Dear Friends, I hope you have managed your way through the series of heat waves this summer and here's hoping for some moderate September weather. We are now at the start of another academic year and time to thank our amazing team of tutors and subject coordinators for putting on such a wide variety of courses again. And with the holiday to the Cotswolds on […] Dear Friends, I hope you have managed your way through the series of heat waves this summer and here's hoping for some moderate September weather. We are now at the start of another academic year and time to thank our amazing team of tutors and subject coordinators for putting on such a wide variety of courses again. And with the holiday to the Cotswolds on the 14th, an outing to Rochester on the 25th, as well as walks and talks and games and sessions by the various special interest groups, there is a lot going on. But please don't forget our Monthly Meeting on Wednesday 9th, this time there is a talk on the history of bomb disposal, as well as the usual chance to catch up with friends and meet new members over tea, coffee and biscuits. Hope to see you there. Tim Landsman - September 2026
Show the chair's message in full A Note from the Chair
A message from the AGM Working Group
In order to make our future AGMs more attractive to members we are conducting a short survey face to face during September. This will not require members to fill in forms, just to answer a few short questions. No names will be attached to answers! If you are approached by a volunteer at any u3a event in the coming month please help us and participate.
Important Dates and Notices
Friday 4 September. Joining Session at St. Peter’s Methodist Church, Blue Room 10.30 to 12 noon. Please tell friends or relatives who are interested in joining Canterbury u3a about this event, or, better still, bring them along. A warm welcome and coffee or tea awaits everyone. Also, for the time being membership fees of £20 have to be paid in cash or by cheque, please.
Wednesday 9 September:. Monthly Meeting at St. Mary Bredin Church, 2 p.m. The speaker is Dr. John Wyatt on the subject of "The History of Bomb Disposal Operations."
Thursday 15 October: Potential Tutors’/ Leaders’ Workshop in the Blue Room at St Peter’s Methodist Church, 10.30 to 12 noon. See the notice later in this Bulletin
Forthcoming events
Forthcoming events
Show more forthcoming events (45 days) in full
Store to Door Books - A new venture
Love of books and reading and a wish to share both with others has led to this new venture.... oh, and the plot in a short novel we both read recently: The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn. You might be interested if you have reduced mobility, no easy access to shops/library or mobile library service and are reluctant to use the internet to make purchases. Here is how it will work.
- You contact Ursula and register with her and request your book or discuss the options/ recommendations etc. We will also discuss whether you want new or second-hand books and agree the price you are prepared to pay.
- Maurice Kinkead of Chapters Coffee & Books will obtain the book and get it to you using his bike. He will also receive your payment and if appropriate, arrange for the next delivery. Otherwise, this can be left and arranged later with Ursula. We envisage a fortnightly or three-weekly order of books but this can be more or less frequent, according to your reading pattern.
The committee has agreed to a three months’ trial period during which we will help the first twelve members who contact us and who live within a reasonable distance of Sturry. If the venture is successful, we will then try to expand, if necessary, with existing ‘customers’ staying registered if they so wish.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us -
News on Courses
In order to complete the administrative tasks associated with booking courses it is necessary to confirm that course fees have been paid. If you have booked courses, you will have received an invoice. Please ensure that you have paid fees by the date on the invoice.
We have a new, previously unpublished course starting in October and three courses with waiting lists which are being repeated. There are places on all these which can be booked in the usual way.
Booking (via the u3a Canterbury Bookings website) will open from 09:00 on Thursday 3 September.
Dancing Free: A new course - Monday 12 Oct 14:30–13:45 (single session)
We’ll dance/move to a range of music, not all with a strong beat, in a way which is freeform, expressive, improvised and without instruction, dancing our own dance with as much or as little movement as we find comfortable, barefoot, in non-slip socks or flat shoes, or just arm movements while sitting. Before and after we dance, we come together to talk but during the dance we stay with the music and movement without conversation.
Course details: Dancing Free
A Spell of Witchcraft (2) - Thursday 28 January–25 February 2027 (5 sessions) A repeat course to accommodate the members on the waiting list, but with a few spaces available. For a description of the course, click here.
The Bhagavad-Gita (2) - Friday 6 November (single session). A repeat course to accommodate the members on the waiting list, but with 1 space available. For a description of the course, timing, cost and the venue, click here.
New Chinese Poetry of the Tang (2) - Friday 13 Nov (single session). A repeat course to accommodate the members on the waiting list, but with 2 spaces available. For a description of the course, timing, cost and the venue, click here.
Course /Activity Leaders’ Workshop
October 15, 1030–1200 in St Peter’s Methodist Church hall, Blue Room.
If you are contemplating offering a course, interest sharing group or any sort of activity but don’t know how, then please enroll in our next workshop in October. You will be well supported by experienced members and it is quite informal. Please bring along your ideas and we will help you.
Please contact Jonathan Butchers
Interest Sharing Groups
The following groups are open to all members. Just contact the relevant Leader and you will be made very welcome.
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 8 September, and Group 2 meets on Monday 21 September, For further details, please contact Helen Howard.
Garden Visits Group, Our garden visit this month is on Tuesday 22nd September to Godinton Gardens, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Contact: Lynne Parkinson.
After a brief introduction, we will stroll around 12 acres of gardens surrounded by countryside, featuring a rose garden, Italian and walled gardens and numerous herbaceous borders. We will then meet up for tea and delicious home made tray bakes in Godinton House Parking and toilet facilities available For more details contact Lynne Parkinson Please book by September 13th
Show this event Go to event web pageGodinton Lane, Ashford, TN23 3BP
Sewing Group meets at Cosy Club, Canterbury at 9.30 am - 12 noon, every Wednesday. Leader: Sara Bateman
Photography Group next meets on Tuesday 16th September at 2 pm at the Cosy Club, downstairs section. This month's subject is Black and White Photography. There will be an opportunity to discuss the photos submitted offering constructive criticism if requested. If you would like to join and are not yet a member of the group, please contact the organiser Keith Kolsteren.
Current Affairs Discussion Group meets every Monday at 11 am in central Canterbury. Contact: Susan Gorman for details of venue.
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 meeting is on Thursday 17 September. Leader: Norma Ratcliff
Pub Games meets fortnightly at The Old Gate Inn, Old Dover Road, Canterbury, starting on Wednesday 9 September, 10.30 to 12.30. Leader: Alan Brookes
Summer Walk
4-mile linear walk from Canterbury to Fordwich on 11 September
(Walk postponed from August). This is an easy variable linear walk starting at 10.30 a.m. from outside the entrance of Sainsbury's, Kingsmead CT1 1BW. We will walk along the Stour before [...]
As this walk was cancelled in August, it is being offered on the 11 September 2026. It is a 4 mile linear walk that is generally flat and easy. We start from outside the entrance to the Sainsbury's, Kingsmead, CT1 1BW. We walk along the Stour river, before walking into some woods. We then cross some fields before reaching the George and Dragon Pub in Fordwich, CT2 0DB. We will enjoy lunch or refreshments there before catching a bus back to Canterbury from the Sturry Road.
Show walk details Go to event web page
Booking is required. Contact: Ruth Adams
Outings
We are now taking bookings for our Greenwich and London Lights outing on Friday 20th November.
For our last outing this year we are going to Greenwich for the afternoon followed by a Thames pleasure boat hour cruise to Westminster and then a coach trip round this year's London's Lights and a fish and chip supper in a restaurant. The cost will be £65.
To book online click here.
Holidays
Canterbury u3a Coach Holidays: make a note of the dates for 2027.
A number of Canterbury u3a members (41) are about to embark on our latest trip to the Cotswolds (14–18 September).
Plans are already under way for 2027, so make a note of the dates as follows:
- 17–21 May 2027: Dorset
- 13–17 September 2027: North Norfolk
The holiday planning group develops the itinerary to include places of historical, cultural, and social interest. We base ourselves at a reasonable hotel to wine and dine for the duration of the week, Monday to Friday. Members of the planning group research the planned venues and share their knowledge with the coach party during the week as appropriate. Details of the 2027 holidays will be made available as soon as they have been finalised. The holidays are a perfect example of how Canterbury u3a promotes the “learn, laugh, live” ethos within the membership.
The planning group continues to seek an individual u3a member or couple who would enjoy managing the member booking administration and the communication with the chosen travel company.
If you are interested in helping with and participating in the five-day coach holidays, then come and join the planning group.
Contact me Robin Terry in the first instance please.
Book Review
Witchy Tails by Jane Hart.
This delightful book by a member of Canterbury u3a is for primary school children. Meet Sigil, a cockney speaking cat, and his witch Adelina. They live in a Kent village and have many adventures including saving local cats from destruction, curbing the wicked, and caring for juvenile witches and cats. Flying about on a besom broom, they often visit the Coven in Skegness for consultations on tricky problems. There the Senior Hag keeps order among cats and witches. Episodes are recounted occasionally by the cats adding to the fun. In the final chapter Sigil tells of his life as a stray in London.
Katherine O’Donovan
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 October is Thursday 24th September