Events
If you are new to u3a and want to find out more about Shoreham & Southwick u3a please check out our Welcome page.
In addition to the various activity group sessions, Shoreham & Southwick u3a holds a monthly event for all its members, usually on the last Friday of the month, in the Hall at The Shoreham Centre, Pond Rd, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5WU.
These meetings are an opportunity to meet up and socialise with other members over tea or coffee and hear a variety of interesting speakers and performers. Please arrive at 1.45pm for a 2.00pm start.
The cost is £2.00 for members including refreshments.
Non-members are very welcome to join us for most meetings (at a cost of £3.50) to hear the presentation, join us for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat and to find out more about our u3a with a view to joining.
For more information about our events, please scroll down to see what's coming up, or send a message via the email link on this page.
Registered Charity No: 1117982
| Dates for your Diary | |
|---|---|
| Meetings | |
| Thu Oct 24th | Group Coordinators' Meeting, 2.00pm to 4.00pm, The Shoreham Centre, Room 2 (Contact Groups Support) |
| Monthly Friday Events | |
| Fri Oct 25th | Vivien Morgan presents 'Cross-dressed to kill – women who went to war disguised as men' The talk answers all the questions of why young women dressed as men to fight as soldiers in the 17th to 20th centuries? There were hundreds of known women cross-dressers in Britain, Europe and the Americas, yet they have been erased from both social and military history. I tell some of the fascinating women’s stories featured in my book: of how they were fearless, ‘tomboys’, early feminists and decidedly full of what was called ‘pluck and spunk’. For them ‘patriotism had no sex’, determined to fight for their country. What did society think of them? Why was cross-dressing illegal and punishable by death? Were some lesbian or transsexual - as we debate gender today? What happened to them after they were discovered, their sex revealed while dying on the battlefield or wounded? Answers to these questions and how, unafraid to kill, their bravery was rewarded by the army and royalty. Medals, money and fame came. The print media were fascinated by them, their stories published to great success and songs and ballads composed about their exploits. They became the ‘reality stars’ of their day. Their legacy? Some are hailed as the first female soldiers. As Hilary Mantel says’ their story is our story’, to be included in re-telling past events and teaching about them to inspire and inform new generations of women. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Nov 29th | ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING at 1.30pm (please arrive by 1.15pm), followed at 2.00pm (approx) by: 'Bird Reintroductions’ - a presentation by Matt Phelps Matt says: “I’m a birder, all-round naturalist and write, now based in West Sussex. My fascination with the natural world began with childhood explorations of local woodlands and heathlands, where I gained my earliest knowledge of wildlife, before studying countryside management at agricultural college. Since then, I have spent most of my working life nurturing landscapes for wildlife alongside ecological surveying and other related activities such as leading guided walks and talks. Most recently, I have worked as a safari guide at the Knepp Wilding project near Horsham. Among other things I sit on the Sussex Ornithological Society Records Committee and write regular articles for Birdwatch magazine. I have also recently co-authored Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex.” Non-members welcome once the AGM has concluded |
| Fri Dec 20th | Christmas Celebration, plus ... 'Coastline Harmony' Chorus presents Christmas songs and Carols, plus some humorous poems. Members only for this event |
| Fri Jan 31st 2025 | 'The Women’s Land Army – Cinderellas of the Fields' - a presentation by Ian Everest About Ian: Ian Everest was brought up on a farm on the South Downs and after attending Agricultural College in the late 1960s, he worked in the agricultural sector with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, before being employed in commercial activity with an animal feed supplement business. His growing interest in family and military history led to a career change in 1987 when he was appointed manager of Newhaven Fort in Sussex, a scheduled monument, which he prepared for public opening the following year, and continued to manage for fifteen years. Following this, a further change in career as the Newhaven Town Clerk for ten years – and then retirement. Since then, he has developed a number of talks relating to Farming History, Sussex Local History, Military and Social History. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Feb 28th 2025 | Dr Janet Pennington presents 'Shops & Shopping: the small shop through the ages'. We take shopping for granted nowadays, using our local shops (if we still have them) and going to the supermarket. We can even order on-line and have a home delivery at our convenience. How different was it for our ancestors – would we recognise a medieval shopfront in our own High Street and how many have survived? And what about shop signs and shop names – how have they changed? Do you have shopkeeping ancestors? Who really said that the English are a ’nation of shopkeepers’? Hear the answers to many of these questions, and add your own comments and memories. Do share any family ‘shops and shopping’ photographs or memorabilia. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Mar 28th 2025 | Katharine Collett, singer, presents 'The Great Gatsby', including songs Was life really like that 100 years ago? Gangsters, booze and flappers; were they fact or fiction? The talk explores each aspect of how the film and book captures the mood of the 1920s. Katharine takes you to one of Gatsby’s famous parties wearing an outfit typical of the occasion. She also illustrates her talk by singing some of the songs featured in the film. These include “Putting on the Ritz” and “It had to be You”. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Apr 25th 2025 | ’The City of Chichester’ – a presentation by James Dickinson Chichester in West Sussex is a fine city with a fascinating past. Roman, Saxon, Medieval and Georgian through to modern times. The talk takes the hard work out of walking round the city itself. The visitor embarks on a guided tour of each of its four parts starting from the Market Cross in each case. You will be led through the streets to see churches, other notable buildings, pubs and more and finishes with the glorious Norman and Gothic Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The talk is fully Illustrated with photographs and stories. It is a great and, indeed, relaxing way to discover Chichester. Non-members welcome |
| Fri May 30th 2025 | Ian Dowding presents 'Banoffi Pie and Other Adventures' (tbc) Non-members welcome |
| Fri Jun 27th 2025 | Rukshana Master presents 'Tales from the British Raj' An entertaining, unusual and light-hearted view of the British Raj through the eyes of a Parsi lady of the Victorian era (my great-great grandmother) and how it contributed to the emancipation of women in India and how she met King Edward VII and the Pope in the era of male dominance. This fully illustrated talk promises to show the Raj in a refreshingly different light, with snippets of hitherto undisclosed history. Rukshana says: “I was born and brought up in India, trained as a Fashion Designer in the United States, married my brilliant husband and came to live in England, running a very successful Fashion Boutique for many years, raising thousands of pounds for charity through Fashion Shows. My great-great grandmother lived through the British Raj in India and was the first Parsi girl to receive an English education and was instrumental in furthering the education of Indian women. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Jul 25th 2025 | 'Put that Light Out: Britain's WW2 Civil Defence': a presentation by Jean Fullerton It wasn't just Dad's Army: how they were set up and what they did. Non-members welcome |
| Fri Sep 26th 2025 | Catrine & Eric Smith present 'Sussex underwater project' Non-members welcome |
| Fri Oct 31st 2025 | Event yet to be arranged Non-members welcome |
| Fri Nov 28th 2025 | ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING at 1.30pm (please arrive by 1.15pm), followed at 2.00pm (approx) by: Event yet to be arranged Non-members welcome once the AGM has concluded |
| Fri Dec 19th 2025 | Christmas Celebration, plus ... 'Coastline Harmony' Chorus presents a selection of popular songs. Members only for this event |