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.
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.
For those who cannot attend the meeting in person there will be a link to the zoom recording sent out after the meeting, subject to the speaker agreeing to this.
November 5th : Timandra Slade - From a Hard Place to a Rock
Taken from the diaries & letters of her father & his cousin, both captured after Dunkirk but finally escaped thru Spain to the British Rock of Gibraltar.
December 3rd : Tony Harris – Words & Phrases with chocolate prizes!
Can you guess the meanings of these little-known English words & phrases & maybe win the “best in class” prize?
7th January 2026 : Tales of the Unexpected by Christine & James Rowley
Christine & James from the Basingstoke Hospital Radio will take us behind the scenes of this long-running TV thriller series with the sinister twisted endings.
Based on Roald Dahl’s stories, the series was on ITV from 1979 to 1988 - Music clips, extracts and more!
4th February 2026 : Kitchener, The Unheeded Prophet by Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG
Kitchener is best remembered today for the iconic recruiting poster.
What is not remembered is his earlier career and his emergence as a hero of the Victorian Age.
While his career was not ‘rags to riches’, his ascendancy and achievements were remarkable in an age where social mobility was very limited.
Retired Major General "John DZ" teaches military history, leads battlefield tours and has written five books which examine campaigns through the lens of Wargaming.
4th March 2026 : The Art of the early Picture Postcard by Dr James Taylor
Dr James Taylor, former curator of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, brings us Brilliant British Humour in the Forgotten Art of the Picture Postcard: 1840-1950s.
Artist-drawn postcards were the most popular art-form from the Edwardian era to WW2 and lifted spirits during some dire times.
1st April 2026 : Obsession, Enterprise & Death: the Industrial Revolution in three lives by Dr Frances Hurd
Dr Hurd, with her PhD in History, illustrates the Industrial Revolution through its effect on the lives of three men caught up in it.
Economic success came at a high price for individuals – even those who appeared to profit from it most.
6th May 2026 : A Colourful Introduction to Birds by David Boag, wildlife photographer
David’s talk today will be a fun lecture for those people who love birds and wish they knew more about them.
We may discover we know far more than we imagine – from bird identification to why a bird is bright or camouflaged.
We will look at what birds eat, where they live – all colourfully illustrated with photos taken by David around the world.
3rd June 2026 – TBC
1st July 2026 : The Real CSI - how DNA fingerprinting works by Dr Ian Goodall
This highly illustrated talk tells the story of the invention of DNA fingerprinting in the 1980’s.
Retired headmaster Ian Goodall explains how the technique works and was first used to solve a double murder and rape case in Leicestershire.
Other famous cases involving DNA fingerprinting are described, including identification of the King in the car park, the murdered last royal family of Russia and the OJ Simpson trial.
Wednesday 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.
Wednesday 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.
Wednesday 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.
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Wednesday 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!