Learn Laugh Live
Last Updated: 20 Feb ’26
Views: 15
MONDAY 27 April, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,
(NB: Date differs due to May Bank Holiday)
10.30 PRESENTATION
doors open 09:45
When news broke that RMS Titanic – the supposedly unsinkable ship – had sunk with the loss of 1,500 lives there was shock across the world. While there have been larger maritime disasters since, the tragedy of the then most luxurious liner ever to be built has been remembered in a way few other shipwrecks have.
This talk provides an insight into Britain and the international situation in the ‘Belle Époque’ before the First World War. It tells the story of the conception, construction, and fate of Titanic and her two sister ships. Developed and built in Belfast, learn about the fraught and violent political situation in what was then one of the most important industrial cities in the world.
The impact of the sinking (as well as the conspiracy theories that emerged) are discussed, and the clandestine Cold War reasons for the ship’s discovery revealed. Stephen adds stories of his family connexions to Titanic and the Belfast shipyards to explore her history and why over a century later Titanic is still claiming lives.
Stephen Goss is an academic historian published in peer-review journals who has been a popular speaker in local historical societies and community groups for 15 years.
No fee to be paid
Contact: Groups via this link (select addressee: Groups)
The meeting will be hybrid, if you wish to participate on Zoom, use the link that will be supplied in the Group News closer to the date.
If you experience difficulty with the sound, turning on Captions, at the bottom of the Zoom screen on a PC or by clicking on More … on an iPad, should assist greatly. Please bear in mind that the task of getting both sound and picture to members on Zoom is fraught with difficulties. We continue to struggle on, it may not always be totally successful.
Directions
Boxmoor Playhouse
72 St John’s Rd
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1NP
Parking round the Moor OR 55 – 57 Park Road, HP1 1JS
The parking outside St John’s church now has a 3 hour limit and no return for 2 hours. This is to discourage commuters going to the station using it for all day parking. The three-hour limit works for our monthly meeting. Warning, there is someone who checks!
Directions
Buses between Hemel and Berkhamsted: 500 and X500 bus.
Buses are approximately every 30 minutes: 500 and X500 Timetable
Local buses running in St John’s Road past Boxmoor Playhouse
Last Updated: 31 Mar ’26
Views: 231
Exploring London, Tuesday 28th and Thursday 30th April
April Walk: Highgate
Whilst many of us are looking forward to the first walk of the 2026 programme, the second walk of the season in April will be around suburb of Highgate with its stunning views over London.
This walk will be led by new walk leaders, Caroline and Steph on Tuesday 28th April and Thursday 30th April.
We will start at Highgate Tube Station and end at Archway Tube Station. Highgate is an affluent suburb that grew up along the drovers’ road to London has had many famous inhabitants over the years, from Dick Whittington, Charles Dickens and Sir Francis Bacon to George Michael, Kate Moss and Sting! The walk will be approximately 3 miles long and the stretch at the end up past the cemetery is quite a steep hill, but we will be stopping a couple of times to allow everyone to catch their breath.
There is a cafe with a toilet that we can use at the start of the walk and at the end there will be the option to have lunch at the delightful cafe at Lauderdale House in Waterlow Park rather than heading straight to the tube station. As usual, there will be a collection of £2 per head before we start to help with the walk leaders’ expenses.
Remember if you apply for others, you are responsible for passing on messages.
Please indicate if you are NOT willing for your email address to be shared with other successful applicants.
If you have any queries regarding this walk, please contact Steph via Coordinator. Late applications will be accepted.
Last updated: 31 Mar ’26
Views: 214
MONDAY 30 March, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,
10.30 PRESENTATION
doors open 09:45
After Lucy Allen’s outstanding talk at the Playhouse in November 2025 on Witches, she now returns to bring ‘The Petticoat Rebellion’ to life for us. Lucy Allen is a Stunt Woman and Public Speaker. Being a professional performer means she likes to add a bit of drama and excitement into her talks and keep them as lively and interesting as possible.
Lucy brings the Suffragettes to life in this engaging talk which draws on insights from her stunt work on the 2015 film ‘Suffragette’. Hear the powerful voices of the brave women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote!
(Note: this is a replacement for the Simon and Garfunkel presentation, originally listed)
No fee to be paid
Contact: Groups via this link (select addressee: Groups)
The meeting will be hybrid, if you wish to participate on Zoom, use the link that will be supplied in the Group News closer to the date.
If you experience difficulty with the sound, turning on Captions, at the bottom of the Zoom screen on a PC or by clicking on More … on an iPad, should assist greatly. Please bear in mind that the task of getting both sound and picture to members on Zoom is fraught with difficulties. We continue to struggle on, it may not always be totally successful.
Directions
Boxmoor Playhouse
72 St John’s Rd
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1NP
Parking round the Moor OR 55 – 57 Park Road, HP1 1JS
Directions
Buses between Hemel and Berkhamsted: 500 and X500 bus.
Buses are approximately every 30 minutes: 500 and X500 Timetable
Local buses running in St John’s Road past Boxmoor Playhouse
Last updated: 2 Mar ’26
Views: 130
u3a Dacorum now have their own Facebook Group, which reflects the various group activities that u3a members can join.
It is also where Group leaders can submit their own group’s information to be shown on the u3adacorum Facebook.
Here is the link to view the u3adacorum Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1214692039477191
Views: 11
MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,
10.30 PRESENTATION
doors open 09:45
Jeremy Holmes presented a very well received talk to us in 2024 on the 200th anniversary of Byron’s death. Jeremy is a past CEO of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and has spent time investigating the challenge facing the countries in East Africa and beyond. The experience was fascinating, sobering but also sometimes uplifting.
East Africa is facing enormous healthcare challenges, all the more so, in the light of current cutting of international aid. As the population enjoys increasing life expectancy and more people adopt a Western lifestyle, rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer are going through the roof. But the supply of medicines, almost all of which are imported, falls a long way short of demand.
No fee to be paid
Contact: Groups via this link (select addressee: Groups)
The meeting will be hybrid, if you wish to participate on Zoom, use the link that will be supplied in the Group News closer to the date.
If you experience difficulty with the sound, turning on Captions, at the bottom of the Zoom screen on a PC or by clicking on More … on an iPad, should assist greatly. Please bear in mind that the task of getting both sound and picture to members on Zoom is fraught with difficulties. We continue to struggle on, it may not always be totally successful
No fee to be paid
Contact: Groups via this link (select addressee: Groups)
The meeting will be hybrid, if you wish to participate on Zoom, use the link that will be supplied in the Group News closer to the date.
If you experience difficulty with the sound, turning on Captions, at the bottom of the Zoom screen on a PC or by clicking on More … on an iPad, should assist greatly.
Boxmoor Playhouse
72 St John’s Rd
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1NP
Parking round the Moor OR 55 – 57 Park Road, HP1 1JS
The parking outside St John’s church now has a 3 hour limit and no return for 2 hours. This is to discourage commuters going to the station using it for all day parking. The three-hour limit works for our monthly meeting. Warning, there is someone who checks!
Directions
Buses between Hemel and Berkhamsted: 500 and X500 bus.
Buses are approximately every 30 minutes: 500 and X500 Timetable
Local buses running in St John’s Road past Boxmoor Playhouse
Last updated: 13 Nov ’25
Views: 100
Explore London – North London
Wednesday 25 and Friday 27 March
The first walk of the 2026 programme will be on Wednesday March 25th and Friday March 27th led by Bernard. It will be a linear walk across North London.
Starting in Highbury, we will proceed via Cannonbury and Newington Green to Dalston. If you travel by train you might have seen a reference to the recently renamed Mildmay Line. We will be visiting the Mildmay Estate. We pass through several attractive squares, with a range of historic buildings, including the earliest brick built terrace in London. There is a section of traffic free river walk and we will see a controversial modern statue. The walk will follow the usual format of around 2 ½ miles in length and 2 hours in duration.
If you wish to apply for this walk, please email the coordinator via the group page after 09.00 on 1 March with a maximum of 4 persons per application.
If you miss the 1st October you can still apply, especially If you can do both dates, so numbers can be balanced on both walks.
Remember if you apply for others, you are responsible for passing on messages. Please give your full names and U3A numbers and preferred date and indicate if you are flexible on the dates. Please use the following link to checkout the Exploring London Webpage: https://u3adacorum.org/?page_id=1168
If you have any queries please contact Bernard via Coordinator
Last updated – 20 Feb ’26
Views: 222
We are sorry to say that the following groups have been cancelled, for various reasons.
If you would like to re-start the group, please contact the Groups Secretary
You do not need to run the group by yourself, often someone is willing to help.
A Cappella (147)
Belleplates (062)
Board Games (070 and 212)
Bowls (006)
Creative Writing A (077)
Computer Support (069)
French and Fun (015)
French Conversation (014)
Garden Appreciation (016)
Geology 1 and 2 (021 and 184)
Line Dancing (022)
Music Appreciation (034)
News (Have Your Say) (362)
Painting Unlimited (09)
Painting for You (196)
Playing early Music (043)
Recorder Ensemble (148)
Sign Language (227 and 189)
Short Day Trips (186)
Shorter Walks A & B (050)
Sunday Scrabble (055)
Swimming Berkhamsted (226) But see Swimming (221) ex HH
Ukulele 2 (192)
Whist (091)
Last Updated 17 Jun ’25
Views: 356
The new Constitution was formally adopted at the SGM on 6th December 2021.
414 votes were cast by proxy of which 382 were in favour, and 9 postal votes were cast of which 8 were in favour. In total 390 of 423 votes (92%) were in favour.
Views: 63
A draft Equality and Diversity policy has been posted for comment by all members.
It can be found under the Policies and Documents tab.
Views: 8
