What’s on at the Club tomorrow

Tomorrow is our Christmas Meal at The Oak in Widmore Road. Please meet at 7:00pm to be ready to eat at 7:30.

This is the last event of the Club before the Christmas and New Year break.

We will be meeting at the USC again on 9 January when it will be a members’ evening highlighting Table Top Photography so pleasebring in any interesting items for all to photograph.

Mayor of Bromley’s Charity Appeal Quiz Evening – Friday 14 February 2020

The Charity Quiz evening will take place In the Great Hall at Bromley Civic Centre and the evening will commence at 7.00pm for a prompt 7.30pm start.

The Club has in the past had one and sometimes two tables, in teams of 6, so if you would like to take part please let me know soon as entries have to be sent in before 24 January.  The cost of the evening is £14.00 to include a light supper. Vegetarian option available

Regrettably guests are unable to bring their own food and drinks, but a pay bar is available.

Next Camera Club Outing

Highgate Cemetery Tour – Sunday 12 January 2020 – £12 per person (friends/relatives welcome too) Meet at the entrance to the East Cemetery at 11:00am to explore this section. We can then go for lunch together in one of the nearby pubs before returning to the West Cemetery for a private tour at 2:30pm. No tripods unfortunately. Please email Charlotte if you’d like to come and we will collect payment at a later date. 

Further planned outings can be found at the end of this Newsletter.

What’s on this coming weekend and soon

Watch a power station chimney come down – Sunday 15 December – 8:00am

This coming Sunday morning will see the UK’s second highest chimney demolished – right next to the Dartford Crossing. It’s the remaining 215 metre high chimney from the Littlebrook Power Station which itself is being demolished at the moment. The oil fuelled plant is being demolished mainly as it no longer complies with regulations covering air pollution levels, and the cost of making it compliant wasn’t economical.

There will be a local road exclusion around the power station, and traffic across the Dartford Crossing will be stopped for a short while — which itself will be a useful indicator to people watching that the explosion is imminent.

The Southbank Centre Winter Festival is back for 2019 with another sparkling programme of festive shows and performances, family fun and music. The riverside venue will celebrate the coldest season with a fistful of fun pop-ups and activities. The annual Winter Market will be back with mulled wine and seasonal treats galore, while other highlights include a musical puppet version of ‘Black Beauty’ (Dec 14-Jan 5), retro circus show (Dec 19-Jan 5), Christmas-themed concerts from the Philharmonia Orchestra (Dec 15)

Christmas at Kew Gardens – starts today and on until Sunday 5 January 2020

This year, the mile-long, twinkling trail holds some new surprises. Visitors new and old will be guided along a different route from previous editions, but expect it to be just as lit. There will be a shower of silvery vines drifting from the top of the Treetop Walkway, which light up in trippy patterns to beautiful Christmas music. Down below you’ll be able to spy folkloric illuminations of mythical fairy creatures and Will-o’the Wisps. And if that wasn’t enough, there will also be new glittering spiral tree installations and laser projections illuminating the iconic Temperate House.

But if you can’t get enough of the old favourites, they’ll also be making a triumphant return. Listen to the singing holly bushes, walk through the Tunnel of Light and its thousands of pea-lights, warm yourself by the fire garden and gawp at the jets of light dancing above the Palm House Pond.

Santa and his elves will also be in attendance, while grown-ups can take advantage of the festive shopping, seasonal snacks and warming mulled wine.

Museum of Architecture Gingerbread City – Somerset House on until Sunday 5 January

The Museum of Architecture’s Gingerbread City is back and this year it’s filling the mighty Somerset House with impressive models made of dough. Feast your eyes on an imaginary city made by architecture firms, who were invited to pick a plot on the masterplan and respond to a brief set by Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design. This time around the theme is ‘transport’ so look out for biscuity new ways of moving around our packed city. There’ll also be gingerbread house making workshops throughout the duration of the show (from £35) and don’t be tempted to nibble on your creation.

London Pantomime Horse Race – begins at Davenport House, Greenwich – Sunday 15 December – pre-race ceremony 11:30am, race starts at 1:00pm.

In scenes only slightly less dramatic and probably far more entertaining than the Grand National, more than 40 pantomime horses (plus a few pretenders in the form of zebras and cows) will gallop through Greenwich on this race raising money for charity. The day begins with a free, open-air Star Wars show featuring jedis, stormtroopers and Princess Leia with performances from The London Humanist Choir. Horses who aren’t knackered following their mad dash (and pub stops) can stick their nose in at The After Race Christmas Party for live music, comedy and DJs. Everybody’s welcome at the bash, but if you think you’re capable of a charity canter you’ll need to sign up in advance, by emailing entries@pantohorserace.org. 

And if you haven’t got your turkey yet

Smithfield’s Christmas Eve meat auction returns for 2019

Good news for meat lovers and lovers of a meaty bargain as the exceptionally good fun Christmas Eve auction will return to Smithfield this year. Despite fears that the venue might have to change due to the Museum of London development works, it’s been confirmed that Harts of Smithfield will once again open up their shutters in their traditional home next to Farringdon Road for the morning.

This year it takes place on Tuesday 24 December, from 10:30am.

Forthcoming Camera Club Outings

York/Whitby – Sunday 5th to Tuesday 7 April 2020

Sunday 5 April: travel up to York in the morning, walking tour around the city in the afternoon and time for sunset/evening photography

Monday 6 April: private minibus trip to Whitby via the York Moors, Goathland etc. – full itinerary to be confirmed (maximum 16 people so first come, first served)

Tuesday 7 April: more time in York before travelling back to London in the afternoon/evening

When I first put this in the Newsletter the cost was £106 for two nights’ accommodation at the Travelodge Central Layerthorpe (per room) plus around £50 for the day trip (depending on final numbers).

Charlotte will organise the above but you’ll need to book your own train tickets – these go on sale 12 weeks in advance so please put 12January in your diaries to get the best price! We’ll send out a reminder nearer the time too.

As Charlotte will have to pay in full for the Travelodge accommodation to get the saver rates, it’d be great if you could email her to let her know that you’re coming and she will contact you to give her bank details. The cost is £106 (this forms your non-refundable deposit). If you’d like to share a room, please her know who you’re sharing with and transfer £53 each. Partners/relatives/friends are welcome on this trip.