The Athenaeum Liverpool

American Democracy: How it works and will it survive?: With Dr Cheryl Hudson
2024-11-05 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/London) | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
On the night of the US Presidential Election, we’re delighted to be joined by lecturer in US History at Liverpool University, Dr Cheryl Hudson, who will be giving a talk on the elections and detailing how it works, including the make up of the electoral college system. A fascinating subject at a pertinent time, we anticipate supply will outstrip demand for this free talk which will take place in the Reading Room, book your places now via the Members’ Area or with the Concierge.
Food will be available in the Newsroom before and after the talk, though we ask members to make a reservation in advance to assist the team.

Literature Group
2024-11-05 14:00 - 15:00
The Literature Group typically meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm in the Reading Room.

Today’s meeting: The Letters of Machiavelli, with Dr Chris O’Neill

Music & Dinner with Dr Nico de Villiers
2024-10-31 18:30 - 23:00
Join us on Thursday 31st October for an evening of Music & Dinner with Dr Nico de Villiers, who will be giving a presentation on the life and the works of Dutch-American composer Richard Hageman (1881-1966).
Dr de Villiers is Deputy Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Director of The Richard Hageman Society, and notably head judge of the Sir David Maddison Opera Prize which is ran in collaboration between the Athenaeum and the RNCM.
The menu and ticket price will be announced shortly. Book your place now via the Concierge or through the Members’ Area.
Itinerary
6:30pm Arrivals
7:00pm Presentation
8:00pm Dinner
10:45pm Last Orders

Athenaeum Film Nights: Hue and Cry, 1947
2024-10-30 18:30 - 22:00
As the nights begin the darken we commence the next series of Athenaeum film nights, showing a classic film each month between October and April.
Guests gather from 6:30pm ahead of a one course supper in the Newsroom at 7:00pm. The screening will begin at 8:00pm in the Wine Servery with sweets served at the interval.
This month’s showing is: Hue and Cry, 1947
A comedy-thriller about a gang of young boys who discover & try to foil a series of robberies, when the police refuse to take their concerns seriously. A tongue-in-cheek Ealing comedy featuring Harry Fowler and Alastair Sim.
Book your place now via the Concierge or through the Members’ Area.

The full series of films can be found below;
October 30th – Hue and Cry, 1947
November 21st – The Chiltern Hundreds, 1949
December 19th – How About You?, 2009
January 22nd – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1939
February 26th – The Passionate Friends, 1949
March 19th – Irish Film Night
April 16th – Rose Marie, 1936

Autumn Social & Welcome Evening
2024-10-25 18:00 - 23:00
The last Friday of every month we hold a welcome evening for new members, this is a great opportunity for members to meet and importantly sign the historic 1809 share register if they have not done so yet after joining.
Join us from 6:00pm for complimentary fizz ahead of the register signing at 6:30pm. Canapes will be served from 7:00pm.
Book your places now free of charge via the Concierge or through the Members’ Area.

Library & Archives Group - Meet the Curator
2024-10-17 17:30 - 18:30
Three months after taking over the position of Curator of the Athenaeum Library, Heather Thrift will speak about the collections we have, the treasures we hold, and her vision for the Athenaeum library of tomorrow.
Food will be available in the Newsroom before and after the talk, if you will be eating please make a reservation where possible to assist the team with Catering.

Rogue Agent: By James Crossland (Book Launch)
2024-10-16 18:00 - 20:00
A SPECIAL BOOK LAUNCH FOR ROGUE AGENT BY JAMES CROSSLAND
IN LIVERPOOL’S ICONIC ATHENAEUM LIBRARY READING ROOM
WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2024
6PM TO 8PM (INCLUDES TALK AND WINE RECEPTION)
** BOOK YOUR TICKET ON EVENTBRITE NOW **
ROGUE AGENT: THE THRILLING BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT BRUCE LOCKHART, BRITAIN’S ‘AGENT’ IN MOSCOW
Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart (1887–1970) was an impressive figure: a diplomat, intelligence agent, conspirator, journalist and propagandist who played a key role in both world wars. He was a man who charmed his way into the confidences of everyone from Leon Trotsky to Anthony Eden. A man whom the influential press baron Lord Beaverbook claimed ‘could well have been prime minister’. And yet Lockhart died almost forgotten and near destitute, a Scottish footnote in the pages of history.
Rogue Agent is the first biography of this gifted yet habitually flawed maverick. It chronicles his many exploits, from his time as Britain’s ‘Agent’ in Moscow, and his role in a plot to bring down the communist regime, to leading the Political Warfare Executive, a secret body responsible for disinformation and propaganda in the Second World War.
Exploring Lockhart’s unorthodox thinking and contributions to the development of psychological warfare as well as his hedonistic lifestyle, late nights and many affairs that left him in a state of perpetual debt, Rogue Agent tells the thrilling story of this unconventional war hero.
Join James Crossland in conversation with Ian Skillicorn of the Liverpool Book Club for this special book launch event, which includes a live author interview and audience Q&A in the Athenaeum Library Reading Room, followed by a wine and canapés reception in the News Room.
There are only a few tickets left at the time of writing, book your place now via the Concierge.

Meet the President: Welcoming Professor George King
2024-10-10 18:30 - 23:00
Join us on Thursday 10th October to welcome Professor George King at his inaugural event as President of the Athenaeum.
Expect an enjoyable evening with fizz, food, music and perhaps a short speech or two.
Itinerary:
18:00-19:00 Drinks Reception
19:00 Food served
20:00 Entertainment
22:45 Last Orders at the Bar
Book your place now with via the Concierge Desk or through the Members’ Area.

History Group with Christina Clarke
2024-10-09 14:30 - 16:00
Mrs Christina Clarke who will give us an illustrated talk on Charkes Renee Macintosh, Scottish architect, designer, writer, artist and colourist. Members will remember Christina’s engrossing talk on the History of the Walker Art Gallery last March.
This talk may be of interest also to the members of the History of Art group, but is free of charge to all Members and their guests.
This is a joint meeting of the History Group & The History of Arts Group and will take place in the Reading Room.

Athenaeum AGM 2024
2024-10-03 18:00 - 20:00
All Proprietors are welcome to attend the Athenaeum AGM 2024.
Please register your attendance with the Concierge desk.

Literature Group
2024-10-01 14:00 - 15:00
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.

President's Farewell Party & Book Launch
2024-09-27 18:00 - 22:00
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

Shareholders & Slavery
2024-09-18 18:30 - 23:00
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

History Group: The History of Geology and Landscape of Liverpool
2024-09-17 17:30 - 19:30
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.

History Group - Geology of Liverpool
2024-09-17 14:30 - 16:30
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.

Smithdown Social Arts Hub Exhibition
2024-09-12 08:00 - 2024-11-30 17:00
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.

Friday Evening Dining - September
2024-09-06 18:30 - 20:00
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.

Going on the Ghan - One of the World's Greatest Train Journeys
2024-09-05 05:30 - 18:30
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.

Literature Group: Phillipa Holloway
2024-09-03 14:00 - 15:00
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.

New Members Welcome Evening - August
2024-08-30 18:00 - 22:00
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.

Summer Social: 007 Evening (Postponed)
2024-08-23 18:00 - 23:00
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 Reception & Buffet
2024-08-20 08:00 - 17:00
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

Trip to Tanners
2024-08-19 11:00 - 15:00
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.

Athena Dining Evening
2024-08-16 18:30 - 23:00
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

Wine Tasting Evening: Summer Wines
2024-08-08 18:00 - 20:00
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.

Literature Group
2024-08-06 14:00 - 16:00
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

Friday Evening Dining - August
2024-08-02 18:30 - 20:00
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.

Food for Thought: A Conversation about Romanian Cuisine
2024-07-27 12:00 - 16:30
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

New Members Welcome Evening - July
2024-07-26 18:00 - 22:00

History Group - Local Government in 17th Century Prescot
2024-07-24 14:30 - 16:30
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.
