you visit this Spring.
Computer Groups: Tell your parents, friends, internet beginners or teachers of beginning computer classes about this new free guide to the Internet. Have a browse – it’s excellent (you may even learn something new yourself). “20 things I learned about browsers and the web”.
http://goo.gl/Tc7yF (Thank you U3A Online and Zen Internet)
From U3A Online's GEMS Newsletter: Genuinely free excellent lessons, including excellent video tutorials. Subjects so far include computer programs (eg Facebook, Computer Basics, Powerpoint, Office, Excel etc) Reading and Maths – more to come. (thank you Jim Hales, Australia). http://goo.gl/qKdEz
Music Groups: Omer Roucoux of U3A Luton UK says "I use with much satisfaction the site : http://listen.grooveshark.com which, I think, comes from Germany." Completely free and excellent for those who like music while using their computer.

Garden Groups: "Don't mess with Mother Earth" is the latest advice. Generations of gardeners have been told that digging is the best way to prepare soil for planting – but that’s a myth, according to revolutionary grower Charles Dowding and his ‘no-dig’ method.

You can read more about that at http://www.gardensillustrated.com/ and for some interesting talks you can catch some podcasts here.

Do you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter in future? Ask them to email tom@worldu3a.org with a request and they will be put on the list. This webpage may be printed onto both sides of an A4 page and distributed to those with no Internet.