The American November 2014 Issue 738

November 2014

THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE

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WHAT’S ON • EATING OUT STAR INTERVIEWS REVIEWS • ARTS EDUCATION • POLITICS AMERICAN SPORTS

NFL UK Follow the Wembley

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772045 596534

action with The American

Your Embassy: what it does for you behind the scenes Interview: Christopher Cross on his new album

PLUS: OUR EXCLUSIVE US/UK ORGANIZATIONS GUIDE

Give the Gift of a home this Christmas to donate £3 text “azeb” to 70111 Azeb, 9, Ethiopia

You can help give the gift of a home this Christmas. Azeb and her family can celebrate together in their own home this year thanks to Habitat for Humanity. She can look to the New Year with hope, knowing her dream of being a doctor is a step closer, because she has a home in which to study, sleep and play.

Millions of children are without a safe, warm home to be with their families. Their future is not so bright. You can help change that this Christmas.

Please help give a child a home this Christmas, by calling 01753 313 539 or visit www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/DonateNow Texts cost £3 plus your standard network rate. Habitat for Humanity GB will receive 100% of your gift. We may contact you to tell you more about our life-saving work; if you would prefer we didn’t, text NOCALLHABITAT to78866. All gifts go to areas of our work that need the most funding.

If you have any questions, you can call us on 01753 313 539.

The American ®

Issue 738 November 2014 PUBLISHED BY SP MEDIA FOR

Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Old Byre House, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK Tel: +44 (0)1747 830520

Departments: News, Article ideas, Press releases: editor@theamerican.co.uk Advertising & Promotions: advertising@theamerican.co.uk Subscriptions: theamerican@blueedge.co.uk The Team: Michael Burland, Content Director + Motors, Music & Sport michael@theamerican.co.uk Sabrina Sully, Content Director & Community Contact sabrina@theamerican.co.uk Daniel Byway, Content Executive dan@theamerican.co.uk Virginia E Schultz, Food & Drink (USA) virginia@theamerican.co.uk Michael M Sandwick, Food & Drink (UK) mms@theamerican.co.uk Mary Bailey, Social mary@theamerican.co.uk Alison Holmes, Politics alison@theamerican.co.uk Jarlath O’Connell, Theater jarlath@theamerican.co.uk

©2014 Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Printed by Advent Colour Ltd., www.advent-colour.co.uk ISSN 2045-5968 Main Cover: Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins, ©Gary Baker for The American; Circular Inset: US Embassy, London, ©Richard L Gale, for The American; Square Inset: ©Sandrine Lee

@TheAmericanMag

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appy Thanksgiving to all our American audience, and to all the Brits who read The American because they love the American way of life. Many Americans will be inviting their local ‘chums’ to their Thanksgiving dinners this month to celebrate their friendships. Mathew Barzun, the US Ambassador to the UK, jokingly referred in the magazine (September 2014) to the relationship between our two great nations as not having always been friendly (they burned down the White House!) but having grown to be the strongest either country enjoys. That Special Relationship is something to celebrate too, and it stemmed from something far older, Magna Carta. Read Sir Robert Worcester’s article about that influential document in this issue.

Also this month, find out about how the Embassy works behind the scenes, how to call home cost-effectively, what veteran dancer and director (and original Tiger Lily) Sondra Lee is doing in London, and how the NFL International Series is doing at Wembley.

Enjoy your magazine,

Michael Burland, Content Director michael@theamerican.co.uk

Among this month’s contributors

Michael M Sandwick The American expat with the golden tastebuds finds the best places to eat out in London and beyond. This month, a pub saved by a poet!

Darren Kilfara Our go-to golfing guy takes a long hard look at the Ryder Cup and envisages a whole new four-team version - could it work?

Sir Robert Worcester Kansas-native Bob Worcester is heading the Magna Carta 800th celebrations and says it’s the fount of the Special Relationship.

Read The American online at www.theamerican.co.uk The entire contents of The American and www.theamerican.co.uk are protected by copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information in The American is accurate, the editor and publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any loss arising from reliance on it. The views and comments of contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers.

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The American

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in this issue...

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Eat Out In Style at Thanksgiving Phone Home for the Holidays Your Embassy Behind The Scenes: American Citizen Services 16 Sondra Lee - Tiger Lily directs in London 18 International Schools in Britain

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Call The Midwife improvements in women’s health Christopher Cross on his new album Politics & History: Churchill, Roosevelt & Magna Carta Sports: NFL at Wembley, What’s become of the Ryder Cup

4 News

26 Food & Drink

54 US Social Groups

6 Diary Dates

32 Arts, Theater, Books

62 A-List Products/Services

24 Coffee Break

50 American Sports

64 Tail End: Peggy Lee

2 November 2014

CHRISTMAS at the

AMERICAN

museum

SAT 22 NOVEMBER – SUN 14 DECEMBER 2014 Christmas Craft Fair – Sat 22 & Sun 23 November

www.americanmuseum.org Claverton Manor, Bath 01225 460503 enquiries@americanmuseum.org

CelebrateThanksgiving at Gleneagles

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However long you choose to stay, we’ll offer you a complimentary upgrade to help you celebrate this special time of year** when you quote "The American".

Visit gleneagles.com call 0800 169 2984 *Based on two people sharing a Sovereign room **Subject to availability at time of booking

The American

NEWS TTIP Talks Face NHS Row

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here are fears amongst campaigners in the UK that the failure of the British government to secure exemption for the NHS from TTIP negotiations could lead to privatization of the UK’s health service.

TTIP (The Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership), a prospective agreement between EU and US officials aimed at reducing regulatory barriers for trade between America and Europe, has been subject to heated discussion in recent months.

Len McCluskey, the General Secretary of the trades union Unite, said that if “TTIP presents no threat to our NHS, then why doesn’t the government simply exclude it? This secretive deal will lead to the irreversible sale of our NHS to American corporations”, whilst the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, wrote in his column for The Telegraph that “there is absolutely nothing not to like about the TTIP. As Churchill might have said, it is altogether un-sordid”.

Negotiations continue.

London’s Mayor and would-be Parliamentary candidate Boris Johnson PHOTO ANDREW PARSONS

Attention All US Citizens and Interested Parties

Town Hall Evening, London 2014 “Changes in the US Tax Laws: How they impact US Citizens Abroad”

Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 18:30 to 21:30

To be held at: Royal Overseas League, Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR, UK Key issues: 1. New US and UK tax rules: Opportunities and Pitfalls.

2. US and UK pension and estate planning, key points for Americans in the UK. 3. Catching up if you’re out of compliance for income tax and FBAR reporting. What are your choices? Is it less scary than you might think?

Other bits of useful information: 1. How to find a tax return preparer. Who fits your needs? Where to look, how to shop around and how to vet?

2. Finding a friendly financial institution: bank, investment adviser, broker, custodian, and others that welcome American clients. What’s happening in the marketplace and why. Also, how to get a US bank account if you want one.

The Moderator: Charles Bruce - international tax specialist, he is known for his work with compliance matters and FATCA. He is an American attorney with Bonnard Lawson-Geneva/Lausanne.

The Speakers: Daniel Hyde - Founding Partner, Westleton Drake, Tax Advisors, London James Sellon - Managing Partner, MASECO Private Wealth, London Third Person - TBD Limited Seating: Please RSVP to events@americansabroad.org Media Partners:

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ACA UK Chapter Meeting: The recently formed ACA UK Chapter will be hosting its second meeting on December 11th, see www.americansabroad.org for more details and follow @ACAVoice on Twitter for up to date information.

The American

OUT & ABOUT

Knightsbridge Village First Birthday Party

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heo Fennell’s flagship jewelry store in Fulham Road, London was the venue for an exclusive party October 7th as exclusive social group Knightsbridge Village celebrated its first birthday. Glamorous mothers from Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Mayfair, Kensington and the surrounding areas included local residents Vanessa Brady OBE, the award winning interior designer, and socialite, “it girl”, TV presenter and model Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

KV founder Nana Coles thanked the guests for their support over the last year. Nana, who wore a Roberto Cavalli cocktail dress and striking diamond key necklace by Theo Fen-

Below: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson enjoys the Theo Fennell jewelry

nell, added, “We hope to continue to grow and expand the Knightsbridge Village community with more like-minded mothers. We are proud to be the only by-invitation members clubs for parents making us a very exclusive network”.

After trying on some of the host store’s stunning jewelry, guests enjoyed cocktail master classes, learning from Hydromel Events how to shake and stir the ‘KV Classic,’ a classic martini with a twist of grapefruit, and ‘The Knightsbridge Garden,’ gin, dry vermouth, soda and mint, while Virginie T Champagne complemented canapés and personalised ‘KV’ cupcakes from GC Couture.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (left) with Nana Coles

Shirley Palmer and Victoria Sheppard

Churchill Lecture

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n October 14 Sir Robert Worcester, founder of MORI and regular contributor to The American on US and UK elections, gave the second annual Churchill Lecture to an enthralled audience of dignitaries at the American Museum in Britain, located on Claverton Down near Bath. You can read an article based on his speech, about Churchill, Roosevelt and the Special Relationship, and their relationship to the Magna Carta, on page 44 of this issue.

(L-R) American Museum Director Richard Wendorf, Laura Bayntun-Coward, Sir Robert Worcester.

PHOTOS ©ZOE DENNINGTON/AMERICAN MUSEUM

Lady Margaret Worcester with The American’s Michael Burland

November 2014 5

The American

List your event in The American: email editor@theamerican.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1747 830520

Highlights of The Month Ahead

There’s much more online at www.theamerican.co.uk Pantomime Season Various, UK November 1 to January 31, 2015 A theatrical extravaganza based on fairy stories and folk tales. Includes songs, slapstick, corny jokes and audience participation (It’s behind you... Oh no it isn’t... Oh yes it is!). The ‘principal boy’ is played by a girl and the ‘dame’ is a man!

Your local theater is bound to have a panto.

The American Museum in Britain Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD www.americanmuseum.org info@americanmuseum.org Telephone: 01225 460503 The Museum’s Main Season ends on November 2, but the Christmas Season opens November 22 and 23 with a Christmas Craft Fair featuring handcrafted gifts, perfect for the festive season, and lasts until December 14.

On November 29 you can learn how to create Knitted Christmas Decorations. The house is still open: opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 12noon to 4.30pm, closed Mondays. See the website for all the museum’s activites.

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Regent Street Motor Show Regent Street, London W1B 5TD www.regentstreetmotorshow.com November 1 The free-to-view event turns Regent Street into a showcase of over 300 cars.

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run www.veterancarrun.com November 2 A rare chance to see 500 pre-1905 vehicles travel the 60-mile route from London’s Hyde Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton.

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night Across the UK On and around November 5 Bonfires and fireworks to commemorate the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ of 1605, in which a group of disaffected citizens tried - and failed - to blow up Parliament, King James I and the aristocracy.

Wine Courses at The Vineyard Hotel Stockcross, Newbury, RG20 8JU www.the-vineyard.co.uk November 7 & December 7 Learn more about wine and gain an internationally recognised WSET wine qualification whilst enjoying fine wine and dining at The Vineyard, one of the UK’s leading wine hotels. £150 pp.

Lord Mayor’s Show City of London www.lordmayorsshow.org November 8 The much-loved annual pageant is 799 years old. Its origins stretch back to when

each newly elected Lord Mayor of London would travel to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. Now it’s a procession between Bank and Aldwych, from 11am - 2:30pm, followed in the evening by the Lord Mayor’s fireworks over the Thames.

Veterans/Remembrance Day Across the UK www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance November 9 Commemorate those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace and freedom. 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and the centenary of the beginning of the First World War. The Poppy, the symbol for Remembrance, is widely available throughout the UK. Veterans Day is commemorated by a number of US cemeteries in the UK, with ceremonies being hosted at, among others, the Cambridge American Cemetery (Madingley), and Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey.

Junior League’s Boutique de Noel Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street London W8 7NX November 12 & 13 Shop for a good cause this Christmas season at the Junior League of London’s 35th annual charity fundraiser. Nov. 12 Premier Shopping Evening, 6 to 10pm.

Nov. 13 Shopping Day, 10am to 5pm.

Dorchester Thanksgiving Fair High West St., Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XA www.dorsetcountymuseum.org November 14 Celebrate the links between the towns of Dorchester, Dorset (UK) and Dorchester, Massachusetts (US) with talks, presentations, entertainment and a live link to the USA.

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The American List your event in The American: email editor@theamerican.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1747 830520 APG/BAAS US Politics Colloquium US Embassy, 24 Grosvenor Square, London www.american-politics-group-uk.net November 14 This year’s Colloquium looks at The Obama Administration. Speakers include William Barnard (author and former Chair of Democrats Abroad) and a Republican counterpart; Dr Althea Legal-Miller (University College London); Professor Inderjeet Parmar (City University); and former Members of Congress the Hon. Mary Bono (R-CA) and the Hon. Brian Baird (D-WA). See website for booking.

Parliament Week Various, UK www.parliamentweek.org November 14 to 20 A programme of workshops, debates, Q&A sessions and more, aimed at connecting people with parliamentary democracy.

An Evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger Lancaster London Hotel, Westbourne Suite, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY www.roccobuonvinoproductions.com November 15 A unique opportunity to hear first-hand from Arnie himself about his amazing career and private insights from his life.

AWS Gift Fayre ACS Cobham International School, Portsmouth Road, Cobham KT11 1BL www.awsurrey.org November 16 The American Women of Surrey’s 24th Gift Fayre has over 95 craftspeople, importers, retailers and food suppliers plus fun for the kids 8 November 2014

 Thanksgiving Celebration with HRH The Princess Royal English-Speaking Union, Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J www.esu.org November 26 Celebrate Thanksgiving with the ESU’s President, Princess Anne, who joins the event at which guests from both sides of the Atlantic can network and exchange stories over a delicious Thanksgiving feast.

Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s St Paul’s Cathedral, London EC4M 8AD www.stpauls.co.uk November 27 The traditional Thanksgiving Day Service at St Paul’s Cathedral brings the American community together. US Ambassador Matthew Barzun will speak, and read a message from President Obama. The preacher will be John D’Elia, Senior Minister at The American International Church in London. 11am to 12pm.

From Darkness to Light at Salisbury Salisbury Cathedral, 6 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2EJ November 28 The Cathedral’s interior lit by 1,300 candles, alongside a beautiful procession of music and readings to mark the beginning of Advent.

English Baroque Choir Thanksgiving Concert St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London EC1A 2DQ www.ebc.org.uk November 29 American and English choral music for Thanksgiving. Batting for the Brits are Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi and Cecilia McDowall: pitching for the Americans are Randall Thompson, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre and, finally, Leonard Bernstein.

The choir will be joined by organ, harp, percussion, and a boy soloist for a finale featuring Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.

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The Lockhart London 22-24 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NL www.lockhartlondon.com 020 3011 5400 November 27 to December 31 Mississippi-born chef Brad McDonald adds a Southern twist to his Thanksgiving dishes: Fried Turkey Legs, Country Ham and Smoked Brisket and Southern-style side dishes; Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread, Greenbean Casserole and Coleslaw, all served in the traditional family style, plus a delicious Pecan Pie for desert! The Lockhart also offers Christmas ansd New Year’s Eve menus.

Harrison’s 15-19 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9EX www.harrisonsbalham.co.uk info@harrisonsbalham.co.uk 020 8675 6900 November 27 to 29 A special menu for Americans in the UK! Starters: Pumpkin Soup and New England Clam & Slab Bacon Chowder. Macaroni & Cheese, BBQ Ribs and a delicious Thanksgiving turkey for mains. For dessert, Chipwhich Vanilla Parfait, Lemon Posset with Cranberry Marshmallows, not forgetting a delicious Pecan Pie. There are also Thanksgiving inspired Cocktails, from a Ginger Bread Martini to Brandy Egg Nog!

Thanksgiving Selection

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Sam’s Brasserie & Bar 11 Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4PH www.samsbrasserie.co.uk info@samsbrasserie.co.uk 020 8987 0555 @SamsBrasserie November 27 to 29 Join Sam’s Brasserie over the Thanksgiving weekend for American favorites such as pumpkin soup, Nashville hot wings and roast turkey with all the trimmings, plus all your favorite American sides, including Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprouts and Bacon, Corn on the Cob with Chilli butter and Broccoli & Almonds. Special Thanksgiving cocktails too, including a Wild Turkey Manhattan and a Boston Bog!

Brasserie Max, Covent Garden Hotel 10 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9HB www.firmdalehotels.com Twitter @firmdale_hotels reservations@coventgardenhotel.co.uk 020 7806 1000 November 26 to 30 Check-in to Covent Garden Hotel for a special Thanksgiving package which includes accommodation in a beautifully designed room, a Thanksgiving dinner in the vibrant Brasserie Max restaurant - dishes include maple roasted turkey and pumpkin pie with pecan ice-cream breakfast in bed and a Rik Rak gift. From £498 for a Deluxe Room and from £546 for a Junior Suite.

Jetlag Bar 125 Cleveland Street, London W1T 6QB www.jetlagbar.com info@jetlagbar.com, 020 33 70 5838 November 27 This Thanksgiving Jetlag is going across the pond with NFL, live music and a Thanksgiving dinner for an American affair in London. Arranged over two floors, you can eat and drink whilst catching the matinee film before we head off Stateside for live American Football. Live music from Mr Lee provides the entertainment on the ground floor, perfect for enjoying the special menu which includes Pumpkin Soup, Roast Turkey with all the trimmings and a choice of Pecan or Pumpkin pie for dessert.

Pickle & Rye 31 Sheen Lane, Mortlake SW14 8AB www.pickleandrye.com, @pickleandrye info@pickleandrye.com, 020 8878 8982 Nov. 27 (28 & 29 depending on interest) Delaware-born chef & owner Alex Minor offers a starter choice of butternut squash soup or Chicory salad with pear, smoked bacon, caramelised walnuts, stilton and sherry-shallot vinaigrette. Main of roast turkey breast & leg, potato & thyme duphinois, roast root vegetables, green beans, cranberry/gooseberry chutney, turkey gravy, chorizo & rye stuffing.

Dessert is Pumpkin pie or apple crumble.

Tentazioni 2 Mill Street, London SE1 2BD www.tentazioni.co.uk info@tentazioni.co.uk, 0207 237 1100 November 27 One of the finest gems in London, owned by former executive chef Riccardo Giacomini, hosts a special American menu with a touch of Italian! Regional and seasonal Italian dishes focus on fresh, high quality ingredients. Head Chef, Alberto Modena, changes the menu every two weeks to give you the opportunity to taste different flavors and combine them with a great choice of regional Italian wines.

GOAT Chelsea 333 Fulham Road, London SW10 9QL www.goatchelsea.com, @goatchelsea reservations@goatchelsea.com 020 73521384 November 27 GOAT Chelsea’s fusion of New York and Italian food is perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration. American favorites such as Bacon and Sweetcorn Chowder as a starter, Pumpkin Pie and Cheesecake for dessert, and delicious Maple Roast Turkey with a choice of sauces, stuffings and Candied Yams to crown the meal. GOAT offers a fantastic slice of the Thanksgiving holiday in London.

November 2014 9

PHOTO ©CHEDDARCHEEZE

The American

to find the best price and package for you. Various comparison sites (www.msecallchecker.com, for example) can compare the main street providers, but there are some less-well-known brands which can offer good deals.

Zipcall

Calling Home for the Holidays W

ith Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year fast approaching, many of us will have friends and family back in the States to call for Season’s Greetings. Here are a few suggestions on ways to contact your nearest and dearest during the Holidays this year.

Skype

Skype remains a popular choice amongst many expats keeping in touch with friends and family. All you need is your laptop, PC, mobile or tablet and an internet connection, and you can make free contact with anyone else also using the Skype application wherever they are in the world. There are monthly subscription rates to enable your

10 November 2014

Skype to call mobiles and landlines, including packages for specifically calling the States, and it’s easy to download from www.skype.com The only disadvantage is both you and the person you’re calling need to be in front of your device and using Skype to connect, and it also depends on your internet connection as to how smooth the interaction is.

Mobile Sim Cards

Plenty of outlets and companies offer specialised international Sim Cards which you can slot straight into your cell or smartphone and use to call overseas with lower rates.

Because of the number of different providers, it’s worth hunting around

One of the latest onto the scene, Zipcall lets you use your free minutes to make international calls to the US and Canada. Their website (www.zipcall.com) has more details, and it’s best to read the information there in detail to make sure their services are free in your circumstances, but as long as you have free minutes on your package, it’s a great way to use your existing cellphone or landline to make international calls without additional charges. Although unlike Skype it doesn’t offer the chance to talk via webcam, it does provide the flexibility of calling anyone in the US or Canada with a phone irrespective of their access to computers and the internet (very handy for any Grandparents who don’t yet believe in the cyberage!).

How about post?

With all the mod-cons available, we sometimes forget the postal service.

If you want to send Christmas cards (and we don’t mean e-cards!) or gifts, Royal Mail’s last post date for International Standard (formerly Airmail) and Tracking/Signature Services for Canada is December 9th, and December 12th for the US.

The American

WINDOW AISLE FOR AMERICANS, VOTING COMES EASY. If you’re military, a military family member or an American living overseas and haven’t received your State ballot, simply go to FVAP.gov for help getting your backup absentee ballot so you can send your most important vote back home.

November 2014 11

The American

Cradle To Grave Services The American takes a peek behind the scenes at The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square to find out what it does for you. This month, the American Citizen Services section

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merican Citizen Services, known by the acronym ACS, is the section of the Embassy that American expats and visitors interface with more than any other. Each Embassy around the world has an ACS section as it performs one of the main functions of the diplomatic corps: looking after United States citizens and dual nationals who are in their area of responsibility. Jeff Lodinsky, Acting Consul General and Pam Bentley, Head of Special Consular Services, showed The American around their offices, which take up most of the first floor of the United States Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London - you’ll find it right behind the lobby! There are two main units in American Citizen Services. Let’s take a look:

Passports and Citizenship

The Passports and Citizenship unit performs what might be called ‘hatch, match and dispatch’ services.

When a child is born (there’s a song there somewhere!) to a US citizen or someone who holds dual nationality, the birth should be registered with the Embassy. When the family travels to the United States, the child should travel on their own US documents. There is no time limit for registering, in fact you can

12 November 2014

register a child up until they are 18 years old, but it’s usually easier to do it sooner rather than later as you will have all the necessary information to hand. Also, you won’t forget an have to do it in a panic if you have to travel at short notice.

As Ambassador Barzun said in this interview with The American in September, ACS deals with more than 4,000 new citizenship cases every year, from new bouncing babies to foreigners marrying Americans and taking dual citizenship.

On a sadder note, this unit also helps when someone dies. They register the death and issue a Consular Report of Death Abroad, which you will need, if you intend to repatriate the body to the USA. Do you want to give up your status as an American citizen? Of course they hope you won’t want to do it, but if you need a Renunciation of Citizenship this unit is the place to go! There has been a recent spike in numbers with around 2,000 Americans taking this drastic action in 2013. Although there’s no officially given reason for this, it’s widely thought that changes in tax legislation like the FATCA, which places more stringent requirements on US Citizens overseas to report their financial situations, may be

responsible. There was a similar spike twenty years ago, and again no-one seems to know exactly why.

Just bear in mind that even if you feel the IRS is out to get you, or you don’t agree with a particular administration’s foreign policy, it’s an irrevocable step. Once you’re gone, there’s no coming back.

The unit receives around 3,000 passport enquiries each month so the best advice is to make your request via the website, london.usembassy.gov/service.html Jeff advises that you register with the Embassy when you are abroad. It’s less likely that you might need assistance in Britain than in more volatile parts of the world, but in case of an emergency situation (for example a terrorist act) the Embassy will be able to get information to you. It’s easy - use the the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov and don’t worry, they stress that they don’t keep tabs on you. You can also follow The American on Twitter (@TheAmericanMag) or Facebook (TheAmericanCommunity) as we’re part of the Embassy’s Warden system, helping get urgent news to you.

ACS can help you to register to vote if you live abroad - you have

The American

Ambassador Barzun meets new Americans at the ACS’s Citizens’ Day ACS PHOTOS: COURTESY US EMBASSY, EXTERIOR PHOTO: © RICHARD L GALE

the right to vote in US elections, so use it! And if you are eligible for benefits, ACS has its own in-house Social Security office.

The services that Passports and Citizenship provide are non-discretionary, in other words they are available to all US citizens but follow strict rules so the official you’re dealing with oftentimes has no choice on whether you are eligible for help.

Special Consular Services

The SCS unit is there for the more unusual needs of Americans abroad. If you’re involved in any legal activity while you’re in the UK you will probably have to get one or more documents notarized. The SCS notarizes more than 5,000 every year. More dramatically, and crucial for those involved, the unit will assist an American parent whose child has been abducted. Often this is by a spouse or partner, and it is more common than you might think, with hundreds of cases a year.

It can be a legal minefield as several treaties and conventions cover this area including Brussels 2, to which the UK is a signatory but not the USA, and the international Hague Treaty. SCS advises on parents’ rights and on the law, but cannot

November 2014 13

The American

“Pam has been to jail many times... let me rephrase that! It is part of Pam’s job to visit Americans held in UK prisons”

14 November 2014

give advice on their specific case, although as Pam Bentley says these are often harrowing cases and it can be hard not to cross the line.

Pam has been to jail many times... let me rephrase that! It is part of Pam’s job to visit Americans held in UK prisons. Hundreds of US citizens are arrested in Britain every year. Under a bilateral agreement the British authorities are obliged to tell the Embassy about them, and each of them must be visited by a consular official every four months before they are sentenced, then every six months if they are convicted. Pam and her team also deal with deaths in custody.

It is a varied job. Some of an SCS officer’s time is spent ‘on the window’ helping visitors face to face, some on the phone or dealing with countless email enquiries. They frequently work with the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Non Government Organizations.

Occasionally they are called upon to aid indigent Americans who are destitute and often mentally ill. They cannot help financially, so don’t turn up at Grosvenor Square expecting a few dollars to get you out of trouble. However in extreme cases they can help repatriate such people back to the States, although they will check with their bank, credit card company etc. to make sure they are really in need.

This kind of help comes out of the same budget as emergency medical evacuations and someone in a life or death situation abroad is a higher priority than a traveler who has let themselves run out of cash! SCS officials can use their discretion in providing their services.

I asked Pam and Jeff if they have any amusing anecdotes from

their time in Citizen Services. They looked at each other for a few beats, then both said that they have many stories, but not usually funny.

Mostly their day is taken up helping Americans who are in sad or difficult situations, often complex. But oftentimes they can be heart-warming for the officials involved.

New babies are registered and families reunited. In one of Pam’s abduction cases, the child who had been illegally taken outside the UK returned to Britain on a school trip.

SCS got involved with the British authorities and, without being able to give me too much detail, the upshot was that the child was reunited with their American mother on Valentine’s Day. Did I detect a dampening of Pam’s ever-professional eye? I think so. She added, “We have to learn detachment, like Jerry Lewis said he learned to when he was on the Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon, but of course it affects you. Last week I had three deaths, this morning another two”.

SCS staff specialize in their section and some senior staff have been in post for over twenty years. Currently Pam - who is married to a Brit - has two Americans and five Brits on her team. ACS as a whole has 100 staff with 25 American consular officers. Worldwide ACS sections have around two-thirds local and one-third American staff.

Jeff summed up ACS’s role in the lives of US citizens abroad: “We solve problems. We facilitate travel and documentation. We help many dual nationals, and thousands of British subjects too – far more than our Embassies in most countries.

And every month we get letters saying thank you for what we’ve done.

It’s very rewarding.”

Sondra Lee The American

Ugga Wugga Meatball! Tiger Lily talks Brando, Dean, Robbins and directing the world première of Norman Mailer’s widow’s play in London

S

ondra Lee, the respected veteran actor, dancer, director and now acting and directing coach, is fondly remembered by generations of Americans as the original Tiger Lily from the Peter Pan musical - and for having Marlon Brando as her first lover. But there’s much more to her story than that, detailed in her autobiography, I’ve Slept With Everybody.

“Ah the book! I started writing it as an exercise, really, but I just kept going. Everybody seems to be interested in the title. It comes from a show business term - if you want a good agent, or to give a good interview, you have to ‘get into bed with them’. It means get close to people and tell a good story, so it’s not literally true,” Sondra jokingly apologizes. “It’s a loving book about the people who were good to me when I was a beginner in the theater. They’re my extended family.”

Part of that family was, famously, Brando. What was he like as a man?

“Spectacularly hilarious! His great gift as an actor was an astute facility for observation. As with any great artist, he wouldn’t produce what he saw before he understood what he had seen. He could see a character to the core. Being near him was like being caught by a magnet in a minefield - he pulled you in, in life as well as on the screen and stage.

He didn’t ‘play’ that electricity, he had it. I knew him before he was acclaimed, he was just this good

16 November 2014

looking guy who came to class and liked the way I danced.”

Brando and James Dean are the two that still have that fascination from that era. “I knew James Dean as well, from the Actors Studio and actually Jimmy was fascinated by Brando. To be perfectly honest, Jimmy was really a pain in his ass.

He started riding a motorcycle because Brando did, and he even tried to go to Marlon’s psychiatrist!

He kept hanging around trying to meet Brando, and Marlon kept hiding under the bed.”

Sondra came from a a dysfunctional family and all she had ever wanted to do was leave home and dance. Her big break came from a chance meeting with the great producer, director and choreographer Jerome Robbins - her favorite person of those she ever worked with. “Jerry Robbins is the reason I’m alive and in the theater. I had been chosen for Allegro, a Broadway musical, by the casting director, a wonderful man called John Fearnley. They lined us all up and Agnes de Mille the choreographer asked me if I could do tap... I said yes. She asked if I could do a stag - I didn’t know what it was but I said, why don’t you come up and we’ll do a stag together? - I was outrageous!

They walked down the line of dancers and suddenly there was a drop of about 12 inches... that was me.

Boom - I was outta there.

“I was walking down Shubert Alley and there was a door ajar into the Shubert Theatre. I asked what was going on and someone said, we’re in there with Robbins. I don’t know why but I walked into the empty theater and called out ‘Who’s Robbins?’ This guy answered ‘I’m Robbins, who are you?’ I told him I’d just been let go by Allegro and I was going home to commit suicide.

“Robbins said ‘Don’t commit suicide. Dance for me.’ And I danced with a passion you wouldn’t believe.

I got through to final auditions and Jerry said ‘Put her in Group A... no, Group B... no, put her in Amazons.’

I’m just 4 feet 10 inches tall - he thought it would be funny. And that’s how I ended up in High Button Shoes. I was thinking, Oh my God, now I’m a star! Then I overheard the producers, Monte Proser and Joseph Kipnes, arguing with Jerry.

They were saying they didn’t want the kid with the fat legs in the show and Jerry said he did want the kid with the fat legs... and that’s how I got the job!”

Sondra has fond memories of the 1954 and 1960 Broadway productions of Peter Pan. “I loved Cyril Ritchard, our Captain Hook. He was one of the most extraordinary, beautiful people I’ve ever known.

His wife was very ill, actually dying, during that time. He was just wonderful. And he taught me a great lesson - he had ‘a great contract,

Sondra Lee is directing Go See at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington, London from November 12 to 29

kiddo. If they take one of your songs out of the show, that’s OK - as long as they give you another one!’ He didn’t have a very good memory but he could ad-lib beautifully. I loved that man.”

Sondra’s Tiger Lily was a high spot of the show - even though it’s now fashionable to criticize her Indians as not accurately representing Native Americans. “Jerry didn’t know what he wanted me to do. I was originally going to be one of the Lost Boys, but I ended up as Tiger Lily. The Indian dance, and my costume, were my own ideas.

The show wasn’t a huge smasheroo in San Francisco, but it was a big hit when we brought it to New York. Originally it was a five act play, called Wendy’s Dream, it was a child’s idea of Indians, not reality.”

Go See

Nowadays Ms Lee enjoys the process of making plays and musicals, and passing the knowledge to the next generations of actors, dancers and directors. This month she is in London, directing the world première of Norris Church Mailer’s play, Go See at the King’s Head Theatre.

“I know the family well - I was fortunate to know both of them, and their entire family. Norman and Norris both wrote for the Actors Studio and for some reason always wanted me to direct them. John Buffalo Mailer, their biological son, is a wonderful writer and actor, and he has allowed me the rights

to do this. We’re rehearsing in New York then bringing it to London. We have a wonderful cast and crew.

We’re having a swell time. Norris wrote it about eight years ago but I think people are more comfortable now about the subject matter - it’s about a woman in a sex booth on 42nd Street and an anthropologist, but its actually about sexuality, homosexuality, guilt, confusion and compulsion. I read the first few

pages, and said to Norris, ‘I know this guy!’ Some of the character is based on the anthropologist Tobias Schneebaum. I’d read his book, Keep the River on your Right, and met him a few times. They knew him. So we got to work - it’s Norris’s only full length play.”

Finally, what’s the best thing about being Sondra Lee? “The opportunity to sing, dance, act... and tell the truth.”

November 2014 17

The American

International Education in the UK In this month’s article, educationalist Matthew Cook focuses on the international education options available to those moving to the UK

T

he UK is fortunate to have a number of very good ‘international schools’ – but what exactly do we mean by the phrase? The realm of international schools can encompass a variety of different models, including schools offering international curricula, such as the International Baccalaureate, the Cambridge International programmes (IGCSE and International A-level), or the International Primary and Middle Years Curriculum. Equally it might be schools that offer the national curriculum of another country, such as the German School in Richmond upon Thames or the Lycee Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington. In short, there are many different types of international school and many different options but it is important to think about the all round education experience being offered.

As with any school choice process, but specifically for international families, the age of the child/children and the length of time the family is likely to be living overseas are two key factors in making any choice.

It is worth noting that most international schools will have a higher turnover of students than a British school. This is simply the nature of the international community, with parents’ assign-

18 November 2014

ments ending. Naturally this can be upsetting for children when they see their friends leaving, but it does mean that in later life they have a network of friends and contacts around the world. It could also be argued that it is easier for children, especially teenagers, coming to the UK, to settle into an international environment rather than a UK school where all the other children have known each other for many years. Whatever one’s view, parents will need to bear this in mind as a fact of life in this type of school.

Understandably, for those coming from the USA, continuing within a US school has many advantages, especially for older children, for whom a change of school, academic programme, and exam courses can be extremely disruptive.

However, for others with younger children, or those who are likely to be moving on to further overseas postings, a non-American school and/or an international curriculum may provide an answer.

In the case of the International Baccalaureate, for example, there are over 4,000 IB schools around the world, so from the perspective of continuity an IB programme often serves the children well. The IB is divided into three sections: the

Primary Years Programme (3-11yrs), the Middle Years Programme (11-16 yrs) and the Diploma Programme (16 yrs +). Furthermore, many parents posted overseas for a few years are keen for the whole family to have a more diverse experience giving their children the opportunity to meet other young people from around the world and benefit from a different academic programme and methods of teaching.

Fortunately for those moving to London and the Home Counties there are some very good US/international curriculum schools with the American School in London (St. John’s Wood), the three ACS schools (Hillingdon, Middlesex, and Cobham and Egham, both Surrey) and TASIS (The American School in England, in Surrey). Whilst it is not possible to do full justice to these schools in this article, they are all well established with strong academic and college placement records, boast outstanding facilities, and impressive lists of alumni. Naturally, they have a strong American community at their foundation, although it is likely that at least another thirty or so nationalities will be represented within their community. Importantly for High School students all of the schools offer the

At ISL, I acquired the skills and attitudes for university success: essay writing, critical thinking, open mindedness, problem-solving and thinking outside the box.

Anna

Anna joined the International School of London (ISL) from Finland for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. She achieved the top mark of 45 points in her IB Diploma exams and currently studies Art at Edinburgh University.

The ISL Schools in London, Surrey and Qatar integrate mother tongue and other languages into the IB curriculum from a young age, nurturing the global competencies critical for success at universities worldwide. ISL is helping its students turn dreams into reality.

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PHOTO COURTESY TASIS ENGLAND

The American

TASIS Students enjoying the Fall Term

Advanced Placement programme and/or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. TASIS and the ACS schools offer a blend of US curriculum and IB programmes, with ACS Egham offering the full range of IB courses. In Oxfordshire, Kingham Hill School, a British independent school, also offers an American curriculum and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

In the case of those seeking an all-through International Baccalaureate school there are several options. Within central London there are three IB, international schools: Southbank International School, the International Community School and Halcyon International School.

A fourth, operated by the Qatar Foundation is scheduled to open in September 2015. At present only Southbank and ICS offer all three IB programmes. Halcyon International School offers the Middle Years Programme with plans to start offering the Diploma from September 2015.

The Qatar Foundation School is scheduled to begin with MYP and then grow into Diploma and PYP. Beyond central London one finds in west London the International School of London in the Gun-

20 November October 2013 2014

nersbury/Chiswick area with a sister campus at ISL Surrey in Woking. In north London there is the Dwight International School in North Finchley. To the south west of London in Kingston upon Thames, there is Marymount International School an all-girls secondary school offering IB MYP and IB Diploma. Just to the North West of London beyond the M25 beltway that encircles London, a new international secondary school, Newland College is scheduled to open in South Buckinghamshire in September 2015.

With regards to admissions, some international schools will offer rolling admissions throughout the year, should a place become available. However, places are highly sought after and often there will be waiting lists of applicants. As always the best advice is to register as early as possible and ensure that all documentation – transcripts, written reports, references are ready for submission. In the case of children with special educational needs be prepared for the fact that places could be quite limited and ensure that there is an up to date educational psychologist’s report and any learning plans from the child’s current school readily available.

If you have further questions related to education in the UK or would like advice please feel free to contact Matthew – matthew@ castleeducationconsultancy.co.uk Matthew Cook is the Managing Director of Castle Education Consultancy, an independent education consultancy that works with families on school and university search. Matthew was educated at the University of St. Andrews and Oxford University. He has almost 15 years experience in education, having taught at an independent day-boarding school near Cambridge, and also led the History department and been College Counsellor at the British School of Washington DC. Matthew has worked in the Middle East and at the Times Educational Supplement. His last role was as Director of Marketing and Admissions at a top London international school.

Matthew’s ambition is to open a British-International school in the United States.

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The American

PROMOTION

A Proper Coffee Break

Yvonne Reynolds-Young meets an American High-Up in Manchester and discovers there are some things from home an expat can’t do without

Y

ou can take the girl out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of the girl…

‘I was born in a High Rise and I always lived in a High Rise, so…’ says car-hire executive Mary Jane Wells as she nods towards the vista that’s spread out like a banquet beneath our 14th floor eyrie. MJ arrived in Manchester direct from Chicago in 2009 and she’s busily been building her own little piece of Cook County ever since. Her new apartment is equally dramatic: a condo straddling the top two floors of one of the Manchester’s most des of res in the Spinningfields district.

Why live in the heart of the city rather than a big house with a big garden, somewhere fragrant and leafy? ‘Why would you want to waste three hours a day commuting to and fro when you can live a short stroll away from the office?’ she counters. She’s got a point…

In her job, she’s responsible for hundreds of employees so, when she’s off duty, the home comforts count almost as much as the ‘to die for’ views. That’s why she greeted news of the arrival in the UK of one such home comfort, ‘my Keurig brewer’, with joy unbounded, (baffling the rest of us).

‘Let’s have a coffee’, she says. MJ’s Keurig Brewing System looks very smart and evidently, it is very smart: it can make coffee and tea and drinking chocolate and much more

22 November 2014

besides in no time flat. ‘It uses these K-Cup packs’ MJ tells me, adding ‘what do you fancy?’ as she opens a drawer in the brewer’s console to reveal half a dozen options.

I go for Italian Roast. The Keurig brewer has heated the water while we’ve been deliberating and the blue light means ‘ready’. MJ raises the lid, pops in the K-Cup, closes the lid. The blue light flashes. ‘Small, medium or large?’ MJ recommends ‘medium’ when I tell her I want mine with milk. She makes the selection and touches the ‘brew’ button.

Immediately, the kitchen is filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and MJ looks at me as if to say, ‘see, I told you so.’ ‘Where I come from everybody has one or two of these things’, she says. ‘I couldn’t believe it when I got over here that you guys had never heard of them.’

As far as MJ is concerned, it reunites her with the tastes and the aromas of home.

It’s some time later, as MJ conducts me on the Grand Tour, that we go up a floor to a mezzanine space with a second Keurig machine. Surrounded by Lladro porcelain, and with Harrods mugs like sentries on guard, it’s a work of art.

She has some strange ideas, but my friend MJ knows how to serve a good cup of coffee. I tell her so and before you can say ‘4th of July’, out comes the i-Pad and we’re searching for a Keurig brewer for me…

Above: MJ talks coffee Below: MJ’s second Keurig!

Mary Jane’s Keurig® Brewer and K-Cup® Packs were supplied by Seymour Valentine. To find out more – and to take advantage of some stunning introductory offers, go to http://www. seymourvalentine.co.uk/keurig.html

The American

Coffee Break GENERAL QUIZ ➊

If a coffee bean is darker, will its caffeine content be higher or lower?

➋

Which famous rock is the most southerly point of Ireland?

➌

Which NFL team has a mascot of a horse called Thunder? a) Broncos b) Colts c) Cowboys

➍

Which famous street in London takes its name from a croquet-like game played in the 16th & 17th century?

➎

The name of which American state ends with three vowels?

➏ ➐

What is the largest Veterans organisation in the world?

When the Cleveland Browns NFL team relocated to Baltimore what name did they assume?

It happened 25 years ago...

➑

November 1, 1989: The first dial up connection direct to the internet is made available to the general public by The World STD (until then the internet was only for academic, military, or via proprietary systems like CompuServe). Where was it headquartered? a) New York b) Massachusetts c) California

Quiz answers and Sudoku solution on page 63.

24 November 2014

7

1

2

4 9 3 7 6 5 5 8 6 9 5 6 7 1 6 9 4 4 5 3 2 1 8 It happened 100 years ago...

➒

November 20, 1914: The US State Department started demanding what for Passport applications?

It happened 150 years ago...

➓

November 29, 1864: The Sandy Creek Massacre took place. Who were murdered, & in which US state?

PRIZEWINNERS: Recent winners of competitions in The American: Latitude Festival tickets - Sherrick Reid; US52 Ales

by Mail subscription - Scott Wickham; Battle Proms tickets - Danielle Gladston, Helen Yendall & Thamala Desborough; Yeehaw UK Festival tickets - Alison Inglis; Nana Mouskouri tickets - Brit Beckers & Maria Ellis.

Congratulations!

The American

Liz Campbell, Director of the Wellbeing for Women charity

Call the Midwife -

A Half-Century of Advances in Women’s Health

An interview with Liz Campbell, Director of charity Wellbeing for Women - courtesy of Tanager Talks, Tanager Wealth’s informative series of blogs

F

or 50 years, the lives of women and babies around the world have been saved and improved thanks to research supported by the UK-based charity Wellbeing of Women (Registered Charity No. 239281). Take this example: Pregnant women are routinely advised to take folic acid to prevent birth defects. As a newly formed charity back in 1964, Wellbeing of Women provided its first grant of £3,000 to fund the research that delivered this key finding. The rest, as they say, is history.

For this Tanager Talk, we asked Liz Campbell, the Director of Wellbeing of Women, to share her thoughts on the status of women’s health, the role of private philanthropy in medical research and the areas Wellbeing is targeting for future support.

According to Liz, we’ve come a long way since 1964 when too many women and babies were dying in childbirth.

Thanks to improvements in research,

education and training, this is no longer the case. While Wellbeing continues to fund research into areas such as premature birth, it is also investigating the reason for the rising number of gynecological cancers and the impact of the menopause on women in the workplace. The first of its kind, a newly funded menopause project will test an intervention designed to help menopausal women maintain performance at work as well as help companies better support their employees.

Regarding the big issues to be tackled in women’s health, Liz reports that the obesity epidemic takes a disproportionate toll on the health of women and is implicated in both the rise in gynecological cancers as well as complications during pregnancy and delivery.

When asked about the role of private philanthropy in medical research, Liz argues that while we think it takes millions to make a difference, the

opposite is the case. For example, in El Salvador a grant of £10,000 a year for 5 years improved the maternal mortality rate in that country by 38%. A £20,000 grant investigating uterine rupture has changed national clinical guidelines.

And finally, Liz believes charities such as Wellbeing of Women should engage donors in exciting and meaningful ways. With a series of events throughout the year – everything from research evenings with practitioners at leading hospitals, to tea with Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes at the House of Lords – the charity provides donors with opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of women.

Go to www.tanagerwealth.com/blog to hear the interview and www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk for more on the charity.

Tanager Wealth Management wishes all American expatriates a Happy Thanksgiving.

November 2014 25

The American

THE HOUSE OF HO

55-59 Old Compton Street, London W1D 6HW 020 7287 0770 www.houseofho.co.uk Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick

A

TOP PHOTO ©MING TANG-EVANS BOTTOM TWO PHOTOS ©JAMES MUNSON

26 November 2014

nd now for something really different. Vietnamese Rock ‘n Roll Brunch! It certainly makes a change from heavy hollandaise. An all you can eat, all you can drink concept, set to live music. Kind of like having Saturday night on Sunday afternoon.

The place was hopping and the music rockin’ when we arrived at 1. It was a beautiful day so the front was open to the endless Soho parade. Two charming hosts took us to a table in the back, away from the hubbub. When a live jazz trio started playing though, I wished I had been up front. They were fab!

A very friendly waitress gave us the House of Ho spiel. 2 menus, £29 and £36. Both have 8 sharing plates and 2-3 side dishes that are “all you can eat”. Then there are either 3 or 6 signatures dishes to choose only one of. The first menu has unlimited Prosecco and white and red wine and the second has the same plus pitchers of Bloody Mary, Soyuz sake mosquito, sparkling lychee sangria and Yum rum dragon. She then disappeared and 15 minutes later we still hadn’t seen her. I fetched one of the hosts who then took our order. There were a number of other service bloopers during the meal.

I have since found out it was the very first brunch. By 2pm the place was absolutely packed so my guess is that the staff were a bit overwhelmed. Opening night jitters.

We chose the more expensive option. Quelle Surprise! The lychee

Bellini was a tasty twist on the Italian classic and the Bloody Mary, made with wasabi, was even better.

Two on an empty stomach didn’t give me a buzz though.

From the all you can eat part of the menu we chose fresh summer rolls, duck pho cuon, smokey aubergine and chicken pomelo salad. From the signature dishes, shaking beef and lobster cellophane noodles. Only two dishes really struck my fancy. The smokey aubergine was a fantastic Vietnamese take on baba ganoush or, in Egyptian, mutabbal. It turns out the chef, Bobby Chinn, is half Chinese and half Egyptian. Combining Asian flavors with this classic Middle Eastern dish was brilliant.

My second favorite was the shaking beef. The meat was very high quality and came to our table straight from the wok. Small but delicious. The other dishes were not made to order and it showed. A fresh salad was topped with plain dry chicken that wasn’t integrated into the dish at all. Likewise, cellophane noodles in a very flavorful Asian lobster bisque was topped with pre-cooked lobster that had totally lost its succulence. For £36 Londoners will expect more.

Jazz and lychee Bellini’s is a great combo. With a little more of the inspiration found in the smokey aubergine and a little polish on the service, this could be a really fun Sunday. They certainly have the right spot for it.

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The American

The Betjeman Arms Unit 53, St Pancras International Station, Euston Road, London N1C 4QL www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/london-the-betjeman 020 7923 5440

S

ituated right next to ‘The Meeting Place’ in one of the most celebrated Victorian buildings in London, with the Eurostar on its doorstep, what can one say but “Location, Location, Location!”

We walked in and looked about for someone who could show us a table. It’s not a typical pub. It’s vast!

There is a fabulous terrace overlooking the Eurostar, a huge bar and lounge, the Pantry for informal dining and a more formal dining room.

Each area had its own particular charm, all of them very inviting. I would have been happy to plop myself anywhere. We just kept walking until we found a waitress who was indeed aware that we had a reservation. Someone up front to meet and greet might be a good idea. Once we got settled though, everyone took very good care of us.

The full menu, with both traditional and gastro pub food, is available throughout and there is also a bar menu with sharing platters and snacks.

We started with fishcake, chilli

jam, tomato and pea shoots (£7.25).

The fishcake was too thick so the inside wasn’t cooked enough. This was a problem we encountered again with the falafel from the bar menu. With fried food, bigger is definitely not better. It leaves the center too doughy. The other starter, ham hock terrine with piccalilli and flatbread (£5.50) was wonderful. A great piece of charcuterie, made on the premises, well spiced with good bread and pickles. Fab. Cured and roast sea trout, charred gem, broad bean, mint and cockle butter (£14.50) was the highlight of the evening. Gastropub at its best! The whole dish just worked and the cockle butter was inspired.

Ouzo marinated slow cooked pork cheek with Greek salad (£14) was also very good. My friend didn’t know pigs had cheeks! They do indeed and I am a big fan. I have braised them myself many a time, but never in Ouzo, so I was intrigued. The hint of anise was a delicious twist. The Greek salad, obviously inspired by the Ouzo, was

Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick also an unusual accompaniment.

The cucumber and tomato were a fresh contrast to the pork but the feta didn’t fit with the rest of the dish.

Sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream (£5.50) was a bit more cake than pudding which I enjoyed. It was lighter than usual and nicely spiced. The ice cream was delicious with a perfect blend of sweet and savoury. Summer fruit pudding with crème fraiche (£5.75) was more subtle than most. Not the tart explosion of berry one expects, but a more mellow marriage of cream and fruit. Perhaps the late harvest version.

The wine list is varied and reasonably priced with most selections available by the glass. A Louis Latour Macon-Lugny 2011 (£6.70) and a Malbec 2013 (£5.10) both made my evening even better.

The Betjeman Arms is named for Poet Laureate, John Betjeman, one of the key figures in saving St Pancras from demolition in the 1960s.

Thank you Sir John!

November 2014 29

The American

Novikov W

hen we walked into Novikov, my companion remarked, “Ooo, it’s like a Hollywood set!”

Indeed, I kept expecting Brangelina to walk in at any moment. Packed with the young, beautiful and/or rich, the place was buzzing. And it is huge!

Two restaurants and a lounge.

Not many would be so bold at this address. Owner Arkady Novikov is one of the few. Russia’s premier restaurateur, Arkady has over 50 restaurants to his credit. Lucky for us, he has now gone international.

The Asian Room is sleek, modern and moody. Hot pink orchids fill the entrance and entrancing lanterns hang over the bar. The room, the people and the buzz all made me feel quite heady. Sadly it was overwhelmed by too loud too pulsating music. I found it difficult to eat to the beat and conversation was reduced to monosyllabic shouting.

Perhaps the young, beautiful and rich like it. I wouldn’t know.

Head Chef Jeff Tyler’s Chinese/ Pan Asian menu is as big and bold as the place itself. Deciding what to have was near impossible. I wanted everything. Perusing the stunning array of seafood and veggies on display didn’t help a bit. I still wanted everything.

30 November October 2013 2014

We attempted to choose dishes that were mid-range and unique to Novikov. Two Mocktails, yellowtail coriander, spicy tuna avocado cucumber maki, lemongrass duck, Novikov black cod and grilled shitake mushroom with garlic soy butter, two glasses of wine, coconut cream with mango and coconut and green tea brulée with guava sorbet.

Had we stuck with that menu, we would have escaped for £168 excluding service. As it was, the management, much to my supreme pleasure, brought a few extras.

Hamachi carpaccio, quail egg and truffle gunkan, Novikov duck salad (a house favorite), foie gras dumplings, lamb cutlets and two glasses each of Prosecco and Sauterne. This extraordinary amount of food that (I am slightly embarrassed to say) we completely devoured, brought our bill up to £299.

Hats off to Chef Tyler who has done an exceptional job fusing Asian cuisine with European luxuries and Russian sensibility. Two bits of constructive criticism. The delicious tuna maki was too big. This, I admit is a pet peeve of mine. Sushi is meant to be served in bite size pieces. Western bigger-is-better simply doesn’t work. It is impossible to eat half a piece of sushi

50A Berkeley Street, London W1J 8HA www.novikovrestaurant.co.uk 020 7399 4330 Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick without the rest of it falling apart and drowning in soy sauce. The other small problem was with the foie gras fried dumplings. Again, the taste was delectable, but potstickers have thick wrappers for frying which I found too crude for the foie gras.

Steamed dumplings would work better, lighter and more delicate.

The quail egg and truffle gunkan (sushi) with truffle mayo and the Hamachi carpaccio, pairing yellowtail sashimi with truffle were quintessential Novikov. Here Tyler turns food to glamor! The Thai inspired yellowtail coriander also had wow factor and the duck salad is a favorite for good reason. This ample appetiser is perfectly balanced with all five tastes: sweet, sour, savoury, bitter and umami. The addition of pomegranate is an inspiration. Both desserts were also wonderful examples of Asian/Western fusion.

For those with deep pockets, there is every luxury food known to man; King crab legs at £68 apiece, caviare and an amazing wine list.

For those without, sharing the duck salad, two mains, two puddings and two glasses of wine will only put you back between £81 and £122.

And you can still pretend that Brangelina are about to make an entrance.

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Join us at The Waterway & The Summerhouse

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This Thanksgiving we’re serving up traditional feasts with all the trimmings so whether you are American, Canadian or just like a good excuse for a hearty meal, book your table now and join in the celebrations!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27th - 3 course menu £30 per person

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The American

Fair Faces, Dark Places: Prints and Drawings by William Strang (1859 – 1921) Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL to February 15, 2015

William Strang was a highly skilled and imaginative printmaker and painter, who produced one of the most innovative and varied bodies of original etched work by any Scottish artist of the period. With William Strang, Toomai of the Elephants, from fellow Scots David Young CamRudyard Kipling’s Short Stories, 1900 eron, Muirhead Bone and James Etching and aquatint on paper, 17.7x15.1cm McBey (collectively known as ‘The © SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY Big Four’), he was instrumental in stimulating an international revival of original printmaking during the The Great War in Comics late nineteenth and early twenAbbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria tieth-century. He studied under LA9 5AL the realist artist Alphonse Legros to December 6 (1837–1911), and achieved recogniMarking the centenary of the tion as a painter, but printmaking outbreak of the First World War this remained central to his work until exhibition brings together for the his death. The exhibition comprises first time the work of three intera broad selection of prints and nationally-acclaimed artists, Joe drawings, including over 30 key Colquhoun, Charlie Adlard and Ivan works from the Gallery’s extensive Petrus, who have shed new light on collection of works on paper by this conflict through the medium of Strang, spanning the breadth of comic art. Charley’s War (1979-1987) his career. Strang’s striking images has been described as ‘the greatest fuse a range of influences from his comic strip ever created’ and was teacher, Legros, to old masters such a unique collaboration between as Rembrandt, Dürer, Holbein and pioneering writer Pat Mills and Goya. Throughout his career he was acclaimed war artist Joe Colquhoun. continuously experimenting with It rarely flinched from providing technique and subject. According a frank portrayal of the horrors of to Strang “there are no beauties but war, with Colquhoun willing to technical ones”; for him, beauty lay subvert traditional techniques of in fine draughtsmanship, technical comics’ illustration by opting for skill, sincerity and authenticity.

32 November 2014

heavy inks, messy backgrounds and stark facial expressions to depict an exceptionally dark atmosphere.

Set in the Alpine trench war of 1914-1918, White Death is a powerful story of conflict at a simultaneously personal and national level.

Charlie Adlard is best-known as the artist on the record-breaking series The Walking Dead. Yet this early collaboration with writer Robbie Morrison is arguably one of his finest works. Using just charcoal and chalk on gray paper, his drawings convey the fear, horror and desolation of war. Ghosts of Passchendaele, launched in 2014, is the third book of a graphic novel trilogy by Ivan Petrus featuring Belgian, British and French soldiers and their true stories from the First World War. Painted in bold, dark, muddy colors, his art powerfully invokes the iconic post-war Passchendaele landscape.

Run in conjunction with The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (October 17-19 ).

Joe Colquhoun, Charley’s War, 1982 Oil on canvas, 51 x 42 cm ©PRIVATE COLLECTION

The American

DON’T MISS ...

Christian Marclay, Sound Holes, 2007, Suite of 21 photogravures in clam shell box IMAGE COURTESY WHITE CUBE

Glenn Ligon: Call and Response Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG to January 11

Listening

BALTIC 39, 31–39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW to January 11, 2015 Artist Sam Belinfante curates a pioneering exhibition that integrates listening and visual art, the latest touring venture by the Hayward Gallery. The group show includes work by leading international artists including Christian Marclay (born in California, raised in Switzerland, now living in New York), Ed Atkins, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Haroon Mirza and Amalia Pica, many of whom work in both contemporary music and art. Hannah Rickards’ Thunder is a clap of thunder, stretched in duration, re-created by musicians and morphed back into a thunderclap; a new work by Laure Prouvost choreographs a dialogue between lights, objects in the museum and Prem Sahib’s throbbing disco sounds and Katie Paterson presents the sound of a dying star.

Marclay’s Sound Holes consists of photographs of perforated metal intercom speakers plates, silent but seeming to broadcast the ambient sounds.

Glenn Ligon, Double America, 2012, Neon

COURTESY THE ARTIST & TOM POWEL IMAGING INC.

This solo show is celebrated American artist Glenn Ligon’s first in a UK public gallery. Bringing together the breadth of Ligon’s work, it includes a new text-based neon work and multi-layered silk-screen paintings, as well as a major new video work.

New York City-based Ligon (b.1960), has been deeply engaged with the written word throughout his career.

Drawing attention to the problems of language and representation, he addresses pressing and challenging topics of race, language and sexuality.

His works reconsider and re-present American history, especially narratives of slavery and civil rights, within a contemporary context. Best known for his stencilled text based paintings, he weaves together wideranging influences from literature, visual arts and popular culture. Over the past 10 years, Ligon has also been dedicated to interrogating these themes through his prolific and astute writing and interviews.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The Natural History Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 to August 30, 2015 & Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd Bristol BS8 1RL November 29 to February 22, 2015

Michael Nichols,The Last Great Picture ©MICHAEL NICHOLS

Celebrating its 50th year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year (coowned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide) is a global showcase of truly extraordinary images celebrating the drama, beauty and splendor of the natural world. American photographer Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols is this year’s winner with his image of lions resting with their cubs in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Nichols’ photograph beat more than 42,000 entries from 96 countries to the grand title award. He followed the pride for nearly six months and shot them in infra-red, which he explains, ‘transforms the light and turns the moment into something primal, biblical almost’. The exhibition of shortlisted images will go on international tour. To enter next year - it’s open to all professional, amateur and young photographers - go to www.wildlifephotographeroftheyear.com

November 2014 33

The American

Christopher Cross Secret Ladder, the new album, is his most personal yet

C

PHOTO ©SANDRINE LEE

hristopher Cross could be said to be the original Lone Star. Born in San Antonio, Texas on May 3rd, 1951, he then lived in Austin. His military doctor father’s job took the family to Tokyo, Washington DC and elsewhere and after 35 years in LA, he’s back in the Lone Star State, in Austin to be near his son Rain.

“There’s a lot of music here, but it’s different to my kind of music,” he says. “I’m pretty much a homebody, I work in the studio when I’m not on

34 November 2014

the road doing 60 to 70 dates a year.”

The multi-talented musician’s eponymous debut album won five Grammys including an unprecedented ‘big four’: Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for ‘Sailing’).

Was that scary?

“I’d been doing music since the age of ten in clubs and bars, playing covers, writing my own stuff and trying to get something going with record companies. I hoped to sell

enough records to keep me on the label, maybe eventually have a single played on the radio. Certainly nothing like what happened. But it wasn’t scary, more overwhelming to suddenly be a major touring act. But this business is so elusive, I’ll take it how I can get it! I certainly feel blessed.”

Cross has had success as a singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and soundtrack composer. Writing is the bedrock, segueing into production of his records. “Singing is a natural part of the process, and playing live is an extension of it, but if I had to pick one, the most satisfying part is songwriting,” he says.

‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)’, the Best Original Song Oscar winner in 1981, was written with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen. Does the ‘homebody’ enjoy collaborating?

“I also wrote ‘A Chance For Heaven’ with Burt for the 1984 US Olympics, and I do a lot with my writing partner Rob Meurer - I’ve known him since I was 16. But in general I’m a pretty solitary writer.”

Christopher is generous to his co-workers though. On his website he credits all the musicians he works with - as well as all the equipment used. Is he an easy going boss in the creative process? “I think so. I’m obsessive about the level of quality in the studio, I grew up in an era of record-making in LA, in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, with people like Steely Dan making those polished records. I’m very particular about the sound of my records, but I’m pretty easy-

The American

going. I’m very shy but I have great respect for my musicians. They’re the ones who make the music come alive.”

Another Page (1983), Cross’s second album, went gold and spawned hits like ‘All Right’, ‘No Time for Talk’ and ‘Think of Laura’. Subsequently his records have sold well, but not as massively as the first two. Did he have to re-evaluate his career? “No, I make the records for myself. The songs come from wherever they come from and as they come I produce them. They’re not influenced by the market. If they connect with the fans or the radio, that’s cool.”

Finally, what is the best thing about being Christopher Cross?

“I think it’s the legacy I’m leaving my children. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and the accolades I’ve received. I hope my kids will be proud of their Dad.”

Secret Ladder

C

ross’s new album, Secret Ladder, is more personal than ever. “I’m 63 now and I have three children.

Rob and I are maybe being more reflective and thoughtful on this album, trying to express political and social views. We’re not trying to be combative, just speaking our minds and our hearts. Rob and I are big Obama fans, we’re Democrats, but the situation in Congress, with healthcare and the poor, it’s pretty frustrating. Living in this social soup every day, you can’t help but want to use your soapbox a little bit.”

There’s a lot of anger in Secret Ladder’s DNA. ‘Island of Anger’ talks about how young people start idealistic, but become disillusioned. Did he have his children in mind in that song? “Yes - when you have children you feel a responsibility to make the world a better place as soon as you

can. That song starts “It’s a beautiful world / Filled with stupid people” and it’s hard to make sense of some of the acts committed in the US, like the Newtown shooting. But my music’s pretty light, which balances the message. Hopefully people can still sing along to the songs, and if they don’t want to think about the message that’s OK!” It’s easy to be angry in a song, more difficult to finesse it with a different angle. For example, ‘Got To Be a Better Way’ is about a man who’s angry with the world but lacks any empathy for other people, so he’s unable to improve the situation.

‘Reverend Blowhard’ is a bluesy, undisguised attack on television evangelists, with harder hitting lyrics than we associate with Christopher Cross. “Growing up in America we see a lot of these guys using religion to raise money for themselves.

Sometimes they get caught with their pants down. It’s disgusting how they use religion - not that I’m very religious - but it’s certainly not what a deity would intend.”

The album title, Secret Ladder has a deep significance for Cross - maybe a personal kind of religion. “For me, music is the wellspring of life, and in particular the guitar. It’s how I express my spirituality. The music comes from the sound-hole and up the frets, and climbs up to the heavens, or wherever we’re hoping to go.

Music is one of the ways to transcend to a higher place.”

Christopher’s on his work. He has said that Secret Ladder’s ‘I Don’t See it Your Way’ is influenced by Joni Mitchell, as is his whole approach to music, and he dedicated his last album to her. It’s unusual for one star to give credit so openly to another.

“Well, Joni expresses the human condition like no-one else. She’s such

an original stylist, and her guitar tunings have influenced me. Her growth as an artist... she started working with jazz musicians, as I have. I don’t know if I’ll ever work with her, she’s painting, not doing music any more, but like Brian Wilson she’s given the world enough music.”

‘The Times I Needed You’ is very Beach Boys, and Cross knows the band - Carl Wilson was a friend and vocal mentor, and Brian a writing inspiration. “The song’s a tribute to them”, he admits.

Any parent will love ‘A Letter to My Children,’ but why write it now, when they’ve grown up? “I went into hospital for a little heart thing - I’m fine - and I hadn’t been in hospital before. I thought hey, I’m not going to be here forever, there are some things I need to say to my children.

I wrote it in a couple of hours. It’s a heartfelt expression of how I feel about them, and I’ll always be here for them in spirit.”

Although Cross is a pacifist, the last track on the US edition of Secret Ladder is ‘We Will Remember You,’ added after the album was finished.

Neither pro- nor anti-war, it derives from his family background and honors military people’s service.

Secret Ladder is out on earMUSIC in the UK and Christopher Cross Records in the USA (with added track).

November 2014 35

A WICKEDLY FUNNY FAMILY PANTOMIME

JERRY HALL

Janet Johnson alpine art

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Electra

The American

PHOTO ©JOHAN PERSSON

By Sophocles in a version by Frank McGuinness The Old Vic, The Cut, London SE1 8NB Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell

T

he partnership of movie star Kristin Scott Thomas and director and ex-Royal Court supremo, Ian Rickson, is proving to be one of the most fruitful on the London stage.

They’ve done a Chekhov and two Pinters together to great acclaim and here they conquer the Greek classics with this stunning revival of Frank McGuinness’s version of Electra.

For more than 2500 years Electra has inspired works of art. She’s in The Orestia trilogy and in Euripedes’ and Sophocles’ eponymous plays and in the modern era O’Neill, Sartre and Richard Strauss, amongst others, have adapted her story. The role ranks alongside those of Medea or Hedda Gabler or Blanche DuBois as one of the mountains to climb for any actress. It’s a female Hamlet and the affinities with the plot of

that play as well as the complexity of its leading character’s inner life are very evident.

Electra’s grief over the death of her father, Agamemnon, and her desire for revenge gives the play its inexorable momentum. He was murdered by her mother Clytemnestra plotting with her lover Aegisthus who now rule the roost. Electra is reduced to a “slave in my father’s house”.

Sophocles, however, gives Clytemnestra a motive for the dastardly deed, avenging her husband’s sacrificing of their other daughter Iphigenia, and Diana Quick, of Brideshead fame, gives a wonderfully nuanced performance despite the character being brimful of matronly indignation.

Scott Thomas, who we’re most used to seeing in fashionably angstridden mo[de on screen, is here transformed into an unkempt, skeletal and sickly-hued creature prowling the stage like a caged animal.

Forcibly kept single, so her offspring can’t pose a threat to Aegisthus, her solitude gives this grief an even greater charge as there is no let up.

Exhausted by it, she draws energy from her obsession and yet she is trapped in a sort of permanent adolescence.

Scott Thomas’ great achievement here is to take us beyond this monochrome passion into

moments of pure revelation. Her wide-eyed joy when she realises that the young visitor before her is her long lost baby brother Orestes (Jack Lowden) is utterly heart rending and all the more so because of the despair which preceded it. She consumes him like some feral beast.

Earlier on we feel for her too when she gently cradles the urn (containing what she’s told are his ashes) as if she were back holding him as an infant.

Staged in the round, Mark Thompson’s settings, from the bare tree stump to the imposing door of the royal palace, recall Mediterranean heat and dust and add to the piece’s burning intensity. As do Neil Austin’s lighting and PJ Harvey’s great soundscape. That doorstep, of course, is a perfect setting, for it is where the male world of the citystate collides with the female world of the domestic interior.

What astonishes is how a 2,500-year-old play has such resonance today. It makes us face up to human suffering at its most elemental, presenting it unadorned and without any moral judgements.

The use of the chorus, here three peasant women, is also excellent.

This clarity of presentation typifies Irish playwright Frank McGuinness’ great achievement here. The idiom is colloquial enough to help us connect with these characters but he never allows too modern a sensibility to diminish the poetic power of the original.

This is quite a tightrope walk and McGuinness pulls it off. It’s a theatrical triumph for him and Rickson and, of course, Scott Thomas.

November 2014 37

PHOTO ©TRISTRAM KENTON

The American

The Playhouse Theatre Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5DE 0844 871 7627 Reviewed by Tim Baros

Speed-the-Plow L

et’s get it out there right away.

The only reason to see the new West End production of Speed-thePlow is because of its star - Lindsay Lohan. Was she a car wreck? Did she blow her lines? Can she act on a theater stage?

Lohan is getting top billing in the show even though she’s not the actual lead. In fact, Speed-the-Plow is Lohan’s stage debut. And what a debut it is. Hardly anyone in recent memory has arrived in the West End stage with so much hoopla, hype and concern than Lohan. She’s not known for winning any acting accolades, more for her party lifestyle and bouncing in and out of rehab, and her film and television credits are far removed from memory. So how did she do in the show?

Perhaps Speed-the-Plow is the perfect vehicle for La Lindsay. In this Hollywood satire she plays Karen, a temp secretary hired to work the office of Hollywood producer producer Bobby Gould, played

by The West Wing’s Richard Schiff.

Gould has agreed to make a film

38 November 2014

from an idea that his friend Charlie Fox (Nigel Lindsay) brought to his attention. But then enter Karen, the dumb secretary who doesn’t know anything about show business... or does she? Gould gives her a book about radiation and tells her to give him her thoughts on whether it would make a good movie. While Karen is out of the room Fox and Gould talk about her as if she was an object.

Karen persuades Gould to make the book into a movie, and to include her in the production.

Gould agrees, perhaps only because Karen sleeps with him. The next day Gould and Fox have a big blowout on why Gould is optioning Karen’s idea and not his. In typical Mamet fashion all hell breaks loose, with Fox hitting Gould a few times. But who’s the winner in this scenario?

Karen? Will Fox get his way?

The question comes back. Can Lohan pull it off? Schiff is the true actor of the show. His voice is powerful, his acting confident, and his Bobby Gould is played in the way

Lindsay Lohan and Richard Schiff

it should be played - a misogynistic creep. Schiff is a veteran of the stage, having appeared both in the West End and Broadway - so he’s comfortable here. Less so is Nigel Lindsay. He’s appeared in shows such as Shrek: The Musical and Guys and Dolls, and is also known for his comedy, but in Speed-the-Plow he overdoes it. His acting is overdone, exaggerated, and louder than it should be.

The show itself is as thin as the paper it’s written on, and there’s not much of a plot. It’s very short at one hour and 45 minutes, so a lot of time is not invested watching it.

But it’s not a production that really needed to be revived for a fourth time in 25 years in London.

And then there’s Lohan. Sure her face graces the cover of the program and all advertisements for the show, and she has a throng of fans waiting for her at the stage door each night, but how does she do?

Does it really matter? People are going to see the show anyway, no matter how good, or bad, she is.

Together...

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The American

GHOST STORIES G host Stories has an advisory that it contains moments of extreme shock and tension and is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15.

Also, the theater strongly recommends those of a nervous disposition think very seriously before attending.

Well, I wouldn’t go that far in saying that it’s the scariest show in town, but it will take you on a ride where you might jump up in your seat, but there’s absolutely no extreme shock and tension anywhere in the show.

It starts promisingly enough, with our narrator, who runs down the dark aisles hitting punters on the shoulder as he heads toward the stage. Professor Goodman (played by actor Paul Kemp) shows the audience a photograph, a simple photograph taken many, many years ago of two couples standing next to each other. But Professor Goodman explains that there’s more to the photograph then meets the eye. As he zooms in on the photograph, we see a leg and foot behind one of the men, and also one eye peering out from behind the same man’s right hand.

It’s a very eerie and surreal photograph and an unsettling moment for the audience as it is hypothesized whether there are such things as ghosts. The play then segues into re-enactments of three ghost

40 November 2014

stories that supposedly happened in real life.

The first story involves Tony Matthews, a security guard who is all alone in a remote location. He radios a fellow security guard who’s in another building - a new guard who happens to be Russian and doesn’t speak English too well. But things start happening to Tony. The lights flicker and there’s a knock on his door. He goes out to investigate and to ensure an adjacent building is locked. The audience sees an apparition of a little girl, but Tony doesn’t. He goes back inside to radio the Russian but can’t get through to him - the radio strangely has stopped working. Back outside, he finds a lock on one of the doors has come undone, so enters the room. And he comes face to face with the ghost.

The second story tells that tale of a young man, Simon Rifkind (Chris Levens), who is late getting home after a night out and while driving suddenly hits something in the road. The prop that is used as a car is very effective, as is Levens anxiousness. He stops, is not too sure what he hit, but nevertheless decides to drive on. But then his car breaks down, leaving him stranded in the middle of nowhere, in the dark. He calls for help, which is on it’s way, and waits in the car, but there is a knock on the window. He

By Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman Arts Theatre, 6-‐7 Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7JB 020 7836 8463 www.ghoststoriestheshow.co.uk to 18th January 2015 Reviewed by Tim Baros

can’t see what it is, neither can we.

But after a few minutes he is face to face with what appears to be a monster on the top of his car, but to the audience it looks fake, and not very scary.

The last story has a businessman, Mike Priddle (Gary Shelford) as a father in his soon-to-be new baby’s room. Always on his mobile phone, when he sends a text, he goes ‘swoosh’ and glides the phone in the air, which gets annoying by the second time he does it. Anyway, yes, you can see this one coming, he sees ghosts in the room, not just ghosts but something that levitates in the crib, and then he too comes face to face with an apparition that flies across the room.

The trouble with Ghost Stories is that as it goes on, it becomes less and less scary. Sure, the first story was scary, and the second just a bit, but by the third one we become more immune to the surprises that take place, and by the time the show is over, Professor Goodman is taken off the stage by a ghost, and then is suddenly in a hospital bed, to be taken care of by Dr. Rifkind.

But he’s not actually in bed, he’s back on stage, so who is that on the bed? Do we care?

Allow Ghost Stories to try to scare you, and it’s a fun show, and at a little over 80 minutes, it won’t take too much of your time.

Concept and lyrics by David Byrne Music by David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim Dorfman Theatre, at The National Theatre, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX 020 7452 3000 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell

PHOTOS ©TRISTRAM KENTON

The American

Here Lies Love W ell there’s no shoes and no Ruby Wax but apart from that that this portrait in disco of Imelda Marcos, the shoe-crazed wife of the former Philippine President, couldn’t be more perfect or more original.

Talking Heads front man David Byrne and acclaimed DJ and record producer Fat Boy Slim dub their creation a ‘Revolutionary Musical Experience’, and so it should be, for Imelda loved to boogie. She converted a floor of her Upper East Side penthouse into a nightclub and was a regular habitué of Studio 54 during those Warhol years. She was, it must be remembered, a beauty pageant winner who used karaoke to rally the masses.

This show is more a danceable song-cycle than a regular musical and it has practically no libretto, which is a kind of liberation. Only on occasion does the curse of recitative raise its ugly head, but this is kept in check and from the outset the songs are wondrously catchy.

What makes Byrne’s work so remarkable is that the lyrics are derived mostly from speeches and interviews and they are all expertly blended with Byrne’s signature electro pop sound so that the songs expertly convey the life story of this modern day Evita. What’s even more

42 November 2014

remarkable is that Byrne achieves this in only 85 minutes, a fact which other composers of 3-hour musical dirges should learn from.

Staged as a promenade production it is directed by Broadway’s current wunderkind, Alex Timbers, and the creative team who premièred it at New York’s Public Theatre, have transferred to London. It’s just the cast that is new and what a cast it is. Natalie Mendoza combines a commanding singing voice with a fatal charisma. As she progresses through the dance floor audience singing ‘Let Me Be Your Star and Slave’, you’d follow her anywhere.

Handsome Mark Bautista is an eye-catching Ferdinand and Gia Macuja Atchison excels as Estrella, the former maid who knew Imelda when she was nothing, wouldn’t shut up about it, and so had to be dealt with.

Timbers’ staging is fluid and tight at the same time. About half the audience in the newly refurbed Dorfman Theatre (formerly the Cottesloe) are in the two galleries while the rest are on the dance floor they’ve created in the stalls.

Blasted with state-of-the art sound and lighting they are herded like disco sheep every time the platforms have to move but all this

is expertly executed. The audience happily joins in with the dances when required but it never feels coercive. This is immersive theater with a purpose and is masterfully conceived by a brilliant team led by set designer David Korins.

But in the end is this just a disco romp? The answer is most definitely no, because, as politics becomes more about surface, who better to reflect on than this tabloid First Couple. As Byrne points out in an excellent programme note, the couple were way ahead of their time in understanding the art of spin.

There’s no whitewash here. Through clever use of video and captions we learn the historical facts and we come to our own judgements. Like most politics their story is so crazy you couldn’t make it up.

Like Icarus before her, Imelda flew too close to the Sun. She went from humiliating poverty and being jilted by Ninoy Aquino (the Philippines’ other political giant) to being fêted by every world leader and the Jet Set. What Byrne and Fat Boy Slim have achieved here is to transmute her operatic driving passion into dance music, that most potent distillation of life at its most vibrant. It’s a Handel opera but with funk.

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The American

Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in Casablanca COURTESY FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT LIBRARY

Churchill and Roosevelt: Founders of the Special Relationship [?]

This article [1] is taken from the recent Churchill Lecture given at the American Museum in Britain by Sir Robert Worcester, KBE DL. Kansas-born Sir Robert is Chair of the Magna Carta 800 committee, a former Chair of the Pilgrims, and founder of the pollster MORI.

S

peaking at The American Museum in October gave me yet another reason to take pride in the ‘Special Relationship’ between the country of my birth and my country of adoption.

But the original title of my speech was missing one thing: a query. For I believe that the Special Relationship started long before Winston Churchill coined the phrase in his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Fulton, Missouri, in 1946.

Many others also believe this. In President Obama’s address to both UK Houses of Parliament, he said: “Our relationship is special because of the values and beliefs that have united our people throughout the ages. Centuries ago, when kings, emperors, and warlords reigned over much of the world, it was the English who first spelled out the rights and liberties of man in Magna Carta.” In that stirring address he also said: “Our system of justice, customs, and values stemmed from our British forefathers”.

Former Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s Louis Susman said to the Pilgrims in London, in his first formal address upon his

44 November 2014

appointment: “In war and peace, in prosperity and in time of economic hardship, America has no better friend and no more dependable ally than the United Kingdom. Our nations are deeply rooted in our enduring values of democracy, rule of law and tolerance; a shared history, culture and language, and a mutual ability and willingness to bring real diplomatic, financial and military assets to the table for joint action to promote and defend our common interests. While the United States of America – and this Ambassador - has many priorities – my principal priority will be to strengthen and nourish this Special Relationship – which is so critical to the United States.”

Lou Susman did his best for the ‘Special Relationship’ during his term, no less has America’s current resident of Winfield House, Matthew Barzun[2]: “This is, still, a very Special Relationship. The argument that the alliance is lopsided is demonstrably wrong. Far from our alliance being one where the US holds the upper hand, it is an indispensable partnership of equals. America looks to Britain because it has unique and

exceptional assets that help to influence global attitudes and shape the policies of the international community. There is no other partnership in the world that America prizes as highly – or one which is as close, or as productive.”

In a joint newspaper article on May 24, 2011, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron wrote that this close relationship is vital not just for Britain and America, but also the rest of the world: “When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous. And that is the key to our relationship.

Yes, it is founded on a deep emotional connection, by sentiment and ties of people and culture. But the reason it thrives, the reason why this is such a natural partnership, is because it advances our common interests and shared values. It is a perfect alignment of what we both need and what we both believe.

And the reason it remains strong is because it delivers time and again.

Ours is not just a Special Relationship, it is an essential relationship - for us and for the world.”

The American

Here was the President of the United States giving one of the defining speeches of his Presidency about human rights and the rule of law, and his very first point of reference is the Special Relationship, with its roots in the Magna Carta sealed at Runnymede on 15th June 1215, almost 800 years ago.

From the start of the last century, recognised in the 1902 founding of the Pilgrims Society, the Special Relationship has been in force, no matter how often denied by the media and the occasional politician or diplomat. No two countries have worked together before in a passage of world power, handed over with remarkably little acrimony as economic strength and changing relationships with other nations, especially the Common-

wealth, forced the transfer.

These things go in waves. During the last year of Labour in power, it seemed that derision of the Special Relationship became obligatory.

Rachel Sylvester in The Times argued that since fewer than 5% of Americans knew who Gordon Brown was (when he was Prime Minister) this proved that my two countries had fallen out of love, as did a TV clip of Obama giving British Foreign Secretary David Miliband a big hello at the same time “snubbing” Brown and the unfortunate gaff by the President in replacing the bust of Prime Minister Churchill in the oval office with one of President Lincoln.

Whenever the US was mentioned in the news, the British media seemed to feel the need to report that the Special Relationship was dead.

Sir Robert Worcester delivering the 2014 Churchill Lecture PHOTO ©AMERICAN MUSEUM IN BRITAIN

November 2014 45

The American

It really doesn’t matter much in my view if John Doe in America or Joe Bloggs in Britain have heard of Brown or not. The strength of the Special Relationship is not measured by the views of the hard hat from Dayton or a taxi driver in Bradford.

It depends on solid bonds in four key areas: diplomatic, defence & intelligence, nuclear and business.

These are all in very good shape, now and for the foreseeable future, no matter these ‘inside the beltway/ chattering class’ stories.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock said as much on Newsnight when Director of the Ditchley Foundation, the Anglo-American policy think-tank: “Most current and former British ambassadors, whether they’ve served in America or not, will tell you the same, and that while recognising that Britain is the junior partner, they’d a lot rather Britain to be in alliance with the USA than not.”

Britain’s top military commanders, Navy, Army, and RAF, all endorse its importance. They know their opposite numbers, many have served with US forces, and all of them hold the defence Special Relationship in high regard. This is also true on the other side of the Atlantic.

There was no stronger advocate of this than the former Chairman of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, the late Admiral William Crowe, an earlier Ambassador to the Court of St James’s appointed by President Clinton. Ambassador Crowe was living proof of the high regard with which the American diplomatic and military at the highest level regard the contribution made by Britain not just to partnering with the United States but also the contribution that Britain makes to the

46 November October 2013 2014

What is the Special Relationship?

What it is: The relationship between two nations What it is not: Exclusive What it should be: Plural[3] What it does not have to be: Comprehensive What it must be: Flexible What it is defined as by the President of the United States, Barack Obama: “Essential” United Nations, its Security Council, the G7/G20 and to the world.

British universities are respected

by American educators, as are British scientists. Of the latest ‘top world universities’ the UK came second only to the USA in the number of universities in the top 100, with five in the top ten. Britain is not as rich, but in the clichéd phrase it certainly punches above its weight in education and science and in demonstrating values shared with the American establishment. After all, Americans learned them from its British colonists.

Special Relationship History

Constitutional and Legal: The Rule of Law, the cusp between retributive justice and codified justice was first expressed in England during the rule of King Aethelbert of Kent, c.

604, recorded in the Textus Roffensis, in the Coronation Oath of Henry I in 1100, in the Magna Carta of 1215 wherein the Rule of Law and Human Rights, if not universal, became, in 1297, the law of the land.

Political: Why are the British so interested in the American midterm elections this year? Why is the British-American All-Party Parliamentary Group the largest cross-party/Commons and Lords committee of its type? Why do four in ten people in the UK express little

interest in British elections yet a majority say they are very interested in what’s happening in America?

Financial: The USA and the UK are each other’s largest investor country; the US is the UK’s top export destination; the US is Britain’s second largest trading partner.

Linguistic: When the intrepid voyagers founded the first permanent English-speaking colony in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607 (13 years before the Mayflower) there were about two million people who spoke English, almost all in the British Isles and in the Caribbean; now over a billion speak our language, on the way to two billion by 2020, a thousand- fold increase in 400 years.

Cultural: Each of our countries are each other’s biggest market for TV and cinema production and distribution, there are more auction houses, more exchanges of theater, opera, classical and rock concerts, even country & western, than any other two countries, and of course, we are the countries of the largest publishers of books, magazines and scholarly articles in English.

Historic: Partly because of cinema, TV and books, our peoples take a keen interest in each others’ political, military, and cultural histories.

I know one MP who knows more about American Indian tribes than any American I know, and another

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The American

person, a Judge, who certainly knows more, much more, about the American Civil War than I do.

Educational: The most sought after educational exchanges in terms of both students and faculty are UK to US, and US to the UK. Journalistic: The elites in the USA and the UK are each other’s largest readers of each other’s newspapers.

Now to quote Winston Churchill, as with so many of his era a product of an Anglo-American relationship: “In the days to come the British and American peoples will for their own safety and for the good of all, walk together side by side in majesty, in justice, and in peace.“[4] And yet another former US Ambassador, Robert Tuttle’s speech to the Pilgrims on his departure[5]: “President Obama’s first call to a European leader was to Gordon Brown, it went extremely well and it started off with Barack and Gordon, and the President talked about his interest in the continuing Special Relationship. We have about between 18,000 and 20,000 official visitors a year – that is Federal, State and local officials. Some come with a transient point, some come to give speeches, some come to talk to the media, not me. But most of them come and meet with their counterparts in your government.

That is how important this relationship is. That is how deep and strong this relationship is, and it is going to continue.”

Foreign Secretary William Hague when Shadow Foreign Secretary on a more personal, more evocative, note: “We British politicians love American politics. My wife hates it when we are traveling through America when I say ‘Do you know we are going through a county which voted 73% Republican at

48 November 2014

the last election, and we are about to cross the border into one that is quite marginal in the next election, and she thinks I have completely taken leave of my senses.”

Looking Back

President Theodore Roosevelt rather undiplomatically distinguished between ‘real’ Americans and ‘hyphenated Americans’ (Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, and so on), and American Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge somewhat undiplomatically argued that Americans of British descent had contributed three times as much to American abilities as all the others combined.

However chequered AngloAmerican diplomatic relations had been in the nineteenth century, there was a strong feeling among Americans of English ancestry that the two nations shared not only a common language, but common ideals, and that there was a need to assert their Anglo-Saxon heritage.

These sentiments were repeated early in the last century at Pilgrims functions: on his return from Washington, at the dinner in his honor on 6th November 1913, the British Ambassador to the US, historian James, Lord Bryce declared that the friendship of the two countries rested on ‘community of language, of literature, of institutions, of traditions, of ideals, of all those memories of the past which are among the most precious possessions of the two nations’.

The first Pilgrims dinner in New York was held at the Waldorf Astoria on February 4th, 1903 to welcome Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, close friend of King Edward VII and later a vice-president of the American Pilgrims. Soon after this dinner,

King Edward VII and President Theodore Roosevelt gave permission for the Pilgrims to couple the King and the President in a single toast, and it became the custom, immediately after the toast, for the orchestra to play a few bars of ‘God Save the King’ and the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’, now a custom sadly lost along with the orchestral accompaniment to white tie dinners. For many years the speech of the principal guest was reprinted in The Times, and, when it came into being, broadcast live on the BBC. The Special Relationship has had its rough edges, as with the reluctance of both Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt to enter into European wars too soon, to the dismay of the beleaguered British. Certainly Churchill not only felt his maternal ‘Special Relationship’ existed, but between the governments and peoples as well, as did Macmillan.

Other rough edges included the tenure of the immediate pre-war American Ambassador Joseph Kennedy who did much to irritate his host country, but the affinity clearly shown by his son when in the Presidency for his 1,000 days strengthened the relationship and softened any lingering recall of the actions and words of his father. It reached a nadir in 1956 at the time of the Suez Crisis.[6] On the other side, continuing the tradition of outspoken ‘diplomats’, was Lord Halifax, who in 1941 when sent to represent Britain in America described the thought of going to Washington as ‘odious’, and who told Baldwin that ‘I have never liked Americans, except odd ones [sic]. In the mass, I have always found them dreadful.’ Later, Halifax reported to the King that he found Americans ‘very much resemble a mass of nice

The American

children - a little crude, very warmhearted and mainly governed by emotion.’ He claimed to be unable to understand the American system of government, which he likened to a ‘disorderly day’s rabbit shooting’.

Churchill did much to cement the Special Relationship, spending weeks at a time as Roosevelt’s guest in the White House during the war, and treating the American’s envoys as ‘one of us’. During and following the war he attended meetings of the cabinet in Washington, and clearly wished the relationship to work as closely in peace as in war.

He instructed his chief scientific advisor as early as 1940 to tell the Americans ‘everything that Britain was doing in the scientific field’, and joint military operations were as seamless as could be, in intent, if not always in practice, given the extraordinary personalities on both sides like Patton and Montgomery.

Churchill commented to Brooke that there was only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that was fighting without them[7]. At a Pilgrims dinner in 1932 he said that whatever problems faced the two nations: “I believe that there is one grand valiant conviction shared on both sides of the Atlantic. It is this: together, there is no problem we cannot solve.”

Prime Minister Churchill, took over from Chamberlain in May 1940, and spoke again to the Pilgrims the following year[8]: “The future of the whole world and the hopes of a broadening civilisation founded

President Truman and Winston Churchill en route to Missouri for the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech

upon Christian ethics depend upon the relations between the British Empire ... and of the United States of America. The identity of purpose and persistence of resolve prevailing thought the English-speaking world will more than any other single fact determine the way of life that will be open to the generations, and perhaps to the centuries, which follow our own ... We stand therefore – all of us – upon the watchtowers of history.”

Sandra Kaiser, former MinisterCounsellor for Public Affairs at the American Embassy in London, last year said “The Special Relationship is one of those evergreen topics that falls dormant, only to spring up again. Wherever you go back in our shared history, it seems, the Special Relationship has been declared dead and buried - only to resurface, very much alive and well.”

A final word, from Churchill. As he was retiring as prime minister in 1955, his advice to his colleagues was two-fold: “Man is Spirit,” he said, and “Never be separated from the Americans.”[9] Good advice then and now.

I would add advice to America: Never be separated from the British.

In good times and bad, they’re your best friends in the world.

But I say no more than Barack Obama said[10] when he congratulated the newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron: “The United States has no closer friend and ally than the United Kingdom. I reiterate my deep and personal commitment to the Special Relationship between our two countries - a bond that has endured for generations and across party lines, and that is essential to the security and prosperity of our two countries, and the world.”

[1] Copyright © Sir Robert Worcester, KBE DL, Allington Castle, Kent, ME16 0NB, rmworcester@yahoo.com [2] 27 May 2014, Matthew Barzun, American Ambassador, Op-Ed article, The Times. [3] It is generally thought that Churchill first described the ‘Special Relationship’ in his Fulton, Missouri, speech in March 1946 when he then spoke about ‘a Special Relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the United States’, but in fact it was used in November 1945, quoted in the New York Times Herald when he said: “We should not abandon our Special Relationship with the United States and Canada about the atomic bomb...” Both references to the relationship were plural. [4] Churchill’s address to joint meeting of Congress, December 26, 1941 [5] September 14. 2005 [6] Kennedy-Pipe, Caroline, Society Now, Autumn 2009, p. 17 [7] Worcester, Robert, Book Review of ‘Fighting with Allies’ by Sir Robin Renwick in Europe-Atlantic Journal, October 1996 [8] January 9th, 1941 [9] Meacham, John, ‘Franklin and Winston: An intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship’, Random House, 2003, p. 29 [10] 11 May 2010.

November 2014 49

The American

Gary Jordan soaks up the atmosphere of the Raiders v. Dolphins at Wembley

T

he NFL once again graced British shores, bringing weather to make both the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins feel at home. The International Series is in its eighth year, and is now very much part of the British sporting calendar, even going into Europe as fans arrived from across the continent.

This year the NFL made the bold decision to play three games at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.

Within days, all the games were sold out, boding well for a possible franchise in the English capital. There are many logistical points to cover before that happens, but there’s no doubt the fans are ready.

NFL’s award winning Regents Street event also returned, the day before the game. Managing to close one of the world’s best known shopping venues for a day is no easy task, but after the phenomenal success of last year, when an estimated 500,000 walked down the Street, I’m sure London retailers

50 November 2014

were more than prepared.

On Game Day, fans young and old piled into Wembley and embraced the entertainment that only the NFL can bring. Everyone was smiling. There is no animosity between rival sets of fans, they were there to enjoy football and the friendships that it makes.

This was a designated home game for the Raiders and the famous Silver and Black were very much the standout colors of the weekend. If you know your NFL folklore, you will be well aware that the Raiders fans are an intimidating group, the infamous “Black Hole” in their Coliseum is one of the most raucous places in all sports.

Wembley did its best to recreate this atmosphere. The giant Raider Rig was parked up just a punter’s kick away from the turnstiles. Fully opened up, it showcased the team’s three Lombardi trophies so that fans had the once in a lifetime photo opportunity. This was

accompanied by what can only be described as the best outside “house party” that the International Series games have witnessed. A full DJ set pumping out at full blast, from old classic rock tunes to a live rap set. If you had just flown in from California, you could be forgiven if you thought you hadn’t left the terminal at Oakland International Airport such was the great home town feel.

After having your picture taken with members of the Black Hole dressed in silver Darth Vader masks and wearing miniature skulls as necklaces and belts, you started to feel a bond with this group of fans and realise they are not the feared group they are portrayed to be. They are just ultra loyal to Raider Nation.

Moving away from Raider Nation, the air was thick with the smell of Hog Roast and Smokey BBQ Ribs.

The usual NFL fan zones offered inflatables for you to try your luck at passing or kicking, and if you had forgotten to wear your team colors

A touch of the great atmosphere at Wembley in October

The American

ALL PHOTOS © GARY BAKER FOR THE AMERICAN

lots of merchandise was available.

Inside the stadium the game itself was somewhat an anti-climax to all that preceded it. Both teams only had one win between them coming into the contest and a close game was predicted by many. After Oakland took the first drive the near length of the field to open the scoring on a Derek Carr touchdown pass, the electric atmosphere created outside continued.

What followed though was a procession of 31 unanswered points by the Dolphins, and when Matt McGloin replaced an injured Carr in the closing moments of the third quarter he duly fumbled only his second snap which was scooped up

by Cortland Finnegan and run back 50 yards. Raiders did manage to bookend the box score but by then the game was well and truly gone.

And ultimately so was their Head Coach Dennis Allen who was fired upon the team’s return to California.

A jubilant Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill, who ended the day with 278 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, was full of praise for the Wembley crowd, “The stadium was awesome, and the crowd was great. You see every team’s jersey coming into the game; you don’t normally see that, so it was fun”.

The last word on the weekend goes to proud Raiders offensive lineman Menelik Watson. Born and raised in Manchester, England, Watson is living his dream and playing in the NFL. He was asked if London were to ever have a team would he be interested in playing for them, “It would definitely be interesting, but it’s really just trying to focus on every day. I can’t really think that far ahead, whether they do or they don’t. Wherever the wind takes me”.

November 2014 51

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The American

Eagle Eyed T

eam USA has won the Ryder Cup exactly four times since 1983 – and three of those wins involved behavior and attitudes which don’t belong on a golf course.

In 1991, USA players wore Desert Storm-themed camouflage apparel as part of “The War by the Shore”. In 1999, after whooping the Brookline crowd into a Revolutionary frenzy, American golfers joined their caddies and wives in trampling over Jose-Maria Olazabal’s line after Justin Leonard’s miracle putt on the 17th green. And in 2008, Kentucky patriotism encompassed hearty applause for Boo Weekley’s impersonation of Happy Gilmore.

In other words, I’ve spent most of my life rooting for Ryder Cup teams which have embarrassed me with bad behavior and/or bad golf.

That said, sportsmanship isn’t the first word I’d associate with Seve Ballesteros – now the patron saint of European Ryder Cuppers – and European behavior at odds with the spirit of the Ryder Cup often goes overlooked. Paul McGinley admitted to rigging the European Tour’s first and second round pairings several times this summer to help likely pairs partners Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson get to know each other better. Micro-manage much, Paul? I’m sure Samuel Ryder envisioned exactly that sort of stratagem back in 1927.

The Ryder Cup obviously, obviously means more to European golfers weaned on the idea of international sporting competition than it does to the Americans.

That said…what kind of stupid,

USA

Behind Enemy Lines - Meditations from a man who no longer knows what to make of the Ryder Cup: GB & I

Cont. Europe

Commonwealth

Furyk (4)

McIlroy (1)

Garcia (3)

Scott (2)

B Watson (7)

Rose (6)

Stenson (5)

Day (8)

Kuchar (9)

McDowell (18)

Kaymer (12)

Schwartzel (24)

Fowler (10)

Donaldson (25)

Dubuisson (23)

Delaet (38)

Mickelson (11)

Donald (32)

Bjorn (30)

Leishman (44)

Horschel (13)

Gallacher (35)

Jimenez (36)

Senden (50)

Spieth (14)

Poulter (40)

Luiten (37)

Els (51)

D Johnson (15)

Westwood (45)

F Molinari (49)

Oosthuizen (58)

Z Johnson (16)

Lowry (53)

Ilonen (52)

M Jones (62)

Woods (17)

Fleetwood (63)

Blixt (57)

Sterne (71)

Walker (19)

Warren (65)

Wiesberger (67

Ogilvy (76)

Kirk (21)

Casey (66)

Larrazabel (69)

T Clark (78)

Possible teams in a new-look, four-handed Ryder Cup (Official World Golf Rankings as of 5 October in parentheses)

artificial construction worthy of nationalistic fervor is “Team Europe”?

The idea of a pan-European team made sense when the EU was still being forged, the European Tour was struggling, and Team GB&I desperately needed Seve to make the Ryder Cup competitive. But these days, the political rise of UKIP reflects a broader desire for more and more English speakers to abandon Europe, whereas a rugby-like “British and Irish Lions” side of McIlroy, Rose, McDowell, Donaldson, Gallacher, Poulter, Westwood, Donald, Lowry, Casey, Warren and Fleetwood may well have won at Gleneagles without Continental help. It’ll never happen, but a four team-rotation of USA, GB&I, Continental Europe and “The Commonwealth” (Australia, South

Africa, Canada, etc.) in which the holders defend the Ryder Cup every year against the winner of the previous year’s Challenge Cup playoff – i.e., the new-look President’s Cup – could be so much more inclusive and meaningful than what we have now.

Darren Kilfara formerly worked for Golf Digest magazine and is the author of A Golfer’s Education, a memoir of his junior year abroad as a student-golfer at the University of St. Andrews. His latest book, a novel called Do You Want Total War?, is also now available online at Amazon and elsewhere. You can also currently find him working as a play-by-play television commentator on the 2014-15 European Champions Hockey League.

November 2014 53

The American

American ORGANIZATIONS

American Friends of Gladstone Library Britain’s only Prime Ministerial library. www.gladstoneslibrary-us.com annette.lewis@gladlib.org American Friends of the Jewish Museum London Stephen Goldman Tel. 020 7284 7363 stephen.goldman@jewishmuseum.org.uk www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/american-friends American Friends of the Lyric Theatre Ireland Crannóg House, 44 Stranmillis Embankment, Belfast, BT9 5FL, Northern Ireland Angela McCloskey info@americanfriendsofthelyric.com www.americanfriendsofthelyric.com/

An index of useful resources in the UK Is your group or organization fundraising or running an upcoming event you would like more people to know about? Does your free entry need amendments? Would you like a profile article about your organization? Let us know – we rely on you to keep us up to date! Telephone 01747 830520 or email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk.

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999 (NOT 911) 101 nhs.uk 111 0845 4647

TRANSPORTATION London Underground 020 7222 1234 National Rail Enquiries 08457 4849 50

www.nationalrail.co.uk National Bus Service 0990 808080

www.nationalexpress.com TELEPHONES Direct Dial Code, US & Canada Operator Assistance, UK Operator Assistance, Intermational International Directory Assistance Telephone Repair

001 100 155 153 151

For more details go to www.theamerican.co.uk and click on Life In The UK

CIVIC & SERVICES American Church in London Senior Pastor: Rev. John D’Elia.

Sunday School 9.45am, Sunday Worship 11am, child care provided.

79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD Tel: 020 7580 2791/07771 642875 www.amchurch.co.uk churchsecretary@amchurch.co.uk American Institute of Architects 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX 020 3318 5722 membership@aiauk.org, www.aiauk.org American Citizens Abroad (ACA) 5 Rue Liotard, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland +41.22.340.02.33 info.aca@gmail.com www.americansabroad.org

54 November 2014

American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery Stacey Ogg and Charlotte Savery, Individual Giving Managers 020 7312 2444 individualgiving@npg.org.uk www.npg.org.uk/support.php

American Red Cross RAF Mildenhall 01638 543742 After Hours (Toll free) +001 877 272 7337 red.crossv3@mildenhall.af.mil

American Friends of the Philharmonia Orchestra Jonathan Kuhles, Development Director jonathan.kuhles@philharmonia.co.uk www.philharmonia.co.uk/support/friends/afpo/

American Friends of Historic Royal Palaces Chris Martin and Harriet James 020 3166 6321, harriet.james@hrp.org.uk www.hrp.org.uk/supportus/donatingfromtheusa

American Friends of the Royal Court Theatre U.S.: Laurie Beckelman, Beckelman and Capalino +1.212.616.5822 laurie@beckcap.com UK: Lucy Buxton, Head of Development (maternity cover) 020 7565 5060 lucybuxton@royalcourttheatre.com or info@afrct.org

American Friends of the Almeida Theatre, Inc. USA: 950 Third Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10022 UK: Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London N1 1TA www.almeida.co.uk/supportus/individual-support/ american-friends American Friends of Chickenshed Theatre USA: c/o Chapel & York PMB293, 601 Penn Ave NW, Suite 900 S Bldg, Washington, DC 20004 UK: Chickenshed, Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE www.chickenshed.org.uk

American Friends of Sadler’s Wells USA: 222 Park Avenue South, 10A, New York, NY 10003 +1.917.539.9021 americanfriends@sadlerswells.com www.sadlerswells.com/page/american-friends UK: 020 7863 8134 development@sadlerswells.com

American Friends of the Royal Society http://royalsociety.org/Overseas-Donations American Friends of St. Bartholomew the Great U.S.: John Eagleson 2925 Briarpark, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77042 UK: 20 7606 5171 admin@greatstbarts.com

American Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery 020 8299 8726, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk American Friends of English National Opera (ENO) American Friends Coordinator London Coliseum, St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES 0207 845 9331 Americanfriends@eno.org www.eno.org/support/individual/memberships American Friends of the British Museum The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. 020 7323 8590 www.britishmuseum.org American Friends of the Donmar Inc. 020 7845 5810, sdittmer@donmarwarehouse.com www.donmarwarehouse.com/p46.html

American Friends of the Royal Institution of Great Britain U.S.: c/o Chapel & York Limited, PMB #293, South Building Washington, DC 20004 UK: The Development Office, Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS 020 7670 2991 hfarid@ri.ac.uk www.rigb.org

American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust U.S.: John Chwat, President 625 Slaters Lane, Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22314 +1. 703.684.7703, info@americanfriendsofsbt.org www.americanfriendsofsbt.org American Friends of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Inc. U.S.: Diana Seaton, Executive Director 61 Londonderry Drive, Greenwich, CT 06830 +1.203.536.4328 diana.seaton@afvam.org www.afvam.org UK: 020 7942 2149

The American

American Friends of Wigmore Hall U.S.: c/o Chapel and York, 1000 N West Street Suite 1200, Wilmington DE 19801 UK: 020 7258 8220 mhosterweil@wigmore-hall.org.uk

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 66-68 Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2PA 020 7584 7553 adcockmp@ldschurch.org https://lds.org.uk http://mormon.org

American Museum in Britain Director: Dr Richard Wendorf Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD. 01225 460503. Fax 01225 469160 info@americanmuseum.org www.americanmuseum.org

Church of St. John the Evangelist Vicar: Reverend Stephen Mason.

Hyde Park Crescent, London W2 2QD 020 7262 1732 parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com www.stjohnshydepark.com

American Women Lawyers in London www.awll.org.uk info@awll.org.uk The Anglo-American Charity Limited Jeffrey Hedges, Director.

07968 513 631 info@anglo-americancharity.org www.anglo-americancharity.org The Association of Americans Resident Overseas 34 avenue de New York, 75116 Paris, France + 33 1 47 20 24 15 www.aaro.org Anglo American Medical Society Hon. Sec.: Dr. Edward Henderson, The Mill House, Whatlington, E. Sussex, TN33 0ND. 01424 775130 ed@themillhouse.eclipse.co.uk Association for Rescue at Sea The UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Association does not have an American Branch but to make a tax efficient gift to the RNLI, contact AFRAS. Mrs. Anne C. Kifer P.O. Box 565 Fish Creek, WI 54212, U.S.A. 00-1-920-743-5434 ackafras@aol.com Atlantic Council Director: Alan Lee Williams.

185 Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UF 0207 403 0640 or 0207 403 0740 acuk@atlantic-council.org.uk Bentwaters Cold War Museum Erroll Frost c/o Bentwaters Aviation Society, Building 134 Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2TW 07588 877020 info@bcwm.org.uk Bethesda Baptist Church Kensington Place, London W8.

020 7221 7039 office@bethesdabaptist.org.uk http://bethesdabaptist.org.uk/ Boy Scouts of America Mayflower District Executive: Cristina Priddy The Old Coach House, 81A London Rd, Brandon, Suffolk IP270EL 075 9210 1013 crpriddy@bsamail.org British American Business Inc. 75 Brook Street, London, W1K 4AD. Tel. 020 7290 9888 www.babinc.org ukinfo@babinc.org British American-Canadian Associates Contact via The English Speaking Union – esu@esu.org

Has your group done something you’re proud of? Tell us email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk

Circumcision Matters Problems arranging circumcision for your new-born?

Call 020 7390 8433. www.circumcisionmatters.com Commonwealth Church Rev. Rod Anderson, PO Box 15027, London SE5 0YS www.savestmarks.com Democrats Abroad (UK) Box 65, 22 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JE Regular updates on events, chapters throughout the UK, DAUK newsletters: www.democratsabroad.org.uk 020 7724 9796 www.democratsabroad.org/group/united-kingdom Register to vote/ request Absentee Ballot: www.votefromabroad.org Farm Street Church 114 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 3AH Tel: 020 7493 7811 www.farmstreet.org.uk Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155.

Director: Ms. Polli K. Brunelli UK Toll Free Tel: 0800 028 8056 US Toll Free Tel:1-800-438- VOTE (8683). www.fvap.gov vote@fvap.ncr.gov Friends of Chicksands Priory (12th Century) Founded in 1975 by USAF personnel and British employees at RAF Chicksands Julie Benson 01525 860497 friendsofchicksands@gmail.com www.chicksandspriory.co.uk

International Community Church (Interdenominational) Pastor: Rev. Dr. Barry K. Gaeddert Sunday Worship: 10.30 am, Chertsey Hall, Heriot Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 9DR Active Youth programme.

Church Office: 1st floor, Devonshire House, 60 Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2AF. 01932 830295. churchoffice@icc-uk.org www.icc-uk.org Junior League of London President: Suzy Bibko; Office Admin: Ruth Linton CAN Mezzanine , 49-51 East Road , London N1 6AH Tel: 020 7499 8159 Fax: 020 7629 1996 jrleague@jll.org.uk www.jll.org.uk Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 19 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT. Tel: 020 7713 2030 Fax: 020 7713 2031 info@jdrf.org.uk www.jdrf.org.uk Liberal Jewish Synagogue 28 St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 7HA Services 6.45pm Fridays and 11am on Saturdays except for first Friday each month when service is held at 7pm with a Chavurah Supper.

Please bring non-meat food dish to share.

020 7286 5181 ljs@ljs.org Lions Club International Lakenheath & District 105EA, 15 Highfields Drive, Lakenheath, Suffolk IP27 9EH. Tel 01842 860752 www.lionsclubs.org Lutheran Services, St Anne’s Rev. Timothy Dearhamer.

Lutheran Church, Gresham St, London EC2.

Sun 11am-7pm. 020 7606 4986 info@StAnnesLutheranChurch.org www.StAnnesLutheranChurch.org Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London SW1H 9NH Services every Sunday at 11am and 6.30pm.

Bible study groups & Monday guilds also held.

020 7222 8010, church@mchw.org.uk www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk North American Friends of Chawton House Library US Office: 824 Roosevelt Trail, #130, Windham, ME 04062 +1.207 892 4358 UK Office: Chawton House Library, Chawton, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1SJ 01420 541010 www.chawton.org/support/nafchl5.html

Friends of St Jude London Debbie Berger Tel. 07738 628126 debbie.berger@stjude.org www.friendsofstjude.org/london

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner 5th Floor, Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN 0207 211 1500 info@oisc.gov.uk www.oisc.gov.uk

Grampian Houston Association Secretary: Bill Neish 5 Cairncry Avenue, Aberdeen, AB16 5DS 01224-484720 wineish@sky.com

Republicans Abroad (UK) Chairman Dr. Thomas Grant chairman@republicansabroad-uk.org www.republicansabroad-uk.org

November 2014 55

The American

Rotaract in Great Britain & Ireland For 18-30 year olds, an international membership www.rotaract.org.uk Rotary Club of London 6 York Gate, London NW1 4QG. Tel. 020 7487 5429 Rotary Great Britain and Ireland www.ribi.org

American Professional Women in London Rebecca Lammers, Flat 9 Hanover Court, 5 Stean Street, London, E8 4ED 075 3393 5064 abwinlondon@gmail.com @USAProWomenLDN www.facebook.com/groups/293890040710041 www.meetup.com/American-Business-Women-inLondon

Canadians & Americans in Southern England 023 9241 3881 contactcase@casecommunity.com Canadian Womens Club 1 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 4AB Tues–Thurs 10.30-3.30 0207 258 6344 info@canadianwomenlondon.org www.canadianwomenlondon.org

Royal National Lifeboat Institution Head Office, West Quay Road, Poole BH15 1HZ 0845 045 6999 www.rnli.org.uk

American Society in London c/o The English Speaking Union 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED info@americansocietyuk.com 020 7539 3400

The Royal Oak Foundation Sean Sawyer, 35 West 35th Street #1200, New York NY 10001-2205, USA 212- 480-2889 or (800) 913-6565 ssawyer@royal-oak.org www.royal-oak.org

American Stamp Club of Great Britain Chapter 67 of the American Philatelic Society.

Hon. Publicity Secretary: Stephen T. Taylor 5 Glenbuck Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS. 020 8390 9357

St Andrew’s Lutheran Church Serving Americans since 1960. Whitby Road & Queens Walk, Ruislip, West London. (South Ruislip Tube Station). Services: 11 am.

020 8845 4242 pastorvan43@hotmail.com www.standrewslutheran.co.uk Other Lutheran Churches in the UK: www.lutheran.co.uk

American Womens Association of Bristol 0800 0834804 awabristol_membership@fawco.org

Daughters of the American Revolution – St James’s Chapter Mrs Natalie Ward, 01379 871422 nattyward@aol.com or UKDARStJames@aol.com http://mysite.verizon.net/jean.sutton/main.htm

AWBS International Women’s Club [formerly American Women of Berkshire & Surrey] PO Box 10, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4YP. www.awbs.org.uk info@awbs.org.uk

Daughters of the American Revolution – Walter Hines Page Chapter Diana Frances Diggines, Regent dardiana@hotmail.co.uk www.dar.org

T.R.A.C.E. P.W. (The ‘original’ Transatlantic Children’s’ Enterprise reuniting children with G.I. father’s and their families) Membership Secretary: Norma Jean Clarke-McCloud 29 Connaught Avenue, Enfield EN1 3BE normajean78@hotmail.com www.tracepw.org

American Women of Surrey PO Box 185, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3YJ. www.awsurrey.org

The East Anglia American Club 49 Horsham Close, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7HN 01440 766 967 eaacexpats@karej.co.uk

American Women’s Association of Yorkshire The Chalet, Scarcroft Grange, Wetherby Road, Scarcroft, Leeds LS14 3HJ. 01224 744 224 Contact: Carol Di Peri

English-Speaking Union Director-General: Jane Easton Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Tel: 020 7529 1550 esu@esu.org

United Nations Association, Westminster branch Chairman: David Wardrop 61 Sedlescombe Road, London SW6 1RE 0207 385 6738 info@unawestminster.org.uk www.unawestminster.org.uk www.wethepeoples.org.uk USA Girl Scouts Overseas – North Atlantic Stem Kaserne Bldg 1002, Postfach 610212 D-68232, Mannheim, Germany. +49 621 487 7025 www.norags.com girlscouts@cmtymail.26asg.army.mil

SOCIAL American Club of Hertfordshire President: Lauryn Awbrey 63-65 New Road, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0AL 01582 624823 amclubherts@aol.com

The American Women’s Club of Dublin P.O. Box 2545, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 IRELAND www.awcd.net info@awcd.net American Women’s Club of London 68 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LQ. 020 7589 8292 awc@awclondon.org www.awclondon.org American Women’s Club of Central Scotland P.O. Box 231, 44-46 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4BF info@awccs.org www.awccs.org American Women of South Wales 07866 190838 awsouthwales@fawco.org Association of American Women in Ireland aawireland@fawco.org

American Expats of the Northwest of England The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA. expatsnw@gmail.com

Association of American Women of Aberdeen PO Box 11952, Westhill, Aberdeen, AB13 0BW email via website www.awaaberdeen.org

American Friends of English Heritage US: 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington DC 20036. 202-452-0928.

UK: c/o English Heritage, Attn: Simon Bergin, Keysign House, 429 Oxford Street, London W1R 2HD. 020 7973 3423 www.english-heritage.org.uk

British Association of American Square Dance Clubs Patricia Connett-Woodcock 87 Brabazon Road, Heston, Middlesex TW5 9LL 020 8897 0723 tricia_baasdc@btinternet.com www.squaredancing.co.uk

56 November 2014

Chilterns American Women’s Club PO Box 445, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 8YU membership@cawc.co.uk www.cawc.co.uk Colonial Dames of America Chapter XI London. President Anne K Brewster: AnneBrewster@hotmail.com

Americans in Bristol Tim Ellis 07572 342483 americansinbristol@yahoo.com https://twitter.com/americansinbris www.facebook.com/groups/USEXPATSINBRISTOL Friends of Benjamin Franklin House Director: Dr. Márcia Balisciano 36 Craven St,London WC2N 5NF 0207 839 2006 www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org Hampstead Women’s Club President - Betsy Lynch. Tel: 020 7435 2226 email president@hwcinlondon.co.uk www.hwcinlondon.co.uk High Twelve International, Inc. Arnold Page High Twelve Club 298 Secretary, Darrell C. Russell 01638 715764 russelld130@btinternet.com The Inter-Cultural Society of London Contact: Dr Kenneth Reed, 01753 892698, kjreed37@yahoo.co.uk ticsl.org International American Duplicate Bridge Club Contact: Mary Marshall, 18 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RP. 020 7221 3708 www.ycbc.co.uk/american.htm

The American

Kensington & Chelsea Men’s Club Contact: John Rickus 70 Flood Street, Chelsea, London SW3 5TE. (home): 020 7349 0680 (office): 020 7753 2253 johnrickus@aol.com

Thames Valley American Women’s Club Membership: Claire Mangers-Page PO Box 1687, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8XT. 01628 632683 membership@tvawc.com www.tvawc.com

kcwc (was Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club) President: Anna Groot, president@kcwc.org.uk Membership: potential@kcwc.org.uk www.kcwc.org.uk @kcwc_womensclub

UK Panhellenic Association Contact Susan Woolf, 10 Coniston Court, High St. Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex HA1 3LP. 020 8864 0294 susanrwoolf@hotmail.com

Knightsbridge Village Private invitation-only network for discerning mothers in Knightsbridge, Kensington and surrounding areas. For a limited period The American’s readers are invited to join online with this key: american2014.

Membership is £10 per month. info@knightsbridge-village.com www.knightsbridge-village.com

Anglian Shrine Club Recorder/Secretary: Allan David Warnes “Koloma House”, Warren Avenue, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NP 01328 862001, 07860187333, VOIP 08714084364 Skype batman4499adw allan@allandavidwarnes.co.uk www.anglianshrineclub.co.uk

New Neighbors Diana Parker, Rosemary Cottage, Rookshill, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 4HZ. 01923 772185

W.E.B. DuBois Consistory #116 Northern Jurisdiction Valley of London, England, Orient of Europe Cell: 0776-873-8030 mjack36480@aol.com

North American Connection (West Midlands) PO Box 10543, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands. B93 8ZY 0870 720 0663 info@naconnect.com www.naconnect.com

Women’s Writers Network Cathy Smith, 23 Prospect Rd, London, NW2 2JU. 020 7794 5861 info@womenwriters.org.uk www.womenwriters.org.uk

Northwood Area Women’s Club c/o St John’s UR Church, Hallowell Road, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 1DN 01932-830295 info@northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk www.northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk Petroleum Women’s Club Contact: Nancy Ayres, 01923 711720 nanayrs@btopenworld.com Petroleum Women’s Club of Scotland pwcscotland@yahoo.co.uk www.pwcos.com Pilgrims of Great Britain Allington Castle, Maidstone, Kent M16 0NB. 01622 606404 sec@pilgrimsociety.org

Propeller Club of the United States – London, England propellerclubhq.com Royal Society of St George Enterprise House, 10 Church Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 1LA. +44 (0) 20 3225 5011 info@royalsocietyofstgeorge.com www.royalsocietyofstgeorge.com Stars of Great Britain Chapter #45 Washington Jurisdiction. Lakenheath, England sogb45@yahoo.com http://starsofgreatbritainchapter45.com St John’s Wood Women’s Club membership@sjwwc.org www.sjwwc.org

British Patton Historical Society Kenn Oultram 01606 891303 Brookwood American Cemetery The American Battle Monuments Commission Superintendant: Craig Rahanian. 01483 473237 Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/ brookwood-american-cemetery Madingley American Cemetery Cambridge AKA Cambridge Military Cemetery, Cambridge American Cemetery and Cambridge Cemetery.

The American Battle Monuments Commission Madingley Road, Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PH 01954-210-350 damian.lappin@madingleyamericancemetery.info www.madingleyamericancemetery.info Commander in Chief, US Naval Forces Europe US Naval Forces Europe-Africa - US Sixth Fleet www.c6f.navy.mil, CNE-C6FPAO@eu.navy.mil Eighth Air Force Historical Society Gordon Richards/Michelle Strefford UK Office, The Croft, 26 Chapelwent Road, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 9SD 01440 704014 www.8thafhs.org Friends of the Eighth Newsletter (FOTE News) Chairman: Mr. Ron Mackay. 39b Thorley Hill, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM23 3NE. 01279 658619

MILITARY 290 Foundation (UK Confederate Navy memorial) Ian Dewar, President, 2 Thompson Drive, Middleton on the Wolds, East Riding, Yorkshire YO25 9TX 01377 217 442 290admin@onetel.com sites.google.com/site/290foundation

AFJROTC 073 Lakenheath High School. Tel: 01638 525603

Joint RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath Retiree Affairs Office Co-Directors Dick Good & Jack Kramer Unit 8965, Box 30 RAF Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, IP28 8NF 01638 542039 rao1@us.af.mil

Air Force Sergeants Association UK POC Timothy W. Litherland CMSgt, USAF (ret).

Chapters at RAFs Alconbury, Croughton, Lakenheath, Menwith Hill and Mildenhall. timothy.litherland@outlook.com www.hqafsa.org

Marine Corps League Detachment 1088, London, England Commandant Mike Allen Creek Cottage, 2 Pednormead End, Old Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 2JS detachment1088@mcl-london-uk.org www.mcl-london-uk.org

American Legion London Post 1 Adjutant: Jim Pickett PO Box 5017, BATH, BA1 OPP 01225-426245 info@amlegionpost1london.org.uk www.amlegionpost1london.org.uk

Military Officers’ Association of America www.moaa.org msc@moaa.org

American Overseas Memorial Day Association Dedicated to remember and honor the memory of those who gave their lives in World War I and II, whose final resting places are in American Military Cemeteries or in isolated graves in Europe. info@aomda.com, aomda.com Bentwaters/Woodbridge Retirees’ Association President: Wylie Moore. 2 Coldfair Close, Knodishall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1UN. 01728 830281

Navy League of the United States, United Kingdom Council Council President: Steven G. Franck steven.franck@googlemail.com www.navyleague.org Non-Commissioned Officers’ Association (NCOA) – The Heart of England Chapter Chairman: Ronald D.Welper, Pine Farm, Sharpe’s Corner, Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk 1P27 9LB. Thetford 861643. Chapter Address: 513 MSSQ/SS, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.

November 2014 57

The American

Society of American Military Engineers (UK) UK address: Box 763, USAFE Construction Directorate.

86 Blenheim Crescent, West Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7HL

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Commander: Ernest Paolucci 24, rue Gerbert, 75015 Paris, France 00 33 (0)1.42.50.96.34 Western UK Retiree Association President: R. Jim Barber, MSgt (USAF), Ret 01280 708182

Reserve Officers Association London Col. B.V. Balch, USAR, 72 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London SW13 9RY memberservices@roa.org www.roa.org

EDUCATIONAL ACS International Schools ACS Cobham International School, Heywood, www.acs-england.co.uk

Society of American Military Engineers (UK) UK address: Box 763, USAFE Construction Directorate: 86 Blenheim Crescent, West Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7HL London Post. President: W. Allan Clarke.

Secretary: Capt. Gary Chesley.

Membership Chairman, Mr. Jim Bizier.

Alconbury Middle/High School RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE17 1PJ, UK. www.alco-hs.eu.dodea.edu AlconburyHS.Principal@eu.dodea.edu

US Army Reserve 2nd Hospital Center 7 Lynton Close, Ely, Cambs, CB6 1DJ. Tel: 01353 2168 Commander: Major Glenda Day.

American Institute for Foreign Study 37 Queensgate, London SW7 5HR 020 7581 7300 www.aifs.co.uk info@aifs.co.uk American School in London 1 Waverley Place, London NW8 0NP 020 7449 1200, www.asl.org admissions@asl.org

US Air Force Recruiting Office Bldg 239 Room 139 RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 8NF +44-1638-54-4942/1566 phillip.guffa@mildenhall.af.mil Retired Affairs Office, RAF Alconbury Serving Central England POC: Rex Keegan Alt. POC: Mike Depasquale UK Postal Address: 423 SVS/RAO, Unit 5585, Box 100, RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 4DA Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10:30am–2:30pm 01480 84 3364/3557 RAO@Alconbury.af.mil Emergency Contact: 07986 887 905 2nd Air Division Memorial Library The Forum, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1AW 01603 774747 www.2ndair.org.uk 2admemorial.lib@norfolk.gov.uk USAF Retiree Activities Office Director: Paul G Gumbert, CMSgt (USAF), Ret 422 ABG/CVR, Unit 5855, PSC 50, Box 3 RAF Croughton, Northants NN13 5XP 01280 708182 422abg.rao@croughton.af.mil

US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) UK Chapter President: Allison Bennett, bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom USNA Alumni Association UK Chapter Pres: LCDR Tim Fox ’97, timfox97@hotmail.com Vice Pres: Miguel Sierra ’90, mrsierra@chevron.com Treas/Membership Coord: Bart O’Brien ’98, bartonobrien2@yahoo.com Secretary: Matt Horan ’87, matthoran@btinternet.com

58 November 2014

American School of Aberdeen Craigton Road, Cults, Aberdeen.

01224 861068 / 868927.

Benjamin Franklin House 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF. Tel 020 7839 2006 Fax 020 7930 9124 info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Boston University – London Graduate Programs Office 43 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7244 6255 www.bu.edu/london British American Educational Foundation Mrs. Carlton Colcord, 1 More’s Garden, 90 Cheyne Walk, London SW3.

020 7352 8288 www.baef.org anncolcord@compuserve.com BUNAC Student Exchange Employment Program - Director: Callum Kennedy, 16 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0QH. 020 7251 3472 www.bunac.org enquiries@bunac.org.uk

Centre Academy East Anglia Church Rd, Brettenham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7QR Tel: 01449736404 admin@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net Central Bureau for Educational Visits Director: Peter Upton, The British Council , 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN 020 7389 4004 Wales 029 2039 7346 Scotland 0131 447 8024 centralbureau@britishcouncil.org Council on International Educational Exchange Dr. Michael Woolf, 52 Portland Street, London WIV 1JQ Tel 020 7478 2000 Fax 020 7734 7322 www.ciee.org contact@ciee.org Ditchley Foundation Ditchley Park, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 4ER Tel 01608 677346 www.ditchley.co.uk info@ditchley.co.uk Dwight School London Formerly North London International School Viviene Rose, Admissions Director 6 Friem Barnet Lane, London N11 3LX 020 8920 0600 vrose@dwightlondon.org www.dwightlondon.org European Council of International Schools Executive Director: Jean K Vahey Fourth Floor, 146 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TR Tel 020 7824 7040 www.ecis.org ecis@ecis.org European-Atlantic Group PO Box 37431, London N3 2XP 020 8632 9253 justinglass@btinternet.com www.eag.org.uk Florida State University London Study Centre Administrative Director: Kathleen Paul 99 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LH. Tel 020 7813 3233 www.international.fsu.edu/london/ intprog1@admin.fsu.edu Fordham University London Centre Academic Coordinator: Sabina Antal 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HQ 020 7937 5023 londoncentre@fordham.edu www.fordham.edu

Butler University, Institute for Study Abroad 21 Pembridge Gardens, London W2 4EB 020 7792 8751 www.ifsa-butler.org/england-overview.html

Fulbright Commission (US-UK Educational Commission) Dir. of Advisory Service: Lauren Welch Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London SW8 5BN 020 7498 4010 www.fulbright.co.uk

Centre Academy London 92 St John’s Hill, Battersea, London SW11 1SH Tel: 02077382344 , info@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net

Halcyon London International School Co-educational International Baccalaureate (IB).

33 Seymour Place, London W1H 5AU +44 (0)20 7258 1169 , hello@halcyonschool.com halcyonschool.com

The American

Harlaxton College UK Campus, University of Evansville Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 1AG. Grantham 4541 4761 01476 403000 harlaxton.ac.uk.

Huron University USA in London 46-47 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 4JP Tel +44 (0) 20 7636 5667 Fax+44 (0) 20 7299 3297 folu@huron.ac.uk www.huron.ac.uk Institute for the Study of the Americas Director: Professor James Dunkerley.

Tel 020 7862 8879 Fax 020 7862 8886 americas@sas.ac.uk www.americas.sas.ac.uk International School of Aberdeen 296 North Deeside Rd, Milltimber, Aberdeen, AB13 0AB 01224 732267 admin@isa.aberdeen.sch.uk www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk International School of London 139 Gunnersbury Avenue, London W3 8LG. 020 8992 5823 www.islschools.org mail@ISLschools.org International School of London in Surrey Old Woking Road, Woking GU22 8HY Tel +44 (0)1483 750409 www.islsurrey.com mail@islsurrey.com Ithaca College London Centre 35 Harrington Gardens, London SW7.

Tel. 020 7370 1166 www.ithaca.edu/london bsheasgreen@ithac alondon.co.uk Marymount International School, London Headmistress: Ms Sarah Gallagher George Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7PE 020 8949 0571 info@marymountlondon.com www.marymountlondon.com Missouri London Study Abroad Program 32 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7373 7953. www.umsl.edu/services/abroad/universities/ molondon.html web_office@umsl.edu Regent’s University London Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NS. 020 7486 9605. www.regents.ac.uk exrel@regents.ac.uk

Richmond, The American International University in London Richmond Hill Campus,Queen’s Road Richmond-upon Thames TW10 6JP Tel: +44 20 8332 9000 Fax: +44 20 8332 1596 enroll@richmond.ac.uk www.richmond.ac.uk

Schiller International University Royal Waterloo House, 51-55 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TX. Tel. 020 7928 1372 www.schillerlondon.ac.uk admissions@schillerlondon.ac.uk Schiller International, Wickham Court School Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9HW. Tel 0208 777 2942 Fax 0208 777 4276 Wickham@schillerintschool.com www.wickhamcourt.org.uk Sotheby’s Institute of Art Postgraduate Art studies, plus day /evening courses 30 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EE Tel: 0207 462 3232 www.sothebysinstitute.com info@sothebysinstitute.com Southbank International Schools Kensington and Hampstead campuses for 3-11 year olds; Westminster campuses for 11-18 year olds.

Director of Admissions: MargaretAnne Khoury Tel: 020 7243 3803 admissions@southbank.org www.southbank.org Syracuse University London Program Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE http://sulondon.syr.edu TASIS England, American School Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Nr. Egham, Surrey TW20 8TE. Tel: 01932 565252 Fax: 01932 564644 http://england.tasis.com ukadmissions@tasisengland.org UKCISA - Council for International Education 9-17 St. Albans Place, London N1 0NX 020 7354 5210 www.ukcisa.org.uk University of Notre Dame London Program 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG 020 7484 7811 london@nd.edu www.nd.edu/~ndlondon/lup/future/ introduction.htm Warnborough University International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB. Tel 020 7922 1200 www.warnborough.edu admin@warnborough.edu

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) England Chapter Alumni Association Chapter President: Eric CK Chan c/o Regents College London, Inner Circle, Regents Park, London, UK chane@regents.ac.uk, www.alliant.edu Amherst College Bob Reichert RAreichert26b@aol.com Andover/Abbot Association of London Jeffrey Hedges ‘71, President 07968 513 631 hedgeslon@hotmail.com Association of MBAs Leo Stemp, Events Administrator Tel 020 7837 3375 (ext. 223), l.stemp@mba.org.uk Babson College Frank de Jongh Swemer, Correspondence W 020 7932 7514 babson.alumni@btinternet.com Barnard College Club Hiromi Stone, President.

Tel. 0207 935 3981 barnardclubgb@yahoo.co.uk Berkeley Club of London Geoff Kertesz berkeleyclublondon@gmail.com http://international.berkeley.edu/LondonClub Facebook: www.facebook.com groups/223876564344656/ Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/groups/Berkeley-ClubLondon-4186104 Boston College Alumni Club UK Craig Zematis, President +44 7717 878968 BCalumniclub@gmail.com www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/BTN/cpages/ chapters/home.jsp?chapter=41&org=BTN Boston University Alumni Association of the UK Will Straughn, Snr International Development Officer, University Development and Alumni Relations, 43 Harrington Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 4JU 020 7244 2908 020 7373 7411 bstraugh@bu.edu Brandeis Alumni Club of Great Britain Joan Bovarnick, President http://alumni.brandeis.edu office@alumni.brandeis.edu

Webster Graduate Studies Center Regent’s College, Regent’s Park, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS, UK. Tel: 020 7487 7505 www.webster.ac.uk webster@regents.ac.uk

Brown University Club of the United Kingdom President: Tugba Erem.

Communication: Patrick Attie Alumni Club & Liaison: Vanessa Van Hoof Brown Club UK, Box 57100, London, EC1P 1RB contact@brownuk.org www.brownuk.org

Wroxton College Study Abroad with Fairleigh Dickinson University, Wroxton, Nr. Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6PX 01295 730551, www.fdu.edu admin@wroxton-college.ac.uk

Bryn Mawr Club Lady Quinton, President.

Wendy Tiffin, Secretary/Treasurer, 52 Lansdowne Gardens, London SW8 2EF wendytif@ukgateway.net

November 2014 59

The American

Claremont Colleges Alumni in London Hadley Beeman hadley_beeman@alumni.cmc.edu Colgate Club of London Stephen W Solomon ‘76, President 0207 349 0738 swsolomon@hotmail.com Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London 6 Petersham Mews, London SW7 5NR www.cbsclublondon.org londonadmin@gsb.columbia.edu

Harvard Club of the United Kingdom Brandon Bradkin, President president@hcuk.org Verity Langley, Membership vll@me.com www.hcuk.org Indiana University Alumni club of England Anastasia Tonello, President 020 7253 4855 iuinlondon@yahoo.com www.alumni.indiana.edu/clubs/england KKG London Alumnae Association emilymerrell@gmail.com

Columbia University Club of London Stephen Jansen, President london@alumniclubs.columbia.edu www.alumniclubs.columbia.edu/london

LMU Alumni Club London (Loyola Marymount University) Kent Jancarik 07795 358 681 kent@jancarik.com

Cornell Club of London Natalie Teich, President nmt4@cornell.edu www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs/int/London

Marymount University Alumni UK Chapter President: Mrs Suzanne Tapley, 35 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT. 020 7581 3742

Dartmouth College Club of London sandra.blacker@outlook.com alumni.dartmouth.edu www.dartmouth.org

MIT Club of Great Britain Yiting Shen, Flat 8a, 36 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6PB 0789 179 3823 yshen@alum.mit.edu http://alumweb.mit.edu/clubs/uk/

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International President: Diana Bell dbell_is@yahoo.co.ukwww.dkggb.org.uk Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity London Alumni Chapter. Ashok Arora, P O Box 1110, London W3 7ZB 020 8423 8231 bertela@yahoo.com www.dspnet.org Delta Zeta International Sorority Alumna Club Mrs Sunny Eades, The Old Hall, Mavesyn Ridware, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire, WSI5 3QE. 01543 490 312 SunnyEades@aol.com Duke University Club of England Ms Robin Buck buckrobin@yahoo.com Tim Warmath timwarmath@yahoo.com Kate Bennett jkbennett@btinternet.com www.dukealumni.com/england

Details changed? Let us know email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk

Mount Holyoke Club of Britain Rachel L. Elwes, President rlelwes@yahoo.com Karen K. Bullivant Vice-President kkbullivant@alumnae.mtholyoke.edu www.mtholyoke.co.uk Notre Dame Club of London Hannah Gornik, Secretary: ND_Club_London@yahoo.co.uk NYU Alumni Club in London Jodi Ekelchik, President alumni.london@nyu.edu NYU STERN UK Alumni Club Matthieu Gervis, President sternukalumniclub@hotmail.com

Emory University Alumni Chapter of the UK Matthew Williams, Chapter Leader 079 8451 4119 matthew.eric.williams@gmail.com www.alumni.emory.edu/chapters-and-groups/ chapters/international.html

Ohio University UK & Ireland Frank Madden, 1 Riverway, Barry Avenue, Windsor, Berks. SL4 5JA. Tel 01753 855 360 frank@madant.demon.co.uk

Georgetown Alumni Club Alexa Fernandez, President GeorgetownLondon@Yahoo.com

Penn Alumni Club of the UK David Lapter 07957 146 470 david.lapter@alumni.upenn.edu

Gettysburg College Britt-Karin Oliver brittkarin@aol.com

Penn State Alumni Association Penn State Alumni Association Ron Nowicki 0207 226 7681 pennstatelondon@yahoo.co.uk www.alumni.psu.edu

Harvard Business School Club of London www.hbsa.org.uk

60 November 2014

The London Association of Phi Beta Kappa Lydia Dye-Stonebridge phibetakappalondon@gmail.com ww.linkedin.com/groups?gid=5117368 @phibetakappaldn www.pbkldn.org Princeton Association (UK) Carol Rahn, President Jon Reades, Young Alumni carol.rahn@orange-ftgroup.com jon@reades.com www.alumni.princeton.edu Rice Alumni of London Kathy Wang 07912 560 177 kathyw@alumni.rice.edu Skidmore College Alumni Club, London Peggy Holden Briggs ‘84, co-ordinator 07817 203611 peggyhbriggs@gmail.com Smith College Club of London Kathleen Merrill, President smithclubgb@googlemail.com http://alumnae.smith.edu Stanford Business School Alumni Association (UK Chapter) Robby Arnold, President, robby@blueyonder.co.uk Lesley Anne Hunt, Events, lesley.hunt@blueyonder.co.uk www.stanfordalumni.org.uk Syracuse University Alumni UK Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE SUalumniUK@syr.edu www.facebook.com/SUalumniUK Texas Tech Alumni Association - London Chapter David Mirmelli, Ferhat Guven, Bobby Brents president@texastechalumni.org.uk www.TexasTechAlumni.org.uk Texas Exes UK (UKTE) President: Carra Kane 7 Edith Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8TW 0778 660 7534 carrakane@alumni.utexas.net www.fornogoodreason.com/UKTEMain.htm Texas A&M Club London Co-Presidents Ashley Lilly, Devin Howard london@aggienetwork.com http://clubs.aggienetwork.com/londonamc/ The John Adams Society Contact: Muddassar Ahmed c/o Unitas Communications, Palmerston House, 80-86 Old Street, London EC1V 9AZ 0203 308 2358 johnadamssociety@unitascommunications.com www.johnadamssociety.co.uk

The American

Tufts - London Tufts Alliance Vikki Garth Londontuftsalliance@yahoo.com UK Dawgs of the University of Georgia Rangana Abdulla ukdawgs@hotmail.com UConn Alumni Association ucaa@uconnalumni.com UMass Alumni Club UK Julie Encarnacao, President (0)20 7007 3869 julesje32@gmail.com University of California Matthew Daines (Program Director) 17 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA 020 7079 0567 matthewdaines@californiahouse.org.uk University of Chicago UK Alumni Association c/o Alumni Affairs and Development – Europe, University of Chicago Booth School of Business Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5HA +44(0)20 7070 2245 www.ChicagoBooth.edu University of Georgia Alumni Association Neal Johnson, President 07919 057 538 nealjohnsonuk@yahoo.com www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni/index.php/site/ chapters/london_chapter University of Illinois Alumni Club of the UK Amy Barklam, President 07796 193 466 amybarklam@msn.com University of North Carolina Alumni Club Brad Matthews, Club Leader 2 The Orchards, Hill View Road, Woking GU22 7LS brad.matthews@alumni.unc.edu http://alumni.unc.edu University of Michigan Alumni Association Regional Contact: Jessica Cobb, BA ’97 +44 (0) 788-784-0941 jesscobb@yahoo.com http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/umich_uk_alumni/ University of Rochester/Simon School UK Alumni Association Ms. Julie Bonne, Co-President 0118-956-5052 julie_bonne@yahoo.com University of Southern California, Alumni Club of London Jennifer Ladwig, President, Chuck Cramer, Treasurer usclondon@gmail.com www.usclondonalumni.org University of Virginia Alumni Club of London Kirsten Jellard 020 7368 8473 londonuvaclub@yahoo.com http://members.aol.com/UKUVACLUB/UVA-london.htm

US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) UK Chapter President: Allison Bennett bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter President: LCDR Greta Densham ‘00 (gretaj@mac.com) Vice President: Tim Fox ‘97 (timfox97@hotmail.com) Secretary: Mike Smith ‘84 (Mike.Smith@polycom.com) Facebook Group - USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter Vassar College Club Sara Hebblethwaite, President 18 Redgrave Road, London, SW15 1PX +44 020 8788 6910, sara.hebblethwaite@virgin.net Warnborough Worldwide Alumni Association c/o International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB Tel. 020 7922 1200 Fax. 020 7922 1201 www.wwaa.info admin@warnborough.edu Washington University UK Alumni Club Steven Leof, steven@leof.co.uk alumni.wustl.edu/Community/Pages/London.aspx www.facebook.com/groups/WUSTLLondon Wellesley College Club Farida El-Gammal ‘98, President www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/groups/clubs/intlclubs/ wellesley_uk_club WCLondon@alum.wellesley.edu Wharton Alumni Club of the UK Gina Mok, Pres., yi.mok.wh00@wharton.upenn.edu Yoav Kurtzbard, ykurtzbard@youngassoc.com 020-7447-8800 www.whartonclubuk.net

Fundraising event?

Tweet @TheAmericanMag Williams Club of Great Britain Ethan Kline: ethankline@gmail.com Yale Club of London Joe Vittoria, President, president@yale.org.uk Scott Fletcher, Events, events@yale.org.uk Nick Baskey, Secretary secretary@yale.org.uk www.yale.org.uk Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Kristin Morgan. Tel: 07812 580949 kristinamorgan@gmail.com www.zetataualpha.org

CIVIL WAR SOCIETIES American Civil War Round Table (UK) Sandra Bishop, 5 Southdale, Chigwell, Essex IG7 5NN sandra-bishop@hotmail.com www.americancivilwar.org.uk Southern Skirmish Association (SoSkan) Membership Secretary, Bob Isaac, 3 Hilliards Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3TA membership@soskan.co.uk www.soskan.co.uk

ARTS American Actors UK Administrator: Kelly Harris, 07873 371 891 www.americanactorsuk.com Savio(u)r Theatre Company Britain’s American theatre company www.saviourtheatrecompany.com

SPORTS English Lacrosse PO Box 116, Manchester M11 0AX 0843 658 5006 info@englishlacrosse.co.uk www.englishlacrosse.co.uk British Baseball Federation/ BaseballSoftballUK 5th Floor, Ariel House, 74a Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QJ 020 7453 7055 www.britishbaseball.org British Morgan Horse Society 01942 886141 admin@morganhorse.org.uk www.morganhorse.org.uk Ice Hockey UK 19 Heather Avenue, Rise Park, Romford RM1 4SL Tel. 07917 194 264 Fax. 01708 725241 www.icehockeyuk.co.uk ihukoffice@yahoo.co.uk Infinity Elite Cheerleading (founded by CAC) 077 9132 0115 http://londoninfinityelite.clubbz.com www.facebook.com/InfinityAllstars Herts Baseball Club Adult & Little League Baseball www.hertsbaseball.com Lakenheath Barracudas Swim Club Open to all military affiliated families.

Charlie Midthun, Pres., laken.barracudas@yahoo.com; Head Coach, Dean Reed, smurfathome@earthlink.net www.barracudas.moonfruit.com LondonSports Instruction & competitive play in American flag football, baseball, basketball and soccer, boys/girls aged 4-15, newcomers or experienced players. Sports in a safe, fun environment for children of all nationalities. www.londonsports.com vll@me.com London Warriors American Football Club Kevin LoPrimo info@londonwarriorsafc.co.uk www.londonwarriorsafc.co.uk

We rely on you to keep us informed. Every effort is made to ensure that these listings are correct - if your entry requires amendments please tell us. email sabrina@ theamerican.co.uk, tel +44(0)1747 830520.

November 2014 61

The American

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ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES Stephen T Taylor Your American stamp dealer in Britain since 1995.

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Independent education consultancy that works with families on school and university search.

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The American

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Coffee Break Answers

1.Lower; 2. Fastnet, also known as ‘Ireland’s Teardrop’ as it was the last part of Ireland emigrants saw was they sailed to the US in the C19th; 3. a) Broncos ; 4. Pall Mall; 5. Hawaii; 6. The American Legion; 7. Baltimore Ravens; 8. b) Massachusetts; 9. photographs; 10.

Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians (mainly women and children) under the protection of the US Govt., in Colorado.

November 2014 63

The American

The American’s expatriate canine UK correspondent does a soundcheck

What do you mean, ‘I Need a Backstage Pass’ – Don’t you know Who I Am?

Hope & Anchor 207 Upper Street Islington N1 1RL http://gkpubs.co.uk/pubs-in-islington/ hope-and-anchor-pub/ 020 7354 1312 O Angel, Highbury & Islington Buses: 19, 30, 4, 43

64 November 2014

The Hope & Anchor was one of the first pubs to support punk in the mid ’70s and went on to play a major role in the development of punk and new wave music. Stiff Records started out upstairs, it was Joy Division’s first London gig and The Stranglers, U2, Madness and many more attracted media attention after playing gigs here. The ground floor pub is plastered with posters of famous bands that played here and you’ll find an eclectic mix of new bands in the downstairs venue. The cellar is still dark and cramped with an intimate bar and a tiny stage, but it’s big on atmosphere and steeped in music history.

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