Our monthly talks are held at the HGS Free Church, North Square, London NW11 7AG. Doors open at 14:30, and the talk begins promptly at 15:00, concluding at 16:00. The venue is fully accessible, with disabled toilet facilities available. We look forward to welcoming you.
For information about regular group activities, please see the A-Z list of groups and groups listed by day.
Photo credit: Cristina Schek This engaging talk by Estelle Lovatt unlocks the ideas and creative methods behind some of the world’s greatest artworks. The talk explores how master artists reshaped art history—period after period, “ism” after “ism”—from the Renaissance to Contemporary Art. Expect Leonardo, Rembrandt, Manet, Picasso, Rothko and Tracey Emin, among others. It also …
Already in your life — and easier to use than you think AI is already reshaping your world — and you've been using it longer than you think. Now, free tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini put extraordinary capability at your fingertips: planning holidays, solving household technical problems, for some, even optimising your energy bills. …
Join us for our annual Festive Tea and enjoy a warm and welcoming afternoon of entertainment and seasonal cheer. It’s a lovely opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and share in the festivities together. If you would like to attend the Festive Tea, please fill in the following form:
At just 16, Ivan Berg left the drab streets of post-war London to join the British Merchant Navy. Armed with a camera, he recorded his adventures at sea. Seventy years later, he restored those remarkable photographs, bringing to life the glamour of ocean liner travel in the 1950s. Ivan Berg is an author, journalist and …
A History of Restaurants with a Serving of Snobbery, Theatrics and Insolvency Restaurants have never been just places to eat. Steven Fogel examines what dining rooms reveal about ambition, class, hierarchy, celebrations, power and the English on display. From post-war austerity to Michelin stars, he takes a wry look at front-of-house snobbery, staff hierarchy, tipping, …
Clichés, platitudes, absence of meaning and poor delivery in today’s spoken communication Why is it that those involved in public speaking, particularly those whose job it is to present programmes on radio and television, as well as those taking part, tend to fall into patterns of largely meaningless language? The talk looks at these patterns, …
Based on Helen Dymond’s acclaimed novel Finding Handel, this illustrated talk explores the private life of the great composer. Firmly rooted in historical fact, it reveals surprising stories of Handel’s friendships, loves, faith, musical triumphs and failures, and his struggle with failing sight in his later years. Helen Dymond is a former Humanities lecturer and …
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