Events 2019

Christmas Lunch

6 DECEMBER 2019

Our final event of the year was to celebrate Finland’s Independence Day with a lunch in one of the private rooms at the Harcourt. The food was good, the atmosphere convivial, and the occasion much enjoyed by those who attended

“Oh dear, you could be shot!”

19 NOVEMBER 2019

Sylvester Mazzarella shared his recollections of having taught for many years at Helsinki University from the late 1960’s

Film Evening

17 OCTOBER 2019

We had a showing of the latest film version of Väinö Linna’s Unknown Soldier directed by Aku Louhimies.

Schjerfbeck Exhibition at Royal Academy

20 SEPTEMBER 2019

We were privileged to be able to have a private tour of the Helene Schjerfbeck Exhibition at the Royal Academy led by the art historian, Rachel Barnes. Despite the early start, 8.30 am, we had a full complement of 20 attending. We owe thanks to Hely Abbondati whose contacts facilitated our being able to attend despite not being a corporate member of the Royal Academy

Finland: its Shared Baltic History

29 MAY 2019

Dr Caroline Boggis-Rolfe spoke to us in May on the subject “Finland: its shared Baltic history.” Her talk was lavishly illustrated with pictures sourced from countries all around the Baltic which she had acquired while researching her book The Baltic Story – A Thousand-Year History of its Lands, Sea and Peoples

Vappu Lunch

30 APRIL 2019

We celebrated Vappu with a lunch at the Harcourt in Marylebone. The restaurant has a Finnish Chef. Two members of the Council had taken the trouble to check the ambience of the venue and the quality of the food by having lunch there some weeks earlier.

AGM

27 MARCH 2019

Just two days before we were supposed to be leaving the European Union, we held our AGM at Europe House. More than 40 members attended. The Ambassador, H.E. Ms Päivi Luostarinen, who was coming to the end of her time in London, addressed the meeting and expressed her hopes for continued good relations between Finland and Britain after Brexit. This was followed by a particularly clear explanation of the settled status scheme for EU citizens given by the Barrister and retired Upper Tribunal Judge, Richard McKee.

Afternoon Tea and the History of Finland’s Defence Forces

5 MARCH 2019

38 members and guests gathered at the Royal Air Force Club for afternoon tea on 5 March following which Colonel Pasi Saarikoski, Defence, Military, Naval and Air Attaché at the Embassy of Finland spoke about the first 100 years of independent Finland’s Defence Forces.

Eeva Lennon, Lontoo

24 JANUARY 2019

We began the year with a talk by Eeva Lennon who had recently published her memoirs entitled Eeva Lennon, Lontoo. She spoke about her long career as a foreign correspondent in Paris and London and also about her childhood in Finland during the war years after 1939.