In this edition:
Notices
TRIP TO WINCHESTER CANCELLED!
OOOPS!
When we announced the trip to Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market on Friday 8th December, we had completely forgotten that it was one of the days when the Christmas Lunch was being held. Therefore it has been decided to cancel this outing.
Volunteers Wanted
Local charity, Read Easy Chichester and Arun, which supports adults across the area who struggle with reading, is looking for more volunteers to help change people’s lives through the gift of literacy. We’re actively recruiting in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, looking for new volunteer coaches (who work 1:1 with a reader), coordinators (who work with a group of coach/reader pairs), and most importantly volunteers with good organisational skills who enjoy working with people to provide all-important behind-the-scenes roles in the management team. Learn more Here about the fun, free and confidential support provided to local adults. We use the proven “Turning Pages” programme and are a local implementation group of ReadEasy UK.
Everyone is trained and supported, so no prior experience is needed – just a desire to share your time and to make a difference. You can get in touch with us here.
Upcoming Events and Outings
Coffee Morning – Tuesday, 5th December, 10am-12noon
Always on the First Tuesday of each month, so please mark your calendars!
Our Coffee Mornings are held in the Bar at the MINERVA THEATRE building, opposite the Chichester Festival Theatre. You can chat with our groups team and learn about current and new offerings, meet old friends and make new ones!
Quiz Night – 12th December, 2023 starting at 7:00pm at the White Swan, Bosham
The White Swan is on the A259 at the Bosham roundabout and there is plenty of parking. The 700 bus from Chichester stops just across the road. Although the 700 back to Chichester stops running before 9.30pm, one of the members will no doubt be happy to give you a lift home.
The cost of dinner is £14.50, not including dessert.
The food choices are:
Lasagne with Side Salad
Lancashire Hotpot and Crusty Bread.
Crumb Coated Salmon Filet, New Potatoes, Vegetables and Cream and Dill Sauce
Lancashire Hotpot and Crumb Coated Salmon can be Gluten Free.
To make the evening a bit Festive, Christmas Jumpers, etc. will be very welcome.
Booking opens on Friday 1st December and closes 7th December. Payment is required, please, within 48 hours of booking in order to avoid any confusion on the night.
Booking is done here on the website. This payment is non-refundable so if you are unable to attend, please find a replacement.
Monthly Meeting at the Assembly Rooms on North Street – 14th December at 2pm
Our speaker will be Pete Allen. His talk is titled, “Oh no it isn’t”. A history of pantomime. What is it about Pantomime that attracts us to this strange concoction of fairy tales, dance, jokes, songs and cross-dressing? And what is it really like to play the back end of a Pantomime Cow? All this, and the answer to whether something really is behind you will be answered in this festive talk about what has become one of the great British Christmas traditions.
Groups Notices
Nordic Walking Group
We are looking at setting up a U3A Nordic Walking group, led by a local fully qualified instructor.
What is Nordic Walking?
Nordic Walking was originally developed from a summer training regime for cross country skiers and naturally shares many of the same concepts. The technique involves engaging 90% of the major muscles and shares the load between upper and lower body (you effectively become a 4 limbed animal). It is a full body work exercise, including your core, heart and lungs.
I’m not sure if it’s for me
We will be offering a sampler session in March, free of charge so you can try it out and see if it’s for you (equipment will be supplied). It is a very gentle intro so please dont feel daunted in any way.
After the sampler session
If you decide you would like to carry on with Nordic Walking and become a qualified walker, you would need to undertake a basic training session at a cost of £10 per person (once you have done the basic training, you get a certificate that would then enable you to join in activities with any of the local British Nordic Walking groups across the UK).
If there is sufficient interest, we will look to set up our own walks on a weekly basis (date/time still to be finalised but either a Tuesday morning or Tuesday afternoon or a Wednesday morning or a Wednesday afternoon). These weekly activities would cost £2 per session.
All equipment is supplied by our instructor and he can also advise on footwear (but nothing that restricts ankle movement – so no boots please!).
To register your interest and sign up for the sampler session please contact us via THIS LINK.
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 5th December at 10.00 and join in the discussion at a breakout meeting. If you cannot manage that date, please contact us via THIS LINK and we will ensure that your name is on the list of interested parties.
GREEK FOR BEGINNERS
Would you be interested in a beginners’ Greek course? You will learn how to greet people, order food and drink, manage shopping and much more, as well as enjoy the mental exercise of learning a new language. This will be held on Wednesday mornings at East Wittering, starting in January. To meet your teacher and to find out more, please come to a break-out meeting at 10.00am at the Coffee Morning on 5th December. If you cannot make this date, contact us via THIS LINK
Book Club with a Difference
Do you love reading? Want to join a book club with a difference? World of Books book group currently has two vacancies. We choose a country then we all read a book/piece of writing with a connection to that country (it can be fact, fiction, poetry or even a travel blog. It can be about the country or by an author from that country – there are no limits!) Then we come together and discuss what we have read and what we have learned about our chosen country. We meet on the last Friday of each month in Stockbridge. The cost is just 50p per person per meeting.
Want to find out more? Contact us via THIS LINK
Skiing Anyone?
We are a new U3A group of skiers of varying abilities but who have all skied before. We have organised a trip to Les Arc for 24th Feb to 2nd March.
The cost is £1,310 per person, which includes flights, transfers, half board accommodation and a single occupancy room (two people sharing would be discounted). If any skier is interested in joining us for this trip, please contact Barry using THIS LINK.
Groups News
Climate Change Group: Renewable Energy in the Home
Talk at the next meeting of the Climate Change Group (CCG) – 14.00. hrs, 6th Dec., Friends Quaker House, Priory Rd., Chichester
Renewable Energy in the Home about my experiences with a heat pump, solar panels and battery.
And Renewable energy scenarios for the Chichester Area” by Tom Broughton.
The drop in the price of renewable energy and efficiency is such that it now costs the same to destroy the climate or save it.”Tom Broughton is a director of Solesco a community energy company and has many years experience in the installation of both home and industrial solar energy projects in the region.
Jan Davis is a retired engineer and has worked 30 years in Norway on Oil and gas industry projects.
Both Tom and Jan are passionate about influencing the progress to reduce emissions to allow our grandchildren to thrive on our planet.
National u3a & Regional Events
National u3a
Here are the Third Age Trust zoom talks currently listed for the next month or so:
Friday, 1st December at 14:00 – The Story of Eva Urbach and Ulli Adler
Tuesday, 5th December at 10:00 – When Art and Literature meet at Christmastide
Wednesday, 6th December at 14:00 – The Art of William Morris
Thursday, 7th December at 10:30 – Live Cookery Demonstration – Xmas Special
Wednesday, 13th December at 10:00 – Judith’s Laughter Yoga
Wednesday, 13th December at 11:00 – How to Plan a Balanced Yoga Practice
Wednesday, 13th December at 14:00 – Family History – When All is not what it Seems
Friday, 15th December at 10:00 – Climate Change and the Oceans
Thursday, 21st December at 10:00 – Mindfulness & Meditation (monthly)
Local Events
Tuesday Talks at the WSRO
Nothing in December: the next talk scheduled at present is on Tuesday, 30th January and is about the author Ford Madox Ford and his life, after the First World War, in a cottage situated between Pulborough and Storrington.
Wednesday Coffee Time Workshops for those interested in Family History: topics for the workshops scheduled for next year include Researching the History of Your House, How to Start Your Family Tree, Getting Started with Ancestry.co.uk, and Reading Old Handwriting. Cost £7.50.
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 on a Wednesday evening, usually the first Wednesday in the month. They cost £5 (tickets can be bought in the shop – in advance, I assume). The talks so far announced (below) are on literary topics.
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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