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SOHO GASTRO TOUR
5th april
Our last gastro-tour with Jenny Linford took place two years ago and was such a hit that we could not wait to organise another one. This year’s tour was just as well-received, made even better by perfect spring weather.
Jenny, a London-based freelance food writer, has authored 15 books – including three recent releases. One of them, The Kew Gardens Salad Book, sparked particular interest among the group. She has also written for a series of publications including the Times and the Guardian.
During the tour, Jenny guided us through Soho and Covent Garden, sharing her deep knowledge of London’s vibrant food scene. Along the way, we enjoyed a variety of tastings - from freshly baked almond croissants to a fragrant cup of cappuccino/expresso followed by exquisite truffle mortadella ending with a British farmhouse cheese at Neal’s Yard Dairy.
A stroll through China town led us to a fascinating three-level food shop, stocked with an impressive variety of Chinese and Southeast Asian ingredients, ranging from fresh Chinese broccoli to Thai basil or Shiitake mushrooms and an eye-opening selection of pantry staples.
Each stop was a delightful alternative to the sterile supermarket experience. A few savvy participants came prepared with bags to carry their tasty finds home.
BALLATINE : THREE SIGNATURE WORKS @ THE ROH
31ST MARCH
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
WALK FROM GREENFORD TO SOUTH KENTON
15TH MARCH
On Saturday 15th March a small group of us completed the Greenford to South Kenton section of the Capital Ring. The walk was mainly level on firm ground with a couple of steep slopes to get the lungs working and we had very good weather and it wasn’t too cold.
There were a number of points of interest along the way. We came to the Paradise Fields Wetlands first, an important site for nature conservation, comprising of reed beds, wetland areas and hay meadows. It is the site where a family of beavers was reintroduced in October 2023.
The Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal soon came into sight and we walked along the towpath for nearly a mile. A major change in the area occurred in the 1800s with this arm of the canal opening, enabling hay ( the area’s main product) to be shipped into London in bulk. In return London sent back to Horsenden ‘Mack’, which was an unpleasant mix of street sweepings, fish and meat offal and horse droppings to be used for manure for the hay fields.
Horsenden Hill at around 275 ft provided us with one of the finest natural viewpoints in London. This was the site of an anti-aircraft gun during World War I, a defence against the German airships. It is also home to an enormous amount of pottery left behind by an Iron Age Settlement, making it a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Towards the end of the walk we passed a number of the buildings belonging to Harrow School. This has grown to occupy much of Harrow-on-the-Hill and was established in 1572 to provide a free education to 30 poor boys in the parish by John Lyons, a local farmer and landowner. Today most of the pupils live in one of 11 boarding houses dotted around the village and follow in the footsteps of many leading notables, including Winston Churchill and Lord Byron. We enjoyed a lovely lunch here at the Castle Pub before making our way to South Kenton Station.
It was a wonderful opportunity to get out and catch up with our Lyceum Friends!
DRUM TAO @ PEACOCK THEATRE
11 MARCH
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!
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
26 FEBRUARY
The evening began at the delightful Covent Garden Hotel where a small group of us gathered to enjoy a pre theatre drink and a few nibbles. A little later a short walk led us to the Dominion Theatre which is home to The Devil Wears Prada.
The musical is based on the blockbuster film and the bestselling novel by Lauren Weisberger. It was absolutely lovely to see that it stays true to the 2006 film (which starred Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway) to within an inch of its haute couture-clad life! Everyone agreed that this was an uplifting and nostalgic homage to an already much loved story.
The original score is by music legend Elton John, with lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark
Sonnenblick. It was as energetic and powerful as you might expect. Elton John’s music is never short of catchy, enjoyable and entertaining tunes and there was plenty of variation in the songs, from disco bests to ballad in piano rock.
The talented cast included US stage and screen star Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, City of Angels) as Runway magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep in the movie. She was joined by Olivier Award-winner Matt Henry (Kinky Boots, The Drifters Girl) as Nigel, her trusted fashion expert, played by Stanley Tucci in the film. Georgie Buckland (Shrek the Musical, Bedknobs and Broomsticks) plays the newbie assistant, Andy (Anne Hathaway’s role) and the outstanding Amy Di Bartolomeo (Six the Musical, We Will Rock You) takes on the part of Emily, Miranda’s Chief Assistant, played by Emily Blunt in the movie. She was almost interchangeable with Ms Blunt, pulling off the aloof mannerisms, the dismissive voice and haughty tone, almost dominating the stage from the moment she strode onto it ordering us to take photos of her and then to switch off our mobiles!
It was an absolute joy to watch , with all the catch phrases from the film, and there were plenty of smiles at the end!
As Miranda would say, “That’s all!”
THE CONNECTED BRAIN
4 FEBRUARY
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”.
ANGELA HEWITT @ WIGMORE HALL
23 JANUARY
On Thursday 23rd January a group of us met in The Wigmore Hall bar before attending the Angela Hewitt recital. Angela is a Canadian pianist of extraordinary authority and renown, best known for her Bach interpretations. She has won many awards and performed all around the world.
Before her performance we took a bit of time to admire the wonderful venue. Wigmore Hall follows the Renaissance style, using alabaster and marble walls, which furnish a flat, rectangular hall with a small raised stage area complete with a cupola above, depicting the Soul of Music. This distinctive mural was designed by Gerald Moira, who was responsible for a number of contemporary public art works. Wigmore Hall is considered to have one of the best acoustics for classical music in Europe and we were not disappointed!
The spirit of dance was never far from the heart of Angela's recital and she dazzled us with her phenomenal performance. Her programme included two contrasting suites by George Frideric Handel (Suite No.2 in F and Chaconne in G, Handel at his most Gallic) and Johann Sebastian Bach (French Suite No.6) and then built towards Johannes Brahms's mighty Variations with Joseph Hayden's entrancing Piano Sonata in E flat.
EPIPHANY@HOME
6 JANUARY
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!