The History of Culture  

    The history of culture group has been going in one form or another since Marple U3A started in 2000. That is the
    year when I retired and when Anne Edwards, first chair of Marple U3A, asked me to form an architecture group,
    since there were a number of would-be members. This was because she knew that I spent a lot of time 
    investigating old churches, not because of any architectural skills I might possess! So I daringly agreed, and
    began with a potted history of English churches since the Norman Conquest, while enrolling for a course on art
    history at Manchester University so that I should have something to say when my limited expertise was 
    exhausted. Strange to say both the university and U3A courses proved successful. The first one took three
    years part-time but the second one, expanded to include art as well as architecture, with historical
    background (from my original degree course, dusted down after forty years) and including Europe and
    the near east, is still running. We have just completed a delve into ancient history sparked off by an
    archaeological trip I made last year to Crete, and are about to embark on some not too-modern art,
    beginning with the origins of  Impressionism.
 

    The officially Marple group, still containing some original members has been full for a while, but when Marple
    Bridge and Mellor U3A started I was asked to form a group there, which split into two, and currently has 
    some vacancies. These meet the morning and afternoon of the third Thursday of each month. So if you are
    interested in finding out more  about us, please get in touch (427 0372) with any questions you may have. All 
    three groups follow a similar itinerary, which varies according to members' interests and the extent of my
    knowledge, and all the meetings are at my house, which facilitates the use of Powerpoint slides,
    an essential component.