General Meetings take place on the last Wednesday of each month at Arden Hall, Castle Bromwich.
In order for a prompt start to our meetings we need to ask all members and visitors to arrive at Arden Hall by 1:30 pm. We aim for everyone to be seated and ready for a prompt start at 1:45 pm.
Don't forget, if you are visiting, there will be a charge of £3.00 payable at the visitor's table.
Speakers 2026
| 27 May 2026 | Peter Hardy | About the National Arboretum |
| 24 June 2026 | Janice Brough | Laughing your cares away - yoga laughter |
| 29 July 2026 | Helen Barlow | The Dogs Trust |
| 26 August 2026 | Jo Galby | Maid in England |
| 30 September 2026 | u3a week | |
| 28 October 2026 | Alan from Blood Bikes | Blood bikes, saving lives |
| 25 November 2026 | Dean Walsh Chiropody/Podiatry | Keeping Well: Looking after our feet |
| 9 December 2026 | Teresa Farrell | Well being at Christmas |
Refreshments are provided at the meeting. Refreshment volunteers are always needed for the Tea Rota. Please contact a committee member if you are able to help.
Previous General Meetings
Dr Kate Round - The Magic of Glass
In April, we were delighted to welcome Dr Kate Round for a fascinating talk on the world of glass. From its mysterious beginnings in ancient times, when glass-making was seen as magical, to its role in today’s cutting-edge technology, Dr Round guided us through the science, history and beauty of this extraordinary material. We learned how simple sand can be transformed into something both practical and jewel-like, and explored the many uses of glass — from bottles and architecture to optical lenses, radiation shields and even bendable glass. The talk was both informative and engaging, and we thank Dr Round for an enjoyable presentation.
Annual General Meeting 2026
2025/2026 has been another successful year for Castle Bromwich U3A. We were pleased to welcome Cllr Pauline Allen, Chair of Castle Bromwich Parish Council to the meeting, where U3A Chair Paulette Burkill presented her Annual Report. Both the report and Annual Accounts are available here. Committee members gave brief updates, highlighting the past year’s events and trips, as well as those planned for the year ahead.
Founded in 2011, Castle Bromwich U3A marked its 15th anniversary with birthday cake. This was followed by short round-ups from interest group facilitators.
In summary, the hard work and contributions of the committee, facilitators and many others over the past year have been invaluable in delivering an enjoyable programme for all our members, and we thank them all.
Jennifer Rigby - Shakespeare and me
February's presentation was more of a performance than a talk, filled with humorous stage stories and anecdotes delivered by Jennifer from the theatre company, Aunty Jen Productions.
Jen explained that although Shakespeare wrote for all humanity, studying him at school often fails to connect with people. She persevered herself, mainly because she wanted to become an actor. After graduating, she worked in touring theatre, including an outdoor production of As You Like It, but it was while working at Mary Arden’s House, a Tudor living-history farm, that Shakespeare truly came alive for her.
Jen performed extracts from plays and recited sonnets with infectious enthusiasm. Thank you, Jen, for an entertaining afternoon.
January's speaker was Roger Boult. He told us about his early life and his links to Mumbai which he found out about later in life. Thanks for a great talk.
u3s Swing Division Big Band
What a great afternoon of music at our Christmas meeting. We were entertained by the u3a Swing Division Big Band from Balsall Common. They played music from the 1920s to the 1970s, Glen Miller to Van Morrison to name a few. Sue Starr, their vocalist, sang Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend, The Lady is a Tramp and at the end of the concert sang some Christmas favourites. Next year they celebrate 10 years since forming.
Castle Bromwich U3A Local History Group
November’s talk offered something a little different, as the speakers were our own members: Barbara, Paulette (Local History Group facilitators), Sue and Angela. Barbara outlined how the group has developed its work, moving from topic brochures and a long “wallpaper” timeline to lightweight display boards presenting the history of Castle Bromwich in 50-year sections.
Alongside well-known subjects such as Castle Bromwich Hall & Gardens, local churches and schools, the talk included lesser-known facts — like Park Hall estate (now Parkfields) being a deer lodge around 1375 — and stories from Whateley Hall, the area’s second-largest but often overlooked historic house.
We ended with tales of the Redcoats, a fire at the Coach & Horses, and a quiz on famous residents. Thank you to our speakers and the rest of the History Group for an engaging and informative session.
Roger Butler - Canals and waterways in the Midlands
Does Birmingham REALLY have more canals than Venice? October’s talk set out to answer the age-old question by taking us through a colourful introduction to the history and heritage of our 2,100 mile canal network. Roger talked about locks, bridges, cottages, warehouses, aqueducts, tunnels and, of course, a few boats too - plus quirky features such as canal lighthouses, old boatyards and even tiny towpath bollards.
Roger shared plenty of interesting anecdotes as well as a selection of archive (and current) pictures of the waterways, before revealing that Birmingham does indeed have 11 more miles of canals than Venice!
Thank you Roger for entertaining us with such an interesting and insightful talk.
Mary Bodfish - The Baby In The Locket
At September’s meeting, Mary Bodfish shared a fascinating talk entitled ‘The Baby in the Locket’, describing it as a "family history mystery."
Mary's journey began with a gold locket inherited from her mother, containing a photo of a pale-faced baby. With no surviving relatives to provide answers, and limited knowledge of her maternal lineage beyond her grandparents, Mary embarked on extensive genealogical research. Tracing her family tree back hundreds of years, she gradually uncovered each generation’s story. Eventually, she discovered the identity of the baby in the locket, learned what had happened, and was able to place the child within the family tree.
Mary’s story was a touching and intriguing exploration of personal history and family connections. Thank you Mary, for sharing it with us.
Nick Martin - All Things Wildlife
August’s general meeting saw the return of one of our favourite speakers, wildlife photographer Nick Martin. At this visit, Nick told us some amazing stories about our British Mammals.
From bats to badgers, seals to stags, we learnt some enchanting facts about the greatest and smallest of our British mammals. We listened to stories of animals that can be very elusive and discovered what makes these creatures so special. We gained insight about their relationships along with information about the history of rabbits, deers, and hares in this country.
Nick shared many of the fabulous photos he’s taken over the years and willingly answered questions from all our members.
Thank you Nick for another fascinating talk.
Flappers Fun and Fashion
In July, guest speaker Lynda Sharpe gave a talk on flappers, fun, and fashion in the 1920s. She highlighted how the decade brought exciting changes, especially for women, who were entering new jobs, adopting bold hairstyles and makeup, and being influenced by film stars. Women's voting rights were also a major topic in Parliament.
However, the 1920s wasn't just about women—after the hardship of the war and the Spanish flu, people were eager to enjoy life. The jazz age, imported from America, brought energetic dances like the Charleston into popularity.
Lynda demonstrated the Charleston, showing how tasselled dresses enhanced the dance’s movement. It was a fun and informative event, and we thank Lynda for her presentation.
Those Damn Tin Cans
June’s U3a talk was presented by David and Pam Humphries from the Birmingham Conservation Trust.
David and Pam spoke about the post-war housing crisis and the Government’s solution: the development of prefabricated bungalows, commonly called ‘Prefabs’. George Bernard Shaw coined the phrase ‘damn tin cans’ as a reference to their aluminium exterior.
Members learnt about the different types of prefabs and were regaled by tales of those who lived in them. Information was shared about Birmingham's first prefab estate (the Austin Village in Longbridge) and about the 17 prefabs that remain in Wake Green Road, Moseley, to this day.
A huge thank you to David and Pam for an entertaining afternoon.
Bert Flitcroft - Poet
Bert Flitcroft, the former Poet Laureate for Staffordshire 2015-2017, kindly stepped in at the last minute to entertain us at our May meeting. Bert has published several books and brought along copies of his latest collection, called 'Seeing the Light'.
Bert read a few of his favourite poems to us and explained the inspiration behind the words. One poem in particular, called 'Just Now and Then' was a definite hit with the group as it was a touching, yet funny, take on the joys of growing older!
Thank you Bert for sharing your work with us.
Central Fast Response Team
"Be prepared, not scared" was the message from the Central Fast Response Training team: Linda, Mark and Yvonne - who came along to the April general meeting.
The team talked through the 'Chain of Survival': how to recognise the signs of cardiac arrest, when to call for help and steps you can take whilst waiting for the emergency services to arrive.
Members were shown resuscitation techniques and what to do in a choking situation - skills they were later encouraged to try out using equipment the team had brought along - as well as the differences between attempting resuscitation on adults and babies.
A big thank you to the team for providing us with such a helpful, interesting and enjoyable meeting.
Annual General Meeting 2025
It was another successful year at Castle Bromwich u3a, Dave Abbott, the retiring Chair presented his Annual Report. The AR and the Annual Accounts are available on the Committee Page.
We were joined at the meeting by Cllr Pauline Allen, Chair of Castle Bromwich Parish Council. Three new committee members were voted onto the committee. Paulette Burkill, Chair, Josie Palmer, Vice Chair and Diana Price who takes up the new position of Assistant Events Coordinator.
A big thank you to Dave Abbot who has been Chair for the last three years, his hard work and contributions have been invaluable, and his presence on the Committee will be greatly missed.
And a big thank you to the faciliters who spoke about their groups and the performance from our own u3a Strummers
Thank you to John Wilson, a volunteer with the Buddy Bag Foundation, who came and explained how the charity was founded by Karen Williams after she visited Australia. The foundation provides bags with basics for children who are taken into care when they or their family is at risk. Each night 150 children will leave their homes with nothing. When they reach the refuge they will receive a bag contain toiletries, clothes, books etc, there is always a teddy bear at the bottom of the bag. Each bag cost £25 to fill. Members can help by making a donation via text to 70070 using the following BBAG £10 to donate £10. The website is Resource Centre | The Buddy Bag Foundation. Here you can find details about volunteering (to pack bags), knitting a teddy bear or making a toiletry bag.
We are pleased to announce that on the day we raised £276.18 plus gift aid of £12.50 for John to take back to the charity. It means that 12 children will have some relief on a traumatic day in their young lives. Thank you everyone.
Feb 25
Memories of Birmingham
Another big thank you to Bob Brueton who spoke to us today about his memories of growing up in Birmingham. Along with his talk he showed us lots of photographs of Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s. There was quite a buzz in the room as people reminisced. Bob is one of the founding members of Castle Bromwich u3a. Thank you again Bob.
Jan 25
Information books available to loan
Age Concern
Living with dementia
At home with dementia
When someone dies
Alzheimer’s Society
The dementia guide – living well after your diagnosis
Caring for a person with dementia – a practical guide
The activities handbook
Fire Drill Reminder
We will carry out a full fire drill and evacuation once a year.
When the fire alarm sounds you will be required to exit the building as quickly as possible. The fire evacuation assembly point is at the rear of the hall by the tennis courts. A roll call will take place.
The fire drill will be managed by Arden Hall staff and by members of your committee.
If you leave a general meeting early you MUST inform the ladies with the register who are located at the tables as you come in.
Each month the Tech Team lead by Frank Hill work quietly in the background setting up the mics, speakers and projectors for the meeting
Frank miking up Geoff Lambert for his talk about the Medical Detection Dogs
