Canadian Women's Club - London, UK

Ariane Poole: Celebrity Make up Artist - May 12, 2011

2011-05-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that we tend to put our concealer too high under our eyes? We were treated to an intimate session with Ariane Poole at the Chapel in Mayfair. Ariane demonstrated on one willing CWC member and showed us the importance of looking down in the mirror to see where the dark circles are really hiding with her award winning concealer palette! From pore minimisers to selecting the right foundation colour, and understanding the real use of Touche Eclat, we learned some essential techniques for fresh looking skin. I'm sure all found the session quite useful, if the queue of people waiting to speak to Ariane afterwards was any indication. Many thanks go to Ariane for such an engaging and interactive session!

In the Brew - May 18, 2011

2011-05-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

We had our inaugural In the Brew on Wednesday, May 18 at the Grenadier.

We had 10 in our group (members, friends and
spouses) despite the rain and terrible tube service!
What a quirky and unique little Pub! A Big Thanks to
Hazel Simpson for this gem of a London Pub to
discover! We had some great conversation and lots of
laughs!

Walking Tour around Olympic Park – April 7, 2011

2011-04-27T04:07:00.000-07:00

Five members joined our very own Blue Badge Guide, Margaret Davis, for a very interesting walk around East London and around the outside of the Olympic Park. It was a beautiful day – perfect for our 2 hour walk. Margaret shared with us stories of the re-development of the area as we walked along the canals. We admired the Olympic Stadium and the Swimming venue from the Viewpoint. We heard how some businesses had to be moved from the site to make way for the building of the Olympic Park, and she showed us the example of H. Forman & Son’s Smoked Salmon factory. I am certainly going to book a table at their new restaurant to try their “world famous” smoked salmon with a view of the Olympic Stadium. Thanks to Margaret for an informative and enlightening walk.

Trip to Stoke on Trent - April 2, 2011

2011-04-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

At 7 am Saturday morning, 42 women and one very brave driver left Grosvenor Square, heading North to the Potteries at Stoke-On-Trent . We were a very multicultural group with women from the US, Argentina, India, Serbia, Bosnia, Holland, Korea, Britain and of course, some Canadians. Although our time was limited at each of the 5 pottery shops (Churchill, Burleigh, Royal Doulton, Portmeirion, Wedgewood), we made the most of our time and managed to fill our suitcases, bags, baskets and boxes to overflowing. We had fun meeting new people and bragging about our bargains. The wine and the cheese on the way home was a hit as were the delicious muffins that Renee Marie made for our outbound trip. It was a very tired, but happy group that returned to Grosvenor Square at 9 pm. We all had a great day out, and most of us are ready to go again. Who will organize the next one??

Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance 2011

2011-03-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

March 3rd 2011 was a great evening for the Maple Leaf Trust and the Canadian community here in the UK. The Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance was a black tie affair for 70 very happy and generous guests. The evening started with champagne and delicious canapes with soft jazz background music. We had one hour to mix and mingle and to oggle the wonderful display of auction and raffle items.

Dinner was a three course affair with wines from the fabulous vineyard of Mission Hill. Over the course of the dinner, our friendly and enthusiastic volunteers sold raffle envelopes with some containing the winners for prizes and some sadly not. But the Maple Leaf Trust certainly was the biggest winner as our guests were quite happy to take their chances at perhaps picking a winning envelope. The Silent Auction was a huge success as well with all items making their estimate or surpassing it. We are thrilled to say that the evening generated an increase in funds from the previous years.

Thank you to all who gave so generously on March 3rd.

Our fabulous singer Victoria Beebee was able to get nearly everyone up onto the dance floor. I even noted that the High Commission Staff were enjoying the dancing as well as our guests.

It truly was a fun evening for all but more importantly it generated sufficient funds to alllow the Maple Leaf Trust to meet the target for the annual disbursements of funds in June to our two charities, the Veterans Support Committee and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund.

The spectacular success of this event was the result of a very dedicated Organising Committee, the gracious hospitality of the High Commissioner and his wife, and the staff of the High Commission who ensured that the evening flowed seemlessly. Of course, we thank our countless donors for their lovely auction and raffle items. We also thank the corporate sponsor TD Securities and our special sponsors: Mission Hill Wines, Anthony Von Mandl, Canadian Affair, Bob and Anne Van Gieson, Victor and Mona Dahdaleh, Karen Johnson, John and Karen Murphy, Ernst and Young.

Next year we hope to welcome our guests from the Canadian community to the 60th Annivesary Ball at the Savoy on May19th, 2012. You won't want to miss it!

Submitted by Patty Bell

BADA Antiques and Fine Art Fair – Duke of York Square

2011-03-30T06:10:00.001-07:00

March 25 found eight members learning about antiques at the annual BADA Fair in a bespoke marquis at the Duke of York Square.

We “visited” four BADA members at their stalls and heard the story of some of their collectibles. At Trinity House Paintings, we were shown a painting by John Singer Sargent that he painted on the back of a painting by his pupil to show his perspective of the model – quite different from his student’s rendition. We visited with Geoffery Breeze who shared his passion for antique walking sticks – be they ivory, ebony, snake, or hiding a sword, a flask or a pipe.

At Sylvia Powell Decorative Arts, Marc told us the history of pottery in England , with collectibles by William De Morgan, Royal Doulton and Jean Cocteau. I was amazed to find out that even Picasso dabbled in ceramics by commissioning them from his own designs. Our last expert was Jeanette Hayhurst who shared the history of a piece of glass tableware that would hold confections made in the houses of the wealthy. These talks were an excellent introduction to the fair and after a delicious lunch at the Grill, we were free to wander through the exhibition. I saw so many lovely items, but luckily for my husband, I had left my charge card at home. This was a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon and I am sure many of us look forward to the Fair in 2011.

Lunchbox Theatre – A Bold Stroke for a Husband

2011-03-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

On March 11, 3 members took in the 45 minute play at by the Little Bear Theatre Company at Bridewell Theatre in Fleet Street. It was a fast-paced, Georgian farce, full of false identities and thwarted lovers and revenge. We enjoyed the stripped-down set and how clever the production was at having one actor play 2 or 3 parts. One exceptional actor even played 2 very different characters at one time with the use of a jacket on one shoulder. I don’t know how he was able to change so quickly between characters and remember the lines and movements for each. It was definitely a great performance and we had quite a few laughs. And thanks to Denise H. for introducing me to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub on Fleet Street – a wonderful old pub with so much character and literary history. A place to add to my tourist trail for visiting friends and relatives.

Submitted by Lynda Opocensky

The Book of the Dead – Journey through the Afterlife – British Museum

2011-03-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

On January 28, eleven members were immersed in Ancient Egyptian rituals and spells as the curator described the Book of the Dead that was placed in the coffins of wealthy Egyptians to help them navigate the underworld to reach the place of judgment. The presentation gave us a great understanding of the symbols and drawings we saw later in a tour of the exhibit. We especially enjoyed the Papyrus of Anhai with it’s vivid colours unchanged from 1280 BC. And the woman whose afterlife was depicted in the 37 foot Greenfield Papyrus, (the world’s longest Book of the Dead) must have expected to spend a long time finding her way through the underworld. The artifacts associated with burial in Ancient Egypt – painted coffins, mummy masks, jewelry and statues made us appreciate the importance that the Egyptians placed on life after death and the journey they took to get there.

Submitted by Lynda Opocensky

MLT Luncheon with Moya Greene

2011-03-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Maple Leaf Trust, the charity administered by the Canadian Women's Club, was thrilled to feature Moya Greene as speaker at its inaugural lunch event.

We had a great day on February 10th at the Athenaeum Club. Moya is CEO of the Royal Mail. She is a wonderful speaker, and gave a lively and very entertaining talk on the trials and tribulations of this great British Institution, the Royal Mail. She also spoke to the young working female professionals in the audience about her life doing the juggling act as a working mother. This Inaugural MLT Luncheon was a success in all respects. I hope you enjoy the photos and that you'll join us for our next luncheon.

L: Patty Bell, President Canadian Women's Club and Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust

R: Moya Greene, CEO of the Royal Mail

January Hospitality

2011-01-21T04:41:00.000-08:00

It was good to see so many happy faces at the January Hospitality. Marie-France Boutet had the happiest I think! We all congratulate her on the most wonderful news of her pregnancy and wish her all the very best and continued good health. She is glowing!

We also enjoyed the happy story of Gracie Findley and her days as Anne of Green Gables. She led us on her journey as a very young star in the role as Ann Shirley in the musical for many happy years. We enjoyed the tales of the birth of the musical Ann of Green Gables and how it came to be such a successful Canadian musical both in Canada and on tour round the world.

There was good discussion about the Bulletin at the Hospitality with most people participating and giving thoughtful comments. The main theme was communication by what ever means needs to be consistent and frequent and well coordinated. We have decided to forgo the Bulletin for this session. We will reassess at the AGM if ENEWS is sufficient for the majority of CWC members.

Enjoy your ENEWS and make notes of the events that strike your fancy. And don’t forget to sign up with the Leader for the event.

Submitted by Patty

Cultural Evening at Deputy High Commissioner's Residence

2011-01-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

The Deputy High Commissioner Claude Boucher and his wife Isabelle Mignault were the very gracious hosts for an elegant Cultural evening Dec.6th. They opened their lovely home to the Maple Leaf Trust for this fund raising event. Attendees were given a very interesting and thoughtful speech by the Quebec Deputy Minister of Culture, Status of Women and Communication Sylvie Barcelo. Her topic was on Promoting Culture in a Global Environment: the Quebec Experience. We were also entertained by musician Alexander Mac Sween, a Canadian composer from Montreal who stretched our musical appreciation with a very experimental composition on the piano with an instantaneous computer play back.

The evening was very well atttended and enjoyed by all. The Maple Leaf Trust was truly grateful for the funds raised that evening and thank Mr. Boucher and his wife Isabelle for organising such a splendid evening.

Submitted by Patty Bell

Christmas Carol Service

2011-01-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

They say that Christmas is a time of miracles. Well, yes, that could be so but it takes a lot of detailed organising and forward planning to ensure that we are in the right place at the right time to capture that miracle. The 2010 Christmas Carol Service was a marvel and there was a great coming together of Canadian and British traditions at the Crown Court Church of Scotland on December 6th. The hiccough came at the eleventh hour when the fabulous mezzo-soprano Leslie Davies was caught in Geneva airport by snowy winter conditions and could not be with us. Thanks to the internet, cell phones and Leslie's determination to help the Canadian community, miraculously Leslie found the outstanding singing talent of Vancouver born tenor, John Bacon. Two professionals saved the day. John opened the Service with our own Huron Carol and the service all ran smoothly from there on in. And, by the way, Leslie did arrive safely back in London a few days later. Watch their websites for future concerts and maybe we'll have another Christmas miracle next year at our annual Christmas Carol Service.

Many people complimented the sumptuous refreshment tables laid out for all after the service. These home made Canadian treats were the result of many people's baking talent and clever organising. Monique Ménard, Susan McKale, Lorna Brown and the others have to be commended.

Submitted by Lorna Brown

September Hospitality - Lady Mayoress Claire Anstee

2010-11-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

Lady Mayoress Claire Anstee gave her 801st speech (she said she gives 800 speeches a year as the wife of the Lord Mayor!) to the CWC at the Welcome Back hospitality morning. She was elegant, entertaining and enthralling speaking about a year in the life of the Lord Mayor and Mayoress and Mansion House. She talked about her daily schedules that at times involved 5 changes of clothes and meeting a very great many people. But you could sense the pride and joy of her past year in this role. She gave the impression that although her life was not her own this past year she would not have missed it for the world. And on top of it all we found out that she was born in Montreal, Canada! The CWC members are even more excited to visit Mansion House this December after such a wonderful description by Lady Mayoress Anstee.

Our past office manager Phyllis Nickerson sent a very generous gift donation to the Maple Leaf Trust. Funds were raised at her Almost the Queens Garden Party in her new home in Ottawa, Canada. The Maple Leaf Trust thanks Phyllis and her ever supporting husband Lee for donating the funds to our fund.

Submitted by Patty Bell

Tour of the National Gallery

2010-11-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

We were a privileged group to have a private tour of the National Gallery on Friday Nov.12. We were all a bit surprised at how busy and lively the gallery was that evening with live music and several other tours. But we were so engrossed by our terrific tour guide Margi Davis that we hardly noticed anything else but the paintings. She made us look carefully at each painting pointing out details in them that one normally (well at least I) would miss. We learned who was who in the painting , why the artist chose to include certain items and also how much artisitc freedom the artist had when he painted for his patron. It was indeed a truly enjoyable way to start the weekend in this city blessed with so many wonderful galleries and museums. A special thank you to Margi Davis who donated both her time and expertise to make this another great CWC event.

Submitted by Patty Bell

November Hospitality

2010-11-10T03:40:00.000-08:00

We were led on a fascinating archaeological dig at the November 9th Hospitality. Our guest speaker, Lady Alexandra Richardson, talked at length about the art and perseverance of being a biographer, unearthing files in attics in Ireland, Texas, Italy and England to name a few locations. She even sourced information from sales staff and cleaners in Singapore Airport to glean information about the subject of her book Passionate Patron: The Life of Alexander Hardcastle and the Greek Temples of Agrigento.

He was an englishman with a passion for Greek Archaeology who lived in Agrigento, Sicily in the 1920's supervising a dig there and in mainland Italy as well. We were given a glimpse into his past before he moved to Agrigento and with how he lived out his later years. I am sure many of the ladies who attended that day will read what should be a very interesting book. Get her book here!

Vi Knight of the Veteran's Affairs Committee led a Remembrance Day moment reading a moving poem written by a 12year old boy form Calgary about Why We Wear A Poppy.

Submitted by Patty Bell

Family Carol Service

2010-11-08T03:39:00.001-08:00

Please invite your friends and family to join us for our annual Family Carol Service!

Friday, December 3rd
6:30 pm at the
Crown Court Church of Scotland
Russell Street, Covent Garden
London WC2B 5EZ

Children are welcome! Refreshments will be served following the service of Lessons & Carols, so please RSVP to info@canadianwomenlondon.org, letting us know how many people will be attending. There is no cost for this event, and you don't even need to be a member of the CWC, but monies raised from the offertory will be shared between the Church and the Maple Leaf Trust.

For a larger version of the invitation, click on the image below.

A Trip to Highgrove

2010-10-20T03:57:00.000-07:00

October 4, 2010

Not a tube strike, traffic, nor storm clouds could keep a sold-out group of CWC and Australian Women’s Club members and their friends from boarding the coach at 8:30 am for an eagerly anticipated trip to Highgrove. Our first stop, a mandatory shoppers’ destination, was Tetbury, once an ancient wool and yarn market located within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire. Today it is renowned for its antique shops, elegant church spire and honey-coloured stones on the market square.

The Highgrove shop, situated at 10 Long Street occupies the major part of a period building thought to have been a brewery. It was just a shopping appetizer for us and a few minutes later, we reached Highgrove!

After a security and passport check, we were welcomed to the Estate by the scent of orchards and brilliant sunshine. Our 2 groups of 25, managed by Lolly Fullerton and Teresa Howe, were led by wonderfully knowledgeable volunteer guides who provided Royal anecdotes in addition to all aspects of the garden. Standing in front of the Orchard Room, a lime washed building of oak and stone designed by Charles Morris, a short history was provided.

Originally styled “High Grove”, it is the country home of The Prince, The Duchess of Cornwall and Princes William and Harry. It is also the location of the Home farm of the Duchy of Cornwall, well known for its organic foods and gardening. Built between 1796 and 1798 but due to 2 fires over the years, the buildings were restored with local Cotswolds Stones and other saved and recycled pieces. The Duchy of Cornwall acquired Highgrove House from the MP Maurice Macmillan, son of former Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1980. It was indeed a blank canvass of 15 acres where The Prince has devoted much energy transforming the neglected grounds into some of the most innovative gardens existing today. Everything at Highgrove embodies the Prince’s environmental philosophy - that it is better to work with Nature than against it.

And you may wonder… What can one see in a garden in the autumn? Late season perennials such as asters, rudbeckias and sedums, add their strength in colour, as do the ripening apples and pears. And more…

Our guide explained the interlinking of various themes and gardens, each with its own character and purpose. In the Thyme Walk, a lime avenue started with a bronze of a Borghese Gladiator and ended with a dovecote, a gift from the Sultan of Oman. Weaving through the magical woodland garden full of hostas – one of the Prince’s favourite plants, we glimpsed “Hollyrood House” a Tree house where the young Princes played as children. At the southern edge, the “Wall of Gifts”, a series of quirky architectural pieces from University students, was intriguing. We smiled at the luscious green Fern Pyramid that the Prince received for his 50th birthday and the mischievous Leprechauns given by a white witch from Ireland. We learned that the Prince loves moss, ferns and hostas, and birds. There are some 67 birdhouses for natural pest control.

Then there is the Azalea Walk, a special place adorned with busts of people The Prince admires – poets, scholars, environmental campaigners and composers. In contrast, to the left is a touching memorial to Tigga, the Prince’s much-loved Jack Russell Terrier, who rolled about in these gardens.

A contemplative arboretum featuring a stunning bronze titled “ The daughters of Odessa: Martyrs of Modernism, is dedicated to oppressed people of the world and situated in the healing garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. How appropriate as The Prince learned so much about gardening from his grandmother. Further there is a sanctuary, a sundial garden and later we come upon the Highgrove Terraces and Cottage Gardens, full of memories and gifts – a catapa tree, a 50th birthday present to the Prince from Sir Elton John, a gateway of Indian doors from Jodhpur and a circular stone seat made by masons from Hereford Cathedral. Last we marvel at the lavish Carpet Garden, resembling a Turkish carpet, which was exhibited at the 2001 Chelsea Flower Show winning a Silver Medal. One is immediately transported to a Moroccan riad here, surrounded by olive trees, fountains, cork oaks, cypresses and vines.

It seems that no CWC outing is quite complete without a Canadian connection. We were fortunate to meet Head Gardener Debs Goodenough who was busy planting bulbs. Some 30,000 bulbs are planted yearly using only natural fertilizers and mulch. Mrs.Goodenough was raised on a farm in Alberta and trained in horticulture in Canada. Later while working at Kew Gardens; she met her future husband and became Head Gardener at Osborne House, and managed other historic landscapes over a twelve-year period. In 2008, she was appointed to her present position. She smiled and told us that The Prince does get his hands dirty and is very involved in all aspects of the garden.

After our 2 hour walk though 2 miles of garden, many of us relaxed over tea and cake in the Orchard Room, while others perused the beautiful gifts in the adjoining shop.

On the trip back to London, Teresa, Lolly and Flora Tan uncorked a wine and cheese party complete with games for “royal prizes”. Yes we had traffic and a long coach ride but there was new respect for the Prince’s pioneering work in organic gardening and a lovely day of delightful memories.

All profits from the shops go to The Prince’s Charities. To find out more, visit the web site at http://www.princescharities.org.

Submitted by CWC Past President Teresa Howe. Teresa wishes to thank Lolly Fullerton for all their her help and especially for flying in from Canada for this event.

Prince of Wales’ Garden Party to Make a Difference

2010-10-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

On September 14, twenty two members of the CWC had a unique opportunity to attend the Prince of Wales’ Garden Party to Make a Difference in the gardens of Clarence House in London . The garden party was an exhibition of ideas and activities to encourage people to think about sustainability and reducing their impact on the planet. We wandered at our own pace among the exhibits, stopping and sampling the sights that were of interest to us.

Highlights were:

Learning to grow vegetables in small spaces – many unique container ideas.

Making a reusable bag from old curtains
Pledging at least one way to reduce the energy consumption in your home
Sampling the food at the Farmer’s Market with lovely local and organic vegetables and unusual foods like spelt pasta
Planning a drought resistant garden – ideas I will certainly use in my garden in Calgary
Browsing the Red Cross’s pop up charity shop
Watching singing and dancing on the people-powered dance floor
Resting in the chairs made from recycled supermarket trolleys
Learning how to recycle old clothing to make new and unusual outfits
Marveling at the 3 meter green piggybank (being green saves you money) and the sheep climbing the ladder (loft insulation) and the bicycle-powered laptop

There were food cooking demonstrations, live music and comedy presentations, food tasting and a talk by Sir David Attenborough. Although we did not run into any of the Royal Family, it was a fun and informative morning. We all left the Garden Party full of new ideas to be more “green” and the importance of making greener choices in our everyday lives.

Lynda Opocensky

New Season of Great Events!

2010-09-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Time certainly does fly and I hope everyone is as excited as I am with the lineup of great events starting very soon. By now, all current members should have received their printed copy of the new CWC bulletin - and I hope to see many of you very soon!

With the new season of events about to kick off, I recently sent off an email to the 100 women who left their names with us on Canada Day at Trafalgar Square (see the previous post!). I wanted to reproduce it here in case your name isn't on our email list or perhaps you've found this blog, but aren't yet a member.

Here's the message...

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer!

I also hope that you found a moment to read the email sent to you just after Canada Day, introducing you to the Canadian Women's Club, our history and our website.

We're thrilled that some of you have already signed up as new members, but if you haven't yet had a chance to find out more about the club, now is the perfect time.

Our website calendar page now lists more than 40 events and activities for our September - January season and there truly is something for everyone! For garden lovers, the first email sent to you highlighted one of the most exclusive events on offer: a private group tour of the gardens at Highgrove. For culture vultures, we've arranged a day trip to Oxford to visit the newly renovated Ashmolean Museum, a tour of Leighton House, the Museum of London's new galleries and visits to Mansion House and Marlborough House. For cooks and gourmands, there are two cooking classes you can attend as well as two 'Let's Do Lunch' events. For book lovers, you can choose from afternoon or evening book groups - or attend both! And as usual, there are monthly bridge games held at the Canadian High Commission at Grosvenor Square, a few 'IT with Tea' sessions - not forgetting our hugely popular Wednesday morning walks through Regent's Park.

For brand new members, the best way to find out more about the CWC is to attend one of our monthly Hospitality Coffee Mornings. As well as listening to an interesting and entertaining guest speaker, you'll have a chance to mingle with other members over coffee or tea and light snacks.

Our first Hospitality Coffee Morning is on Monday September 20th, when our guest speaker will be the Lady Mayoress of London. In October, we're excited to have forensic expert Christine King as our guest speaker, and in November our speaker is author Lady Alexandra Richardson. Our December morning will have a special Christmas theme, and in January, we'll meet Gracie Finley Stickings, who will treat us to anecdotes about her career and time playing Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival.

Our coffee mornings are absolutely FREE to all members, but if you would like to attend as a guest you are more than welcome. The charge for guests is just £5. If you do decide to join on the day, your £5 will be refunded!

I hope that gives you a taster of some of the wonderful events to come - and I do hope you'll join us soon. I'm sure many of you already have busy and active lives, but the great thing about the CWC is that tours and events are organised for you - you just need to turn up on the day! Many of our members tell us that they simply enjoy visiting new places more when they are with others. And sometimes it's nice to just feel 'at home' with other Canadians while exploring London and all it has to offer. You might be surprised to discover that we have a few members of other nationalities who simply appreciate what the CWC has to offer and who like doing things with Canadians!

Please do drop us an email if you have any questions at all - you can email us at info@canadianwomenlondon.org. And if you're ready to join, you'll find our application form on our website along with a full list of Calendar events! If you're still not sure, have a look at some past events on our blog - or get in touch and tell us you would like to try an event as a guest.

Best wishes,

Patty Bell, President

Canada Day 2010 Celebrations in London

2010-07-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

Once again, the Canadian Women's Club said hello to hundreds of people who dropped by our stand at Trafalgar Square on Canada Day.

A huge thank you to Chad Molleken of Rainmaker and of course to the various sponsors who created interest in the day with a fabulous website, and who provided us with a wonderfully positioned stand looking out over Trafalgar Square with Big Ben in the distance. As well as gathering up many, many names of women who would like to receive further information about the club and the Maple Leaf Trust, we answered questions about Canada and Canada Day, pointed people in the right direction to find Tim Horton's coffee, Canadian flag tattoos and of course joined in with the Canadian Tenors to sing our national anthem!

If you're finding this blog after having visited us yesterday, thanks for dropping by to say hello or for taking one of our postcards. We have a wonderful club, a superb team of volunteers who organise fabulous events, a great charity to support, and you are very warmly welcomed to join us. Our events kick off again in September - please do get in touch to find out more!

2010 Annual General Meeting

2010-06-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Women's Club celebrated a year of more than 100 events for the 2009-2010 season at our AGM held yesterday! The AGM is when we review the events of the past year, take a close look at our financial situation, hear reports about our charitable work, make any changes needed to our rules and constitution, thank activity leaders and members of the executive team who are moving on to new pastures and welcome the new executive team who will lead the club going forward.

CWC 2009-2010 Executive, from left:

Kate Brundage (Vice-President for 2010-2011),

Teresa Howe (Outgoing President),

Patty Bell (President for 2010-2011),

Renee-Marie Vanasse (Outoing Treasurer),

Barbara Richards (Outoing Vice-President)

In addition to all the above, we were very pleased this year to have a presentation from Mark Ball about LIFT 2010, a London-wide International Festival of Theatre that will be taking place from 23 June to 18 July. Mark was introduced by Donna Thomson, CWC Honorary President, and both spoke about their excitement about the range of experiences, performers and adventures that LIFT will be offering this year - with ground-breaking works from Canada, Germany, Tunisia and elsewhere. Mark talked to us about just a few LIFT events that should surprise and enthrall us. You can read more about LIFT 2010 by clicking here!

Mark Ball of LIFT with Teresa Howe

There were many thank you's to various activity leaders for creating such a fantastic programme of events - but the main thank you went to our outgoing President, Teresa Howe who for the past year worked tirelessly on behalf of the club. She put her heart and soul into keeping the club fresh and exciting. We all felt enriched by the fantastic range of events she coordinated and new members were impressed by her warm welcome.

Isabelle Mignault and Teresa Howe

Heartfelt thanks also went to Margaret Wickware, our most recent Past President, who is moving on to new things after acting as Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust for three years. Margaret wasn't able to be with us at the AGM but her report was very graciously given by Fawn White.

Fawn White

And so now we congratulate and welcome Patty Bell as our new President, and take a break for the summer until we recommence activities in September. Enjoy a few pictures from the AGM and see you all in September! And one last event to mention....please come out and say hello to us at our stand on Canada Day, Thursday 1 July - Trafalgar Square...from 10:30am until 6:30pm!

Teresa Howe, receiving a gift from the CWC,

arranged by Anne Van Gieson

Jenny Tripp Black (Chair, Veterans' Support Committee),

Kate Brundage (Vice-President 2010-2011)

Maple Leaf Trust Dinner and Auction 2010

2010-06-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Click image to view larger format.
Photography by David Bradfield

On 13 May, proud members of the Canadian community in the UK and their guests gathered at the High Commissioner’s Official Residence to salute Canadian musicians living or working in the UK and, most importantly, to support other Canadians living in need in this country - the mission of the Maple Leaf Trust.

For this special occasion, the formal living room was transformed into an elegant dining room with seven tables (one more than last year) each beautifully decorated with globes of red and white flowers and accented with flags of Canada and Great Britain. At each place was an Honour Roll - a list of Canadian musicians living or performing in the United Kingdom who had so generously contributed to this wonderful evening by donating their music (CDs and/or tickets to various concerts) in support of the Maple Leaf Trust. We thank you all!

During cocktails, our guests socialized in the library where our super organized, Silent Auction Co-ordinator, Natalie Kirsh had very attractively set out our first ever silent auction. The twenty-two prizes included something for everyone: travel opportunities, fashion items and tickets to at least seven different musical events. Bidding was fierce for several items: the portrait sitting donated by CWC member Phyllis Dupuy and a hockey jersey signed by Russian hockey legend Vladislav Tretiak (Canadian hockey enthusiasts readily recognize the name even if that famous ’72 Russia-Canada series took place before they were born)! A special thank you to Phyllis and Mary Ellen Jenkinson for donating these items and to Natalie for giving of her time and talents so generously.

Following a delightful performance by cellist, Christian Elliott, a 2008 Canadian Centennial Scholarship winner (funded by the Maple Leaf Trust), guests were treated to the melodic voices of the 1607 Ensemble. During their brief presentation, they sang two pieces by Clement Ishmael, a Canadian composer of great acclaim, most notably for his compositions performed on Broadway and in West End. We were delighted to have Clement as our special guest that evening. A very special note of thanks to MLT Trustee and Event Vice Chair, Fawn White who organized the musical portion of the evening and to Karen and John Murphy of Ernest and Young for underwriting this very special facet of the evening.

After a lovely dinner with excellent Ontario wines so kindly donated by Clare Barnett of the Ontario International Marketing Centre, our High Commissioner donned his Habs jersey to begin the centrepiece of the evening: the live auction. This year, the variety of items was exceptional including a highly prized photo by Canadian musician and award winning photographer, Bryan Adams, highly coveted tickets to the upcoming premiere of Sex and City 2, a lovely scarf by Canadian designer (and another Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund scholarship winner), Erdem, tickets to Diana Krall to mention but a few. Prizes were arranged by Canadian community members including CWC members Fawn White, Kate Brundage, Donna Thomson and Lynne Flanagan Thank you ladies!

Besides our very generous bidders with us that evening, I want to thank the team who worked on the online auction. Canadian Affair’s Kathryn Munro and Anette Rayner together with CWC member, Barbara Richards organized our second online auction that concluded the previous evening. Besides travel, online prizes included VIP tickets to the recent Michael Buble and Metric concerts. (Both winners have reported truly amazing evenings!) Barbara not only liaised with Canadian Affair but also designed and produced all of communication materials for this event. My sincerest thanks to Barbara for all her work.

In closing, I would like to mention that over the past several months, I have received dozens of notes of thanks sent to me by veterans and I have read heartfelt thank you notes from our Scholarship winners. A note with a cheque from a veteran now living on a limited fixed income included a £10 cheque for his fellow veterans. I can’t put into words how inspiring these shaky handwritten notes have been to me.

With the exceedingly generous support of our High Commissioner, our fundraising dinner was a huge success - raising record proceeds of in excess of £20,000. The Canadian community stepped forward that evening in a BIG way and I am most grateful. If other CWC members would like to add their support, they are welcome to contact me. As I wrap things up and move on from the CWC and the MLT, I welcome your donations that will be included in disbursements to our two charitable causes on June 15th.

With every good wish,

Margaret Wickware

Chair, Maple Leaf Trust

May Hospitality with Bob Bell

2010-05-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

A bandaid is a bandaid, after all, in both Canada and the UK.

Bob Bell, CEO of the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital Foundation Trust and a health care management guru with international experience, gave a very fact-based comparison of the health care sytems of the UK and Canada at our May Hospitalty. He provided historical tables that detailed changes in health care delivery in both countries, for example, from number of CAT scans to number of doctors to availability of long-term care and much more.

There was lively discussion and questions from Canadians, particularly from those who are new to the UK's NHS and those who have been in the UK for some time and are out of touch with the Canadian health care system. Many tabloid myths were dispelled with the Q&A as evidence-based facts clearly illustrated that both systems were delivering care in the good to excellent quality level.

We were left with the thought that the quality of health care in the western world is for the most part very good and it certainly has improved even in the last few decades. Many thanks to Bob for taking time from his busy work life to speak to us about this important topic.

Visit to Hever Castle, Kent

2010-05-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

A group of CWC members travelled back to Tudor times with a visit to Hever Castle in Kent, the childhood home to Anne Boleyn in the early 16th century.

Our trip (on Friday May 21st) started off with a leisurely walk from Hever station to the castle where others joined us to explore the magnificent gardens, the yew maze and of course the castle itself.

Lynn Allen organised the day and had prepared fantastic notes and maps for us to follow. She also organised the weather...perfection for a day out in the countryside! Enjoy the slideshow...

Photos courtesy of Lynn and Barbara

The Maple Leaf Trust Online Auction is open for bids!

2010-05-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Please visit our online charity auction to make a bid for some fabulous trips, concert tickets...and more!

Let's Do Lunch: A Day in Grace Kelly's Closet!

2010-05-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Who would have dreamt that we could sift through Grace Kelly's favourite clothes at the V&A? A lucky group of CWC ladies were delighted to view the elegant, classic timeless fashion of a truly unique style icon. We studied her film costumes, wedding trousseau, French haute couture items plus several very glamourous evening gowns.

It was especially good to see the photos of Grace Kelly wearing the clothes displayed. The famous Kelly bag was on prominent display along with many small evening bags - absolutely beautiful! And of course the lovely hats ....why don't we wear hats anymore? They really do complete the outfit! And we learned that it was Grace Kelly that made sunglasses such a fashion item, having several pairs to co-ordinate with her outfits.

Lunch afterwards was at another fashion showcase, the Emporio Armani Cafe on Brompton Road. We seemed to all have gone on a diet after leaving the closet of Grace Kelly and noticing how very slim she was. Everyone ordered only one course and no wine and no dessert! But what we did order was delicious and of course being surrounded by beautiful Armani clothes was quite something. We also had a splendid view of the shoppers passing by on Brompton Road, probably on their way to Harrods.

So a good ladies day out and a good ending for the 'Let's Do Lunch' ladies this year.

Submitted by Patty Bell

PS. To see all our past entries for 'Let's Do Lunch' click on the category in the right hand side of this site.

Another year, another online auction!

2010-04-30T08:55:00.001-07:00

Last year was the Maple Leaf Trust's first attempt at running a online auction. It was a big success, but this year, we have even more items to bid for! The auction itself won't kick off until the 6th of May but here's a taster of what's to come.

If you're already a CWC member, you will be sent the website address with your next e-newsletter - but if you're not a member, please register to receive an update by emailing me (see the image!).

By the way, we'll be taking bids from Canadians wherever they may be so please start telling your friends and family about this fun (and very worthwhile) online auction.

Visit to William Morris Gallery

2010-04-25T02:38:00.000-07:00

Last week, a group of us had an excellent introduction to the William Morris Gallery in north London by one of its curators, and otherwise had the house to ourselves for the visit.

Morris' Evenlode Chintz (1883)

William Morris was amazingly prolific and accomplished as a designer of wallpaper and textiles (for Sanderson), embroidered and woven wallhangings and carpets, furniture, lovely ceramic tiles and bowls and vessels of varying shapes, not to speak of his beautiful illustrations, calligraphy and type-settings for books and other printed materials. And, of course, he was also an author and poet ... and the first to translate the Icelandic Sagas. At one point in his life, he was quite involved in politics - with the Socialist movement.

The collection is very suitably placed in Water House in Walthamstow, the Morris' family home from 1848 to 1856. It offers a number of examples of all the many areas of his interests throughout his life, and items later produced by William Morris' firm.

The top floor of Water House displays some beautiful examples of similar items by one of his friends, and one room on the main floor is currently set aside for an exhibit called 'Quiet Hands'. This is of commissioned furniture made by present day furniture designer Nicholas Hobbs. He, as so many who came after William Morris, is inspired by the simple and clean lines of the Arts and Crafts movement that William Morris inspired and was so much part of.

All in all, the trip to Water House at Walthamstow was indeed well worth it!

Submitted by Unni Claridge

April Hospitality: Diamonds!

2010-04-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental…”

Our April Hospitality speaker, Arabel Lebrusan, the creative director and designer of Leblas Jewellery near Sloane Square, discussed the ethical approach she takes when sourcing and making jewellery and explained why Canadian diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend.

We learned how jewellers assess the value of diamonds using the 4 Cs: carat, colour, cut, and clarity. A diamond with more carats, a clear or lighter color, a cut reflecting the most light, and no inclusions or blemishes are more valuable.

Arabel uses a 5th C however: “certificate”, to judge the value of a diamond. She uses only certified-Canadian diamonds for her jewellery because of the ethical problems that can surround many diamonds from Africa, especially Sierra Leone. By using Canadian diamonds, Arabel is able to trace the mine a diamond comes from and therefore takes a stand against conflict diamonds or those mined by children.

She spoke particularly about the Ekati Diamond Mine, 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and how the mine works with local Aboriginal groups to ensure the mine meets agreed environmental standards.

Nina Tukaj, Patty Bell, Arabel Lebrusan and Teresa Howe

Taking inspiration from her home country of Spain, Arabel designs many of her pieces, especially those incorporating filigree, to be handcrafted by specially chosen artisans in Spain. Pictures of Arabel's designs can be found on the Leblas website (click here).

We were all impressed by the Arabel’s beautiful jewellery and inspired by her efforts to improve the ethical standards of the jewellery industry. We'd like to thank her, and Nina Tukaj (a Vancouverite who is working with Arabel at Leblas) for a wonderful talk that left us all sparkling like Canadian diamonds!

Submitted by Laurel Steuernagel

Unfortunately this is the last blog posting that we'll have from Laurel, who has worked with us on an internship basis for the last few months. We took a few moments at the Hospitality to thank her - presenting her with a few fun momentos of London. Laurel was a real asset to the CWC and we'll miss her enthusiasm, great write-ups of events and assistance on so many office tasks and events. Thanks again to Laurel! We hope she'll come and visit on her next trip to London.

Visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery

2010-04-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dulwich Picture Gallery is a wonderful place to visit any time of year, and even better on a gorgeous spring day. When a very exclusive tour is arranged for members of the Canadian Women’s Club and is given by the Director of the Gallery himself, it turns into an exceptionally special occasion!

Ian Dejardin, Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery

We were thrilled when Lily Harriss (our Canadian connection at the Gallery – see our earlier entry about Lily) arranged a visit for our members to the Paul Nash exhibit at the Gallery. She was able to spare some time to join us for tea and coffee (and delicious biscuits) before Ian Dejardin gave us a personal introduction to the exhibit and a tour of the Gallery’s buildings.

With his background as a curator, Ian gave a fascinating introduction to Paul Nash’s life and art. As well as giving us a greater understanding of how Nash came to be one of England’s greatest 20th century painters, Ian advised us to ‘look for the snakes’ – a sign or symbol that Nash added to certain pieces. No one knows why Nash did this. Ian also talked to us about the some of similarities found in Nash’s work with that of some Group of Seven artists, presumably gained around the same time, or through sharing similar experiences when Group of Seven artists spent time in Europe.

Given the sunshine and blossoming trees and shrubs, it made sense to then move outside do a tour of the Gallery’s buildings and for Ian to tell us a bit more about the Gallery’s history. Here’s a tip from Ian: When you have the chance to visit, walk right around the main building itself so that you can see the façade that Sir John Soane’s architectural design intended as the ‘front’ of the Gallery. As Ian told us, if you’ve ever visited any of the western world’s grandest art galleries, their design is undoubtedly based on that of the Dulwich Picture Gallery - the 'original' grand public art gallery.

Our huge thanks to Ian and Lily for making it such a wonderful event for us. The Paul Nash exhibit runs until May 9th and is highly recommended.

You will be interested in knowing that Ian and Lily are both involved in planning the Tom Thomson and Group of Seven exhibition that will open in 2011. You can read Ian Dejardin's blog entry about his visit to Toronto by clicking here. Another CWC special event to be planned! In the meantime, Canadians in the UK will be pleased to know that there are some Group of Seven postcards and notecards available at the Gallery’s shop…no need to return to Canada to stock up!

Submitted by Barbara Richards

March hospitality with Carl Honoré

2010-03-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

At our hospitality morning on March 9th we all took a welcomed break from our busy schedules and learned to embrace our inner Tortoise with speaker Carl Honoré, the best-selling author and advocate of the slow movement. Carl shared with us humorous anecdotes and assured the forty women in attendance that less is more and slow is the new fast.

Carl with Patty Bell, CWC Vice-President

In a culture of instant messaging, speed yoga, and drive-through funerals, it is almost impossible to take the time to smell the roses. As a former speedaholic himself, Carl realized it was time to put on the breaks when he started trying to condense his son’s bedtime stories into one minute. Since Carl published his book “In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed”, which reveals the dangers of living life in fast-forward, the slow movement has been gaining speed. Slow cities have been cropping up around the world, as well as movements in slow food, slow sex, slow exercise, slow medicine, and even slow technology. Big companies are starting to embrace slowness to allow their workers to be more creative and efficient and last year Harvard University sent their incoming freshman class a letter with one piece of advice, to slow down.

In 2005, Carl published "Under Pressure". As well as outlining all the pressures put on parents and teachers to speed children along and grow up fast, he makes the case for slowing things down: letting children be children just a little bit longer. Carl recently wrote on his blog that Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper said that 'Under Pressure" is ...“A look at the mismanagement of the contemporary child: overprotected, overindulged, over-stimulated. An indispensable, anecdotal, comnmonsensical guide to why our kids are depressed, lazy and fat, and what we can do about it.”

We were thrilled to have Carl with us for such a stimulating and thought provoking morning. We all learned that we need to think more about why we go so fast, whether it's good-fast or bad-fast, or good-slow or bad-slow. We're hoping to put just a little bit more of that good-slow into our lives!

Submitted by Laurel Steuernagel

Wine tasting with Marie-France

2010-03-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

Just before Valentine's Day, a group of CWC members and their partners, husbands and friends enjoyed a fabulous wine tasting event, organised by Marie-France and her husband Eduardo. What a great time we had at the home of Harry and Renée-Marie! The setting was splendid, our hosts perfect and we, the guests, a friendly and keen-to-learn group.

We discovered many new wines, but the highlight was to experience the food pairing. Champagne and parmesan...Viognier and asparagus pesto wrapped in prosciutto...Tavel rosé with tandoori bites... and much more. Many of us were surprised to find that St-Joseph goes very well with dark chocolate! Who knew Marie-France is such a wonderful chef? (Perhaps she might consider offering a ‘deli’ service to go with our wine purchases next time?)

There were lots of questions and people took home ideas, recipes and a better knowledge of wine. Marie-France presented each of the 11 wines with knowledge and enthusiasm. She definitely likes what she does! We can now tell how old a red wine is just by looking at it, when to keep and when to drink now, how you make champagne rosé and most importantly, to be able enhance our “table” experience by serving just the right wine with our culinary creations.

In the meantime, Eduardo, her husband, was chained to the stove assembling and delivering the appetizers to enhance each wine…(what dedication after a 5am start, a business trip to Zurich and a full day working!). Marie-France and Eduardo will deliver your order and do the catering, giving you a stress-free and interesting way to entertain. We are so very lucky to have such a talented office manager!

The next wine tasting will be in the spring and will feature all new wines and appetizers. The theme will be “Spring and Summer” and we’re sure to have another fabulous time - don't miss it!

Submitted by Lois Darley

Slow Down with Carl!

2010-03-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

We're very excited that Canadian journalist Carl Honoré will be joining us for our March hospitality, Tuesday morning, March 9th (see the calendar details on our website). We'll be meeting in the Gold Room of Canada House to hear Carl tell us about his latest exploits in trying to get us all to, well...just...slow...down.

Carl lives in South London but is known around the world for adding wit and wisdom to the slow movement discussion. We don't know if he'll be speaking to us about slow sex as he has done for other audiences, slow food or slow parenting, which he's written about in his book 'Under Pressure', but it promises to be a great morning!

Please get in touch with the CWC office if you would like to be there!

Canadian Women's Club Precision Skating Team Adventure On Ice in London

2010-03-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

(or...Let's Do Lunch, with Skates On...to mark the Vancouver 2010 Olympics)

It was with a certain amount of nervous trepidation that six ladies from the Canadian Women's Club Precision Skating Team took to the ice on Friday Feb 26th.

The majority of us had not been on skates for quite a few years and only two of us actually owned skates!

But, no matter, we were up for it. After a very shaky start in the skate changing room (Sharon was about to give up until she received some encouragement from the skate hire man, who showed her and yours truly how to put the damn plastic skates on!) we were out and on the ice! And wow did we fly!

Around and round we went and in the same direction. Everyone was reluctant to perform anything but the most basic skating manouvers: right foot push left foot push swish...swish...swish. But once we recalled the rhythm of skating we quite enjoyed the whole experience for almost one and a half hours! And no major embarrassment of falling, whatsoever.

However, I must admit that, as Sharon said "it was good to be back on land again after leaving the rink!" We rewarded ourselves with a lovely lunch at Cafe Anglais in the Whiteleys Mall on the Queensway.

Everyone agrees we should make this a regular activity of the CWC. Anyone wishing to establish the CWC Precision Skating Team, please contact the Canadian Olympic Skating team for more details (or Patty Bell if you can't find their email)!

Humbly submitted by Patty 'Hot Skates' Bell (pictured above, but just out of shot of Joannie Rochette, Canadian winner of the Bronze Medal for Figure Skating)

Snowy Wednesday Morning Walks

2010-02-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

A few little flurries will not stop the intrepid Wednesday morning walkers - and here are the photos to prove it.

If you can get to Hyde Park or Regent's Park for an early morning walk on Wednesdays, please check your latest e-newsletter and let Lois Darley know that you would like to join us! We promise it won't snow every week...

Februry Hospitality: Lily Harriss

2010-02-15T05:47:00.000-08:00

Our Hospitality morning last Tuesday, February 9th was an extra special affair – joining coffee, art, and humanitarianism.

Our first speaker, Lily Harriss, presented highlights of the Dulwich Picture Gallery. We were impressed to learn the Gallery’s history which began with only a few paintings from the private collection of friends Noël Desenfans and Sir Francis Bourgeois.

Lily Harriss with Patty Bell

The two men acquired more paintings after they were commissioned by the King of Poland to create a Royal Collection. But with the partitioning of Poland, the collection lacked a home. It was bequeathed by Bourgeois to Dulwich College, Sir John Soane was commissioned as architect of a new building, and the Gallery opened to the public in 1817. It is distinguished as being the first public art gallery in England and now displays a variety of art including Old Masters such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Poussin.

Lily talked about her role as Director of Development, where she plays a leading role in managing relationships with donors and raising funds to support the Gallery. As a Canadian, Lily is particularly excited about a Tom Thomson and Group of Seven exhibition that will be opening at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2011. Without a doubt, the CWC will be there!

We were very pleased that one of the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund students was able to attend Tuesday's presentation by Lily. Eleanor von Aderkas, pictured below, is currently studying Easel Painting Conservation at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge. A short article about Eleanor will be published on the blog soon!

Deborah Bowsher, Eleanor Von Aderkas, Arlene Greenhouse

The day was concluded by our second speaker, Isabelle Mignault, who spoke about her friends and experiences in Haiti and who gave a moving plea in both English and French for aide to the Haitians, especially the children, whose lives were devastated by the earthquake.

Isabelle Mignault

Renee Marie Vanasse and Isabelle Mignault

The CWC held a fundraiser on Tuesday– a Quake Bake – to support the Haitians. Along with donations made by Quebec House staff, we raised more than £300 by bringing and purchasing delicious treats. An additional £100 was donated by Canadian High Commission staff, with the full amount given to the Haitian branch of the Fondation contre l'indifférence pour l'aide à l'enfance, (Foundation again the indifference to child welfare), supported by Isabelle.

Thank you to all who participated.

Written by Laurel Steuernagel and submitted by the IT with Te@ group

Morning with Marcia Kilgore

2010-02-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last Friday at Canada House, CWC members and our guests were treated to a very special event featuring Canadian Marcia Kilgore. As the founder of Bliss Spas and the creative force behind the popular Soap & Glory beauty line, Marcia's most recent venture has been the launch of Fitflop footwear. We wanted to find out how someone with such humble Canadian beginnings became a worldwide success, what inspired her to set up these businesses, and what continues to inspire her today.

We invited a fellow Canadian, author and fashionista Bronwyn Cosgrave to pose some questions to Marcia. We were instantly captivated by Marcia's energy, sense of humour and positive attitude. We learned that after having worked as a personal trainer and bodybuilder in Saskatchewan, Marcia moved to New York City to join her sister, a fashion model. With only $300 dollars left, and knowing she wanted to stay, Marcia's entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. Working as a personal trainer, her network of contacts grew. After taking a summer off to study skincare, Marcia added facials to her range of services. Realising that her talent in working with people was in helping them to feel good as well as look good, Marcia created a small spa - and then a much larger spa. Marcia told us it wasn't difficult coming up with the name of her new spa: she wanted to create an environment where clients could escape from their daily routine - a soothing and relaxed atmosphere...Bliss Spa, New York was launched!

After creating some products for sale through her spa, and a mention in Vogue magazine, she attracted thousands of new customers (including Oprah!). Even with this attention, however, Marcia stayed grounded. A Bliss Spa was launched in London, bringing Marcia here to train her staff. With her next venture, Marcia launched the Soap & Glory product line - making cosmetics more affordable and showcasing her wit and humour with lipgloss names like Sexy Motherpucker.

Determined to find a way to help busy women tone their legs, Marcia's next successful product involved collaborating with biomechanic scientists and shoe designers to produce the Fitflop. With thousands of happy customers (including several CWC members!) and the science to back up its claims, the Fitflop is taking the footwear market by storm and making exercise quite literally a walk in the park!

Marcia truly has an inspirational story to tell, and her talk was a breath of fresh air for us all. Bronwyn's insightful questions helped to make it a truly memorable morning for all in attendance.

To make the event extra special, some of our guests were thrilled to win one of our fabulous door or raffle prizes! With proceeds going to the CWC's charitable arm, the Maple Leaf Trust, we were very thankful to Leblas for donating some gorgeous earrings and vouchers, to Marcia for providing a Soap & Glory gift box and Fitflop sandals, to Bronwyn for an autographed copy of her book Made for Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards, to Running Bare Ltd for a voucher for Fitflops, and to Van Twisk for the flowers.

Late addition: This was the CWC's first fundraiser in 2010 for the Maple Leaf Trust and more than £1,000 was raised. Thank you again for your support!

Submitted by Laurel Steuernagel Steuernagel with photography by Flora Tan and Barbara Richards. Click on the picture at the top to enlarge the photos or play the slideshow!

Culinary Corner: Entertaining with Appetizers

2010-02-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

Anne Van Gieson, our Culinary Corner hostess, showed us how to create some delicious appetizers on Wednesday, January 27th. Split into small teams, we each learned to make one or two small dishes that we then presented to the rest of the group and enjoyed along with a glass of delicious wine. Anne's next Culinary Corner is in March, featuring Easter Traditions.

Here are just a few of the useful tips passed on by Anne - along with a recipe for you to try.

Entertaining with appetizers is a new and less traditional way to entertain guests and family. It is particularly suitable for those of us who live in smaller spaces without a large, formal dining room. In taking the plunge to do so there are a few simple guidelines to remember:

How much to prepare? Allow 6 pieces per person for the first hour, and another 4 pieces per person for every additional hour.
It is important to have some appetizers that can be prepared several hours ahead.
Have a mix of both hot and cold appetizers.
Try to have back up platters in the kitchen, ready to replenish the ones on your serving table as they become depleted.
If serving appetizers before a dinner, don't overdo it! A mere 3 or 4 items person willbe enough.
When placing items on platters, allow enough space between them so that your guests can easily pick them up without their fingers touching the neighbouring appetizer.
A good indication that a party is coming to an end is to bring out small chocolates, cookies, etc.

Pistachio Chicken

This recipe makes about 30 pieces. They can be eaten warm, room temperature or from the refrigerator.

2 lbs chicken pieces (off the bone)

Marinade:

2 cups buttermilk

1 tbsp mustard

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tbsp basil

1 tbsp oregano

Coating:

1 lb pistachios, finely chopped to make about 4 cups (other nuts - hazelnuts or smoked almonds - can be used in combination with, or as a replacement to pistachios)

3/4 cups breadcrumbs (try using whole wheat or sourdough)

3 eggwhites, beaten well

3/4 cup flour

sea salt and pepper

Rapeseed or canola oil for frying

Method

Combine buttermilk, mustard, and spices in a bowl. Cut chicken filets if required into 1.5" inch pieces. Pound lightly if necessary to reduce thickness so that they cook evenly when fried. Add to marinade being sure all pieces are covered. Marinade for a min. of 6 hours or overnight if possible.

Grind or chop nuts to a point where most are well ground but with some little chunks left for texture. Combine with breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Place on a flat plate when you're ready to coat.

After marinating, coat chicken pieces first with flour, then the eggwhites and finally the nuts. Put coated pieces in the fridge to set for 30 minutes. When ready to fry, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Fry slowly, at a medium to low heat for 5 - 7 minutes, turning a couple of times to be sure chicken is cooked through and has turned a golden brown. Serve right away or place on a tray to cool. You may wish to season with a bit of extra salt and pepper - to your own taste! Although delicious on their own, you may wish to serve with a small bowl of a light yoghurt for dipping.

Submitted by Anne Van Gieson

Visit to Dennis Severs' House

2010-01-30T04:48:00.000-08:00

The CWC journeyed back in time 300 years on our exciting trip to Dennis Severs' House on Friday, January 29th.

Visiting this historic gem, located in London's Spitalfields, feels like entering into a still-life painting of a time long since past, but with the smell of food being cooked and the distant ringing of church bells to stimulate the senses.

A truly authentic experience, we were invited to silently tour the candlelit house and peer into the lives of an imagined 18th century Huguenot family. With each room frozen in time, decorated as former owner Dennis Severs envisioned it would have looked those many years ago, we were reminded of the House motto: "You either see it or you don't."

In the parlour, a feast was in full swing with meat pies, pomegranates, bread, oysters, and fruit covering the table. Wood-burning fireplaces in every room, quill and ink on the tables, and a clothes line draped in white linens were all reminders of a distant, less convenient age. The vast collection of china and oriental rugs along with the maps and globes reveal a lifestyle of elegance and worldliness that helped usher in our current global age.

This house speaks volumes about London’s history and although we had to stick to the rules of maintaining silence (and no photos) throughout the visit we enjoyed learning more about the creative artist Dennis Severs and the Spitalfields area from our host and curator, David Milne - pictured with us.

A fun time was had by all! Thank you to Art and Design Leader Unni Claridge for finding this gem and to Flora Tan for admin on the day.

Tours of the house can be booked strictly by appointment only! Visit the Dennis Servers' House website for more information.

Submitted by Laurel Steurnagel.

Let's Do Lunch: Royal Automobile Club

2010-01-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

The Emancipation Run from London to Brighton celebrated the passing into law of the 'Locomotives on the Highway Act', which raised the speed limit for 'Light Locomotives' from 4 miles per hour to 14 - and also abolished the requirement to be preceded by a man on foot.

This was just one of the many interesting facts about automobiles we learned on January 21st on our Let's Do Lunch escapade to the Royal Automobile Club on London's prestigious Pall Mall. Our group of 15 was given a delightfully informative tour of the Club's premises.

We had a glimpse of men swimming in the wonderful indoor pool (the jewel in the crown of the RAC), were swept past the Turkish baths and squash courts, and admired the many elegant rooms available for hire for special events and meetings, including the yellow Drawing Room, which was formerly known as the Ladies Salon. We ended the tour posing beside a lovely vintage car.

After our tour, we enjoyed a looooong and leisurely lunch in the beautiful Brooklands Bar and Restaurant. The majority of us chose the fish and chips dish - absolutely delicious!

We would like to thank our member, Svetlana, for hosting us at the RAC and allowing us non-members of glimpse into the glamour and history of the Club.

Submitted by CWC Vice-President, Patty Bell

Meet Fitflop entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore

2010-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

***News just in*** We have some fabulous door and raffle prizes to give away at this event - including a voucher for a pair of Fitflop sandals from the new 2010 range!!

Click here for details

Please help us to spread the word about this event as ticket and raffle proceeds go to support our charity, the Maple Leaf Trust.

IT with Te@: Introduction to blogs

2010-01-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

Five blogging novices gathered at Barbara's today for the first IT with Te@ event, hoping to gather some tips (and courage) so they might start a blog themselves or simply to gain a greater understanding on what makes blogs so special.

Barbara talked about some of the standard features and characteristics of blogs, showed some great examples, and took everyone through the main steps in 'blogging'. Barbara has set a challenge to everyone attending to add a comment to this entry.

A second 'introduction to blogs' event will run in February and there are still spaces remaining!

Christmas Bridge Party

2010-01-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Christmas bridge party was a roaring success this past December 16th - as can be seen by the pictures below. £145 was raised from table money for the Maple Leaf Trust, and a special Christmas tombola raised an additional £155!

Emma Forbes (who organises the monthly bridge game along with Sheelagh Whittaker and Diana von Halle), extends a special thank you to all the bridge players for taking part, to Monica Sharp and Carol Leighton for running the tombola, and to those who very kindly donated items for the tombola.

You can join us for a few hands of bridge and an afternoon of friendship each month at the High Commission on the following dates: Wednesdays, January 13th, February 17th and March 24th. For security reasons, you need to register your attendance in advance. Details can be found in your CWC bulletin and e-newsletters.

Fashion in Motion with Erdem

2009-12-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

With 2010 fast approaching it's a good time to catch up with a few events that didn't make it onto the blog.

On Friday December 11th, the V&A hosted its final Fashion in Motion of 2010, with designer Erdem Moragliou. Members of the CWC executive were thrilled to be there with our Honourary President, Donna Thomson (wearing an Erdem design) who had kindly arranged front row tickets for us.

There's a special link between Erdem and the CWC: Julia Montgomery, past Chair of the CCSF and Deborah Bowsher, past CWC President and then Secretary of the CCSF, were with us on the day and fondly remember interviewing him in the mid 1990s when he received financial assistance from the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund. Erdem was studying at the Royal College of Art at the time and so impressed the CCSF interview panel that he was awarded one of the highest values given that year.

Members can read more about Erdem in our Winter Bulletin! Although the completely amateur (and blurry!) photos taken at the V&A by our blog manager do not do justice to Erdem's beautiful designs, you can see some gorgeous professional photographs of the show by clicking here!

It's a Saturday Walk in the Park

2009-12-24T04:15:00.000-08:00

With 2010 fast approaching it's a good time to catch up with a few events that didn't make it onto the blog.

Back in October, Lois and John Darley led us on our 2nd autumn 'Saturday Walk in the Park' through some of central London's loveliest parks. Meeting up at Embankment Station, we did a very quick dip into the eastern section of the Embankment Garden before moving to the western section. This garden has been referred to as "a pocketful of peace in the centre of a busy city". After admiring some of the Victorian statues (see picture below),

we travelled up Horse Guard's Parade to St James's Garden. With the sun breaking through the dark clouds that had drenched London the days before, we stopped for a group photo!

We came up to Buckingham Palace just as the guard was changing so the crowds did their best to block our path. But with steely determination we assembled again at Canada Gate - another group photo! It was nice to see the fallen leaves decorating and almost matching the maple leaves of the Canada Memorial.

We didn't linger in Green Park too long, but slipped into Hyde Park for the last leg of our walk before finishing at a lovely little pub in Kensington - the Queen's Arms - where some of us stayed for a pub lunch and others said adieu. Despite the forecasts, it was a beautiful day for a walk!

Details about our Spring 2010 Saturday walks will be announced in your e-newsletters and on the CWC website.

Tea at the Lanesborough Hotel

2009-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

With 2010 fast approaching it's a good time to catch up with a few events that didn't make it onto the blog.

This year our traditional CWC Anniversary Tea was held on November 25th at the glamorous Apsleys Conservatory at the Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park Corner. We enjoyed all the beloved trimmings of a perfect afternoon tea - delicious strawberries, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, scones and most importantly - a glass of champagne before our tea!

Culinary Corner Catch-up

2009-12-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

With 2010 fast approaching it's a good time to catch up with a few events that didn't make it onto the blog.

In October, Anne Van Gieson (third from right) hosted another one of her very popular culinary corners. With the theme of 'Entertaining a Crowd: The Buffet Table', Anne passed on her extremely helpful tips on how to prepare ahead, how best to plan the menu and more.

As with all culinary corner sessions, we then got busy preparing a gorgeous array of buffet dishes: chicken with garlic/lemon/rosemary, spelt salad, sesame green beans, and a gorgeous spinach salad.

Recipe for Spelt Salad

This dish (shown at about 7 o'clock in the photo above) will make a healthy and delicious salad to serve over the holidays. It's super quick and easy to prepare, and looks gorgeous with freshly chopped mint and parsley sprinkled on top!

Serves 8 - 10

2.5 cups uncooked spelt, rinsed and drained (or can substitute bulgar wheat)
5 cups water - use vegetable stock if possible
half cup of fresh mint - chopped
half cup of fresh parsley - chopped
half cup of minced red onion
6 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 or 2 tins of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (or use roasted artichokes, but drain excess oil)
5 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 cup toasted pine nuts

Method: Rince and drain spelt or bulgur wheat grains. It helps to keep them from sticking together when cooking. Place in a saucepan and cover with most of the hot stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if necessary.

Combine cooked spelt, chopped mint, parsley, onion and rest of ingredients! Stir, season to taste - and that's it! Serve at room temperature.

Christmas Hospitality 2009

2009-12-16T09:55:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday last week we enjoyed our annual Christmas lunch, played a spirited and seasonal game that challenged our wits, and sang a rousing chorus of carols!

Hosted at the home of our vice-president, Patty Bell, we ooohed and aaaahed at what must be one of the largest collections of Santa decorations this side of the North Pole - they are truly amazing to see, hidden in every nook and cranny in Patty's lovely home.

And as well as welcoming a new member, we were thrilled to say hello to our youngest 'honourary' member - see if you can spot her in the slideshow!

Tip: to slow down the slideshow, put your cursor over the box, click on pause, then view each picture one by one. Better still, click on the slideshow and view in full size - enjoy!

Best Winter Day in the UK - Contest Results!

2009-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

CWC members were asked to submit memories or ideas of a great day in or out of the cold. We asked Delaina Stone, Editor of Expatriate Living magazine, to be our impartial judge of the original stories. Although difficult to choose only one, Delaina selected Doris Dalacker’s lovely poetic composition as the winning entry. All the entries are published in the next bulletin which members should receive shortly.

The Cotswolds ….. Olde England at its romantic best. Small villages steeped in history, dotted throughout the rolling green countryside, thatched roof cottages with gardens and places like, Bournton-on-the-Water with Lower Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold and a little further north Broadway and Chipping Camden (‘chipping’ meaning market)….all these places invited us to experience their quaint country charm.

I had read about the Cotswolds when I was a young teenager at high-school in Canada, so I knew that the Cotswolds would be the ideal destination for an outing with my old English teacher and friend, Walter, who came to visit me here in the UK some weeks ago. We started our excursion bright and early from Windsor in order to make the most of the daylight.

It was the tiny village of Lower Slaughter, the quaint village that sits beside the little River Eye with its unspoilt limestone cottages in the traditional Cotswold style that caught Walter’s eye and we discovered this delightful little place and the Old Mill which was an ideal spot for a hot chocolate break.

Bournton-on-the-Water, known as the Little Venice of the Cotswolds, was also picturesque, delightful from a photographer’s point of view! Stow-on-the-Wold, a bustling ancient market town offered many shops, cafes and restaurants. I was in need of cosy sheepskin slippers (especially at this time of the year!) and I was also on the lookout for Christmas presents, so this was the place to shop for sheepskin rugs and fur-lined jackets.

Chipping Camden was our next destination. During the middle ages, it was a major market town because of the high quality of the wool produced by Cotswold sheep. Sitting in the Market Hall which was built in 1627, it was clear to see how important the wool production was and what impact it had on the local economy. The churches were often called “wool churches” because it was money from the wool trade that financed the construction of many such buildings. Chipping Camden is now a historical conservation area and High Street has been called “the most beautiful village street” because of its well maintained, hundreds-year-old buildings. The oldest house was built in 1380 and was one of the first in England with chimneys instead of just holes in the roof.

We never made it up to the top of Broadway Tower (the second highest spot in the Cotswolds) from where one can admire the wonderful views over the village of Broadway, the Vale of Evesham and the Welsh Mountains beyond. But that will need to be done on our next day excursion to the Cotswolds! Or we might even book a quaint hotel with a roaring fireplace, just to spend a relaxing weekend in the English countryside!

Perhaps you’d like to follow our foot-steps and leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind? So, take a mini-van and a bunch of good friends and head for the Cotswold Hills!

For more information, these two websites should help: Cotswolds or Cotswolds Accommodation

By Doris Dalacker

Photo of Broadway Tower, Fish Hill, Worcestershire from Flickr

Family Carol Service

2009-12-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

For more than 30 years, the Canadian Women's Club has hosted a Christmas Carol Service - our annual gift to the Canadian community in London. This year, on Friday 4th December, more than 120 Canadians - of all ages - joined us at the Crown Court Church of Scotland in the heart of Covent Garden for a service of lessons and carols, led by the Reverend Philip Majcher. While this is a distinctly British tradition, we always seek to give it a Canadian flavour and this year was no exception.

With beautiful performances by soloist, Alexandria Beck as well by violinist, Mathieu-Jérémie Boutet (both pictured here), guests joined the Church choir in the singing of many joyful carols - finishing off with a rousing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'!

The lessons were read by Canadians Catherine McGowan, Jenny Tripp Black, Christopher Adams, Donna Thomson, Claude Boucher, Harry Harsch, Christopher Bunting, Robert J Brant and James Wright. Margaret Wickware, Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust read the Bidding Prayer.

Alexandria Beck

Mathieu-Jérémie Boutet

Modern Spirits: An evening with Ross King

2009-11-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Canadian Ross King has a reputation for taking readers of his prize-winning fictional novels and non-fiction works back in time. He has transported us to the Renaissance, first to Florence with his book about the building of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral dome and then to Rome and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. As well as visiting 18th century London with ‘Domino’, we have explored 19th century Paris and its Salons to witness the birth of Impressionism.

After so much time-travelling in Europe, it’s exciting that Ross, who has lived in the UK for many years with his wife Melanie King, has plans to transport us back to early 20th century Canada, to introduce us to the artists that made up the Group of Seven and to examine the influences that shaped their lives and ultimately their art.

At a reception held last Wednesday in London, members of the Canadian Women’s Club, their guests and members of the Canadian arts and literary groups were privileged to hear Ross speak about his planned new book, which will be published in 2010 to coincide with a special exhibition held at the McMichael Gallery in Ontario. We were thrilled to hear just a few of the fascinating stories that Ross has uncovered while researching the lives of these artists.

The evening was graciously hosted by the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner Mr Claude Boucher and his wife Mrs Isabelle Mignault at their beautiful residence, where guests were able to mingle, enjoy delicious canapes and wine, and meet our speaker.

Copies of the photos shown can be obtained by contacting Barbara c/o the CWC.

Hospitality Morning: Canadian Red Cross Quilts & 'Love & Duty'

2009-11-13T03:08:00.000-08:00

As I was listening to our wonderful speakers at last Tuesday's special Remembrance Day Hospitality Morning, it occurred to me that I've learned an awful lot about Canada in the past few weeks from some very special people. Interestingly, they've all been British!

Learning more than I was ever taught at school about Canada's boreal forest and early settlers from Ray Mears on his wonderful TV series has been a real pleasure. But learning about the quilts made by Canadian women and shipped to the UK by the Canadian Red Cross to help those in need during WWI and WWII, from two lovely British women, was truly special.

Anna Mansi and Maxine March, our speakers, talked passionately not just about the efforts made by Canadians and the Red Cross to help provide food, clothing, blankets and quilts to people who perhaps had lost everything after their homes had been bombed, but about the fact that so many of the quilts that were shipped, with their label of 'Gift from Canadian Red Cross', still bring enjoyment to the people who own them and a thrill to the people who manage to see them.

With thanks to Anna's husband Tony (who helped by bringing in some of their gorgeous quilts for display), we were able to look at the wonderfully detailed stitching, the beautiful (and sometimes unusual) patterns and fabrics used.

It was also a great pleasure to discover the connection with the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE), whose members contributed some of the quilts the Canadian Red Cross distributed and who continue their work today with the CWC to make funds available to the Maple Leaf Trust and Canadian veterans in the UK. This connection with the CWC was a new discovery for Anna and Maxine, who have been collecting these quilts for many years.

Anna with a quilt made by IODE members

Anna, Maxine and Jackie Maxwell (who unfortunately couldn't be with us on the day) are thrilled that the V&A will be showing one of their Canadian Red Cross Quilts at a major quilting exhibition in 2010. Other quilts in their collection will also be on display at the Quilt Museum in York. If anyone is able to provide them with information about these quilts - perhaps with stories about relatives in Canada who were involved in making them, or with people who might have some of these quilts, they can reach Anna by email at a.mansi2@ntlworld.com. She's especially interested in finding someone with a contact who can tell her more about a quilt that is labelled Vista, Manitoba. She would love to hear from you!

As part of this special Remembrance Day event, we also enjoyed the film 'Love and Duty'. Margaret Wickware, our past President and current Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust, was able to present a cheque from the Trust to Jenny Tripp Black for the Veterans' Support Committee to continue the Canadian Women's Club work in helping needy Canadian veterans and their dependents in the UK.

Margaret Wickware and Jenny Tripp Black

Visit to Eton College

2009-11-01T06:22:00.001-08:00

Arriving at Windsor & Eton Riverside Station on Friday, October 23rd, we were startled to find that police officers had cordoned off most of the surrounding side streets! Had someone mistaken a group of ladies from the Canadian Women’s Club, intent on visiting Eton College, for a group of plotters against the monarchy? Or had the Queen heard we would be in the neighbourhood and arranged an official meet and greet session for us?

We were relieved to learn that it was just a practise run for a state visit by the President of India to Windsor Castle, but nevertheless there were a few anxious moments before our hostess, Doris Dalacker, managed to gather us all at the Royal Oak Pub for a quick lunch before making our way to the College.

We enjoyed lovely weather on the day. As well as admiring the museum and visiting the interior of the College (including the chapel and the original classroom, where virtually every inch of the wooden desks, benches, beams and shutters of the has been carved with the names of the boys) we were able to walk around the back to the King of Siam's Garden, where our group photo was taken.

Everyone agreed that our tour guide, Jennifer Caney, gave us a fantastic sense of what life at Eton was like over the centuries for the boys who attended, and for the vision that King Henry VI had for the college when it was established.

Many thanks to Doris for arranging the tour!

The King of Siam's Garden

The Dining Hall

Names Carved in Classroom Shutters

Parklife

2009-10-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

This September the Canadian Women's Club introduced a new activity: It's a Walk in the Park! with Lois Darley heading up an early morning walk group through Regent's Park every Wednesday.

Setting off at 8:15 sharp for a brisk one hour walk - rain or shine - means that members joining Lois get a kick-start to their day, some fresh air, exercise and a chance to chat. With the changing seasons (and more than a few flowers) as their only distraction, it's proving to be really popular with members living in the area. Between 5 and 9 members are stumbling out of bed and into their walking shoes each week!

Lois is hoping to do a few weekend walks as well, to explore some of London's wonderful parks, and so that children, spouses or partners can join in too. Although only 4 of us turned out for the first Saturday walk in Richmond Park this past weekend, we were glad we did!

With such a large deer population in the park, and with the autumn rutting season underway, we weren't surprised to witness more than a few instances of stags prepared to defend their patch - and note that we really were that close to the deer shown in the picture below - no zoom used! We had Hayley Manning's gorgeous and extremely well-behaved 'Moots' with us (see picture) and enjoyed perfect weather for an autumn walk - crisp but dry!

Lois will soon be announcing the next Saturday walk shortly so be sure to check our website or e-newsletter in future!

October's Hospitality Morning

2009-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

We greatly enjoyed having Felicity Murdo-Smith speak to us at our last Hospitality Morning about her career at Buckingham Palace. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of life at Buckingham Palace seen through the eyes of the young Felicity, who started her working life fresh out of secretarial college as a junior secretary in the Press Office.

After working for the Palace for forty years (she retired as a Senior Information Officer in 2002), discretion seems to come naturally to Felicity, but we were still amused by her anecdotes of people calling up the Palace with claims of being related to the Royal Family or with somewhat naive questions. Felicity discussed her role in organising the Royal Family's public engagements including overseas tours and incoming State Visits and described some of her highlight moments, most especially when she accompanied the Royal Family onboard the Royal Yacht.

Book launch at Canada House

2009-10-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening a number of CWC members and a large crowd of Dan Snow fans enjoyed a glass or two of champagne at Canada House and joined our High Commissioner Jim Wright in the Grand Salon to hear Dan talk about his new book, 'Death or Victory: The Battle of Quebec and the Birth of Empire'.

Dan holds joint British/Canadian citizenship and is familiar to many of us in the UK for bringing history alive through a number of wonderful television series. His youthful energy and passion for history have always been evident in his television work and based on some of the fascinating stories Dan shared with us last night this book about the epic battle of Quebec in 1759 and how it forever altered the course of North American history promises to be an exciting read.

Watch what Dan has to say about his book on Youtube!

Dan is the son of Canadian Ann MacMillan (London Bureau Chief of the CBC) and veteran BBC television journalist Peter Snow. Margaret MacMillan, a celebrated Canadian historian, is Dan's aunt. Dan is the great-great-grandson of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

New Members’ Reception

2009-10-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

Would you prefer your white wine with a floral note, slightly fruity or with just a hint of oak?

Always a highlight of the CWC’s fall calendar, this year’s new members’ reception on October 6th was truly a delightful evening. As is the tradition, one of our members welcomed us to her lovely home, the CWC executive team supplied the hor d’oeuvres and with a glass of wine or two, an evening of great conversation was enjoyed by all.

This year, Denise Brooks offered her spacious flat in St. John’s Wood and her beautifully decorated fall table was the setting for a tempting array of tasty nibbles, all created by members of our executive team. However, at this point, our tradition was given a new twist…we were invited to sample several wines from small French vintners, all supplied by our own wine connoisseur and CWC office manager, Marie France Boutet. Everyone agreed that they were of exceptional quality. Not only were they pleasing to the palate but also a great ‘ice breaker’ as we chatted with our newest members, their husbands and partners.

Following warm words of welcome from both our Honorary President, Donna Thomson and CWC President, Teresa Howe, we learned that some of our new members are newcomers to this great city while others have made London their home for decades, having only recently discovered the CWC on Canada Day in Trafalgar Square or through the Internet. Whatever the tenure…a short stay or long term residence...we are so pleased to have you join us!

submitted by Margaret Wickware

Visit to the Silver Vaults

2009-10-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

Glittering jewels and dazzling servers and an enthusiastic host made our September 30th visit to the Silver Vaults a spectacular day for 14 ladies.

Steven Linden, the Chairman of the Silver Vaults gave an interesting talk about the history of the vaults with stories of who stored (and sometimes hid!) the family silver (and secrets) in the vaults. Lawyers apparently made good use of the facilities as well, to secure documents keeping them safe from fire, water and thieves.

We also were given advice on the care of our own silver. You could clearly feel his passion for silver, lamenting that we were more interested in how to store silver whereas he believes it should be kept out on display. After his talk we spent time visiting the 30 odd shops in the Vaults. Several purchases were made including quite a few silver polishing gloves...highly recommended by Steven.

Then a brief walk from the Silver Vaults to the bank vaults at the Old Bank of England Pub on Fleet Street. All agreed that both food and ambience were excellent. Many were eager to come a second time. Another great lunch day with ladies who love to do lunch!

submitted by Patty Bell

Picture credits: The Silver Vaults

Doing the Lambeth Walk

2009-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Pearly Queen of Old Kent Road, Doreen Golding

Our hospitality season kicked off with an 'oi' yesterday as CWC members joined Pearly Queen Doreen Golding in song. No, we didn't get up to do the Lambeth Walk, but we had a go at helping her with the chorus, especially the 'oi' bit - and there were smiles and laughs all round.

There was much admiration too, as Doreen gave us an insight into her life as Pearly Queen of Old Kent Road. Quite apart from the juicy bits of news about some of the celebrities Doreen has met over the years, we learned the meaning of 'costermongers', why pearl buttons were used as decoration, the different symbols sewn onto their suits, and how the titles of Pearly King and Queen are handed down through the generations. We also learned about the wonderful charity work carried out by Doreen and other 'Pearlies'.

Doreen's visit to the CWC will no doubt be a highlight of our year. And because Doreen is such a good friend of long-time CWC member Vi Knight, perhaps we'll all meet again - on the Old Kent Road!

From left: Teresa Howe, Doreen Golding, Patty Bell, Vi Knight

Any time you’re Lambeth way

Any evening, any day,

You’ll find us all

Doin’ the Lambeth walk - oi!

Ev’ry little Lambeth gal

With her little Lambeth pal,

You’ll find ‘em all

Doin’ the Lambeth walk - oi!

Ev’rything free and easy,

Do as you darn well pleasey,

Why don’t you make your way there?

Go there, stay there,

Once you get down Lambeth way

Ev’ry evening, ev’ry day,

You’ll find yourself

Doin’ the Lambeth walk - oi!

Visit to Buckingham Palace

2009-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Although the gorgeously sumptuous state rooms of Buckingham Palace have been open to the public during August and September since 1993, and although I’ve visited most royal palaces in every other European country I’ve visited, I’ve never before made the effort to do the summer opening tour of the Palace’s state rooms right here in my own city of London. Thankfully, this year’s special exhibition on Queen & Commonwealth: The Royal Tour, prompted our President, Teresa Howe, to organise tickets – and the visit did not disappoint!

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the London Declaration of 1949, which recognised the British Sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth, the exhibition featured gifts presented to the Queen, as well as a fantastic display of dresses and gowns worn on various tours – including several worn in Canada. We all delighted at seeing the incredibly beautiful sequined and beaded maple leafs sewn into one of her gowns, and smiled at seeing the gold-plated hockey puck, featuring Canada’s Rocket Richard and presented to the Queen in 1952.

The tour of the Palace takes in all the state rooms, including the Ballroom, the State Dining Room, the Blue and Green and White Drawing Rooms, and more, finishing at the steps into the Palace’s enormous and peaceful garden from the West Front – where a group of us stopped for a cup of tea, a light lunch and a chance to compare notes on what we had seen. A re-energising break before visiting the shop!

Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the Palace, but you can have a look at what you missed by visiting the Royal Collection’s website.

Many thanks to Teresa for organising such a nice day out!

Submitted by Barbara Richards

Hollywood Sells Heritage, by Belinda Beaton

2009-08-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

As a D Phil student studying Modern British History, Belinda was awarded a scholarship from the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund, funded through the Maple Leaf Trust. She did a D Phil at Oxford and currently serves on the CCSF committee. A number of our CWC members will remember an extremely enjoyable and interesting tour of Oxford that Belinda very kindly organised for us a few years ago.

In the Summer 2009 issue of Queen's Quarterly, Belinda literally takes us 'behind the scenes' of some of England's most glorious stately homes with her article "Hollywood Sells Heritage". You can read the article by clicking here.

Belinda looks at how stately homes have turned to raising revenue not just through opening their doors to the public, but by becoming either the model - or actual location - for Hollywood films. She assesses not just why this has happened, but the effect it has on how we - the public - now view these homes. Do we visit for the history, the heritage and beautiful setting or do we visit to see where Mr Darcy shed his shirt?! As Belinda mentions in the article "When Belvoir Castle was used in The Young Victoria, a special canopy bed was constructed. It has been left behind and is displayed with as much pride by the Duchess of Rutland as if the Queen had actually slept in it."

It's a fascinating article!

submitted by Barbara Richards

Membership Survey Results: How are we doing?

2009-07-29T04:33:00.001-07:00

Jaime Lawrence, our summer student intern, reviewed and analyzed all the membership surveys returned following the AGM in June. With everyone’s anonymity preserved, here’s a summary of the results…

We had a response rate of 17%. Considering that members had to take the trouble to mail back the questionnaire, this is a very good response as the industry standard for a good return of surveys is around 8%.

Hospitality Events
The majority of members attend between 1 and 3 hospitalities a year. About a third of members did not attend any. This was not from lack of interest, but due primarily to a busy lifestyle, being away or location. Of those who had attended hospitalities, the speakers and topics scored 9 out of 10 in terms of enjoyment and interest. Top scores were for events featuring arts and culture, Canadian related topics and current events. Members gave the importance of time both before and after the speaker to socialize with other members a score of 10.

Activities and Outings
Arts and culture, culinary classes, in and out of town events, and ‘let’s do lunch’ were the most attended events. Tours of special locations and new art exhibitions, along with palaces and country homes, rated highly as places members would like to go to in future. Members would also like to see evening cooking classes, weekend walks, restaurant of the month, ceremony of the keys, a tour of the Parliament buildings, Sissinghurst for the roses, Sotheby’s auction house, private clubs, and even quiet afternoon teas with other members.

Members made it clear they are enjoying what they attend and the options given to them. When deciding whether or not to attend an event, members tend to look at the cost, as well as the ability to see friends. Travel distance is also a factor. For the most part, members sign up for themselves (ie do not bring a friend or acquaintance).

Special Events
Members scored special ‘one off’ events as very important (9 out of 10), such as the outing to Highgrove, which sold out very quickly.

Trips
The survey asked if members would be interested in short trips as part of a group. Most members would prefer a one-day trip – and most would like them to be ladies-only. A trip to Dorset was suggested, as well as some European destinations.

Reasons for membership
The main reasons for membership can be summed up as "making friends and meeting new people while keeping the Canadian connection alive". Members added comments such as "the club makes me happy","it gives me access to venues I might not otherwise be able to visit on my own", "I enjoy the combination of UK and Canadian interests", "it’s nice to be a part of an expat group", "the club is a friendly environment, with like-minded people", and one member proudly stated, "I am Canadian!".

When asked what might be improved in future, the comments were overwhelmingly positive but included a few suggestions that we might vary the dates and times of events and add some more fun and unique events. Many members gave feedback such as: "the club is excellent, it couldn’t be improved”, "it’s already great", "it’s a comfort”, and "It’s the Tops!"

Survey Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback and to Jaime for compiling the results. Your responses have been very helpful in developing our activity plan for 2009-2010.

As promised, and to thank members for taking the time to complete the survey and return it, one survey was drawn to produce a “winner”. Mrs. Alison Wacker was sent a Boots Gift Certificate Card for £15 as a thank you.

submitted by Teresa Howe, President

The CWC celebrates Canada Day at Trafalgar Square

2009-07-01T15:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Canada Day!
More pictures to come soon...

Click here to view many more photos taken by Canadian photographer, Neal Eiserman.

Visit to the Wallace Collection

2009-06-24T02:12:00.001-07:00

A new Canadian Group of Seven (or should it be Eleven?) ladies went with pencil and eraser in hand to a drawing lesson at the fabulous Wallace Collection.

Under the very capable direction of art historian and artist Alex Hirtzel, along with some gentle guidance and encouragement, we were each asked to select a painting in the Long Gallery that we would like to draw. Alex suggested we look for something in the painting that moved us, or simply for an action or item within the painting that we would like to try to draw ('try' being the key word here).

Alex showed us a few shading and outlining tricks as we exchanged nervous glances. We were each given a drawing board, pencil (or graphite) and paper and proceeded to set up our stools near our chosen painting. Alex then instructed us to draw! For many of us, the last time we were told to draw was in the 8th grade, so much to the amazement of all, the task produced quite a few not unreasonable copies (excluding yours truly who will stick to paint-by-numbers!).

Alex was wonderful with her kind and encouraging words and tips as she wandered in and around the Group of Eleven sitting on our stools drawing. For me, time stood still as I concentrated on trying to draw a beautiful baby's face. It looked a bit "Picasso-ish " and Alex had nothing but praise for our efforts.

Before the lesson, Alex gave a brief talk of the history of the Wallace Collection and explained the background and symbolism in a few paintings. And we finished with a look at the absolutely beautiful Sevres porcelain collection.

After this exhausting morning of challenging our 'inner-artist', we enjoyed a light lunch in the Wallace Cafe and - like so many famous artists - relaxed with a glass of Absinthe. Not really....everyone had water. How Canadian!

Another tidbit. We learned about the CWC connection with the Wallace! During WW2, the country home of the very first President of the CWC was used to house some of the art work from the Wallace to protect it from the destructive forces of the war. How cool is that!

Submitted by Patty Bell

Photos from CWC 2009 Annual General Meeting

2009-06-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

Canada Day 2009 Celebrations

2009-06-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

The celebrations for Canada Day 2009 in London at Trafalgar Square have been announced! Have a look at the official website here.

Melanie Law at Network Canada is looking for volunteers (young and old!) from mid-morning to late evening. Training will be provided in the next few weeks, so please get in touch with Melanie at melanie@networkcanada.org and let her know your availability. The CWC will also have a stand and will need volunteers to spread the word about the CWC and the Maple Leaf Trust. Please get in touch with the office if you are interested in helping.

And even if you're not available to volunteer, we hope to see you on the Square on Wednesday, July 1st, from 12 noon till 9:30pm!

Let's Do Lunch: At Kenwood House

2009-05-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

In spite of very English weather - sun, cloud, drizzle, torrential rain and gale force winds - a group of hardy Canadian souls visited Kenwood House in beautiful Hampstead Heath. When I dream, I dream of a house in Hampstead....

Our guide Keith was a truly delightful English gentleman who was able to bring the house alive with delicious stories about the previous owners and their loves: we admired Dutch paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer to name but a few, and portraits by Gainsborough and Reynolds of English society ladies (and some ladies of dubious reputation).

We learned that it was not unseemly for the gentlemen of the eighteenth century to relieve themselves in the dining room, after the ladies had vacated the room of course! And also that it was not unusual to bring one's own cutlery when dining out at another's home.

After a one and a half hour tour we had our lunch (cutlery provided!) in the Brew House attached to the side of Kenwood House. It was good, wholesome English food. We were disappointed that we were unable to enjoy the lovely views of the Heath from the terraces but the weather was not cooperating.

By popular vote the tour and lunch were great and left the ladies eager for more adventures at lunch. Stay tuned for more Let's Do Lunch dates this coming autumn!

Submitted by Patty Bell. Picture courtesy of National Heritage

Let's Do Lunch: Books for Cooks

2009-05-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Five ladies from the CWC attended the Literary Lunch at the Notting Hill/Portobello Market shop/restaurant Books For Cooks. The cookbook of the day was Iraqi Cookbook by Lamees Ibrahim.

The menu was chosen by the chef and owner of Books For Cooks, Eric Treuille. While he prepared and served the meal, we and the other guests were entertained by Lamees with her story of coming to London, studying, raising a family and working in London. She also mentioned what inspired her to produce the book. Following a return to Iraq in 2004 after an absence of over 20 years she found that although Iraq had changed, the food and her enjoyment of it was still the same.

The menu was a challenge for some, including myself. Beans to start, bean soup, chick peas and rice to follow, so a few too many beans and legumes for my taste. However, the main dish, an Aubergine Turnover, was voted the best dish of the meal. We finished the meal with a delicious spiced yogurt cake and grated carrots with nuts and dates.

If you were looking for a cooking lesson on Iraqi food you would have been disappointed...but if you wanted to meet a lovely Iraqi lady living in London, you would have been happy. And we were!

Submitted by Patty Bell

Maple Leaf Mixer: A Taste of Turin

2009-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Organized by the CWC and Network Canada and hosted at the Fiat Flagship Showroom in London, everyone enjoyed a fantastic evening with proceeds of the auction and raffle going to the Maple Leaf Trust!

To view the full set of photographs, please click here.

Auction and Raffle
The centrepiece of the evening was our auction and raffle prize draw - with proceeds going to the Maple Leaf Trust. Jeremy Moore gave the highest bid for the pleasure of a weekend’s driving of the new Fiat 500. Bob Van Gieson won the Carluccio's Gourmet Experience including dinner for four at this foodies' favourite restaurant and foodshop, a hardback cookbook and more. And Tom Howe took home a stunning handcrafted necklace from the Nilu/ Miao Gioelli collection.

A huge thank you to all our very generous auction and raffle prize sponsors - and of course our guests who participated!

Raffle prizes included
• Piedmontese gourmet food baskets courtesy of Saclà
• Italian cooking lessons from Perfetto! Cooking
• Artisanal jewellery from An Italian Way
• Premium Piedmont wines courtesy of CWC member Anne Van Gieson
• Gorgeous Venetian cufflinks from Paola Marchesi 's Collectors Corner.
• Beautifully-illustrated books on Italy courtesy of Italian Tourism
• Chocolates from Piedmont company Ferrero
• In Praise of Slowness by award-winning journalist and author Carl Honoré (raised in Edmonton), looks at how our lives can be improved through living 'a slower, more measured existence' and discusses how the Slow Food Movement emerged in northern Italy.
• £250 travel voucher with Headwater, specialists in walking and cycling holidays, which can be used for a holiday in Piedmont (or other 2009 or 2010 Headwater holiday to Italy)!
• Annual subscription worth £40 to Italy Magazine
• A collection of Rough Guides for Italy - including a handy Italian phrasebook.
• A free Fashion Forward 2009/2010 membership (worth £84) that can be used to gain access to heavily discounted Italian brands such as M Missoni, Zucchero, Save the Queen and many more.
• An autographed book by acclaimed author and translator, Jordan Lancaster. Jordan has a Ph.D. in Italian Studies from the University of Toronto and translated My Brother is an Only Child from Italian to English. This prize includes the DVD of the award-winning Italian feature film based on the book.
• A fabulous collection of Italian music - both classical and contemporary.
• Gift certificate worth £70 for Naracamicie designer shirts
• Four Blue Guides to Italy: Blue Guide Concise Italy, Blue Guide Central Italy, Blue Guide Tuscany and Blue Guide Northern Italy.
• All natural, gourmet Pestos and Sauces from Dress Italian.
• Alessi wine coolers with wine.
• A fabulous Fiat picnic ensemble with Ferrero chocolates, courtesy of Fiat, CWC member Doris Dalacker and her husband Carlo Saracco.

Maple Leaf Mixer 7th May

2009-05-01T11:01:00.001-07:00

If you haven't yet booked your tickets to the Maple Leaf Mixer at Fiat's beautiful showroom near Selfridges, here's a reminder - and be sure to have a look at the auction and raffle prizes on offer. News just in: Carluccio's has donated a fabulous dining experience!

Country Walk around Chiddingstone, Kent

2009-04-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

For several years, members of the CWC have had the pleasure of being guided through the English countryside by Hugh Dyer-Westacott. On Thursday this past week, I was finally able to match a free day with one of Hugh's walks and am so glad I did.

On one of the nicest days we've had this year we passed by gorgeous bluebells in the woods, lambs bouncing after their mothers, a few 'escaped' roosters hiding out under some shrubs....and after lunch at a beautiful old pub in Chiddingstone, we even paused to hear a distant cuckoo. A very brief highlight near the end of the day came when a herd of deer raced past an opening in the trees just to our left - they were so quiet we almost missed seeing them!

With just the right balance of talk and laughter on the wider paths matched with some quiet time for thinking on the more narrow paths, we all felt tired but thoroughly refreshed after our day in the country. Many, many thanks to Hugh for his planning and organisation of our wonderful walk!

Interview with Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund recipient, Katharine Elliott

2009-04-10T07:11:00.001-07:00

Along with CCSF committee member, Julia Montgomery, I recently met up with Katharine Elliott, a past scholarship winner, for a quick lunch and chat. As a new member of the CCSF committee myself, and about to embark on reading through the many dozens of applications for funds this year, I wanted to find out more about the students we have helped in the past. Julia promised me that meeting Katharine would be an inspiration – and I can only agree with her!

We met at the Royal Free Hospital in Belsize Park, where Katharine is currently working. Visiting any NHS hospital in London is a stark reminder that having good health is a blessing – but listening to Katharine’s life story, was an even greater reminder that helping young students to make their way in their life is important for us all.

Katharine came to the UK to study medicine in a rather circuitous way. She completed a B.Sc. (with Distinction) at McGill University in Montreal, majoring in Microbiology and Immunology. With a budding interest in international development, she spent several years with the VSO in Zambia and in Malawi (learning to speak both African languages). On returning to Canada, she worked in immunology research for a few months then took an internship in Bolivia (adding Spanish to her languages), in sexual and reproductive health with Oxfam-Quebec (did I say she speaks French as well?).

What I first wanted to know was what was so attractive about studying in the UK? Having already worked overseas, Katharine had picked up more hands-on skills than many of her contemporaries. She had also picked up a dream: to become a doctor. To do this in Canada, she would have to start all over again in pre-med studies – which would add a further two years of study. In the UK graduates of Biological Sciences can take an intensive four-year program that combines medical theory with self-directed study and clinical application. Needless to say, she completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees (MBChB) at the University of Warwick with Honours – winning a prize for pharmacology and placing in the top 5% of her class.

Having three siblings (two younger and one older), Katharine knew she would be on her own financially – but was prepared to work part-time and fund herself. Even if she had stayed in Canada, where both her parents work as teachers, extra funding for mature students is hard to come by. With no work experience in the commercial sector, she didn’t have savings to help her out.

Katharine’s mature approach to studying medicine, her incredibly high grades, high recommendations from her instructors, and experience of working in developing countries, convinced the CCSF to award Katharine scholarships in three successive years: it is a very rare achievement. But Kathryn is an amazing young woman.
Picture: Left, Julia Montgomery with Katharine Elliott. March 2009

Studies completed, she’s currently year 1 into her 2-year Foundation Programme, and is enjoying being paid, for a change! For the moment, though, she has little free time – her current and past jobs at the Royal Free are Vascular Surgery, Intensive Care/Anaesthetics and Acute Medicine/Hepatology. She told us about being part of the ‘crash team’ – rushing the resuscitation equipment to wherever it was needed within the hospital. Even with a 4 days on/4 days off schedule, doing special shifts in intensive care, and working as a locum, she occasionally picks up surgical work outside of London and still has time to do research and write papers. One of the papers she’s helped to research was published in ‘Kidney International’ in November 2008. And in what spare time she has, she likes to go running and loves walking around London.

Her 2nd year on the Foundation Course will be at Barnet and Chase Farms, an NHS Trust hospital in North London, where she'll do Obstectrics, Urology and A&E and where she might finally decide on which area to specialise in: possibly obstetrics because she loves the relationships that can develop with women and because she still has such a strong commitment to improve the care women receive in developing countries. But Julia and I will be surprised if she settles on a specialisation immediately. Katharine has an enthusiasm for so many areas of medicine that she might just as likely return to Canada to be a GP – or head back to Africa, possibly with an organisation like Médecins Sans Frontières.

Wherever she goes, Katharine says Canada will always be ‘home’: she still feels ‘at home’ when she returns to Montreal She is delighted that Canadians living in the UK have so generously helped her with getting to where she is today. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Kathryn – and am now all fired up to read through the stack of applications the CCSF received in March. Perhaps I’ll find the next Katharine Elliott among them!

Submitted by Barbara Richards. A shorter version of this article appears in our April 2009 bulletin

The 2009 Maple Leaf Trust Dinner and Auction

2009-03-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

The residence of the High Commissioner on Grosvenor Square was the scene of an exclusive evening as Canadians, British and international guests gathered for the 2009 Maple Leaf Dinner and Auction. Upon entering the splendid hallway, guests were welcomed and assigned seating at tables celebrating Canadian animals - one could sit at a moose, Canada Goose or a loon table, to name a few. In the oval room, guests sipped on sparkling Cava with Blueberry syrup while mingling and meeting some of our CCSF scholars, and listening to the jazzy stylings of Canadian guitarist Jamie Moore.
At 8:00pm, guests were ushered into the dining room to hear welcoming remarks by H.E. High Commission James Wright (Patron of the Maple Leaf Trust), his wife Donna Thomson (Honorary President of the CWC) and Margaret Wickware (President of the CWC). Donna charmingly described sourcing Canadian foods in the UK, including the evening’s unique ingredients, such as Birch Syrup from the Yukon and Canadian lentils readily available at Waitrose. Jim played sommelier and spoke about B.C. Mission Hill award winning wine pairings for each course. Not only did we sip on a SLC Chardonnay and a SLC Syrah, but we indulged in a luscious 2003 reserve Riesling ice wine bearing seductive aromas of honeycomb, apricot and key lime. Paired with these wines were a Lobster Bisque and Manoucher breads, Canadian Bison with lentils and wild rice and a dessert of Saskatoon berries and vanilla mousse.
During dessert, 20 happy winners selected gifts for themselves from our raffle table including truly Canadian gifts of Lucy Waverman cookbooks, gourmet goodies courtesy of the province of Alberta, Timothy Han body products, spa certificates, ice wine and epicurean delights from The Canada Shop a signed Diana Krall CD, a CBC gift bag of books, wine and many many more items.

To top off the evening, auctioneer Jim Wright commenced the live bidding with great panache. Canadian Affair was extremely generous in donating numerous trips, Whiskey sampling and a camera. Other donors provided a “week at the cottage experience”, image consulting and escapes. NFL football tickets were donated by the Province of Alberta. Two tickets for Lionel Ritchie at the O2 centre created a flurry of bids, followed by spirited competition for a holiday week at a flat in Tuscany! All bids and the final prize of “Dinner for Six” at the High Commissioner’s residence raised big-hearted funds for the very worthy cause of the Maple Leaf Trust.
It was a wonderfully successful night. We truly thank everyone for coming and giving so generously! We look forward to next year.

If you would like to support any of our generous donors, buy a CD from our jazz musician, shop for Timothy Han products, etc here are some websites for you to peruse:

• Canadian guitarist Jamie Moore. You can also reach Jamie by emailing Beachkeys@aol.com
• Michael Garry’s luxurious Belgravia gym
• An image make-over at Moi et Me
• Rent a flat in Tuscany, contact Jennifer at anghiari@hotmail.com
• Beautiful body products by Canadian Timothy Han
• Incredible You Spa

With thanks for your support,
The CWC Organizing Committee: Margaret Wickware, Patty Bell, Teresa Howe and Barbara Richards

To view all the photos from the evening, please click here.

submitted by Teresa Howe, Vice-President, Canadian Women's Club

March hospitality morning with Woman of the Future - Kresse Wesling

2009-03-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

Do you do your shopping with one of Sainsbury’s brown reusable bags made from used jute coffee bean sacks? If so, you have Kresse Wesling to thank for making your shopping trip just a little bit more environmentally friendly!

Kresse was our guest speaker at our March 10th hospitality morning. This young Canadian woman (originally from Edmonton) has won numerous awards and accolades for starting businesses that look after the environment but that also give something back to people. In the photo below is (from left to right) Teresa Howe, Mona Dahdaleh, Kresse Wesling and Mimi Ghadban.

Kresse gave us a look at the future – at what young, energetic, smart and determined entrepreneurs can do if they really set their mind on doing something right. What’s right for Kresse is a commitment to social enterprise. She told us that for every product she sells, 50% of the profits go to a charitable cause or social enterprise associated with the product or people involved. From EaKo, the company she founded with her partner in 2007 to turn discarded fire hose into desirable high-end fashion accessories, the Fire Brigade’s Benevolent Fund benefits.

What’s also right for Kresse is a commitment to improving the environment. She launched Bio-Supplies in Hong Kong in 2002, determined to switch packagers over to biodegradable packaging alternatives, and then came to the UK to launch Babaloo, offering ethical and environmentally friendly products for parents and babies. These include 100% bamboo baby towels and nappies.

And what’s very clearly right for Kresse is the need to help everyone – both young and old – to understand that building a strong socially-responsible and environmentally-sustainable ethic into a business isn’t just a nice way to earn a living – it should be the only way to earn a living! Since winning the title of Entrepreneur of the Year at the Shell Women of the Future Awards in 2007, and earning EaKo the 2008 HSBC Start-Up Stars Green Award in 2008, in her spare time Kresse serves as a social/environmental business expert for the British Library where she mentors budding entrepreneurs. She’s also advising the UK’s Cabinet Office, where she is taking part in The Social Enterprise Ambassadors Programme.

Kresse brought along some of the re-used fire-hose products sold by EaKo, including a stunning red handbag. The material, which feels very similar to a soft leather, is not at all like the hard rubber texture some of us had imagined it to be. And the fine detail of the stitching makes it a truly fashionable item. As mentioned in your Jan-Mar bulletin, there’s a special code CWC members can use to obtain a 20% discount on her gorgeous products!

Although we know Kresse is often very busy searching through rubbish tips for materials to turn into something usable and desirable (when she’s not networking with high-fliers and leading businesspeople) she spoke to us about how she copes with such a busy lifestyle and how she manages to still find time to go for a run on the beach near her home in Dorset. She told us how as a young girl growing up in Canada, she took looking after the environment for granted – and about her time in Hong Kong working for a venture capital firm. And she spent a long time answering our many questions – many, many thanks to Kresse for taking time from her busy life to speak to us and for inspiring us with her story.

Fashion at the Oscars with the CWC

2009-02-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, on February 5th, over fifty ladies from the CWC and many other clubs such as the St. John’s Wood Women’s Club, the Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club, the Petroleum Women's Club, FIWAL and friends of CWC members were entertained by the wonderful anecdotes and juicy bits of gossip about the stars and their fashion stories by our speaker, Bronwyn Cosgrave.

Bronwyn is a fashion journalist, broadcaster and author – and Canadian! She gave us a detailed and fascinating look into the stories that went into her most recent book Made For Each Other: Fashion at the Academy Awards.

Our audience braved the streets and pavements still showing signs of the recent snowstorm (well done everyone) and were captivated by Bronwyn's enthusiasm for her passion – fashion! Two very lucky ladies won copies of Bronwyn's book to add to the fun of the morning.

You can read more about Bronwyn’s book, her frequent appearances on television and her other media work on her website – and purchase her book on Amazon by clicking here.

We extend a huge thanks to Bronwyn for taking the time to speak to us – and to everyone who helped to make the occasion so enjoyable. The event was a great success, raising £500 for our charity, the Maple Leaf Trust.

And if you’re into surfing the web, be sure to catch the clip of Bronwyn on the CBC website. Go to the CBC video pages, then click on the link to ‘fashion’, then scroll down the list of items and click on ‘Erdem’s Raincoats’. This link might not always be there, but if you manage to catch it, CWC members should know that Erdem was one of the recipients of a Canadian Centennial Scholarship – awarded through the CWC and Maple Leaf Trust!

submitted by Patty Bell, CWC vice-president

February's Hospitality Morning

2009-02-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Since taking on the role as CWC president, Margaret Wickware, with help from her vice-presidents and executive team, has upheld the tradition of ensuring that our monthly hospitality mornings are enjoyable and welcoming to new members and old. Our last hospitality, as well as being both of these, was thought-provoking and inspirational.

Our theme was Africa. Our two guest speakers have both spent substantial periods of their lives living and working with African women. And both of our speakers, in describing their experiences, touched our hearts.

Nancy Durrell McKenna, an award-winning photographer and film-maker, has spent most of her professional life documenting the lives, rituals and traditions of women and families around the world. Originally from Canada, she’s lived most of her adult life in the UK. She talked to us about the work she has done in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa and specifically about the work done by the charity she founded in 2003, Safe Hands for Mothers. Nancy is shown on the left in the photo above, along with Margaret Wickware (c) and Camilla Gibb (r).

Her presentation shocked us with the brutal statistics of deaths of women in the continent largely caused by the lack of access to appropriate health care during pregnancy and childbirth but also by the dire consequences of child marriages and genital mutilation. It was difficult to hear the stories and see the photographs that Nancy’s charity has disseminated to drive home the need for resources to provide assistance and education to remote communities, but also hugely inspiring to hear how one person’s vision to make a difference can become a reality. If you can contribute in any way to helping Safe Hands continue their work, please visit their website and get in touch with Nancy. She distributed information about a forthcoming ‘pilgrims walk’ to raise funds – and we wish her and Safe Hands all the best for the future.

Camilla Gibb has been mentioned in an earlier blog entry. She was born in the UK, but raised in Canada and attended the University of Toronto. It was not wholly surprising to learn that Camilla and Nancy have met before, having such a shared interest in Ethiopia and the cultural issues that affect women in that country. Camilla spoke to us about how her interest in Ethiopia started. As part of her PhD studies, Camilla spent a year living with a family in Ethiopia, dressing in a way that followed local custom, and researching the religious practises of her community. But like Nancy, with her desire to make a difference, Camilla knew that she needed to move beyond her work as a social anthropologist to become a writer, so that she might communicate the emotions and feelings of the people she observed. She has certainly done this with her novel, Sweetness in the Belly.

Camilla amused us by pulling out her very dog-eared copy of her book, but we were very quickly silenced as she read to us a portion of the novel. It transported us to the house in Lambeth where advice and help was given to Ethiopian refugees who had fled horrific circumstances but who were now seeking loved ones – seeking any connection to what they had lost.

Camilla and Nancy graciously answered our questions and spent time talking with individual members about their work. Please do follow the links to learn more about their work.

Announcing the 2009 Maple Leaf Trust Dinner & Auction

2009-02-02T15:09:00.001-08:00

Welcoming Camilla Gibb

2009-01-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

The CWC book group was thrilled to enjoy the company of author Camilla Gibb at our recent gathering to discuss her book, Sweetness in the Belly.

Much to our delight, Camilla, who was born in the UK but raised in Toronto by British parents, has moved back to London where she's based while writing her new novel. Camilla shared some stories of her time at the University of Toronto that ultimately led to her spending two years living in Ethiopia, the setting for Sweetness in the Belly. Without giving too much of her life or the book away, especially because Camilla will be coming to our February Hospitality Morning on Tuesday, 10th of February, suffice to say that we thoroughly enjoyed having some time with her.

Women in Afghanistan

2009-01-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

A group of CWC members and friends attended the Afghan Women Photo Exhibition and Presentation event at Canada House yesterday.

A talk by Anna Kapellas, First Secretary (Political Affairs) at the Canadian High Commission was hugely informative. Anna spoke very eloquently about the various programmes that the Canadian Government is supporting in Afghanistan, and helped us to better understand the approach that Canada is taking to assist the people and government of that country. Being in the UK, we tend to hear much more about the British and European efforts in Afghanistan, and although we can follow the Canadian press online, hearing from Anna helped to put Canada's role, principally in the Kandahar region, into perspective.

In particular, Anna highlighted the programmes that are aimed at helping women in Afghanistan, including micro-finance programmes to help women entrepreneurs, and it was interesting to hear that discussing the rights of women and children directly with Afghan men could be as effective as speaking directly to the women themselves.

Anna has suggested that if you have an interest in this area, there is a new monthly publication, called Focus on the 'Canada in Afghanistan' website. You can see it and subscribe here. She highly recommends this website canada-afghanistan.gc.ca as an excellent source of information on Canada's activities in the country.

We are very grateful for Anna's time - and wish her all the best with her work in the future.

We were also delighted to see the beautiful award winning photographs by Canadian Lana Slezic currently on view in the Canada House exhibition area. The exhibition, 'Forsaken' (shown in the photo) runs until February 20th - and is free to visit. You can read more about Lana's work on her website. Having initially gone to Afghanistan for six months, working for CIDA, Lana chose to stay another two years, travelling the country with an interpreter and taking some truly remarkable pictures of the women and girls. Her book of these images, Forsaken, Afghan Women can be purchased on Amazon. There's also a fascinating exhibition of photographs in the main lobby area of Canada House, highlighting Afghanistan women who work in the media.

We also heard briefly from Brendan Griggs, Head of Public Programmes with the Canadian High Commission. Brendan and his staff are responsible for the exhibitions that are run in Canada House. Future exhibitions will highlight Nunavut and the Canadian Arctic. The High Commission's website is a useful source of information for Canadians based in the UK.

Christmas Message from Margaret

2008-12-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Members,

A few evenings ago, our Honorary President, Donna Thomson warmly welcomed CWC members and friends to the High Commissioner's Official Residence. Following our tour of the amazing works of art in the Residence, we were delighted to have Canadian pianist, Annie Yim play some of our favourite Christmas carols. It was indeed a lovely evening and our sincerest thanks to Donna for her kind and generous hospitality.

Annie wrote me to say how much she enjoyed meeting CWC members at the Carol Service and on the Art Tour. If you would like to hear this very talented young Canadian perform, she will be playing at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Friday, January 9th 2009 at 1:00 pm along with Portuguese violinist Emanuel Salvador.

Although we are all busy with Christmas events and activities at this time of year, your hardworking executive has been also busy planning our schedule of exciting outings for the New Year. If you have a chance over the holidays, please pick up a copy of Camilla Gibb's book, Sweetness in the Belly. It is a great read and Camilla will be joining us at our February hospitality. Taking place on the 15th of January, Canadian author, Jordan Lancaster has especially invited CWC members to the UK launch of her book, In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Cultural History of Naples ...(see our website calendar for details). We are VERY excited to have Bronwyn Cosgrove speaking to us at our special hospitality morning on January 29th. Please save the date and do invite friends.

I am personally very much looking forward to catching up with some reading over the holidays including Joseph Boyden's Giller Prize winning novel, Through Black Spruce and perhaps one or two of the books nominated for Canada Reads 2009. Whether you are staying here or traveling back to Canada for the holidays, I very much hope your Christmas celebrations are truly special.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Margaret Wickware

December Hospitality

2008-12-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

As in previous years, CWC members gasped in amazement at the beautiful Christmas decorations at the home of vice-president Patty Bell. Patty certainly has more Santa ornaments than most of us put together, and we loved seeing her festive arrangements once more for our December hospitality morning.

As well as chatting with old friends and new, we all had a chance to buy items brought along to raise funds for the Maple Leaf Trust, including Hazel Simpson's gorgeously hand-crafted cards and the dazzling jewel and bead key rings brought in by Anne Van Gieson.

And as always, the pot luck lunch was superb! We CWC members certainly know how to throw a wonderful pre-Christmas lunch, and many thanks again to our hostess, Patty.

2nd Annual CWC Tea

2008-11-26T04:26:00.001-08:00

On the 20th of November, 30 CWC members enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of conversation and fun - topped off with a delicious afternoon tea of delicate sandwiches, scones with cream, and gorgeous cakes at the beautiful Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel in London. Vice-President Patty Bell made the afternoon very special for all of us, with table decorations and raffle prizes. Along with Canadian flags on the table, we were all presented with a special copy of Teresa Howe's article, 'For the Love of Tea', which looks at this British tradition and is reproduced below the photos for the enjoyment of members who weren't able to attend on the day.

For the Love of Tea, by Teresa Howe

"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad that I was not born before tea." – William Gladstone, British Prime Minister

From the poshest of hotels to the cosiest of country pubs, in the largest high street shops and the tiniest of bakeries, from the top of Hadrian’s Wall to the tip of Eastbourne, one can indulge in every conceivable version of tea. And from the simplicity of a home-baked scone smothered in clotted cream to a lavish Dorchester Hotel Champagne Tea, there are venues and costs for every taste.

Tea is both a drink and an event. There are Strawberry Teas for charities, miniature afternoon tea by fashion designer Nicole Farhi, and chocolate teas to be sweetly savoured at the Baglioni Hotel or the Flemings Hotel. A meaty Men’s Tea is on offer at the Mandeville Hotel or low-fat Afternoon De-Light at the Metropolitan. This year there was Sex in the City Tea at the Berkeley, complete with Blahnik-inspired shoe cookies and Cosmopolitans. For dancers, there are Tango Teas at the Waldorf Hilton. Sizzling cabaret acts at Volupté, London’s premier burlesque lounge, turns afternoon tea into afternoon tease. During the Chelsea Flower Show, Harvey Nichols offers edible flower cakes and blossom-scented champagnes.

Tea Trade
Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal and wife of Charles II, introduced tea to the English court in 1662. Her dowry included the Portuguese trading posts of Tangier and Bombay, a fortune in gold and a chest of tea. In 1658, the China Drink, a green tea shipped by the East India Company, was sold at the “Sultaness Head, a cophee-house” near London Bridge. Over time this exotic import began to appear in stores such as the Twining family trade and Buttons of Covent Garden. It was the first comestible that Fortnum & Mason sold when it opened for business in 1707.

Tea provided the basis for a widening of trade with the East through the 18th and 19th centuries, with imports from British plantations in Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and, later, Ceylon. The consumption of Black tea with the European addition of sugar and milk, grew steadily. Chests of tea were stacked high in Butler’s Wharf, Hay’s Wharf, Wapping and near today’s Millennium footbridge.

The Industrial Revolution’s Tea Workers
Tea was becoming the lifeblood of Britain. Household servants were provided with tea allowance and many employers provided free tea to employees. English author Tom Standage even asserts that tea was crucial to the Industrial Revolution as it was a beverage well suited to an industrialized factory setting. Unlike beer, which was given to agricultural workers, tea (and its caffeine) did not dull the mind but sharpened it. Tea kept workers alert on long and tedious shifts, fending off their hunger and fortifying their concentration. The natural antibacterial properties of tea were also an advantage since they reduced waterborne diseases such as dysentery. The improvement in the nation’s health was attributed to tea during the 19th century.

In the mid 1800s, the first public tea rooms opened in Scotland, then London, where everyone could meet for a “cheap pot of tea, sweet and savoury foods and a bit of gossip”. Tea rooms and gardens were designed for predominantly women clientele as places they could attend without chaperones.

The British Empire and Tea
The rise of tea and the growth of Britain were intertwined. Fashion, commerce and social changes all played their part in the phenomenal embrace of tea. It was consumed by every class in Britain and in almost every home, making it the most widely consumed beverage on earth after water. Deeply entrenched in British culture, it was featured in many of Charles Dickens’ classics, including Great Expectations and Oliver Twist.

As the British Empire expanded, British administrators drank tea wherever they travelled in the world. British soldiers on the battlefields of Europe and the Crimea also brought tea with them. It was ultimately this love affair with tea that changed world history. The Tea Act of 1773, tea taxes, and finally the famous Boston Tea Party, in which protesters emptied three shiploads of tea into Boston harbour, proved a decisive step towards Britain’s loss of its American colonies.

Afternoon Tea versus High Tea
Afternoon tea was introduced in 1841 by Anna Maria, wife of the seventh Duke of Bedford, as she felt peckish during the long gap between lunch (eaten at 1.00 pm) and dinner (eaten at or after 7.00 pm). She decided to entertain her friends at Woburn by offering tea and small bites around 4.00 pm. By the 1860s, the fashion for elegant afternoon tea was widespread.

While upper classes would serve a low or afternoon tea around 4:00 or 5:00 pm to tide them over between lunch and dinner, high tea was common amongst the working class. At the end of a long day, they would sit down to one meal of strong tea and hearty hot food. The names derive from the height of the tables on which the meals are served. High tea would be served at the high or main (or only) table, while the upper classes would serve afternoon tea or low tea on small lounge tables.

Is it Milk in First or Tea in First?
The debate continues. In 1946 George Orwell wrote an essay called “A Nice Cup of Tea” in the Evening Standard newspaper, calling tea “one of the mainstays of civilization in this country” and listing his 11 golden rules for proper tea-making. British tea parties had the formality of Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies. The hostess would pour the tea and men (or daughters if no men present) were responsible for passing cups. Tea gowns and gloves were the norm.

Tea in Troubling Times
In the early 20th century, hotels were regularly designed to include a colonial palm court or a stylish tea lounge where guests could take tea and enjoy the genteel sounds of an orchestra or string quartet. In 1912, the tango arrived from Buenos Aires and tea dances became the latest intoxication. But those days were short-lived. Tea sales suffered as men went off to fight in WWI and the National Tea Control was introduced in 1918. Historian A.A. Thompson declared that tea was England’s secret weapon and is what “keeps us going and is what will carry us through” troubled times.

During and after WWII, food was in short supply and tea was rationed from 1940 to 1952. The economy was in a slump and few could afford elegant tea rooms. In the mid 1950s, new life emerged and the American influence was strong, including coffee. It was not until the 1980s that tea houses reappeared. The British enthusiasm for tea was back.

My Cup Overflows
For me, the ultimate tea experience is The Royal Garden Party held at the three Royal Palaces each summer. A tradition dating back to the 1860s, this is an opportunity to meet members of the Royal family, dress in finery and experience one of the most exclusive events in Britain. A typical party serves approximately 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake and an average 8,000 guests per party! But if you have not been lucky enough to receive an invitation from Lord Chamberlain on behalf of Her Majesty, then treat your friends royally to a tea party at home. Many expat groups, including The Commonwealth Countries League, FIWAL and the Canadian Women’s Club of London, enjoy tea parties at the home of one of their members who happen to have 90 champagne glasses, 90 sets of tea china and a lovely garden. Waitrose, M&S and caterers can prepare feasts of scones, jams, perfect little sandwiches and gorgeous sweets.

With the help of the Tea Council, the tea guild, Britons and tourists, the pleasures of enjoying afternoon tea are once again popular. Perhaps it’s time to put the kettle on and contemplate what a different world it would be without tea.

This is a shortened version of an article and its sources which will appear in FOCUS Magazine’s January 2009 edition.

Borough Market Visit

2008-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Barbara Richards and I visited Borough Market - here I am trying to decide just what to do with those gorgeous wild mushrooms!

If you have never been, you really must go, particularly if you are a "foodie" as we are. Just a word of caution - try to go on a Friday afternoon, because the Saturday crowds can be overwhelming. If you choose a Saturday, go early. By lunchtime it is hard to move from one stall to another! Accessibility by tube is really easy with London Bridge station at the doorstep to the market. For more information on Borough Market, here’s the link.

Here is one of my favourite wintertime recipes for those cold, wintery evenings. I call it Vegetable Heartsaver Soup because it is very healthy, very delicious, very easy, and low in fat!

Vegetable Heartsaver Soup – serves 6

Ingredients:

80 oz of vegetable or chicken stock, use cubes for ease
1/2 cup of smoked bacon lardons
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
1 large onion, cut into manageable pieces
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 tin of plum tomatoes with juice
1 large parsnip cut into slices
2 large carrots cut into slices
2 small or one larger zucchini cut into slices
1 good handful of wild mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 good handful of topped green beans
1 large or 2 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1 small - medium celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
small jar of pesto

Method:

Slowly sauté the lardons in oil, along with the onions and cabbage. If using mushrooms, sauté them separately in small pan and a little oil until very lightly browned, about 10 minutes then set aside. Add stock, tomatoes and juice, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, celeriac if using and cook for about 25 minutes slowly. Add potatoes, green beans and zucchini and cook another 25 minutes or so. Add mushrooms if using at the end. Before serving, add 2 - 3 tbsp of pesto to soup and stir. When ladling into dishes, you can put a tsp of pesto into the bottom of each bowl.

Enjoy! Any questions - you can give me a call. And I’ll look forward to seeing you at the next Culinary Corner!

Posted by Anne Van Giesen.

November Hospitality

2008-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

For our November hospitality morning, held at Quebec House on Pall Mall, we thoroughly enjoyed being taken on a journey of Barcelona's history, with a special focus on its architecture and people, by Mireia Fontbernat, herself a native of that beautiful Catalan city. Her presentation 'If Walls Could Talk" featured some fascinating views of Barcelona through time, showing the growth of the city and its changing architectural style. Mireia is shown below with Margaret Wickware, CWC President.

As a member of Toastmasters International, Mireia gives talks on diverse topics to varied audiences, but her family's background in architecture shines through. We may not all be able to fit in a trip to Barcelona in the near future, but Mireia's talk certainly took us there in spirit!

Let's Do Lunch: British Museum

2008-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, on 30 October, a group of CWC members enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the British Museum's Court Restaurant, followed by a fascinating talk hosted by Hazel Simpson.

Hazel is a regular volunteer guide at the British Museum, where she presents items from the museum's collection within the Enlightenment Gallery.

After witnessing Hazel dazzle a group of museum visitors with her indepth knowledge, it was time for CWC members to be educated and entertained. It was a wonderful afternoon - thank you Hazel!

New Members’ Welcome Reception

2008-10-31T02:56:00.001-07:00

On Friday October 24th, some 35 guests attended the lovely Kensington home of Anne and Bob Van Gieson to enjoy the New Members’ Welcome Reception. This annual evening event for new members, their partners and guests provided a relaxed opportunity to meet, mingle and savour conversation over wine and finger food. The executive team‘s participation in Anne Van Gieson’s cooking classes certainly paid off as tempting appetizers looked and tasted as if catered.

Amongst the many guests, we were delighted to have Donna Thomson, our Honorary President and wife of Jim Wright, the High Commissioner, who spontaneously spoke about the strength of the club and President Margaret Wickware’s dedication.

Margaret formally welcomed new members, introduced the executive team, described our charities and highlighted upcoming events. A Waterford crystal maple leaf dish and a stunning pink orchid were presented to hostess Anne for her generosity in organizing the special evening. Chris Kohut, Maple Leaf Trustee and CCSF representative Jill Pollock also socialized with members.
Thanks also to Phyllis Nickerson, Office Manager, for all of her preparation and for offering a warm and friendly welcome upon arrival.

We hope that all our new members sample the many activities and events on offer at the CWC and most importantly, enjoy their London experience.

October's Hospitality Morning

2008-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Wallace Collection is a gem of a museum in London housing a superb collection of art from all periods and many countries, especially France. At our October Hospitality Morning this morning, CWC members were given a special ‘tour’ of the collection by artist and art historian Alex Hirtzel, shown on the left of the photo with Patty Bell, CWC Vice-President.

Alex is an artist and art historian, and as well as being involved with the Kettle’s Yard Gallery in Cambridge, she spends one day a week at the Wallace Collection in London. She’s a wonderfully entertaining presenter and shared some of her ‘inside’ knowledge with us through stories of scandal, romance and wealth – giving us a taste of how the collection came together from the mid-1700s through to the 1880s.

As well as learning about the history of Hertford House, we enjoyed seeing a slideshow of just a sample of the collection. In paintings as diverse as The Laughing Cavalier (by Frans Hals) and Madame de Pompadour (by Francois Boucher), Alex explained why they were collected, and talked about the significance of the paintings and the artists themselves. Many of us now have a much greater appreciation of why (for example) Madame de Pompadour hung two of Boucher’s paintings featuring Apollo on either side of the bed she shared with Louis XV!

If you haven’t yet visited the Wallace Collection, then hopefully you’ll now feel inspired to do so.

And moving from 18th and 19th century art in France, to the fascinating and glorious city of Barcelona, at November’s Hospitality Morning at Quebec House, Mireia Fontbernat will take us on a trip through the city’s history, its architecture and people. Please do check the CWC's website for details to join us on the 11th!

Posted by Barbara Richards

Mary LeMessurier, CWC Honorary Life Member

2008-10-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

Mary LeMessurier (left), Margaret Wickware (right)
During my recent visit to Edmonton, Canada, I had the pleasure of meeting another of our honorary life members, Mary J. LeMessurier. Mary stopped by to purchase a copy of the CWC History Book and to hear about the club's recent celebratory events. At the same time, I got a chance to learn a little more about this great lady.

Raised in Nova Scotia, Mary was Alberta's Minister of Culture from 1979 to 1986. Following her appointment as Agent General for Alberta, Mary and her husband relocated to the UK in 1986.

During her six years in London, Mary complemented her governmental responsibilities with CWC related activities. She joined with the CWC President and others at that time in the task of establishing the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund as a Registered Charitable Trust with direct ties to the Canadian Women's Club. In recognition of her tireless work on behalf of the CCSF and and the CWC, Mary was made an Honorary Life Member. As well, in her honor, each year a scholarship is given to a deserving student studying history.

Since returning to Alberta, Mary has received the Order of Canada (1998) for her services to public life. Now, enjoying retirement, Mary is a an avid golfer. Mary hopes to return to London to celebrate her 80th birthday in June, 2009 and we hope that we will be able to welcome her to a CWC event at that time.

Posted by Margaret Wickware, President, CWC

Afternoon Book Group's Reading List for Fall 2008

2008-08-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

The Afternoon Book Group will resume our meetings starting on Monday 29th September. We meet on the last Monday of each month at 11am and enjoy a discussion about the book and the author, followed by a light lunch. Details can always be found in the bulletins and e-newsletters. Please get in touch with Roselyne Prescott if you would like to join us!

If you can't make it to the meetings, you might like to read along with us, so shown below are three books we're reading to start off the 2008-2009 season.

29th September - The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusack

27th October - The Judgement of Paris, by Ross King

24th November - The Visible World, by Mark Slouka.

The links from the title of each book will take you to the amazon.co.uk site.

And if you're still not sure about joining us, hopefully the photo below shows just what a friendly and welcoming group we are! We're showing off our copies of 'The Other Side of the Bridge', written by Mary Lawson. Mary is a Canadian who has lived in the UK for the last 35 years, and we were thrilled that she took part in our Literary Evening, held at the Canadian High Commission in May 2008.

Culinary Corner

2008-07-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

What could be more glorious than cooking with, and for, friends, and enjoying good conversation & sunshine! That is what the culinary group did this past July 16 when the goal of the day was to create great food for friends, and yet do it an a stress-free way without being a slave to the kitchen.

We enjoyed Grilled Prawn & Chorizo Salad, Tortilla Ham Wraps, Spinach Salad and Spaghetti Salad - any combination of which would achieve your goal. You may want to try this Spaghetti Salad as part of a small buffet or as a side dish the next time you have friends coming. Serve it with chicken, ribs, chops - or whatever strikes your fancy! Best of all, don't be afraid to prepare it the day before. It's just as delicious after a day in the fridge!

Spaghetti Salad

Serves 8 as a starter or side

4 oz red wine vinegar
4 oz sun dried tomatoes (not in oil is preferable so rinse off oil)
4 oz extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of dried, crushed chilis (to taste) or could be 1/2 tsp for this amount
5 - 6 bruised garlic cloves
5 - 6 toothpicks to pierce garlic so it can be removed later
15 (or so) shredded basil leaves - shred by hand!
30 (or so) black olives, pitted, and halved
8 oz spaghetti - either wholewheat (healthier) or regular
salt to taste
handful of chopped flatleaf parsley

Method:
Heat vinegar with an equal amount of water. When boiling, pour over sundried tomatoes and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. Dry on paper towels then cut into thin strips with scissors. Bring water to a boil with plenty of salt. Drop in pasta when boiling, then bring back to boil. Remove when not quite ready (according to package) and drain, retaining about 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Tip: if pasta package says 10 minutes, start checking at 8 - 9 minutes. Place in large bowl and add garlic on picks, olives, basil, tomatoes, chilis, some of the olive oil, and keep stirring. You can add some of the pasta water to moisten along with the oil. Stir frequently, and let sit for at least 2 - 3 hours to allow flavours to permeate. Stir in parsley at end before serving. And you can then remove the garlic (and their toothpicks!) before serving (the pasta will have absorbed the flavour by now).

The longer this sits, the better. It can be prepared the day before but brought back to room temperature before serving.

And although we didn't have a camera with us on the day, here's a photo of one of our classes from a few month's ago. Once activities get underway again in the fall, I do hope you'll join us!

Message posted by Anne Van Gieson

Annual General Meeting 19 June 2008

2008-07-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Jenny Tripp Black reporting from the Veterans' Support Committee

Valerie Berry receiving her Maple Leaf Pin

Special thanks to Phyllis Nickerson for her work at the CWC office

A presentation to Margaret for her work as President, from the Executive team

Teresa Howe, Vice-President

Teresa Howe and Christine Afolabi selling copies of our newly published history book. It celebrates the 75th anniversary of the CWC. You can order a copy of the history book by contacting the CWC office.

Mrs Violet Knight

Costa Pilavachi, Trustee of the Maple Leaf Trust and Margaret Wickware, CWC President

CWC Members

Jenny Tripp Black and Mona Dahdaleh

These pictures are from our AGM, held in the Grand Salon at the Canadian High Commission, where copies of our history book - celebrating our 75th anniversary - were on sale.

The Agenda was as follows:

1. Welcome by CWC President, Margaret Wickware

2. Adoption of the minutes of June 14, 2007, Mona Dahdaleh

3. President's Report 2007/2008, Margaret Wickware

4. Honorary Treasurer's Report and Presentation of Audited Accounts for 2007/2008, Sheryl Boggs (in her absence given by Margaret Wickware)

5. Election of Independent Examiner

6. Honorary General Secretary's Report and Audited Accounts, Mona Dahdaleh

7. Standing Committee Reports for 2007/2008:

Maple Leaf Trust, Margaret Wickware

Veterans' Support Committee, Jenny Tripp Black

Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund, Judy Wiesinger

8. Proposal for amendment to Rules and Constitution

9. Presentation of cheques to charities from funds raised by the Maple Leaf Trust during 2007/2008, Costa Pilavachi (Maple Leaf Trustee and 2008 Campaign Chair)

10. Maple Leaf Pin presentation, Margaret Wickware

11. Other business: Executive Slate for 2008/209

12. Adjourn Meeting

Canada Day at Trafalgar Square

2008-07-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

We certainly enjoyed perfect weather for Canada Day in London - even better than last year! We met dozens of fantastic people at our stand, and hopefully have signed up a few new members. The third picture down shows our Vice-President, Teresa Howe, and President, Margaret Wickware (centre), making a presentation of our 75th Anniversary History Book to James Wright, Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, who took time out of his busy schedule to drop by and say hello.

This is Anne Van Gieson - she runs our hugely popular Culinary Corner events.

Lois Darley looks after memberships.

Thanks to ALL the ladies who helped work at the stand this year!

Garden Party 2008

2008-06-14T16:16:00.001-07:00

The full set of photos, taken by Doris and Barbara, can be found by clicking here.

Welcome!

2008-01-23T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Women's Club welcomes you! For more information about joining the club, please visit our official website.