Website Visitors

Thank you for visiting our website. Dorridge U3A started in 1990 and we now have around 550 members. New members are very welcome and there is a wide variety of interest groups you may like to join. We hope you find something of interest.

General Meeting Talks

We normally hold General Meetings at 2.0pm in Dorridge Village Hall on the first & third Thursdays of the month, with a programme of talks covering a wide range of subjects.                                                Read more                                                                                                                                          

Our Activity Groups

We have nearly 40 different interest and activity groups, some of which are so popular that they are split into smaller groups in order to accommodate the number of members who are keen to participate.    Read more

Dorridge U3A Pantomime - 'Ali Baba'

Our 2024 Panto was Ali Baba, written and directed by du3a member Margaret Fulford. Songs, lots of ‘oh yes he is, oh no he isn’t’,  and a very enthusiastic audience.  We’ve had excellent feedback for our two sell-out afternoon performances, not only for the great script but also for the colourful costumes.

A full video performance of this & other recent pantomimes & reviews are available for members to view via the 'Pantomimes' page)

Du3a Outing to the Military Intelligence Museum   (September 2024)

Most people are aware of the importance of Bletchley Park as the home of the Code-Breakers who helped break the infamous 'Enigma' code and, as a result, shortened the length of WWII. 

Indeed, there was a DU3A visit to the Bletchley Park museum in the spring of 2024. 

What many people aren't aware of is the importance of other forms of intelligence, such as information gleaned from agents on the ground and photographs taken from high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.   Less glamorous but just as important.  Hence our visit to the Military Intelligence Museum based at MOD Chicksands near Shefford in Bedfordshire.       Read More

50th Anniversary Dorridge Day (September 2024)

By golly, but didn't it rain!   During the set-up, that is.   But then the rain eased off, the crowds began to trickle in, and even the sun came out.   A wonderful afternoon was had by all who attended.                                   For more images, click here

Science & IT Groups Joint Visit to Warwick University (August 2024)

18 members of Dorridge U3A Science & IT Groups gathered at the University of Warwick Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Building for our annual offsite visit.   We were split into two groups for our visit to the Energy Innovation Centre where we were shown their latest developments in electric vehicle battery technology.  The most favoured battery format is a cylinder, only slightly larger than the familiar AA style, and this reminded one of our members of an infamous Mercedes AA class spoof advertisement "Batteries not included".

A link to this YouTube video is here.

Dorridge u3a outing to Hampton Court Palace  (June 2024)

For some this was a first visit; for others it was the opportunity to re-visit a wonderful piece of British heritage.                                                       Read More

Riviera Travel Commission Scheme

One of our members has just booked a holiday with Riviera Travel, who will make a donation of 10% of their holiday cost to Dorridge u3a.

Please enable Dorridge u3a to receive commission on your next Riviera Travel holiday.

For further information, please click here.

July - December 2024 Musicals Programme

A happy, friendly group which meets in the Gateway Room of St Philip's Church Centre in Manor Road, Dorridge on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.  We watch DVDs of musicals old and new-ish, from Oklahoma to Les Miserables.  Arrival time is from 6.30pm and we begin the ‘show’ at 6.45pm prompt. There is a refreshment break at roughly halfway through the musical and, depending on the length of the DVD, we leave for home between 9.00 - 9.30pm. 

Click here to view our programme for the remainder of 2024.

Calling all Knitters and Crocheters

We are planning a large display of knitted and crocheted poppies in November, both inside and outside of St. Philip’s Church, Manor Road, Dorridge.  This is to commemorate Remembrance Day in November 2024.

We would appreciate your help!

In the foyer of St. Philip’s, under the stairs behind the Food Bank, is a box of supplies….knitting and crochet patterns, red and black wool. Please help yourselves, any time between 9am-12 weekdays when the building is open, or when you go as part of a U3A activity.  Or use your own pattern and wool and leave your contributions in the box. 

We would also love donations of wool and black buttons.

The more poppies, the bigger the display!

Please click here to download a flyer.

SUNDAY ACTIVITIES 

Visit to the Victorian Radicals exhibition in The Gas Hall, Birmingham         (April 2024)

Throughout the winter our Sunday Activities have tended to be inside one of the many local hostelries, sharing a convivial lunch. All very enjoyable, but for our April meeting Group Leader Margaret Thompson took us in a more cultural direction and into Birmingham. 

                         Read more

Spring Outing to Bletchley Park - Station X (March 2024)

It didn’t rain – well not until we boarded the coach for home. We arrived in good time, ready for a full day at the Park!

We collected our multi-media guides and set off to explore. The Park was buzzing with excited school parties (noisy but well behaved), and lots of visitors. However, it never felt too crowded and uncomfortable because the attraction is spread over a wide area.     Read More

2023 Annual Trustees Report

The 2023 Annual Trustees Report describes the activities of Dorridge U3A during the year to 31st December 2023, and is a requirement of the Charities Commission following an increase in our annual turnover to in excess of £25,000 for the first time.  The report may be downloaded in pdf format by clicking here.

Full House (7th March 2024)

Annual General Meetings don’t usually draw in the crowds, but the decision to bring the Dorridge u3a AGM forward from May to March seems to have hit the spot.  The Chair and Committee were hoping to achieve the 50-member attendance required for the meeting to be quorate.  At 1.50pm it was looking hopeful; by 1.55pm it was certain, and more chairs were being added; by the time that Chair William Foster opened the meeting it was standing room only!

William and the du3a Committee would like to thank all our members for such great support.

Questers February visit: The Coffin Works in Birmingham (February 2024)

Doesn’t sound too promising, does it?  Read on . . .

This was a fascinating visit; not a mournful collection of boxes as some of us may have imagined, but a peep back into the past when Birmingham was ‘the city of a thousand trades’ and this company – Newman Brothers – was among the best of them.

The company began trading in 1894, making ancillaries for coffins; elaborate castings of coffin ‘furniture’, shrouds, and coffin linings.  Their coffin furniture was used for the funerals of King George V, King George VI, and Winston Churchill.  There is a strong suspicion (but no proof) that it may even have been used more recently for a similar funeral as, when company closure became imminent, they contacted their customers, who bought up all remaining stock . .

                               Read more

Dorridge U3A Panto Group WANTS YOU!

STOP PRESS (Full performances of recent pantomimes & reviews available for members

                                                                                 to view via 'Pantomimes' page)

Our 2023 Panto was Cinderella, written and directed by du3a member Margaret Fulford. Songs, lots of ‘oh yes he is, oh no he isn’t’, riotous Ugly Sisters, a Fairy Godmother like you’ve not met before, a fairy-tale ending, and a very enthusiastic audience.  We’ve had excellent feedback for our two sell-out afternoon performances, not only for the great script but also for the colourful costumes.                    Read More

Questers visit to HS2 depot at Lea Marston - 14th  September 2023

Members of the Questers Group, together with other members of Dorridge U3A, met at the new HS2 training and manufacturing facility at the Lea Marston depot, for an HS2 programme update and an opportunity to ask questions about the project in Solihull and Warwickshire.              Read More

Science & IT Group visit to Birmingham University - 8th August 2023

Over 20 members of Dorridge U3A Science & IT Groups gathered on platform 2 of Dorridge station in time to catch the 09:34am train to Birmingham Moor Street, for our visit to the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) of Birmingham University.                                    Read More

Morgan Motor Company - 19th April 2023

Wednesday 19 April saw 20 members meet up in the café at Morgan Motor Company in Malvern for our fascinating guided tour of the factory.     Read More

A 'Flying Visit' to Le Touquet - 16th April 2023

One of the benefits of holding a private pilot’s licence (PPL) is the ability to make day trips to the near Continent for lunch.       Read More

Spring Outing - March 2023

This This year’s Spring Outing was to The Bristol Aerospace Museum.   As this was the 20^th anniversary of the last Concorde flight and its arrival at the museum there were special talks and tours of Concorde for groups.  35 members enthusiastically booked so I booked a just right 35-seater coach.  Johnsons generously sent us a 53-seater, so we had plenty of space in the end!!   The weather was better than predicted and there was minimal disruption on the M5 so we arrived in good time.     Read More

The Science of Taste - November 2022

In November 2022, Dorridge U3A Science group had a presentation by Professor Alan Chalmers of Warwick University on his work on virtual flavour generation.    Read more                                                 

Visit to Windsor Castle - September 2022

Our outing to Windsor Castle on Thursday 8 September turned out to be a bittersweet event.                         Read more

Group Outings - August 2022

For their August outing this year (2022) Questers visited Little Oaks vineyard in Chipping Campden.      Read more 

"And they said Monday wasn't a busy day in Parliament!!" - June 2022

We had an excellent outing to the Houses of Parliament on Monday 27 June 2022.                                            Read More

First Solo - November 2006

David Archer describes this significant life event.     Read more

Subscription
Our annual subscription for 2024 is £16.  Additional payment may be due to cover refreshments and room hire when participating in individual activity groups.

Who Can Join Dorridge U3A?

Anyone in their third age (after the second age of full-time employment).  

Applying for Membership
Click here to apply for membership, or to ask a question.

Dorridge News

January 2025 Events

IT & Science Groups

The next meeting of the Science Group will be on Thursday 16th January in St Philip's Church Centre at 10:00am, when Roger Hancock will present a talk entitled 'A practical scientist loops at inventions'. 

The following Tuesday, 21st January, also in St Philip's Church Centre at 10:30am, Jerry Kehoe will show us how to make better pictures with our phone cameras.  Prior to this at 10:00am, there will be the usual computer 'help' session. 

Crier

December Crier now available, click here to view.

Information

For latest information,

click General Meetings 

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