In this update:
- Winchester - bishops, buildings and bones
- You're invited to a birthday party!
- More news on the Bombay Sapphire Distillery trip
Winchester - bishops, buildings and bones
The June Monthly meeting is next Thursday at 2pm. We'll hear a presentation from Andrew Negus - a popular, local speaker - on the history of Winchester. You can read more detail on this web page.
You're invited to a birthday party!
We've moved the location of next month's meeting to the Royal British Legion so we can offer you a buffet lunch to celebrate Hayling Island U3A's tenth birthday. The lunch is at 12.30 with a dramatic presentation on the life of Florence Nightingale at the usual time: 2pm.
The lunch is free to all Hayling U3A members and includes tea and coffee. You will, however, have to pay for any drinks from the bar. Non-members are invited to attend the presentation, as usual.
To allow us to assess numbers we ask you to accept this invitation before Sunday 10th July. The easiest way to do that is to click this link and complete the simple acceptance form (you will have to log in first).
There's more about the Florence Nightingale presentation here and the lunch invitation (including a location map) here.
More news on the Bombay Sapphire Distillery trip
After the morning visit the coach will take us to Alresford. This is the perfect place for strolling and there is plenty to please the eye.
Alresford (pronounced Allsford) is a beautiful Georgian Town which for many centuries was a prosperous wool town. Old Alresford is mentioned in the Domesday Book but the present town of New Alresford did not come into existence much before 1200 at the time when the Great Weir was being built to create Old Alresford Pond as a fish pond for the Bishop's Palace at Bishop's Sutton, and a reservoir for the mills along the Itchen. The colour-washed Georgian houses you see today rose from the ashes of great fires in the 17th Century but many retain their original 13th century cellars.
Now the home of the Watercress Line steam railway, so called because of its association with watercress farming, in what is now known as the UK's capital of watercress. The town hosts the annual Watercress Festival in May attracting thousands of visitors each year.
Voted Country Life's 'Favourite Market Town' in the south-east its specialist shops selling antiques, gifts, food, clothes for all ages, antiquarian books, pictures, china and crafts are a year round attraction.
There's plenty to see in Alresford:
- The Fulling Mill and Eel House along the riverside walk
- St. John's Parish Church
- The Millennium Trail and Old Alresford Pond, created by Bishop de Lucy, Bishop of Winchester, in the 12th century
- Close by is Hinton Ampner House & Garden.
With pubs, hotels, restaurants and tea rooms, your every need will be satisfied. And don't forget to visit the Watercress Line steam railway that runs from Alresford to Alton through 10 miles of beautiful Hampshire countryside.
At the moment we have 36 confirmed bookings and 4 unconfirmed bookings. This means we have space for at least 10 more members to join us on what should be a memorable visit. You can find out more, and book your place here.
The cost of the visit is £23. Please send your payment to:
Jackie Radford
22 St Aubins Park
Hayling Island
PO11 0HQ
Telephone: 023 9246 2636
email: alan.jradford@btinternet.com
We plan to send this email on the week-end before each monthly meeting. If you have something you'd like to include please let me know.
Andy Henderson
Web site editor, Hayling Island U3A