Throughout the year we are holding a number of events to honour this important milestone in our history.
!NEW! As a final event for the 40th Anniversary we are planning to have an afternoon singing carols and Christmas songs, enjoying mince pies and mulled wine and wearing our best Christmas garb. The current plan is to do this on Monday 21st December and so please put the date in your diary if that sounds like a good way to start your Christmas week. Further information to follow. - Anthony
40th Anniversary Main Celebration
Our 40th Anniversary Main Celebration took place on Tuesday 30 June 2026 at the Littlebury Hotel. Here is a report from Helena Tuckwell:
A day of fun, music and laughter was enjoyed by members on Tuesday 30 June, to celebrate our 40th anniversary. The Littlebury Hotel came alive with entertainment, activities and good food, with 120 members dancing, chatting and generally enjoying the day.
The milestone event brought members together to reflect on four decades of learning, friendship and shared interests while enjoying a packed programme of celebrations.
Photo of Garth Perkins, our Chairman, © Sandra Ekelund
Entertainment throughout the day was provided by our own lively rock group, The Grim Reapers, whose performance had many members singing along, while the u3a's own Ukulele Group delighted guests with a selection of well-loved tunes.
There was plenty to keep everyone entertained, with a treasure hunt encouraging members to explore, meet other members and test their powers of observation. A cake decorating competition showcased creativity and skill, producing an impressive array of colourful and imaginative designs. Traditional games added to the fun, creating a relaxed and sociable atmosphere.
Photo of The Grim Reapers © George Edmundson.
Guests enjoyed a delicious hog roast, with a range of vegan and vegetarian alternatives ensuring there was something for everyone to enjoy.
A Photo Booth, together with props, gave everyone a chance to dress up and take a fun picture to commemorate the event.
Photo © George Edmundson.
This painting of the Beatles created by Paul Lillie during our May monthly meeting was successfully auctioned off.
Gerald Hodges was overall winner of the Games. Alison Crutchfield won the Treasure Trail and Eileen Dennett won the cake decorating competition.
Photo © Tomy Duby
Eileen with her winning cake of the cake decorating competition.
Photo © Helena Tuckwell
The 40th anniversary celebration highlighted everything that makes Bicester u3a such a valued part of the local community: friendship, lifelong learning and the opportunity to share interests with others. As members celebrated this significant milestone, there was a strong sense of pride in the organisation's achievements over the past 40 years and excitement for many more successful years to come.
Individual Group Celebrations
The Book Group decided to celebrate the u3a’s 40th anniversary by going on a tour of the Bodleian Library.
We met up in the café at the Weston Library to fortify ourselves for the visit ahead before moving across to the Old Schools Quadrangle. The Bodleian Library was founded in 1602 and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, containing more than 13 million printed items. Our tour was 60 minutes, and we saw only a small number of the library’s historic rooms.
Our group in the Old Schools Quadrangle.
We started at the entrance to the Divinity School, which was built in the 15th century and was the University’s first teaching room and examination school. The beautiful stone carved ceiling is the first thing you notice. Our guide was full of interesting information and pointed out Sir Thomas Bodley’s strong box in the Divinity School. This has an intricate hidden locking mechanism and was used as the library's main strongbox well into the 18th century.
The ceiling in the Divinity School.
Then on to Convocation House, where Charles I held his parliament during the civil war. Like many of the buildings, this has been frequently used for filming. The chancellor’s court next to it is where students were put on trial for their misdemeanours. Finally, we had to have our bags locked away before we went upstairs to Duke Humfrey’s library. The stairs were not a big problem as there were plenty of landings to stop and get your breath back! Duke Humfrey’s is the most magnificently painted reading room which was immediately recognisable as the library in the Harry Potter films and was a real highlight of the visit.
Duke Humfrey’s library.
Our group leader could not join us on the day, so the visit was led by Carolyn. It was a really good day out. - Irene
On 21 September 2026 the German Conversation Group celebrated with a very pleasant and convivial lunch out. Due to a distinct lack of German restaurants in the neighbourhood, we had to settle for an Italian meal instead, but that was fine. - Krys
On 27 August the French Conversation B Group celebrated Bicester u3a's 40th Anniversary with a convivial lunch at a French eatery in Oxford. Traditional French clothing such as striped tops, berets, scarves in the national colours, and even a string garland of garlic were in evidence. A good time was had by all. We look forward to celebrating the 41st Anniversary in similar fashion. - Krys
The Scrabble Group organised a Garden Party on 6 August at which we celebrated the 40 years of Bicester u3a with fun, food and open air Scrabble! - Karen
On 15 June 2026 the Badminton group celebrated Bicester u3a's 40th Anniversary with a special challenge to see if members could hit 40 shots over the net. This was combined with the consumption of a fantastic anniversary cake. Many thanks to Julie for providing the cake - it was great!
Julie and Jan succeeded in the badminton challenge, but the rest of us failed! - Paul
For the Pub Quiz Group's 40th Anniversary special event, I donned the quiz master's hat and compiled a quiz for 10 other members of the group. To make it like a real pub quiz we all had drinks and crisps. Although everyone complained about the deviousness of the questions, they all did really well. But the outright winners were Sylvia and Alice, the "Merry Widows" team who gained an extra 10 points for working out the 5% question in the 1% Club round. - Alison
Twenty of the Wider Horizons Group all wore red for a ruby anniversary and used the table decorations from the event at the Littlebury in our group celebration at the Torino Lounge on 10 July 2026. The Torino Lounge kindly donated two cakes for us to enjoy, and Sheila McKechnie made a gluten free cake. Joy thanked everyone for turning out in style despite the heat, and it was great to see her getting out and about again. - Gill
Stitchcraft 1 held an Ascot Ladies’ Day at home with a buffet, champagne and a sweepstake while watching the races on television. Members of the group dressed up for the occasion on the 18 June. Those whose horses were placed won a chocolate. The fun day was hosted by group leader Pauline Smith. - Helena
As part of their groups' Current Affairs 40th anniversary celebratory event Mary and Gill, the group leaders, invited Calum Miller, our local MP, to join them. He spoke about his journey to becoming an MP and how Parliament works, which was both fascinating and interesting. He answered questions on many varied subjects, including assisted dying and devolved parliaments as well as local concerns.
During their April meeting the Murder Mystery Book Group shared some bubbles and cakes to celebrate 40 years of Bicester u3a. They each dressed up as a character from a murder mystery book.
The Wine Appreciation Group, as might be expected, celebrated our 40th Anniversary by raising a glass (or perhaps more).
The Art Appreciation Group celebrated Bicester u3a's 40 years on Thursday 9 April with a talk on five great but largely forgotten artists followed by Tea and Birthday Cake.
The Any Type of Good Music Group, as their celebration, listened to a selection of chart hits from 1986 as that was 40 years ago.
Our first major event of 2026 was The Groups Showcase/Freshers' Fair on 24 January was a major success. We have a separate page with a full report of the event and photographs. Read all about it here!