Most of our events are group based and follow a regular pattern of meetings or activities including Bridge, Current Affairs, French, Italian, Reading, Spanish, 10-pin Bowling, and Walking Cricket (summer only). You will find more details about each of these on the respective group pages and also on the calendar. This page provides information about irregular or one-off events so please check back often to see what is new.
You will also find a calendar showing all of our u3a events and activities with a month to a view.
Forthcoming events
It is Middleton Hall Retirement Village, Middleton-St-George, Darlington DL2 1HA open day on Saturday, 18th July 11 am until 4 pm. Pay the £5 admission on arrival. There are 45 […]
Cost: £5 pay on arrival - no group rates
Booking Required
I believe this is a new one for our Sunday Lunch group so we will give it a go :). The pub can be found near Darlington on the A68, […]
Cost: Each member pays for his/her own meal plus an appropriate tip.
Booking Required
21st July 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
A talk by Jane Ruffer & Richard Hinch. Doors open 10 am for registration and group information with a 10.30 meeting start. Doors open 10 am for registration and group […]
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Eileen has organised a trip to Crook Hall for us this summer along the lines of the Botanic Garden talk and tour last August. Our guide will be Clive Parker […]
Cost: £4 subsidised and discounted group rate including the talk and tour. £3 gardens only. Admission free for NT members with talk and tour £1 per member.
Booking Required
We went here last year for the first time and found the food good and the value for money excellent . There is plenty of room on the road outside […]
Cost: Each member pays for his/her own meal plus an appropriate tip.
Booking Required
18th August 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
A talk by Helen Neave, Founder & Director. Doors open 10 am for registration and group information with a 10.30 meeting start.
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Kathryn Hulme will be our September speaker on behalf of Forget-Me-Not flower designers and flower school in Shildon. Bookings for this event will start in June and end in August.
Cost: Free to Garden members but £2 for other u3a visitors.
Booking Required
Theatre trip by coach to see The Car Man in Newcastle.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Cost: Ticket plus coach fare
Booking Required
This walk will depend on the volume of water in the River Tees on the day
15th September 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
We have Neil Storey talking to us again in September. He is usually informative and amusing so a Town Hall meeting to look forward to. Doors open 10 am for […]
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Photo courtesy of Tees Cottage Pumping Station website. A trip has been arranged to the Tees Cottage Pumping Station in Darlington in September. There will be a guided tour of […]
Cost: £15 per person - car share
Booking Required
Off to another new one for us in September, The Baydale Beck in Low Coniscliffe, Darlington, recommended by a member. Please book at July or August town halls or email […]
Cost: Each member pays for his/her own meal plus an appropriate tip
Booking Required
On Tuesday, 6th October we shall hold our annual planning meeting. Doors open at 9.30 for a 10 am start with a view to having the room cleared by noon. […]
Cost: Included in subs and free to members
Booking Required
PROVISIONAL: A coach trip is being planned to go to Hawes Creamery and Gayle Mill in October with costs outlined above. If you would be interested then please see Linda […]
Cost: £5.95 for Creamery, £5 for mill, plus bus cost
Booking Required
Yet another new one this year and another recommended by a member. The Duke of York in Fir Tree, Crook. Please book at August or September town halls. Last date […]
Cost: Each member pays for his/her own meal plus an appropriate tip
Booking Required
20th October 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
TBA. Doors open 10 am for registration and group information with a 10.30 meeting start.
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Please note that this talk is Wednesday, 4th not Tuesday, 3rd. Our November speaker is Martin Roberts and he will be giving one of his garden talks about our local […]
Cost: Free to members with £2 contribution to overheads from any other u3a visitor
Booking Required
A chance to see this famous opera from Opera North.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Cost: Ticket £66 plus coach fare
Booking Required
We're making a habit this year of new venues for us :). We're going to give The Foresters in Stanley Crook a go. Book at September or October town halls […]
Cost: Each member pays for his/her own meal plus an appropriate tip
Booking Required
17th November 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
A talk by Edward Gorringe CEO. Doors open 10 am for registration and group information with a 10.30 meeting start.
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Lesley Collins will talk to us about fashions in English gardens. Doors open 10 for 10.30 start.
Cost: Free to group members. £2 for other u3a members towards room hire.
Booking Required
15th December 2026
10:30 am
Open Meeting
Entertainment from our own String Band. Doors open 10 am for registration and group information with a 10.30 meeting start.
Venue: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost: Free to members
Our New Year lunch and quiz last January went down very well indeed and many of you asked us to do it again next year. We had out garden group […]
Cost: Members will pay for their own food and drink with an appropriate tip.
Booking Required
Sue is trying to get a local bee-keeper to come and talk to us in February 2027 so we can learn what the best plants are to attract bees. Watch […]
Cost: Free to members but a small charge to non-members
Booking Required
Sue is looking to get one of the local National Trust speaker volunteers to come and talk to us about Mount Grace Priory. There are interesting buildings to explore there […]
Cost: Free to members but a small charge to non-members
Booking Required
Another brain-related talk by Dr Bob Pullen. Please see Linda at the SET table at Town Hall if you would like to put your name down to attend.
Cost: Free to members
Booking Required
A chance to see this show with Sam Ryder as Jesus.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Cost: £60 plus coach fare
Booking Required
Pam is organising our first outing of the year that will be to the lovely Wallington gardens near Cambo, Morpeth. We visited in autumn some time ago but this spring […]
Cost: TBA but likely to be about £23-£24 plus coach cost
Booking Required
Billed as a Valentine to the power of love this theatre trip is a tribute to dance.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Cost: Ticket £49 plus coach fare
Booking Required
Pam is organising our second outing of 2027 that will be a private visit to Langton Farm at Great Langton, not far from Northallerton, owned by Annabel and Richard Fife. […]
Cost: TBA plus car-share
Booking Required
Another chance to see this acclaimed musical.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Cost: Ticket £46 plus coach fare
Booking Required
Mary is going to try to fix up a visit to Goldsborough Hall for us sometime in June 2027. The outlooked date here is Tuesday, 1st June but the property […]
Cost: TBA
Booking Required
Mary is working on a trip to Mount Grace Priory around July 2027 as a follow-on to the March National Trust speaker talk. This is not a full day so […]
Cost: TBA
Booking Required
Norman will be organising an outing to Old Durham Gardens in August 2027. One part of the garden has limited opening times so our visit could very well be on […]
Cost: TBA
Booking Required
Pam will organise our final coach trip of the year that will be to the Autumn Flower Show that is held at Newby Hall each autumn. Ticket prices will not […]
Cost: TBA but likely about £25 pp plus coach cost
Booking Required
On Tuesday, 5th October 2027 we shall hold our annual planning meeting. Doors open at 9.30 for a 10 am start with a view to having the room cleared by […]
Cost: Free to members
Booking Required
Sue and Eileen are collaborating to get a speaker from Ushaw to come and talk to us about the lovely gardens there.
Cost: Free to members but a small charge to non-members
Booking Required
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