UCL Alumni Group Events, January - June 2016 Contact: John McKenzie (Administrator), 51 Clifford Road, Barnet, Herts EN5 5PD (020 8447 1396)

1. Monday 18 January, at 3.30 pm. Prime-mover: Jim Parkin (Chemistry 1959) London Group events, January – June 2016 UCL Institute of Making

Dear Fellow Alumnus/Alumna, The Institute of Making is a multidisciplinary research club at UCL for those interested in the made world: from makers of molecules to makers of buildings, synthetic skin to spacecraft, soup to diamonds, As always, our programme for the next session has a varied, stimulating and enjoyable range of socks to cities. At the heart of the Institute is the Materials Library – a growing repository of some of the events. Highlights include a visit to the UCL Institute of Making, with its unique Materials most extraordinary materials on earth, gathered together for their ability to fire the imagination and Library, and a performance of West Side Story by the UCL Musical Theatre Society. Two other advance conceptualisation. A place in which makers from all disciplines can see, touch, research and musical events are included: a concert by the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall and the annual UCL discuss, so that they can apply the knowledge and experience gained to their own practice. Alongside the opera production. The 2016 opera is a rarely-performed work by Donizetti. collection is the MakeSpace – a workshop where members and guests can make, break, design and combine both advanced and traditional tools, techniques and materials. Visit the website for a There are some return visits, including a wine tasting at Laithwaites, Southwark, and another preliminary taste of this extraordinary and innovative facility: www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/. chance to visit Leighton House, this time followed by a walking tour of Holland Park. Other London walks are planned in Literary Marylebone and the docklands area. We also have a tour of £8. Maximum number 25. the and visits to Trinity House and the London home of the Spencer family, with its lavish interiors. A fascinating tour of the Wimbledon Tennis Complex and Museum is also on the programme. 2. Tuesday 26 January, at 2.30 pm. Prime-mover: Dennis Wilmot (Psychology 1995) We have two talks by well-known UCL professors on very different topics: Tsunamis and Anglo- American Relations. Wine Tasting – new trends including Royal Sparkling Wine

For our final event we hope to learn about the new UCL East campus at Olympic Park. Details of Come to Southwark and learn how Laithwaites in conjunction with Ridgeview are providing the this event are still under discussion. technology to grow and vinify champagne-style grapes from the Royal Parks, including Windsor Great Park. Learn about and taste English sparkling white wine; discover some new and interesting flavours I am very grateful to organising team members who have acted as prime movers for these events from Eastern Europe and further afield. Finally taste a surprise from a sweet old friend. To be and hope that you are able to participate in at least some of them. We very much welcome accompanied by snacks from Borough Market next door. suggestions of future events from Group members, especially if you are willing to be the prime £32. Maximum number 25. mover.

Subscription renewals 3. Wednesday 3 February at 7.30 pm. We are sending this programme to non-renewers, who may wish to rejoin for this second half of Prime-mover: Janet Kitchen (French 1964) the Group year to June 2016. If you would like to apply for tickets, please include a subscription. London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall With best wishes, Yours sincerely, Programme: Dvorak: Overture, Otello; Brahms: Double Concerto for violin and cello; Dvorak: Symphony No. 6 Conductor: Yannick Nezet-Seguin Violin: Lisa Batashvili Cello: Maximilian Hornung

This concert forms part of the Shakespeare 400th Anniversary celebrations and will be preceded by a free lecture on the popularity of Othello with adaptors and composers, and its role as a lightning rod for perceptions of ethnicity, religion and gender. As usual, those who wish can meet up beforehand for an optional supper at the Azzurro Italian restaurant (not included in the ticket). £22. Maximum number 30. John Gregory (Chemistry 1959)

4. Wednesday 17 February at 6.30 pm. 7. Monday 14 March, at 7.30 pm. Prime-mover: John Gregory (Chemistry 1959) Prime-mover: Ian Senior (Economics 1974)

Talk: “Engineering against Tsunami” by Professor Tiziana Rossetto UC Opera’s production of ‘La Favorite’ by Donizetti

Tiziana Rossetto joined UCL in 2004. She founded and directs the Earthquake and People Interaction The plot is a love triangle involving the King of Castile Alfonso XI, his mistress ('the favourite') Centre (EPICentre), which is a multidisciplinary research group looking at topics of earthquake and Leonora, and her lover, Fernando. The story unfolds against the background of the Moorish invasions of tsunami risk. Tiziana has undertaken a number of field missions to assess damage to buildings and Spain and power struggles between church and state. It will be sung in the French version. infrastructure in earthquake zones including the L'Aquila earthquake 2009; Wenchuan, China earthquake of 2008; the Kashmir Earthquake of 2005; the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami 2004 and the Bhuj Donizetti was required by the director of the Paris Opera to include a prominent role for the latter’s Earthquake, India 2001. mistress. He drew on material from an unperformed opera and wrote the entire final act in three to four hours apart from some material that was added in rehearsal. Tiziana is involved in educational and public outreach, including a UCL-RI Engineering Masterclass on Earthquake Engineering for Year 9 students and a TEDx talk on Tsunamis in Brussels. She is now very Because of building work at the Theatre, the production will be in the Theatre Royal well known in her field. Stratford East, the venue made famous by Joan Littlewood. Recordings by Pavarotti and others singing £12, including wine and snacks. Maximum number 60. Spirto Gentil from the opera can be seen on Youtube £22. Maximum number 40.

5. Thursday 25 February at 7.30 pm. Prime-mover: Ian Senior (Economics 1974) 8. Monday 21 March at 10.30 am. Prime-mover: Jenny Dunn (Statistics 1962) UCLU Musical Theatre Society’s production of ‘West Side Story’ Walk: Leighton House and Holland Park West Side Story needs no introduction and is considered by some to be the greatest musical ever written. The Musical Theatre Society’s productions are of a remarkably high standard in staging, acting, For our spring walk we will be exploring the Holland Park area of west London, starting in the morning choreography and music. Their production of A Chorus Line gained unstinted plaudits from a party of with a private tour at 11 am of Leighton House with its unique two-storey Arab Hall. Built by Lord the London Group. This show is a must-see for those who like musicals. Leighton in the 19th century, as well as being his home and working studio it also became his private palace of art. Having recently undergone extensive restoration it has now returned to its full splendour. Because the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre is being refurbished, this production is at the , , close to King’s Cross underground station. NB - booking will close on 1 February. Lunch will be at a nearby local pub in a quiet Georgian square, after which Caroline MacMillan will guide us round peaceful Holland Park itself and tell us about Holland House, which was mostly £13. Maximum number 40. destroyed in the last war but was once a glittering social, literary and political centre for the great and the famous. Please note that the cost of refreshments is not included in the price. £20. Maximum number 25. 6. Tuesday 1 March, at 10.00 am. Prime-mover: Anne Folkes (Medicine 1963) 9. Monday 4 April at 11.00 am. Backstage and Front of House tour of the Royal Opera House Prime-mover: Kate Wickson (Classics 1972)

The Royal Opera House, , is home to the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera; it covers Spencer House 2.5 acres and dates back to 1858. Over 75 minutes we will gain an insight into the redevelopment of the site and aspects of current productions, while preparations for that evening’s performance take place. We will be able to take a guided tour of Spencer House, the London home of the Spencer family since As the Royal Opera House is a working theatre we might see the Royal Ballet in class or the backstage 1766, built by the first Earl and Countess Spencer. It is a rare survivor of the grand London homes technology in operation, but each tour is unique depending what is happening on the day. The tour may owned by the great families of the 18th century, and exemplifies the work of the best craftsmen and involve stairs and lengthy corridors and there is no possibility of seating backstage. architects of the day. The interiors are lavish in style and demonstrate the new taste for Graeco-Roman influences. The house overlooks Green Park and has been recently restored to the very highest standards £15. Maximum number 2x20. by Lord Rothschild. Our tour will last one hour and then those who wish can return to Piccadilly for lunch at Richoux (at own cost). £15. Maximum number 2x15.

10. Monday 11 April at 3.00 pm. 13. Sunday 5 June at 2.00 pm. Prime-mover: John Bonham Prime-mover: Jim Parkin (Chemistry 1959)

Trinity House, Trinity Square, EC3 4DH Tour of the Wimbledon Tennis Complex and Museum

The Trinity House on Tower Hill was built in the years 1794 - 96 by Samuel Wyatt. It was gutted in The tour will be guided by an expert Blue Guide and will encompass the grounds and back room 1940 by a German incendiary bomb. Nevertheless the original façade was saved. It is still a particularly facilities. We will see the courts, including the show courts, which will be having their final preparations handsome house with a wealth of fine paintings, sculptures, instruments and artefacts. Trinity House is for the Championships to come at the end of the month. We will see the Players’ Entrance and Changing responsible for River Pilots and Lighthouses and is administrated by a court of eminent Ship’s Captains, Rooms, and the International Press Room. The tour will last about 90 minutes and finish at the Museum known as the Brethren. It is situated close by Tower Hill Station; on exiting the station turn right into and shop, after which there will be an opportunity for tea (not included in the ticket). Trinity Square and you will see the imposing building on the right. £15. Maximum number 25. £22. Maximum number 30.

11. Saturday 21 May at 11.00 am. 14. Saturday 18 June at 11.00 am. Prime-mover: Jim Parkin (Chemistry 1959) Prime-mover: Kate Wickson (Classics 1972)

Walk: Literary Marylebone Walk: The Changing Face of the Isle of Dogs

Xxxxxxx Our walk will take us to the area of the docklands just south of Canary Wharf. We will start at Xxxxxxxx Crossharbour on the DLR, where we will look at the buildings around Millwall Docks that were, until Xxxxxxx recently, home to the Telegraph and other publications. We then move on to look at the area around Xxxxxxx Mudchute and City Farm before moving on to the riverside walk, where modern housing has replaced Xxxxxxx the old warehouses, but there are still reminders of the past and memorials to the trading history of this £10. Maximum number 25. area. From here we can enjoy splendid views across the river to Wren’s Greenwich. Our walk concludes at Mudchute DLR. The walk will take about two and a half hours, including a refreshment stop at City Farm. We can then return to the Canary Warf area for lunch and those who wish could explore the free 12. Wednesday 11 May at 6.30 pm. Museum of the Docklands in the afternoon. The walk will be led by Kate and Tom Wickson Prime-mover: John Gregory (Chemistry 1959) £10. Maximum number 20. Talk: “Anglo-American Relations: is there life beyond the ‘Special Relationship’?” by Professor Kathleen Burk 15. Wednesday 29 June at 2.30 pm. Prime-mover: John Gregory (Chemistry 1959) Kathleen Burk is Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at UCL. Her general field is international history, concentrating especially on politics, diplomacy and finance. Her primary area of UCL East research is Anglo-American relations, on which she has published three books and a number of articles. Among several books on other topics, she has published a biography of A J P Taylor. UCL East will be a second campus, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and it presents a very rare opportunity to build on the original vision for UCL, but exploring it anew in the context of 21st- Kathy is also Cellarmistress of the UCL Professors Dining Club and writes on wine and its history, century London. Delivery will require a changed mindset, to deal with the challenges of the future rather than the constraints of our 200-year-old campus in Bloomsbury. The new campus will be part of a wider £12, including wine and snacks. Maximum number 60. 'Olympicopolis': a new educational and cultural district just seven minutes by train from St Pancras. Other institutions expected to take up residence include the University of the Arts, the V&A and Sadler’s Wells. The first phase should be ready for occupation from September 2019, and when fully operational will support some 2,500 students and 500 staff, with student and staff residential accommodation on site.

The academic programme will focus on ‘anchor activities’ of openness and innovation, with emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration such as architecture, engineering, medicine and science. Full details for this event are not yet confirmed, but we hope to hear a talk about progress of the new venture from Vice- Provost David Price, who is Chair of the UCL East Academic Programme Board; this might even take place at the Olympic Park! £15. Maximum number 30.

TICKET APPLICATION FORM 2016

ticket number tickets UCL Alumni London Group – payments by BACS or credit card price wanted cost

1 Institute of Making Mon 18 Jan £8 After our brochure of events is issued, we wait two weeks for ticket requests to arrive, then if necessary run a ballot. Please wait to be informed of your allocation: this will 2 Wine tasting Tue 26 Jan £32 show the total amount owed, to be paid by BACS or online with Visa or Mastercard. 3 LPO at RFH Wed 3 Feb £22

BACS payments should be made to Sort Code 56-00-31 and account 69861137. 4 Talk: ‘Tsunamis’ Wed 17 Feb £12 5 Shaw Theatre: ‘West Side Story’ Thur 25 Feb £13

UCL has a secure system for payments by credit card, similar to buying goods online. 6 ROH backstage Tue 1 Mar £15 Use the internet to access the website onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk (without www!).

7 UC Opera at Stratford East Mon 14 Mar £22

The first time you access onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk, you will need to set up a username and 8 Walk: Holland Park Mon 21 Mar £20

password of your choice. Then look in ‘Product Catalogue’ for ‘UCL Alumni London 9 Spencer House Mon 4 Apr £15 Group’ and click on it, followed by ‘Ticket Payment’. Enter the total amount to be paid 10 Trinity House Mon 11 Apr £15 from your card, and ‘Add to Basket’. After ‘Check Out’ you will receive an immediate acknowledgement, followed by an email message with your receipt. Annual £15 or £10 11 Walk: Literary Marylebone Sat 21 May £10 subscriptions can be paid on their own in a similar way, or may be included with ticket 12 Talk: ‘Anglo–US relations’ Wed 11 May £12

payments in a single total payment. 13 Wimbledon All-England Club Sun 5 Jun £22

14 Walk: Isle of Dogs Sat 18 Jun £10 15 UCL East Wed 29 Jun £15 Travel assistance Are you put off attending some events because of the difficulty of getting there? Alternatively, do Total cost £ you often drive to an event with a couple of spare seats in the car? Please tick if applicable – We normally have to pay for tickets well ahead of time, and cannot make a refund for unwanted tickets unless we can fill your I am usually willing to offer 1 or 2 seats when driving to an event place from a waiting list. The number of places for most events is limited: we allow two weeks for requests to arrive by post, and then if an event is oversubscribed its tickets are allocated by ballot (then 2 tickets maximum).

Payments by BACS are welcome: use sort code 56-00-31 and account 69861137, or you may I would be grateful for travel assistance when going to an event pay online by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) at onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk, but please wait for

confirmation of your allocation and amount owed before making these payments.

Prime-movers If you wish to pay by cheque, please make cheques payable to ‘UCL Alumni London Group’ – The Organising Team consists of the Officers, the Administrator and a variable number of ‘prime- either one signed blank cheque (with upper limit) for us to fill in according to your allocation, movers’. These are people who take responsibility for organising (but not administering) events of or one cheque for each event requested (which will only be presented if you are allocated tickets). their choice, guided and supported by the Team. Prime-movers attend monthly evening meetings at

UCL which last about 60 - 90 minutes. They plan the events, prepare simple budgets, and ensure that Payment method: BACS Online Cheque the events happen. The Administrator and the Alumni Office provide support. If you would like to become a prime-mover, either for a particular event that you have in mind, or for one suggested by the Team, please let us know. The Team is an enthusiastic group, which is why its members find it enjoyable as well as making a worthwhile contribution to UCL. Please give a brief description of a proposed event, or any other comments you may wish to make about the London Group - FROM: ...... Postcode ......

Email: ......

Return to: John McKenzie, 51 Clifford Road, Barnet, Herts EN5 5PD ([email protected] 020 8447 1396)