Events
Petersfield U3A Events
Petersfield U3A organises a range of events including three monthly meetings, trips, day workshops, study visits and occasionally two or three day residential breaks. These are open to all members (subject to space available) and may be organised by the main Committee or by one of the subject groups.
Monthly Meetings
There are three monthly meetings all held in the Petersfield Community Centre.
The Main General Meeting is held on the second Monday of every month between 2.30 and 4.00 p.m. with a different speaker talking about a general subject of interest each time.
These meetings are the flagship events for Petersfield U3A. They are held in the extended large hall at the Community Centre on the second Monday of each month (except for August and December). The topics are varied and are intended to be of general interest to all of our members. They commence with a welcome by the Branch Chairman and they conclude with tea / coffee and biscuits whilst members enjoy a convivial chat with the speaker, committee members and their fellow members and friends. The presentation normally lasts for approx. an hour with up to 30 minutes of comments and discussions.
U3A activities are mentioned and some Group Leaders have tables at the back of the hall for Group Business. At the back also are tables for discussions with new members and for recruitment and renewal of membership. Copies of the latest News and Views are available for members to take home, if they are not able to receive it by e-mail.
These meetings are seen as being of special interest due to the greater numbers who attend and the possibilities of socialising and carrying out Branch Business.
The Arts and Heritage meeting is open to all members on the third Wednesday of every month 2.30 – 4.00 p.m. and there is a charge of £2.50 per meeting. Each meeting has a speaker who is well qualified in a subject relating to the arts or a heritage topic. Occasionally talks are linked with visits to local sites or exhibitions.
The Science and Technology meeting is open to all members and held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 2.00 to 3.45 p.m. with a charge of £2.50. per meeting. We invite speakers on a range of subjects to give a talk followed by questions, discussion and debate. Earlier this year we changed the format to add more variety and in January we viewed a technical DVD of the Saunders Roe Princess Flying Boat. This was very well received. We are also aiming to have site visits to local places with technical interest - in May and July.
Other Events
There is a regular series of other events ranging from theatre and concert trips, heritage visits, and special interest sessions organised through individual groups but open to everybody. Other one day subject sessions, short courses and occasional social events are held and publicised on this website and members can receive a regular updating “News & Views Extra” email to keep you in touch.
South Bank Group The Group organises visits to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room and The Hayward Gallery, travelling by train to Waterloo. Availability of tickets and further information may be obtained from Derek Bowtell by contacting him via the South Bank Group page.
(See below for details of the upcoming meetings and events)
Past Meetings
Click the link above to see descriptions of our last few meetings for Arts & Heritage and Science & Technology
| Dates for your Diary | ||
|---|---|---|
| June 2018 | ||
| Wed Jun 20th | Arts and Heritage | "The Bishop Otter Collection" with Dr Gill Clarke. This talk explores the post second world war building of the University of Chichester's Bishop Otter Collection, which includes some of the most important figures in 20th century British Art. Dr Clarke is an excellent speaker and will give a fascinating insight into this collection, with a possible visit later. |
| Thu Jun 21st | Cycling for Fun | Rated 2/3, 16 miles, Rake and Harting |
| Tue Jun 26th | Science and Technology | "Petersfield Under Attack - electricity networks in town" with Clive Hutton. Following the recent major electricity cabling works in the town, Clive will be telling us where our electricity comes from, how it gets here and how it gets distributed to our houses and businesses. There is a major network of supply cables down our streets, criss crossing with all the pipes and cables of the other Statutory Undertakers. Somehow it all works, but hear the inside story from a man whose career was in this industry. In addition we will be discussing the problems these cause to our streets and the traffic in them. What an afternoon! Also a discussion on the new "Science Forum", its aims, practical details etc.. |
| Wed Jun 27th | Trips and Outings | A Military Day £15.00pp, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace followed by a guided tour of Household Cavalry Museum. Afterwards, a short walk to the Guards Chapel for a live lunchtime concert played by the Guards Military Band, then an informative tour of the Guards Museum located next door. Bring a sandwich, or, have lunch in the café in St James Park opposite. Meet at Petersfield Station (time TBA), or, at the gates to the parade ground at 10.40am. Cheques by 1st May |
| Thu Jun 28th | Cycling for Fun | Rated 3/4, 25 miles, Isle of Wight |
| July 2018 | ||
| Thu Jul 5th | Wine Appreciation | Theme for July. Chardonnay is making a comeback whilst Rioja is a long time favourite. Bring bottle of either and research your choice. Please note that capacity at the meetings with the Wine Appreciation Group is limited. If you would like to attend, you must contact the Group Convenor prior to the meeting. |
| Mon Jul 9th | Meeting | Malcolm Nelson "40 Years of Catching Smugglers” Malcolm has worked in every aspect of Customs and Excise, but mainly at Heathrow. He is credited with the largest haul of 42 Kilos of Cannabis, found in a suitcase concealed inside Plantains flesh scooped out and sewn up again!. His talk gives an insight into how an officer selects passengers who may be carrying drugs. What are the signs? How do the guilty give themselves away? The talk is given with humour. |
| Thu Jul 12th | Cycling for Fun | Rated 2/3, 18 miles, TBA |
| Tue Jul 31st | Outing | A Visit to Tangmere Aircraft Museum just SE of Chichester. Transport by car to arrive at 1000 hrs, cost £7 per head includes a guided tour. Refreshments available. (Booking details out shortly). |
| August 2018 | ||
| Thu Aug 2nd | Wine Appreciation | Theme for August. Possible tour of a vineyard. Please note that capacity at the meetings with the Wine Appreciation Group is limited. If you would like to attend, you must contact the Group Convenor prior to the meeting. |
| Tue Aug 21st →Fri Aug 24th | Arts and Heritage | Liverpool and the Terracotta Army As well as the Terrcotta Army exhibition at the World Museum, we will have a panoramic coach tour of Liverpool with a Blue Badge guide, a visit to The Lady Lever Gallery at Port Sunlight and a visit to Crosby Beach, where we can view Anthony Gormley’s lifesize bronze sculptures at “Another Place”. The cost of this trip will be £432 per person with a single room supplement of £45.00. Full details of this trip can be obtained from Joan Shepley, Tel: 01730 267704 or send a message via the A&H Group Page Link |
| September 2018 | ||
| Sat Sep 1st | Trips and Outings | The Alresford Show. £17.95pp (discounts for children), is a great day out with lots of country pursuit’s, crafts, food, trade stands, marquees, and undercover stands and seating available to watch the competitors. Travel by luxury coach to the show ground to see everything from prize farm animals, to duck herding, crafts, vintage cars, ancient and modern farm machinery on this family day out. Cheques by 1st July Pick-up - 10.30am Cranford Road / The Causeway bus stop, Petersfield Please be aware that there are currently road works and the replacement bus stop is at Tesco |
| Thu Sep 6th | Wine Appreciation | Theme for September. Bring a bottle of your favourite wine you had on holiday and perhaps discuss where you most enjoyed drinking it. Do accompany with a photograph is you would like. Please note that capacity at the meetings with the Wine Appreciation Group is limited. If you would like to attend, you must contact the Group Convenor prior to the meeting. |
| Thu Sep 6th | Science Forum | To be notified. At Liss Triangle Centre at 1400 hrs. |
| Mon Sep 10th | Meeting | Christopher Massey- Beresford. “The Rise and fall of the Portuguese Empire” Christopher has a degree in PPS but modern languages came to the fore. Most recently he has been a Translator. His talk covers the phenomena of Portugal’s adventurous spirit from the 15th century and the development of a trading empire spanning the world for 3 centuries, and then the dramatic account of the coup d’etat that brought this empire to an end. |
| Tue Sep 11th | Family History 2 | Les Mitchinson: Probate and Wills Searching for wills and missing deaths |
| Sun Sep 16th | South Bank Group | 3pm Royal Festival Hall Tchaikovsky Gala Celebrate the music of Russia’s most popular composer with this all-Tchaikovsky extravaganza of his greatest works, including the 1812 Overture complete with thundering cannon and mortar effects, plus a spectacular indoor firework finale. London Concert Orchestra Stephen Bell conductor Jennifer Pike violin Tchaikovsky Fantasy Overture, Romeo & Juliet; Violin Concerto; Polonaise from Eugene Onegin; Miniature Overture, March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Russian Dance, Dance of the reed flutes & Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker Suite; Finale from Swan Lake; 1812 Overture |
| Wed Sep 19th | Arts and Heritage | Change to programme! "Rudyard Kipling" with Jonathon Jones |
| Tue Sep 25th | Science and Technology | To be notified |
| October 2018 | ||
| Mon Oct 8th | Meeting | AGM will be held at 2.30 prior to the meeting and should last approximately 30 minutes. Film “Those were the days- Britain in the Fifties” Through the eyes of newsreel cameras this presents a look at how we were in the fifties. Recovering still from WW2 we had a cascade of gadgets for the home. Families began to holiday on beaches again. Teenagers and flamboyant fashions come to the fore. The death of King George V1, the Coronation, four minute mile and much, much more. Come along and reminisce. |
| Tue Oct 9th | Family History 2 | To be arranged |
| Tue Oct 23rd | Science and Technology | "The Navy's anti-Exorcet Missile System" with Gregor Cumming. |
| Wed Oct 24th | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall London Philharmonic Orchestra: French Fancies ‘Shepherdess, if you love me, come soothe my pain’. Joseph Canteloube took the old songs of rural France and uncovered their tender soul. His ravishing Songs of the Auvergne are the warm, sensuous heart of a whole evening of French delights. It ranges from Berlioz’s whirling celebration of the carnival spirit to the youthful zest of the teenage Bizet’s ebullient Symphony in C. Anna Caterina Antonacci (‘an exceptional artist’ – The Guardian) sings, and Enrique Mazzola gives an irresistible swing to Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Enrique Mazzola conductor Anna Caterina Antonacci soprano Berlioz Overture, Roman Carnival Canteloube Songs of the Auvergne Bizet Symphony in C Gershwin An American in Paris |
| November 2018 | ||
| Sun Nov 4th | South Bank Group | 3pm Royal Festival Hall Philharmonia Orchestra: Brahms & Beethoven Experience two undisputed masterpieces in the hands of Lahav Shani, one of today’s most exciting young conductors. The story goes that Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto got its nickname from a comment by an officer in Napoleon’s army, who attended one of the first performances and declared it ‘an Emperor of a concerto’. Still in his twenties, Lahav Shani has gone from strength to strength since winning the Gustav Mahler conducting competition in 2013. He makes a welcome return to the Philharmonia to conduct two works that came to define the Romantic era. Lahav Shani conductor Francesco Piemontesi piano Weber Overture, Oberon Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor) Brahms Symphony No.1 |
| Mon Nov 12th | Meeting | John Pitman “The Role of the Pantomime Dame” John was in pantomime for 36 years and he says his talk is like a one man pantomime, with lots of laughs and dare I suggest audience participation. |
| Tue Nov 13th | Family History 2 | WW1 armistice = 100 years +2 days: Members to share and review findings about their own families in WW1. |
| Tue Nov 27th | Science and Technology | Topic to be notified |
| December 2018 | ||
| Mon Dec 3rd | South Bank Group | 7pm Queen Elizabeth Hall Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: Pipedreams The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment rarely has more fun than when it’s performing music from the 18th century and letting the special sounds of its period instruments come to the fore. You can enjoy those sounds with this brilliant Baroque concert. Hear a pick’n’mix of Handel overtures, the composer’s innovative organ music and charming Telemann concertos. OAE Principal Artist John Butt takes to the keys for virtuoso performances of two Handel organ concertos, which broke the mould in the 18th century by combining a chamber organ with the Baroque orchestra. Next, the Telemann concertos feature an exotic array of Baroque instruments, including viola d’amore, recorder and oboe d’amore. Enjoy the sounds of the 18th century on the instruments of the time, performed by the OAE. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness John Butt director, organ Handel Overture, Alexander’s Feast Telemann Concerto in G for viola, strings & continuo, TWV.51:G9 Handel Concerto in B flat, Op.7 No.1 for organ & orchestra Telemann Concerto in E minor for recorder, flute, strings & continuo, TWV.52:e1 Handel Sinfonia to Act 1 from Saul Telemann Concerto in E for viola d’amore, oboe d’amore, flute, strings & continuo, TWV.53:e1 Handel Concerto in G minor, Op.4 No.1 for organ & orchestra |
| January 2019 | ||
| Sat Jan 19th | South Bank Group | 2.30pm Royal Festival Hall Johann Strauss Gala Enjoy an enchanting afternoon of your favourite waltzes and polkas from the Strauss family and friends in a quintessentially Viennese gala. The music comes straight from the heart as our dancers flamboyantly whirl with billowing gowns and distinctive elegance to everything from the evocative Blue Danube Waltz to the hand-clapping favourite Radetzky March. Johann Strauss Orchestra Johann Strauss Dancers in period costume Programme includes: J Strauss (son) Blue Danube Waltz; Perpetuum mobile; Roses from the South Waltz; Thunder and Lightning Polka J Strauss (father) Radetzky- March and many more |
| February 2019 | ||
| Fri Feb 1st | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Mozart Requiem Hear Mozart's choral masterpiece, crowning a sublime concert of his greatest works, including his timeless Piano Concerto No.21. Mozart Festival Orchestra Neville Creed conductor Daniel Lebhardt piano Gemma Summerfield soprano Clare Presland mezzo-soprano David Webb tenor David Shipley bass London Philharmonic Choir Mozart Overture, The Magic Flute; Piano Concerto No.21 in C, K.467; Requiem |
| March 2019 | ||
| Tue Mar 5th | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Payare - Mahler Foreshadowing the drama to come, Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni provides more than a hint of what is to follow. From the ominous opening to the exuberance and energy of Don Giovanni himself, Rafael Payare opens the concert in an altogether energetic world of Mozart. Followed by beauty, clarity and timeless grace in the first really great piano concerto by Mozart, featuring the exciting young pianist, Lise de la Salle. From darkness a lone trumpet call summons forth Mahler’s stormy Fifth Symphony, journeying from the tragic despair of the first movement to the triumphant finale via a heartrending Adagietto movement scored for strings and harp. Rafael Payare conductor Lise de la Salle piano Mozart Overture, Don Giovanni; Piano Concerto No.9 in E at, K.271 Mahler Symphony No.5 |
| April 2019 | ||
| Fri Apr 26th | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall The Lark Ascending Join Alan Titchmarsh as he hosts an exquisite programme of great English classics, crowned by Vaughan Williams' sublime masterpiece, The Lark Ascending. Philharmonia Orchestra Hilary Davan Wetton conductor Thomas Gould violin Alan Titchmarsh presenter City of London Choir Walton Coronation March, Crown Imperial; Butterworth The Banks of Green Willow; Parry Jerusalem; Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No.4 in G; Holst Jupiter, the bringer of jollity from The Planets; Delius The Walk to the Paradise Garden arr. Beecham; Handel Worthy is the Lamb that was slain from Messiah; Parry I was glad Handel Selection from Water Music Suite; Rutter The Lord is my Shepherd from Requiem; Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending |
| May 2019 | ||
| Thu May 16th | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Philharmonia Orchestra: Jakub Hrůša - Schubert & Brahms Immerse yourself in three great works of German Romanticism, conducted by the Philharmonia's Principal Guest Conductor, Jakub Hrusa. The two completed movements of Schubert’s Symphony No.8 are an object lesson in orchestral writing. Opening with a whisper from cellos and double basses, the music bubbles up into what a critic at the first performance described as ‘a sweet stream of melodies so crystal-clear that you can see every pebble on the bottom’. Mendelssohn’s much-loved Violin Concerto also brims with lyricism. Mendelssohn wrote it for his childhood friend Ferdinand David, leader of the Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra, and it quickly attained the status it retains today as one of the essential works in the violin repertoire. Brahms was at the height of his powers when he composed his Third Symphony, no longer assailed by self-doubt as he was with his First (performed by the Philharmonia on 4 November 2018). He built into each movement the motif F – A flat – F, standing for his personal motto ‘Frei aber Froh’, ‘free but happy’, and created a masterpiece, full of intensity and drama as well as moments of quiet, reflective beauty. Jakub Hrůša conductor Karen Gomyo violin Schubert Symphony No.8 (Unfinished) Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 3 |
| June 2019 | ||
| Thu Jun 13th | South Bank Group | 7.30pm Queen Elizabeth Hall Chineké Orchestra Chineke! bring their spirited and stylish approach to performing the great classics to this concert. The orchestra gave its first concert at Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2015 and, now an Associate Orchestra at Southbank Centre, returns with a popular programme conducted by Wayne Marshall. This evening American composer/pianist, Stewart Goodyear, performs his own Callaloo, a virtuoso tour de force for piano and orchestra which, with its driving jazz rhythms and colourful orchestration, makes it an immediately appealing work. Also, Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite brings a dash of Norwegian magic to the programme, and the orchestra also performs Dvorak's Symphony No.7.Chineke! Orchestra is Europe's first orchestra to feature a majority of black and minority ethnic musicians, has performed throughout the UK and abroad to great acclaim and continues to fulfil its mission to champion change and celebrate diversity in classical music. Wayne Marshall conductor Stewart Goodyear piano Grieg Peer Gynt, Suite No.1 Stewart Goodyear Callaloo-Caribbean Suite for piano & orchestra (London premiere) Dvoråk Symphony No.7 |