Monthly newsletter - April 2026

In this newsletter:

• Renewal fees are now due
• HIU3A open day
• News and announcements
• Dates for your diary
• Short story - Berry Court
• Fun page
• True family history - Admiral Sir John Balchin
• Monthly moan

Renewal fees are now due

Memberships are due for renewal on April 1^st and can be renewed now. The fee is £15 for full members and £10 for associate members. Thank you to half of you who have already renewed.

Our preferred and best way to renew is online paying by card. Follow the simple instructions here. You can make a single payment covering two members if that's appropriate.

Or, if necessary, by post. Send a cheque payable to 'Hayling Island u3a' or cash with member name and SAE to:

The Membership Secretary c/o 18 St Mary’s Road Hayling Island
PO11 9BY

Renewing online by card is the quickest and most reliable way and saves both me and our treasurer a lot of time. Be assured that we do not see your card details, only your details and the amount you paid.

Your early attention is always appreciated. Unless paying by card, please allow a few days for processing.

If you are unsure whether you have paid, login and go to the renewal page. The site will tell you if you've paid, or if we are still processing your payment.

Peter Haskell
HIU3A Membership Secretary

HIU3A open day May 28^th

Planning for Open Day is well underway, it has been planned to take place over the school half term and will be open to everyone, young and old and inbetweeners.

The Mayor of Hayling will be there in the morning to declare the event open and have a look around.

Negotiations are taking place to extend parking to give easy access to the Centre, as well as displaying all of the Hayling U3A activities, bike safety checks will be available so why not come by bike and bring the children and grandchildren.

Our groups will be available to chat about the activities and welcome you to take part, weather permitting the community grounds will be used to show outdoor activities.

Live music will be played in the main hall, where you can come and listen with a cup of tea and cake, or join in with the singing.

In the afternoon there will be a demonstration and talk by the Guide Dogs. Rounding off the day will be the closing of the event by Alan Mak MP (Duties Permitting)

Volunteers wanted to help on the day - please get in touch with Julie Taylor to find out more.

News and announcements

Meals Out

The Meals Out group is continuing to offer two chances to eat out with fellow U3A members each month.

We are continuing with the evening buffet at Moghul every third Wednesday, which has proved popular.

We have discontinued the lunchtime meals at Mad Hatters which have not been so popular. There will be a lunchtime meal in April however which will be a chance to try The Ropemaker in Emsworth.

We are planning future bookings as we move towards summer at Seacourt and the Ferryboat as well as Hayling Island Golf Club.

Despite rumors to the contrary, you don't have to be single to join us!

If you are interested in receiving a monthly email about what we are doing (so you can book in to anything which takes your fancy) contact Angie Driscoll and Richard North.

Mexican Train

Mexican Train is up and running, starting with a small enthusiastic team lead by Linda MacDonald. For more information, please contact Linda.

Knitting and Crochet

The Knitting and Crochet group is open to new members, a friendly group meeting regularly to knit, crochet and chat. Contact our groups co-ordinator to find out more.

Planned Visits

My Fair Lady

We have applied for 30 tickets for a matinee performance.

My Fair Lady is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.

The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion and on the 1938 film adaptation of the play, concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady.

Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her.

July 18^th – My Fair Lady at the Chichester Festival Theatre 2.30 performance.

Book now.

Back stage tour

July 18th – Chichester Festival Theatre back stage tour – tickets limited.

The trip to Chichester theatre may be booked separately or you may book both together.

Book now.

Bletchley Park

August 25^th Visit to Bletchley Park.

Tickets on sale in April from the web site.

Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal center of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War.

During World War II, the estate housed the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), which regularly penetrated the secret communications of the Axis powers – most importantly the German Enigma and Lorenz ciphers.

The team at Bletchley Park, 75% women, devised automatic machinery to help with decryption, culminating in the development of Colossus, the world's first programmable digital electronic computer.

Codebreaking operations at Bletchley Park ended in 1946 and all information about the wartime operations was classified until the mid-1970s. After the war it had various uses and now houses the Bletchley Park museum.

Science and Technology

Our meetings are held in St Patrick’s Church Hall at 2pm for tea and biscuits, presentation starts at 2.30pm. These presentations are open to everyone in HIU3A, so if you are free then please come along, you do not have to be a boffin and it is good value for a £2 donation towards refreshments and the hall hire. More details here.

The Spring session of talks is ongoing.

The last presentation on the 25^th February given by Chris Skerry on “Solar PV or Battery” was very thought provoking and was a very good aide de camp if you are thinking of entering the market to install Solar panels and battery on/in your house. This presentation gave some very valuable information on the best position to have the panels to maximise the output. Chris has left a copy of his presentation with me so if anyone wishes to have a copy let me know. I will forward it to the group.

Looking forward, after having a couple of months with nothing in sight to fill the agenda it is now full. The March presentation is all about the Channel Tunnel and how it was built and its operation.

22^nd April: will be about the Voyager Space craft, what is it all about and where are they now.

27^th May: ‘Portsmouth Waters approach to Biodiversity’ by Jenna Dewhurst.

24^th June: ‘Havant Thicket Reservoir Project’ by Amy Rushton, Portsmouth Water.

Bob Hornby

Ukulele Thursday

The Ukulele Thursday group were overheard singing and playing at one of our recent practice sessions by the new manager at the Barley Mow and were invited to give an evening’s entertainment on the evening of Easter Saturday (4^th April). The manager created this flyer.

The Ukulele group plays at events in and around Hayling Island as well as making regular appearances at the Island's Care Homes, any monies offered or collected are for Rowand Hospice.

When performing gigs, we are known as the D’Ukes of Hayling.

Open Day

The group will also be playing alongside other music groups at our Open Day on May 28^th.

Please come along and support our playing, our tunes are form the 1960’s up to the 00’s many of the songs are very well known so join in with a sing along.

Dates for your diary

April 16^th – James Taylor – Grace Darling and the fine art of saving life at sea.
James is a former curator of the National Maritime Museum. The rescue of steamship passengers off the Northumberland coast brought Grace Darling to international fame. Her bravery and artistic contribution at a young age will be highlighted.

May 28^th – Open Day 10.00 – 15.00

June 18^th – Roger Browne – Not Father O’Malley. Currently a Manchester Jaz Pianist and President of the Stockport Operatic Society as well as Director of the Manchester Athenaeum Drama Society, Roger will give an account of growing up in Salford and the music that inspired him to learn the piano. Told with facts and amusing anecdotes.

July 16^th – Jeff Evans – The Quiz Show. The talk will trace the history of TV Quiz shows from 1930 up to the present day, with illustrations. Jeff will give an insight into how the shows have developed along with big winners and losers as well as cheats.

July 18^th – My Fair Lady at the Chichester Festival Theatre 2.30 performance

July 18^th – Chichester Festival Theatre back stage tour – tickets limited.

August 20^th – John Perry – How to avoid being scammed

August 25^th Visit to Bletchley Park.

September 17^th – Hayling U3A AGM

October 15^th – Ian Worley – Racing through the southern ocean. Ian was chosen to crew on Great Britain II in the 1977/78 Whitbread Round the World Race as a watch leader, taking over as the skipper in the Southern Ocean on a temporary basis. The race was completed after a number of setbacks such as being knocked on her side, several breakages and damage as well as ferocious storms and being struck by lightning.

November 19^th – Andrew Negus – Winchester: Bishops, buildings and bones. He will cover history from 1100 BC and the development of cities from iron age huts to cathedrals.

December – Christmas Party

Short story - Berry Court

It had not been long since I set up as a private detective that I was summoned to the suite of Lady Ashworth at Berry Court, an expensive care home in Eastbourne. Lady Ashworth told me that she was not the only resident to find small luxuries were missing: a silk Hermès scarf belonging to Mrs French, a Cartier lighter from Mr. Singh’s bedside drawer. Two bottles of single malt from the residents’ lounge.

Management said it was a misunderstanding, “Residents misplace things” said David Rushworth, The Director.” Memories differ.”

The thefts had a pattern: nothing essential, only indulgences. Creams, scarves, cigars, cufflinks. Objects small enough to slip into a pocket, valuable enough to resell.

I began with staff interviews, nurses, carers, cleaners. Most had worked at Berry Court for years and were paid well for their loyalty “why would I risk my job for face cream?” Asked Anita, a night nurse. Some face cream at £300 a jar was missing.

CCTV covered entrances and common rooms but not private suites. The footage showed nothing that was not routine. I asked to see logs, the front desk kept immaculate records. One name appeared repeatedly: Oliver Ashworth, Lady Ashworth’s grandson. He visited twice a week, staff said he was charming, devoted.

I waited for Oliver’s next visit. We spoke in the lounge over tea “must be dreadful," he said, smiling, “People preying on the elderly.” “indeed” I replied. especially family”. His smile faltered. I asked about his grandmother’s finances. He shrugged “I help her with online banking. She finds it confusing.”

That evening, I asked Lady Ashworth if I might review her recent transactions. There they were: small withdrawals, £200 here, £300 there and always on days when Oliver visited.

When confronted with the bank statements and visitor logs Oliver folded quickly. “She has more money than she could ever spend” he muttered

Berry Court handled it discreetly. Lawyers were consulted. Access was revoked. Repayment arranged. Reputations preserved.

In the end. The theft was not about need but entitlement.

Fun page

Countdown numbers game

Make 179 using these numbers:

25

4

8

3

3

5

Reveal the solution

Countdown conundrum

Find the anagram of:

A

K

L

N

S

R

P

I

G

Reveal the answer

Countdown words game

Find the longest word you can using these letters. We know of six 8-letter words...

E

M

E

E

S

T

R

N

D

Reveal the answers

Quiz - shopping rights

1. Must a shop honor a mistaken low price?
2. Do you legally get 28 days for shop returns?
3. Do you legally need a receipt for faulty goods?
4. Who is legally responsible for a lost delivery parcel?
5. Does the receiver of a gift have the right to return?

Reveal the answers

Quiz - true or false

1. It is illegal to drive in flip-flops
2. We get 24 "Spring tides" every year
3. Water goes down the plughole in different directions in different hemispheres
4. The African elephant is the largest land carnivore
5. Minnie Mouse's real name is Minerva Mouse

Reveal the answers

Who is that?

Give me a clue

Give me a clue

Give me a clue

Give me a clue

True family history - Admiral Sir John Balchin

All ‘Balchin’s are related. The first documentary evidence of Balchins of East Worldham whose signature is on a lay subsidy in 1327. He was born, therefore, around 1280 and is the confirmed ancestor of all the Balchins on the current family tree. He owned land in France and land in West Surrey.

John Balchin, a descendent of Henry, was the fourth child and the oldest surviving son of John Balchin and Ann Edsur; the paternal grandfather was a Lawrence Balchin who married Abigail Hockley: all were of Godalming. However more recent research has suggested that he was actually born in Brook, a small hamlet on the outskirts of Godalming, and baptised at Thursley. The surname was spelt in a variety of ways in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but eventually became stabilised as ‘Balchin’. Sir John’s father and grandfather appear in the records with this spelling, as does his own name in Admiralty documents. He himself from time to time appears as Balchen and one of his sons is listed in the Admiralty files as Captain George Balchen. There is also a variant of Sir John’s birth year as a result of the Gregorian calendar reform of 1752 – Sir John’s birthday of 2^nd February 1669 would have been in what we now think of as 1670.

In about 1685, as a youth of fifteen or sixteen, John Balchin left Godalming and opted for a career in the Navy. His earliest years coincided with the death of Charles II and the short reign, from 1685 – 1688, of James II followed by the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of William and Mary; but he played no part in these events as he was stationed in the West Indies. He began to attain prominence there in 1692, first as a lieutenant in the Dragon and then the Cambridge. He reached the rank of Captain on 25^th July 1697, when Admiral Neville commissioned him to command the Virgin, a prize ship captured from the enemy.

By 1697, however, both France and England were showing signs of war exhaustion and the Peace of Ryswick was concluded. The strength of the Navy could therefore be reduced, and although John Balchin remained Captain of the Virgin until September 1698, he was then paid off, and had to wait eighteen months before being appointed to the Firebrand.

The lull in hostilities was only temporary. The War of the Spanish Succession broke out in 1701, and in December of that year Captain Balchin joined the fireship Vulcan, attached to the main fleet under Sir George Rooke. He was now active in battle. On 12^th October 1702 he took part in a raid on French and Spanish ships in Vigo harbour in Spain, and managed to capture a large 56-gun French vessel, the Modéré, which he brought home as a prize of war.

Shortly after the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 Captain Balchin was promoted to command the 44-gun Adventure in which he patrolled home waters, mainly between Yarmouth and Portsmouth, for the next two years. On 19^th March 1704 he was further promoted to the 50-gun Chester and sent to the Guinea Coast, narrowly missing Sir George Rooke’s dramatic capture of Gibraltar in July of that year. He returned from West Africa in 1705 and resumed the important work of patrolling the English Channel.

In October 1707 the Chester together with the Ruby and the Cumberland formed a small squadron to protect a convoy bound for the Spanish campaign. Off the Lizard on 10^th October, however, the convoy was attacked by a superior force of 14 French ships under the command of the Comte de Forbin and Dugay-Trouin. Although the merchant ships escaped, the English squadron was overwhelmed and fell into French hands. Chester was carried off as a prize by de Forbin, and Captain Balchin became a prisoner-of-war for nearly a year. He was returned to England in 1708, acquitted for the loss of the Chester and then appointed to command the 60-gun Gloucester. His misfortunes were not yet over as on 26^th October 1709 the Gloucester met another superior force under Dugay-Trouin and was captured. Another period in France was followed by a second acquittal, and Captain Balchin was then appointed to the 48-gun Colchester for Channel patrol service.

After the war Captain Balchin was assigned to the 40-gun Diamond to suppress piracy in the West Indies. On being paid off Diamond in May 1716 Captain Balchin’s next appointment was to the Orford guardship in the Medway, followed in February 1717 by a transfer to the 80- gun Shrewsbury.

He was then dispatched to the Mediterranean to serve under Admiral Sir George Byng. In the summer of 1718 a strong Spanish force invaded Sicily, but their fleet was intercepted in the famous engagement off Cape Passaro when 22 Spanish ships were either taken or burnt. Captain Balchin is reported as fighting within the greatest bravery, as he always did. The Shrewsbury returned to England in December of that year.

The following May, Captain Balchin was appointed to the 70-gun Monmouth, a ship with which he was closely associated for most of the next decade, as it was included in the Baltic summer cruises under Admiral John Norris in 1719, 1720, 1721 and 1727, as well as under Sir Charles Wager in 1726. Between 1722 and 1725 Captain Balchin was in command of the Ipswich guardship at Spithead and in October 1727 went in the Monmouth as part of a reinforcement for Sir Charles Wager’s support of Gibraltar, then besieged by Spain. The dispute was temporarily settled and the supporting fleet returned home in January 1728.

A period of rapid promotion then followed for John Balchin. He became Rear Admiral of the Blue in 1728, Rear Admiral of the White in 1729, Rear Admiral of the Red in 1732 and Vice- Admiral of the White in 1734, whereupon he commanded a squadron at Portsmouth for several months. Further advancement to Vice-Admiral of the Red occurred in 1735.

By 1739 Walpole’s peace policy had collapsed and the country was once again involved in hostilities with Spain after the episode of Jenkins’ Ear, whilst the following year there was renewed conflict with France in the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1740 Vice-Admiral Balchin commanded a squadron of six sail of the line sent to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet, and in 1743 there came a promotion to Admiral of the White and command of a large squadron at Plymouth for several months. The following April he was appointed a Governor of the Naval Hospital at Greenwich and received the accolade of a knighthood. Admiral Sir John Balchin was then in his 75^th year, and the appointment was considered to be an honorable retirement from the active list.

On 1^st June 1744, however, he was restored to an active rank and summoned to deal with the relief of Sir Charles Hardy’s fleet, which was blockaded in the Tagus Estuary by the French. Sir John assembled 14 ships of the line and raised his flag on the newly-constructed Victory of 110 guns. This fleet was joined by seven Dutch naval vessels and the combined force with a large number of store ships duly freed Sir Charles Hardy from the Tagus and proceeded to Gibraltar for reinforcement of the garrison.

On 28^th September Sir John decided to return home, entering the Bay of Biscay on the 30^th. On 3^rd October a violent storm blew up, placing all the ships in jeopardy, and much damage ensued – some were dismasted, some sprang leaks, but nevertheless all except one arrived safely in Plymouth or Spithead in the next few days. The sole exception was the flagship Victory which was last seen on the morning of 4^th October 1744. Nothing is known for certain of her fate; she either foundered at sea, or struck the notorious Caskets rocks off the Channel Islands. Her guns were thought to have been heard by the people of Alderney during the night and were interpreted as distress signals, but the ferocity of the storm made it impossible for anyone to go to her aid. Her main topmast was washed ashore on the island of Guernsey, but no other part of her was ever found and her fate remains a mystery to this day. The Admiral and over 1,100 officers and men aboard her vanished without trace.

Thus, sadly, ended one of the most remarkable careers in British naval history. Sir John must surely hold an all-time record with nearly sixty years of continuous naval service and an active command at the age of 75. During his life he had been in command of 13 ships, culminating in what was at the time the world’s largest vessel, the Victory of 110 guns. The public reaction to this national disaster was swift, and it was not long before a monument was erected in the north transept of Westminster Abbey to commemorate the loss. Sir Godfrey Kneller had already painted a portrait of Sir John for the Painted Hall at Greenwich and this, together with a magnificent model of the Victory made for the subsequent enquiry, is now in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

Balchin’s Victory was the fourth of the name, and was built from the remains of the Royal James which was burnt in a fire in 1721. She took eleven years to build, starting in 1726, and was finally launched on 23^rd February 1737 at Portsmouth. The ship carried 100 guns as follows:

• 4 6-pounders on the forecastle12 6-pounders on the quarter-deck
• 28 12-pounders on the upper deck
• 28 24-pounders on the middle deck
• 28 42-pounders on the main gun deck

The gun deck was 174 ft 8in in length, the keel 141 ft 6 in, and the beam 50 ft 5 in. The tonnage was 1,921 and the draught 23 ft. The complement was officially 850, but she was carrying 1100 at the time of her loss. In 1740 HMS Victory became the Flagship of Sir J Norris, and in 1744 the Flagship of Sir John Balchin.

HMS Victory was last seen on the morning of the 4^th October 1744, but then vanished. J M David in Guernsey Shipwrecks writes that little is known about the wreck except that masts, gilded gun carriages and personal belongings were washed ashore on Alderney. The lighthouse keeper on the Casquets thought that he heard gunfire at approximately 2 a.m. on 5^th October, and this could have been an alert, but the weather was so atrocious that nothing could be done.

In August of 2008 a marine archaeological exploration of the English Channel made an astounding discovery. The wreck of HMS Victory, the flagship of Admiral Sir John Balchin and the direct predecessor Nelson’s Victory, was found at a site nearly 100km away from the area in which it had traditionally been believed to have gone down in October 1744.

Although the site has been much ravaged by natural erosion over a quarter of a millennium and more recently seriously damaged by trawler nets, some 40 plus bronze cannon are to be seen visible, together with a giant anchor, possibly a sword, a large cooking vessel and the huge rudder. Balchin’s Victory was well known to be carrying bronze guns and the most immediate clue which confirms this as his ship are the many 42-pound cannon visible amongst the other debris.

Huge cannon of this kind were unique to first rate ships, of which the Victory was the only one unaccounted for.

The Royal Coat of Arms moulded on each one (e.g. that of George I was found on the 42-pound cannon raised) helps to pin down the year when they sank below the waves.

There was speculation at the time of the ship’s disappearance that she had been carrying a large amount of gold coins. Bankers used, of course, large warships to transport their money, believing them to be absolutely secure…. No one as yet knows whether any specie remains in Balchin’s Victory, or, indeed was there in the first place.

Two of the cannons, one a giant 42 pounder one a 12 pounder, have been rescued from the site under strict archaeological criteria and they are now in the UK in special baths which will gradually make them, in perhaps two years, safe to face conditions out of the water without deterioration.

Sir Robert Balchin, Chairman of the Balchin Family Society which was founded on the 250^th Anniversary of the disappearance of Balchin’s Victory, said when the find was announced on February 2^nd 2009: "This is the most astonishing news; for generations my family has wondered about the fate of Admiral Sir John Balchin and his ship. Now that the wreck has been found, we hope that as many of the artefacts on it as possible will be raised to the surface. I pay a tribute to the extremely careful work of Odyssey so far and hope that they will be enabled to carry on. Our fear is that erosion, marine thieves and deep trawler fishing will destroy what there is there within a very few years. We would want to see these historic items on permanent display in a museum where they would give a unique insight into naval warfare in the mid-18th century."

Nick Balchin - Hayling Island u3a Member

We would like to hear your historical facts; your name can be a secret if you prefer. Send them to to: editor@haylingu3a.org.

Monthly moan

The TV in the corner of the room gave us 3 programs all in black and white, early evening with children’s hour, Muffin the mule, the flowerpot men and weed, Captain Pugwash, followed by an adventure with Champion the Wonder Horse, The Sooty Show, Torchy the battery boy.

The news was watched in silence and was followed by regional programs with Southern TV and Anglia TV. Then weekend TV with The Saint, Sunday night at the London Palladium.

Three channels and always something interesting to watch. Ahh the good old days.

Then came colour, and the TV came from Radio Rentals, all my favourite programs in glorious colour.

Then Satellite TV closely followed by cable and everything went politically correct.

My TV now has in excess to over 300 channels and it’s difficult to find anything that I want to watch.

Celebrities who’s only accomplishments are being famous. Game shows.
Reality Shows

A warning on every film, or drama program warning of content. Progress...

Here’s your chance to send in the Moan of the Month. Send your moan (No politics or religion, and keep it clean) to: editor@haylingu3a.org.

Finally

The next newsletter will be May, if you would like more information on any subject and don’t know where to go, please contact me and I will pass on your request to the appropriate persons: editor@haylingu3a.org. I'm also interested to hear of any topics you would like to see.

Paul Taylor