Cambridge Society of Paris

Dordogne Cambridge Society Summer Visit
2019-07-05 10:00 - 14:30 (Europe/Paris) | Cadouin, Place de l'Abbaye, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, 24480, France
Join the Dordogne Cambridge Group for their upcoming visit to the Cloisters of Cadouin.
This is a break with tradition: dwhen our group began, most people lived in this part of the Dordogne and had already seen the main places of interest in the area, so those places were not usually chosen for group outings, but some conversations last summer made me realise that so many of us live in other parts of the region that many members have never visited the Dordogne sites.
So this is a chance to see one of the most beautiful of them all, which draws people from all over the world. Even if you have been there before, you will definitely not be bored: the opulence of the carving is incredible.
A bonus is that our tour will be followed by lunch at much-appreciatedÂ Restaurant de lâ€™Abbaye which is just across the road.
More info on this too will follow soon, so we can make the necessary reservations in good time.

Queens' College Choir is coming to Paris
2019-09-14 18:00 - 2019-09-18 16:00 | Paris, France
Alumni and guests are invited to join Queens’Â College Choir for their concertsÂ in Paris from the 14th – 18thÂ September.

Saturday 14 September at 6pm – Evensong in the American Cathedral, 23 Avenue George V in the 8th
Sunday 15 September at 11am – Morning Eucharist in the American Cathedral, 23 Avenue George V in the 8th
Monday 16 September at 8:30pm – Concert in St-Eugene Ste-Cecile, 4 Rue du Conservatoire in the 9th
Wednesday 18 September at 4pm – Concert in La Madeleine, Place de la Madeleine in the 8th

These concerts are open to all, so do come along with your friends.

Freshers' Welcome Drinks
2019-09-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Frog Revolution, 9 rue de Bastille, Paris, 75004, France
Each year, CamSoc takes part in the Universityâ€™s world-wide program of events for those students who have recently been successful in gaining a place at Cambridge, whether as an Undergraduate or a Graduate.
The aim is to give them an opportunity to meet other new students coming from France and to chat to members about their experience in Cambridge so they are better prepared on arrival in their College at the end of the month.
We have again booked the upstairs room of the Frog Revolution, 9 rue de la Bastille (metro Bastille) with drinks and snacks provided.
There will be a charge of â‚¬20 per person for members, although admission is free for all current students of the University whether members of CamSoc or not and, of course, the Freshers.

Glory Days of Paris 3 - Guided Walk in Montparnasse
2019-09-28 14:00 - 16:30 | Montparnasse, Paris, 1 Rue campagne PremiÃ¨re, Paris, 75014, France
GLORY DAYS OF PARIS
Guided Walk in Montparnasse to accompany the third lecture of the Glory Days Series
“The Artists and Writers of the 1920s and ’30s”
Unfortunately, because of ill health on the part of our Lecturer, Mary McAuliffe, the third lecture in the Glory Days of Paris series has had to be postponed. However, the accompanying guided walk will still take place at:
14h15 on Saturday 28th September
Meeting point: 1 rue Campagne PremiÃ¨re
End of walk: La Coupole, Bvd. Montparnasse (approx 16h30)
Price: â‚¬17 per person
There will be either tea or an aperitif at La Coupole at the end of the walk, although the cost of this is not included in the price.
“Paris is a feast” wrote Hemmingway. This guided walk, full of interesting and amusing anecdotes, will illustrate the history of Les AnnÃ©es Folles in Montparnasse, an area of Paris already well known for its festivity, its Guingettes and the Rue de la GaÃ¯tÃ©. Maud Hacker, our guide, will reveal secrets of the wild evenings that took place enlivened by the rhythms of jazz and the dance of Josephine Baker. We will also discover the painters’ studios of Picasso, Modigliani, Foujita, Man Ray… and their muse Kiki of Montparnasse. Hidden courtyards and gardensThe famous cafÃ©s around Rue Vavin: Le DÃ´me, La Rotonde, Le Select and La Coupole. And there we shall stop for a cup of tea or, 1920s style, an aperitif.
Hope to see you on Saturday 28th September.

Challenge Debate against Trinity College Dublin
2019-10-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Irish Embassy Paris, 12 avenue Foch, Paris, 75116, France
Thursday 10th October at 7 pm – Challenge Debate against Trinity College Dublin
Booking has now closed for this event
THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME
In similar fashion to our challenge to the Cambridge Union, two years ago, the Cambridge Society of Paris has challenged Trinity College Dublin to a debateÂ and we will be speaking in favour of the motion that the best is yet to come.
Our speakers, Andrew Lyndon-Skeggs and Edward Archer, will be joined by Alan Riding as guest speaker. Alan graduated from Bristol University and was, for 30 years, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. Alan spent two decades covering Latin Americaâ€™s dictatorship, armed rebellions, drug wars and economic meltdown. He was later the newspaperâ€™s Paris bureau chief and European cultural correspondent. He is author of books on Mexico, Shakespeare and Opera and, most recently, of â€œAnd The Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-occupied Paris.â€ He remains a resident of Paris. Andrew and Edward need little introduction to most of our members, Andrew being the current President and Edward a past President of our Society.
TCD have put forward an impressive team, with Edward Donalon, Declan McCavana and their guest speaker David Doyle. David is H.E Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO of St. Kitts and Nevis, while Declan is President of the French Debating Association. Edward is a Barrister and worked for the OECD before becoming an independent consultant in Regulatory Management.
HE Ambassador of Ireland to France Patricia O’Brien has kindly agreed to host the debate, which will take place at the Irish Embassy, 12 Avenue Foch, 75116 Paris. The Debate will be followed by drinks and the event is expected to conclude at 8:45 pm.
Tickets are now on sale: â‚¬20 per person for Society members and their guests, with a discounted price of â‚¬10 per person for members or guests under 30 years of age. Early booking is recommended as we anticipate that demand may exceed the number of places that have been allocated to us. For members who are not able to book their place through the website, a PDF booking form can be obtained by contacting Tony Banton on admin@camsocparis.org.
Unless all tickets are sold before, the final date for booking your place is Sunday 6th October, as the list of participants then has to be provided to the Embassy’s security staff.
As the debate takes place in the Irish Embassy, members and guests must bring photographic ID in order to be admitted to the event.

The second Cambridge Cutting Edge Lecture:Â Professor Sir Roger Penrose
2019-10-23 12:00 - 14:00 | Conservatoire des Arts et MÃ©tiers, 292 rue Saint Martin, Paris, 75003, France
BOOKING NOW OPEN
SECOND CAMBRIDGE CUTTING EDGE LECTURE
PROFESSOR SIR ROGER PENROSEÂ
â€œHAWKING POINTS IN THE COSMIC MICROWAVE SKYâ€
12 noon Wednesday 23rd October 2019
Conservatoire National des Arts et MÃ©tiers
292 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris
MÃ©tro Arts et MÃ©tiers (lines 3 or 11) or RÃ©aumur-SÃ©bastapol (lines 3 or 4)
Following the resounding success of the first Cambridge Cutting Edge Lecture delivered by Sir Venki Ramakrishnan at the Institut Pasteur, we are immensely lucky to have another scientist of world renown for the second lecture, Professor Sir Roger Penrose, and to have been permitted most generously by the Conservatoire National des Arts et MÃ©tiers to hold this lecture in their beautiful, historic amphitheatre AbbÃ© GrÃ©goire. This event is very highly recommended.
Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS is an English mathematical physicist. He studied at University College London and at St Johnâ€™s College Cambridge and is now the Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of mathematics at Oxford.
The son of a psychiatrist and geneticist, grandson of a physiologist, brother of a physicist and of a chess grandmaster, Roger Penrose has won numerous prizes and awards and is one of the most important living scientists in the world. He worked closely with Stephen Hawking and appeared in the film, a Brief History of Time.
The work undertaken by Roger Penrose has been wide ranging and of immense importance. Taking but two examples: in 1964 he revolutionised the mathematical tools used to analyse the properties of space time and, later, his epoch-making paper â€œGravitational collapse and space time singularitiesâ€ lead to the cosmology of Big Bang and Black Holes which he worked on with Stephen Hawking.
In lighter vein, Roger Penrose also devised the Penrose Triangle which he described as â€œimpossibility in its purest formâ€ which he conveyed to the artist M.C. Escher.
The topic of Professor Penroseâ€™s Cambridge Cutting Edge Lecture is â€œHawking Points in the Cosmic Microwave Skyâ€ in which he will reveal his theories of cosmology and his scientific belief that our Universe is in fact just one of a series of Universes, or eons, each commencing with a Big Bang that had its origins in the dim distant past of a preceding Universe.
Having attended one of Roger Penroseâ€™s lectures in London, I can only say that it was utterly astounding. Deep, cutting edge, completely incomprehensible science delivered in a way that was, anyway superficially, understandable by all, holding the audience enthralled. By the end, my head was spinning with ideas and revelations beyond my wildest expectations.
Over and above, there will be the delight of seeing the Conservatoire National des Arts et MÃ©tiers and the beautiful historic amphitheatre AbbÃ© GrÃ©goire, built in the 1840s, named after the founder of the Conservatoire, an important political figure during the French Revolution depicted in Davidâ€™s famous painting The Serment du Jeu de Paume.
This lecture by Professor Sir Roger Penrose will probably be a one-off ever and a landmark experience for many. It is definitely not to be missed.
Andrew Lyndon-Skeggs
President
Cambridge Society of Paris

Poetry Reading at the American Cathedral
2019-11-22 19:00 - 21:00 | American Cathedral, 23 Avenue George V, Paris, 75008, France
The American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris
Poetry Reading by Sir Michael Edwards, OBE
7.00pm Friday 22nd November 2019
A novel and charming event combining poetry and music, in the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris.
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the American Cathedral in Paris, has decided to instigate poetry readings in the Cathedral and, through the Dean and Rector, the Very Reverend Lucinda Laird, the Cambridge Society of Paris has been invited to co-host the inaugural event. We are honoured and delighted.
This first event will be a reading by Sir Michael Edwards of poems from his latest publication: At the Brasserie Lipp. Following the poetry reading, there will be a reception with drinks and light snacks, accompanied by piano music played no one of the magnificent grand pianos at the American Cathedral.
As well as the event itself, for anyone who does not already know the American Cathedral, this will be a revelation and joy, being one of the finest examples of English Gothic Revival architecture in Europe, founded by Dr John Brainerd Morgan, cousin of J.P. Morgan.
Sir Michael Edwards, Honorary Fellow of Christâ€™s College, Cambridge, is very well known as being the first Englishman ever to have been elected to the CollÃ¨ge de France (2002) and to one of the 40 seats of the AcadÃ©mie FranÃ§aise (2013). Following his reading, Sir Michael will make available signed copies of his book, At the Brasserie Lipp.
In the spirit of the occasion, this event is entirely free of charge, though there will be a voluntary collection, to be donated to the cathedral and to cover the costs of the evening.
You are very warmly invited to this inaugural and delightful event.
Andrew Lyndon-Skeggs.

Carols at the Travellers
2019-12-16 18:30 - 20:00 | The Travellers Club, 25 avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris, 75008, France
We are sorry, but this event is now sold out. You can register to be put on the waiting list. If places become available, we will let you know.
Â Annual Carol Singing at
â€œThe Travellersâ€
25, avenue des Champs-ElysÃ©es, Paris 8’eme
From 6:30 PM on Monday, 16th December, 2019
Vin chaud and mince pies will be served prior to the singing
Numbers are limited to 100 in total. Places will be allocated on a â€œfirst come, first servedâ€ basis
Please apply by booking through the “Tickets” section below. Cost per person is â‚¬20.
NB: Please note that the Travellers Club
requires gentlemen to wear jackets and ties

The 2020 Boat Race - cancelled
2020-03-29 16:00 - 19:00 | The Bowler, 13 rue d'Artois, Paris, 75008, France
Sun 29th March from 16:00Â â€“ The 2020 Boat Race
The 2020 Boat Race on the Thames has been cancelled, in the light of the current situation relating to Covid-19, as is of course our viewing in Paris at the Bowler.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Dinner with Professor Nicola Padfield - cancelled
2020-04-01 19:00 - 23:00 | Le Zimmer, 1 Place du ChÃ¢telet, Paris, Paris, 75001, France
in the light of the current situation relating to Covid-19 in Paris, we have, regretfully, decided to cancel the dinner that had been planned on Wednesday 1st April with Professor Nicola Padfield as our speaker.
We are sorry that we will miss out on what was to be a most interesting and topical talk and we hope that we may be able to re-plan this event later in the year or perhaps next.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Hot Topics for Top Minds
2022-04-28 20:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Zoom meeting, Your location, France
The Society’s quarterly virtual meeting to debate topics considered to be of interest by the participants, proposed in advance, will be held on Thursday 28th April 2022 from 8pm to 9pm. Places will be limited to a maximum of 20 so everyone is able to have their say on each topic.
The critical thing is to have a range of interesting topics, which is down to you please. The topics can be on almost any subject – topical, scientific, philosophical, serious or amusing, it is up to you to suggest what you would like to discuss. Having thought of ideas, please include them in your booking form, or if you come up with an idea later, you can send your contributions directly to the Society’s President, Terry Quinn, on president@camsocparis.org. Terry will then compere the event.
This event will be hosted on Zoom. A meeting link will be sent to all registered attendees two or three days in advance of the event.

A dinner talk 23 February 2023 7.30 PM at the BRASSERIE BOFINGER
2023-02-23 19:30 - 23:00 | BRASSERIE BOFINGER, 5-7 Rue de la Bastille, Paris, 75004, France
A dinner talk 23 February 2023 7.30 PM at the BRASSERIE BOFINGER

We are delighted that Professor Robert Lethbridge will be our speaker at a dinner on Thursday 23 February 2023 for 7.30 PM at the BRASSERIE BOFINGER

Coupe de Cremant at 19h00, followed by a seated 3-course set dinner : cost 60 €
– vegetarian options will be available on request
The BRASSERIE BOFINGER is a ‘gem’ located in the Bastille area (Metro lines 1 , 5 and 8)
Further information : mail to events@camsocparis.org
‘Mastering Oxbridge‘, Professor Robert Lethbridge, former Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge will share with us the role of the Master in changing times giving us all an intimate view of the position.
A stimulating topic exploring what that role entails in modern Cambridge and how it is changing with the current increase of non-academic Heads of House. Most former students would be hard-pressed to define that role even during their own College careers!

Professor Lethbridge was Master of Fitzwilliam from 2005 – 2013, and Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust from 2010 – 2013.
Professor Lethbridge was educated at the University of Kent at Canterbury (B.A., 1969), McMaster University (M.A., 1970) and St John’s College, Cambridge (Ph.D., 1975). His first academic post was as Leathersellers’ Teaching Fellow in French at Fitzwilliam College. He was Senior Tutor for the decade 1982-92. In 1994, he was appointed to the Chair of French Language and Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he was successively Head of Department, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice-Principal. He has been a Life Fellow of Fitzwilliam since 1994. Before his return to the College, he was Director of the British Institute in Paris, now renamed as the University of London Institute in Paris. He has held Visiting Professorships at the University of California at Santa Barbara and at the University of Melbourne.
He is Emeritus Professor of French Language and Literature in the University of London. His current research and postgraduate teaching is now in association with Cambridge’s Department of French, where he was a University Lecturer until 1994 and is now Honorary Professor. His work is focused on late nineteenth-century France and, in particular, the relationship between literature and the visual arts in that period. He was made Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2013 for services to French culture and scholarship. He has written several books.

Fontainebleau Day
2024-11-09 12:00 - 16:00 | Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau Day – Cambridge Society of Paris
An invitation to live like a sovereign for a day, right in the heart of Fontainebleau!
Saturday 9th November 2024

CamSoc’s very own committee member and Fontainebleau resident Sylvie Leger is very kindly organising a visit to the town across Saturday 9th November.
Sylvie will host a lunch at l’Empreinte, the new restaurant of the Napoleon Hotel, followed by an address from Fonact (Fontainebleau’s Anglophone acting school) before leading the way to the town’s exquisite Château (summer residence of France’s sovereign rulers for eight centuries) for a visit to the internationally renowned Salon du Chocolat.
Coming to Fontainebleau, a town of character next door to Paris, will give you the opportunity to feel immersed in a stunningly welcoming universe. Spending one day in Fontainebleau will not only give you an insight into the splendours of its famous Château, but also a chance to live like a Bellifontain(e)!
AGENDA
Lunch & Speaker
12h00: Lunch at L’Empreinte, the newly opened restaurant of the Napoleon Hotel-Spa a few steps away from the Château.
After lunch, a speaker will introduce you to the fantastic work carried out by Fonact, the renowned Anglophone School of Acting, performing at the city theatre on a regular basis.
Tickets for the lunch, which includes soft drinks and wine, are €50 per person.
Salon “Impérial Chocolat & Gastronomie”
After the speaker’s address: Sylvie Leger will lead the group to the annual Salon taking place at the Château itself (outdoors and indoors), supervised by the famous chef Fréderic Cassel who owns a store in Fontainebleau.
The making of chocolate, tasting, chocolate sculptures of animals, and famous Parisians monuments are amongst the highlights. For those staying longer, the salon lasts three days: Saturday 9th November through Monday 11th.
Tickets for the Salon are €9 per person.
Fontainebleau Visit
16h00: Sylvie will guide a walking visit of the highlights of Fontainebleau (weather permitting!) for those interested, starting from outside the Salon.

TICKETS
Registration for the Lunch and the Salon are available below for Cambridge Society of Paris members and their guests. You can attend just the lunch, or just the Salon (in which case meet at the restaurant at 14:00 to get your ticket) but we hope most of you will come to both. You are also welcome to purchase Salon tickets separately via the official website on on-site, if you wish to visit on a different day.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
i) Train from Paris
You are welcome to make your own way to Fontainebleau, but if you follow the schedule below, Sylvie will be waiting to guide you on arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station.
Departure from Hall 1 Gare de Lyon, 10h16
Arrival time at Fontainebleau-Avon 10h56
(Stops: Melun; Bois le Roi; Fontainebleau-Avon. The train ride lasts 40 minutes. The train continues to Montargis or other towns. They are surface trains. Make sure you « punch » your tickets before getting on the train.
Tickets are €5.00 one-way. You can buy tickets from the machines located near the platform (usually letters between J and M).
ii) Bus to Fontainebleau
Upon arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station, Sylvie will be there on the platform to welcome you.
A 10-minute bus ride will take us to the town centre. Tickets are €2.50 one-way.
Bus and train tickets and are not included in the event registration to accommodate those wishing to make their own way.
iii) Restaurant l’Empreinte
Address: l’Empreinte 9 Rue Grande, Fontainebleau.
2-course meal (main course and dessert)
Soft drinks, wine included
iv) Salon du Chocolat
Address: Château de Fontainebleau, Place Charles de Gaulle, 77300 Fontainebleau
v) Return to Paris
Sylvie will indicate the bus station in town, so that everyone can go back to the railway station according to their own schedules.
There are trains approximately every 30 minutes back to Paris, Gare de Lyon.
For those of you who would like to stay overnight and enjoy Sunday morning market, there are many options. Sylvie can easily advise you if you need directions or inspiration.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

Oxford and Cambridge "First Wednesday" Monthly Drinks
2025-09-03 19:00 - 22:00 | Frog XVI, 110 bis Avenue Kléber, Paris, 75016
First Wednesday drinks
BACK TO THE FUTURE!
Yes, after 7 years at various Frogs, we are returning to MURPHY’S HOUSE for our Monthly Drinks from 1st October.

All Oxford and Cambridge Alumni, whether or not members of the Paris Societies, are cordially invited to join us for our Monthly drinks get-together at this centrally located bar – very close to Opera metro and Auber RER stations – at 10 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, 75009 Paris.

We have arranged to use the first floor area, but if you don’t find us ask the staff where we can be found. However, do note that this is a European Champions’ League date with both PSG (away) and Monaco (at home) playing so there may be noise from the screens in other areas of the pub.
