Exploring the past

Hereford u3a’s History group leader Steven talks about some of the fascinating topics they’ve covered and the benefits of learning more about the past.

Hereford u3a's History group, pictured on a recent visit to Mortimer Cross.

 I proposed the establishment of a History group at Hereford u3a in February 2023. There had been up till then a Spy group, the only one anywhere in the u3a World, but its brief was quite narrow and we were running out of topics after two years.

Nearly all the members of the group have a limited background in history. I believe only 1 of the 17 members has any sort of history education above A level. Each member of the group wants to learn more, be it through discussion with others or through their own research.

The reasons for being part of the group are varied; some members have interest in a particular area of history such as Welsh history or Middle Eastern history while others used to base their holidays around history. For members new to Herefordshire, history is a way of finding out more about the area. Some believe we can learn lessons from the past that can help us solve some of the problems of today (if the involved parties want problems solving.)

Our group tries to do one activity a month. Our activities to date have included visits, including the Blackfriars Knights of St John Museum, a re- enactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury, and a visit to Hereford City Hall Treasures. Recently we visited the battle site for Mortimer's Cross, one of the major battles within the War of the Roses. It is a relatively little-known battle, but significant. There is very little public information about the site, and there are no information boards or visitors centres so the details of the battle are a bit of mystery locally. We booked a Battlefields Tour Guide who has written books on lost battlefields of Britain to give us more of a background.

In addition to our visits, we have discussion meetings, where one member takes a lead with a topic of their choice. Discussion topics have included Henry II, Balfour Declaration 1917, Napoleon, History of Tintern Abbey, Titanic, and the Ten Pounds Poms. As you can see, we cover any place any time in history. Sometimes we link our discussions to a current Film or TV Series or a recent walk completed by the u3a walking group.

We try to allow different types of involvement with the group so members are not uncomfortable - as some members find the more active form of discussion difficult. However, we do follow the u3a ethos of active learning. Non judgemental questioning is encouraged and the development of the individual (even in our mature years). Meeting in relatively small groups is a social activity and encourages communication.