Speaking on Saturday, September 6, 2025, we have :

1st: Darran Rees – Love Letter to Romania

When Darran Rees first drove northward toward Transylvania he felt he was being transported back in time. These remarkable landscapes were like visions of the past with such odd beauty and majesty that betrayed little of their recent history. Over the following fifteen years he was fortunate enough to continue that journey and indeed accompany Romania on its own journey as it unbuckled itself from the chains of its dictatorship and looked to an independent and brighter future. These images represent a record of this unique yet often misunderstood country, its exceptional people and their rare culture, family values and traditions. It shows a moment in time, a unique time in a unique country among extraordinary people.

Darran Rees was born and raised in Wales. Originally trained in art, he later discovered the power of the ‘still’ image and photography. Following photography college and two years assisting a London based commercial photographer, Darran began his own journey with his chosen medium in 1992. This is his first book. Darran Rees, a Welshman by birth, now resides in North London, but travels internationally for his work.

2nd: Olivia McGregor – Guiana

Olivia McGregor was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s 2024 Neville Shulman Challenge Award and will be talking about her journey to the savannahs and rainforests of Guyana.

Olivia travelled to The Lost World, one of the last wildernesses on Earth, a land steeped in exotic myth and legend that served as inspiration for Jurassic Park. Among its inhabitants were the Makushi people, indigenous to the region, with a rich culture dating back 11,000 years.

The Makushi people are at a crossroads, caught between traditional ways of living in close connection with their natural environment and the influences of the modern industrialised world. Olivia will talk about how they are adjusting and the implications of this for everyone. Their survival could be humanity’s own.

Date & Time: Saturday 6th September 2025

Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.

We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.

Admission costs:

• £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
• £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
• a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.

Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.

Tickets go on sale just before the meetings.

Speaking on Saturday, April 5, 2025, we have :

1st: Christopher Forse – Fifty years of Travel in South East Asia

Five decades of travel through an exotic land of beautiful landscapes, beautiful cultures, beautiful people and tragic recent histories.

Chris Forse, a former resident of Hong Kong, describes his five decades of travel through the exotic landscapes and cultures of this beautiful part of the world, where until quite recently only five countries (The Philippines, Thailand. Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia) were open to foreign travellers.  He has hiked in jungles in Thailand, taken boats deep into Borneo and down the Mekong River in Laos, crossed tragic Cambodia by bus, and travelled overland through Sumatra and Java to exotic Bali. He was among the first to travel to Vietnam on an individual visa, later to explore Burma/Myanmar, a land that time forgot. As in his talk on Thirty Years of Travel in China, he witnessed the enormous changes that economic development (and mass tourism) has brought, for good or ill.

2nd: Jacqui Trotter –  – Homegoing: Part 4

Jacqui will be talking about travelling in 2019 back to Australia through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand.

Vietnam was a delight. Cambodia was fascinating and visiting Angkor Wat was a long-held dream! Thailand was a great place to take stock, play tourist and still visit places I had not been before.

Going home was something I had done many times before but this time was different – it would be my home for the next five years (and still is) and the world of travel would not be quite the same for any of us ever again.

Date & Time: Saturday 5th April 2025

Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.

We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.

Admission costs:

• £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
• £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
• a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.

Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.

For in person Tickets at the hall:

For Zoom online tickets:

Speaking on Saturday, March 1, 2025, we have :

1st: Anthony Britton: A summer 2024 road trip to the Aegean, via the Carpathians and the Black Sea.

In June 2024, Anthony and Julia set off on a long round road trip to Eastern Europe. They explored their Polish roots, visited World Heritage sites in Romania, discovered what King Charles likes about the Carpathians and trailed the Black Sea coast to the Aegean. They met families who remember the Cold War and those whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change.

2nd: Simon Johnson – Cycling a Camino Route by Accident

Exploring the Longest Spanish Pilgrimage Route

Join Simon Johnson as he shares his captivating journey of cycling a thousand kilometers solo along the Camino de Santiago’s southern route—from Seville to Santiago de Compostela. With no prior experience in long-distance cycling or any detailed planning, Simon embarked on this unexpected adventure, filled with challenges, surprises, and moments of self-discovery.

In this talk, Simon will recount his mishaps, lessons learned, and the unique joys of cycling through Spain’s diverse landscapes, historic towns, and spiritual pathways. Discover how the combination of the Camino’s rich cultural heritage and the spontaneity of unplanned travel turned his journey into a deeply rewarding experience. Whether you’re a cyclist, a Camino enthusiast, or simply curious about adventure travel, this talk will inspire you to embrace the unexpected and take on your own journey—on two wheels or otherwise.

Date & Time: Saturday 1st March 2025

Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.

We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.

Admission costs:

• £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
• £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
• a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.

Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.

For in person Tickets at the hall:

For Zoom online tickets:

Speaking on Saturday, February 1, 2025, we have :

1st: Elizabeth Mioduchowski – Travelling in Russia

Elizabeth will discuss travelling in Russia, a land of vast landscapes, rich history, and dynamic cultural and political significance. This talk will explore the multifaceted identity of the world’s largest country, examining its history and contemporary challenges.

Elizabeth travelled in Russia before the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Russia due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

2nd: Sarah Cook – Cycling Journey in Chile

Sarah has kindly offered to give a talk she gave to her local cycling club a few months ago about her Cycling Journey in Chile.

The talk by Olivia McGregor on Guiana has had to be postponed.

Date & Time: Saturday 1st February 2025

Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.

We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.

Admission costs:

• £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
• £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
• a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.

Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.

For in person Tickets at the hall:

For Zoom online tickets: