One of the objectives of the U3A is to learn things. In History Group 2 we have found that a sure fire way of ensuring that you learn something is to be told that you are going to have to give a talk about it to your peers on your chosen historic subject. That is what we do.

Over the last year we have had talks on a wide variety of topics which included:

• The Huguenots and their impact on British society;
• Constantine the Great from 324 BC;
• The Neolithic period of Prehistoric Britain;
• Royal Navy Press Gangs from 1664 onwards;
• The motion of the Earth round the Sun and its influence on how we measure time;
• Conflicts between the USA and Mexico, Cuba, Spain and the Philippines;
• What it means to be 'Celtic' in Britain from 1707 AD onwards;
• The contrasts between reality and the Hollywood versions of the lives of Wyatt Earp and other western 'gunslingers';
• Admiral Fieldhouse 1st Sea Lord during the Falklands War; and
• The connection between the Meteorological Office and Pitcairn Island.

A very original and thought provoking talk was given by Richard North on what we mean by 'History', how it was taught when we were all pupils, and how it is taught now.

At present we are at maximum capacity but if we have any vacancies in the future it will appear on the U3A website.

Ben Lyon.

This is an article published in the Spring 2020 edition of the Hayling Island U3A newsletter .

The object of the U3A is to learn. In this group, we have found that a sure fire way of ensuring that you learn something is to be told that you are going to have to give a talk to your peers on your chosen historic subject.

Over the last year we have had talks on a wide variety of topics which have included:-

The Huguenots and their impact on British society; Constantine the Great from 324 BC; The Neolithic period of Prehistoric Britain; Royal Navy Press Gangs from 1664 onwards; The motion of the Earth round the Sun and its influence on how we measure time; Conflicts between the USA and Mexico, Cuba, Spain and the Philippines; What it means to be 'Celtic' in Britain from 1707 AD onwards; The contrasts between reality and the Hollywood versions of the lives of Wyatt Earp and other western 'gunslingers'; Admiral Fieldhouse 1st Sea Lord during the Falklands War; and The connection between the Meteorological Office and Pitcairn Island.

A very original and thought provoking talk was given by Richard North on what we mean by 'History', how it was taught when we were all pupils, and how it is taught now.

At present we are at maximum capacity but if we have any vacancies in the future it will appear on the U3A website.

William (Ben) Lyon,

This is an article published in the Summer 2019 edition of the Hayling Island U3A newsletter

This is an article published in the Spring 2018 edition of the Hayling Island U3A newsletter....

We struggled on with only four members for a while, but in the last couple of months we have recruited some new members and now we are back to strength.
Our way of operating is that we each take it in turn to research an historical subject and then give a talk on it to the others. There is nothing like having to give a talk to your peers to make you learn your subject. As usual we have had a wide variety of subjects delivered. They have included:

• The Career of Christopher Columbus.
• The Drovers of Wales and their link to the formation of Lloyds Bank.
• The WW2 Battle of the Atlantic.
• The Heroines of the SOE.
• The 'Hungry Empire' on the supply of food to the armed forces over the years.
• The 2nd Battle of Lincoln.

A particularly impressive display was a long talk by Alan Price on the origins of the cosmos and the solar system, entirely without referring to his notes!

As a direct result of talks to the History Group, I have produced a book on the History of British Sea Power; the wars, the battles and the admirals; from Alfred the Great to the Korean War. It is available on Amazon, price £9.

As I said earlier we are now full and not looking for new members at present.

William (Ben) Lyon, March 2018

This is an article published in the Spring 2017 edition of the Hayling Island U3A newsletter...

In this group we each take it in turn to research an historical subject of our choice; and then give a short talk on it to the rest of the group.

Subjects we have covered over the last few months are:

• The life of Charles Darwin
• The Battle of Jutland in WW1
• The life of Leon Trotsky
• The Battle of the Atlantic in WW2
• The Drovers of Wales and their connection with Lloyds Bank
• The life of Benjamin Franklin
• Admiral Collingwood before and after Trafalgar
• Prisoner of War escapes in WW2
• Naval ratings part in Scott's Antarctic expeditions

We meet on the second Friday of each month from 10am till noon.

We have a vacancy for a couple of new members. If you are interested please contact me.

Ben Lyon