In this edition:
Notices
Christmas Lunches at Chichester College
Thursday 7th December and Friday 8th December 2023 at 12.00pm
All places for Thursday 7th are now taken and we have a waiting list.
There are 2 remaining places for Friday 8th December. Details are available here.
We have to confirm our places with Chichester College by Friday 27th October at the latest, so if you haven’t booked, paid or submitted menu choices, please do so now.
Our thanks to all those who have already booked and paid for their lunches.
Coffee Morning Volunteers
We are looking for two volunteers to help out at the Coffee Morning on 7th November at the Minerva. You would be helping a member of the Groups Team to answer queries about Interest Groups. If we get two volunteers you can do an hour at the Groups Team table and still have time to catch up with your friends. There is no future commitment and we would like to encourage members who don’t usually volunteer to give an hour of their time. Please click here for more information. Many thanks in advance.
Upcoming Events for your Calendar
November Monthly Coffee Morning will take place on 7 November 2023 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Minerva Bar, Chichester Festival Theatre
November quiz evening will take place on 14 November 2023 starting at 7:00 PM at The White Swan, Bosham
Monthly Meeting at the Assembly Rooms on North Street – 16th November at 2pm – Our speaker will be Colin Tebbett. He will recount anecdotes of a Royal Protection Officer.
Groups Notices
Beginners Basic Bridge Course (BBB24)
Early applications are invited from anyone wishing to learn the game of Bridge to join this short course after Christmas.
The course is designed for real beginners even with no experience. After just ten short weeks you should be able to play proper basic bridge with any of our casual and friendly groups.
This course is structured in a logical sequence so candidates are expected to commit to attending, ideally, every lesson. Students will be accepted in order of application and in multiples of four to create the playing tables essential for practice. True beginners will be preferred to any with previous experience although anyone wishing to refresh their initial learning need not be deterred from applying.
By meeting twice each week there is less time to forget previous lessons and a good result can be achieved in just three months. Morning sessions are chosen as these are by far the best times for teaching and learning and avoid any travel problems associated with the early dusk in the winter. This format has been used successfully on four previous occasions, once even on-line during the lockdown.
With the above in mind, the current proposal is to hold the course at Donnington Parish Hall for two sessions per week on Monday (10-12) and Wednesday (10-12) for ten weeks. This would probably start on 22 January 2024 and run until 5 April 2024.
To cover costs including hire of the Hall there would be an advanced charge of about £70 each based on 8 students (or less for 12.). Ideal numbers would be 12 or even a maximum of 16.
Members will not be committed in any way by their initial application and will receive full details by email.
Please apply through the Groups Team by following THIS LINK .
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
New group starting – Tai Chi for beginners
Tai Chi is a mind-body exercise rooted in multiple Oriental traditions, including martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, and philosophy. It integrates slow, intentional movements with breathing and cognitive skills. It aims to strengthen, relax, and integrate the physical body and mind, and improve health and personal development. It is a great low-impact activity, focussing on improving your balance and core strength. It is accessible to everyone no matter age or ability.
Group leader: Greg Brooke
Weekly on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, starting Tuesday 7th November.
Donnington Parish Hall, Stockbridge Road, Chichester PO19 8QT
Wear loose-fitting clothes, flat shoes and layers to keep warm when it is cool or cold.
Members will be asked to pay in advance for a block of 10 weeks at a time (£3.00 per session). In order to ensure the rental of the hall is covered there is no refund or credit for absent sessions.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact us via THIS LINK or directly, by pasting the address groups@chichesteru3a.org.uk in an email. You will receive an email asking you to pay £30.00 for the first block of 10 weeks. This will secure your place.
Family History Group
Are you interested in starting to explore your family history?
We are hoping to repeat our successful course for beginners, starting in early February. It will run in Chichester, for 6-8 sessions, on the first Monday of the month. You will need to attend the majority of sessions to get the maximum benefit.
It will be led by a u3a member with 25 years of experience of FH research. The presentations and discussions are designed for those who are starting to research their FH and would like some guidance on how to do this in a structured manner. Support documentation will be available. Examples and topics will mainly be England based.
There are a limited number of spaces available. If you are interested please contact us via THIS LINK or directly, by pasting the address groups@chichesteru3a.org.uk into an email.
Proposed Sewing Group
Are you interested in sewing?
Would you like to make a patchwork quilt, recycle some preloved textiles, add some decorative motifs to an existing garment or just have some company while you sew? If you have answered “yes” to any of the above, then our new group “Thread” is for you.
Please come to the Coffee Morning on 7th November at 10.00 and join in the discussion at a breakout meeting. If you cannot manage that date, please contact us via THIS LINK or directly, by pasting the address groups@chichesteru3a.org.uk into an email and we will ensure that your name is on the list of interested parties.
Proposed Flower Arranging Group
We all enjoy the pleasure that flowers bring both indoors and outdoors, informally, and at celebrations. Have you ever wished that you could arrange them in a more imaginative and professional way? If so, you may be interested in sharing ideas with like-minded people at a new group, using video demonstrations for inspiration, and looking at how beautiful displays can be created at little cost using a few blooms and foliage and greenery from gardens and the countryside. For more information please contact us via THIS LINK or directly, by pasting the address groups@chichesteru3a.org.uk into an email and we will add your address to the group’s email list.
Report of Climate Change Group Meeting on Air Heat Source Pumps
The presentation on 6th September was given by Graeme Clements. Graeme explained that kit available from many different manufacturers can provide flow temperatures up to 70°, although house insulation is key to any new heating system and should normally include a minimum level of cavity wall insulation and 300mm insulation (or equivalent) in the loft space and of course double glazing. The pumps also need to be 4 metres away from any neighbour’s habitable room, so a site survey is critical to assess the suitability of an air source heat pump installation with a Heat Loss Report specifying the heat pump required.
The government’s boiler upgrade scheme awards residential properties a £7,500 reduction in the installation cost provided there is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in place with no recommendations for loft insulation or cavity wall insulation.
Although Graeme made the point that no two houses are the same, it seemed that the typical cost of a heat pump to serve a 4 bed detached house was in the region of £12,000 (not taking into account the government grant) so this would be less for smaller houses.
It seemed as well that the net cost of conversion to a heat pump as compared to installing a new gas boiler would be similar, taking into account the £7,500 grant, and provided the radiators and pipework did not need extensive changes. Overall though, the big question which seems to be holding back the move to heat pumps is the annual operating costs which are often higher than a gas boiler, although if you have your own solar panels you will pay less for your electricity to offset this. However, if the government reduces the price differential between electricity and gas (which is cheaper), then there is a chance that its ambitious objectives for the rapid move to heat pumps (part of the net zero initiative) might be achieved. Without that we felt that the uptake of heat pumps would be much slower.
Another point also to bear in mind is that as new products are developed, some concerns with early heat pumps have been addressed. Also the costs of new pumps are decreasing as new and more efficient units come into the market and as the market grows. So hopefully soon we can all be more enthusiastic about installing heat pumps.
National u3a & Regional Events
National u3a
I don’t know whether any of you managed to sample the Online Interest Groups the Third AgeTrust promotes, but if you’re interested it doesn’t matter – you can still explore subjects which Chichester U3A does not support – such as Ancient Rome and the Roman World, … Arts and Crafts, … Astronomy, … Family History, … Fashion, … …, Modern Pop for Third Agers, …. etc by following the link above.
You might find some of these groups to your taste and convenient.
Here are the Third Age Trust zoom talks currently listed for the next month or thereabouts:
Wednesday, 25th October at 11:30: An Introduction to Astronomy.
Wednesday, 25th October at 14:00: Future Lives – how our thinking skills change as we age.
Thursday 26th October at 9:30 – Science Network event, with talks on Forensic DNA and the Apollo Programme.
Thursday, 26th October at 14:00 – Live Cookery Demonstration – Autumn Recipes
Friday, 27th October at 14:00 – Fashion’s Dumping Ground.
Tuesday, 31st October at 15:30 (monthly) – Laughter Yoga with Maggie
Tuesday, 7th November at 10:00 – Into the mind of van Gogh Pt 3
Wednesday, 8th November at 10:00 (monthly) – Judith’s Laughter Yoga
Thursday, 9th November at 14:00 – Sir Thomas Lipton (Cabin Boy to Tea Tycoon)
Friday, 10th November at 10:00 – Curious History of Labyrinths and Mazes
Tuesday, 5th December at 10:00 – Cryptic Crosswords for Beginners (first of 6 sessions at irregular intervals ending in January) N.B. Booking closes Eriday, 17th November.
LOCAL EVENTS
Tuesday Talks at the WSRO:
Tuesday, 31st October at 19:00 The Women’s Land Army: a Sussex connection. £8 in person, £5 by zoom.
There are Wednesday Coffee Time Workshops for those interested in Family History.
Oxfam Talks 23/24
These talks take place at the Oxfam shop, 36, East Street, Chichester, and are arranged by Chichester University. They all run 17:30 -18:00 and cost £5 (tickets can be bought in the shop). They start on 8th November.
Wednesday, 8th November: Exploring John Donne
Wednesday, 6th December: Dickens at Christmas
Wednesday,7th February: Revisiting Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’
Wednesday, 6th March: Writers of Exile: Kafka, Murdoch, Nabokov
Wednesday, 3rd April: Poetry Reading
Wednesday, 1st May: Finding Stories in Things: A Creative Writing Workshop.
Wednesday, 5th June: What are the Five Best Books in this Shop?
Wednesday, 3rd July: Lady Chatterley’s Lover
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Enquiries If you wish to write to the Chichester U3A, then the correspondence address is: U3A Chichester, Box 809, MailboxesEtc., 26 The Hornet, CHICHESTER, PO19 7BB If there is an urgent matter that needs to be discussed then call 07460 109600, or contact the membership secretary.
Spectacular exhibition coming soon to Portsmouth Cathedral