GTOs Jenny McKay and Jacky Oakley from Camberley and District U3A tell us about some of the amazing group visits they have been able to take part in across the last 12 months, along with their most memorable experiences.
Part of the fun of organising day trips and short breaks is deciding where to go and what there is to see. We have visited stately homes such as Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for grandeur, Ightham Mote in Kent for its history, and Sezincote in Gloucestershire which gave the Prince Regent the ideas for the Royal Pavillion in Brighton - and yes, we have been there as well!
Dipping the proverbial toe in the water after the release from Covid restrictions, we decided to give an overseas short break a try and had a successful holiday visiting the Floriade and Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. This led to more overseas visits: Bayeux in 2022, Budapest the following year and Wallonia, which came from a meeting at the Group Leisure & Travel Show.
Also, not forgetting Northumbria as I wanted to see Kynren which was absolutely fantastic. The weather, the displays and the organisation were superb.
Our 2024 highlights…
In 2024 we flew to the Isle of Man and saw everything it had to offer. To my mind the best was the House of Mannanan and there is so much history to explore on the Island.
Leicestershire was also a brilliant excursion as we took part in a pork pie-making experience. As you have probably gathered, our short breaks increased annually as they became very popular.
One day trip was particularly memorable for one of our gentlemen. On a visit to the D-Day Museum at Southsea he discovered the Landing Craft T7074 and it took him back to his youth as he lived in Liverpool where the LTC 7074 was a floating nightclub where he often went with friends. He was very emotional.
Animals play a large part in the choices we make of where to visit. An afternoon at the Hawk Conservancy near Andover in Hampshire was very good, as was the visit to Monkey World at Wareham in Dorset and seeing the primates in natural surroundings.
One other notable outing was Tiggywinkles Animal Hospital at Haddenham in Buckinghamshire where we were introduced to Rosy and Lavender, two hedgehogs who have adapted to permanent residency there as they were blind due to road accidents.
For those who are glued to the TV on Saturday evenings and watch the dancers in Strictly with the sequins and sparkles, we visited DSI in Croydon that make stage costumes, many of which feature in the programme. We were amazed to learn that the rhinestones are stuck on individually.
Other one-off days out include a voyage down the Thames on the SS Waverley, a Christmas visit to Brick Lane Music Hall (a hilarious afternoon) and a very, very wet outing to Marlborough in Wiltshire where a very kind gentleman and fellow U3A member took some of our group to the Town Hall once he discovered we were U3A too.
A busy 2025 to look forward to
On the cards for 2025 are short breaks to Malta, Hauts-de-France, Croatia and Montenegro, and Weymouth amongst others.
As well as day trips to Canterbury and Hatfield House, London Museum Docklands, Salisbury Cathedral’s Festival of Flowers and Dover Castle.
Theatre trips have also been added to our programme and Guys and Dolls and Starlight Express are among the trips. There are not enough days in the year to squeeze it all in, but we’re loving every second.
To read more first-person accounts from group travel organisers, including the types of trips they organise, go to our ‘My Group & I’ section of the website by clicking here.
Want to tell us what your up to? We love to hear where you have been and what your future plans are. Just send an email to editorial@groupleisureandtravel.com.
