Opening Doors London May 2017
MAY 2017 Make new friends and try new activities with members of the older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* community. ODL membership is free and is aimed at all who identify as LGBT*, and are over 50. We have members from across London, and beyond. As well as our events, we also offer: A befriending service Policy, campaigning and training For information about groups and activities please contact us on: 020 7239 0400 or Info@openingdoorslondon.org.uk www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk twitter.com/OpeningDoorsLdn facebook.com/openingdoorslondon
Singing for Fun Workshops!
Fancy a sing a long? A series of 6 workshops in May and June. At The Mary Ward Centre 42 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AQ. Contact Bex to book your FREE place on bex.large@openingdoorslondon.org.uk or 020 7239 0400 No experience necessary. Fun, friendly and welcoming.
Opening Doors London is a charity (1167919) and a company limited by guarantee (10123607) Opening Doors London is supported by:
FUTURE EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
Register for Sunday Lunch and Film Club on Sunday 4th June https://june2017odlsundaylunch.eventbrit e.co.uk Saturday 8th July: Pride in London 2017. We’re not starting to take bookings yet, but keep the date free if you’d like to come along and keep an eye on future listings in order to book. Page 2 of 12
MAY 2017 Monday 1st May
canal. The Breakfast Club is a short distance along on your left.) Walk start time: 2.30pm Walk end time including lunch break (approx.): 5pm from Hackney Wick station or at 6.30pm from Stratford station. No booking necessary. Just turn up.
CANCELLED DUE TO BANK HOLIDAY: Peer led coffee and tea social at The Breakfast Club in Battersea Rise Tuesday 2nd May ‘Sing a song of May Time!’ Expeditionary Force to The Breakfast Club East led by Clive
2 – 5 Miles Sights to enjoy on route: 1) Hackney Wick. 2) River Lea/Canal 3) Olympic Park 4) Wick Woodland 5) Westfield Shopping Centre Lunch plans: We will be part hosted by The Breakfast Club East but should not abuse their kindness. Attendees may like to bring sandwiches and can eat later at the Weatherspoon’s or elsewhere in Stratford if still hungry. The Breakfast Club East offers pleasant internal and external seating. It overlooks the Canalised section of the River Lea. Meeting location point (including transport info): Meet outside the Starbucks concession opposite Marks and Spencer on the ground floor level of Stratford Westfield shopping centre. Starbucks is very close to the Stratford station entrance to Westfield. Stratford station is on the Central and Jubilee underground, London Overground, DLR and numerous bus routes. (If you arrive late an wat to catch up with the group, leave Stratford station by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park exit. At the roadway, turn left, past the front of Stratford Place, to reach Stratford City Bus Station on your left. At stop W, catch 388 bus (dest Blackfriars). Alight at stop 'HereEast'. Walk towards HereEast building, and turn left at the
Havering LGBT over-50s Social Group Tapestry Stanton Gate, Mawney Road, Romford RM7 7HL Transport: 0.7 miles walk from Romford station with connections to Upminster, Stratford and Liverpool Street. Havering LGBT+ Forum is proud to present a new social group for LGBT* older people in the east London/ Essex area. This is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones from in and around the Havering area in east London/ Essex. So if you are age 50 or over and would like to experience some smashing social company within a safe and welcoming space, please come along. Free tea, coffee and biscuits, plus we have a great team of dedicated volunteers who will warmly greet you and introduce you to like-minded people who also identify as LGBT. 3pm – 5pm Peer led Creative Writing Group Tavis House ODL member Pat would like to invite other ODL members to join a non-taught Creative Writing Group for people who would like to come together to write. 3pm – 5pm Wednesday 3rd May Anchor Housing/ ODL Art Group Chigwell Court, 99 Balance Road London E9 5SQ. The art group will be held in the communal room. Basic materials will be provided for the informal drop-in session. Volunteer artists on hand. 2pm – 4pm Men’s Pimlico Social Pimlico Room, back of St. Saviour’s Church, St George’s Square, London SW1V 3QW.
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MAY 2017 Friendly drop-in coffee evening. 6pm – 9pm Thursday 4th May ‘Rainbow Surfers’ older LGBT* computer drop-in Computer Suite, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9NA. Our Age UK Camden LGBT* friendly drop-in session provides you with an opportunity to receive IT assistance and guidance from knowledgeable volunteers and staff. For more information please contact Tony on 020 7239 0400. Every Thursday 10am – 1pm Friday 5th May Friday Coffee and Cake Club Café, Tavis House, 16 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9NA. Come in for a chat at this peer led social group. Hot drinks can be purchased in the café. Please feel free to bring your own cakes and biscuits. Every Friday 10am – 12pm Sunday 7th May Sunday Lunch & Film Club Henderson Court Resource Centre, 102 Fitzjohn’s Ave, London NW3 6NS (entrance on Prince Arthur Road). Join us for a lovely home cooked lunch before we watch the film. THE PRODUCERS (2005) By Mel Brooks Directed by Susan Stroman Staring: Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock Matthew Broderick as Leopold "Leo" Bloom Uma Thurman as Ulla Will Ferrell as Franz Liebkind The story of two would-be theatrical moguls turned con men put on the world’s worst show in a get-rich-quick scheme. Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) was once one of Broadway's most successful producers, but a string of flops has thrown his career into a tailspin. Now he struggles to raise the cash to stage new shows. He hires accountant Leo Bloom
(Matthew Broderick) to assist and while going over his books, he notices that Bialystock raised more money than he spent for one show, and points out that if one raised enough money for a show that closed in one night, one could make more from a flop than a hit! This strikes Bialystock as brilliant! He persuades Bloom to join him by staging the world's greatest flop. After discovering a truly vile script, "Springtime for Hitler", written by neoNazi cum pigeon fancier, Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell) they then give a key role to their secretary Ulla (Uma Thurman), a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with only a tenuous understanding of the English language. Bialystock and Bloom are certain they have the disaster they need for their plan to work. But the scheme unexpectedly goes wrong when "Springtime for Hitler" is taken as a well meaning satire - "being so bad, it's actually good" – and it becomes a hit. The production duo are found out about their tax evasion scheme and sent to jail. But it’s in Jail that they can only do one thing and produce a sure hit show, “Prisoners of Love”… After transforming his first motion picture into a smash Broadway musical, Mel Brooks brings it back to the screen in this musical comedy. He also co-wrote the screenplay as well as producing it, but directorial chores were handed over to Susan Stroman, who also directed the Broadway show. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick also repeated their roles from the Broadway production. Cost £5. Booking for lunch essential. RSVP before Wednesday via: https://may2017odlsundaylunch.eventbrite.co.uk or calling 020 7239 0400. Social: 12pm Lunch: 1pm Film starts: 2pm
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Monday 8th May Bridge and Scrabble Club Lumen Café, 88 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RS On the second and fourth Monday of the month the wonderful Black Olive Cooks at the lovely Lumen Café will provide space for ODL members to play Bridge and Scrabble. Beginners welcome! Scrabble boards will be provided. Lumen Café are offering ODL members discounted tea for 50p and filter coffee for 80p. Beginners welcome. Transport: 0.3 miles from Russell Square underground station or 0.4 miles from King's Cross St. Pancras London station. No need to book. 2pm – 4pm Tuesday 9th May Men’s Walking Group led by Peter Walthamstow is not high on the must 'visit list' of towns which combine to form Greater London but prepare to be surprised when we explore it on our May walk. At its heart is a leafy and historic village but there is much to see as we walk our way up to it. The remarkable conversion of an old cinema, an astonishing Town Hall, many fine buildings and lots of secret places are all possibilities. The planning for this excursion is continuing with the participation of two of our members who live there. So too will be the actual meeting point, as the different railway, underground and bus stations present a bewildering range of options upon arrival. However, it's very easy to get to Walthamstow and clear directions as to where we will be assembling will be available upon booking. If you would like to join the walk you can either: Text or leave a message on the walking group mobile number which is 07804 329 416 but you will need to wait for a reply before you can be sure that a place has been booked for you, or better still…
Book a free ticket upon Eventbrite (using password "village"), which will instantly guarantee you a place: https://menswalking-groupwalthamstow.eventbrite.co.uk These walks are proving popular so if you find yourself unable to come along, having booked, kindly let us know so that your place can be offered to someone else on the waiting list. Meeting time: 2.30pm Men’s Speakers Night Henderson Court Resource Centre, 102 Fitzjohn’s Avenue, London NW3 6NS. (Entrance on Prince Arthur Road)
Tonight’s talk is from Stella Black, Regional Manager of the Macular Society SE. Stella has been working in the sight loss field since 2003 when she began work as a tutor at RNIB College in Redhill Surrey. Following this she worked with Sight for Surrey and set up a sports and leisure programme for blind and partially sighted children, provided Sight Loss Awareness training and set up an Outreach Team. In 2015 Stella joined the Macular Society as Regional Manager covering London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. “The Macular Society is the national charity for anyone affected by central vision loss. Our 22,000 members make us the biggest membership group in the sight loss sector and the voice of people with macular conditions. We provide free information and support to improve lives and ensure no one has to face macular disease alone. There are around 300 Macular Society groups around the UK and beyond. We fund research so that one day we can overcome macular disease.” Social: 6pm Talk: from 7pm (After the talk some members also head to a local pub for a drink.)
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Wednesday 10th May
MAY 2017 London Friend tea and biscuits older LGBT* dropin London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, N1 9DN. In partnership with London Friend, this social group is a place to meet friends for a coffee, chat and optional board games! 12.30pm – 2.30pm
month, still at 1pm.
LGBT Café in Bow E3 2RW Muxima Local 50+ LGBT* folks and LGBT*carers sought for coffee, cake and conversation. More info: 07572 548 592 4.30pm – 6pm Pub Social at Her Upstairs Her Upstairs (above Block Bar), 18 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 9NX. (2 minute walk from Camden Town underground station on the Northern line.) Come along for a drink with friends old and new, and share snacks courtesy of George, Meth and the staff at Her Upstairs. Please note there is a flight of stairs to access this venue. 7pm – late Thursday 11th May ‘Rainbow Surfers’ older LGBT* computer drop-in See the first Thursday of the month for more details. Every Thursday 10am – 1pm Tony's Walk about, Talk about, and Pig out: Ladywell Join Tony for a 1 mile walkabout, in Ladywell, (with an optional extra 1 mile walk via Hilly Fields to St. Johns. It is indeed a steep uphill climb.) During the summer picnic season, the regular Walkabout will be on the 2nd Thursday of the
Short walk: http://walkit.com/themedwalk/london/other/houndsy/ladywell-short/ Long walk: http://walkit.com/themedwalk/london/other/houndsy/ladywell-long/ We leave the station by the Platform 2 exit, and take a walk through the northern Field (there are also middle and southern Fields). The original park design featured riverside plantings and rustic bridges over the River Ravensbourne. Since the land was liable to flooding, the river channel was straightened and widened, into a rather uninspiring concrete channel. In 2007/8 the river was diverted into main area of the northern Field creating a wonderful natural space where paddling is popular in the Summer. This new river channel also helps protect the people of Lewisham from potential flooding. We cross over the railway, and return to Ladywell along Malyons Road. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladywell_Fields
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MAY 2017 Secondly, the Village Cafe, serving all day breakfasts, burgers, omelettes and sandwiches. http://www.zomato.com/london/the-village-cafelewisham/menu
Thirdly (optional), a further one mile walk via a very steep uphill to Hilly Fields and St. Johns train station. At Hilly Fields, we may want to pause for a restorative cuppa at the top, and admire the view of Central and Eastern London. Octavia Hill, one of the three founders of the National Trust helped local people to set up a campaign to thwart building on Hilly Fields, and save the land as a public park. Hilly Fields was purchased by the London County Council with donations from charities and City companies. Part of the site had been used for brickmaking and this area was levelled and the swampy sections were drained. On 16th May 1896, Hilly Fields was dedicated to the public. The park became a regular meeting place for the Suffragette movement between 1907 and 1914. Meeting Time: 12.45 pm for 1pm start. Meeting Point: Ladywell train station (platform 2 exit) (Charing X, Waterloo East, London Bridge line) Finishing point: Ladywell station, or St Johns station (New Cross, Cannon St line) Friday 12th May Friday Coffee and Cake Club See first Friday of the month for more details.
10am – 12pm NEW GROUP: Out and About at the Barbican Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Join us for a new group at the Barbican Centre for afternoon tea and activities. Meet at the Block Space on the ground floor of Barbican Centre (opposite the Terrace) No need to book. Underground: Barbican, Moorgate 2pm – 4pm Following this group, those attending have also been invited to an evening performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Contact Kate on Kate.Hancock@openingdoorslondon.org.uk or 020 72039 0400 for details. ODL East London Dinner Club Positive East, 159 Mile End Road, London E1 4AQ All welcome at this friendly monthly Friday night meal I East London. Why not come along to enjoy a meal as you meet new people? £6.50 for dinner and great company. Booking essential before Wednesday via: https://may2017odleastdinnerclub.eventbrite.co. uk or 020 7239 0400. Start: 6pm Dinner: from 7pm Ends: 9pm Sunday 14th May Second Sundays Social/ Lunch Group Chelsea Theatre - 7 Worlds End Place, Kings Road, London, SW10 0DR.
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MAY 2017 Join us for lunch. We'll be ordering our food from a local cafe, Mona Lisa, which serves a wide variety of delicious hot meal. No RSVP required. 12:30pm-4pm Do you have access requirements? If there’s an event you’d like to attend but you’re not sure if you’ll be able to make it due to your access requirements, please contact us so we can help make sure you get the most out of being part of Opening Doors London. Contact us on 020 7239 0400 or Info@openingdoorslondon.org.uk Monday 15th May Women's breakfast at the Albany The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG Start your day at the Albany community café meeting other women for a chat/discussion. Have a cuppa or breakfast. As the venue is near the Thames, we also have the option to go for a walk along the Thames occasionally. Transport Trains: New Cross and Deptford DLR: Deptford Bridge Buses: 47, 53, 177, 188, 199, 225, 453 For more details: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/visit/12/Your-Visit 10am – 12pm Exercise Walk: Gentle stroll in two of Brent's parks with Gerry – a 4 mile circuit which follows the Capital Ring from South Kenton. Today's gentle stroll is mainly on the flat, and we can enjoy the open spaces of both Northwick Park and Preston Park. We get a good view of the school and church on nearby Harrow-on-the-Hill. Meeting time: 11am Meeting point: Meet outside South Kenton tube station at the Nathan's Road exit. South Kenton is served by the Bakerloo Line (zone 4) and London Overground (Euston to Watford line). Walk end point: At South Kenton station Walk end time: 2pm (approx.) Refreshments: We can stop for coffee / light lunch in a good value cafe in Preston Road.
NOTE CHANGE OF DATE: Tea Line Dance Tavis House Café, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, WC1H 9NA. Join us for our tea dances whether you are an experienced dancer, a beginner or have never danced before –there is room for all! Peter will instruct and lead us in Line Dancing. Please bring LGBT* friends of any age. Peter’s teaching each week is stand alone so don’t worry if you have not been before – all will be explained on the night 5.30pm –7.30pm Outings in Art Special: QUEER BRITISH ART at TATE BRITAIN Tate Britain, London SW1P 4RG Tate Britain, Queer British Art 1861–1967, presents works beginning from the abolition of the death penalty for sodomy in 1861, to the passing of the Sexual Offences Act in 1967 and celebrates the rich diversity of LGBTQ visual art and its role in society. Featuring work from Duncan Grant, John Singer Sargent, David Hockney and Dora Carrington, this groundbreaking show, exploring how established assumptions towards sexuality and gender started to be questioned, is not to be missed.
This visit is organised in conjunction with Dr. Clare Barlow, curator of the exhibition, and is supported by our LGBT+ staff Network partners, State Street Bank London. Booking essential due to limited ticket numbers via: https://odltatebritain.eventbrite.co.uk or 020 7239 0400.
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MAY 2017 Questions about groups, events and activities? If there’s contact details next to the specific event you’re looking at, please use those to find out more information. Otherwise please contact us on 020 7239 0400 or Info@openingdoorslondon.org.uk
Social: 6pm Film: 7pm Friday 19th May Friday Coffee and Cake Club See first Friday of the month for more details. 10am – 12pm
Tuesday 16th May Monday 22nd May Peer led Creative Writing Group Tavis House See first Tuesday of the month for information. 3pm – 5pm
Bridge and Scrabble Club Lumen Café, 88 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RS See second Monday of the month for details. 2pm – 4pm
Wednesday 17th May Anchor Housing/ ODL Art Group See first Wednesday of the month for information. 2pm – 4pm
Bi The Way Group Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, WC1H 9NA How does hate crime affect bisexual people? Join the discussion with Serge and Niamh from Galop. All welcome. Light refreshments available. 6pm – 8pm
Thursday 18th May ‘Rainbow Surfers’ older LGBT* computer drop-in See the first Thursday of the month for more details. Every Thursday 10am – 1pm Women’s Film Night Committee Room 2, First floor, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE We will be showing ‘Saving Face’ 2004 A Chinese American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations. Directed & written by Alice Wu Starring Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen. Getting there: The building is directly opposite (the curvy end) of St Pancras station. Buses: 10; 30; 59; 73; 91; 205; 390; 476
Tuesday 23rd May Tony’s gentle strolls: Picnic Season is open again at Horniman Gardens!
Join Tony for an enjoyable afternoon picnic in Horniman Gardens; hopefully in the sun. Location: Picnic area at Horniman Gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ How to get there: Forest Hill station, exit via platform 1, follow signs, 600 yards (uphill, maybe get a bus from stop D). Buses 176, 185, 197, P4; alight at stop 'Horniman Museum'. In the gardens,
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MAY 2017 follow signs to 'Bandstand Terrace' (about 300 yards). Toilets: There are toilets in the gardens. What to bring: Food and drink to share, picnic plates, cups and cutlery as needed, a cushion to sit on, and your pet dog. (Drinking water available nearby.) In case of rain: We will adjourn to the Dutch Barn, adjacent to the picnic area. Information and map of gardens: http://www.horniman.ac.uk/home Attractions: The view over central London, Animal Walk, Formal Gardens, Sound Garden, Victorian Conservatory, the Museum (mostly free). Time: 2pm - 4pm (or later) Men’s gentle exercise class Henderson Court Resource Centre, 102 Fitzjohn’s Ave, London NW3 6NS. (Entrance on Prince Arthur Road). Exercise is free medicine! Come and join a class to stretch, energise and have fun. You don’t need to bring any kit, just come along and give it a go. Suitable for all abilities and levels of fitness. Free to attend. 6.30pm – 7pm Men's Film Night Henderson Court resource centre, 102 Fitzjohns Avenue, London NW3 6NS (Entrance on Prince Arthur Road). Chariots of Fire (1981) 2h 5min
Wednesday 24th May London Friend tea and biscuits older LGBT* dropin London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, N1 9DN. In partnership with London Friend, this social group is a place to meet friends for a coffee, chat and optional board games! 12.30pm – 2.30pm Thursday 25th May ‘Rainbow Surfers’ older LGBT* computer drop-in See the first Thursday of the month for more details. Every Thursday 10am – 1pm Friday 26th May Friday Coffee and Cake Club See first Friday of the month for more details. Every Friday 10am – 12pm Informal Art Group Tavis House 1-6 Tavistock Square, WC1H 9NA Join Alan for an informal art group for all abilities come and do your own creative thing, or improve and expand your drawing skills with gentle guidance from an experienced volunteer teacher. Whether you are a traditional sketcher or an outrageous avant-gardist this group will supply encouragement, support, plenty of dialogue....and maybe an exhibition. Basic materials provided, but feel free to bring your own sketchbooks and non-messy kit. 12.30pm – 3pm Tuesday 30th May
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics. Director: Hugh Hudson Writer: Colin Welland (original screenplay) Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell Social: 6pm Film starts: 7pm
ODL Book Club Tavis Meeting Room C, Ground Floor, Tavis House Maurice by E. M. Forster (written in 1913–1914; revised 1932 and 1959–1960; first published 1971)
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E.M Forster is widely regarded as a literary master who not only helped explore British-ness but also heavily influenced the form of the novel. His works include the classics A Passage to India (1924), A Room with a View (1908) and Howards End (1910). There are many interpretations of these novels exploring the sexuality in the early 20th Century. In writing Maurice, Forster was able to shake off the limitations of censorship and societal pressure by writing and revising a novel which he didn’t publish in his lifetime – or want published after his death either. In Maurice he could fully explore the burgeoning love affair between an aristocrat and his working class gardener. Revising the novel over decades with feedback from friends such as Christopher Isherwood, Forster’s Maurice is a gay love story fairy tale grounded in the realities of being bookmarked in that unique time at the tail end of Victorian England and before world war one. Join the ODL Book Club to discuss LGBT* texts – classic and modern – with fellow book lovers. To take part, just read the book in advance of the day and turn up willing to share a few thoughts or listen to others share theirs. The group will initially be led by Liam but will be handed over to a volunteer after a few sessions. Next book: The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall in June 3pm – 5pm
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