University of the Third Age celebrates 20 years of age

The mayor cut the birthday cake kindly made by Anne Hellyer, with the founder members, and said, “All community groups are the lifeblood of the community and it is good to see such a group as Andover U3A working in our community and I am looking forward to hearing of all your activities this year.”

This year is the twentieth anniversary of the birth of the Andover U3A. Pat and John Barrell and Haydn Watkins are probably the only remaining members who were in at its birth in 1996. A meeting was held in March 1996 to look at the feasibility of forming an Andover U3A Group and to our surprise the room was full with some standing in the doorways!

A committee met in April and its recommendations were considered at the inaugural meeting of the Andover U3A on 21 May 1996. At that meeting a constitution was formally agreed and a committee was elected. Haydn Watkins was the first chairman and the pattern for running the branch was set which has been broadly followed for the next 20 years.

U3As are self help groups where members take turns to organise and lead meetings and walks. Their aim is to ‘Learn, Laugh and Live’, and they certainly do that at the Andover U3A.

The Andover U3A started off with 10 Groups. They now have 480 Members and are still growing with 45 Groups ranging from art, bridge (rubber and social) creative writing, exploring the villages, film, family history, golf, languages (French, German and Italian), gardens, croquet, handywomen, history, mahjong, music, nature, philosophy, photography, questers, reading, science / technology, Scrabble, strollers, walkers, theatre, towns and cities.

With questers they aim to go behind the scenes to learn more where the general public don't normally go and they have done some amazing visits such as behind the scenes at Basingstoke cremoratum, the belltower in Whitehall, Salisbury Playhouse (behind the scenes and then stayed for a performance), a dogs trust, farms (including Leckford), Dents Gloves, Ascot, Brick Lane, London, Cliveden, visits to Flanders, Somme, war graves, Stannah Lifts, Bombay Sapphire. St Paul's Catherdral, gliding and visits to Monet Gardens to name but a few. Such is the demand to join a questerg group theynow have three and possibly four groups.

The nature group, led by David and Beryl Laurillard, has done wonderful visits teaching how to look for things in the environment, including a week away in Guernsey visiting nature reserves, including Herm, looking for puffin but seeing many interesting birds such as oyster catchers, egrets, butterflies and the glorious wild flowers that are not seen here now. They been looking for fungi in the New Forest, evening visits to find glow worms, moths and not forgetting the birds of prey and insects.

The German group have visited Germany and had lunch on the Wendelstein.

The creative writing group have written many interesting pieces allowing them to write of their dreams.

They have had wonderful photographs from the photograpy groups which again is very popular. As is bridge and majong.

The U3A have their main meeting once a month with a speaker and have had some very interesting ones, including one of birds of prey, a woodturning demonstration and many more.

There is something for everyone at Andover U3A. People you will have a very busy diary if they are a member, and if someone has a special interest theyan always start a new group. Who says there is nothing to do when you retire?

Members meet and make new friends, learn and have fun. It is a wonderful organisation and they are looking forward to the next 20 years. If you would like to know more please go to www.andoveru3a.co.uk.