Seaford u3a News

The start of a new year brings optimism that we will all have a better year. Life has been very difficult for so many people over the last two years because of the pandemic, though Seaford has probably been luckier than many other places. Let us hope we can get back to a normal routine soon.

The routine but very enjoyable coffee morning will be on Wednesday 19th January from 10am to 12 noon at the Con Club, Crouch Lane, Seaford. As usual both members and non-members are invited and there will be a small charge of £2 for coffee/tea and light refreshments. There is no need to book in order to attend – everyone is welcome to come along and meet the members.

In 2022 u3a members can look forward to new groups starting, a programme of talks at the Downs Leisure Centre, more outings and hopefully the return of Tea Parties. Other members might like to look back at groups which ran successfully and were much enjoyed by those who took part.

One such group, a rather unusual one, was Tea Tasting. Members enjoyed three sessions of tea tasting at the beautifully refurbished Clinton Centre, including black caravan tea, green tea, mango and camomile. All were voted on and a mixed reaction recorded. They had volunteer speakers on The History of Tea in Russia, World War II tea with some curios from the fort at Newhaven, and a Japanese tea ceremony. The culmination of the sessions was a trip to the fifteenth- century coaching inn at Alfriston, the Star Inn, that has been turned into a stunningly designed hotel where the group was served with tea and amaretto cake, with a log fire burning to keep out the chill. Another new group with a difference is the World Diners’ Group. The first visit was to a Vietnamese Restaurant in Seaford, the second to a Bengali restaurant and they hope to visit a Japanese restaurant next. November also saw the resumption of the outings popular with members and the first was to Westminster Abbey. This had been planned before the first lockdown which put a stop to the travelling and indeed everything else. The party had a guided tour of this magnificent building, the venue for all English kings’ coronations apart from two – Edward V and Edward VIII – neither of whom were crowned. There was a religious building on the site from about 960 and in 1065 the church planned by Edward the Confessor, which forms the heart of the present Abbey, was consecrated just a week before his death. Members learnt that there are thirty sovereigns buried or commemorated in the Abbey as well as 3,000 ‘ordinary’ citizens, statesmen, scientists, writers, musicians, warriors and poets. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior which represents all those fallen in war is also in the Abbey. It was a long day for those members who went on the outing but a satisfactory one both in its content and also what it signified as a step back to normal.

For more information about Seaford u3a see the website www.u3asites.org.uk/seaford. To find out about membership email seafordu3a@gmail.com sending your postal address for a welcome pack.

Photos from top: Isaac Newton’s tomb at Westminster Abbey; The Lady Chapel.

AAron MerryweAther

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