Events which have taken place in the past can be found on the Archive page.
Ukulele Group Interview on Radio Woking
Tim Matthews, an independent reporter and broadcaster, with past links to the BBC, recently visited our Ukulele Group. He interviewed several members including the group leaders, keen to hear about our u3a, and the growing popularity of the ukulele. He also recorded snippets the group performing.
Highgate Cemetery - 21st April 2026
On 21st of April 2026, a beautiful sunny day, we had 51 people on a coach tour to Highgate Cemetery and environs. The cemetery is split into 2 halves, East & West. We had a guided tour of the older Western part. This was begun in the 1800’s to alleviate the churchyards that were overspilling. It was one of 7 private cemeteries opened then. It was designed by Stephen Geary. Approximately 170,000 are buried there. The cemetery was covered in wild garlic and bluebells and apparently looking at one of it's best times. We had 2 guides so were split into two groups.
The main entrance designed by Geary.
The view on arrival:
We saw the graves of a few famous people:
George Michael ( Panayiotou), Michael Faraday, Frederick Warne ( publisher of Beatrix Potter books), Thomas Sayers ( a well known boxer), Litvinenko ( reportedly killed by Putin agents with polonium 210), George Wombwell ( a menagerist who toured with his circus of animals including a lion) and Cruft ( famous for the dog show).
We walked though the Egyptian Avenue, so called due to the lotus bud columns and other Egyptian styles, which leads from the main graveyard into the Circle of Lebanon. The Avenue houses several family vaults with thick wooden doors but also rare cave dwelling spiders ( orb weaver spider Meta bourneti).
Our next stop was the Circle of Lebanon which was an open circle of vaults built some 15feet below ground level. It has been used in various films but notably Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald.
We then went into the Catacombs which are lit by small glass skylights.
We then returned to the entrance and had various options to choose from. The East Cemetery, eat at the Courtyard cafe of the West Cemetery, visit Waterloe park with its cafe in Lauderdale House or walk into Highgate Village for the eateries there.
Many chose to look in the East Cemetery ( included in our ticket) either before or after lunch. This is famous for the memorial to Karl Marx which most saw but few discovered the original grave hidden in the trees and a place for placing money. Some found the grave to Malcolm McLaren and Jeremy Beadle plus a few of us eventually found the grave to Sir Ralph Richardson which sadly had almost lost its inscription and is just a slab of granite now. .
I had many members comment on how interesting a day it had been with sights they hadn’t expected and were surprised at how intriguing a place it was as not just a graveyard but so much more. Of course the day was helped by being sunny, even if a bit of a cold wind, it was April after all.
Christine Cunliffe
Events Organiser
London Walk - 24th March 2026
On 24th March we had a dry day for 44 to walk around Old Mayfair ( the area between Piccadilly & Oxford Street). We were split into 2 groups who were lead by two very knowledgeable guides, Peter & Richard. An area renowned to be the homes of the rich and famous and we certainly saw a plethora of Blue Plaques. Amongst the names were Duke of Clarence who became William IV, Somerset Maugham, Clive of India, Handel, Jimi Hendrix and the Bee Gees.
We began at Green Park Tube Station.
Our first stop was Lang’s, founded by Peter Langan with Michael Caine in 1976 and used to be a celebrity hotspot for the likes of Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Taylor & Mick Jagger. It closed in 2020 but has been reopened as a ‘high-glam’ restaurant.
We then proceeded to Shepherd Market with a small collection of restaurants, shops and village atmosphere.
We continued on to Chesterfield Street which had the homes of several of the blue plaques including Beau Brummel, Anthony Eden, Caroline Norton(champion of women’s legal rights) and Maugham. At the end was where the Duke of Clarance had lived before becoming King. We ere told many stories of the inhabitants.
Next stop was in Berkeley Square, where we had to sing the famous song. It is often used now for public events. It does, however, have some of London’s oldest plane trees from around 1789. It was home to Oscar Wilde, Robert Clive and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. As well as the location of Annabel’s the famous nightclub that royalty frequented.
It was then onto Grosvenor Square which, unfortunately, was closed due to major renovations and will reopen in the summer. Overlooking it was the former American Embassy still with the ‘eagle has landed’ on its top floor but now an up market hotel.
We continued on to Mount Street Gardens and the catholic Farm Street Church which we visited the inside.
We walked past the house where the Bee Gees had lived, composed and recorded as well as the house in which Jimi Hendrix lived which now has the Hendrix-Handel Museum as Handel lived next door and his music was apparently an inspiration to Hendrix. Our last stop was by Claridges Hotel with its interesting facade and stunning pottery urns above the entrance. This is where the rich and famous are renowned to stay.
