Providing opportunities for people who are retired from full-time employment in Skipton and neighbouring areas

People and Places Groups

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Book Group - Non-fiction (People and Places)

The only requirement for this group is to have read the book! Meeting on the first Wednesday of the month. Members can choose books in advance from a list provided by Skipton Library which will be emailed before the first meeting. Everyone is responsible for collecting from and returning their book to the library by the due date. There is no requirement to be a member of the library. The venue may vary, using local pubs to meet. Ideally, everyone should be happy to be a member of a WhatsApp group which will be used for reminders and recommendations about books and authors - no pictures of pets, holidays or grandchildren! 1/10/2025 to 1/7/2026 Surcharge £0.00

Book Group Fiction A (People and Places)

Meetings take place on the second Monday of the month, with alternative arrangements if this is a bank holiday. This is an informal group where the only requirement is to have read the book! Members can choose from a list of books provided by Skipton Library which will be emailed in advance of the first monthly meeting Members will need to collect a copy of the book from the library and are responsible for returning it by the due date. The venue may vary, using local pubs to meet. All members should be comfortable with being in a WhatsApp group which will be used for reminders and recommendations of other books and authors- no pictures of pets or grandchildren! 1/9/2025 to 8/7/2026 Surcharge £0.00

Book Group Fiction B (People and Places)

Meetings take place on the second Monday of the month, with alternative arrangements if this is a bank holiday. This is an informal group where the only requirement is to have read the book! Members can choose from a list of books provided by Skipton Library which will be emailed in advance of the first monthly meeting Members will need to collect a copy of the book from the library and are responsible for returning it by the due date. The venue may vary, using local pubs to meet. All members should be comfortable with being in a WhatsApp group which will be used for reminders and recommendations of other books and authors- no pictures of pets or grandchildren! 1/9/2025 to 8/7/2026 Surcharge £0.00

History Extra (People and Places)

An extra History course. Five weekly talks on various things historical. - informative, stimulating, and thought-provoking. From the wonders of early collectors and their eccentricities, via the Frankish empire of the 8th century, to the bosses of the Iron Curtain countries. This course is intended as a priority to enrol those members who were not able to attend the ongoing History Happens course, and will repeat talks give on previous u3a courses. Surcharge £5.00

History Happens (People and Places)

A series of lively talks, on all things historical, with a variety of speakers. Fortnightly, from October to March, specifically designed for our members who enjoy hearing about historical topics that cover unfamiliar ground . . . that take them to unexplored realms . . . that open up new vistas. On a broad range of topics - ancient to modern. From social and cultural history to people, events and politics - such as the story of Rapanui (Easter Island), the peace that followed World War One, archaeology in Uganda, plus geology, garden history and much more. Plenty to entertain and stimulate. Start date Oct 1st every fortnight to Dec 10th 2027 Jan 7th every fortnight to March 18th

Politics Discussion Group (People and Places)

Weekky. Start date Sept 24 th to Dec 3rd ( except ( Oct 29th) 2027 Start date Jan 7 th to March 18 th ( except Feb 11th) The Politics Discussion Group meets weekly to discuss current political events. We also consider the background to political decisions, and the processes of government (in the UK and elsewhere). Group members will bring to bear their wide-ranging experience(s), reading and viewing to try to get a better understanding of what’s going on and where it might lead. Occasionally, a member of the group may offer a more formal input to inform and focus our discussions. The group is not intended to be a forum for political knockabout from entrenched positions, (although members will clearly have, and express, their own views), but rather an educational experience from which we emerge having learned something new or question Venue surcharge £10 per 10 sessions

Weimar Republic (People and Places)

2026 Thursday every fortnight. Oct 8 th and 22nd, Nov 5th and 19th, and Dec 3rd The Weimar Republic is the name given to the German government between the country’s defeat in 1918 and the beginning of Nazi Germany in 1933. This complex period is characterised by not only political turmoil and economic hardship, but also by new social freedoms and remarkable developments in architecture, art and cinema. The era sets the stage for the unlikely rise to power of Adolf Hitler, thus bringing calamity to Germany, Europe and the world. Try to attend all five talks. Try to attend all five talks. Venue Surcharge £5 per 5 sessions