(Almost) Father's Day Lunch
2024-06-15 12:30 - 14:00 (Europe/London) | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Treat your old man to a luxurious meal at the Athenaeum for Father’s day.
Normal lunch service will run from 12:30pm to 2pm on Saturday 15th June 2024, to give you the opportunity to introduce your fathers to the Club whilst indulging in our expectational cuisine.
Book now through the website or with the Concierge.
Tickets £28

History Group
2024-06-25 17:30 - 19:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The next meeting of our History Group will take place on Tuesday, June 25th, at 5.30pm when Mr Rob Jones will give us a talk on The History of the Liverpool Tobacco Industry, 1642-2007. This talk has been described as a tour de force, with images and story delivered at a bewildering speed. Many images, in full colour, are quite amazing for 1648. Hear about the usual suspects, all smoking themselves to death! A talk not to be missed.
Mr. Rob Jones will talk on An illustrated history of the Tobacco Industry in Liverpool, 1642-2007.
Attendance of this talk is free of charge to members.

Library & Archives Group - Machiavelli: How to Tame a Mad Mule & Other Dark Arts
2024-06-27 17:30 - 19:00
Once again, the Athenaeum Library will be honoured by the erudite musings of Reverend Dr Chris O’Neill, who will be delving into the story, life and many amazing talents of the much maligned Niccolò Machiavelli.
Many of you may realise the connection that the Institution has with the Renaissance period, but do you know how deep it goes?
Join us in the Library Reading Room for this insightful talk, and an insight into the part that the Athenaeum – and it’s founding fathers – had in bringing the Renaissance culture over to Liverpool.
Supper will be available if booked with Reception.
Attendance of this talk is free of charge to members.

Summer Social; Jazz & Cocktails
2024-06-28 18:30 - 23:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Celebrate the long balmy nights of a Liverpool summer in style at the Athenaeum.
Our very own mixologist, Vittorio, will be demonstrating the art of cocktail making to provide us with a range of delicious creations (other drinks available, of course).
Executive Chef Russell and his team will provide a generous selection of canapes and other party snacks.
And our old friend Roy Gregory of Modjango will be returning to the club, this time as one half of the Parade Duo, playing trad jazz and smooth summer sounds.
Relax, kick of your shoes, sing along or even dance – whatever takes your fancy.
Dress code- lounge suit/smart casual.
Tickets: £25m – price includes a welcome drink, food and entertainment. The bar will be open throughout.

Event Schedule
6:30pm – Arrivals and welcome
7:00pm – Jazz with The Parade Duo
10:30pm – Last orders

Literature Group: The Gospel of Jesus' Wife
2024-07-02 14:00 - 16:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Following the death of Christ, many authors felt inspired to write about Jesus, his family, and his followers. Most of these texts were rejected by the Church leadership and disappeared from sight. However, recent papyrological discoveries in Egypt have allowed us to access writings long thought of as lost.
The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife is a particularly controversial papyrus fragment which was presented to the world by a Harvard scholar, Prof. Karen King, in 2012. In her talk Paula will attempt to throw a light on the fascinating world of papyrology and its importance for understanding the production of early Christian literature.
Attendance of this talk is free of charge to Athenaeum members.

The Exchange Presents: The State of Free Speech
2024-07-04 18:30 - 23:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Join us for a discussion on the state of free speech today, hosted by Ian Skillicorn of The Exchange. Freedom of speech has become one of the most hotly debated issues of our age. Advocates argue that the present socio-political atmosphere stifles freedom of expression and legitimate dissent, fuels cancel culture and leads to censorship. Critics claim that free speech advocacy is being used as an excuse to spread hate and disinformation.
During this event, Dr Jan Macvarish, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union, will discuss the work of the FSU, some of the individual cases they have represented, and the current state of Free Speech in the UK and further afield.
The Exchange organises and hosts public conversations about the important issues of our age. We encourage debate and the sharing of opinions and experiences in a welcoming and respectful environment. The Exchange events take place in The Athenaeum in the heart of Liverpool. The Athenaeum was founded in 1797 to provide a meeting place where ideas and information could be exchanged in pleasant surroundings. The Exchange continues this long tradition of debate and enquiry in the twenty first century.
About Dr Jan Macvarish
Dr Jan Macvarish is the Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. Before joining the FSU, Jan was an academic sociologist at the University of Kent and Birkbeck, University of London, with a particular interesting in the study of interpersonal relationships, parenting, family life, family and health policy, sex and intimacy. She is the author of the book Neuroparenting: The Expert Invasion of Family Life and co-author of two editions of the bestselling book, Parenting Culture Studies.
The Free Speech Union is a non-partisan public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members and campaigns for free speech more widely. Launched in 2020 by journalist Toby Young, the FSU has since grown to just under fourteen thousand members and has achieved successful outcomes in over 70% of its casework.
Following the discussion, we will enjoy a three-course dinner in the Dining Room, after which we can relax in the Newsroom until closing time.
Tickets: £37

Event Schedule
6:30pm – Arrivals & Welcome
6:45pm – Discussion with Dr Jan Macvarish, hosted by Ian Skillicorn
8:00pm – Dinner (menu tbc)
10:30pm – Last Orders

Friday Evening Dining - July
2024-07-05 18:30 - 20:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
At least once a month the Club hosts Friday Evening Dining, where the Dining Room is open to members on a Friday Evening.
Typically this will take place on the first Friday of the month, though where this is not possible it will be moved to another Friday.
The Dining Room will be open from 6:30pm for table bookings with slots every 15 minutes until 8:00pm. If you would like to join our Club table, which dines at 7:30pm, please stipulate this when booking.
You can book for Friday Evening Dining now via the Members’ Area or through the Concierge.

History of Arts Group
2024-07-10 11:30 - 12:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Join us in the Library Reading Room for another meeting of the History of Arts group, this time revolving around 20th Century British Art & Paintings.
Attendance of this talk is free to Members and their guests.

Civic Lunch
2024-07-11 12:30 - 15:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Please join the President and his distinguished guests for a delicious two course meal and celebrate the Athenaeum’s unique place in the life our great city.
The first Laws of the Athenaeum, drawn up in 1798, stated that the Mayor of Liverpool should be a member of the institution for ‘the time being’, meaning the term of his office. Since then, Mayors and Lord Mayors have often been our guests at dinners and lunches. Our ties to the city remain strong and cordial. Indeed, the council, formerly the corporation, is our landlord and our 1928 lease stipulates that we should pay the Lord Mayor a ground rent of one peppercorn on demand.
Over the years, the courtesy of honorary membership has been extended to other civic dignitaries. Our current Law 3 states that ‘The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, and the High Sheriff of Merseyside, for their periods of office, shall be invited to make use of the institution.’ Recent tradition dictates that all these dignitaries are invited annually to lunch at the Athenaeum.
This is an important feature of our calendar but one of which many members are unaware. This year, we have decided to change all that and open the event to all Proprietors, associate members, and their guests.
Dress code: lounge suits.
Tickets: £33.50

Event Schedule
12:30pm – Arrivals & welcome drink
1:00pm – Lunch

History Group - Local Government in 17th Century Prescot
2024-07-24 14:30 - 16:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
This is a reminder that the next meeting of our History Group will take place on Wednesday, July 24th, at 2.30pm (please note the time) when Proprietor Nigel Gilmour will give us a talk on Leet courts – a snapshot of local government in 17C Prescot. Nigel discovered this topic when reading in the Athenaeum Library and gave this talk many years ago to the then History group. He has since revised it. It has interesting links to our recent history.
This talk will be in the Library Reading Room.
Attendance of this talk is free of charge to Members.

New Members Welcome Evening - July
2024-07-26 18:00 - 22:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
It’s once again time to welcome our newest Proprietors in this New Members event, complete with share register signing ceremony, reception drinks & a delicious buffet for those who book.
A great way to meet more of your fellow members, guests will be gathering from 6:00pm in the Newsroom with a glass of fizz and nibbles on us!
Light entertainment will be provided during the evening – tbc, and there will also be an opportunity for our new Proprietors to sign their share in the history 1809 share register.
A buffet will also be available during the evening – prebooking is required to assist with catering.

Drinks Reception : 6:00pm
Signing Ceremony: 6:30pm
Buffet Served: 7:30pm

Attendance of the reception is free of charge.
Tickets for the buffet are £15.
Book your place now via the Members’ Area or with the Concierge.

Food for Thought: A Conversation about Romanian Cuisine
2024-07-27 12:00 - 16:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Mămăligă, maize porridge or polenta, is one of the most popular Romanian dishes. In his recent and highly acclaimed book, historian Alex Drace-Francis tells the story of how corn, once just a humble ingredient, has become over time a national treasure and a recognisable symbol of Romanian everyday life and culture. Eaten by both rich and poor for centuries, mămăligă can often spark an animated debate about its specificity and relevance in trade, social connections, art, popular culture and ethnicity. Join us to continue this fascinating conversation about the role of food, ingredients and cultural practices in the formation of national identity.
Join us at the iconic Atheneum in the heart of Liverpool on Saturday, 27 July, from 12:00pm. The conversation will be followed by a mămăligă feast that includes: tochitură (traditional casserole of pork loin, sausage, and liver); mămăligă (slow sooked polenta); varză călită (slow roasted caramelized cabbage with tomato and paprika); telemea (salty sheep cheese); sauté potatoes; welcome drink (thereafter cash bar).
Ticket Price: £30

Full Menu
Tochitura (Traditional Casserole of Pork Loin, Sausage and Liver)
Mamaliga (Slow cooked Polenta)
Varza Calita (Slow roasted caramelized cabbage with tomato and paprika)
Telemea (Sheep Cheese with a Slightly Salty and Creamy Texture)
Sauté Potatoes
Assorted Bread Rolls

Friday Evening Dining - August
2024-08-02 18:30 - 20:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom

Literature Group
2024-08-06 14:00 - 16:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The Literature Group typically meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm in the Reading Room.

Today’s meeting: Details to be confirmed

Wine Tasting Evening: Summer Wines
2024-08-08 18:00 - 20:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Join representatives of the Club’s wine merchant, Tanners, for a complimentary wine tasting event in the Newsroom on Thursday 8th August between 6:00pm-8:00pm. Sample a selection of summer wines curated specially for an Athenaeum ‘summer wine case’ exclusively available to our members and available to purchase on the evening and during the rest of August. Learn from the experts on hand and try these summer drops specially chosen for the Athenaeum.
A selection of complimentary nibbles will be available to guests on the evening in addition to the Newsroom menu.
We anticipate a full house for this evening, in the first instance bookings are limited to a maximum of two, i.e a member and a guest.
This is a free event though booking is required to guarantee your place, book now via the Members’ Area or through the Concierge desk.

Athena Dining Evening
2024-08-16 18:30 - 23:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Always one of the most glamorous nights of the year, the Athena Dining Evening is all about elegant service, and luxury cuisine in the magnificent surroundings of the Committee Room.
There are a limited number of places available for this premium event.
The Newsroom bar will be open for regular services after dinner.
Tickets: £100
Menu details TBC

Event Schedule
Welcome Drinks & Canapés – 6:30pm in the Library Reading Room
Guests guided to Committee Room – 7pm
Dinner Served – 7:05pm
Newsroom Open after dinner – 10pm to 11pm

Trip to Tanners
2024-08-19 11:00 - 15:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
After a very successful visit from our wine supplier Tanners, we’re pleased to announce that we have organised a day trip to the Tanners wine cellars in Shrewsbury. In collaboration with this still family-run wine merchants, we’ll be taking a handful of members down to the Tanners premises to witness first hand the work that goes into crafting the wonderful wines that we enjoy on a daily basis.
Tanners personnel will be on hand to guide and advise, and they’ve even offered to put on a rudimentary lunch for our members.
Travel will be arranged by the Athenaeum.
Price TBC.
Register your interest with the Concierge.

New Members Reception & Buffet
2024-08-20 08:00 - 17:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
It’s once again time to welcome our newest Proprietors in this New Members event, complete with share register signing ceremony, reception drinks & a delicious buffet for those who book.
A great way to meet more of your fellow members, guests will be gathering from 6:00pm in the Newsroom with a glass of fizz & nibbles on us!
Tickets: £15

Event Schedule
Arrivals & Reception – 12:30pm
Signing – 1:00pm
Buffet – 1:30pm to 3pm

Summer Social: 007 Evening (Postponed)
2024-08-23 18:00 - 23:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
You may be Proprietor 007 or 495, we have a mission for you all, if you choose to accept.
Rendezvous, Newsroom, 18:00.
An evening of cocktails and dancing, with music from the movies at our secret location on the heart of the city. Martini on arrival, made with a signature gin of your choice.
Summer buffet from 19:00 to 20:00.
Come dressed as a secret agent, villain or bond girl. Agent provocateurs, collaborators and representatives of foreign powers are welcome too.
Prize for best dressed Secret Agent.
Tickets: £25.00

New Members Welcome Evening - August
2024-08-30 18:00 - 22:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom

Literature Group: Phillipa Holloway
2024-09-03 14:00 - 15:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Join the Literature Group for a fascinating discussion with academic, author and prose specialist Phillipa Holloway, whose debut novel, The Half-life of Snails, has been featured in an international podcast and serialized in a national newspaper.
Her short fiction/non-fiction is published in the US, Australia, Africa, Europe and the UK in various publications including Ascent, Bukker Tillibul, New Contrast, Litro, Literati, Lunate, Comma Press, Commonwealth Writers, and as a single-authored chapbook with Nightjar Press. She has also won prizes and literary awards including the Rhys Davies Short Story Award, the Fish Publishing Prize, The Scythe Prize, and the Writers & Artists Working Class Writers’ Prize.
Book now with the Concierge desk.

Going on the Ghan - One of the World's Greatest Train Journeys
2024-09-05 05:30 - 18:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The Ghan is one of the world’s great rail journeys, running across Australia, from Darwin in the North to Adelaide in the South across the red centre. The railway was designed to link the Northern Territory to the rest of Australia.
Completed in 2004 (120 years after the project started) it now operates as a luxury “land cruise” by Journey Beyond. Proprietor Ursula Curwen was fortunate to travel Platinum Class across the great southern land and her talk invites you aboard the train with her to explore Australia’s remarkable landscape, eating amazing food and meeting its people discovering their stories.
This talk is free to members. Dining is available before and after the event if booked before hand.

Friday Evening Dining - September
2024-09-06 18:30 - 20:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
At least once a month the Club hosts Friday Evening Dining, where the Dining Room is open to members on a Friday Evening.
Typically this will take place on the first Friday of the month, though where this is not possible it will be moved to another Friday.
The Dining Room will be open from 6:00pm for table bookings with slots every 15 minutes until 8:00pm. If you would like to join our Club table, which dines at 7:30pm, please stipulate this when booking.
You can book for Friday Evening Dining now via the Members’ Area or through the Concierge.

Smithdown Social Arts Hub Exhibition
2024-09-12 08:00 - 2024-11-30 17:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
We are delighted to announce the Institution will be collaborating with Smithdown Social Arts Hub in hosting a unique exhibition here at the Club between 12th September and 30th November.
Featuring approximately 60 pieces from local artists, the exhibition will be launched at a Private Viewing for Proprietors on 12th September, ahead of a public launch on Friday 13th September. We will then offer ticketed viewings to the public on Thursday and Friday evenings (subject to events taking place).
The exhibition will take place in Dining Room on the third floor and will be available for Proprietors to view throughout, save for when events are taking place.
From September 2nd until November 30th, we are pleased to be able to offer Dining Room services in the Newsroom, and we’re thrilled to expand our offering and service times throughout the exhibition. Between 12:00pm and 7:30pm members and guests will be able to dine off a specially curated menu which will change weekly. This will be in place each day we’re open, including Saturdays!
Members are encouraged to book tables in advance to help the team, though walk ins are of course accepted subject to availability. Tables booked before 12pm on the day of the booking can be booked for as late as 7:30pm, with the final opening for walk-ins being 7:00pm.
At the moment, Dining Room services as standard operate between 12:30pm and 2:00pm Tuesday-Friday, but we’re really excited to widen this offering in the Newsroom whilst the exhibition takes place.
Ahead of September, the popular summer buffet returns from Tuesday 6th August and will operate throughout August in the Newsroom. This will allow for much needed maintenance to take place on the dining room ceiling, which needs to be stripped back and replastered in placed following water ingress.
If you have any questions about this, please address them to the General Manager or the Club Secretary.

History Group - Geology of Liverpool
2024-09-17 14:30 - 16:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Join us in the Library Reading Room for another meeting of the History Group.
Professor Jim Marshall will speak on The History of the Geology and Landscape of Liverpool.
Attendance of this talk is free to charge to members.

History Group: The History of Geology and Landscape of Liverpool
2024-09-17 17:30 - 19:30 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The next meeting of our History Group will take place on Tuesday, September 17th, at 2.30pm when Professor Jim Marshall will give us an illustrated talk on The History of the Geology and Landscape of Liverpool. It has interesting links to the discussion on the talk on the environment given by Professor Chesters in February 2024.
This meeting is free to Athenaeum members and their guests.

Shareholders & Slavery
2024-09-18 18:30 - 23:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
We are delighted to welcome Laurence Westgaph to the Athenaeum to talk about the institution’s links to the transatlantic trade in enslaved people. Many of our early Proprietors benefitted, directly or indirectly, form this heinous trade.
Some of you will remember the fascinating and enlightening presentation Laurence gave over two years ago about this important subject. Since then, the Liverpool Black History Research Group has continued to research the topic and you will find further details of their findings on our website under the heading ‘The Athenaeum and Slavery’. It is a vast subject and the club continues to support LBHRG in its efforts to uncover more of this once hidden history.
Laurence and his colleagues will discuss the discoveries they have made and the next stage of their research.
Liverpool Black History Group (LBHRG) has been established for some 5 years and is led by Laurence Westgaph. It is a collective of volunteers who sit outside academia. Through its research, it seeks to highlight the importance of the slave economy to Liverpool’s growth in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and the city’s history as home to the oldest black community in Europe. Further information is available via www.LBHRG.com
The presentation will be followed by a three-course meal in the Dining Room. If you wish to attend the presentation but not the dinner, you may do so without charge but please book a place. We expect there to be a high demand for places, so please book early.
Tickets: £37.00

President's Farewell Party & Book Launch
2024-09-27 18:00 - 22:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
Proprietors Ron Jones and Paul Burns’s revised and updated iteration of The History of The Athenaeum is ready to launch—and what better way to welcome this publication into the world than with a swinging soirée in the Newsroom?
President Edward Ashton and Proprietor Neville Carrick produced a history of the club to celebrate our bicentenary in 1997. This has long been out of print and earlier this year, following a chat in the Newsroom, the current President and Ron Jones decided that we really need a history of the Athenaeum to sell to Proprietors and visitors. They have retained Carrick and Ashton’s original text but added a few more pages to bring it up to date, enhanced the illustrations and added some splendid new colour photos, taken by Ron. Both paperbacks and a limited hardback edition will be available to buy at the launch.
As this will be the last social function of the current Presidency, we have decided to throw a bit of a party, with a splendid Athenaeum buffet and live music from Proprietor Terry Crolley and our old friends Modjango, who will be playing both Gypsy Jazz and tunes to dance to.
All Proprietors, associate members and guests are welcome.
Tickets: £15.00

Event Schedule
6:00pm – Reception: Classical music played by Terry Crolley on the piano
6:30pm – Book Launch: The History of the Athenaeum 1797-2024
7:00pm – Buffet served
7:30pm – Modjango Jazz
9.30pm to 10.30pm – Bar service

Literature Group
2024-10-01 14:00 - 15:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The Literature Group typically meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm in the Reading Room.

Today’s meeting: POEMS FOR AN ECHOING BATHROOM !!
Go on, admit it, we’ve all cut loose in the bathroom with our favourite verses sending a shiver through the shower head and startling the loofah as the tiled acoustic makes us sound like Richard Burton or Judi Dench ! You know you did ! Poetry is meant to be spoken, declaimed even roared so why not bring in a favourite or a few to get the attention of the pigeons outside Primark ? There can be whispers, too : certainly one I have in mind is elegiac. No need to explain your selection, just take a breath, stand and deliver. [ No, I’m not reciting ” The Highwayman ” though it’s a great bathroom boomer. ]
This could be a lively end to the year of wonderful literary events organised by Paul Burns which have so enhanced our lives.

Athenaeum AGM 2024
2024-10-03 18:00 - 20:00 | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
All Proprietors are welcome to attend the Athenaeum AGM 2024.
Please register your attendance with the Concierge desk.
