Telephone : 020 7529 1550 Fax : 020 7495 6108 Email : esu@esu.org Web : www.esu.org

ESU News ISSUE No. 146NOVEMBER 2009

THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION Creating global understanding through English

Thirty-one delegates from nine countries madethe journey to the capital to welcome this latestaddition to the ESU’s ever-growing networkacross the globe.

Chairman Zenel Hoxha was originally put intouch with the ESU through a mutual contact,Ralph Land, coined as the godfather of ESUAlbania. Mr Hoxha is also President of theAlbania British Chamber of Commerce. With the support of his committee, there is now a varied and determined group of people in

Albania who are keen to promote the English-Speaking Union and its education programmes.

Off to a flying start, our newest ESU has alreadyintroduced its public speaking programme inschools and entered its first competitor in theInternational Public Speaking Competition thisyear, who spoke on The New Start.

As part of the launch programme, delegateswent on a two-day cultural tour of this fascinating country which has only recentlybegun to open up to the outside world after 46 years of Communist rule.

The first day took the visitors to Berat, ‘the city of one thousand windows’. Here, they toured acastle which overlooks the city and is protectedby UNESCO.

Some of the local wine was sampled beforeguests returned to Tirana.

The second day introduced the group to Durres, the ancient Greco-Roman port city ofEpidamnus-Dyrrachium, where they visited theByzantine city walls and Roman Amphitheatre. It was evident that insufficient investment in protecting Albania’s heritage has made the promotion of tourism in the country a huge challenge, but nevertheless, conference delegates were impressed by what they saw.

Continued on page 2.

Tirana at night, www.fotolia.com

ESU Albania is Launchedin TiranaThe ESU extended its reach into one of the lesser-known corners ofEurope with the launch of ESU Albania in Tirana on 7 September.

Ralph Land and Zenel Hoxha

ContentsAlbania Launch . . . . . .Page 1

Albania Launch cont’d . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 2

Green ESU . . . . . . . . .Page 2

Oxford Conference . . . .Page 3

Poetree Competition . . . . . . . .Page 3

Shakespeare Seminar . . . . . . . . . . .Page 4

Competition Round-Up . . . . . . . . .Page 4

Young SSE Reunion . . .Page 5

Capitol Hill Gathering . . . . . . . . . .Page 5

Washington Reflections . . . . . . . . .Page 6

Speech and Debate Tour . . . . . . . .Page 6

English Tuition Starts . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 6

New Faces . . . . . . . . .Page 7

Conference Goes West . . . . . . . . .Page 7

Diary Dates . . . . . . . .Page 8

2

Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for European Union accession. During the group’s time there, itbecame obvious that Albania’s entrance into the EU occupied theminds of many. Although the economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, with a large informaleconomy, troubled infrastructure, high unemployment rates andsocial problems. However, a concerted effort is being made to conform to the standards set by the Copenhagen Criteria.

There are many challenges, but Albania has made tremendous positive changes. Efforts are being made to increase governmentfunds with a particular focus on encouraging much needed foreigninvestment. Inclusion in the EU would give Albania preferentialtrading rights and the political status needed to drive economicgrowth.

The launch of ESU Albania coincided with a visit by a trade delegation, also co-ordinated by Zenel Hoxha. Negotiations areunderway regarding the improvement of land development andmoves are being made to repair the country’s infrastructure. The ESU made useful contacts with government officials including the Foreign Minister.

Lord Watson represented the ESU at a press conference celebratingthe launch, with the Rector of Tirana University and there wasmuch press interest in the ESU’s launch with eight television channels reporting on the event. All outlined the importance of theESU’s presence in creating understanding through the medium of acommon language.

The launch ceremony itself was held in the Residence of the BritishAmbassador, HE Fiona McIlwham. She was greatly encouraged bythe efforts of the new ESU team, underscoring the importance ofthe presence of NGOs like the ESU in Albania. She said that thismarked a positive step towards EU membership.

In his speech, Mr Hoxha emphasized how today English serves asthe common language of business, technology, commerce anddiplomacy.

The following day, the Prime Minister of Albania attended the‘grand opening’ of ESU Albania at the National Museum in Tiranaamidst more press interest.

ESU Albania did all they could to ensure the visiting delegationexperienced the best ofwhat the country had tooffer. We cannot thankthem enough for hostingthe delegation so well.

The support given bythe British Ambassadorin Albania and theAlbanian Ambassador to the Court of St James’sand the Foreign andCommonwealth Office ispromising for this youngESU as it begins itsjourney.

The ESU is running a special season on climate change and greenissues. From November 2009 until May 2010, activities andevents for members, schools and the general public on topics ofecological significance, climate change and human security will be run both locally and nationally.

ESU branches will have the opportunity to take part in initiativessuch as tree planting, recycling and sustainable living. And just toprove that the ESU can also practise what it preaches, we are making our own efforts to go green. ESU News is already printed onrecycled paper and, as chilled Dartmouth House staff will testify,the organisation has, for many years, reduced its carbon footprintowing to the fact that there is no central heating in its offices!

Over the coming months we will be introducing new initiatives toreduce our impact on the environment.

Meanwhile, we welcome the input of all our members and wouldlove to add photos of your events and activities. Please visitwww.esu.org/uk/branches for details of local events. See diarydates online and on the back cover for Green ESU events. More will follow, please keep checking back!

The ESU is Going Green

ESU Albania is Launched in Tirana, continued

Staff from Dartmouth House wear green to celebrate the launch of Green ESU

Zenel Hoxha, Lord Watson, Dr Sali Beresha, British Ambassador to Albania HE Ms Fiona McIlwham, Albanian Ambassador to the court of St James’sHE Mr Zef Mazi

A statue in Durres

3

Conference Promotes Global Understanding

For more than 40 years, the ESU’sInternational Relations Conference hasafforded overseas delegates the chance toexpand their knowledge of Britain and discuss its international role in the worldtoday.

This year was no exception with 34 participants from 28 countries gathering atMansfield College, Oxford for the six-dayprogramme. New ground was broken with Cyprus, Finland, Malta and Turkey represented at the conference for the first time.

Topics discussed during the week includedclimate change, the 21st century, the endof western dominance, international tradeand industry, US politics, global themes ineducation and the state of the Arts inBritain today.

There was also a hugely enjoyable trip toStratford to see the RSC performance of AsYou Like It, at the Courtyard Theatre.

As well as the formal conference sessions,the aim of the initiative is to bring togetherpeople from different cultures to shareexperiences and learn from each other.

This is an aspect that is clearly wellreceived and appreciated by those whoattend.

‘Each meal time was a valuable lesson inhuman understanding–listening about home and sharing our lives,’ wrote Warren D. Ashby from the USA.

Sheena Kapoor from India felt ‘the rich cultural diversity made it a truly memorableexperience’, whilst Turkey’s Berfu Guvensaid: ‘I think I will remember this conference as one of the turning points of my life. I am 30, and I was togetherwith 34 delegates from 28 countries forone week whom I didn’t know before. Itadded a lot to me [learning about] different cultures, points of views, lots of Englishspeaking, new acquirements’.

Ulla Harjulin from Finland summed up theoverall sentiment: ‘What a wonderful wayof increasing global understanding!’

The English-Speaking Union would like to thank the ESU Cambridge Welland Valley Branch, ESU Epping Forest Branch, ESU London Branch, ESU OxfordshireBranch, ESU West Sussex Branch and ESU York and District Branch for their very generous sponsorship of the conference and their continued support of the programme.

When visiting Dartmouth House, why not take a moment to look at the display cabinet, where you will find an exclusive range of gift items, all featuring the ESU logo. The items for sale are reasonably priced starting from just £3.50

and range from key fobs to an impressive assortment of glassware, ties, and jewellery. Ask at reception for details.

ESU Merchandise

Introducing PoetreeThe first major initiative in the green ESU season is the Education Department’sPoetree Competition for London primaryschools.

Imagine a World Without Trees is thetheme and is inspired by the 2009 MarshAward for Children’s Literature inTranslation.

Administered by the ESU, the 2009 winneris Toby Alone, translated into English bySarah Ardizzone, a novel with a powerfulecological message.

Entry is free, and schools are being askedto submit a minimum of 10 poems of anystyle and length. The winning school willreceive copies of Toby Alone, donated byWalker Books and a workshop delivered by Sarah.

Katherine Plummer, the ESU’s Head ofEducation Programmes says: “We are excited about engaging with children and schools in London, in this way. It is a great way for branches to become more involved with their local schools and communities and we hope that they will take advantage of this opportunity.”

Further information and downloadable support materials about the PoetreeCompetition can be found atwww.esu.org/green or by contacting Katherine Plummer at education@esu.org.

Delegates enjoy lunch at Mansfield College

4

Teaching Shakespeare in the classroom can often be challengingand making it accessible for students can be a petrifying feat for ateacher. The Globe Cultural Seminar, a collaboration between theESU and Globe Education, is an intense week of seminars, playsand workshops about teaching Shakespeare to students. It isspecifically designed for teachers whose first language is notEnglish.

Teachers from 20 countries took part in this year’s Globe CulturalSeminar held in August. Delegates were afforded the chance todevelop and exchange their ideas on teaching Shakespeare withpeople across the globe. They also gained active, practicalapproaches to teaching Shakespeare creatively in the classroomthat will inspire, enhance and develop classroom practice.

Theatre performances are an integral part of the week and therewere visits to Globe productions of Romeo and Juliet, As You LikeIt and Troilus and Cressida combined with the opportunity to meetand question the company members.

Through movement workshops, voice classes and demonstrationsin costume and design, the group examined the relationshipbetween actor and audience, considering how it could inform theirunderstanding of the relationship between teacher and studentwithin the classroom.

Patrick Spottiswoode, Director of Globe Education led workshopson Shakespeare in Several Classrooms and Shakespeare inSeveral Tongues, to help the teachers consider how Shakespeare is translated both in terms of performance and classroom curriculaacross the world.

Although only twenty teachers attend the course annually, the outreach is much wider as these teachers return to their own countries sharing their new ideas with their colleagues and go on to practice new methods of teaching Shakespeare to their students.

Marcos Daud from Brazil wrote, ‘When I return to Brazil I intend to share all that I have learned during the course with the teachersof our school. The new ideas I have learnt during my week, willhopefully lead to fresh discussions and new approaches’.

‘The sessions we attended during the seminar highlighted the richand multiple lines of meaning opened up by the Shakespeareantext in performance and introduced us to various exercises andmethods that can be used in the classroom to demonstrate that.Such practical approaches to teaching Shakespeare would be particularly useful for my students, as most of them will becometeachers of English in the public school sector.’Stella Achilleos, Cyprus.

Shakespeare and His Stage

Schools are Eager for ESU CompetitionsSeptember and October were predictably hectic with schoolsreturning following the summer holiday and eager to enter theschools’ competitions.

The ESU Schools Public Speaking Competition is in its 50th yearand with former winners including Rory Bremner (impressionist and playwright) and Anita Anand (BBC Presenter), it is one of theleading platforms for young people to develop and prove their oratorical skills. Each year, branches work hard to encourage newschools to take part and volunteers are always welcome to helpcontact schools, judge at rounds and support students from theaudience. Ask your local branch for more information.

The Schools Mace is also underway, with almost 500 schools inEngland allocated rounds and host schools. There are always a few calls for judges and if you would be interested in helping out, please get in touch with Dartmouth House and speak toAlasdair Wallace.

In February and March there will be six Saturdays when the secondrounds will be held across the country. Anyone interested in helpingand judging should get in touch in late November.

The John Smith Memorial Mace for England, our universities debating competition, is now set for 27 and 28 November. Theoccasion will see (and hear) the best and brightest from Englishuniversities battle it out to become the national debating championand represent their country in the international final. Last year, the title was won by the Oxford Union who went on to win theinternational final against the Scottish, Welsh and Irish champions.With former winners including Donald Dewar, Bob Marshall andProfessor Anthony Clare, the John Smith Mace, generously sponsored by Baillie Gifford, is a true testing ground for this country’s future leading lights.

The ESU – Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competitionhas also started. Law faculties around the country are coachingtheir students for this most prestigious of competitions. A mini-pupillage, a cash prize and an elevated status are on offer for thewinners. The University of Manchester became the 38th winner in 2008-09 represented by Karamvir Chadha and Hannah Gates.The duo will be among the ESU competition winners who willreceive their award from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh atBuckingham Palace in mid-November.

Participants enjoy the opportunity to share ideas over lunch

A full house in the round at the magnificent Globe Theatre

5

New Forum for Young SSE Alumni

Recent alumni from the ESU’s Secondary Schools Exchange (SSE) programme now have their own dedicated forum thanks to a requestfrom Emma Pinder, who so enjoyed her exchange in 2001-02 thatshe wrote to the ESU asking if it was possible to keep the spirit ofthe exchange going. ‘The SSE experience is something very special,but it does not have to end when you return home. The AlumniAssociation can offer so much to young people if you choose to get involved.’

The ESU duly took note and so, on 15 September, DartmouthHouse hosted a reunion for those who went on exchanges between1988 and 2008. It was a vibrant event where everyone enjoyedtalking to and meeting other alumni, as well as hearing Sir JohnBirch’s reflections on his time as an SSE scholar. Sir John wasintroduced to guests by Martin Mulloy, Director of Education, whobriefly outlined the glittering diplomatic career that Sir John wenton to enjoy after his scholarship in 1958-9.

Our guest speaker spoke of the striking differences between histravel to the US on the Queen Mary and how scholars travel to the US today. He showed his appreciation of the great opportunitythat the ESU gives scholars during a year when they encounter adifferent educational style that includes a lot of hard work. “I holdthe US in special regard and consider it part of my life,” he said.

He spent a great deal of time at the reception talking to youngalumni and listening to their experiences, whether they were

from Western Reserve Academy in Ohio, Lawrenceville School, near Princeton or the Hotchkiss School, Connecticut.

All serve to illustrate the breadth of opportunity that SSE scholarships offer.

Alumni Officer Cristel Guajardo said afterwards: “The event enabledour young alumni to reinforce friendships, establish new ones andto enjoy a social event and networking opportunities. This is allpart of what the Alumni Association hopes to achieve and we willensure that we continue to cater for younger members in the future.

”The reunion ended with a lot of energised alumni who are willingto help the ESU in any possible manner and we welcome their suggestions. I would also like to thank Sir John for his contribution.”

Capitol Hill ReunionAt the end of September, 35 Capitol Hillalumni returned to Dartmouth House to seeold friends, meet new ones and to catch upwith news from Washington.

The evening was possible thanks to thesupport of Braxton Moncure who travelledfrom Washington for this memorable occasion. He was pleased to see many ofthe alumni with whom he had strong linksand was delighted with the event. The reunion drew participants from a variety of years, including an alumnus from 1987, the year that the programmewas founded.

We were also delighted to welcome a groupnewly returned from the US.

It is always heartwarming for the ESU tohear the personal experiences of alumniand this event served to reinforce the valuethat that interns put on the ParliamentaryExchange Programme to Capitol Hill andthe Assemblee Nationale in Paris.

Alumni events, such as this, are importantoccasions that enable fond memories to bere-kindled and often, key contacts to bemade or re-connected. The ESU AlumniAssociation hopes to organise more eventsfor Capitol Hill alumni in the future. L-R - Pantellis Palividas, Ian Noble and

Chris Holder-Ross, Capitol Hill interns 2009

Cristel Guajardo, Brian Marsh and Sir John Birch

Suzy Stephens, Jenny’s guest and Jenny Lowthrop

Camron Miller with his guest, John Tomlinson and Neil Stoker

6

English in ActionSeptember brought a new term of English in Action at DartmouthHouse, with many new students starting their lessons with theirvolunteer tutors. This programme works to help adults or whomEnglish is an additional language with their English conversationalskill.

There are benefits for both the student and tutor with many volunteers reporting that they have picked up cookery tips, traveladvice and knowledge of far distant countries from their students!

At the moment, there are around 16 students enrolled on thescheme who come from places such as Italy, Thailand, Japan,Brazil and Indonesia.

The ESU is always looking for additional English in Action volunteers. You just need a love of meeting people, an enthusiasmfor sharing English conversation and a little free time. Please contact the Education department for more information, education@esu.org or on 020 7529 1550.

Report from Capitol Hill

Never has enthusiasm been higher amongst young Americans fortheir political system. According to Professor Greg Baldi of theCatholic University of America (CUA), the ESU’s partner in thetrans-Atlantic part of the scheme, “the Obama factor has led to anunprecedented number of internship applications from the US thissummer - most offices are refusing to accept young people fromoutside their own state or district.”

In these competitive circumstances, the ESU and CUA, with helpfrom the Washington DC branch of the ESU of the US, found placements for nine of the British students, a situation deeplyregrettable for our one unsuccessful scholar. The lucky interns who did spend their summer working on the Hill returned full of enthusiasm for the new administration. Whether placed withRepublicans or Democrats, they spoke of the immense feeling ofchange that has captured the imagination of politicians and publicalike. Another British student spent the summer in Paris, workingin the offices of the Assemblée Nationale, exchanging directly witha French student who interned for Simon Hughes MP, LiberalDemocrat member for Southwark and Bermondsey. All the 2009interns are now back in the UK, and several attended the reunionon 28 September (see p 5).

However, the last few weeks have been tinged with sadness foralumni of the programme on hearing of the death of SenatorEdward Kennedy. Senator Kennedy had taken scholars on the programme almost every year since the ESU started sending students from the UK in 1988.

Sir Patrick Cormack MP, who arranges placements for the CUAstudents in the offices of MPs at Westminster, sent his condolencesto the office and family of Senator Kennedy, and alumni who hadworked in his office shared their own memories and signed a letter of condolence at the reunion of Capitol Hill alumni atDartmouth House.

Capitol Hill alumni including James Probert, Head of the Centre (secondfrom right) with Braxton Moncure (third from left) and ESU Governor Bilal Mahmood

The annual schools competitions road show took place inSeptember and toured seven locations this year starting in Brightonbefore taking in Leicester, Durham, Hereford, Liverpool andPlymouth, finishing back at Dartmouth House on 27 September.

Alasdair, Kallina and Sayeqa, members of Centre staff, were joined byBen Jasper, an experienced debate mentor from Oxford University.

More than sixty schools attended the sessions across the countrygaining valuable insights and training for both students and teachers to help them prepare for the debating and public speaking competitions.

Mace sessions began with a show debate from the mentors, whichstudents were asked to analyse as if they were judges. There werealso games and exercises to teach the important skills which theywill need to do well in public speaking and debate competitions.

As part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ESUSchools Public Speaking Competition this year, Anthony Harris (ofESU Brighton) gave up his own time to accompany the road showand deliver a dedicated session on the public speaking competition.Many hours of work went into preparing and editing video materialfrom public speaking rounds to give all the students and teachers amaster class in the competition. This added a new and exciting element to the usual tour.

Several ESU members came along to various sessions to meetsome of the students and the staff from Dartmouth House.

A special mention should go to Brighton College, ArchbishopBlanch School (Liverpool), Hereford Cathedral School andPlymouth University which were all generous enough to providefree venues for the tour and we are most grateful to them all.

Speech and Debate Show Hits the Road

A roadshow workshop in Leicester

7

Branches Conference Heads WestThis year’s Branches Conference was hostedin Wales, for the first time, and its locationcould not have been better – the AngelHotel, right in the heart of Cardiff, oppositeCardiff Castle and just around the cornerfrom the Millennium Stadium.

A welcome reception was held at Techniquest,the amazing interactive discovery centre onCardiff Bay and the opening dinner at theAngel entertained guests with the well-known Bridgend Male Choir (CorMeibion Penybont)!

Writer and biographer, Hugo Vickers was theguest speaker at the Saturday Gala Dinner.

A full report on the conference appears inBranches News. Delegates enjoy Techniquest in Cardiff Bay

New Faces

Jill Lloyd joins the ESU as Director of Administration and Finance,a newly created post. She explains her background for us.

“I have previously worked for KPMG and Coopers & Lybrand managing family trusts for high net-worth individuals. I moved intothe voluntary sector in 1996 in order to be more directly involvedwith the day to day activities and decision-making of charitabletrusts. I first worked for a children’s charity associated with GreatOrmond Street Hospital, then a disability charity, and a researchcharity. Most recently, I project-managed the creation of a thinktank for Lord Sainsbury.

“At the ESU, I am working closely with Mike Lake on a deep reviewof the governance, administrative operations, use of assets, thetrading subsidiary and public benefit of our activities. So far, themain focus of my work has been to review and up-date HumanResources procedures, draft terms of reference for the myriad of

committees and identify ways in which we can increase our incomein order to fund the further development of ESU’s programme ofcharitable activities.”

The Centre for Speech and Debate welcomed two new members of staff in September. Alasdair Wallace, Competitions Officer, isresponsible for administering the Schools Mace, the national debating championship. This is a flagship of our work with schools.Alasdair will also manage the relationship between the SchoolsMace and that and the Schools Public Speaking Competition, runby branches across England and Wales.

Alasdair is a former national public speaking champion, having won the Rotary’s competition in 2004 representing Hutchesons’Grammar School in Glasgow. He studied international relations atthe University of St Andrew’s, where he was a leading light of theradio station, and he comes to us with formidable experience of youth work and outreach, administering a major annual festivalin London, and pioneering innovative approaches to publicity andcommunication in the new media.

Sayeqa Islam, who hails from Bangladesh, via New Zealand, is ournew Debate Education Officer. She is responsible for carrying outthe majority of teaching in pupil workshops and teacher seminarsacross the country, as part of our important outreach projectDiscover Your Voice.

Her experience in coaching and assessing debate spans Australasia,Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East; her competitivesuccess is just as global, including winning not just national championships in New Zealand, but also one of the largest Britishcompetitions, alongside top rankings at a number of internationaltournaments. Sayeqa has degrees in both law and criminology fromthe Victoria University of Wellington.

Jill and Alasdair

Here a few facts about Albania, the country where our latest ESU has been launched. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy.

GDP: $21.81 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117Population: 3.6 million (2009 est).

Albania Factbox

Unless otherwise stated we regret that no refunds can be made for cancellations within seven working days of an event.

For members: We accept payment for Dartmouth House events andmembership subscriptions by credit/debit cards. Cards bearing Visa,

Master-Card, Maestro, Switch, Solo or Delta symbols can now be used to make bookings by post, telephone or email.

Diary DatesDARTMOUTH HOUSE Telephone : 020 7529 1550

Published by the English-Speaking Union, Registered Charity No. 273136 Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED Tel : 020 7529 1550 Fax : 020 7495 6108 Email : esu@esu.org Web : www.esu.org

Design by Carbonari, Tel : 01392 215 993

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CHRISTMAS CLOSURE

NOVEMBER

Wednesday 4 NovemberFortnum & Mason owns a collection of British and overseaspaintings dating from the 18th century to the present day.Fortnum’s archivist, Dr Andrea Tanner, will give a brief talk onthe background of the collection before a guided tour of the artwork on display. In aid of the Chilton Art History Scholarship.Doors 5pm, Reception 6pm, followed by talk and tour at6.30pm.Tickets: £22.50 to include wine and canapés.Contact: Gillian Parker

Thursday 5 November at 6.00 pmPanel discussion in conjunction with the Pilgrims Society on President Obama’s first year. Stryker McGuire, lately London Bureau Chief at Newsweek, and now editor of the new London-based magazine International Quarterly, will returnby popular demand as anchorman, to be joined by Greg Katz of Associated Press and Jennifer Siebens of CBS News. Tickets for this event are £27.00 each, and guests are welcome.For those who wish to stay on at Dartmouth House following the reception, a dinner will be available for a further £43.00 each. Contact: Tessa Wells, Tel: 01622 606404 Email: sec@pilgrimsociety.or

Tuesday 10 November at 7.00 pmMike Hulme will be speaking at Dartmouth House on his newbook, Why We Disagree About Climate Change. Drawing upon25 years of professional work as an international climate changescientist and public commentator, Mike will provide a uniqueinsider’s account of the emergence of this phenomenon and the diverse ways in which it is understood. He uses differentstandpoints from science, economics, faith, psychology, communication, sociology, politics and development to explainwhy we disagree about climate change. In this way he showsthat climate change, far from being simply an ‘issue’ or a‘threat’, can act as a catalyst to revise our perception of ourplace in the world. Why We Disagree About Climate Changeis an important contribution to the ongoing debate over climatechange and its likely impact on our lives.Tickets: £8 to include a glass of wine or fruit juice.Copies of the book will be available for signing and purchase.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Wednesday 11 November 10.30 – 11.30 amCoffee morning at Dartmouth House for members and their friends.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Wednesday 11 NovemberPoetree Competition for London Schools. Deadline for submissions.Contact: Katherine Plummer

Wednesday 18 November at 7.00 pmMartin Bell will be speaking on his new book A Very BritishRevolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save ourDemocracy. Former BBC reporter, Britain’s first Independent MP in 50 years and tireless campaigner for trust in politics,Martin Bell had vowed never to write another book; an 88p bathplug changed all that as he will explain. Tickets: £8 to include a glass of wine/fruit juice. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Tuesday 24 November at 7.00 pmInternational Action: Too Little, Too Late? Q&A session chaired by Professor Robert Spicer.As part of the ESU Green season, a panel of experts will be questioned at Imperial College. Contact: Cristel Guajardo

Friday 27 NovemberWalter Hines Page and Chautauqua ScholarshipsThis is the deadline for applications to both scholarships to be submitted to your union. For more information, please see www.esu.org.

DECEMBER

Monday 7 December at 7.00 pmEnglish pre-eminent military historian Sir Max Hastings will bespeaking on his new book Finest Years: Churchill as a Warlord1940-45, at Dartmouth House. Winston Churchill was thegreatest war leader Britain ever had. In 1940, the nation ralliedbehind him in an extraordinary fashion. But thereafter, arguesMax Hastings, there was a deep divide between what Churchillwanted from the British people and their army, and what theywere capable of delivering.Tickets: £8 to include a glass of wine or fruit juice.Copies of the book will be available for signing and purchase.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Wednesday 9 December 7.00 pmThe English-Speaking Union Carol Concert You are invited to attend the 2009 concert with readings and carols at Dartmouth House.Tickets: £15 to include mulled wine and minced pies.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Wednesday 9 December 10.30 – 11.30 amCoffee Morning at Dartmouth House for members andtheir friends.Contact: Alison Wakefield

Thursday 10 December at 6.15 pmThe 2009 ESU Churchill Lecture will take place at Guildhall.The guest speaker is Her Excellency Madam Fu Ying, ChineseAmbassador to the Court of St James. The event will befollowed by a reception. Tickets: £30 ESU members, £45 non-members, £100 VIP ticketsContact: Gillian Parker

The Bar will be closed to members during lunchtime on Wednesday, 3 December 2009. Drinks can still be purchased by members and consumed in the Wedgwood Room or Foyer. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Dartmouth House will be closed from Wednesday 23 December 2009 and re-open on Monday 4 January.