24 May
MORGAN SZYMANSKI - ESTAMPAS DE MEXICO
By James Ward
17 April
A HISTORY OF GIN ( WITH TASTING ) BY SIPSMITH SAM
By Peter Jarrold
I ’ m sure Sir Winston would have approved of the use the Churchill Room in Dartmouth House on 17 April . He certainly would have welcomed the number of people , over 100 , who crammed in to enjoy the immensely charismatic Sam Galsworthy , founder of Sipsmith Gin , talk them through a history of gin making in an engaging and entertaining way . As their website rightly says , Sipsmith gin is “ thrillingly pure ”. You could say that this was entertainment in its purest form . The complimentary gin tastings ( sloe and classic ) definitely helped !
Guests were shown images of ‘ Prudence ’, the first copper distillery in London for 200 years , and handed Macedonian juniper berries to smell and feel . We learnt about the use of Madagascan cinnamon and Seville orange peel to create Sipsmith ’ s unique taste . We heard how gin was the drink of choice at public executions ; often served with gingerbread and how gin and tonic was created as an anti-malarial for British troops serving in India .
The interactive nature of this event created a lively atmosphere . Yes , Sir Winston would have approved .
With guitar in hand and live projections by VJ Joe Fairweather-Hole , Morgan Szymanski took an enthralled Dartmouth House audience on an hour long musical and artistic journey through Mexico . Those present were able to forget the grey , wet London evening and instead be transferred to Yucatan , Acapulco and Cancun thanks to the brilliance of Szymanski ’ s guitar playing and the imagery provided by Fairweather- Hole . Szymanski was recently described as ‘ beyond criticism ’. I couldn ’ t disagree .
Inspired by the ‘ Twenty Mexican Sketches ’ by Mexican composer Julio Cesar Oliva ( b . 1947- ) and the beautiful songs of Mexico ’ s foremost composer , Manuel M . Ponce ( 1882- 1948 ), artists from Mexico , China , Portugal , Ireland and the UK donated more than forty original works all inspired by Mexico ’ s colour , music and famous sites . Szymanski divided the performance into five parts , each one focusing on a different Mexican theme , be that a town , a person , a volcano or a love-story . The projections helped bring the act to life . The effect was to turn the intimate setting of Dartmouth House into a Mexican oasis in the middle of a London rain-storm . An hour wasn ’ t enough .
28 May
MEETING ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MAD MEN - A LIFE IN PR BY BOB LEAF
By Michael Pryke
On 28 May Dartmouth House hosted PR legend Bob Leaf in the Long Drawing Room for an entertaining evening of his recollections from a life in Public Relations . Bob is the former Global CEO of Burson-Marstellar , is credited with introducing integrated advertising to the Soviet Union , and helped to set up the Chinese Government ’ s official PR agency .
Bob , a compelling and forthright speaker , told stories of some of the most difficult people he has worked with , as well as what it was like to work in a new industry at one of the most exciting times in American history .
The event was a unique opportunity for aspiring PR individuals to hear about the industry first hand and receive useful tips to help them progress in their careers .
ESU | 33