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, click the blue links to go straight to our website.

Growing up in West Wittering, Ian Worley has sailed all his life, including crossing oceans with his young family. In this fully illustrated talk, he will tell the story of his voyage on the 78ft yacht Great Britain II during her third circumnavigation in 1977. They raced furiously, encountering many storms, damage to the boat, injuries and a lightning strike. Get your seaboots on for a thrilling talk at the Petersfield Community Centre, on Monday 12 October at 2.30 pm

Dates for your Diary

10.00 am to 12.00 pm – Wednesday 30 September
Welcomers Coffee Morning – All new and existing members are invited to join us for the next bi-monthly coffee morning at Petersfield Community Centre. Please come along and meet fellow members, get help with any IT issues, meet members of the Committee and make new friends – all while enjoying a drink and unlimited biscuits!

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2 pm – Tuesday 20 October
Health Matters – The work of the Rosemary Foundation
Shirley Leader, Community Fundraising Coordinator and Katherine Lacey, Clinical Manager, will talk about the work of The Rosemary Foundation, founded in 1997 to provide a Hospice at Home service for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Since then, the Foundation has supported many thousands of patients and their loved ones within their own homes. Operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day, within a 15-mile radius of Petersfield, they support adults over the age of 18 who are approaching the end of their life.

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2.30 pm – Wednesday 21 October
Arts and Heritage – Flora Twort and Stanley Spencer in Petersfield
Louise Weller is Head of Collections and Exhibitions at Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery. She will explore recent exhibitions focusing on the little-known period when Sir Stanley Spencer lived and worked in Petersfield, as well as Flora Twort's years as an art student and her exceptional skill in portraits and observational drawing. The exhibitions at Petersfield Museum close on 26th September. 

Around and about

Would you like to learn German? A new group for complete beginners starts on Monday 28 September 2026. Run by a native German speaker, the group will be a maximum of eight and will meet on Mondays from 11 am to 12.30 pm in the convenor’s home. We will charge £1.00 for coffee/tea, biscuits, and possibly photocopying. The course textbook will be Willkommen! 1 by Paul Coggle & Heiner Schenke, German, Beginner’s Course, Third Edition, Coursebook, ISBN: 978-1-473-67265-9. For more information, contact elisabethhaaspetche@outlook.com.

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Wine appreciation

Members of Wine Appreciation Group 3, together with other u3a friends, enjoyed their annual trip with a visit to The Tasting Barn, near Cheriton. We were shown the nearby vineyard where the ripe grapes were due to be picked. A fine summer for grapes means a good harvest. This is part of the Raimes Family Vineyard, which produces several delicious English Sparkling Wines, and we later tasted three. A pleasant lunch in Alresford finished an excellent day, and we look forward to starting our monthly meetings again now.

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Interest Hub News

The Interest Hubs will be holding their next round of meetings in October. At the last Hub meetings, we discussed the Pilot Learning Grant Scheme. Thirteen groups have now received a grant and will be planning how to progress their projects. Another topic was how to help our u3a keep pace with new members (121 this year!) so that there is always a welcome and an activity for everyone. The October meetings are a chance to make your views known and ask questions. Ask your Group Convenor about the Hubs and feed in any comments you have about your u3a. And remember, it doesn’t have to be the Convenor who comes to the Hub meeting – any group member can represent the group.

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Nearly gone – hurry! “Expand your Horizons” this weekend as u3a Week ends

u3a Week is an annual event that showcases the activity, learning, and fun that take place across the movement every day. From 19-27 September, we’ll celebrate positive ageing with a programme of online events, and encourage members to try something new just for fun. Visit the u3a website page to book your place at an online event and discover ideas for getting involved.

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Petersfield Dippers’ picnic on the beach

Have Your Say

‘Connect’ always welcomes news and feedback from Petersfield u3a members via The Editor

To ensure the e-newsletter is easy and enjoyable to read and that the style is consistent, the copy is likely to be edited.

The next issue of ‘Connect’ will be emailed to you on Friday, 9 October, with a copy deadline for all contributions of Monday, 5 October.