CAROLE CHAPMAN: Put a spring in your step with the U3A

Pop historian Dave Allen will be giving a talk to Portsdown U3A

Portsdown U3A caters for those who are no longer in full-time employment.

We cover the north of the city of Portsmouth, but we welcome all-comers. Our interest groups are wide-ranging and you should have no trouble in finding something that suits you. And new ideas are always welcome!

We also hold general meetings on the third Wednesday of each month (except August) at 2pm in Cosham Baptist Church, 48 Havant Road.

We normally have a speaker, followed by a chance to meet other members and have a cup of tea.

On April 18, Dave Allen will give a talk called I Remember You – Popular Music in Portsmouth, 1945-1969.

He will be followed on May 16 by Caroline Timlett on Langstone Coastal Defence and then, on June 20, by David Slade.

David’s talk will feature The Aguila Wrens, who were lost in the Second World War and had a lifeboat named after them.

Visitors are welcome at general meetings, for a small charge of £2.

Our annual fee is also excellent value at £16. Our special projects and events are an added bonus.

For example, we have been working on our Heritage Lottery Fund supported study of Portsmouth and the Battle of Jutland.

We are currently involved in a project led by Royal Holloway, University of London: Citizens: 800 Years in the Making.

This explores the history of liberty, protest, rebellion and reform from Magna Carta to the 21st century.

At Portsdown, we are creating a local group to research the activities of campaigners for female suffrage in the Portsmouth area.

Look out for commemorative events that are coming up later in the year. The first one takes place after the talk on June 20, when we will have an event called EqualiTea to mark the 90th anniversary of the granting of equal voting rights for women with men in 1928.

Like all U3As, we have an ethos of self-help and collaborative learning for its own sake.

The more that you put in, the more you are likely to get out.

So come along to one of our meetings. We would love to see you there.

For further information, go to portsdownu3a.org.uk.