On the first Wednesday of every month (except August when we take a summer break to replenish the biscuit supply) there will be a monthly meeting in the Cross Barn in Odiham. The timings for the meetings are :
- 10.00 am : Doors Open to members, tea or coffee and biscuits available.
- 10.30 am : The presentation
- 11.30 am : Q & A. Note : the length of individual presentations will vary.
All monthly meetings are free and are open to all Odiham and District u3a members - you don't have to join a group to take part. As an Odiham u3a member, you will receive an invitation email about 2 weeks before each date. This will have details of the event, the speaker, the talk and the booking link. The booking system will not go live until you receive this email invitation.
You must book your place at the meeting
Because there is an upper limit to the number who can be present in the Cross Barn in Odiham, you must book your place at the meeting, though the tickets for these meetings are free.
If you need help in making a booking, we have created a help page here.
If you have booked one or more places but later find you cannot attend then please send a message to Tech Support so that we can cancel your ticket and release the place for someone else. This is important as, with increased membership, our popular talks fill up quickly and develop a waiting list.
For those who cannot attend the meeting in person there will often be a link to the zoom recording sent out after the meeting, subject to the speaker agreeing to this. The booking link below goes live about 2 weeks before each new event, you'll receive an email saying when.
2nd September 2026 : The Whitchurch Silk Mill
by Lesley Jordan
Built in 1813, the building was bought in 1817 by silk merchant William Maddick who began extensive alterations and created the mill pond and connected it to the mill race.
Lesley will take us through the history of the Whitchurch Silk Mill, how silk is woven on the original looms and including handling objects from the Mill’s collection.
7th October 2026 : The Dambusters – The Impossible Mission
by Guy Bartlett
Guy is an aviation historian and pilot who gave us the drama of Operation Nimrod last year.
Now he returns to show how Operation “Chastise” has become a legend in military history as it contains all the traditionally admired military attributes of originality, surprise and heroism coupled with a dramatic outcome.
The talk explores the roles of Guy Gibson and Barnes Wallis and tells us where we can still see the bouncing bombs.
4th November 2026 : Michael Collins - hero or villain
by Andrew Morgan
Arguably one of the men who shaped modern Ireland, Michael Collins was charismatic yet ruthless, a devout Catholic yet non-sectarian and an orchestrator of assassinations during the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, the “6 days of armed struggle that changed Irish and British history”. Ex Chair of the Farnham u3a Andrew Morgan provides a brief history and explores differing views on the legacy of this man of contradictions.
Our November meeting includes the Odiham District u3a Annual General Meeting. This consists of a short update by the Chairman of the u3a activities of the previous year, usually before the main speaker, so the whole event ends about 1200 rather than the normal 11.30/40am.
2nd December 2026 : The Amazing World of Magic
by John Field, AIMC
Within the world-famous Magic Circle, John has been elevated to the rank of Associate Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, an accreditation only held by about 310 magicians worldwide. Today you will hear about the oldest magician known to mankind, the oldest trick in magic, scams based on that trick and how to avoid being caught out, the first book written about magic, the dawning of respectability, two famous magicians and the current magic scene. Plus some different styles of magic which will entertain and amuse us as we approach the festive season!
2027 MONTHLY TALKS
6th January 2027 : The True Story of the Bridge over the River Kwai
by Paul Whittle, travel lecturer
The infamous Burma-Thailand WW2 “Death Railway”, the iconic 1957 film, and the many differences between fact and film-making!
3rd February 2027 : Beyond Beliefs
by Dr Sohail Husain, local Hampshire author
The incredible true story of a German refugee, an Indian migrant and the families left behind. Sohail spent 6 years researching the lives of his parents & grandparents producing his epic memoire “Beyond Beliefs”. How the lives of his German Jewish mother and Indian Muslim father were impacted by the momentous events of the 20th century, notably Indian Partition and the Holocaust.
3rd March 2027 : Inn & Out at the Top – running the highest pub in the UK
by Neil Hanson, writer & retired Innkeeper
Still based in Yorkshire today, Neil ventures south to tell us hilarious anecdotes as well as the sometimes harsh realities about running an isolated pub at Tan Hill on the North Yorks / County Durham / Cumbria border in the 1980's.
7th April 2027 : Weeds, Warts, Fairies, Fables & Folklore – What’s in a Name?
by Peter Smith, “bug enthusiast”
Do you know your Kingcup from your Granny’s Nightcap? Which plants will keep you safe when you travel? Or help you escape from vampires? Peter takes us on a journey to the fascinating world of the common names for our wildflowers, their origins and the folklore that surrounds them.
5th May 2027 : A Colourful Introduction to Birds
by David Boag, wildlife photographer
David Boag has visited us several times over the years, each talk individual and brilliant. Today will be a fun lecture for those people who love birds and wish they knew more about them. Perhaps we know far more than we imagine – from bird identification to why a bird is bright or camouflaged, what birds eat, where they live – all colourfully illustrated with photos taken by David around the world.
2nd June 2027 : Dr Livingstone, I presume?
by Fran Sandham, travel writer
The real story behind the legendary meeting in Africa in 1871 between the missing British explorer and the ambitious American journalist. The newspaper scoop of the century proved a double-edged sword for Stanley, despite bringing him world fame. Fran Sandham, author of “A Solo Walk Across Africa”, is a wonderful person to tell us the story and its aftermath.
7th July 2027 : A History of Basingstoke
by Ian Richards, local historian
Creator of the Basingstoke History Facebook site, Ian Richards has also published two history books of Basingstoke following his long series of history articles for the Basingstoke Gazette.
Weaving interesting historical facts in with his personal experiences from living there for 70 years, Ian will show us how Basingstoke has transformed from a quiet country town to the thriving metropolis it is today. His books will be available to buy on the day.
THERE IS NO MONTHLY MEETING / TALK IN AUGUST 2027 BUT DO PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR THE DATE OF THE ODIHAM DISTRICT u3a 2027 OPEN DAY WHEN IT IS ANNOUNCED.
1st September 2027 : Racing across the Southern Ocean – 1977/78 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race
by Ian Worley, ocean sailor & entertainer
Ian grew up in West Wittering and has sailed all his life. In 1977 he was lucky enough to enrol as a watch leader, later First Mate, on a 78ft maxi racing yacht entering the Whitbread Round the World Race. His talk covers storms, boat damage, injuries and a lightening strike interspersed with amusing anecdotes of the lighter side of spending 9 months sailing the oceans with a small, close-knit crew.
6th October 2027 : Bird Flu, Man Flu, Seasonal Flu – is Covid now a flu?
by Dr Jane Sellwood, retired clinical scientist
Jane is co-author of a scientific study of Waterborne Diseases and recently gave a well-received talk to our Environment & Climate Change Group on Water Conservation. We asked her to tone down the science just a little for her slightly lighter but topical talk on flu – common or garden, man flu (much worse), bird flu plus what else might be gunning for us in the future.
3rd November 2027 : The Battle of the Atlantic and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)
by Jock Gardner, naval historian, ex RN
Following 30 years in the Royal Navy, Jock has now retired from his 2nd career as naval historian in the MoD. His fields of expertise include submarine and antisubmarine warfare and his talk on SIGINT during the Battle of the Atlantic in WW2 has been voted absolutely fascinating by an Odiham u3a member. Jock’s stories of the wartime convoys crossing from New York to Liverpool with huge tonnages of vital supplies dispel many myths that surround those years.
1st December 2027 : Our Christmas Special Talk
by Tony Harris
Tony has had us rolling in the aisles thrice in recent years for our December talks – his “history” of Henry VIII (in costume); “It’s Behind You” – the history of pantomime & back stage antics; and, in 2025, “the meaning of words & phrases” with us as a class responding to his Headmaster routine. At time of writing we have not yet agreed a subject for his talk – he is keen for something that involves dressing up and impersonation, at which he is sooo good. Watch this space to see what we go for – Cardinal Wolsey, Jack the Ripper, The Titanic, the Not So Wild West – or Mrs Thatcher?