Outings Details

The u3a has several Interest Groups that arrange trips on a regular basis for Members. The majority of these are arranged by the Out & About Group.

If you want to receive information on all these trips, please register your interest by joining the Out & About Registration Groupon the Groups page, please Click Here to go to the Groups Page.

This will enable the Group Leader to keep you informed by e-mail of future trips.

All future trips will have their own entry on the Groups page and you must join the relevant group for the trip you are interested in to apply for a place.

If you do not have access to e-mail, then the Group Leader will contact you by your preferred contact method specified by you when you joined the U3A.

A desk with all the information on future trips is also set out at the monthly meetings. Booking at the monthly meeting and the monthly library desk is also available. If you need to contact someone about a trip, please do so by using the u3a Contacts button in the top menu bar.

Please note that outings are available only to members of Holmes Chapel & District u3a.

All trips at the time of advertising are provisional and maybe subject to change or cancellation. The cost of each trip will be based on the number of people attending and what is included in the trip. e.g. entry fees etc.

We fully recognise the importance of enriching the lives of others within our u3a. But please note, on all Out & About and Theatre trips Members must be able to manage independently or should be accompanied by a carer; companion or partner. It is not the responsibility of the Group Leader nor any other Member to have to accompany someone who has independently signed up for the trip and be responsible for their welfare. Every Member is responsible for their own health, safety and welfare and that of the person/s they have agreed to accompany.

Click on Booking Details for Terms and Conditions for booking trips.

Destination : Bodnant Garden
Date               : 15th April 2026
Status Live: Bookings now being taken
 
Springtime at Bodnant Garden

Bodnant Gardens offers something for everyone.
 
A great garden offers something to enjoy during every season and Grade I listed Bodnant has 80 acres of formal gardens, woodland and panoramic mountain views to stir your senses. Find a walk that's suitable for you, and admire the beauty of the colourful planting schemes.
 
In early spring Bodnant explodes into colour. Magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons fill the terraces.  Bulbs and early perennials fill the garden beds and early wild flowers appear in the wild flower meadows.
 
The garden is especially famous for its Asian rhododendrons, including unique hybrids bred at the garden from the 1920s. Many of these unique varieties can still be seen in the garden today. Bodnant Garden is also home to five National Collections – Rhododendron forrestii, magnolias, embothriums (Chilean fire bush), eucryphias and Bodnant Hybrid rhododendrons.  
 
The garden has many areas to explore, the formal gardens and terraces and ponds, the Glades; the Dell with it's waterfall and river; the wildflower meadows and Furnace Hill and woodland.  Within the gardens there is a lot of birdlife, so take time to sit and watch and listen to the bird song.
 
There is a cafe and tea shop on site serving drinks, snacks and lunches, along with shops and a garden centre.


Cost £25.00 for National Trust Members; £42.00 for non National Trust Members, includes entrance and coach. Departs Holmes Chapel at 09:00; Goostrey 09:10.  Please be at departure point at least 5 minutes before the departure time.

Destination : Springtime in Falmouth
Date               : 19th April 2026

Status Live: Booking Complete (names being taken for waiting list)

Springtime in Falmouth, Cornwall

Sunday 19 April - Friday 24 April - 5 nights/6days

# Half Board stay at the 4* Royal Duchy Hotel, Falmouth
# Free time to explore Falmouth & Truro 
# Gardens Visits: Godolphin Gardens & The Lost Gardens of Heligan
# Train journey from St Erth to St Ives with time to explore this picturesque seaside town
# Tour of East Pool Tin Mine 
# Stop off in Tewkesbury on return journey
# Executive Coach travel with departures from Holmes Chapel & Goostrey 

Costs:
£1,012.00 per person sharing a double/twin room.
£27.00 discount for National Trust Members

Deposit of £100 per person required to secure your place on this holiday.

If you would like to receive a flyer giving further details of the holiday and a booking form, please contact the Group Leader.

Destination : Private Lives, Manchester Royal Exchange, Matinee Performance
Date               : 29th April 2026

Status Live: Bookings now being taken


'I think very few people are completely normal really, deep down in their private lives.'

In Noël Coward’s savage comedy, there’s nothing a cocktail can’t cure as lovers battle to get the upper hand. Wit has never been so razor sharp and passion has never looked so brutal.

In Private Lives, sparks fly on a honeymoon from hell and sexual chemistry is always only a heartbeat away from an explosion. Loved for their sparkling dialogue and art deco glamour, Noël Coward’s plays remain as funny and insightful as when they were written.

This new production of a vitriol-laced classic is directed by award-winning director Blanche McIntyre.


Cost £60.00, includes transport and theatre ticket. We will leave Holmes Chapel at 12:30pm / Goostrey 12:40pm.  We expect to be back home for approx. 6:30pm depending on the traffic.

Destination : Shugborough Estate
Date               : 13th May 2026
Status Live: Bookings now being taken
 
Shugborough has been home to the Anson family since 1624 and was once described as ‘a perfect paradise’.  It's a rich blend of landscape, monuments, gardens and architecture.  Shugborough’s collection has been shaped by exploration and global encounters, entangled with the exploits and interests of Thomas and George Anson, and their descendants. 
 
A manor house has existed on the Shugborough estate in Staffordshire since the Middle Ages, but what you see today is largely the legacy of brothers Thomas and George Anson in the 18th century. Thomas transformed the house and grounds, making Shugborough a pioneering example of landscape design. These changes were made financially possible by George’s naval career, which saw him circumnavigate the globe and return with South American silver.
 
The stories of Shugborough are entangled with the exploits and interests of the two brothers, Thomas and George Anson. Their fortunes and their social position shaped Shugborough; understanding the origins of their power helps us to interpret the ideas and materials which flooded into Britain throughout the 18th century, furnishing homes, forging fashions and changing culture.  
 
During your visit you can explore sweeping parkland, ancient woodland and a landscape peppered with monuments. See seasonal blooms in the formal gardens, or produce in the walled garden. At Park Farm you will see Dorking chickens, Longhorn cows and Southdown sheep.
 
In the Georgian mansion, unearth unusual treasures and experience life 'below stairs' in the servant's quarters, then enter a world of glamour and royalty in the apartments of Patrick Lichfield, 5th Earl and fashion photographer. 
 
There are shops to browse and a tea room and restaurant on site where you can purchase drinks, snacks and lunch.  A buggy runs from the car park to the house, if required. 


Cost £20.00 for National Trust Members; £37.00 for non National Trust Members, includes entrance and coach. Departs Holmes Chapel at 09:30; Goostrey 09:40.  Please be at departure point at least 5 minutes before the departure time.

Destination : Salford Quays & Bridgewater Hall
Date               : 21st May 2026
City River Tour & The Hallé – Rush Hour: West Side Story Symphonic Dances

Status Live: Names being taken for waiting list
 
We will explore Manchester from the water on this 60-minute round-trip river cruise through Salford Quays and the historic Manchester Ship Canal.  This sightseeing tour offers a fresh, unforgettable view of Manchester’s industrial past and dynamic present.  The onboard commentary guides you through the stories behind the canal, its iconic structures, and the landmarks that shaped the city’s skyline.

Your tour highlights include:
  • MediaCityUK – Home to the BBC, ITV, and a vibrant creative scene
  • Old Trafford Football Stadium – The legendary home of Manchester United
  • Manchester Dry Docks – A glimpse into the city’s shipbuilding heritage
  • Mode Wheel Locks – An engineering feat of the working canal system
  • Imperial War Museum North – A striking waterside architectural icon
  • Stephenson’s 1830 Bridge – One of the world’s oldest railway bridges!
  • Pomona Docks, River Irwell, and more – Lesser-known gems with rich stories
Our boat, The Princess Katherine is a modern fully heated sightseeing boat with indoor and outdoor seating for 90 persons. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcoholic refreshments are available at the onboard licensed bar. There are two toilets onboard.

We will meet our coach at around 4:45pm for the short journey to the Bridgewater Hall in time for our 6:00pm Rush Hour Concert. 
 
This concert will last about 1 hour and will include Kristina Arakelyan Toccata for Organ and Orchestra and Bernstein's West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
 
Kristina Arakelyan, dubbed internationally as ‘one to watch’ (Scala Radio), is one of today’s most exciting composers, celebrated by audiences and critics alike for her music’s serene and compelling honesty. What a treat we have in store to hear Anna Lapwood perform her Toccata for Organ and Orchestra as her closing performance as Hallé Featured Artist. 
 
In this, her Hallé debut, Emilia Hoving guides us through some of the best-loved tunes and interludes from Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: from the poignant hopefulness of ‘Somewhere’, through the percussive fire of ‘Mambo’, to the tragic finale, rounding off what is sure to be an electrifying Rush Hour concert.
 
Following the concert we will re-join our coach for our journey home.


Cost £44.00, includes a city river tour, a ticket in the stalls for our concert and transport.

Destination : The Simon & Garfunkle Story - Bridgewater Hall - Evening Concet
Date               : 4th June 2026

Status Live: Names being taken for waiting list

The Simon and Garfunkle Story, Bridgewater Hall - Evening Concert

“What a great show” – Art Garfunkel

Few shows have experienced the phenomenal global success of The Simon & Garfunkel Story, with multiple sold-out shows in over 50 countries worldwide and over 20 headline performances in London’s West End, including multiple appearances at the world-famous London Palladium.

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, the international hit show tells the story of the origins and meteoric rise of Simon & Garfunkel blended together seamlessly with a full live band performing all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound and many more.

With standing ovations at every performance at the show Art Garfunkel himself loved, you don’t want to miss this international sensation.

Cost £64.00, includes ticket for stalls & coach. We will leave Holmes Chapel at 5:00pm for this 7:30pm concert.  We expect to be back in Holmes Chapel for approx. 10:30pm.

Destination : MatthewBourne's The Car Man - LowryTheatre - Matinee Performance
Date               : 25th June 2026

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man

Status Live: Bookings now being taken

Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Car Man is loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera, The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire.

The familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950’s garage-diner in the American Mid-West where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), to create a dance thriller like no other.

The Car Man will ignite your senses and leave you breathless.

Reviews:-
★★★★★ "Buckle up for the ride of your life. Gripping, gasp-making, edge of your seat stuff." - Daily Mail 
★★★★★ "A Shatteringly Good Piece Of storytelling. Terrific." - Observer
★★★★★ "A Thrilling And Seriously Sexy Sensation" - Daily Express


Cost £69.00, includes transport and ticket for the stalls.

Destination : Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bootleg Beatles, Bridgewater Hall - Evening Concert
Date               : 25th July 2026

Status Live: 3 places available

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bootleg Beatles, Bridgewater Hall - Evening Concert

For You Blue: Celebrating the best of The Beatles 1967-1970
 
The Bootleg Beatles join forces with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for an unforgettable symphonic celebration of The Beatles’ late-era classics.

Encompassing the period from Sgt Pepper through to Let It Be, this is an extraordinary one-off chance to witness ‘the concert that never was’, featuring all the classic late-period Beatles hits including ‘All You Need is Love’, ‘Strawberry Fields’ and ‘Penny Lane’, complete with full-throttle symphonic sound. A must-see multi-media show for Beatles fans of all ages.

‘A joy to behold’ – The Telegraph
‘Glorious ★★★★★’ – Liverpool Echo
‘Exhilarating’ – The Times

Cost £68.00, includes ticket for stalls & coach. We will leave Holmes Chapel at 5:00pm for this 7:30pm concert.  We expect to be back in Holmes Chapel for approx. 11:00pm.

Destination : High Society - Lowry Theatre - Matinee Performance
Date               : 30th September 2026
Status Live: Bookings now being taken
 
Cole Porter’s, High Society delivers a glorious dose of Golden Age musical theatre escapism.
 
Helen George (Call the Midwife) leads the 28-strong cast as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord in this lavish new production, where plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos as old and new flames vie for attention, and a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for scandal at the waterfront estate. 

Brought to life by a multi award-winning creative team, including Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographer Anthony Van Laast and with a score overflowing with the best of Cole Porter’s songbook including Just One Of Those Things, Let’s Misbehave, I Love Paris, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?, Well Did You Evah?, True Love and many more. 


Cost £77.00, includes transport and ticket for the stalls.

Destination : Autumn in Kent
Date               : 11th October 2026

Status Live: Booking now complete - names being taken for waiting list

Autumn in Kent
11th - 15th October 2026

* Half Board at the Bridgewood Manor Hotel, Chatham
* Visit to Anglesey Abbey
* A day in Canterbury with guided walk and time to explore
* Visits to Leeds Castle; Ightham Mote & Chartwell
* A guided tour of Hever Castle
* Executive coach travel from local departure points in Holmes Chapel & Goostrey with Hollinshead Coaches

Costs:
£604.00 per person sharing a Twin/Double Room
£80.00 Single Room Supplement per person - noting limited availability
£82.00 Discount for National Trust Members

Deposit of £100 per person required to secure your place on this holiday.

If you would like to receive a flyer giving further details of the holiday and a booking form, please contact the Group Leader.

Destination : The Legends in Vegas - After Hours!, Bridgewater Hall - Evening Performance
Date               : 3rd November 2026

Status Live: Bookings now being taken

The Legends in Vegas - After Hours!, Bridgewater Hall - Evening Performance


The Strictly Legends Brendan, James, Pasha, Vincent and Ian present their brand new show Vegas After Hours!


After Hours–Where the Dance Floor Never Sleeps!  Get ready for the ultimate night out-Vegas: After Hours brings five Strictly dance legends together for a spectacular new show that captures all the glitz, glamour, and excitement of Las Vegas. The show that celebrates the magic, glamour and thrill of Las Vegas like never before. Think neon lights and electric nights, roulette tables spinning, glamorous showgirls, dazzling casinos, desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels, and world-class entertainment. Vegas: After Hours captures it all in one unforgettable evening.

With their incredible female partners, our five dance legends will bring the spirit of Sin City to life through breathtaking routines and nonstop entertainment—all set to a soundtrack inspired by the greatest Las Vegas performers of all time.

Vegas: After Hours isn’t just a show—it’s a celebration of the entertainment capital of the world, promising five legends, one stage and a night of pure Vegas magic.  Lights, Legends and Vegas–Vegas: After Hours is the ultimate dance spectacle!


Cost £76.00, includes ticket for stalls & coach. We will leave Holmes Chapel at 5:00pm for this 7:30pm concert.  We expect to be back in Holmes Chapel for approx. 11:00pm.

Destination : A Little Night Music, Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre, Matinee Performance
Date               : 20th January 2027

Status Live: Bookings now being taken

A Little Night Music

Stephen Sondheim’s breathtaking classic, a life-affirming fairy-tale for adults.

‘I frequently laugh myself to sleep contemplating my own future.’
 
In Sondheim’s enchanting musical, set in turn-of-the-century Sweden, mismatched couples waltz through a series of self-delusions in search of a happy ending.

This lighter-than-air confection of romantic misfires and magical songs features Sondheim’s bittersweet masterpiece, ‘Send in the Clowns’. 

Old, young and middle-aged are equally determined and witty in this Tony award winning musical comedy.

Cost £71.00, includes transport and theatre ticket either Stage Level or First Gallery. We will leave Holmes Chapel at 12:30pm / Goostrey 12:40pm.  We expect to be back home for approx. 6:30pm depending on the traffic.