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.
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. A few notes on using the booking application:
- Ignore the "login" button at the top right of the first screen. It is for administrators only.
- THIS POINT IS ABSOLUTELY KEY : You must add at least one place to your booking before you select the "Add to Cart" button. The default number of places is zero, so if you don't select at least one place, you will have no booking. If you don't subsequently receive an email with your booking in it, then this is almost certainly because the default of zero places was used in your "booking".
- If you have booked but cannot attend the monthly meeting, 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.
To see our the summaries of our previous monthly meetings, please go here.
Wednesday 4th December : The golden age of children’s TV. Jeff Evans
Join author and TV historian Jeff Evans on a journey through your childhood as he tells the fascinating story of children’s television in the UK.
Jeff’s colourful talk covers the period from the start of television to the 1970s, truly a golden age for those of us who grew up glued to the small screen when we returned home from school.
Some people will remember the earliest TV stars such as Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy; others will recall with great fondness series such as Crackerjack, Ivor the Engine, Thunderbirds, The Magic Roundabout and the rather spooky The Singing Ringing Tree.
This talk features them all, and much more besides.
TUESDAY 7th January 2025 : My Great Aunt Constance – Rangoon’s 1930s heyday and the 1942 civilian trek thru Burma. Jenny Mallin
Born in 1898, Jenny’s great aunt Constance was a woman of high social status, becoming the wife of a British official in Burma.
This is her account of her life in Burma “between the wars” and then the horrifying story of a civilian trek to escape the invading Japanese in 1942.
On foot thousands of women & children made what became a Death March through jungle, monsoon-flooded rivers, across steep mountain ranges and battling exhaustion, starvation and dangerous wildlife.
We discover how living in Rangoon in its 1930s heyday meant a charmed life, one that was filled with opulence, bon viveur and style. But how life can change overnight into a situation where there was no possibility of turning back but only in moving forward one tortured step at a time.
Wednesday 5th February 2025 : Masters of the Sea: Maritime Art 16th Century to Present. James Taylor
Dr James Taylor, a former curator of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, introduces the diverse subjects of traditional marine painting and focuses on the development of the genre in Britain from the 1670s to the present day.
They include sea battles, ship portraits, ports and harbours, Captain James Cook and Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, yachts, clipper ships and ocean liners, as well as official war artists.
An introduction to the historic buildings of the National Maritime Museum, namely the Queen’s House and Old Royal Naval College, is also featured as they were instrumental in the development of maritime art.
Wednesday 5th March 2025 : Where the Money Went – the actual costs and logistics of The Great War. Roy Larkin
Day-to-day behind the scenes costs of the Great War on the Western Front and at Home will show us the hidden side of the 1914-1918 war, away from the famous battles.
Roy’s interest in the Great War (now more commonly known as World War 1) began with its influence on the British road haulage industry in the 1920’s.
Volunteering at the Royal Logistic Corps Museum gave Roy opportunity for more in-depth exploration of road transport on the Western Front. More facts came from The National Archives, the quirkier the better!
Wednesday 2nd April 2025 : Africa – its Landscapes, People & Wildlife. Tony Buckle
Tony talked to us last year in support of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and his descriptions of the efforts being put towards orangutan conservation were emotive.
Tony has also travelled extensively in Africa and returns to us to talk about his experiences and show beautiful photos! Any proceeds from this talk will also go towards the BOS Foundation.
Wednesday 7th May 2025 : The Iranian Embassy Siege - the SAS in action. Guy Bartlett
This talk is rescheduled from June 2024 - you have not already seen it!
The SAS assault, codenamed "Operation Nimrod", was broadcast live at peak time on the 5th May 1980. It was viewed by millions of people, mostly in the UK, making it a defining moment in British history.
Both the BBC and ITV interrupted their scheduled programming to show the end of the siege.
Now discover the inside story of what lead up to the raid, how it almost went tragically wrong, and how it cemented the Special Air Services as one of the elite Special Forces.
Wednesday 4th June 2025 : Swan. Dan Keel
With its orange beak and aura of stately silence, Dan Keel has been captivated by the mute swan since boyhood, studying their contrasting qualities over more than three decades as a journalist, photographer and private pilot.
In his talk to us and in his book "Swan", Dan speaks up for the mute, answering the essential questions about its nature and its future. Along the way, he shows us how swans have been portrayed in myth, art and culture for millennia, and how they have been venerated and imitated as well as harmed by humans.
With an eye for the humour as well as the tragedy of the swan’s story, Dan lays out the facts, guides us to our lakes and riverbanks, and urges us to see these familiar creatures in a fresh light.
Wednesday 2nd July 2025 : The Art of Documentary Photography. Helen Fennell
Helen has been taking photographs for over 25 years.
She lives here “in glorious North East Hampshire” and feels blessed with beautiful countryside, lovely quiet villages and bustling towns to photograph when the creative urge takes her.
She does a variety of photography projects and speaks on the specifics of her art and its applications.