Speaker: Neil Hanson, his talk is a laugh-a-minute tour of the quirks and foibles, highs and lows of his time running Britain’s highest inn back in the 1970s and 1980s, He grapples with tight-fisted farmers, eccentric characters, bizarre local customs, naturist weekends, “lates and lock-ins”, police raids, rats in the attic, close encounters with magistrates and planners, and the shooting of a famous double-glazing commercial. Neil is a successful author with 70 published books to his name, he is also a ‘ghost writer’ for many famous names. He has entertained audiences throughout the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Venue: Kenilworth Methodist Church

Cost: Entry is free to u3a members. Non-members are welcome for a nominal charge of £1

Speaker: Robin Leach. Who is a local historian and author who has been researching, for over 40 years, the last 200 years or so of Kenilworth history. Ten of his books have been published about the town. One of his books ‘The Abbey Fields’ was published in 2017 and according to the Kenilworth History and Archaeology Society ‘will remain the standard work for years to come’.

Venue: Kenilworth Methodist Church

Cost: Entry is free to u3a members. Non-members are welcome for a nominal charge of £1

It’s time to book a place at this year’s Christmas Lunch. Once again it’s at the Kenilworth Golf Club where we had such a successful Lunch last year. There are tables of eight places, why not make up a table for your group?

Venue: Kenilworth Golf Club

Cost: £33.00 for 2 courses, £36.00 for 3 courses (includes a staff tip - but not drinks)

Outing to Ely with included guided tour of Cromwell’s House Tuesday 8th December 2026 - Cost £32.00pp Pick up 8.50am Abbey Fields, 9.00am Abbey End/The Clock Ely was an island until 400 years ago, built on the fens and surrounded by marsh and water, being only reachable by boat. The Cathedral is the third longest in England. Cost of visiting the Cathedral is £14 although entrance into the building and the shop is free. The Cathedral also contains the Stained Glass Museum situated on the upper level of the Cathedral, via a spiral staircase (40 steps). Tickets to see the Stained Glass Museum cost £6.50 and can be bought jointly with the Cathedral, or separately, either online or on the day. Behind the Cathedral is the Physick Garden where early monks grew and developed plants and herbs (not to be touched) to use to cure sick parishioners. Ely Museum in Market Street tells the story of the fens from prehistoric times to present day. Admission is £7 and can be paid on the day The city itself has a variety of shops and cafes to explore and to have refreshments/ lunch before we meet at Oliver Cromwell’s house by 2.10pm for our tour. Our guided tour will start at 2.15pm and take approximately 60 minutes, leaving time for a short break before the coach leaves at 4pm. Accessibility There is wheelchair access into room 1 (the Parlour) to room 2 (the Kitchen) with a ramp back to the main reception area. Access to the upper floor is by stairs which have a handrail. An audio guide is available for those who are unable to reach the upper floor. As with many old houses, there are uneven floorboards, smaller doorways and reduced light. There are moving mannequins in rooms 3 and 5 – Mrs Cromwell’s room and the Study. In room 6 (the Haunted bedroom) there is a mannequin and short audio clip. There is some seating in each room. There are no toilets available in the house and the nearest public ones are on Palace Green opposite the Cathedral. They are about halfway down the green on the left-hand side looking towards the Cathedral and are roughly opposite the cannon displayed there. Alternatively, there are public toilets in the Cloisters in the town centre. Bookings --Booking forms can be found on the Ku3a website or are available from the Outings table at Open Meetings. Outings are only open to U3a members and priority will be given to bookings from Kenilworth u3a members. --We ask those booking make a member of the Outings Team aware of ANY issues that may affect their ability to travel or enjoy the outings so that these can be discussed with a view to obtaining a reasonable solution. Where food is provided any allergies or intolerances also need to be made clear on the booking form. --Full or partial refunds cannot be guaranteed

Cost: Cost £32.00pp Pick up 8.50am Abbey Fields, 9.00am Abbey End/The Clock

Speaker: Daren Bowyer. Master of Warwick’s Lord Leycester Hospital. This is the story of a unique military force - Britain's Gurkhas. They were founded during the conflict between the armies of the East India Company and that of a unified Nepal. This progressed into an enduring friendship that forged a loyal service with Britain through a very significant contribution in the two World Wars and beyond. Gurkhas continue to be recruited into the British Army today and have served in the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan and in peace support and civil emergency roles, most recently fighting wildfires in Wales. This is the Gurkha’s story.

Venue: Kenilworth Methodist Church

Cost: Entry is free to u3a members. Non-members are welcome for a nominal charge of £1

Speaker: Max Keen Was Clive a statesman or warmonger? He founded the British Raj – the direct rule by the British Crown over India, he was the 1st Baron Clive of Plassey and Governor of Bengal. Max Keen, in full period costume, presents this fascinating figure from our history who has received considerable bad press in recent years. Time to put the record straight !!!

Venue: Kenilworth Methodist Church

Cost: Entry is free to u3a members. Non-members are welcome for a nominal charge of £1