UPCOMING EVENTS
The BFSA Scotland and Northern Ireland Chapter
Invites You on a Trip to Scotland!
Photo by David Thomas
Come join the BFSA on a trip exploring Loch Lomond, Stirling and the lovely city of Glasgow!
Loch Lomond is Great Britain’s largest lake, surrounded by green hills and dotted with numerous islands. It features in the song, Loch Lomond, whose chorus goes:
Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
We’ll take a 2 hour boat trip from the town of Balloch and explore the islands of Loch Lomond before catching the train back to Glasgow. The train fare is around £5.00 and the boat trip will cost around £13.00.
Stirling was one of the principal royal strongholds of the Kingdom of Scotland and its castle remains high on the hill. Mary, Queen of Scots and King James VI & I both lived here. The castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland and we’ll take a tour before exploring the medieval city streets below. Stirling is an easy 40 minutes from Glasgow by train and the fare will be around £7.00, entry to the castle is around £9.00.
Glasgow was recently named a UNESCO City of Music and we’ll explore one of the many reasons why by going to Uisge Beatha Whisky Bar on Sunday night for one of their renowned folk music jam sessions.
Tentative Dates: the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of May, 2009, which is a bank holiday weekend. It would be great if people could travel up on the 1st (the Friday) so that we could spend the Saturday and Sunday exploring Stirling and Loch Lomond. This would mean you could travel back on the Monday.
Transportation: You’ll be responsible for booking your own transport to Glasgow. Book early for the cheap fare of around £54 return.
Contact Tahitia ontahitialynn@netscape.net to register your interest and/or ask questions. You are most welcome to attend one or all of the visits.
RECENT EVENTS
LONDON: AGM & Annual Lecture
The BFSA AGM and Annual Lecture took place on 9th December 2008 at the University of Notre Dame, 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1
Our speaker, television producer, broadcaster and arts impresario Sir Jeremy Isaacs was born in Glasgow in 1932. He was educated in the classics at Merton College before becoming one of the most influential men in British television. He produced some of the most significant historical documentaries made for British television, including ‘Cold War.’ In the book of the same title Jeremy Isaacs and his co-writer Taylor Downing record epic history through the detail of human experience: the recollections not only of statesmen whose decisions led to these momentous events, but also of the ordinary men and women whose lives were bound up in those years of conflict. Cold War is the first comprehensive history for the general reader to benefit from the recent opening of Soviet, East European and Chinese archives as well as formerly classified American documents.
Autumn Reception: New Scotland Yard
The BFSA hosted this year's Autumn Reception on 7 October 2008 at New Scotland Yard in London. The event included welcome addresses by Dr. Philip Swan (Chair, BFSA) and Sir Paul Stephenson (Deputy Commissioner of Police, MET), followed by the keynote speech by Rt. Hon. Jack Straw.
Jack Straw spoke about the growing significance of maintaining strong trans-Atlantic ties, the value in studying the experiences and histories of other cultures, and the importance of having face-to-face interaction with overseas individuals and communities with differing political traditions and values, given the current state of international affairs. He shared what the Fulbright Scholarship has meant to him and his family and discussed his own experiences with meeting heads of states from around the world.
“Something which really came home to me during my time as Foreign Secretary was that international cooperation is as much about personal bonds and lasting friendships as it is about formal accords, bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding. I was particularly struck by the power of human interaction and relationships to heal division, to stimulate debate and even to change the path of a nation’s history for the better. “
The wine and capape reception followed, where the BFSA formally welcomed last year's Fulbright scholars back from their award year in the US and the current US scholars who have just arrived for their scholarship in the UK.
BFSA Lecture: Earl Spencer
Lincoln Academy, University of Lincoln hosted the BFSA Lecture from Earl Spencer in May 2008. Approximately 150 guests attended to hear a fascinating and informative talk about the Earl's latest book, Prince Rupert: The Last Cavalier. After early evening refreshments, Vice Chancellor Professor David Chiddick welcomed guests and expressed how delighted the university were to host the evening. BFSA Chair Dr. Philip Swan then presented a short talk on the ideals of Senator Fulbright and of his own experience as a Fulbright scholar at Westminster College, Missouri in 2006.
Charles Spencer was educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he obtained a degree in history. Placing his subject, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, in historical context as the grandson of James I of England, he embarked on an hour-long fascinating account of his life and exploits. For more details about this talk, please refer to the Summer 2008 Newsletter.
After answering questions from the floor, Earl Spencer signed copies of his book in the foyer where wine and canapes were served. The Earl has kindly donated 35% of the proceeds of each book sold at the event to the BFSA. The BFSA extends its thanks to Earl Spencer and Lincoln University for their incredible generosity and such a wonderful evening.
BFSA Trip to Iona
The BFSA trip to Iona, organized by the Scotland and Northern Ireland Chapter, featured a small group of happy travellers and one gorgeous Island. Five BFSA members made the long journey north to the Western Isles in April 2008 and were treated with an array of weather, organic food, and great company.
Iona is located on the west coast of Scotland, at the westernmost tip of the island of Mull. Although a tiny place, barely 3 square miles, Iona has had a huge influence on Christianity across Scotland and Europe during its history. St. Columba arrived on the island in 563 AD from Ireland with 12 followers, establishing a monastic community and began to convert pagan Scotland and northern England to the Celtic Church. Iona became a place of pilgrimage and a burial place for kings of Scotland, Norway, and Ireland. It is believed that the Book of Kells was created on the island in 800 AD shortly before Viking raiders stormed the island in 806 AD, killing many monks and eventually leading to the abandonment of the community.
