GROUP LEADER: For further information please contact David Leary .

VACANCIES:        14 current  members,    we are almost full,  but do please get in contact if you wish to join

VENUE: The 'Le Tour’ room, Hub & Spoke, Portfolian House, 30 Melton Road, Oakham, LE15 6AY       (there is an expectation  that members will purchase a drink at this location) 

DATE AND FREQUENCY: This groups meets at 1.30pm on the third Wednesday of each month.

DESCRIPTION:

The Rutland U3a History group shows an active interest in all types of historical subject matter; we certainly learn, we certainly laugh and we live with an understanding that history tells so much about not just “then” but also “now”.

We have a nicely balanced group of both men and women, and we aim to reflect that in our subject choices - it is not all about wars and battles!

Our interest is to the political, social, cultural, religious and financial impacts of our chosen topic.

We try to select a broad range of time periods - ancient and modern.

Our normal approach is having identified a broad topic, each person within the group chooses something of interest to them within that to investigate and report back upon; in a typical 2 hour meeting we have up to four presentations back to the group.

There is nothing to be intimidated by that word, presentation - we do not expect a speech, or standing in front of the room or use of powerpoint. It is simply that each person shares their research, and for the group to join in, ask questions and/or make observations.

Recent topics have included:-

Inventors/Inventions & Scientists - The Railways, Tycho Brahe, The Bicycle, Marie Curie

Significant Females - Aethelflaed (The Lady of the Mercians), Mary Wollstonecraft, Margaret Beaufort, Freya Stark     

The 1960s - Women's Rights, Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, New Towns, Counter Culturism & New Journalism

Counties - Durham in the Industrial Revolution, Worcestershire during the English Civil War, The East Riding of Yorkshire between the World Wars, Lancashire Cotton

Ancient Civilisations - The Harrappa, Alexander the Great, The Ridgeway, Aboriginal Australians  

The Renaissance - Textiles during the period, Medicine during the period, Female Artists, Banking in Genoa Republic

A number of our group also had an exceptionally interesting day out at Bletchley Park in May - a thoroughly worthwhile excursion  

A more complete list of previous subjects can be found here

Plans for 2026 include a trip to another historical site, within easy distance and a host of new topics.