2017 was a spectacular year for events. From our club classics such as the Annual Music Competition and Summer Ball, to our unique events such as Dinner at the Tower of London and our Medieval Wine Tour, the events coordinators have a tough year to beat in 2018.
More events will be added to the 2018 calendar every quarter as we take on feedback from our members, but before we head into the New Year there are some events we know for sure will be big hits with our members and simply cannot wait to share with you.
Kicking off in January is our big Black-tie dinner and ceilidh, which has been a near sell-out event in past years. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate Burns Night with a toast to the haggis, a delightful three-course meal and the ceilidh afterwards, where our live musicians will take old hats and new comers through some highland favourites.
If you’re unable to make it down to London, the Burns Night celebrations will also be kicking off at our Edinburgh clubhouse with their own three-course meal and guest of honour Alex Neil SNP MSP.
February is simply bursting with events. Alongside the start of our Annual Music Competition Section Finals, we also have a bespoke performance by the sell-out sensation Austentatious. Dressed in regency kit and with backing from classical musicians, this improv troupe will create a play in the style of Jane Austen, based off the audiences’ suggestions. According to our members poll, this is the joint most-anticipated event of the new year.
Earlier this year we said goodbye to an all-round club favourite, Dinner at the Tower of London. Whilst we will miss dining in the exclusive Fusiliers' Mess, we are excited to see the new instalment of our Movable Feast series start in February. Every six months, we will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to dine in some of London’s hidden treasures. Kicking off the series, members have a chance to dine in the Armourers Hall, usually closed to those outside of the order, in their stunning livery room.
March will see the start of our Commonwealth-themed events, leading up to CHOGM, including our Commonwealth Day Service and Reception. The plans are currently in the pipelines, but keep your eyes on the website for updates at the beginning of the year. In the meantime, we can announce a very exciting event to kick off March; A Woman’s place is in politics: An International Women’s Day Debate. We believed this was the best day to also begin our celebrations for Vote100 and will be discussing with some of the most prominent minds in politics the challenges and opportunities women face in 2018 when participating in politics.
This year’s summer ball will also be a celebration of a cherished woman from history: Emily Bronte. In her bicentenary year, our clubhouse will be transformed into the home of Cathy Ernshaw and Heathcliff: Wuthering Heights. Don your Georgian gowns and promenade through our delightful garden and the clubhouse, as it would have been in the late 1700s.
With so much going on you’re probably thinking you might need a holiday to rest from all the excitement. If that is the case, we’ve got you covered with three opportunities to escape the clubhouses and explore three very different destinations. In May, jet off to Vienna, the cultural epicentre of Europe, for just under a week of the finest music, art and history this medieval city offers. In July, our final WWI Battlefield Tour will take members back to 1918 Amiens to examine the final 100 Day Advance. If neither of those take your fancy and you prefer to stay a little closer to home, in October we plan to launch our new series of UK Branch tours. This year we’ll be heading to Cornwall and Devon to visit our Taunton and West Cornwall branches and explore this stunning land of legends. Keep your eyes peeled for more information in the next issue of the magazine.
It’s hard to imagine we could possibly fit any more into this schedule, but we are constantly looking to improve our events and community offers for our members. If you have any feedback on our events or suggestions for the future, please fill out our short survey here.
Also, don't forget to vote for which of these events you're most looking forward to on the right-hand side of this page. We hope to see you at some of these events in the New Year!
