From the Chairman CONTENTS. Coffee mornings - all welcome. Open Day, AGM, Committee Summer picnic, Group news. Diary dates, s from U3A

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1 B r i g h t o n & H o v e U 3 A N E W S L E T T E R - S E P T E M B E R From the Chairman Welcome back to all old members - I hope you have enjoyed the summer break, are revitalised and looking forward to the U3A sessions on offer this year. I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to more than 130 new members who have joined us in the last year. We now have over 650 members, and are still growing. We have some interesting new courses starting up this term as well as the old favourites. At the beginning of each term we hold special new members meetings at Friends Meeting House, Ship Street. If you would like to drop in, these are the dates to enter in your diary: Friday 9 September at 2.30pm and Monday 12 September at 10.30am This is an ideal opportunity for new members to come and have a chat with some of the Committee and Group Leaders to find out more about the groups they have just joined, or to ask about any of the other groups that may be of interest to them. These dates are also in the diary that can be found at the end of this newsletter. Our Annual General Meeting is Monday 10 October at 11am, with coffee, tea and biscuits from 10.30am. Please note we have a change of venue this year: the Central United Reformed Church, Blatchington Road, Hove. Finally, our Christmas lunch this year is on Thursday 8 December and, once again, will be at the Jury s Inn Waterfront (just to avoid confusion, this hotel was previously known as the Thistle). This has proved to be a popular venue, and the feedback we ve been given by many of our members is that it s been an excellent choice, so I look forward to seeing you there this year. Tickets are available from all Group Leaders. Derek Morris, Chairman Page 1 Pages 2-3 Pages 4-5 Pages 6-7 Pages 8-9 Page 10 CONTENTS From the Chairman Open Day, AGM, Committee Summer picnic, Group news More Group news Diary dates, s from U3A SUN Study Days Coffee mornings - all welcome Friends Meeting House am - 12 noon Wed 31 August, Fri 23 Sep, Mon 24 Oct, Mon 21 Nov As well as being a chance to socialise, these coffee mornings are when Social Group trips and events are discussed and booked - see page 5 for more information. 1

2 Open Day - 25 July 2016 This year our annual Open Day took place at Brighton Centre. Open Day is always the busiest day in our U3A calendar, and in previous years it s been quite a crush in venues that were central, but a little too small for our needs. With our rapidly growing membership we needed to find a venue large enough to suit our needs. Judging by your feedback the Brighton Centre was undoubtedly a winner with many of you. Due to the high demand for some of the groups there was inevitably some disappointment when they quickly filled up and members were placed on waiting lists. When this happened last year we made every effort to resolve the problem, and this year some of the more popular groups offered extra sessions. This was only achieved through members themselves volunteering to run these sessions. We need more volunteers! With over 650 members, we should have 65 to 70 groups as recommended by the Third Age Trust, but we currently only have 61 groups. So, ideally, we need a few more. If you would like to volunteer to start a new group, please talk to a current group leader or a committee member. You might have an idea for a group that isn t currently offered. Also, there is a list of suggested groups on our website and you could be the very person to run one of them. Your U3A needs you! Derek Morris, Chairman At last! A venue which was big enough for us, which had all the facilities we could possibly want! The Syndicate Wing of the Brighton Centre played host to us for this year s Open Day and some of us had enough room to move around between all the 55 groups and their tables, and there was still room for a quiet tea and coffee area. There were one or two small tweaks which we could have made to improve on the overall experience, but nothing of any substance, and we will take those lessons on board for next year. For, rest assured, we will be going there again next July! Just a sincere thank you to all those who made the experience so seamless for all the others to Roger for suggesting the Centre and negotiating a favourable rate for us; for Kay, Carolyne, Dave and Alastair who spent much time planning to ensure that the registration process was as painless as possible; to Dave for preparing all the print-outs; to Derek for printing out the table signs and organising our new banners; to the helpers in the lobby area; and of course to all our group leaders who made their tables so attractive and welcoming. At the end of this Newsletter there is an advert by the Brighton Centre, which was part of the very favourable deal negotiated between us. So please do support the Ice Show this winter as a thank you to them. Alan Cooke, Groups and Venues Co-ordinator A big THANK YOU to all those members who carefully followed procedures for renewing or joining. This was my first year of the great June rush to renew (and a new database, which I am still getting used to) so it made my life much easier when people had found out exactly what they should do, so that I could process them quickly. Kay Chaffer, Membership Secretary 2

3 AGM - Mon 10 October Central United Reformed Church at 11am, with tea and coffee from am Please note we have a change of venue this year: the Central United Reformed Church, Blatchington Road, Hove The Chair s Review of the Year will be available at the meeting, and will also be available in advance on the website. Finances are healthy, and we were able to reduce the membership fees this year. Our Treasurer, Brian Greenford, will be giving us the detailed end-of-year position as at 31 July. We are looking to enhance our Committee some committee members have completed one year of their term and will be applying for re-election; others are ready to pass on their responsibilities to someone new. We still need a Vice-Chair - this role has remained unfilled this year. We are indebted to Jenny Jones who has valiantly stood in as Newsletter Editor since June; however, Jenny has done this job for 3 years in the past and would be happy to pass it on to someone new. David Brownstone, our Web Manager, has done an excellent job for the last five years but now feels ready to stand down. Further details are in the box on the right. Dave has stressed that he is more than willing to offer guidance and support. Do please think about putting yourselves forward to join our Committee or helping out more generally U3A is nothing without its volunteers. For members who receive the newsletter by post we have included the AGM agenda and a nomination form for this year s committee. For those of you with internet access these two additional documents are available on our website. Derek Morris Our U3A Committee The following Committee members are willing to stand for re-election: Derek Morris (Chair), Fiona van Zwanenberg (Business Secretary), Brian Greenford (Treasurer), Trevor Sennett. The following do not need to be re-elected: Alan Cooke (Groups), Kay Chaffer (Membership Secretary), Carolyne McKinlay (SUN Rep). Thanks to Barbara Skinner, who is standing down. As well as the above, we also need a new Vice Chair and at least two other committee members. You don t need to have been a member for a long time - new people with fresh ideas are always welcome. Would you like to be involved? If so, please let us know! Vacancy: Website Manager Our website manager, Dave Brownstone, is retiring at the AGM in October, after nearly 5 years in the role. Could you take over? You don t need to be a computer programmer; you just need an eye for design and for detail. The website has been in its present format for several years and now needs some refreshing. There are several template-style programs that could be used, including WordPress, Weebly Drag and Drop, CM4all, gomobi and Impress.ly all are available to use via our web-hosting company. Each of these is easy to use, none of them needs any programming skills and Dave will offer support too. For an informal chat, contact Dave Brownstone using the Contact Us form on the website: or him at webmanager@brightonandhoveu3a.org 3

4 Summer Picnic 2016 Short Walk Group Bright sun and a summer breeze made for perfect walking weather when 21 members walked from Birling Gap to Beachy Head. After coffee at the National Trust café we had a glorious walk over three of the Seven Sisters, arriving at Beachy Head in time for lunch at the Inn. Many thanks to Marie, Francoise and Linda for organising a great day out. Susan Lawrence Over thirty members attended the 2016 Summer Picnic held, as usual, on Hove Lawns. What super weather greeted us: unbroken sunshine. It was good to see so many faces both old and new, and a jolly time was had by all - much food was consumed and many words were spoken. Peter Tarshis Pop-up groups Pop-up groups are one-off sessions that can be used for a workshop, a lecture, a discussion, or as a trial meeting for a proposed permanent group. Is there a skill you would like to develop, or is there a workshop you would like someone else to arrange? One idea already suggested is our own version of the Antique Road Show, but this would require a knowledgeable volunteer to make themselves known to us. Please contact Patrick Palmer with your ideas and offers, either in person or using the contact us button on the website Two pop-up groups are planned for the Autumn Term: Improving your Powerpoint presentations Wed 12 October 2016, 12:15 to 13:45, Kemp Town Crypt Please send an to patu3a@outlook.com if you would like to be there. If possible, bring a few slides of your own on a memory stick, so that the group can give praise and suggest points for development. U3A learning through research Wed 16 November 2016, 14:00 to 16:00, Kemp Town Crypt Details about our U3A s involvement in research can be found on page 8 of the June newsletter. The aim of this pop-up is to find whether there is an interest in being involved with research and also to explain what research is. For further information, please contact Brian Greenford - contact details on the timetable, or use the link 4

5 Social Group activities open to all our U3A members The Social Group holds informal monthly coffee mornings and organises a variety of outings and events. At the coffee mornings we take bookings for outings, receive your suggestions for future trips, and hopefully also your offers to organise events. The dates for this coming term are below. Coffee mornings - Friends Meeting House am to 12 noon Wed 31 August, Fri 23 September, Mon 24 October, Mon 21 November Please note: we need to see your U3A membership card before we can take your bookings and, if it is a ticketed event, money (cash only) must be paid up front - receipts will be given. Thames Barrier This was a lovely trip - a sunny day, good company, an easy train journey and a wonderful walk along by the Thames to the Barrier. Also a good cafe and a most interesting information centre, which included a replica of the barrier and a film. Fenton House Unfortunately this trip had to be cancelled because of the train strike - another date will be arranged. Hastings A small group had a very pleasant day out in Hastings, which really has improved over recent years. We went on the West Hill Cliff railway up to the Hastings Castle area, with lovely views over the town and English Channel. Once down again, we strolled through the twittens in the old town and had a pub lunch. Later, we went to the Fishing Museum and the Shipwreck Museum - both very interesting. It was a very enjoyable day out and we were lucky to have good weather. Forthcoming outings Friday 9 September Monday 14 November Fishbourne Palace, Chichester Globe Theatre tour, London Group Leaders: Jackie Williams, Janis Jefferson, Jenny Edwards New Members Tea and Coffee Sessions If you have recently joined Brighton and Hove U3A and would like to find out a bit more about us, we will be holding tea and coffee sessions on Friday 9 September pm and Monday 12 September am - 12 noon, at the Friends Meeting House in Ship Street. Come and meet some of the committee and a number of group leaders, who are all welcome refreshments will be free! For the latest news on groups and events, see the Brighton & Hove U3A website: 5

6 Au Bord de la Mer A visit to Dieppe by the Beginners French Group Francoise Grimshaw, the group leader, and four students from the Beginners French Group made a very enjoyable two-day visit to Dieppe on 16 and 17 June The group had a lively French conversation class during the four-hour ferry journey from Newhaven to Dieppe, and had many opportunities to practise their developing French language skills during the trip. The group stayed in a seafront hotel and visited Dieppe museum and castle, as well as restaurants, cafes and bars. The photo shows the group s appreciation of French food and wine that both featured strongly in the visit! Sue Lawrence Left to right: Sue, Jean, Les, Francoise and Julia Sing Shanties There is still room for more people to join the Sing Shanties group. We meet monthly on a Monday afternoon at Elizabeth's house, to learn about shanties and sea-songs, their origins and how they were used. Shanties are work songs, sung by a work force to help co-ordinate the work and make it both tolerable and more efficient. Bread-making demonstration We are holding a one-off bread making demonstration on Wed 5 October, pm at the Vale Community Centre, 17A Hadlow Close, Brighton BN2 0FH (number 2 bus) Shanties were not necessarily sung in tune, although there may have been natural harmonies. You do not need to be able to read music or even sing in tune, but reasonably good hearing is desirable. The first meeting dates is: Monday 19th September, 2:30-4:30 Please contact Elizabeth Rimmington for more information (contact details are on the timetable). Stan Hugill, "Haul on the bowline - the bowline - HAUL", from Shanties from the Seven Seas, If this generates enough interest it could become a regular group. For more details, or to enrol for this group, please contact me as shown below. Derek Morris 1chairperson@gmail.com

7 Changes to the Android Tablet Group At the recent Open Day it was found that there were a number of members requesting a group for the ipad, as had been held in previous years, and fewer than expected wanting one using the Android Operating System. To cater for both, I shall be running two groups this year, the Android one on A weeks, as already timetabled, and a new one for ipads only in the B weeks. More information can be found on our website under the heading Computer Tablets. If you don t know your OS, but know you haven t got an ipad, Group A is the best option. If you would like to enrol, or change groups, please me at fcp.whitworth@gmail.com. If you can t yet, I will be at the start of the New Members meeting on Friday 9 September. As a last resort, you can leave a message on my answer phone, but won t get course information in advance of the first meeting. Making polyhedra There are still three places available on this unusual but challenging course. If you fancy trying to make polyhedra like the ones illustrated, using ready-prepared kits, please patu3a@outlook.com. The first meeting is on 16 September, 2-4 pm. Patrick Palmer Art Group For this year s Open Day display group members all had the same photo to work from West Blatchington Windmill and produced their own individual interpretations using various media and lots of imagination. This year Art Group will split into two: beginners looking at Art from the Start and those with more experience working independently on their chosen projects. (Both groups are full.) Sheila Barker Beginners Bridge At Open Day Caroline Blick and I had about fifteen requests for a beginners bridge group. As we know of no one in our groups who is competent to teach, is there anyone who could run such a group? It is a constant request and would benefit many people. Liz Kempshall For the latest news on groups and events, see the Brighton & Hove U3A website: 7

8 Are s from U3A getting through to you? Members are regularly sent s from the Beacon membership system and every effort should be made to ensure that such s get properly delivered. The main way to do this is to make sure that the following addresses are listed in your Safe Senders list and in your Contacts/Address Book if they are not already there, please add them as soon as possible: Special recommendations for Outlook.com/Hotmail users 1. Log in to Outlook.com (or your Hotmail account) and have a look in your Junk mail folder. If there are any U3A s there, right-click the and then choose Not junk. The will automatically be moved to your inbox. 2. Click on the gear wheel icon (top right) to open the Settings menu and click Options. Then under Junk , click Blocked senders. If there are any U3A addresses in the list, select them and then click the dustbin icon to remove them from the list. 3. Click on Safe Senders (under Junk ). Type noreply@u3abeacon.org.uk (and the other two addresses above) in the box and click on the plus sign to add that address to the list. Users of other account providers should please make similar checks. Dave Brownstone, Web Manager Group Leaders Meeting - Mon 5 September On the first day of each term, we hold a Group Leaders Meeting at the Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, between 11am and 12 noon, with tea and coffee from onwards. All Group Leaders are invited, plus committee members and any one else who has a responsibility within our U3A. New Group Leaders are particularly welcome, as are any others who may be thinking about standing for the new Committee in October. It is a time both to learn what is going on, but also to contribute views and ideas on how to improve the experience for our members. Alan Cooke, Groups and Venues Co-ordinator For the latest news on groups and events, see the Brighton & Hove U3A website: 8

9 DIARY DATES TERM DATES Autumn Term 2016 Spring Term 2017 Mon 5 September to Fri 2 December (Half term Mon 24 - Fri 28 October) Mon 9 January - Fri 7 April (Half term Mon 13 - Fri 17 February) EVENTS Coffee Mornings New Members Tea Afternoon New Members Coffee Morning Christmas Lunch Wed 31 August, Fri 23 September, Mon 24 October, Mon 21 November noon, Friends Meeting House Fri 9 September, 2pm to 4 pm, Friends Meeting House Mon 12 September, 10.30am to 12 noon, Friends Meeting House Thu 8 December, 12 noon for 12.30, Jury s Inn Waterfront MEETINGS Group Leaders Meeting Committee Meetings AGM & Coffee Morning Mon 5 September, 10.30am to 12 noon, Friends Meeting House Mon 19 Sep and Mon 7 Nov, 10am to 12 noon, Kemp Town Crypt Mon 10 October, 10.30am for coffee, meeting 11 am to 12 noon, Central United Reformed Church (corner of Blatchington Road/Ventnor Villas) NB Change of venue Copy deadline for November newsletter: Mon 7 November. Please send to: jenny.jones@tenshu.net Groups New and Old We are pleased to welcome several new groups this year and thank both existing and new members for stepping up to the plate this year. In no particular order, our thanks go to: Rosie Mertens for her new Music and Memories course at Brighthelm Sonia Roth for a new French Conversation group at Cornerstone Maggi Tillotson for a new photography course at the Crypt Giorgio Motter helping members with a Beginners Italian course at the Crypt Peter Whitworth for adding an Androids Tablet course in addition to his ipad Tablets course And a welcome back to Norma Brickle with her Human Biology course at the Crypt. In addition we would like to thank Francoise Grimshaw for doubling up on her French classes at Cornerstone, and to Marianne Tingay for taking over responsibility of the Scrabble Group from Melanie Jacobs. Several courses which were run last year are not being re-run this year. George Irvin has had to cancel his Economics group due to ill-health, while Martin Knott (European Architecture) and Martin Jones (History) are taking well-earned sabbaticals we hope that they will want to come back next September! Why not take another look at the new timetable? Currently very few groups are operating a waiting-list and are able to take on extra members. Alan Cooke 9

10 SUN Study Days Sussex U3A Network (SUN) runs an excellent programme of study days. Below is a summary of venues, dates and subjects for Study days cost 10 for U3A members, 12 for non U3A members and usually run from 9.45am to 3.30 pm. Full details, including how to apply, are available at: Sat 17 September Sat 8 October Sat 5 November Sat 14 January Sat 11 February Sat 11 March Sat 15 April Sat 13 May Sat 3 June Aspects of Landscape - Dr Geoffrey Mead (Pulborough) From Signs and Scrolls to Texts & Tweets - Peter Enser (Uckfield) Einstein Dr Roger Luther (Rustington) Details to be confirmed (Steyning) The Many Voices of Latin America - Robert Carrington (Pulborough) The Darker Side of Dickens - Geoff Doel (Hailsham) Sussex by the Sea - Sue Berry (Seaford) Around the Piano, Around the World - John Hursley (Steyning) The Pre-Raphaelites - Kay Blackburn (Sedlescombe) In return for a discount on room hire for our Open Day at the Brighton Centre, we agreed to include an advertisement for Holiday on Ice in the newsletter. Special group packages are available for the show - book now and pay later. To make a group booking, phone