u3a

Ely & District

History

Status:Active, full but can join waiting list
Group leader:
Peter Lee Tel: 07907936989
When: Monthly on Thursday afternoons
1st of month
Venue: Ely Methodist Church

To join a waiting list for this group, please contact the Group Leader. 
Note that you have to be a member of the Ely & District u3a to join any of our groups (see Membership for instructions on how to join)

The History Group arranges monthly talks and occasional visits. Many of the talks are by our own members.

History Group members at meeting, view from front
Tower of St Peter's Castle Acre, History Group members in foreground

The group meets at 2.30pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Ely Methodist Church, 13-15 Chapel St, Ely. There is a free car park (maximum 2 hours) in St Mary's Street (postcode CB7 4ES), from which there is access to the church, unlocked during meetings.

There is a charge to attend meetings (usually £2 pp) and tea/coffee before the meeting, is included..

With over 140 members, this group now has a waiting list for new members to join and attend meetings

If you would be interested in joining a new group with similar objectives, please contact the Groups Coordinators.

History Group members at meeting, view from back

The subjects covered depend on the members, and cover people, places and things, military and civilian, local and far afield. Some are quite unusual (eg food, fashion and medical).

Often talks are based on the member's own experiences or that of their family, and there is a fruitful sharing of stories from members of the Family History Group. Links to other groups in the u3a that have an interest in history (eg Transport) are given below.

For more information, please contact the Group Leader..


Since March 2020, the History Group has been publishing a newsletter IN TIME edited by Maggie Haverson, which can be found through the link 'Access to all editions of IN TIME' on this page, along with indexes by edition, author and subject. If you wish to contribute to a future edition of the newsletter, please use the link IN TIME Editor 

Click on the image of IN TIME to view this edition in full

Links to All Editions


History Groups members view documents in Cambridgeshire Archives, Ely
Visit to the Cambridgeshire Archives

Forthcoming events

7th May 2026
2:30 pm
Meeting
with lots of photos of the various events in which the band took part
Cost: £2
4th June 2026
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Group Visit
Details of this trip can be found in IN TIME 142. Booking open from 8th January, initially only for members of the History and Family History Groups. Cost £43 pp […]
Cost: £43 pp
Booking Required
2nd July 2026
2:30 pm
Meeting
a story of bankruptcy, repeated arson, theft and fraud
Cost: £2
3rd September 2026
2:30 pm
Meeting
Centre piece of the 1851 Exhibition, subsequently moved to Sydenham Hill
Cost: £2

Page Editor: Peter Lee