ESU

Ouse Valley Branch: Churchill - a flawed talent?
2022-03-08 12:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | 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).

Bristol Branch Event: Francis Cornish - Is power and influence drifting away from the West?
2022-02-17 19:15 - 20:45 | The Apostle Room, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, BS8 3BX, United Kingdom
Former diplomat Francis Cornish will speak on ‘Is power and influence drifting away from the West?’
For further information, please contact Nigel Currie, Bristol ESU Chair: 0117 914 0773, nigelcurrie29@gmail.com

Ouse Valley Branch: 'Why oracy skills are vital to children's development' with Professor Neil Mercer
2022-02-09 12:30 - 16:00 | The Sharnbrook Hotel, Bedford, Park Lane, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LX, United Kingdom
‘Why oracy skills are vital to children’s development’
Professor Neil Mercer (University of Cambridge, and Director, Oracy Cambridge) in conversation with Barbara Firth, governor, the English-Speaking Union.
Research has shown that children’s spoken language experience is very important for the development of their reasoning skills, their subject learning and their life chances in general. It is also known that many children’s out-of-school lives will not provide the kinds of experience they need to develop a full repertoire of spoken language (oracy) skills. This session will focus on ways that schools and teachers can respond to those needs, and how parents and grandparents can help.

ESU Secondary School Exchange Webinar
2022-01-31 19:30 - 20:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Are you interested in spending a whole academic year at a US high school during your gap year?

The ESU’s Secondary School Exchange offers students the opportunity to spend a gap year at an American high school at the end of Year 13. It’s a fantastic chance for students to spend time abroad broadening their horizons, making new friends and continuing their education free of exam pressures.

Students return with increased confidence, a better understanding of diverse perspectives and the sheer joy of being fully immersed in another culture.

If you are a current Year 13 student who is interested in the programme, please join us online for a presentation by 4 of our scholars who will share their experience on the scheme, with a Q&A session to follow.

Matthew Rycroft in conversation with Alastair Niven
2022-01-31 17:00 - 18:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Matthew Rycroft CBE is the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. This is the most senior civil service position in perhaps the most complex and controversial of all UK government departments.
In this conversation with Alastair Niven, Matthew will talk about the challenges of working on immigration, crime and many other contentious issues. He will also look back on his earlier career, when he was Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development and before that the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
It is extremely rare for such a leading government official to take part in an event like this, and the ESU is privileged to host it. It will be an opportunity to hear from the very inside of government about how some of the most difficult matters of the day are dealt with at the highest level.
To reserve your place please register here: https://matthewrycroftesu.eventbrite.co.uk

ZOOM EVENT: ESU FIF: Friendly International Forum on
2022-01-17 13:00 - 14:00 | tbc
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 first FIF will be hosted by England and Wales and the topic will be: The effect of social media on spoken communication and public speaking.
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 17th January 2022, 13:00 GMT – Hosted by young members Miles Contreras-Brown and Erin Young, Secretary of the London Branch and Member of the Young Members Committee respectively. Introduced by James Raven.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pce2tpzIjGtU1LWq1xaczsOx60wuOcrfT

Dame Sara Thornton in conversation with Alastair Niven
2022-01-11 18:30 - 19:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Join us for a Zoom event in which the current UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Joanne Thornton, DBE, QPM will be in conversation with Alastair Niven.
The conversation will explore the role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner, which is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences, as well as in the identification of victims. At the end of this conversation questions will be taken from the audience.
Please register in advance for this webinar here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zWqqyl2lTYOdFgYIGP-PQg

Zoom: London branch AGM
2021-12-20 16:30 - 17:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The ESU London Branch would like to invite all ESU members of London Branch to its Annual General Meeting, being held on 20th December 2021on Zoom.
The meeting is an opportunity hear what the committee has been doing this year, and its plans for next year. It is also a forum for your voice to be heard – let us know what we are doing well and what we could improve on.
Amongst other things, we will be discussing and voting for new committee members. Some of you have already expressed an interest in putting yourself forward and nominations are always welcome.
At this time, we would like to ask all of you who are interested in committee membership to complete the nomination form.
To attend this meeting please register in advance through the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpduispj4tG9YUveULVM0QE5rYJ–p3f6V
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

POSTPONED London branch talk: The Traitor King: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Exile by Andrew Lownie
2021-12-20 14:30 - 16:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
POSTPONED
Sunday Times bestselling author Andrew Lownie ESU SSE Alumnus will discuss his new 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.

Reflections on Westminster
2021-12-17 18:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Webinar
It is fair to say that the Government and possibly Parliament is, once again, facing a crisis in its relationship with the nation. The Owen Paterson affair is just one example of behaviour which is at odds with the public view of what is acceptable by our politicians. Is Westminster out of touch with the people? How are these decisions taken? Is the system of Governance fit for purpose?
Join the Lincolnshire Branch on Zoom for an intimate insiders’ conversation with Viscount Hailsham, Baroness Hogg and Lord Cormack to consider the current status in context and with a longer view than much coverage often allows. Viscount Hailsham served as a Government Minister, Baroness Hogg held a prestigious post at No 10 and Lord Cormack is a renowned Parliamentarian; they live in Lincolnshire and are strong supporters of the ESU. They will not only help us understand better how Government and Parliament works but also bring great experience to answering some of these questions which will be put to them by ESU committee member John Raine CMG OBE, himself familiar with the Westminster scene.
We hope you will join us; if so, do please register with Camilla Carlbom Flinn for log in details: camilla.carlbom@carlbom.co.uk.
Baroness Hogg
Sarah Hogg was Head of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit in No. 10 Downing Street from 1990 to 1995, and in 2002 become the first woman to chair a company in the FTSE 100 (3i Group). She was Chair of the Financial Reporting Council from 2010 to 2014 and of Frontier Economics, a company she helped to found, from 1999 to 2013. She has been a Non-Executive Director of the Financial Services Authority, HM Treasury and a number of major public companies, and is currently Senior Independent Director of Royal Mail and an Independent National Director of Times Newspapers. She began her career with The Economist, and was Economics Editor of a number of national newspapers. She was made a Life Peer in the 1995 New Year’s Honours List, and received The Sunday Times Non-Executive Director Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Douglas Hogg was a Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2010; firstly for Grantham, then for Sleaford and North Hykeham. Although a barrister by profession, he was a Government Whip and then served from 1988 to 1997 as a minister in the Home Office, DTI, Foreign Office and finally as Minister of Agriculture (when he had to deal with the BSE crisis). Douglas now sits in the House of Lords and continues to live in Lincolnshire.
Lord Patrick Cormack
Lord Cormack has spent 51 years in Parliament, 40 in the House of Commons and the last 11 in the House of Lords. During his long period in the Commons he was a Senior Chairman of Committees and served on numerous Select Committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was the Opposition Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs and Chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. He is chairman of the All Party Campaign for an Effective Second Chamber, was one of the founders of the Parliamentary House magazine in 1976 and is its Life President. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Conservative Peers. He has published eight books including one on English cathedrals and another on British castles and a Life of William Wilberforce. When he left the Commons he moved back to his native Lincolnshire and is Chairman of the Historic Lincoln Trust and President of Heritage Lincolnshire.
John Raine
John Raine, CMG OBE served in the UK Diplomatic Service for over 30 years until his retirement in 2017 and is currently Senior Adviser at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London where he specialises on the Middle East.

Christmas drinks reception at Dartmouth House
2021-12-06 18:30 - 20:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
We hope many of you will be able to join us at Dartmouth House on Monday, 6 December at 6.30pm for a drinks reception, to meet and mingle with fellow members, branch chairs, volunteers, alumni and the board, and to unite in our shared commitment to our educational programmes.
Reserve your ticket(s) here: https://esuchristmas.eventbrite.co.uk

The ESU Lincolnshire AGM
2021-12-01 18:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Webinar
Log on details will be sent out to members. If you haven’t received yours, please do email the Lincolnshire branch’s Honourable Secretary, Mrs Kelly Bevers, at kelly.bevers@carlbom.co.uk for details.

Thanksgiving Lunch
2021-11-28 12:15 - 15:30 | Studley Wood Golf Club, The Straight Mile, Horton-Cum-Studley Oxford OX33 1BF, The Straight Mile, Horton-Cum-Studley, Oxford, OX33 1BF, United Kingdom
Oxfordshire branch is delighted to invite members to its Thanksgiving Dinner with a speaker from the Rothermere American Institute. This will be its first event since lockdown and the first chance to get together for nearly two years.
There will be a traditional turkey lunch with a vegetarian option, predinner drink and
coffee afterwards, served in the lovely upstairs dining room overlooking the golf course and
Studley Wood. Wine will be available for purchase.
Please send cheques, payable to ESU Oxfordshire Branch, to Dr Jan Carter, Paddock Cottage, Thrupp, OX5 1JY. If you have any queries please contact Jan at jan@paddockcottage.net, 01865 848528.

ESU Thanksgiving Dinner with guest speaker will be Sir Peter Westmacott
2021-11-22 19:00 - 22:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Miles Young, ESU Chair requests the pleasure of your company for a Thanksgiving Dinner supporting the life-changing work of the English-Speaking Union.
Our guest speaker will be Sir Peter Westmacott, former British Ambassador to the United States.
Urbane, globe-trotting mandarins; polished hosts of ambassadorial gatherings attended by the well-groomed ranks of the international great and good: such is the well-worn image of the career diplomat. But beyond the canapes of familiar caricature, what does a professional diplomat actually do? What are the activities that fill the working day of Her Majesty’s Ambassadors around the world?
Peter Westmacott’s forty-year career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office straddled the last decade of the Cold War and the age of globalization, included spells in pre-revolutionary Iran and the European Commission in Brussels, and culminated in prestigious ambassadorial postings in Ankara, Paris and Washington in the post-9/11 era.
In what promises to be a fascinating evening, Sir Peter will share stories of life in the upper echelons of the diplomatic and political worlds and why, in this age of instant communication, social media and special envoys, he feels the role of a diplomat is as relevant as ever.
This event is part of the English-Speaking Union’s programme of celebrating global understanding through dialogue and will support our vital charitable mission of giving young people the speaking and listening skills and cultural understanding they need to thrive.
Bookings can be made online here or by telephone +44 (0)20 7529 1579.

Bristol Branch: ‘Too good to check’ – some Bristol urban legends
2021-11-18 19:15 - 21:00 | Bristol Branch, 29 Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QG, United Kingdom
Was a Bristolian freed from a German prison camp in return for a ransom paid in Woodbines? Was a building decorated with the actual head of an 18th century terrorist? Is there a plague pit under Primark? Were the unicorns on City Hall a deliberate insult to one of the architect’s rivals?
Eugene Byrne has been collecting tall tales from Bristol’s distant and recent past for decades, from old books and newspapers and from pub yarns which the storyteller swore happened to a “friend of a friend”.
Then there are the stories told in newsrooms which editors insisted were published with the disclaimer that they were “too good to check”.
Eugene will be looking at just a few of these, and trying to make sense of why they originated, and what they tell us between the lines.
Eugene Byrne has worked as a journalist and historian in Bristol since the 1980s. He has written several books and is a regular contributor to BBC History magazine as well as editing the Bristol Post’s weekly Bristol Times supplement. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at UWE.
Venue: The Apostle Room, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Pembroke Road, BS8 3BX.
Wine and soft drinks from 7.15pm.
Members entrance: £2: guests and visitors: £5.
Contact Nigel Currie for further details: nigelcurrie29@gmail.com

The ESU Lincolnshire Annual Dinner - Security in a Troubled World
2021-11-17 | Lincoln College, Monks Rd, Lincoln, LN2 5HQ, United Kingdom
The Lincolnshire branch of the ESU is delighted that the Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT GCMG will join us as guest speaker at our Annual Dinner on Wednesday, 17 November 2021 at 6:30 pm at Lincoln College, LN2 5HQ. For tickets and payment details, please email Kelly.Bevers@carlbom.co.uk. Tickets are £60 (£55 for members).
Senior Counsellor with The Cohen Group of Washington DC, USA, Chairman of Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd and Vice-Chairman of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and Special Adviser to BP plc, George Robertson was a Member of the House of Commons for 21 years and served in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland before becoming Secretary of State for Defence in 1997. He served as the 10th Secretary General of NATO and Chairman of the North Atlantic Council from 1999 to 2003.
He has been Executive Deputy Chairman of Cable and Wireless plc, Deputy Chairman of TNK-BP, BP’s Russian Joint Venture and has served as a Non-Executive Director of the Weir Group plc, Smiths Group plc and Monaco Telecom SA.
He is Chairman of the FIA Foundation, an Elder Brother of Trinity House, a Trustee of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, and a visiting Professor at Stirling University and King’s College London. He serves on the boards of the Centre for European Reform, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Chatham House’s Panel of Senior Advisers. For 17 years he was Honorary Colonel of the London Scottish Regiment.
He is one of the 16 Knights of the Thistle and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (Chancellor 2011-2021). He was awarded America’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Fellow of the Royal College of Defence Studies.

ZOOM EVENT: Lord Waldegrave in conversation with Alastair Niven
2021-11-08 18:30 - 19:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
William Waldegrave (Lord Waldegrave of North Hill) has been Provost of Eton College since 2009, the most senior post at perhaps the most famous school in the world. A former politician, he held ministerial positions in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including Secretary of State for Health, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. His role in government was at the centre of a major enquiry into arms to Iraq. He has been a key figure in the business world and in education, including being the current Chancellor of the University of Reading. He is also a respected author. In this conversation with Alastair Niven, co-chair of the ESU Events Committee, he reviews the ups and downs of his political career and talks about his vision for secondary education today.
Registrations can be made here: https://lordwaldegrave.eventbrite.co.uk

ESU Evelyn Wrench lecture and dinner with guest speaker Mary McAleese
2021-11-03 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
We are delighted to welcome Professor Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland, as the speaker at this year’s Wrench Lecture, which will take place at Dartmouth House. In her talk, entitled ‘An Uncomfortable State of Affairs’, Professor McAleese will begin with a look at Evelyn Wrench’s Irish roots, his reactions to the Easter Rising, and his lifelong belief in the importance of understanding the other person’s point of view, before sharing her reflections on the Good Friday Agreement, and also on what is being lost as a result of Britain no longer being alongside Ireland in the EU.
Dr Mary McAleese is currently Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin and Professor of Children, Law and Religion in the University of Glasgow. She was President of Ireland from 1997 until 2011, the first president to come from Northern Ireland where her family experienced first-hand the sectarian violence of The Troubles. The theme of her presidency was ‘Building Bridges’ and her work for peace and reconciliation culminated in the historic state visit to Ireland by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in May 2011. On retiring from office she returned to full-time study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome obtaining a licentiate and doctorate in Canon Law. In 2019 she was awarded the Alfons Auer Ethics Award of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Tübingen. She is the author of Reconciled Being: Love in Chaos (1997), Building Bridges (2011), Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law (2014), Children’s’ Rights in Canon Law (2019) and Here’s the Story: a Memoir (2020).
This annual lecture series celebrates global understanding through dialogue and the values and purpose of our founder Sir Evelyn Wrench. It takes place at Dartmouth House, our historic home in Mayfair.
18:30 Reception with a welcome glass of wine
19:00 Lecture given by Dr Mary McAleese
19.20 Q&A with Dr Mary McAleese led by the Chair of the English-Speaking Union, Miles Young
20:00 Two-course dinner
This celebratory evening is in support of the ESU’s education programmes. Every ticket sold will help the English-Speaking Union in its work to give young people the speaking and listening skills and cultural understanding they need to thrive.
Online bookings can be made here or by calling +44 (0)20 7529 1579

Two historic buildings
2021-10-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom Webinar
Following the success of its Zoom evenings in lockdown, the Lincolnshire branch invites you to join them for an evening of fascinating insights into the delights and challenges of running two of the nation’s unique historic buildings. Zoom host and Chair of ESU Lincolnshire Sir Michael Graydon will be joined by Ann Kenrick OBE, Chief Executive and Master of The Charterhouse, and the first female Master in the almshouse’s 400 year history, and James Birch, former President of the Historic Houses Association and chatelain of Doddington Hall, one of the country’s foremost Elizabethan houses. If you wish to attend, please register your interest with Camilla Carlbom Flinn at camilla.carlbom@carlbom.co.uk, or telephone ESU Lincolnshire Branch Hon. Sec Kelly Bevers on 01469 571 387 during office hours and log-in details will be sent to you shortly before the event.

Lincoln Book Festival
2021-10-11 18:15 - 21:30 | The Collection, Danes Terrace, Lincoln, LN2 1LP, United Kingdom
The Lincolnshire branch of the ESU is delighted to support the Lincoln Book Festival 2021. We are sponsoring the opening night at 6.15pm on 11 October with crime writer superstar Mark Billingham and Lincolnshire-based author and clinical psychologist Philippa East discussing their thrilling new novels at The Collection in Lincoln. Join us there as it promises to be a fascinating evening. Tickets are £10 and can be booked at lpac.co.uk/event/with-crime-on-their-minds/.

ESU Bristol talk: ‘About Britain – a journey of 70 years and 1,345 miles’ by Professor Tim Coles
2021-09-21 19:15 - 20:45 | The Apostle Room, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, Clifton Catholic Cathedral, Bristol, BS8 3BX, United Kingdom
Tim Coles, Professor of Social History at the University of Bristol, will talk about his book ‘About Britain – a journey of 70 years and 1,345 miles’.
In 1951, the Festival of Britain commissioned a series of short guides they dubbed ‘handbooks for the explorer’. Their aim was to encourage readers to venture out beyond the capital and on to ‘the roads and the by-roads’ to see Britain as a ‘living country’. Yet these thirteen guides did more than celebrate the rural splendour of this ‘island nation’: they also made much of Britain’s industrial power and mid-century ambition – her thirst for new technologies, pride in manufacturing and passion for exciting new ways to travel by road, air and sea.
Armed with these About Britain guides, historian Tim Cole takes to the roads to find out what has changed and what has remained the same over the 70 years since they were first published. From Oban to Torquay, Caernarvon to Cambridge, he explores the visible changes to our landscape, and the more subtle social and cultural shifts that lie beneath.
In a starkly different era where travel has been transformed by the pandemic and many are journeying closer to home, About Britain is a warm and timely meditation on our changing relationship with the landscape, industry and transport. As he looks out on vineyards and apple orchards, power stations and slate mines, vast greenhouses and fulfilment centres for online goods, Cole provides an enchanting glimpse of twentieth and early twenty-first century Britain as seen from the driver’s seat.
Entrance: members £2; guests and visitors £5.
Location: Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, BS8 3BX
Further information: Nigel Currie, Chair on 07837 835750 or email: nigelcurrie29@gmail.com

Salisbury branch AGM and ‘Beyond that last Blue Mountain’ talk
2021-09-20 10:00 - 14:00 | The White Hart Hotel, 1 St John's Street, Salisbury, SP1 2SD
The Salisbury branch AGM will be followed by a talk by Oriental carpet specialist Harriet Sandys about her experiences in central Asia. Entitled ‘Beyond that last Blue Mountain’, it will cover the fascinating story of her time in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion and what she did to help the refugees there, her travels with the Peshmerga in the newly-liberated Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991, and her time spent with a group of unemployed builders and decorators driving convoys of food and aid from Croydon to the Muslim enclaves in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1994.
The event will be held at The White Hart Hotel, 1 St John’s St, Salisbury SP1 2SD. Coffee will be served from 10am; the AGM will start at 10.45; the talk will follow at 11am; and the lunch at approximately 12.15pm. Lunch & talk: £18 members, £20 guests; talk only: £10, but FREE for first-time visitors. For more information or to book a place please contact ESUSalisbury-EventsSec@esu.org or ESUSalisbury-Secretary@esu.org

ESU Members' Event: Afternoon Tea at the House of Lords
2021-09-14 15:30 - 17:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Lord Ian Duncan of Springbank, Honorary President of the English-Speaking Union in Scotland, invites ESU members and their guests to afternoon tea at the House of Lords in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the ESU Churchill public speaking competition.
The event will take place in Cholmondeley Room and the House of Lords Terrace, a classic menu of sandwiches, tea and cakes served.
Reserve your tickets here

London branch event: The World Of The TEDx Talk
2021-07-08 17:00 - 18:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Ever dreamt of speaking at a TEDx conference? Curious for an inside look into that world?
Join ESU young members Serena Parekh and Miles Contreras-Brown in conversation with the current Curator of TEDxLondon, Maryam Pasha. In this wide-ranging online fireside chat, gain insights into…

What makes the best TEDx speakers stand out
How best to identify compelling potential TEDx speech material
What it takes to speak with impact on the big day!

Maryam Pasha
Maryam is the Director and Curator of TEDxLondon and TEDxLondonWomen and co-host of the Climate Curious podcast. She has been coaching TEDx and TED speakers for ten years and the talks she has worked on have been distributed by TED to over fifteen million viewers. She champions the participation of young speakers on the TEDx main stage through the “OpenX” programme for under 25s.
In 2015, Maryam launched her own company and has worked with hundreds of speakers from Nobel prize-winning academics, billionaire philanthropists and CEOs to students, activists and social entrepreneurs to support them to get their message across in the most powerful way.
Maryam has 10 years of experience in human rights and a background in psychology. She is a Visiting Fellow at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford where she focuses on impact storytelling.

Reserve your ticket here: https://esutalksted.eventbrite.co.uk

Salisbury branch: A Luncheon Party
2021-06-26 12:00 - 15:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The Chairman of the ESU Salisbury & South Wiltshire branch requests the pleasure of your company at ‘A Luncheon Party’ on Saturday 26th June, from 12 noon to 3pm in a garden in Blandford Forum.
Tickets: Members £20; Guests £25 to include a 2-course Buffet Lunch with wine.
Cheques payable to The English-Speaking Union to be sent no later than Friday 11th June to: Terence Dear, Hon. Secretary, 11 Marsh’s Court, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 7LG.
Further details: esusalisbury-secretary@esu.org; 01258 480887
Please contact the Secretary if you would like help with transport or would be willing to offer a lift in your car. A map with information about parking will be sent on receipt of bookings.

Lincolnshire Branch: Summer reception
2021-06-22 18:00 - 21:00 | Doddington Hall, Doddington Hall, Doddington, Lincoln, LN6 4RU, United Kingdom
Once again James and Claire Birch have very kindly agreed to host the Lincolnshire branch Summer evening reception at Doddington Hall on Tuesday, 22 June. Members and supporters will be able to preview the magnificent new collection of military uniforms dating back a century or more as well as enjoy the Lincolnshire Artists Exhibition and, of course, catch up with old friends. Tickets cost £10 per ticket; please book via Kelly.Bevers@carlbom.co.uk.

ZOOM EVENT: Jatinder Verma MBE in conversation with Alastair Niven
2021-06-08 18:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Join the English-Speaking Union for an online event with Jatinder Verma MBE
Born in Tanzania and raised in Kenya until the age of 14, Jatinder Verma MBE has been a formidable figure in the British arts world for over 40 years and is regarded as one of the leading authorities in the country on diversity issues. In 1976 he was the co-founder of Tara Arts, the British Asian theatre company which now has its own Tara Theatre in London. In 1989 he was the first non-white director of a play at the National Theatre. He dramatised the epic Indian text The Mahabharata for the BBC and a few days after he speaks for the ESU he will direct the same work in the West End. Jatinder will begin the evening with a talk on Diversity in the Arts before taking questions from Alastair and the audience.
Please reserve your ticket here: https://esuzoom.eventbrite.co.uk

ESU YOUNG MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS FORUM
2021-05-26 18:30 - 19:30 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
The ESU is holding a Zoom forum to bring together young members and volunteers from around the country to discuss not only what they can do to further the work of the English-Speaking Union supporting the ESU’s oracy work with schools, but also to consider how the ESU can create a engaging and fulfilling membership experience for those under 30.
The forum will feature a discussion between six young members and volunteers, before it is opened up to the floor for questions and discussion.
Our panellists will be:
Chair – Louis Preston
Louis now works in TV/film industry. He is an alumnus of the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Louis was an intern at our Dartmouth House HQ and an ESU Oracy Trainer and Mentor (OTM) who delivered Discover Debating. He now judges the ESU-Churchill PSC and the ESU Performing Shakespeare Competition, as well as supporting the ESU as a Zoom Host.
Jennifer Grace
Jen works as a Drama and Arts Facilitator and studying for a Master’s in Applied Theatre at The Royal School of Speech and Drama. She is an alumna of the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Jen is now a member of the Guildford Branch committee and organises branch events; she also judges the ESU-Churchill PSC and the ESU Performing Shakespeare Competition, as well as supporting the ESU as a Zoom Host.
Fatima Pamsm-Conteh
Fatima is studying at the University of Birmingham. She is a three year alumna of the ESU’s Debate Academy. Fatima now judges the ESU-Churchill PSC and introduced Baroness Hale at a recent ESU Zoom event.
Serena Parek
Serena works in London in public affairs and political communications. She is an alumna of the London Debate Challenge, as well as the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking and ESU Schools’ Mace Debating competitions. Serena has been an ESU Oracy Trainer and Mentor (OTM) and now judges the ESU-Churchill PSC.
James Thompson
James is studying at De Montfort University, Leicester. He is an alumnus of the ESU’s House of Lords Chamber Debate and won the ESU Schools’ Mace for England, as well as the ESU International Mace. James now judges the ESU-Churchill PSC and the ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition. He spoke at the last ESU 4th July celebration event.
Erin Young
Erin is studying at the University of Manchester. She is an alumna of the ESU’s Secondary School Exchange (SSE) to the USA and of the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Erin spoke at the ESU’s centenary celebration and now judges the ESU-Churchill PSC and the ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition. She was a member of the volunteer team who ran the ESU’s Festival of Speaking in 2020.
We hope very much that you will want to participate in this event as we look to the future, building on our proud past and on our current work.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/2075291550?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 207 529 1550
Passcode: [REDACTED]

JOIN US FOR THE IPSC GRAND FINAL
2021-05-14 17:00 - 20:00 | The English-Speaking Union, 37 Charles Street, London, England, W1J 5ED, United Kingdom
Join us on Friday 14 May at 5pm BST for the grand final of the International Public Speaking Competition, where the best candidates from around the world will be speaking on the theme ‘The best route to change engages all voices’. Participants will perform in front of our eminent panel of judges comprising:

The Rt. Hon Robert Buckland QC, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Victoria Bingham, Head, South Hampstead High School, won IPSC 1995 representing Belgium
Debbie Newman, Founder and Lead Trainer of Noisy Classroom, Former Head of the then Centre for Speech and Debate at the ESU
Alma Agustsdottir, BA English literature and linguistics from the University of Iceland, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in translation studies, won IPSC 2015 representing Iceland
Timothy Tung, Commercial Officer, UK Foreign Office/British Consulate-General; IPSC alumnus (Grand Final 2017) representing Hong Kong

We hope you can join us for what promises to be a very exciting event.
