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 : Barnum, Palace Theatre, Manchester, Matinee Performance
Date               : 12th February 2026
Status Live: Names being taken for waiting list
Step right up and enter the dazzling world of P.T. Barnum, where imagination and ambition know no bounds. Hand in hand with wife Charity, Barnum’s life and career twists and turns as he schemes and dreams his way to headier heights.

This spectacular new staging will feature an extraordinary ensemble cast of over 20 actor-musicians playing 150 instruments, acrobats and amazing circus acts. Audiences are certain to delight at every sight, wonder and miracle that the name Barnum stands for!

Barnum first took the UK by storm when it played the London Palladium, with Michael Crawford making theatrical history with a death-defying nightly tightrope walk across the stage. And now, Lee Mead will take centre stage and step into the legendary 19th century showman's shoes and on to the tightrope!

Come follow the band with the glorious music of multi-award-winner Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart’s lyrics and Mark Bramble’s book. Barnum features a whole host of classic show tunes including Join the Circus, Colours of My Life, Come Follow the Band and Love Makes Such Fools of Us All.
 

Cost £66.00, includes ticket for the stalls and transport.

Destination : Operation Mincemeat - Lowry Theatre - Matinee Performance
Date               : 18th February 2026

Status Live - Names being taken for waiting list

Operation Mincemeat is the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical. It’s London's biggest hit with 77 Five-Star reviews making it the best-reviewed show in West End history. Now also a Tony-nominated Best Musical on Broadway!

The year is 1943 and right now we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. Bursting at the seams with the kind of chaos you couldn’t invent, the question is: how did a dead body, a fake love letter, and - of all people - Ian Fleming come together to wrong-foot Hitler?

Reviews:
“A little show with a very big future.” - David Benedict, Variety

“The Brits have made the year’s funniest musical” - Peter Marks, The Washington Post

“Hilarious tale makes Mincemeat out of its rivals... Before curtain I talked to a fan seeing this for the seventh time. I wondered why anyone would see the same show seven times. Now I know” - Neil Armstrong, The Mail
On Sunday

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

Destination : Prestatyn & the North Wales Bowls Centre
Date               : 24th February 2026

Status Live: Bookings now being taken

Join us for a day out, at Prestatyn.

Long Mat Bowling at the North Wales Bowls Centre. The cost of the trip is £53.00 for bowlers, this includes refreshments on arrival; 2 hours bowling; hire of bowls & shoes; a 2-course lunch and transport. The bowling session will be organised, you will be in teams of 2 or 3 and will play 2 games. Experienced and inexperienced bowlers are welcome to join us. This is a fun day out and there are prizes to be won!!!

If you don't want to bowl you can watch the games from your comfortable rink side seat, or if you wish to explore the area and get some exercise you can take a walk along the promenade and enjoy the sea air. The 4-mile-long promenade joins Prestatyn's three beaches and offers pleasant walking around the sandy bays and forms part of the North Wales Coast Path. For non-bowlers the cost is £44.00, this includes refreshments on arrival; a 2-course lunch & transport.

Departs Holmes Chapel at 08:30; Goostrey 08:40.  Please be at departure point at least 5 minutes before the departure time.

Destination : Don Quixote, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Lowry Theatre, Matinee Performance
Date               : 7th March 2026

Status Live: bookings now being taken

Don Quixote, Birmingham Royal Ballet
In this first revival of his 2022 production Director Carlos Acosta delivers entertainment for all ages. Don Quixote introduces us to Cervantes’ famous knight himself, lovers Kitri and Basilio, and a host of supporting characters. As the Don sets out on a quest to track down his true love, with his loyal friend and servant Sancho Panza at his side, he finds himself embroiled in an unlikely adventure of love and dreams.

 
Don't miss this stunning 19th-century masterpiece, full of thrilling pas de deux, delightful music played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and much, much more!
 
Treat yourself to some Spanish sunshine!!!


Cost £68.00, includes transport and ticket for the stalls.

Leave Holmes Chapel at 12:00noon / Goostrey 12:10pm.  Expect to be back home for approx. 6:00pm depending on traffic.

Destination : The Constant Wife, Lowry Theatre, Matinee Performance
Date               : 18th March 2026
Status Live: Bookings now being taken
 
THE CONSTANT WIFE, Lowry Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Company production

1927.  Constance is a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense” says her mother “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances.” Constance is the perfect wife and mother, and her husband is as devoted to her as he is to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend.

Adapted by Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade from Somerset Maugham’s glittering comedy, originally opened in Stratford upon Avon to marvellous reviews.

Directed by Co-Artistic Director of the RSC Tamara Harvey, this sparkling new version will star Kara Tointon and features original music composed by multi award- winning jazz artist Jamie Cullum.

Don’t miss out on this fizzing and fresh comedy hit!

“Sharp, fresh, feminist and very witty” - The I Paper
“Frothily radical Twenties comedy” - The Times


Cost £62.00, includes a ticket for the stalls and transport.

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

Status Live: Bookings now being taken
 
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:
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: Bookings now being taken

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: Bookings now being taken

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.