NEWS for ...
Petersfield u3a members

Welcome to our latest e-newsletter, giving a quick summary of what’s happening within Petersfield u3a. To find out more, simply click onto the blue links to be taken straight to our website.

Monday 9 June, as a football pundit might say, is going to be a ‘game of two halves’.
Kicking things off at Petersfield Community Centre at 1pm will be a special celebration of Petersfield u3a’s 30^th anniversary.
To mark this milestone, complimentary sweet and savoury canapes – along with glasses of bubbly - will be served.
Then it will be time for speaker Andrew Negus to make a return visit. Continuing his entertaining story of the history of Portsmouth, this talk is entitled ‘Harlots, Dung and Glory’.
Advance invitations for this celebratory afternoon have already been sent out to the 35-plus members who have clocked up at least 25 years with our u3a.
If you’d like to be there, too – numbers are limited, so are on a ‘first come, first served’ basis – please email events@petersfieldu3a.org.uk for your free entry. You can also sign up at the open meeting on Monday 12 May.
The whole afternoon is a guest list event only, so do make sure you get your name down.

Dates for your Diary

From media to computing, there’s surely something for everyone at this month’s open meetings (all featuring guest speakers) at Petersfield Community Centre:

Monday 12 May at 2.30pm
Life and Other Problems – 30 Odd Years in the Media

Tuesday 20 May at 2pm
Update on the NHS

Wednesday 21 May at 2.30pm
Cruise around the Solent without leaving the hall

Tuesday 27 May at 2pm
Supercomputing

Friday 25 July
Visit to Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

And the Community Centre will also be the venue for our regular Members Coffee Morning on Wednesday 28 May 10am-12.30pm.

Around & About

•  In line with Petersfield u3a’s commitment to share volunteering roles, three members have succeeded John Donlan who single-handedly looked after IT for many years.
  Now working together to take our technology forward are the new IT team of Management Committee member Tim Willans (membership and finance), Russ Stephens (website and ‘Connect’), and Mike Bracey (systems).
  “We’ve an ambitious set of plans for the year ahead,” said Tim, “including replacing current IT systems and rolling out new email addresses using our newly-registered domain name petersfieldu3a.org.uk.”
  The team have also set up it.support@petersfieldu3a.org.uk. This email address can be used by any member looking for technical help for u3a-related issues. It is shared by Tim, Russ and Mike to ensure a prompt response.
  If you already have relevant expertise or would like to develop new skills, why not email the IT team?
• Two tickets (£29 each) have become available for ‘Marie and Rosetta’ at Chichester Festival Theatre on Monday 14 July at 7.15pm.
  Beverley Knight stars in this production, featuring rock and gospel hits with live musicians. For more information, visit cft.org.uk.
  To snap up these tickets, please contact the convenor of the Chichester Festival Theatre group.
• As we go to press, a new French - Conversational group is about to meet for the first time.
  Aimed at confident speakers – though perfection is not ‘de rigeur’ – the group will meet for an hour on Wednesday mornings at a variety of town centre cafes.
  Four or five members are already expected to go along to enjoy some lively chat.  More would be most welcome.
• If you would prefer to embrace the Big Outdoors, why not consider joining the Country Walking group?
  Arranged once a month on different days of the week, the walks usually cover about eight miles and always include a lunch stop at a pub or café!In April, for example, the group met at Chawton Park Wood and went on a circular route via Medstead, Upper Wield and Lower Wield with a light lunch at the Yew Tree Inn. Highlights included skylarks over the fields, two historic churches, Hattingley Valley Wines, and woodland with deer and bluebells.

Have Your Say

‘Connect’ always welcomes news from Petersfield u3a members via u3aeditorconnect@gmail.com.
To make sure the e-newsletter is easy and interesting to read – and the style is consistent – copy is likely to be edited. The original version of any submission can be posted on the relevant page on our website and easily accessed from ‘Connect’ via a link.
The next issue of ‘Connect’ will be emailed to you on Saturday, 17 May.