U3A in Rutland

14/06/2026

SPEAKER WED 1 JULY
The Talk: Barrow to Baghdad and Back Again - a career story

- Chef and manager in the hotel industry
- Oil business on rigs in the North Sea
- Algeria and Nigeria – in the oil business
- Kazakhstan and Russia
- Baghdad working for the American Coalition
- Running companies in Dubai and Iraq
- Writing adventure/thriller novels inspired by ten years in the Middle East.

Philip talks about things that happened to him in these places, with plenty of interest, humour and inspiration.

28/05/2026

JUNE MEETING WED 3 JUNE, BAPTIST CHURCH

Talk: Indian Takeaway - one boy's take on 3 continents

16/04/2026

NEXT MEETING 6 MAY - Speaker: Simon Curtin

'If You Build it, He will Come'

Simon is an experienced naturalist, conservationist, author, wildlife photographer, natural sciences and history enthusiast.

Simon’s talk is based on his recently published book of the same name and is the inspiring account of how, in 2022, after an eight-year project, working closely with the Rutland Water ospreys team, he successfully encouraged ospreys to breed in the Belvoir area, this beautiful bird having been extinct from the area for over 200 years.

10/03/2026

Our APRIL Talk
HOW TO CATCH A KILLER

Andy Tennet, previosly Detective Chief Inspector with Northamptonshire Police Force, will outline the realities of a homicide (or major crime) investigation contrasting the reality with its portrayal in drama. This will include an examination of the management of a major crime scene and the levels of staffing involved. He will then apply these principles to a case of which he has had first hand experience.

12/02/2026

NEXT MONTHLY MEETING WED 4 MARCH AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH
The Talk: The BBC and The Bomb - Cold War broadcasting from the bunkers

From the 1950s to the 1990s, should the Cold War turn ‘hot’, the Government had detailed plans for what to do in the event of a nuclear strike on Britain. Part of those plans was the implementation of the BBC produced, but Government-directed, Wartime Broadcasting Service: a single national radio station that would have replaced ALL radio and TV services in the UK.

Originally conceived to provide both information and boost the moral of survivors whilst they waited to be rescued, it morphed into a mouthpiece to tell the nation how they might survive after the H-Bomb had been dropped. But for many it could have been the last voice they heard.

Using his real-world knowledge and using a multi-media presentation of images, audio, video and some now declassified documents, Iain tells the story of this little-known piece of Cold War history: from where would it have been broadcast? What would you have heard (you’ll be surprised)? And who, in the event of an attack, would have descended into the bunker to broadcast it?

And, does such a service exist today?

01/01/2026

31/12/2025

NO JANUARY MEETING

PLEASE NOTE: Due to problems with the venue there is NO MEETING in January.

The February meeting will be at the Baptist Church and will be an information meeting by many of the U3A groups. More details will be provided nearer the date.

11/11/2025

CHANGE OF PLAN FOR CHRISTMAS
We now have a talk for Thursday 4 Decemeber at Victoria hall @ 10.30.
Talk: Our Christmas Story

Our British Christmas is unique. Its customs and traditions date back into the mists of time, but they all developed for identifiable reasons. Christmas has had a rollercoaster history, from crazy over-the-top festival in Tudor times, to near extinction, then to a modern re-invention. This was when Father Christmas met Santa Claus - and when a great writer blended the best of the past into a new, White Christmas tradition.

05/10/2025

The Monthly Talk - 6th Nov 25 : Policing and Financial Crime in Regency London

Susan has spent years haunting the streets of Regency London, in the company of magistrates’ constable Sam Plank. He is the narrator of her series of historical financial crime novels set in consecutive years in the 1820s - just before Victoria came to the throne, and the interesting policing period after the Bow Street Runners and before the Metropolitan Police. Copies of Susan’s books will be available for Members to purchase.

27/09/2025

Our October Speaker
‘Roman Lifestyles in Rural Rutland: Recent Excavations at the Rutland Roman Villa.’

Following the discovery and excavation of a unique Roman mosaic showing scenes from the Trojan War cycle on Rutland farmland in 2020/2021, archaeologists from University of Leicester and Historic England joined forces in 2022 to return to the site of the newly discovered villa to find out more. A highly detailed image of the Roman villa complex had been provided by geophysical survey, which gave an excellent indication of where other buildings lay within the field surrounding the . John Thomas will describe the results of these new excavations at one of the best preserved Roman villas in Leicestershire & Rutland, discussing what they can add to the story of this remarkable discovery, and setting the villa into the wider context of Roman rural life in Leicestershire and Rutland.