The Honiton u3a group are celebrating the 100th birthday of one of its members this week.

Constance (Connie) Henley celebrated her centenary on Thursday, (September 29).

Connie moved to Honiton in February 2020. She had previously lived in Fareham, Hampshire. She is presently a resident of Rose Lawn Care Home in Sidmouth.

She quickly made new friends at the U3A, when she joined her daughter Pat Briley in the Knitwise group. Connie has enjoyed knitting for many years.

Connie’s husband worked at the Fleet Air Arm. When she was widowed 50 years ago, she took up a wide variety of voluntary work. For many years, Connie worked in her local Oxfam shop and helped with cooking at a Day Centre for the elderly.

Until she was 97, Connie continued to help serve at the WI Country Market which she previously ran. She has always been willing to help with events in her local community. She was still playing bowls and driving until she moved to Honiton.

The Chairman of Honiton u3a Peter Halse said: “Honiton U3A are delighted to join in Connie’s celebration. She has had such an active life and we feel honoured to have been a part of it.”

September has been a month of anniversaries for u3a, with the national organisation celebrating its 40th birthday. Up and down the country, members have been showcasing the activity, learning and fun which take place in u3as every day.

As well as monthly talks held at The Beehive, Honiton u3a members enjoy over 30 different activity groups, ranging from poetry reading to wine-tasting, history to crochet, and from discussing current affairs to appreciating nature. New groups are added regularly.

The subject of October’s talk is the BBC, as it continues to celebrate its own centenary. Ian Barclay will give a brief history of the earliest days of wireless and broadcast technology and the formation of the BBC, to its later development right up to its 100th anniversary. The talk is on Wednesday October 19th at 2 p.m.

To find out more about Honiton u3a, go to their website: u3asites.org.uk/honiton