Message from the Chair
It was wonderful to see and hear our choir singing their hearts out as part of the Beautiful Noise event that opened the Canterbury festival. It is a brilliant way of demonstrating that u3a is so much about finding joy in living and making good use of the time freed up [..]
Dear Friends,
It was wonderful to see and hear our choir singing their hearts out as part of the Beautiful Noise event that opened the Canterbury festival. It is a brilliant way of demonstrating that u3a is so much about finding joy in living and making good use of the time freed up by not having to work all hours.
Our strap line is Learn, Laugh and Live and although as an organisation our focus is lifelong learning, I feel as individuals we need to remember to laugh and live as well in order to flourish in what can feel like a very miserable and angry world.
Do remember our Monthly Meeting on Wednesday 11th, Remembrance Day, when we will be running our annual quiz, details of which are later in the bulletin, as well as the usual chance to catchup with friends and meet new members over tea, coffee and biscuits.
Tim Landsman - November 2026
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Important Dates and Notices
Friday 6th November 10.30 to 12 Joining Session in the Blue Room at St. Peter’s Methodist Church. Please invite family members and friends who are interested in joining Canterbury u3a to come along to find out more. Note that the £20 membership fee is payable in cash or by cheque.
Wednesday 11th November Annual Quiz 2 pm at St. Mary Bredin Church, Nunnery Fields. See notice below.
Friday 28th November. Gulbenkian Cinema film of the month The Woman Who Saw Everything. Film portrait of Angela Allen who acted as 'Continuity' for notable films such as The Third Man, The African Queen, The Misfits and Labyrinth, followed by a Q&A session with Angela Allen in person. u3a member discount - click link above for further details.
Wednesday 2nd December 2 pm Winter Celebrations at St. Mary Bredin Church. Please join us for some festive cheer with plenty of music and one or two surprises.
Friday 4th December Christmas lunch at Chartham Village Hall. See notice below
Forthcoming events
Forthcoming events
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The Annual Quiz will be held at our monthly meeting on Wednesday 11th November at St Mary Bredin. The format will include six categories of eight questions each plus a table quiz. Our thanks go to our u3a quiz maestro, Jocelyn Thomson, for setting the questions. Compete in teams of six. Do not worry if you are not currently in a team as you can […] The Annual Quiz will be held at our monthly meeting on Wednesday 11th November at St Mary Bredin. The format will include six categories of eight questions each plus a table quiz. Our thanks go to our u3a quiz maestro, Jocelyn Thomson, for setting the questions. Compete in teams of six. Do not worry if you are not currently in a team as you can assemble teams on the day which is a great way of meeting people, particularly if you are a new member. We do need volunteer “runners” please. These are members who are willing to collect the completed answer sheets from each team at the end of each round, deliver to an adjacent team for marking, and then taking the marked sheets to the results compiler to produce a running score through the competition. The quiz is always good fun and a great social afternoon.
Show this event in full Go to event web pageAnnual Quiz 2026
The Bring and Share Christmas Lunch is a fun Canterbury u3a tradition to ease into the festive season. The lunch will be held on Friday 4th December, 12.45 for 1.00pm, at Chartham Village Hall. Each u3a member to offer a first course savoury or second course dessert (couples to bring two dishes please). Please also advise whether you are offering alternatives such as a vegetarian […] The Bring and Share Christmas Lunch is a fun Canterbury u3a tradition to ease into the festive season. The lunch will be held on Friday 4th December, 12.45 for 1.00pm, at Chartham Village Hall. Each u3a member to offer a first course savoury or second course dessert (couples to bring two dishes please). Please also advise whether you are offering alternatives such as a vegetarian dish. We are grateful for generous offerings, so that there is plenty of food available. Please note we do not have facilities to heat or cook food. We do provide drinks. Booking in advance is essential, please contact Robin Terry, Business Secretary. When booking, please advise whether you are bringing a savoury or dessert or one of each.
Show this event in full Go to event web pageBring and Share Christmas Lunch 2026
Winter Walk
Circular 4ish mile Walk from Canterbury West Station on Friday, 13 November 2026.
This easy 3-4 mile walk starts at Canterbury West Station and returns via Barton Mill and the Canterbury Courts. We walk along the Stour river before making use of some public footpaths. Parking is available at the Goods Shed next to the station, but please buy something for the convenience. Optional refreshments are also available from there after the walk.
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To book a place, contact: Ruth Adams.
Interest Sharing Groups
The following groups are open to all members. Just contact the relevant leader and you will be made very welcome. Members can join at any time!
Coastal Bridge Group meets at Dunkirk Village Hall on Thursday afternoons. Leader: Anni Bignold
Canterbury Bridge Group meets at Littlebourne Village Hall on Friday afternoon. Contact: Jane Dennett
Sustainable Living Groups at Chatterbox Cafe, Castle Street at 10:30. Group 1 meets on Tuesday 10th November, and Group 2 meets on Monday 16th November. For further details, please contact Helen Howard if you would like to join a group.
Sewing Group meets at Cosy Club, Canterbury at 9.30 am - 12 noon, every Wednesday. Leader: Sara Bateman
Current Affairs Discussion Group meets every Monday at 11 am in central Canterbury. Contact: Susan Gorman for details of venue.
Photography Group next meets on Wednesday 18th November at 2 pm at the Cosy Club, This month’s Photography Group topic is LEGACY. This can be interpreted in a number of ways and is being left to the imagination of the photographer. Photos need to be uploaded to the WhatsApp group prior to the start of the meeting. New members welcome. For further details please contact the organiser Keith Kolsteren.
Knit and Natter This group meets fortnightly at the Dolphin, St Radigund’s Street, Canterbury. They are a friendly, inclusive group and any new member would be welcome. The next meetings are on Thursday 12th and 26th November from 2 pm. Leader: Norma Ratcliff
Pub Games meets fortnightly at The Old Gate Inn, Old Dover Road, Canterbury on Wednesday 4th and 18th November, 10.30 to 12.30. Leader: Alan Brookes
A new Discussion Group! Coffee and Chat The group will meet at 10.30 every Tuesday starting 17th November at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, Canterbury. Our group leader Jean Duffield is looking forward to meeting members and discussing topics of interest to the group.
Garden Visits Group, There will be no garden visits during the winter. The first visit of 2027 will take place in April. Details will be published in the April Bulletin. Contact: Lynne Parkinson.
And here is a message from the Garden Visits leader -
u3a Garden Visits future planning.
Many thanks to Pauline and Karen, Hilary, Helen and Gillian, Heather and Ian, and Isis who arranged our visits to such a variety of delighful gardens in 2026.
Now is the time to plan the programme for 2027. So if you would like to assist by offering suggestions for venues or to arrange a visit, or maybe you’d just like to meet up for refreshments with other garden-lovers, please join me at the Canterbury Chartham Garden Centre at 2pm on Monday 16th November. Let me know by 14th if you come, or if inconvenient, please send any ideas to Lynne Parkinson.
Research Group
The next meeting of the Research Group will be on Tuesday 17th November at 2 p.m. at The Old Gate Inn, New Dover Rd. This is next to the Park and Ride car park. Anybody interested in the group and our activities is very welcome to attend. For further information please contact Jo Walker or Ann Skingley
Spice Awareness Course
Paul Babra’s Spice Awareness and Curry Workshop was heavily over-subscribed. Generously, Paul agreed to take everyone on the waiting list, so he faced a room packed full of authentic Indian cuisine enthusiasts.
Paul gave us many tips about getting maximum flavour from spices (roast whole spices and then grind them!) and answered a range of questions. He shared chana masala, onion bhajis and rice with everyone there, alongside some tasty side dishes, followed by a brew of chai. Paul did warn about the heat of the dynamite sauce, but there’s always an incautious someone who ignores the warning!
He followed that by cooking spiced Basmati rice from scratch, and we all queued up for a taste. Our homework is to experiment making our own blends. We are all looking forward to the next two sessions where we can chat about our results.
News on Courses
My Channel Tunnel and Chalk and Flint repeat talks
Following the success and associated long waiting lists for Helen Nattrass’ Channel Tunnel talks at Samphire Hoe, she is going to give the two talks again. ‘Chalk and Flint’ about the geology, and ‘My Channel Tunnel’ about the engineering and her own work on the tunnel.
This will take place on Monday morning, the 11th of January 2027 at the Friends’ Meeting House.
Places can be booked from 10 December using our booking website, not directly with Helen. Watch out for more details about both the booking process and the course itself on our Events page and in the December bulletin.
Outings
We’re getting ready for our last outing of the year, to Greenwich and the London Christmas lights, 20 November (see the Link below). It is fully booked with a short waiting list. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Outings.
We’re working on our 2027 programme, which we hope to announce early next year. We will post details on the website as soon as we can.
The Outings Team: Sara, Gail, Jenny, Christine, Rose and Tim
Outing Review: Rochester, September 2026
On Friday 25 September at 9.30 33 u3a members enjoyed a wonderful coach trip to Rochester. We were very fortunate to have had a very good driver (Danny) whom we have travelled with before and he once again did an excellent job.
Our first stop was Rochester Cathedral where we began the day with delicious cake and tea/coffee in the atmospheric crypt. We then divided into three groups for guided tours of the Cathedral. Our three guides were excellent, sharing a wealth of interesting information and pointing out many features.
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After a break for lunch, we gathered again at 2 p.m. at the Guildhall Museum. We were given a fascinating introductory talk in the Great Hall by Jeremy Clarke (Heritage Development Officer for Medway). We then had time to explore the museum at our leisure. Among the exhibitions were displays about the Medway Prison Hulks, the Siege of Rochester Castle and Charles Dickens’ life and connections with Rochester.
Our final activity was a stroll along Rochester High Street using notes about many of the historic buildings. These had been researched and prepared by Jenny Watson. We would like to thank Jenny very much for all the considerable time and effort she put into making the visit so interesting.
We returned to the coach around 4.30 and headed back to Canterbury after a thoroughly enjoyable, varied and informative day.
Canterbury u3a Holiday June 2027: Dorset
Please note the change of date to 14th to 18th June 2027
A printed flyer and booking form will be available in the next few weeks. The essentials are:
Hotel: Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
Itinerary includes The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty, Winchester, Kingston Lacy, Swanage, a sea cruise along the Jurassic Coast, Sherborne Castle, Bovingdon Tank Museum, Hardy’s House Max Gate, Athelhampton House & Gardens, and Wilton House, Salisbury.
Short talks about the venues are researched and delivered by u3a members. Evenings on these holidays are always great social occasions as we unwind from the day’s travels and deepen our friendships.
Register your interest...
Please register your interest in receiving a printed flyer and booking form by conttacting Robin Terry (link below)
Please advise whether you are happy to receive these by email or by Royal Mail. Also please note that expressing an interest is not a booking. Only once I receive a satisfactorily completed booking form will your booking be formally registered.
You, of course, need to be a member of Canterbury u3a to participate in these holidays as they are voluntarily organised and led by members of Canterbury u3a.
Robin Terry, Business Secretary on behalf of the Canterbury u3a Holiday Planning Group.
Holiday Review: The Cotswolds, September 2026
A second report from the Cotswold Holiday - by Sarah Taylor.
My images of our u3a visit to the Cotswolds are shot through with vivid colour. Gloucester Cathedral’s two stained glass windows commemorating its 900 years radiated electric blue. A side chapel glowed like a jewel box with the frescoes painted in 1860 to replicate the glories of the Middle Ages. Tewksbury Abbey was similarly blessed.
The mosaics at Chedworth Roman Villa impressed us with their artistry and skill in bright autumnal colours, reflecting the plumage of the pheasants sheltering in the Edwardian gardens beyond.
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The eccentric collector Charles Wade devised his own shade of turquoise for a room to display his oriental pieces in Snowshill Manor, a house so crammed with curios that he lived in an adjacent cottage. Red and gold items predominated in the manor. His garden benches were also turquoise, so as not to compete with natural hues.
Benjamin Disraeli’s home, Hughenden, housed a fascinating exhibition of top - secret RAF World War 2 map making in the requisitioned mansion. Bright magenta ink was used to denote targets for Lancaster bombers. The lawns outside welcomed us back to the present with an array of blue and white striped deck chairs and beds of red and yellow cannas planted in Victorian symmetry.
The golden glow of Cotswold stone on buildings and dry - stone walls was a warming sight throughout our visit, softening the grandeur of Blenheim Palace and the elegance of Cheltenham and giving charm to cottages.
Most cheering of all, was the lush green of the countryside, so welcome after our parched summer in Kent. There were of course sheep, once the source of this area’s prosperity.
Recommended Books
Binge-reading anyone? Whether the shorter days follow last year’s mild-but-damp-and-cloudy pattern or not, we are surely entering the season in which a comfortable armchair, a mug of hot chocolate and good book become especially tempting options.
I’ve written several book reviews for the u3a newsletter; this time I’d like to offer something a little different. What about a series of connected novels? There’s something comforting about the cosy familiarity of characters that reveal themselves to us through several linked stories. There’s no shortage of choice.
A few suggestions...
For those who like their heroes to be big, beefy and no-nonsense one might think of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child – it’s not one of my favourites, but that’s me. For a more cerebral protagonist one might follow George Smiley through many of John Le Carré’s novels. Of course, if you prefer your espionage with added dark humour, there’s always the Slough House team invented by Mick Herron. Or what about an honest-to-goodness detective in the vein of George Simenon’s Jules Maigret? The options here are legion, from the deceptively gentle stories revolving around Precious Ramotswe or Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall Smith, through Verlaque and Bonnet’s Provençal mysteries by M.L. Longworth to the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny.
I haven’t even touched upon the series set in the past, like the Elizabethan Giordano Bruno stories of S.J. Parris… There are so many more I could introduce, but space precludes even more indulgence on my part. Whether the series is relatively short or long, they can be great fun – but don’t buy them all at once as, in my experience, even the best story-tellers eventually exhaust their protagonist’s ability to bring us anything new and the novels seem somehow to run out of steam.
Why not sample one or two using your local library or mobile library? Then you can draw up your list for Santa Claus that will take you through to the Spring. Happy reading.
Bob Newport
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan.
The book is hard-going at first with piles of details on the mixed bag of guests at a dinner-party held early this century. The first part slides forward a century. Two academics are researching that period’s history and literature. McEwan has fun at our present ‘looking back’ selectively at our recent past. They find a tirade of climate-denial, but they live in a Britain largely submerged under 40 metres of ocean, an archipelago of small hilltop islands.
The second part focusses on that past time, and their hunt for documents- a detective story whodunnit. The main theme may be the unreliability of History, along with the uncertainty of our future. But these big issues are set behind three complex love-stories. The book rebounds in the mind at a time when El Niño’s effects are being forecast.
Dermot Stewart
Thank you for all your contributions, from a couple of sentences up to 250 words.
Keep them coming, as this is your News Bulletin.
Send them to Ursula Steiger
The copy date for November is Wednesday 25th November