Doors open at 9:45, tea and coffee are served from 10:00 to 10:30, and are free as long as you bring your own cup. The meeting starts at 10.30 am with notices, followed by the talk.
Meetings labelled "Hat", will take place in Breaks Manor Youth Centre, Link Drive, Hatfield, AL10 8TP. If you're online, you can click here for a map.
Meetings labelled "WGC" take place in the Ludwick Family Centre, Hall Grove, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4PH. If you're online, you can click here for a map. There's sometimes a problem with parking for cars at Ludwick - if you don't mind a walk you could try parking in Caponfield - click here for a map.
There have been complaints from residents about the parking on the road in front of Ludwick Family Centre. If you plan to park here, please could you ensure that you 'follow the trend' and park on the same side as those cars already parked. This ensures that delivery lorries and emergency vehicles can pass through. Many thanks.
If you come along to the Wednesday meetings at Hatfield, you will know that there is very limited parking. They have a growing number of nursery children needing to be dropped off and picked up and if U3A has taken up all the spaces, it becomes a Health and Safety issue for them. They have therefore notified us that the area in front of the building is strictly for Pick Up and Drop Off only. This means that we may ONLY use the car park at the rear of the building. We appreciate your co-operation with this.
If you want to display notices on the projector, or notice boards, at the meetings, contact Tony Tutton on 01707 328943, or E-mail him: "tonytutton1@yahoo.co.uk".
Please note that, for health and safety reasons, we have to limit attendance at these meetings to 170
Please note that the Welwyn Hatfield U3A does not endorse any products or services provided by the speakers at our meetings.
For information on recordings of talks from past meetings, click here.
Planned meetings for Autumn 2025
| Date | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep | WGC | Dr Peter Altman – “Aliens: What are the Chances?” Alien life is no longer considered merely Science Fiction, but is now accepted in mainstream science. So what are the chances that it actually exists – and that we could discover it? In this illustrated talk, retired biochemist Dr Peter Altman attempts to answer these questions, and discusses, among other things, UFOs and reported alien encounters. Fun Facts about Peter: 1) He is a past Guinness World Record holder for the fastest journey round the London Underground, and also held the same record for the Moscow Metro; 2) He was the first member of the public to travel on Eurostar; 3) He is a Member of the Magic Circle |
| 17 Sep | Hat | Neil Hanson – “The Ghostwriter” Neil has led an extraordinary life in his own right, but as a professional ghostwriter of over 70 published books, he has also worked with a remarkably diverse collection of the most interesting people around, including household names. We are promised privileged glimpses into the hidden worlds of Neil’s ghosting clients in a talk that is revelatory, insightful and very, very funny. |
| 24 Sep | WGC | Adam Smith – “The Birth of the Skyscraper” In the late 19th and early 20th centuries increased wealth and architectural innovation led to the creation of some of the first skyscrapers. This talk looks at Chicago's role in this story. |
| 1 Oct | Hat | MEET THE GROUPS Open meeting with displays from various groups |
| 8 Oct | WGC | Jim Stebbings – "Lusitania – a Story of Loss, Deception and Conspiracy” Jim tells of the unprovoked attack on Cunard's RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat in May 1915. He reveals facts that are generally not known and looks into the lives of some of those on board. |
| 15 Oct | Hat | Tony Eaton – “Failed to Return” Tony re-constructs the fatal last flights of 2 British war time icons - aviatrix Amy Johnson and film star Leslie Howard. |
| 22 Oct | WGC | Rupert Dickens – “A Dutch Leonardo: the extraordinary career of Van Der Hayden” Though not as well-known as Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci, Jan van der Heyden had a no less extraordinary career in the 17th century. As well as being a brilliant painter and draughtsman, he was also an inventor, entrepreneur, administrative and marketing genius |
| 29 Oct | Hat | Joanna Bogle – "The Nun who saved Jewish Lives in WW11" The Hambroughs were a well known family on the Isle of Wight, building Steephill Castle at Ventnor. But one of the members of that family went on to become a quiet heroine in wartime Italy, sheltering Jewish people in a convent in Rome. Riccarda Hambrough’s story deserves to be better known. |
| 5 Nov | WGC | Colin Sutton – “The Real Manhunter – Live” After his TV series, Colin will talk about his career, how policing has changed and the two big investigations that he led - Levi Bellfield and Delroy Grant. |
| 12 Nov | Hat | Su Murley – “Shirley Murley and Me" Su says “Now I’m an Author anything you say or do may be used in a story! I will be talking about how I wrote and got my first children’s book published.” |
| 19 Nov | WGC | Martin Attridge – “The Great Fire of London" Samuel Pepys, Thomas The tale features Farriner, Mayor Bludworth, King Charles II, the Duke of York, Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Hubert, and all the poor people of the City |
| 26 Nov | Hat | Paul Barwick – “PC Yvonne Fletcher and the Libyan Embassy Siege” Paul is a retired police officer (34 years’ service) with a career background in the national intelligence and security arena. He worked with partner agencies in the field of national security and counter terrorism. In this talk, Paul recalls the tragic tale of the murder of WPC Yvonne fletcher, a young Police Constable who was killed by agents of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as she stood on duty outside the Libyan Peoples Bureau in April 1984. |
| 3 Dec | WGC | CHRISTMAS PARTY & ENTERTAINMENT |
| 10 Dec | CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT HOMESTEAD COURT HOTEL, AL7 4LX |
Planned meetings for Spring 2026
| Date | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan | WGC | Lucy Lewis – “Lighting the Fuse” Lucy was the UK's first female bomb disposal expert. Her eye-opening memoir reveals the world of being a successful woman in the military and how she made history - not just once, but twice. |
| 14 Jan | Hat | Sarah Kerrison – “Fever” This illustrated talk explores the many diseases that have gripped the county from the 1300s to the end of the 19th century. We will be tracing the first steps in preventing and managing disease and taking the long view on the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| 21 Jan | WGC | Iestyn Edwards – “My Tutu went AWOL!” Iestyn Edwards is an Olivier Award winning, Guildhall trained opera singer, who accidentally toured military bases raising troop morale in Iraq and Afghanistan with his cabaret act in a tutu. |
| 28 Jan | Hat | Janet Brewer – “Tutankhamun’s Egypt” Tutankhamun was born and brought up in the city of Akhetaten, founded by his father. What was Tutankhamun’s life like as a child and later as a King? Using evidence from his tomb, we will try and decide. |
| 4 Feb | WGC | Alex Mair – “Crime Scene Search” Historical facts surrounding forensics at a crime scene and the physical hands-on approach to crime scene search. Stated cases with added humour of Alex’s personal experience. |
| 11 Feb | Hat | Sarah Stevens – “A Light History of Barbershop” Sarah is part of the well-known local choir Welwyn Harmony |
| 18 Feb | WGC | EVENT (Art & Photography Exhibition) |
| 25 Feb | Hat | Craig Angus – “Seeking Servants at Knebworth House” Country houses and estates relied on a large staff to keep things running smoothly. In this talk, Craig Angus from the Knebworth House Archive discusses the types of records that can be found when tracing ancestors who were in service, focusing on Knebworth House and sharing the stories of some of its longest serving staff. |
| 4 Mar | WGC | Guy Thomas – “London Colney Airfield in WW1 – RFC and US Army Corps” In late 1915 the government requisitioned 212 acres of farmland near London Colney to establish a training site for the Royal Flying Corp. The airfield became a leading facility, producing famous Flying Corp Aces Captain Albert Ball and Mick Mannock. |
| 11 Mar | Hat | AGM |
| 18 Mar | WGC | Gary Fisher – “The Life of Elizabeth I” Gary is well known to us. This time he will talk about some of the main events in the life of Elizabeth I before she came to the throne. |
| 25 Mar | Hat | Bill Lindsay – “William Schaw Lindsay, Victorian Entrepreneur” A rags to riches story of Bill's great-great-grandfather, an orphan who ran away to sea and became the owner of a large Shipping Company during the 1850s. |
| 1 Apr | WGC | Graham Harrison – “Moll Cutpurse” Tudor and Stuart London was the home of many real-life rogues. One of the most memorable of these was Mary Frith, also known as Moll Cutpurse, who flouted convention at every turn. Moll took to the streets and the stage, making a spectacle of herself that earned both official condemnation and not a little public admiration. |
For an overview of the outings planned by the various study groups, click here..
For an overview of when the study groups meet, click here.
Preparing tea & coffee: please click here (PDF).
Setting up the computer & projector: please click here (PDF).