ESU

Sir Malcolm Rifkind In Conversation with Alastair Niven
2022-09-12 18:30 - 19:30 (Europe/London) | Zoom
Join us online on Monday, 12 September at 6.30pm to join Sir Malcom Rifkind KCMG QC in conversation with Alastair Niven OBE LVO.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind is a former MP and served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He has held a variety of high-profile positions within the government, including Secretary of State for Scotland, Defence Secretary, and Foreign Secretary. More recently, Malcom sat as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. He continues to be actively involved in international affairs, and will be providing an expert and experienced insight on current affairs and his views of the world during his conversation with Alastair Niven.
This event is free to attend for ESU members (tickets cost £10 for non-members), and will be hosted on Zoom.

London Branch: Sanctions Debate with headline speaker Bill Browder
2022-09-05 18:00 - 21:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
ESU London branch are delighted to invite you to a debate at the ESU’ s headquarters Dartmouth House, Mayfair on Monday, 5 September.
The motion for this debate is: ‘This house believes that sanctioning private individuals in order to pressure foreign states is not only legally questionable, it is also ineffective’.
We are pleased to confirm that Bill Browder, British-American financier, political activist and leading lobbyist of the Magnitsky Act, is speaking for the opposition as our headline speaker.
Doors will be open from 6pm and the debate will begin at 6.30pm sharp.
Following the debate Dartmouth House’s bar will remain open until 9pm to allow attendees to mix and share ideas.
All proceeds from this event will support the ESU Schools’ Mace debating competition. Find out more about the competition here: https://www.staging.esu.org/competitions/schools-mace/

Lincoln Branch: Summer Evening Reception and Private View of the Sculpture Exhibition at Doddington Hall
2022-08-08 17:00 - 19:30 | Doddington Hall, Doddington Hall, Doddington, Lincoln, LN6 4RU, United Kingdom
Monday, 8 August sees a return of the biennial Sculpture Exhibition at Doddington Hall commencing with the ESU Lincoln branch’s Summer Evening Reception and Private View, offering a super opportunity to get together over some drinks and nibbles and a popular chance to see this much admired and successful exhibition of talent and imagination with thanks to Claire & James Birch.
Tickets cost £10 per member and £12.50 for friends/supporters.
Tickets for ESU Lincoln events are available from Hon. Secretary Mrs. Kelly Bevers, ESU c/o Carlbom Shipping Ltd, Mariner House, Trondheim Way, Stallingborough, Immingham. DN41 8FD.
Tel: 01469 571 387
Email: kelly.bevers@carlbom.co.uk
Please note: event timings given are provisional and will be confirmed soon.

The Traitor King: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Exile by Andrew Lownie
2022-07-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Sunday Times bestselling author and ESU BASS/SSE scholar Andrew Lownie will discuss his book The Traitor King: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Exile.
The book examines the years following the abdication of Edward VIII when the former king was kept in exile, feuding with his family over status for his wife, Wallis Simpson, and denied any real job.
Drawing on extensive research into hitherto unused archives and Freedom of Information requests, it makes the case that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were not the naïve dupes of the Germans but actively intrigued against Britain in both war and peace.
Traitor King reveals the true story behind the German attempts to recruit the Duke as a British Pétain; the efforts, by Churchill in particular, to cover this up; the reasons why the Duke, as Governor of the Bahamas, tried to shut down the investigation into the murder of a close friend, and shines light on the relationship between the Duke and Wallis, revealing it to be far from the love story it is often assumed to be.
6pm event opens with a drinks reception
6.30pm talk begins
Books will be available to purchase at the event.

South Wales Branch: Summer Garden Party at Gileston Manor
2022-07-19 17:30 - 20:00 | Gileston Manor, Gileston, Barry, CF62 4HX, United Kingdom
The South Wales branch is delighted to invite you to brush-up your boaters, button-up your blazers and fluff-up your finery for the re-established summer garden party – this year in the beautiful setting of Gileston Manor, generously sponsored by owner, Mrs Lorraine Jones.
There is the advantage of some very comfortable outdoor shelter should the weather turn against us, but with luck we will be free to wander through the magnificent gardens and enjoy the prospect of watching the sunset over the Bristol Channel.
Tickets are £25 with drinks on arrival and canapés. Payment can be made via BACS to:
Bank: Coutts & Co, 440 Strand, London, WC2R0QS
Account Name: English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth
Account No: 01817590
Sort Code: 18-00-02
Please contact the following email address to register for this event: esuswb@gmail.com

Ouse Valley Branch: Primary Debate Academy
2022-06-30 09:30 - 12:30 | University of Bedfordshire, Polhill Ave, Bedford, MK41 9EA
Ouse Valley branch will be holding a Primary Debate Academy on Thursday, 30 June at the University of Bedford, Polhill campus.

Lincolnshire Branch: Where the Wild Things Will Be - a walk through Wilder Doddington with Claire and James Birch
2022-06-28 10:00 - 12:30 | Doddington Hall, Doddington Hall, Doddington, Lincoln, LN6 4RU, United Kingdom
The Lincolnshire branch will be hosting a walk through Wilder Doddington with Claire and James Birch who will explain their 100 year project for nature recovery and natural capital at Doddington.
This event is free but booking essential (numbers are limited). Please bring appropriate clothing and footwear (stout shoes or boots) suitable for traversing rough terrain.
Tickets for ESU Lincolnshire events are available from Hon. Secretary Mrs. Kelly Bevers, ESU c/o Carlbom Shipping Ltd, Mariner House, Trondheim Way, Stallingborough, Immingham. DN41 8FD.
Tel: 01469 571 387
Email: kelly.bevers@carlbom.co.uk

Ouse Valley Branch: Primary Public Speaking Competition
2022-06-15 09:30 - 12:30 | Bedford Prep School, De Parys Ave, Bedford, MK40 2TU
Ouse Valley branch will be holding a Primary Public Speaking Competition on Wednesday, 15 June at Bedford Prep School.

Celebratory Jubilee lecture by Richard Fitzwilliams followed by Afternoon Tea
2022-06-13 14:15 - 17:00 | Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
H.M. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
We are delighted that Richard Fitzwilliams will be delivering a talk on H. M. The Queen’s remarkable reign and the purpose and future of the monarchy.
Richard Fitzwilliams is a royal commentator, public relations consultant, film critic and lecturer; he is regularly interviewed on television, radio and asked to write articles on royal matters. This talk is a synthesis of his experience and research.
The talk will commence at 2.30pm sharp and will be followed by a traditional afternoon tea.
Ticket sales are now closed.

Zoom Event: The ESU Friendly International Forum hosted by ESU Poland
2022-06-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
The ESU Friendly International Forum is an informal forum aimed at exchanging views, with an underlying aim of building future collaborations and initiatives. The host of the FIF moves between different ESUs internationally and each forum centres around a topic selected by the hosting nation.
The topic of this fourth FIF, hosted by our Polish colleagues, will be: ‘What motivates us to promote public speaking in our respective countries?’
The ESU has always been a conduit to share and exchange views, but within the wider international family of the ESU there is more that can be done! It is our hope that FIF will bring the international members of the ESU closer together and lead us all in exciting directions as we listen and learn from one other.
Date: Monday, 13 June 2022, 1pm BST
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86471211392?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting passcode: [REDACTED]
Please see below for a message from Alina, Chair of ESU Poland:
Dear ESU members, inspired by the 3rd FIF hosted by Dominga Chamorro representing Chile, we would like you to take you to a different corner of the world, Poland – so far away, yet so close.
As is the case with the countries we have not visited, the associations may be limited to famous people, events or even stereotypes, often confused with those of our neighbours. Visiting a country, however, often changes the perspective. Poland has always been considered a hospitable place, but also a community in which two people may have three contradicting opinions, according to an old joke. We have weaknesses and virtues, but public speakers we are not. This shortcoming may result from the character of our educational system, only now gradually shifting the main focus from knowledge to skills, or may be rooted elsewhere. Yet, since 1999 we have not missed an International Public Speaking Competition and our young speakers make us proud and happy.
The meeting to which we would like to invite you will be hosted by this year’s winner of the National Finals in Poland – Julia Smuczynska and her sister Sara, who represented Poland at the International Public Speaking Competition in 2011 and is now one of the organizers. The question we would like to ask ourselves and each other is what motivates us to promote public speaking in our respective countries.

Oxfordshire Branch: Guided tour of Rodmarton Manor
2022-06-07 13:45 - 17:30 | rodmarton manor, Rodmarton Manor, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6PF, United Kingdom
Ernest Barnsley who built Rodmarton Manor was a follower of William Morris, who was one of the leaders of the English Arts and Crafts Movement towards the end of the 19th Century. CR Ashbee was impressed when he visited Rodmarton in 1914 and he wrote “I’ve seen no modern work to equal it, nothing I know of Lutyens or Baker comes up to it. And when I ask why I find the answer in the system, the method rather than the man. It is a house built on the basis not of contract but of confidence, and Barnsley has been allowed a free hand to put all his personal knowledge and techniques into the work. The English Arts and Crafts Movement at its best is here – so are the vanishing Traditions of the Cotswolds”.
Directions:
Rodmarton Manor is off the A433 between Cirencester and Tetbury. If approaching from the Stroud direction turn off the A419 at Jolly Nice/Frampton Mansell junction. Please note this is a narrow lane unsuitable for coaches, which should head to Cirencester and approach via A433.
Meet at 1.45pm for 2pm tour of the house, followed by a walk around the garden. Tea and cake will be served at 4.45 pm.
Further details see: Rodmarton Manor.
Please send your cheques paid to ESU to Dr Jan Carter:
Paddock Cottage
Thrupp
Oxon OX5 1JY
01865 848528
ESU charity reg no: 273136
Or pay via BACS:
Coutts &Co, a/c 01817590, sort 18-00-02,
Please inform Dr Carter (jan@paddockcottage.net) if you wish to attend.

Oxfordshire Branch: 100 Year Anniversary Fundraising Dinner
2022-05-30 19:00 - 22:00 | Oriel College, Oxford, OX1 3BJ
Exactly 100 years ago on 30th May at Oriel College Oxford, the Oxfordshire Branch of the ESU was formed. Dr Spooner, Warden of New College, was made the President. We are holding a dinner exactly 100 years later to celebrate the occasion. This year our speaker will be Miles Young, the present Warden of New College. We are holding the event in the Champney’s Room at Oriel College.
Miles Young was elected 48th Warden of his alma mater, New College, Oxford, in September 2016, succeeding Sir Curtis Price.
In 1990, he was appointed as managing director of Ogilvy & Mather Direct in London. In 2019, he was elected Chair of the Conference of Colleges, succeeding Sir Rick Trainor, the Rector of Exeter College in 2008, the then-WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell appointed Young as CEO of Ogilvy Worldwide. In 2013, his work for US-French cultural relations was recognised by the award of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres during a ceremony at the French Consulate in New York.
Dinner includes:
Pre-dinner drink
Three course dinner
Coffee and mints
Red and White Wine (1 glass each)
Non-alcoholic drinks
Vegetarian option—please advise when booking
Total cost £70.
Please send your cheques paid to ESU to Dr Jan Carter:
Paddock Cottage
Thrupp
Oxon OX5 1JY
01865 848528
ESU charity reg no: 273136
Or pay via BACS:
Coutts &Co, a/c 01817590, sort 18-00-02,
Stating “Oxfdinner” and inform Dr Carter (jan@paddockcottage.net) if you wish to attend.

SAVE THE DATE: Oxfordshire branch centenary dinner
2022-05-30 | Oriel College, Oxford, OX1 3BJ
Oxfordshire branch is delighted to be holding a dinner at Oriel College, Oxford, to mark 100 years since its founding. More details to follow soon.

South Wales Branch: AGM
2022-05-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Cottrell Park Resort, St Nicholas, Cardiff, CF5 6SJ, United Kingdom
The South Wales Branch will be holding their AGM on Thursday, 19 May at Cottrell Park Resort.
Reception drinks will be served from 6.00pm and a hot buffet supper from 7.00pm. There is no formal seating and no need to pre-order food – there will be a choice of either lasagne or mushroom stroganoff.
Charge per head to cover room hire, drinks and supper is £25 (this is not a fund-raising event; charges cover actual costs and your support is much appreciated).
Payment may be made by Cheque to The English Speaking Union and posted to:
Stephen Purcell,
Windmill Farm House,
Llantwit Rd. Wick,
Vale of Glamorgan,
CF71 7QD
Or by BACS to: 18-00-02 01817590
(Please use BACs Reference SWBAGM)

International Public Speaking Competition
2022-05-13 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The ESU International Public Speaking Competition brings together the best young speakers from all over the world for a week of cultural exchange and public speaking contests. Established in 1980, it now reaches over one million young people in more than 50 countries across the globe, showcasing the highest standard of public speaking, while giving delegates an opportunity to meet and engage with other young people of different backgrounds and nationalities.
This year’s finalists (national winners of the English-Speaking Union’s or other public speaking competitions in their country) must write and deliver a speech connected with the themes ‘Our real choices are made without us realising it’ and ‘We expect too much from our heroes’.
The Grand Final of the IPSC will be streamed live on Friday, 13 May at 5pm GMT on the ESU YouTube channel, and we welcome all who would like to watch the world’s brightest young speakers in action to join us then:

Fabergé at the court of Edward VII: a talk by Geoffrey Munn OBE, MVO
2022-05-10 17:30 - 20:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
We are delighted to mark the 30th year of the ESU Ann Chilton Art History scholarship with a talk by Geoffrey Munn OBE, MVO who is a jewellery specialist, historian and writer but is probably best known as a television presenter on the BBC Antiques Roadshow.
Carl Fabergé was the maker of the famous Easter Eggs for the Russian Imperial Court but the range of his work is very much wider & includes jewelled flower studies and charming animal carvings made from a variety of semi-precious stones. It was these that captivated King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and as a result the Royal Collection has an unrivalled collection of both.
Drinks will be served from 5.45pm, the talk will commence at 6.30pm sharp.
Please reserve your ticket(s) here: https://faberge.eventbrite.co.uk

ESU Debate: 'This House believes that cryptocurrencies and NFTs are a hyped-up fad'
2022-05-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
We are delighted to invite you to join us at Dartmouth House on Monday, 9 May for a lively debate of the motion ‘This House believes that cryptocurrencies and NFTs are a hyped-up fad’.

Speakers
For the proposition:
Luke Gbedemah, Tech States Reporter at Tortoise Media
Peter English, Cybersecurity expert speaking in a personal capacity
Zain Hussain, trainee barrister whose dissertation explored laws on cryptoassets and freezing orders
And for the opposition:
Elizabeth Meade, Litigator at Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP specialising in cryptocurrency and digital assets
Harry Webster, Co-Founder of Voxoglass Gallery, the world’s first physical NFT Gallery
Sheraz Malik, founder the cryptocurrency Kyoto Coin and CEO of Digitorize, a NFT creation and promotion platform
Invited Floor Speaker:
Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, The Financial Times’ banking and fintech correspondent
Doors will be open from 6.00pm and the debate will begin at 7.00pm sharp.
Following the debate Dartmouth House’s bar will remain open until 9pm to allow attendees to mix and share ideas.

Please reserve your ticket(s) here: https://esudebate.eventbrite.co.uk
All proceeds from this event will support the ESU’s charitable work, helping young people to communicate and thrive.

ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition Grand Finals 2022
2022-05-08 10:00 - 17:30 | Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Storey's Way, Cambridge, England, CB3 0DS, United Kingdom
The prestigious ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society, is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson). The different roles allow students to practice and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building.
Thirteen teams have succeeded through almost five months of competition, a total of eighty branch heats and regional finals, and a myriad of topics, to reach Finals Day at Churchill College, Cambridge.
The passion, talent, and enthusiasm of these young speakers is always a highlight of our educational calendar – this Finals Day is a showcase for the very best of speaking, chairing and questioning in the UK.

Bristol Branch: Should we keep an elected mayor for Bristol, or revert to the committee system?
2022-04-28 19:15 - 21:00 | The Apostle Room, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, BS8 3BX, United Kingdom
In May 2012, Bristolians voted by a narrow majority to introduce an elected mayor as a way of running their city. This May, after a vote in the City Council, Bristolians are being asked to vote in another referendum on whether they wish to keep the elected mayor model, or revert to a committee system.
On Thursday, 28 April, Bristol ESU are hosting a debate between two former mayoral candidates: Geoff Gollop, Conservative Councillor for Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, who lost to Bristol’s first elected mayor George Ferguson in 2012, and is now in favour of the committee system, and Sandy Hore-Ruthven, former Green Party Councillor, who lost to the sitting mayor Marvin Rees in 2021, and is in favour of retaining the mayoral model.
The meeting will be held in the Apostle Room of Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Pembroke Road, BS8 3BX.
The event will start at 7.45pm, with doors opening at 7.15pm. There is an entrance charge to cover costs of £2 for members, and £5 for guests.
Further information from Nigel Currie, Chairperson: nigelcurrie29@gmail.com

Dartmouth House tour
2022-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Join us for a tour of the English-Speaking Union’s headquarters Dartmouth House; this opulent Grade II*-listed townhouse boasts a marble courtyard, French panelling and a Robert Adam fireplace.

From a banker’s ostentatious home to a military hospital and then the headquarters of educational charity the English-Speaking Union, Dartmouth House has had an illustrious history. Join us on a tour of the building and discover its story – which has been shaped by those who owned it.
The tour will last approximately 45 minutes and will be followed by tea and coffee in the Wedgewood room.
Please reserve your ticket(s) here: https://dartmouthhouse.eventbrite.co.uk

South Wales Branch: Lunch and talk with Anne Sebba
2022-04-21 12:00 - 17:00 | Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ, United Kingdom
The South Wales branch is delighted to announce a date for the long-postponed visit of author Anne Sebba who will be talking about her most recent book, ‘Ethel Rosenberg, A Cold War Tragedy’. This event at the Cardiff City Stadium is sure to be a fascinating opportunity to re-visit historical relationships with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and an opportunity to enjoy a convivial luncheon with fellow members.
Booking forms must be completed and returned by Monday, 11 April.

Ouse Valley Branch: The inner workings of the UK Privy Council
2022-04-21 12:00 - 16:30 | The Sharnbrook Hotel, Bedford, Park Lane, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LX, United Kingdom
‘The inner workings of the UK Privy Council’ with Alex Galloway (Retired Clerk of the Privy Council and Head of the Privy Council Office)
The Privy Council is a group of advisers on the royal prerogative to the sovereign and has been in existence since the 1500s. Initially it advised on the authority, privilege, and immunity attached to the British monarch; however, now it is more concerned with the conduct of the government of the United Kingdom, including: foreign affairs, defence, and national security. Alex will take us behind the scenes of this important aspect of our government and unlock some of its secrets.

Salisbury and Wiltshire Branch: ‘Sir Clements Markham RGS: success or failure?’ by Isobel Williams
2022-04-20 10:15 - 14:00 | The White Hart Hotel, 1 St John's Street, Salisbury, SP1 2SD
‘Sir Clements Markham RGS: success or failure?’ by Isobel Williams
Our last Talk of the 2021-22 season, on Wednesday, 20 April, is by Isobel Williams. Isobel is a retired Consultant in Respiratory Medicine. While qualifying at St George’s Hospital, University of London, where Edward Wilson, Robert Scott’s friend and confidant, had trained some sixty-five years previously, she saw many of Wilson’s iconic pictures of Antarctica and became fascinated by the continent and the explorers of the early 1900s. She has written several books about them and speaks regularly on Antarctic subjects and Antarctic heroes.
Sir Clements Robert Markham (1830 -1916) was an English geographer, explorer, and writer. He was secretary of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) between 1863 and 1888 and later served as the Society’s president for a further 12 years. In the latter capacity, he was responsible for organising the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1904, and for launching the polar career of Robert Scott.
Critical assessments after his death referred to the dictatorial manner in which Markham had run the RGS. In time, questions would be raised about the accuracy of some of his writings. Markham’s writings on naval history have been criticised by modern scholars due to his nationalistic exaggeration of English sailors’ achievements. Scott remained his protégé until the former’s death in 1912 and although Markham was also a strong supporter of Shackleton, his opposition to other Antarctic expeditions was subsequently described as “malicious”. He was criticised generally as having “an unrivalled capacity for misrepresentation, scurrilities, slanders and vindictiveness”!
Coffee will be served from 10.15am, with the main talk beginning at 11am sharp, and lunch from 12.30pm.
Lunch & Talk ticket price: £18 (Members) & £20 (Guests)
Talk only ticket price: £10 – FREE for first-time visitors
Cheques payable to ‘English-Speaking Union’ should be sent no later than Thursday, 14 April to:
ESU Luncheon Secretary, 3 Stonemasons Yard, Salisbury SP1 2HX
esusalisbury-eventssec@esu.org
Direct transfers can be made to:
Bank: Coutts & Co, 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS
Sort Code: 18-00-02
Account Name: English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth
Account No: 01817590
Please mark the transfer clearly as “SalisLunch”

Salisbury Branch event: an update from Colin Wagstaff on The King’s School, Tamil Nadu
2022-04-06 10:15 - 14:00 | The White Hart Hotel, 1 St John's Street, Salisbury, SP1 2SD
An update on The King’s School, Tamil Nadu by Colin Wagstaff
Colin Wagstaff is an ex-Army officer who left the services in 1976 mainly due to injuries sustained in a parachuting accident. His parents and grandparents were born in India. His father, John Wagstaff, was a Captain in the British Royal Navy and he served with the Indian Navy. One grandfather served with the Bombay Grenadier Regiment and the other, a Royal Engineer, served in India with The Madras Sappers and Miners (now Madras Engineer Regiment). Colin attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 1964 to 1966 and retired from the military in 1976.
From there he entered the commercial world in and was involved in international sales and marketing in the marine and defence industry. He was involved with public relations and was a parliamentary lobbyist. He more lately became a business development consultant working with the hotel industry in the UK and with many companies in the defence and engineering sector in Tamil Nadu, south India.
In 1994 in Haslemere, UK, Colin & Anne-Marie, who had been married since 1974, were asked to care for an 11 year old Indian boy, Antonyraj, who had been brought to the UK for medical treatment. Antonyraj spent 4 months in UK before returning to India. Colin went to India with Antonyraj in order to find someone who could care properly for him, his sister Stella and his cousins Augustine, Belsi & Basker.
Colin spent one month in Valliyoor, south Tamil Nadu; the area where Antonyraj had lived as a homeless child. Colin decided that there was more that could be achieved in the area than just providing a home for 5 children. He registered a Charitable Trust, Kings World Trust for Children (India), in Valliyoor together with Indian friends and colleagues who he had met during his stay. A similar Charity was registered in UK called Kings World Trust for Children.
Coffee will be served from 10.15am, with the main talk beginning at 11am sharp, and lunch from 12.30pm.
Lunch & Talk ticket price: £18 (Members) & £20 (Guests)
Talk only ticket price: £10 – FREE for first-time visitors
Cheques payable to ‘English-Speaking Union’ should be sent no later than Thursday, 14 April to:
ESU Luncheon Secretary, 3 Stonemasons Yard, Salisbury SP1 2HX
esusalisbury-eventssec@esu.org
Direct transfers can be made to:
Bank: Coutts & Co, 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS
Sort Code: 18-00-02
Account Name: English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth
Account No: 01817590
Please mark the transfer clearly as “SalisLunch”

Piano recital with Yulia Chaplina
2022-04-05 18:30 - 20:00 | Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The English-Speaking Union welcomes you to an evening of piano music with ESU Music Scholarship alumna Yulia Chaplina at Dartmouth House. The programme will include works from Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart.
Debuting aged seven with a performance of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in F minor with the Rostov State Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Chaplina trained in Rostov and Moscow with Naum Shtarkman and with Klaus Hellwig at the University of the Arts in Berlin. She holds a Masters of Music from the Royal College of Music where, in 2013, she was appointed the Mills Williams Junior Fellow. She has performed in recitals extensively across Europe and Asia. Recent orchestral tours and engagements include the Russian Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Sinfonietta, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and the Moroccan National Orchestra. For further information please visit her website: https://www.yuliachaplina.com/
Arrivals from 6.30pm, recital begins at 7pm sharp.
Tickets are £20 for members and £30 for members’ guests – price includes drinks on arrival.
The ESU condemns the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine. We stand with the Ukrainian government and its brave people.
We have received enquires regarding Yulia’s nationality. Yulia holds British/Russian citizenship and is a London resident. Her grandfather was Ukrainian and grandmother was Belorussian. Yulia’s mother was born in Ukraine and she has relatives there.

Lincolnshire Branch Event: Educating for the Future - An Evening with Sir Jon Coles
2022-03-29 18:00 - 19:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The Lincolnshire Branch of the ESU are linking with Dartmouth House to host an online evening with Sir John Coles .
Respected educationalist and Chief Executive of United Learning Sir Jon Coles will be joining Matthew Christmas, Head of Engagement at the English-Speaking Union, to discuss some of the key questions in education today and to consider how we can future-proof our students’ education.
Among the topics under discussion will be:

The impacts of Covid on learners and what the government could do to help
How oracy skills and ‘Powerful Knowledge’ – the ability to critique, challenge the status quo, think and learn – can help students’ learning
The impact of the assessment system on vital, unassessed, skills such as oracy and its place in the curriculum
How can we ensure ‘educational resilience’ of head teachers as they navigate the policy and curriculum dichotomy?

This promises to be a fascinating event for teachers, educationalists and policymakers alike, and we hope you can join us. There will be time for questions following the discussion.
Sir Jon Coles
Sir Jon Coles is Chief Executive of United Learning, a group of over 80 academies and independent schools established 130 years ago.
Jon spent 15 years at the Department for Education and its predecessors, the last four on its Board as Director General for Schools and for Education Standards. He was previously Director of 14-19, leading work to increase participation and attainment in education and training post-16; and Director of London Challenge, developing and implementing the much-copied strategy to improve schools in London.
Jon has chaired schools’ charity Challenge Partners since its inception and is a Council Member of King’s College, London. He was knighted in 2019 for services to education.
We hope you will join us; if so do please register with Camilla Carlbom Flinn for log-in details: camilla.carlbom@carlbom.co.uk

Zoom Event: The ESU Friendly International Forum
2022-03-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Online Meeting
The Friendly International Forum is an informal forum aimed at exchanging views, with an underlying aim of building future collaborations and initiatives. The host of the FIF will move between different ESUs internationally and each forum will be centred around a topic.
The topic of this second FIF meeting will be: ‘Owing to the decline in international travel due to COVID and concerns about the climate emergency, what effect will this have on the ESU’s mission of fostering cross cultural exchange?’
Why?
The ESU has always been a conduit to share and exchange views, but within the wider international family of the ESU there is more that can be done! It is our hope that FIF will bring the international members of the ESU closer together and lead us all in exciting directions as we listen and learn from one other.
When?
Date: Monday, 21 March 2022, 13.00 GMT
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvdOytrDsuGN0MX1gYKMhHtGAliHTrlDyz

Salisbury and Wiltshire Branch: 'Royal Navy Hovercraft in the Falkland Islands' by Cdr Vernon Phillips RN (Retd)
2022-03-21 10:15 - 14:00 | The White Hart Hotel, 1 St John's Street, Salisbury, SP1 2SD
‘Royal Navy Hovercraft in the Falkland Islands’ by Cdr Vernon Phillips RN (Retd)
The Hovercraft was a relatively new invention in 1967 when Commander Vernon Phillips was sent to the Falkland Islands to put the craft through sea trials. He will share his stories of his year on the South Atlantic’s waves, together with tales of some of the famous names associated with the islands. Vernon got to see a lot of the overseas territory, exploring the windswept wilderness and seeing wonderful wildlife. He was able to visit every settlement, acquiring at first hand an insight into how the islanders live in these remote communities.
Coffee will be served from 10.15am, with the main talk beginning at 11am sharp, and lunch from 12.30pm.
Lunch & Talk ticket price: £18 (Members) & £20 (Guests)
Talk only ticket price: £10 – FREE for first-time visitors
Cheques payable to ‘English-Speaking Union’ should be sent no later than Wednesday, 16 March to:
ESU Luncheon Secretary, 3 Stonemasons Yard, Salisbury SP1 2HX
esusalisbury-eventssec@esu.org
Direct transfers can be made to:
Bank: Coutts & Co, 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS
Sort Code: 18-00-02
Account Name: English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth
Account No: 01817590
Please mark the transfer clearly as “SalisLunch”

Ouse Valley Branch: Churchill - a flawed talent?
2022-03-08 12:00 - 16:30 | The Sharnbrook Hotel, Bedford, Park Lane, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LX, United Kingdom
‘Churchill: a flawed talent?’ with Allen Packwood (Churchill archives, Churchill College, Cambridge)
It has long been accepted that Churchill was one of the great figures in British history. A man of huge talent, a great war leader, an inspiring orator, a prolific writer – but also a man with many flaws, an unpopular political figure, and controversial in many areas of political life. The speaker will guide our thinking to reach a balanced view of this extraordinary man.

Sunday Show Debate at Dartmouth House
2022-02-27 16:00 - 21:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
This House Believes that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that we should prioritise security and safety over personal liberty.
Join us for a lively show debate on Sunday, 27 February, 4pm. Among those debating in Mace format will be David Langwallner, Barrister at Law at 1MCB Chambers and writer; Tom Hamilton, Associate Director of WPI Strategy; and Marc Whitmore, CEO of UpRising.
Please reserve your tickets here: https://esusundaydebate.eventbrite.co.uk
This event will be supported by ‘Cassandra Voices’, the publisher of independent voices that inspire new thinking (https://cassandravoices.com).
