PAST EVENTS 2025

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On Saturday 10th May a glorious blue sky was the perfect backdrop for our Lyceum walk during National Walking Month 2025. We assembled at Stratford station armed with comfortable shoes, sunglasses, various layers and sun lotion and started off.

The route we followed is called The Line and is a fascinating public art project established in East London in 2015. It connects the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the O2, following the waterways and the line of the Greenwich Meridian. The project was co-founded by its Director, Megan Piper, alongside the late Clive Dutton, an urban regeneration expert. The Line’s ethos is about embellishing the spaces in-between, while exploring how art can connect with people locally, and features an impressive array of varied works from some of the world’s most acclaimed artists, including Anish Kapoor, Madge Hill, Gary Hume, Laura Ford, and Richard Wilson. 

We thoroughly enjoyed spotting the art installations along our journey and there was much discussion. One of the first artworks to come into sight was in the Olympic Park, Anish Kapoor’s famous Arcelor Mittal Orbit, which really stood out, not only because of its size but also its design. Crossing Waterworks river we stopped for a quick coffee break at Jim and Tonic peeking in at The Rum House, which unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) was closed. We continued to discover artworks as well as some interesting architectural and historical buildings, the most impressive of which was The Three Mills, on the River Lea. This stunning set of mills is one of the oldest surviving industrial centres in the city, although it looks more like a Loire Valley chateau! The House Mill remains the world’s largest surviving tidal mill, the foundations of which date back to 1380-1420.

Rounding another river curve, we came across the shopping trolleys sculpture, DNA DL90, by Abigail Fallis. The work was commissioned by a supermarket chain in 2003 on the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA’s double-helix by American biologist James Watson and English physicist Francis Crick. 

Another very interesting area was Cody Dock, a huge ex-industrial dock located off the Lea river, which is now home to a dynamic artistic community who are transforming the place from dereliction into an oasis of creativity and production. Of particular note was the sensory garden, the art work made from wooden boxes, a telephone box seating area and also the fascinating Cody Dock Rolling Bridge. Constructed from weathering steel and oak, the bridge is able to roll through 180 degrees to a fully inverted position to facilitate the movement of boats from the river to the dock! On the north side of the river there are several colourfully painted pieces by Madge Hill, a highly regarded self-taught artist, and her bridge painting by Cody Dock provides a wonderful frame and enhances the view beyond.

We shared good conversation and delicious pizzas sitting on the terrace at Bonnane Restaurant at the Royal Victoria Docks, finishing off our lunch with desserts and coffees before going on to our next not-to-be-missed experience, the IFS Cloud Cable Car! Before long we were presented with extraordinary views as we crossed the Thames rising to 90m in our spacious cable car.

Once on terra firma we strolled around the Greenwich Peninsula taking in the views as well as the many artworks. Particular highlights included the Milepost on the Greenwich Meridian, ‘Liberty Grip’ (a sculpture of the human form caught between representation and abstraction by Gary Hume), the bright red ‘Head In Wind’ by Allen Jones, Antony Gormley’s ‘Quantum Cloud’ and Richard Wilson’s ‘slice of reality’ which is a literal slice of ship! Of course it would be remiss not to mention the incredible works by Damien Hirst which included the beautiful ‘Mermaid’ and the striking ‘Demon with Bowl’ statue standing at just over 18m in height! 

As we made our way back on to the tube system we reflected on a wonderful and very varied walk, with nuggets of interest at every turn. Not only were we extremely fortunate in the gorgeous weather but also with the good company and conversation of our lovely Lyceum ladies. 

Once again Leighton House was home to a beautiful concert performed by Patrick Hemmerlé, as part of the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society 2024-2025 Season.

 The programme, exclusively dedicated to Sonati, started with one of Mozart's most loveable works, Piano Sonata No.10 in C major K.330, followed by Beethoven's third Sonata No.7 in D major Op.10. In an unusual way, this Sonata opens with a Presto movement and we could feel sadness and deep thoughts in its development before finishing on a more optimistic note in the last movement. 

During the second part of the concert, Patrick Hemmerlé played Medtner's Piano Sonata in A flat major Op.11 No1, followed by a Sonata by another Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev. Patrick Hemmerlé performed the Piano Sonata No.2 in D minor Op.14 with such brilliance and power.

The concert finished on a more jazzy note with Nikolai Kapustin's Piano Sonata No.6 Op.62 bringing to the public a very cheerful and happy ending to our evening.

French-born, Patrick Hemmerlé studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Paris. Winner of numerous international prizes, he is a member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University where he is in charge of the concert programme. It was the second time that Patrick was invited to play for the Society.

Before the concert, our members and guests had the opportunity to visit the magnificent Studio Home of Sir Frederic, with its unique Arabic Hall.

We began our wonderful evening with a drink and some nibbles at the ROH Bar on the spacious and beautifully airy first floor.

The Royal Ballet’s triple bill, Balanchine: Three Signature Works, showcased three distinct masterpieces by George Balanchine - Georgian by birth and Russian by training- each representing a different aspect of his choreographic genius:

1. Serenade (1934) – Balanchine’s first ballet  created in America, set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. This lyrical, neoclassical piece is known for its flowing formations, emotional depth, and dreamlike quality. It begins with a famous image of ballerinas standing in a diagonal line, reaching upward, and evolves into  a poetic meditation on fate, love, and loss.
2. Prodigal Son (1929) – A dramatic, narrative ballet set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, originally created for the Ballets Russes. Based on the biblical parable, it follows the journey of a rebellious young man who leaves home, falls into the grasp of a seductive yet cruel Siren and her minions, and ultimately returns in a      moment of redemption. Unlike Balanchine’s later abstract works, this ballet is rich in theatrical storytelling and expressive movement.
3. Symphony in C (1947) – A dazzling, large-scale ensemble work set to Bizet’s Symphony in C major. Originally choreographed for the Paris Opéra Ballet, this ballet is pure classical brilliance—fast, intricate footwork, grand formations, and radiant technique. Each of its four movements highlights different moods and ensemble structures, culminating in a spectacular finale featuring the entire cast.

The auditorium was packed to the brim, not a single seat left unclaimed. Thunderous applause filled the air, a testament to the audience's admiration for the breath-taking performance. A night of pure magic—one that simply must be experienced again!

The Plume wine bar in London’s Covent Garden is a little gem nestled amongst the many theatres and shops. Set on the corner of 26 Wellington Street, Charles Dickens’s former 1860s Publishing House, it was the perfect spot to begin our evening. Once inside,  we were seated on the ground floor in their bright white space with a collection of interesting masks and art on the walls. The menu had extensive wines with a world map highlighting their international origins. The page of tempting small plates was not ignored and just how many chips covered in a blanket of freshly grated Parmesan were consumed, will remain a group secret!!

After a short walk we arrived at the Peacock Theatre for the London debut of Drum Tao. Based in Oita, Japan, the group brought their one-of-a-kind instrumental performance to the enthusiastic audience, with the distinctly Japanese lineup of Wadaiko drums alongside beautiful melodies on Shinobue (flute), Koto (harp), and Syamisen (guitar). 

The group’s extraordinary athleticism, large scale taiko drumming and precise choreography, all presented with contemporary costumes and stunning visuals, combined to create a truly energetic and electrifying production.

It’s no wonder that Drum TAO has received international acclaim for their dedication to the Japanese musical craft. Their traditional style paired with intense physicality and contemporary musical interpretations has earned them millions of YouTube views, a sold-out Off-Broadway run, and opportunities to represent Japan around the world.

We were completely enraptured with their unique performance and left with very broad smiles! 

Gresham College, founded in 1597 in London, is an independent institution that provides free public lectures on a wide range of academic subjects. It was established through the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy merchant, and has no students or degree programs, focusing solely on disseminating knowledge through expert-led talks.

A group of us went to a lecture led by the mathematician Alain Goriely. We found out that the brain is mostly organised into small modular regions connected to each other. Typically, each region performs different cognitive tasks, from image processing to language. This organisation leads to model the brain as a network, “the brain connectome”. This fundamental view of the brain as become a central paradigm for neurosciences. The lecture presented ideas from graph theory to study this network and understand the way that the brain learns and operates.

We ended our challenging and interesting lecture with a dinner in a charming, historical gastropub “ The Lady Ottoline”.

We kicked off the New Year with the celebration of the Epiphany at the cosy home of one of our members in Richmond. It was a lovely way to gather again after the festive winter break and indulge ourselves with some delicious finger foods and bubbles before sharing the traditional French Galette des Rois. 

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we might do it again next year!