KCWC upcoming events

CANCELLED: Evening Speaker - Jonathan Porritt (30/06/2026)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

For more than fifty years, Jonathon Porritt has been a leading voice in environmental and social justice advocacy, while also advising governments, businesses, and NGOs.

A highly respected author, Porritt maintains that it is still possible to avoid climate breakdown—but in Love, Anger & Betrayal, he warns that the window for action is rapidly closing. The book reflects on the recently disbanded Just Stop Oil movement, exploring both its controversial impact and the wider case for direct action. Porritt argues that many of the democratic rights we value today—including civil rights and women’s suffrage—were only achieved through civil disobedience and disruptive protest.

“Deeply uncomfortable but overwhelmingly necessary.” — Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party

“A powerful reminder of the debt we owe to those whose passion and commitment challenge us to think differently.” — Tim Smit, Founder of the Eden Project

Interviewer: Claire Armitstead

Claire Armitstead is a British journalist and author, and former Associate Editor (Culture) at The Guardian. She is a prominent cultural commentator on literature and the arts, regularly appearing on radio and television. Claire also leads workshops and chairs literary events in the UK and internationally, and has judged major literary awards including the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, the PEN Pinter Prize, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

TICKETS: £25 online (£20 with our KCWC discount code)

Step1 - sign-up on this KCWC site to reserve a spot and indicate your interest.

Step 2 - contact the Activity Leader at eveningspeakers@kcwc.org.uk to request the link and KCWC Discount Code you will need to actually purchase the ticket through Kent House.

Doors open at 7pm, talk begins at 7:30pm

For any queries, contact Activity Leader Ina Messer at eveningspeakers@kcwc.org.uk

Bridge (01/07/2026)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Bridge is played in a friendly and informal atmosphere at a member's home in Notting Hill Gate using English ACOL and US 5 card major bidding systems.

Please register for your free ticket by clicking on the link below.

Please contact event organiser Katy Cooke for any queries at bridge@kcwc.org.uk

Café Society - Coffee Morning at Ham Yard Restaurant in Soho (03/07/2026)

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:30:00 GMT

We are very excited to invite you to our Coffee Morning in July at Ham Yard in Soho. Tucked between the vibrant streets of Soho and a moment’s walk from Mayfair, Ham Yard Hotel is a celebration of contemporary art, craft and design.

If weather permits we will sit in the Courtyard.

Amanda and Catarina invite you to come and meet up with other members for some great conversation, delicious drinks of your choice (your own tab) in these wonderful surroundings.

Please register your interest by booking a free ticket below, as numbers are limited.

If the tickets are sold out, please book a waitlist ticket, and the Activity Leaders will get in touch with you should a place become available.

Looking forward to seeing you again!

Please contact event coordinators Amanda Thompson and Catarina Granryd with any queries at cafesociety@kcwk.org.uk

Bark in the Park - Kensington Gardens, Albert Memorial (24/07/2026)

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:45:00 GMT

Come and join us for a mid-Summer's Walk in beautiful Kensington Gardens.

Enjoy a stroll around the Serpentine, finishing at the Colicci Serpentine Coffee House for a chat and catch up. Can't wait to see you in the sunshine!

As always, everyone is welcome to join us with or without a dog.

Meeting Point: Albert Memorial

For any queries, please contact Karen Kaldezar on +447973178737 or barkinthepark@kcwc.org.uk

Art History - Revisiting the Greats - Peter Paul Ruben: Part 1 (23/09/2026)

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:30:00 GMT

This is the first lecture in a two part series where Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe will look at Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), one of the most celebrated painters of the 17th century.

Rubens was a man of many skills, multilingual and highly intelligent. He worked for the rulers of Flanders, Spain, Mantua and England, employed both as a painter and as a diplomat. He was often under tremendous pressure from many of his patrons to produce multiple pictures for various schemes. He ran a large studio, creating paintings in huge quantities and of enormous size, yet without compromising on quality.

His paintings overflow with an exuberance and joy in life as he turned his eye to almost every subject during his career. As court painter, he created portraits, mythologies and massive schemes for palaces, as well as creating religious paintings for churches and convents. His domestic paintings – often made for his own enjoyment – include remarkable depictions of his family and the countryside he loved around Antwerp. The lectures will also look at the social context in which he lived – the values, customs and dress, as well as the joys and fears.

This lecture on the 23rd will cover his work in the court and church. (Part 1)

The lecture on 30th will cover him as a friend and family man. (Part 2)

Please come at 9:30 for a coffee or tea. The lecture begins promptly at 10:00 and we aim to finish by 12:15. Please remember it is a dress code at the club so please no jeans or trainers.

For any queries, please contact event organiser Susan Shriver at arthistory@kcwc.org.uk