In this newsletter:
- Dates for your diary
- Visit to the Watercress Line
- Last month's short stories
- u3a online learning events
Dates for your diary
Next monthly meeting – Thursday 20th November 2025 – Southampton – Water, Slaughter and Trade, Part 3 – Andrew Negus. More details here.
Christmas party – Thursday 11th December, 2 pm. This will be a ticketed event at a cost of £5. There will be a buffet, raffles, a quiz and musical entertainment. We have spaces for 150 members. Book your place here or at our next monthly meeting.
Visit to the Houses of Parliament – Monday 12th January 2026 - This visit is now fully booked. There is a waiting list. We are exploring the possibility of organising a second trip, please add yourself to the waiting list if you are interested.
Visit to the Watercress Line
We had a nearly full coach (51 people) and a quiet early Autumn day for our visit to the Watercress Line.
We got out of Nigel’s coach at Alton and crossed the tracks of the mainline to arrive at the Watercress Line platform. The two volunteers didn’t seem to be expecting us but cheerfully took our booking confirmation and, when we returned after getting a cup of coffee from the nearby Waitrose, handed over a carnet of tickets which luckily they did not expect the group leader to hand out.
Most of us took the first train to Alresford, and spent a couple of hours browsing in the shops and having lunch. Some of our party found their way down to the river Alre, where they were able to wander by the side of the delightful chalk stream.
We got back on the train at 3pm where (courtesy of the Hayling U3A committee) we were served a cream tea with unlimited refills of tea and coffee. We spotted deer and hares in the fields by the track, and the train spotters amongst us were pleased to catch a glimpse of the sleek engine, “Sir Nigel Greasley”, which is one of the few surviving examples of the same class of locomotives as “Mallard”.
The sun had come out by this time and we stayed on the train to steam back to Alresford. Miraculously, all 51 of us had been able to follow the day’s itinerary and get back to the right place! Nigel drove us home.
Last month's short stories
Could you tell the difference between AI and human writings in last month's newsletter?
The AI story was ‘The Green Door’
u3a online learning events
There are many online learning events coming up this November. Find out more about them.
Julie Taylor