How to word this without causing offence

[DracunculusVulgaris]

This may be long, although I will try to be as succinct as possible, whilst still including all relevant information. I am also expecting to be 'pounced' upon and possibly thought of as judgemental and possibly egotistical, full of myself and pompous!
I am taking early retirement, or partial retirement, within the next twelve months and am 4 years into a relationship with my partner, although we do not live together and normally only spend time together at weekends, high days and holidays. I do not have a wide circle of friends - in fact, nobody I would call a "close" friend, more a few aquaintances scattered around the country who I rarely see, or spend time with.
My dilemma is this: my interests revolve around history, natural history, gardening, landscapes, architecture, industrial archaeology, ornithology, botony, entomology, mammology, science, literature, languages, language, words, etymology, writing, clocks, horology and old scientific instruments - amongst other things! Sadly, my partner shares none of these interests and appears to be bored, or disaccociates, whenever I talk about them or wish to spend time pursuing them. I also work in a heavily male dominated environment with people who are, by and large, sexist, misogynistic and lacking in cognitive or emotional maturity and the conversation tends to be crude, vulgar and peppered with constant swearing, which I hate! To be frank, I am craving some mental and intellectual stimulation in both my working and private life - I am fearful that, on retirement, with more time on my hands, I will vegetate and my brain will atrophy, without sufficient stimulation, and have decided that I wish to join a local history group, a book club, writing class, language class, U3A, or natural history society or several of these things, in order to feed my interests and make some new friends with whom I can discuss and talk about the things which interest me. Here is the crux of the matter, and the point at which I will probably come across as judgemental, although it is a truth - my partner is, without wishing to be diminishing, not very well educated or articulate, speaks and writes very poor English, sees little value in learning, is unable to assimilate and remember information and is, although acknowledging these things, very, very sensitive about them. In addition, insecurity, jealousy and anxiety about me having friends are also a huge issue.
How on earth do I approach this and phrase my desire to persue some of these activities, and potentially make some new friends, without causing huge offence or come across as belittling and insensitive?

It's fine to follow your interests, OP.

Also - do you really want to be with someone who calls you posh, snob etc?

I have a feeling that the classes are the tip of the iceberg. What do you get from this relationship? Is it better than being alone? You don't sound pompous, you sound like a person who needs intellectual stimulation. How old are you? Do you have family nearby? Once you retire, is moving away an option?

You are probably correct in that wanting to join a group or club are the tip of the iceberg and, as time goes on, the need for stimulating company and conversation becomes more apparent! I am 62 and, no, my only surviving family, my two siblings and my aunt and uncle are not nearby.
I love my home, the environment in which it is set and all the interesting things to do and explore in the vicinity so moving away is not on my agenda, although I acknowledge that, at some point, I will need to 'future proof' and relocate to somewhere where facilities and public transport are more accessible, but still within this locale.

What are you getting out of this relationship, OP? You don't seem to have many (or any?) shared interests and her name-calling would have earned her a dumping from me a long time ago.

A mis-match in educational attainment and intelligence CAN work - my husband was expelled from school at 13 and would readily admit that he wasn't "the bright one" in our marriage. But he never held that against me or called me "boring" or "stuck up" or anything like that. We valued each other and we worked as a team. It doesn't sound like that's what's going on for you.

I have learned not to talk about, or raise, these subjects with my partner as I know it bores her, and, in fairness, I don't talk about all these things all the time. But, that does mean that conversation can be somewhat limited with agonisingly long silences! If I talk about the news, current affairs or politics that is barren too, since these are not subjects which are on her radar either - it doesn't leave much to converse about really, does it! And then I am told that I am "too quiet"
I am not being flippant, but what else do people talk about, other than the things which interest them?

I kind of wonder why you’re with this person? What do you have in common?

If they don’t like what you’re doing and your interests, then that’s their problem, not yours. I’d probably end the relationship if they became jealous or controlling of my pursuits.

Goodness OP, how do you put up with her lack of intellectual curiosity? What do you spend your time together doing?

I suspect the OP is in it for the sex? Or his partner does the cooking or something.

In fairness to my partner, she is the 'bright one' in the relationship, in that she is far more savvy, street wise and well travelled than I, and considerably more conversant with what might be considered 'normal life' - socialising, family life, parenthood etc, whereas my life has probably been very quiet and possibly insular by many people's standards.

She sounds insecure and unkind and you sound as if you think you're better than her. You're not compatible, OP. Being on your own is a thousand times better than being with the wrong person.

I think you need not to have this partner. You don't have much in common and her jealousy is not healthy.

You write like someone who swallowed a thesaurus. That will come across as "pompous" to someone who needs a dictionary just to figure out what many of the words you are using mean. This is less a criticism (although there will be times when reining that tendency in will help you in your interactions with others) and more a statement that you will fit in better with people who have a similar lexical range to yourself.

I gave up dating in the end because I value my peace and not having to mask around a partner more highly than I value regular sex.

I confess that I do find the lack of curiosity a little bit frustrating and most of our time together is spent running errands for her family. Or me helping her mum with gardening (my profession), but I do not resent that as I absolutely adore her mum who is elderly and not so mobile now, has a huge, rambling garden, her pride and joy, and needs some assistance with the more physical demands - and at least I have a fellow plant lover to converse with!

Bit harsh (and sexist) - I am not driven by sex, enjoy cooking myself and am more than capable of looking after myself since we do not live together and I am perfectly able to live independently

I thought earlier posts that said dump your partner were unfair, because there's nothing wrong with a couple having totally different interests, whether the stereotype of the bloke loving football and the woman going to ballet, or any couple, whatever their gender, who have very different interests. There's nothing wring with dating someone far more/less academic, or into esoteric activities, than yourself. In fact, it's a great thing to have time apart and some separate ideas.
But mocking your partner's interests is not good. My husband loves some sports that I really don't like, and I'm into some books he hates. Fine. But we respect the other likes them, and don't say mean stuff.

She doesn't sound very nice op, why would you want to be with someone that diminishes you for being, well, you?!

Either way I think it would be a good idea to keep yourself busy with your own interests, maybe cut back on seeing her so much. You never know, you may find someone more suitable and easy to be with at one of these classes.

Good luck.

You make a fair point, but, as I said, in my opening post, I enjoy writing, language and words and, if I were to reduce my spoken vocabulary, I would not be being my true self and would be 'masking' even more than I currently do, whether that be subliminally or knowingly.

Well here’s the thing @DracunculusVulgaris….people find partners that have some shared interests.

Why are you with your partner? From your description of her you have absolutely nothing in common…

Your problems would be solved if you split up. Your partner clearly isn't a good match for you. In retirement you can go on birdwatching expeditions, archeological digs, to as many talks and classes about the arts and sciences as you wish. I'd be amazed if you hadn't made some new friends and met some more suitable partner within a year or two.

You aren’t remotely compatible.

Making new friends, with whom I can interact and 'bounce off' in terms of shared interests, would be a huge positive. But, if my relationship with my partner were to end, I would not be seeking, or looking for, another emotional, romantic or physical relationship. My initial post was more a question of how to vocalise, to my partner, my desire for some engagement with others who share my interests, without causing her offence or making her feel undermined, belittled or 'not enough', which is the last thing I would want to do.

Sounds like you care about her more than she cares about you.

Are you sure your relationship is balanced and equal, loving and kind?

I think you've got bigger problems than how to start a hobby club or whatever. First post nailed it in that regard though. If she doesn't like you making friends it’s likely coz she’s insecure that you might meet someone else.

Are you her meal ticket? Does she have her own source of income? Do you bring a better quality of life than shed get alone? Im not getting good vibes tbh.

I don't think you should be in a relationship with someone who is insecure, jealous and doesn't like you to see friends - regardless of their level of education! It doesn't sound like you have a lot in common, which begs the question, why do you want to be ina relationship with this person?

Why are you with someone you think is so very thick and beneath you intellectually? Surely you'd be better off with someone more on your own wavelength!

Why are you with someone so far below you? It works for some people, but it isn’t going to work for you when he’s all you’ve got and he can’t hold an intelligent conversation.

I won’t date down intellectually. I don’t care about income, or job or status. But I wouldn’t compromise on interests and stimulating conversation. Why have you?

You also don’t need to phrase anything in anyway. Just join the clubs you want and say “I joined a club today” then move on. It’s nothing to do with him and it sounds like he wouldn’t understand anyway.

When you’re old, and not as mobile and most of your interactions are with your partner… will he be enough? I picked one who will be.

No, I am not sure that it is balanced and equal in as much as I travel up to her city virtually every Friday, after work, to spend the weekend with her, leaving very early on Monday mornings and driving straight to my own place of work. But she rarely, if ever, comes to stay in my environment - once, so far, this year, and only twice last year, and that was to give her grandson a holiday in the country.
However, I do not see myself as a meal ticket, she owns her own home, as do I, she works, albeit on reduced hours now that a pension from previous employment is paying out, is financially independent and has plenty of friends of both sexes to socialise with.
As to whether or not I enhance her life in any way other than being 'useful to have around' is not a question I can answer!