Petanque
2025-11-20 15:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-24 15:00 - 17:30 (Europe/London) | Moreton Hall Community Centre, Symonds Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32, United Kingdom
We are now going to be playing at Moreton Hall Community Centre, Symonds Road, IP32 7EE. All players must join Moreton Hall at a cost of £10 per year. Membership entitles you to use the club any time you like and you get a discounted rate on drinks.
There is a big car park at the hall which is free.
New members still welcome. Please contact group leader, Sue, for more information.

A Further Wine Interest Group
2025-11-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Member’s Home
Due to ongoing popular demand, a third Wine Appreciation Interest Group has started.
This group is capped at 10 due to it being hosted at a member’s home and to allow everyone to be involved and participate in the discussions during the tastings.
We will sample 6 wines each month, with group members taking it in turn to select, research and bring the wine for the monthly tasting.
Members will each bring their own tasting glasses, and all costs are shared with a cap of £12 per head each month to cover the cost of the wines.

Spanish Conversation
2025-11-21 11:30 - 12:30 | Abbeygate Cinema, Hatter Street, IP33 1LZ
We are a Spanish conversation group, with the aim of discussing a wide range of topics, rather than formal structured learning, so the ability to converse in Spanish is desirable, with experience of actually speaking the language, as well as enthusiasm to participate in discussions, and so unfortunately it would not be appropriate for beginners.
We meet every Friday from 11:30 to 12:30 at the Abbeygate Cinema. We sit in a niche at the far end of the restaurant.

Bowls (Indoor Bowls)
2025-11-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Risbygate Sports Club, Westley Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3RR
u3a members can bowl indoors on Fridays from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. The sessions need to be pre-booked and will cost £5/player. The use of club bowls is included in the fee. The indoor bowling season is mainly from September to March. Lawn (outdoor) bowling (see separate entry) is from mid-April to mid September.
Members do not need any experience. Flat shoes are essential. Some experienced bowlers and/or coaches will be on hand to offer advice and assistance. Free parking and café facilities are available at the club.
If players eventually wish to play more regularly than Friday afternoon sessions, they can join the Indoor bowling section of the club (includes outdoor bowling) and take part in a variety of other sessions. There are friendly roll-ups for Risbygate members most days which are available on a turn-up and play basis.

Please contact group co-ordinators, Christina & Michael, for more information and to book these sessions.

Canasta
2025-11-21 13:45 - 16:30 | The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD, United Kingdom
Canasta originated in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1939.
Initially, you make melds of 3 cards of the same value which you build on to make a Canasta (7 cards). Cards have different values according to their face value. The purpose of the game is to reach 5,000 points. The more points you score, the more card values you need to put in an initial meld – in other words, you are handicapped. This is what makes the game interesting.
I have a copy of the Canasta card game that we would follow because I know that there are several different ways to play.
Beginners and new members are always welcome.

Recorder Consort
2025-11-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Culford Village Hall, Culford, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 6DN
Usually, a recorder consort features playing pieces in four parts – descant/soprano; treble/alto; tenor; bass – but more or fewer instruments are often used and the most fun is to be gained by being able to play all of the instruments. Learning to handle recorders is not usually a problem for adults and it is a matter of learning where the notes are from fingering charts and practising how to co-ordinate breathing, tongueing and fingering. In this group a few members play more than one instrument.
Music can be supplied and can be taken away for practise between sessions. Your own recorder and music stand would be needed. Plastic instruments can be purchased inexpensively.
Recorder consort playing demands fairly good sight reading skills so a familiarity with music notation is necessary before you consider joining this group but you don’t need to be an expert to join in!
The Recorder Group has almost reached maximum capacity for the time being but we are happy to hear from anyone who would like to be put on the waiting list. Please also email secretary@u3aburystedmunds.co.uk where you can be added to a list for a second group.

Badminton
2025-11-21 14:15 - 15:45 | Abbeycroft Leisure Centre, Beetons Way, Bury Saint Edmunds, IP33 3TT
Maybe you used to play badminton many moons ago and feel you would like the chance to take it up again.
You do not need to be county standard as the emphasis is on enjoyable social sport.
We meet at the Abbeycroft Leisure Centre on Friday afternoons where four courts are available to us. In a typical session, we have 16-20 players.

Pickleball
2025-11-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Skyliner Sports Centre, Rougham Tower Avenue, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32, United Kingdom
We are a small and friendly group aged between 50 -80 years who enjoy playing pickleball.
We play pickleball indoors at Skyliner on badminton courts. Players hit a light plastic ball across a net which is similar in height to a tennis net using light weight paddles roughly double the size of table tennis bats. We play doubles and try to ensure that we always change partners for the next game.
Bats and balls are provided but you are welcome to bring your own bat.
A one hour session currently costs £3.
We are full but have a waiting list. If you are interested please email Pam for further information.

Philosophy for All Group 1
2025-11-24 09:45 - 12:00 | Thomas Clarkson Centre, Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3JT
The group has been discussing issues in philosophy for over two years.
Some members have followed Bryan Magee’s excellent The Story of Philosophy. However, this book does not cover the most recent phase of the English language and European philosophy, so the newly constituted group is starting to explore these recent ideas and hoping to find a book that will help us with focus and detail. Our own ideas are always in view.
This group is full – but there is space in Philosophy Group 2.

Chess
2025-11-24 10:00 - 12:00 | The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD, United Kingdom
The chess group is for people of all abilities; from absolute beginners to Russian 12 year olds!
We’re a friendly bunch who don’t take chess too seriously. Instruction/guidance provided if required.
Boards and pieces provided. No fees.
Why not come along and check us out? Just turn up if that suits you

French for Beginners
2025-11-24 11:00 - 12:00 | Abbeygate Cinema, Hatter Street, IP33 1LZ
A group for absolute beginners or those with very rusty, school-level French that started at the end of June 2025.
We use our own combination of resources (online apps such as Duolingo, and books) to self learn, along with group learning at our regular meetings.

Canasta Group 2
2025-11-24 13:45 - 16:30 | The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD, United Kingdom

Medieval England 12th to 14th Century - Group 1
2025-11-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Risbygate Sports Club, Westley Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3RR
The course will cover English Medieval History from the reign of Henry 11 ( 1154- 1189) to Edward 11 ( 1307-27).
This covers events & developments of key importance right up to the present – the foundation of the English legal system, Magna Carta, & the English Parliament.
We will of course compare the achievements & failures of each monarch. For example, was King John ( 1199-1216) the worst king in English History?
In addition, we will cover the role of women, including the medieval ideal of womanhood. In similar mode we will look at William Marshal ( d. 1219) as the Ideal knight.
This will lead to a study of medieval Chivalry.

Cryptic Crosswords
2025-11-24 14:00 - 16:00 | The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD, United Kingdom
We are a group exploring and developing our skills in Cryptic Crosswords. Solving abilities in the group range from the novice to more experienced solvers.
The group is led by John Moody, an experienced cryptic crossword solver, blogger and compiler. John is a Times Crossword Championship semi-finalist, leader of the crossword blogging site “Times for The Times” and founding compiler and editor of the Weekend Quick Cryptic Crossword series.
People who are keen to learn are as welcome as those who have some existing knowledge. Please contact the organiser if you would like to join us.

Scrabble
2025-11-24 14:00 - 16:00 | The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD, United Kingdom
There’s not really any organising to do. We turn up with our boards and word books and get on with it!
We gather on Monday afternoons, 2 till 4 on the mezzanine floor at the Apex.
For further information please contact the organiser.

The Elderberries (The u3a Singers)
2025-11-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Thomas Clarkson Centre, Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3JT
The u3a Singers are a friendly, informal group with over 40 members, we sing a wide variety of music, usually in four parts (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).
No Audition is necessary, and you don’t need to read music, as we will help you.
New members are very welcome, why not join us and enjoy the health benefits of singing.
For further information please email the group organiser (log in to get their details)
Concerts are held twice each year at All Saints Church.
This term’s fees are £20, to cover hire of the hall and new music (subsequent terms may be less).

Craft Group
2025-11-25 10:00 - 12:00 | New Green Community Centre, New Green Avenue, Thurston, IP31 3TG
We are a friendly group, interested in trying new crafts as well as sharing ideas and skills to create solo and joint projects.
We are a friendly group, interested in trying new crafts as well as sharing ideas and skills to create solo and joint projects.
We have enjoyed sessions doing tie-dying, polymer clay modelling, lino-cutting, glass and pottery painting, needle-felting, wet felting, beadwork, and card making.
We used a range of yarn techniques and fabric printing to make a banner to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the u3a in Bury St Edmunds during 2018.
The charge is £15 a term
We have space for members to join us

Wildlife
2025-11-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Suffolk
We visit a wide variety of locations to study the birds, flora and fauna of this area of East Anglia. Most visits are within a 20-mile radius of Bury but we occasionally travel as far as the Suffolk coast.
We generally meet two Tuesday mornings each month, usually 2nd and fourth, although if we are venturing further afield we enjoy a day trip, generally with a pub lunch.
We are open to new members.

Lunch Group 1
2025-11-25 12:00 - 15:00 | Suffolk
We are a group of people who enjoy socialising and eating!
We meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 12.00 at a previously agreed venue for lunch. The venue for the following meeting is decided by those present giving everyone a chance to participate and introduce us to new places. It is planned that venues will be in Bury and surrounding areas not too far out of town.
The group is now full please contact the group organiser to be added to the wait list.

Italian Conversation
2025-11-25 14:00 - 15:30 | Suffolk
We are a small group of enthusiasts who enjoy studying and speaking Italian and learning about Italian culture, and we meet in each other’s houses most Tuesday afternoons in term time, from 2 – 3.30 pm.
Our language skills are roughly Intermediate level, although some of us have more experience than others. Since none of us is either an Italian teacher or a native speaker, we help each other and learn from each other, taking it in turns to host the meeting and prepare a topic for the week. We generally start the meeting with a general conversation in Italian, before moving onto a more structured activity. This could be a more advanced grammatical point, a short text to read and discuss, or a listening comprehension.
We are currently open to new members.

Book Group 5
2025-11-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Abbeygate Cinema, Hatter Street, IP33 1LZ
We aim to read books of all types, which will be suggested by members, but the emphasis will be on modern(ish) fiction.
The many pleasures of belonging to a book group include reading books you wouldn’t have otherwise read and listening to a surprisingly wide range of opinion on each book!
The group is currently full, if interested please contact the group organiser to be added to the waiting list. You can also add your name for a potential new book group – click here Joining an Interest Group | u3a Bury St Edmunds

Dementia Carers - Monthly Walk
2025-11-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Nowton Park Cafe, Bury Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5LU
We are a recently formed mutual support group for family carers who are looking after someone living with dementia.
In addition to our regular meetings we hold a monthly walk for family carers and those they care for on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Nowton Park. No charge is made for the walks but anyone attending, both carers and cared for, needs to be u3a members to ensure that full public liability cover is in place for all attendees.
We meet at 2pm outside the Nowton Park café, which is also a good place to get coffee or tea afterwards.

Poetry Reading
2025-11-25 14:15 - 16:00 | Jan Tuffs Home
We are a lively, informal group who meet on a Tuesday fortnightly to read poems aloud over a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Each person chooses a few poems on a pre-agreed topic and a brief discussion follows a reading.
Topics include individual poets (Jackie Kay for example) or particular themes (Sun, Moon and Stars for example).
And sometimes we try to read a longer poem ‘in the round’ (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner for example.)

English Music of all Centuries
2025-11-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Jayne Gilbert Home
Group members take turns to host meetings and select topics.
We have recently opened this group up to include all centuries.
We are currently full but happy to start a waiting list, please contact the Group Leader who can add you to the waiting list.
Also please contact secretary@u3aburystedmunds.co.uk to add your name to other people also interested; once there are sufficient people, u3a will help you all establish a second group.

The British Isles: Poetry and History
2025-11-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Quaker Meeting House, St Johns Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom
This group offers the chance to take a guided tour through The Penguin Book of English Verse, exploring contributions from 1500 to the present day. The intention is to read and discuss two or three poems from each decade. There may be occasional sorties away from the main book when the group leader or a member is disappointed at the absence of some favourite. The literary and historical context of each poem can be explored, dependent on the limits of our knowledge!
Potential group members will need a copy of this the magnificent anthology (it’s a very large paperback!) – in the version edited by Paul Keegan.
This group is currently full but please contact the Group Leader, Martin Hayden, to be added to the waiting list.

Bird Watching
2025-11-26 10:00 - 16:00 | Suffolk
We go to places in East Anglia where we expect (or hope) to see and watch interesting birds and increase our ability to identify and appreciate them.
Outings usually last half to three-quarters of a day.
Members travel by car and lift sharing is encouraged.
Appropriate clothing for the weather is needed, and a pair of binoculars are helpful. At times conditions underfoot are uneven/slippery/boggy and we do some walking and a fair bit of standing around but are glad to use hides where available.
Browse through a selection of our Birds seen here
New members with any level of experience are welcome, however, although we are full and with a short waiting list, in practice we continue to admit new members, as attendance is variable. If you would like to join please contact the Group Leader in the first instance so that we can confirm there is space for you to join us on an outing.

Family History
2025-11-26 11:30 - 12:30 | The Fox Inn, 1, Eastgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1XX, United Kingdom
Did an ancestor serve time for embezzlement? Was another transported to Australia for stealing a piano? Were there bigamists in the family? I love the baddies : there is always so much more written about them than the good, honest ag. labs. who were born, married and died leaving no other record of their lives.
We are a mixed group, from those with more than 30 years experience to those who have yet to begin. If you have ever wondered about your ancestors this is the group for you. We would love to help you get started.
We also like to try to break through those ‘Brick Walls’; we have sometimes had great success with this.
We are open to suggestions for topics for discussion.
We usually stay for lunch as the Fox Inn doesn’t make a charge.

Cribbage
2025-11-26 12:00 - 15:00 | The Manger, The Street, Bradfield Combust, IP30 0LW
Meet up, have a coffee, play several hands of crib (cards and boards provided), have lunch and then go home.
Games can comprise of 2, 3 or 4 players.
We are a convivial group of people who enjoy playing Crib, with life stories to tell/ exchange.
The morning starts with coffee before playing groups sort themselves out, arranging in tables of 3 or 4 players.
Play is much fun and very lively, interrupted only by ample lunch served in quality and quantity.
Never had a dull session yet.
This group is now full. If you would like to be added to the waiting list please email the Group Leader.
When we meet: 12 noon on Wednesdays, fortnightly. (Please contact me for actual dates)

English History
2025-11-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Thomas Clarkson Centre, Spaul Room, Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3JT
We are looking at the era of English History 1714 – 1914 covering the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods. Exploring subjects such as Arts and Culture, Notable People, Government, Law and Order and Science and Industry.
Topics are chosen by those group members who wish to present a topic, with group discussion encouraged.
There is limited availability for new joiners, please contact Maggie by email (log on required for contact details)
