Pastures new

It was a momentous day for the New Sheridan Club last Wednesday, as it was the first time we had met at the Bishop's Finger, which looks likely to be the home of our monthly meetings going forward, following the closure of the Wheatsheaf in Fitzrovia, our home of 20 years. Perhaps appropriately for such a reflective occasion, our talk was entitled "Whence Chappism? Origins of a Harmless Eccentricity", delivered by veteran speak Luca Jellinek, who brought academic rigour and rational analysis to the subject. In the talk he considered the historical mainspring of Chappism, and its pioneers and "enablers", from early/mid 20th-century dandies to the cultural shifts of the 1980s and beyond. You can see a video of Luca's talk on YouTube at youtu.be/cGk79mzqmFI.

The event was not without its hiccups—the resident projector screen was rather small and decrepit and although we were allowed to use the pub's wifi, the router's connection to the internet was extremely flaky, so our livestream of the talk cut out after exactly two seconds. But a good time was had by all and several present commented that they actually preferred the venue to the Wheatsheaf. Thanks to Luca and all who came, and I'll see you next month.

You can see more photos from the event on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/sheridanclub/albums/72177720326496720.