Interest Groups NOTES FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

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1 NOTES FROM OUR CHAIRMAN A very Happy New Year to all members, and it is looking like an exciting year as well. Have you seen the programme arranged for the Heritage Group? There is an excellent range of visits listed on the website. The list of speakers, arranged for our General Meetings, also promises a variety of subjects. Details of the first few are to be found elsewhere in this Newsletter and also on our website. A number of new subjects have been suggested for Interest Groups. Contact Sally Jackson about joining, and particularly, if you would like to help in starting one of these Groups. What a magnificent response we have had to the Whitehawk Food Bank collection - a whopping 93kg. It is good to know what happens to our collection. The organisers have thanked us and told us that so far they have seen 230 clients and fed 577 people including 260 children. The main reasons our clients need this emergency food are; Benefit changes 14%; Benefit delays 36%; and low income 26%. The 577 includes 17 people who are over 65. Can we donate more than 100kg at our next collection on 4 th February? Some members took advantage of two for one offers to make a donation, one for themselves and one for the Food Bank; another member had been wondering what to do with some loyalty points from which the Food Bank benefitted; others bought a couple of items each week between our November and December meetings. It all mounts up and is much appreciated. By the way, if anyone wants to see this Food Bank in operation, they have issued an open invitation to just pop in. Learn, Laugh and Live is what the U3A is about. I look forward to your help in ensuring that we achieve these aims in Tony Beirne Interest Groups We already have a variety of interest groups, but we hope that some more will be started soon. Suggestions arising from the U3A Annual Conference are: Camera Club, Woodworking, Stamp Collecting and Bird Watching. Suggestions from our own members include Ukulele music, Choral singing, Reading music, Literature, the place of Religion in History, History of the Crusades, History of the Classical World, Interaction of Islam and Christianity, Christian and general ethical issues, Shakespeare's sources for his plays, Beauty of Mathematics, Aristophanes' and Euripedes' plays, Plautus' comedies and 19th and 20th century exploration. If you might be interested in any of these, do please see Sally Jackson at the next General Meeting, or her ( address is on the PP U3A website). page 1

2 Drop-in' Bridge As the name suggests, we're starting a new 'Drop-in' Bridge group at the Park View Pub (corner of Preston Drove/Surrenden Rd) in February. This will be on the first Thursday and the third Tuesday of the month from 11am - 1pm (on the Thursday you can then walk down to Knoyle Rd for the monthly meeting). The 5B stops outside and parking is fairly easy nearby. You don t need to come with a partner, as we ll pair you up, but you'll need to have some experience of bridge (ACOL)...as there won't be any tuition available. The Park View are letting us use their room free but we will be expected to buy a tea or coffee - or something stronger if you like! Please sign up at the January meeting and join us at the first session on 4th February. The more the merrier. Esther Harrington & Elaine Corcut esther.harrington2@ntlworld.com Conveners ecorcut@gmail.com A NewVenture. On Friday 12th February at 2pm to 4pm in the Crowhurst Hall, we are going to hold a Barn Dance Class. Put the date in your 2016 diary and sign up either at the 7th January U3A meeting in Knoyle Hall, or with Sally Jackson on The cost will be 5, or less, depending on the number of people participating. If there is sufficient interest, it may be possible to have a Barn Dance once a month. Neither partner, nor experience, required but a sense of humour and knowing your right from your left will help! Julia Clark Gardening Group Well we made it to a soggy Prairie Garden (124 in the book) in September, probably a little bit late in the year for this garden. They had an Open Day at the end of August which had to be cancelled because the car park, in a field next door, was waterlogged. The scale of the planting was enormous, with interesting and expensive sculptures dotted around the garden. I think the photograph, taken by Mike Stace, gives a good idea of the scale. On the 20th October, Lisa, from Lilybud Gardens by Design, came to the Crowhurst Hall to talk about her work and answer questions. Lisa has been busy designing gardens in and around our area for some time and knows her subject. Our last visit this year was to McBeans Orchids at Cooksbridge. On Saturday 21 November, they had one of their several Open Days held throughout the year. It is a very different and interesting form of gardening. We now go in to hibernation until we come out again with the snowdrops in Spring. Personally I can't wait. Jack Wright page 2

3 Notes from our Eighth Annual General Meeting held in December There were 107 members at the meeting. After the a financial statement and the Chairman s report, the following were elected to our Committee (Trustees) for 2016: Chair Tony Beirne Vice- Chair Terry Careford Business Secretary Julia Clark Treasurer Pam Mutton John Colman Anne Dale Roger Luther Sally Jackson Tina McKellar Our next AGM will be held on Thursday 1st December Full transcripts of the AGM Minutes and the Chairman s Annual Report may be found on our website. MESSAGE FROM ANN & DAVID BURGESS To all our friends at U3A, thank you all for your support, friendship, and help through the years we were in Brighton. I was one of the founder members of Preston Park U3A and have enjoyed watching it flourish and grow. U3A helped Dave and I when we were new in the area and we have loved all the groups, outings, Theatre and Concert Groups. Most of all we have made many friends, who, we hope to meet up with when we visit. We are slowly getting organised in our new home. I am sitting looking out at a rough sea which is lovely. However, we do miss all our friends - more than we expected. Thank you again. Happy New Year to you all. Love Ann and Dave. Badminton Group This is a photo of a farewell lunch for Dave Burgess with the U3A Badminton Group. Dave presented the Group with a Trophy. We will have fun deciding how the "Dave Burgess Cup" will be awarded and it will always remind us of the happy times on the Badminton Court with Dave. We all sent Dave and Ann best wishes for their move back to Kent, and hope he will return with a team from U3A Westgate to challenge us. Here we have the Dave Burgess trophy being awarded to the winners of the U3A Preston Park Badminton tournament: Val Chitty and John Hogg, with their group, coach Julia Alkema. For anyone interested in playing on Wednesday mornings, from 11am to 1pm at Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre, please contact Julia Clark on page 3

4 Visit to the Winchester Planetarium in November. Here are some of the photographs. DATES FOR YOU DIARY OUR MONTHLY GENERAL MEETINGS AT 1.30 P.M., KNOYLE HALL Date Thu Jan 7th Thu Feb 4th Thu Mar 3rd Thur Apr 7th Event The speaker for our January General Meeting will be Ian Everest and his subject The Women s Land Army in two world wars Sussex Connections. The speaker for our February General Meeting will be Laurence Leng with a talk on The World of Gilbert & Sullivan. The speaker for our March General Meeting will be Joanne Wilkins with a talk on The Secret Life of the Bayeux Tapestry. The speaker for this month will be Sheila Innes with a talk on: Are You Sitting Comfortably? My Life in the BBC. CLASSICAL MUSIC GROUP The CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS in the new year will be 31st January, 14th February, 6th March and 20th March. Prices and concert details from Julia Clark. Booking dates for all remaining concerts to be advised. page 4

5 HERITAGE VISITING GROUP Please contact John Colman Date Event Fri Feb 5th Fri Feb 19th Thu Mar 10th Fri Apr 8th Fri Apr 29th SOCIAL OUTINGS Please Contact Alan Beebe Mobile: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM and PAINTED HALL, Greenwich. Train and short walk. Cost 15. Booking and taking firm reservations. VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, South Kensington. Train, tube and walk. Cost 12. Booked & taking firm reservations. ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM, Gillingham, Kent. Coach. 1¾ hours. Cost 23. Taking provisional reservations. Please note this trip is on a THURS- DAY. BANQUETING HOUSE & NATIONAL GALLERY, Whitehall & Trafalgar Square. Train, tube & walk. Cost 20. Booked & taking firm reservations. TANK MUSEUM, Bovington, Dorset. Coach 2½ hours. Cost 26. Booked & taking firm reservations. Fri May 27th HAM HOUSE (N.T.). Coach 1½ hours. Cost to National Trust members 15. Cost to non members 24. House tour Extra Booked & taking firm reservations. Thu Mar 10th 40 Tickets only, for The Carole King Musical - BEAUTIFUL - the musical life and songs of Carole King, at The Aldwych Theatre, London, 2.30 performance on Thursday 10th March Price 35, which, for the West End, is very good. For members comfort, transport will be by coach, the cost of which is in addition to the show ticket. It is suggested members could visit Covent Garden in the morning and perhaps stop for a meal on the way home. Coach costs approx. 15, which may be paid in February Please send your booking form and cheque for 35 to Alan Beebe, asap. THEATRE GROUP Please contact Maureen Dickson tel: maureen.ruane@ntlworld.com Thu Jan 14th ANNIE. Starring Lesley Joseph (Birds of a Feather). Tickets 20 Thu Jan 28th THE MOUSETRAP. (for those of you who did not see it 3 years ago!). Starring Louise Jamieson. Tickets FULL - all tickets taken. Thu Feb 4th PRIVATE LIVES by Noel Coward. Starring Tom Chambers and Laura Rogers. "Two Hours of Comic Bliss I would stress this is the first Thursday of the month and therefore a U3A General Meeting. Tickets are and are selling very quickly. One ticket remaining. Thu Feb 11th KING CHARLES III. Direct from Broadway and the West End, starring Robert Powell as King Charles III. The Queen is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne with Camilla by his side. As William, Kate and Harry look on, Charles prepares for the future of power that lies before him but how to rule? This bracingly provocative and outrageously entertaining new play (the Independent) explores the people underneath the crown, the unwritten rules of our democracy and the conscience of Britain s most famous family. Tickets are page 5

6 Date Sun Feb 21st Wed Mar 9th Thu Mar 24th Thu Mar 31st U3A HOLIDAYS Mon Apr 18 Mon Aug 15 Event TOSCA. An Ellen Kent Production. This traditional production is a heady mixture of true love, torture and betrayal, with two of the best roles for tenor and soprano, plus a truly bloodcurdling villain. A magnificent new set with towering marble pillars, fabulous costumes and a shepherd boy s solo. Tickets are 31 and are in The Royal Circle. This event is on a Sunday evening at 7.45pm. THE PERFECT MURDER by Peter James, starring Shane Ritchie and Jessie Wallace. Marriage Can Be Murder. Have you ever wondered how to commit murder? A young Detective, Roy Grace, starts to investigate his first homicide case. Tickets are This play is on a Wednesday. FULL - All tickets taken. THE HERBAL BED an English Touring Theatre Production. Shakespeare s daughter is publicly accused of having a sexual liaison with her neighbour, but her husband stands firmly by her, suing her accuser for slander. Tickets are END OF THE RAINBOW. The Judy Garland Story starring Lisa Maxwell. Join Judy as she makes her explosive London comeback at the height of the swinging sixties. Given five stars by The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent. Tickets are and are selling very quickly. ARTS & GARDENS IN CORNWAL Bookings closing date up to February Please contact Ann Kerrison. THORESBY HALL, SHERWOOD FOREST (Warners) Please contact Alan & Caroline Beebe. For the latest details of events, please see our Preston Park U3A website. Please send any items for the April newsletter by: 25th March 2015 to Terry Careford: terry.careford@ntlworld.com The Preston Park website is page 6