60+ Festival

The 60+ Festival runs across Portsmouth from Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October, a ten-day stretch of activities for anyone aged 60 and over. It's put on by Portsmouth City Council, and the whole thing is built around the idea of trying something different, learning a new skill or meeting new people.

The line-up is broad enough that you can pick and choose what actually interests you. There are have-a-go sporting activities, guided walks and interactive workshops, alongside cooking, ballet, guitar lessons and bingo. The sessions are suited to all abilities, so you don't need to be an expert to get involved. Most of the activities are free, and the full list of events—with locations, dates, times and prices—is in a downloadable brochure, with printed copies available at libraries and visitor information points across the city.

One particular session worth noting is a talk by museum curator Andrew Whitmarsh at The D-Day Story on Wednesday 30 September. He'll be talking about the latest historic artefacts to enter the museum's collections, and it's a good chance to see what's recently come through the doors. It starts at 11:00 and runs for about 45 minutes. Admission is free and you don't need to book, though capacity is limited, so it's best to get there a bit early if you're keen.

Between that and the rest of the programme, there's plenty to choose from over the ten days, with most of it free and spread across various venues around the city.