All Events - IanVisits - London Events Calendar

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - A return to Coppicing

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:00:000

The traditional art of coppicing gives a ready supply of useable timber and creates an excellent habitat for birds and butterflies. Return to the island to re-coppice the Hazel and Ash.

All you need to bring is suitable clothing, footwear, a packed lunch and plenty of enthusiasm. All drinks, tools and training are provided.

The Rangers will be at the meeting place at 10:00. They'll give you an introduction to the site and project and show you how to use the tools safely.

The projects are normally completed by 15:00. Most people stay all day but any time you can spare will certainly help to make a difference!

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - Out of the Bretton Woods: Building a World Bank for the 21st Century

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:15:000

The first decade of the 21st Century has shown the extent to which we are increasingly interdependent for our prosperity, security and environmental sustainability. Tackling global poverty in today's world is not only a moral imperative, but in our common interest.

Douglas Alexander will assess the importance of the World Bank in the fight against poverty, and propose the reforms that are necessary to equip it for the challenges that lie ahead.

Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Douglas Alexander MP
Chair: Professor Ngaire Woods

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - The secret mathematicians

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:30:000

Artists are constantly on the hunt for interesting new structures to frame their creative process. From composers to painters, writers to choreographers, the mathematician's palette of shapes, patterns and numbers has proved a powerful inspiration. Often subconsciously artists are drawn to the same structures that fascinate mathematicians.

Through the work of artists like Borges and Dali, Messiaen and Laban, Professor du Sautoy will explore the hidden mathematical ideas that underpin their creative output but will also reveal that the work of the mathematician is sometimes no less driven by strong aesthetic values.

Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of New College. In 2001 he won the prestigious Berwick Prize of the London Mathematical Society. Marcus du Sautoy is author of the best-selling popular mathematics book The Music of the Primes. His new book Finding Moonshine: a mathematician's journey through symmetry was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. He has a regular column in the Times called Sexy Science.

Admission free - no ticket or advanced booking required. Doors open at 4.45pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

This lecture will be webcast LIVE at royalsociety.org/live.

Visit our video archive at royalsociety.tv to view lectures on demand within 48 hours of delivery.

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - David Dimbleby: The Seven Ages of Britain

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:000

In his breathtaking BBC series The Seven Ages of Britain, David Dimbleby uncovers the fascinating story of how British art reflects our history - from the traces of the earliest invaders through to 20th-century modernism.

At this fascinating event he will be joined by author and journalist Simon Jenkins to discuss how the beautiful and influential works of art explored on his journey are a mirror to the nation.

David Dimbleby is one of Britain's best-known broadcasters and the host of Question Time. The Seven Ages of Britain follows on from the success of his previous two BBC One series, A Picture of Britain -- tracing the history of landscape painting and How We Built Britain, a history of British architecture, one of the first arts programmes to reach 5 million viewers.

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - Sweeney Agonistes - How London Changed T S Eliot

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:000

In 1920s London, an emigre American went from working for a bank in the City to become the leading poet of his age. Despite the best efforts of other great writers of the day (Ezra Pound and Virginia Woolf) to 'extricate' him, T S Eliot relinquished his 'day job' in finance only with reluctance, and the City setting remains central to his most famous poem The Waste Land. It is perhaps therefore especially fitting that students in a School such as LSE, with such close links to the world of finance, should present Eliot's short theatre piece from the same period Sweeney Agonistes.

A drinks reception and a discussion with Lord Desai will precede the theatre event, which will also feature live 1920s jazz and documentary footage.

Distinguished economist, emeritus professor at LSE and, since 1991 a life peer, Lord Desai has in recent years pursued a literary career of importance, including The Route of All Evil (a pioneering study of the American poet Ezra Pound's economic theories published by Faber in 2006) and a novel, Dead On Time (2009).

This event is free and open to all, with entry on a first come first served basis.

Venue: Shaw Library,6th floor, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Lord Desai

Wed, 10 Feb, 2010 - South Africa twenty years after Mandela walked to freedom

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:00:000

Twenty years ago Nelson Mandela walked free after serving 27 years of a life sentence.

As vice president of the African National Congress Party, Nelson Mandela and seven of his comrades were imprisoned in June 1964 for their opposition to the government.

The relaxation of Apartheid laws including the lifting of the ban on the ANC by South African President FW de Clerk paved the way for the release of Nelson Mandela who went on to become President in 1994 and was credited with leading black people towards reconciliation.

On the anniversary of his release the Frontline Club will be looking at the South Africa of today and discussing how it compares with the hopes and dreams of 20 years ago.

With Alec Russell, World News Editor of the Financial Times and author of After Mandela: The Battle for the Soul of South Africa; John Battersby, UK Country Manager of the International Marketing Council of South Africa and co-author of Nelson Mandela: A Life in Photographs

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - The Rule of Law

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:00:000

'The Rule of Law' is a phrase much used but little examined. The idea of the rule of law as the foundation of modern states and civilisations has recently become even more talismanic than that of democracy, but what does it actually consist of?

Lord Bingham, Britain's former senior law lord, and one of the world's most acute legal minds, visits the RSA to examine what the idea actually means.

He makes clear that the rule of law is not an arid legal doctrine but is the foundation of a fair and just society, is a guarantee of responsible government, is an important contribution to economic growth and offers the best means yet devised for securing peace and co-operation.

Speaker: Tom Bingham, former Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and Senior Law Lord of the United Kingdom and author of The Rule of Law (Allen Lane, 2010).

Chair: Shami Chakrabarti, director, Liberty

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Christianity and Public Life: Law and Morality

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:00:000

The middle ages had a wonderful vision of law originating in the wisdom of God and being expressed both in nature and human society.

Law as understood in modern society has had this foundation undermined, and is now understood in very functional terms.

Can we recover a moral vision for the rule of law?

Speaker: Rt Rev Lord Harries of Pentregarth

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Jeremy Bentham and UCL: corpse and corpus

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:15:000

What is Jeremy Bentham's corpse doing in UCL's South Cloisters? Did he provide the financial backing for the foundation of UCL? Was he a professor in the Department of Laws? Does his ghost trundle around UCL at night? Does he attend Council meetings, and is he recorded in the minutes as 'present, but not voting'?

As for the corpus, this consists of 60,000 folios of manuscripts deposited in the UCL Library. For 50 years the Bentham Committee has been overseeing the editing and publication of a new edition of Bentham's works. How is this extraordinarily large collection still relevant today? This lecture marks the anniversary of UCL's foundation on 11 Feb 1826

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Underground Roman fort tour

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:00:000

Join a museum curator for a fascinating tour of the remains of Roman London's military fort, including parts of the City wall. Visit the remains of the fort's western gateway, now hidden beneath the modern road, London Wall. The fort was built c. 120AD. Around 200AD the City wall was built around the Roman settlement, incorporating the northern and western walls of the fort.

Please note that the fort gate can only be accessed via a short flight of steps and so this visit is not suitable for wheelchair users. There is a short flight of steps into the fort gate; the ground adjacent to the City wall can become wet and slippery when it rains.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Is biodiversity really under pressure?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:00:000

It is widely accepted that the 2010 target to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss will not be fully met. The reasons for this are manifold, but it is widely accepted that biodiversity is under a range of pressures from invasive species, land clearing and other global changes.

But how true is this and which of these is the most urgent for us to address?

This meeting will examine the key pressures and offer answers to the question in the title with thoughts as to the most urgent areas for action. After the presentations the audience will be invited to participate with the speakers forming a panel, and there will be a final vote!

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Is biodiversity really under pressure?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:00:000

It is widely accepted that the 2010 target to reduce the rate of Biodiversity loss will not be fully met. The reasons for this are manifold, but it is widely accepted that Biodiversity is under a range of pressures from invasive species, land clearing and other global changes. But how true is this and which of these is the most urgent for us to address?

This meeting will examine the key pressures and offer answers to the question in the title with thoughts as to the most urgent areas for action.

After the presentations the audience will be invited to participate with the speakers forming a panel, and there will be a final vote.

Afternoon Tea will be served in the Library and the lecture will be followed by a wine reception. This meeting is free and open to all but registration is compulsory, please register at events@linnean.org.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Darwin Day Lecture 2010: Darwin and Human Evolution

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:00:000

Professor Chris Stringer will speak on this theme for us as the 2010 Darwin Day Lecturer. Professor Stringer is Research Leader in Human Origins at the Natural History Museum where he has also been Head of Human Origins Programme and Head of Anthropology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London.

His Homo Britannicus: the incredible story of human life in Britain (2007) won the Best Archaeology Book and Kistler Book Award in 2008 and he is a leading proponent of the 'Out of Africa' theory of modern human origins.

Chaired by Richard Dawkins

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - The Oracular Sanctuary of Apollo at Abai

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:30:000

The ancient Greek historian Herodotos described the sanctuary of Apollo at Abai as being of Panhellenic and international importance. Already in existence by the 14th century BC, it functioned without interruption down to Roman times. Its rich finds provide important evidence for continuity of cult in the 'Dark Age' and unique insights into Greek religious practices.

Followed by a glass of wine.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Pattern in Kimono

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:00:000

Sheila Cliffe is the first non-Japanese woman to qualify as a professional kimono dresser.

This evening's lecture will look at the traditions of pattern in kimono, and will provide a dressing demonstration, using examples from Sheila's extensive collection.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - A Tale Of Two Cities - The German Onslaught On Moscow And Leningrad 1941-1942

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:00:000

On 22 June 1941 Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa -- the invasion of the Soviet Union -- and a mass of German troops, planes and tanks surged east. Both Moscow -- the Soviet capital -- and Leningrad -- the birthplace of the Bolshevik Revolution -- were key targets for Hitler's forces.

Michael Jones looks at the very different fates of Moscow and Leningrad in the first year of the German invasion, drawing on eye-witness accounts of soldiers from both sides of this terrible conflict and the civilians caught in its midst.

He tells of the Nazi cruel-race doctrine, which callously disregarded the plight of both cities' inhabitants, the cynicism of Stalin -- who was prepared to safeguard Moscow at Leningrad's expense -- and the extraordinary courage of ordinary Russian soldiers and civilians, a courage that ultimately triumphed over the might of the Nazi invader.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Geared to the Stars - Victorian Astronomy through the Magic Lantern

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:00:000

The Magic Lantern Society & The University of Westminster are pleased to present a second series of 'Professor Pepper's Ghost'

Lectures on astronomy were a common form of popular entertainment in the nineteenth century. With an original Victorian magic lantern projector and delicate, hand painted glass slides from the 1840's, Mark Butterworth recreates one of these illustrated lectures. Using complex and intricate mechanical 'rackwork' slides to illustrate astronomical concepts, it gives an introduction to mid-19th century astronomy.

Mark Butterworth researches astronomical history and specialises in understanding how popular astronomy was presented to the general public in the 18th and 19th century. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. www.markbutterworth.co.uk

As this series of talks is entirely free it is advisable to come early. Tickets will be issued from 6pm.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - How Would a Robot Read a Novel?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:00:000

Don't judge a book by its cover? Don't be ridiculous. We constantly make judgements on books -- from where it appears in a shop, its pretty cover, its heft or subject matter, the praise and criticism we hear about it.

Reviewers are even more prejudiced. They know the author, or hate the publisher or, even worse, are a meticulous and lucid expert on the subject. All human readings are subjective.

Is there another way?

Would an objective reading - some preconceptionless robotic analysis, for instance - be preferable? Is it even possible? And what questions might a robot help us answer?

Researchers at LSE Methodology Institute used the text mining programme Alceste to analyse Robert Hudson's novel The Kilburn Social Club, and then invited Hudson to look at the results. What did the robot teach the writer about his own work? What answer could it provide to the question, 'what's the book about?' Might such analyses provide points of contact -- be they meetings or clashings of minds -- between social science interpretations of texts and the world of literary criticism? In the gap between the robot's reading and our own, might we learn something substantive about how novels differ from other types of writing?

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Dr Kavita Abraham, Dr Jon Adams, Dr Robert Hudson
Chair: Mark Lawson

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - Ground Control: Fear and Happiness in the 21st Century City

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:000

Britons are increasingly aware of living in a society plagued by fear and unhappiness. Could our towns and cities be the cause?

Anna Minton offers an in-depth and passionate exploration of the state of Britain today, revealing how private companies have taken control from local government and the electorate, creating spaces designed for profit and watched over by CCTV. Now, untested urban planning has transformed not only our cities, but the very nature of public space, of citizenship, and of trust.

Anna Minton is the recipient of five national journalism awards, and is the author of numerous reports for The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the think tank Demos. She is also a member of the writers' panel for the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and writes regularly for The Guardian and The New Statesman. Ground Control is her first book.

Michael Rosen is a writer, broadcaster and longtime Dalston resident and campaigner.

This event is organised in partnership with Newham Bookshop.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 - How To taste Port - An Introduction to Port

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:00:000

Most of us have a general idea on what Port tastes like, but less of us know the differences in taste and production methods between the key styles.

We'll start of with a Dry White, then go on to Ruby, Late Bottled Vintage, Single Quinta, Vintage and also Tawnies of differing ages./dd>