(in) Famous Women (5/5)
Thursday, December 9th at 5pm Eastern Time

Six decades after her death, Edith Piaf remains one of the best-known and most iconic of French popular singers. We will meander together through the story of her life, a fabulous tapestry of fact, fiction and myth, filled with triumphs and tragedies, which reads like a novel and is every bit as enthralling as her songs.

Mini Museum Soirée (5/5)
Monday, December 6th at 5pm Eastern Time

Goggles on and get ready for the ride! Biggin Hill is in the beautiful county of Kent, south east England, and you would never guess from the peaceful landscape around that it was a key Royal Air Force (RAF) base during the Second World War, which became known as Winston Churchill’s ’strongest link’ and the single most important airfield during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

One of its advantages was altitude - it stands at almost 600 feet above sea level, as opposed to Heathrow’s 80 feet - and the other was its position relatively near the English Channel. It also hosted the famous Eagle Squadrons, three units formed with volunteer American pilots as part of the RAF in the year before America entered the war.

The Memorial Museum shares a site with the St George Remembrance Chapel and we are hoping (not guaranteed because of weather!) to see a Spitfire in the air, courtesy of the nearby Heritage Hangar, run by a gang of Spitfire nuts!

Cross your fingers and chocks away!

(in) Famous Women (4/5)
Thursday, December 2nd at 5pm Eastern Time

Superlatives are not enough for Simone Veil. When she died on 30th June 2017, at the age of 89, she was generally regarded as one of France’s most popular politicians, widely admired on both sides of the political spectrum. One year later, she became only the fifth woman to receive the ultimate honour of being buried with the nation’s heroes in the Pantheon in Paris. An exemplary role model for future generations, her extraordinary life parallels the major moments of 20th century European history.

(in) Famous Women (3/5)
Tuesday, November 23rd at 5pm Eastern Time (RESCHEDULED)

Known the world over for her crime fiction, Agatha Christie spent almost half a century deeply involved in the archaeology of the Middle East, working alongside her husband Max Mallowan at important excavations in Irak and Syria. This talk delves into her hands-on approach to archaeology in Mesopotamia and its influence on her writing, and looks at the parallels between detective fiction and archaeology.

(in) Famous Women (2/5)
Thursday, November 11th at 5pm Eastern Time

The line between fame and infamy is often fine and many women shamed by history sound both talented and fascinating - many others were simply victims: take Agnes Sampson, the woman accused of witchcraft by our new king, James I, in the early 17th century; the powerful Barbara Palmer, famous courtesan and royal mistress; the Ladies of Llangollen, one of Britain's earliest 'out' lesbian relationships; Margaret Whigham, later notorious as the Duchess of Argyll in a divorce case that riveted the nation; Wallis Simpson, the first American to swipe one of our princes; Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged 10 years before capital punishment here in 1965; and finally Melita Norwood, who died in 2005 and was Russia's longest-serving spy operating in Britain.

(in) Famous Women (1/5)
Thursday, November 4th at 5pm Eastern Time

Ever heard of Queen Caroline, wife of dreary King George II, and sometimes - grrrr - referred to as 'Britain's brainiest princess'? She's just one of a group of inspiring women we'll meet today: Aphra Behn, playwright and spy in Restoration England; Caroline Herschel, sister of William Herschel and a brilliant scientist in her own right; Mrs Coade, single woman and successful proprietor of her own decorative arts company in 18th-century Westminster; Amy Johnson, the pilot and explorer; Rosalind Franklin, the crystallographer generally considered to have been sidelined by Crick and Watson and their DNA discoveries; and Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut.

Mini Museum Soirée (4/5)
Monday, November 1st at 5pm Eastern Time

The St Bride Foundation was the printers' institute set up just off Fleet Street in the late 19th century, to provide public baths (later a swimming pool), educational facilities and printing presses for the training of apprentices. It also houses a lunchtime theatre (the seats are on top of the Victorian swimming pool), a printing workshop and one of the best collections of books on printing and type fonts in the world.

Singapore Soirée (2/2)
Thursday, October 14th at 5pm Eastern Time

As the tectonic plates of politics began to shift in the 21st century, Singapore found itself - even after the horror of Sars - in a surprising position: unlike Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong, Singaporean Chinese speak Mandarin (along with their dialects), perfect for dealing with China, while being physically not too close. In the past 15 years the island has really learn to have fun, just to add to (as Sophie would argue) the best food on earth, increasingly interesting architecture, a slew of excellent new or refurbished galleries and museums, loads to do and a far better travelled population. Future’s looking crazy. And rich.

Singapore Soirée (1/2)
Thursday, October 7th at 5pm Eastern Time

Pulau Udong…Temasek…Singapura…from quiet beginnings as a community of fishermen, farmers and a few pirates, this island just half the size of London was catapulted on the Western world map when Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1816 to establish a trading post on behalf of the British East India Company. This talk looks briefly at the island’s early history, its traditions, its people and languages, its food influences and its increasing significance as an entrepôt - but its chief focus is on the period since independence and particularly on the influence of its charismatic political leader, the late Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Mini Museum Soirée (3/5)
Monday, October 4th at 5pm Eastern Time

The stunning museum based in Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham, Kent - these days outer London - which is a working psychiatric hospital. Its full name is St Mary Bethlehem Hospital, shortened in the past to 'Bedlam', which was founded near Liverpool Street in central London in 1337. The museum has the two 18th century sculptures called Melancholy and Raving Madness that once adorned the gates. Today the museum is light, bright and moving - with an incredible collection of 'outsider art.'

Tuscany Soirée (3/4)
Thursday, September 23rd at 5pm Eastern Time

Join Elaine Ruffolo for the second part of her series as she continues our virtual visit to the Pitti Palace where she highlights a selection of painting masterpieces, discuss the extraordinary objet d'art, and strolls through the Boboli Gardens.

Tuscany Soirée (2/4)
Sunday, September 19th at 2pm Eastern Time

From his inherited Castle of Gargonza, a Thirteen century medieval hamlet overlooking the Val di Chiani, Neri Guicciardini will teach us how to make one of his favorite Tuscan meals: risotto with pear and Pecorino cheese. Sip along as he discusses wines from Tuscany, including the lesser known Maremma region where his family has a vineyard. We are being invited into the historic home of an Italian friend who will share with us knowledge of food and wine passed down through the generations of his aristocratic family. Feel free to cook along with us or sit back and watch the fun.

Tuscany Soirée (1/4)
Thursday, September 16th at 5pm Eastern Time

Purchased in 1550, the Palace was chosen by Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleanor of Toledo as the new Grand Ducal residence, and it soon became the new symbol of the Medici’s power over Tuscany. It also housed the Court of other two dynasties: the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (which succeeded the Medici from 1737) and the Kings of Italy from the House of Savoy, who inhabited it from 1865. Nonetheless the palace still bears the name of its first owner, the Florentine banker Luca Pitti that in the mid-1400s started its construction – maybe after a design by Brunelleschi – at the foot of the Boboli hill beyond the Arno River.

Mini Museum Soirée (2/5)
Monday, September 13 at 5pm Eastern Time

Possibly the best Arts & Crafts interior remaining in London that was used as the family home of the printer and artist Emery Walker, who collaborated with many of the artists and bookmakers in the area - including William Morris.

Image Credit: Emery Walker Trust

Argentina Soirée (3/3)
Thursday, September 9th at 5pm Eastern Time

If you want an illustration of Argentina's size, go to the extremes. We will start in the far north, with the hot, hilly provinces of Salta and Jujuy, once important for their relative proximity to the Spanish viceregal capital of Lima and famed for their pure Spanish. Now they are popular for their high-altitude wines and distinctive folk culture. At the other end of the country is the frontier town of Ushuaia, gateway to the vast island of Tierra del Fuego, a land of beechwoods, sheep farming and fine landscapes.

Argentina Soirée (2/3)
Thursday, September 2nd at 5pm Eastern Time

Yes, there are vegans and vegetarians in Argentina, but it's a recent phenomenon in a country whose history and prosperity have been proudly anchored in beef since the late 19th century. Before that it was hides and longhorn cattle, mustered by the peon's ancestor, the gaucho. These cowboys of the plains no longer exist in their original form but have left an indelible imprint on the culture and self-image. Time to explore rural Argentina, with its country shows, grand estancias and glittering gaucho traditions.

Argentina Soirée (1/3)
Thursday, August 26th at 5pm Eastern Time

The vast metropolis of Buenos Aires, population 15,000,000, is home to a third of all Argentinians and in the early 20th century was one of the world's richest cities. Today it's full of elegance and charm, frequently faded, with tree-lined avenues, Francophile architecture and masses of open space. Come on a journey through art, music and dance, through tea rooms and theatres, parks and gardens, and find a modern city that delights and irritates its compatriots (and other Latin Americans) in equal measure.