Anglo-Dutch
all things Dutch in the UK

Anglo-Dutch aims to inform all who look for social, artistic, literary, educational, scientific and other events, bringing ‘Dutch’ and ‘UK’ together.

This diary lists all manner of events, be it a Dutch painter’s show in Cornwall, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Barbican, or Dutch poetry in Edinburgh. The web-editor does not accept responsibility for errors, omissions, etcetera; information was correct at the time of inclusion; please check and confirm before incurring any expense or expending time. Contact details for frequently listed organisers are at the bottom of the page - click here .

In case you were looking for the Anglo-Netherlands Society - often referred to as ‘the Anglo-Dutch’ - please follow this link. Looking for Dutch clubs and associations in the UK? Visit www.dutch.org.uk! And finally, DutchArts is the Netherlands Embassy’s listing of Dutch events in the UK. 

Forthcoming events:

  date: ’Event’ + Description Details Venue Website Contact. updated .

      July

 ongoing: ’Turmoil and Tranquility: the sea through the eyes of Dutch and Flemish masters 1550-1700’ + Exhibition at the Queens’ House, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. ’.  updated 31 mar 08.

 - 5 October: ’Painting Family: The De Brays, Master Painters of 17th Century Holland’ + Jan de Bray was perhaps the most important painter in Haarlem in the second half of the 17th century, a mantle he inherited from his father Salomon, with whom he trained. Not an artistic dynasty but Jan’s brothers Dirck and Joseph were also respected artists in their own right. This show promises to be a revelation of 17th century Dutch art. It features masterpieces by all four De Brays. Dirck, who painted bouquets of flowers; Joseph’s three surviving paintings all celebrate the herring. The brothers were grand masters of historic storytelling and the portrait historié, a form of portraiture which Jan developed, in which sitters take on the roles of historic or mythological figures. Salomon and Jan will dominate the show; and we hope that Jan will take his rightful place in the pantheon of Dutch masters alongside the man he succeeded as the preferred portraitist of the great and good, Frans Hals.  This exhibition examines a remarkable, but largely forgotten, family who deserve that their place in Dutch Golden Age, be reassessed. The exhibition will be at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem till 22 June. www.franshalsmuseum.nl and www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk . updated 1 apr 08.

    - 9 August: ’The Urban Tendency’ + Part of the British Council’s ‘Embassies Project’ for the London Festival of Architecture 2008 The Urban Tendency takes Hans Ibelings’ ‘Horror Vacui’ project - about the reemergence of compact urban environments in the Netherlands - and extends it to other locales and practices. At: P3, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LS www.lfa2008.org www.theurbantendency.eu  Contact. updated 6 jul 2008.

 - 20 July: ’Two feet in one shoe’, by Armen Eloyan + Paintings, the world depicted in his strikingly gestural and expressive manner - anything from brutal to messy and dark, and paradoxically almost inevitably also loaded with an undercurrent of humour. Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW T: 020 - 7490 7373 E: info@parasol-unit.org W: www.parasol-unit.org . updated 26 may 08.

 - 20 July: ’London Festival of Architecture 2008’ + The London Festival of Architecture this summer promises to be the biggest event of its kind in the world. Dutch and Flemish architects are amongst those leading the profession worldwide, and many play a significant role in London and elsewhere in the UK. Four bodies joined forces to present the most excellent examples of contemporary architecture from the Low Countries; they are: The British Council, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, the Flemish Representation, and the University of Westminster. T: 020 - 7436 8625 E: info@lfa2008.org W: www.lfa2008.org . updated 26 may 08.

  27 July: “Magic, Music and Mayhem” + Two birds and a bloke present an evening, with Issy van Randwijck. The Watermill Theatre, Newbury. 

Please note that the poster below wasm made for a different performance of the same evening of Magic, Music and Mayhem.

      August

      September

   10 September: ’Jan de Bray’ - private viewing + The Dulwich Picture Gallery is one of London’s Hidden Gems, the museum and grounds in the leafy town of Dulwich never fail to provide a fantastic venue for members of the Anglo-Netherlands Society to enjoy great company, a fine open air (weather permitting!) reception, a balanced collection and very ‘accessible’ curators. Please refer to www.anglo-netherlands.org.uk for details nearer the time, and contact details. updated 1 jul 08.

  - 14 September: ’The House of Viktor & Rolf’ + Dutch Fashion with a twist, which may be to your liking - or not. Over te past 15 years Viktor & Rolf have taken the fashion world by storm with their particular blend of what is described as cool irony and surreal beauty. This is the first time that an exhibition has been devoted to this influential duo - at least in the United Kingdom. Barbican, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. T: 020 7638 4141 E: info@barbican.org.uk W: www.barbican.org.uk  updated 26 may 08.

   ? September? : possible ’Fourth annual Arnhem Lecture’ + at Moor Park Golf Club, Rickmansworth. Moor Park mansion was headquarters to ‘Monty’ -Field-Marshall Montgomery- during the preparations for the Airborne Regiments which set out to capture strategic bridges across the major rivers in the Netherlands in 1944. There is a game of golf in the afternoon, followed by drinks, the Lecture, and a buffet dinner usually accompanied with musical entertainment. Please contact the Anglo-Netherlands Society for details; please be advised that the 2008 edition of the event has been postponed due to personal circumstances. updated 1 jul 08.

   ?? September: NCL - Nederlandse City Lunch - The following requires an excellent understanding of Dutch as it is spoken, therefore the announcement is in Dutch! Voordracht door een nog nader bekend te maken spreker. Zaal open 12.15, aanvang plm 12.30 lunch buffet geopend na afloop van de voordracht en vragen om plm 13.30, einde buffet rond 14.00 / 14.30. In de Social Hall van de Nederlandse Kerk, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HA. Kosten (2008) : £8.00 per persoon. Gaarne opgeven: per e-mail: nedcitylunch@dutchchurch.org.uk of telefonisch T: 020 7588 1684, voor inlichtingen: W: www.nedcitylunch.org.uk. updated 27 mar 08.

      October 2008

   4 October: Viering Leiden’s Ontzet - historical supper to commemorate the lifting of the Siege of the Town of Leiden in 1573. The affairs of “Vereeniging Neerlandia”, the organising Society, are usually conducted in Dutch, a good knowledge of the spoken word is essential for enjoyment of this evening. Booking with cheque to be received by the middle of September at the latest. Details for 2006: Doors open: 18.30, meal: 19.30. Venue: Social Hall, Dutch Church, Austin Friars, London. Cost: £12.00 per non-member, applications with payment to be received by Saturday 24 September. Details: www.neerlandia.org .

   15 October: ’The Old Bailey’ + A private ‘After Hours’ Tour commencing 17.45 till approx. 19.30 - admission by ticket to members only. For more information and to join please refer to www.anglo-netherlands.org.uk . updated 1 jul 08.

      November 2008

   5 November: NCL - Nederlandse City Lunch - The following requires an excellent understanding of Dutch as it is spoken, therefore the announcement is in Dutch!

Voordracht door Hans Hoogervorst, Bestuursvoorzitter Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM). Zaal open 12.15, aanvang plm 12.30 lunch buffet geopend na afloop van de voordracht en vragen om plm 13.30, einde buffet rond 14.00 / 14.30. In de Social Hall van de Nederlandse Kerk, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HA. Kosten (2008) : £8.00 per persoon. Gaarne opgeven: per e-mail: nedcitylunch@dutchchurch.org.uk of telefonisch T: 020 7588 1684, voor inlichtingen: W: www.nedcitylunch.org.uk. updated 27 mar 08.

Usually third Saturday in November - on Sunday 18 November 2007: Intocht Sinterklaas, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Organised by the Nederlands Surrey Comite. Nederlands Comite Surrey Please note that applications need to be received by 2 November - ‘by invitation only’.  For more information first visit the above website, if that does not help then contact the  Prins Willem-Alexander School,  Old Woking Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 8HY. Tel: 01483 750409. updated 4 October 2007

Third Monday in November (19 November 2007): “Dutch Market”, your chance to buy uniquely Dutch delicacies fresh from the Netherlands in the centrally located Social Hall of the Dutch Church, Austin Friars, London EC2. Organised by Neerlandia, entry (2006) 20 pence, doors open 12 noon till 2 pm. Goods include speculaas (spicy baked shortbread, formed into figures akin to gingerbread men), amandelstaaf (thin layered crust filled with an almond paste), kerststol (well-filled fairly dense fruity bread), chocolade letters (letters from the alphabet in chocolate), drop (Dutch licorice), koek (cake like loaf with various spices and fruity bits) and much more.  www.neerlandia.org

Last Saturday in November: Sinterklaas in Schotland - Sint Nicolaas in Scotland + After Guildford Sint Nikolaas travels on to Glasgow in 2007, where he ‘held an audience’ in St Andrews Hall, Roman Road, Bearsden, Glasgow. E: sinterklaasinschotland@yahoo.co.uk W: www.geocities.com/sinterklaasinschotland

Last Saturday in November: Bring and Buy, + Wilhelmina House, 21 Park Hill Rise, Croydon CR0 5JF. T: 020 8760 0933

Last Saturday in November: Dutch group in Northern Ireland: Sinterklaas viering / ‘Sinterklaas’ ‘celebration’. + Information:
//groups.msn.com/NederlandersinNoordIerland/evenementenvandeclub.msnw

      December 2008

Saturday before 5 December: Neerlandia: Sinterklaasfeest voor de kinderen - the traditional Dutch Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) celebration, when children receive -traditionally small- gifts with rhymed praise or other for their good and not so valiant deeds during the year. Please refer to www.neerlandia.org for further, and registration details. Social Hall of the Dutch Church, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2. This event requires a good understanding of the Dutch language, and active participation of parents and children alike; it is not a spectator event.

Sinterklaas: For more information concerning the -partly mythical- ‘Bishop of Myra’ I’d like to suggest a website built and maintained by people in Holland, Michigan, USA : www.stnicholascentre.org gives an extensive overview of Sinterklaas, St Nicholas, and Santa Claus. comprehensive collection of links at: www.sinterklaas.2link.be/  updated 28 October 2007.

5 December: Official Birthday of Sinterklaas, allegedly the bishop of Myra (in Turkey), who travels by a small steamer from Spain, and whom especially young children revere. In fact, they donate carrots for his horse and sing songs near the chimney, hoping for little presents to drop into their shoes overnight. The historical bishopric of Myra lies near Bari in the south of Italy; the dress of the ‘Zwarte Pieten’ is based on the uniform worn by pages in Spain, the black face can refer either to the African descent of servants in important Spanish families, or to the fact that ‘Piet’ needs to climb down and up each chimney, which would make anyone pitch black anyhow. Come to think of it, my mother - when we still had a coal fire - told me that the chimney sweep acted as Zwarte Piet, because he had nothing to do in winter as all chimneys are in use. Information: www.stnicholascentre.org , holland.nl/uk/holland/sights/saint_nicholas and domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19981101/SAINTS/nicholas

Donderdag 13 december 2007: The following requires an excellent understanding of Dutch as it is spoken, which is why it is in Dutch! Nederlandse City Lunch - kerst soiree, in 2007 met schrijver Jan Siebelink. Zaal open 18.30, aanvang 19.00, aansluitend zal een buffet worden geserveerd. De schrijver Jan Siebelink werd in 1938 in Velp geboren. Hij groeide op in een streng christelijk gezin, dat hij beschreef in zijn bekendste werk “Knielen op een bed violen”. In 2005 kreeg Siebelink voor dit boek de AKO Literatuurprijs. Andere bekende romans van zijn hand zijn “De herfst zal schitterend zijn”, “De overkant van de rivier”, “Vera”, “Mijn leven met Tikker” en “Margaretha”. De heer Siebelink was in het verleden leraar Nederlands en Frans en studeerde Franse taal- en letterkunde. Naast zijn literaire werk schreef Siebelink essays over de Franse decadente literatuur. In 2002 ontving Siebelink de F. Bordewijkprijs voor “De overkant van de rivier”. In plaats van de gebruikelijke acceptatie voor de Lunches, verzoeken wij u zich zo spoedig mogelijk, doch uiterlijk vóór 3 december, aan te melden door middel van antwoordkaart en betaling per cheque, bij Mw Suzanne Bosman, c/o Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 38 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7 5DP. Voor nadere informatie: W: www.nedcitylunch.org.uk E: nedcitylunch@dutchchurch.org.uk; T: 020 7590 3256,  boeking alleen schriftelijk, onder bijsluiting van het verschuldigde bedrag ad £22.50 per persoon. Traditioneel krijgen trouwe bezoekers van de ‘gewone’ city lunch bij grote belangstelling als eersten een kaartje toebedeeld. updated 4 October 2007

Last Sunday before Christmas - 23 December 2007: Christmas service at the Dutch Church, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2P 2HA  E: info@dutchchurch.org.uk W: www.dutchchurch.org.uk T: 020 7588 1684. Please let the vergers know if you intend to attend the meal after the service, how many people will be in your party, and how you would be able to help on this day. The service is bilingual, but would assume a fair understanding of the Dutch language as it is spoken.

Looking for that Christmas Card with a difference? The Netherlands Benevolent Society offer for sale their card, which in 2007 pictured “Ice Scene with Golfers” (c. 1625), by Hendrick Avercamp (1585 - 1634), by kind permission of the Edward and Sally Speelman Collection. The card, sold in packs of 10, cost £8.50 per pack, discount when you order 10 or more packs. Available with and without pre-printed greeting inside, which reads: “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”. W: www.koningwillemfonds.org.uk updated 4 October 2007

      2009

      January 2009

9? January: ’Hallo 2009’ + Neerlandia welcomes the new year with bisschopswijn, erwtensoep, oliebollen and hollandse koffie. Please book before 8 January. Members £6, guests £8. Door open 18.30, meal 19.30. See www.neerlandia.org.uk for application details. 

  - 9 January 2009: ’Turmoil and Tranquility: the sea through the eyes of Dutch and Flemish masters 1550-1700’ + The National Maritime @Museum is home to some of the finest 17th century Dutch and Flemish maritime paintings in the world. This exhibition shows the breath of the collection, beginning with the Flemish tradition, the development of distinctly Dutch seacapes, and the foundation of a Netherlandish school of maritime painting in Britain. National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF. T: 020 - 8858 4422 E: bookings@nmm.ac.uk W: www.nmm.ac.uk . updated 1 jul 08.

     February 2009

      March 2009

      April 2009

26 April 2008: Holland House + The London South Bank turns orange again as the Dutch invite the Brits to Party! On Saturday 26 April 2008 the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) once again organised the extremely popular Holland House event in celebration of the Dutch Queen mother's birthday (Queen's Day) with support of the Dutch Embassy. In 2007 over 20,000 people visited the event on the South Bank. The orange fun actually started on Friday 25 April at 22.30 when Club Holland  kicked off the activities at SeOne, London Bridge. Then on Saturday 26 April family activities started at 11:00 and finished around 21.30 at Bernie Spain Gardens, adjacent to Oxo Tower Wharf, South Bank near Waterloo Bridge; it promises to be even bigger and better next. For more information:  info-uk@holland.com 

26 April 2008: Koninginnedag borrel, + georganiseerd door Neerlandia. Event for Dutch speakers, refer to www.neerlandia.org for details. 

30 April: Koninginnedag, + The official birthday of Her Netherlands Majesty, and reason for several ‘borrels’. We suggest you try pub ‘De Hems’ near Wardour Street in London if you have not been invited elsewhere yet, there is always a fairly sizeable Dutch Contingent, and otherwise the publican will likely know someone who knows.

4 May: Remembrance Day - Nationale Dodenherdenking at 7.30 for 8 pm, not only in the Netherlands but also in the UK. Every year, on 4 May, a commemorative service is held at the Dutch Field of Honour, Mill Hill Cemetery. Millspit Lane, entrance opposite Wise Lane, London NW7.
   Programme as follows: 6.45pm: gates open, 7pm: coffee and cake served in chapel; 7.15pm: Arrival Netherlands Ambassador 7.35pm: word of welcome; 7.45: Silent Procession to Field of Honour; 7.55 pm: beginning of open air service; end of service approximately 8.20 pm. Wreaths are habitually laid by representatives of a number of Dutch Organisations in the UK, including veterans, Dutch clubs, and Dutch school children.
   Transport: London Underground to Mill Hill East, then on foot along a secluded road, or First Capital Connect (used to be ‘Thameslink’) to Mill Hill Broadway, then on foot along busier streets. Car: Take the A1, at Mill Hill Circus those driving north from central London do a U-turn and proceed 50 yards - turn left just before the Esso garage (Daws Lane, B1416). Continue to the T-junction, turn right into Wise Lane; the cemetery is at the end of this lane. Please follow instructions for parking.
   More information can be obtained from the Assistant Military Attaché at the Royal Netherlands Embassy, 38 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7 5DP, 020 - 7590 3200www.netherlands-embassy.org.uk. Once every five years, Memorial Day is followed by celebrations on Liberation Day (May 5), when the Dutch remember and celebrate their liberation from occupying powers. 

5 May: Bevrijdingsdag + the Dutch Liberation Day, when liberation from occupying powers is celebrated. The date coincides with the capitulation in 1945 of German forces at the end of the Second World War, but what is remembered are all the occupying forces and tribes, from the Romans, the Carolingians, the Viking Raids, the Austrian-Hungarian, the Spanish, the French / Napoleonic period.

Contact details for previously listed entities:

• Barbican, Silk Street, London EC2. 020 - 7638 8891 www.barbican.org.uk/music
• Design Museum, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD 020 - 7403 6933 W: www.designmuseum.org .
• Low Countries (History) Seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1. Usually on a Friday afternoon. 020 - 7636 0272
  www.history.ac.uk/ihrseminars/low.html
• National Gallery, London. W: www.nationalgallery.org.uk
• National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2, 020 - 7312 2463 www.npg.org.uk 
• Nederlandse City Lunch - in Dutch! ‘12.15 for 12.30’, na de voordracht, plm 13.30, buffet lunch tot ong. 14.00/ 14.30. Toegangsprijs (2008) £8.00, gaarne vooraf opgeven per e-mail: nedcitylunch@dutchchurch.org.uk of telefonisch 020 - 7588 1684, voor inlichtingen: W: www.nedcitylunch.org.uk. 
• Nederlandse Kerk, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HA,
  info@dutchchurch.org.uk 020 7588 1684,  www.dutchchurch.org.uk
• Royal Albert Hall. 020 - 7589 8212.
• Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1, 020 7565 5000 www.royalcourttheatre.com
• RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD tel. 020 7580 5533 info@inst.riba.org   www.architecture.com 
• Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2. T: 020 - 7240 1200. W: www.royaloperahouse.org
• Tate Modern, Bankside, London, 020 - 7401 5000 www.tate.org.uk
• The Barbican, Silk Street, London EC2 T: 020 - 7638 8891 W: www.barbican.org.uk
• V&A - Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, 020 - 7942 000 www.vam.ac.uk
• Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1. 020 - 7935 2141 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk  
• Wilhelmina House, 21 Park Hill Rise, Croydon CR0 5JF 020 - 8760 0913