17th October 2025

Brian Groom

Author and Journalist Brian Groom .

Brian, originally from Stretford, then Whalley Range, attended Manchester Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford. He was Sports editor in Goole, Yorkshire and then most of his career was spent at the Financial Times where he did most of the top writing and editing jobs.

Now a writer and historian, Brian will share with us how he researched and wrote Northerners and Made in Manchester and what we can expect next.

Made in Manchester tells the story of the people who built what Asa Briggs called the ‘shock city’ of the Industrial Revolution and the impact they have had on the world. Like Brian’s first book, the bestselling Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day, it combines historical narrative with social and cultural themes and colourful portraits of personalities, famous or not. Examining Manchester’s past and present and the role it can play in Britain’s future.

15th September 2025

Simon Michael

Simon Michael

His career as an author began in the 1980s with books published in the UK and in the USA      (St Martins Press, WH Allen, Grafton Press and others). After a long gap while he pursued his career at the Bar, he resumed full-time writing in 2015

Simon believes himself to be the only member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple formerly to have been a council labourer, a van driver and a gardener.  He practised as a barrister for 37 years, working at the Old Bailey and other criminal courts, defending and prosecuting a wide selection of murderers, armed robbers, con artists and other assorted villainy.

27th August

Summer Trip Out

Summer trip out to-

The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society

 Founded in 1964 and is now one of the largest family history societies in the world.)

are based in the

Manchester Central Library (opened in 1934)

Followed by Luncheon in

The Midland Hotel (opened in 1903 )

18th July 2025

Marilyn Shalks

u3a poster copy

‘

16th June 2025

Dr Katy Kidd

Katy Kidd returned to tell us about her ancestor’s involvement in

‘Settling the Prairies’

Frank Campbell, who formed the first farmers

co-operative society in the USA in Rockwell, Iowa.

“My late father came to the UK as a US serviceman in WW2, having been born and brought up in rural Iowa. Of Irish descent, both sides of his family were genuine Pioneers, i.e. they settled and farmed the prairie from its wild state. Life was very different from that experienced by those of us brought up in urban or suburban Britain!

My father was an amateur historian and keenly recorded and kept details of his family history, including their early days on the prairies. In addition, one of his early relatives became the editor of the local newspaper, and published some excellent obituaries, which paint a fascinating portrait of life there.

One of the family farms is still being run as such, by a family member, some 5 generations on.”

9th May 2025

Carol Lee

 ‘Heaton Park, My Grandad and the RAF’

During WWII Heaton Park in Manchester was a training ground for RAF recruits.  This is the story of my grandad’s experience as a recruit at Heaton Park and also his role in the RAF.  My talk follows my grandad through the recruitment process, training at various RAF Stations around England, including a training stint at Heaton Park and then later being stationed at Heaton Park for a more prolonged period while he led training courses.  My presentation includes many photographs, picture postcards and documents from my own archives as I piece together his life in the RAF from official documents, family letters and diary entries.

11th April 2025

Lynda Redfern

Lynda Redfern

 “My grandparents were Aliens”

14th March 2025

John Berry

Annual General Meeting

followed  by

John Berry

 ‘The Northwest  Air Ambulance Service Charity’

John  told us What the North West Ambulance Service does and How they operate.

17th February 2025

Keith Warrender

Author, Publisher & Photographer

“The Deansgate Story”

We discovered  the stories behind the buildings and businesses on this famous thoroughfare, with revelations about the people behind them.

Deansgate boasts three tunnels, and this presentation which ranges from bombs to Usane Bolt, made us  look at this historic street in a different light.

20th January 2025

Gary Burdett

“My experiences with the Didgeridoo, through stories, history, and sounds”

Having travelled in Australia, I share you the sounds and stories of the ancient land and people.

I  used a Didgeridoo from my large collection to demonstrate the sounds and meanings of this ancient instrument.

I really enjoyed  talking to the Manchester Luncheon Club

about my time in Australia, I considered it a great privilege  to share the

sounds and stories of the ancient land and people.

16th December 2024

Christmas Luncheon

                                            Afterwards we will again be entertained

                                                by

The Bridgwater Hall Singers

following their wonderful performance last Christmas,

they are lead by

Alice and Louise

from

Simply Singing CIC

The Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester with our President Mrs Gwen M Crossley

Feedback from  attendee

“The choir was wonderful, good harmony and musicality, it made listening a real pleasure”