News Index

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Exploring London – 30th September and 2nd October 2026 – Queen’s Park and Kensal Green
Box Moor Trust Festival Sunday 20th September
Art in the Nave 28th to 31st August
u3aDacorum Facebook Page
Monthly Meeting – Monday 7 September 2026
Exploring London – 19th and 26th August ’26 – North Woolwich
2026 AGM – Monday 3 August 2026
Monthly Meeting – Monday 3 August 2026
Minibus Hire for Day Trips
Cancelled Groups
Web Conferencing using Zoom


Last Updated: 8 Aug ’26

Views: 20

Exploring London – 30th September and 2nd October 2026 – Queen’s Park and Kensal Green

Exploring London Group – Queen’s Park and Kensal Green – Wednesday September 30th and Friday October 2nd

As GK Chesterton wrote:-  For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen. Before we go to paradise, by way of Kensal Green.
Kensal Green being the site of the first and grandest of The Magnificent Seven cemeteries in London. There are indeed fine things to be seen in the area, I can’t comment on the news as they keep changing it.
We will start with a walk exploring the history of Queen’s Park and its current position as the trendiest area in London. I have heard it described as the likely offspring of a union between Primrose Hill and Notting Hill. It is particularly known for the number of media personnel. From BBC correspondents to documentary makers via actors and singers and the odd ‘celebrity’.
It boasts not just one but two famous Italian restaurants. One praised by Giles Coren and the other being better known as the star in a television advert, The Queen in the title is of course Victoria.
The Park started out as an agricultural show ground. Usual details, around 2 hours in duration and 2.5 miles in length. As it is our side of the city then I am aiming for a slightly earlier start of 11.00.

 

If you wish to apply for this walk,  please email the coordinator via the group page after 09.00 on 1 September with a maximum of 4 persons per application.

If you miss the 1st September 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 Aug ’26

Views: 247

Art in the Nave 28th to 31st August

The Painting for Pleasure group will be exhibiting some of their work at the Art in the Nave, a yearly Art exhibition in St Mary’s church in Hemel Hempstead, showing paintings by local artists. The group would love you to come to see their work at the exhibition.

There is a preview evening on Friday 28th August, 7pm to 9:30pm, and you will be very welcome then, or Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th, or Monday 31st, from 11am to 5pm.

Entrance will be £2 only or donation, free entry for anyone under sixteen.

There will also be a u3a stand, showing the work of our other Arts and Crafts groups.

Further information is available at https://stmaryandstpaulhemel.org.uk/art-in-the-nave/

Last updated: 16 Aug ’26

Views: 7

Monthly Meeting – Monday 7 September 2026

   

Codebreaking
Northchurch Social Centre, Berkhamsted

MONDAY 7 September, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,

10.30 PRESENTATION

doors open 09:45

About eight years ago, after a career in international IT and Management Consultancy, Mike became a volunteer at Bletchley Park, having attended as a visitor for perhaps ten years previously as a visitor.  Mike serves as a volunteer Guide at the BP heritage museum and also demonstrates the Turing-Welchman Bombe and Enigma codebreaking at the National Museum of Computing. In 2024, Mike Barbakoff entertained us with his presentation about The Women of Bletchley Park. He now presents “Codebreaking against the Land of the Rising Sun”. This talk embraces the inception of the UK/USA Special Relationship and highlights the Signals Intelligence activities of the United Kingdom and United States against Japan in the Second World War.  It covers the efforts of Bletchley Park and its overseas outstations as well as the enormous contribution of the Unites States Navy and Army, Australia and New Zealand SIGINT operations. Failures such as Pearl Harbor and successes such as the Battle of Midway are used to illustrate the effectiveness of Signals Intelligence 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. Directions

Northchurch Social Centre Bell Lane, Northchurch Berkhamsted HP4 3RD There is parking at the centre. Please double park! Directions Buses between Hemel and Berkhamsted: 500  and X500 bus. Buses are approximately every 30 minutes: 500 and X500 Timetable See Northchurch Map Last updated: 8 Aug ’26

Views: 109

Exploring London – 19th and 26th August ’26 – North Woolwich

Exploring London, Wednesday 19th and 26th August

August Walk: North Woolwich

This is a 2.5 mile level walk exploring the history of North Woolwich and its current regeneration. We will look at how a remote marsh became a gateway to the world, how it experienced economic boom, decline and revival.  We discover why sites built for industry are now used for leisure, see houses built on shipyards and watch planes land on water.  We will walk under the Thames and take a ferry to return to the Thames’s north bank.

If you wish to apply for this walk, please email Sue at Coordinator after 9.00 on 1 August with a maximum of 4 persons per application.  Please give your full names and U3A numbers; and indicate if you can do either date.

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 Sue via Coordinator. Late applications will be accepted.

Last updated: 24 Jul ’26

Views: 243

Monthly Meeting – Monday 1 June 2026

 

Boxmoor Playhouse

MONDAY 3 Augusty, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,

10.30 AGM & PRESENTATION

doors open 09:45

John Tyler has worked in nature conservation for over thirty years, first with the Ecological Parks Trust creating urban nature reserves for children to experience wildlife at first hand and then as the Warden of the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve in Kent, 135 acres of wetland and woodland where he created and managed habitats and guided schools and adult groups around the reserve. He has a particular fondness for Glow-worms. As well as wildlife, his interests include photography, prehistory, carving and coracles.

In 2023 John fascinated us with his spectacular photographs of the crabs and other animals on Christmas Island. 2025 had him taking us closer to home and exploring The Changing Wildlife of the Chilterns. From warm seas, through Ice Ages, tundra and forest to the farmland and beechwoods of today, we travelled through a hundred million years to follow the story of the Chiltern landscape and its wildlife.

In 2026 he describes the seasons all around us and reminds us to look at the wonderful natural world around us.

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: Red Eagle Buses

Local buses running in St John’s Road past Boxmoor Playhouse

H10 https://www.intalink.org.uk/services/9e20e052-b756-4ff5-afeb-f0a0ce466e1c?date=2024-12-02&direction=outbound

H11 https://www.intalink.org.uk/services/9077ed51-eb28-40df-8838-8c69504b3299?date=2024-12-02&direction=outbound&all=on

Last updated: 7 Jul ’26

Views: 142

Monthly Meeting – Monday 6 July 2026

Boxmoor Playhouse

MONDAY 6 July, 10:00 REFRESHMENTS,

10.30 PRESENTATION

doors open 09:45

Tricia Thompson is an experienced public speaker presenting lively, interesting and fun talks to groups of all sizes around the country.
The talk to be presented follows the spread of seaside holidays to all classes. It explores the iconic entertainments from the donkey rides on the sand to amusement arcades and buying pink rock to take home with you.
Most of the u3a members will remember these joys from their childhoods. More recently the British seaside holiday has meant Spain or Greece, and the local seaside resorts have been in something of a slump.

 

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

H10 https://www.intalink.org.uk/services/9e20e052-b756-4ff5-afeb-f0a0ce466e1c?date=2024-12-02&direction=outbound

H11 https://www.intalink.org.uk/services/9077ed51-eb28-40df-8838-8c69504b3299?date=2024-12-02&direction=outbound&all=on

See Hemel Map

Last Updated: 4 Jun ’26

Views: 260

Group Cancellations

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)
Scalextric (365)
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 24 Jul ’26

Views: 363