Secretary’s Blog     14^th February 2013

I am ashamed that his latest Blog is so long after the previous one. My sincere apologies and at least I am thinking of you on our website on Valentine’s Day!

However our New Ideas and Events Sub Committee has been working on New Events. The remarkable Dina Soliman-Pedersen (our Treasurer and the mother of tiny “Maya” since my last blog) will do one of her rather smart Diary Notices which shortly we will be posting on the main website.

 

Some items of immediate interest:-

 

We are waiting for H M the Queen to meet the   H.E. Mr. Ashraf Elkholy soon so that he can present his credentials and formally take over as the Egyptian Ambassador. Once this has taken place we will organise a Reception to welcome him to London on behalf of the British Egyptian Society. (This will be preceded by the postponed AGM)

 

I have sent all members details of our forthcoming Day Trip to Cambridge. However, it is open to non-member’s and the flyer for it appears elsewhere on the website. Do Search!

 

We have been working with the new Cultural Counsellor, Professor Nadia Elkholy (no relation to H.E.) on some future events at the Cultural Centre. However, she is frustrated at the rate of progress on the re-building and is having to look elsewhere to hold events. Our Board Member, Dr. Elisabeth Kendall who is a Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Pembroke College, Oxford  has had discussions with the British Academy, 10 – 11 Carlton House Terrace, London and they have agreed to hold a Reception for a talk by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Biblioteca Alexandrina on 28^th May; Professor Elkholy had persuaded him to visit London and give the talk on behalf of the Cultural Centre. The British Egyptian Society is delighted to be associated with such a prestigious event and more details will follow.

 

Well, I have missed two New Years; ours and the Chinese which started on 10^th February. So, may I wish you “Kung Hei Fat Choy” (“Congratulations and a lot of money”) and hope that 2013 is happy for all of you.

 

Warmest wishes

Noel

P.S. Oh, don’t forget also to follow us on Facebook.

Any new readers who are interested in joining the BES just e.mail me at noelrands@hotmail.com and I will be happy to e.mail joining forms.

ecretary’s Blog  18^th June 2013

 

Yet again I have been dilatory and this Blog is long delayed. Anyway, since my last one we have done rather a lot.

 

The visit to Cambridge on 12^th April was quite splendid and a great deal was crammed in – the Fitzwilliam, Queens’, King’s, the Parker Library, lunch at Corpus and drinks with the Master and his wife. But at the same time the day was not too tiring.

 

Many people played a helpful role, notably the energetic Sibella Laing, unfailingly cheerful despite the weather, but also the ladies at the Fitzwilliam who gave us a tour of the Egyptian Galleries (we split into 2 groups, Cairo and Alexandria), the catering staff at Corpus, Christopher de Hamel from the Parker Library (who put on a special Egyptian themed exhibition just for us), Stuart Laing the Master of Trinity, a  well adjusted group assembled, and even the coach driver (despite his merciless abuse of the clutch) who was extremely prompt and enabled us to leave bang on time.

 

On 29^th April we had the best attended AGM ever, followed by the Reception for H.E. Ambassador Ashraf Elkholy and Mrs. Elkholy. The evening included a book launch and John McHugo’s book, A Concise History of the Arabs, really is quite splendid. By the way, the AGM increased Annual Membership from £20 to £25 pa for a single person and from £25 to £30 for a couple. (Student Membership at £5 pa and Corporate Membership at £50 remain the same) I do hope this doesn’t put you off. I have emailed or written to every member, asking them either to sign a new Bankers Order or call their bank and amend the old one. The Membership year starts on 1^st July and I await with interest the payments coming in!

 

A month later we had another very special evening, this time at the British Academy in their headquarters, the former home of 19^th Century Liberal Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone. Professor Nadia Elkholy had invited to London Dr. Ismail Seregeldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and my colleague Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, secured the venue. Dr. Seregeldin gave a stimulating talk (followe3d by a reception where we were able to mix and mingle and talk informally to the speaker) and I was so impressed that I went to his second talk at the Institute of Education the following evening.

 

On 1^st June, H.E. Ambassador Ashraf Elkholy invited us to the Residence to see a photographic exhibition featuring work by Lorraine Ishak (our Vice Chairman’s daughter) on Professor Sir Magdy Yacoub’s Heart Hospital in Aswan. The evening raised £22,000 for the Aswan Heart Centre, funds which are greatly needed for the cardiac consumables and intensive care drugs which are used on a monthly basis, now that there is continuous activity at the Centre, and unfortunately cardiac medicine is not cheap. The film, showing the children and how they responded to treatment (which is provided free to all regardless of income), was very moving.

 

We are working on new events and these include:-

 

July                                                     Iftar which will be organised by Dr. Vivian Ibrahim

 

July/August                                         Book Launch and talk by Alaa Al Aswani, date to be agreed.

 

August 20^th                                          Pompeii Exhibition Private View – Taz Restaurant afterwards?

 

October                                               Film Week  - to be organised by Yasmin El Derby

 

                                                            Nour Festival – Tarek Osman  The effect on the Region’s Culture of the Arab Spring – October 21st

 

November                                           Nour Festival – Sandro Vannini -The difficult situation of antiquities in Egypt, Slide presentation and interview – November 20^th

 

December                                           Sir Michael Weir Lecture – Yosri Foda and Gameela Ismail – Friday 5^th December

 

 We are looking also at a Jewellery exhibition with Azza Fahmy and a view of the Pyramids app with Touchpress.

 

May I conclude by saying that we are looking always for new ideas and suggestions. I long to be able to organise a Thames evening river cruise, for example. If you have any ideas, do please email me at noelrands@hotmail.com

 

 

Warmest wishes

 

Noel

 

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