Thecentral theme of this issue celebrates the electoral success of the Liberal Democrats and explores the deep connections between Liberalism and the National Liberal Club. As our shared history with the Liberal movement runs deep it is fitting to highlight the newly elected MPs, many of whom have become Honorary Members of the Club.
This issue also highlights our food and drink offerings, showcasing the talents of our exceptional Food & Beverages Team and introducing you to Jon, Luigi and Brandon – the movers and shakers behind our dining and drinking experiences at our beloved Club. Additionally, you’ll find articles on Gladstone’s involvement in Bulgarian Independence and the
Club’s increasing emphasis on diversity. There’s truly something for everyone!
To enhance the magazine’s environmental sustainability, we will be implementing an opt-out policy for physical copies to Country Members. If you do not opt-out, a physical copy will be mailed to you. All members are encouraged to access the magazine digitally via the Club website, where it will be available as a PDF, while Town and Country members can pick up their copies at the Club. If you would prefer to pick up your copy from the Club, please contact the Membership Team, and they will be happy to set one aside for you.
The Marketing & Communications Committee has worked hard to make NLC News as financially sustainable as possible. Last year, we opened advertising opportunities to members, and I’m pleased to announce this initiative now extends to NLC suppliers. Thanks to our Business Team, we’ve secured ads from several suppliers, bringing us closer to making the magazine self-sustaining.
I recently had a vivid dream where, as I flipped through the magazine, I spotted my name not just in the editorial at the front but also in the obituaries at the back! While the role of editor hasn’t done
me in yet, it has certainly kept me on my toes.
Stepping into the role of NLC News editor was never going to be easy, but I’m lucky to have the support of a talented team, all dedicated to creating a magazine by and for members. I’d like to thank the Editorial Board, including Club Chair Gordon Lishman, Vice-President Jamie Sharpley, Marketing & Communications Vice-Chair Janet Berridge, Membership Chair Kate Birch, Former Editor Cait Chidgey, and MarComms Committee Member Nahuel Marisi, for their dedication to this issue. Special thanks to Janet and Kate for their invaluable help, and to Club Member Liam-Rhys Jones for introducing us to our talented designer, Hal Bannister.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks go to Cait Chidgey, my friend and predecessor as NLC News editor since 2017. She has been a steadfast support throughout this project, offering invaluable guidance and serving as a vital sounding board. I am deeply grateful for her tireless dedication and for helping me stay grounded through each step of this herculean task.
Harley Ludlow Editor, NLC News
CLUB NEWS
Chair’s Report
Message from the NLC Chair, Cllr Gordon Lishman CBE FRSA
Iwas elected Chair of the Club on 5th June. A month later, the Liberal Democrats achieved 72 Members of Parliament and on 8th July, I welcomed the MPs to the Club. For most, it was their introduction to the Club and their first opportunity to engage with each other informally. In October, we welcomed 9 MPs to a Parliamentary dinner at the Club with Members and guests. Long-standing Club Member, Wera Hobhouse MP, welcomed her new colleagues and recommended that they use the Club and engage here with Club Members and members of local Liberal Democrat parties.
Our Vice-Chair, Judge Tim Herrington, and I have been meeting Members and assessing the challenges we face. Next year, I will have been a Member for 47 years, a director of the company which provides Member services for 7 years, and working with the Members’ Council for 10 years. Despite that, it is still daunting to face continuing changes, including a new Interim General Manager and, in a month or so’s time, a new company Chair. I want particularly to welcome Paul Vesper as Interim General Manager of the NLC and to wish him well and all his staff colleagues who work hard for us.
What’s the point of the NLC?
The first challenge we face is the most basic: who are we? What is our identity as a Club of like-minded people, sharing our beautiful spaces?
We are a Liberal Club. That does not mean that we are exclusively for Liberal Democrats. At several
times in our history, we provided opportunities for people of a broadly Liberal approach to life and politics to come together to talk about contemporary politics and to plan together. In the 1920s and again in the late 1980s, we enabled people to work together across tribal party lines to find the best, shared answers to the challenges faced by our country and our world. As our party system crumbles and changes, I intend we shall do so again.
Our Members, their friends and colleagues and others, come together here to engage in and enjoy a very wide range of activities – social, cultural, political, international. The range of our clubs, circles, fora and groups is astounding. I haven’t time to engage with a tenth of those which interest me and I encourage you to look at the opportunities and make your own choices.
We are not a traditional Club which emphasises exclusiveness! Indeed, we are proudly inclusive and diverse. We welcome people of all backgrounds and we create opportunities for everyone to engage and delight in sharing cultures and experiences.
Our Club offers a great venue for eating, drinking and entertaining in central London. In my working days, I used the Club a lot for entertaining; guests were always impressed and found it a good place to relax with good food and wine. I am delighted that the quality of our offering has improved immensely in recent years.
The challenge is how to bring together these different elements into a single, simple, basic message which communicates our identity to all our Members and future Members?
It matters because we need to improve our finances and gaining new Members is the most important single way we can do that. Please do what you can to help.
Money
It would be great if we could do everything without having to worry about money. Unfortunately, that’s not an option. The legacy of some years of declining numbers, the pandemic, buying out the shares in our company, and continuing
inflation makes it a challenge to balance our books and get the accounts back into the black. I also mention that the rate of inflation for London hospitality businesses is double the headline rate.
The priority for our company, supported by the Members’ Council, is establishing a Business Plan, backed by realistic plans and numbers, to get into financial health within 3 years. By the time you read this, the Club will have decided 2025 subscription levels. Please help by paying up and bringing in family, friends, and colleagues as Members and guests to enjoy the Club, our events, and the facilities. Membership Committee colleagues and our staff will be pleased to help by greeting new and potential Members and showing them everything we have to offer - as you know, that's a lot!
We haven’t forgotten that an original purpose of the Club was to bring together “Liberals of modest means” to enjoy our facilities and the debates that take place here. It’s a pity our finances don’t allow us to keep subscription fees down as much as we would like, but we shall continue to do our best to ensure that the quantity and quality of our offerings justifies the cost.
Debate
My personal priority is to make the National Liberal Club once more a centre for political, intellectual, and cultural debate in the UK and beyond. As the home of the Liberal International - the centre for Liberal Parties around the world - the Club involves events and meetings with a global reach. Recent guests included Liberals from Ukraine, South Africa, Taiwan and Georgia as well as friends from the rest of Europe. It’s a big ambition and the sooner we can all concentrate on it the better.
Please write to me at gordon@ lishman.co.uk if you have comments or suggestions on the above or generally.
With good wishes to all our Members and friends,
Treasurer’s Question Time
So, financially, how are we doing?
I am pleased to say that we did better financially in 2023 than we did in 2022 and our projections for 2024 show a further improvement. That said, NLC Limited did lose £395,458 last year which clearly is unsustainable. We are still suffering to an extent from cost increases following the pandemic and a slight loss of members during that time. We are not alone in this and all hospitality businesses have been through some rough times in the last few years.
Can you give us some more detail on those losses?
Yes. The good news was that we made a trading profit in 2023. By trading I mean the income from our bar, restaurant and banqueting facilities. We had not made a profit on this for some time, and it is a tribute to the appetising food and wine on offer and the attractive events we stage. Unfortunately, the big problem is that we do not generate enough membership income to cover the costs of running the Club, which leads to the losses.
So membership subscriptions will have to rise?
Most probably. At the very least they will need to keep up with inflation - in recent years we have mostly frozen subscriptions so they have fallen behind inflation. Our subscription rates have always
been quite a bit below those of equivalent clubs. We must remember though that it’s not just rates that are important, but the number of members we have. From a low of around 1300 members in 2014, we now have some 2500, which is great. If we can get rapidly to 3000 members (which is our theoretical maximum) then that will help enormously. Recruiting new members is crucial.
What
about other
sources of income?
As members will know, we do have external hospitality events at the Club and these contribute greatly to our finances. We have some income from other sources which is very valuable and we need to increase this. Filming has been profitable for us over the years and we took in £37,000 in April and May this year, but it is unpredictable. We also hope to try and make the Club available to external hires (e.g. weddings) at the weekends when it is closed. This however is a very competitive market and is not easy to get into.
We do have some investments, how are they doing?
At the end of last year our investments were valued at just under £960,000 and they have ticked up in value a little since then. They are managed professionally by our investment managers JM Finn Limited and are primarily a “rainy day” fund. They were vital during the pandemic and we had
to draw down cash just to keep us going. We do monitor cash flow very closely and because we are loss making, we often need to dip into our investments to provide cash in the latter part of the year. Whether we shall need to do this in 2024 is uncertain at the moment, but good trading at the end of the year may mean this is not necessary. Clearly we should aim to generate enough cash from our operations and even build up our reserves for the future.
Do we need to spend much on the building in the near future?
I don’t think so. The last big project was the kitchen and we have had to spend some money on smaller projects since then. Of course there are things we would like to do in order to improve the Club, and hopefully we shall be able to do so in the future. However, there is nothing I am aware of that will require funds in the next few years.
Are you optimistic for the future?
I’m always optimistic! The Club has lasted for over 140 years and we are all working very hard to ensure it is still here 140 years hence. Much has been achieved over the last few years, but there is still heavy lifting to do. We do have some time but need to move quickly and, of course, the support of our loyal members is vital.
Phil Reeves Treasurer
The Club’s Five Standing Committees
Beer, Wines and Spirits
Chair: Val Stansfield
The major event this year was the Catering Survey and what flowed from it. Most members are happy with the range of wines offered by the Club but there are some concerns about value. The BWS Committee is mindful of this and seeks to provide plenty of options below £30 in addition to the Club wines. Members also expressed an interest in food pairings so the BWS Committee has worked with Head Chef Jon Oates on providing inserts to the Dining Room menu and information on wine pairings to staff.
The Catering Survey also highlighted that many members don’t know that wines available in the Dining Room are also available in the Bar, and what’s available by the glass. We’ve introduced folders in the bar with the wines by the glass. These will change every month as the BWS Committee changes the ‘showcase wines’. This will usually include new wines that we’ve selected.
So this is my plea – don’t just order the Club wines. Pick the list up, have a look and try something different.
Going forward, we’ll replace the Club Claret over the next few months. There are only stocks to see us through to next Spring, and as it’s a 2016 wine it needs replacing. But fear not, the BWS Committee is on the case and will choose a suitable replacement.
Update: The BWS Committee met on the 16th October and
found a suitable replacement for the Club Claret, it’s similar to the last one and the Club is organising a special launch dinner to mark its inauguration on the 29th May 2025!
Catering
Chair: Robert Orchard
When the Catering Committee commissioned a major survey earlier this year of what NLC members liked and disliked about the food on their plates in the Dining Room and Bar, more than 500 members responded, providing very valuable feedback for our Head Chef, Jonathan Oates, and his team to analyse.
The survey, devised by committee member Harley Ludlow, found high levels of approval: three out of four members who replied were satisfied with the food on offer.
Rising prices were an issue for many, however, with some dining less frequently due to the cost. One innovation prompted by the survey: there was strong support for the Club offering breakfast on selected mornings and this is being trialled up to Christmas 2024 initially.
Fine dining remains the Club’s jewel in the crown and one of the committee’s next targets is to develop a rapid feedback system any diner could use to comment on the quality of their meal or service provided.
Queues at the Bar in busy periods were a frequent comment in our major survey and plans are afoot to tackle this source of frustration, with one key improvement already
in place: a secondary Bar in the Smoking Room every evening from Tuesday to Friday, and then on The Terrace next summer.
Events & Activities
Chair: Elizabeth Crowther-Hunt
The main roles of the E&A Committee are to oversee the Clubs, Circles and Groups (CCGs) that give vibrant life to events inside and outside the Club, together with providing help and support to the more formal all-club events by providing chairs, guest speakers and supporting speakers.
When we receive a proposal for a new CCG, we consider the document provided by the proposed organiser and usually agree to formation, and then offer help and guidance in how to make the CCG successful. Since autumn 2023 we have agreed to proposals for the following new CCGs - AI, Archaeology and Heritage, Diversity and Inclusion, Energy, Italian, Meditation, Netherlands, Opera and Ukrainian.
The only CCG to resign during the year is the Fashion Circle.
We work closely with the Events Team and Chef to ensure all events – both CCG-led and Club events –are successful and well attended.
In that vein we have identified the correct organisers for all current CCGs and entered them into a definitive spreadsheet which now serves as the only list from which contact details are provided to those enquiring about an event or group.
Marketing & Communications
Chair: Harley Ludlow
The Marketing & Communications Committee supports all Club initiatives aimed at attracting new members and retaining existing ones. In addition to producing this magazine, the Committee manages all marketing materials, oversees the selection and approval of NLCbranded merchandise, and provides support with website updates and the design of event templates for Club activities.
In the absence of a dedicated in-house marketing team, the efforts of our office teams, along with Gareth and Digital Revolutions, are invaluable, and we’re here to support them. As the ‘brand guardians,’ the MarComms committee, with Gareth’s marketing expertise, plays a crucial role in ensuring that the NLC’s identity is consistently and accurately represented across both print and digital platforms, helping to maintain a cohesive and professional image at every level.
Looking ahead, a top priority is strengthening collaboration between the MarComms and Membership Committees by fostering closer integration; both Chairs will attend each other’s meetings ex-officio to improve coordination.
Recognising the importance of inclusivity, we will work with the new Diversity & Inclusion Advisory and Consultation Group (DIACG) to design recruitment materials that attract members from diverse backgrounds. Our goal is to broaden the Club’s appeal to women, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ individuals who share our liberal values, fulfilling our tagline as “the most inclusive Club in London.”
In November, the Committee will be supporting two regional LibDem conferences with the goal of attracting new members and showcasing the Club’s facilities. Upcoming plans also include relaunching the NLC Shop on the website, conducting a member survey to gather valuable feedback, and producing an updated promotional video to build on the success of the 2021 edition.
Membership
Chair: Kate Birch
During the September Open House weekend, what struck many NLC volunteers was the sheer range of visitors to the Club, in terms of age, diversity and cultural background, and with a significant representation from overseas. It was almost a mirror of the National Liberal Club itself and we want to build on that
interest, to thoroughly reflect our desire to be ‘the most inclusive Club in London’.
To achieve this, we will be working with the newly established Diversity & Inclusion Advisory and Consultation Group (DIACG) to broaden our membership, to bring in more women, more people of colour and those from the LGBTQ+ community who share the NLC’s Liberal values, both within the UK and internationally.
These Liberal values are at the forefront of our recruitment approach in a year when the Liberal Democrats have done so much to resurrect their political profile. With a large influx of Honorary MPs following the party’s stunning result in July’s General Election, we plan to continue our long-term project to grow the number of Liberal Democrat political members at the NLC. That this is increasingly successful was apparent from the interest at our stand at the party’s Conference in Brighton this September.
In addition to expanding membership and proposing subscription rates – where we often have to make tough decisions such as the increases for 2025 –the Committee’s core functions include vetting and approving new members, retaining these and enhancing their membership experience. We want you all to feel accepted, safe and comfortable as you walk through our doors. We want your friends and guests to feel the same and would encourage you to introduce new people to the NLC and help us reach, and surpass, that 3000-member milestone!
Members’ Council
Elected members with voting rights 2024–2025
Janet Berridge
Kate Birch
James Brown
Theo Butt Philip
Cait Chidgey
Elizabeth Crowther-Hunt
David de Freitas
Nick Doherty
Chris Hallworth
Tim Herrington
Peter Hofford
Havard Hughes
Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett
Nick Kirby
Tim Layton
David Leakey
Gordon Lishman
Harley Ludlow
Nahuel Marisi
Sheila McGuirk
Nadia Montasser
Robert Orchard
Inderjeet Singh Nijhar
Val Stansfield
Janice Turner
Mark Twitchett
Arthur Wu
Charles Welchman
Yisha Xue
Alex Youel
Non voting members 2024–2025
Lord Alderdice
Lord Beith
Charles Gillett
Terence Gleed Richards
Revd Paul Hunt
Michael Meadowcroft
Derek McAuley
His Hon David Owen Jones
Phil Reeves
Jamie Sharpley
Angela Style
New Staff Members
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new NLC Staff Members!
Singing While She Worked – For 33 Years
WhenJane Asare arrived in Britain from Ghana and started work at the National Liberal Club in 1991, John Major had just replaced Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister and the Lib Dems were celebrating another by-election triumph, overturning a massive Tory majority in Ribble Valley.
Now, 33 years later, Jane retired earlier this year as the Club’s longest-serving member of staff, a popular and highly-valued figure who says she loved nothing better than singing hymns to herself as she went about her early morning cleaning work in the almost-deserted building.
The Club hosted a tea party in the Lawrence Robson Room to mark Jane’s retirement, with her husband Owusu and two of her four children, Ralph and Henrietta, joining NLC members and staff past and present to celebrate her contribution to the Club over more than three decades.
Former Chair of the Board Jamie Sharpley recalled Jane’s irrepressible good humour:
“Whenever I saw her she always had a smile on her face and a friendly greeting.”
Simon Roberts started work at the NLC as Club Secretary soon after Jane arrived and came back to pay tribute to her many years of service, joking that he wanted to apologise belatedly for the notoriously untidy state of his office and desk which Jane had to clean for so many years.
“How she always managed to put everything back in place is still a
mystery to me,” he said.
Jane, who’s 68, said she had very much enjoyed her years at the Club:
“All the people I worked with were lovely and always helpful. The former party leader, Paddy Ashdown, was a gentleman. When I had my Hoover he would always open the door for me. I love the former Club Chair, Janet Berridge, too. She was very kind to me.”
“I also loved the building because it is like the olden days. You don’t see anything like that now: it is all plastic!”
Jane’s son, Ralph Frempong, thanked the Club for arranging the party and said the NLC had been a great place for his mother.
“She has really appreciated every single moment she has worked here and we as a family want to thank all of you for accepting her into your family.”
Jane and her husband, Owusu, plan to return to Ghana to live and we all wish them a long and happy retirement
Robert Orchard Chair, Catering Committee
Head of Facilities –Drew Manley
Dining Room Hostess –Diva Sunar
Maintenance Technician –Rodin Pircalaboiu
General Manager –Paul Vesper
Sales & Events CoOrdinator – Grace Vaughan
Membership Assistant –Holly Baker
Bartender –Stefano Messori
Club Vice-Presidents Who Lunch
The NLC boasts six esteemed Vice-Presidents: Janet Berridge, Terence Gleed Richards, Revd Paul Hunt, Michael Meadowcroft, Jamie Sharpley, and Angela Style. Each has made significant contributions to the Club over the years, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. Together, their combined membership exceeds 200 years. Michael Meadowcroft, who joined in 1962, fittingly refers to himself as the ‘Father of the Club.’ All are long standing political members, having been actively involved in Liberal (pre1988) and Liberal Democrat politics for many years.
In recent times, due to distance and the challenges of the pandemic, these Vice-Presidents have rarely gathered in person. To remedy this, Jamie Sharpley proposed a lunch, which took place in our wonderful Dining Room in early October. The group enjoyed a delightful meal, accompanied by excellent red wine, sparking lively reminiscences of days gone by. Unfortunately, Angela Style was unable to attend due to illness, but the gathering in the Dining Room was preserved for posterity and there is a plan to make this a regular fixture in the VPs’ diaries.
European Movement
Inautumn 2023, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Dr. Mike Galsworthy, Chair of the European Movement UK. So it was with great delight that I received a phone call from him in early January, informing me about a short film being produced to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the European Movement.
Dr. Galsworthy made an attractive request: to host interviews with The Right Honourable Lord Michael Heseltine CH, The Right Honourable Lord Neil Kinnock, and Laura Sandys CBE, a former Chair of the European Movement, in our magnificent Smoking Room. Naturally, I was honoured to confirm that the Club would be delighted to accommodate such an event. All three were more than happy to engage in conversation and to have photographs taken to commemorate the occasion.
Karin Rehacek Immediate Past Chair
Diversity & Inclusion at the NLC
Black History Month at the NLC and Beyond
Kamala Harris: “Historic Candidacy – Modern Fault Lines” was the topic of a panel featuring members of the US Democratic Party in the UK officially known as Democrats Abroad UK. The debate was sponsored by the Political & Economic Circle and the Diversity and Inclusion Group. The panel analysed racial and gender dynamics as well as regional and generational differences. They also discussed Kamala Harris’s career in California, its impact on her campaign strategy and perceptions of her as a presidential nominee. Also debated were the fault lines involving immigration, class issues and extremism.
Derek McAuley, Chair of the Hibbert Trust, spoke to the Wednesday
Luncheon Circle, about the effect of the Black Lives Matter movement on the Trust. He gave an honest and wide-ranging presentation on the Trust’s ‘journey of exploration’ and the agreement to make ‘reparations for the Trust’s connection with slavery, in the context of fulfilling their legal obligation to their remit.’ This issue was of great interest, reflecting similar debates that took place in organisations across the UK in the wake of the BLM demonstrations.
Theatre & Arts Circle
Chair Brain Stevenson organised a showing of “Selma,” an account of the epic march led by Martin Luther King Jr from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama and the campaign for voting rights in the United States. The 2014 film was nominated for 91 awards, winning 58, including an Oscar.
Although October is the official month for black history, here are some suggestions for continuing to explore black culture and excellence in the coming months.
Reading
There’s Always Enough: A Global Food Diary by Annette Anthony provides 175 recipes in the context of the writer’s memoir with descriptions of travel and cultural interactions from Philadelphia to London by way of Morocco, the Ivory Coast, France and other countries. Published in January 2024, this highly praised book is available in bookstores and on Amazon.
Museum Visit
The Black Cultural Archives exist to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories
of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK. The exhibit, Race Today: Black History is British History is on display throughout November.
https:// blackculturalarchives.org
Walks and Talks
The Black History Walks team has been educating Londoners with their walking tours for over 17 years. They also organise Black History talks, film exhibitions, helicopter and cruise tours.
https://blackhistorywalks. co.uk
Diversity & Inclusion Advisory and Consultation Group (DIACG)
Atthe heart of the NLC’s core values, the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory and Consultation Group (DIACG) is dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion within the Club. The DIACG plays a pivotal role in shaping key events in the NLC calendar, consulting on membership recruitment strategies, and serving as a vital resource for other Club Circles and Committees.
The DIACG proudly made its debut this year with a standout event: a discussion on the Kamala Harris candidacy was held on 22nd October. This launch event, organised in collaboration with the Political & Economic Circle, was moved from the Lady Violet Room to the David Lloyd George room due to member interest, signalling the immediate impact. The DIACG is particularly grateful for the support of the Membership
and Marketing & Communications Committees, whose chairs attended our inaugural meeting earlier in the month. This collaboration marks the start of what promises to be a strong and strategic partnership as the group continues to shape its initiatives.
The year 2025 promises to be an exciting one for the DIACG, with the inauguration of several new events and the strengthening of ongoing initiatives. Signature events will include the first annual NLC Black History Month Reception, an NLC celebration of Diwali, and an Eid Dinner. The DIACG and the LGBTQ+
Circle have plans to collaborate on Pride events.
Finally, the DIACG is thrilled to announce its monthly 4th Wednesday Meet-Ups, held in the Smoking Room. These gatherings are designed to allow new NLC members to meet other Club members informally and provide a space for open, engaging conversations and answer any questions they may have about the Club. We look forward to welcoming members every fourth Wednesday (except December) for what promises to be lively discussions and meaningful connections. The DIACG is committed to making a lasting impact and looks forward to working closely with all members and partners in the year ahead.
Carol Graham Chair,
DIACG
BEHIND THE SCENES
Looking Behind the Scenes at the NLC
Club Vice-President Janet Berridge sat down with Lord Beith, the Club’s President, and Lord Alderdice, Chair of the Trustees, to learn more about their tenures at the Club.
Lord Alan Beith has been President of the Club since 2007 and recently announced that he will step down from that role at the end of 2024. Our Chair of Trustees, Lord John Alderdice, has for some time taken a keen interest in the way the Club is governed.
Janet Berridge, Vice President, recently took the opportunity to chat to these ‘elder statesmen’ of the Club in order to find out how they view their roles.
Looking back over 17 years as President, Alan Beith stressed that he did not see himself as having been ‘at the helm’; rather as a figurehead willing to be of assistance when required. When he joined the NLC in 1965 he was a politics lecturer at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and already active in Liberal politics. The NLC was by that time undoubtedly ‘shabby’ and the Liberal Party’s fortunes had waned; there was a sense that the Club could not survive as it was. Thankfully, although the bedrooms are now gone, the Club’s fortunes did revive and today, the political situation has, thanks to this year’s phenomenal general election result, improved far beyond expectations. Then as now, the NLC provides a place for liberal minded people to meet socially.
John Alderdice has been a member of the NLC since 1986 and reflected on how technology had changed the way people interact in the past 40 years; he was very relieved that while NLC members
could nowadays be seen working on their laptops or using their smartphones in many parts of the Club, this practice had not spread to the Dining Room, where human contact was still the method of communication. Whether in a social or business context, the NLC offers a convivial atmosphere for people to meet and engage with one another, something that he greatly values. Like Alan, John remembers the Club looking rather shabby even in the 1980s, mirroring the fortunes of the Liberal Party at the time. He paid tribute to the Robson family and Sir Lawrence’s vision of upgrading the Club in the ensuing years by selling off the bedrooms. Initially, as Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and simultaneously a trainee psychiatrist, he visited London – and the NLC – regularly and valued the opportunity to meet there and engage with both political and professional colleagues. John underlined the Club’s close proximity to the seat of government and the fact that the Liberal Democrats are now represented at Westminster by 72 MPs and 78 Peers; representatives of society contributing to legislation and debate. In addition, the NLC is a global hub for Liberalism, since Liberal International has been housed at the Club for many years. The NLC is probably unique in providing this London base for Liberals from all over the world and we can be rightly proud of that.
Alan highlighted the fact that in
1976 the NLC was one of the first clubs in London to accept women as members, which he sees as a very positive development reflected in the growing number of female Liberal Democrat politicians and Club members. With regard to the role of the Club’s Trustees, John stressed that while their role was often seen in terms of taking care of the portraits on the walls, there was an urgent need for more engagement with the governance of the Club and as arbitrators of disagreement. Lord Tom McNally, a former Trustee, believed that a change in the rules and greater use of trustees’ skills and experience was essential to help the Club run better. Alan noted that it was imperative for Club members to know that the Trustees were working in the background, willing to share their political experience for the long-term good of the Club. David Steel, former leader of the Liberal Party and the Liberal Democrats, had championed this approach in the past.
Alan became MP for Berwick on Tweed in 1973 and continued using the Club; he often took advantage of the shabby bedrooms, including delivery of a morning cup of tea as a gentle reminder that it was time to rise and take one’s breakfast! While he remembers the long hours that MPs spent in the House back then, he emphasised the high priority that Liberal MPs gave to their constituency work. MPs nowadays spend less time in the Commons
(which may lead to lack of proper scrutiny), but they have far greater resources at their disposal than in the 1970s.
John, one of the youngest people (in 1996) ever created a life peer, was from 1998 First Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and President of Liberal International as well as Director of the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflicts; he admitted that juggling several roles had been challenging, but he had found a solution: by cutting the proverbial candle into two halves and then burning it at four ends! He explained that his experience gained in the House of Lords has been of immense help to him in Northern Ireland, especially in the fields of administration and security. In the case of Liberal International and its international influence, both Lords see the opportunity to enhance the NLC’s status thanks to the presence of Liberal politicians from other countries and the staging of renowned events like the Isaiah Berlin Lectures at the Club.
Looking back over his long membership of the Club, Alan recalled joining other members at a circular lunch table one day many years ago and being impressed to
be seated opposite Basil Wigoder, the QC who in 1950 had successfully represented a man who had refused to produce an ID card when asked by a policeman. The case, Willcock v. Muckle, won acclaim for its defence of civil liberties (Willcock is commemorated by an illuminated address at the NLC). Alan feels that the encounter is the hallmark of the NLC, where there is no standing on ceremony; everyone is equal.
With regard to the members of the NLC, both agreed that with a far more diverse membership, there was the potential for disagreement; the key was to bring people together in all manner of contexts so that there can be an open exchange of views.
When it came to the financial challenges facing the Club today, both men agreed that the Victorian clubhouse we all cherish requires regular maintenance and the hospitality business run by NLC Ltd needs to be viable. The two go hand in hand and it is essential to inform members of necessary investment in our Club’s infrastructure. John recalled that during an earlier cost of living crisis there had been concerns that members would reduce their use of the Club, but on the contrary
they had simply spent less time in local restaurants and brought their friends and associates to the Club to dine.
Liberalism is in flux globally, which means we must engage with others and be willing to make a contribution to society. For the Liberal Democrat MPs and Peers who represent us, this offers opportunities, but we must not be unrealistic about what can be achieved.
Both Lords set great store by their Liberal values and the Party’s social commitment; these two strands need to be drawn together. They are what define us as Liberal Democrats and what set us apart from the mainstream parties. It is highly encouraging that many of the new MPs have joined the NLC and will use it by meeting there and bringing their colleagues and constituents to enjoy the atmosphere. That said, the social aspect is equally important for the well-being of the Club. The liberal culture of the National Liberal Club is essential to our community and reflects our members’ characteristics.
Janet Berridge NLC Vice-President
House of Lords
House of Lords official archive
Lord Beith
Lord Alderdice
TO THE NLC Drinks Packages 2024
VIP Platinum
White: Henri Bourgeois Sancerre La Porte du Caillou 2022 - Loire, France
Red: Dom. de Fargueirol: Châteauneuf du Pape 2020 (Grenache / Syrah) – Rhône
Sparkling Wine: Pommery Brut Rosé Royal Full Price £285.00
Gold
White: Trimbach: Gewürztraminer, 2018 – Alsace, France
Red: Casa Silva: “Gran Terroir Los Lingues“Carmenere 2021 - Colchagua Valley, Chile
English Sparkling Wine: Louis Pommery Full Price £180.00
Dessert Wine & Port
Tesauro: Recioto della Valpolicella 2020 (Corvina) – Veneto, Italy £45
Taylor’s: Late Bottled Vintage Port – Douro, Portugal £41
Midnight Toast Selection
Louis Pommery England Sparkling £85
Pommery Brut Royal £110
Pommery Brut Rosé Royal £125
Colheita Port 2004 - Offley, Portugal £57.50 Early Bird prices available until 30th August 2024
FOOD & DRINK
Interview Jonathan Oates
It’s been a good year for NLC Head Chef Jonathan Oates, who has recently been promoted to the grandly-titled Executive Chef and Head of Food & Beverages. He now also oversees the Bar, the Terrace, and Banqueting, in fact all aspects of what Club members and guests are offered to drink as well as what they see on their plate. He certainly has a lot more on his plate but seems to be relishing the task.
Jonathan says the principal aim for the Dining Room remains unchanged: delicious food at affordable prices, and the overall levels of satisfaction
among members who completed the recent Catering Survey remain impressively high despite grumbles from some that prices seem to be rising inexorably.
The various money-off deals tried out over the past 12 months met a mixed response and have now ended, apart from the regular fixedprice Members’ Menu. However, when we met, Jonathan was looking forward to what he called a ‘Member Benefit Pack’ to be published this autumn. This would promote services like the NLC Kitchen offering to bake a birthday cake to order, specialised
menu requests, and rolling out group bookings for 20 or more guests to reserve space in the Smoking Room or Terrace for pre-ordered drinks, with a dedicated server, which was trialled successfully in the summer.
Other dining priorities include seeking ways to attract more members to lunch at the Club. Some kind of special offer is being considered, he hints, and among the targets for the coming year is an upgrade to the Club’s creaking technology in the Dining Room and Bar.
“Our tills are pretty ancient and
don’t function that well,” says Jonathan. “We have been doing dummy runs with table service in the Bar and Smoking Room and are looking at using QR codes for ordering.” (Luddite Alert: some of us still don’t use QR codes!)
The Club has been trialling the use of computer ‘tablets’ to take orders, but those we possess need upgrading. The problem is stark:
“From taking the order with pen and paper to getting that entered laboriously onto the computer and passed through to the kitchen can take eight minutes for a table of six people. Eight minutes from when they placed their order to the kitchen receiving it! It’s clearly not satisfactory,” he says.
The problem has been worse in the Bar, where there is only one till at the moment, and the long queues at peak times are legendary. But help is at hand with the arrival of a secondary bar set up on the Terrace last summer and now transferred to the Smoking Room, open every weekday evening except Mondays.
By the time you read this, the pilot scheme to serve breakfast at the Club on selected days – a very popular request – in the Catering Survey will be well underway, with dates still to come on Friday, 22nd November, and Thursday, 19th December, when there will be a complimentary glass of Buck’s Fizz to get the festive season underway!
Jonathan has been encouraged by the response to the range of events staged in 2024. Do people still want so many Black Tie dinners as in the past, or are they deterring many members who might otherwise attend?
“Some people still want those formal events. For the St George’s Day dinner in 2025, black tie will be optional, whereas the Bastille Day event in July will be black tie for the first time. I’m not precious about it either way.”
One new event in 2024 where Black Tie was definitely not the ticket was the dinner held to commemorate Sticky Toffee Pudding Day (a new anniversary to me, I must
confess). The 40 people who ordered a two-course meal got a free serving of sticky toffee pudding as dessert!
So, finally, I asked Jonathan, how would he characterise the style of the cuisine on offer at the NLC under your leadership?
“I loathe descriptions like ‘Modern British’ or ‘Modern European.’ I would like to think we are a progressive members’ dining room where we hold onto some traditional values but also bring in influences from different cuisines. We evolve; we don’t often revert back. So ‘a little bit of everything’… that’s what we aim to offer.”
Robert Orchard Chair, Catering Committee
If Jonathan Oates is now the Grand Master overseeing all aspects of the NLC’s dining and wine experiences behind the scenes, the two most familiar faces to Club members are Dining Room & Bar Manager Luigi Sorrentino and Bar Supervisor Brandon Wheatley. Catering Committee Chair Robert Orchard set out to learn a little more about both of them.
Interview Luigi Sorrentino
Luigi Sorrentino has been the face of the Dining Room for Club members since the autumn of 2023. He came to the NLC after working in hospitality at hotels in Mayfair and Heathrow, as well as a previous stint at a private club mainly for doctors, the Royal Society of Medicine.
However, his journey to London from his Italian home in Calabria and then Liguria in 2005 was far from smooth, especially as he arrived speaking only a few words of English.
“My English was a disaster when I arrived. I was more or less homeless for a good six months after my money ran out. It was hard to find a job, and I ended up sharing a room with a stranger! I was eating bread and Marmite for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was the only thing I could afford, but I didn’t give up,” he recalls.
Previous jobs included three years as a ‘promoter’ in Leicester Square, encouraging passers-by to visit
local clubs, and a period as an Uber driver. So, why did he choose to work in the hospitality sector?
“My grandfather had a grocery shop selling sausages, salami, and foreign cheeses. And my father was a charcutier, selling salami, so I grew up with food around me. I also like contact with people, not working alone. Being an Uber driver was good money, but it was a very lonely job. What I enjoy most is meeting people and building relationships. I have
“
Lunch was terrific: inspirational and very very tasty.”
That was the verdict of one very special satisfied customer recently in the Club Dining Room. 93-yearold Jim Tanner, a retired architect, first joined the Club in 1980 and had come with two friends to claim his free slap-up meal as winner out of some 500 entries of the special prize draw held among Club members who took part in the NLC’s recent catering survey.
Mr Tanner was full of praise for the choice of food laid on by Head Chef Jonathan Oates and his team, saying the outing was a wonderful chance to get away from the pre-cooked meals he usually has to rely on now he can no longer do much cooking for himself. Jonathan and Dining Room Manager Luigi
friends all over the world now.”
Luigi prefers club life at the NLC over hotels, saying he enjoys seeing the same members regularly, which makes it easier to get to know the people he’s working for.
“This Club is very diverse. It’s fun sometimes because it includes a lot of different kinds of people and is not really stiff or formal like some other places where I’ve done agency work in the past.”
Our Dining Room Manager has a Chinese wife: they met in a bar while she was a student, and he can now speak a little Mandarin. He has also developed a great love of Chinese food:
“I’ve never eaten so much rice as I have since I met my wife, but I really like it. I don’t feel like I can eat if there’s no rice on the side.”
He used to box to stay fit when he was younger. Now he just goes to the gym, but he admits he’s still trying to lose some of the weight he gained during the lockdown. Go easy on the rice, Luigi!
Robert Orchard Chair, Catering Committee
Sorrentino were both on hand to help ensure Mr Tanner and his guests enjoyed their lunch at the Club (see photo).
Over nearly 50 years, Jim says he appreciates both what has changed about the Club and what hasn’t:
“The one thing that hasn’t changed is the marvellous building, though it has been much improved. When I joined there was a strict dress code and the Club had only very recently begun to admit women so there were very few about. I think it has improved enormously.
“It has kept up with the times and is now very much a contemporary London club of a new kind... much more friendly to everybody and less of a retreat just for older gentlemen with beards and so forth.”
Interview Brandon Wheatley
The familiar youthful figure of Brandon Wheatley behind the Club Bar conceals a fascinating and varied past, having once been both a budding professional footballer and a zookeeper in America, as the NLC’s Bar Supervisor explains:
“At the age of 15, I was scouted for a football scholarship by Reading FC. This was to play Futsal... indoor professional five-a-side football, which has grown in popularity over the past 10 years. Reading took us on, we trained during the week, and the England captain was our coach. The sport is very popular in South America, as well as Spain and Portugal. We trained with the main team, which had just returned to the Championship after a spell in the Premier League. The England player, Adam Le Fondre, was probably the best-known star at the club at that time,” he recalls.
“I considered taking it further. There was an opportunity to move to Manchester to continue, but I chose to take a break and go to the USA instead. I don’t regret it. You make decisions and there’s no point in looking back. I went to Missouri in the Midwest and worked at a
private zoo and an educational camp for kids aspiring to become vets. I worked with many types of animals and ended up specialising in lemurs.” (These are small primates that resemble raccoons.)
Brandon has been with the Club for two years in total, starting as a freelancer. He acknowledges the Bar has some serious problems that need addressing – not least the issue of having only a single till, which means only one member can be served at a time. He admits it can be ‘challenging’ during busy periods when thirsty members are queuing and hopes the new secondary bar, now operational in the Smoking Room, will help relieve some of the pressure.
Ask Val
For many years Mr Tanner was architect to the Royal Ballet School, designing their Margot Fonteyn Theatre Studio in Richmond Park among his most memorable projects.
He and his carer regularly attend the Hibernation Lunches staged by the NLC, and every Christmas he brings family and close friends to the Club’s traditional Christmas Lunch. And after last week, it seems Jim may be getting rather a taste for the high life:
“The Club is a favourite of mine. It just gets better and better. I just love going there and I am coming again with friends this Wednesday... for a Bar Lunch this time, and we’re hoping the sun will shine so we can enjoy it out on the Terrace!”
The key for members is working out what you like. We group wines on the NLC list by flavour profile. So white wines might be grouped as fresh, fruity and bright or rich, round and aromatic. Reds could be fruity, light and soft, or big, powerful and intense.
There are four flavour profiles for whites and four for reds. The idea is that if you like something in one category, you might like other wines in that category, so please be adventurous and try different wines on the list. The key first step is to pick up the list in either the Bar or Dining Room, and have a look.
Chef Jon has gone heavy on game this autumn, with deer, partridge and pheasant. What goes with game – well, ask five people and
“Those looking for a quick glass of wine or a gin and tonic can now head to the Smoking Room Bar from Tuesday to Friday evenings and get served there much faster than if they queue in the main bar,” he advises.
Brandon is delighted to have been co-opted onto the memberled Beer, Wines, and Spirits Committee, where he can contribute his views on the wines offered to Club members. He is modestly confident about his knowledge of wines and has begun conducting wine training sessions for relevant staff. Regular suppliers are invited to speak about their wines, and staff are encouraged to ask questions.
Targets for the year ahead include expanding the Club’s drink selection to meet the demand for real ales and a wider variety of ciders. There has also been a surge in demand for non-alcoholic drinks, and Brandon hopes to offer more options for our more abstemious members.
While he may have left behind the delights and challenges of working in a zoo, our Bar Supervisor seems well-prepared to handle the varied and sometimes exotic creatures he encounters in the human zoo that is 1 Whitehall Place.
Robert Orchard Chair, Catering Committee
you’ll get seven opinions. I’ve got a soft spot for our Portuguese Pinot Noir but others will lean towards Rhône reds like the Châteauneuf du Pape. Claret works well too. Nonred drinkers should consider the Luberon Rosé as it’s clean, dry and bounces off the game – only £22 a bottle, too.
After that we’ll be into the Christmas season, which means lots of turkey. Pinot Noir again works very well here, and we’re also getting more into white wine territory with Chardonnay being a classic pairing.
Enjoy whatever you try, and then try something new next time you’re in the Club.
Val Stansfield
Chair,
Beer, Wines and Spirits Committee
The Company of PRESCOTT THOMAS LTD. has a history going back over 100 years, to the Old Spitalfields Market, centred in the heart of the City of London, then as R.A. Prescott. Its sole aim was to make the people of London aware of the benefits of quality, carefully chosen fresh fruit and vegetables. It wasn’t long before the Company was linked to both high standards and a dedication to service.
Today, we can proudly say that we have responded to that request effectively and efficiently, serving a broader and much larger customer base (many of whom we have long-standing relationships with). We deliver six days a week throughout London and the Home Counties. Prescott-Thomas Ltd sources approximately 60% of home-grown produce during the English season from local growers and farms. Hence, we are a member of the Soil Association and have been awarded Red Tractor Accreditation and Organic Certification. We are committed to net zero, sustainability, and enforcing these practices across all our operations. We place a strong emphasis on minimizing our impact on the environment and fully recognize our responsibility towards preserving and protecting it, working closely with customers, suppliers, and employees to develop environmental best practices.
Champagne Bauget-Jouette is proud to be the Club Champagne. Supplied by Hayward Bros. (Wines), fourth generation family-owned wine shippers established in 1932.
Block & Cleaver was founded in 2010 as a bespoke catering butcher by Glenn Preston to supply quality restaurants, hotels, and event caterers based in Central London and the surrounding areas.
Having a highly skilled butcher at the head of the business sets the standard for the entire team to follow. Product quality and butchery standards are the key to our success.
The Company started in its current manufacturing unit on the Kent and London border in November 2010, which was expanded in June 2013, and then further expanded in 2017 as the business grew.
The unit location was chosen to give us fast and efficient access to both our London and Southeast England-based customers.
The present unit was designed and developed by the owner to reflect the bespoke nature of the business and to incorporate best practices in relation to product safety and hygiene.
Block & Cleaver prides itself on being a company owned and run by skilled, professional, and experienced butchers whose passion is to produce innovative, quality food for the premier catering market.
The company currently has a core team of more than 50 staff, including those engaged in product development, administration, production, food quality, food safety, and distribution.
The National Liberal Club would like to thank our key suppliers listed below, for their continued service and support, not forgetting their outstanding products. Each of the companies below have contributed to the cost of the magazine, for which we are very grateful. Please follow the link in the details below to learn more about the amazing stories, supplies, and provenance that we use at the National Liberal Club.
John Mower & Co Ltd.
Christopher Piper Wines Ltd.
The Cheese Plate
Matthew Clark
Jackson Nugent Vintners Ltd.
Hayward Bros. (Wines) Ltd
NLC HERITAGE
Liberal Democrat Conference –from the Auditorium to Fringe Events
For the first time since the coalition years, Conference was so full of enthusiasm and dynamism following the General election results of July. I’ve never had to queue to enter Conference at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. The queue stretched down Brighton seafront road, with senior politicians having to queue just like everyone else, but people were really energised and ready for action.
One of the best sights of Conference was to see a 15-metre banner, hastily created and sewn together by the LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, stretched in front of the Brighton Conference centre, signifying exactly where the party stands on trans and non-binary rights. It was then brought out again at the Glee Club on the final evening (Monday) of Conference.
In the Auditorium, the rally was fantastic , even for those of us who are sometimes sceptical of the anticipated line up of speakers. The sketches, jokes and regular renditions of ABBA music kept us on our feet and a real feeling of celebration and joy pervaded the event. Who would have believed this just a couple of years ago?
At the end of Conference, Ed’s speech enlivened and energised the troops, with all 72 MPs on the stage; a great finale dancing to “Sweet Caroline”, apparently Ed’s favourite song. We all know we have an enormous amount of work to do, and our MPs are ready to act as the grown-up opposition.
At the Fringe events, my Conference experience was frantic: trying to attend everything that had an international perspective. LIBG’s fringe on trans-Atlantic relations was the best we’ve had in years, and both receptions on the Monday evening – EU Ambassadors followed by the International Reception sponsored by the Alliance of Liberal & Democrats in Europe (ALDE) with support from the NLC, were packed. The level of international dialogue was high: our new MPs being introduced to the 38 Ambassadors present offered a great networking opportunity for which those of us, like myself, on the Federal International Relations Committee, played our role in facilitating introductions throughout the evening.
All in all, this was the best Conference for more than a decade,
Celebrating new MPs at the NLC
London Liberal Democrats staged a post-election Thank-You Party at the Club on 18 July as a way of celebrating the fantastic result and introducing some of the newly-elected MPs.
Anne Glaze, current Chair of London Liberal Democrats, introduced the MPs and Adrian HyyrylainenTrett spoke on behalf of the Club to welcome the guests and to celebrate with activists. The election results in London were fantastic: Sarah Olney, who retained her
giving a real lift to take the Liberal Democrats forward to play our hand to the best of our ability – with high visibility at PMQs, in Select Committee Chair roles and perhaps even more stunts from Ed!
Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett Vice-Chair, Membership at NLC; Federal International Relations Committee (FIRC) Elected Member; Liberal Democrat Federal Council (FC) Member
seat as MP for Richmond Park, spoke with newly-elected MPs Bobby Dean (Carshalton & Wallington) and Paul Kohler (Wimbledon), while Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) also looked in on the gathering from Hertfordshire.
As the evening drew to a close, Adrian introduced Caroline Pidgeon, who in August this year was created Baroness Pidgeon of Newington in the London Borough of Southwark.
Paul Kohler
Sarah Olney
Victoria Collins
Caroline Pidgeon
New MPs
Adam J Dance, MP for Yeovil
04:20 hrs on Friday, 5 July 2024 was a life changing moment for me. It was a significant milestone in a nearly 20-year journey from a teenager in the Somerset village of South Petherton where I was born and raised, starting with me trying to save the village Youth Club destined to close due to funding cuts.
With my dyslexia and ADHD I received a fair bit of unwanted attention from some of my peers at school and the Youth Club was my safe haven. As part of what I now realise as my first political campaign I met with David Laws and then with Paddy Ashdown who lived in the next village to me.
Both saw in me something that was worth nurturing and any of you who have been spotted by Paddy will know that resistance is futile.
By the age of 20 I was chairman of the South Petherton Parish Council, a community of just over 5,000 people. I then went on to District, County and was until very recently lead member and portfolio holder for Public Health on the New Somerset Unitary Council.
In his latter days, fearing the worst, I made a personal commitment to Paddy, promising that we would get Yeovil Constituency back, and I am beyond honoured to have been able to build a team; together we have achieved that commitment I made to my most significant political and personal mentors
In addition to many others, I continue to be blessed with the unstinting support of Jane Ashdown
with whom I chat regularly: always a good ear and still able to provide quality advice and guidance.
Two things happened on the turn of 04:20 that Friday morning which almost seems a lifetime ago: Firstly, it brought closure to over 2 years of solid campaigning to re-take the seat and secondly it marked the start of my re-election campaign for 2029 or whenever it comes.
I am committed to that style of campaigning introduced to me by Paddy and carried on by David which during the intervening 9 years lost its way a little but is now very much back on the agenda.
I will do everything in my power to make sure Yeovil remains part of our Liberal heartland.
I’m always up for having a chat, so if you see me around at the NLC, do say hi – it will be good to talk.
As the MP, I want to see a future where Torbay can harness the full potential of our stunning natural environment and UNESCO global geopark status. I believe we can create a truly exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family.
This means investing in highquality, fixing health and social care, securing affordable housing, revitalising our local economy, and protecting our precious environment.
For me, being an MP is about being a strong advocate for my constituents, holding those in power to account, and actively engaging with the community. I am committed to maximising my time
in Torbay, listening to the concerns of residents, and working tirelessly to make a positive difference to the lives of my constituents.
Growing up on a council estate in Essex, I never thought this is a privilege I would hold. My dad a scaffolder and my mum a cleaner – until this year, neither of them had ever voted. Things got tough and I moved into the care of my grandparents in my teens. This was a major turning point for me. I went on to University where I learnt that my instincts were liberal. I joined the party. Liberalism to me is about opportunity and power – distributing both as widely as possible. These values have broad appeal and we have proved that in Carshalton and Wallington.
My seat is one of the few we hold that has a higher than average proportion of social housing; it voted Leave, and Reform polled as high as Labour. But we won, with just shy of an 8,000 majority. We achieved this thanks to hard work over many decades. From Lord Tope in the 1980s to my Liberal predecessor Tom Brake – a true local champion.
There is no such thing as a no-go area. We work as hard on the estates as we do in the leafier streets. Every individual in the community matters.
I am honoured to continue the legacy of those before me and hope to repay the trust local people have put in me and our party.
Steve Darling, MP for Torbay
Bobby Dean, MP for Carshalton & Wallington
Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford-on-Avon
I am immensely proud to have been elected the Liberal Democrat MP for Stratford-on-Avon, the area where I live and where I have raised my family. Before entering national politics, I worked as an educator as well as being a Councillor on Stratford-on-Avon District Council, where I campaigned to tackle food poverty, enhance biodiversity and combat flooding.
Originally from Rome, I have lived in the UK all of my adult life. I have a professional background in higher education and the arts, having worked as a university lecturer for many years, more recently with the Open University. I hold a doctorate in literature and translation and have published research in the field of European literature. It feels quite an honour to be known as the “MP for Shakespeare”, as some of my academic publications explore the translations and stage adaptations of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” into Italian. More recently, I have been a producer and curator of community arts projects. My expertise in both fields is reflected in my community engagement. I have been a school governor and until my election, a co-director of a social enterprise supporting local artists.
My team and I will be moving soon into our constituency office in the Stratford Playhouse, which hosts performances, festivals, gigs and stand-up comedy events. Our constituency office will be located, fittingly, at the heart of the creative community in the town of Stratford. I have been nominated to serve on the House of Commons Education Select Committee, to which I am very keen to contribute effectively, drawing from my expertise. A priority in these
first months as an MP has been to visit schools and colleges in my constituency and meet with students and teachers in Parliament. I look forward to ensuring Education is back on the right track.
Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
I’d had 35 years enjoying a good business career, then in 2022 became a LibDem Councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan whilst owning the Highland Cinema and bookshop in the Fort. I casually suggested to Scottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton that it would be a great thing if I could have a shot at ousting Ian Blackford, then leader of the SNP group at Westminster. I felt that as a member of a family who had always lived in Lochaber and had locally supported the popular Charles Kennedy, I was in with a good chance. I knew how I could raise the funds for the campaign, and had a great team of three I could recruit. Following Charles’s demise 9 years ago the LibDems needed building up somewhat, so we did mailings etc and held ‘Gatherings’ across the constituency. Then frustratingly there was a boundary change: I was now up against Drew Hendry, a well known SNP figure. In 2019 in Inverness the SNP had 48% of the vote and the LibDems 10.7%: the challenge seemed almost unwinnable.
Over 18 months we garnered 140 active volunteers, delivered a dozen mailshots, hand-wrote 20,000 envelopes, wrote for and advertised in all the media, had huge billboards on the main roads and organised a significant social media campaign. We were helped by the financial misdemeanours of the SNP leadership and their incompetence
in running Scotland.
Because the polls had me coming 4th even just before the election and the bookies were offering 25/1, my SNP competitor assumed he had the result in the bag.The Tories and Labour knew they had no chance, so hardly contested.
My result was 36 hours later than anyone else due to a Highland Council mix up and two recounts. Of course my team and I were over the moon with my 37%, almost 5% ahead of Hendry!
Zöe Franklin, MP for Guildford Constituency
Becoming the MP for Guildford is an incredible honour. I have lived in the constituency for over 25 years and grew up close by, so have enjoyed visits for many years. I first became involved in politics as a borough councillor for the area of Bellfields and Slyfield – a community with enormous heart but also challenges – after becoming frustrated by the way it was being let down by the local Conservative councils and government. I want to help create a world where everyone can thrive, regardless of background, gender, religion, sexuality – a value that is core to the Lib Dems as a party. Alongside this I am committed to ensuring better NHS provision and service for my constituents and stopping the pollution of our local rivers and other waterways. Beyond my constituency, I want to encourage more women into politics. Though we have the most diverse UK Parliament ever, we need even more women in local government and more women working in politics generally, so the hard work to get more female representation in politics at every level is not over.
Our new Parliamentary Team
Following the amazing results of 4 July 2024, the Liberal Democrats returned to being the third largest party in Westminster with 72 Members of Parliament – their best result for over 100 years. We are now poised to challenge the current government’s actions and thus to be the effective opposition, as the Conservatives remain stuck in their own psychodrama leadership battle for the heart of their disillusioned party.
The Liberal Democrats had gone from 11 Members of Parliament in 2019 and over the course of the last parliament, there were four tremendous by-election victories, taking us to 15 MPs. Many people’s hopes had been pinned on doubling that figure to 30 or even tripling the number of MPs to 45, which would have been a very successful campaign. The end result of 72 MPs was well beyond the wildest dreams of even the most dedicated and enthusiastic activists.
We therefore have a huge number of new, enthusiastic and committed MPs to get to know and we must encourage as many as possible to join the National Liberal Club and be visible and present amongst the Membership.
However, with so many new faces, this seems like a good opportunity to give you some pointers as to who to look out for, and to acquaint you with the key spokespeople (33 in total) you will be hearing from over the coming months.
Working from the top down we obviously have our leader Sir Edward Davey, MP for Kingston & Surbiton; Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor/Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans; Shadow Home Secretary Lisa Smart, MP for Hazel Grove (Greater Manchester) and Shadow Foreign Affairs spokesperson Callum Miller,
MP for Bicester & Woodstock.
As always with a reshuffle, there are winners and losers; however, since the Liberal Democrats have returned to third party status, we get to chair three of the key Select Committees in Parliament. As it is not possible to simultaneously be a Front Bench spokesperson and a Select Committee chair, three key people have been chosen to be Select Committee Chairs: Layla Moran, former Foreign Affairs spokesperson and MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, now chairs the Health & Social Care Select Committee; Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney & Shetland, has taken on the DEFRA (Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) Select Committee, and Jamie Stone, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, is chair of the Petitions Select Committee.
All 15 MPs from the previous parliament were re-elected and some have kept the same portfolios: Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife as Chief Whip, Christine Jardine, MP for Edinburgh West as Women’s & Equalities spokesperson, and Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale as Environment spokesperson. Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire is promoted to the role of Health & Social Care spokesperson, while Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham remains as Education spokesperson and Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond moves to the Cabinet Office.
Then there are the new kids on the block – of which there are plenty – giving a further 16 MPs new spokespeople roles:
Josh Babarinde, MP for Eastbourne – Justice spokesperson
Pippa Heylings, MP for South Cambridgeshire – Climate spokesperson
Max Wilkinson, MP for Cheltenham – Culture, Media & Sports spokesperson
James MacCleary, MP for Lewes – Europe spokesperson
Ben Maguire, MP for North Cornwall – Postal Services spokesperson
Luke Taylor, MP for Sutton & Cheam – London spokesperson
Monica Harding, MP for Esher & Walton – International Development spokesperson
Clive Jones, MP for Wokingham – Trade spokesperson
Helen Maguire, MP for Epsom & Ewell – Defence spokesperson
David Chadwick, MP for Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe – Wales spokesperson
Al Pinkerton, MP for Surrey Heath – Northern Ireland spokesperson
Jess Brown–Fuller, MP for Chichester – Hospital spokesperson
Paul Kohler, MP for Wimbledon – Transport spokesperson
Sarah Gibson, MP for Chippenham – Business spokesperson
Alison Bennett MP for MidSussex – Care & Carers spokesperson
In addition, there are a further 39 new Members of Parliament –including our youngest ever MP, Joshua Reynolds of Maidenhead – to get to know over the coming months.
Let’s give them all a warm welcome. This surge in MPs really underlines our Club’s Liberal heritage.
Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett Vice-Chair, Membership at National Liberal Club
MUSIC & ART
Kettners
The 21st March, 2024 marked 50 years since the Kettner Society was founded by Peter Boizot MBE DL at a meeting attended by our venerable Chair, Peter Whyte, who has led and carried us forward for the past 20 years (and counting!). Our 50th Anniversary year has seen a terrific series of concerts, brilliantly curated by co-Artistic Directors Cristian Sandrin and Hannah-Elizabeth Teoh, with a special anniversary lunch to take place in November. We are thrilled to announce that two new honorary patrons, Ursula Jones OBE and Sir Vince Cable, have joined us.
An array of leading international pianists, including our own Cristian and Hannah, Tamta Magradze, Hiroaki Takenouchi, Dame Imogen Cooper, Vìctor Braojos, Duo Licchetta-Sequestro, Deniz Arman Gelenbe, and Costas Fotopoulos have revelled in the privilege of performing on the magnificent Steinway D in the David Lloyd George Room throughout the year. We’ve also welcomed the world-famous Engegård Quartet from Norway, soloists from the English Chamber Orchestra, and the outstanding Australian mezzo
soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, while enjoying fruitful collaborations with the NLC’s own French Circle and Women’s Network, as well as with the Oxford New Russian Society (Holywell Music Room) and the Festival del Capo di Leuca (Apulia, Italy).
2025 promises to be another exciting year, with our second “Listomania” concert, this time featuring pianist Mark Viner and aiming to recreate Liszt’s first London Recital at the Hanover Square Rooms in 1840. Kettner
Concerts’ and NLC favourite Tyler Hay returns for our “Chairman’s Concert”, celebrating the legacy of the great British pianist John Ogdon. We look forward to participating in the NLC’s International Women’s Week celebrations for the third time on 12th March 2025, and on 3rd April 2025 we continue with a new series of Music and Disability Concerts, welcoming the legendary former Principal Harpist at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sioned Williams, together with the AGSD UK Charity (Association for Glycogen Storage Disease), promising an evening of music and storytelling to raise awareness for this ultrarare disease. A celebration of Shostakovich’s anniversary year is the highlight in September, while Dame Imogen Cooper returns in the autumn. And look out in the course of the year for two special concerts curated in collaboration with Janet Berridge and Krissie Byng. We are also hoping to hold several Kettner Lunches throughout the year.
We thank everyone who has supported us throughout 2024 and hope to see many of you at some of our events in 2025!
Ben Westlake
Asia Circle upcoming Concerts
From the NLC to BBC Young Musician 2024!
Heartfelt congratulations to the incredibly talented Ryan Wang on winning the BBC Young Musician 2024 prize! We were privileged to witness Ryan’s remarkable talent at the NLC’s Lunar New Year dinner last year, where he captivated an audience of 110 guests with a performance that was both skilful and profoundly moving. This prestigious award is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and passion for music, and we are so proud to see his artistry recognised on such a national stage. On behalf of the entire Club, we celebrate this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing his musical journey continue to flourish. Bravo!
Authors’ Club
Throughout 2024, the Authors’ Club has provided a stimulating programme of lunchtime and evening talks at the National Liberal Club, many attracting sell-out audiences. All NLC members are very welcome at our events, which can be booked through the Club website, and we are delighted that so many of you have been able to join us over the past year.
The Authors’ Club lunches, held on the third Thursday of each month in the Lady Violet Room, have continued to attract distinguished speakers and a lively audience. We started the year on 18 January with the foreign correspondent Larisa Brown describing the experiences that shaped her book The Gardener of Lashkar Gah, which explores the experiences of Afghans who helped fight the Taliban, and were subsequently betrayed by the British. Over lunch on 15 February, Pen Vogler led us to consider the food on our plates with her culinary history Stuffed. Paul Caruana Galizia sold out on 21 March discussing A Death in Malta, his investigation of the assassination of his mother, the campaigning journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
At our lunch on 18 April, Sarah Wise discussed her book The Undesirables, which reveals how, throughout the 20th century, non-conforming people were consigned to institutions. On 16 May, aficionados of 19th-century literature enjoyed hearing Paula Byrne on Hardy Women, her study of the novelist’s relations with the women in his life and his fiction. The 2021 Best First Novel Award winner Ingrid Persaud returned to the Club on 20 June to talk about her second novel, The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh. Geopolitics was again the subject of our lunch on 18 July, as Lewis Baston’s Borderlines explored some of Europe’s oddest, and most fraught, frontiers. Amanda Craig discussed her latest novel, The Three Graces, on 15 August, while on 19 September, Catherine Taylor recalled the Sheffield childhood that
informed her TLS Ackerley Awardwinning memoir The Stirrings. Our lunch on 17 October with Rose Tremain, in conversation with the Authors’ Club President John Walsh about her latest novel, Absolutely and Forever, attracted so many bookings that we happily moved the event to the David Lloyd George Room.
The 2024 Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award was presented at a dinner in the David Lloyd George Room on 22 May by this year’s guest adjudicator, the writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. From a strong and varied shortlist, she picked Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow’s All the Little Bird-Hearts (Tinder Press), “a darkly vivacious tale of family, fraught friendship and neurodivergence” (The Guardian). Inaugurated in 1954, the BFNA is now in its 70th year, making it the longest-running UK prize for debut fiction. The winning novel is selected by a guest adjudicator from a shortlist drawn up by a panel of Authors’ Club members.
At a sold-out evening talk in the Lady Violet Room on Wednesday 26 June, organised in association with
the NLC’s Asia Circle, the BritishChinese author, journalist and activist Xinran Xue discussed her latest work, The Book of Secrets: A Personal History of Betrayal in Red China (translated by Will Spence), with the Authors’ Club chair Lucy Popescu.
Forthcoming events:
Thursday 21 November: Authors’ Club Lunch with John Sweeney, talking about his book Murder in the Gulag: The Life and Death of Alex Navalny (Headline Press).
Thursday 12 December: Authors’ Club Lunch with the writer and newsreader Mishal Husain, discussing her compelling memoir Broken Threads: My Family from Empire to Independence (4th Estate) Our programme for 2025 is still in the making, but promises to be every bit as enlivening as this year’s. Here is a foretaste of what’s to come:
Thursday 24 April: Meet the authors shortlisted for the Best First Novel Award.
Wednesday 21 May: Best First Novel Award dinner and presentation.
Nicola Williams’s Until Proven Innocent, featured in last year’s NLC News, won the DBA (Diverse Book Awards) Readers’ Choice Award 2024 – Adult in October. Nicola, hugely grateful for the support from fellow NLC members, noted: “When readers vote for you, it motivates you like nothing else”.
New Member Publications
NLC MEMBERS BEHIND KEY LIBERAL BOOK
Club members, Alan Butt Philip, Gordon Lishman and Michael Meadowcroft are also Trustees of the John Stuart Mill Institute which is sponsoring a new book of essays on Liberal philosophy and values. The co-editors, Paul Hindley and Ben Wood, have assembled twenty-four chapter writers, some academics, some working politicians and others experienced in their particular fields, to produce a highly topical book covering a wide range of key issues.
It includes Ross Finnie on Federalism, Sir Lawrence Freedman on Defence, David Howarth on the British Constitution, Bob Marshall Andrews on Civil Liberties, Sir Vince Cable on Migration and Foreign Policy, Gordon Lishman on Community and Non-Conformity and Andrea Coomber KC on Prison Reform. Michael Meadowcroft has contributed an introductory chapter on Towards a Liberal Society. The two co-editors conclude the book with a chapter on Radical Liberalism in Action.
The book will be published early in the New Year and will be launched in the Club.
Michael Meadowcroft
NLC and Authors’ Club member
Anat Deracine launched Her Golden Coast (Mayavin Publishing) at the National Liberal Club in August with an intimate event in the Lady Violet Room. This is Anat’s first foray into general fiction, having already been lauded as a Young Adult (YA) writer with her 2018 novel Driving by Starlight (Macmillan), which was both Kirkus-starred and a Publishers Weekly flying start.
Her Golden Coast sees two young women leaving toxic family situations to join the equally toxic environment of Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, holding their own in the crazy world of tech startups, mindblowing partying and instantaneous layoffs, while ultimately finding an ‘unanticipated’ love with each other. A Booklife reviewer notes that “This fast-paced, sensitive novel is perfect for readers itching to see the heroine get the girl—those who realise that no, nothing is promised, but anything might be possible.”
It was a “lively, indulgent” night aligned to the themes of the book. Anat had nothing but praise for the NLC team. The vegetarian and vegan finger food was so good that nobody noticed there was only one meat offering and the recommended wines were a huge hit. Anat later described the evening as one “of deep connections and conversations” and “the warmest, most fulfilling night of my writing career so far.”
Kate Birch
Hotel Arcadia, by member Sunny Singh, was released in paperback by Oneworld Publications in March. This “high-octane thriller, capturing the extraordinary capacity of humans to retain compassion in extreme circumstances,” is unputdownable, as NLC members who read the original hardback can attest.
Kate Birch
Tangier: From the Romans to the Rolling Stones (Bloomsbury, June 2024), from NLC member Richard Hamilton, is a portrait of this quirky and unique city through the eyes of writers, artists and musicians who have lived there, from Samuel Pepys to Brian Jones, via Henri Matisse, Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, Joe Orton and even Kenneth Williams. In the words of the Moroccan novelist Mohamed Choukri, “in Tangier, everything is surreal and everything is possible.” Now available in paperback. Richard Hamilton
Art Curator
Sir Winston Churchill is, of course, no stranger to our history books. The great man and victor of the Second World War is taught in school classrooms, immortalised in street and building names, and a casual walk around the tourist sites of London makes his presence almost inescapable. However, not everyone expects to find him in the National Liberal Club.
This year the NLC holds a formal dinner to mark Sir Winston’s 150th birthday and this seems like a good opportunity to reflect on his career and history in the Liberal Party, a story now overshadowed by events of the 1940s.
The impressive, full-length Ernest Townsend painting which hangs in the lobby below the staircase tells the story well.
It will not come as news to many readers that today, Britain’s wartime Prime Minister has been mired in controversy. During Black Lives Matter and other demonstrations in London, his statue in parliament square has had to be protected from those who would deface it and sully his reputation. That said, Churchill as a controversial political figure is not new.
Winston Churchill had been a Liberal since 1904, when he defected from the Conservative Party to which he would later return. He held a number of roles, but probably the most significant was First Lord of the Admiralty between 1911 and 1915. It is from this time that the NLC portrait dates.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Winston was a frequent visitor to the Club. Fascinating documents in the archive show dinners he attended and speeches he gave, but also his nomination form for membership, on which his proposer is none other than David Lloyd George. The painting of the prominent politician was commissioned and unveiled in 1915. However, Churchill was already a complicated figure. The proceedings of the First World War and most notably the disastrous Dardanelles campaign had made him something of a Marmite figure amongst members. They felt the moment for the grand portrait wasn’t quite right and so it was hung discreetly out of the way in a non-prominent position - hardly an illustrious start.
Sadly, the fortunes of the work did not improve. By 1924 Churchill had rejoined the Conservative Party and the NLC Liberals decided the painting should be relegated to the basement. It is something of a comfort to know
Open House Report
In September the National Liberal Club was once again delighted to partake in the annual Open House weekend in London. The weekend provides a valuable opportunity for us to show the Club to non-members and a rare chance for members of the public to see behind our doors.
Over the course of 2 days we welcomed over 200 guests on organised tours of the Club, reflecting on our architecture, art, history and the vibrant life of the Club today. We were grateful to have so many member volunteers to lead tours as well as serve refreshments
that the changing tide of politics is also not a modern phenomenon, because by the early 1940s the Club had become rather proud of their former member, now wartime leader. The painting was retrieved and placed in the NLC lobby.
This would have been a fine ending to the story. Sadly, it was on the wall when the Club suffered a direct hit from a Luftwaffe bomb in 1941. Causing extensive damage to the staircase and several other works of art, it also caused tearing in the canvass of the Churchill portrait, hence it was promptly removed (again). Repairs were carried out and if visitors look closely today some of the cracks and re-touching of the paint work can still be seen, especially on Winston’s forehead.
The work had been restored by 1943 and it was returned to its location in the lobby, where it still hangs. Sir Winston and Lady Churchill then returned to the NLC to unveil the work some quarter of a century after it was first acquired.
So, All’s Well That Ends Well. It is hoped that as the Club marks this 150th anniversary, members and guests will stop to look at the Churchill portrait anew as they pass through the lobby.
to guests – a new innovation which was appreciated by many. Many visitors stayed for lively conversation and with luck we will gain some new members.
Following the success of the event we have every intention of participating again in 2025.
Chris Hallworth Art Curator
RECIPROCAL CLUBS
Reciprocal Reviews
National Club, Toronto
I recently stayed at the National Club Toronto, where the friendly team ensured a seamless experience.
Located in downtown Toronto, the club provides convenient access to the PATH, the city’s underground pedestrian network and the world’s longest underground shopping complex. The historic club is within walking or jogging distance of Union Station, St. Lawrence Market, the Brewery District, Skydome, CN Tower, and Eaton Centre.
The 1874 Bar & Grill features an open kitchen serving seasonal menus in a stylish dining room and bar. The wine list complements the 40,000-bottle wine cellar, and guests can dine al fresco on the rooftop patio surrounded by skyscrapers.
The club offers a variety of wellmaintained spaces, including a billiard room, perfect for member use and private events. Hosting over 70 member events annually, activities range from Luxury Wine Dinners to Monthly Book Club Meetings.
For accommodation, guests can book one of six comfortable, amenity-rich bedrooms available to reciprocal club members. Steven Laine
The British Club, Bangkok
I was fortunate enough to visit the British Club twice this year. A green wedge set in the heart of Bangkok, it could best be described as a “Little Hurlingham,” with tennis courts, a swimming pool, and extensive dining facilities.
I was welcomed by name, and warmly, by staff on both occasions. I also, by pure chance, walked into an ex-pupil who was stunned enough to buy me a drink in the Winston Churchill bar.
The main restaurant, overlooking the gardens, had an extensive menu offering Thai, European, and British cuisines.
I would thoroughly recommend a
visit if you are in Bangkok.
James
Brown
Union League Club, Chicago
The Union League Club of Chicago is a magnificent building in the heart of the business district, within walking distance of museums and Lake Michigan. It looks and feels like a 5-star hotel, complete with a ballroom, lounges, several restaurants, an enormous library, workspaces, an entire floor dedicated to fitness (with swimming pool and sauna),
and a collection of 800 paintings that includes a Monet and a Rubens.
The concierge was efficient and organised everything we needed, including our airport taxi. The entire staff were friendly and provided outstanding service.
The breakfast buffet was a particular delight, but the main reason to stay at this club is the room rates, which are far below the typical price of a 4 or 5-star hotel in Chicago. I strongly advise NLC members travelling to Chicago to consider the ULCC.
Carol Graham
James Brown on tour at the British Club, Bangkok
Union League Club, Chicago
I had the pleasure of visiting the Union League Club, Chicago in October last year, as part of the National Liberal Club’s reciprocal membership. From the moment I arrived, the experience was exceptional. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming me with warm smiles and attentive gestures. They guided me through the club’s impressive facilities, ensuring I felt comfortable throughout my visit.
The historical ambiance of the club immediately stood out. The boardroom was steeped in history, adorned with treasured artefacts and a remarkable collection of books that invited me to explore the club’s rich past. The environment exuded elegance and tradition, making it a perfect blend of history and modern comfort.
Although I wasn’t particularly hungry, I decided to enjoy lunch, and it did not disappoint. The food was both delicious and healthy, presented with great attention to
detail. The beautifully arranged cutlery and the overall setting added to the sophistication of the experience.
The warm, professional, and relaxing atmosphere made it an ideal place for both dining and leisure. I highly recommend that fellow members visit this outstanding club when in Chicago; it is truly a memorable experience.
Dr. Renu Raj
The Brisbane Club, Kelvin Club and Royal Australian Automobile Club
My brother planned a month-long visit to Australia in August and invited me to join him. As we are both NLC Life Members, part of our trip planning involved researching the clubs in the cities we would be visiting that had reciprocal arrangements with the NLC. There were four. We obtained the necessary letters of introduction and set out on our odyssey. In the end, travel timings meant we were only able to visit three clubs.
Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne are cities with distinct vibes, and their clubs reflect that. We were warmly welcomed at all three clubs we visited and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Some clubs were more accustomed to visitors from the NLC than others.
The Brisbane Club occupies
several floors and a basement of an office block bearing its name. Centrally located, the building replaces the original early 20thcentury structure, but much of the interior was transferred from the earlier club. It was busy on the Thursday we visited, with the large dining room almost fully booked at lunchtime. In contrast, our dinner was served with only us present. One feature the club is proud of is its extensive cellar, made possible by local laws allowing members to purchase wine and spirits. The club employs an expert to manage this operation, and we were thrilled to receive a guided tour.
The Kelvin Club in Melbourne is tucked down a side street, and what lies behind its door is a delightful surprise. We received the same level of hospitality as elsewhere, though we had to dine in the bar as the club was fully booked for the evening.
The Royal Australian Automobile Club, located near Central Quay in Sydney, boasts a large building. We lunched here to enjoy the view of the Harbour Bridge from the dining room. Again, we were warmly welcomed and would have loved more time to revisit.
The food in all the clubs was of high quality, and the prices were reasonable. We highly recommend that anyone visiting Australia take the opportunity to visit our reciprocal clubs.
Peter Howson
CLUB HISTORY
The NLC – Decline, Crisis and Revival
The National Liberal Club today is very different to the Club I joined in 1962. Sixty-plus years ago it was a traditional gentlemen’s club that happened to have a Liberal ethos and background. I had just come to work at Liberal Party headquarters in the Local Government Department and Richard Wainwright, who was the party officer in charge of local government, introduced me to the Club, saying that I needed to have somewhere to bring Liberal councillors visiting the party office. Generously, he paid my first year sub! The then Club Secretary, Coss Billson, showed me round and briefed me, not particularly on the rules to be observed but more on the long traditions that should not be trespassed on. Coss had served in the navy during WWII and was a paid-up Liberal who had been
the party’s candidate in the 1950 election, leaving his deposit behind as all too many Liberals did in that election, in Coss’ case in the Islington East constituency. He was a very skilful club operator, gently heading off the impending disputes and rivalries endemic in a large members’ club and placating members unhappy with the bar service or the regular complaints about members sequestering newspapers.
Coss pointed out to me the different seating areas in the Smoking Room and the specific post-lunch discussion topics for each. Politics, for instance, was the agenda for the seats in the east of the room, near to the clock, and education occupied the space by the fireplace. From time to time distinguished past political figures glided through as well as noted broadcasters and writers
including Neville Cardus and John Arlott. The Clubhouse, in its day the largest in London, had many more facilities available for members than now, having had to pass many rooms to the neighbouring hotel under a survival deal negotiated by Lawrence Robson. In my early days, there were large function rooms on the second floor, plus a marvellous library presided over by the laconic and cadaverous George Awdry, brother of the Rev Awdry of Thomas the Tank Engine fame. There were also four floors of bedrooms, a few of which were the permanent residences of Club members. By the time of the sale of the bedrooms to the hotel they were in a state regarded as primitive by modern standards! In the basement, also later passed over to the hotel, was the Billiard Room with four excellent
tables, mainly used for snooker, not billiards. For those of us who struggled to cope with the nuances of the game of snooker, it was very useful that payment was by the frame rather than by the hour! For some years in the early sixties ITV broadcast all its snooker programmes – in black and white –from the Club. Members could hire a wide variety of meeting rooms ranging from the Small Oak Room to the grand River Room. What is now the Lloyd George room was originally the Grill Room providing the bar and slightly simpler meals than the Dining Room which occupied the whole of the existing space. Following being introduced to the Club’s General Committee, the crook calling himself George de Chabris took up residence in the Club and proceeded to asset strip whatever he could, including the excellent cellar of vintage Bordeaux. I recall seeing him in the Grill Room with various cronies ordering up superb bottles and simply knocking them back. He also persuaded the
Trustees of the Gladstone Library to sell off the books and the bound volumes of journals, plus the unique collection of election addresses dating back to the 1880s. The only saving grace is that everything went to Bristol University where it has been kept intact. When de Chabris was eventually exposed and told to leave the building he emptied the tills on his way out! (The detailed history of these years is contained in the Wikipedia entry for the Club.)
The Club’s failure to include women members was, of course, reprehensible but was, alas, par for the course for such clubs at the time. Apart from this failure the Club was from its inception unusually diverse among London clubs and included Jewish, Asian and Irish members, a number of whom played prominent roles. In my early days the Club hierarchy had one of its worthy moments of wanting to have younger members on the General Committee (today the Members’ Council) and I was somehow elected and thus attended amongst fellow
members most of whom were around fifty years older than I! I regularly proposed that the Club should accept women members but was always voted down; the usual excuse was that the plumbing would not accommodate female members! On one such occasion I recall that an elderly member awoke from slumber and expostulated, “Does this mean that we would have women members in the Club at ... breakfast?” I couldn’t immediately see the relevance of the remark until Coss Billson explained to me that the member in question was one of the permanent occupants of a Club bedroom who regularly came down to breakfast in their pyjamas! Such was the nature of the Club sixty-odd years ago! I have always loved the Club throughout its many vicissitudes and value the way it is today grappling with the challenges whilst retaining its crucial political and social heritage.
Michael Meadowcroft NLC Vice-President
Celebrating Gladstone’s Contribution to Bulgarian Independence
To launch our Gladstone series of events, the Club held a Gladstone and Bulgarian Independence event in partnership with the Bulgarian Embassy. The aim behind the event was to highlight the important impact Gladstone had on Bulgaria’s road to freedom and to show a hand of friendship to the Bulgarian community.
History of Gladstone and Bulgarian Independence
In September 1876, Gladstone wrote a pamphlet called ‘Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East’, in which he attacked the Disraeli government’s foreign policy for its indifference to the Ottoman
Empire’s violent repression of the Bulgarian people. The pamphlet raised awareness across Europe, significantly shifting public opinion and generating international support for an independent Bulgarian state. This eventually led to an autonomous Bulgarian principality that laid the foundation for full independence, which finally came about on 22 September, 1908.
The Club’s event celebrated Bulgarian Independence Day and provided an opportunity for a cultural exchange and friendship between our Members and the Bulgarian people. We welcomed people from across the Bulgarian community and were honoured to have His Excellency Tihomir
Stoytchev, Bulgarian Ambassador to the UK, and his wife Mrs Lubka Stoytcheva join us. The Ambassador gave a speech under the grand portrait of Gladstone in the Smoking Room and spoke eloquently on the importance of remembering Gladstone’s historic contribution to Bulgarian Independence; one that is still celebrated across the country today with streets and schools named in his honour. With a Bulgarian flag and Union Jack flanking either side of the podium, the Ambassador spoke of the continued strong links between Bulgaria and the UK, and the ongoing importance of our friendship.
Our key speaker, British historian and Professor of History at Stirling
University, Professor David Bebbington outlined the history of Bulgarian Independence. We were also highly privileged to be joined by Francis Gladstone, great-grandson of William Gladstone, who gave a moving account of Gladstone’s speeches and writings, including reenacting a moment using the original megaphone that Gladstone used to reach large crowds. It was an incredibly moving moment that will not be forgotten by all in attendance!
The packed-out event was highly praised, and the Club owes a debt of thanks to Chef Jon Oates and
his Kitchen and F&B Team for their superb Bulgarian-themed 3-course meal that followed the talks. Also a big thanks to our Librarian Derek Mcauley for creating a display cabinet full of our materials on Gladstone and Bulgaria, and to our Front Desk Team for proudly raising the Bulgarian flag on the Club flagpole for this event.
We look forward to holding future events together, and extend a big welcome to the Ambassador, who has now joined the Club as an Honorary Member.
Gareth Bell
Revisiting our Liberal Past in North Wales
Even people who are not particularly interested in politics or history will probably have come across the names William Gladstone (1809-1898) and David Lloyd George (1863-1945) either during school history lessons or through reading books or watching documentaries or films about Victorian England and the First World War. Certainly here at the National Liberal Club we see their faces in many places around the Club. These two men were significant politicians in their day and made their mark in different ways in the nation’s history during the second half of the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth century.
On a recent trip to North Wales I decided to make a long-overdue visit to the village of Hawarden in Flintshire, and most especially to Gladstone’s Library, established by the founder of the NLC in 1894. It is the only prime ministerial library in the entire UK; indeed, Hawarden
was the inspiration for the USA’s presidential libraries. In the course of his lifetime, Gladstone acquired 32,000 books and it is said that he read 22,000 of them. In his later years, he decided not to leave his collection to his alma mater, Oxford University, but to turn it instead into a library accessible to the public: St Deiniol’s Library, as it was known until 2010.
The building itself, in late Victorian style, is very grand: Cheshire sandstone set in beautiful grounds. The magnificent library has a gallery and now houses more than 250,000 books, thanks to new volumes, journals and pamphlets. Nowadays the library is a magnet for scholars, authors, researchers and historians wishing to work in a peaceful atmosphere. Twenty-six bedrooms, meeting rooms, sitting rooms and a restaurant (called Food for Thought) all provide a friendly ambience for a short or long stay. The centre is run by a dedicated
staff of professionals. NLC member Rev Prof Peter Francis was Warden of Hawarden from 1997. When interviewed for Church Times in 2022 on his retirement and asked why he had stayed so long, he said: “it’s the excitement and the buzz of the place. And that comes from the theological side, and also the literary side.” The library has evolved during his tenure: “it was very, very clerical and male and pale, and people didn’t come, really, that was the main problem. It had slightly lost its way.” Peter chose to take a new direction. “We tried to go back to Gladstone’s original collection of books, which I think was the key. And we found that, yes, there was a good chunk of theology. There was a bigger chunk of history and politics; and there was an enormous chunk of literature.” The library now serves as a meeting place dedicated to dialogue, debate, and learning; there is an extensive programme of courses and lectures, reflecting
Gladstone Library
Gladstone’s own interests, and an annual literary festival, Gladfest, alongside scholarships for writersin-residence. Peter’s successor is Andrea Russell.
As a young man Gladstone had treated his father’s estate, Fasque, in Forfarshire, southwest of Aberdeen, as home, but as a younger son he would not inherit it.
Instead, from the time of his marriage, he lived at his wife’s family’s estate at Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales. During the late 1840s, when he was out of office, he worked extensively to turn Hawarden into a viable business. He never actually owned Hawarden, which belonged first to his brotherin-law Sir Stephen Glynne, and was then inherited by Gladstone’s eldest son William Henry Gladstone in 1874.
A visit to the village of Hawarden is highly recommended to anyone interested in the family history of our Club’s founder. The estate surrounding Hawarden Castle (a short walk from Gladstone’s Library) offers scope for extensive walks.
Another site of interest to anyone interested in Liberal history is Llanystumdwy – the “Lloyd George Village” – just outside Criccieth in North Wales.
The Lloyd George Museum is one of only two museums in Britain dedicated to ex-Prime Ministers; the other is Chartwell in Kent, former home of Sir Winston Churchill.
Llanystumdwy is a lovely Welsh village that is proud of its famous son. Born David George in Manchester in 1863, he moved to the village with his mother and brother William after his father died of pneumonia in 1864; they moved in with their mother’s brother, Richard Lloyd, the local shoemaker, who was an important figure in David’s early life and David eventually added “Lloyd” to his name. The boys’ father had left them an excellent collection of books, which Uncle Richard encouraged them to read and learn from. Part of that library is now housed in the Museum down the road in the village. Lloyd George’s first language was Welsh; he qualified as a solicitor in 1884 and set up a legal practice in the back parlour of his uncle’s house the following year, when he also joined the Liberal Party supported by his uncle. By 1889 he was an alderman for Caernarvonshire County Council and was elected in the following year as the MP for the Caernarfon Boroughs. He campaigned tirelessly for a stronger Welsh identity, but later shifted his focus to improving the socio-economic environment of Wales as part of the United Kingdom and the British Empire. His opposition to the Boer War, his fight for better schools and his championing of a more liberal approach to the countries of the Empire – including for India – based
on freedom, not racial arrogance won him many followers and the introduction in 1911 of his National Insurance Act was hailed as a great initiative.
The driving force behind the setting up of a museum to Lloyd George was his second wife, Francis, who wanted a permanent memorial to him in Llanystumdwy, where he is buried in a simple grave on his own land, high on the banks of his beloved River Dwyfor, in sight of the bridge and his old school. The museum was opened in 1959. A true cornucopia of memorabilia, it includes not only many personal effects but gifts, freedom scrolls, caskets, trays and acknowledgements to David Lloyd George’s lifetime achievements. Commemorative items marking all manner of occasions are on display in many glass cabinets and a small cinema shows a film about the great politician throughout the day.
I lost all sense of time walking round this fascinating place and enjoyed the contrast of also visiting the simple home where Lloyd George grew up under the benevolent eye of his uncle.
Both of these locations are well worth a visit when you are next in North Wales!
Janet Berridge
With acknowledgement to Church Times for the Hawarden-related quotations
Above and right: Exhibits from the DLG Museum
Victory in Europe Day 80 – 8th May, 2025
A Shared Moment of Celebration
“Yesterday morning at Headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command and Grand Admiral Doenitz, the designated Head of the German State signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea and air forces in Europe to the Allied Expeditionary Force and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command.”
Winston Churchill
Churchill’s speech starting at 3.00 pm on 8th May, 1945 was broadcast over the radio and through loudspeakers to the crowds in Parliament Square. He went on to remind listeners that the war against Japan in the Far East would continue. The speech ended on a positive note, encouraging the British people to ‘devote all their strength and resources to the
completion of their task, both at home and abroad’ , ending with the peroration ‘Advance Britannia, Long live the cause of freedom, God save the King.’ 1 Churchill then made his statement to cheering MPs at the House of Commons. The Members then walked over Old Palace Yard to St. Margaret’s Church for a service of Thanksgiving, just as they had done on 11th November, 1918. The service began with the National Anthem followed by the ‘Old One Hundredth’, ‘All People that on Earth do Dwell.’
Meanwhile large crowds were gathering in Trafalgar Square and down the Mall, towards Buckingham Palace. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and the two royal princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret came out onto the balcony, waving to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd. King George VI also addressed the nation over the radio on 8th May.
He told listeners that at this hour we should thank God, our ‘strength and shield. At this hour, when the dreadful shadow of war has passed hearths and homes in these islands, we may at last make one pause for thanksgiving and then turn our thoughts to the tasks all over the world which peace in Europe brings with it.’ He went on to stress the importance of remembrance of the ‘sacrifice and endurance’ that had been necessary to securing
this victory. The King said ‘Let us remember those who will not come back, their constancy and courage, in the face of a merciless enemy.’ The King made eight balcony appearances, one with Winston Churchill.2
Day of Celebration
May 8 was declared a national holiday. Churchill knew that people were tired of rationing and shortages. These would continue, but Churchill had two priorities for VE Day. He sought an assurance from Lord Woolton at the Ministry of Food, that there was sufficient beer in London, to allow the people to celebrate victory in the traditional way. He also ensured that the Board of Trade would suspend regulations, to allow people to purchase red, white and blue bunting. Licensing hours were extended to allow people to celebrate. The largest crowds gathered in central London but celebrations occurred across the country. Film of the celebrations invariably shows dancing in the street. The following year saw the more formal Victory Parade in London, when on 8th June, 1946, it was finally possible to celebrate victory in Europe and over Japan in the Far East.
The 80th anniversary will be the last big anniversary with numbers of veterans still alive. There will be national branding: a Union Flag with the VE day logo at its centre. Above all the intention is to bring the nation together at 9.30 pm, at a suitable gathering place, and to start proceedings with the singing of the Hymn ‘I vow to thee my country’ (music by Gustav Holst and words by Cecil Spring Rice). This should
be followed by a public reading of ‘The VE Day 80’ tribute. Then the lighting of a ‘Lamp of Peace.’ Those who choose to do so, can light their beacon at that point.3
The Blitz
The Blitz (from the German word ‘Blitzkrieg’ for a ‘lightning war’) lasted from September 1940 to May 1941. Right towards the end of the war, the V1 and V2 rocket attacks added to the carnage. Around 20,000 bombs fell on London during the Blitz and 30,000 civilians lost their lives.4 A group of Club members formed a ‘Blitz Circle’ to examine the impact of the bombing of London. London had been bombed, first by Zeppelin airships and later Gotha bombers, in the First World War. However, this was not on anything like the same scale. In both wars family life was seriously disrupted by service in the armed forces, often involving injury or death. The National Liberal Club was in a pretty poor state at the end of the First and Second World Wars but for different reasons. In 1915, the Club premises were requisitioned
by the War Office, for use by the Canadian Expeditionary Force. They made such a mess of the building that it took two years after their departure to bring it back into use as the National Liberal Club. The Club remained open throughout the Second World War. London experienced its heaviest bombing raids over 10th and 11th May, 1941. Those raids involved dropping 711 tons of high explosive and 2,393 incendiaries. An estimated 1,436 civilians were killed. The Luftwaffe achieved a direct hit on the National Liberal Club, during the raid of 11th May 1941. The main staircase was destroyed and damage was caused to other parts of the building. From then onwards access to the building was by entering through the Turret Tower, overlooking the Embankment. The General Committee minutes for 1950 state that the cost of restoration was £150,000 (£7,160,000 in 2024). The General and Management Committees were focussed on getting the Club back to normal. A priority pursued energetically by the Management Committee was to secure the early return of Captain Longford, the Club Secretary. He
had been serving in the Royal Navy. He was given three choices: to seek release at once, extend his time in the Navy for a matter of weeks or remain in the Navy. He returned to his role with the Club. The Committee agendas were dominated by staffing, premises issues and facilities management. An indication of how difficult financial management was becoming just at the end of the war is the case of temporary members. They were mostly army officers based in wartime London. Just after May they were informed that they might no longer use the snack bar and that those actually stationed in London might no longer eat their meals in the Club. That the Committees had to concentrate for a while on internal matters, is not to say that they were not interested in what was happening around them.5
A current member, Charles Gillett (our Honorary Archivist), tells of viewing the 1946 Victory Parade. He was taken by his father by tram through the Aldwych Tunnel, ending up probably near Hyde Park Corner, and witnessed the arrival of many soldiers.6
The Club had survived the Second World War, and in 1950 the General Committee wrote to all staff members to express their ‘warm appreciation of the services carried out by the Chairman, Vice Chairman, members of the Management and Staff in carrying out the long and difficult task of restoring the Club to its place as the premier institution of its kind in the country’.7
Malcolm Noble
With thanks to Charles Gillett, NLC Archivist for his guidance and assistance
Sources
1 Martin Gilbert – Winston S Churchill – The Road to Victory 1941–1945
2 VE Day 1945 King George VI Speech
3 www.veday80.org.uk
4 Max Hastings – All Hell Set Loose
– The World at War 1939–1945
5 General Committee Minutes
6 Charles Gillett
7 General and Management Committees 1950
The NLC Archives
The Cricket Circle formed last year held their Annual General Meeting very recently, which got me questioning if the NLC had had any involvement with cricket before. As I have found, when getting into our archives, lots of lines of interest open up. Coincidentally among the large collection of photographs we have I came across the photo you see here which recorded a staff and members match in June 1930. In the minutes of the General Committee for 1930 I found it was agreed that a sub-committee was to be formed to arrange a match between Members and the Staff Sports Club. That was the first time I had found that we had such a club for the staff. In May 1930 the Club was offered the Barclays Bank ground in Ealing for the match, which was accepted. The strange thing was that no teams had yet been formed. So they must have moved fast as the match took place on 23 June. After that there is silence until April 1932, when there is a record of a Cricket Meeting, at which a list of some completed fixtures was read out, so I assume there was an active Club in place and considerable discussion about a number of future events.
The next record was of a meeting in 1933 when a Captain was elected and a Selection Committee formed. There was also discussion about a cricket week in August and a member of the committee offered to present a suitable Notice Board to the Club, which was accepted. I would love to know what happened to that board. There was also mention of a tour and for Staff members to be part of it. However, details there are none. Further evidence was approval of the purchase of two bats at a cost of £2 2s 0d (about £250 today). After that no further entries.
A dead end, or so I thought, until I found a copy of an article written by our secretary Graham Snell about the 1937 Cricket Fixture List including for the first time a prestigious match, and one of the
most memorable they ever played, against Teddington Cricket Club. The NLC combined member and staff team did not do too well on the first day: by lunch Teddington were 200 for 1. Over lunch Teddington questioned the quality of the NLC team in robust terms, which was overheard by the NLC’s two pace bowlers Frank Figgures and a certain Lawrence Robson. Fired up, they dispatched Teddington for a total of 270. That was then a mountain for NLC to climb and they lost three early wickets. However, a fourth wicket stand of 190 was then made by Club member Ryle de Soysa (a well known cricketer of the period) and Alan Campbell-Johnson, who was during his life political secretary to Sir Archibald Sinclair, leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, served in the Second World War, was press secretary to Earl Mountbatten and later Captain of Cricket for many years. Campbell-Johnson was bowled out, but de Soysa went on to a score of 147 not out. A total of 541 runs were made in the day’s play, the best ever achieved by the NLC. The trail then went cold again until a file of Cricket Correspondence
from 1948 to1950 turned up. This showed that by 1947 the Cricket Club was again very active. But cracks were showing. That year the Captain wanted to resign – “owing to the inference from certain members of the Cricket Club both on and off the field” This seemed to refer to the lack of suitable pitches and fixture confusion.
In August of 1947 there was a meeting with the Foreign Office Sports Association about their Club Swakeleys near Ickenham and a possible associate membership. This led in January 1948 to an offer from that association for the NLC to be able to use the Grounds, Dining Room, Tea Room, Lounge, Club Room, Bar, Changing Rooms, Tennis Courts. All of that plus sole use of a new cricket ground for the sum of £300 per annum (about £9,500 today) for three years meant in effect that the NLC would have a sports ground. The committee of the Cricket Club persuaded the NLC to accept. At that time the NLC Cricket Club had 40 playing members and a fixture list of 38 games scheduled at Swakeley’s.
However, by October 1948 it
was evident that the Foreign Office Club was not as good as expected: NLC members could not get the use of facilities offered, the cricket pitch was not as good as promised and the Foreign Office Club let the cricket ground to a football club outside the cricket season.
In January 1949 the NLC complained that they were not getting much for their £350 per
annum and wanted to renegotiate. By July we had had enough and told the Foreign Office Club that the agreement had been broken. The only use we had was for cricket and the 1950 fixture list was way down. In October 1950 the agreement lapsed and without a ground there was slender hope of a fixture list for 1951. And that was that, until the new Cricket circle in 2023
The NLC Library
Likemost of the historic members’ clubs in London the NLC has a library. They, of course, vary in scope and size. It was once believed that physical libraries would disappear as more and more material was available online. This has not happened; indeed, there are several examples of city libraries being redeveloped and generating huge public interest and engagement.
Our magnificent building and the heritage and history of the Club and its membership are key features of what attracts and retains many members. These features are unique yet cannot really be understood without knowledge of the wider context of the development of Liberalism. This is where our Library can play a part in the intellectual and social life of the Club. We are building a comprehensive library of Liberal history, philosophy and biography to complement our Club archives and art works. For example, it can help us understand why Lord Hartington leaving the Club over Irish Home Rule in 1888 was so important, why the Club was seen as a radical hotbed of socialism in the first decade of the twentieth century and how Asquith’s followers retained control of the Club even when Lloyd George was Prime Minister.
The library’s collection spans rare books, pamphlets, conference papers, periodicals and theses. There are also a number of ephemeral items such as recordings, cigarette cards, posters etc. There are also some currently unlisted collections of manuscripts and
personal papers. The Trustees have set aside a small budget to ensure the collection is developed but we depend upon, and welcome, donations from NLC members to fill gaps. Importantly we are also increasingly being seen as the natural place of deposit for interesting items relevant to Liberal history by non-members and at the recent Liberal Democrat conference I had several useful conversations which have already led to donations. The specialist Library is to be found on the mezzanine floor above the Smoking Room. It is normally locked; however, any member can ask for the key at Reception and will have to sign it in and out. Books cannot be removed, and access is based on trust as one would expect in a members’ club.
I have also begun to take a more active interest in the books in the Smoking Room and, for example, have created a Liberal shelf using duplicates of recent publications to make them more accessible. Also look out for the collection of political satire books in the “conspiracy corner” of the Smoking Room, which was set up by my predecessor Dr Seth Thévoz. We owe a debt of gratitude to Seth for his huge contribution towards the development of the library.
We welcome scholars and researchers to the library as well as members. This is by arrangement with access carefully controlled. I consider this to be part of the wider social responsibility of the NLC reflecting our liberal values and support for education. Indeed, it recalls the fact that one of the
Charles Gillett Archivist
founding objectives of our Club was the “establishment of a political and historical library as a memorial to Gladstone and his work”.
In the next year I shall be seeking to engage with members on the value of the collections. Tours of the Library are offered either individually or to a group. You may have noticed two recent small exhibitions in the display cabinet opposite The Lounge; one during the General Election and the other to complement the talk and dinner on “Gladstone, Britain and the Bulgarian People” in September 2024. More will follow. As my personal objective I hope to develop the international aspects of the library, especially on Liberal parties in other countries such as Canada.
As you can see there is a lot of potential to use the library to enhance the intellectual life of the Club, including through sponsoring events. Much work is, however, required to develop the library, not least due to the generosity of recent donors, which has placed pressure on space. If you are interested in assisting, please get in touch at DMca123@aol.com.
Derek McAuley MA Librarian
Ten
Treasures of the NLC Library
1. Original privately bound copy of “Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East” by the Right Hon. W. E Gladstone, MP (London, John Murray, 1876) whose significance was demonstrated in the lecture by Prof. David Bebbington followed by dinner at the NLC on 20 September 2024
2. “ The Liberal Magazine” volume 1 (1893) a monthly periodical for Liberal Speakers and canvassers produced by the Liberal Publications Department. The library has bound copies until 1941 and some loose editions until 1946.
3. Original of “Britain’s Industrial Future”, the famous Report of the Liberal Industrial Inquiry (Ernest Benn, 1928) popularly known as the “Yellow Book”. Financed by David Lloyd George, its proposals formed the basis of the Liberal Manifesto in 1929, and it has been described as the “most far-sighted policy document produced by any party between the wars”.
4. “ The Birth, Life and Death of the Social Democratic Party” by Ivor Crewe and Anthony King (Oxford University Press, 1995). Why the SDP failed!
5. “Achievements of Liberalism” by Major H. E. Crawford. Pamphlet by London Liberal Federation, 1924 as the party had to face “three party politics”.
6. “Community Politics Guide” by Gordon Lishman (Liberal Publications Department, 1972). An early guide to what became the trademark of Liberal activism in the 1970s and to the present day by the current Chair of the NLC. Yes, over 50 years ago!
7. “Raise the Roof – The Liberator Songbook” edited by Ralph Bancroft (2nd edition 1983) as sung at the popular Glee Club at Party Conference – “a
cornucopia of choruses and scurrilous ditties”. The library has numerous editions updated to reflect current events.
8. Small cigarette cards of William Ewart Gladstone and Winston Spencer Churchill produced by Ogden’s Guinea Gold Cigarettes in 1901. Churchill is described as “Morning Post” special war correspondent.
9. Sheet music of the song “Could Lloyd George Do It?” by R.P. Weston and Bert Lee as sung by the actor and writer Stanley Lupino. Dated 1925.
10. “PSST….Wanna Join the Network” beer mat from Young Liberals (undated) but when their HQ was at the NLC.
Notices
My big grin is because it was hard not to smile when you’re being dragged by a former Chairman of the Bar and an eminent law professor to be presented before the Treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn in a time honoured rite.
But it was also because this took place in the same Hall where, years ago, I was called to the Bar. Two of the same family members who were present then, including my mother, a proud #WindrushGeneration migrant, were there, along with my judicial mentor and other close friends, to witness me becoming a Bencher of my Inn—the highest honour the Inn can bestow on a member. My late father would have loved it!
Happy and proud don’t begin to capture how I feel, but it’s a start...
Honours Congratulations!
The following Club members had honours bestowed upon them this year
At the recent Annual ALDE (Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe) Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, NLC Member Baroness Sal Brinton was re‑elected Vice President of the organisation. Adrian Hyyrylainen Trett, Vice Chair of the Membership Committee, was elected as LGBT Liberals Abroad representative of the ALDE Board
Nicola Williams
CLUBS, CIRCLES AND GROUPS
Spotlight
Defence & Security Circle
The Defence & Security Circle has finished eighty events over the past fifty months.
The last 12 months has seen the hardworking committee take stock of what we have achieved and plan more, better and more nuanced offerings.
We have backed the big Club events that we have carriage for (like Trafalgar Day dinner) and also crafted a niche of off the record
Opera Circle NEW
Opera
often carries the reputation of being an exclusive domain, a relic from a bygone era reserved for the elite. It’s seen by many as stuffy, inaccessible, and distant from the pulse of modern life— some would say, much like clubland itself. Yet, for those of us who are passionate about the art form, we know that this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m grateful to have experienced vibrant, innovative operas across the globe, and I’ve seen firsthand the power and relevance this art form still holds. However, I can understand why opera may still seem daunting or out of reach.
Opera does face real barriers to accessibility—whether through pricing, perceptions, or, at times, the pomp that can surround it. But
gatherings important to the national interest of the UK.
Topics have been relevant and hard: technology, AI, the Middle East, small nuclear reactors, a goodbye to globalisation, diplomacy in the shadows and protections for cutting edge research. Speakers have included some bold voices: John Foreman CBE (Our Man in Moscow), Atlantic Council Fellow Elisabeth Braw (globalisation failing) and Senator M F Farid from Egypt.
The Circle is more than 200 strong amongst our members (average age of 38) and we have more than 500 friends across Britain, NATO and allies. When we hold hybrid or online talks we reach Toronto, Tel Aviv, Taipei and Tokyo amongst many others. We are proud that
at its heart, opera is a celebration of beauty, human expression, and electrifying music, meant to be enjoyed by everyone. It’s not about black tie or summer seasons (though those can be charming); it’s about the raw emotion and timeless artistry that transcends all of this.
That belief is what led me to launch the Opera Circle at the Club. I wanted to create a space where members and friends could experience opera in a way that feels
we have showcased early- and mid-career experts in addition to world experts. Diversity, inclusion and equity is hardwired in the DSC DNA. We have given more than 70 women a platform and microphone from the 125 speakers over the past 50 months.
We will offer a set of fresh events in the New Year following our November Oxford Uni debate (they come to us) and our AGM in early December 2024 (with compulsory lucky door prizes). It is a Circle that makes a difference and has helped to garner a reputation for the NLC as the place to have conversations in the national interest.
Noel Hadjimichael Chair, Defence & Security Circle
approachable, without losing any of its grandeur or emotional power. The Circle is about opening doors to newcomers and established audiences alike—and presenting opera in a spirit that reflects the welcoming, vibrant ethos of the Club we’ve all come to know and love.
We celebrated our first event in 2024 with Anush Hovhannisyan and Sam Jewison, and in 2025 I hope to bring wonderful concerts and a smallscale production of an opera to the NLC. I’m hopeful that many of you, members and guests, will join the Opera Circle and witness our mission. Together, we can play a small but meaningful role in supporting artists at every stage of their careers, and in bringing extraordinary music to our beloved Club.
Liam-Rhys Jones Chair, Opera Circle
Clubs, Circles and Groups
Asia Circle
Established: 2020
Purpose: The Asia Circle brings cultural enrichment to the Club by organising musical, literary, and cultural events, creating valuable experiences for members while supporting Club revenue.
Highlights: February 2024: A Lunar New Year event with 110 attendees featured a lion dance, a piano performance by Ryan Wang (now the BBC Young Musician of the Year), and a speech by Prof. Tim Clissold. * March–May 2024: Three successful concerts, including collaborations with the Keyboard Trust and French Circle, raised funds for the Club. * May–July 2024: Full-house talks with the Finnish Ambassador, author Xinran, and Professor Samir Puri.* September 2024: An Indian summer buffet with a speech by Sunday Times writer York Membery, followed by a vote of thanks from MP Josh Barbarina.
Looking Forward: 28th November, 2024: A Chopin evening featuring prize-winning pianists, introduced by MP Zoe Franklin. * 30th January, 2025: Lunar New Year Dinner with a potential recital by Ryan Wang. * 2025 Programme: Planned collaborations with Imperial College
Music Society and major piano competitions, featuring diverse musicians and writers.
Chess Circle
Established: 2016
Purpose: The NLC Chess Circle fosters a friendly environment for both beginners and experienced players.
Highlights: The 2024 Gladstone Trophy, won by John Barton, and a successful charity chess event in August, raising £1,500 for Under One Sky.
Looking Forward: The circle plans to continue its monthly social chess meetings, inter-club competitions, and potentially make the charity event an annual fixture.
Commonwealth and European Forums
Established: 2014 and 2016, respectively
Purpose: Regular updates on developments across Europe and in countries bordering and associated with the Continent. * Aims to progress Liberal values and to improve ties to EU countries post Brexit. * Stages regular events at the Club, inviting prominent speakers
to talk on topics of current interest. Information flow on developments in Commonwealth countries. * Links to CHOGM and the Commonwealth Secretary General’s office.
Highlights: Visit to the Kingdom of Morocco in October 2023 including a gala hosted by the BritishMoroccan Society in aid of the earthquake relief fund. * European Day event on the 9th May at the NLC. * Co-hosted a reception for ambassadors at Liberal Democrat Conference in September. * Club trip to Malta in November 2024.
Looking Forward: Planning an event in 2025 in conjunction with the Africa Liberal Network (ALN), an organisation composed of 42 Liberal parties from 24 countries in Africa and associated organisation of Liberal International. The ALN promotes liberal objectives and principles throughout the continent.
Cricket Circle
Established: 2023
Purpose: The Cricket Circle brings cricket enthusiasts together to connect before and after notable cricket events or series, fostering camaraderie over food and drink at the Club.
Highlights: In 2024, we held two successful “envelope” events, where members made predictions before the Cricket World Cup and the summer tests against West Indies & Sri Lanka. While England’s World Cup performance was disappointing, their test match victories were celebrated by the Circle.
Looking Forward: Plans for 2025 include expanding events with cricket-related talks and possibly a summer picnic. We welcome anyone interested in cricket to join.
Dutch Circle NEW
Established: 2024
Purpose: The Dutch Circle exists to strengthen ties between the United Kingdom and our Liberal friends in the lowlands.
Highlights: We held our inaugural event, Koningsdag (King’s Day) on 19th April, 2024. It was well attended with the Dutch embassy sending representatives and the NLC putting on an authentic spread of Dutch snacks.
Looking Forward: We are excited to prepare for Pakjesavond (packages evening) where the Dutch circle will invite all Nederphiles, and interested parties, to enjoy a Dutch Christmas celebration in early December.
Fourscore Circle
Established: 2002
Purpose: Twice yearly lunches for Club Members over 80.
Highlights: Pre-Hibernation Lunch in October
Looking Forward: Post-Hibernation Lunch, April, 2025.
French Circle
Established: 2017
Purpose: The French Circle seeks to enhance cultural engagement and professional skills through innovative events, while fostering collaborations with other NLC circles.
Highlights: February 2024: Hosted a public speaking workshop with Sylvia Cohen, a top UK voice coach, to develop essential skills for Club members.* Collaborations: Partnered with the Literary Circle in January to discuss The Prince by Machiavelli and co-hosted a concert with the Asia Circle in May, featuring works by French composer Francis Poulenc. * July 2024 - Bastille Day: The fourth annual Bastille Day BBQ welcomed guest of honour Olivier Morel, President of the French Foreign Trade Advisors in the UK, who spoke on France-UK partnerships post-Brexit, marking 120 years of the Entente Cordiale. Future Plans: The French Circle is considering follow-up workshops on wine tasting and gold investing, based on member feedback. Stay tuned for more exciting events!
German Circle
Established: 2012
Purpose: The German Circle (Stammtisch) fosters cultural exchange and appreciation of German traditions through monthly gatherings and special events for members and their guests.
Highlights: April 2024: A German wine tasting featuring Rieslings, Spätburgunders, and Liebfraumilch, hosted by wine educator Tim
Syrad.* May 2024: The annual White Asparagus Supper, accompanied by German Lieder. * September 2024: A keynote event, “An Audience with Katja Hoyer,” in collaboration with the NLC’s European Forum, featuring the historian and author discussing the history of East Germany. * Oktoberfest celebrated on October 4 was a well-attended festive occasion where the beer flowed and an oompah band provided musical accompaniment.
Looking Forward: The German Circle is planning a trip to Germany in 2025, following previous delays due to Covid.
Golf Circle
Established: Early 1900s
Purpose: The circle brings together members with a shared passion for golf, providing opportunities for friendly competition and social gatherings throughout the year. Highlights: This year’s standout event was the annual match against the French Clubs, held in Lyon, where our team of eight players finished in the top 3, with Peter Stearn winning the nearest the pin award. Other successful fixtures took place at West Hill, Enfield, and The Rayleigh Club, with notable winners including Geoffrey Paul, Tony Suchy, Jay Dias, and Charley Horne as captain at The Rayleigh Club. Social events, including drinks and dinners, added to the enjoyment of the year. Looking Forward: We anticipate more exciting matches and social gatherings in the upcoming year, including drinks and dinner evenings at the Club.
Irish Circle
Established: 2020
Purpose: The Irish Circle celebrates the arts, history, economy, and politics of Ireland. We welcome members from all parts of Ireland, those with Irish connections, or anyone interested in enjoying Irish culture.
Highlights: December 2023: Christmas drinks in support of “Arts Across Borders.” * March 2024: St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a fullservice dinner and entertainment by Irish dancers from the Theresa O’Callaghan School of Dance. * July
2024: Summer drinks on the NLC Terrace.
Looking Forward: 28th November, 2024: Christmas drinks party. * 14th March, 2025: St. Patrick’s Dinner, celebrating the contributions of Irish women, as part of the Club’s International Women’s Week. * 2025: Planned cultural and political events, with continued networking across the Irish community in London.
Italian Circle NEW
Established: 2024
Purpose: The Italian Circle is a vibrant new group dedicated to celebrating Italian culture in all its facets – from politics and historical figures to music, sport, and language. With nearly 20 enthusiastic members, it offers a welcoming space for those who love Italian culture, whether they speak the language or simply enjoy the country’s rich heritage.
Looking Forward: The Italian Circle plans more social gatherings in the autumn and is preparing for its first major event, potentially in collaboration with other groups. New ideas and helping hands are always welcome as the Italian Circle continues to grow!
Jazz Circle NEW
Established: 2024
Purpose: The NLC Jazz Circle brings together jazz enthusiasts to celebrate the genre through events, performances, and discussions.
Highlights: The Summer Jazz Concert was a fantastic success, featuring Tom Platts and his Quartet performing jazz classics like “Cheek to Cheek” and “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” along with dancing and refreshments.
Looking Forward: In 2025, the Circle will host a French Jazz Concert honouring icons like Charles Trenet and Django Reinhardt. * A Swing Kids film night, with a post-screening discussion, is also planned. * Dates for both events are to be confirmed.
LGBTQ+ Circle
Established: 2018
Purpose: The LGBTQ+ Circle unites members interested in LGBTQ+
issues and organises social events both at the Club and beyond.
Highlights: We hosted a successful Pride event at the NLC on 29th June, coinciding with Pride in London. Over 200 attendees enjoyed the Terrace, Bar, and Dining Room, with a special menu and vibrant atmosphere.
Looking Forward: The LGBTQ+ Circle meets every third Wednesday of the month and is planning more events with other circles.
Liberal Democrat History Group
Established: 1988
Purpose: The Liberal Democrat History Group explores the history and relationships between the Liberal Party, Liberal Democrats, and other political parties, focusing on key events, figures, and ideologies. Highlights: Recent events include a fringe meeting at the Federal Conference discussing LiberalLabour relations, featuring David Laws and Jim Wallace, and the launch of Laws’ book Serpents, Goats and Turkeys. The Group also supported a joint event on Gladstone and Bulgarian Independence.
Looking Forward: The Group plans future events, including more historical discussions and publications.
Literary Circle
Established: 2011
Purpose: The Literary Circle brings together book enthusiasts to discuss a wide range of literature, fostering thoughtful conversations and diverse perspectives.
Highlights: January 2024: A lively discussion of The Prince by Machiavelli with 22 attendees, including members of the French Circle. * Popular Reads: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell was a favourite, while Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz sparked thoughtful discussions on societal norms. * Unique Selection: We explored food culture through An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David during International Women’s Week. * Mixed Reactions: Our recent read, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, both irritated and delighted our group.
Looking Forward: Later this year: Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney and Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai.
Meditation Circle NEW
Established: 2024
Purpose
The newly formed Meditation Circle at the National Liberal Club offers a tranquil space for members to practise meditation and mindfulness, aiming to improve mental well-being, reduce stress, and foster community.
Looking Forward
Launching in November, with sessions in the Ashdown Room, we will introduce guided meditation practices to promote relaxation and mental clarity, with plans for themed sessions and future events.
Not-So-Younger Members Group
Established: 2018
Purpose: Social Group for members between the ages of 30 - 45. Highlights: White Tie Karaoke, 6th December 2024
Looking Forward: The NSYMG meets on the first Thursday of every month. New ideas for events are always welcome.
Orpington Circle
Established: 2008
Purpose: The Orpington Circle is dedicated to supporting the Liberal Democrats, fostering discussions on politics and policy, and hosting events to engage both members and
the wider public.
Highlights: January: Rob Blackie, Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London, led a successful Q&A with 30-40 attendees. * January: Baroness Sue Garden spoke informally in the Ashdown Room, with 13 attendees enjoying wine and crisps. * May: Munira Wilson MP joined the Circle for an engaging evening, alongside Baroness Susan Kramer, sharing insights with 30-40 attendees. *
September: Curry Night with York Membery, discussing the 1962 Orpington by-election, with a speech by MP Josh Babarinde. * October: Liberal Democrat Conversations featuring Richard Foord, MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, on Defence policy, in collaboration with the Defence and Security Circle.
Looking Forward: More events are in the pipeline for 2025.
Political and Economic Circle
Established: 1888
Purpose: The Political and Economic Circle promotes in-depth discussions on key political and economic issues, hosting debates with leading experts and opinion shapers.
Highlights: Debate on BRICS: A discussion on the “Rise of BRICS and the Fall of Western Economies” with Moody’s Chief Economist Dr. Ganguly and Professor Jing Gu. * Annual Debate: Leading pollster Sir John Curtice predicted the outcome of the 2024 General Election with remarkable accuracy. * Election
Post-Mortem: A follow-up debate with Sir John Curtice on the success of Sir Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrats after the election.
*October 2024: A joint event for Black History Month, “Kamala Harris: Historic Candidacy – Modern Fault Lines,” focusing on race, gender, and the 2024 US election.
Looking Forward: Future
Discussions: Debates on Middle East tensions and the challenges facing the new UK government.
Shooting Club
Established: 2017
Purpose: The Shooting Club provides members with opportunities to learn, practice, and enjoy the sport of shooting in a safe and supportive environment. We organise shooting
events, on weekends, offering both experienced shooters and beginners a chance to improve their skills, socialise, and participate in friendly competitions.
Highlights: The NLC Shooting Club held a .22 rifle shoot in January at Northfields Shooting Club and several clay shoots throughout the year. The next clay shoot will be at English Shooting in Enfield on 3rd November.
Looking Forward: All NLC members, including partners and children (10+), are welcome to join. Shoots are followed by a pub lunch, and no experience is needed, as tuition is provided.
Sunday Lunch & Heritage Talk Circle
Established: 2020
Purpose: The Sunday Lunch & Heritage Talk Circle aims to bring NLC members together to explore and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and heritage of the Club’s community. Through informal discussions, members gain a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures, fostering appreciation for shared values.
Highlights: The Circle has covered a variety of heritage themes, including the Ismaili, Welsh, Pakistani, Mexican, Australian, and Swedish communities in London. * A special event for International Women’s Day in March highlighted poems by influential women poets from around the world, marking a first for the Club.
Looking Forward: 3rd November: Focus on the Somali community in London. * Monthly gatherings take place at the renowned Haandi restaurant in Knightsbridge.
Theatre & Arts Circle
Established: 2018
Purpose: The Theatre & Arts Circle brings together members to enjoy theatre, opera, galleries, and cultural events, both on and off site, while offering free membership.
Highlights: Theatre Visits: High Society, Edward Scissorhands, A Chorus Line, and more. * Cultural Visits: The Queen’s House, Wallace Collection, and Greenwich Planetarium. * Club Events: Oscar
Wilde performance by Neil Titley, monthly screenings of operas and ballets, and regular Drawing for Fun sessions. * Special Event: Hosted the NLC’s launch for International Women’s Week 2024.
Looking Forward: Theatre visits, including White Christmas. * Visits to Two Temple Place, The Masonic Temple, The Courtauld Collection, and Tate Modern. * Continued monthly screenings of recorded performances. * Showing of the 1973 BBC film “Pygmalion” by (NLC member) George Bernard Shaw in honour of International Women’s Week.
Wednesday Luncheon Circle
Established: 1984
Purpose: The WLC meets weekly and provides diverse speakers from various backgrounds to engage members on important issues. Highlights: Talks addressing the global challenges faced by women and children.
Looking Forward: Karin Rehacek will take over as Chair in 2025, with a special speaker planned for International Women’s Week in March. The WLC will continue offering engaging talks in the upcoming year.
Wine and Spirits Circle
Established:2022
Purpose: The NLC Wine Tasting Circle offers members the chance to explore wines from various regions through interactive tastings. Looking Forward: Tastings start in
early 2025, beginning with wines from the Loire Valley. * Attendees will sample eight wines (four white, four red) while learning about wine production. * The summer season will include a visit to an English vineyard. * Spaces will be limited, so keep an eye on the events calendar and book early!
Women’s Network
Established: 2018
Purpose: The WN was established to highlight the achievements of women in the Club and wider society through engaging speaker events, open to all members and their guests.
Highlights: Regular Tuesday and Thursday Table in the Club’s bar where members and guests can join together for a drink and optional dinner. The Women’s Network annually celebrates International Women’s Day with expanded week-long events. In 2025, International Women’s Week will feature a Suffrage Walk, talks by notable women like Veronica Low, and cultural events, including performances and literary readings. Looking Forward: Regular talks will continue throughout the year, starting with a February 2025 event on capital punishment. * International Women’s Week, from 10th - 14th March 2025, promises a variety of exciting events, including formal dinners, concerts, and theatre performances. Book your tickets for all events in good time!
Younger Members Group
Established: Early 2000s
Purpose: Social group for members under the age of 35.
Highlights: Summer events included discounted Polo in the Park tickets and Henley Regatta with Phyllis Court Club. * Hosted Interclub’s Summer BBQ and a Black Tie Drinks evening in September. * Monthly drinks and fireside chats covered topics like film, political polling, and surveillance.
Looking Forward: Future events, including festive activities, are in the works. Members are encouraged to suggest speakers and connect with Amber or Thomas for involvement.
OBITUARIES
The Club received news of the deaths of the following members during 2024.
Mr John N Pantall Country member since 1980
Mr Robert Gaisford, Authors’ Club member since 2017
Mr Dal O’Toole Overseas member since 1969
Mr James G Earl Town member since 1991
Dr Doug R Fenn JP FRSA Life member since 1982
Mr Paul Rowsell CBE Life member since 1991
Prof Gautam Mitra Town member since 1979
Mr Frank R Ree Life member since 1953
Mr J Trevor Wilson CBE Country member since 1987
Mr Innocent G Okorji Country member since 2012
Dr Pantea Etessami Town member since 2006
Mr Syed A B Naqvi Overseas member since 2017
Obituaries
J Trevor Wilson CBE, JP
(b 1927, d 2024) NLC Member from 1987
Trevor Wilson was the typical solid Yorkshire businessman and Liberal. Born into a Liberal family, his father, John Wilson, was Liberal Councillor for Elland from 1929 to 1963 and was the parliamentary candidate for the Elland Division in the 1945 election. Trevor was elected to the West Riding of Yorkshire County Council in the by-election in 1963 caused by his father’s death. He was elevated to become a County Alderman in 1967 as leader of the Liberal Group. In 1965 he was also appointed a West Riding magistrate. In 1973 when the West Riding authority was replaced by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, Trevor was again elected for the Elland ward. The Liberal Council group, though dominated by members from the cities and other county boroughs, recognised his political skills and experience and voted to keep him as Liberal Group leader. He continued in this role until Mrs Thatcher abolished the Metropolitan County Councils along with the GLC in 1986. He also contested the 1964 general election in the Pudsey constituency. In 1986 he was awarded a CBE for his services to political and public life. Trevor began his high school life at Elland Grammar School but in 1940, as German air raids began, he was sent, complete with gas mask, to Giggleswick School, a very old established public school in a small village of the same name then in the West Riding. In 1943 he went on to Balliol College, Oxford University, from where he emerged with a BA to which he later added a BSc. At Oxford he joined the University Liberal Club. Outside of politics Trevor was a keen sportsman, playing cricket, rugby and golf. He was very much involved in the scout movement and also served on the boards of a number of local charities, including Age UK and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau. His leisure interests were very diverse, leading many mountaineering expeditions and going on annual ski trips until well into his 70s, but also being keenly interested in opera! His business was
John Pantall
The death is announced of John Pantall, a member of the National Liberal Club since 1980.
For many years a Liberal Councillor for Stockport, he was described by colleagues as “loyal and reliable, John would never let you down”. Councillor Lishman, our Club Chair,
the old-established family firm of Samuel Wilkinson Brickworks in Elland until it closed in 1985. He became a member of the National Liberal Club in 1987. He died in late June – having dispatched his postal vote for the general election!
Michael Meadowcroft
and another North-West Councillor states “John was a Party and Stockport stalwart who kept the flag flying as a campaigner in Cheadle Hulme, going back to the days before the Liberal Democrats came into existence. He will be much missed.”
For much of John’s career, he
worked with the redoubtable Professor Teddy Chester at the University of Manchester, where a significant activity of the Department was undertaking a key role in the Department of Health National training Scheme for future NHS senior managers. Many of
the trainees succeeded to chief executive posts within the NHS. John provided the link with those already working in the NHS, by arranging work attachments, an invaluable part of the training including gaining
initial responsibility. (This aspect of his work required a great deal of travel. He was never at a loss for railway routes or train times. It really was most impressive!)
Always approachable, good
humoured with an inexhaustible supply of energy, enthusiasm and good humour, he is owed a great deal of gratitude by many.
James Stewart
Michael Ancram (Marquess of Lothian)
7th July, 1945 – 1st October, 2024
In2006 Lord Lothian – then Michael Ancram MP – founded the Global Strategy Forum together with Johan Eliasch. Michael was the inspiration behind GSF and he created, nurtured and supported the organisation to realise his vision of an open forum, where ideas and policies on foreign affairs, defence and security matters could be debated and discussed. Over the course of the 18 years which followed, he more than achieved his founding aims.
Michael Ancram delivered the Forum’s inaugural lecture in May 2006, entitled ‘A Fork In The Road –Sorting Out The UK’s Defence Policy Debacle’. Since then, GSF has held a very successful series of lunchtime lectures and debates at which bold, provocative and challenging thinking from keynote speakers is encouraged, along with lively debate from the invited audience during the ensuing Q&A session. The list of speakers is drawn from all walks of life and the varied topics cover a wide spectrum.
The GSF has been holding these events at the National Liberal Club for many years, and NLC members have often attended and engaged with speakers and guests.
The format of a buffet lunch followed by the talk generates the perfect opportunity for networking and some attendees have joined the Club over the years.
Lord Lothian’s presence will be missed at the NLC, but the GSF will no doubt continue to flourish under new leadership. The Forum intends to mark his passing with a memorial some time in the future.
