The previous web site at watersidemedicalpractice.co.uk is down. It is currently showing '502 Bad Gateway'.

That's because the commercial web site provider - Silicon Practice - has gone into administration. There's more information at the BBC web site.

For the time being Waterside has set up a new web site at watersidemedicalpractice.nhs.uk. It allows you to submit eConsult requests including requests for medications that are not currently on your repeat prescription list.

For repeat prescriptions you can call the practice, but you will find it easier and faster to use the NHS app web site or - if you have a smart phone - the phone app available from the bottom of that page. It takes literally less than a minute to request a prescription once you're set up.

The Elms is suffering the same issue but it's 'normal' web site elmspracticehayling.nhs.uk has implemented a temporary work-around. If you can, you should use the NHS app web site or smartphone app while the practice is struggling to implement a better solution.

BTW, if you were concerned about news regarding a PHP vulnerability, our site was fixed on the day of the announcement.

Andy Henderson
HIU3A web site editor

This is our first POP-UP WALK!

Like all our walks, it will only go ahead if the weather stays dry. Keep a lookout for emails about cancellation a day or two ahead.

The route is very similar to the one used by Peter Haskell's Winner walk in July with 2 main exceptions:-

• We don't go out on the Winner (high tide is just after 11 a.m.) but stay in the Dunes, close to the Golf Club's fence.
• We go out along Ferry Road and come back in the Dunes.

You may join and leave the walk whenever you want - if joining after the start, do carefully note the route which is:-

Hayling Park, Richmond Drive, northward on Staunton Avenue, HIADS, Sinah Lane, at bend in Sinah Lane, take footpath which runs behind Harbour Road and behind Lime Grove, emerging at Sinah Warren. Turn westwards on Ferry Lane past Warner's then turn left before Ferryboat (cafe and toilets available), Dunes, turn left before Inn on the Beach (cafe and toilets), across Sea Front, Staunton Avenue, Bacon Lane and Hayling Park.

Return time should be around noon - later if we have stopped for drinks on the way.

The total distance is 4.2 miles.

If there are many walkers, I suggest we break into separate groups for lunch at West Town Inn, Barley Mow, Community Cafe and Three Beans cafe.

This is the planned route...

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The walk was originally scheduled for October 2026 but was postponed twice, once because of rain and once because of illness. 
The walk is 7.7 miles with 750 feet of ascent.

After the walk, we will have lunch at the Fighting Cocks Pub in Fordingbridge SP6 2LL.

This is the planned route...

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We plan to organise car shares in advance, so will not meet at West Town Car Park.

Park at the car park at Alresbury Park recreation centre in The Avenue, New Alresford (£2 all day in 2025), postcode SO24 9EP, grid reference SU584326 (toilets available) for walk start at 10.00 a.m.

The walk goes north then by the River Alre a little way before heading to Abbotstone and then the 19th century mansion, Northington Grange. We return across the hill via Old Alresford and the disused watercress beds to New Alresford.

The route is normally dry underfoot but there could be mud in one or two places if there is rain shortly before the walk.

Late lunch is available at the Swan in New Alresford, or various other outlets in the village. Food and drink is also served all afternoon at Caffeine & Machine by the A32/A272 junction.

The total distance of the walk is 9.1 miles, with around 800 feet of total height gain, but no steep ascents or descents.

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In this newsletter:

• Our Christmas party
• Vacancy for a publicity officer
• Dates for your diary
• Group news
• Pop up talks
• Short story
• Just for fun

(more…)

Meet at the Barley Mow at 10.10 and catch 31 bus at 10.17 to Havant. Catch 20 bus from Havant at 10.45. The route starts with a scenic tour of Leigh Park so it takes about 35 minutes to reach our stop at Farlington Avenue, postcode PO6 1BB, grid reference SU671064.

This is a 2.7 mile walk with no height gain, but 280 feet of descent, and no stiles.

We admire the panoramic view over Portsmouth and the two harbours then take the grassy path gradually down and along the side of the hill to meet the main road close to QA Hospital. We take Widley Road, Park Lane and an urban footpath to the shops at Cosham, cross the railway at the level crossing, then take the underpass under the motorway to Hilsea. There are various possibilities for lunch e.g. the Toby Carvery in Hilsea or the Casements Cafe in Hilsea Lines for a pizza, panini or cake.

We will be on chalk down for most of the first mile, which was not at all muddy on the recce (3^rd March), soon after a wet winter, We are on pavement or tarmac for rest of the walk.

Catch the 700 coastliner (1 every 20 minutes) from Hilsea back to Havant.

This is the planned route...

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This walk was originally scheduled for 26th October 2026, and delayed because of rain.

Meet at West Town car park for car share to Hambledon, with cars leaving at 9.15.

Travel via Waterlooville and Denmead so as to enter Hambledon village passing the Old Forge cafe to your left. Park as soon as possible - postcode PO7 4SP, grid reference SU641146. Meet up on the main road opposite Old Barn Crescent.

The walk turns along West Street then goes to the church and along the back of the village to the edge of the vineyard. It returns along East Street and turns to Speltham Down where the climb onto the Downs starts.

The path eventually levels out and we drop to the road we drove in on, and we cross to another path which passes paddocks before climbing again to Glebelands Farm, from where a minor road brings us back to the Old Forge.

The total distance is 3.1 miles with 300 feet of ascent and no stiles.

There is a chance of a snack at the cafe. If we want a pub lunch we will need to drive out of the village (e.g. to The Rising Sun at Clanfield).

This is the planned route:

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This walk was first offered in December 2025. The October 2026 walk was cancelled because of Storm Austen.

We plan to organise car shares in advance, so will not meet at West Town Car Park.

Park in the public car park at Hampshire Farm Meadows in Westbourne (free, no toilets), postcode PO10 7GE, grid reference SU752074 for walk start at 10 a.m.

The walk goes northwards through a housing estate then into Hollybank Woods and continues into Stansted Park. There is the possibility of a stop for coffee and toilets at the garden centre (approx. 3 miles into the walk). We turn eastwards, crossing into West Sussex, and continue, climbing very gradually, to Racton Monument.

We drop to the B road up to West Marden and Compton - after a little way we pick up a side road to Aldsworth. Here we take a footpath which leads us to the edge of Westbourne, and we rejoin the cars after a short walk through the Farm Meadows.

Virtually the whole route is on hardcore tracks or tarmac road. After heavy rain, there are a few very short muddy stretches in Stansted Park and two short paths towards the end of the walk, one in Aldsworth and the other in Westbourne. Neither of the paths near the end showed signs of being difficult to negotiate in winter, but they could be bypassed without much effort if they did.

The total distance will be 7.1 miles, with around 400 feet of ascent.

We drive into Westbourne for lunch at the Stag's Head, booked for 1.15.

This is the planned route:

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We plan to organise car shares in advance, so will not meet at West Town Car Park.

Park at the Bluebell Inn, Batt’s Corner, Dockenfield or on nearby Boundary Lane if not staying for lunch, postcode GU10 4EX, grid reference SU819410. Meet at the gate to the pub car park for walk start at 10 a.m. latest. Possibly pre-order lunch.

We start by walking briefly into Abbotts Wood Inclosure then to the Visitor Centre in Willow’s Green Inclosure, where there are toilets (about 1.5 miles into the walk). We then walk to Lodge Pond (possibly sighting a Gruffalo on the way) then cross the A325 into a quieter part of the forest. We circle back via Holt Pound.

We then go in to the Bluebell Inn for lunch (served till 2.30).

It should be generally dry underfoot – most of the paths are hardcore, and if we meet a muddy or very wet area it should be relatively easy to backtrack to find a dry route.

The total distance is 7.6 miles with 400 feet of height gain, and no steep sections.

There's a lot of publicity being given to a vulnerability in the PHP language. PHP underpins our site.

The vulnerability was patched in our site on Wednesday 21^st October - the day of the announcement.

We were, in any case, unlikely to be attacked because so many large corporations use PHP and were much better targets. Even if someone managed to get through to our site your exposure is limited:

• We don't hold any credit card or bank information
• We do not store passwords

Andy

The first Hayling U3a Pop-up Talk was deemed a success by those who attended. Rob Heard MBE, the founder and chairman of the Older Drivers Forum, spoke about driving safety and his time in the Police.

The first part of his talk gave an insight into his time as member of the Special Escorting Group. This entailed him escorting members of the Royal Family, Heads of State or even the Olympic Torch. He told one amusing anecdote about the late Queen in a shop near Balmoral, when she was mistaken for a look-alike by some Americans . They even asked if they could take a photo.

Rob has been interviewed on television and radio to advise on how to stay safe when driving. He was able to back-up his talk with data. One fact that surprised people was that collisions involving older drivers happen more frequently when they are turning right. His final point concerned eye-sight. Rob recommends that we have a regular eye-test. We should also check with the medical profession if we are safe to drive. Rob's whole presentation was informative, enjoyable and thought provoking

This is the walk originally planned for Monday 12 October last year and postponed because of rain.

Meet at the Barley Mow at 9.35 and catch 31 bus at 9.43 to Havant. Catch 700 Coastliner at 10.12 to Walton Lane, Broadbridge, arriving at 10.35.

Note that there are public toilets at Havant Bus Station, but no more until the end of the walk.

Alternatively, park at Broadbridge Business Centre just off the A259 Bosham roundabout, postcode PO18 8NF, grid reference SU810051 and walk to meet us at the bus stop. (Please advise the walk leader in advance if this is your plan).

The walk follows a path to the B road which crosses the A27 then picks up a path through woodland and fields to East Ashling. The path through the woods is muddy after rain.

We take another path westwards to West Ashling. On the edge of the village we pass the Sussex Stone Circle and walk through the village past the pond to the Richmond Arms, where we turn southwards alongside the Bosham Stream.

We walk on a verge and on the roadside a little way and turn on a side road by Concierge Camping (toilet available) then recross the A27 and pick up the original path and Williams Road back to the Bosham roundabout.

This is a 5.4 mile walk with 100 feet of ascent and 2 stiles.

Lunch is booked for 10 to 12 people at The Crate at Broadbridge Business Centre, expected arrival time 1 p.m.

This is the planned route:

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Details tba

In this newsletter:

• AGM message from our Chair: Julie Taylor
• Finance summary
• Dates for your diary 2026
• Provisional dates for your diary 2027
• Group news
• October short story
• Fraud prevention talk by John Perry
• Gill Heather
• Puzzles
• A light-hearted look at 12 things I miss

(more…)

We look forward to hosting up to half a dozen members of the Triskell walking group, who will have come over from Brittany for a few days.

Meet at the Barley Mow at 9.35 and catch 31 bus at 9.43 to Havant. Catch 37 bus at 10.15 to Hazelton Way / Briar Copse, arriving at 10.55.

This is a 3.9 mile walk with 150 feet of height gain and no stiles. We go across Hazelton Common then head southwards through an attractive avenue of trees called Sheepwash Road. We skirt Waterlooville Golf Club then pick up a bridleway which crosses the A3 (M) onto Park Lane. We then turn southwards and get a view of the construction site at the new reservoir before entering Staunton Park.

The route is hardcore underfoot throughout. However there may be puddles in one or two places if we have a lot of rain shortly before the walk.

We catch the 20 bus from Silkstead Avenue (every 20 minutes) back to Havant (17 minutes' journey).

There are various options for lunch in Havant, including The Parchment Makers, before catching the 30 or 31 back to Hayling.

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Playing from 2pm

Playing from 2pm

Using the Older set, playing from 2.30pm

All Hayling Island u3a members are invited to our Christmas party on Thursday 10^th December at the Hayling Island Community Centre. Arrive from 1.30 for a 1.45 start. Cost is just £5 per member and includes finger food and a non-alcoholic drink.

You've sung them whilst clutching mugs of hot cocoa around a log fire, heard them played constantly in Shopping centres - but do you know why some of the best known Christmas songs were created? Danielle Barnett will lead us in a fun and enlightened Christmas sing-a-long. Danielle has had over 30 years in the entertainment industry. She was a lead singer in two bands, touring world-wide and performed in front of 100,000 strong audience. She is a songwriter with five top 10 chart hits and has managed two top ten chart bands. Danielle has worked with Simon Cowell, appeared on BBC Dragons Den and was an early investor in Bitcoins, so you could say she has had a varied life journey.

We'll also have a raffle, and a quiz with prizes.

There's a limit of 120 people, so make your booking now using the form below.

Note that - as this is a low cost event involving a lot of people - we are trying to minimise admin by restricting payment methods to cash or card. No bank transfers or cheques please.

Links to allow you to pay for your visit by card will appear here if you log in, have made a booking and have not yet paid

Your bookings

Cost of the visit is £5 per member.
Last date for booking is: 24 November 2026
There are 120 bookable places.
Number awaiting payment: 3, confirmed bookings: 45, waiting list entries: 0.

To see the status for your booking(s) you need to log in. Click here to do that now.

We have been offered group rates for a guided tour of the museum in Lee-on-the-Solent. There's a lot to see including: the huge "Princess Anne" channel car ferry; military hovercraft; and the hovercraft used by James Bond. There are more details here.

The plan is to leave Hayling at 10 and get back before 4.

Cost of admission and the tour is £7.50 which includes tea and biscuits on arrival. As the museum is relatively close by we will arrange car shares to the museum (members of the walking group will already be familiar with the approach). Drivers can't charge passengers, but we suggest a contribution of £3 might be appropriate. As the museum will collect payments on the day, there's no need for a formal booking process.

However, we need at least 10 people in the party. It looks like we'll make that easily from initial discussions with some regulars on previous visits. If you'd like to go, please let the visits team know specifying whether you need or can offer transport to the museum. The team will allocate drivers and passengers closer to the time.

The team would also like to know your eating preferences. There's a simple café at the museum. Alternatively, we could arrange a late lunch on the way back at, for example, Cams Mill.

Regarding accessibility the museum says:

8 out 12 displays are wheelchair accessible and have easy access. The other 4 have a few steps with handrails which most guests usually manage to access. In terms of distance from car park. We can accommodate some parking inside the museum which will then place people with limited mobility within close proximity to all exhibits.

If you need more information, please contact the museum directly.

Playing from 1pm so arrive from 12.30.

Christmas mix I suppose

Acoustic is requested although I think others used some amplification last year

A chance to try out The Ferryboat, which changed hands this summer.

We will arrange car shares from Hayling to West Marden.

Park safely near to the Victoria Inn, West Marden, (they would like to ensure space is left in the pub car park for older regulars), postcode PO18 9EN, grid reference SU772136.

We will start walking when everyone is ready, and 10 a.m. at the latest.

The walk goes west to Finchdean then north over Chalton Down to Chalton. We drop sharply to the railway then return southwards and eastwards to West Marden.

The total distance is 8.7 miles.

There could be some wet and muddy patches after heavy rain.

Late lunch has been booked for 2 p.m.at the Victoria Inn.

Note: the .gpx shows a longer version of the walk which also takes in Ladyholt.

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Open mic evening at The Legion. Eight songs as The D'Ukes plus solo opportunities.

More details nearer the time

In this newsletter:

• News
• Dates for your diary
• Groups open day update
• Open day quiz

(more…)