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 .