In this edition:
Notices
Meet our new u3a Bulletin Editor!
My panicked appeal worked, and I am very pleased to introduce Steve Painter, our new editor. Although I’ve only known him for a few weeks, Steve seems to be as much a virtuoso on the computer keyboard as on his guitar, so I leave you in good hands.
Steve and wife Lynn moved to Chichester nine years ago, following a career in Journalism and PR. His entry to U3A was via its German conversation group. Alongside time spent on family and travel, Steve is also a keen semi-pro guitar player, and still active on the local live music scene.
And goodbye from Miriam
I leave Chichester u3a with fond memories, and wish Steve and the team he is recruiting as much fun and satisfaction as I have had over these past seven years. It has been a delight to watch our organisation grow from around four hundred to well over a thousand members, and I wish you all the best as you continue to learn, laugh and live.
Miriam
U3A Annual Summer Tea
Tuesday 9th June 2026 – Time: 2 – 4.30 pm, bar open until 6 pm
To book – cost £15.00 – please go to our website HERE.
Oaklands Pavilion (Rugby Club) Wellington Road, Chichester PO19 6BB. Free parking, input of car registration needed on arrival upstairs – lift available. 60 bus to Midhurst and alight at Wellington Road – Pavilion is 200m along Wellington Road.
All members welcome, so come along and enjoy tasty food and good company at this great venue, at the same time showing support for a local business. There will be tea/ coffee available afterwards and the bar will be open to enjoy a drink on the large open balcony overlooking Oaklands Park.
Group leaders please try to promote and get a table of 10 together.
To book – cost £15.00 – please go to our website HERE.
Please note any dietary requirements when booking.
Upcoming Events
May Coffee Morning – Tuesday, 5th May, 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!
GROUP LEADERS: If you would like to promote your group at a coffee morning,
please contact the Groups Coordinator!
Members’ Monthly Meeting at the Assembly Rooms on North Street, Thursday, 21st May 2 p.m.
Pete Allen will talk about: A History of British TV Crime Fighters
Pete has worked extensively as a professional theatre director and film-maker. His talk is entitled ‘Watching the Detectives – A History of British TV Crime Fighters’.
Our next monthly meeting will take place at 2.00 p.m. on Thursday, 21st May, and incorporate the AGM. The Speaker will follow immediately after the business has been completed, and we are delighted to say that this month it is Pete Allen who is the Director of The RC Sherriff Trust, a charity set up through the Will of the playwright and author RC Sherriff.
Murder! It’s not big and it’s not clever. But without it our little grey cells would have missed some of the most popular television programmes to ever grace the small screen. This Talk walks the beat through the quiet of St Mary Mead, the golden spires of Oxford, the cliffs of Broadchurch and the killing fields of Midsomer. On the way it unearths the clues that reveal how our fascination with the long arm of the law owes much to the uncertainty, experimentation and innovation of the early days of television.
Doors at the Assembly Room are open from 1.15 p.m. and you are warmly invited to stay after the talk and take free refreshments in the adjacent Crush Bar.
Doors open at 1.15 p.m. No booking required.
Please stay afterwards and enjoy free refreshments in the Crush Bar.
Chichester u3a Quiz – A Fresh Start This May!
We’re delighted to announce that our next Chichester u3a quiz will take place on Thursday 28 May in the Jubilee Room at the New Park Centre and it promises to be an exciting fresh start for our much-loved monthly quiz evenings.
Expect a lively and engaging quiz with a varied range of questions designed to test your general knowledge. Whether you’re a seasoned quizzer or just looking for a fun and social evening, there will be something for everyone. As always, the emphasis is on friendly competition, good company, and plenty of enjoyment.
You’re welcome to come along as part of a team or join one on the night—either way, you’ll be made very welcome. Don’t forget to bring a pen and notepad, as you’ll need them to capture those all-important answers! Check in from 18.30 and the quiz will begin at 19.00 and end at approx. 21.30
For those who wish to eat, we’ll again be arranging a delivery from La Fish, offering a choice of meals including fish (with gluten-free options), chicken, burgers, veggie burgers and halloumi kebabs—all served with chips. Ordering food is entirely optional, so you’re equally welcome to simply come along and take part in the quiz. Please send your name and / or team details together with any food orders to the Quiz Organiser here.
There is a charge of £12 if you have a La Fish Meal (bring your own cutlery etc.) and £2 if you don’t. You can bring your own alcoholic or non-alcoholic refreshment.
Booking (open now) – via the form HERE on our website is essential.
We look forward to seeing you there for a fun-filled evening and a great new chapter for our quiz nights!
Groups Notices & Events
New group forming:
The No Small Talk Discussion Group
This group is for people who enjoy good, open conversations. For some, this kind of discussion can be nourishing and can raise energy. While a diet of endless small talk can drain energy. This may be a bit unusual or challenging but it will be an opportunity is to connect with yourself and engage with others doing the same. The conversations will take place in pairs, to make it more comfortable. Topics will be proposed and may include those below. If you don’t like a topic, feel free to pick another:
· Three things about me that most people don’t know.
· One thing going well in my life is …
· What small achievements or bits of feedback give you disproportionate satisfaction?
· If you had a warning label, what would it say and why?
· When is the last time you laughed till it hurt?
· What’s something you’ve changed your mind about recently?
We will meet once a month for 1.5 to 2 hours. Time and day to be decided by those who are interested.
You can stop by our table at the May Coffee Morning, or you can register your interest by clicking here
New :
Non-Fiction Writing Group
Monthly Wednesday afternoon sessions, 2026
Everyone has a book within them…
Are you interested in planning and writing a non-fiction book or article? This might be writing about your life experience and interests, whether they be professional or academic. Do you want to communicate your knowledge, experience, skills and creativity to a wide audience? Join us to reflect on the challenges of writing non-fiction, to share ideas, and to support each other’s writing.
We will be discussing and supporting each other with:
· Planning an individual non-fiction project, sharing ideas with the group.
· Supporting each other in writing endeavours.
· How to frame and pitch writing ideas to agents and publishers.
· How to realistically focus, plan and manage a new non-fiction writing project.
· Considering how publishing is evolving in the digital and AI revolution and what are the implications for our writing.
Six meetings are planned in 2026, all on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm: 29th April, 27th May, 1st July, 29thJuly, September 30th, October 28th.
The group leaders have experience across the worlds of academic and technical publishing, where print runs and readership are small. They are interested in working with others to develop writing strategies to grow audiences and to ensure a wider sharing and public relevance of their ideas.
There are already numerous opportunities for creative fiction writers, but this new group will focus entirely on non-fiction.
To register your interest click here
Phil Haynes – semi retired academic
Tim Pitts – semi retired publisher
Local and National
National u3a
There is a wealth of information on the National u3a website – www.u3a.org.uk , including online groups, u3a Radio podcast, upcoming events, and the latest issue of Third Age Matters, the monthly national u3a magazine.
The link to this version is: https://www.u3a.org.uk/what-we-do/u3a-matters
The next bulletin is due out on 15 May, so if you have an item to submit, you may use this link.
Links to our Website
Follow these links to see:
If you wish to unsubscribe from the Bulletin emails, please contact the membership secretary with subject “Unsubscribe from Bulletin”. This will not affect other email communications with the U3A. Please do NOT put the bulletin emails into spam! 😒
Please send a message via the usual channels if you wish to have some item of u3a news put in the Bulletin. Likewise, if you have suggestions as to how to improve the Bulletin or would like to join our team.
Best wishes,
Miriam Knight
The Constitution of the Chichester U3A is available to view here, and its Terms of Use here.
Enquiries: If you wish to contact the Chichester U3A, please call 07490 654524 (and be prepared to leave a message if not answered), or contact the membership secretary.