Our members share an interest in all things historic, and our monthly meetings have covered a wide and varied range of topics. Mostly, our talks come from SBu3a members or other local u3a groups but sometimes we have outside guest speakers who share their knowledge and fascination on such subjects as The Profumo Affair, local cottage industry or the history of Pinewood Studios. u3a members have spoken about the Duke of Monmouth, the Kennedy assassination and life in Nelson’s navy.
These talks are often given via a computer presentation, whilst shorter talks have used, as a starting point, newspaper articles published as the historical events occurred, or prompted by an interesting artifact brought from home.
We also organise trips to places of historic interest, but the cost of coach hire means that these are now more local and accessible by car. We’ve visited the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge and Chenies Manor House in Rickmansworth.
We are a very friendly crowd and are always pleased to welcome anyone who may be interested in joining us. We serve tea/coffee and a biscuit at the end of our talks when we can enjoy a chat with other members
Christine Phillips and Ceri Watson - aghistory@sbu3a.org.uk
Previous topics/events
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.
This year’s annual outside visit was near to home - to the Battle of Britain Bunker at Uxbridge - where a group of us met for a lunch and to peruse the many fascinating exhibits and information boards in the Information Centre .
Then our tour guide took us down the 77 steps into the actual bunker, which housed RAF Fighter Command’s No.11 Group Operations and where ordinary men and women observed and plotted the flights of incoming enemy planes throughout the Second World War. Here, in the week where 80 years ago, was where Winston Churchill had sat in the viewing gallery observing how most of the RAF Fighter Command’s side of the Battle of Britain was co-ordinated. We learnt how our squadrons were sent out to defend the skies again and again. Built just before the war started its existence was a well guarded secret the enemy never discovered.
Ruth Sobel gave us our last talk of the season. It was about Jean B Bernadotte- not someone we knew much about- who rose from a lowly birth in France to become King of Sweden . He was a French revolutionary general and a marshal of France through his connection with Napoleon. He was crowned Charles X1V and his descendants are still on the Swedish throne.
Our first speaker in September was London Blue Badge Guide and lecturer Colin Oakes, who gave us a fascinating talk about Samuel Pepys , the Plague and the Fire of London. We were treated to the sight of a recently published copy of Pepys diary.
| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Convenor: | |
| When: | Monthly on Tuesdays 2:00 pm 1st Tuesday |
| Venue: | Curzon Centre |