We hold events open to all the membership and guests, including monthly coffee mornings with speakers. These are usually held in the Maltings at 10.15 on the first Wednesday of the month. We currently ask for a £1.00 donation to help cover the costs.
We also hold occasional special events and activities.
Regular Events
Anything Goes...Held at the barn starting 7.30 last Friday of the month. Venue is at the rear of The Royal Oak. A relaxed, join-in performance session. Music, poems,jokes, stories, monologues; in fact practically anything welcome, or just come to listen.
Forthcoming events
Past Events
We remove old items from the main news page and the upcoming events listed above. Here we show a selection of what we have been up to in the past.
August 2024
A welcome return for our Garden Pimms Poetry and Musical Spectacular.
Hopefully the weather will be kind to us again as we repeat our successful Pimms and Ukele band UkeWirks
July 2024
Jeanette Moss - Framework Knitters
A history of the development of knitting
June 2024
The Groups Showcased their activity during the meeting including an opportunity to attend Katie Burns ‘Weigh In’
A chance for members to explore what activities the current Wirksworth u3a Interest Groups can offer to those thinking of signing up for new activities. Group co-ordinators will be on hand to answer any of your questions. We also hope that Katie Burns (Physical Activity & Sport Development Officer – Derbyshire Dales District Council) will be joining us to conduct a ‘weigh in’. Further details to follow when they are available.
MAY 2024
Sophie Allen – Muscular Health
The main aim for the talk is to consider maintaining muscle health. Sophie researches the mechanisms behind why we lose muscle mass and strength during the ageing process and disease. She will consider interventions that can be put in place to maintain muscle health as we age.
APRIL 2024
Rob Barlow, Managing Director of local company TDP Ltd. talked about how TDP manufacturers outdoor furniture from recycled plastic waste, helping to keep plastic from entering landfill, our rivers and oceans. Passionate about the environment and the circular economy, Rob will give an insight into plastic recycling in the UK, explain how the work TDP is doing resulted in being one of 15 companies in the UK, and the only company in Derbyshire, to receive a Kings Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in 2023. And we believe the first company ever in Wirksworth, to be honoured since the Queens Award for Enterprise was launched in 1966.
March 2024
Peter Chivers was our speaker this morning. The Wirksworth Story
The fascinating heritage of Wirksworth provides those interested in local history with a rich source of historical material. Nestling in the Ecclesbourne Valley the history of the market town can be traced back many centuries. Lead mining and limestone quarrying helped to define the landscape. Textile industries and tourism have provided more recent influences. The talk provides an insight into how the present town has developed and what makes Wirksworth the special place it is today for those who live here.
February 2024
We welcomed Graham Sellors. Following a career with ITV, Graham has become well known locally through his work with Wirksworth Community Theatre as both a writer and performer. Graham is giving a talk on 'Accent, Dialect and Humour'. The talk will be a celebration of the richness of the English language especially as expressed through accent, dialect and colloquial expressions with some illustrations of how these influence humour.
January 2024
A light-hearted start to the new year with the Creative Writers Group. A miscellany of snippets and titbits to whet your appetites for their latest publication, which might even be available by then!
December 2024
A morning of musical entertainment and mince pies.
Gill and Alan Thompson, a harmony singing duo, are presenting a musical session playing guitar and ukulele. For a number of years they have entertained, on a voluntary basis, in various care homes and community groups. They sing an eclectic mix of songs including a carol or two, and encourage audience participation whenever possible.
November 2023
Lyn Murray presented a talk on the history of Nether House
c1780-1935. This large building was on the site of Wirksworth Memorial Hall, St John's St.
October 2023
Gavin Muschamp showed a Photographic Slide Show featuring “Alternative accommodation in The Wirksworth area”
September 2023
Phil Robinson was our speaker. Phil has extensive knowledge and experience of using explosives, and of training others in the demolition and quarrying industry. Phil has been instrumental in setting up the national qualification scheme for Quarrying Shotfiring and contributed to the Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Explosive Engineers and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying. Phil has worked worldwide in the demolition and quarrying industries. Locally, Phil has blasted Longcliffe Quarry, Ivanbrook Quarry, Ben Bennett's Quarry.