Melbourn and District u3a

Drawing on the experience of many well-known authors, in an entertaining, informative talk, Bobbie Darbyshire explains how the complex fictional world arrives in a novelist’s mind. Here is a typical comment: “Your talk was great, covering so much ground, and I loved the quotes from so many authors. I’m getting lots of positive feedback, including… Read more

This month the topic is Swinging London and our speaker is Nick Dodson who writes: "The Sixties saw London cast off the gloom of the post-war years and transform into the bright, swinging centre of style and culture. This illustrated timeline provides a reminder of that groovy, swinging decade!"Nick Dobson is a former professional Librarian… Read more

'Songs Through the Ages' is described as a lively exploration of songs from today back to the Middle Ages, with some audience participation.Our speaker is Quintus Benziger, a musician with a lifetime of teaching experience and who is still enthusiastic about making music with those of all ages and ability. He is a conductor, accompanist,… Read more

For many centuries the skills of craft industries were controlled by the Livery Companies but their influence faded as Britain became more industrialised. Yet the Livery movement has survived and many of the 110 companies are supporting education, offering scholarships, building and maintaining schools and financing organisations who care for the sick, the needy and… Read more

Our speaker is Keith Baldwin aka 'the Tall fellow' (when you see him you will know why. He says he “peaked at 6'4" and is now on the way down”). He talks about his time in the Household Cavalry and about those who guarded Her Majesty. It's called All the Queens Horses and all the… Read more

Our speaker is Martin Orkin, who has long-followed, and written about The Beatles and 1960s music.  In 1962, the charts were ruled by Elvis Presley, Neil Sedaka, Cliff Richard and The Shadows. By 1963 The Beatles arrived and changed everything upside down! This was an amazing time. Martin got to see the Beatles live at… Read more

Peter Barratt is an enthusiastic speaker on the life of his great-grandmother Alice. He gives a fascinating account of one woman’s campaign for equality at the ballot box.  Peter Barratt has been a guest on many local and national radio and TV programmes, including BBC The One Show, BBC2 Jeremy Vine, BBC3 Sunday Feature, BBC4… Read more

Author Suzi Clark talks about her book “Butterflies and Baked Beans”. The book tells a fictional story based around her own life experiences and was inspired by her house being flooded! She describes her adventures as “funny and poignant” as she adapts to being a carer, having a lodger and finding out that being sixty-something… Read more

Local history expert Honor Ridout will give us a whistlestop tour of local history stretching across the millennium of Cambridge's existence, touching not least on town-and-gown relations. Honor Ridout is the Chair of the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History, a former City Tourist Officer, and author of a book on Stourbridge Fair - more on… Read more

Simon Keable-Elliott will explain how he uncovered the true story of Robert Keable* and his scandalous WW1 novel, Simon Called Peter. He discusses the sources he used – including photographs, books, letters, census findings, passenger lists, government documents, diaries, interviews and a visit to Tahiti – to discover the truth. He details some of the… Read more

Former solicitor David Allen will take us on a romp through the legal world: drawing on over 25 years as a locum solicitor travelling around the country, encountering raging judges, dotty clients, and weird cases.  Join David on a sideways journey through bizarre true-life oddities, daft old laws still in place, and political correctness gone… Read more

Our speaker is Peter Gill - a popular speaker (and musician) on the topic of Surviving The Great War – The Songs, Humour and Words That Kept The Boys Going. This is a fifty minute presentation in words, music and visuals exploring how the Arts helped those embroiled in the devastation of the First World… Read more

Bill Hamilton gives an affectionate account of his lifetime in journalism. Bill began work as a trainee reporter on the Fife Herald. His career with BBC television news (1979 - 1996) began in Glasgow before moving to London where he spent time as a Home Affairs correspondent and later as a Foreign Affairs correspondent, featuring… Read more

Our speaker is the popular Roy Smart talking about "Wallis Simpson and the Abdication Crisis of 1936". Roy’s presentation will explore the historical context of the crisis, the media's handling of the situation and its impact on public opinion. Read more

Andrew Baker will tell us ”The Putin story - how Vladimir Putin and his KGB allies captured the Russian state while enriching themselves, cast democracy aside, reconnected with Russia’s autocratic past and took on the West”. Andrew Baker is an experienced speaker on contemporary history & today’s world and was formerly a secondary school head… Read more

In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko shared a restaurant meal with two Russian agents. Afterwards he fell ill and died some weeks later, becoming the first confirmed victim of the poison polonium-210. His public accusations that Putin was behind his poisoning resulted in worldwide media coverage. Our speaker Paul Barwick served for 34 years in the police,… Read more

Alan Osborne's topic was about Ada Lovelace (1815 – 1852), daughter of famed poet Lord Byron. You’ll have heard of her - or you won’t. With the title Ada Lovelace, the enchantress of numbers you’ll hear the story of Ada, Countess of Lovelace, who was a mathematical genius. She worked with Charles Babbage the inventor… Read more